Upon Shadows/Interview with Tamara & Natalia

Interview by Jay Parker

1) Tell us about Upon Shadows... when and where was the band formed? Who is in the current line up?

Tamara: Upon Shadows was formed in 2002 in Montevideo, Uruguay. Natalia Arocena on bass and Tamara Picardo on keyboards, guitars, vocals and drums since 2021, before we had sessionist drummers and in the earlier albums we used programmed drums. In the beginning we were three with Marcelo Aguilar on guitars and vocals, until the end of 2009 when he left and we decided to stay as a female duo.

2) Tell us about your releases...

Tamara: We have seven albums, a couple of Eps, and a few singles. We try to release something new every year on the same date... every 18 of October, that’s our tradition for many years already. The reason for choosing that special date is because it is my birthday (Natalia’s birthday is in September so we are pretty close on that too). I used to hate my birthday until I had this idea, and now I have every year a real reason to celebrate. A new release is always the best that can happen to me. Our latest album is called “Modern Obscurantism” and was released in 2019 by the Finnish label Ground Media Group in a very beautiful 4 panel digipak with a 12-page booklet. For the album we hired a Finnish drummer who recorded the drums at Soundmix Studios. In 2020 we released a single called “Encuentro / Kohtaaminen” for which we had the special participations of the Uruguayans Lucía Sena on drums, Gabriel Brikman on guitar arrangement and the Colombian super talented Angela P. Coldnight who did an incredible DSBM vocal part. On that occasion the drums were recorded in Montevideo Records, in Uruguay. On the 18th of October 2021 we released a new single called “Virtus Dormitiva ‘’ and the special feature in this song is that it is the first time I record the drums by myself which was quite a personal challenge. Every release we do, has a different concept so from one album to another the listener will find a totally different world. All our releases are available in Bandcamp and in all the biggest music platforms but we also have a free download option of all our music at our blog: http://tamarapicardo.blogspot.com/

3) You have a deep, dark, doomy sound, which reminds of the early 90s doom bands, with cutting black metal vocals and riffs, its very pleasing on my demonic ears hahaha... tell us about your sound, the inspiration behind the music and lyrics... how and where do you record?

Tamara: Natalia and I started to make music in the early 90s being part of other bands. I started playing keyboards and writing lyrics for a local death melodic band called Eclampsy from 1995 to 2002 when I left to start my own band. And Natalia has a very long list of bands in which she was playing across the years... she started around 1994 creating Asgard, what would become the first extreme metal female band in the country. So the sound of Upon Shadows has that mix of what we are, the things we grow listening to, and so the sense of the 90s is part of ourselves. Basically Upon Shadows music is a mix of Extreme Metal and Dark Ambient. The inspiration behind the music and lyrics is changing from one album to another but if we look for things that can be identified Upon Shadows is the dark feeling of the music and the poetic heart of the lyrics. Our latest single for example was released the past 18 of October, is called “Virtus Dormitiva ‘’ and is inspired by the comedy “The Imaginary Sick” (Le malade imaginaire) by Moliere (1673). And the lyrics are a reflection about modern life. About our way of recording, we keep doing the things as in the very beginning, recording everything at home and doing the mix and master in a professional sound studio with a sound engineer. Session drums recorded at a real studio of course. When we both were living in Uruguay, Natalia used to go to my home and we recorded everything there. Now things are a little bit different because since I moved to Finland in 2013 what we do is that Natalia records her parts by herself at home and then she sends me the bass tracks to be added to my mix. Since then we have been doing the mix and master at Soundmix Studios in Oulu, Finland with the sound engineer Mika Pohjola.

4) What inspired you to become a musician? What are your musical influences?

Tamara: Music has always been a very important part of my life, in my family everyone can play an instrument. So I grew up learning to play the piano by the old method, playing only classical music. What made me realize that I wanted to be an active part of the music was extreme metal. The passion that extreme metal music awakens in me has been the motor of my life and it will continue until my last day. My influences are mixed from one side bands like Abigor, Necromantia, Impaled Nazarene, Samael but also dark music bands like Sisters Of Mercy and The Whores of Babylon.

Natalia: I started playing bass at around 14-15 years old, more than anything I was fascinated by it as an instrument and despite having tried several others it will always be my favorite. Musically, I think you have to explore everything even if you incorporate certain things that may differ from band to band. My first favorite bassists were Geezer Butler, Cliff Burton, Flea.

5) Tell us about the metal scene in your native Uruguay… recommend some new bands for our readers...

Tamara: From my point of view the metal scene in my country is surprisingly big if you think about the amount of bands related to the population of the country (Uruguay is a small country of around 3,5 million inhabitants). It is also quite a complex public to please since a big percent of the fans are also musicians who have their own bands or musical projects. Uruguayan bands that I would recommend to listen to are Cross, Requiem Aeternam, Thy Dominion, Cryptogram and Chaos Rebellion. And for those who like postpunk La Memoria is a great band.... and for those who also like experimental music with industrial touches I will recommend listening to Natalia’s side project Korax Mvd.

Natalia: The metal scene in Uruguay is not too big but it has been active, obviously during this period with the restrictions that we all know everything has been a bit paralyzed but new dates are beginning to appear. I think it’s interesting that despite being a country with a fairly small population, there are actually bands of practically all styles of metal and punk. I prefer not to recommend one in particular, perhaps I could recommend listening to one of the compiled or playlists since there are many things.

6) What are Upon Shadows’ plans for the future?

Tamara: A new album for which I already started to compose.

7) How do you see the future of Black Metal music?

Tamara: In the beginning of the 90s we were all listening to Venom, Hellhammer, Bathory, Possessed, Celtic Frost, Sarcófago etc, and the Black Metal was in a stage in which no one imagined that it could develop in the way it actually did. Is difficult to imagine the future of a movement in which being unpredictable was one of its strong points since the very beginning. And here we are over 30 years later ... and just a few days ago Necromantia released a masterpiece album, Abigor latest album is among their best, Rotting Christ's latest two albums are darker than ever, Tom G. Warrior keeps inspiring and summoning generations with Triptykon, Impaled Nazarene released an amazing new album this year ... and a horde of new bands are making quality BM like NEDXXX or Aethyrick to mention the ones I listen to the most. Natalia: I think it is a style that remains quite active.

8) Do you have anything to add for our readers?

Tamara: I would like to give thanks to all the readers and invite them to check out our music. What we do is Dark, profound and melancholic music with all the passion that is possible to have.

Natalia: “And if one is to express the great inevitable defeat that awaits us all, it must be done within the strict confines of dignity and beauty.” Leonard Cohen

Upon Shadows at social media:

Spotify: https://open.spoti fy.com/artist/03MsvG ZRthT6Cr4nSoqTje

Bandcamp: https://uponshad ows.bandcamp.com/

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/c/TamaraPicardoUponShadows

Free Download Links at: http://tamara picardo.blogspot.fi/

Facebook: https://www.face book.com/Upon-Shad ows-128947133826217

Instagram: https://www.instagram. com/uponshadows_official/

Contact: uponshadows@gmail.com