written by Marko Jakob | 28.01.2022 |
Pix666: Hello Gergely. Thanks for your time. How are you doing these days, are you alive and well?
Gergely: Thank you, I am doing well. It’s an honor that you contacted me.
Pix666: Please introduce your band to the readers shortly. What kind of music does Autumn Nostalgie make?
Gergely: I made the one-man band back in 2010, as the successor to the dark ambient project called Fekete Erdő which at the time ceased. Although I left the dark ambient direction with Autumn Nostalgie, the ambient elements became important motives in my music. I couldn’t rule them out entirely. The music I make is closest to post (black) metal. I try to convey sad, nostalgic, close-to-nature and philosophical thoughts with music. This often creates a painful, sometimes cheerful atmosphere, depending on how serene or sad the thought is.
Pix666: In October 2021 you released your 2nd album ‚Ataraxia‘. How were the reactions to the album so far?
Gergely: I have gotten very good feedback. I’m more happy with this album because there’s a live drum playing in it, opposed to a machine drum. The sound is much clearer, more developed.
Pix666: What are the main differences of ‘Ataraxia’ compared to your first album ‘Esse Est Percipi’?
Gergely: The primary difference is that I recorded the EEP entirely, I mixed it, I mastered it. I only had to record the singing in the studio because I couldn’t solve it at home due to the circumstances. But Ataraxia was already made professionally in the Gila Studio, with quality mixing and mastering. In terms of mood, Ataraxia is much more optimistic than EEP, which is quite sad and gloomy: it leaves more room for suffering. And Ataraxia, as a reassurance, is also suggested by the title of the album, which is Epicurus’thesis. ‘Ataraxia’ is kind of a victory over the fears that prevail in man.
Pix666: ‚Esse Est Percipi’ now has almost 500,000 views on YouTube – a really impressive number. Do you look at such statistics and do you know in which countries the listeners and fans live?
Gergely: Yes, it’s very surprising that so many people have listened to it. It makes me very happy that a lot of people like the music I do. Unfortunately, I don’t see the stats from that video. I can only rely on Spotify data and sales. Most listeners are from Germany, England and the United States.
Pix666: What inspires you to write your music and what are your songs about?
Gergely: It is entirely inspired by philosophical thoughts. I read or think about something, and I feel the urge to write the right atmosphere for it so that I can become one with it – emotionally as well. As I’m writing the song, the thought is constantly in my head, then finally it is fulfilled, and like the daimon of Socrates, something sounds inside me. An inner joy, created by the relationship between music and thought. As soon as this feeling, this indescribable inner joy appears inside me, I know that the song I am currently working on will be able to be experienced and be able to give something else elusive to others.
Pix666: You live in Slovakia near the border to Hungary. Your songs are in Hungarian. Do people generally speak both languages in this region? What was the reason for you to sing in Hungarian?
Gergely: Yes, where I live both languages are very common. In Dunaszerdahely and Somorja the Hungarians are more prevalent. Hungarian is one of the most dominant languages in the Csallóköz region. I didn’t want to sing in English. I wanted to keep the language of music in the Carpathian Basin, I didn’t want to serve the Anglo-Saxon world so much. Anyone who is interested in the lyrics will look for it anyway and translate it. Several have since approached me to help them translate and interpret the lyrics.
Pix666: How big is the metal/metalcore scene in Slovakia and did you had the opportunity to perform live last year?
Gergely: Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to perform as a band as of yet. But we are working hard on it. We already have a few performances this year. We have been invited to a couple of festivals, and we also want to perform on our own in Slovakia and Hungary in April this year. We would have done it in December last year, but due to restrictions that couldn’t happen. In Slovakia, underground black metal is quite rich. There are a lot of good bands. What I would definitely highlight is Malokarpatan. Without exaggeration, they are the Slovak Bathory. My other big Slovak favorite is Strigor, which more qualifies as dark ambient.
Pix666: What are your plans for 2022?
Gergely: I’m not planning to come up with a new album this year, but if all goes well, a split album will be released this year with another very good Hungarian band.
Pix666: How can people imagine Autumn Nostalgie performing live? Are you alone on stage (with your drummer), or is there support from other musicians at live shows?
Gergely: It will be a normal band line-up. Two guitars, a bass guitar, drums and vocals. We’ve been trying for a long time, practicing the songs. We are already able to perform concerts in all aspects.
Pix666: Are there other things from Autumn Nostalgie to buy besides your albums, maybe a cool band shirt, or something like that?
Gergely: Yes, everything is now available directly from Northern Silence Productions. I even have a couple of t-shirts so if anyone is interested they can order them on Bandcamp.
Pix666: Tell me a little bit about your dreams…. In which locations or at which festivals would you like to perform and with which band(s) would you like to go on tour in the future?
Gergely: We would all welcome an American tour very gladly. We would love join tour with, say, Metallica or Mötley Crüe. Of course this was just a joke. We would gladly tour or perform with anyone who makes music similar to ours.
Pix666: As a musician, you surely spend most of your time creating music – but what else do you do in your free time when you want to distract yourself – are there any interesting hobbies you pursue? 😊
Gergely: I’m used to reading and listening to music. And in summer I like fishing a lot.
Pix666: Thank you very much for the interesting answers – Good luck fort he future and stay healthy!
https://www.facebook.com/Autumn.Nostalgie.Official
https://autumnnostalgie.bandcamp.com/releases
photos © by Autumn Nostalgie
