Interview with ATHAMAY (Part 2 of 2)

In our two-part interview, we talk with Athamay about her fourth album, “Necropolis,” which is about much more than just death. If you missed the first part, you can read it here.

A Scandalous Welcome?

The opening track, “The Nun,” follows a character “who began to lose her way, haunted by visions and inner demons through sinful nights,” seeking atonement or redemption “through increasingly destructive paths. The story works on both a literal and metaphorical level.” At its core, it’s about the “loss of faith, not only in the religious sense,” but also in the sense of faith “in oneself, in others, and in the values that once gave life meaning.” When that disappears, “everything around her begins to collapse.” Once deeply devoted to her faith, circumstances gradually transform the nun into something that is the very opposite of what she used to represent. In Greece, Christianity is deeply “embedded in society, culture, and everyday life. In that sense, the themes of faith, doubt, guilt, and spiritual conflict were always present around me.” The song is influenced by this and “explores what can happen when the structures and ideas that once defined a person begin to fall apart.”

A Walk Through a Cemetery & Fascinating Necropolises?

Marlen talks about Mycenae, home to some of Greece’s oldest burial sites, dating back to the Bronze Age. “It feels like a place where myth and history converge. Walking through it gives you a strong sense of an ancient world that’s still present in the landscape today.” Sean mentions the Catacombs of Paris and Whitby—a place he’s also become familiar with through his work as a DJ. “Whitby Cemetery,” the cemetery near Whitby Abbey, can even be seen in the background of the album cover art!

Martina Wutscher

Lineup:
Sean Athamay – Composition, Synthesizer, Guitar, Programming
Marlen Moysidou – Vocals

Listen to Athamay on our “Current Issue” playlist on Spotify:

In our July/August issue, you’ll also find features with Athamay