Shambless
Shambless is a weird and
unique kind of band, a band recreating and bringing back to life, once
again, the elfish music and language to our world. A music created by a
sole personality aiming to provoke and awaken the elves that are still
dormant…the elf that almost everyone of us hides in his/her soul...
1.FIRST OF ALL INTRODUCE THE BAND TO THE READERS
AND POINT OUT YOUR MOST IMPORTANT ACHIEVEMENTS…
Shambelss is an elfish music inspired by the
endless wilderness of the mountains, music swallowed by the eternity and
music that is calling to the hearts of the forgotten elves. I created Shambless
in 1997, in a small city under the Rila Mountain. This city is called Blagoevgrad
(here in Bulgaria some people use to call it “The little Norway”
because of the great number of bands that come out of it), and this is
also my birthplace. In 1998 I recorded “Omnipotentia” with three other
musicians- Chavdar Bandrov, Ilia Chimev and Liudmil (also member of another
Bulgarian band called “Samhayne”), who helped me with the guitar and the
bass-guitar work. They really are some of the greatest musicians I have
ever played with! Since then, till the end of year 2001 we have performed
in many festivals and concerts, and our first album was released in the
middle of 2003(too late unfortunately). Afterwards I started working on
my own on the “Apkas Itulia” material, which was released in 2004, and
now I have just started working on the next Shambless’ album. Achievements
come with the time- life is a war in which you have to prove your own possibilities
in order to get a higher prize.
2. HOW DIFFICULT IS IT TO WORK ON YOUR OWN? BEING
RESPONSIBLE BOTH FOR THE COMPOSITIONS AND THE PERFORMANCE? DON’T YOU FEEL
A LITTLE BIT LONELY THIS WAY? WILL YOU HIRE ANY OTHER MUSICIANS?
It is not difficult at all! I find my music
so perfect because no one, but me has influence over it and I have to give
all of myself to create it… I do not feel lonely-I know enough elves,
dwarfs and even a few hobbits. On the other hand, loneliness makes you
wise. However, I have hired some guest-musicians in order to perform Shambless
live at the beginning of next year.
3. “APKAS ITULIA” IS YOUR SECOND ALBUM. ARE YOU
FULLY SATISFIED WITH IT FROM EVERY ASPECT? IS THERE ANYTHING YOU’D LIKE
TO CHANGE?
I think that the album is really good. It
is filled with endless harmony and I do not find anything needless in it.
I have been recording “Apkas Itulia” for one year and a half and I am sure
that it represents the highest point of my development at this period of
time.
4. WHICH ARE THE MAIN SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES
BETWEEN “APKAS ITULIA” AND “OMNIPOTENTIA”? DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE PROGRESSED
AND EVOLVED AS A SONGWRITER?
There are differences in many aspects- the
vocal work, the guitars, the sound quality and the whole style of writing
and expressing music. I think that “Apkas Itulia” is more mature than “Omnipotentia”.
You know, there is always a progress in every music and folklore.
5. YOUR MUSIC IS ATMOSPHERIC MEDIEVAL MUSIC WITH
SOME EXTREME METAL ELEMENTS. I SUPPOSE YOU AGREE WITH ME&RIGHT? SO,
WHICH ARE THE BANDS AND MUSICIANS THAT HAVE INFLUENCED YOU THE MOST?
I can honestly say that no one has ever influenced
my music and there is no band or musician that has inspired me, while writing
Shambless’ material, even a little bit. I feel myself sure in the identity
of my musical ideas.
6.IF SOMEONE CAME ASKING YOU TO DESCRIBE HIM “APKAS
ITULIA”, WHAT WOULD YOU TELL HIM?
It is really difficult for me to describe
Shambless… I can not put this into words; one must feel the music with
his own heart.
7. THE ALBUM IS BASED ON A CONCEPT ABOUT SAN ELFISH
ANCIENT WORLD CALLED “THE WET LANDS”. CAN YOU TELL US SOME MORE THINGS
ABOUT IT?
Well, I can but I prefer not to. You know,
this is my own, personal world and I do not think that I have to reveal
and share all of it. I hope that my music is enough to open the gates
to this world and to my mentality. However, I’m thinking of writing down
the dictionary used in Shambless (on book and on the internet.), so everyone
will be able to touch this world not only by my music…
8. THE WHOLE ALBUM IS SUNG ON AN ELFISH LANGUAGE
CALLED “TURA IEAGAN” (MEANING “FAR AWAY”). DID YOU COME UP WITH THIS LANGUAGE?
IS IT YOUR INVENTION OR DID YOU TAKE IT FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE?
Tura Ieagan is an ancient elfish language
that reflects the eternity of time. It is not anyone’s invention it is
just set to be…
9.BY THE WAY, DOES YOUR NICKNAME, ARVELLS ELFAROS,
MEAN SOMETHING IN SPECIFIC? HOW DID YOU CHOOSE IT?
Arvells Elfaros means “ The prince of elfish
music” .
10.YOU SAY IN YOUR BIO THAT YOUR MUSIC IS THE
ONE THAT WILL AWAKE THE ELVES FROM THEIR SLUMBER& HOW COME? DO YOU
THINK YOUR MUSIC IS SO POWERFUL AND ABLE TO ACHIEVE THAT?
Well most of them are already awakened… But
you never know, there are so many elves that live in a human body, that
they need something to be inspired with…
11.DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE IN ELVES AND FAIRIES
AND THAT “PART” OF THE WORLD OR ARE YOU DEEPLY INTO THE FANTASY FICTION?
Not only do I believe that, but many of us
are elves- it all depends on how you feel (this is connected to my previous
answer). I have the honour to know some of them, there are other elves
and fairies I am sure…In fact, there are no fairies?.
12. WHICH IS THIS FIFTH AGE OF THE WORLD? I MEAN&HOW
IS TIME DIVIDED? WHICH IS EACH AGE AND WHY WILL ELVES RETURN IN OUR TIMES?
The time is divided into moments, and the
Fifth Age is the one we are living in. But maybe the world is not
the same. The elves do not come back; their home is the eternity of time
and space. Death is neither the end of life, nor the beginning of immortality.
Death is extension and transformation.
13. DO YOU HAVE ANY PLANS FOR LIVE SHOWS? CAN
YOU PERFORM LIVE? DO YOU USE SESSIONISTS OR AREN’T YOU INTERESTED IN GIGS?
Ooooh…I really want and need to perform live
with Shambless, unfortunately there are some circumstances that stop me.
For instance, I do not have full-time musicians, I do have some ordinary
commitments in my life …However, as I previously said, and I hope that
at the beginning of the next year, Shambless may perform on stage. I can
play live, I have played drums with “Samhayne”, keyboards with “Noctiflorous
Thorns”, my early Shambless concert activity (till year 2001) …
14.THE ARTWORK IS SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL AND IDEAL FOR
YOUR KIND OF MUSIC. WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR IT? IS IT A REAL OR AN IMAGINATIVE
PHOTO?
The picture is real. It is taken by a friend
of mine in the forests of Rila- the highest mountain on the Balkans, the
mountain of might and magical elements…
15. YOU HAVE A CONTRACT WITH THE BULGARIAN LABEL
DISCORD RECORDS BUT STYGIAN CRYPT PRODUCTIONS IS DISTRIBUTING YOU. WHY?
Discord Records are my official manager and
they distribute Shambless on the territory of Bulgaria. They were the first
to believe in me, and help me with my work. Stygian Crypt released only
“Apkas Itulia” and up to this moment they are really great.
16.IF YOUR MUSIC WERE AN EMOTION, WHAT WOULD IT
BE? IF IT WERE A PAINTING, WHAT WOULD IT SHOW?
The painting that may represent Shambless,
is a winter forest, or just the beauty of a little snowflake. About the
emotion- I can not say for sure. For me, the emotion is the full satisfaction
of hearing my ideas realized in the best possible way.
17. WHICH ARE THE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE YOUR MUSIC
THE BEST POSSIBLE WAY?
"The way I feel my world". This world is inside
me…Or maybe far away from me, the important thing is that without it I
wouldn’t be the same. The music is my way to give this world to the others…
18. WHICH ARE THE FAMOUS MUSICIANS YOU’D LIKE
THEM TO PARTICIPATE IN YOUR ALBUM? WHY?
I don’t want anyone to mess with my music
and my ideas. My music is my life and I can’t let anyone mess with my life.
On the other hand I don’t feel respect to anyone just because he is famous.
So, sorry but there is no way someone else but me to influence Shambless.
19 .THANK YOU! ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE TO MENTION?
Thank you for the interest and the interview.
You’ve been very kind. To the readers – listen to “Omnipotentia” and “Apkas
Itulia”- they are unique pieces of art. I am sure that one day my music
will awake you all!
Christine Parastatidou
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