Symphonic black metal band ARCTIC DREAMS started back in 2009 and since has grown into something else, that has spread far and wide within the metal music scene. During the current time frame though, the band may have been a tad late with releasing material, but a couple of single's, an EP along with an album is all out currently, with newer music in the works as far as ideas at least. The band talks about their history, present happening's and the future.
1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.
Alex_Y: “Our project started in 2009 when I moved to St. Petersburg and met Igor . We have find bass player Max Borin and drummer Nikita Orlov. Our band has started rehearsals and in January 2010 has recorded a debut demo, which is stylistically completely different from the current material.
In the same year, I leave for Finland, where I start composing material for our debut album, which will be released 12 years later. A year later, returning to Russia, I continue the process of composing for the album until 2014.
In 2014, Glam Dickens has joined to us and the band finally started recording their debut album. The rhythm section was recorded quickly, but after that, a long process of searching for the band's sound began, which led to me founding my own studio and label.
Work on the album continued until 2022, almost eight years and after so many years of silence, our team releases 4 releases in one year. In the same year, we decided to leave Russia due to the war, Igor moves to Berlin, me - to Belgrade, where the group is now based and will continue its activities. Glam Dickens stayed in St. Petersburg for the time being.”
Sydius: “I have always been obsessed with winding my discography with different projects to cover all different sides of my tastes and ambitions, some of which faded through time. And I considered Arctic Dreams to follow that fate when we experienced a huge pause for years. But luckily Alexander put so much effort to keep the band alive and spread it’s wings today!”
Glam_Dickens: “So, when we met with Alexander first, we were too young. So, we had much spare time to hang around all night through drinking beer and attending concerts and parties. Winters were too cold in Russia, so, from time to time we used to hide from cold in the staircase of the building where I lived. And once we developed an idea, that it would be great to have a party right there on the stairs between the levels, and the bartender would make drinks right in the elevator, going up and down between the levels of the building. It was fun, really.”
2. What’s the origin of the band’s name?
Alex_Y: “The name of the group is the quintessence of the traditional values of Northern Scandinavian Metal, in the music of which the themes of the North, winter, eternal cold, polar night can be traced. This is a kingdom of safety and balance. But there is one more nuance.
Our band name is a bit related to the legendary club “Arctica” in St. Petersburg, which was located in the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute. It so happened that the band rented an apartment 15 minutes on foot from that club near Smolensk cemetery. Since a huge number of metal concerts and gothic parties were held in the "Arctic", very often the after-parties were held in our apartment.”
Sydius: “Well, an ironic coincidence is that Alexander’s inspiration grows form Scandinavian direction - where from the Arctic Dreams were calling him. But Russia also has a great history of exploring the Arctic region.”
3. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?
Alex_Y: “I am here in Serbia for only about half a year, but I have met some metal musicians already and I am going to gigs every weekend. I was pretty amazed that there are many different metal bands in different metal styles here.
It's like I'm back in the 2000s in Russia. Foreign popular mainstream bands don't come here often, but a lot of people always come to gigs. I am also pleased to see a lot of young people on the gigs here in Serbia, almost children, just like in the 80s.
After all, this is the future of our metal culture. I can recommend such band as Quasarborn, Alitor, Infest, Nemesis, Rapidforce, Sacramental Blood and Xsus.”
Sydius: “In the USSR rock music was banned so you could be convicted not only for playing it but also for buying a LP of western band. That isolation and a mist of illegality and ideological opposition to the nation, being considered as enemies of the state, gave birth to the “Russian Rock” movemnent. And Saint-Petersburg was it’s capital. So if you’re open to something really peculiar and unique - discover some retro “Russian Rock” bands from 70s, 80s, 90s. It’s really out of this world. Cause when rock became mainstream - the idea of dissidency was no more relevant - and that movement died. So contemporary music scene is globalized. My recs from Saint-Petersburg scene are Shrezzers, Kill City Kills, shortparis…”
4. How would you describe your style?
Alex_Y: “The band's musical style has its origins in symphonic black metal, although the first demos came out in the style of gothic-industrial metal inspired by such bands as Deathstars and Dopestars. For eight years of painstaking work in the studio, the style has transformed into something unique, including a variety of styles of metal, into what the project members themselves call arctic dream metal. In the musical material, the influence of completely different performers is felt, ranging from classical composers such as Bach, Mozart, Wagner, Tchaikovsky and ending with representatives of cyber-gothic and dark electro Hocico, Diary of Dreams, Die Sektor, Nurzery. It was not without the influence of a wide variety of styles: gothic metal Type O Negative, Tiamat, Atrocity, death-metal Death, Cynic, melodic-death-metal In flames Dark Tranquility, At The Gates industrial metal Rammstein, Pain, heavy metal Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, thrash metal – Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Kreator. Norwegian black-metal Burzum, Mayhem, Satyricon, Darkthrone, Immortal , symphonic black metal Cradle of Filth, Dimmu Borgir, power-metal Startovarius, Sonata Arctica, doom metal Therion, Crematory and many others.”
Sydius: “Some tremendous pauses filled by picturesque noise.”
Glam_Dickens: “I think our music is a kind of mixture of such genres as Black Metal, Industrial, with a touch of symphony sometimes. But, anyway, I don't like to add some labels or cliché to this, I mean "Don't give me names."”
5. What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your works?
Alex_Y: “This year has been quite fruitful for us. We released the first single in February, the second single in April, the EP in June and finally the full album in November. We also plan to finish our first music video before the new year. We finished shooting it a year ago in December 2021, but because of all the known events we have not been able to finish it yet.”
Sydius: “I never know what to expect from myself. You might expect that for sure.”
6. Do you have any new music in the works?
Alex_Y: “As a main composer, yes, of course I have some ideas in works.)) You know, it's like a good wine, you have to give it time to mature and then sit down and realize quality). But at the current time we have more urgent business.”
Sydius: “It’s a secret.”
7. How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out?
Alex_Y: “Yes, of course, we plan to play gigs in 2023, but I really don't know now when and where. But at the current time we have more urgent business. Now I am building a sound recording studio here in Belgrade for our rehearsals, preparing to tour and making new material.”
Sydius: “And if anything is upcoming it should be only in a short run - as the situation with logistics is unpredictable…”
Glam_Dickens: “Time will tell.”
8. What plans do you have for the future as a band?
Alex_Y: “In our plans to do tours around the world, we want to visit every country where metal culture has developed.”
Sydius: “Maybe give a first in history intergalactic tour? Have Elon Musks number?”
Glam_Dickens: “To conquer the world, of course!”
9. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?
Alex_Y: “You can listen to us on any resource you like. Smartlinks with our releases are available on our official website: https://arcticdreamsofficial.com.
Concerning merch, we didn't have time to make what we wanted yet, again due to well known events, but we are actively working on it and there will be something next year )) So stay tuned to our resources).“
Sydius: “You can hear Arctic Dreams everywhere in space. Though on Earth some physical and hardware efforts requared.”
10. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time?
Alex_Y: “So about that, I'm going to quote a line from one of our tracks:
“In this place, you'll
Leave your problems
And you'll find your
Final asylum”
We would like our listeners to remember that we make music honestly and forever. So that it will be relevant long after we're gone.”
Sydius: “Remember that the current through a conductor between two points is directly proportional to the voltage across the two points."
Glam_Dickens: “I don't know really. For me, it was always the feeling while listening to or after listening to music. It was not like "I like the sound of the guitars, drums or not". If you are in a mood to listen to kind of marsh songs you don't play on ballads.”
