Ep. 41: A Conversation with Cyttorak (Crushing Planetary Sludge from Providence)

Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:21:20 — 186.1MB)

Cyttorak is a sludge brigade from Providence, Rhode Island. Originally established as a two-piece by Rich (bassist/vocalist) and Paul (drummer), the duo set out to channel a sound of planetary heft using their unadorned set-up. In the early months of their formation, they wrote several songs, which would come to light in June 2018 as their debut four-track demo. Primitive yet crushing, these tracks paid homage to creatures of cryptozoology and transmitted the eerie energy surrounding their respective existences via Rich’s shifting bass timbres and Paul’s lethargic plods. Shortly after their demo’s release, Rich and Paul added Evan to Cyttorak’s ranks, doubling the brigade’s pile of bass cords.

Since augmenting the outfit, Cyttorak has been undergoing a metamorphosis that has yet to broach the ears of those not local to the Providence area. With Evan now contributing and writing his own parts, the band has gravitated toward a spacier stratosphere whilst retaining components of the sludgy crunch heard on their demo. This tonal evolution, in part, stems from Evan’s craft honed in the territories of harsh noise and dreary dark ambient, though this evolution is only one transition phase for Cyttorak. Beyond the scope of their two splits planned for release in the first half of 2019 with Rabid Peak and Warstone, Rich notes their desire to seep dungeon synth into their sludgy thrums. This idea, while nascent, is of particular intrigue as it will mark the band embracing themes of places both ancient and mystical and they will simultaneously siphon the auras of the old United States lands upon which they reside.

In this conversation, Rich delves into the formation of Cyttorak, the band’s gruff sound, and the lyrics underlying those tracks on the demo. Evan discusses his noise and ambient background, describing how these influence his Cyttorak contributions. They also divulge some details about their upcoming splits, provide deeper insights into where they see Cyttorak evolving, and a good deal more. Thank you so much for listening.

* * * * * *

In addition to the hyperlinks sprinkled above, you can follow Cyttorak on both Facebook and Instagram to stay up-to-date on their 2019 releases. You can also stream their four-track demo on Spotify to your heart’s content.

Thank you Kyle at Ash & Dust Studio for mastering this conversation’s audio.