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MALUS LUPUS: Diversus Animus Release year: 2001 Format: CD-R Tracklist: 1: Cosmic Brain (Intro) 01:58 Total Length: 49:07 min General Facts: Malus Lupus is the project of Codiath, a Finnish female musician who otherwise resides in a Black/Death metal project named Karyal or plays session synths for a band named Deimon. It is a one-woman project bent towards composing Neo-classical tinged computer music with a medieval/fantasy/melodic touch. The material on this CD-R was earlier released on a promo but later re-released on CD after remastering and slight restructuring of the material. Review: It is nice to get something from Finland every now and then. I have personally grown to suspect that the Finns have decided to isolate themselves from the rest of the world when it comes to Underground music. Perhaps they have a scene by themselves and who knows which perilous chantings are heard betwixt the lakes these days? Anyway, it's even more intriguing that there's a female behind this release. I think I have never until now stumbled upon a Finnish release by a female composer in this genre. I suspect that Codiath has been listening to the first Limbonic Art, Gehenna and Arcturus albums since she has her origin in Black Metal music. The melodies are often typical Post-Black metal synth-parts and tracks like Aegyptia Musca Sum could very well be a Post-Black Metal track if it were not for the absence of guitars and vocals. Nevertheless, the atmosphere and music are relatively nice. Sometimes there are melodies à la Sopor Aeternus and sometimes string arrangements à la Mortiis (First Era) though perhaps not in the same league as these two. At other times there are up-tempo string arrangrments à la Devil Doll but I still the major ingredient is the typical Post-Black Metal synth sound which I mentioned earlier. I think the slower parts of Diverse Animus are the most interesting ones while I don't like the up-tempo parts as much. It sounds quite strange to hear this kind of music performed with Metal drums (since this is practically what they are) without guitars, and it doesn't get better when there's a drum-machine sound. I think the percussion is the weakest aspect of this CD and that a more bombastic/tribalistic percussion could really take this music forward. It is of course not for me decide but it feels somewhat like the metal percussion ruins the atmosphere. I think Codiath seems to have a feeling for coming up with quite nice riffs and catchy tunes though. Some more substance, perhaps a slightly deeper sound and better percussion could make this project into a more interesting one. After all, this is just a low-finance demo CD-R totally created on computer two years ago so this project may have evolved. Thumbs up for Den Ormande Ormen (even though the title sounds rather peculiar in Swedish), shows that Codiat isn't afraid of playing with the sound of Malus Lupus. I direct this piece to people who like Black Metal rooted keyboard music. It can be obtained for 7E (in Finland), 9E (in Europe) or 11E (outside Europe) by snail-mailing: Maluslupus c/o m.h., Tiilitie 17B15, 90650 Oulu, Finland (The address will change 2002-08-01) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Five questions to Malus Lupus: CODIATH: Malus Lupus is a so called "one woman's project" based on synths and computer. The idea was born in summer 1999. I started to compose songs just for fun and in time there was enough material for a demo. Originally these songs were made only to amuse myself and my closest friends but later on it seemed to be realistic to start selling it to others as well. ECTONAUT: Tell us something about the tracks on Diversus Animus. Did you work with specific methods when you composed them? Is there a concept behind this release or anything else interesting that you think we should know about Diversus Animus? CODIATH: The Diversus Animus songs are mainly a production of subconsciousness. The songs were composed during such a long period of time that they differ from each other a lot. That's where the title comes from, which btw means diverse mind or soul. I've used only the MIDI sounds of SB Live because I didn't have proper synths at that time. Nothing is actually played on the demo, it is all made with the computer but I've used my old synth's keyboard connected to the computer. About the tracks I think that every song is a wordless story in a way. What the story is like depends on the imagination of the listeners. It's not necessarily about what the songs sound like but the vibes you hopefully get while listening to it. Many of them consist only of simple riffs that are built in together to make it sound more complex. But simplicity gives a certain mood itself. Not every song is too seriously composed though. (By the way; the high "siren" sound in the track 1 is actually edited whistling, not singing...) ECTONAUT: How would you describe the music of Malus Lupus to completely new listeners? Do you feel that Malus Lupus belongs to a certain genre? Are there any bands that you think you can relate to soundwise and conceptwise? CODIATH: It is difficult to categorize Malus Lupus to a certain genre. It is a synth metal fusion with nuances from dark ambient, ethnic music and also progressive/black metal although guitars there are not (yet). It's art in a way. I don't know if any band is wholly similar with it but the only one I can think of is Pimentola whose music coincidentally reminds it, partly though. ECTONAUT: What is most important in music according to you? How do you define quality music and what are your musical sources of inspiration? CODIATH: The message, the distinctiveness and the ambience that it passes on. The ambience goes even over the sound quality sometimes. Next there is of course the professionality of playing and the ingenious of riffs and song structures. I think a band has succeeded when it has managed to create it's own individual sound or character of which it's easy to be identified at the moment you hear it. The greatest source of inspiration to me has been undoubtedly Mortiis. The second one is Limbonic Art. Also some computer games had influenced me badly. I can't deny that if I like some band's music, similar features might pop out of my mind while composing my own songs. The aim is anyway to make up my own stuff, not to rip anyone off at least consciously! ECTONAUT: What plans do you have for the future? Are there any new Malus Lupus releases planned? Anything else you would like to add CODIATH: I have already some material for next Malus Lupus production and I'm creating more all the time. I guess it's going to be another self production but don't know when to be released yet. Besides that I have synths to compose for my progressive black/death metal band Karnal and session synths for a band called Deimos so these will slow down Malus Lupus a bit. As well it depends on the flow of creativity... But the new Malus Lupus will differ from Diversus Animus so that I will actually play all the synths there. Possible drums will be only sampled. No more MIDI stuff! There might be even guitars but not to be played by myself anyway... who knows? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - Click here to contact Malus Lupus - Click here to contact Malus Lupus |
Released by: Self-financed - Demo001
ECTONAUT: Please introduce Malus Lupus to the Ortus Obscurum readers. What is Malus Lupus all about? For how long have you been doing this and for what reason?