Feature: COSMICA Decodes “Castle of Dark Illusions”
How did everything come together?
“Castle of Dark Illusions” came together as our newest single from our next EP release; Exhibition: ACT 1. Which, when moving forward from our previous single and fan-favourite Northern Star, the band (Jayden, Jack, Tim) and I (Teah) desired to scratch further than the surface as we “mean what we say” in our music.
Indeed, this track really taps into more intense instrumentation and lyricism. Overall, this track serves as a bridging taste tester for what’s to come in the COSMICA discography. Exhibition ACT I’s counter part that was released this time last year Exhibition: ACT II, was built to be sharp, to the point, and direct in what it meant. With a punk flavour. Sonically, “Castle of Dark Illusions” strays away from this intent and more or rather, blurs the lines of mood, temperament and fragility in its creation.
Were there any memorable or standout moments during the recording of “Castle of Dark Illusions?”
Creating the track from start to finish was indeed memorable within of itself. Although a very notable part that actually shaped the song structurally, was the ending harmonies. This was never written prior to the studio sessions. It was in fact, a very spontaneous last minute choice of mine while laying down the last vocal take. Being such a staple moment in the song, the band and I couldn’t even imagine it without the special ending. Arguably this elevated the track’s deeper meaning, creating this sense of ‘bittersweetness’ for the listener. Basically, that last minute choice really changed the song drastically. Cheers to spontaneity!
What impact do you hope “Castle of Dark Illusions” will have on your audience?
As a band, we hope that amongst our other tracks to date and to come, “Castle of Dark Illusions” functions as a track you can find yourself within, find your deeper meaning, then come back to time and time again. Durability and timelessness is something we always strive for, so if you find yourself needing to come back to a track for any reason….mission accomplished. With “Castle of Dark Illusions” we challenge the listener to take in and adapt their own vulnerability, whilst most importantly letting their “house of cards” fall down.
Can you tell us more about you as a band?
COSMICA came about in late 2021, a passion project originally orchestrated by lead singer Teah Biviano. The band name stems from the Italian translation of “the cosmos” (Le cosmico/cosmica). Our passion for music is a collaboration of every band member who brings to the table an array of genres and influences. From bands like Gorillaz to Portisead, our songs come together in a giant melting pot of music we love. From the heart, COSMICA’s ultimate goal is to live life through our art and music; no matter the circumstance, there will be a song for it, and it will be loud.
Are there any up and coming projects or releases you are particularly excited about?
There is never a dull moment here at COSMICA HQ, always something super exciting on the horizon. As you can already guess, the mentioned Exhibition ACT I EP is our latest and greatest project coming July 11th. This isn’t just a normal EP release, it is the final piece to our collective body of work “Exhibition ACT I & II”. As we released its counterpart ACT II last year, we have received an overwhelmingly incredible response. To not spoil too much, what the listener has heard on ACT 2 will be a complete table-turner. In the best way possible. Expect to be emotionally demanded by these tracks. Once you’re done, go listen to them front to back/ back to front. All over again.