With their new album Catharsis, Montréal Coldwave\Post-Punk duo Oiseau De Proie have crafted a sound that feels cold and distant, even when at times it can be soft and gentle. Exactly what you’d expect from a Coldwave act that has a strong second wave Black Metal background. The perfect soundtrack for those long winter months we spend in isolation waiting for this pandemic to end. We spoke with producer and multi-instrumentalist Sovannak about the music that he loves. The album is out TODAY, so make sure to check it out on their bandcamp page and keep an eye out for the vinyl version, which should come out later this year.
Name five songs that you consider “perfect songs” and explain why or what they mean to you.
Mélopée – Mémorial
One of the best french coldwave band out there, and I have a thing for songs that start instrumental for quite a bit and when you don’t expect it anymore, boom – dark gloomy vocals full of reverb from a singer that sounds like he wants to hang himself. I love this song. No idea what it’s about I have a hard time understanding the words he’s singing.
Lupi Gladius – Lupi Gladius
This is an italian neofolk band that not many people know, I don’t think they’re very popular but I just happened to hear it when their first single came out. The part when you hear the wolves howling gives me goosebumps.
They also have a really good darkwave band with the same lineup or almost, called Hidden Place. Check it out
Forgotten Woods – Eclipsed
The first song of any album very often ends up being my favorite. This band doesn’t even rely on blastbeat to play good black metal, they almost sound like a rock n roll band but with spooky riffs and basslines. I’m just realizing now it foreshadows their later work when they turn into this weird grunge band (Joyless)
Coldreams – Eyes
Great song, one of the first bands I started listening to when I was discovering coldwave.
Sedative – Невидимый взгляд
Roman Sidorov’s solo project. Depressive Russian post-punk like you’ve never heard before. This song is from the album also named “Sedative”, which wasn’t even really released, it was just on his computer when he was found dead. For that reason there’s a bunch of songs that are just called “Sedative V, Sedative VI,” and so on… Roman Sidorov was a true genius, RIP. Also check his other band Der Golem.
Which music genre do you listen to the most?
I mostly listen to black metal. Obviously second-wave black metal, lots of finnish, swedish & ukrainian black metal… italian and german neofolk… French punk, post-punk, coldwave… Different countries have different specialties it seems.
Your five favorite rappers of all time?
I used to think Necro was really good back when I was in high school but now I think he’s a fucking loser.
I still enjoy dirty south stuff like Krucifix Klan & 36 Mafia.
Horrorcore such as L.U.Cipha, Bob E Nite, Icepick Willie…
BUT my favorite rap group that I still listen to very often to this day is the Cunninlynguists. The album “Will rap for food” is a masterpiece.
My favorite song from this album is Family Ties.
You was never around, promises was all you resortNo child support not as much as a call to my moms
I went through nights with no dinner lookin’ bummy and skips
Could go no where in school with no money for trips
Gettin’ cracked on by honeys and shit
Strugglin‘
That’s why I don’t listen to your lectures on hustlin’
Cause we had nothin’
What’s the album you’ve listened to the most in your life? Do you still listen to it?
It’s really hard to tell. I think the album i’ve listened to the most is probably Dissection – Storm of the Light’s Bane
It’s just perfect in every way, from the first second til the very last one. There’s a very powerful dark aura surrounding this album, it’s riff after riff of pure evil and no fillers.
Just flawless.
Do you have an absolute all time favorite band or musical artist? What makes them so special to you?
Based on the last 10 years i’d say Roman Sidorov was the artist i’ve been the most into. I feel a bit connected to him because his music has played so many times while I was just lying on my bed in darkness doing nothing. And especially because he was my go to music for when I used to k-hole on purpose. I also tried to rip off his style a few times for my solo project but I never released those recordings.
I also need to mention Viktor Tsoi. I love him.
What are your ten favourite albums of all time (all genres)? Name a standout track on each of these albums.
Dissection – Storm of the Light’s Bane – Thorns of Crimson Death
Indochine – 7000 Danses – La Chevauchée des Champs de Blé
The Cure – Kiss me, Kiss me, Kiss me – How Beautiful You Are
Ulver – Kveldssanger – I see it as one long song.
Death in June – The World That Summer – Come before Christ and Murder Love
Trisomie 21 – Million Lights – Sharing Sensation
The Stone Roses – The Stone Roses – I Am the Resurrection
Sargeist – Satanic Black Devotion – Satanic Black Devotion
Sedative – Sedative – Невидимый взгляд
Burzum – Hvis lyset tar oss – Det Som En Gang Var . The guy’s a fucking idiot though.
Do you remember the first time music had an impact on you?
I totally remember. It was Weezer.
What were you listening to in elementary school? then in high school?
I was 7 years old when Weezer released the music video for Buddy Holly. I decided there and then I was into music and that Weezer was my favorite band. I was also getting into the other typical music from the 90s, Nirvana, the Stone Temple Pilots, and later came Korn, Deftones, Rammstein, etc.
I had a weird hip hop phase in early high school like most preteenagers I guess, but I quickly got back into guitar-based music when I discovered Cradle of Filth, Dimmu Borgir, Dark Tranquility, etc. and when I was around 17 or possibly 16 years old, I was finally introduced to the Norwegian black metal scene. I didn’t know it was gonna follow me to this day.
To be honest, every time I get drunk I go back to those old bands from way back. I still think Cradle of Filth rules, their earlier stuff is amazing and I love the sound of NWOBHM mixed with goth and symphonic music. In high school I was also into shitty bands like Children of Bodom and Finntroll. They didn’t pass the test of time. Punk music came much later in my life.
What beloved music do you share with your parents (or children if you have kids)? Any specific memories?
Absolutely none.
What are some of the most memorable shows you’ve ever seen? What makes them stand out?
I actually really dislike big shows in big venues, i’ve always enjoyed more intimate / DIY settings. So for some reason, so far I believe my absolute favorite show was Body of Light, at Casa Del Popolo. The other bands on that bill were also amazing (High Functioning Flesh & M Ax Noi Mach) but Body of Light made me lose it.
They mostly played songs from their album “Limits of Reason” which is an amazing album. The venue was filled with fog, the singer looked cool with his leather gloves. don’t know maybe it was just the alcohol too but it was a perfect set and evening.
Tormentor also gives a really good show.
Is there any band that you’ve always wanted to see live but never had the chance to catch them? Any classic show that you wish you could have experienced?
I fucking missed the Bérurier Noir show in Quebec city. I bet you were there. (editor’s note: yup!) Everyone was there except me. I was just at my parents house doing nothing, probably watching King of the Hill or something.
Is there any classic / universally acclaimed artist that you missed out on when they first came out and discovered way later? Any artist that you didn’t like at first and learned to appreciate over time?
It took me forever until i’d start listening to David Bowie. I’m still in the process of discovering his music lol. He’s very nice. I understand why Scott Weiland likes him so much.
Do you have any unpopular music opinions that you would like to defend? Something that you love and yet can hardly find anyone to agree on how great it is?
Cheesy symphonic goth black metal bands are good, and this is the hill I can gladly die on. (Early) Theatres des Vampires is a great example of this. Ignore the top hats, vampire fangs, air violin, and you’re left with spooky melodic riffs, opera singing layered with screeches, organs, strings, and lyrics about sucking blood. Hell yeah.
Can you think of a band or artist that put out only one fantastic release (album, EP or demo) and then disbanded? One that you really wish would have kept going?
I know there’s like a thousand bands out there that did this and pissed me off but the only one I can think of right now is Aube from Ottawa. Their demo from 2013 is insane. It’s punk low fi Christian Death.
Second band I can think of that really pissed me off was Dernier Sex. They released an EP of 3 songs and then just fucked off into nothingness, leaving us wanting more. That wasn’t very nice of them.
Is there a song that you would die to hear live but the artist/band never played it, every time you’ve seen them live?
Spectres – Slender Man
Now that shows are being played again, who sits at the top of your list of artists to see live?
The New Calling, because they were supposed to play but then the pandemic happened. It was my first canceled show of a long, long list of canceled shows. I hope they play here soon.
Xarah Dion, she’s one of my favorite artists in Montreal and I loved how once every few months you could always rely on a Xarah Dion gig to have a good time. I hope she does this again now that life is back to “normal”
I can’t think of any bigger international bands at the moment, I skip those most of the time. There’s too many people. We need a new plague.
Maybe Mylène Farmer, but that’s never gonna happen.
What albums have been on heavy rotation lately?
Baazlvaat – Baazlvaat (2021) from Michigan. I don’t think I have enough vocabulary to describe this strange music. Just imagine black metal on tons of mushrooms and flashback memories of your childhood. The vocals are so distant they are barely audible, it’s mostly synths, guitars with tons of delay, and fuzzy basslines. Drums are full of reverb you can barely tell what is going on. Anyone who reads this absolutely needs to check this out.
What are some up and coming artists that you would recommend?
Bosque Rojo is a new punk band in Montreal, they are amazing and they are going to release a new album in a few months. The lineup includes the owner of The Total End Records, (ex) members of Sexface, Perestroika, Uzu, and many more. Definitely be on the lookout for them. One of the new songs even has a saxophone in it, and punk music with saxophone is the best shit ever.
Solitüde is a new duo with Janick (co-founder of l’X and Katacombes, booker for A Varning Fest in Montreal) and Pask who’s played in a hundred bands. They’re doing something more goth oriented, Janick is actually singing and she hits those notes perfectly.
What are you listening to right now, while answering these questions?
It took me two days to answer all those questions lol.
Session #1:
Trisomie 21 – Million Lights
Session #2:
Mirkwood – Mirkwood (Tolken Fantasy Ambient, not the black metal mirkwood)
Mordraaneth – The Taverns in the Land of Ashes
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