Triangular Ascension Interview

Interview with Frederico, also known as the dark ambient project Triangular Ascension, and the dark drum and bass producer Zardonic.

more information on Triangular Ascension here: http://www.facebook.com/triangularascension
more information on Zardonic here: http://www.facebook.com/zardonic

Firstly, can you give us a brief history of your project?

First of all, I’d like to thank you for this opportunity, for your time and support. It is mandatory that more people dedicated to underground music put their efforts so projects like these stay alive and reach more ears. So thank you sincerely for this interview.

Triangular Ascension is basically the evolution of one of my oldest projects, Intimus Universum. Back in 2002 when I was like 16 years old or something I was always experimenting with some of my compositions, and I would pitch them down purposely to create an eerie ambience. Then shortly after I discovered a genre called Dark Ambient existed and I started developing the project until it reached its current state.

What inspires you to make music as Triangular Ascension? What draws you to the medium of ambient music?

Freedom. Freedom from the ego that we are in order to fit in society. Freedom from choice. Freedom from life or death. From time or space. The death of this universe in exchange for the life of my own deep within.

Your track for the compilation is “Post Nubila Phoebus”. Can you give us a bit of insight on what inspired the track, how you composed it, etc?

Post Nubila Phoebus means “After the Darkness comes the Light” (or something like that, I hate translating sometimes, it loses the original impact of the phrase). Every concept on Triangular Ascension, for some reason, is deeply linked with apocalyptic topics. By apocalyptic I mean the process of change into something greater. Every time I have to go through any sort of emotional pain, Triangular Ascension is my healer, my way to catharsis. So Post Nubila Phoebus was again a reminder that every pain I go through is only there to bring greater things in the future. And so far, it’s the way my life has been like. An endless cycle of little apocalypses.

Tell us a bit about your studio. What gear are you using, what is your favorite gear/techniques/etc ?
 
You’d be amazed. I don’t think I have any favorite gear considering I don’t really own anything too pricey. I have a couple Hitachi Hi-Fi speakers comin out of a Pioneer A-8 Stereo Amplifier, all of that saved from the trashcan. Some friend was going to trash them and I took them for myself. Bear in mind that living in a country where the minimum wage is around an equal to 150 euros per month, any studio gear can be very pricey. However, I did invest in a pair of AKGs and a Line6 soundcard.  So I guess I could mention those as my favorite gear.

One thing that is pretty interesting and perhaps unexpected is that you are also a pretty well known drum & bass producer under the moniker of Zardonic, and have collaborated with acts like Counterstrike, Numbernin6, Broken Note and others. How is composing stuff for Zardonic different than Triangular Ascension? Do you have a style that you prefer to compose?

I absolutely prefer Dark Ambient before anything. It’s the most relaxing and liberating genre of music I’ve ever been involved with. Drum & Bass is still fun though, and I enjoy making it as well, but let’s just say when a music project becomes your job, things change a bit. As much as you still enjoy everything you do, it can’t be too raw. It can’t be too real. It has to fit into society somehow. No matter how heavy you want it to be, it’s dance music. So it’s meant to make people want to dance, drink, and hopefully get laid. But I always have a message behind all that anyways so it still makes everything fun enough. But, putting it this way, Zardonic is like what my vision would be in the eyes of a graphic designer. Triangular Ascension is my vision in the eyes of a painter. I think you get “the picture”, hehe.

You have a few free digital albums prior to your debut Leviathan Device. Do you have any plans to write more long form material like Nibirusalem or martial stuff like Sexta Repvblica?

I’m not sure about that. I eventually make a lot of Dark Ambient tracks and I’m not sure where they will end since it’s not exactly a project I’m too interested in marketing that much. Things for Triangular Ascension have happened on their own. I knocked the doors. If people liked it, cool. If not, cool. I pretty much made this music to have something to sleep to. To hear what my microcosmos would sound like. As for the style, honestly I think Triangular Ascension could end up being many things. I’ve thought at some point to maybe include some grooves on it too, I want to feel the project evolves as I do, don’t want to stick to a single idea. But so far I like the state of mind that this cinematic drone style I’ve chosen gets me into. So maybe I will do some martial again, maybe not. Anything is possible.

What lies in the future for Triangular Ascension and/or Zardonic?

Triangular Ascension, like I said, is a necessity in my life. So whether it gets released or not, it will keep happening. I’d like to believe it could become the soundtrack designer of some movie at some point since I’m very fond of that. And Zardonic is going to keep growing until it becomes an unstoppable monster. A Metal fueled bass cyborg overlord. An entity to be worshipped, even if the only worshipper is me. Stay tuned for the forthcoming Zardonic album entitled "Vulgar Display Of Bass" due to come out in March through Big Riddim Recordings, as well as an european tour in April and May. Everything should be here: http://www.facebook.com/zardonic