interview by Food Desert Recordings
https://fooddesertrecordings.bandcamp.com/
http://lilangisla.bandcamp.com
Greetings and salutations, everyone! We have reached the halfway point of December, and I have another ARTIST SPOTLIGHT to share. This month, I had the pleasure of chatting with the insanely productive Garry Brents, who’s responsible for such projects as Sallow Moth, Cara Neir, Gonemage, and Lev’myr (among others):
WHO WERE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE BANDS/ARTISTS GROWING UP?
I’ll go in the order of earliest favorites: Korn, System of a Down, Cradle of Filth, Katatonia, Arcturus, and Ulver.
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START MAKING MUSIC?
A combination of fascination with so many different kinds of music and also the production/engineering side of it intrigued me, which led to me learning about recording and producing. That’s helped me with my workflow as I tend to write and record simultaneously for the past 17-18 years for the most part.
WHAT BANDS/ARTISTS INSPIRE YOU THE MOST? AND OF THOSE BANDS/ARTISTS, WHICH (IF ANY) OF THEIR INFLUENCES DO FEEL ARE REFLECTED IN YOUR MUSIC?
Ulver, The Appleseed Cast, Justin Broadrick are artists who have inspired me the most. I think some elements of all of them show up in my music in varying degrees. I tend to emulate the clean singing of Justin Broadrick and Christopher of The Appleseed Cast quite a bit (not that I’m as good but tend to gravitate towards their singing range and timbre). Ulver has been my favorite band since I was 16. I’m 35 now. And their transformational discography has left the biggest imprint on me in terms of how I like to also approach big changes in direction.
YOU’VE STATED THAT HOMESKIN WILL BE WRAPPING UP IN 2023, AND YOU’VE ALSO CLOSED THE DOORS ON SALLOW MOTH. WHAT DOES THE FUTURE LOOK LIKE FOR CARA NEIR, GONEMAGE, AND LEV’MYR, AND DO YOU HAVE PLANS TO START ANY NEW PROJECTS IN THE NEAR FUTURE?
For sure. I will have the last two full lengths for Homeskin out in 2023. Aiming for one in January and the last in March or April at the latest. Cara Neir does have an end in sight. The final album has been instrumentally complete since summer 2021 but could be awhile before it’s finished with vocals and gone through vinyl production. Likely late 2023 or 2024.
Gonemage has a lot left in the tank for me to explore. I’ve taken that upon myself to be my main project and hope to go through its own transformational forks in the road as time goes on, much like Cara Neir has. I think the main component is that it will always have chiptune as the backbone. Black Metal likely being one of the bigger pieces to the puzzle, but not necessarily every release will have that focus. Lev’myr will definitely see a sequel release, hopefully in 2023. I think there’s a finite window for that project to complete the narrative. There will be a Gonemage crossover with it at some point!
Looking ahead with other projects, I do have an album I completed musically called Perfumed Saturnine Angels that started as an internet duo between myself and a friend who unfortunately passed away in Brandon Nurick. Project originally was his idea as he approached me to make the music for it. In his honor, the album will see the light of day with guest vocalists filling in and shaping the album lyrically with themes that fit Brandon’s original intent. That could be a spring 2023 release.
Another online collab project in the works is unnamed so I won’t disclose too much info but it’ll likely be Magic the Gathering inspired.
Lastly, I have a solo project in mind called Memorrhage that I know I’ll be starting once Homeskin is complete. It will take place in the same universe as Gonemage but won’t be black metal focused. My concept is that an unknown force causes a memory leak in the pixelated realms of Gonemage and decides to create noise and music on its own and it cannot be stopped. Musically, I haven’t fully decided what it will sound like but probably bass heavy, somewhat frantic, sometimes poppy, and sometimes grindy. And aesthetically dominated by pixel art like Gonemage.
You can find all of Garry’s music on Bandcamp at http://lilangisla.bandcamp.com. Be sure to follow his label to keep up to date with all of his upcoming releases.