INTERVIEW: Namesis & Corvad

Russian duo Namesis & Corvad return for their second release on Soma Records with the World On Fire EP. After an explosive debut in 2021 with the Rave Is Dead EP, the pair strike back with even darker and more sinister EBM / techno hybrids backed by a stunning remix of the enigma that is Vril.

Like their debut release, the next EP it is a product of uncertain times in Russia and the world. The statement was written during the lockdown in Russia when police released public warning messages telling people to stay home and not protest in the streets. Due to the repression, Namesis withdrew in the field to make music as a means of escape and the world on fire is the product of those sessions.

We have had the pleasure of interviewing Namesis & Corvad about their latest work and future projects.

Hello Namesis & Corvad, thank you for answering these questions. For those of you who don't know them, can you give us a little information about who they are and where they come from?

Hey guys, we are music producers from the westernmost cities in Russia. We met on the internet many years ago thanks to music and since that time we communicate, support each other and cooperate very closely.

Namesis: My name is Ivan. I am originally from Pravdinsk (Kaliningrad region, Russia), at the moment I live in Kaliningrad. My project Namesis is techno and electronica with a dark atmosphere.

Corvad: My name is Andrei, also known as Corvad, I was born and live in the most beautiful city of Russia, Saint-Petersburg. I make dark, mostly slow electronic music without clear genre definitions, inspired by break beat, electro and techno.

How is the music scene in your city? Is there a specific approach towards certain types of dance music or is it very eclectic?

Namesis: In general, there are very few good promo groups in our city that do something good. Not "Wow!" of course, but they are trying in the current difficult situation with the COVID. Clubs and creative spaces are not going through their best times now, as in many other places in the world. Night work is prohibited in our country, but underground parties do take place. Therefore, there is no need to talk about the music scene yet.

Corvad: Saint-Petersburg is the club music capital of Russia, at first rave appeared here in the early 90s and then spread throughout the country, so the electronic music scene is huge here. Almost all types of dance music are represented in Saint-P with their different communities and even wars between them. The most popular is techno right now with its many variations from mainstream to new eclectic styles like "Somatik Techno" which was created here, it is a very slow hybrid of techno, drum’n’bass and hip-hop.

What are the last albums you bought? What surprises you about them?

Namesis: From the latter I bought the "Interzone" compilation of the Zone label. I really like electronic sound with a dark atmosphere. It's like a breath of fresh air.

Corvad: The last album I bought was the amazing Throwing Snow “Dragons” released on Houndstooth, I like his vision of sound and how he combines cinematic mood and electronic music.

Could you explain the story behind your last job? What is the direction of your current sound?

Corvad: World On Fire EP is a kind of reflection on the events that took place in the world in 2020/2021, to all this madness and unpredictability, you can hear it very well in the title track of the release. At the moment I experiment a lot with different genres like big beat, jungle and try to move away from canons of sound. With each new track my style becomes more different and expressive in my opinion. Music can describe your deepest feelings and sometimes it is even more eloquent than speech.

Namesis: Recently I stopped watching TV. Too much politics, too much dark news from all over the world. All my works are an inner voice that in everyday life is unlikely to say anything and will be silent, like most people. There is a lot of anger towards this unfairness and deception around. And I transfer this voice in me into music and it becomes easier for me.

What does it mean to you to publish a work like this last one that you are presenting?

Namesis: It is a kind of cry to the masses that it is getting very "hot" in the world. And it's worth thinking about it, maybe it's time to change something ?!

Corvad: I am very pleased that such a non-standard and heavy sound was released and found its home on the amazing Soma label. I feel proud of us and it inspires me to create a unique sound even more.

How has your sound evolved from the beginning?

Namesis: If we talk about the first steps, it was interesting. At that time, I didn't even have the Internet, I didn't really understand what to do and just studied the program on my own. An older friend helped a little. Then it all started with D'n'B, later began to write breaks, then it was techno, and now it has come to a slower, darker sound. But this does not mean that you will not hear something faster from me...

Corvad: Oh it evolved very much, I started with electro trash sounds and fidget house like Proxy or The Bloody Beetroots more than 10 years ago, then I experimented with sub-genres of drum’n’bass and ultimately found my calling in a slow, dark sound, a mixture of electro, techno and bass music and I keep experimenting.

Namesis: Definitely yes! This year will be defining. I think there will be a few more releases from the Namesis project this year, maybe tracks in a compilation, but also this year I am expecting the release of the album of my second project with Sunko - Ninetees called "On The Knees" on Dalmata Daniel. Follow the news.

Corvad: Yes, a lot! I am preparing some solo EPs this Fall that will end as a big LP including an amazing official video for the most beautiful track from the album. Plus one of my new collabs is coming on deadmau5’s label mau5trap soon. Glad that 2021 is a year full of my releases after a year pause, excited!

Do you have more launches on the horizon than we can expect?

Namesis: Definitely yes! This year will be defining. I think there will be a few more releases from the Namesis project this year, maybe tracks in a compilation, but also this year I am expecting the release of the album of my second project with Sunko - Ninetees called "On The Knees" on Dalmata Daniel. Follow the news.

Corvad: Yes, a lot! I am preparing some solo EPs this Fall that will end as a big LP including an amazing official video for the most beautiful track from the album. Plus one of my new collabs is coming on deadmau5’s label mau5trap soon. Glad that 2021 is a year full of my releases after a year pause, excited!