Interview: Rutile
Image by Rutile
Boston – the land of beans, tea parties (rumor has it), the Celtics, cream pies, and black metal artist, Rutile. It’s also a really distinct town in the U.S. known for its culture, the accents, and early American history. Adding a black metal artist like Rutile to its rich cultural legacy is perfectly fitting, especially given the beautiful nature of the music clashing with the harsh elements of black metal. Strangely enough, that also speaks to the city of Boston quite eloquently. Beautiful yet harsh.
I heard Rutile’s first release titled Virtuous Season shortly after its release in October 2023. Despite the obvious black metal influences, there is quite a bit of post-black/blackgaze mixed in to the three-song EP, slowing the pace with a serenity that blackgaze is known to incorporate. There’s even a tiny hint of Imperial Triumphant-like bizarre stuff to keep the listener on edge.
It’s an honor to present to you this interview with Rutile, as I was so excited to learn more about the artist and his music myself. I hope you enjoy the conversation!
Thanks so much for joining Blacforje for an interview! It’s an honor!
So, to start off, you’re based in Boston, MA. Right?
Yes I’m based in Boston, which is a pretty great city overall for music. New England has such a solid black metal scene, and I’m happy to be part of it.
You released your first EP titled Virtuous Season several months ago. First off, how do you feel it has been received by listeners?
I’ve received mostly positive feedback, which is great since it’s the first time I have ever released music. It’s such a vulnerable act - putting yourself and your art out there. You never know how people are going to react. Some folks have said some really nice things, and I’m very thankful for all of the support I’ve received for the project so far. My favorite feedback has been that the music sounds very “unique”, and that to me is a huge compliment. Others have mentioned “emotional”, and that speaks heavily to my lyrical content, which I’ll get into later.
What inspired you to start Rutile and to create your blend of post-black metal/atmospheric black metal?
Initially ,I had been working on a completely separate project. I had worked on it for over a year, and I had about 5 songs finished. One day, I was taking a walk in the forest (that’s what black metal artists do, right?), and I was listening to a lot of Turia and Basalte, and I just loved the rawness, as well as the guitar tone and compositions. The music felt very dynamic and organic - moments of speeding up and slowing down - almost a “live” production feel to it all. The inspiration just hit me in the moment, and when I got back home I recorded what would become The Midnight Hags. I decided to shelve the other project since I wasn’t enjoying it anymore. I wasn’t happy with the music.
What are the thematic elements, either lyrically or musically, that define Virtuous Season?
Musically I focused on contrasting various musical elements such as discordant phrases with melodic ones, generating atmosphere contrasted with moments of chaos and instability. I want to challenge the listener with parts that contain a substantial amount of tension and discordant elements and reward them with moments of resolve, melodicism, and “pretty” sounding phrases.
Lyrically my music incorporates themes from struggles with mental health, reactions, and expanding thoughts on film and literature, isolation, and the crippling feelings that come with being an introvert. I’ve discovered how much of a cathartic outlet music is for me. I’ve been a visual person most of my life and have relied on visual art as a means of self-expression. Lyrics and vocal performance have opened up a new realm of emotional self-expression for me, and I feel that is reflected in the subjects I choose to write about.
‘Virtuous Season’ by Rutile
Does spirituality or philosophy inspire your work as an artist? If so, can you tell us a little bit about your personal worldview?
I’ve personally found solace and comfort in nature and the natural world. Since I struggle with anxiety on a daily basis I’ve been trying to find ways to cope along with the help of therapy. Nature is very in the moment. Survival is about reacting and moving, not so much lingering on thoughts of what the future holds. As a sufferer of this disorder I’ve tried to reframe those thoughts and really try to focus on what I have control of in the present. I’m not always that great at it, and that’s ok. Being in nature helps me to focus on the sounds of the birds, the leaves blowing, and water moving down a stream. These sensory experiences help to focus the mind on what is currently happening (the present) and bring into perspective how beautiful life is when we stop worrying about every next step or event. It helps to stop, pause, and think about what you as an individual have control of at any moment.
Some themes of existentialism definitely arise from that explanation. I like to think that we all have choices that may lead to consequences under our own free will. Some books and films I’ve admired with these themes have been Ted Chiang’s Story of Your Life and Wim Wenders’ Wings of Desire. One big takeaway for me from these pieces of media has been that we should learn to embrace the present and follow our passions and desires and embrace the potential risks and outcomes. We only have so much time to connect with and experience the natural world, we should all learn to make the best of it.
When it comes to releasing art there’s definitely some good amount of fear and risk – vulnerability - it’s a tough roadblock to break through. I struggle with that, and being in the moment is a tough thing for me, but I know I need to keep practicing it. Nature is my personal reminder of that.
[Laughs] This is such a big question, which I do appreciate. However, I feel that I can only scratch the surface of it.
Have you connected with other artists like yourself since you started Rutile? Especially in the black metal world, it’s a small community. However, I find a lot of artists to be very interested in collaborations if there are similarities in style and similar philosophies. Do you have any such friendships yet in the underworld?
I can’t say I’ve made too many connections with artists in the black metal space yet. I suppose I’m a bit of a newcomer to the scene. However I’d be open to collaboration if the opportunity ever struck. I am proud to be part of it all though. It’s something I’ve been wanting for quite some time.
Image by Rutile
Can listeners expect more music from Rutile soon?
Definitely. I’m not sure timeline-wise, but I am actively working on new music, and my goal is to have a full-length album. I’m always so impressed when solo black metal acts are able to pump out multiple albums and EPs in a single year. It really is a tremendous amount of work, and I have so much respect for those artists when I see it. My goal is to come out with something sooner rather than later, so I’ll keep it at that [laughs].
Who are you outside of music? Can you tell us a little bit about your hobbies, interests, and passions?
Back on the theme of being in the moment, I enjoy solo sports such as hiking, rock climbing, mountain biking, and snowboarding. Those sports are all about reacting and thinking in the moment and helps to quell my anxious thoughts.
My main passion aside from music is design and art. I’m a professional designer and front-end developer. Inside that space I enjoy making experimental websites and digital artwork. I have made more traditional graphic design pieces in the past such as screen printed posters and illustrations.
I like films, supporting art museums, and traveling as a means of inspirational intake. I think you, Andrew, may be familiar with my photography, and that is also something I enjoy doing. I suppose it’s a way of capturing my travel and nature experiences. And I just enjoy composing photos, playing with light, and connecting with others by showing how I like to frame the world. It has made me more appreciative of the small moments, like seeing a colorful chair in an alleyway, or what the inside of a straw looks like when you point your phone camera down into it.
I recently started reading The Creative Act by Rick Rubin, and his opening statements are so beautiful. He states that we are all capable of being creative. I think there’s this floating stigma that you have to have something shiny hanging in an art gallery to be an artist or considered “creative”. He goes along to say that if you’re choosing to drive home using a new route—that can be considered creative—I just love that. We are all creators and everyone should feel that they are capable of making art. Just like this interview for instance, these questions can be considered creative, right? The time and thought that went into it is quite meaningful for me, for readers, and for yourself. Time to get meta [laughs]. I like the notion that anyone is capable of creativity, and you can do the smallest thing in order to achieve it.
Last question: Did Boston cream pie really originate in Boston, or is that just an old wives’ tale?
Apparently, it is from Boston, and the origin story dates back to The Parker House where a French chef was believed to have come up with the recipe. The Parker House still exists today, but it is now called The Omni House. I believe Boston cream pie is actually considered cake and not a pie because it contains layers of confection made from flour with cream in-between versus a filling surrounded by dough. Any bakers out there want to challenge this response? My biggest association with Boston cream is from a certain popular Boston based coffee and donut chain…perhaps you’ve heard of them? They have those in NC right? [laughs]
