(Comrade Aleks has brought us an interview with an unusual creative artist, whose debut album released in late July is a very unusual accomplishment. You’ll find out just how unusual by reading the good discussion below — and of course we hope you’ll immerse yourself in the music too.)
Funeral doom never was popular because of its specific features, like monotony and a quite limited palette of self-expression, but still there are exceptions; there are bands and projects which can offer something new.
Bulgarian Destruction of Orion is one of them. It is the solo project of Tehina Spasova who performs all instruments on her first album Decreasing Brightness. Oh, and she performed all growling vocals on her own too, so that’s notable – a funeral doom band with a lady on vocals. But, moreover, the concept behind Destruction of Orion is worth of mentioning too.
As Tehina states, the project’s name is related to the constellation’s impending doom and at the same time, it’s about a self-destructive personality. All of her songs deal both with the physical process of dying stars and poetic interpretations of inner turmoil and disintegration, something you can easily read between the lines. So let me introduce Tehina and Destruction of Orion through this interview.
Hi Tehina! How are you? What’s happening on Destruction of Orion’s side?
Hi, I’m doing good, and hope you and your audience are, too! I’m excited to have released my first album and I’ve really enjoyed hearing from people.
It seems like Destruction of Orion is your first musical project, am I right? Did you take part in other bands before?
It is indeed my first one. I’ve never been a part of another band. I’d only recorded vocals for a couple of friends before.
How difficult was it to record the entire album on your own? How much effort did it take?
It was very difficult at first, but I’m lucky enough to have a couple of friends who record music themselves. They helped me with some amazing tips and advice on the technical part. It’s very important to enjoy what you make, and experiment a lot with it.
I did put a lot of effort into recording everything myself. I’m originally a piano player, so I had to take up guitar, drums, and growling vocals lessons. I invested a lot in order not to involve other people. It was way too personal.
So you performed all instruments on the album on your own, but didn’t you even think to work with some guest musicians?
Not for the debut album – no. I do have an interesting idea for one of the tracks of the second album though. So I asked a friend vocalist for a little something. I hope it’ll turn out well.
Did you do all the mixing, mastering, and recording yourself too?
Yes, I did. I also drew the logo and the album artwork by hand.
And what about the growling vocals? I remember two or three death-doom bands with ladies on vocals, but it’s a rare situation still. How did you decide to start performing extreme vocals?
It’s easier to express your emotions without a third party. I was determined to do everything myself.
What kind of funeral doom qualities attractws your attention to this genre? How easy was it to start Destruction of Orion on your own?
I find funeral doom to be a beautiful genre. I’ve always been able to relate to the emotions that may lead someone to produce such music.
But people seem to consider it as… a simplistic genre without many options to express yourself. Did you feel yourself comfortable doing Decreasing Brightness? Didn’t you feel a lack of options?
Not at all. I guess it depends on what exactly you want to express, since the genre is emotionally specific. It suits me, and I feel perfectly comfortable in this area. One can always experiment and create something beautiful.
How do you value Decreasing Brightness from this point? Do you feel yourself more competent now to record another album on your own?
Decreasing Brightness took a year and a half to make from scratch. The learning itself took a fair share. Considering this experience, I suppose I could make the second album a bit more quickly, but the composing process needs its time, emotions, and proper attention.
Metal-Archives sums up Destruction of Orion’s lyrical themes as “Apocalypse, Despair, Death, Self-hatred”. How much of that is in your texts indeed?
All of it.
Although your lyrics are personal, the project’s name and the album’s and the songs’ titles have a connection with the global process of stars’ transformation, in general, their demise. How long did you work on this truly original and poetic concept?
I’ve always found astronomy fascinating, and Betelgeuse is my favorite star, so the idea just hit me. The project’s name is related to the constellation’s impending doom. At the same time, it’s about a self-destructive personality. You can actually interpret certain parts of the lyrics as the particular star’s participation in the destructive process, although their general idea is introspective.
Yes, I appreciate your point of view, it’s something that really differentiates Destruction of Orion from other bands, it’s not just original but truly creative. But speaking about such global processes like stars’ unavoidable death, can we change the focus on our own tragedies, making them not so huge in the global cosmos of things and ideas?
It’s a matter of perception. The inevitable end of the world does provoke a fair share of existential crises, especially when you’re struggling to find yourself a meaning.
Pro forma, you perform funeral doom, but some of your compositions have almost the same vibe as spiritual music. Like the middle section of “Betelgeuse’s End”. How do you feel the essence of Decreasing Brightness? Is there a part of it like a mass, a liturgy?
“Betelgeuse’s End” and “Mintaka’s Doom” are the only tracks that contain my clean vocals. I guess sometimes they do have some sort of ethnic nuances. It depends on the track and how they sit in it. In the former, I dared to record vocals on top of the guitar solo. I think it turned out decent. The album’s essence is centered around desperation, having given up, and betrayal.
Well, what about your musical influences? Which bands or styles influenced Destruction of Orion directly?
I didn’t listen to any other music while working on the album. I was set on making original content, and didn’t want to unintentionally resemble any other band. It sure did come with some creative blocks at times.
Although I deliberately isolated my project in order to make it as unique as possible, there are bands that made me fall in love with the genre many years ago. Colosseum, Ankhagram, and Lethargy of Death are among them.
Tehina, you’re from Bulgaria, and the only local band I know is Obsidian Sea… ah… and Мордор / Mordor! Meanwhile, the question is about any local influences. Do you feel some Bulgarian vibe in your music?
Truth be told, a lot of my creative process involves improvising and then building on top of the bits and pieces that turn out good. That makes it inherently less likely to be significantly influenced by, well, anything.
How do you see the Destruction of Orion’s future? What are its prospects from your point of view?
I’ve already got some pretty strong ideas about the concept of the second album. I’ll give it all the time it needs. I have to recover from Decreasing Brightness first, because I put my soul in it. But I like experimenting, so I hope I’d be able to introduce something unique to the audience.
Thanks for the interview Tehina! Did we skip something? By the way, did you manage to release Decreasing Brightness on CDs?
Thank you so much for this opportunity! It’s been an honor. About the CDs… Since I’m independent, I couldn’t release it on CD right away, but I’m actively working on it. They’ll be ready very soon.
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