Interview с S.o.M. : DARKSIDE.ru

llo Denis, and thank you for this opportunity to tell my story 

You wrote that as musician, you is “fresh”, although to you already many years. How you generally did arrive into the music? From what of beginnings?

Hm, what do you exactly mean by "…many years…"?! haha  Yes, I am very fresh musician – although I am playing guitar since I was teenager, we can say I never played in a band before and I never played live until now (I did it once years ago and it was a total disaster, so I don't count it). My recent music activities are result of three steps that happened during my life – first, when I was in my first teenage period, back in 70's, I mostly listened heavy music and I especially enjoyed Black Sabbath (besides them, music was not that "heavy" then, it was more "hard"). But when I was at home, and my metalhead friends could not see me I was listening to some tapes with traditional music from Medjimurje. Then, second step, during the 90's, strong ethno-movement (Legen, Dunja Knebl, Lidija Bajuk, etc) was born in Croatia, and my teenage memories to traditional songs were awaken. I had some ideas of playing, too, but did not take any action. I was still listening to heavy music (mostly thrash metal, slowly turning to death). Finally, in winter 2005, I was complaining to my friend Damjan (who is now guitarist in S.o.M.) that I don't find much amusement in metal any more, and he borrowed me some doom CD's. That was the last step and the circle was closed. I felt back in my first teenage period, and I am now in my second one, I remembered songs from Medjimurje, and it all was the trigger that made me record first songs in my bedroom and publish them on Internet.

Why you did decide to connect folk music and heavy doom- metal staff? Do count you this mix is organic? Or, nevertheless, there is in it something synthetic?

Both Sabbath and ethno performers I love play slow music – I don't sense happy, fast music, I don't know how to enjoy it. So, to me it came absolutely natural to combine doom and songs from Medjimurje which are totally doom to me, both in melodic and lyrical parts.

As did arise project “SONS OF MEDJIMURJE” and why you did decide to reduce its name to “S.o.M”?

I used to put my first recordings on Internet (Soundclick), and then send links to my online and real friends. Comments were from "amazing" to "boring", but hey, this is what you can expect when you are online. When I recorded "Vuprem oci" Matija, our ex-bassist, contacted me and joined my project, and that is the date (july 2006) I count as the forming date of a band. Then Zoran (drums) joined in winter 2007 and we started with gigs in februray 2007.

Name "Sons of Medjimurje" was my idealistic tribute to most beautiful songs in Universe, but later we decided to shorten it for several reasons, "psychological" and "marketing" – first, I always wanted the band to have a female vocal (I think women can express feelings better than men), so word "sons" was not fiting very well. Then "Medjimurje" is hard to pronounce and write on many languages. And finally, we are from Croatia, we are singing on croatian language, we are promoting Croatian culture – so it's no logic to have an english name. And S.o.M. was born. But leaving dots after leters still reminds on word Medjimurje.

Generally, which arose earlier: “TOMO” or “S.o.M”? And what project to you is nearer?

"S.o.M." was first and that project is my primary occupation. "Tomo" came as a result of my "excessive creativity" - I had many ideas for songs that does not fit in doom. As Tomo I have even some pop-alike ideas, and I don't want that in S.o.M. :-) I record songs as Tomo when I have some spare time, sometimes I am searching for new songs for S.o.M. and come to something that drives me aside. I don't play live as Tomo yet - I do have plans to perform solo in a future, but not so soon.

In me did arise impression, that the songs of “TOMO” - this

is something like the promo for “S.o.M” and if they are arranged on other, then they could be played by “Sons”?

Sometimes – yes, I first arrange songs as Tomo and if I feel the doom I bring them to my bandmates and we arrange together. And viceversa. Sometimes I am obsessed with one song for months and I play it in more ways (I have three, four ways of "Tozno vreme, boj krvavi" and "Zbogom, zbogom Medjimurje"). Songs from Medjimurje are so perfect they sound great no matter how you arrange it, whether you play them a capella or with all those watts around.

In Russia about the Balkan folklore music was formed impression as about the similarity “gipsy”, merry and light (to the big enough degree because of Emir Kusturica and Goran Bregovic. You interpret it in the gloomy and sorrowful tones… Why?

You are right – the majority of local traditional songs that are played in mainstream media are merry and this is the impression the world have for this region. But, there are many great songs that are slow, sorrowful, sad, … I can not feel happy music and I am sure there are many simmilar creatures in a world, thus I want to bring the sadness to the light to share with soulmates. I am not the kind of person that will feel better after hours of drinking, dancing and singing happily and pretend everything is fine. When I'm sad I want to bring that sadness out and that makes the life easier to me, and if I make other people do the same when listening to my music I feel even better. This is why "Sons" is closer to me than "Tomo" – loud guitars and drums and amplifiers raise my adrenaline, and pulls my doom out, keeps me on surface, and when I empty myself I can continue with this mortal combat called life. This is also a message that S.o.M. tries to send – I don't want our fans to listen to our music and commit suicide. We want them to express their feelings, to cry, to feel our loudness, to feel their sorrow, express it, empty their souls and prepare for next task in life. This is why female singers are the main point of "S.o.M." – nice, gentle female voice do not bring the message of death, suicide, pain, … they bring love, gentleness, hope, life, … and this message should win the other side, dark side of soul.

Russians IN GRIEF (VoO SKORBIACH) as the basis of their music placed the Russian funeral anthems. How I understood, neither S.o.M. nor TOMO songs do not use, although music is very similar. Really the songs of your Medjimurje are so sad?

I am aware of great band Vo Skorbyah and I listened to them. Sometimes they remind me on my recordings, even my growl is sometimes simmilar! They have great songs, and Russian songs are perfect, almost as beautiful as Medjimurje :-). As a matter of fact, my friend Dunja Knebl knows many of Russian songs and I am already searching for some of them to arrange. Sad Russian traditional songs also awakes the doom in me.

Yes, S.o.M. and Tomo do not have many exact funeral lyrics, our songs talk about personal and family emotional tragedies, which metaforically brings the associations of funerals. Medjimurje is on a border between east and west, Balkans and Europe, and men from here were taken to many wars, women were left alone, kids without fathers, mothers without sons, … very sad history, and none of the wars was their war, always for someone else. I am sure there are many regions in a world with same history, but I feel connected with Medjimurje. Of course Medjimurje also have some happy songs. I'm sure it has. It must have. Huh? Do they? :-) But the great majority of songs I've heard are sad, even if they look like happy ones, I can find the sad note inside… maybe it's just because I'm obsessed. Some of our songs talks about desparation – "Mura, Mura" sings about a daughter who lost father, and this time death wins. But there are some merrier songs, we also play some of them – for example "Vuprem oci" (I stare in the sky) is a happier one, and this is why we play it a bit faster without big "dynamic tragedy" in it. It tells about girl who is, well, enjoying h

er youth, while her mother worries about having a grandchild next year. Then "Sako delo konec ima" ("Every work has an end") on my solo project tells us about happy and endless love, everything ends but not love.

Opposite the name of your female-singer in the booklet stands word “optimism”. This does mean that all other musicians are called to create pessimistic mood? And it is not small whether one brittle girl in order it to overcome?

I would rather say that we are here to create "dark" mood, and female singers (after Lea left us, two beautiful ladies joined us) are here to bring a bright side. Dark mood is the fact, we all fall in it, more or less, there is a fact of death, there are broken emotions, but this is something that we have to fight with to not let it win. Nice, clean, gentle voice shoud give us hope and strength. Dark side of the life should not be hidden, we should talk about it, bring it to surface, take this fact and live with it as a normal part of life. No matter how small and weak hope is, it is still a hope, and we should stick to it, we should do everything we can, and we should win.

Not therefore whether Lea it did already leave group, and now there in S.oM is new musicians?

Unfortunatelly, we had major changes with members – our dear friends Lea, Matija (bass) and Petar (guitar) left S.o.M. in spring 2008. They have their plans with life, university, they play in other bands and have tight schedules. On the other hand, I can be a hard leader sometimes, not letting the project to go far aside from my main vision, which can be frustrating for young souls. Should I play in a band with such a leader, I would leave it even earlier. Zoran is with us from the very beginning, and future always brings something good to you if you continue to struggle – now we have two beautiful singers, Petra and Vedrana, and Damjan took the place on guitar. We prepare a kind of surprise on a bass, something that is not common in doom bands.

To me your music did seem like one to ESOTERIC, and that you itself do notes from the contemporary funeral metal? And as you do relate to the attempts to introduce into it melodism and atmosphere (SHAPE OF DESPAIR, PANTHEIST, COMATOSE VIGIL)?

About Esoteric - thank you! Direct trigger for creating S.o.M. was Cathedral's "Forest Of Equilibrium", first doom CD I've heard years after Sabbath. Besides them (and of course Black Sabbath) there are also some other great bands that had major influence – Yob, Corrupted ("El mundo frio"), and yes, Esoteric was also one of them. These were the bands I was learning from, so it shows. I believe everything is invented and everything exists, it's only a question of whether you did the right steps to combine it in something new. S.o.M. did not invent nothing new yet, we just try to make a good combination of several great things.
I am a great fan of funeral doom, too, I just activated my new project, funeral (Ukop), but that is just one part of my person and that is not the main message I want to give to the world. My message must carry an optimism, a hope, so it needs to have a melody, the interchange of darkness and light, atmosphere that should transfer feelings we have.

Your solo project can be compared with the fact that made once BY THE MOON LAY HIDDEN BENEATH A CLOUD, but very and very distantly. I not at all met a similar music… What ideas you into it? Or this is simple the material, which did not approach for S.o.M?

Solo project is not always just a material that is unsuitable for S.o.M. but I really did not have any particular idea or plan for solo project. It started as a result of need to express myself, to relief my sorrow, sometimes there are pure short horor stories ("200 godina" / "200 years"), sometimes songs are result of a mess in my head ("Ludim" / "I'm going mad"), I also just sit by computer and let my keyboard do what it wants ("Igra" / "The game"), I composed one song as a birthday gift, and, yes, sometimes I am even happ

y ("Hey"). I create solo songs with no particular meaning and idea in my mind.

Describe a little about Medjimurje… Really in your region everything so is dark? Indeed we in Russia represent Croatia in no way in the manner that in your songs…

It's not that dark. As a matter of fact, it is a very colourful region full of flowers, nice houses, hard working people that are enjoying life like all other. But, somehow the great majority of their songs I've heard are sad. Maybe that's something that connects me with them – doom inside, strength to struggle with the facts of life outside.

It is understandable that history the Balkans - this of the turn of the incessant wars. And your solo project is dedicated to the First World War. Do consider you that humanity so nothing did learn during its history, or he still has chance to find Peace? Is to what extent historic your music? Is look it exclusively into the past, or you do attempt through the past to learn to the present and the future?

I too am afraid that humanity in a whole did not learn much from history – you've probably heard for saying "History is repeating". It's a hard irony that at the time I was born people with dark side of skin still had almost no rights in a country called "a greatest democracy". I personally don't see no difference between that "democratic-leaders" and simmilar necropedophiles that were concquering the world in ancient history. Same ideas, different weapons. We run into same mistakes over and over again. It is also very strange to me that people, simple people that have so many wise sayings about human nature, can be so stupid and go to war. It is a known fact that only 2% of humans really want wars, and these are those that make huge profit of it and/or are different kind of psychopats. So 98% of us does not want war, yet we go to war to "defend our country", "get the freedom", …! We leave our families, kids, and go to possible death with an idea to kill as many as possible and ensure a gigantic profit to someone. I have a hope, I have a dream … Yes, I do hope that we, simple people, will learn something someday and stop acting like a hurd of idiots. And that we'll understand some day that 98% is more than 2%.

Why you does interest precisely the dark side of music, including of folk-music? And there is whether chance to hear from Tomo Sombolac anything more optimistic?

Never say never, but now I can not imagine myself creating happy, dance music. I am currently interested in dark side of life, the deepness of human soul, I want to see the source of sadness inside me and others, bring it to the outside world and show it to everyone, maybe some will recognize it and I bring some relief. On the other hand, it could be just a simple search for true love and I may be looking on a wrong place. I will have to find it out. Maybe then I'll create some joyful songs.

Your means greatly does resemble Sean Connery as Ramirez, you about this they did tell?

Haha, thank you! I was not told that before, but I also never had so many years before. Should I look like him in his years I'll be very satisfied!

Probably, girls you greatly do love?

O, yes. I enjoy also beeing in company of women, they are so wise, so peaceful, I can learn so much from them, I don't have to compete with them like when I'm with guys and spend time and energy on testosteron battles. I have several good girl friends who seem to have an interesting time with me. Then, maybe it's just because I look like Sean Connery, and not because I'm so wise and fun company.

How so it did come out that you, until now, was free?

Well, I was not free a couple of years ago. I was married to a wonderful woman and we have two great kids. Now kids are grown teenagers and lead almost their own lives, wife and I were on our own again and unfortunately we discovered that there is nothing left that can holds us toge

ther. Now we live separated and are good friends, just like in old times.
Currently I am so occupied in music and I spend all my energy and time in it I don't have a time for a serious relationship. Also, I'm not sure that women of my dreams exists in this world. But, I will repeat myself – never say never.

Generally, as himself does feel man of your age, costing on the scene in the environment where of younger musicians?

It feels great! I am a lucky guy that does not have a need to be a smartest in a world, I don't think I'm any smarter than young people, I just have some more experience, I don't have an urge to give a tons of "smart advices from older person". Youngsters recognize it and I know they don't look at me as a guy that has double their years. I am also smart enough to know I do not have their ages so I don't push myself into their company when it's not a proper situation. This makes a great "coexistence". Kids don't like "smart old farts". (laughs)

Much whether in you was concerts, and did play you beyond the limits of Croatia?

Not yet. This is one of major problems of our band - four of us in a bend are working full time jobs and it is a problem for us to go to play somewhere on working days. Since we are still young band, not everyone is willing to call young band to play on Saturday. So, we will have to wait a little bit longer to spread a word about us and then play on weekends outside Croatia. We are thinking of a UK tour this summer, but we have to synchronize our vacations.

That you could describe about the Croatian metal-scene. Indeed to the majority of Russian fans they are known only To Ashes You Leave, and void is further. But indeed for sure in your country there are many good groups and musicians?

Yes. Ashes You Leave is one of the most popular bands. But we have a plethora of great bands. I am not realy an expert in music and bands, but I know something alittle about doom/stoner scene and I can recommend people in Russia to listen to following bands (all of them are our MySpace Top Friends): first, I want to recommend "Good Day to Die" (guys invited us to support them in February 2007 – this was our first gig, and they did not hear us never before!). Then my favorite, sludge doom trio "Throm". Then there is also "Drama", great doom guys, "Duskburn", … also, I'd like to mention projects made by our ex-members Matija and Petar, "Lightroom" and "Moraines", etc… there are many great bands for such a small country as Croatia.

How you do relate to the popularity of pagan- and folk-metal? And you do consider itself the part of this motion?

Every period of history has its games. I don't connect any particular political or religious idea with music and band, there is no such idea behind our or my songs. We may sing about God, but we may also have some pagan song, it doesn't matter what idea the song carries – if its melody is beautiful we'll take it. We just avoid songs that spread hate, violence, etc.

Have you heard Russian groups of this style? If yes, then whom would you note?

We already mentioned great russian band Vo skorbyah. I have also listened to several other bands considered to be Russian and ethno-doom: Raxa, Tenochtitlan, Senmuth maybe… there may be some others, but I really don't know much about music-world, so I may be wrong in some statements here.

As you did leave to label “Boyanov Gimn” and was contented by collaboration with it? Nevertheless, publication on CD-R with the minimum of promotion - this, probably not that, what does dream each musician?

Dear friend Eugene has expressed great interest in both S.o.M. and Tomo projects and he is doing a great job creating CDs, and especially designing it! Well, that is the fact we have to live with – there are underground projects playing underground type of music and we can not count that any major label or mainstream media will show an interest for us. Even if they show up, I am not so sure that we would sign any contract. Unless of course they give us an offer we can not resist. So, we are happy when our music is out there, when people can hear it, when we receive feedback from fans, … If there was no Boyanov Gimn, S.o.M. would have only one disc, a selfreleased demo, and Tomo would have zero discs  We salute Eugene and are very, very thankful for his time, efforts and money he invested in our music. He helped us so much in these early day of ours, and should we once become rich and famous we will make Eugene rich and famous, too! (laughs)

Which is further? What plans will be in “S.o.M” and “Tomo”? Do hope you to write down your material in the best quality, than it was find more important label? Indeed music of this is worthy. People must hear it, until it simply reaches the majority of the amateurs of music.

Thank you. S.o.M. is just starting a recording of new CD, and we hope it will be finished in 2009. We want it to be the best doom album of the year. We even plan to make it a double-CD, and make a professional print, design, mastering, more copies. We will record and mix everything except drums with our own forces in my small home-studio. Since we don't have enough money to pay someone to make it quick, this process will take time – we will be playing as many doom and unplugged-ethno-doom concerts as possible and invest all arned money in new album. One CD will be pure ethno-doom as heavy as we can record, with songs mainly from Medjimurje, while second CD should be a kind of "game" – playing with some different styles (black, psychodelic, acoustic, …), cooperating with many guest musicians, … we have a thousands of ideas, we just have to see what ideas can become true. Album will be possibly selfreleased again, but we will try to find a larger distributor. A larger label is also a possibility, but we are not rushing to sign anything without keeping a great amount of freedom, and also preserve some rights to Boyanov Gimn as a sign of our appreciation.

And as you do relate to lay out your music for free Internet access? Money indeed it does not, probably bring…

We are still very small and young band and we think it is important for us to make a stable base of fans. I think we would not make it if we insisted on selling our music in the beginning. We will be selling our next CD, but it will be for a small price that should cover its costs. Selling CDs brings considerable profit only to larger labels and popular bands. We are not one of them, and now we don't think on something called "lost profit". Our music will eventually find it's way to Internet as "illegal" mp3, and people will download it. Those who really love us will buy CD.

S.o.M. was not started as a money-maker in a first place (otherwise we would play pop or something else that everyone listens and attracts mainstream media), but as a try to make as many people as possible to hear songs from Medjimurje, which are, in my oppinion, most beautiful in Cosmos. S.o.M. also tries to connect younger and older generations in music – it tries to keep a traditional heritage of their grandparents amongst young people, but also to show older people that there is nothing bad in heavy metal and their kids are not "bad" or "evil" if they listen that kind of music.

By the way, and how you do deal besides the music? Than you do earn to the life?

In S.o.M. four of us work everyday jobs, and one is student. I make for living as a computer security expert in antivirus/antispam sector - I really need a relaxation from everyday job, and music is the only hobby of many I had that gives me a complete spiritual satisfaction. This also helps me keep an edge on job – when music help me empty my thoughts I am prepared for new experiences, both personal and business.

I am confident, that in spite of your gloomy and pessimistic music, in the soul you is optimist. What would wish this optimist to the farewell of themes, who did give this interview?

I am a Gemini so there are at least two persons living inside me – one is doom, other is an optimist. I can control them, so when it's time for music I let my doomy side to win. But in everyday life I am letting an optimist part of soul to lead me through the life, and we can thank that side for this interview :-) Sometimes they interfere in one another's responsibilities and doom shows up in everyday life or optimism appears in music, but I do my best to put them back where they are best!

Interview by Old man
31 янв 2009 the End