AURORA BOREALIS (Eng.)
– Hello, thanks for taking the time. What are you currently up to?
No Problem at all i am always happy to do an interview. Right now I am just really trying to promote the new Timeline cd as well as the news that i have decided to give away the entire aurora borealis discography for free through our website. We are also giving away a zip called covering the skies that include all the cover songs we have ever done, released and unreleased. It takes a ton of time promoting when you are not on a label and do everything yourself. I also have very very slowly been writing a little bit for a future new CD.
– To start, could you please introduce and make some history of the band for all those who don’t know you yet?
I started the band around 1995 or so after playing with another band called Lestregus Nosferatus based out of Atlnata. I quit that project due to the other guys have some other obligations and i was going to be moving as well. I went to Florida and Found Tony Laureano for the drum spot. I released a MCD «Mansions of Eternity» around 1996 and that was recorded at Morrsiound Studios By the well know Scott Burns. After that I released two cds with Derek Roddy on Drums «Praise The Archaic Lights Embrace» And «Northern Lights» A couple years apart. Northern Lights
was released also by Diehard Music Worldwide as well as on my own Nightsky prod. . The 4th cd was recorded with Tim Yeung on drums and was also released by myself as well as Diehard music. We took a very short break and then I put out Relinquish with Tony Laureano again on drums around 4 years ago. Now here we are we njust put out the timeline, the beginning and end of everything cd it features the new drummer Mark Green. He had not really done much before this cd. He played on some demos I think, but nothing major. He was literally the last guy that auditioned out of around 30 or more people. He was also referred d by Derek Roddy . He has good work ethic and gets the job done. I was really very pleased with all that we did on the cd drum wise. I am sure you will be hearing more from him in the future. The bass player was Jason Eckert. He played on the second cd we did Praise The Archaic Lights Embrace.
– And why did you pick «Aurora Borealis» for the band’s name?
Well back in 1996 there were no other bands using names like that that I knew of, they all were satanistic or gore inspired names and I was never into that.
– To all those who haven’t had the chance of listening to you yet; what the main musical influences behind AURORA BOREALIS?
I take inspiration from many areas, musically I draw from Thrash, death and black metal. I very much like all the genres so i want to incorporate them all into what i do. Lyrically we draw from history, books, Science and space.
– Your latest work, «Timeline: the Beginning and End of Everything» came out just a few months ago; how has been its acceptance both from the fans and press? What kind of reactions did you expect?
The reception has been superb. We are getting great reviews everywhere and people seem to be really enjoying the free download of the new cd as well as our entire discography. We get great emails from people everyday who bought the cd are are pleased with it. I had the most fun making this cd since back in the early days of the band. There has been a little backlash from some labels and other bands that we should not be giving it away for free but they dont bother me. I hoped that it would be well received so I guess i expected the reception to be very good. I spent o ton of time making writing recording and mixing the cd.
– What’s the concept in «Timeline…» as an album?
The Timeline CD is a concept album that starts from the beginning of all existence and continues through until the very end of the universe and the eventual retraction and rebirth of it all. It further deals with subjects such as the Big Bang, to the formation of planets and stars, life in the universe, evolution and Creationism, space colonization, the fabric of the universe itself, time travel, other dimensions and species trying to preserve their races. The concept stems from my passion on the subject. My father works at nasa and he can be held responsible for this. Since I was very young he was always bringing home some info on space, or missions, and as I got older i realized how important it all was and how so mind blowing all of it is. Some people may not even understand some of the stuff on the cd, but it is by far my favorite cd conceptually and lyrically. I think what i have written is not fiction, this cd will happen if the human race can survive long enough to get off the planet and start inhabit the universe. I would encourage everyone to read the lyrics, they are also be included in the digital download of the cd.
– I think «Timeline…» is a well-structured album and with a more mature songwriting compared to your previous efforts. What are your thoughts on this?
I agree completely. I love all of my other cds as well, but you are right. This one has much better song writing. Through the years I have tried to improve on that. Some songs i hear are basically just a bunch of riffs strung together and that is what i wanted to avoid. i wanted to make actual songs with verses and chorus’s etc.
– Another positive fact off the record is a better production. Could you please shed some light on this? How was this process like, etc.
This comes from my studio growing over the years. Nightsky Studios is my Commercial recording facility at this point. We have been in business for over 10 years now. I have been recording since I was about 15 years old in one form or another. Over the years I have kept growing the business and continue to grow it every year. We have grown now so that the studio has a gear selection of well over a hundred thousand dollars.
The better gear we get the better our cds sound. We are now a top notch facility. Relinquish i thought had a very strong production as well but yes we spent a ton of time on this one and i think it shows. We made some youtube videos of the production process. They can be viewed here http://www.youtube.com/user/AURORA4DTH?feature=mhee
– And how was this time the composition process?
I always write my songs without a drummer around. I have drum parts in mind when writing but sometimes the drummer makes it even better than I imagined. I talk about what I am looking for with the drummer but I am always open to ideas. Only a few parts are set in stone with what i hear in my head. I modify the songs when I have to if something just is not working with the drums but that is rare, i more so add extra parts to the songs after the drums are laid down because it sparks other ideas. When I write initially i start with just a metronome and myself with a basic idea. It then just morphs from there. Sometimes it is very fast and sometimes it takes forever. Lyrically ideas and being jotted down anytime and written usually after the music is complete. I know usually what song will have what concept or section.
– Your lyrics tend to deal with mythology, cosmos, etc. Tell us a bit about them and your inspirations, as you’re the responsible for most of them.
I write about what I enjoy. It has changed over the years but I have always tried to get away from what most bands in our genre write about. I have no interest in things such as satanism and gore and blood. I always try to make the lyrics meaningful so if someone reads them they may learn something or at the very least think about what is being written about. I get so many emails and letters where people tell me how much they appreciate our lyrics and I am so glad that there are people out there that still think lyrics are as important as the music.
– Have been 5 years since your previous «Relinquish» until this new piece; what were you up to during those years?
Well for a while there a thought I may not even make another cd. It really was a process making the relinquish cd and it started to feel like a job. I decided to focus on my studio and making that successful. I was recording for other people just about every day. I thought to myself, If i cannot have fun making music then I don’t want to do it. I will just record other people’s music. I got the urge again after that time went by and decided to make another go at it. This time around it was very fun making the cd and that is why i am already writing again. It will still be a very long time before I release another cd but I can guarantee there will be another one in the future.
– You’ve been around with AURORA BOREALIS since 1994; what were back then your aims to get with it? What sides of the band can you still improve?
I never really had any goals, I just wanted to make music that enjoyed. Actually it is still pretty much the same thing. I have no desires to be on a label or tour the world. I make my living through the studio and it affords me everything that i need. As a band I think it is just a natural progression to improve, if we start getting worse it is time to call it quits.
– And after all these years of existence for the band; how have been both the best and worst moment?
They have all been the best moments. Every day is a gift, so If i am alive and healthy each day i cannot complain.
– Finally, what are the band’s future plans?
To continue to promote for this cd and like i said continue doing what we are doing. there will be another album, i just cannot say when it will be. Being that we have no label obligations or time constraints we will just work at our own pace.
– That’s all, thank you once more for your time. Now feel free to add some final words before we wrap this interview.
Thanx a ton for the interview, we are not a super huge band so we appreciate these interviews and a chance to reach many more listeners through avenues like yours. I would encourage all of your readers to visit auroraborealis.org and download our cd for free. It comes with full artwork and lyrics. Please also rad the lyrics, they are to me just as important as the music itself. Without magazines like yours we would not have a chance to reach the people we have.
