SHADEWORKS

SHADEWORKS

SHADEWORKS ARE NOT ANOTHER TYPICAL ATMOSPHERIC METLA BAND. THEY COMBINE MANY ELEMENTS FROM DIVERSE INFLUENCES AND THEY MANAGE TO CREATE EMOTIONS. I ALSOLIKED THE HUMOR OF THE LEADER OF THE BAND IN THE TOUGH QUESTIONS. THINKS LIKE THAT PROVE THAT HUMOR IS THE BEST WEAPON AGAINST NARROW MINDS...

1.TELL US IN A FEW WORDS THE BAND’S STORY. WHICH ARE THE MOST INTERESTING MOMENTS IN THE BAND?

Well...I started the project back in 1998. In that period I felt I had some good ideas that had to be recorded. I just had a new guitar in my hands as well as some (still analog) recording material and so, everything was just so natural...I recorded my first demo « Endless Snowfields » without including any vocal performance. There were just a few whisperings on the intro but the rest was pure instrumental sadness... The tape was not meant to be competitive but some people were astonished with the result. So I decided to record another demo and in May 2000, the “Lights Hiding In 8-D Architectures” demo was done. I included vocals as well as female guest vocals (by Fae from Icy Winds) and that tape apparently represented great potential for the underground masses. The next move is “Sooty Limbs” which you reviewed, so my speech will stop here...

2.YOUR BAND ACTUALLY IS A SOLO PROJECT. I WANT TO ASK YOU IF YOU HAVE PLANS FOR THE FUTURE TO BECOME A « REAL » BAND WITH MEMBERS OR WILL IT CONTINUE TO BE A STUDIO BAND?

I absolutely want to keep Shadeworks my very own project. I also play in a band, so there’s no problem about getting frustrated or whatever. Both situations (the project and the band) allow me to express different things so I really don’t intend to mix both or to privilege one for another...

3.EXCEPT FOR THE METAL ELEMENTS, I FOUND IN YOUR MUSIC, INFLUENCES FROM ATMOSPHERIC ROCK LIKE SISTERS OF MERCY, FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM. DO YOU AGREE? WHICH OTHER BANDS INFLUENCED YOUR STYLE?

It’s true that I like atmospheric stuff a lot though I mostly like them when they’re mixed with Metal music. I know and appreciate Sisters Of Mercy or Fields Of The Nephilim, but when I was younger I was more into simple New Wave or Synth Pop like Visage, Alphaville or stuff like that. I’ve always liked the power of melodies, so when the music was “too atmospheric”, I just skipped and tried something else. Now I still appreciate some “old” bands but I’ve definitely grown into Metal surroundings since I entered the second decade of my life so...I’m more into Prog/Atmo Metal like Beyond Twilight, Anathema, Pain Of Salvation, Ark, Katatonia, Cales, or other quite similar stuff like Dimmu Borgir, Forgotten Silence, Demimonde, Opeth, Arcturus, Dream Theater, Explorer’s Club, Paradise Lost, Shadow Gallery, Braindance, Type O Negative, Cynic, Stonehenge, Brave...I’m very open-minded as you can see. I also appreciate some non-Metal stuff, but hey...let’s keep it short ;-)

4.CAN YOU TELL US WHICH THEMES DO YOU PREFER TO « HURT » THROUGH YOUR LYRICS?

There’s only one main theme in my lyrics but it appeals to thousands of sub-ideas. It’s all about duality. Not on a purely psychological standpoint. It’s about dreams, parallel dimensions, intuitive feelings that make you think deeply about what you actually really are...All in all, as you probably understood, the main theme is a very personal one but I also think that everyone can read my lyrics and think of all those weird things by themselves...

5.DO YOU NEED A SPECIAL ATMOSPHERE TO CREATE YOUR MUSIC OR IS YOUR INSPIRATION SOMETHING SPONTANEOUS?

It’s very spontaneous. When it’s time to record (which unfortunately isn’t often the case), it’s like I’m gone very very far away. Then I start playing, recording, singing, arranging as if it was the most natural thing to me...I’m looking forward to the next recording-time I’ll have because it’s always great, though quite challenging as you never know if it will always be so easy...

6.YOU ALSO PLAY IN 2 OTHER BANDS. CAN YOU GIVE US SOME INFO ABOUT THEM AS WELL? HOW DO YOU FIND TIME FOR YOUR OWN BAND?

Actually I play in only one other band, which is Icy Winds. It’s true that I played with the Belgian Obsidian for 3 years previously (until 2001) but at a certain point I felt things were not going in the right direction so I simply left. Now about Icy Winds, there’s not that much to tell. We’re now testing our new (and third!) lead guitarist and I hope things will finally be all right because we have some great compositions and there’s a whole conceptual story that has been written by Fae, the lead singer. About finding the time, it’s only a matter of priorities. I know there are a thousand things to do in life but if you want your band to become a real band then you must take the time. There’s no secret...

7.SOME PEOPLE ACCUSE GOTHIC - ATMOSPHERIC MUSIC AS “GAY” OR THEY SAY THAT IT’S JUST A TREND. WHICH IS YOUR OPINION ON THAT? WHY HAVE YOU DECIDED TO CREATE AN ATMOSPHERIC BAND?

It’s only a matter of being an open-minded or a fucking stubborn Metalhead! Most of the so-called “true Metallers” speak about Metal like Hitler spoke about his nation. It’s all about being proud, brotherhood, honor and so on...Come on, these are values that are way too close to politics to be coupled with an artistic performance...Anyway, some do have enough brains and I’m not against them at all. I totally respect them and after all...who fucking cares? They treat the Atmo Metallers as fags, well, OK...Meanwhile I’m still married and not interested in cock-sucking at all...

8.YOU SAY IN YOUR BIO THAT YOU SEARCH NOW FOR THE RIGHT LABEL TO SIGN A CONTRACT. CAN YOU GIVE US YOUR DEFINITION OF THE RIGHT LABEL?

I think I was only half awake when I wrote that because I definitely know that there is no perfect label. It’s all about making compromises; being nothing but something they sell...I think I’ll start my own label. I don’t want any sharks to mess up my creativity with all their commercial bullshit. I’m not against making some compromises but I fear they would go too far once you’ve signed the deal and you’re “theirs”. There’s still time to think this matter over anyway...so I’ll see how things will evolve....

9.IT’S A FACT THAT METAL BANDS SPEND MORE MONEY TO CREATE THEIR ALBUMS - DEMOS OR TO ADVERTISE THEM THAN THEY EARN FROM WHAT THEY DO. WHICH IS AFTER ALL THE TRUE REWARD OF THE METAL ARTIST?

I don’t know. If you ask me, I still don’t feel as rewarded as I should be. There are a few people like you who show respect and a great supportive attitude towards my music and that’s really stimulating and wonderful but the real reward is something you feel inside. And that comes from you and it goes to you. That’s how I imagine it. So the true reward may be just “the possibility of being rewarded one day”... by yourself. Consider it some sort of peace over a personal accomplishment. I think it’s a good perspective...Don’t you?

10.LABELS FORCE THE ARTISTS TO RELEASE AN ALBUM EVERY YEAR. DON’T YOU THINK THAT THIS MAKES THE ARTISTS CREATE « FAST » AND IMPROVISED ALBUMS, WITHOUT INSPIRATION AND AT THE SAME TIME THEY DON’T GIVE THE « SPACE » TO THE FANS TO CAREFULLY LISTEN TO AN ALBUM, CAUSE THEY ARE « OBLIGED » IN A WAY TO BUY THE NEXT ONE? WHICH ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT?

First of all, let’s be sincere. Not all artists release an album a year. But some do have to. It’s true. But hey, you’re not blind when you sign the fucking deal. If it’s mentioned they want you to release an album a year, it’s up to you to honor the deal and if you don’t find the inspiration to write down a dozen of songs a year when you’re paid for this, I think it’s more a problem of laziness... On the other side, you have the fans...Well, they also have ears and if they really feel obliged to buy an album, I guess that is just nonsense... You know, I’ve followed many great bands through the years. I’ve bought albums that I loved. I still listen to them sometimes and there’s no problem if a band releases an album every year. If you like the new one, you buy it and you listen to both the old one and the new one. If you don’t like it, you just don’t buy it and you keep listening to the old one. Seems quite logical... But your question was not stupid as I think you were just pointing at the fact that some commercial people sometimes can be so pushy with respect to the artist...and it sucks indeed, but we’re living in a world ruled by money. That same money you offer to the label when you buy the album of a great artist... So it’s a never-ending vicious circle, I know...

11.WHICH WERE THE REACTIONS OF THE FANS AND PRESS ON « SOOTY LIMBS »? WHICH WAS THE BEST AND WHICH WAS THE WORST REVIEW YOU HAVE RECEIVED?

The reactions were great. Really. That makes me fully believe in what I do. About the great reactions, well...I was honored by getting a track freely placed on the Metallian (a French Metal mag) Rising Forces CD-sampler that was pressed to 30000 copies. That was unbelievable but true! Besides, I got thousands of excellent reviews and interview requests around the world, even in some bigger magazines... About the worst reviews: there are only two of them. So that’s not even one percent of the global reactions...I remember there was that well-known guy of the “The Underground Review” newsletter who didn’t like the demo as he said it was no Metal...fun, huh? And I also got a 3 lines review from Italy from the editor of Dream Warriors zine. Here’s a copy of his review: “Shadeworks come from Belgium, their sound is a progressive, psychedelic Rock with many nu metal influences and female voices. “Sooty Limbs” is a mcd contains four songs all written and played by A. Nicolas. This work is not for a Heavy Metal ‘zine, this is crap This is all for now.”... Now, I let you be the judge of the editorial talent of this guy, his English lexical skills and his open-mindedness... But hey, he’s the kind to personally claim that he is a True Metaller, see what I mean? So I guess I was too much of a fag for him... Anyway there’s a strange thing: I wrote back to him when I got that review and I never heard of him again...so who’s the fag??? Hahaha...

12.WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU WEREN’T ABLE TO COMPOSE MUSIC?

I’d probably masturbate all the time.

13.WHICH IS THE BEST PART IN YOUR MUSIC AND IN THE BAND IN GENERAL AND WHICH THING DO YOU THINK YOU SHOULD CORRECT? WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU NEED IMPROVEMENT?

Playing music is clearly for masochists, as you perfectly know that you’re never going to be satisfied enough with the way you play or compose. There’s always something to improve, be it a technical skill or a composing ability... Fortunately, on the other hand, playing music is also a way to get rid of your frustrations. So it’s like the poison with the cure inside... But if you want a more precise answer, I’d say there is a lot of work to be done with my own vocal performances... It’s all about getting that voice out of your soul...I know that but I can’t practice a lot. When I start singing at home, my wife starts to hate me, so it’s not that easy, hahaha...

14.IF SOMEDAY YOU HAD THE CHANCE TO MEET THE CREATURE THAT CREATED THE UNIVERSE, WHICH WOULD YOUR BIGGEST QUESTION BE?

Wanna fuck?

15.IF TIME TRAVEL WAS POSSIBLE, WHICH HISTORICAL PERIOD WOULD YOU LIKE TO VISIT AND WHY? WHAT WOULD YOU MISS THE MOST FROM OUR TIME?

I’d like to visit the historical period where there were only a few human beings on this crazy planet. It would be great to wander for miles and miles through uninhabited lands. There would be only nature, myself and a few other trustworthy people around. I don’t think I would miss anything from our actual time... Only a few commodities but hey, peace and tranquillity are way more important to me than my TV or my car...

16.WHICH IS MAN’S BIGGEST TEMPTATION?

To love Atmospheric Metal. Be careful, it’s for fags only! Hahaha! And if you’re not one yet, you’re definitely at risk of becoming one when you get addicted to it. Hahaha!

17.WHAT PROLOGUE AND TITLE WOULD YOU LIKE THIS INTERVIEW TO HAVE?

The prologue should be a musical one like the classic one the Looney Tunes cartoons had... and well about the title...let’s keep it simple: “Shadeworks”. The title says it all.

18.THANK YOU! HAVE I FORGOT TO ASK YOU ANYTHING AND YOU’D LIKE TO MENTION?

I’m not sure you forgot anything. I liked your questions and had a good time answering them. So, let me just add that we have two sites we’d like people to visit: http://www.beyondwebzine.com and http://www.hardebaran.com
The Shadeworks personal site will be done soon, no worries... And Nick ... keep up your great supportive work. You rule!
STAY OBSKKKURE !!!

NIKOS "William_Kidd" PARASTATIDIS

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