Black Reuss στο Off The Record: Ο Maurizio Dottore μιλά στο Pink Radio για το «Death», το τέλος της τετραλογίας και την επόμενη μέρα

Station ident | 00:01 Radio, εκεί που το rock βρίσκει φωνή. [00:27] Chris Οκ, λοιπόν, άλλη μία ενότητα από το Off The Record, εδώ στο Rock Blender. Σήμερα έχουμε καλεσμένο κάποιον από ένα μέρος που πολύ σπάνια μπορείς να τα ακούσεις στο ραδιόφωνο, από το Liechtenstein. Η Black Reuss λοιπόν, το προσωπικό project του Maurizio Dotore από το Λίχτενστάιν ξεκίνησε το 2018. Ήχος κινείται ανάμεσα στον Gothic [αβέβαιο: Rock] και στη Metal, Gothic Metal. Αν και είναι προσωπικό project του Maurizio, η μουσική που γράφει και παρουσιάζει ακούγεται σαν να είναι μια ολοκληρωμένη μπάντα. Γράφει, ενορχηστρώνει, κάνει παραγωγή, τραγουδάει, παίζει όργανα Το 2021 ξεκίνησε ένα concept ένα κύκλο, μια τετραλογία από άλμπουμ γύρω από τον κύκλο της ζωής και καταλήγει με την τελευταία του κυκλοφορία το Φεβρουάριο του 2026 το δίσκο με τον τίτλο Death Hello Maurizio, welcome to Off The Record. I'm Chris, and Dimitris is sitting next to me. Thank you for staying up this late tonight. [01:43] Maurizio Dottore Hello everybody. Hi Chris, hi Dimitris. It's not that late in Switzerland, so actually it's eight o'clock in the evening. [01:53] Chris So, where are you joining us from tonight? Are you at home or in the studio? [01:58] Maurizio Dottore um both because my studio is at home so [02:03] Chris Both? Okay, that's cool. [02:09] Maurizio Dottore In my... where I live, in my flat, where I have the studio, where I do all the music. Actually now in my little office doing the interview with you guys. [02:19] Chris Oh, cool. Have you ever been to Greece, or is tonight the closest you've ever come? [02:27] Maurizio Dottore No, I was in Greece for holidays, I have to say, and I was there last October, so one year ago. [02:35] Chris Oh, right. So, are you planning to visit again soon? [02:42] Maurizio Dottore Actually, yes. I also would like to play live in Greece and I can tell you that we are preparing something to come over with Black Reuss and play live in Greece. [02:53] Chris Ah, that's good news. That's actual news, really. Okay. I've given our listeners a bit of background on Black Reuss, so everyone knows where we are. And I'll be honest with you: I'm not planning to ask you how you came up with the band's name, how you would describe the sound, or what your influences are. I'm pretty sure you've answered those questions quite a lot of times. So I'd rather talk about your album Death itself. You've spent years building this story about life, change, the journey and the arrival, and it has brought you to your last chapter, Death. This is the ending you chose. Was Death the natural ending to the story, to the concept? [03:52] Maurizio Dottore Yes, it's the ending of the concept because there are four chapters. As you said, Metamorphosis is the first one, that's where you just transform, and then Journey, this is the way you have to go through when you change and when you finally arrive to somewhere, and that's Arrival, that's the third chapter, and the last one is Death. But I mean, death is, of course, the last chapter of these four albums. But it's certainly not to be understood as the end of something. So there is a description in death where I describe life going on after death or life finishing after death. So there is different views and interpretations about death. So it's really open. Yeah, [04:44] Chris You've got Reborn as well, so you go a step further. I suppose that when you first came up with the concept and the idea of Death as the final chapter, it meant the same thing to you as it did when the time came to write the record. You've explained that clearly. On another note, I love listening to albums in the order the artist has chosen for us, the listeners. There's usually a reason for the track order, except, of course, when there isn't. But in your case, I hear the title track, Death, and it's clear that it's the ending. And then you've got Reborn. So what's actually left to be reborn? [05:45] Maurizio Dottore Yeah, I mean, you talk about the chronology of the songs on the album. Actually, you know, I think there is different views on death, on this album. Not necessarily is meant that reborn can't come after death. That's not by intention. And I mean there's two different topics. So death is describing of course the end. So you're dead and then your life is going to end. And there's nothing more. And reborn is completely the opposite. So it's two different sides, I think, very far from each other. And it's also, I mean, when I write songs, I don't necessarily want the listeners to follow my interpretation of the things, everybody is free to have his own interpretation of what he's listening to. [06:49] Chris I follow. So, as you probably expected, my question is about Love You to Death, which sits between Phoenix and Death. It's the one cover on the album, originally by Type O Negative. What does that song say that you couldn't say in your own words, and what made you choose it? [07:17] Maurizio Dottore So for me, you know, I was always... The whole project with Black Reuss I started back in 2018 and worked three years on my first album and also the sound design. And of course when you go the journey in music you always encounter things that are inspirational for you. And I would say, Type O Negative was probably one of the most inspiration sources for me. And I was always back and forth, should I do a cover or should I not? And for me, it's not necessarily... I mean, the sound fits perfectly into the topic of the album. That's something I'm convinced of. But it's also more, I would say, an homage to this group that has been exceptional, also Peter Steele writing the lyrics, and being a very charismatic person, which of course, I mean, he was a big person, and I also met him live a few times. and yeah I mean that's an homage to typo -negative that I thought I was ready with this album to do a cover that's everything [08:38] Chris Yes, that makes it very clear. I was going to ask whether any other song had auditioned for that spot on the album, but you've made your preference for Type O Negative very clear. And I won't lie: I love Type O Negative. I bought my first band T-shirts back in 1995 or 1996, I think it was. I bought two T-shirts, including a Type O Negative one from the October Rust era, and I kept it for more than 20 years. Then I got married, and my wife threw it away. They do things like that. Let's turn the page now and get to know the man behind the concept a little better. Black Reuss is a solo project, as you've explained, but you've deliberately built a sound that feels like a band. Everything on these four albums happened to you personally, Maurizio Dottore. It didn't happen to Black Reuss. Why didn't you release these albums under your own name? [09:56] Maurizio Dottore Yeah, that's a really good question. First of all, I don't consider Maurizio Dottore a good name for a Gothic band. I love the name, I really like it. And I wanted to create, let's say, a little world that is apart from the person. So it's about the music, it's not necessarily about me as a person. I mean, when I started the project, I have to tell you, I had clear idea to never show up as a person, you know, to always stay behind, so to make that kind of a mysterious, who is behind Black Reuss, you know. But of course, that didn't last long because people were finding out who stands behind the project. But Black Reuss is really symbolizing the river of life, you know, being black as a melancholic [αβέβαιο: color] and the Reuss is actually the river that goes through Switzerland that I was living at the time I was living at the Reuss and actually I live again at the Reuss now, since one year. And yeah, that's why I choose another name [δυσδιάκριτο] [11:23] Chris When people hear that someone makes dark, gothic music, they often assume the person behind it is unhappy. You spend months immersed in the world of Black Reuss, writing about loss, dissolution and death. Then, at some point, you step out of the studio and return to your everyday life. How easy is it to leave that whole world—the world of Black Reuss—behind in that room, in the studio? [12:08] Maurizio Dottore Yeah, it's very easy because I tell you why I'm not a different person when I write songs or when I perform Black Reuss I'm exactly the same person as I am in life, and of course I have, I would say I have quite of a melancholic side inside of me, I always like that, but with the time, you know, first you learn to cope with that, and you make something out of it, because I think melancholic Melancholy is not necessarily something negative, but there is a lot of difference in this melancholic thing. So I'm exactly the same person with my happy side and with my unhappy side sometimes as you know everybody of us is facing reality every day and some things make you happy. This is exactly also happening with Black -Royce, and of course I created some kind of a dark world that's probably really one side of them not so happy. But as a person I don't do the differences there. [13:23] Chris So you don't have to balance anything. You're expressing your feelings through your writing, and outside the studio you're still the same person. Someone might assume that you immerse yourself emotionally in the studio to write and perform the music, but then, outside, they would see someone a bit different. [13:49] Maurizio Dottore I have to say, I don't believe in that. There's not many people in the world that can transform that easy to another person and stay true to yourself and also authentic. It's not that easy and that's why I prefer everything I write with Black Reuss I always was carrying on with me. That's for me a way to express what I have carried on for years inside myself and for that reason it's better. [14:24] Chris Yeah, you can really tell from listening. I listened to Death a couple of times before the interview to prepare, and I can feel the emotion in your songs and your writing, even though the lyrics aren't easy to find. Luckily, I speak English, so I can understand most of what you're singing. Something else I've always wondered about: when you have a solo project, you're the songwriter, the musician, the producer, and the person who ultimately says, "This is finished. The album is finished." Who's there to tell you when you're wrong or to challenge you? [15:24] Maurizio Dottore Yes, that's a very good question. I challenged myself and that was always the part. Because I wanted to challenge myself. But of course there is people around me also, you know, bringing me back to reality when I'm flying too high. Let's put it that way. And also there is just to make an experiment. When I do the drums in the studio, I go to another studio and there I work with Tommy Vetterli of Coroner. He has a studio here in Switzerland. Maybe you know Coroner. I also work with Diego Rapacchietti, who is the drummer actually of Coroner. Tommy is, when I start recording the drums, he's always like new ears listening to the music and he's actually, sometimes... Questioning things, and that's a good thing. And also when I do mixes, I don't do that by myself. I always have an external mixing engineer doing the mixes, so there is another person also giving me feedback. And when I do the lyrics or the vocals, I go to another studio where there is another producer helping me with the vocal recordings. Again, I have a sparring partner for that. So there is people around me. [αβέβαιο: Yeah,] but even friends, you know, I show, I show friends that I really trust in. They say it makes a lot of sense to me. So trust the people around me also. But actually at the end, we decided. [17:21] Chris Yeah, yeah. It's a common thing. I've seen it quite a few times: when you're doing the whole job yourself, [αβέβαιο: many] times you get stuck in a loop. You write something, leave it aside, come back to it after a couple of months, and rework it. You change something, then leave it again. You come back a month later and say, "Okay, maybe it was better the first time." It can become a never-ending loop without input from others, as you've explained. [17:54] [18:22] Maurizio Dottore then that's it you're not going to change it and maybe later you will change something okay but that's fine but that was let's say an instant that you had at exactly that time and i really love to leave things how the how how it was captured when it was you know coming up and when it was when i was writing so for me it's nice i look at the songs like a photo i captured in an instant, but then I don't know if that works. [18:52] Chris Yeah, I suppose you get better and better at knowing how to do things after four albums. You develop a feel for when something is ready. Now, I've got a slightly unusual question. You had that four-album cycle with Black Reuss, and you had a very clear destination from the beginning. Now you've reached it. Do you know what Black Reuss is going to be without that journey? Is what comes next clear to you? [19:33] Maurizio Dottore It's really clear. Because, I mean, it's a concept of four albums, but that doesn't mean that it's not going on. You know what I mean? I am already writing on my next album. Actually, you know, there is two sides. I mean, I have these four albums and I knew from beginning on I was doing that for albums and so I was, you know, working on a concept for, let's say, five years. Now I'm also released from that, if you want so. So I'm really open to do something different now. I don't have to stuck to the concept, I can do something different. And I think, you know, the tetralogy gave Black -Royce a clear direction from the beginning, as I said, but the experience of creating and also helped me to develop the project with the musical identity. So I think I know what Black Reuss is today, precisely because I've gone through that journey, you know. And now that this is complete, I'm curious to see how Black Reuss develops without a predefined [αβέβαιο: structure] you know i'm really open to do whatever i want [20:53] Chris Okay, another thing I noticed is that Metamorphosis, Journey and Arrival followed one another fairly quickly, but there was a much longer gap before Death. I'm interested in that silence, because sometimes the years when you don't release anything say as much as the records themselves. That gap almost feels like another, invisible chapter between Arrival and Death. Did it change how Death eventually turned out? [21:41] Maurizio Dottore No, not necessarily because I can tell you what the death was about. I had finished the album Death more than one year before it was released. It was really finished and mastered. and at the time there was a lot of development around Black Reuss so suddenly I had interest from record labels and I also had interest from management and I have now a record label of that was released of the Golden Robot record Australian label and I have a management now in the States so I took also the time to reorganize other things than music and that was really a year of back and forth, you know, [αβέβαιο: checking] different options and that's why it took a little longer to release. And then when I signed with [αβέβαιο: Golden] Robert Records, they also need time to set up the album release and that's why it took a long break. But the album was finished, it was finished a few years before the release. [23:03] Chris Yeah, so the concept continued as planned. There wasn't a real change to the album itself. The bigger change was that it was released by a label, Golden Robot. This was a project you'd mostly handled yourself, and you'd made your own decisions on the first three releases. What changed once someone else had a seat at the table? [23:33] Maurizio Dottore Nothing, nothing I can tell you, because that's exactly why I took, let's say, some time to choose the right partners, because I consider my management and my related partners, and I was seeking for somebody who, first of all, understands what I'm doing and has the same passion as I have to do it, And also I was clear on saying I want 100 % freedom on the artistic position, so there is nothing, no influence coming from the label on my music, and neither the management is taking action on, let's say, on the artistic side of Black Reuss. and that's that's something i was i was really let's say keen to have it because i want [24:30] Chris You're quite lucky to have that. It's not easy when you sign with a label, and it's always great to retain your artistic freedom. You had a whole concept spanning four albums. If a label comes in and changes the shape of the final chapter, it really stands out. You can tell as a listener. I'm glad you've kept that artistic freedom. [25:07] Maurizio Dottore You have to keep that as long as I can. You know, I have to tell you, I was working in the music industry for over 20 years. And I was actually on the label side. I was working for labels for long years. And I quit the music industry because I felt there was no passion anymore. There was only, you know, there were only... [αβέβαιο: seeking] [αβέβαιο: business] and looking at numbers and data and digitalism and the passion for music was gone and that's why I clearly have an idea of what I want from a label and what I don't want. And what I don't want is somebody that is telling me about how long my song has to be played on radio. I don't care about it because I will write nine minute long songs as long as I have the feeling to do so. [26:06] Chris I can tell that you have that freedom in your albums and your writing. And gothic music, dark music, doom and metal aren't really made for mainstream radio anyway, whether a song is five minutes long or nine. They reach listeners through specialist shows and dedicated fans, and those listeners will follow the music whether it's three, five or nine minutes long. Now, with your latest release, Death, you've started opening Black Reuss up to other musicians. You've already mentioned the drummers, and I've seen that you've got a festival coming up in March. Obviously, you work with other musicians for live performances. How comfortable are you with letting Black Reuss become something you don't have absolute control over, especially on stage? [27:24] Maurizio Dottore You know, we are doing a tour in March, actually. It's going to be [27:28] Chris Ten shows? Oh, ten shows. Okay. [27:33] Maurizio Dottore Yeah. We will announce very soon also other shows. And, you know, when I started Black [αβέβαιο: Reuss,] I always said, I'm never going to do that live. People around me may change my mind. And so I'm really, really excited about bringing this [αβέβαιο: this] solo project to stage and I have people around me being in the band I really trust so all of them are friends I really know since long time so it's you know and it's fine for me to share this moment with three other guys being with me on stage and I fully trust they do the best they can and it's also a new adventure and I'm really open to that I'm not that I don't have I'm let's put it that way I'm not here to lose control, absolutely not. I mean, I have to sing and play guitar on the stage and I will be busy doing that. And during the live shows that I have three people supporting me. That's exactly how I look to the things. I consider my band supporters and not enemies. [28:52] Chris Great. You've already mentioned that you're considering Greece as a place to perform your music live, and it would be great to have you here. As we reach the end of this conversation, we've talked about what has happened with Black Reuss. What has this journey with Black Reuss given back to you, to Maurizio? [29:21] Maurizio Dottore A lot, I can tell you. So, of course, you know, I cannot live from music, so I have a knowledge of all of these people as well. So I'm actually quite... I'm in a high position in a company and I do work and I have my usual life and Black Reuss is always a really good time to go out of everything you know it's just being in another world for a few hours being in my studio doing my music keeps me away away from all the other stuff I have around me and this is I mean this is really precious to me and I always have the possibility to go out of everything that is bothering me from my day -to -day life and go in my studio and then i'm in another world and that is something that it gave me it gave me also trust in myself it gave me because you know i was not sure if if i can do it solo and now i have four albums later i can see I feel really comfortable in the situation there are there are people even if it's not too much but there are people that are doing interviews like you guys which i'm really thankful for people that write me about listening to my music and give something back also to people that listen and this is i mean this is a huge gift if somebody even if it's only one person that writes away i listen to your song if they gave me comfort or they gave me five minutes of peace or whatever this is the biggest gift that musicians can have and that's that's what black [αβέβαιο: cars] is giving me great [31:05] Chris Great. Just to let you know, I did some background research on Maurizio Dottore, so I know where you live and where you work, and I've seen your pictures online. That's why I asked whether writing dark music is different from the rest of your life. But you've clearly explained that it's all part of a process. The emotions don't simply switch on and off when you enter or leave the studio. Thank you very much, Maurizio. At the very end, we usually give our guest the chance to ask a question or leave a message for our listeners. Is there anything you'd like to share with us? [32:02] Maurizio Dottore Yeah, I mean, first of all, I have to thank you, not you to thank me. To take the time to listen to the music and also give it the opportunity. I really want to thank everyone who has taken the time to listen to Black Reuss and supported the music along the way so far. I really appreciate it. And I'm really looking forward to bringing Black Reuss to stage now and hopefully meeting many. and this is the road. And when I come to Greece, hopefully also meet you, Chris. [32:37] Chris Yeah, that's for sure. I was going to mention it: you'll have finished your set and come off stage, and someone will grab you by the sleeve and say, "Hey, I'm Chris. Do you remember our interview a few months ago?" [32:52] Maurizio Dottore remember you, I can tell you. [32:55] Chris Thank you very much for this. You've given us a lot more than an album. Death is out now on Golden Robot Records. And for anyone hearing this name for the first time tonight, don't start at the very end, with the latest album. Start with Metamorphosis and follow the whole journey, the whole river. Everything is at blackreuss.com. Best of luck taking it to the stage. Is Bullhead Festival the first show you're playing? [33:29] Maurizio Dottore No, that's actually the last show. [33:32] Chris Oh, right. Okay. [33:33] Maurizio Dottore The tour will start March 9th. I can also tell you we will start in Slovenia. [33:41] Chris Ah, okay. [33:42] Maurizio Dottore We work to Belgrade, we do also Romania, we do Hungary, we do Austria and coming back to Switzerland and then we finish actually. I'm not living in Liechtenstein anymore. [33:55] Chris You're back in Switzerland. [33:59] Maurizio Dottore That's where we end, it's the tour, in my hometown. [34:02] Chris Ah, right, okay. Well, I jumped straight to the end. Thank you. It's been a real pleasure having you on Off The Record. Bye-bye, Maurizio. [34:20] Maurizio Dottore Bye-bye. [34:22] Chris Αυτό λοιπόν ήταν το Off The Record για σήμερα, ο Maurizio Dottore, ο άνθρωπος πίσω από τους Black Reuss, μίλησε για το άλμπουμ Death, για τις προηγούμενες κυκλοφορίες, αλλά δεν είναι δίσκος για το τέλος, όπως λέει ο ίδιος, είναι τι μένει όταν θα φύγουν όλα τα υπόλοιπα. Το Death, όπως είπα και στο outro στη συνέντευξη, κυκλοφορεί από την Golden Robot Records, μπορείτε να μπείτε στο site του Καλλιτέχνη και να ακούσετε τη μουσική του. blackreuss.com Εμείς συνεχίζουμε εδώ στο Rock Blender