1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
D: We're just three friends who share a passion for music and enjoy making it. The result of our mutual work is something related to black metal.
A: For me, it’s a long story of trying to gather friends to play some music with blast-beats) I’d been trying to convince mates from my last two bands to start making something like krvvla does now but it wasn’t successful. I remember that we’d even had some jams with D. a few years before krvvla was formed, but nobody had enough time for that. I’m glad it happened and I’m glad that we’re still together.
V: This band is like a family to me. From the very first rehearsal I had a strong feeling that it was the beginning of a long story. Three completely different persons with different music tastes and approaches to things. But we share the same idea of making great music.
2.You have a new single coming out in July, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
D: I'd say it's more, hmm, chaotic and dissonant, compared to our early works (like M, N, even Ø). At the same time I feel like it's an upgraded version of our E (haha).
A: When I listen to the new one, it sounds more present, bass is just holding you in its hands and the drums keep beating all the shit out of you. It’s better than everything we’ve done so far. I still like listening to it, do it a couple of times a week)
V: I would say this release is some kind of a logical continuation of our previous release E, sort of evolution of those previous ideas, the continuation of that musical story. I’m totally satisfied with the result, the story is being told so it’s time to start a new story.
3.With the exception of your first demo all of the releases titles have been one letter while the songs are usually one word, can you tell us a little bit more about this concept?
D: Honestly, naming stuff has always been a challenge for me. And this human need to put a label on everything you do is kind of annoying. Man, I just want to make music! :)) But when it actually comes to naming the tracks, it's all about the feelings and associations I get when I'm listening to it. And a bit of nerdiness, hehe.
A: I think we got used to that joke of one-letter releases, so we’ll just force this in our further releases. It just happens naturally when we’re talking about what we’re doing during rehearsals. We’ve come to a name E by the name of Ecco The Dolphin, because of the sound we used at the beginning of the track. We were also discussing the interstellar nature of dolphins that time and it just naturally came together.
V: T stands for T-Rex :)
4.So far all of the music has been instrumental, would you be open to using vocals or lyrics on future releases?
D: This is actually what we're currently working on :)
A: We had some short things, but were too humble to record vocals for our previous tracks)
V: Since our first gigs people were asking if we had plans to add vox. I think it’s not that easy nowadays for some people to listen to instrumental music thoughtfully, especially for those who listen to music in background or who treat the music as a kind of entertainment against boredom. We’re used to telling the story with music not with words, but who knows, maybe we’ll try to add some vocals on our next releases.
5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Krvvla'?
D: No inspiration, pure accident. Happy little accident, hehe.
V: By the way, the correct pronunciation of the name is like “kree-voo-lah” :)
D: More like [‘krivələ] :))
6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new single cover?
D: Nothing major about it. Just some abstract thing made with acrylic paints and then edited in a graphic editor. Though if you look closely, you can see some claw marks in it, hehe. Fun fact: the original painting was a completely different color.
A: I remember I had an idea of doing an all black acrylic paint texture just for fun, and as a potential style of artworks for M/N. Only texture, no colors. I thought it’d look good together with some minimalistic instrumental music. We did a couple of those together with D, and it just stayed like that. I still do some from time to time)
V: I can only add that we had four different variants to choose from and that was not an easy choice.
7.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
D: The one I'll remember forever is definitely the Neverland Festival we played in 2018. Just imagine: it's around midnight (or even past it), you're in the middle of a forest, and it's raining.The atmosphere was incredible.
As to our stage performance, there’s not a lot of movement. We're not running around, or jumping, or doing something crazy. It might be a bad thing for someone, but we're more focused on playing everything perfectly, rather than making a show.
A: Yup, Neverland was awesome, hope we’ll get to play a few outdoor fests this summer with the same atmosphere. Not much about stage performance behind the drumset, I’m just making sure not to injure anybody with drumsticks flying around.
V: I like it when there’s no border between the crowd and the musicians because it helps to establish some kind of strong connection between us and our listeners. Playing a gig is always a type of spiritual experience in an altered state of mind for me.
8.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
D: No tour plans so far. The only show we'll be playing in the nearest future is a festival near Minsk.
9.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
D: We haven't received any offers yet. And I wouldn't say we're actively looking for a label.
A: Yeah, we’re currently unsigned, but it’d be nice to have some label support.
V: That’s always a tricky point for a band: you either stay independent or sign with a label. Labels do a great job promoting the band but commercial labels often dictate their rules that may result in losing the band’s individuality. We’re open to labels’ offers but would like to stay independent.
10.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black metal?
D: No idea.
A: I don’t think we’re somehow popular on a worldwide level.
V: Black metal scene police never sleeps. I’m pretty sure there will be some negativity from the guys who praise the cult of being “true”, but I don’t care.
11.When can we expect a full length and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
D: Personally, I don't know :)) I don't think we're a band that sets goals and then pursues them. I feel that all our actions are based on instincts and feelings. If we feel like it's time for a full length, or rather if it happens that we have some material that would make a full length, then we'll do a full length. The same goes for the musical aspect. I never force myself to write songs in this or that subgenre. What comes out, comes out.
A: I don’t think we are trying to fill some format with what we do. We’ve done a 15 minute single track and it seems like a complete idea. There’s nothing to add, nothing to remove, no way to split it.
V: I think not so many people listen to full length albums in the era of streaming services. Releasing less material but more often is the only way nowadays to keep the audience’s interest I think.
12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
D: Recently I've been spinning a lot of Deathspell Omega, Abyssal, Almyrkvi, Rebirth of Nefast, Altarage. There's always some dark ambient stuff, like Wordclock, Treha Sektori, Desiderii Marginis. And I have a special place in my heart for Paramnesia, Fyrnask, Rorcal, and Walk Through Fire. But when it comes to the influence… It’s really difficult to say. At least, for me.
A: Nowadays it’s less metal, more jazz, idm, prog. Actual bands: Ulcerate, Aluk Todolo, Inter Arma, Deathspell Omega.
V: The same as A: less metal and more jazz-fusion. I’m also trying to get familiar with metal classics like Megadeath, Judas Priest, Pantera.
13.What are some of your non musical interests?
D: Well, I have some interest in photography; usually it's either some nature stuff or taking pictures at gigs. I love languages, all this linguistic stuff. And just learning new things in general.
A: I make computer games, just a bit of demoscene, and painting/drawing/doodling.
V: Software development, alternative ancient history and so-called conspiracy theories, meditation, and cooking.
14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
A: Thanks for the interview, hope you’ll enjoy our new record.
