Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Simlev. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Simlev, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

The most meaningful project I’ve ever worked on is likely Krokmitën’s first album, Alpha-Beta. This was an ambitious undertaking—a 46-minute continuous song and album, accompanied by a full-length animated lyric video. It was both a creative endeavor and a learning ground, where I immersed myself in recording, video animation, and editing. Through this project, I not only honed my technical skills but also developed a workflow for composing, recording, and streamlining my process. Alpha-Beta became the foundation for Krokmitën’s sonic and visual identity, allowing me to bring my artistic vision to life.

Simlev, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’ve been a professional art director and graphic designer for over 25 years, but Krokmitën is my true creative playground, where I can experiment freely with music, visuals, and video—all under my own direction. At its core, Krokmitën is a death metal entity, yet I love pushing its boundaries with elements of doom, cinematic atmospheres, and dark ambient sounds.

For some background, Krokmitën began in 1991 as a full-fledged live band. After a few intense years, I chose to put it on hold in 1995 to focus on my graphic design career, and later reactivated it in 2005 with a fresh focus as a studio-only project. Now working from my Montreal studio, I approach each album as its own creative journey, collaborating with carefully chosen session musicians to capture the exact vision and intensity I aim for. My goal with Krokmitën is to create conceptual, single-track albums that unfold like a movie score or a classical composition. Though rooted in death metal, I constantly reach into cinematic and atmospheric realms, crossing genres to keep the sound uniquely immersive. With a DIY philosophy, I release music for free, staying true to an independent and experimental spirit that keeps Krokmitën evolving.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I’ve always aimed to do as much as possible on my own for Krokmitën and to release it for free—a mindset I had even before streaming platforms like Spotify came along. Collaboration can be fantastic and lead to great results, but there’s a unique cohesion and depth that comes from channeling a single vision. Nowadays, the important challenge is learning tuning out the noise—from social media, critics, friends and relatives—because, ultimately, Krokmitën is my passion project. My goal is to realize a clear vision that’s been brewing in my mind, one that I feel driven to bring to life.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

Non-musicians and fans often don’t realize just how challenging it is to keep a band together. You’ll often see comments calling for a reunion, but people may not understand why band members can’t just make up and continue working together. In my experience, it’s incredibly difficult to maintain a band over time—people change, priorities shift, and outside factors impact artists in ways no one can predict. Add to this the lack of financial stability, struggles with mental health, substance abuse, and you have a recipe for volatility.

And for those artists who do ‘make it’ to a certain level, it quickly becomes a world of money, lawyers, managers, and situations straight out of Spinal Tap. That’s why I’ve never seen Krokmitën as a career; instead, I’ve kept it as a passion project. I have no desire to dilute my vision or be told what to do, how to do it, and when. Once it turns into a business, it loses the sense of fulfillment that keeps me passionate.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.krokmiten.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/krokmiten/
• Twitter: https://x.com/krokmiten
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@krokmiten