Interview with Nonsun

We had never interviewed a group of Drone Doom. Turns out one of my favorite bands of the genre is Nonsun, Ukrainian duo follow from their first record, and that, to date, released two great works that have nothing to envy to the Great bands of the Gender. In fact, Nonsun are, for me, one of the best groups that the Drone has today. In a nutshell, here is the interview we did with our friend Bohdan, alias Goatooth, guitarist, bassist and singer of Nonsun.

Puro Ruido: Greetings! How is everything in the universe of Nonsun?

Bohdan: Hey, everything’s cool. We’re actively working on new stuff at rehearsals.

PR: First of all I want to congratulate you for the results obtained with the second album. "Sun Blind Me" is a great album. You have received good criticism from fans and the press?

B: Thanks for the congratulations man! We’ve really received a good feedback from fans and the press. There’ve been positive reviews, interviews, radio airplays, inclusions of our songs in the compilations, kind words from fans, etc. We’re so flattered and inspired indeed.

PR: While we're on the second EP, Breathe Plastic seal Records released a cassette edition, limited to 50 copies, right. Already sold 50 copies? Has been released on cd as well?

B: The cassettes are already sold out through Breathe Plastic Records, but there are still a few in the distro of some other labels. There hasn't been a CD release, but the EP was released simultaneously as free digital download by Drowning (net-label from Denmark), and throughout the month the album has spread around very well, becoming the second most popular 1st month download amongst the Drowning releases. So the EP is doing quite well and we’re really happy about it.

PR: How Nonsun born? There was a reason, a need that has driven you to create a group like Nonsun?

B: It was my fascination with drone music and love to all subgenres of doom. Besides, we both with Alpha had the need to do something more experimental than we did in the bands we participated. We craved for more freedom of creativity.

PR:  I love the name of the group. I think it fits perfectly with the music of the band. In what circumstances chose that name for the band? Were inspired by the music, the cosmos, darkness, or all these together?

B: You got it right man, these really are amongst my main sources of inspiration. Of course, the basic one is music. But I find a lot of fascination in cosmos and things connected with it as well. The band name certainly has roots in these my fascinations, although it’s not supposed to have some specific meaning. It’s rather symbolic. Nonsun can be interpreted as a loss of myth by a modern man and forging a false one to fool himself. However, it’s not limited to this only interpretation, of course, and leaves you the freedom of understanding it your own way.

PR: Personally, I think both eps ("Good Old Evil" and "Sun Blind Me") are excellent. But the second I like it better than the first because I think you've taken your music to the next level of darkness, experimentation and creativity. But I would like to know what opinion do you have of each of the records that have recorded

B: Thanks for your kind words. In my opinion, the second one is more focused and organic, compared to the demo, yet it’s still not all monolithic in a traditional way, especially when looking at the song structures. It’s rather a journey, as you’ve described it, an atmospheric, emotional trip, or even a hypnotic séance I dare say, and in this sense it creates integrity.

What else I’d like to add about the new release is that we’re really satisfied with Alphomega two parts. It was a nice experience to create this kind of experimental and improvised piece of music that’s free from templates, pure, more dehumanized. And it’s drone.

PR: Nonsun music exudes a highly charged atmosphere, suffocating. At times, the music of the band creates me similar feelings that caused me to hear "Filosofem" of Burzum, and other Black Metal albums of that era. The Black Metal from the 90s and his cold and evil atmosphere, have influenced you when writing songs?

B: Sure. Not necessarily when writing these songs, but definitely have influenced me as a musician. Especially Burzum. Though, black metal in general has not made as much impact as some other genres, as I prefer slow music. What I like in black metal is, as you mentioned, its cold and evil atmosphere, rawness, depth, misanthropic vibe. So I love black metal as long as these things remain the core of the music, but when the emphasis moves aside towards the technique, or masquerade, or some other non-music things, I’m no longer interested.

PR: Bohdan, besides playing in Nonsun, also do you play in Apostate, certainly? What kind of music do you make with this band?

B: We play more traditional death-doom metal, blackened at places. Apostate is one of the first death-doom bands in Ukraine (they were formed in 1993). I joined them in 2009 as a vocalist.

PR: Nonsun play live? Or is it an entity that exists to create music, record and leave the listener mentally travel in solitude while listening at home?

B: We would love to play live, but as a duo we wouldn’t be able to implement on the stage what you hear on the record. If we find one more musician (bass- or guitar-player), we will gladly start performing live.

PR: Many tags are used to classify you. Drone, Doom Metal, Sludge, Post Metal. You are comfortable with these tags? Or prefer to leave that to the public and to the press?

B: We’re not principled in the classification thing at all, but all these genres have influenced us so it’s not weird people use those tags.

PR: What reflected in your lyrics? Say something in particular?

B: Lyrics just carry the same message, emotion, mood along with the music. They’re used to emphasize the general atmosphere and ritualistic vibe of the songs.

PR: Plans for the future? What follows, from now on, in the life of Nonsun?

B: We already have around 30 minutes of new material. So, we’re going to continue writing and rehearsing a new stuff, and when we have at least one hour of music we’ll enter the studio and record our first full-length. In the meantime, who knows, we could possibly debut as a live band.

PR: Well, I believe that is all. Certainly, thank you very much for the interview, and principally, thank you for the good moments that make me happen with your music. If you want to add something …

B: You’re always welcome man. Many thanks to you for this interview and for your constant support. We’re really happy that we’ve found our listener, like you man, and hope to have new fans amongst your readers. Stay slow.