One-man act Fields of Violet is also a member of Scorching Winter. Fields of Violet is a music project by composer, producer and guitarist Rafael Katigbak featuring performances from musicians from around the globe. The project’s debut EP entitled Into the Unknown containing 5 songs is scheduled for release on the 23rd of April 2018.
Simple things first – where are you from?
I am from Melbourne, Australia.
How did you start the project?
It started when I wrote a couple of songs that were a bit different and that didn’t fit the context of my other band. I decided that this was going to be its own thing. So I just kept writing and doing demos in my home studio and later on found other musicians to help me bring the songs to life.
How long have you been playing as this project?
I started writing for this project early last year (2017).
Before you get sick of being asked… where does the project name come from?
I wanted the imagery for the band to be somewhat surreal so I was thinking about different images that best showed that. And the image that stuck with me was a field of violet flowers. Hence, I called it Fields of Violet.
What are your influences?
Porcupine Tree is a big influence on me. Their music sounds deceptively simple and it really connects with me emotionally. However when you really analyze it, you realize just how creative and intricate it really is. A lot of heavier acts like Dream Theater, Opeth and Devin Townsend have also influenced my music even if it bears no resemblance to those bands.
Describe your music. What makes you unique?
The project is all about exploring different soundscapes and playing around with different styles. This resulted in a sound that is dynamic, interesting and beautiful. I can’t think of a band/act that sounds like it at the moment so the audience will have to hear it for themselves to understand.
Do you have any particular lyrical themes?
On this EP, I went with a simple story telling approach. The stories are fictional but they are metaphors for events that either happened to me directly or I have witnessed. In saying that, it doesn’t mean I’m always going to take that approach.
What’s your live show like? How many shows have you played?
This project is not intended to be a live act. At least for now.
What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?
Not really a fan of shock rock or people breaking guitars and stuff. Most of the bands I see live don’t do stuff like that.
What kit do you use / guitars do you play / etc.?
I used the simplest setup you can think of when I recorded the guitars for this project. It is basically a guitar through an amplifier with a single microphone in front of it. No pedals except for one song. The guitar is basically an Ibanez Darkstone with Dimarzio Crunch lab and Air Classic Pickups and the amp is an Orange Tiny Terror. I do have a little collection of Ibanez Guitars and a more complicated rig for my other band but I decided to keep it simple on this one.
What are your plans for 2018?
There is a lot more work ahead to promote this release. But in saying that, I think I will start planning and writing for the follow-up release as well.
If you were second on a three-band/act bill, which band would you love to be ing and which band would you choose to open for you? A chance to plug someone you’ve toured with, or a mate’s band we’ve not heard of before!
It’s hard to choose which of my mate’s bands to promote. So I’ll just say that my other band Scorching Winter will open for us. And we’ll be ing Porcupine Tree on their reunion tour.
Fields of Violet: official | facebook | youtube
