Dmitry Wild And Houses In Motion Join Forces For The Obsessively Good Single, “Small Affliction”

Sometimes, great things come out of compromising situations. For musicians Dmitry Wild and Houses in Motion, the catalyst for a riveting project would come from the COVID-19 lockdown and the artistic challenges it posed for collaboration. The duo’s new album “Fountain of Memory,” recorded mainly from their home studies in upstate New York, is a testament to their creative resilience in the face of the pandemic and its challenges.

The duo would get their start when Dmitry met Eric Rosemann (Houses in Motion) on his first day at a new job. Dmitry would start a conversation about music, and they quickly realized they agreed, and the rest, as they say, is history. A fruitful collaboration soon followed; Eric’s mastery of his synths, samplers and drum machines provided the perfect foil for Dmitry’s captivating poetry and lyrics, creating an unforgettable project.

“Small Affliction” stands out on what is already a robust offering. Over catchy sonic synths arranged in a rolling beat, Dmitry’s vocals deftly intertwine with the instrumentals to create an otherworldly ambiance.

Dropping lyrics like the oft-repeated “I have a small affliction / I like to own beautiful things / When I am flying high I meet them / And you were one of the those / beautiful things,” Dmitry chronicles his bordering obsession with the target of his affection. The upbeat instrumentals provide a layer of “innocence” over the slightly darker implications of the lyrics, providing a creative contrast like the track.

Overall, Dmitry and Eric's “Small Affliction” is a must-listen for anyone who appreciates the beauty of creative expression. Whenever you’re ready, tap in and stream Dmitry Wild and Houses in Motion’s “Small Afflictions,” available now on all major streaming platforms.

Welcome to BuzzMusic, Dmitry and Eric! We loved “Small Affliction” The two of you were so in sync! You bring out the best in each other. It’s great to see! We must ask, what inspired “Small Affliction?" Dmitry: This was the last track we decided to throw on the album. When I wrote the original version, I felt it could use a remix, so I wrote to Eric, and he said sure; 2 weeks later, he sent me the remix back, and I was like, wow, this is even better than the original. So, then we polished it up, and that’s how it went up. Regarding inspiration, it’s about life lessons, how vulnerable we are as people, and how we all have small afflictions such as shopping, drugs, stress, love, alcohol, cigarettes, and whatever. So that song is a bit of realization of that simple and hard truth, but the powerful message of it is that once you realize it has no hold over us anymore.

Eric: Unlike the rest of our project, this one was a remix, and as Dmitry said, it was the last track to come together. The rest of the album gestated over such a long time - with each song undergoing a major transformation. This one was really quick because it wasn’t a collaboration per se, but my reaction to his song, as opposed to him finding the right verses to lay over songs I was composing and then developing that idea from there. Completely independent of our project, Dmitry asked if I might remix a song from the album he was completing for another project. This was the last song on that album, and as soon as I heard the original track, I could hear what I could do with it. So it was (relatively) quick - compared to the rest of the album, and a testament to, yet a total reversal of how we worked together during the pandemic. You mentioned previously that having to record the album upstate when the COVID lockdown happened was a welcome change! What kind of influence did having a calmer environment have on songs like “Small Afflictions” and “Fountain of Memory?" Dmitry: Well, the lockdown was a blessing in disguise since it allowed us time to craft the sound, go through 49 versions of a mix and like 12 takes of 1 vocal. It wasn’t easy to go back and redo it repeatedly, but we felt there was no pressure as well. So since Eric (Houses in Motion) was the producer of this album, he let the songs run their course. Every new version is better than the last, and when you have the time, internal and external influences will all impact the sound—in our case, a time allowed us to get lost in its insignificance. "Small Affliction" and "Fountain of Memory" were written with the slower time signatures in mind since the time would drag slowly by our houses. "Fountain of Memory," lyrically, was more of a meditation on how Renaissance artists such as Da Vinci could also impact us today. Even though I wrote it right before the Pandemic, the words still rang true throughout the lockdown, especially phrases such as no past, present and future.

Eric: We started working on this together in October 2019. The album's core came together fast … 1, 2 sessions, and we had a few songs and then played a show. It was raw but had a vibe and a direction forward. Then the pandemic and we both relocated upstate. Without time pressure, things completely changed, and I went deep into the songs and the production. So, the funny thing is, when it started, it was 2 random people coming together in New York City. Then we took our project and fled upstate. But instead of pastoral vs. urban - it meant retreating to my basement and pouring everything into my studio there. So, it was like a moment in time, frozen and transported somewhere else and stretched over a long period of time … It was an outlet in a weird time, which in a way, I think is reflected in the output. Do you two have a favourite memory of working together thus far?

Dmitry: For me, it was going to the studio one last time, right before Covid became a thing, and just banging out “Fear Mantra” right there. We just had a concept in mind, and then we were able to recreate it and roll with it, and even though it wasn’t perfect, it allowed us to see how it might sound if we let loose.

Eric: I think now, after how long ago this started and how far we and the project have both come since then, having the opportunity to perform these songs live, and to have them out there, is the best part. But I agree with Dmitry that that original spark made it worth pursuing and seeing through. Other than “Small Afflictions,” are there any other songs from “Fountain of Memory” that you’re especially excited for your listeners to hear? Dmitry: For me, Everlasting Drug is an amazing down-tempo psychedelic trip that sounded pristine and beautiful. Also, Venus || is a great banger as well. We always wanted to see what that would sound like in a club with big speakers.

Eric: Fear Mantra. For me, that is the manifesto for collaboration. It’s like 5-6 songs in one - each one a separate chapter in the story Dmitry’s telling. Our original live version was VERY close to the final version. I used the 2-track recording of our original performance as the template for the final. Still, I recreated it from the ground up as a slavish cover to the concept and structure of that original version. It was quite a challenge, but I’m happy with how it came out.

What’s next for you two? Do you have any big goals for the rest of 2023? Dmitry: As far as us, our big goal was to finish and release this body of work since it is a collaboration project, and we had no big goals further than that. But since the album was received so well, we might come around to another collaboration. Meanwhile, we have some gigs lined up to promote the album; after that, we will investigate licensing the music. We also started talking about doing a cover or two. They remain secret for now.

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