Greetings, Erebos! Let’s start with this chat as I always start the interview… Guess what I’m going to ask you?

- Yeah… I believe, you mean the history behind CHAOS DIVINE?

Right.

- Ok, I conceived this project as one-man band back in 1998. In Autumn, as far as I can remember. In the beginning, it wasn’t even a serious project… just another kind of spending spare time. I was listening to some regular BRIGHTER DEATH NOW clone and a thought entered my mind: “what about making something like that? Am I worse than all those shitheads creating incomprehensible noise and then proudly stating it’s a new dimension in black / dark / industrial / noise / experimental music?” I’ve started sampling various noises from my radio and the result was “Necrospiritual Experience” demo. It’s title is the only good thing in it, I believe… Well, you’ve heard that one, so you know.

Yes, it was terrible… Except “Anxious Dream”, perhaps…

- I completely agree with you. When I’ve finally “recorded” it, I found out it’s total crap. I understood that if one records various noises from the radio and stuff, it doesn’t necessarily appears as a masterpiece of experimental noise music, ha ha...

What’s the story with “Anxious Dream” track? Once you’ve told me there’s something really weird with it…

- Yes, that’s for sure. It was late at night when I was sitting near my stereo, trying to find some frequencies which could suit me… I mean the “sounds” made by “empty” frequencies. And then, suddenly, I heard something that definitely couldn’t be categorized as pure noise. More likely, a “soundtrack to the movie telling of starship’s repairing process”, as you said in your review. It was definitely mystic-sounding, so I immediately began to record it. When it was lasting for more than 20 minutes, I got tired and decided to change the frequency and there was nothing I’ve found. So in the end I “went” back expecting to hear that “soundtrack” still being heard… but there was just nothing. Silence. Being a bit embarassed, I was searching and searching again for various noises… about an hour passed and there was nothing suitable I’ve discovered, so in the end, before falling asleep, I tuned the same “soundtrack” frequency – and there was it again! Actually, I still don’t know what radio station has air on that frequency. Nor do I know what the “soundtrack” really was. When I tried to check out what the hell is going on there few days later, silence was the only sound I’ve heard again. So that’s the story.

Hmm… Definitely a weird thing. Anyway, let’s move on and discuss the second work of yours, “Narcotic Slumber”…

- “Narcotic Slumber” is my second demo and it actually consists of various compositions recorded at different sessions. The latest ones, carrying the common title “Narcotic Slumber”, belong to the period of February 2000 and these are some kind of pseudo-ambient tracks. Musically, the second part is similar to the first one. It’s entitled “They Dance In Gore” and all the tracks it includes were recorded in November 1999. And finally, there’re few tunes off “Necrospiritual Experience” follow-up, “Static”. There’re four of them, recorded occasionally from March to May 1999. Worst part of the tape, I guess, as they’re done in the vein of my first demo effort…

Honestly speaking, such a drastic metamorphosis music-wise surprised me a lot. Once a worthless noise / industrial-wannabe, now highly intriguing dark ambient act… How did you contrive to change the whole thing that way?

- Thank you. Although, I wouldn’t say CHAOS DIVINE was a worthless attempt earlier… Well, I simply tried to use some capabilities of my PC. That’s it. It took me more than half a year to find out what the hell Cakewalk and other programs really are and get things going… Besides, I decided that CHAOS DIVINE should be a serious project, thus producing worthy stuff. I had no future with “Necrospiritual…”, so I thought I should do something. Like learning to handle music editors, sequencers, mixers and stuff, for example.

You define CHAOS DIVINE as "dark psycho ambient"... Why?

- Because it's dark and because I'm a psycho.

Any plans to make “Narcotic Slumber” available worldwide (and particularly, in Moscow)?

- Well, anyone willing to get the tape along with booklet containing coverart and all the necessary info, should contact me at <chaos_divine@mail.ru> and order it. It costs 4$ with postage paid (anywhere in the world). Russians get two bucks less.

How many promos have you mailed so far? How has the response been to your latest work? Any offers, perhaps?

- You mean, record deal offers? Heh heh… None of them, of course. In fact, I didn’t send any samples of my work to labels. I’m going to, though. As to response… Hmm, I’ve sent only about ten copies of “Necrospiritual Experience” for a review in various ‘zines, and got only three emails / letters in reply. I guess, most of those who have received that tape decided to quit music and journalistics, ha ha! Anyway, no one liked the demo. The situation is different with “Narcotic Slumber”. Thus far I’ve sent about 30 cassettes, and got 10 or so replies, most of them fairly good.

Are you into PC games? Few tracks off “Narcotic Slumber” sound like they were stolen from certain game’s soundtrack, you know…

- Erh… I wouldn’t say it’s a correct question. No, I’m not into PC games or whatever, and I don’t consider myself a thief.

No offense, Erebos. By the way, why did you pick up such a handle? Furthermore, what are you guided by entitling your songs?

- I’m into Hellenic / Roman mythology a lot, so that’s where the name comes from. Erebos stands for Everlasting Darkness spawned by Limitless Chaos in the beginning of the days. As to songs… well, I’m not guided by anything. Just when a good name suddenly sparkles in my mind, I immediately write it down and then, if considered to be appropriate, I give this name to a song.

“Considered to be appropriate”…? What do you imply by these words?

- I mean, even if you invent such a title as “Dark Erotic Vampyric Moonlight Sodomy” and think it’s a good one, it just wouldn’t fit CHAOS DIVINE. The name should contain some kind of special atmosphere, you see…

Could you please introduce us Irae Obscurus, Anata and Fiend? Seems like they’ve helped you out with “Narcotic Slumber” in the whole and “They Dance In Gore” session in particular…

- Yes, Irae Obscurus and Anata are responsible for some programming on few tracks, while Fiend did the artwork (which is a great piece, I think) and contributed with his hellish screams on “Solitude”-track.

Who hides behind the personalities mentioned above? Do they participate in any other either bands or projects?

- No, these are just friends of mine. Anata and Fiend don’t even listen to black metal nor ambient as much as I do. Actually, they’re not into metal scene at all. More likely, they get high on medieval folklore and alike stuff…

Do you listen to black metal?

- Yes. Quite a lot. New ABORYM is my favorite CD at the moment.

Never heard of them…

- Ha, you see, even you don’t have all the black metal records in the world!

I just don’t need this. No one needs, I believe..

- I wouldn’t say so. There’re plenty of shitheads who think that they have to collect all existing BM bands to be “true”. Idiots.

And what is YOUR definition for being “true”?

- I don’t have any. I’m a poser, you see… Ha ha.

What are your nearest plans with CHAOS DIVINE?

- Well, currently CHAOS DIVINE is put on ice as I’m working on another project of mine, STREPTOMYCES NOURSEI. It will be some kind of folk / dance / ambient. Pretty weird mixture. At the moment, I’m creating the first demo for this project. I’m helped by Fiend, by the way. This effort will more likely include six tracks and it will be much different from CHAOS DIVINE. Also much more interesting, I hope.

If I’m not mistaken, “streptomyces noursei” is a medical term… May I know how do you connect modern medicine with folklore?

- Well, I didn’t say STREPTOMYCES NOURSEI will be a folklore project. It will have some pseudo-folk elements. As to the name… Well, I had pneumonia and my doctor told me I should buy this drug among others… This word-combination got stuck in my mind, so… After all, it seems to be original.

Ok, clear enough. What will be your final words?

- Beer, pot and red wine. Knowledge, freedom and maturity.

CHAOS DIVINE contact -
Email: chaos_divine@mail.ru