For those who don't know Yayla, it is a Black Metal one man band from Turkey. This man is Emir Toğrul and they play a very melodic Black Metal. The band has been active since 2007 and already released a few albums. Lachryma Christi had the opportunity to interview Emir, so keep reading if you are interested in what it is all about.
What does Yayla mean?
Literal translation is alpine meadow. Means
the flatness on the heights of a mountain. Means the ecstasy in the eye of
suffering. Means the enlightenment on the meaninglessness of chaos. Means the
nothing in everything.
Where did the idea for Yayla come from?
Merdumgiriz and I used to go to these
alpine meadows in southern Turkey on the Taurus Mountains and make music. We
used to make tapes and bury them underground. We used to do many things of this
nature on this flatness on top of steep heights. At some point we’ve played
with matches and ignited some essence that we are forever under its spell.
Why a one man band? Have you ever thought of getting musicians to play live?
A one man band because where there is many,
it is shitty. For thinking about recruiting sessions, yes I have, and I might.
The thing is, I can convince neither Merdumgiriz nor Ruhanathanas (my bandmates
from Viranesir and Blliigghhtted) to play live with me. They have their reasons.
However, I still must find a drummer capable of Merdumgiriz’s talent and
another member capable of Ruhanathanas’ insanity, which if I do, I will try
playing live for sure. On the other hand, I am playing live for some other
projects.
What are your inspirations? What are your songs about?
My inspirations are the inextricable. My
songs are about I.
Since you do everything in Yayla’s music, and this might be a strange question,
what is it that gives you more pleasure? Which instrument, which part?
I like this question very much actually. I
consider what I do to be similar to black arts, so I manipulate matter into
magic and every different step of mind gives another shape to the form of the
matter. My greatest joy comes from playing the guitar. I am a sound engineer
so; by the time I completely set up my microphones and recording devices,
arrange everything and am ready to record is the moment I get the most excited.
All the different aspects of doing everything by myself gives so much pleasure
to me. From the spark of a vision that pushes me to explore depths into making
a new album to the second I press play after I’ve mastered the final product is
a constant orgasm.
How does the process of composing go? What comes first, and next...?
This changes all the time. I usually feel
the urge; I feel a power higher than me trying to manifest its interpretation
of this cosmos through my hands, and there I float and cast the work.
How do you see the Black Metal scene in Turkey?
I do not think there is one, or even if
there is, I am not aware of it. I just know Witchtrap, Sorg Uten Tarer and
Raven Woods. They have great songs, especially Witchtrap, but they do not
excite me nearly as much as early Deathspell Omega, Dissection, Manierisme or
my own music for that matter! I have
heard some other bands over the years and most sound like muslim feet. They
also get really mad when I don’t accept to collaborate with ‘em (aka. help them
get a little bit more famous through my name).
What can we expect from Yayla in the near future? What do you have in store?
You can expect an album so grand, it will
change the world. Before that, I will release couple Viranesir, couple
Blliigghhtted albums and some films.
Anything else you would like to add to your readers? Any message or advice?
The spurious and variable wall of moral
principle does not ride the lives of these peasants, it tries to stand between
their malcontent and me, while actually only wavering in between their
inadequacy and their words.
Line up:
Emir Toğrul
You can find more music and information of Yayla in:
