ASTARI NITE about the dissolution of happiness?

“It can be wonderful to be connected to a rainbow of memory, and then we wake up and experience another day.” (Mychael)

Life is not always easy for us. While Astari Nite were working on their fifth album “Resolution of Happiness”, Mychael lost his father and also his brother. From one moment to the next, the singer’s life fell apart at the seams. But during this painful time, the band from Miami stuck together. After a while, Mychael made an important decision – for life, for music and for friendship. Together with his bandmates and his best friends, he found new courage and threw himself into creativity. They gave him all the freedom he needed to create and process his grief. Together, Astari Nite created an approachable album full of colorful facets. With “Resolution of Happiness”, the inner sparkle of the brave singer has been rekindled.

Pure sincerity
Orkus: The cover of your album is somewhat reminiscent of an overview on an Instagram page. Is it similar to your video for “Tongue Tied Galore”, that one can see a part of your band’s everyday life at a glance, or get an insight into what Astari Nite is all about, or what is behind it?
Michael: Maybe you’re right in a way! Everything about this album was intentional. I wasn’t really going for subliminal messages or secret passages in the alleys of my life. We wrote what we wrote to allow anyone and everyone to experience our current state of mind!

O: The creative process was particularly challenging for you this time. Are the colorful images on the cover also somehow soothing?
M: Colors and aesthetics affect the mood! We needed a bright canvas to complement and tell the story of each song on the album. These images were once very personal to me, and I had the chance to share them with the world and the fans. Now those memories won’t lose their meaning, I love them all!

Liveliness
O: Do sad feelings come up again live when you perform the new songs, or can you enjoy the impressive result completely and freely?
M: I’m not sure if the new songs on this record are sad, because right now they’re about my current state of mind, which is just living life the way I want to and expressing our music as beautifully and truthfully as possible. The dynamics of a song can change your mind at any time if you let it. You can do that if you’re honest with yourself and the universe you’re in.

O: Is there anything that connects you and your brother and/or your father to this day?
M: I will always be connected to both of them! That’s how memories tell their stories. They somehow sneak in and allow you to remember something when you least expect it. It can be wonderful to be connected to a rainbow of memories and then we wake up and experience another day.

Pitch & Brimstone
O: Isn’t it a gift when you can be friends with your bandmates? That seems to be the case with you.
M: Illia, Danny and Howard are my soul mates! You can turn it any way you like, they keep my heart beating.

O: Do you like being the center of attention or is that just part of being a singer and you submit to the role?
M: Oh, I’m just someone who’s “lucky in love” with three friends who help me express my mood at the time. My bandmates are the centerpiece. They all shine the brightest!

Fashion icon
O: You’re from Miami – you’re used to good weather there. Do you have a soft spot for pretty sunglasses? You seem to have a number of them. Do you know how many you have?
M: I currently own seven pairs of sunglasses, which I absolutely need. Recurring occasions can be very boring without sunglasses. Sometimes I have to hide my own eyes from my colorful personality.

O: You also have a knack for fashion. It’s obvious when you watch your music videos. You do think about your looks, don’t you? Do you like shopping?
M: My strange and peculiar clothes always find a way to me! I do my best to look as much like Olive Oyl from the Popeye cartoons as possible. Maybe it’s all in my head! But somehow it makes perfect sense to me.

Uniqueness
O: You sometimes create very unusual images with your texts. Does that amuse you a little? Have you always had such creative trains of thought?
M: It definitely amuses me and that’s a good thing. Art is there to be enjoyed, even if you’re just fascinated by it yourself. Danny Ae (soulmate, bandmate, dinner date, never late) flies in our aesthetic straight from outer space. He and I chat passionately, he finalizes the look. He’s a real Andy Warhol, I’m telling you!

O: Who would you like to sing a duet with if you had the choice?
M: Leah Lane from Rosegarden Funeral Party! She’s from another planet, it’s impossible that she was born on this earth.

In the next part, we talk about self-worth, healing ideas and take a closer look at the album “Resolution of Happiness”.

Nadine Kloppert
Photo: Wendy Darling

Line-up:
Mychael – Vocals
Howard Melnick – Guitar
Danny AE – Synthesizer, Bass
Illia Tulloch – Drums, Electronics

Watch the video for “Tongue Tied Galore” here: