Following the release of “Consciousness Torn From The Void” we had the opportunity to ask some questions to 鬼, the musician behind the one-man band The Ember, The Ash. As the artist is also the mastermind of Unreqvited, we took advantage of it, asking him some questions about both the projects. Enjoy the interview!
Welcome on Metalpit. We’re gonna make you some questions about your projects Unreqvited and The Ember, The Ash. Could you introduce them to our readers, talking about the history behind their creation?
Thanks for having me. Unreqvited is my post-black/atmospheric black metal solo project that I created back in 2016. The debut album “Disquiet” was the first piece of music I had ever tried recording and producing myself. Now that the project has three full-length albums out, I’ve decided to start branching out and composing other kinds of music that I have within me. The Ember, The Ash is my newest venture. It’s a depressive black metal project that I decided to unearth this year. The debut LP “Consciousness Torn from the Void” came out in September, and I’m already putting together the second LP.
Let’s begin from Unreqvited. You’re currently working on Mosaic II, how is going the production of the album?
Well, Mosaic II has actually been finished for about a year now. It was written together with Mosaic I as a bit of a therapy experiment for myself. Mosaic I is the most uplifting music Unreqvited has released, and Mosaic II will be the darkest music Unreqvited has ever released. I worked on the two records in tandem; depending on my mood, I would either work on Mosaic I or II.
In my opinion, Mosaic I is the most various album of your career. Will its successor follow the same road or will it contain some differences?
It will be very different from the rest of my catalog. Mosaic I was progressive in its own way, but Mosaic II is some of the most experimental music I’ve ever written. It also completely opposes Mosaic I in sound, as I mentioned in the previous answer. I think every album I create will be a little bit different, but Mosaic I and II are definitely going to remain some of the most experimental ones.
Well, every release you produced has some innovations and different choices between the ones before it. How has your songwriting evolved over time?
I think it is ever-changing depending on what headspace I’m in, what my surroundings are like, etc. The music I create always reflects how I’m feeling. I’m currently going through a rough patch in my life, and thus, much of the music I’ve been writing is very dark. That’s the main reason I decided to start The Ember, The Ash is so that I could have an outlet for all of these dark thoughts I have.
Still talking about the variety of your songs, is there any artist which influenced you during your career, helping you to obtain a mixture of various genres?
I don’t think there’s any one artist, but you can definitely hear a combination of my main inspirations in the music I write. Some of my favourites are Alcest, Nightwish, Hans Zimmer, Emperor and Dimmu Borgir.
What are the main thoughts behind your music, the emotions you try to express?
This usually varies, but I think the overall feeling that I try to convey with Unreqvited’s music is some sort of hopeful melancholy. Something that sounds sad, but also feels uplifting at the same time. It’s difficult to explain, I think I’m better at communicating this feeling with music than with words. With The Ember, The Ash, I think I’m just trying to cope with/express my anger towards the rest of the world. Since Unreqvited is devoid of lyrics, this is my outlet to actually write about these things. I like to keep the individual songs’ meanings up for interpretation by the listener, but that’s the general feeling I’m expressing.
Talking about your new project The Ember, The Ash, how do you feel in regard to the reception “Consciousness Torn From The Void” received?
It was received very well. I wasn’t expecting much of it because it was primarily a passion project for me, so I was very happy to see that people took a liking to it. I noticed that many of those who enjoy the dark side of Unreqvited found this record appealing. It’s something that’s been very cathartic to work on, so it means a lot that people are listening. I hope the next album is received just as well.
Listening to the album, it is possible to hear clear references to American one man band Leviathan. Was his works in any way a form of inspiration for you? Were there any other bands or projects that inspired you for this album?
A few of the big inspirations for this project were Leviathan, Emperor, Xasthur, Dissection, and Dimmu Borgir. I think these are all pretty audible when you listen to the album. I take small elements from all of these bands for Unreqvited’s music, but this was the first time I was able to make something that truly reflects these influences.
You already talked about the reasons behind the creation of The Ember, The Ash; is everyday life the main inspiration for your lyrics?
Pretty much, yes. There are still quite a bit of embellishments and lots of fiction in the lyrics, but for the most part, they’re inspired by my every day life.
Could you tell us something about the future of the project? Can we expect some new music?
Yes, and very soon. I know the debut album has just come out, but I’m getting close to finishing the second album. I’m expanding upon the sound and adding in many new influences. It will be quite different from the debut, but I think my audience is starting to get used to the fact that all of my releases are going to sound different from the last.
Why did you choose the Japanese name 鬼?
I chose the name “Ghost” because I wanted to create an entity that is equally as mysterious and ethereal as the music I create. I thought using this symbol was fitting. I’m also very into Japanese culture, and I thought it would be more intriguing to use kanji instead of just writing it in English.
This was the last question. Thank you so much for your time. Anything you wanna add?
First and foremost, thank you for the interview and giving me a platform to talk about the things I am working on. To anyone reading, it would mean the world if you checked out either of my projects if you haven’t heard them before. I’m on all social medias and all music platforms. To everyone that has supported me by listening and buying my music, I love and appreciate you very much. Thank you.