1.Can you give us an update on what is going on with the solo project these days?

1. I've been slowly recording songs for multiple upcoming releases, it's just been taking me forever. I'm really slow with finishing music, I have lots of ideas but it's often hard for me to focus on them and also balance everything else in my life, especially now. But I am definitely working on things and I hope to have a full album out soon, as well as more cool things I can't talk about yet. 

2.Recently you have released a new split, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

2. I think sky of fading lights sounds more heartbreakingly romantic, ethereal, and maybe even nostalgic than my previous releases. A Rose Dying In The Rain's track "etérea" feels so bittersweet and echoes this sense of deep yearning that I really hope someday I can achieve in my own music. I wanted my song on the split to sound more dense and have more texture than any other song I've done, not sure if I accomplished that but I definitely tried. It's also the longest song I've made. 

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you explore with the newer music?

3. I haven't really made my lyrics public, but I can say that they mostly deal with depression, loneliness, and heartbreak. I try to make my instrumentals match that as best as I can. There's also been a pretty common theme throughout lots of my music involving something leaving, whether it be me or another person, a location, a sense of self, etc., and that often works its way through the previous topics I mentioned.

4.You also have mentioned an interest in existentialism and the writings of Camus and Freud in the past, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these writings?

4. I'm not really that knowledgeable or even interested in Freud, but I have recently been reading some of Camus' works and have found them to be very interesting and applicable to parts of my own life. I read The Stranger a few months ago and enjoyed it a lot, Camus had such a beautifully descriptive way of writing. I still have much to learn and read because some of it is a bit difficult, like the essays, but ultimately absurdism and existentialism have resonated with me in general the past year or two. I used to be pretty nihilistic and it was such a miserable way to live. Maybe absurdism and existentialism are a response to nihilism, I'm still figuring it out. The least I can do is find cool people and do cool things to make life more interesting and bearable, and I can try to find meaning in that. 

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Moongazer'?

5. During some difficult and confusing times in life a few years ago I would often sit outside in the middle of the night and stare at the moon while listening to music and just think. No matter how bad life would get, the moon was always there each night for me when I needed to be alone. 

6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the split album cover?

6. The artwork is from distantmagicaldream on Instagram. I found it while looking through their photos while me and A Rose Dying In The Rain were trying to figure out the split artwork. I showed it to him and we both loved it, so I asked permission to use it. There's something beautiful about it that I'm not sure I can fully put into words... it's wistful, ethereal, delicate, nostalgic. In relation to the title, the lights seem like they're about to fade away, as if we're caught in a brief moment of pure innocence and love before the bittersweetness and yearning sets in. I knew it looked how the music sounded the moment I saw it.

7.With this project you record everything by yourself, are you open to working with other musicians or do you prefer to work solo?

7. I want the project to stay as just me when I'm writing/recording because the music is me. I'd definitely be interested in playing live shows for Moongazer though, so I would need other musicians to make that happen someday. 

8.Recently you where a part of a split with 'A Rose Dying In The Rain', what are your thoughts on the other project that had participated on the recording?

8. Fernando is awesome. His music is just so nostalgic and full of romance, I love it. He's one of the nicest guys in the scene and I'm so glad I got to make something with him. We live far away from each other but I hope one day we can hang out in person and work on more music together. 

9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of post black metal and blackgaze?

9. When I released Gone in 2021 I didn't expect anyone to really care about it besides maybe a handful of people and some friends in the scene. I'm really thankful that there seem to be people who enjoy my music and can relate to it. I've been able to have my music released on CD and tape, which is so cool to me. I always enjoy reading what people say about my stuff and some have told me it's helped them during hard times and to discover bands in the genres more, which blows my mind. 

10.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician during the future?

10. I'll continue making music for Moongazer as long as I feel I need to, as well as working on other future music projects. I hope I can collab with others more in the future and even play shows someday, that would be so cool. I'd love to be in a band or two and tour different states/countries. Ultimately I just wanna keep making meaningful art and surround myself with people who do the same and see where it leads. 

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that you are currently listening to nowadays?

11. I've been listening to a lot of Midwife, Tim Hecker, Red House Painters, Grouper, Have A Nice Life, Sadness, Massive Attack, and Duster lately. New Lamp of Murmuur album is sick. 

12.before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

12. Thanks for the interview, and thank you to anyone who listens to my music and supports me. New music soon.

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?

Hypnagogia is a Melodic / Atmospheric black metal band formed in 2021 by Sotiris, Paris and Pelo in Veria, Greece. We started immediately to work on our debut album which was finished

end of 2022 in the home studio of Paris and was ready to be released.

2.In February you had released your first full length, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?

Carving the subconscious can be described as melodic black metal but covers also other metal styles in the black metal direction. We don't aim to match any specific music style.

We just let the music and emotions speak for themselves.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band has explored so far with the music?

The lyrics are all around the subconscious, other dimensions, dreams / nightmares, how they could be linked together and how it influences our behavior

without realizing it - Microcosmos and Macrocosmos -

All this is mind bending and we like to explore in that direction.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Hypnagogia'?

Since the topic of the dream worlds and the subconscious is very interesting and fascinating to us,

Hypnagogia is the transition between being awake and sleeping. In that state, you are able to experience visual, audio, or other types of hallucinations.

So we thought it would be a good idea to use this name for the band. An exploration of Audio hallucinations if you want.

5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?

The artwork is what we think of as a visualisation of the Hypnagogic state and the energy that is generated from the mind during this state. Big thanks to our artwork creator

Nikos Marantidis for this beautiful work.

6.Has the band done any live shows or are open to the idea?

We did not do any live shows yet and will probably not do any live shows anytime soon because of other liabilities. Let's see what the future brings. We might be open to this idea with the right circumstances.

7.Currently the band is signed to 'Theogonia Records', how did you get in contact with this label?

Surprisingly we had a few interesting deal proposals soon after the release of Carving the subconscious. We finally decided to sign with Theogonia records since the communication was great and we thought it would best suit us, as we are a completely new band. 

8.On a worldwide level, how has the reaction been to your music by fans of atmospheric black metal?

After the release we were surprised to see such a positive reaction on youtube comments and bandcamp followers.

We are very happy to see that people reacted positively and this gives us a push to continue working on new stuff.

9.Are any of the band members currently involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?

Currently, none of us is involved in other projects, no. We had some other projects in the past though, some of the work is also still available on youtube such as Ancient Shrine, Rise of Malice and Satwe.

The style is more aggressive and raw so check it out if you are interested.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

There are no plans. We don't try to match any specific style. It's just feeling expressions and you can expect more of similar stuff also in the future.

11.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?

Influences came from Atmospheric/melodic metal generally. Specifically the Scandinavian metal scene influenced us a lot. Bands like At the gates, In flames (old),

Dark tranquility, Arcturus etc.

And of course metal legends like Bathory, Darkthrone, Immortal, Mayhem, Dissection and not to mention Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden.

Nowadays we listen mainly to Black/Dark/Death metal but we are open to most of the music genres.  

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

Thank you very much for this interview and the support.

I am glad to see that the extreme metal scene is thriving more than ever with a lot of new bands coming forward with new ideas.

Keep the extreme metal scene alive.

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the solo project?

1. My project Witches Forest has been through many changes in the start it was really romantic and medieval then it became something wizard and magical like and now it’s more to do with my Native American heritage and I plan to keep it that way 

2.Since 2022 you have released a great amount of material, can you tell us a little bit more about your musical progression from the first to current release?

2. When I first started recording for Witches Forest I did not even know where I wanted to take it and barely even knew anything about anything I went in blind. My “albums” Beauty of Silence, Cycles and Illusions, Hardship I see them as demos you can also hear a lot of progression in them to if you listen in order. Now what I call my real debut Haunting the Woodlands was something I wanted Witches Forest to really sound like and Under the Snow Covered Branches amplified that sound and I also dabbled a bit in vocals trying to find the best fit for me on Under the Snow Covered Branches 

3.A lot of your lyrics cover Witchcraft and nature themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these topics?

3. If you also noticed my lyrics are hidden only I know them sometimes it’s not even witchcraft or nature but most of the times it is. I’ve always been interested in the occult since I was like 7 I was exposed to a lot of things a young mind and I’ve study a lot on the occult and have a lot of knowledge about it and many books and I sing about nature a lot because nature is like a sanctuary to me it’s what I worship the land.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Witches Forest"?

4. I was in 9 or 12 projects before Witches Forest started all different genres ranging from post punk to death metal but black metal has always been my favorite and what I’m better at in making. When creating Witches Forest I wanted something I could stick to so I made an oath to myself I will never get rid of this project and continue to write till I die even if that means it’s not black metal anymore and the name Witches Forest is something I came up with to have the themes of the music right infront of you magic, nature, rituals, native, and anti Christian or else it wouldn’t really be black metal.

5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the last full length cover?

5. Well it’s a picture of me by my favorite tree in my favorite park during the winter that tree has much importance to me everytime I go there I always have to stop by it and rest and the art work done by e.nvll.arts is something he helped make come alive on the cover because I’m terrible at drawing having trees on the cover would fit and the blue color gave it a chill it just matched the vibe of it all cold, grim, and spellbound 

6.With this project you record everything by yourself, are you open to working with other musicians or do you prefer to work solo?

6. I’ve work with other musicians before it’s a bitch unless it’s with my good friend from Vampyrskog in fact I did do a song with him on are split we both made it me on bass and vocals and Vamp on the rest and also vocals and I helped produce the sound but that’s the last time I will work on something with someone it’s hard you don’t think the same or not at the same level musically or both have very different atmospheres.

7.In the last year you have released a great amount of material, do you spend a great amount of your time writing and creating music?

7. Yes I do and the crazy thing about it is that I multitask almost everything in my life because of it weather it’s time with friends and family work or school but the majority of my time is spent in my bedroom writing music and is the only time I feel at peace with myself and I think writing music helps me achieve inner peace I’m a born musician it runs in my family. But the musical side of me isn’t complete without Moonwisp a name I made for my hate and everything negative when I record that’s Moonwisp nothing would be possible without that side storming and pushing out never ending material. When I’m not recording I’m reading or in the woods or with my friends and family or I am meditating gaining knowledge being me

8.Recently you have been a part of splits with 'Vampyrskog' and 'Daedric Chamber', what are your thoughts on the other projects that have participated on those recordings?

8. Vampyrskog is a very old friend of mine I met him freshman year in high school ever since we’ve been close pals I even showed him black metal and now he make’s awesome stuff. Daedric Chamber is band i fanboyed over I love the elder scrolls games and when I saw he was making black metal of it it was a must listen two of my favorite things in one and when he asked me to do a split with no hesitation I said yes and it was also an awesome way to kill the medieval magical black metal music you see everywhere now. And just other projects in general I really don’t pay to much attention to unless I know they are something special. So if anyone wants to make a split with me they have to be something I really like and enjoy and something I can make work with my music and art Illiniwek black metal.

9.So far you have worked with 'Ancient Meadow Records' and 'Fiadh Productions', are you happy with the support these labels have given you so far?

9. Yes I’m happy with the support with the labels have given me Ancient Meadow really just gave me that boost I really needed and Fiadh is Awesome she’s like my black metal mom if I need help on anything with shipping or stuff like that she’s happy to help out but also all the supporters I have are amazing and my father is probably the biggest supporter he’s inspired me as a musician ever since I was born.

10.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black metal?

10. I think the reaction has been very positive my supporters message me and tell me how much they like my stuff sometimes I message them back and others have became friends although I love it more if people made reviews and critiqued more I could use some feedback on things.

11.Where do you see yourself heading into musically during the future?

11. More towards my inner self and working on myself and inner self along with embracing my ancestors and really just feeling the energy of the forest and making my music for the land and spirits but also trying to make it as badass and atmospheric as possible.

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?

12. I really try not to let other band’s influence my sounds I like to be original and different I say the newest sound I’m working on is filled with rage, and this sense of trying to find peace in this now disgusting world. My older sound when Witches Forest was more about magic and medieval stuff was a little more hopeless and romantic in its own way but also very angry. Music I have been listening to at the moment is some jazz and polka maybe some traditional Mexican but if we where talking metal just the usual stuff because I can’t get enough of it like Ulver, Forgotten Woods, Gorgoroth, Marduk, Enslaved, Horna, Rotting Christ, Trelldom all that stuff you know but I also like new bands to like ifernach, Till, Felvum, Kold and I also like tons of burtal death metal, goregrind and old school death and when I mean old school I mean real old school not them new bands that say they are old school.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

13. Witches Forest is finally gonna settle on a main sound a sound I call Illiniwek Black Metal a form of Native American Black Metal but more towards where I’m coming from and where I am from so be ready to hear the new sound.   

1. For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the solo project? I’ve always loved music, and have tried my hand at a couple different instruments in the past. I’ve tried being in bands in the past but none of them stuck, and I was never confident enough in my skills to really pursue it beyond that, but as I started getting more into black metal and discovering a lot of the artists who oversee every aspect of their music themselves, as one-person projects, it really inspired me to try it myself. I began to realize that even though I’m not very confident in my abilities, the only way I’ll improve is to keep trying. Plus, I love learning everything I can about making music, from the different instruments to the technical sound engineer tasks to music theory itself, so being the sole person behind my creations allows me to do so, and express myself as I wish. I very much enjoy collaborating with others, but I love the creative freedom being a solo artist brings. 

2.You have a new album coming out later this month, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording? I was very indecisive at figuring out what I wanted the project to sound like, but as I began to piece it together, I decided to stick with a sound akin to old school, raw black metal (primarily second wave) with elements of dungeon synth, but I also tried to explore a more modern ambient sound as well. 

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you have explored so far with the music? I always want to, above all else, be able to write the music from my emotions, and for Atychipboia, I specifically tailored it to a lot of the negative feelings I was having during the creation of the project. Most of the project stemmed from my fear of not being good enough or living up to expectations, and the pressure that I unfortunately put myself under to meet my own musical demands. I collaborated with Espi Kvlt on one of the tracks, whose lyrics centered around standing up to oppression as well, which I too feel very strongly about. For more synth-heavy tracks, like A Thousand Will Crawl, I had more of the idea of a dark fantasy world, specifically a kingdom surviving brutal winters and a tyrant king. I’d love to explore this dark fantasy setting as a lyrical theme in a future project and really build on it, but I’d also like to continue to write music about topics I feel strongly about, such as my deep hatred for fascism and overall discrimination of any kind, mental health, addiction, religion, etc. 

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Mazia'? I wish I had a more unique story about it, but basically, after experimenting with a laundry list of other aliases, I finally decided on Mazia because it’s simple and is actually closely related to my real name, so it’s more personal to me than other names I’ve tried, or at least, that’s how I felt when I chose it. Once I decided on it, it just felt right, and I’ve been using the Mazia moniker for about 5 or 6 years. 

5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork thqat is presented on the new album cover? Basically, atychiphobia is the extreme fear of not living up to expectations/fear of being rejected, and that was how I felt the entire time I was constructing this album. I got the idea to style it similar to the old film noir horror movies, both due to the phobia being a major role, and because the sound was inspired by old school black metal/dungeon synth, so I wanted to present it as if it were the opening title sequence to a classic horror movie, even adding “Mazia presents…” to parody the presence of a film studio name presenting the “film”. The picture in the background is from a local lake, and I chose that photo specifically because the night I visited the lake was one of the worst nights in terms of the negative emotions clouding my thoughts; not just about the music, but many other things, so that’s why I decided to use the bridge as the backdrop to the title, because I was experiencing a heavy amount of atychiphobia while I was there.

6.With this project you record everything by yourself, are you open to working with other musicians or do you prefer to work solo? I’d love to work with other musicians! I love collaborating and coming up with stuff with other musicians! I’d like the “Mazia” name to remain singular, though, so collaborations with other artists/projects would be explicitly mentioned as I did here, but I’m absolutely open to working with other people, and maybe even creating music with someone as a group project/band!

7.On the new album cover you also have some session work from a member of 'Espi Kvlt', can you tell us a little bit more about his contribution to the recording? Vocals were never my strong suit, so I was suggested to introduce myself to the Syrup Moose community and see if anyone wanted to provide vocals on the project. Espi reached out and offered, and honestly, we clicked almost right away, as we had similar tastes in music and such. When I heard the finished track with the vocals, I was stunned, and had the biggest grin for at least 5 minutes straight. I couldn’t have asked for anything better; the vocals fit the track perfectly in my opinion. I am so honored to have worked with Espi, and hope to do so in the future!

8.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black metal and dungeon synth? The reception so far has been great, I haven’t heard anything too negative, aside from constructive criticism, particularly coming from black metal and dungeon synth listeners. I know I’m just a beginner and it’s a niche genre, so not everyone will like it, but I’ve showed my stuff to several different people of different musical tastes (including black metal/dungeon synth), and like I said, nothing outright negative, so I’m very happy about that! 

9.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician during the future? I just want to expand myself as an artist and push my own limitations, primarily as a black metal/dungeon synth creator, but also dipping my toes into other genres as well. I certainly don’t expect to get “famous” or anything, but I’d love to keep improving and developing my catalog of music, and I’d also like to inspire others to start their own musical journeys in their own genres of music, as black metal projects have done for me. A short term goal would probably reduce my reliance on my audio software and purchase more equipment so I can have a more authentic sound and really get creative with it. 

10.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? I’m a huge fan of grunge, as well as hardcore punk, shoegaze, trap metal, new-wave/goth, etc. Slipknot (especially Joey Jordison’s drumming and general musical talent) has been a particular metal band that I’ve been into since I was a kid and was my gateway into the more extreme stuff. In terms of what I primarily drew my sound from, though, it would definitely be a mix of old school black metal/dungeon synth such as Bathory, Darkthrone and Mortiis, with newer bands/projects like Trespasser, Ghost Bath, Paysage d’Hiver, Panopticon, Spectral Lore. I could list so many more, but those are my biggest. In terms of what I’m listening to, I’m having a blast familiarizing myself with fellow Syrup Moose music, such as Espi Kvlt, Youth Pastor, Corvus Corone, Tide Harvester, etc. They’re all good! I’m also LOVING Trespasser’s new album ἈΠΟΚΆΛΥΨΙΣ and highly recommend it! I was also recently introduced to Faidra and Agalloch, and I’m really enjoying both! 

11.What are some of your non musical interests? I’m a huge fan of the sport of mixed martial arts (and martial arts in general), and love watching fights sanctioned by ONE Championship, mainly because they respect martial arts and actually treat their fighters well (great pay, medical compensation, etc.). I dabble in it myself, primarily with boxing, taekwondo, and a tiny bit of jiu-jitsu. I’m also a huge video game person (such as DOOM, World of Warcraft, Team Fortress 2, League of Legends, Elden Ring, etc., but I also love looking at small indie games and checking them out), and comic books (especially characters like Deadpool, Carnage, and Red X). I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m an avid anime fan as well. Also, of course, the trifecta: Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter (I don't support Rowling, though, obviously), and Star Wars. I’m also studying computer programming and mathematics, and I can’t get enough of either subject, honestly; similarly, I'm trying to start a little side gig building custom mechanical keyboards, as it's a really fun hobby and my ADHD loves the clicking/ASMR effect they keyboards have. Honestly, though, anything that involves fantasy, or space, or technology, I'm more than likely going to enjoy it. A more niche thing that I've found I enjoy is the show Dark Shadows; it's a 1960's soap opera about a vampire and his family. I don't really know why, but I love it. 

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts? I really appreciate this opportunity to be interviewed; as a beginner musician who still doesn’t really know what he’s doing, this means the absolute world to me! Also, wear your seatbelts.

https://mazia.bandcamp.com/album/atychiphobia

  D.R.E.P  are  a band  from t he  Netherlands  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  an  industrial  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2023  album  "Drastically Reducing Earth's Population"  which  will  be  released  in  June  by  Nomad Snakepit Productions.

  A  very  fast  and r aw  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  yet  angry  sounding  black  metal  screams  while  the  music  also  adds  in  a  great  amount  of  industrial  elements  as  well  as  all  of  the  drum b eats  also  being  programmed.

  Melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  clean  playing  is  also  added  on  a  couple  of  tracks.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  The  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  both  old  school  and  modern  influences  and  when guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  briefly  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style,    keyboards  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  on  the  closing  song.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Dutch  and  cover  misanthropy  and  anti-human  nihilism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  D.R.E.P  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  industrial  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Wreledreinheid"  and  "Aardelating".  8  out  of  10.

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