Hello! Lucian, can you tell us more about your journey into music and what inspired you to create Mortalitas UK, particularly during the challenging times of great isolation in 2020?
Simply put, I couldn’t meet up with the 9xDead (now on a long hiatus) lads, my band since 1998.
I had music ideas and recorded them and then had enough material for an EP then an Album, I did realise an album before under MortalitasUK but I soon took it down as my production skills got slightly better.
Your approach to music seems to embrace simplicity over complexity. What draws you to this minimalist style, and how do you believe it enhances the dark and mysterious atmosphere of your music?
Simply put, I’m not a very good guitarist, I’m a competent bassist & drummer, my ‘skills’ lie in layering and soundscapes.
Can you share the creative process behind "Mors vita est"? What themes or experiences influenced the tracks, and how do you hope listeners connect with the music?
My music is on the minor scale, so doomers would appreciate it more than regular metalheads, quite a few Goth types like it, not all the tracks of course.
How do you find inspiration for your lyrics, and what messages or emotions do you aim to convey to your audience through your music?
My inspiration for my lyrics is my life experiences, I’m ex-UK Forces - I’ve seen and done some stuff I’m not proud of, but was necessary at that time, I’ve been through emotional pain with break ups with ex-girlfriends & ex-wives etc, so I have plenty of influences to pull from.
How do you visualize your music, and how does this imagery translate into your album artwork and live performances?
Not for me to visualise my music, that’s for anyone that listens to it - I’ve not taken MortalitasUK live at present, can’t seem to find any musicians that want to perform my dirge - hopefully that will change in the new year, I’m no spring chicken, I’ll be 57 next year.
As the mastermind behind every aspect of Mortalitas UK, how do you balance creative freedom with the technical aspects of music production? Are there specific challenges you face in this process?
The only challenge is first getting a decent mix, I use 2 guitars for different tones, 1 is a tad muddy, so I tend to clear that up first, once a decent mix is fixed, I’ll work on the mastering stage.
How do you feel your sound has evolved since your earlier works, and what experiments or innovations did you explore in this latest release?
My music is always evolving, I’m always learning new techniques be it on the instruments or on my DAW which is Logic Pro.
Have you ever received any particularly touching or impactful stories from fans about how your music has affected them?
I’ve had no feedback at all.
The album title, "Mors vita est," translates to "Death is Life." Can you delve into the symbolism behind this title and how it ties into the overall narrative or concept of the album?
Simply put, most written things look good in Latin & death is life, we are dying since birth.
Are there any artists or musicians you dream of collaborating with in the future, and why do you think your styles would complement each other?
There are a couple I’d like to work with, an American lady called Serena Matthews & a German band called La Scaltra.
In the age of digital streaming and social media, how do you perceive the impact of technology on the music industry, and how has it influenced Mortalitas UK's journey, both positively and negatively?
Technology in the music industry is an ever evolving thing, necessary too, it hasn’t hampered me at all, I’m still in the process of finding decent PR companies to help get my ’name’ out ‘there’
Looking ahead, what can fans expect from Mortalitas UK in the future?
Another few releases, plus I’d like to take the MortalitasUK machine live ;) before I get too old.