1. I suppose cover of „Ubi Secreta Colunt“ is photo. Where is it take from?
MZ – We did personally the photo in a monumental cimiter of our city, the pics is an austere angelic sculpture taken from an old mausoleum in the high part of the place , we thought the image was indeed coeherent with the concept of Arcana Coelestia, the feeling of the artwork done by Pax Graphic is quite the same i received from the descriptions of Strindberg in his “Inferno“ where the author takes his introspective travel into the paths of an old grave from the ‘800 century.
2. When I listen to debut, I have special feeling. I don´t feel depressive, more likely „loaded“, absolutely over scope of something, wherewith Urna appeals on me. Could I also say, that is Arcana Coelestia project, where you realize themes and feelings, which you in Urna can´t?
MZ – Yes i formed up Arcana Coelestia in the spring of 2005 to give developement to some songs that cannot find implication in Urna music, two songs from Ubi Secreta Colunt were composed few years before the birth of the project and after i wrote the remaining songs adapting the oldest ones to the style of the most recent. It‘s a mistake to think that i formed Arcana Colestia to take advantage from Urna because the two project are really different from many points of view, like lyrical concept, kind of guitar riffing and musical feeling.
3. Album is based on some story, could you approach it us? Why did you inspirate with it? Does it nearly touch you?
MZ – The concept speaks of the life of August Strindberg draft from his autobiography romance “Inferno“ ; i appreciated so much the decadent feelings of ‘800, and his character is the perfect incarnation of the idea of an entire century. We choose him because he isn’t the typical metal lyric subject (I never heard of bands that speaks about it so we choose him also for his originality in this musical field) and because his history develops in many different branches like alchemy, spiritism, decadentism,literatur and mysticism that match good implications with AC music.
LS - "Inferno" doesn't inspirates me because is inspiration itself...I mean that when I wrote the lyrics, especially for Arcane Knowledge Revealed, strange forces trapped within Strindberg's words came out to told me how to explain feelings lost inside that book, a sort of alchemy beetween me and his story, a pathway towards his private"inferno".Spiritual travelling and the eternal search of a reason for the "myth of existence" is the engine that moves us all every single day of our life, so writin' the lyrics for Ubi Secreta Colunt as Strindberg wrote his monumental autobiographic book, fullfilled with thirst of inner-knowledge, maybe I'm a little more straight to comprehend my role in this world.
4. I would say, that „Ubi Secreta Colunt“ is mainly doom metal album and I must say, that is very melancholy and dreamy for me. Are you more carried away with emotions by creation in AC?
MZ – I don’t know it exactly, because in general the source of inspiration is the same for all..In Arcana Coelestia changes the songwriting form and the lyrical theme but the substance is quite the same for all the bands. We take inspiration from our life experience that conditions our mood and the music is a reflection of that, so every our work is a piece of a part of our life where we convolve our state of mind at the moment of compose it.
5. I found debut also very intensive and basically light pressure. It mix in it maybe all, what could man in that music expect. What music do you prefer in your life? Do you often listen to your creations?
MZ – I like extreme music of any genre, it could be black metal, doom, electronic, classical, the most important thing is that the music i listen should be very communicative, i like everything expression with strong ideas behind and i like every form of excess in art. I don‘ t listen too much our albums after the official release because i did overdose of them during the stage of mixing, i prefer to play them after long time and remembering about them , i listen more often my songs with pleasure when they are in a rough demo version before the recording session.
6. What do you think about band Limbonic Art? I think, that in some moments is Arcana lightly similar.
MZ – I listened to the firsts albums of Limbonic Art and i appreciate them so much, but that period is closed, the major part of norwegian acts fall in mediocrity nowadays. However i’m pleased if you relate our music with Limbonic Art but i don’t consider them like a direct influence for AC music.
LS - An unique band, absolutely...From their discography I prefere Moon in The Scorpio, for the melodic approach to black metal; and In Abhorrence Dementia for the perversion and the extraordinary work of synths and keyboards.
7. Except Urna you act also in band Locus Mortis, which is, in my opinion, from that three band least peculiar, so to speak more usual…
MZ – Yes Locus Mortis style is more canonic than the other bands, we are always interested in classic Black Metal so Locus Mortis allow us to do our way to play fast. We are really involved in every project at the same time, so Locus Mortis is as important as Urna and AC. Now we are working to the next full lenght of Locus Mortis called Voust and we keep many expectations on it.It will be a big step forward respect our previous Locus Mortis release but still keeping the same feelings of our debut.
8. Where do you take inspiration for music, which you create in Urna and AC? Where do you „go“ for that feeling?
MZ – Simply looking me around, i think is an exaustive answer.
9. To visionary feeling could man get to by different ways. For example Meyhnach from French Mütiilation needs drugs to it. Do you have experiences with this problems?
MZ – I can understand the use of drug to enhance creativity, many artist from the past and the present follow this way to express themself, but we don‘ t use drugs , i don’t need them because i think are more emotional five minutes with a gun in the hand than livin‘ 20 years heroin addicted to get my life off slowly.
LS - A good book is a good drug.
10. Arcana Coelestia…how did you go to that title? You have some story to it - about alchemy, August Strindberg and E. Swedenborg. Could you tell it us?
MZ – Arcana Coelestia is a collection of book written by Swedenborg, his opus was named many times in Strindberg’s life experience so i choose it because it was a keyword of all the concept and because the two words „Arcana“ and „Coelestia“ rappresent the ambivalent constrasting nature of the music, melodic but yet obscure and loud at the same time.
LS -Arcana Coelestia is the title of an E. Sweedenborg book, the book that guide Strindberg in his visionary wandering. Unfortunately this book is hard to find...we choose it for moniker 'cause it represents for Strindberg what Inferno represents for us, a way to reach an higher level of comprehension...and also because it sounds well.
11. Alchemy and its contemporary secrets, all is surely very fascinating. For us is that period certainly more romanticized - how much – in your opinion?
LS -Alchemy was in the first half of '800 a way of expression for man that considered the entire world an enormous cage for their great ego. But today, when people look back at that period they see, as you say,only the romantic-side. Why? I really don't know...the only thing I can tell about this is that Strindberg and his book Inferno is an optimal point of beginning for everyone that needs more than a simple "romanticized point of view"!
12. I would say that is your creation in terms of Arcana very solitary. How do people in Italy look on that project?
MZ – I don’t know how people in italy look on it and i don’t care about that, we follow our instinct and goals. We’ve not accomplish the satisfaction of the collective thought: Ourself first of all.
LS - In fact Arcana Coelestia is our "Cult of Solitude". How people will judge our creation is unsignificant , Ubi Secreta Colunt is for our pleasure exclusively.
13. I would say that is your creation in terms of Arcana very solitary. How do people in Italy look on that project?
MZ – Thank to you for interesting in our projects.
LS - Thanks
