Welcome to "The Warrior's Council," where the mighty warriors of the CYGNUSARMY have gathered their questions for the band. Submitted via Instagram, these questions delve into the heart of "Walking Through the Forest of Life" (WTTFOL). In this edition, Deneb and Ruxx will be answering your inquiries. Prepare to journey through the minds of our dedicated fans and discover the inspiration, challenges, and behind-the-scenes stories of this captivating instrumental piece. Let's dive into the inquiries from our loyal shieldbearers!
For Both:
1. Why did you choose this song? It's very rare for a band to make a video for an instrumental song, and even rarer to make a video for an interlude.
Deneb: When I started writing the new album, this was the first song that came up and was recorded, even weeks before the second track. I knew that this song, in its simplicity, despite being instrumental, was going to contain the essence of what the album was going to be, the heart of "Revival." With this in mind, it was not only logical but also necessary to materialize the realization of this video for WTTFOL.
Ruxx: We believed it would be a perfect piece due to its folk purity.
2. Why did you choose this song and why was it selected as the first video for "Revival"?
Deneb: As I mentioned earlier, it's the heart of the album. Besides, due to its "simple" instrumentation, just harp and flute, it facilitated the making of the video in terms of logistics and personnel. We just needed to get and learn to play a Celtic harp.
Ruxx: We thought it was a song that could easily have a video made for it, honoring the album and the forest theme, and it would be a great announcement for the next video as there's a conceptual line tying everything together.
3. How did the idea come about? Did one of you come up with the idea of making a video for this song, or was it something you both agreed on?
Deneb: I proposed the possibility to Ruxx, weighing the pros and cons. Ruxx thought it was a good idea, and gradually we managed to push the video forward.
Ruxx: Yes, we had a couple of ideas associated with the song that developed little by little.
4. Since this video has a deep meaning, do you plan to continue with the message in any upcoming video?
Deneb: Our concern for the destruction of nature is ongoing, as seen from the composition of the song "What have we done?" I think any small effort that anyone can make towards the preservation and care of the planet is very valuable, and we will always be committed to this cause. We have dreams of helping homeless animals and creating a nonprofit animal shelter, purely to help them.
Ruxx: I think so; we always like to make conceptual videos and music, so it's very likely that we'll decide to extend the story or leave it as it is later on.
For Deneb:
1. How did the idea come about for you to play the harp yourself in this video?
Deneb: I’ve always been very bass-centric; I love playing the bass. It's like setting up passes for forwards to score goals—that's my role in the band. However, for the studio version of the song, I composed the harp (in sheet music, of course) and used real harp samples to bring the song to life in the studio. I consider myself adept at string instruments, especially plucked string instruments, although I had never played the harp before. But someone had to do it, so I decided to take the risk, buy a harp, and bring it from the UK (these instruments are not available here; they don't exist. Unlike in Europe and the USA).
2. What was the hardest part of learning to play the harp?
Deneb: I think it's a very beautiful, magical instrument, but it's true that practicing so much hurts your fingers, you get blisters, you get frustrated because there are many strings, and errors are very easy to make—they are always lurking. So you have to work a lot on tricky passages, fragments that confuse you, isolate them, and practice them separately. Even tuning it can sometimes be long and tedious. Also, playing slowly—musicians always want to play fast, but that's a big mistake when learning. Controlling the urge to play it fast was also a difficult part. The use of levers to alter a note (to make it sharp or flat) and incorporating those lever movements into the performance. The posture, both of the hands and back, having the right technique, movements, scales—I practically had to learn an instrument from scratch.
3. Can we expect you to play the harp in future songs? Or maybe re-record some older songs that include harp (e.g., "Tears of Gold")?
Deneb: Yes, it's possible, although I don't think we'll re-record older songs. I'd say it could work for live versions, and there will be more new compositions with harp. Most importantly, there will be no need to use samples; now, they will surely be played by me.
4. Now that you've been through everything (learning, playing, etc.), how would you describe your experience of learning to play the harp for those who have no idea about it?
Deneb: It has been an enriching, challenging experience. Seeing daily progress is also very rewarding. The fact that this whole process of daring to buy, learn, and play a new instrument contributes to materializing something even bigger (the video) confirms that step by step, EVERYTHING is possible.
For Ruxx:
1. How did it feel to make the painting in the video in real-time, in front of the camera?
Ruxx: It was a huge challenge because I had never painted a picture in a shoot before. Usually, you have time to plan the painting and prepare it a bit more, but everything was within a very short video shoot, so I had to paint very quickly and be very strategic with the camera captures. Added to that, in my life as a painter, I learned a lot by painting this way because there is no margin for error—it’s really difficult.
2. We know you have a great interest and talent not only for singing and drumming but also for visual arts; how did you prepare for this video?
Ruxx: I think I had to be very resourceful with the theme of nature. I had to use the plants, flowers, and some pieces of wood with their respective moss to make the video more magical, so I decided to decorate the painting set a bit to give it that natural touch and make myself comfortable for painting.
3. How was the overall experience? How did you practice for making this painting?
Ruxx: First, I thought about the type of painting I was going to do and managed to tie an interesting concept together that will become clear with the next video of this album. I consulted other illustrations, traveled with a tablet to constantly draw the scheme of what the painting would be. Everything was premeditated to be done in very little time, considering the shoot.
4. Had you painted on canvas before?
Ruxx: Only once, and I never finished it, but this one pushed me to do more, so I think I will be painting more. Let's see.
5. Did you use any special painting technique in your work?
Ruxx: Grayscale, a bit impressionist, with lines and textures.
6. Regarding the theme of the painting, was it something you wanted to do for a long time, or was it a recent idea?
Ruxx: I feel like the occasion called for it.
7. Did you try any other technique for this image? I mean, for example, graphite or chalk (instead of paintbrush), or painting on wood? Or anything else?
Ruxx: Acrylics, water, and a lot of creativity.
8. What was the idea behind making a monochromatic painting?
Ruxx: It's my favorite style; I never use colors.
These guys are magic, real artist
❤️❤️❤️