Introducing us to the world of the Solarian comes the melodic keyboard intro of "Illumination". Solarisis is a one man outfit with Gijs van Ouewerkerk behind all the mastery. From the Netherlands Gijs shines through the scene with a very original and beautiful sound.
Strong, aggressive, yet light and melodic this recording is an atmospheric type of death metal. Unlike death metal though the views that Gijs gives on this tape are his vegan beliefs. Yet strangely the lyrics still share the brutal and romanticist qualities from death metal. Back to the music... Making heavy use of a keyboard for the atmosphere, the brutal raw sound is generally created by intense heavy guitars and bass (which the bass is of course synth). It's not hard to tell that Gijs is a guitar player, since the guitar track is very rich and extremely powerful. What is really interesting is how difficult it is too tell, if even possible, that the rest of the album (aside from vocals) is synth! The production coming from this one piece is simply amazing. One thing that may bother people are the guttoral phlem style vocals. They rumble out at a very low pitch and contrast the music in a very intriging manner.
"Illumination" is easily ranked beside the best bands out there today. If we compensate for this not being a major signed release, then I believe it would easily be considered within the top 5 musical perfomances available.
Free Tape: Send us a comment at Borcek@ratw.com about what you like about atmospheric death metal and you'll be entered into the draw for a copy of "Illumination".
Solarisis is Gijs van Ouwerkerk Contact: Solarisis c/o Gijs van Ouwerkerk Campuslaan 55-107 7522 NK Enschede The Netherlands Web: http://www.dra.nl/~manichee Email: g.vanouwerkerk@student.utwente.nl
(email interview)
Tell us a little about the history of Solarisis?
Solarisis was founded by me in October 1995. I'm a 21 year old engineering student in Enschede, The Netherlands and I'm the only member of the band. In March 1996, I released a 6-track tape called "Ecliptica", followed in October 1996 by an 8-track tape called "Illumination".
What other bands/musicians influence you?
My biggest influences are Paradise Lost, Benediction, Edge Of Sanity and Ennio Morricone. I basically listen to all kinds of metal, and that's probably why it's hard to call Solarisis either death, doom, black or whatever metal. It's a mixture of these styles.
Is there currently anybody that you're considering adding to the line-up of Solarisis?
I guess that even if I came across really like-minded people, I'd still want to do Solarisis on my own. It's part of the reason that I started this project: to have total control over everything and to not have to compromise.
If you ever find somebody like-minded enough to join, will you try to do live shows at that time?
Well, like I said in the previous question, it's unlikely that I would ever want to complete the line-up. I would be willing to recruit some like-minded volunteers to do a few live shows, but I wouldn't want them to be fixed members of Solarisis.
Your beliefs as a vegan appear very readily in the song lyrics. What was the inspiration to put these beliefs to lyrics?
It has always been my intention to spread a positive message with Solarisis. As a person, I'm very involved with morality and I think it's important that people in general think about morality more. I've wanted to be a moral person for most of my life, but only a year ago I came across a huge moral issue (literally) right under my nose that I had ignored all the time: my consumption of meat. I want to open people's eyes to this issue as I did mine. Also, the thought of millions of killed and maimed animals is in my mind every day. It's kinda hard to not write lyrics about something that is so much a part of me.
What are some other inspirations for song lyrics?
Most songs are about my resentment towards the fact that all life forms can only live by compromising other life forms. It's a force of nature that dictates that, and it's impossible to change that fact. It's just possible to minimise one's impact on other life forms on a personal level. Almost all Solarisis songs from both the tapes deal with this issue in some way or another. That's why I'm attempting to include some completely different topics on the next album.
What is the meaning behind Solarisis and the Solarian?
I would define 'solarisis' as 'the condition of being exposed to intense light' or virtue. The 'Solarian' is a fictional person that is exempt from compromising other life forms.
Can you describe the effort you've gone through to get "Illumination" recorded?
Sure. I recorded all the music at home. First, I created a MIDI track on my computer, containing the drums, bass and synths. Then, I played the rhythm guitar along with the MIDI track and recorded that. Then, I played the lead guitar along with that recording and recorded that. I ended up with a recording on just two tracks, so all the mixing had to be done along the way. For the vocals, I went to a friend's studio. We made a .WAV file out of the previously recorded music and then recorded the vocals onto hard drive too. We then mixed the vocals to the right volume.
Have people been generally helpful along the way, or have been encountering a lot of resistance to the project?
People have been very helpful. First of all, the guys in my other band Beloved Demise showed a lot of understanding and patience, when I explained that I wanted to do a side-project. Secondly, thanks to my friend and his studio, I could record both tapes very cheap. Also, people in and around my dorm have been very helpful by letting me borrow some of their equipment, etc. Before I forget: I must also thank PETA The Netherlands for advertising for me.
Who is responsible for the simple, yet apealing, cover art on "Illumination"? What message is being conveyed by it?
The cover art (apart from the background) was done by myself. It expresses the achievement of illumination through justice and total goodness.
Do you have any ideas or plans for another release in the near future?
I'm already working on material for a new Solarisis album, to be called "Manichee". As things are going, I'm planning to make this one a full-length album. In the meantime, there will be two Solarisis songs (one off "Illumination" and one new track) on a compilation CD by Eastern Star records. It's planned for release on May 20th, but I expect some delay.
What is your involvement in Beloved Demise?
I'm the vocalist, guitarist and main songwriter for that band.
How has the involvement influenced Solarisis?
It has taught me a great deal about drums, helping me to make the artificial drum tracks of Solarisis more realistic and interesting. Of course, being in Beloved Demise has also given me a lot of experience and a lot of exposure for Solarisis. Sometimes though, it can be difficult when I have to decide which new riffs I write should belong to which band.
Anything else you'd care to share with us?
Well, thanks a lot for this interview and your interest in Solarisis! Readers: check out the official Solarisis web page: http://www.dra.nl/~manichee
Thank you for your time Gijs.
My pleasure!