Interview: Dragged Into Sunlight tells all (no, just kidding)

The UK's best merchants of noise and negativity, Dragged Into Sunlight, will be performing Saturday, May 26 at the 2012 Maryland Deathfest. You can read my band profile of DIS here, which is part of an on-going MDF X series. After deathfest, DIS plans to spend the following two weeks touring the US, performing a limited number of gigs. This little holiday, steeped in American culture PLUS a trip to Texas, ought to provide the band with enough rage for several more soul-crushing recordings. 

I wanted to find out a little more about this enigmatic collection of mysterious misanthropes. So like a good little reporter, I asked if I could interview them. And they must not have complete "hatred for mankind" because they said yes. Today was a pretty crappy day for me overall, so to find their replies in my email inbox certainly turned my frown upsidedown, you know, in a "Dragged Into Sunlight" kind of way. Here is what they had to say. (And by "they," I mean the all-consuming, force-of-nature that is Dragged Into Sunlight.) 

How did DIS evolve? 

Dragged Into Sunlight evolved from our shared vision and bitter outlook. One expression of this is putting aside our individuality in a bid to further a holistic approach to our sound. There are no personal agendas, we stare from the inside out with one face, vision and ethic. Dragged Into Sunlight continues to evolve and is very much a beast of its own creation now.

What would you say are the lyrical themes of the songs?
In summary, our themes encompass those emotives you'd otherwise repress. Each track carries a new barrage of awkward and unsettling negativity.

There are no political or religious themes to Dragged Into Sunlight. We stand alone, and that is a position very much reflected throughout the words, blending obscurity with disgust and isolation. Twisting, turning, meandering, a downward spiral into self-destruction.

How did you develop your performance style? (That is, why do you perform with your backs to the audience, conceal your identities, and what are you trying to convey with that?)
Our performance 'style' continues to develop, however, our initial venture was almost pre-determined. We're anti-social individuals and our approach is of an anti-social nature.

Beyond concealing identities, we present a blank canvas for our listeners, it really doesn't matter who we are. Dragged Into Sunlight is a growing collective of like minded individuals sharing a similar outlook towards everything. We aspire towards new levels of extreme, our personal identities are completely separate to the identity which Dragged Into Sunlight holds as a collective manifesto.

What has been your most memorable live performance so far and why? 
Every performance is an honour for us and we view each as a separate highlight. We've experienced some killer shows.

For some of us, Dragged Into Sunlight is a final endeavour, so every moment is appreciated. For the most part, however, we hope that we make our next performance and that the sheer weight of our tone tears flesh from bone.

What type of music do you like to listen to, and which groups/musicians would you name as inspiration for your sound?
Our tastes are diverse and vast. Incantation, Bossk, Lazarus Blackstar, Rwake, Deathspell Omega and Austere recently. Dragged Into Sunlight draws on elements of the latter as a sold foundation. Our inspiration is very much a natural creation, spurred from months, if not years, of frustrated murderous intent. Imagine each micro-social interaction stuffed into one massive wrecking ball. Every time someone pissed you off and you wanted to tear their jaw off, concealed, building and ready to burst at any moment.

What sort of items will you have for sale at the Maryland Deathfest?
We'll have shirts and rolling trays. Maybe some records.

Anything else you think people ought to know about DIS?
Widowmaker.