I’ll be honest — I typically don’t like to feature instrumentals at Darkness Calling. There are so many instrumental artists out there, and I usually connect with songs on a vocal/lyrical level. Perhaps that’s the English major in me, but that’s just how I feel.
With that said, when good instrumentals come my way — and I mean really good ones — they’re impossible to ignore. Adsol (the moniker of Greek producer Stelios Goulas) is a maker of such instrumentals, and his newest release Diastaseis represents a surprising shift in tone.
Read on to learn more and to sample some of Adsol’s stunning work.
DARKNESS CALLING: What can you tell us about the inspiration behind Diastaseis? What was it like writing and producing this collection of songs?
ADSOL: First off, thank you for the interview and your continuous support. Diastaseis came to life following the need to create a complete work, an album, as I did similarly with my previous releases Death and Asceticism and To Mega Therion — but this time in the contemporary and neoclassical genre. I wanted to create a work that felt more complete than a single or an EP, and so it led me on writing this album, which I am very glad and proud that I did and that it worked the way it did, as intended.
The process was obviously very different from what I was used to for the past 1-2 years, to say the least, but far from unfamiliar. In a sentence, it was a pleasant challenge with a goal in reach. I wanted to try different things than I was used to, which is Adsol's entire point of existence: me expressing myself however I want to.
Every track was put together with a vision in mind. I knew what I wanted to do in a broader sense, and then everything was put together following that idea, even if I had to take a "heretic" decision in production or in any other step of the process; the goal was to fulfill the vision, so whatever it takes.
I also did listen to a lot of music in similar styles, that being film soundtracks, neoclassical and contemporary records and so on — both new and old — which helped a lot to expand the colors in my palate. Nevertheless, I was very satisfied with the final outcome and still am, because it was exactly what I wanted both musically and production-wise, and even though I know it doesn't follow some standards by the book when it comes to classical-oriented music, I stand by it.
DARKNESS CALLING: This album feels more organic and cinematic in scope compared to your typical sound, which I might describe as a sort of hyper-techno. What led you to switch things up?
ADSOL: Back when I first started, I was interested in cinematic music — not necessarily orchestral but cinematic in character, and there are a few releases that depict that such as "Time", "I" or "Ave Sanctus Dei” — they have that character. I wanted to re-visit that "sound" and do a more complete work on it with the dominant characteristic being the orchestra. I'm definitely not unfamiliar with this style; I have done some scoring for video games and short films in the past, although most of it was never published because the projects were cancelled. In fact, chronologically, the techno industrial style came into play later on, as a challenging thing to do in contradiction to the more ambient and cinematic work, which I wrote a lot more than I was expecting. It was on the side at first. In a few words, I like to try things, take risks and take it from there.
DARKNESS CALLING: I particularly enjoyed the song “Waltz of the Fates.” It has an almost carnival-like sound to it. Very sinister in a way. Can you tell us anything special about this track?
ADSOL: I'm glad you asked because "Waltz of the Fates" was the first track I ever wrote for the album. It was a test run if you will, to unnumb my "muscle memory" on the style and waltz, as it comes somewhat natural to me and felt like a good start. As you mentioned, I intended to bring a mystique carnival-like sound to it, almost like a bittersweet march — not too serious, not too playful — and it turned out better than I expected, so I decided to keep it. The title came afterwards with the meaning being that the fates are waltzing or "marching," holding our future in their hands. What's more bittersweet and maybe more sinister than that?
DARKNESS CALLING: Your output seems to be pretty regular. Have you found that Coronavirus (at least in the beginning) gave you more freedom with your time? Or did it not make much of an impact on your creative process?
ADSOL: The current global pandemic came through my life when I was in a state of confusion, not exactly sure how I would move on at the time. Music always was a big part of my life, and it would always be, whatever path I would choose. The pandemic, in a sense, took those issues away. After everything was done for — shut down and lockdowns were applied globally — there was nothing else for me to do other than music. So, I decided to put all my efforts in what I know how to do best and what fulfils me the most. It was the "right" thing to do because there was no alternative — there were no “wrong-doings.” So, to give you a definitive answer, yes, it definitely changed my creative process for the best.
DARKNESS CALLING: Do you have any plans for the next phase of Adsol? Anything you can tease or share just yet?
ADSOL: I can most certainly say that I will keep doing what I do and that there's always new music going on. I'm working in a much more stable pace than I used to do. Other than that, there's always news coming up, so keep an eye out on your timeline of choice.
