Well, I’ve reviewed the debut album from these Armenian guys, and because I liked it (otherwise, why would I bother with the review, right?), I’d decided to get to know them a bit more. And as it usually goes, from the idea to the action it doesn’t take long…So, I’ll repeat myself, but folks – let me introduce you to URBATARUR!
Answering my question was Dimitri, Urbatarur’s vocalist/guitarist.
Hello, guys and thank you for this opportunity to learn more about your band! Much appreciated! So, first thing first…can you introduce Urbatarur to our readers? What exactly does the name signifies, what is its meaning?
Hello Rudolf! We are very happy to hear from you. Urbatarur is currently a 4-piece band, but our bass guitarist just moved to France, so we are trying to work something out. I am Dmitrii, the guitarist/vocalist, Marut is the guitarist, and Misha is the drummer. Andrey, our bass guitarist, has now moved to another country, as I mentioned earlier.
Urbatarur is a word that refers to an ancient Armenian amulet from the Bronze Age, which was forged in villages on the night from Friday to Saturday to protect against evil spirits. A priest, opening the Holy Scripture, would scratch crosses and symbols on the amulet and after a prayer, would give it to a sick person who would wear the amulet for 40 days to ward off evil spirits of illnesses (including mental illnesses). Then, the person would take it to the sanctuary and leave it there along with the illness. Women seeking to conceive would take an Urbatarur from the sanctuaries and wear it until the birth of their child. A mother whose children had died would order a ring from a blacksmith on Holy Thursday, which she would constantly wear on her finger. During childbirth, it was also necessary for the woman to have an iron ring with her to keep evil spirits away from herself and the newborn.
You are quite a young band, starting only in the last year. Originally you’re called Stepaside, as far as I could find… how did you get together in the first place and what was the cause of the band name change?
Some of us were acquainted earlier within the musical punk DIY hardcore scene, while some of us met personally in Yerevan. By fate, we all ended up in Yerevan, Armenia. Several members of the band have Armenian roots. At some point, we decided to form a band that would play heavy, atmospheric, and slow music. Initially, we were called Stepaside, but later we had to abandon this name because there were too many bands with the same name, ranging from youth crew hardcore to old American AOR rock. Then I did some research, and we created something authentic.
The quality of your debut, self-titled, album unmistakenly shows that no one in the band is a newbie in the handling either their respective instrument or vocals. Have the members been previously playing in any bands you could mention?
Indeed, each of us has a significant musical background. For example, before moving to Armenia, I played guitar in a band called Supruga, which is a blackened hardcore band with female vocals, and I toured all over Europe. Marut played in bands like Rostov-on-drone, Erode Pas, Osoka, and in the experimental Armenian black metal/doom/sludge band King Vishap. Misha played drums in the bands Zarnica and MRAZ(МРАЗЬ), and he also toured all over Europe. Andrey, our bass guitarist, played/plays in a very cool art noise rock band called IBN(ИБН). Additionally, Andrey is an amazing sound engineer; he was the engineer on the recording of our album and then mixed it.
The debut album is still quite fresh, being released in March (2024). However, I think we can already discuss some reactions to it, can’t we? So…positive reviews, negative reviews…?
The reactions have been mostly positive. The major portal IDIOTEQ.com interviewed us. We are receiving a considerable number of concert offers from other countries in Europe. However, we need visas for this, and we need to figure out that. Currently, we are also looking for a small label to release our album, maybe on cassettes or something like that.
Lyrics! Let’s talk about lyrics…who’s responsible for them and what are you dealing with in them?
I am responsible for the lyrics at the moment. On this album, they are dedicated to nature, abstractions, and sometimes abstract mythological plots that can create a certain mood. For example: “Deep sands across the land, desert sky, inverted sun…”
As many artists nowadays, you’ve released your album independently, and – as far as I know – only in a digital form. Will you continue to be independent, or by releasing this material you’re starting to “shop” around for the label to get signed on? Any offers already on the table?
We have written to several labels, but so far, we haven’t received any concrete offers. Of course, we would like some label to take notice of our album.
But for that, we need to tour around Europe, tour a lot in general, and be a very active band. Even for small enthusiast labels, this is a business that needs to be profitable. That’s what experience shows.
At least one video on Youtube tells me you’re also band which plays its music live. Being from Yerevan, which is the capital city of Armenia, what do the live gigs in your city look like? Are there enough metalheads and fans to enjoy a good crowd while playing live?
Concerts in Yerevan are no different from concerts, for example, in Tallinn. It’s essentially the same mechanism. Maybe I say this because we come from punk DIY culture. The band plays, people enjoy it. The same amps, the same guitars.
Mentioning the fans in Yerevan is one thing, but I am always on the lookout for great bands from the countries Western fans (and writers/publishers) not always have good info about. And I think it’s only appropriate to give a shout out to other fellow bands from your country! So, what bands, either from Yerevan or other Armenian cities/towns would you recommend to our readers to check?
There are actually a lot of different artists. I can recommend a very good band called Davachanner, which plays alternative noise rock with elements of shoegaze. Unfortunately, this band just broke up. Archaon is a good band, playing fast thrash metal/crust punk. KLKLRS is a good noise-punk band. There are also several underground black metal bands. These were all underground artists. There’s a band called Rozen Tal, which plays a mix of progressive rock and metal. There’s a lot of diverse music. For example, recently an Armenian singer participated in Eurovision.
For the people from the West this next question might seem silly, but let me ask you… metal music as a genre, how accepted is it withing the society and its culture? Does it stay in the underground, or is it unrestricted in its reach? And while mentioning the underground, what is its current status…any interesting magazines, fanzines, radios or podcasts dedicated to Armenian extreme music?
Music holds great significance in Armenia, and metal music resonates well with people. It all depends on the genre and the artist. For example, there are fans of underground, extreme music, which will always be part of the underground scene. On the other hand, there’s System of a Down, who are almost heroes here because it’s an Armenian band.
I’ll repeat myself, often it’s all the same as in any European country. Regarding zines and independent media, there is something like that here; I’ve come across it, but unfortunately, due to various circumstances, I haven’t been able to keep up with it adequately.
There are many different festivals throughout various countries…is there any interesting festival being organized in Armenia as well?
Certainly, Armenia hosts many different festivals across various musical genres. Often, these festivals feature European or British headliners. Urvakan Festival, for instance, focuses more on psychedelic music and art. It takes place near an abandoned observatory, creating a very atmospheric setting. The Iron Force Metal Festival featured Demonical from Sweden as this year’s headliner. Jazz is also highly appreciated in Armenia, with regular events dedicated to the genre. There’s a thriving electronic music scene here, which forms a significant part of the culture.
Next to us is Georgia, and in Tbilisi, they organize a lot of events. Right now, for example, Tbilisi Open Air is taking place, and if you look at the lineup, you’ll see many current acts. Over the years, artists like Mogwai, Unkle, Tom Odell, Anathema, Cigarettes After Sex, alt-J have performed there. This year, it includes Aurora, M.I.A., Lebanon Hanover, and other pop music. In general, life is bustling. The road from Yerevan to Tbilisi takes several hours, so trips to Georgia are not difficult.
OK, let’s get back to the Urbatarur! What are the plans for the band for the rest of 2024 (which goes quite quickly, right?)
In 2024, we would like to release an album on a label, play more concerts, and possibly create some new music.
For those fans of yours, either current or future ones… do you have any merchandise people can buy from you? Where and how can people interested in Urbatarur reach you?
We had a batch of T-shirts with the album design, but we sold out quickly, both in Georgia and Armenia at our concerts. Regarding promotion, I hope this interview will help 🙂 Generally, we are included in various Spotify playlists, and different thematic bloggers have featured our album on their YouTube channels. This has certainly boosted our listenership, albeit within the underground scene.
Aaaaaand…we’re almost finished, but not before I post the obligatory question – any final message to our readers?
“I’m wearing dark glasses today because I’m seeing the future and it’s looking very bright” -David Lynch
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/urbatarur
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/urbatarur/
