nibiru

One of the best hidden acts in the Greek underground metal scene found the time to answer our questions. Since, their members are deeply involved in the aforementioned scene their laconic answers should keep your interest unabated.

Could you tell us about your musical background? How did you six people come to form nibiru?

We are supposed to announce that there have been some line-up changes lately, which explains our inactive period since last summer. So currently we are not six, and any further information had better wait till the full completion of this process.

How would you describe your sound? While listening to your music, one can easily notice many and diverse influences. Which artists/bands have defined your sound? Please describe.

If we have to be sorted into a particular genre that would probably be something between experimental and post-metal. Some of our major influences are Isis, Mastodon, The Ocean, Manes, Kylesa, Virus, Burst and Sun Of Nothing. Beside those, minor influences, that each member has individually, form a broader musical spectrum which may play a critical role in the whole outcome.

Your debut E.P. ‘A Dawn Without Sun’ was released in 2014. Which was the recording process in the making? Was it a collective creation while jamming in the studio, or something else?

Till now nearly all the parts of our songs have been written by Victor and Arsenis. However, each member has the freedom to enrich the basic melodies as much as they desire. The recording took place in our home studio, by Victor Karamanis who is also a sound engineer.

One of the main characteristics of your sound is the extensive use of saxophone. An instrument one rarely comes across in the metal scene. Why did you choose saxophone. Do you believe that it helps you build atmosphere?

It wasn’t intended. Victor started taking lessons on the saxophone, and at one point we tried to jam and we liked the result of having a sexy saxman in the band. Of course, it fits better in ambient moments than in the intense ones. However, we are not the first band to introduce saxophone to the metal genre. Yakuza and Shining use it as a main instrument, and bands like Burst and King Crimson have songs which feature it.

The artwork of the album is uniquely beautiful, since it is made from a painting which has a continuous pattern from one CD to another. Any special story about the painting and the creator(s) behind this?

Thank for your kind words! Each painting has many contributors. The first painting was created by us and some close friends. The second one was given to us by a friend of ours who is studying fine arts and together with fellow-students created this magnificent painting. She’s a great artist and we’re deeply grateful to her!

Your most recent recording, the ‘Treblinka’ single, takes nibiru into another phase and down more experimental paths. In addition, the B-side is a very interesting remix by DJ Padana. Is ‘Treblinka’ the new musical direction for the band, and who is DJ Padana?

Yes, ‘Treblinka’ is more relevant to the current “nibiru soundscapes”, but it only gives a small hint of where we are going and there are some songs which are completely different from this one. The remix was a product of a conversation with a friend taking her first steps in creating electronic music, while we were talking about the sublime sexism that exists even in underground music. We encouraged her
to try remixing the song and the result was exactly what we had in mind (at least what Arsenis had in mind) so we couldn’t let this song remain unreleased.

Which other music and non-music art related projects are you involved in apart from nibiru?

Our bassist Nikos is maybe the most multitasking of us all, in terms of music at least. He has his own band-project called Message In A Cloud where he plays the guitar (as he’s basically a guitarist) and he’s also a live member of the doom metal bands Immensity and Decemberance! Αrsenios is a university

student and Victor has a lot of musical and generally artistic stuff of his own, like his side-project Black Trumbreland some “in the making” jam bands.

I was surprised to discover that you are going to perform live in this year’s Roadburn Festival. That’s a great achievement for a new Greek band like you. How did the organizers discover you?

It’s not that hard. You don’t have to be from Italy and play ritualistic psychedelic sludge to be invited to Roadburn. If you want it enough, the universe will make it happen… We’re kidding. Unfortunately we’re not going to play in Roadburn.

We just have the same name as a band from Italy. Those are the lucky ones!

What are nibiru’s 2016 plans?