Àrnica
After review, we went a bit to Spain and talked with members of the band Àrnica about their future plans, and music in general. So, let's start...
1. Why the name Arnica? When did this project?
Arnica: This project started in 2001 as a one-man band. Successively it was developing to the nowadays formation, starting to record our Rituals and to perform live. Thematic and interests haven’t changed in those years: Celtiberian culture and Roots, pre-Roman spirituality, Nature. You can find Arnica flowers over 2000 meters of altitude; they keep alive at the top of the mountains. Arnica was and it’s actually used as a cure for brushes and muscular pains. But if you take as a drink, it’s a poisonous flower that can kill you. In Middle Ages a lot of people died because of this. We like the concept of a plant that can both cure and kill. So we try to extrapolate this concept to our music. Love us or Hate us.
2. Arnica musical directions UR-Folk. What has influenced you create such music?
Arnica: There are three aspects that influence our music besides music itself. Our environment, the history and the instruments are Arnica’s three pillars. Our environment means the land were we are living: mountains, forests, rivers and animals such as wild boars, deers, Iberian eagles, black vultures... All of them are relevant for us, not only in lyrics, also in music in the form of samplers. We record samples on open fields and use them as part of our music and as part of the Offerings structure and feeling.
Old history and rituals are also a big influence for Àrnica. The ancient spirituality and the Will of bringing back our own Light is a goal for us. The constant seek of our Roots and the recovering of our Symbols helps us to understand what we are and who we are. All these elements are present when we start to work in an Offering. This means that the process of creation becomes very instinctive.
We use traditional instruments like Sac de Gemecs (Catalan bagpipe), accordions, acoustic guitar, wooden flutes, bass drum and wooden drums from Calanda (Teruel), and also some home made instruments with deer horn, skulls, wood, etc. Every instrument has its own voice and influences in a special in the creation of the Ritual.
Old history and rituals are also a big influence for Àrnica. The ancient spirituality and the Will of bringing back our own Light is a goal for us. The constant seek of our Roots and the recovering of our Symbols helps us to understand what we are and who we are. All these elements are present when we start to work in an Offering. This means that the process of creation becomes very instinctive.
We use traditional instruments like Sac de Gemecs (Catalan bagpipe), accordions, acoustic guitar, wooden flutes, bass drum and wooden drums from Calanda (Teruel), and also some home made instruments with deer horn, skulls, wood, etc. Every instrument has its own voice and influences in a special in the creation of the Ritual.
3. Arnica went so far have several albums, which we rewell received by the audience. How are you satisfied with your latest album, Lecho de Piedra?
Arnica: In fact, we only have edited two albums; ‘Viejo Mundo’ and ‘Lecho de Piedra’, the other Offerings are MCD (‘Numancia’), One Sided 12” (‘Tot Creuantl’últimBosc’), two 7”s (‘Mascaradas’ and ‘Piel de Tambor/Marchando al Albor’) and some collaborations in very interesting compilations (‘Ritual’, ‘Oak Folk’, ‘Allerseelenlied’ and ‘RaízIbérica’). We also have two Split releases (‘Soliferro/Wolves of the North’ and ‘South European Folk Compendium’).
‘Lecho de Piedra’ means an evolution in our sound but also, an involution in our concepts. The lyrics do not only deal with Celtiberian tradition here, but also with the idea of going back to the Cave. Probably this is a path that we’re following in order to arrive to the Hollow Earth, where all is Root and primal knowledge. The music is more aggressive than on the last album ‘Viejo Mundo’, but is also more Shamanic, like enter in a trance creating and following layers of tension and searching for an altered state of mind. ‘Lecho de Piedra’ is a very important work for us, as it also marks the ‘official starting’ of our own label, Soliferro - GrabacionesÍberas.
‘Lecho de Piedra’ means an evolution in our sound but also, an involution in our concepts. The lyrics do not only deal with Celtiberian tradition here, but also with the idea of going back to the Cave. Probably this is a path that we’re following in order to arrive to the Hollow Earth, where all is Root and primal knowledge. The music is more aggressive than on the last album ‘Viejo Mundo’, but is also more Shamanic, like enter in a trance creating and following layers of tension and searching for an altered state of mind. ‘Lecho de Piedra’ is a very important work for us, as it also marks the ‘official starting’ of our own label, Soliferro - GrabacionesÍberas.
4. In your music often present ritual folk, history which is very interesting. What do these things represent for the Arnica?
Arnica: Ritual aspects of life are extremely important these days, not only for us, for humankind also. History has shown us how we have loose a kind of esotericism, as our spirituality is disappearing. I’m talking about Occidental Civilization; we have to be extremely critical with this situation in order to understand what is happening to us and how to fight against this. We have to admit that 2000 years of Christianity has led us to a total lack of spiritual sense or feeling. That is because this religion has nothing in common with European tribes or culture. A foreign religion has been able to destroy the spirituality of a country slowly and patiently. In fact, you can see this happens in South America and in all Middle Orient lands where Islam has created real slaves. Jews instead have been able to keep their primeval nature, their still have their own shape and values and have maintained their Root untouched. But I’m going only to talk about Europe as long as you have asked me about OUR ritual folklore and history...
Sadly Europe has accepted by the sword a religion that comes from the desert and that force their devotees to get down on their knees, to ask for mercy, to be repentant of their own Nature. Christianity has destroyed the European Spirituality and Nature, stealing, deforming and destroying it. We’re not going to accept a foreign religion for slaves.
Please don’t misunderstand our words, this is not a speech from Hate, it comes from the Will to restore our Roots, our Nature and the willing of a new rising of Spirituality, of rituals and Light. We have some friends who are into Christianity and we have even collaborated with them. We don’t feel hate about this.So resuming this is a total war for Àrnica and so it is for us.
Sadly Europe has accepted by the sword a religion that comes from the desert and that force their devotees to get down on their knees, to ask for mercy, to be repentant of their own Nature. Christianity has destroyed the European Spirituality and Nature, stealing, deforming and destroying it. We’re not going to accept a foreign religion for slaves.
Please don’t misunderstand our words, this is not a speech from Hate, it comes from the Will to restore our Roots, our Nature and the willing of a new rising of Spirituality, of rituals and Light. We have some friends who are into Christianity and we have even collaborated with them. We don’t feel hate about this.So resuming this is a total war for Àrnica and so it is for us.
5. What are Arnica plans for the future?
Arnica: We have been shooting our first official video clip by the hand of director AinaRiu. We spend three days recording in the fields, forests, mountains and rivers of TierrasAltas in Soria, under snow and freeze rain, hit by cold winds and under the shadow of the Vultures. We spend a great time and it has been an amazing experience.
Actually we’re working in a very special 7”, which I hope will see the Light on this Summer Solstice, during the celebration of theRaízIbérica festival. This 7” deals with aCeltiberian ritual known as DevotioIbérica, whose roots are the same of the Celtis Fidelis ritual. Under the name of ‘DevotioCeltibérica’we will publish a 7” that explores the depths of this cult. We’re working on a song with the Lusitanian traditional folk project Urze de Lume and the Neanderthal one-man project Neønymus, so we are sure it will become even a more special Offering.The Spanish labels Soliferro - GrabacionesÍberas and GH Records, will release it.
We’re also planning another only vinyl release, but it’s too soon to talk about it. We even don’t have started with the recordings yet...In Time.
Actually we’re working in a very special 7”, which I hope will see the Light on this Summer Solstice, during the celebration of theRaízIbérica festival. This 7” deals with aCeltiberian ritual known as DevotioIbérica, whose roots are the same of the Celtis Fidelis ritual. Under the name of ‘DevotioCeltibérica’we will publish a 7” that explores the depths of this cult. We’re working on a song with the Lusitanian traditional folk project Urze de Lume and the Neanderthal one-man project Neønymus, so we are sure it will become even a more special Offering.The Spanish labels Soliferro - GrabacionesÍberas and GH Records, will release it.
We’re also planning another only vinyl release, but it’s too soon to talk about it. We even don’t have started with the recordings yet...In Time.
6. And in the end what to tell the readers in Serbia? Maybe a concert in Serbia?
Arnica: Txkc, prijatelji for your interest in Àrnica! It would be great to have the chance to perform our Ritual in Serbia. It’s a land that we really admire cause of their tradition and culture... and would be great to share some Rakija with all of you!
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