Ethodius

AfekDead:  What equipment are you using?

Antharia:  Ensoniq ASR-10, Kurzweil K2000, Tascam 238s analog 8 track with M-1508 mixer, Tascam DA-30, MOTU Midi Express, with Macintosh Quadra 650 running Logic Audio, linked to Sound Diver. Sometimes I use OMS (OpenMusic System). Some other audio software applications that are used are Pro Tools, Session, Peak, Sound Designer II and Hyperprism. For graphics, a PowerMacintosh G3 running Photoshop 5.0, Illustrator 8.0, and other graphics apps are used for the CD graphics and artwork printing.

AfekDead: What are all the names of the members in your group? What are they're specific responsibilities in the group?

Antharia:  Antharia - keyboard passages, selection of sounds used and vocals. Odyssey - Internet help. G. Andrew - Bass guitar, mixing and recording help. My cousin Cindy - spoken word.

AfekDead:  Where are you from?

Antharia:  Detroit Michigan, USA

AfekDead:  What type of music do you play?

Antharia:  Outside of Ethodius I play academic classical and new music.

AfekDead:  What or who are your influences musically and/or artistically?

Antharia:  Quite a few influences...too many to list I think. Some of the more notable influences are SPK, The Durutti Column, OES (Ordo Equitum Solis), Delerium, Brian Eno, and quite a few other composers such as Palistrina and Hildegard.

AfekDead:  What is your favorite album/CD/etc?

Antharia:  It is very difficult to say. A favorite is "Zamia Lehmanni, Songs of Byzantine Flowers" by SPK

AfekDead:  Who are your non-musical influences?

Antharia:  Great filmmakers and other artists, be them visual or poetic. Bukowskiis one of them. Some of those readings are really astonishing. Medieval films such as John Boorman's Excalibur and Sheryl Lee's Guinivere among others. The SCA and the Renaissance Festival. The Society and Culture in which we live influences us all whether we let it to or not. The first self-titled album by Ethodius is something that I hope will allow the listener to realize this and how our culture is different now than how it used to be years ago. This is a very important idea to get across. Instead of just saying things like our society lacks culture, the goal is to get the listener to "think" about different ideas or issues. There's quite a few other issues that could be covered such as today'sdress codes in comparison to the old ones and other social issues, but the most important ones are still there such as peoples morals and their attitudes toward religion.

AfekDead:  Do you have an album in production?

Antharia:  Yes, The Aesthetic Myth. This is the second CD. Demos are being madeand are available upon request. If you're a DJ, author of a Zine, or other important figure, a free demo can be sent your way. Email a request to ethodius@comcast.net with a snail mail address.

AfekDead:  Who is producing the release?

Antharia:  Ethodius and Scott of Black River Recordings.

AfekDead:  Are there any guest musicians appearing on the release?

Antharia:  My cousin Cindy has done some spoken word for the album.

AfekDead:  What record label is releasing the forthcoming work?

Antharia:  Black River Recordings is promoting Ethodius, but so far everything has been self-released. Visit http://www.ethodius.com/order.html to find out where or how material can be ordered.

AfekDead:  What is it going to be released as?

Antharia:  CD for sure and hopefully cassette.

AfekDead:  Name your favorite piece of equipment and why.

Antharia:  Both the ASR-10 and K2000 have both advantages and disadvantages. With the K2000 alone you can have up to sixteen active channels active all at one time. This is a big plus over the ASR-10 right there, which can only have eight. The K2000 is a much more powerful synth than the ASR-10, but it does not have the wide range of effects you can apply to a sound. I have been transferring quite a few of the sounds from the sound libraries that I have for either machine and processing them in the computer with a program called Hyperprism. This can really make some interesting tracks possible.

AfekDead:  If applicable, explain the writing situation between you and therest of the group.

Antharia:  Melody is almost always created first. I play the keyboard passages. The accompaniment is created soon afterwards. The rhythmic section is usually created last. G. Andrew is very good at contributing ideas towards the meanings of songs and mixing.

AfekDead:  Where do you practice, write, etc?

Antharia: Practice and writing takes place in the home although it is possible that some composition can by done in other studios where I am sometimes at.

AfekDead:  What kind of music do you enjoy writing most (style-wise)?

Antharia:  Neo-classical or medieval music. Lots of neo-soundtrack styles of music.

AfekDead:  What is the main focus when writing lyrics to your music?

Antharia:  Religious and personal. I try to focus on a idea, but some lyrics are ambiguous such as in the song Existence. They are there to compliment feelings about life. The meaning in Existence is not a negative one, although it may sound as though there is some angst in the music. It is still an appreciation for life and the world in which we live. What Remains from the Past is a more focused and personal song which mentions Odhinn, a personality of Norse Mythology. Odhinn is the highest and holiest god of the Northern races. He is the god of universal wisdom and victory. The lyrics are about feeling a need to be something greater than what someone already may be. This can be done by asking someone else for assistance besides trying to accomplish everything yourself.

AfekDead:  Have you or any other members participated or are currently participating in any other unrelated projects?

Antharia:  Well I have been playing acoustic piano for over fifteen years now. I have been in different competitions like the MSBOA festival and The Oakland Piano Teachers Forum. It's been a while since I have been in any competitions, but I occasionally play for different events like parties and special concerts. A side-project for me is to record the acoustic piano music as that helps me hear how I have been playing. I hear things differently when I listen to the recording while I am not playing the music.

AfekDead:  Do you have any upcoming shows?

Antharia:  No live shows scheduled as of yet.

AfekDead:  List any advice you would like to give to other musicians:

Antharia:  Try not to 'overuse' the technology that is becoming so much more affordable now. An example would be to be able to play as many different parts at one time to a new song without doing too much sequencing first. This will help you experiment with as many different sounds as possible before committing yourself to a saved sequence.

AfekDead:  List anything you would like to say to your fans:

Antharia:  Thanks for the encouragement and support.

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