Kariti, which means “to mourn the dead” in church Slavonic. is the nom de plume of a Russian-born poet and songwriter based in Italy named Ekaterina. Though the track we’re featuring, “Nothing,” is quite somber and melancholy, there is a thread of raw guitar tension that adds darkness to it. Is it heavy, is it metal? No, but the extreme spirit lurks in the bleak soul of “Nothing,” as exemplified by the accompanying black and white video shot in snowy Finland. And we should note that Kariti’s voice has appeared on several extreme metal tracks, including the most recent full-lengths from atmospheric black metal outfit Limbes and prog-death sextet Bedsore.
Still Life was recorded by Lorenzo Della Rovere in Corno di Rosazzo, Italy, produced and mixed by Della Rovere and Ekaterina, and mastered by John “Spud” Murphy in Dublin, Ireland. Additional guitar/noise/drone machine was performed by Marco Matta. The album was released on CD, LP and digitally on November 7 via Lay Bare Recordings. You can place your order for vinyl here and CD/digital here.
Ekaterina had this to say about her new video:
“‘Nothing’ was the first poem of this last cycle and one of the first songs I completed for Still Life. We traveled to Helsinki to shoot the video with my dear Laura Sans, the visionary video maker I often work with. I was drawn to that location because of my deep connection to the gloom and the isolation of Finland, where I spent a transformative period in my twenties. Later, Laura introduced me to the digital artist Ashley Tofu, who gracefully reinforced the contrast I had been longing for in this song and its visual representation. Sharing this video last feels like completing the cycle and I am ready for whatever comes next.”
