Line Up:
Lord Skarn-Simone Baú On Vocals
Christian /Nordlandson\Clerico On All Instruments
Well,Friends Of Aristocracy!
We speak again of our newsroom,where we will start in all your emotions, the interview 149 of the Aristocracy.This time, we talked to a duo that uses dramatic melodies with an enviable maturity applied with thoughtful tones even if in slow rhythms.We are talking about the duo Indren that mixes the evil textures of Black Metal with emotional passages. Proof of this is this first album of the band entitled Of Time And Autumn Leaves. Christan Clerico now answers all our questions. We thank him and his partner for answering our questions. Let's go to the full album and then start our interview.
A1:Talking about the composition work in Of Time And Autumn Leaves?
Christian: I started to compose the music that would eventually become Of Time And Autumn Leaves back in 2021 even though some riffs such as the song Of Time date back to 2020. The idea of making an album dedicated to the autumnal times was born during the fall of 2021, when during a hike in the mountains I took the cover photo: that vibe resonated well with the music I had in mind at the moment and it was easy for me to compose the rest.
A2:Why do you say that the transition between autumn and winter is delicate?
Christian: Because autumn always gave me that impression… take the autumnal leaves as an example: they’re so stunning and all it takes is a delicate gust of wind to make them fall. Autumn it’s beauty and its own fragility, it’s the season of caducity but in a gentle way, not violent as a winter bane or a thunderstorm in the summer. It’s the time of silent reflections as the last rays of the day fall beyond the horizon and the wind gently sweeps over the mountains.
A3:Why a tribute to Skoll?
Christian: Marco De Rosa (RIP) who was the founding member of Skoll was also one of my dearest friends, he helped me a lot in the improvement of my songwriting skills and connected me with some amazing musicians such as Skarn (Indren vocals). Moreover his music still is a great source of inspiration, so doing a tribute to him was a no brainer.
A4:Some literature or film inspire the band?
Christian: I do read some poetry, both Italian and international such as Emily Dickinson. Among Italian poets, my favorite one is Giacomo Leopardi. I also like to read books about great alpinists and their incredible adventures.
A5:How are your acoustic textures made?
Christian:That’s a tricky question since I’m not that much of an acoustic player myself. Usually they start as arpeggios on the clean channel of the electric guitar and if it serves the porpoise of the song I then play the arpeggio or the chords on the acoustic guitar: that is what exactly happened with the song Nebbie. As for the layers on the Outro, during the writing process I simply looped the chords progression on Logic Pro and that I started improvising a bit on it with basic intervals and harmonies. If you know a bit of music theory it's not something difficult. But as a general guide line I prefer few acoustic sections in the songs just where is needed to add extra atmosophere.
A6:What´s the idea behind artwork´s album?
Christian: For the artwork I wanted to use a photo I took back in the mountains during the fall of 2020, because the idea of making an album totally dedicated to the autumn originated from that view. I think that in the photo you can find all the elements that characterize the album such as the colorful leaves, the twilight etc. The song Of Time is basically the description of this view with my reflections on top of that.
A7:What kind of dramas inspire you in the songs on this album?
Christian: I would say that reflections about time passing and caducity are the main theme of the album, because every reflection about death is in the core a reflection about time and our relationship with it. Autumn for me is a brilliant metaphor or if you prefer the ultimate manifestation of those emotions.
A8:How band arrive to Naturmacht Productions?
Christian: I would say that is critical that the music is in line with what the label is interested to publish, for example the nature theme. Moreover, commitment, originality and reliability are welcome and of course their main genre is black metal, but I think that’s something you can easily see on their website or Facebook page.
A9:Does the fact that you like glaciers have to do with the fact that you live close to them or is it a personal taste that does not depend on your place of origin?
Christian: Absolutely! Indren is totally rooted to Valsesia, the valley in which I was born and where I live. I recall admiring the mountains since I was a child and when my parents told me about glaciers up high my curiosity was simply boosted. When in recent years I started practicing mountaineering, I realized that music and the mountains for me are bounded together.
A10:Is Black Metal now less evil than it used to be?
Christian: I wouldn’t say that because I’m quietly sure that you can still find really evil bands to these days that play like back in the nineties. I think that it makes no sense comparing the scene in Scandinavia with today because in over than 30 years so many things have changed and evolved, so basically today everyone can find his sweet spot in the thousand metal subgenres and black is no exception. I think that what has never changed is the attitude of the people who play black metal with all their soul and devotion.
A11:This album is conceptual?
Christian: yes it is, because the concept, the starting point is the same for every song. I wanted to describe the different aspects of the autumn, for example the sense of time flowing, the different colors, the mists and the rainy soil, the coming of the night.
A12:What atmospheres were brought to this work?
Christian: If I understood your question correctly, I think that with those songs I tried to create really epic and moving atmospheres, with this sense of melancholy and coldness that only autumn has and that somehow warms the soul…
A13:Although you admire a lot, why is your music at certain times a little intricate?
Christian: I think it has to do with the subject of the album: for me autumn is a complex season with a lot of details, so I tried to keep them is my songwriting as well. My ultimate purpose is to serve the song, but still playing in a refined way.
A14:What kind of subject don´t deserve a Indren Song?
Christian: Interesting question! I’m not interested in politics or religious propaganda of any kind, so I’m sure that I won’t waste my time writing about them for Indren. Indren is about the essence of Nature, the mountains in my valley that I’m so bound to.
A15:Do we lie more today than in the time of our parents due to social media?
Christian: Of course social media can be an incredible tool if they’re used in a smart way, but I think it’s important to be aware that the social media dimension is not the actual reality and act consequently. Sometimes people get lost in this distinction and the gap between reality and fiction is not that clear anymore.