Romanske FRIG slapp nylig et instrumentalt album, hvorfor finner du ut av i intervjuet. De er også opptatt av miljøet, og slipper ep-en kun digitalt, som du kan lese mer om i teksten. Vi er også innom inspirasjoner, og når man spør om norske artister de liker, få vi vite at det er et band med ganske god innsikt i den norsk musikkscenen. 

Frig@Facebook

Romania, not a country I guess people can relate to regarding artists and metal. But again, some countries do have a vital scene, but not too many international breakthrough artists. What bands do we need to be aware of?

Mr. Steeve: «Romania has a huge rock scene. Some of the most famous bands (at least in Romania) are Phoenix, Iris, Cargo, Bucovina, Trooper. They are the old school heavy metal guys. From our local scene I also like Vita de vie, FRIG (obviously), Mars And Daemons and Mindcage Escape.»

Dragos Schipor: «I will like to add to the list few new Romanian bands more related to the actual movement that my astral fellows pointed before: Walk the Abyss, Coma, Roadkillsoda, Crize, Breathless…»

Alex Deak: «As we are one of less light polluted land on the European continent we also have gather few hard sounds from the foggy mountains down to the mesmerizing valleys as the old ones Phoenix inspired from Jethro Tull to the contemporary bands as Negura Bunget and dordeduh illustrate their atmospheric black metal feeling, along with older sounds of Agathodaimon (which got afterwords established in Germany), Necrovile, The Thirteen Sun, E-an-na (folk metal) and more eclectic Thy Veils, nowadays other musical currents from metal scene are absorbed by the new wave of modern metal into the frame of post metal or as we are trying to explore the sides of this avantgarde metal concept which it is quite new here, but it doesn’t mean that it is less appreciated by the audience.

We think scenes are changing a lot in those dark medieval periods, and what we can take out of the hard part it is that we need to remain strongly gather no matter what tomorrow skies will deliver us, I mean the entire European metal scene. Germany it is doing quite well as we’ve seen authorities are helping music industry to cross on the other side of this muddy river, which might screen us the idea that solutions are still on a proper phase.»

Gabi Neagu: «Our metal scene is actually very developed. We have a lot of amazing artists, both underground and mainstream. We have some artists that go on a more traditional route, playing old school metal and some other artists that combine metal with traditional elements. Just a few artists that I really like and recommend are Dirty Shirt, dordeduh, Scarlet Aura, Trooper, Days of Confusion…»

What kind of background do you guys have? Is FRIG perhaps your first band? And for how long have you been doing the band circuit?

Mr. Steeve: «From my side, this is the first serious project. In the past I had many attempts to form/be part of a band, but they end in the rehearsal room. I thought that is quite difficult to find the perfect band mates in the perfect time, but since the collaboration with FRIG I became more confident. I started being the drummer of the band in the beginning of 2019, when we started to work for genOm EP, but synth & bass player already had some sound arrangements before we took the path of this enchanting journey.»

Alex Deak: «Indeed, in the past I’ve been involved in different musical projects, also from nordic electro jazz area. I started FRIG as a project in 2015,  and we have travel it with every piece of sound bringing its assembly line in new lights of the present under two 360 spherical but akin journeys vid nocturn»,which it is translated as nocturne vacuum, where the arc seconds from the title represents the visual space distances seen through an astronomical telescope. Along with this new release reflected by microcosmos in genOm ep, which translates as genome
and got us on astrobiology field of view. Music itself it is a complex feeling and not at least a spirit mood where we have got the opportunity to sound map it through genome sequences as in 2013 scientists have sketch those.»

Gabi Neagu: «I used to play in cover bands and I spent some time with different bands in the rehersal room, but FRIG is my first real band. I’m really happy to play with the guys as they are awesome. «

Dragos Schipor: «
I started to play bass 15 years ago, during this time I’ve been involved in many musical projects, but the ones that really stand out are: Walk the Abyss, Fortress of Faith, Dark Fusion, all Romanian bands. And now here I am to be part of this journey along with the other guides, which to me means an opportunity to be a part of its sound scheme and to bring to it what I achieve during my inspirational years as a bass player. Not at least this astral concept had a strong quality impact to my perception of metal music creation and other new vibes along its way as avantgarde metal style, which I consider it a one to have more to express for experimental scene quite new here.»

FRIG is an instrumental band on ‘genOm’, why? Haven’t heard the ep yet, just a couple of songs, but what was the reason you decided to ditch the vocals this time?

Gabi Neagu: «Our aim for the genOm EP was to focus on the music, so we decided to play instrumentally. It was a test for us, both from a playing standpoint and from a composition standpoint.»

Alex Deak: «We turned instrumental for this new release genOm and we have also change team formulae due to few logistics issues as well for the entire sound painting.

Here genOm need it considering it’s first Hz’s which gives us more syn energy in his microcosmos journey, being more direction oriented to a visual feel of small particles seen through a microscope idea than lyrics mechanism itself. 

Pulse by pulse we assembly for it’s structure Australe single feat Sergio Ponti (ex-dordeduh, Beggar’s Farm, Drumeo and drums transcriber for Jethro Tull) which gave us a real approach of a person full of joy with more than a true human spirit for he recording sessions. A symbiosis of a great vibe took place for us, and now it will be found in 4 angles, dig it more at a cube scale and the listeners will find out more about what we intent to go for in our next live performances, online or on local scene for the moment.»

Mr. Steeve: «
At the pre-stage of genOm EP we considered that its best version will be instrumental, so we decided to ditch the vocals. In our future composition, we consider vocals as an option.»

Dragos Schipor: «We were always thinking of finding the right lead singer for FRIG, for the near future. But with genOm things were quite different; as you may see, hear and feel this ep. For us it was the right thing to do, it represents everything we are. When we’re referring about mix and master, both the band and sound engineers (Vali and Enrico) tend to be as perfect as possible, since we care a lot about our listeners.»

And I suspect FRIG is a band not taking the lyrical aspect lightly. What kind of themes and topics fascinates you? And are the lyrics AS important as the music?

Dragos Schipor: «We are into Cosmos theme and pretty much everything surrounding us – the holy nature. And to answer your second question, sure, lyrics are as important as the music, since words display best the feelings and what the authors want to convey. Nevertheless, genOm ep tries to do so without words needed, only by transmitting moods through atmospheric sounds.»

Alex Deak: «Those themes fuse more with astrobiology for genOm and opposed to it follow vid nocturn» to cease sounds explorations of a entire space theme journey.

Glacial Tarn song it is about ice geysers from Saturn’s moon, Encedalus, it illustrates its reservoirs craft, pursue with Pendular Underwaters which ideologically return us to early evolution of Earth grounds from Gaia events towards the formation of Godwana and Pangeea continents guiding the idea of water course and particles which are ones of the oldest primordial vital elements of universe expansion, carried out to those Solar System sphere surfaces by the one’s that also destroyed magnetic fields: primitive bodies like comets and asteroids to complete Sfere song radius dwarf planets like Ceres. 

The atmospheres and interiors of the four gas giants – Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune – are thought to contain enormous quantities of the wet stuff, and their moons and rings have substantial water ice.

Minus we can get everywhere in our solar system but our song minus 0.010° it has something unique as it is taking sensation of switch line between Earth exosphere and outer space while Ante Stellar send us back in the first steps of evolution drawing an inflate dimension in its sound which continuously augment this visible Universe that we are capable to understand with nowadays with innovative technologies.
Who knows every breath it is a new discovery in every flickering astray it is a written code of our nature, or in another words of our inside universes, here we tried to open a new chapter of our microcosmos journey going further with the bonus track from vid nocturn» – Exogenesis (in memory of Stephen Hawking) giving us the light perspective from Pillars of Creation and zoom into it other parts of genOm ep, shadowed in a no return by Arise of Ganymede, Jupiterian moon, as we know without Jupiter Earth will be in the same panorama of Mars soils. 

We go with Australe single to illustrate it’s martian south pole Planum Australe from HiRISE research, and now we are in front of the myth of eternal return by instrumental remix of a song from the previous album and we will let the audience to discover it on the way, it reflects quite the same landscape on different soil structures and in a different place in Solar System. 

There is no point of return in the bonus track of genOm ep and this can have a take off from a divine place on Earth with this field of view: Aconcagua (without return): As one fern frond dies – one is born to take it’s place.»

Gabi Neagu: «Lyrics are as important as the music as they evoke our feelings. We are fascinated by the universe and nature, the great, big, cold nothing that the Universe represents.»

Mr. Steeve: «The main theme of our music is the nature and the universe, and the connection between man and the universe. I believe that, through our music, we can make this connection even without lyrics and genOm EP will give the verdict in this aspect.»

You told med the ep, ‘genOm’, will be available digital only, «…with care for our environment, and our buyers will receive a package of a variety of exotic seeds and the necessary instructions for plantation. No plastic used, the package is all biodegradable. Get the change to help Romanian forests», which is awesome! So, money wasn’t an issue, to release the ep digitally was only due to your environmental politics.

Alex Deak: «We appreciate your words here, we need to let the innovation follow us at every step and to stay aside of those unnatural plastic facts, not only on the material view, but also socially. 

From our musical side involution seems to do not be a priority, and it might cover the plant based idea which can emerge a new vinyl industry, I already enjoy them on my turntable but it will be a pleasure to know that those are manufacture with care to our surroundings.

We do not go into politics, sexual themes or simply religion, all our music it is about nature and remain connected to it, nature it is visible to us in her true forms and we want to explore its sounds and themes on what we can for real see around.»

Dragos Schipor: «Yeah, genOm ep will contain seeds that can be planted by our merchandise supporters, buyers. Through this action we’re trying to reforest our country, and why not the whole planet. What is it certain is that we’ll always look for such initiatives for our future sounds creation.

Although our situation wasn’t quite bright, we started with the feelings that art deserves sacrifices. We hope we’ll have a more favorable context, and the world audience will support us with greater enthusiasm.»

genOm by FRIG

What do you know of the Norwegian metal scene? Hopefully not only black :).

Alex Deak: «It is a vast one, but not even metal you also have a strong nu jazz ones: Peter Molvær, Arild Andersen, Wibutee – amazing band, Jørgen Mynkeby on sax, Are Henriksen, Terje Isungset and my soul one Terje Rypdal (avantgarde jazz in a fusion spectrum) along with Jan Garbarek, Palle Mikkelborg, Ketil Bjørnstad (The Sea – another rare piece of art) we can go for Sivert Høyem – a really catchy one, A-HA, present Ul
ver, Enslaved, Kampfar, Wardruna, Windir…»

Gabi Neagu: «
Norwegian metal scene is a really creative one and I think that every rock and metal musician is influenced by you guys in some ways. I don’t know how you do it, but the sound as a whole is rare and awesome, maybe you get inspire by the amazing fjords and northern nature.

We know the awesome classics like Mayhem, Burzum, Immortal, Dimmu Borgir, Enslaved, but also Tristania, Sirenia, The Sins of Thy Beloved or Zeromancer.»

Mr. Steeve: «Wardruna, they should have come in Romania this year, but due to the pandemic the concert has been postponed. I still have the ticket, and I’m waiting for any news about it, and other mentioned bands can continue on the line. 

From Norwegian popular bands in Romania I will like to mention (of course, black) Dimmu Borgir, Mayhem, Gorgoroth, Emperor…»

Dragos Schipor: «I personally I am a huge admirer of Dimmu Borgir and ICS Vortex – might be also other bands already mentioned above, few not discovered yet.»

How has the Corona situation affected FRIG? If at all? You guys used to play a lot of gigs, anything cancelled? Or is the digital sphere where you like to float and breathe music?

Alex Deak: «We remained inside our own home studios to compose for the next album, for the moment everything it will happen it will be online, unfortunately we have got few gigs cancelled in different venues and cities, but solutions are the ones in need, the entire metal scene along with promoters and stage technicians must be connected and prepared to pass this pandemic and to maintain this shape for the future.»

Gabi Neagu: «Some gigs were cancelled, but hopefully we will be able to reschedule them, as we love playing live.»

Mr. Steeve: «Yes, we were planning the first two gigs of in the spring of 2020 being part of a tour just before this pandemic came up. When the state of emergency has begun in Romania, we changed our plans a bit and tried to focus on the online side. We will have an online concert soon, and we are waiting for all things to come back to normal.»

Dragos Schipor: «We had some live performances postponed or canceled, as well as some radio sessions, but technology was really helpful for us, we tried to stay connected with our audience, had a photo shooting session, some home-live and studio edit songs which soon will be available online, preparing few online performances and a lot of necessary rehearsals.»

I know, but the readers might not; FRIG, what does the band name mean? And why did you choose this particular name?

Alex Deak: «FRIG it is a cold phenomenon translated from Romanian language, I choose it because it is strongly connected to terrestrial nature itself and to the outer space.

Gabi Neagu: «In Romanian language, FRIG means COLD and it refers to the coldness and emptiness of the Cosmos.»

Your fave artist(s)? Kind of a tabloid question, but I often feel this one tells a lot about a band and its members. 
Considering your style of music, and perhaps some surprises in inspiration, will make sense :).

Alex Deak: «Well let’s take from the metal scene: Pink Floyd, Deep Purple, Jordan Rudess, Xytras (Samael), Christian Flake Lorenz, Thomas Gabriel Fischer (Celtic Frost/Tryptikon/Helhammer/Apollyon Sun), and in arts Hans Ruedi Giger, Nine Inch Nails, Vegard Sverre Tveitan (Ishan/Emperor and the most Peccatum), Shining (NOR), and we can go to electro now: Kraftwerk, Einstürzende Neubauten, Monolake, Minilogue, Enrico Sangiuliano, Amon Tobin…»

Gabi Neagu: «I have a lot of favorite artists that are among my top preferences. I love Rammstein, Oomph!, Eisbrecher, Alice Cooper, Sirenia, Five Finger Death Punch, Breaking Benjamin, Disturbed, Children of Bodom. I like heavier music, but also softer music like pop, pop rock, funk, and so on.»

Mr. Steeve: «I like to listen to a little of everything, so I like many music genres. Personally, I am a fan of classic rock and heavy metal, this is due to the fact that I listened to it as a child, and I remained old school. Lately I’ve been listening to more progressive metal-/avant-garde metal and the other sub genres, which is normal, given that I’m part of a avant-garde metal band.»

Dragos Schipor: «I grew up listening to Sepultura, Soulfly, Tarot, Nightwish, Rammstein, Samael or Dimmu Borgir. Now my inspiration comes from my colleagues who do a complete and a puzzled nice sounds structures, nature or people which are o the other side of this system, evolving to an astral ascension.»

I appreciate you having time to stop by and present yourselves @Heavymetal.no, thanks!! Any last words, hate, love, support, people important to FRIG not too often mentioned…?

Alex Deak: «First of all it was a pleasure Yngve, we appreciate your interest in our sounds and support.

Never give up to look towards dark skies and follow horizons astral events, on the other side our sounds are ready to invite you all to explore them and we are looking forward to gather you in safety environments. VÆR TRYGG NORGE/NOREG!»

Gabi Neagu: «Thank you so much for having us! It was a real pleasure! 
Stay safe and healthy and be excellent and kind to each other! m/.»

Mr. Steeve: «Please follow us on social media so you can fine more about us, and not least, we hope you will enjoy our music!

Audience make us to remain connected in a world that changes frequently!

Dragos Schipor: «Thank you so much for this opportunity, and for our dear friends: Create from love, arm yourself with knowledge, forget everything that is full of hate, and we all shall ascend in astral.»