We caught up with Sri Lankan black metallers, DHISHTI, before they left on their ‘Meditation Of Death Tour’ to India
Hi, greetings from MetalIndia Magazine. Tell us, how are things going at your end? All set for upcoming gigs in India?
Hails to the readers of Metal India Magazine and also to you Dinesh. We’ve been really busy with a lot of work such as our latest album release, music video release as well as getting ready for the tour. There is a lot on our plates and so very little time to do it all. Us being insomniacs probably helps. haha!! Playing 4 gigs in India for our Meditation of Death tour is going to be an awesome experience. We’re as ready as we ever can be.
Well, lets start from the beginning. Give us a little insight into Dhishti’s formation and other major events that followed.
Jayakody and Deshapriya started off with a band project Called Raaksha Back in 2007 which was more related to Sri Lankan Folk/ Experimental Doom Metal. While we were engaged in it, we wanted to start a side project where we can express our own emotions and feelings through the music. Personally 2009 was a pretty messed up year for Jayakody. Being under medication for depression and being under the influence of over dosage and other drug usage it was one hell of a year. He wanted to let out these emotions which was stuck deep with in him. He contacted Deshapriya and we had a discussion about the project. Later we started Dhishti as a Studio Project. At that time we only had a PC Mic with us for recordings. The recordings were raw and minimalistic. At that time we couldn’t afford to go to a studio. Jayakody was unemployed and Deshapriya was in the 2nd year of college.
We got an opportunity to perform live in 2010 at a gig called The Ominous Gathering Testament I. So we decided to take on a drummer and bassist and perform DSBM live for the first time in Sri Lanka. That is how Kirindage joined us as our drummer and Udugampola joined as our bassist. After that gig, we went on to perform a few other gigs around Sri Lanka because we had a good response from the fans, as DSBM was a totally new thing to most of them. We released our first full-length album titled ‘Decease’, which contained minimalistic and raw music, in mid 2010. Later on Udugampola left the band in late 2010 and Kirindage took up bass while Alles was taken on as our new drummer.
In December 2010, we were presented with the opportunity to tour India for Black Metal Kreig I in Mumbai. That turned out to be an experience that we would never forget. After we returned, we felt the need to change our sound for the next album and as a result Hewakoparage joined the band as our lead guitarist. His inclusion has been one of the main turning points of the band as he is a gifted composer and his ideas aligned with the concept that we had kept in mind for a long time.
Kirindage left in early 2011 due to personal reasons and Lord Bhahirawa joined the band as bassist. 2011 was a big year for us in terms of live performances as we performed at a frequency of almost once a month. During that time we were composing new material for our 3rd full-length, Life Is Suffering, as well.
Finally, we were contacted by Ajaya Bhat of Frameshift Initiatives in India and offered the opportunity to do a tour performing at 4 gigs around the country. We are quite excited and looking forward to give Indian crowds a taste of our new sound.
Jayakody and Deshapriya being mainstay of the band since formation, what has been the constant source of motivation to keep going during several line-up changes and ‘betrayals’?
We formed the band initially and carried on. There were people who came and left simply because they cant cope up with the continuous improvement in the band. We found out that Udugampola was having a split personality and taking part in HIP HOP music videos and shit like that so we are better off without a MORON like that any how. Dhishti works as a Family and Families stick together and you know that in every family there is a bastards so bastards always leave.
The source of our motivation is present in abundance since it is pain and suffering. On the other hand the drive that moves us forward is our passion to show the world that Sri Lanka is a place where good international bands can be born and raised. There have been many obstacles on our path as well as annoying politics, but that has never been more than a mere annoyance to us. Dhishti is a freight train that only moves forward.
You guys released a full length album in 2010, and then an EP in 2011. What are you up to in 2012?
Well, simultaneously to our ‘Meditation of Death’ tour of India in January/February 2012, we have released our second full-length, Meditation of Death. This is an offering which is comprised of two tracks each spanning a length of 22:12 minutes each, making this a ~45min album. The album is an exploration of a Buddhist meditation paradigm which focuses on the various aspects of death as an eventuality in the psyche of every living being.
We have also released a music video for the track Neecha Paapa off of our 2011 EP. This was an endeavor undertaken with the collaboration of Film Minaacus, a video production company in Sri Lanka. As you may have noticed the response for the video has been huge. You can check it out if you visit our website at http://dhishti.com
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUWB_fVeStk
Later in 2012 we expect to release our 3rd opus, ‘Life Is Suffering’. This album has been quite a while in the works now and we are not sparing an ounce of creativity or effort in composition and recording. That is what you can expect from Dhishti in the foreseeable future, in addition to the various gigs that we’ll be performing at.
You classify your music as Atmospheric Depressive Black metal. How would you key out the purposes, themes and philosophies of the band?
Our brand of depression is based primarily on the personal experiences of the band members. Frankly, we have gone through a lot of hardship personally which has led to a particularly gloomy outlook on life. In turn, we have projected this atmosphere of gloomy depression on to our music. The band’s lyrical themes are aimed at describing the pain and hardship that the Sri Lankan population has had to go through over the years. This has been due to various reasons such as the atrocities Sri Lankans have suffered at the hands of various European invaders.
We also theme our music around the various rituals and cultural practices of Sri Lankans which have been passed down through the generations. A basic implementation of this is the ‘thovil’ ritual which is used to ward off evil spirits from their victims. The ancient spirits of Sri Lanka are present to this day, and our aim is to retain our culture which has been built up around them.
Tell us, from which bands do you guys draw your musical influences from? Any non-musical influences?
Our main influence will be Nature, Occult and Misanthropy those are the trinity which Dhishti follows. in addition we are influenced by everything which surrounds us.The Sounds of Sorrow, Agony and Pain of Sinhala People throughout the centuries will always.
How did you get your band name? What is its significance?
Dhishti is a word that drives from Sinhala, Which translates to an “Evil Spirit.” A spirit which can take a physical form of an animal or a daemon who can be possessed by some one to do their bidding. The concept behind the band is that a daemon or a Dhishti is set to torture and to make those who have betrayed name of the country and who has put this nation under years of Oppression suffer for their crimes and die a painful death.
Lets talk something about religions. What are your opinion in relation with the religions, or you guys just don’t give a f*ck about it and walk down the infidel path of darkness?
We strictly don’t support organized religions of any sort. We believe in a more Spiritual way of living, believing on one’s own self. Human beings are more powerful rather than any Almighty based god or any lost prophet. once the true power of the human mind is triggered he is the most powerful being in the universe.
And No we dot support Church Burnings of ant sort and we don’t approve ostentatious behaviour as such. If one burns a Church the government comes and re builds it again using public funding. So at the end of the day it is us who suffers once again. We wear inverted to symbolize our rebellion and retaliation against organized religion.
Are there any Indian bands you guys like and support?
YES!! of course. We totally support the Indian Black Metal scene and all bands who are playing with us during the tour. Stating from Stark Denial, 1833AD, Spiked Crib (Mumbai), Dark Desolation (Bangalore)Insane Prophecy (Guwahati),Cosmic Infusion (Mumbai),De’Sat,Final Surrender, Tiffin Box and NARSAMHAAR (Pokhara, Nepal)
Tell us something about the Scene in Sri Lanka. Do metal bands get support to play and promote their music?
The Metal scene is growing in Sri Lanka. We see more fans from outside the city now coming for gigs and we have taken steps to take underground gigs out of the capitol and in to other cities. Since the year 2002/2003 Kandy, the hill capitol of Sri Lanka was armed with quite a lot of true underground acts. Still to this date the Kandian Metal scene is strong and hardcore. The Kandy Rock Merger that formed to help out new bands to emerge by having huge shows such as Silent Scream, Dark Summer’s Fest and Rock Storm among others.
Colombo has been the center for all Metal that has been going on in the country. In Colombo, there’s a gig almost every month, and the turnout is reasonably good at these gigs. More and more people are getting in to Black Metal and DSBM, and they eagerly await each gig.
From early this year we started having underground Gigs in Gampaha, a city in the Western province in Sri Lanka. Now this is a place where extreme music has been embraced completely. Fans from Gampaha are renowned for their huge turnouts at gigs and especially for staying after the gig screaming encores.
Speaking about the bands…. I shall only speak about the Underground Metal Scene in Sri Lanka coz we dont support the commercial shit that has been going on for some time. There are some bands need Mentioning who have reached the international level and who have been there for quite some time.
You guys have been playing in the Sri Lankan metal scene from quite a long time; its obvious that you would have come across many talented bands in the local. What bands (if any), have you guys seen, or played with recently which you think deserve the potential to be recognised across the national boundaries?
Fallen Grace who are the pioneers of Melodic Death Metal in Sri Lanka. Siblings of Hated who started the whole Black Metal Scene in Sri Lanka. Whirlwind who has been there for so long and their New material is out of this world. The SLBM Horde Pariah Demise, Deep Forrest Mourn, Raven Sung, Crest Fallen worth Mentioning A Huge recognition goes to Mass Damnation as well they have been doing some good work lately. Ablaze who is currently doing their album should be also mentioned. Inherited sore who is playing some kick ass Death Metal in Sri Lanka.
Thanks for your time, man. Anything you’d like to add to this interview for your fans out there?
We would like to thank you for talking with us and wishing Metal India all the best for the years to come. we would like to mention Salute Records and Tony for his utmost support. Also Ajaya Bhat, Vignesh Iyer Frameshift Initiatives, Kunal Gonsarlwes and Starkdenial, and all the others who we have not mentioned here and worth mentioning!!!
Get in touch with Dhishti : Official Website | Facebook