all photos by Gimena Cuenca
(Comrade Aleks has been interviewing again, and brings us this new conversation with Argentina’s devilish Dragonauta.)
Dragonauta is a satanic extravaganza band from the edge of the world – Buenos Aires to be precise. They’ve been doing their evil deals since 1999 but after four full-length occult works only one founding member is left – the guitarist Daniel Libedinsky. He’s the author of most of their sinister riffs.
Three years have passed since Dragonauta released the Omega Pentagram album, a collection of savage and satanic stoner doom tracks. Today Daniel with renewed and a strengthened lineup continues to do his work finishing the fifth album, and Lucien Kurgan (vocals, bass) brings the news about it. He promises further mutations of Dragonauta’s sound, so let’s hear some details of it.
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Hi Lucien! Probably not all of our readers know about the band, so how would you like to introduce Dragonauta?
Dragonauta is a Heavy Metal band based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Since the early beginnings in 1999, it has developed a combination of conventional and non-conventional musical structures and powerful riffs. Daniel Libedinsky stands as founder member, and after all these years and several line-up changes, the band keeps constantly evolving into a very unique act that is always changing and transforming, one record after another.
Dragonauta has existed since 1999, what are band’s main milestones?
The main milestone is the research about the strange thermodynamics principle that allow the structure of the pentagram-molecule and its subsequent evil polimerous (C10 H10)666, through sub-atomical riffs vibrations which tends to entropical infinity.
Haven’t heard anything from Dragonauta for some time, what does the band do now?
The band is always creating new music and nowadays it is focused on making several gigs and festival appearances.
Are you already working over new songs? How do you work with the new lineup?
New music is ready, as well as the band to enter the studio. New members work in order to always obtain the final goal the band requires, so it has been a very natural process through a lot of dedication and participation. Some of the songs will be performed live to give the audience a little taste of the upcoming new album, which will be another calculated step into the vast lands of the unknown and primordial.
Just for example — your latest album Omega Pentagram (2013) differs a lot from the second one, CabraMacabra (2006). What are you preparing for the next release?
There is a pattern, a code, in each of the albums that makes the band instantly to be recognized. The musical approach may differ but the riff is always carrying this evil DNA into every song since the origins of the band. The new album will make this even clearer as it will put all this information together, taking the quintessence of every previous record. But different…again. The new album will be perceived as a riddle, an equation. Emerson, Lake and Palmer or Morbid Tales from Topographic oceans? Dragonauta is the only correct answer to this enigma.
Well said Lucien! But how would you describe it to simple-minded music fans just like me? Will there be more doom or groove metal, or stoner?
Well, when I mentioned a pattern, I refer to Livedinsky as the main composer and his very personal style creating riffs. For the new album you can expect some more focus on black/death metal, with doom metal and the progressive trademark in Dragonauta.
By the way, you replaced Dragonauta vocalist Federico Wolman — how does your manner of singing differ from his vocals? And where did you hide his body?
Wolman and Armetta did a great job with vocals, both different, and I have my own approach as well. Wolman is a founding member, and he still does some special concert appearances from time to time.
Dragonauta – Omega Pentagram album
There are only English lyrics on Omega Pentagram. Why did you finally switch to it from Spanish?
Music is the most important guide map to understand and reach the grounds where the band takes the audience. From dark prehistoric sorcery and Lovecraftian nightmares to infinite cosmic realms and multi-dimensional revelations out of the dreams of Jules Verne. Sṕóken human language can switch anytime in order to fit the song created.
Lucien, you and drummer Leonardo Yegros are new guys in Dragonauta. How did this replacement happen?
Line-up changes are a constant in every new chapter within the band. Dragonauta is a living entity always fed by the blood, mind, and energy of the artist involved in the process. Past, current, and future members.
You also played in drone/doom metal outfit Dead Rooster. How did it happen that you left the band?
I left Dead Rooster after the recording of the second album. Personal differences were the reason I left the band. I still believe both albums are great, so I am still proud of being part of them back then.
Dragonauta always sounded pretty brutal, but people tend to label your music as psychedelic doom stoner. Do you agree with that? What did influence your sound?
It is hard to define a band which is constantly shape-shifting within the heavy metal genre. Every album comes up with an approach that carries the sign of metal in every recording. NWOBHM, Sabbath, progressive, doom metal, black metal, death metal. it is all there and you can pick it up and combine the listening of different albums the way you want and you will find an interesting way to enjoy the music in Dragonauta. Most of the audience understands this very well.
Draginauta – Cruz Invertida
What are your personal influences? What do you put in the new Dragonauta songs?
My personal references are NWOBHM, German thrash, ’90s death and black metal, and a lot more. When we started this new incarnation working all together, the guys were looking to get deeper in these grounds, so it was very natural to me and to Helgross to follow the path of creating new music into Dragonauta’s spheres with them.
When do you plan to finish Dragonauta’s fifth album?
The new album is ready, so we think all the recordings might be finished by the end of 2016.
The band is also known with its antichristian positions. What formed your vision of this problem?
Religions are like little boxes compared to the stellar primigenium codex in the translation Dragonauta makes of higher and hidden knowledge through music. So it is out of any terrestrial boundaries. The devil, the cosmic void, sorcery, fantasy, and mythological archetypes work together as channelling symbols in order to paint and give colour to the spirit of each song.
Thanks for your answers Lucien! How would you like to finish our conversation?
I want to thank you and all the fans in Russia and encourage them to experience Dragonauta through all the records and different incarnations. You will have a hell of a time diving into the songs. All the best! Na Zdorovie!!!
http://dragonauta.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Dragonauta666