It’s been half a decade since Calgary duo The Unravelling released 13 Arcane Hymns, their last album, but they’re still very much active with new material on the way. We got our first taste of it with “Revolt” in April and there’s plenty more to look forward to in the coming months.

We had the chance to speak with both members–Gustavo de Beauville and Steve Moore–about their musical pasts, the formation of the band, and what they’ve been working on since their last album in 2010. Follow us through below to read our conversation and get caught up on all things The Unravelling.

Before joining up to form The Unravelling, what had the two of you been involved with musically?

GDB: I had recently moved to Canada to pursue being in a heavier type band; there wasn’t much hope of converting dub and calypso listeners in Barbados to metal. Honestly, folks over there just want to drink and gyrate, so I knew I had to head to North America to stand a chance. When I met Steve we bonded over our love of Tool and Dead Can Dance. Yes, I know they’re totally different musically but that bizarre juxtaposition of artists did it for me. You get the musicianship and intelligence of Tool plus the ethereal magic of DCD.

SM: I’ve recorded music and released demos and albums since I was 16. Mind you, many of the early releases were pretty terrible, but they were integral to my learning, and more importantly, keeping the fires of inspiration properly stoked. Luckily I made my mistakes before the internet and torrenting became a big thing…of course, I’m sure some embarrassing recordings will end up somewhere soon!

My first serious project was called Inner Surge, a heavy rock group with hardcore and metal elements. I started it off as a solo project somewhere around the year 2000, and quickly auditioned members to bring it live. We had a few releases with the new lineup, the most notable being 2006’s Signals Screaming and 2008’s An Offering, the last title being one that I think still holds up and I’m proud of. Inner Surge broke up the following year. We had a lot of fun and made a lot of noise in the process though.

Another project I’ve been heavily involved with is Post Death Soundtrack; now defunct as well. There’s quite a bit of unreleased music under the PDS moniker that will likely never see the light of day, but the 2008 release Music is Weaponry is another release I’m proud of. Other than this I’ve done some solo work and collaborated with some great bands and artists in one-off scenarios.

To go back a bit further, were you raised around music or was it something you picked up on your own later on? What led you to want to become musicians?

GDB: I grew up in the Caribbean so rock/metal etc. was very foreign to those lands. Luckily my father owned a large record collection that I would sift through and marvel at the sleeve art when no one was around. I couldn’t have been more than eight but the crazy artwork on some of those albums was great – the more dark and psychedelic the better. Through these moments I discovered Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath, Rush and a few others that probably aren’t as cool to name drop like Devo’s “Whip It” album [Freedom Of Choice]!

SM: I wasn’t really raised around music, except for hearing early Beatles records through my parents. Of course, at that point I decided I disliked the Beatles simply because my parents enjoyed them. It wasn’t until my teen years that I discovered their later work and then became a convert to their whole catalog.

Music was something I was just generally interested in from a young age. I would play drums on pots and pans and sing whatever silly songs I could. My sister and I would gather ’round the stereo and listen to the top 10 at 10…mainstream music, but that was okay with us. It wasn’t until around age 12 that things started to really shift. I would get albums like Public Enemy’s Fear of a Black Planet and that changed me a lot. Then, Columbia House arrived, along with In Utero, Dirt, Blood Sugar Sex Magik, Appetite for Destruction, Siamese Dream and a host of others, and you could say I became quite religious.

Nirvana and Public Enemy both played major roles in me wanting to be a musician. Public Enemy, for proving that you could really take up a mantle and say something. Nirvana, for proving that you could express any deep, dark emotion and transmit that to the listener. Combining these ideas gave me my desired approach.

And how exactly did you two come together to start this project?

GDB: I’ve been asked this a few times and each time the answer is different – only because my memory is God-awful. Let’s see…I met Steve through a music classified posting in a magazine called FFWD. Yes, folks, we are indeed ancient. Twitter and Facebook probably weren’t around in those days. We actually had to send in the ad and wait till Thursdays for the magazine to come out.

SM: I saw the ad and quickly took a listen to an early version of what would become “Becoming Chaos.” Although a bit leery of getting involved with another music project after Inner Surge, I was much more excited than leery, so before I knew it I had met up with Gus and recorded the song. We had it nailed within one session, and from there we were recording every weekend.

Did you guys know right away what kind of music you wanted to create together or did the sound and style come together naturally as you began playing together and writing?

GDB: I wanted to make an album in the vein of Aenema – but not a carbon copy. Steve’s vocal style brought some grit to the project and I’m a big fan of clean, delay guitar interludes so hopefully that came out in the recordings. Casey Lewis, our great drumming ally, absolutely brought his own style to the first album. He’s truly an unsung hero in the record. We were so picky and demanding in his studio and our budget was probably half of what he usually worked for. We tried our best to make him happy by bringing him his favourite vegetarian (super expensive) food that he loves. Thanks, Casey! His band just released a pretty slamming new record – check it out. Did I mention that this cat sings and plays drums at the same time?

SM: I think we knew that our influences work together pretty well, and we quickly gained a trust for what the other brings to the table. I know from experience in bands that things work much better and the inspiration stays lit when everyone has their place and is able to do what they do best. That’s why I actually don’t interfere much with the music. I tend to love most of what Gus comes up with, so I’m comfortable with my contribution being the vocals, vocal melodies, and the lyrics. This way we both have a large role and we’re both feeling vital about the project.

The style has tended to mix elements of ethereal and cinematic music like Dead Can Dance with heavier, melodic influences like Tool. My influences from hardcore music and even hip-hop come into play sometimes, and at this point it’s really a melting pot of everything we’ve ever loved.

Regarding Steve’s recovery from cancer, are there any limitations for the band that come with that currently or are you guys fully active?

GDB: When he comes over to my house to record he drinks all my Old Gold rum and devours our food like a grizzly bear. I think he’ll be fine.

SM: What he says is true. It’s a tradition of ours to share rum during studio sessions. It helps bring on the festive, ritualistic spirit! As far as I’m aware, the cancer was fully removed and I intuitively feel I have quite a long and happy life ahead of me. We’re fully active.

Are either of you involved with other bands or projects right now or is The Unravelling your main focus musically?

GDB: I’m dabbling in video game composition, but The Unravelling is definitely more creatively important for me at the moment.

SM: The Unravelling is my main focus musically right now. I’m definitely open to recording music with select people like my close friend Jon Ireson, who was in Post Death Soundtrack and is an excellent musician and producer. The Unravelling is a big priority though and I’m really happy with where we are creatively.

So is “Revolt” currently just a stand-alone single or is it set to be featured on an upcoming release? Anything you can reveal about plans regarding that?

GDB: Since I get bored very quickly with existing material, I have to constantly create new music. So the positive side of that is I’ve amassed a body of songs that we’ve dedicated to the new Unravelling record. This time around all musicianship, recording, mixing, marketing will be all in house so if it sucks we won’t be able to hide behind anyone. We come into our own and are comfortable and confident enough with ourselves and our music.

SM: I definitely benefit greatly from Gus’s boredom, because, although I don’t get bored so quickly with current material, I’m always wanting to create more…quickly. I feel like I’m making up for lost time in a way. Also, when I first got heavily into music I would love exploring the catalogs of artists, and it was even better if an artist had an impeccable catalog. For example: Nirvana, especially if you consider all their b-sides. I’m really honoring my teenage self in building a solid catalog for The Unravelling. I want to be able to look through multiple albums and dozens of songs with a lot of variety.

Creating art that I’m proud of is the number one priority.

It’s been exactly 5 years since 13 Arcane Hymns was released. How do you feel you’ve grown as individual musicians and as a band since that time?

GDB: I’ve isolated myself from what’s been happening out there musically. Been listening to a lot of desert/stoner rock almost as a meditation from life, and focusing on improving my songwriting, mixing and cinematic compositions. It was only recently that I discovered Spotify and that was amazing. It almost feels like when I was a kid discovering bands all over again – listening to new music and getting suggestions of similar bands, rediscovering old favourites and seeing what their new shit sounds like. Did I mention how awesome Spotify was? It’s really good, man. Maybe we should get our music on that.

SM: Well, Gus’s production and writing skills have improved sky high…I’m not sure that I’ve really improved [laughs]. I think that my lyrics have gotten more interesting, so that’s a positive. I’m liking the vocal choices I’m making, too, generally; together we’re clicking and that’s where the magic happens. I think we’re both more willing to take more risks and are both more sure of what we want.

And how do you see your next release differing from that album? Anything in particular you guys want to stay away from, return to, or experiment with?

GDB: The new record is way more streamlined, industrial, melodic and infectious. It shies away from being affected by what critics will think about it and hopefully will be enjoyed for what it’s intended to be: fresh, passionate art. My aesthetic is dark though, so the music on the record will not sound like Green Day. And so far Steve has been laying some very interesting (at times manic) vocals in my studio. I believe people that like this one will like it a lot.

SM: Quite different…radically different! Much more cinematic and big sounding, and just about all the choices, musically, vocally, lyrically, are different. It’s more risky I’d say, and stranger. If 13 Arcane Hymns was our Nevermind then this is our In Utero. It has some of the weirdest stuff we’ve ever done, but also some of the most melodic.

When you play live, is it just the two of you or do you have a full band?

GDB: That’s a good question. I’ve been envisioning the live setup for a while now. Technically the music is quite sequenced so the reproduction of it shouldn’t require the traditional band lineup. But the power of a live performance should come from a group of humans, not a man behind a laptop (no offence, multimillionaire DJs who don’t give a fuck about us) I really dig the energy of a fierce performance. I think we need a few good guys to help us make it happen. Two more at least.

As for the rest of the year, do you have any goals or big plans for The Unravelling?

GDB: Mix and master the 3/4 record that we’ve already recorded and release them at the recommendation of our artist and marketing department. Then for me personally I will continue composing new material to keep myself entertained. Thanks for the interest in our music. By the way, I just read your magazine’s review of San Andreas with Dwayne Johnson. So hilarious. Thanks, man. I’ll take your heads up and go see Mad Max!

SM: Lots of lots of music…many singles will be released, starting with “Master Drone” this month. We’ll be collaborating closely with Shaun Friesen for a ton of artwork to coincide with these releases. We’ll also be doing a music video with Doug Cook this year, and who knows, an album could come sooner than later. I want to get two albums done. Thanks for your time!

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Brian Leak

Editor-In-Chief. King of forgetting drinks in the freezer. Pop culture pack rat. X-Phile. LOST apologist.

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