With "Through Shaded Woods", the new work of his solo project, Riverside singer Mariusz Duda has managed a big surprise. On the last two Lunatic Soul albums he indulged in strongly electronic sounds, but now he comes up with extremely convincing sounds that evoke thoughts of a medieval forest hike: almost classical folk rock, mixed with elements of Scandinavian folk music and pagan metal borrowings.
Since 2008 Mariusz Duda has been turning his soul inside out with the project Lunatic Soul and dedicating himself to the painfully intense exploration of existential crises. In the eclipsed interview, the charming Pole explains the major themes of the new work and the Lunatic Soul album cycle.
eclipsed: With "Through Shaded Woods" you have made a real musical transformation. What made you take this excursion into folk rock, Mariusz?
Mid-June. Getting an interview appointment with Mariusz Duda is currently extremely difficult. Since March, Riverside have been at Studio Serakos in Warsaw to work on their seventh album "Waste7and", the first without guitarist Piotr Grudziński, who died in early 2016. The band also has to prepare for three summer festivals. For eclipsed Duda nevertheless takes a lot of time, explains why the current Lunatic Soul album "Under The Fragmented Sky" stands for him "between life and death", and describes how Riverside have reinvented themselves with "Waste7and", which is expected to appear at the end of September.
eclipsed: Mariusz, you always carry your feelings outward with absolute honesty through your music. Your fans appreciate this courage to be vulnerable.
Mariusz Duda and Riverside are back on track after the difficult year 2016. How happy the 42-year-old musician really is can only be guessed between the lines. During Riverside's ongoing European tour he gives eclipsed insights into the backgrounds - including the emotional ones - of the new Lunatic Soul album.
eclipsed: You explained that you wanted to free me from the events of 2016 - including the death of Riverside founding member Piotr Grudziński - with the new Lunatic Soul recording. Did that work?
SUPERTRAMP - 40 years "Crime Of The Century"
Actually they were already dead. Even dead as a doornail. After two albums that sold as well as soap-flavoured chocolate and, according to guitarist/singer Roger Hodgson, didn't sound much better, the chapter Supertramp seemed to be over in 1971 - because everything really went wrong. The band, which at that time consisted of Kevin Currie, Frank Farrell, Dave Winthrop, Rick Davies and Hodgson, fell apart after a disastrous Scandinavian tour.
AC/DC - Temporary power outage
He wanders between two worlds, two hearts beating in his chest. This becomes clear when Mariusz Duda answers the phone: "Hello, here is Mariusz from... ah... Lunatic Soul or Riverside". Short confusion on the Polish side of the line, followed by a short laugh on both sides. It's about Lunatic Soul this time - and about the new album, which presents itself with dark, trance-like art rock.
eclipsed: "Walking On A Flashlight Beam" is the first Lunatic-Soul album with a colored cover and a real title. Does that symbolize that you've opened a new chapter?
Mariusz Duda: I hope so. On the one hand I wanted to keep my characteristic style, on the other hand I wanted to enter new terrain. Nevertheless, the album is connected to its two predecessors. The content is something like the prehistory of the first album. It's the story of a man before his birth.
Riverside mastermind Mariusz Duda is a similarly great sound visionary as Steven Wilson. While his English colleague created the playground Storm Corrosion in order to create dreamy, picture-rich sound art with Opeth guitarist Mikael Åkerfeldt, the Pole regularly escapes the harder prog of his main band on the wings of his much more filigree project Lunatic Soul.
eclipsed
check THE 50 LARGEST PINK-FLOYD-SONGS
There are about 130 songs by Pink Floyd. From this pool we have selected the 50 pieces that have the most lasting effect to date. Of course, there are many more highlights among the 80 other songs the English group has written in their career. Definitely know these but you have to know them here: The 50 greatest Pink Floyd songs.
LUNATIC SOUL
Through the other world
RICHARD WRIGHT
28.7.1943 - 15.9.2008
Richard Wright died surprisingly at the age of 65 - after a short fight against cancer. Many call him the soul of Pink Floyd, and his musicality and almost unearthly keyboard playing gave the group its unique sound. In the following we pay tribute once again to the musical merits of this exceptional artist.
YES
Game without Borders (Part III)
