MAKING OUR FIRST MUSIC VIDEO

Our music video for 'In the Clouds' was a real challenge! It was a DIY attempt to say the least, and was made in the #covid19 #lockdown period of 2020 using the most basic equipment.

If I was to tell you that we don't have all the latest tech, it would be an understatement. Our laptop is too old and slow to run any video editing software so we had to resort to using our #Samsung Galaxy Tab A to create the music video on #PowerDirector. The video was in 4K until we tried exporting it, but after many attempts, we had to settle for 1080p ;(

Neither of us had any experience prior to this, so it was pretty challenging!

Many of the shots used in the video were taken on our walks during lockdown. Since we had just moved to Wales, there was a lot of exploring to do and we used our phones for all of the filming.

We decided to film the shots of Luna Moon (Jodi) at #BarryCastle near to our home. We had everything set up and ready to go, when the welsh police (Heddlu) drove past. Of course they stopped to find out what we were doing dancing in the rain during lockdown. They were even more interested when they heard Luna's scouse accent and Mitia's full Russian name- considering the 5 mile travel rule. We managed to convince them that we were not drunk tourists, and were in fact locals working on a music video.

The shots taken of Mitia playing lead guitar were filmed at #SullyBeach. We decided that we wanted to film the sunrise, so we stayed up all night and walked a fair few miles carrying all of our gear. The walk home was particularly challenging as the tiredness kicked in. The gear seemed double the weight of the way there. But when we got home, and saw the footage, we were pleased with the result and it was worth it.

Mitia also plays the bass parts for Alpha Corvus for the time being. We filmed the shots beside the campfire in our back yard. It was also raining when we filmed this, so the wood used on the fire was damp- causing it to smoke quite a lot! We liked this effect since the lyrics are 'I'm fully in your cloud'- we found it fitting.

We have concluded that video editing is not for us, and we are hoping to avoid editing our own future videos.

WHY ARE WE CALLED ALPHA CORVUS?

Loads of people have asked us why we decided to name the #band Alpha Corvus, and there is quite a lot of meaning involved. This blog post sums up the basics, although the meaning runs deeper if you look into it further.

#Alpha brainwaves are dominant during #meditation and times of relaxation. Alpha is the power of being present and aware. These alpha brainwaves are essential for mind/ body integration and mental co-ordination. Once the body is in 'Alpha State', it is possible to explore realms of altered states of consciousness. #Shamans and mystics are adept in embracing dream states and harnessing the potential of the alpha-wave cycle. Since 'α' is the first letter of the Greek alphabet, and signifies the beginning of something new, it seemed relevant to include it in our band name. We were originally thinking of calling the band 'Corvus' until we discovered that there is another band out there with that name.

But, why Corvus?

There are many legends surrounding the Corvus constellation. Corvus is Latin for #Raven, however many birds such as crows and magpies are within the genus Corvus. The alpha star in a constellation is usually the brightest, however, Alpha Corvi is the 3rd brightest star in the constellation Corvus. This could be compared to an alpha male or female usually being the strongest or most attractive, however there are times where the opportunity arises for even the most unexpected. Everywhere we go, we see birds from the Corvidae family, and it is a constant reminder to stay on track and #follow our #dreams. The Crow symbolises transformation, which we are hoping to achieve, and Ravens are a totem of the connections we have between the material world and other realms, or 'alpha states'. Many traditions connect Ravens symbolically with #death and the #underworld, which makes the mythology surrounding the constellation even more interesting.

Legends about the Corvus constellation

The constellation Corvus is situated on the back of Hydra (Water Snake) and adjacent to Crater (chalice/ cup).

The crow was considered to be sacred to Apollo, who was said to of transformed into one to flee the monster Typhon. Apollo sent a crow to fetch a cup of water, but the crow was distracted on the way. It had seen a tree full of unripe figs, and decided to wait for the fruit to ripen before eating them all. Since the crow knew that Apollo would wonder why he had taken so long, the crow collected the water in the cup and carried a snake back with him. The crow lied to Apollo, and said that the snake was stopping him from collecting the water. Apollo got so mad at the crow that he flung the bird, the cup and the snake into the night sky. The cup is just out of reach for the crow, meaning that the crow is forever thirsty. Myth tells us that this is why they make a 'CAW' noise.

Legend also says, that the crow was once pure white, like a dove- but the bird brought news to Apollo that his love Coronis been unfaithful, and in a rage, cursed the crow turning its feathers black.

The constellation of Hydra signifies Ningishzida, who is the God of the Underworld. Corvus being a symbol of death and the chalice being a sacrifice symbol of mixing blood and wine; it has been said that the 3 constellations mark the gate to the underworld.

ALPHA CORVUS IS LOOKING FOR BAND MEMBERS!

We have been stuck at home during #covid19 #lockdown which meant that Mitia has programmed the drums, played the guitar as well as the bass parts on the first 4 tracks. (Which we have recorded in our spare bedroom- not ideal!)

We are making an album ILLUSIONS

However, the rest of the album will be recorded with a full band professionally in a recording studio.

Looking for musicians based in

Cardiff / Vale of Glamorgan/ Bristol

Rhythm/ Lead Guitarist

Drummer

Bassist

(We love harmonies so if you sing, that's a bonus!)

Check out Alpha Corvus NEW VIDEO In the Clouds

ILLUSIONS is mainly Alternative Rock / Prog Metal

So, if this is your thing-even better!

If you haven't heard of us already, give our previous blog post a read

Alpha Corvus- Who are we?

Get in touch

alphacorvusband@gmail.com