STILLBORN DIZ
RED MOON ERA
The Back Slumber of the Vampire
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| Album Cover Art Label: Independent |
TRACK LIST
I. RED MOON RISING
II. CRUCIFIXTION AND DESECRATION
III. SLOMREN
IV. PERFECT DARKNESS
V. ANGEL ON THE ROAD
VI. MY LAST DEEPEST SIN
VII. CONTAMINATION
VIII. BLOOD OF ISIS
IX. OUPYR'S PRELUDE
X. DRUG QUEEN
XI. WHEN BEAUTY IS DYING
XII. NO FUTURE
XII. BLACK SLUMBER OF THE VAMPIRE
Describing their music as, "...dangerous for
the mind" and filled with "...personal pains"; STILLBORN
DIZ have concocted a unique sound and look that portray
the punk attitude of we don't give a fuck with the
romanticism of Goth and elements of dark ambient moods. Proof of this, is
the band's second full length RED MOON ERA, The Black Slumber of the
Vampire. This being a darker album than its predecessor, MY
BLOODY SERAPH RED MOON ERA is the second bloody chapter in the STILLBORN DIZ catalogue. Portraying a
more dark and gothic romantic atmosphere than its predecessor, this
album takes us deeper into the underworld of the undead to
reveal emotions that according to the band are about "...death,
disappointment, pain, loneliness, sadness and anger". Without
leaving the aggressiveness aside, tracks like SLOMREN and DRUG QUEEN
complement the whole experience of the album providing that fuck the world
attitude that makes good rock music.
The album opens with the instrumental track RED MOON RISING which mostly is an
atmospheric dark groove that is driven by an organ melody. While the organ note
is sustained for a couple of seconds it dies out, and then kicks in the high
pitch distortion of track 2 of the album, CRUCIFIXION
AND DESECRATION. With a high tempo and industrial sleaze similar to that of
a NIN track, and the agonizing cries of Daniel
this track serves as an opener to the mood of the album. Track 3 stands out
all for itself as I would call it a classic STILLBORN DIZ gem. SLOMREN
combines all the aspects this band has to offer. Always the heaviness! Not in
blasting beats or distorted guitars, but that heavy thick groove and
phantasmagoric guitar riffs/melody. Selviö here displays again
his genius in combing the heavy groove with simple and organic guitar playing that
both create the underlying heaviness and melody for the track. This is
assimilated intrinsically by Daniel
on the vocals. Absorbing the dark groove and melody of the track, Daniel lays down vocal lines that
conglomerate all her styles. Ranging from guttural verses; to the sleazy
heaviness of the chorus; to mellow and soothing interludes of dying angles; Daniel’s vocals make all vocal parts of
the song unique. Quickly you catch on with the hook of the song, “…Cry, baby,
cry” and gets you repeating it to yourself until you play the track again and
feel the urge to clench your teeth to, “…I’m your nightmare…I’m your sex-beast!”
Track 4 of the record PERFECT DARKNESS
is 3:39 minutes of your time that you will spend in the void of an industrial
break down; spiraling down to a phantasmagoric interlude of decaying angels and
devils. That brings us to track 5 of the album ANGEL ON THE ROAD. This is Selviö’s
bluesy rock track on guitars. Something different to the guitar work I heard on
the previous album. This track is pretend perhaps on vintage rock tracks of the
70’s psychodelia; perhaps a track Andy Warhol would much appreciate but then
would find himself trippin’ out on Daniel’s
aggressive vocals. In short, this is something rather unique, that I would just
classify as Stillborn Diz music; no genre I can think of for this track. Track
6 of the record MY LAST DEEPEST SIN
has a dark trip-hop atmosphere feel to it. With Daniel displaying the more delicate side of your singing; soft
vocal lines and child-like voices for the chorus; you hear the wide range of
singing styles Daniel has to offer.
A good depressive mellow track to sit your ass in a bath tub or just make out
with your companion (or at least that’s what I would do, done). Track 7 of the
album finds us contaminated with an industrial deconstructed groove conjured by
Selviö’s virtuosity. Keyboard notes
that sound like Hades’ organs set the tone of darkness; and murky guttural
vocals with cries of despair make the vocals of this living nightmare a reality
called CONTANIMATION. The blood of
mortals rejuvenates the gods, but the blood of gods rejuvenates the Vampire, or
that is what track 8 of the album, BLOOD
OF ISIS, depicts. The ethereal groove of the track with the seductive vocal
melody and the industrial clink; and mysterious wind instrument see yourself
bathing in the blood of a goddess. OUPYRUS
PRELUDE track 9 of the album presents itself as an instrumental track that
is composed mostly of an organ/keyboard section that serves as a bizarre introduction
of wine glasses and bloody neck wounds. These organs die out to the heavy
groove and viciousness of track 10 DRUG
QUEEN. The thick guitar riffing gives way to the intro lyrics of Daniel.
Venomous on the lyrics and lustful heavy singing to the thick riffs provide the
essential aggressiveness to the track. Although, cut around the edges compared
to the first release of the song, and with a much more clean chorus line the
track stands as one of the essential STILLBORN
DIZ-infections! On with track 11 of this bloody trip to the underworld, the
album continues on by spiraling between different moods of euphoric anger to grim
loneliness such is the case of WHEN
BEAUTY IS DYING. A heavy mid-tempo track that is one of the most impressive
from the album; we have again a driving guitar riff that leads the whole of the
track. What I found most delightful from this composition, besides the guitar
work, was the chorus line. Daniel sounds extra hurt and yet impresses with a
more developed facet of her singing abilities. Definitely, this track is in my
top three for the record; furthermore, I hope to hear more tracks like this, in
the future? Now, on to track 12, NO
FUTURE; yet again we plummet deeper into the abyss of grief. A delicate
guitar melody with a phase effect accompanied to a drum-base downer beat; we have
Daniel introduce the song with a
spoken word section that with her Russian accent makes it sound the more dreamlike.
I can only guess Daniel to have many
influences for her singing, but I do hear a tad of the Rammstein-ess in the pre
chorus and chorus of the song. Like any vampire at the end of the night, caskets
most be closed and after satisfying the thirst, lay to rest. That is the case
with the closing track of the album, BLACK
SLUMBER OF THE VAMPIRE. An industrial mechanism that shuts the lid on the
casket with some final whispered words murmured into the crack of day break.
The organ is played for a final time and the vampire can now slumber and dream
of the ever darkness like that of a raven’s eye until it is night again.
Moving on to a very important element of STILLBORN DIZ is the visual aspect of the music. This is better manifested when the music is combined with the visuals of motion picture. Having the duo direct and star in their video clips, they combine the aspects of movie making and music videos to project their artistic view. For instance, the music video for the song SLOMREN begins with shots of a creepy cemetery in where a dark figure walks among the tombstones and crypts. As the first verse for the song begins, we have Selviö, who plays the role of the main protagonist (a girl); enter a prayer chapel and then a confessional booth. Though the main protagonist in the video appears to be distraught and guilt stricken, probably seeking forgiveness for something she has done, she also seems to be concerned with her personal vanity. The co-star in the clip is no other than Daniel Vice playing the role of a devilish seductress. Daniel's character is dressed in red and seems to be mocking and tempting the girl who is praying in the chapel. While Daniel's character ridicules the praying girl, she sings the lyrics of the song ("Cry, baby, cry...for your preacher.") with a sleaziness and disbelief that someone is actually hearing the girl's prayers. All of this while the girl in the clip is unaware of this entity the mocks her, as she prefers to look at herself through a hand mirror. During the interludes of the song, and near the ending, the dark figure at the beginning of the video, sways and swirls its arms in a psychedelic manner and finally walks away into the woods. Perhaps, it is true we can't have love without hate or pain without suffering, but the dichotomy of a righteous soul that falls from grace into temptation is a story that intrigues us. Perhaps, vanity is the most profound of sins or hypocrisy the most detested. We can only assume and let the art speak for itself. It is with this vision that STILLBORN DIZ’s art is best valued, and this is more evident when combined with the visual aspect.
Interview with Stillborn Diz
How do you feel about the second full length for Stillborn Diz, Red Moon Era?
Daniel: "Red Moon Era" was released on CD-Baby Net Label. So it's independent just like our first album.
Selviö: I don't think so. Some producers already ask us about working together, but still nobody surprised me. Maybe someday... Anyway it's very strange, when some other guy decide how YOUR song will be sound. For me it's abnormally.
How do you feel about the second full length for Stillborn Diz, Red Moon Era?
Selviö:
We are both are very excited! We are satisfied with this album very much! It's an
important piece of work for us.
Daniel: The
second album has much more darkness inside that you can see. This album includes
a huge mental period of our lives. We are very excited, yes! And also very
excited about the future too.
From
the previous release how would you compare this one to the first, musically and
artistically?
Selviö:
"My Bloody Seraph" was like a kaleidoscope of five years of
"Stillborn Diz" history, it contained songs from different periods of
our life. "Red Moon Era" is more holistic work with very conceptual
cosmogony.
Daniel: What’s
the same? The both have bloody red color. For me it's a one story anyway.
Different? Second album it's a second station. Other station, not first...
Is
Red Moon Era going to be an independent release or is it going to be released through
a label? Daniel: "Red Moon Era" was released on CD-Baby Net Label. So it's independent just like our first album.
You
have described the album as a, "...dark album about death, disappointment,
pain, loneliness, sadness, anger, slumber, hell, gothic romance..." Can
you further describe these themes for the album?
Selviö:
Of course it's an artistic work, but it reflects our real life as well. Our
real feelings, depressions, salvation, resurrection, etc. So it's always very
hard to explain in several words, how many emotions and personal pains we put
in each song.
Daniel:
It's philosophical thoughts about life and death, about personal way. Life is
very painful thing. Not even your own life. The stories of people around also.
All people are born and will die in the end. The time between these moments is
full of pain, happiness, loosing, fall, love, many other things. Life is your
way to death anyway. But what kind of way it will be for you personally?
In a
visual artistic aspect, how have the videos, promo images help to portray you
music?
Selviö:
Everything starts from image. But it's blurry, abstract thoughts. When we work
it becomes clearer and clearer. Our creative processes remind me of old
literary game "exquisite corpse". You start the story, next person
continue it. And when you see the whole story in the end, you just say,
"Wow..." It's always surprise in the end, like in analog photo
process.
Daniel:
"Stillborn Diz" is not only music; it's a door to other worlds, another
dimension
Has
your music moved on more into Goth than punk? For instance, the vampire themes
like the title of the album, Red Moon Era "The Black Slumber of the
Vampire". Is this the direction you are looking for in the future?
Selviö:
We never felt as Goths or punks, we are working about songs, and to release
this phantom, we are using all what fits to this. Without borders and frames.
Of course the theme of "vampire" have slightly gothic taste, but it
not the main goal for us, to be gothic, or punk, or industrial. Everything will
find its own place in the story.
Daniel:
Yes, you know, we don't want to use only one color when we are drawing the
picture, we want to use all the colors that we need at this time.
Taking
a closer look at track #3 Slomren from the album and the music video, how do
the lyrics, music and visuals in the video combine to portray your vision of
the art you create?
Selviö:
We had a story, when we finished the song, story was changed, when we finished
the images, story was changed again; video was changed again a little. This is
organic movement of art. So it's hard to say something directly.
Daniel:
Actually, it was a devil inside me and he told me to torment somebody. I was
tormenting Selviö. But now I am okay, don't worry...
If we
were to ask you, which tracks from the album you are most proud of? Which would
you chose? And why?
Selviö:
Oh! It's really hard to say! All songs are like children, everyone is favorite
in its own way. I can say, that whole album for me as one creature, and this
creature make me feel proud.
Daniel:
All songs are special. "Contamination" is a culmination of the story.
"When Beauty is Dying" is just like a scream from pain. One day… when
I die, I want that "Black Slumber of the Vampire" to play at my
funeral.
Would
you work with a producer in the future? Selviö: I don't think so. Some producers already ask us about working together, but still nobody surprised me. Maybe someday... Anyway it's very strange, when some other guy decide how YOUR song will be sound. For me it's abnormally.
Daniel:
Maybe if this guy will be from another dimension also? Who knows...
Have
you thought about incorporating other members to your project?
Selviö:
We are always open for collaborations with other bands and musicians. We even
ready for some side-projects as well. But "Stillborn Diz" has "S"
and "D", this inner universe stands on the foundation of dualism. You
can find it in any aspect of our band. We are siblings, the same blood running
in our veins. So it's looks very impossible.
What
can you tell us about your gigs in Japan? How have people taken a following for
your music?
Selviö:
In Japan, there is a very friendly and peaceful atmosphere. People take us very
warmly and here so many great musicians on local scene! We were very happy to
play with them. We made many friends there.
Daniel:
Japan is so rocking place! Hot audience, great scene with many cool bands,
awesome clubs and stages. We were very happy to play in Japan. And we very want
to come back again!
How
do you plan to promote this album? Is there going to be live performances?
Selviö:
It's a complex question, because it's a question about financial support. We
want to visit so many places around the world, but only few things depend on
us. We are always wide open for any bookings and festival-invitations.
Daniel:
Yes, we are looking for possibility to play some live shows in the near future.
When we will have some information we will let you know for sure!
What
do you think your fans find most appealing about your music?
Selviö:
Our personal unique atmosphere, which YOU can't find anywhere else.
Daniel:
Our music is dangerous for the mind because it opens the door. I think that
dangerous things are always very appealing for people.
In
what formats is the album available and where can people check it out?
Selviö: The
album is available as CD with full conceptual artwork. Artwork is part of
story, so if You want to see full picture, You can't get it without. But the
album is also available in digital format. You can find it on our CD-Baby page:
www.cdbaby.com/artist/stillborndiz and also on Amazon, iTunes, eMusic and etc.
I'm pretty sure, that everyone can find a much comfortable way to get it.
Thanks for the interview. It's always a pleasure to check out your music.
Selviö:
Thank You for the interview and support! Thanks to all persons who support us.
Thanks for all, who DIZ-infected.
Daniel:
Thank you, dear!! It was very interesting to talking with you! Many thanks for
all friends and DIZ-infected people around the world!! Please, enjoy the
"RED MOON ERA" album!!
STILLBORN DIZ WEB
Many thanks for great review and wonderful interview!!
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