Nowadays, with a virtually unlimited selection of music at our fingertips, it is not uncommon to miss a new release or simply not even know about it if it is not mainstream. Albums from small labels with smaller advertising budgets, or those released independently by artists at their own expense, often get missed. Fortunately, music is not canned food with an expiration date, and there is nothing to prevent the listener from becoming interested in an older item that he missed and discovered by accident some time after its original release. That’s what I had with the album “Sult“, the mysterious one-man project A Different Cloud. I heard the album released in 2022 only a year later, but the atmospheric black metal contained in 43 minutes captivated me so much that I decided to ask its creator a few questions. I invite you to a short interview with Demian, the creator of A Different Cloud.
Demian, you seem to be a very mysterious character. On the Metal archives website, only your name is listed as the creator of “Sult”, and it also says that you are from Poland.
– And this is what I want. I like to write music, record it and only this makes sense.
When I discovered this music for the first time I didn’t have any information, I just had the albums and it was more than enough. With less information you have more space for imagination. Not the most popular word today, but I don’t care.
And yes, it’s a mistake. I’m not from Poland and I’m not Polish.
You’re probably tired of answering this question, but maybe you could explain where you’re coming from?
– So far I have no intention to open any personal information. I’m from Europe. I can tell this because European nature and culture are important parts of my music.
Did you compose and record the material for Sult yourself?
– Yes. I do everything by myself.
What was your intention for this album?
– Before I start writing anything I just see a picture in my head. It’s like an abstraction. And then I’m just trying to materialise it by the language of music. I don’t write riffs or something random. Mostly I create songs from the beginning to the end. So it’s my way to recreate a vision that I had in the beginning. I always think in the way of albums, not singles. When I write a song I always know what will be the place of the song inside the album.
The album is fantastic. It reminds me of the best stuff released in the 90s. I smell a bit of the old Burzum here too. The album sounds selective, but has enough dirt and distortion. And, this is what I personally like the most – the bass!!! It is perfectly audible.
How did you get that sound?
– Thank you. This originality is the reason why I want to do everything by myself. I’m not trying to implement all of these modern recording “best practices”. I’m just trying to repeat the sound from my head. Every time it’s something unique and has a lot of space for experiments. I like when this kind of music is raw. It even can have mistakes. But it’s something natural.
For me it’s boring to listen to modern production that is popular in metal music now. It’s just boring. Everything is the same.
The thing about the drums… I would say that it sounds like drum machine, but it is so diverse that I can’t be sure. Did you played real drums or you programmed it?
– Let’s skip it for the benefit of music.
Tell me, what is your opinion on genres? Does A Different Cloud play black metal? Does this matter to you?
– The roots of my music in that “golden era” of the 90s. But I’m not trying to copy-paste anything. I just do what I feel. And that is the point. I think it is the key why all of these albums are still interesting, because all of them are unique. You mentioned Burzum. So you always know that this is Burzum. Doesn’t matter what the album is, it always has this signature way of writing. You can be inspired in some way by something, but then you put your personality into it.
And if we talk about new albums. Some of the bands still have it. For example Blut Aus Nord. You always know that this is Vindsval. And it doesn’t matter what kind of direction he chooses. It is always his style and still really creative. Even after so many years and albums.
What is your message, what are the lyrics about?
– “Sult” it’s like a journey. From the first song to the last. It’s the life of the main character. It’s his relationship with the outside world, himself and nature. It’s all about my experience. The second album is a continuation of “Sult”. “Cosmogonist” is like a rest before the continuation.
“Sult” seems to be, to some extent, music for contemplation and reflection. The nature of the songs, despite the fact that sometimes you can hear fast tempos, has a lot of melancholy and nostalgia in it. The cover illustration also hints at some kind of spiritual metaphor. Who is the author of this interesting painting?
– The author is Benjamin König. The guy behind Lunar Aurora and today’s amazing illustrator. For the next album he prepared the cover picture too.
Yes, contemplation and reflection are good words. I like to have this kind of trance meditative mood.
“Cosmogonist”, the last track, differs from the rest and brings to mind the ambient songs of Burzum. Do you like electronics or is it just a means of expression?
– When the song is done, I see the roots of it in experimental Jazz music, but the process was 100% experimental. I just had these chords and melody and play with different approaches to get what I wanted. And this is not the only part of the album where I tried something like this. I like to have a space to be finished just during recording. I don’t record demos or any parts of the songs in advance. So before the recording everything is in my head and after the recording there is a chance to get something unpredictable (in a good or bad way). If it’s not good – it’s time to improvise.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
– Nature is my main inspiration. I spend a lot of time just walking or running outside the city and building my life close to the forest.
My life, experience and books – these are the main inspiration for lyrics.
Demian, do you even come from a metal background?
– This music has been with me the whole of my life (since I was 8-9 years old). And still I’m trying to find something new and special. I’m a huge fan of music in general.
Before A different cloud was created, had you played somewhere before?
– Yes. I had some bands/projects before, but now it’s far away from me.
Demian, what is a goal, purpose, what you want to achieve with A different cloud?
– Just to express myself. I have something to say. I have many ideas. I finished the new album, but already started the writing process for the next one.
I came across A different cloud by accident, probably while browsing new albums on the Black Metal Promotion channel. Some time has passed since the album was released. What is the response to your music? Do you receive any expressions of appreciation from listeners?
– To my surprise, I received a lot of emails with feedback, some of them were really personal and I appreciate it. It is great, because I did zero promotion. Literally I did nothing. Just publish it online and that’s it.
I hope we can expect a sequel?
– Yes. As I mentioned before there will be the second album with the title “Vardøger”. I believe it will be available on December 22.
Thank you for answering my questions, and I’m looking forward for your new music.
– Thank you too!