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петак, 18. септембар 2020.

Intervju: Yhandros Huergo, (Cuélebre, Spain)

 Yhandros Huergo, (Cuélebre, Spain) 


Pagan folk live in ancient Iberia. He is personified in the band Cuélebre, which preserves its cultural heritage. We talked to these days with Yhandros, about the band’s future plans...



1. Hello Yhandros, our collaboration started back in 2015, when we did our first interview and review of the Oinos album. What has changed in the band so far?

Yhandros: Hello Predrag, the truth is that many things have changed in the band since then, "Oinos" was the band's first album, we have had many shows and that entails many changes in the line-up due to many factors, personal problems and different visions. of the project. Fortunately we have been with a stable training for more than two years and in which we all look towards the same goal, making music and enjoying the good times.

Hola Predrag, la verdad es que muchas cosas han cambiado en la banda desde entonces, "Oinos" fue el primer disco de la banda, hemos tenido muchos shows y eso conlleva muchos cambios en la formación debido a muchos factores, problemas personales y diferentes visiones del proyecto. Afortunadamente llevamos más de dos años con una formación estable y en la que todos miramos hacia un mismo objetivo, hacer música y disfrutar de los buenos momentos.



2. Last album "Dijara " was well received by the audience, which was to be expected. How are you satisfied with him?

Yhandros: I'm very happy with "Dijara", Not only for the reception of the audience, which has been great, but also because of the involvement of all the members of the band when it comes to contributing their talent to make the best album possible. On a personal level, I think that stopping doing shows to focus only on the album was something that helped a lot for the result to be very good both in sound and in compositions.

Estoy muy contento con "Dijara", no solo por la acogida del público, que ha sido genial, sino también por la implicación de todos los integrantes de la banda a la hora de aportar su talento para hacer el mejor disco posible. A nivel personal creo que dejar de hacer shows para centrarme solo en el disco fue algo que ayudó mucho a que el resultado fuera muy bueno tanto en sonido como en composiciones.



3. You often collaborate with other artists (Arnica, Urze de Lume, Drusuna, Trobar de Morte, Mileth, etc). What are your experiences of these cooperations? Will You continue to explore music with other musicians and artists that you'll be sharing the listeners?

Yhandros: Many of these collaborations are reduced simply to sharing the stage with some of them in very specific moments. It's always good to listen to and learn from other musicians, and if it's live, even better! On our last album we have had the honor of doing a song with Neonymus and it has been a great experience. With Drusuna we have not yet had the luck to coincide, but I hope it happens soon. And I think we can convince Mileth of a collaboration on some song. On the other hand, and due to the covid crisis, some musicians from different bands that usually perform at Castlefest have been collaborating on some songs, but I don't know when we will be able to hear those songs.

Muchas de estas colaboraciones se reducen simplemente a compartir escenario con algunos de ellos en momentos muy concretos. Siempre es bueno escuchar y aprender de otros músicos, y si es en vivo, ¡incluso mejor! En nuestro último disco hemos tenido el honor de hacer una canción con Neonymus y ha sido una gran experiencia. Con Drusuna todavía no hemos tenido la suerte de coincidir, pero espero que suceda pronto. Y creo que podemos convencer a Mileth de una colaboración en alguna canción. Por otro lado, y debido a la crisis del covid, algunos músicos de diferentes bandas que suelen actuar en Castlefest han estado colaborando en algunas canciones, pero no sé cuándo podremos escuchar esas canciones.


4. In the meantime, you also performed at a prestigious festival, Castefest. What experiences do you bring from those guest appearances?

Yhandros: Great experiencies, it's amazing the atmosphere that you feel in the festival is incredible, from the organization to the audience, the rest of the bands, friends ... it is difficult to explain everything in words.

Grandes experiencias, el ambiente que se respira durante todo el festival es increíble, desde la organización hasta el público, el resto de bandas, amigos ... es difícil explicar todo con palabras.



5. What is the music for you ? In which way music defines  you?

Yhandros: I started playing instruments at 8 years old, at 9 I gave my first concert, except for some time that I have focused more on other things, I have always had music in mind and heart. And it defines me in the fact that a large part of my daily time is dedicated to music, either playing or listening to other bands. I don't like to analyze the music of others, only if they make me feel something inside me or not. When I compose it's the same, I need the song to catch me, I don't care if it's more or less complex.

Empecé a tocar instrumentos a los 8 años, a los 9 di mi primer concierto, salvo alguna vez que me he centrado más en otras cosas, siempre he tenido la música en mente y corazón. Y me define en el hecho de que gran parte de mi tiempo diario lo dedico a la música, ya sea tocando o escuchando otras bandas. No me gusta analizar la música de los demás, solo si me hacen sentir algo dentro de mí o no. Cuando compongo es lo mismo, necesito que la canción me atrape, no me importa si es más o menos compleja.



6. Plans for future?

Yhandros: With the covid crisis, many festivals and dates that we had to present "Dijara" have fallen. If all goes well in November we will be in Netherlands accompanying Nytt Land and Cesair and we will probably take advantage of the trip to give another show in another country (from Spain to Netherlands it is approximately 1600 km of road, we can think about what to do on the way). Given the lack of shows, I have continued to compose some more songs, I don't know if they will all end on a Cuelebre album or if some will be the seed for another project.

Con la crisis del covid han caído muchos festivales y fechas que teníamos para presentar "Dijara". Si todo va bien en noviembre estaremos en Holanda acompañando a Nytt Land y Cesair y probablemente aprovecharemos el viaje para dar otro espectáculo en otro país (de España a Holanda son aproximadamente 1600 km de carretera, podemos pensar en qué hacer en el camino). Ante la falta de shows he seguido componiendo algunas canciones más, no sé si terminarán todas en un disco de Cuelebre o si alguna será semilla para otro proyecto.



7. A concert in Serbia, perhaps?

Yhandros: Hopefully I love the road, playing music and meeting new places and people, so I think all the ingredients are ready, you just need a little luck and the time is right.

Con suerte, me encanta la carretera, tocar música y conocer nuevos lugares y personas, así que creo que todos los ingredientes están listos, solo necesitas un poco de suerte y es el momento adecuado.



8. And in the end what will you tell readers in Serbia?

Yhandros: First of all, thank you very much for reading the entire interview. I love reading about the mythology of all places, Serbia has fascinating stories, Kraljević Marko and Miloš Obilić are truly epic figures, Dragan Bibin's paintings are dark and magnificent. You really have a fascinating story, take care of it, because knowing about the past allows us not to repeat mistakes in the future.

Primero de todo, si has leido hasta aqui, muchas gracias. Me encanta leer sobre la mitología de todos los lugares, Serbia tiene historias fascinantes, Kraljević Marko y Miloš Obilić son figuras realmente epicas, las pinturas de Dragan Bibin son oscuras y magnificas. Realmente teneís una historia fascinante, cuidarla, porque saber del pasado nos permite no repetir errores en el futuro.




Made by: Predrag G.




четвртак, 27. август 2020.

Intervju: Volkh, (Strahor, Serbia)

  Volkh, (Strahor, Serbia)


Underground scena Srbije je šarolika i itekako jaka. Pozitivnih stvari, projekata, izvođača ima u njoj. Tu izdvajamo i sada već, ne mladi, projekat Strahor. Ovih dana smo ragovarali sa Volkh-om, umetnikom koji stoji iza imena gore pomenutog projekta..


Oficijalna fejsbuk stranica

1. Zašto ime Strahor?  Kada je uopšte rođena ta ideja?

Volkh: Moram priznati da je ime došlo skroz spontano. Kad su neki od prvih materijala bili snimljeni razmatrao sam mnogo imena ali ili su već bila zauzeta ili jednostavno nisu odgovarala duhu koji sam planirao da muzika koju stvaram nosi.  S obzirom da sam u isto vreme počeo intenzivnije da proučavam staroslovensku mitologiju i misticizam zavirio sam u taj nepresušni bunar ideja i inspiracija i tu me je sačekalo to ime. Ideja je rođena negde 2016. godine ali krenula da se ostvaruje tek krajem 2017. Želja za bilo kakvim kanalisanjem kreativnosti koja se sve više nagomilava u meni odlučio sam da oblikujem u muziku koja je meni najmilija, blek metal.


2. Svoj muzički pravac definišeš kao black metal sa primesama pagan zaostavštine, ako tako mogu da se izrazim. Šta je uticalo na to? 

Volkh: U suštini to je tačno i tako je bilo bar do sada. U trenutku mi je to delovalo kao najzanimljivije polje za istraživanje i sastavljanje tekstova i muzike u tom „paganskom maniru“. Jednostavno se osećam bliskim sa tim stvarima. Trenutno mislim da se ipak što se tiče muzike i tekstova sve više nekako udaljavam od te tematike,  mada će taj duh svakako biti prisutan do kraja, u manje ili više izmenjenoj formi. Ne želim da se ograničavam u bilo kom smislu, i lirički i muzički, jer je ipak sloboda najdragocenija stvar koju jedan stvaralac može da poseduje.


3. Strahor je?

Volkh: Strahor je beli vuk, gospodar šume i mitski predak našeg naroda. On predstavlja jedno od najiskonskijih božanskih figura koje naš narod pamti, a koje je nažalost ostalo prepušteno zaboravu. Za mene je on iskonska sila i energija, ono arhaično i mistko što leži u nama i budi se na pomen njegovog imena.


4. Poslednji album „Koledo“, izašao je pod etiketom Librarion Records-a iz Srbije, Barbatos Productions iz Rusije, Zly Demiurg iz Poljske, Alexa Records iz Meksika. Reklo bise da si pokrio sve četiri strane sveta? Kako si ti zadovoljan saradnjom sa izdavačkim kućama i samim albumom uopšte?

Volkh: Tako je, četiri izdavačke kuće koje su fenomenalno odradile posao i izuzetno sam zadovoljan saradnjom sa svima. Način izdavanja je u skladu sa samim albumom uradjen u maksimalno underground maniru, jer to je i bila ideja od početka po pitanju konkretno ovog albuma.
Sa samim albumom sam zadovoljan, ali ne nešto previše. Nema tu ničeg revolucionarnog i originalnog, doduše to je i bila namera, dati omaž ili takozvani „tribute“ bendovima koji su me najviše inspirisali da počnem to da radim, a koji su uglavnom u tom old school blek metal stilu. Album je snimljen skormno, jednim mikrofonom u sobi i fokus je na samoj atmosferi i sirovosti emocija koje nosi sa sobom. Iako trenutno ne slušam toliko bendova sa tom sirovom old school produkcijom, uvek mi je bilo drago da Strahor poseduje takav album u diskografiji . To jeste drugi album i inače osmo izdanje, nekako ga smatram prvim ozbiljnijim izadnjem, sve pre toga svrstao bih u neku demo fazu benda.


5. Pored uticaja stare škole black metala, koji se oseća na prvom albumu,na kasnijim izdanjima  prisutan je i sve veći uticaj slovenske mitologije u tekstovima, pa i samim notama. Možemo li očekivati nastavak muzičkog istraživanja u tom pravcu?

Volkh: Iskreno ni sam ne znam, donekle da, a donekle i ne. To dolazi spontano i u skladu sa raspoloženjem. Trenutno radim na 3 nova izdanja. Svakako će biti prisutnije melodije, ali i žestine.


6. Šta muzika predstavlja za tebe? Na koji način te definiše?

Volkh: Muzika, kao i sama umetnost, koliko god to bilo nekom kliše, za mene predstavlja apsolutnu slobodu u svakom smislu, i svetove koje sam stvaram po svojoj volji. Definiše me celog, bez nje bih bio prazan.


7. Mini singlom „Wolven Storm“, došlo je do pojačanja Strahora na bas gitari i scream vokalima. Hoće li Strahor ostati one man projekat ili nam ovo izdanje najavljuje novo doba?

Volkh: „Wolven Storm“ je bio kolaboracija sa mojim kolegama iz projekata Morana i Paganus Diabolous, koji su takođe one-man bendovi. Često se dešava da takvi projekti saradjuju medjusobno na nekim pesmama ili čak albumima, ali za sada sam ja jedini u Strahoru. Novo doba za bend svakako dolazi, i to će se čuti izlaskom trećeg albuma na kojem radim već od završetka prethodnog. Nadam se da će Strahor nekad biti bend sa celom postavom i aktivnim nastupima.





8. Planovi za budućnost?

Volkh: Trenutno se završava jedno izdanje koje ćemo uskoro najaviti,  i veoma sam uzbuđen zbog toga. Pored tog izdanja, ništa zagarantovano, sprema se svega i svačega. Radim intenzivno i na prvom full-lenghtu benda Monah u kome smo ja i Grba iz Morane.


9. I na kraju, šta bi poručio čitaocima našeg Webzina?

Volkh: Puno zdravlja i sreće svima! Slava!



Made by: Predrag G.






уторак, 25. август 2020.

Recenzija: Talog - "Ona kojoj tama se klanja", Croatia, (2020.)

  Talog - "Ona kojoj tama se klanja", Croatia, (2020.)


Mystery of the woman in the Slavonic soil. A review of the album "Ona kojoj tama se klanja" (She, who the darkness bows down to) by Talog.

Talog bandcamp page

The thing I like about quality dungeon synth, one of the most hermetic genres, is certainly the atmopshere, as well as elements of other ambient influences, because it's coated by the cloak of noble mystery in most cases. This shadowy area of music, which is quite young as a genre (about 30 years old), luckily didn't bypass our region. One of our significant native representatives is the project Talog from Požega (Croatia), and he describes his music as "gloomy Slavonic surroundings", and he puts effort into accurately showcasing that on his albums, which are recognized in the bounds of Europe, if not even beyond. His version of DS is first and foremost of thematic nature and carries the epithet "vampiric", as a pledge to the mentioned entity of evil present amongst humans, it turns out, for centuries longer than anyone would've thought. His works are somewhat withdrawn, in the sense of presenting a profusion of colors and melodies, but instead they carve fragments with quiet agression into the listener's brain, which are hard to get out later. Because of that calm and concealed nature of his, I suppose most people won't notice the layers, as well as the mentioned fragments that remain like the metal taste of blood in your mouth. At least I gained that kind of an impression while listening to his earlier albums late into the night, which I recommend only to those who are brave enough and endure the dead silence of the night well, along with the forces that a regular man isn't ready to take on. In case your conscious is clear or you simply trust supernatural forces (you control them?), Talog is ideal for night walks. This time around I will present his new album "Ona kojoj tama se klanja", which brought a twist in the sense that a piece of history from the author's birthplace was taken and given an adequate musical background, in the best possible way. Namely, archeologists discovered old mass graves during the XX century, and among other things found a place, which they labeled with the number "32" (which is about the length of the album), along with an unusual sight which is still covered by a veil of secrets. To lovers of archeology, antiquity, and especially myths and legends, as well as those with a wild imagination, I recommend you read the entire article (You can read the whole article in English in album's description): https://blagamisterije.com/misterij-vampira-iz-groba-32-pedesetih-godina-u-slavoniji-je-pronaden-kostur-star-tisucu-godina-proboden-kolcem-odrubljene-glave/18205/. If you're still looking for unanswerable answers and were intrigued by the story from the article, I suggest you listen to the album comparatively. In a very weird way, Talog gave this whole story a tone, a harmony with which it can flicker into infinity. I dare say that this entire concept rests on drone elements as well, but those moments fit in well and they extend almost unrecognizably. The timbre of the synth is very archaic, it has some kind of an echo of antiquity, and I don't know exactly why, but it reminds me of the background music from Disney's classic "Sleeping beauty" (one of my favorite adaptations), if anyone ever noticed that. A fairytale environment, along with a pretty unclear explanation of who's behind this legend and the dedication to the extraordinary woman definitely add to the quality of the album, and the proof is the title itself and a few tracks. I can't hide my excitement with what "Ona kojoj tama se klanja" offers, and in my opinion, this is one of the most mature Talog's works. Besides the aforementioned qualities, I'd like to mention the all-encompassing feeling of dread you have while listening to this album, as well as the paralysis before the solemn, and at the same time pretty unworthy death of the woman who might have known what we never will. That factor of secrecy is hard to achieve and to convey through music, especially when we take into account that the vampirism as a theme was explored in many ways in just two centuries of existence. However, it isn't out of reach, because you'll notice here a spark of a new take on the theme in every song, and you won't lose the thought that this is all about something beautiful, but (un)expectedly on the dark side of life and (maybe seemingly) death. I'd exclude morbidity as a category, even though someone might think of it.

Why would the Darkness bow down to anyone anyway, unless they're worth it?

I honestly expect this album to become a classic of the genre within a few decades, because it captivates with its modest charm, unusual approach and music that is unobtrusive and minimalistic at its core, but piercing enough, as if you're reading lines that make your blood run cold.

Listen album: https://talog.bandcamp.com/album/ona-kojoj-tama-se-klanja


Made by: Daniel Tikvicki

Translator: Petar Stojanović

Original review (Serbian): http://www.hellycherry.com/2020/08/talog-ona-kojoj-tama-se-klanja.html

понедељак, 24. август 2020.

Intervju: Irina Zybina and Ruzveld Grai, (Grai, Russia)

 Irina Zybina and Ruzveld Grai, (Grai, Russia)


The folk metal scene of Russia is extremely strong and present. The guardians of the tradition of their ancestors live and preserve their culture through their music. One such band is Grai. These days we’ve talked about music and everything with  Irina Zybina and Ruzveld Grai..

Official facebook page

1. Why the name Grai? When and how was came that idea?

Irina / Ruzveld: Actually, the name came a bit later than the band was formed. At the very beginning, the band’s name was Raven Blood. Later it was decided, that the name shall be changed for something less trivial, and that it shall be sonorous and reflect the folk component of our music. That’s how the name Grai which means the bird’s cry was created.


2. You define your music folk and pagan metal, inspired by russian nature and culture. What is the impact of that?

Irina / Ruzveld: Since Russia is the large country inhabited with people of many nationalities and cultures and having various types of climate and nature landscapes, that’s really an undrainable source of inspiration. The mysterious thick forests, the olden swamps and the wicked heaths, the tales and the ancient songs of different folks – everything can become an inspiration.


3. Grai is?

Irina / Ruzveld: The band of like-minded people united with the desire to create something beautiful and to get the ideas, feelings and emotions across to the audience. We hope that everyone can find something of his/her own in our music.


4. Last album "Пепел" was well received by the audience, which was to be expected. How are you and the band satisfied with him?

Irina / Ruzveld: The feedback from the audience was even better than it was expected, indeed. Since the album became the transitive step to the music of another kind in comparison to our previous LPs, we haven’t expected the public reaction to be so warm. As for the band, we’re really proud of this work. To our mind, at this very moment, it’s the most deliberate and mature album, and we hope that it’s the first step to something new and magnificent. 


5. You often collaborate with other artists from folk/pagan music world. What are your experiences of these cooperations? Will You continue to explore music with other musicians and artists that you'll be sharing the listeners?

Irina / Ruzveld: That wouldn’t be quite right to say that we have many collabs with folk/pagan bands particularly. There was the participation of our vocalist in the album of Ukrainian band Sventoyar and several collabs with the Slovakian band Ramchat. Anyway, that’s always a huge honour to get such an offer from any band or musician. Moreover, it’s a great responsibility, because people put trust in you when they suggest being a part of their music. For now, we can’t say exactly about the plans in that respect, but we also do not rule out such a possibility.


6. What is the music for you? In which way music defines you?

Irina / Ruzveld: Despite the fact, that all the band members have different tastes in music, we’re equally of our opinion that music is our life. We simply can’t imagine our existence without music. It surrounds us everywhere both in our concert activities and in the common life, and moreover, that’s an enormous source of inspiration, of course.


7. How our readers can buy Grai albums?

Irina / Ruzveld: To order our albums and our merch, you can anytime contact Ruzveld Grai on Facebook directly; you can also order it per Bandcamp (www.grai.bandcamp.com)  or contact our label Noizgate Records.


8. Plans for future?

Irina / Ruzveld: We can lift the veil a little bit and tell that we’re planning to upload several home-like videos like the one we’ve uploaded at the end of July. We also have a surprise for our fans which we’d still prefer to keep in secret for this moment. And of course we’re working on the new material for the future release. 


9. Another concert in Serbia, perhaps?

Irina / Ruzveld: Unfortunately, we can’t make any predictions right now, because of the world situations. But we hope for the better and believe that it’ll happen as soon as the borders are opened again.


10. And in the end what will you tell readers in Serbia?

Irina / Ruzveld: Take care, listen to good music, support the artists and see you at the gigs!



Made by: Predrag G.



среда, 19. август 2020.

Intervju: David Quinn, Celtachor (Ireland)

David Quinn, Celtachor (Ireland)


Ireland, the land of the Celts. That, mystical country that nurtures and preserves the tradition of folk metal. One of the most important factors in the Irish music scene is the band Celtachor. They have been on the music scene for a long time, they have three studio albums behind them and a lot of live performances. If you love Ireland, they will love this band too..

David Quinn,Co-Founder, lead guitarist & songwriter at Celtachor

1. Why the name Celtachor?  When and how was came that idea?

DavidWe chose the name Celtachor as a play on two words meaning "all of the celt" or "Celts all". It was Stephen who sugested the name and we both agreeded to it and formed the band 13 years ago. 


2. Celtachor  music genre is  Pagan/Folk metal, inspired by the Irish mythology and history. What is the impact of that?

DavidI think all people should their imbrace culture and mythology. We have a tradition of storytelling in Ireland. The tradition of Sean-nós (storyteller who sings) in ireland which helped shape our myth and socal activities is dying out. We try to embrace that part of our aincent past and bring it forward to people can see where we are coming from. If you look at the lyrics that stephen wrote you can see that the tell a story while with the music we try to do the same and give a mood or feeling to bring you in to that moment in our mythology.


3. Last album " Fiannaíocht" was well received by the audience, which was to be expected. How are you satisfied with him?

David"Fiannaíocht" musically was one of our hardest projects to date. It's part of a cycle with in Irish myth that has huge significane for us so it had to be our best. The writing was very intensive and we had to learn to be really critical of ourselves yet put out the absolute best to  give the story justice. I would defenity say that we were all hugly proud of it when it was completed.

Official facebook page

4. You often collaborate with other artists (Cruachan, Waylander, Mael Mordha, etc). What are your experiences of these cooperations? Will You continue to explore music with other musicians and artists that you'll be sharing the listeners?

David: Irelands folk metal scene is very very small. We all know each other and have great respect for each others bands plus its always easier when everyone is friends. Because we mainly play in mainland europe we meet a lot of other artists, so we really try to stay in touch with them and work with them when we can. Its all for fun in the end. We released a cover of a curachan son and had a few people in to help us and we worked on a second cover but a few thing recently have gotten in our way so we have had to hold off on it for now but we will absolutly continue to colaborate with others.


5. Celtachor has undergone a change in the composition of the band in the last few days..some members went their separate ways. What are the further plans for the continuation of the band work?

DavidCeltachor will continue. It is unfortunate that we have had members leave but that is part of been in a band. There is no ill will towards anyone that has come and gone from our band and i wish them the best but im not ready yet to let it go. I feel to passionatly about it to just let it go.



6. These days, good news has arrived for pagan folk metal fans. Namely, you became a member of the band,Cruachan, how did that cooperation come about?

DavidYes its fantastic, im really excited. Cruchan are my friends and also one of the bands we have always looked up to and respected. To be asked to join was brilliant for me and certinly a confidence boost.


7. What is the music for you ? In which way music defines  you?

DavidI have no dreams of beening a rock star, i never have, i just love to play music and see people enjoying what i do. I like to think i work really really hard to entertain our fans and hopfully gain new ones too.


8. Plans for future?

DavidYes,....but i cant tell you just yet, sorry.


9. A concert in Serbia, perhaps?

DavidAbsolutly, we would love to play. We just need promoters to take note and book us.... btw if anyone dose want to contact us do so by facebook on our band page or celtachorofficial@hotmail.com


10. And in the end what will you tell readers in Serbia?

David: I am possitive for the future of my band and Folk metal.I thank you so much for your support and for listening to our music. I want to hear Serbian Folk metal bands at festivals and have a beer with them after they play and maybe they can tell us a few storys from there homeland too.




Made by: Predrag G.



петак, 14. август 2020.

Intervju: Smuta, (Russia)

 Smuta, (Russia)


These days, we talked to the great pagan metal of Russia. Introducing the band, Smuta..

Official facebook page

1. Why the name Smuta? When and how was came that idea?

Evgeniy: Well, let me remember... The very idea came to me a long time ago, I think about 15-20 years ago, when I only planned to form a band. "Smuta" as a negative and dark word with historical connotation seemed to be an appropriate name for Pagan metal band, I think. :)


2. You define your music folk and pagan metal, inspired by russian nature and culture. What is the impact of that?

Evgeniy: Certainly, beauty and diversity of nature, archaic beliefs, culture, mythology and also rich historical legacy of Central and Northern Russia strongly affected our creative work and became the foundation we have always been based upon and inspired by when composing our songs.


3. Smuta is?

Evgeniy: Smuta is the time of troubles, riots and disorder, extremely hard times in the history of both our Motherland and other countries whether it is the 10th, 17th, 20th or 21st century. It is the time of pain, suffering, exasperation, permissiveness and anarchy.


4. Two last albums, "Tribute to SMUTA "15"" and ”The Time Of Troubles”, was well received by the audience, which was to be expected. How are you and the band satisfied with this albums?

Evgeniy: We are quite satisfied in general. Of course after a time some thoughts appear that we could have done it better, but it is just display of perfectionism. :) Particularly, I would like to point out tribute album "15", as unlike full-length album "The Time Of Troubles" it was an absolutely new format for us. We are glad that it came out just the way we planned. It was a perfect present for our anniversary!


5. You often collaborate with other artists from folk/pagan music world. What are your experiences of these cooperations? Will You continue to explore music with other musicians and artists that you'll be sharing the listeners?

Evgeniy: Perhaps an example of the most productive collaboration with other musicians is the abovementioned "Tribute to SMUTA "15". ))) Also there were joint gigs and records with colleagues in the industry and also participation in tribute-albums. I can’t say that we have a lot of such experience, but during 15 years of our creative work we definitely had some cases, and I think some joint projects will appear in the future.


6. What is the music for you ? In which way music defines you?

Evgeniy: It’s hard to say... music for me is an integral part of life. It affects my emotions and mood, and it is always close by.


7. How our readers can buy Smuta albums?

Evgeniy: If you are talking about CD, they are available in official internet-shop of our label SoundAge production: soundage.org/shop/ , digital copies are available, for instance, at our Bandcamp: smuta.bandcamp.com .


8. Plans for future?

Evgeniy: Our new single "Wormwood’s sorrow" is coming out early autumn. I think it will provide some insight into our upcoming album, which is in process now. We are also planning to make a video for one of new songs. Also we hope to play first show this autumn after more than half-year forced interruption. 


9. Concert in Serbia, perhaps?

Evgeniy: Nothing is impossible. Proposals from promoters are always welcome. We do have plans and desire to visit Europe with our concerts.


10. And in the end what will you tell readers in Serbia?

Evgeniy: Listen to good music, take interest in history and culture of your land and in the light of recent events take care of your health and your relatives. Hope to see you at our concerts!



Made by: Predrag G.



понедељак, 10. август 2020.

Intervju: Cape Fear, (Serbia)

Cape Fear, (Serbia) 


Cape Fear, one man projekat stacioniran u Smederevu, poslednjoj odbrani slobodnog sveta. Okružen Dunavom, Jezavom, koja čuva njegove zidine, živi i svoju muziku Nenad Đorđević aka Najtmer. Alfa i omega, Cape Fear-a. Sa njim smo prozborili koju reč ovih dana o muzici, književnosti i još o nečemu. Dakle..


Oficijalna fejsbuk stranica

1. Zašto ime Cape Fear?  Kada je uopšte rođena ta ideja?

Najtmer: Cape Fear je ime dobio po istoimenom filmu,u kome glumi Robert De Niro i koji me je inspirisao odavno. Rec je o coveku koji je u svom zivotu napravio veliku transformaciju, i to je taj najjaci adut koji me je zadrzao da tako nazovem bend. Nakon dugogodisnjeg sviranja u bendu Patrias, za koji vecina dobro zna i sa kojim sam imao odlicnu saradnju,posebno sa liderom benda Edijem,koji je vrhunski lik, krenuo sam u novu pricu,skroz iz pocetka i napravio takozvani preokret u muzickom stilu, iako su me do tada ljudi znali samo kao bubnjara, ja sam odlucio da dodam jos neki instrument u svoj muzicki opus. I jednom reciju Cape Fear je rodjen. 


2. Cape Fear deklariše svoj muzički pravac kao Death metal metal/ Atmospheric metal i Doom metal. Šta je uticalo na to?

Najtmer: Cape Fear je osmisljen kao projekat i kao takav nije sebi dao jasan muzicki pravac, vec bi se pre svrstao u svestrani metal. Jasno je da neke paralele treba da ga deklarisu u odredjenim muzickim sferama, ali sam po sebi nije dao nikakve limite niti ogranicenja i veoma je slobodan da experimentise i ubuduce.(smeh)


3. Cape Fear je u osnovi one man projekat. Može li se zadovoljiti time učešće na sceni? Planiraš li da proširiš ekipu, pošto si već imao goste na prethodnom albumu, (Srđan Branković npr.)?

Najtmer: Cape Fear je zapoceo rad sa jos 2 coveka u postavi (Dzeronimo i Bes) ali je nakon nedostatka angazmana istih odlucio da sam nastavi i u osnovi bude one man projekat. Za sada sve sam radim a novina je i to da sam poceo i oko produkcije da se bavim pa sam za Near Dark sve sam producirao. Na zalost jedan covek ne moze svirati na sceni,osim ako to nije neki muzicki tip elektronike za koji ti i ne treba muzicka podrska ostalih clanova,a ja to nikada nisam zeleo da uradim. Sa Srdjanom sam imao odlicnu saradnju,imam je i danas kao veliku podrsku u svemu, on je izuzetan muzicar,producent,a pre svega covek i bila mi je cast saradjivati sa njim. Planovi postoje za prosirenje ekipe ali generalno za sada je ovako kako je i idemo dalje.


4. Poslednji album „Near Dark“, izašao je je upravo pre nekoliko dana, a i dobro je prihvaćen kod publike, koliko se meni čini za sada. Ono što me posebno raduje je veliki upliv dungeonsynth-a uz dobro ukomponovane zvuke klavijatura. Kako si ti zadovoljan albumom i samom saradnjom sa Librarionom uopšte?

Najtmer: Near Dark je iznedrio iz neke moje opste zelje da jednom u svom zivotu uradim neku horror muziku, da svoje neke utiske koje gajim jos od malena prenesem na note i dirke pre svega. DS je novi muzicki pravac za mene,i jako mi se dopao pre svega zbog atmosferskog upliva i emocija koje stvara  dok slusas takav sound. Ako je neko pomnije slusao Cape Fear od pocetka karijere, mogao je da primeti moje ambientalne uplive koji nisu toliko dolazili u prvi plan, zbog ostalih instrumenata koje sam tada zastupao te sam sada zeleo da napravim obrnuti redosled stvari, tako reci da bubanj i gitare dodju u drugi a klavijature i efekti u prvi plan. I rezultat se vidi,iako je tek pre par dana objavljen album je naisao na odlicne kritike i komentare. Ja sam prezadovoljan albumom i samom saradnjom sa Danielom Tikvickim iz Librariona. Izuzetan je covek, veliki poznavaoc muzike,jako korektan i puno je pomogao oko zadnja 2 moja izdanja. Sto se mene tice (a nadam se i njega) nastavicemo u tom domenu.(smeh)


5. Pored uticaja stare škole metala, Howard Philips Lovecraft-a, šta je još muzički, književno uticalo na tvoj muzički pravac?

Najtmer: Muzicki nisam ogranicen uopste,slusam sve sto me inspirise,ne zavisno od zanra, i mogu ti iskreno reci da se takav pristup muzici, itekako pokazao kao odlican,barem u mom slucaju. Knjizevno sam veliki ljubitelj horror stiva. Pored pomenutog H.P.Lavkrafta,ljubitelj sam i Clive Barkera,Stivena Kinga,Adama Nevila, Brem  Stokera,Dzejmsa Herberta,Tomasa Ligotija,Nil Gejmena I MNOGIH DRUGIH.... 


6. Šta muzika predstavlja za tebe? Na koji način te ona definiše?

Najtmer: Muzika za mene predstavlja stil zivota. A definise me tako sto kroz nju mogu da izrazim sve one osecaje, na puno razlicitih nacina, koje nekada recima ne mogu da se iskazu ili definisu adekvatno.


7. Planovi za budućnost?

Najmter: Planovi za buducnost su razni,ali ono najskorije sto jeste je to da se album promovise i dalje i da se uradi jos ovako odlicnih intervjua... (smeh) 


8. I na kraju šta bi poručio čitaocima CSWS?

Najtmer: Pozeleo bih im sve najbolje,da i dalje prate tvoj rad,jer si odlican u svom poslu,iskreno volis to sto radis,i da ako nadju vremena preslusaju Near Dark. Ima toliko toga u ovom albumu sto moze da inspirise. Horns up.


Made by: Predrag G.



четвртак, 6. август 2020.

Intervju: Moon Far Away, (Russia)

Moon Far Away, (Russia)


A neo-folk band from Arkhangelsk, which distinctive expression is based on a deep knowledge and connection with the unique ancient heritage of the Russian North. Historically, the North was a free space where human creativity found its expression in rich poetry, music, visual culture and wooden architecture. Unlike in the central Russia, there was no slavery in the North. Even today, one can hear skomorokh songs mocking the authorities which date back to the medieval Russia. In the end of XIX century, researchers discovered bylinas (epic tales) from the times of Novgorod republic and Kiev Rus, which had died out then in the central part for centuries ago. Today, the Russian North preserves the most interesting and unique heritage of ancient Russian culture dating back to its pre-Christian history.
The band was founded as a student project in 1994. by Alexey M. Sheptunov, who we talked to these days..


1. Why the name Moon Far Away? When and how was came that idea?

Alexey: В русском языке есть пословица: как корабль назовёте, так он и поплывёт. Или – поплывёт в том направлении. В случае МФА, название появилось, кажется, даже раньше самых первых демо-записей. И изначально было чисто ассоциативным, не выражающим какой-то конкретной идеи. Но – если пытаться разобраться с этим на подсознательном уровне, то, я полагаю, можно сказать, что нами сразу было задано направление на мистику, нерациональное познание окружающего мира, изучение Традиции и вообще на тот мир, который находится НАД нашим миром. Этот мир иногда виден, но практически недосягаем – это мир символов, высших ценностей и идеалов. Группа меняла своё звучание, однако название всегда оставалось для нас идеальным. И, не смотря то, что название группы по-аглийски пишется не совсем корректно, мы предпочитаем не переводить его на русский язык. Хотя, иногда журналисты в тех странах, где мы выступаем, используют написание нашего названия на своих национальных языках. И это всегда довольно интересно, так как нам нравятся все эти игры с языками. 

There is a proverb in Russian: as you call a ship, it will sail this way, or - will swim in that direction. In the case of the MOON FAR AWAY, the name appeared, it seems, even earlier than the very first demo records. And initially it was purely associative, not expressing any specific idea. But – if you try to deal with this on a subconscious level, then, I believe, we can say that we immediately set a direction for mysticism, irrational knowledge of the world around us, the study of Tradition, and generally the world that is OVER our world. This world is sometimes visible, but practically inaccessible – it is a world of symbols, highest values and ideals. The group changed its sound, but the name always remained ideal for us. And, despite the fact that the name of the group in English is not spelled correctly, we prefer not to translate it into Russian. Although, sometimes journalists in the countries where we speak use the spelling of our name in their national languages. And this is always quite interesting, since we like all these games with languages.


2. You define your music Russian neo-folk, post-folk, world-music inspired by north russian nature, shamanic rhythms. What is the impact of that?

Alexey: Интерес к древней культуре и традиционной музыке начался у меня во время моей учёбы в университете. Я понял тогда, что в этой музыке очень многое сказано о человеке в целом, и эти вещи гораздо глубже большей части того, что называется «современная культура». Поэтому, на самом деле, не так уж необходимо «изобретать велосипед заново», в наше время. Важно переосмыслить древние тексты, интерпретировать их, и воплотить в современной актуальной форме – сохранив при этом их глубокое содержание. 
Первые опыты MFA вдохновлены творчеством таких групп, как DEAD CAN DANCE, THE MOON LAY HIDDEN BENEATH A CLOUD, ELIJAH’S MANTLE, SOL INVICTUS, etc. Позже мы пришли к работе со старинным традиционным ритуальным фольклором России и Русского Севера, нашего региона. Именно тогда мы поняли своё место на нео-фолк-сцене – а именно приняли на себя миссию вовлечения традиционной музыки нашей земли в мировую музыкальную культуру. Сегодня у меня есть научное звание по фольклористике, и я продолжаю изучать северный эпический фольклор России на этом уровне.

My interest in ancient culture and traditional music began during my studies at the university. I realized then that in this music a lot is said about the person as a whole, and these things are much deeper than most of what is called “modern culture”. Therefore, in fact, it is not so necessary to “reinvent the wheel”, in our time. It is important to rethink the ancient texts, interpret them, and translate them in a modern, relevant form – while preserving their deep content.
The first MOON FAR AWAY’s experiments were inspired by the masterpieces of the bands such as DEAD CAN DANCE, THE MOON LAY HIDDEN BENEATH A CLOUD, ELIJAH’S MANTLE, SOL INVICTUS, etc. Later we came to work with ancient traditional ritual folklore of Russia and the Russian North, our region. It was then that we understood our place on the neo-folk scene – namely, we took upon ourselves the mission of involving the traditional music of our land in world music culture. Today I have a scientific title in folklore, and I continue to study Russia's northern epic folklore at this level.


3. Moon Far Away is?

Alexey: Изначально в проект входило в два человека, однако музыкой, лирикой и процессом записи занимался я. Именно в форме дуэта (хотя состав изменился ровно наполовину) мы делали первые записи, а потом начали играть концерты. Так продолжалось довольно долгое время. Однако сегодня в MFA – четыре персоны, и каждая привносит в музыку что-то своё. Однако я сейчас говорил о живых людях – в музыке MFA часто звучит лирика и цитаты из музыки великих авторов, как древних, так и более близких к нам по времени жизни. Таким образом, они также являются частью MFA, в этих композициях. А если принять во внимание, что мы часто исполняем народную музыку, то круг «соавторов» нашей музыки расширяется максимально. Плюс, на нашем новом альбоме Athanor Eurasia, например, множество гостевых музыкантов – например, Tony Wakeford и Caroline Jago из Sol Invictus. Поэтому, с точки зрения авторских отношений, MFA – это довольно сложное явление. 

Initially, the project consisted of two people, but I was involved in music, lyrics and the recording process. It was in the form of a duet (although the lineup changed exactly halfway) that we made the first recordings, and then started playing concerts. This went on for quite a long time. However, today there are four people in the MFA, and each of them brings something to the music. However, I am now talking about living people - in the music of the MFA often sounds lyrics and quotes from the music of great authors, both ancient and closer to us at the time of life. Thus, they are also part of the MFA, in these compositions. And if we take into account that we often perform folk music, the circle of "co-authors" of our music expands to the maximum. Plus, on our new Athanor Eurasia album, for example, there are many guest musicians - for example, Tony Wakeford and Caroline Jago from Sol Invictus. Therefore, from the point of view of copyright relations, MFA is a rather complex phenomenon.


4. Last album "Athanor Eurasia" was well received by the audience, which was to be expected. How are you and the band satisfied with him?

Alexey: На самом деле, "Athanor Eurasia" можно назвать неожиданным дитём. До того, как приступить к его записи, мы, хотя это было не очень активно, работали над двумя концептуальными альбомами – “Acou” и “Музыка о полку Игоревом”, вдохновлённом древнерусской эпической поэмой. Однако очень неожиданно идея "Athanor Eurasia" вышла на первый план, и полностью нас захватила. На этом альбоме нам удалось выйти на новый уровень с интерпретацией традиционных народных песен Русского Севера, и продолжить линию, начатую на альбоме «Беловодие», который до сих пор очень популярен и в России, и в мире. 
Сегодня я могу сказать, что приостановка работы над двумя предыдущими альбомами была полностью оправданной (надеюсь, они, как бы то ни было, дождутся своей очереди). "AE" словно сам завоевал себе место под солнцем, и получился очень цельным и концептуальным. Кроме того, этот альбом, как и все предыдущие, был для нас достаточно новаторским в плане звучания – мы, в основном, работали в новой студии, с новым основным звукорежиссёром и множеством приглашенных музыкантов (этого опыта у нашей группы до этого не было), а сам альбом получился почти полностью акустическим. «Живые» инструменты оказались в этот период для меня более интересными, чем электронные – этот период в группе всё ещё продолжается. Ну и, наконец, "Athanor Eurasia" стал квинтэссенцией Формы и Содержания, заложенной в него идеи глубинного единства культур Запада и Востока, неразделённости единой духовной Традиции евразийского континента на внутреннем уровне. 
Это то, что мы подспудно вкладывали в эти песни. Однако если кто-то из слушателей альбома найдёт его просто увлекательным, красивым и мелодичным, не обращая внимание на всяческие концепции и т.д., мы тоже будем этому вполне рады. 

In fact, our «Athanor Eurasia» can be called an unexpected child. Before we started recording it, we, although it was not very active, worked on two concept albums – «Acou» and «Music about Igor's Regiment», inspired by an old Russian epic poem. However, very unexpectedly, the «Athanor Eurasia» idea came to the fore and completely captured us. On this album, we managed to reach a new level with the interpretation of traditional folk songs of the Russian North, and continue the line begun on the album «Belovodie», which is still very popular in Russia and in the world.
Today I can say that the suspension of work on the previous two albums was completely justified (I hope that, anyway, they will wait their turn). «AE» as if he had conquered a place for himself under the sun, and it turned out to be very integral and conceptual. In addition, this album, like all the previous ones, was quite innovative for us in terms of sound - we mainly worked in the new studio, with a new main sound engineer and a lot of invited musicians (our group did not have this experience before), and the album itself turned out to be almost completely acoustic. Acoustic instruments during this period turned out to be more interesting to me than electronic ones – this period in the group is still ongoing. And finally, «Athanor Eurasia» became the quintessence of Form and Content, the idea of the deep unity of the cultures of West and East, the inseparability of a single spiritual Tradition of the Eurasian continent at the internal level.
This is what we implicitly invested in these songs. However, if one of the listeners of the album finds it simply fascinating, beautiful and melodic, not paying attention to all sorts of concepts, etc., we will also be quite happy about this.


5. You often collaborate with other artists (Sol Invictus, Smuta, etc.). What are your experiences of these cooperations? Will You continue to explore music with other musicians and artists that you'll be sharing the listeners?

Alexey: Да, это действительно так. Помимо пяти сольных альбомов, у MOON FAR AWAY есть совместные альбомы с проектами SIX DEAD BULGARIANS, VISHUDHA KALI и ELEVEN. Мы также организовали издание нескольких концептуальных сборников, таких, как международный проект “ENEMIES”, на котором неофолк-музыканты из разных стран играют лирические песни своих народов времён Второй Мировой войны, а также «Colours Of Black», CD-сборник с книгой, посвященный русскому нео-фолку. Также нами собран и издан международный трибьют песен MFA, а также записано огромное количество отдельных треков с множеством других коллективов, которые часто приглашают нас к совместным записям. Это интересный опыт, который позволяет нам реализовывать те идеи, которые мы вряд ли могли осуществить в рамках MFA.
Ещё одно направление нашей активности – организация в нашем городе, Архангельске, неофолк-концертов и фестивалей. Так, нам удалось сделать концерты для SPIRITUAL FRONT, ANDREW KING и ORPLIED/BARDITUS, с которыми мы играли в Архангельске вместе. Надеюсь, наш ARKH-NEOFOLK FEST продолжит свою активность после эпохи коронавируса.

Yes, this is true. In addition to five solo albums, MOON FAR AWAY has joint albums with the projects SIX DEAD BULGARIANS, VISHUDHA KALI and ELEVEN. We also organized the publication of several conceptual collections, such as the international project «ENEMIES», on which neofolk musicians from different countries play lyric songs of their peoples during World War II, as well as “Colors Of Black”, a CD collection with a book dedicated to Russian neo-folk. We have also collected and published an international tribute-album of MFA songs, as well as recorded a huge number of individual tracks with many other bands, which often invite us to joint recordings. This is an interesting experience that allows us to implement those ideas that we could hardly implement within the framework of the MFA.
Another area of our activity is the organization of neofolk concerts and festivals in our city, Arkhangelsk. So, we managed to make concerts for SPIRITUAL FRONT, ANDREW KING and ORPLIED / BARDITUS, with whom we played in Arkhangelsk. I hope our ARKH-NEOFOLK FEST will continue its activity after the era of coronavirus.


6. What is the music for you? In which way music defines you?

Alexey: Среди участников MFA нет профессиональных музыкантов, поэтому группа для нас – это прежде всего возможность проявления своих способностей, своей творческой свободы. Это своеобразный способ Служения высшим идеалам, возможность преодоления своей собственной смертности. И это действительно очень многое для нас значит. Мы с большой гордостью исполняем собственные версии глубинных народных песен нашего региона, Русского Севера и Архангельской области, на крупнейших фестивалях, чувствуя себя носителями традиционной культуры своего народа. Это очень почётно и радостно. С другой стороны, мы ощущаем себя представителями нео-фолка в России, и проводниками идей этого музыкального течения. Наряду с группой NEUTRAL мы старейший русский неофолк-коллектив. 

There are no professional musicians among the MFA participants, so the group for us is, above all, the opportunity to manifest our abilities, our creative freedom. This is a peculiar way of Serving the higher ideals, an opportunity to overcome one's own mortality. And it really means a lot to us. We are very proud to play our own versions of deep-seated folk songs of our region, the Russian North and the Arkhangelsk region, at major festivals, feeling like carriers of the traditional culture of our people. It is very honorable and joyful. On the other hand, we feel that we are representatives of neo-folk in Russia, and the agents of the ideas of this musical movement. Along with the NEUTRAL project, we are the oldest Russian neo-folk group.


7. Plans for future?

Alexey: Как я уже сказал, у нас есть два альбома «отложенных за завтра», которые ждут своего часа. Первый, который увидит свет – это альбом “Acou”, все песни из которого уже давно готовы, а некоторые из них – уже записаны. Конечно, эта эпидемия сыграла свою роль, наша студия до сих пор официально закрыта, и сроки работы вынужденно были удлинены. Мы верим, что наш лейбл, германский Prophecy Productions, который занимается распространением альбомов MOON FAR AWAY по всему миру, поддержит нас в издании и новых альбомов. Также мы очень надеемся вернуться к концертам и турам так скоро, как только это возможно. Также мы очень любим совместные проекты с другими коллективами – таких опытов в нашей истории было множество. И готовы к новым экспериментам на этом поле, в том числе – к созданию музыки к фильмам. 

As I said before, we have two «delayed tomorrow» albums that are waiting in the wings. The first one to see the light is the album «Acou», all the songs from which have long been ready, and some of them have already been recorded. Of course, this epidemic played a role, our studio is still officially closed, and the working hours were forced to be extended. We believe that our German label Prophecy Productions, which distributes MOON FAR AWAY albums worldwide, will support us in the release of new albums as well. By the way, we are still the first and only group from Russia that has a contract with this label. We also really hope to return to concerts and tours as soon as possible. We also love joint projects with other teams – there have been many such experiences in our history. And we are ready for new experiments in this field, including the creation of music for films.



8. A concert in Serbia, perhaps?

Alexey: О, это было бы великолепно! Наши страны настолько родственны друг другу по своей истории, культуре и ментальности, что для меня очень удивляет, почему сегодня на культурном уровне почти не существует каких-то культурных контактов. Да, возможно, у вас выступают наши поп-звёзды, однако вряд ли это можно назвать подлинной русской культурой. А о современном российском андерграунде, альтернативной современной и индустриальной культуре, думаю, сербская публика знает очень мало – как и русская публика о сербском андерграунде. Меня очень интересует традиционная сербская музыка, одну из песен мы даже записали когда-то для нашего альбома «Minnesang». Поэтому концерт в вашей стране – это мечта, которая, надеюсь, однажды станет реальностью. 

Oh, that would be great! Our countries are so close to each other in their history, culture and mentality that it is very surprising for me why today there are almost no cultural contacts at the cultural level. Yes, you may have our pop stars performing, but this can hardly be called genuine Russian culture. And I think that the Serbian public knows very little about the modern Russian underground and modern folk music, an alternative to modern and industrial culture – like people in Russian knows very little about the Serbian actual underground culture. I am very interested in traditional Serbian music, we even recorded one of the songs once for our album «Minnesang». Therefore, a concert in your country is a dream, which I hope will one day become a reality.


9. And in the end what will you tell readers in Serbia?

Alexey: Надеюсь, что когда мы однажды приедем в Сербию с концертами, мы уже немного выучим сербский язык, и нам не придётся говорить с вами на английском. В любом случае, уверен, что у нас будет много тем для разговоров! И конечно, мы очень хотим хотя бы немного попутешествовать по вашей стране. Поэтому будем рады хорошей команде, в этом.

I hope that when we one day arrive in Serbia with concerts, we will already learn the Serbian language a little and we will not have to speak English with you. In any case, I’m sure that we will have a lot of topics for discussion! And of course, we really want to at least a little travel around your country. Therefore, we will be happy to have a good team in this.