Please introduce yourself. Who are you and what do you do?
Hello and thank you for the opportunity of this interview. My name is Anil Emre Dedeoglu . I am 27 years old and the composer of the project Dahlia’s Tear. I began the project two years ago with the purpose of composing music intertwining the complex and minimalistic music... sounds weird, I know. After being involved in a few other bands that spanned different genres such as doom and dark metal, I found that I wanted to compose more introspective and personal music with out any assistance or outer influence. I have been working on the Dahlia’s Tear project since 2005, however the concept has been in my mind much, much longer. Currently all of my time is spent on perfecting the forthcoming releases. I work in the studio alone. I feel it lets me focus on myself and gives the project a mirror effect, reflecting my inner world.  

What is the meaning of 'Dahlia's Tear' and how did it get started?
I have always believed that a human being is just a small model of the entirety of nature, incomprehensibly complex. I believe that nature expresses itself in different shapes, images, sounds and colours instead of human feelings and motions. If we would talk about the reason why I chose Dahlia’s Tear for the name of this project, I don’t know really. Dahlia is a genus of bushy flower that blooms in the autumn. I like simplicity, unimportant details. I have always thought that beauty lies in the hidden details. So if I had to put a deeper meaning to the name of this project, I think I am impressed with the fact that nature has a deep sorrow and it gives me many inspirations. I honestly do not know what I was thinking when I picked this name for my project. I probably just like the harmony between the words and wanted to use something from nature. I spend much time in nature and can say that I am a good observer. It is really a shame that people easily forget that the Earth is a living entity and is dying slowly. Every sound of nature should be listened to very carefully. I believe this very deeply. That’s why I am very much influenced by nature’s sounds and use them in my songs.  

What are your other musical projects and how do they tie into Dahlia's Tear?
At the moment Dahlia’s Tear is the only project in which i am involved. Since the year 2005 it has become my main project. Dimness Through Infinity had to be put on hold as different members of the band went in different directions for different reasons. In 2004 Dimness Through Infinity released their last album entitled “Nymph”. I was the main composer for the project and contributed to the album by playing drums, synthesizer and programming works. This was my last project as the main composer before beginning  Dahlia’s Tear. Since then I have been dedicating all of my time to Dahlia’s Tear’s music.  Honestly, it makes me more comfortable to have more time for one project and I am taking advantage of being able to concentrate on one thing. It is useful in many ways. After long and tiring years, I prefer individual acts and personal composing. This can be a way of knowing yourself better with the music or an expression of imaginary things in your mind. But I still think cooperation in music can lead to good results. Therefore I keep in contact with various musical projects and Dahlia’s Tear is open for some good  quality collaborations. I think it is a pleasant thing to share. I believe in sharing music and besides I like to take and give back in musical meaning. Therefore I assist other musicians on their projects when requested.

Can you discuss the process of how you go about writing your material?
Before I start writing my material, I give a specific shape to the story, the underlying theme that is embedded to the material. This rough idea becomes a general guide to how the music should be composed. Normally, I do not begin writing music before the designated shapes settle in my mind. However when it comes to composing and writing  the structure of the material I leave myself a big space where I do not have a specific  plan. It lets the project develop with a wide meaning. I like very much the instant decisions and unexpected developments. For example, I do not plan that a synth line will  start at certain minute or other clarified things. It is roughly like composing a soundtrack for the images you created in your mind, making you own music by looking the  inner of you. Composing music has power, such power that, it can even surprise you with the final result that you didn’t imagine before, at least it happens to me often. It has been always like this… first you give life to the material but then it starts to rule you,  changing your direction. I write my materials with specific conceptions. Such as cosmic interaction, infinity, space, more personal themes, etc. Each album of Dahlia’s Tear has its own story and each track is like a branch of the entire tree. The veins in the branches  are coming from the same root. Usually I write one song at a time, occasionally taking a break to edit another, but there are times I work on with more than one track at once. There are a few tracks which are formed with a small into but I can also remember a few tracks on which I have done the opposite. Sometimes I create the end of the song with a short outro first. So perhaps it is clear I do not have a certain way to write material.  

What instruments can you play?
I was used to play drums in different metal bands. I love to play drums, I had different drum and percussion sets in my life. Playing the drums has a different energy which makes me feel good and discharged. On the other hand I love synthesizers, all kind of sound modulators. Playing piano is also very pleasant thing for me, acoustic instruments have different place always. I went for piano lessons when I was kid, and continued for a couple of years, then I quit. I play guitar as well, I can tell I tried almost all instruments in my life at least took on my hand to try. I used to go for different instrument courses when I was a kid, even wind instruments. Only thing I do not like to do is perhaps making vocals, however I even tried that in Dahlia’s Tear. But I used it as a musical instrument and embedded it to tracks with various audio effects.  

Walk me through the history of Dahlia's Tear. From “Harmonious Euphonies For Supernatural Traumas Mesmerizing Our Existences In Radient Corpuscle Galaxies” to where we are now?
It was the middle of 2005 when I wanted the collect my old dark materials and combine  them with the new tracks. Dahlia’s Tear was an exciting idea for me and the concept has been in my mind for much, much longer. I had handful of good material that I could  use for the beginning and I chose ten tracks and finally Dahlia’s Tear released the  debut album in September 2005, A dark record label from Czech Republic, Ravenheart, wanted to publish it. I chose a title “Harmonious Euphonies For Supernatural Traumas Mesmerizing Our Existences In Radiant Corpuscle Galaxies” because it represented the album best. I didn’t mind what people will think about the title. This was the beginning  for Dahlia’s Tear. First album is sorrowful, still it is sorrowful with slow frequencies and mostly mellow instrumental partitions. “My Rotten Spirit Of Black” album is a special  one; a dark ambient release with eight pessimistic tracks. I do not really know where  this much pessimism comes from, perhaps life itself and the past. I try more drone and  dark ambient music in this album according to previous album. There is a track called  “Suicidal Notes from Lifeless Ghosts” in this album and maybe everything lays on it, all conceptualization and the story. Sometimes I see myself as a ghost. I do not keep a diary. I tried it when I was a kid though. But this album is like a diary and each song is like a page telling something different. 2007 was a productive year for Dahlia’s Tear. I am happy for one more album entitled “Under Seven Skies” will be out on October 1st from the German record label “Thonar Records”. “Under Seven Skies” is a voyage; a voyage between many feelings. I recorded all of the tracks in the end of 2006 and mastering was done in the United Kingdom in March 2007 for this album. All of the recording and the mastering processes are done for this album so it is just waiting for the date that it will be released.  

What do you hope to accomplish through your music?
I believe that definite goals obstructs the wishes. Personally I do not put a target for my musical adventure and I have countless wishes regarding to music. I do not like the limits nor the repeats. Therefore I cant say I have a distinct mission or a target that I want to reach. If I knew I had enough life, I would want to make one album for each star in the sky. Continual production is my main principle. I just want to use my time as productively possible. I am aware of this short span of time, life is pretty short to accomplish your objectives. I want to produce as much as I can. Since I can not leave my body as a heritage to this earth, music can undertake this mission. I hope I will have enough time to be satisfied with my releases. I don't know, maybe time will come and I will say this is enough... nobody knows the future. But right now I just want to produce; music is my life. People can listen Dahlia’s Tear’s music and imagine what they want. Personally I do not like music giving specific messages. Dahlia’s Tear will stand on different a dimension and in special place in music scene. I do not like to compare or be compared to other musicians. I believe in creating your own style of music. There is a saying ‘You will never leave a footprint if you walk behind someone else.’  

What are some of your musical influences?
Dahlia's Tear influences are more from the nature, earth and space than musical influences. Dahlia’s Tear music is a reflection of personal accumulation and much introspective. I see human being as a part of nature and vice versa. Nature has its own language and depth that inspires me very much and deeply. This language is so effective and impressive to provide me an endless inspiration. On the other hand I listen many artists worldwide, of course just like anybody else, the musical background can direct me but in the end, I listen to myself and reflect my inner world through music. Some songs of Dahlia's Tear would remind you other artists in this genre or vice versa, this is because of music is reciprocal influence, it is an interaction. Also nature sounds affects me profoundly. As I mention some places else, the great musician Beethoven was deaf, but it is said that he knew the nature sounds more than anyone can know. Nature itself is so rich to take an inspiration. Just small and basic things can be a great source for Dahlia’s Tear music, from a raindrop falling down to the land to a rare flower faraway somewhere in the world. I am deeply interested in space too. The universe's excellence is a big inspiration for Dahlia's Tear music.  

What are your thoughts on the ambient music scene?
Ambient music was originally associated with a more environmental context, but this is not totally correct stationary. This is the musical form with the greatest reach and more individual than it is represented. It is coming from the expanses of one's deeper interior. This internal ambience make the music more alive and influential. Ambient music clearly carries more personal components than many other musical genres. When it comes to myself, since the beginning of 2005 I have been doing mostly dark ambient music, which was like a flight point to me. And day by day I am realizing that ambient music has limitless richness, it is like boundless fields. And when you look at ambient music like this, it is easy to come to the conclusion that ambient music is just so flexible. I can combine various sub-genres with the ambient music itself, such as atmospheric background with experimental touches. Nowadays in our world, it’s come to a point where the ambient music scene is sheltering many talented artists in it. When I am not working on with my project and have enough time to do, I love to discover new sounds and artist worldwide. I like to listen to different music and love to hear their unique and special sounds. However it is too frequent the ambient music is repeating itself and sometimes being pedestrian. Personally I like dark ambient and atmospheric music and the blend with experimental and industrial touches. I believe that artists in any of the musical genre shouldn't feel pressure to create music in the effects of this genre. This is why the ambient music is special.  

What are you currently reading? What are some of your favorite books/authors?
I am big fan of Stephen King and his books. I like to read horror and thriller books. Right now i do not have something on my hand to read because of my quite busy schedule, but the last book I read was by David Blatner, ‘The Joy Of Pi’. It was an interesting book, a treasure trove of facts, quotes, puzzles and even the first 1 million digits of pi. I like to read scientific books as well. I also like J R R Toliken… He set the benchmark for the fantasy genre, he will remain the most influential and beloved in his genre I guess. I used to like ‘The Lord Of The Rings’ trio and ‘The Hobbit’ and other fantasy genre books; such as ‘Wanderer’s Tale’ by David Bilsborough. I like to discover new tastes in literature so on my vacation I will look for something interesting to read.  

What does your life consist of outside of music?
I was working in maritime transportation in the harbour... quite boring work, navigation and shipping. But it was part of my life for some time. I graduated from maritime school and have a degree in maritime engineering. The best thing about working in the harbour was being close to sea all the time. I still like to be close to shore when it is cloudy. I love it. But I decided to dedicate time specifically to my music. Maybe it will be a work I do again in the near future. Outside of music, I like to walk around. I like calm places, nature. I spend much time with my partner, Mari and our german shepherd dog. We take a long walk everyday, it helps me to get rid of the heaviness of the day, giving me a peace. I watch movies if I have time. I like to watch movies. It can be at home or at cinema, doesn't matter. Also I like to travel, if I have a chance. There are many places I want to visit and see. I do not like crowded and loud places. I dream to live in a place, far from city life, in tranquility. As an addition to all of this, I like photography, computers and astronomy.  

What are you views on music piracy and mp3s?
First of all, I have to say that I hate the commercial music, including all artists who make music without any feeling to earn more and more money. I do not like music which is done in extreme high budgets, with greatest promotion ever and where only money rules. I'd prefer an independent label  who would give me less money, who would promote me less, and would send me to cheaper studios than a major label who invests extreme money on me to earn more money on me. I record my albums in my studio and the musical genre is more individual but I am talking in general here including the bands who needs more complicated set ups and studios for their albums. But yes music is a passionate affair. I do not make music for money. However, I have to clarify some things here too. Independent labels who work in this musical genre already know that this is not a pop culture to earn much money. Dahlia’s Tear’s and similar projects or band’s labels also need money to create their artist’s albums. They spend money for good production and releases, so it should return them to continue this good work. The listener should think that if they want better presentation and continuousness, they have to buy albums of artists they like instead of downloading. Especially in underground scene it is very important to support and show it in actions like buying albums. Even the artist who doesn’t care about money stuff still needs money to create better music with better equipments, better presentation and quality. Personally I don’t mind if people download my music, money is nothing when it comes to music but for continuousness and in the meaning of support, labels and artists need money. If people are doubtful of a performance and download the album first, then in case of they like what they hear, they should buy the album still. Last words of me in this subject is the artists who really have something to say and who want to get their voice heard will find a way without the support of the majors if necessary.  

What does the future hold for Dahlia's Tear?
It has been two years since I began this venture and I feel the hunger to do more with Dahlia's Tear. I completed three albums and plan to produce more by exploring different musical genres and sounds. Dahlia's Tear will protect its own taste, but I want to explore different elements. I can see playing live in good time and a good place.  

What are your thoughts on performing live?
I have a belief and a thought about the music and originality. I deeply believe the fact that a special music only exists in a specific place. This will be something I will put more energy into. Every artist can make their albums and studio performances and everyone can hear it anywhere but on the other hand, music is something that should exist in specific places. Therefore live performances mean something to me in this case. There is no need to record this and anyone is totally free to forget the melodies. It is just a pleasure to share that musical feast. Live performance for Dahlia’s Tear has been an exciting thought on my mind for quite long time since i had released the debut album. I knew it was difficult to reflect this kind of music with special moods. I would love to perform live Dahlia’s Tear and I can say that it is just matter of right time and right place. If everything will be appropriate then I would love to carry out. When I think of it, clearly it would be awesome to reflect the magic of the music to the stage. For certain, performing the Dahlia’s Tear songs would be a very different show, including perhaps some visual elements. That would strengthen the complicated story and the effect of abstract music. I have experienced the difficulty of expressing this difficult kind of music in a live setting, however the pleasure makes the experience more than worth it. During 2007, some organizations contacted Dahlia’s Tear for a possible live performance, I am just waiting for the right time as I mentioned above. And I am aware of the fact that people who like to listen Dahlia’s Tear project want to see a live performance for a different experience. It would be a great experience and a pleasure for me too, indeed.  

Care to leave us with any final thoughts?
I love to share the music with people and it is the best tool for me to express my inner world. Popular music is a kind that will always go on as long as dynamism of social group’s continues. But still there are special souls who are interested with underground or not easy listening music. The music of Dahlia’s Tear needs trained ears to be understood well enough. But I depend on ambient music listener’s ears. I am being glad when I see there are kindred souls somewhere in the world when i hear good feedback. The second album of Dahlia’s Tear was released on July 15th and I am glad to share this dark and abstract world of music with the people who will give this album a listen.  

Thank you for this interview, Anil. It has been quite enlightening.
Thank you too Jason for this special interview , it was pleasure for me to talk with you who is very well-informed person.  

- July 2007 by Jason