Blending orchestral metal with cinematic storytelling, DemUnillusions continue pushing creative boundaries. In this interview, the band discusses the unique one-take lyric video for “For My Soul,” their EP Dawn FEAT. Recharge., and artistic independence.
1. Your
new lyric video for “For My Soul” takes a very unusual approach-one continuous
shot where Ayracsana physically lays out the lyrics by hand. What inspired this
minimalist yet powerful visual concept?
The idea came from the desire to do something very simple and honest. Today
most lyric videos rely on complex graphics, editing, and visual effects. It can
look impressive, but sometimes it creates a distance between the song and the
viewer. We wanted to do the opposite-remove everything unnecessary and leave
only the music itself and the action happening right in front of you.
When the words literally appear by hand and gradually form the text, it creates
a feeling of real time and process. The viewer is not watching editing tricks,
but a real action unfolding. We felt that this kind of minimalism could
actually work even stronger than a complex visual story.
2. In an era where most lyric videos rely heavily on digital effects and
animation, you chose something completely physical and real. Was the goal to
create a more intimate connection between the music and the viewer?
Yes, that was definitely part of the idea. Physical action is perceived
differently. When people see real hands, paper, movement - it creates a sense
of presence.
Today music often turns into a fast stream of content: play, scroll, switch. We
wanted to slow that moment down a little and invite the viewer to simply stay
inside the song for a while, without rushing.
3. The performance aspect of the video seems almost ritualistic, with each
word appearing gradually in real time. How much preparation and rehearsal went
into capturing the entire video in a single take?
There was quite a lot of preparation, but it mostly concerned the props and the
atmosphere. We wanted everything in the frame to have a slight sense of age.
For example, we created our own wax seal stamp and handmade several letters
that also appear in the shot.
We also had to carefully calculate and plan the layout of the letters in
advance - where and in what order they would appear - so that the entire
process could be filmed in one continuous take. We basically had no opportunity
to reshoot, so everything had to work correctly from the very first attempt.
The original take itself lasts about 40 minutes. In total, the preparation took
around a month, but interestingly there were actually no rehearsals -
everything was done in a single first take.
4. The track comes from your EP “Dawn FEAT. Recharge.” How does “For My Soul” represent the emotional or thematic core of that release?
In a way, this song is probably the closest to the emotional center of the EP. “Dawn FEAT. Recharge” contains different moods - from tension to light and hope. “For My Soul” feels more like an inner conversation, a moment of pause and reflection.
It’s about a state where a person tries to preserve something important inside themselves despite external circumstances. That’s why the visual part also ended up being calm and focused.
5. Musically, the song blends orchestral metal with cinematic tension and restraint. How do you approach balancing symphonic grandeur with emotional subtlety in your compositions?
For us it’s important that orchestration doesn’t become just decoration. Symphonic elements should serve the atmosphere and the emotion of the song, not overload it.
Sometimes we even have to deliberately remove something that sounds beautiful but distracts from the core idea. The balance usually appears during the arrangement process, when we constantly listen for where the music starts to breathe and where it becomes too dense.
6. The EP features guest vocalist Tanja Hansen from Parhelyon. How did that collaboration come about, and what did she bring to the atmosphere of the release?
We got to know each other through the music scene and online communities. We really liked the tone and character of her voice, so the idea of collaborating appeared quite naturally.
Tanja brought a very special atmosphere to the music - both powerful and very emotional at the same time. Sometimes a different voice can reveal shades in a composition that you didn’t even expect to hear.
7. DemUnillusions seem very involved in every aspect of your work-from writing and recording to artwork and visual concepts. How important is creative independence for the band?
It’s very important for us. When you control different parts of the process, it becomes easier to keep the whole idea consistent - from the music itself to the visual side.
It’s not always the fastest way to work, but it gives you the freedom to experiment and try unusual ideas. Things like this lyric video appear precisely because we have that independence.
8. The video deliberately asks the viewer to slow down and stay with the performance instead of quickly scrolling past. Do you feel modern music culture sometimes moves too fast for listeners to fully absorb a piece?
Yes, sometimes it does feel that way. Everything moves very quickly now - new releases appear constantly and attention switches in seconds.
But music can still work differently. It can create a small space where a person pauses for a few minutes. That’s exactly the kind of moment we wanted to create.
9. With members contributing vocals, orchestrations, and arrangements, what does your typical songwriting process look like within the band?
Usually everything begins with a basic idea - it can be a melody, a riff, or even just a certain mood. Then other elements gradually appear: orchestration, rhythm section, vocal lines.
We discuss things a lot and try different options. Sometimes a composition changes quite significantly during the process until it starts sounding the way it should.
10. Finally, with the premiere of “For My Soul” marking another step in your artistic journey, what can listeners expect next from DemUnillusions-more visual experiments, new music, or perhaps a full-length album?
We definitely want to continue experimenting with both music and visual ideas. Right now we are working on new material and concepts.
Hopefully there will be more music ahead and maybe even a larger release. But for us it’s important that every next step feels like a natural continuation of what we’re doing now.
Post a Comment