A Chat With Mariya Anastasova -Baldur's Gate 3

Melethiel (00:15.644)
Nice.

Projektitachi (00:22.301)
What is up, everybody? Welcome back to another week of the Jeezy Chop Shop podcast. I am your host, Project Katachi, joined by my good friend and co -host, Warners. And boy, we got a special episode for you. And we have a special guest. You have heard her lovely voice on the award winning game, Baldur's Gate 3, performing songs such as Down by the River and fan favorite, Rafael's final act.

She has also taken to stage in various Bulgarian theater musical productions, such as Belle from Beauty and the Beast and Morticia Adams in the Adams Family. Just to name a few. Let's give a warm welcome to Maria. Thank you so much for joining us on our podcast. I always have a little story to share before we get into the episodes, especially when we have amazing guests like yourself.

When I first sent the initial email, it was a cold email. I was scared because we're all fans of Baldur's Gate 3. And I was like, you know, it'd be really great because we loved the music from the game. And I was like, man, it would really be awesome if we could get one of the lead vocalists on the show. And the guys, they were like, yeah, that would be cool. And then that was it from them. They were like, yeah, that'd be awesome. And that was it. And I was like, you know what? I'm going to do it. I'm going to send an email.

So I send off the email and I was like panic mode. I was like, is she actually gonna read this email? She probably gets like a million emails. There's no way she's gonna read this email. And at the time I had sent it, I was like, okay, you know, she's probably busy, didn't get the email. And then I finally in the corner of my screen, just like when we had Donna on, I see the pop -up of a reply and she was like, my gosh, I'm sorry, I'm so late. I would love to be on the show. And I like...

I like lost it. was like, I didn't know what to do with my hands. I was so excited. I went to the group channel. was like, guys, she said she's going to be on the show. So I am super excited if you can't tell. So once again, thank you so much. Yes, everyone, I geeked out. You can clip that. I geeked out. So obviously, everyone is going to be curious about your work in Baldur's Gate 3 as one of the lead vocalists.

Daniel (02:36.278)
You

Projektitachi (02:49.614)
Right from the gate, I'm just curious, how did you get to work on such an amazing game? How did you get to work with Larry and Studios on that?

Melethiel (03:00.917)
I will answer. First of all, thank you so much, Greg. Thank you for the email. I remember reading it. It was some months back. I think it was during preparation for the concert in London. And everything was like rehearsals, everything was panicking because it's a big royal festival hall.

I don't know what the capacity is, but I think more than 4 ,000, 5 ,000 people and me and the other lead singer, Ilona, we were stressing out so we couldn't really reply to anything. But then after everything calmed down, I was really excited to write. And I'm very thankful for the invitation to this podcast and to be able to speak to you guys and share stories and discuss the last year or the last two years of my life.

And Daniel, sorry.

Projektitachi (03:57.089)
I

Daniel (03:57.984)
It's okay. I'm on the side here. You're good. I'm like french fries. I'm on the side. You don't have to finish it. Save it for later.

Projektitachi (04:04.093)
You

Melethiel (04:05.041)
And then work.

I had a video uploaded from my premiere as Belle in Beauty and the Beast and it was mostly mistakes from the premiere because I could see them and a lot of them were very funny. For example, we had to do the... Have you guys watched Beauty and the Beast? Well, the final scene where the villagers, they're all gonna rally up and they're gonna kill the beast and I show them the mirror. No, he's kind, know, show me the beast and I'm showing them the beast and that scene...

Projektitachi (04:27.783)
Mm.

Melethiel (04:40.053)
comes, you know, it's nearing and I'm on stage and I look at my hand and I realized that I forgot the mirror somewhere off stage, somewhere backstage. So I ran off. I have like 10 seconds before my next line. I ran off the stage. I was running with my big yellow dress. I tore it in like five parts and I found the mirror and I gasped on the guy. He was thinking he was he told me I was already thinking of how I'm going to improvise that you died or something happened to Belle and she's just not here.

Projektitachi (04:59.128)
wow.

Melethiel (05:10.173)
and I ran on stage at the exact same moment that I threw them in there. And it was really funny. And other like moments like this from the premiere. And it had a little bit of singing from the song, there's been a change in me. This one is specific. It's special for the musical. It's not in the film. And I uploaded it and I got

Projektitachi (05:31.1)
Mm

Melethiel (05:36.297)
I think, I don't know if it was a Facebook message or on Viber, that's what we use in Bulgaria. It was from Borislav. It was an invitation for an audition for the soundtrack. So it was like a personal message from him, which I then realized that that's what Ilona also got. just...

scrolls sometimes. The way that he finds people is he hears you somehow. For example, Ilona, he heard her on Bulgaria's Got Talent or The Voice or one of these formats because she was in it and he heard it through the TV and then he wrote her. So he wrote me if I wanted to audition for a new game that he couldn't really tell me a lot of details for it. And I knew

exactly from the moment that the message popped up, I knew who he was because I had in my Spotify playlist, I already had Sing For Me from Divinity Original Sin 2 and a couple more songs from that soundtrack. So I had heard them and I knew that they were in all of the Tavern mixes and playlists in Spotify. And I said, yeah, of course. Yes. When can we when can we do it? I immediately canceled.

everything that I I immediately cancelled everything that I had going on. bye. Performances, no, bye. And that's how it happened. I went there, we tried Down by the River, and he says...

Projektitachi (06:58.083)
You

Melethiel (07:13.857)
We're gonna work on that. You can go home and rehearse it and you can come back and we're gonna see if it's gonna work. Because we have a big audition, because this is a very important song. There's a lot of important people. And I'm like, okay, we're gonna try it. And he says, okay, well, since you came here and I don't wanna waste your time, there's this new song. And he pulled up a song of Ballerone, which plays in the third act in Elf Song Tavern.

And we immediately did it from the first time. He says, yeah, okay, this is great. We finished the job in maybe one hour and I went home and then I came back the next week to retry for Down by the River and he really liked it. So we just finished it. And that's that, know, audition closed, canceled. Nobody else, nobody else needed it necessarily.

Projektitachi (08:01.138)
that.

Daniel (08:03.788)
You nailed it the first time you nailed it. And they're like, that's it. That's all we need right there. Perfect. Second time.

Projektitachi (08:07.079)
That's the winner.

Melethiel (08:07.103)
first and

Projektitachi (08:10.523)
That that that I you know, getting an email from someone you you recognize like that I I understand that feeling, you know, when like I said, when I saw your name pop up and when we had Donna Burke on and her name had popped up and I was just like, whoa, and it was just like, yep, everything else on hold this right now we have to we have to take care of this right now.

Melethiel (08:38.387)
Yeah, we have to do this. Cool.

Daniel (08:39.918)
So this was your, I'm guessing, your first interaction with voice acting.

Melethiel (08:48.596)
Yes.

first time. I've done some recording at home with my cheap

Scarlet Microphone. I actually have it uploaded on YouTube. I have a version of Passing of the Elves from Lord of the Rings, which is the song that they sing. I'm like 22, I'm still like, I don't know what's going on, I don't know what a microphone is, but I tried and I uploaded it and it's still up if you guys wanna go and check it out. It's the song that they sing when they pass to the other land.

Daniel (09:22.252)
Yes.

Daniel (09:29.302)
I geeked out because Lord of the Rings is like, I will die on this hill. is, I personally think it's one of the most amazing pieces of modern day literature. And I loved the movies.

Projektitachi (09:39.769)
Mm -hmm.

Melethiel (09:40.031)
Absolutely.

Melethiel (09:44.21)
Go on, I'm listening.

Daniel (09:44.992)
So, so when you said that, that's why I was like, you have a version of one of these songs. So yeah, I my God.

Projektitachi (09:54.557)
He just geeked.

Daniel (09:57.804)
UGH!

Melethiel (09:59.239)
It's Aragorn's sword.

Projektitachi (10:00.272)
It's error,

Daniel (10:00.908)
That is amazing!

Melethiel (10:03.065)
It looks really good. It's from, I think, Timo or Shein or some weird, my boyfriend got it. But it looks really good for that. It feels like a larp sword, because they're like soft, so when you hit someone they don't sue you.

Projektitachi (10:10.183)
That's... good for that.

Yeah.

Daniel (10:15.062)
It looks amazing.

Daniel (10:19.683)
Mm -hmm.

Projektitachi (10:22.301)
Thank you.

Daniel (10:24.066)
Well, and if I'm not mistaken, I think I read you're actually trained in sword and archery.

Melethiel (10:24.383)
But yes.

Melethiel (10:33.503)
Well, trained as in sword, I had to train for it for Beauty and the Beast. So we had like a month and a half, we had intense courses with this guy who actually teaches in acting universities. He teaches actors how to play fight. So it looks super dramatic, it looks cool, but you're not actually like hitting each other.

Daniel (10:39.511)
Okay.

Daniel (10:56.652)
Mm

Projektitachi (10:57.33)
Hmm.

Melethiel (10:59.727)
And archery, I'm an archer at LARP and I've been doing LARP for many years. We use, like the ends of our arrows are, they're soft so that if I hit you in the face, you know, nothing happens. Also don't get sued, but yeah, this is, they're part of my hobbies. I haven't like professionally gone or done any training, but it's something that I...

Daniel (11:17.728)
Also don't get sued.

Melethiel (11:29.791)
do very often because of that, because at LARP I'm always like a ranger, I'm running around and I'm shooting things. And I have to be accurate. I am accurate most of the time.

Daniel (11:40.823)
Just something you do when you're not hanging out at the tavern in the woods.

Melethiel (11:45.727)
See ya.

Projektitachi (11:45.777)
I was just about to say, you know, right before she gets to the tavern, the woods, you know, taking a, taking a few.

Daniel (11:51.34)
drinks confidently drinks out of her cool cup.

Projektitachi (11:55.97)
So you mentioned LARPing and I have always been curious. I unfortunately, I live in the city or as I would call it the concrete jungle. So LARPing opportunities are almost non -existent where I am. And I've always been curious about the LARPing experience. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Melethiel (12:14.889)
What city do you live in?

Projektitachi (12:21.821)
We're gonna find out if I can lark guys. Who would love a podcast episode of me running around with a sword that's probably too big for me?

Daniel (12:30.733)
I

Melethiel (12:32.799)
There is this one, it's in Canada and it's called Bicolene and I dream of going there but I don't know if it's ever gonna happen because it's very, very far away but it's in which they're states right in Canada.

Projektitachi (12:49.211)
Yeah. Well, does Canada have state? Because I'm in the US.

Melethiel (12:54.505)
So it's this, yeah, okay.

Daniel (12:55.59)
I think they're more like, I don't know, not territories, like.

Projektitachi (13:00.599)
That's its territory. Canada has like, yeah, they just got their dividing lines and you just, you just go where you think you want to be.

Daniel (13:02.242)
Canada just has puzzle pieces, okay?

Daniel (13:12.108)
god, I can hear the comments now. Rightfully so.

Melethiel (13:14.627)
you guys.

Projektitachi (13:14.651)
man.

Melethiel (13:18.115)
Projektitachi (13:18.311)
Canada, we're sorry. We don't know. Please tell us.

Daniel (13:20.45)
Very sorry Canada.

Melethiel (13:21.907)
It's in English is not my first language. So I don't know how to pronounce it. It's in Quebec.

Projektitachi (13:29.877)
Quebec, Canada.

Daniel (13:30.136)
yeah, yeah.

Melethiel (13:30.815)
Quebec, yeah. So that's where it is, which I don't know if it's close to you guys, but it's...

Projektitachi (13:35.533)
Not at all.

Daniel (13:36.682)
No, I don't. I don't regularly go to Canada, but I am aware. I'm aware of it.

Projektitachi (13:44.162)
That would be dedication. That is definitely an airplane ride. So.

Daniel (13:49.6)
Yeah, yeah, because I live in Texas, so that's definitely an airplane ride for me.

Melethiel (13:50.782)
It's a -

For you, for you, yeah, for you it's not doable. But it's like an entire... It's very beautiful because they have an entire city built. An entire medieval city. Which everything's like... It has houses, it has huts. Like you go in there and it's big. And of course, know, no technology, no nothing. And the larp there.

It's sort of a renaissance fair, sort of a LARP, because you can be immersive into the whole fights and everything, but you can just walk around and have fun and eat and drink. And it's in Quebec, yeah, Bicolene. It's like 10 days, so it's very long.

Daniel (14:31.606)
in Quebec.

Daniel (14:40.836)
Excuse me for a minute.

Projektitachi (14:43.444)
That is insane.

Daniel (14:46.072)
I just need to save this before I forget, because I really want to like look at this and check this out later. I might have a reason to go to Canada now.

Melethiel (14:56.233)
There's a YouTuber, Momo O 'Brien. She has a lot of videos, I think two or three videos of her experience there. And her whole channel is dedicated to LARP events and all sort of escapism and all that sort. But it's fun. It's a fun hobby because I don't know, it's like level one is gaming and then level two, you take it from the game into like a room where you play D &D and then

And then the next level is just go, you go to the woods and you play D &D in real life.

Daniel (15:31.788)
I feel like I've been living my life wrong.

Projektitachi (15:34.405)
I did not know that there was levels to it like that.

Daniel (15:38.662)
nor I. I did not either.

Melethiel (15:40.873)
Well, there aren't, that's how I'm like, that's how I'm putting it in my mind. Cause each one requires more.

Each one requires more out of you, because you have to, in D &D you have to act out your character while sitting down. your face and your words and then LARPing you are entirely that character 24 -7 for as many days as you need to be. So you're role -playing all the time.

Projektitachi (15:58.514)
Yeah.

Daniel (16:12.632)
That is so cool.

Melethiel (16:14.183)
It's cool. We can have another, we can have like another whole video about LARP and we can invite other other people and we can like give you guys an introduction to it.

Daniel (16:24.332)
That would be amazing.

Projektitachi (16:24.699)
Yes, please. We new podcast episode idea introduction into LARPing. I need that.

Melethiel (16:26.526)
Yes.

Melethiel (16:30.069)
Introduction into LARPing. Back to, I just remembered, back to Baldur's Gate 3. Third thing, yeah, after a big, third thing I did. No, I'm, yeah, that's a problem, because we're all like this. No one can keep us grounded. The third one I did was, apart from others that are like just backup vocals or, for example, the...

Projektitachi (16:37.969)
You

Daniel (16:39.274)
It's partially our fault. tend to branch out everywhere.

Melethiel (16:59.849)
the harpy song where it's two harpies and I'm singing and then the other girl is singing and we're like doing a whole dance together. Bobby invited me to the studio for this new thing, but it's gonna be like more belting, more like rock and roll. And I'm like, what is this gonna be? And I go there and he just says, well, most of it is already recorded because we recorded with the voice actor. He's not usually a singer, but he...

I'm like, okay, we're gonna hear this. And then he played Raphael's final act with just Andrew, with just Andrew's vocals and.

I knew that this was gonna be... people were gonna love this so much. First of all, the fact that he's not musically trained and he nails everything. He plays it exactly like a Disney or musical theatre villain. It's just so good. And even without me even being part of the song it sounded so good.

Daniel (18:07.534)
It's the passion. You can hear the passion in it.

Projektitachi (18:09.757)
Mm

Melethiel (18:10.997)
It's so naughty. It's such an evil naughty song.

Daniel (18:15.851)
It is.

Projektitachi (18:17.553)
He when you said Disney villain vibes, and it made me think of I can't remember the villains name, but hunchback of Notre Dame. Yes, yes.

Melethiel (18:26.741)
Trollope. Yeah. His one, Hellfire.

Daniel (18:27.671)
Yes!

Projektitachi (18:31.813)
Yes. And I was like, that that's who comes to mind. And it's it's such a good piece. Like I can listen to that. Like when I'm doing, you know, my RPG gaming, that's on my playlist. And it just always comes on at the right time. Like it's like the it's the perfect boss music.

Daniel (18:32.331)
Mm

Melethiel (18:37.109)
True. Yeah.

Daniel (18:57.314)
Well, it's, it's, you know, it makes it even better. There's an almost an, an arrogance for the character to sing and with such passion, your own boss music.

Projektitachi (19:04.124)
Yes.

Projektitachi (19:12.758)
That song gives goosebumps every time.

Melethiel (19:15.869)
It's... And for the concert in London, Budislav previously he says, you know, Andrew, he's not like available. So you're gonna, we're gonna rehearse this, the two of us. And I was rehearsing it with Budislav Slavov. He's a composer of the soundtrack. I'm saying for the viewers. He's also Bulgarian. And we were rehearsing it...

the two of us. I was singing my part and he was singing Rafael's part and that's how I thought that it was going to be for the concert. And then we're in London and we're during a general rehearsal with the orchestra and the conductor and everything and we're singing me and Ilona. She's singing Weeping Dawn, I'm singing Down by the River and then Andrew Wincott, he comes in and he sits on this little chair and I'm like, what is he doing here?

Is he watching? he being supportive? That's so cute. He's just randomly there and he's watching the rehearsal and I'm like, very nice. He's here to support us and he's got like, because he's from, he lives in London, I think. And then Raphael's final act comes up and he stands up and he's advancing and I'm like, I'm actually, I'm actually, I was geeking out so much.

Daniel (20:14.976)
He's just random. You just noticed he's just randomly there.

Daniel (20:22.197)
Heh.

Daniel (20:36.366)
Were you geeking out?

Melethiel (20:41.845)
I'm actually gonna perform it live with him like it is in the recording. And it was so epic. It was so epic the next day, because nobody was expecting it. And the audience were amazing. were like so many thousands of people, 80 % of them in cosplay, like in full on costumes. I think this stage, which usually has like classical performances, has not seen such a crowd.

ever. It was amazing and they were like watching and then in the end Raphael's final act it was like a bis, like an encore after the concert because the concert's over and everyone's clapping, yeah this is gonna be it and then he comes up on the stage and people there jaw drop and he's like my my what manner of concert is this

And everyone goes wild, everyone starts screaming, like you couldn't hear anything from the audience, everyone went crazy. And then there wasn't even a music before that. He says that and I'm immediately, lives, mortal lives. It was...

Projektitachi (21:53.095)
you

Daniel (21:55.362)
I can't imagine what it would have been like to see that live and just happening. That is so cool.

Projektitachi (22:03.917)
And, you know, hearing your experience as one of the, you know, performers there and even you were just like starstruck. I always wondered, I'm like, man, do the people performing get starstruck in their, you know, in their own performances when they get to sing with like one of their favorite idols or something? And just hearing that, I'm like, man, it's just entire concert. Everyone starstruck.

Melethiel (22:34.719)
There's even, because videos weren't allowed, I think, but someone snuck a video. And it's from an angle where you can see me, Andrew, Borislav, and behind everyone backstage, but you can see her is Ilona, the other singer. And while we're singing, she's completely visible and she's like doing a whole cheer routine. She's like, And all of the comments are, I just love this random lady at the back who's just going wild.

Daniel (22:56.685)
You

Melethiel (23:03.609)
She's all of us, she's all of our... yeah. And it was cool. I hope there's gonna be more, because it's such a good... it's beautiful music, it has a bafta for best music. It needs to be heard, there needs to be more performances.

Daniel (23:04.586)
in the moment.

Daniel (23:20.27)
So it's.

It sounds like you are more than willing to take on more roles in the future, whether it's with Larian Studios or another similar kind of game.

Melethiel (23:32.661)
Absolutely. need for that to happen, I need to go to cons, like conventions and actually meet people, which I'm trying to do. I've done a couple of smaller ones, but they're really nice with people who I actually met at the concert afterwards. And they're gonna come out. One of them is a holo hero.

which is about this wombat. it's a girl wombat and it's like medieval fantasy, but you're playing with a wombat and the wombat's like a knight wombat and she's like fighting with, it's really cute. And I did like a Bulgarian style choir for that. So I did all of the voices and it was really cool because when they sent it to me, it was syllables from the program. I get the like,

digital vocal lines and then I redo them and I asked them if they wanted me to add just add Bulgarian you know text and they're like yeah that sounds really good if you can like if you can like do it so I sat down and I wrote the Bulgarian lyrics for the for the for this song and I added them and I recorded them so I just randomly

Projektitachi (24:34.674)
Mm

Melethiel (24:59.367)
added Bulgarian into a video game that has... But no, the sound itself, I think they had studied Bulgarian choir, like traditional Bulgarian choir music, because it sounds very specific and it's going to sound really good. If you guys remember a Bulgarian choir song, Brother Bear, the transformation scene, do you remember the music there?

Projektitachi (25:00.914)
You

Projektitachi (25:10.854)
Mm

Projektitachi (25:29.486)
Which act was that?

Melethiel (25:31.541)
Brother Bear, it's at the beginning when his... It's by Disney, right? Brother Bear. I don't remember if it's a Disney film.

Daniel (25:40.887)
yes, no, I know what you're talking about now. I'm sitting here like, what am I, there it is.

Projektitachi (25:41.452)
brother, okay. That's, yeah, I wasn't thinking Disney at the moment. Okay, yeah.

Melethiel (25:43.284)
Yes.

No, I'm just... Yeah, this is the... Our brains. Brother Bear, his brother gets... don't know... What? he transforms into a bear, the main character. He's a... And it's really cool. And then you can hear a Bulgarian choir singing and it sounds super magical. So this is one of the projects that I did for the video game, not for Brother Bear by Disney.

Daniel (25:49.74)
No, you're fine, you're fine.

Projektitachi (25:58.62)
Yeah.

Melethiel (26:13.189)
And another one is a game, it's really cute, it's economics. So it's economics, but you're gnomes and you have gnomes and you're like creating a whole economy with your gnomes and they're like digging for... Yeah, this is a game. Well, it's gonna be coming out soon. I'll see when. They had a panel at Gamescom, I think.

Daniel (26:25.346)
Wait, wait, this is a game?

Projektitachi (26:40.933)
Economics, that's clever.

Melethiel (26:43.347)
Yeah, and there's a specific... Yeah. And there's a specific... They're supporting their economy. They're supporting their gnome economy. It's perfect. And there's a specific boss fight there, which also has like choir type music, and I recorded that in my little home studio as well.

Daniel (26:45.931)
You had me sold at Gnomes.

What they're doing doesn't matter, gnomes.

Daniel (26:59.02)
It's amazing.

Melethiel (27:11.839)
What else? I'm having a cover come out with Lion Might, formerly known as String Player. He's a YouTube violinist and he does covers of video games. And he contacted me if I wanted to do Sing for Me from Divinity Original Sing for the anniversary, because it's going to be in a couple of days, I think. And we did it and we recorded Sing for Me, which is really cool because it's also the song that...

Because of this song, I knew who Brutislav was and I knew exactly what I was getting myself into. And now like two years later, it's gonna, it's coming out and I'm excited about that. And future projects, I'm open. I just, it's hard working without an agent because everybody, I think because from, it's hard in Bulgaria to connect. Maybe the colleagues in London, all of them.

Projektitachi (28:03.826)
Mm.

Melethiel (28:08.797)
have agencies which they handle everything they handle, your appearances, going to cons, emails, communication with people. For me, I have to do all that on my own and I get stuck and it's a lot harder and it's a lot slower than it could be, but it's still, I'm still satisfied. I'm still happy.

Projektitachi (28:34.203)
I can imagine that that.

Daniel (28:34.218)
It sounds like you're doing very well without having someone there helping you work through it.

Projektitachi (28:38.459)
Yeah.

Projektitachi (28:42.939)
So if just out of curiosity, what would be a passion project for you? Something that you would absolutely love to do.

Melethiel (29:00.309)
CD Projekt Red's next Witcher game would be...

Daniel (29:06.902)
Yes!

Projektitachi (29:07.781)
Yes, yes.

Melethiel (29:09.109)
would pass away.

Daniel (29:11.478)
I would pass away.

Melethiel (29:14.245)
I would, after I do the recordings, I would do them first and then I can safely, I can safely, yeah, everything is finished. And then...

Projektitachi (29:17.378)
Mm. My life is complete.

Daniel (29:24.571)
What is it the hierarchy of life like when you feel complete?

Projektitachi (29:27.749)
Yep. CD Projekt Red, the Witcher. You know, I, I, I am a huge Witcher fan and CD Projekt Red. If you, if anyone from CD Projekt Red is watching this podcast, please, please grant her wish. We all want it. We all want it. We would love that. So in terms of music,

Melethiel (29:27.859)
Yeah, that's.

Projektitachi (29:55.643)
And correct me if I'm wrong in my research. You are mostly self -taught.

Melethiel (30:06.741)
Sort of. My father, he's an opera singer. And it's a whole family of opera singers, which is why I didn't want to do opera singing, because I was feeling... Well, I worked in an opera house and everybody was nice, but in the back of my mind, I'm like, they actually hate me and they think that I suck, but they're being nice to me because of my dad. So I couldn't, like mentally, I just couldn't do it. And I started doing other types of music.

firstly musical theater and then recording stuff for games, movies, et cetera. So he taught me classically. I'm classically trained by him so I can sing opera. And there's a lot of different ways to sing opera, but my dad, because he's currently like 52 or 53, I think, and his voice sounds...

Exactly the same even better than when he was my age. So the way that he teaches is This a safe way to sing so Whatever you do the way that the voice passes it doesn't harm you It doesn't because a lot of people they they give it their super all at the beginning because they want to make like the biggest career ever and Then they sing for like six or seven years and afterwards their their voice is gone forever. You can't fix that

Projektitachi (31:22.67)
Mm.

Melethiel (31:34.209)
And it's a very safe and self... How do you call it? Like solar panels. They're... Not self -sufficient, but... Renewable. No, I don't know. it's something... The way that my... The bass is in my vocal training. The bass that I have, which is what I have personally worked over for different styles.

Projektitachi (31:55.1)
Mm

Melethiel (32:03.902)
It's really good for me because one, you know, it's safe. It doesn't harm me. It doesn't cause vocal fatigue. I don't get tired. It's also somehow, I don't know how he did it, but I can do pretty much everything without...

Melethiel (32:25.173)
I can, it helps me a lot with different vocal techniques. For example, with jazz or with musical theater belting from my throat or specifically for these types of things like Baldur's Gate 3, like medieval fantasy music, it's perfect because somehow it just works for everything. I can try, I can do anything. That's why I could do the very airy, breathy...

vocals in Harpy Song and then Down by the River it's very, it sounds a bit like a bit Evanescence or mixed with you know the medieval fantasy part and then afterwards you know I have to go and I have to use my throat singing and I have to yell for for Raphael's final act.

And classical training makes it so I can do all of them. And the ultimate test was at the concert because I had to do all of them in the span of an hour. Why did I say two? In the span of an hour. And I managed to do it. So my dad provided me with a bass to protect my voice and to give me the ability to branch out into whatever style I want because he always knew that I wasn't really into...

like a specific thing or opera specifically. And the other techniques I learned by listening to a lot of people. For example, Enya and Lorena McKenna, I think that's...

Yeah, Lorena McKennett. I used to listen to a lot of concerts by Celtic Woman. It's a really beautiful ensemble, think in Ireland or in Scotland. And they make these concerts and it's these beautiful women with angelic voices and they're singing, sometimes they're singing Celtic songs, sometimes they're singing more classical songs, but it's very beautiful. And just by listening, I could create some sort of

Melethiel (34:38.939)
mix between all of these things that I'm inspired by. And yeah, so the specific sound of it is something that I taught myself.

Projektitachi (34:51.943)
Wow. You know, I... Fun fact, even Daniel didn't know this. A long time ago, I had thought that about getting into singing. Like, actually singing, because, you know, people are like, you got a deepish voice, you could probably do it. But for the... I never took classes and I never... And I used to hear, you know, people talk about, like, damaging your voice and, you know...

having to learn how to do that. And one of my biggest things I never learned how to overcome, and I still laugh to myself about this is I was like, how do people, are they able to sing for so long, taking so much air and not yawn?

Melethiel (35:39.795)
You know what happened?

Projektitachi (35:39.943)
I'm sorry, that's what I always had an issue. would, cause I would do my shower singing. I admit it. I would sing in the shower and then I try to, and I'd start yawning and I never could figure out how to overcome that.

Daniel (35:47.559)
that's so funny.

Daniel (35:53.659)
I'm trying to figure out how those go together, but I'm not like I I'm not trained in any of that. So I don't I don't know anything.

Projektitachi (36:00.618)
It's probably honestly is probably a me thing because I'm like, you know, there's so much voice control that goes into it but It has no one ever taken in so much air that you you you you know you you yawn

Daniel (36:04.265)
Yawning?

Daniel (36:13.235)
I have not.

Melethiel (36:13.237)
Something else happens. Guess what it is. Something else happens when you take a lot of air into your stomach.

Projektitachi (36:20.059)
What? no.

Melethiel (36:21.673)
I get the urge to burp constantly. This is when you've done your breathing, when you've trained it to be proper, so what it needs to be, and it uses your entire instrument, your entire body as an instrument. I personally don't know how the others do it, but I've had performances where I have to go away from the microphone and burp into my hand in the opera.

Projektitachi (36:46.279)
You

Daniel (36:46.83)
No!

Melethiel (36:50.675)
because it just, you know, you breathe in, goes into your lungs, but it also goes into your stomach and your stomach is, your stomach is.

Projektitachi (36:56.327)
right into the stomach.

Daniel (36:57.371)
Have you ever like, like, accident, like you didn't quite get away from the microphone?

Projektitachi (37:02.301)
Get away in time.

Melethiel (37:03.945)
On stage I haven't done it, but well at the beginning when I start in an opera house, for example the one that I'm in right now, you know I'm very, I know how to, I know how they are because it's like more sophisticated, whatever, and I try to be. But when I get comfortable with a colleague and I know that they're chill, sometimes I pass them and I just burp into their ear. Excuse

Projektitachi (37:29.126)
Excuse me.

Melethiel (37:31.759)
Excuse me, and everybody's always like, the hell just happened? So I've never had it on stage or in front of important people until, you know, for now. Hopefully it's not gonna happen.

Projektitachi (37:45.375)
Thank you for making me feel better Daniel was looking at me crazy when I was talking about the yawning

Daniel (37:49.578)
I just, it just, I was just surprised. That's all.

Melethiel (37:49.684)
Now it happens.

Projektitachi (37:53.318)
It's a thing man, you should try singing sometime. You'll understand.

Daniel (37:57.602)
For the sake of my neighbors,

Melethiel (37:59.579)
What did you like singing? You have a deeper voice or like a baritone or a... Yeah, I think you're a baritone.

Projektitachi (38:06.121)
I don't honestly, wouldn't know how to, I don't like want to misclassify myself. I just try to take notes that were lower, you know, that played to my voice. Cause I was, I know I can't do anything. At least I think I can't do anything higher notes. So anything that took my natural voice, because most people we don't speak from the diaphragm, like we're supposed to. So I, try to get in there and.

Melethiel (38:31.241)
Mm

Projektitachi (38:35.589)
and get my deep voice and songs like, I don't want to say, because not rock, even though it's one of my favorite genres, but any song that had a little base to it, usually video game soundtracks were perfect for that because they'd have someone come in that have a little base to their voice. And I would try to imitate.

Melethiel (39:00.041)
Yeah.

Projektitachi (39:04.153)
imitate those and then I start yawning. But I never gave up my dream. I just didn't act on it.

Melethiel (39:12.927)
Well, now you know that you're lucky in the yawning department. It could be worse. It could be worse.

Projektitachi (39:16.731)
See, thank you. Now I feel better. Everyone who's laughing at me, you see, see? Never know.

Melethiel (39:22.281)
But you need to do it. You need to sing at home. You need to be, I think the most important thing is to be comfortable with what's coming out of your mouth. just that way the vocal cords and everything, it gets used to the sound. I think singing is nice. I don't think you need to be, like sometimes when, to make my friends comfortable when they're singing, I start to sing like super terrible out of tune so that we can all like,

We can all just make ugly noises, that, because it doesn't have to be, especially from the beginning, you now have to produce like something beautiful. You just need to feel comfortable with your own voice and with, especially with people. I'm still, I get lightheaded. I black, sometimes I have little blackouts before I have to go up on stage and sing in front of people.

It's very stressful. Sometimes I have to take something to relax, something normal from a drug store.

Projektitachi (40:26.952)
you

Projektitachi (40:30.47)
You

Daniel (40:31.19)
I'm a registered nurse, no judgment here.

Melethiel (40:35.323)
Alright. But you're always going to be stressed out about singing in front of people, but I think it's really nice. I think it's therapeutic. And I think...

Projektitachi (40:35.421)
You

Melethiel (40:52.253)
You don't have to go to specific classes. You can do it from home. You just need to always make sure that you don't feel any pressure here, that you don't feel that it's tightening or that you're tightening your body and trying to force the sound out. It needs to be relaxed so that it's like a tube, like your body's tube, and it's just coming out naturally. So as long as you don't feel any pressure, you're not going to...

Projektitachi (41:08.615)
Force, yeah.

Melethiel (41:21.395)
damage your voice on your own if you're singing at home and you're doing exercises. So I think you should do that.

Projektitachi (41:30.087)
We can revisit in a year and see if I've made any progress.

Melethiel (41:33.96)
Yes.

Daniel (41:34.956)
I really, I really need like one day for, for Greg to like, we're just hanging out. Maybe we're playing a game or some D and D and he just busts out like this, like a glorious, like Disney song out of nowhere.

Projektitachi (41:45.711)
In song.

Melethiel (41:52.878)
Which one was it?

Scarce song from from Lanking. Be prepared. You can do that. Be prepared.

Daniel (41:59.394)
Mm -hmm. Mm -hmm.

Projektitachi (42:02.833)
Be prepared. Yeah, maybe one day I'll...

Melethiel (42:08.585)
Those were, those notes were where they should be.

Daniel (42:12.93)
See, look at you. I've been telling this guy for years that he needs to be working on. He has a good voice for voice acting and work. And he just, I don't know. He won't do it.

Melethiel (42:15.048)
Yeah.

Projektitachi (42:27.35)
I honestly, I just don't know where to start. That's a huge, huge step. you know, and just like her, you got to audition and hope and...

Melethiel (42:45.523)
I'm going to send you, because my dad's a baritone as well, it's a deep voice, but it's not like the one where it's so low that you can't hear it. Those are the bases. But usually vocal exercises for bases and baritones, they're the same. So I'm going to record some, and I'm just going to send them to you so you can, I don't know, you have something to follow up.

Projektitachi (43:09.497)
I'd appreciate it. I would definitely take to that. And if I could get some practice, then when I'm on stage, can be given my thank yous and then be like, hopefully, CD Projekt, we haven't forgotten about you. Make the Witcher happen. Just throwing that in there. Subliminal messaging.

Melethiel (43:33.615)
Also, I just noticed that I'm doing this a lot. I'm doing it because in Bulgaria this is yes and this is no, but I'm also used to this being yes. So when I'm saying yes, I always do this and then this afterwards. So it's both of them.

Projektitachi (43:39.409)
means yes.

Projektitachi (43:50.183)
So, so guys, you know, she's not disagreeing with us. They probably like, man, she really just doesn't get, she's not agreeing with them. So on a, on a, curious note, since you do LARPing and you do music and I'm sure, you know, people, when you go and do LARP and they know you, have you ever done like,

Melethiel (43:56.053)
She doesn't, she just doesn't know what she, she doesn't know what she wants. What is this?

Daniel (44:00.314)
Mmm.

Projektitachi (44:19.273)
Tavern singing because you met before we started the show and we were talking about the Tavern. I in my head I was like have you ever done Tavern singing you guys just get around and like you're sharing your your in -character stories and have you had that can you can you tell us about that because that's like something I would love to experience in person one day.

Melethiel (44:34.378)
Yeah.

Melethiel (44:42.485)
first LARP was 2020, so four years ago.

There was an evening and then that's four years ago so it wasn't so hot. So they allowed us to build our own fires. Now we're not allowed to have fires at LARP because the whole woods are going to burn down. Yeah, so we had this big fire and it was a city. was, you know, like wooden built around us.

Daniel (45:01.71)
Hahaha!

no.

Melethiel (45:13.615)
and in the middle there was a city, in the middle there was a fire and it was evening and there was always this guy, owns Zdravku, he owns a board game bar in Sofia, which is really nice and he does like a, he's in charge of the tavern at LARP. So we were all drinking like meat or beer and...

I didn't know the people then, because I went on my own. Nobody invited me. I just saw the event, all LARP, and I grabbed a bus. no, I grabbed a train and then I hiked like half an hour into the woods and I found these people and they're like, they have their ears and I'm like, this is where I'm supposed to be. And they started singing, they were singing the, Lelele, Lelele, Lelele, from The Witcher 3 and I joined in and that was my first like,

Tavern experience and it was really cool because everybody was singing together. We had people with bouzouki's like with Irish bouzouki's there's a lot of people with drums There's a person with a shaman drum. So a lot of musicians come and they bring their instruments And we've been doing it, you know, I've been part of it pretty much every year that I've been there And last year, I think I wasn't there but they had a whole Tavern

like contest thingy where they had different artists come up and sing and perform whatever they want. And this year I was at LARP July and we did it again. We sang a lot of Bulgarian folklore songs, but we witcherized them. So we make them sound more, more, how do you call it?

Daniel (47:11.181)
Immersive.

Melethiel (47:12.422)
No, the religion, more pagan. Yeah, because there's also a Bulgarian pagan religion which came, which was before Christianity, which was then deleted by Christianity. So we don't have any, we don't know how our music sounded then. But we can just, we try to...

Daniel (47:15.977)
Mm.

Projektitachi (47:16.143)
Mmm.

Daniel (47:33.443)
Mm

Melethiel (47:38.409)
sort of recreated by taking Bulgarian folklore and adding the same sort of sound that northern paganism has to their music.

Melethiel (47:51.653)
I don't know, I don't think that's how it sounded, but that's how it sounds to us because we don't have any other way to know. And just tavern is super cool because everybody's in costume, people are, you know, it's never like people are standing there and just listening to you. People are having conversations, people on one table are talking about, we have to go, like they're hexers. So they hunt beasts and they're like, I saw this like a poster about this thing that's...

killing people in the woods, we gotta go, we gotta assemble and go kill that thing. We have to like take its head off. And they're like talking about that. Other people are, nobody's visiting the.

the brothel because nobody has money this year and brothel is massages. So you go in and they just give you a massage and then you pretend that you are at the brothel. Well, it's cool because everybody needs massages because everybody's fighting all day and running around. So it's really nice for your health and everybody's just having different conversations at different tables and you're like singing your thingy and people join in. We have like 10 people with these big drums.

Projektitachi (48:42.831)
at the brothel.

Melethiel (49:01.031)
So when there's fights, I love them because there's tournaments or there's fights and all of them just assemble and they start, it sounds so epic. So there are taverns, I do sing in the evening at the tavern.

Projektitachi (49:20.039)
more I learn about warping, the more I want to do it so bad.

Melethiel (49:29.171)
You can start with a Ren Fair because I think every city in America has a Renaissance Fair.

Daniel (49:35.5)
You can always come down to Texas. We have two every year. And I always go to one. It's in Mayfield, Texas, like out in the middle of nowhere. But it's not huge, but it is fun.

Projektitachi (49:35.591)
Yeah.

Melethiel (49:39.509)
I've seen.

Melethiel (49:48.563)
I think I follow that one on Instagram, the Texas Ren Fair.

Projektitachi (49:56.545)
I know in PA we have a few, they're like out in the middle of nowhere. And I wouldn't want to do them alone because I like having these kinds of experiences and, and, know, sharing them with, with friends, but I know none of my friends here would do that. So I probably would have to hop the plane and go to Texas to, to partake, but because I love and Daniel, you know, the same mind as, as, as I am fantasy.

Melethiel (49:56.863)
Yeah.

Daniel (49:58.001)
Mm

Projektitachi (50:26.269)
It's it's so much to fantasy that's attractive. The you know, the cultures we create, the music that comes with it, the imagination that's behind fantasy, mythical creatures and and you know, the and the venturing and the into the unknown. It's it's one of my.

Daniel (50:48.65)
Adventure in Unknown.

Projektitachi (50:54.107)
favorite genres across all medias, movies, video games, music. And to get to live that imagination at least once while I'm physically able to do so would be, would just be amazing. You know, like, I don't know why, but I would, I asked the tavern singing question because that is just something I would

all have always wanted to experience for some reason to just go in and see all of these adventurers telling their tales and then someone busting out in into song and everyone cheer and it's like, right, now let's go to the quest board and see what we got to do today.

Melethiel (51:42.847)
There are issues. Sometimes everything's super immersive and then someone starts playing like Wonderwall on his guitar and everybody just gets up and kicks them out because it's...

Projektitachi (51:53.074)
you

Daniel (51:53.432)
haha

Melethiel (51:58.483)
Or someone drinks a bit too much and starts talking about modern politics and it just... No, this is what we're... We're literally here because we don't want to hear about that. At least for a little bit, you know.

Daniel (52:02.942)
no... no...

Projektitachi (52:03.567)
no.

No.

Projektitachi (52:10.671)
Yeah.

Daniel (52:13.42)
Right.

Projektitachi (52:18.919)
That's a yeah. It'll come back at like the most random time. So you you do LARPing. You've worked on on video games and I know a lot of people that work on video games don't actively play video games. Are you also a gamer?

Melethiel (52:19.753)
was gonna say something I forgot.

Melethiel (52:41.287)
Yeah, I don't play, I've never played like the big multi -players. like like story -driven single players. When I was, I was seven and my dad, because he was, was, he is, he's still a gamer. But then he would go to the, because he's an opera singer, he would go to these tours, you know, around the world and he would always bring his N64.

Projektitachi (53:11.357)
Melethiel (53:11.645)
And he had both Zelda games, Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask. He had Star Wars games, had Castlevania, he had a lot of these. And he would just play around, him and his colleagues, they'd rehearse and they'd go back to their hotel rooms and they would play that. Afterwards, they were all really into World of Warcraft, but that's the first, when I was seven, that's the first game that I played. I played Ocarina of Time, I played Majora's Mask.

Then when I was still a kid, he bought the GameCube to play Twilight Princess. And afterwards, I've just... the first game series that I played is Legend of Zelda. It's most of my childhood. I love it. I haven't played the new ones. I haven't played Breath of the Wild or... What's the Tears of the Kingdom? Because I started... Well, I'm...

Projektitachi (54:04.263)
Tears of the Kingdom.

Melethiel (54:08.733)
I'm gonna buy a Switch soon, but I realized that I was buying Nintendo consoles just to play Legend of Zelda and I wasn't using it to play anything else because that's the only one that was super interesting to me. And I'm a kid and I, know, assemble, I save up money and I buy a Wii and I play Wind Waker and Twilight Princess. And I realized that I gave a lot of money for this console just to play these two Zelda games.

Projektitachi (54:36.391)
just to play the Zelda game.

Melethiel (54:37.781)
And I'm just replaying them for like 10 times because I don't have anything else. So I don't know, I suppose I missed out on the new ones, but I will be playing them because I do love, I love the series. Afterwards, we had a family guild, World of Warcraft guild. It was me, my dad, my uncle, his wife, and my cousin, and his wife's brother and her kid. So it was like a

big World of Warcraft guild. I was 10, so I wasn't good. I was holding them back, but they were like, Maria, we're gonna, it's gonna be fine. My cousin, she was nine and she was better than all of them. She was crazy. I don't know how she was so good, but I was flop. I had a troll. Her name was Trolleya. I don't know why. But until now, I would like to get back into it and do quest runs.

Projektitachi (55:29.51)
you

Melethiel (55:36.125)
I don't like to like grind a lot in these games, but I do like World of Warcraft during a quest run, because it's like a story and you're traveling around with, if you have someone to do with, it's really fun. I like the Bioshock series. like Dishonored. Dishonored is one of my favorite games, game series. I even like the third one, that's with the outsider.

Projektitachi (55:38.823)
Mm

Melethiel (56:06.962)
I like horror games, like Outlast, the Resident Evil games, the Silent Hills games are cool. I can't remember anything now. I'm currently playing for the third year.

Dead by Daylight with a friend of mine, because it's really fun getting chased around by killers and dying because I've been playing it for three years and I'm horrible, but I just continue. Witcher games obviously and Dragon Age. love Dragon Age. I love romancing because it's not just added, like, you're romancing this person. It's intertwined into the story, always, every romance that you have.

Daniel (56:30.945)
You

Projektitachi (56:31.174)
You

Projektitachi (56:41.531)
Yes.

Daniel (56:42.229)
Mm -hmm.

Melethiel (56:53.969)
and it has an impact on the story, which I really like. And I'm excited about the new game. I liked the last two, so I don't think my standards are very high, because a lot of people, they're like, Origins, that's the best one, and then two and Inquisition, they're not as good. But for me, they're all good. I love all of them. When did you guys start playing games?

Projektitachi (56:56.817)
Mm

Projektitachi (57:18.161)
Yeah.

Melethiel (57:22.857)
Like, what's the first thing? What's the first thing you remember? How old were you?

Daniel (57:27.843)
I vividly remember being about six ish when I first started playing on a super Nintendo, I had a link to the past Zelda. and then from there, mainly story driven games as I got, I got older. I think we all kind of similar there. as I got older, I did get really into,

from soft games I really like the the dark souls as challenging as they are and then I don't I don't know if you've ever played any Lord of the ring games

Melethiel (58:07.102)
I was watching my boyfriend. He made me well, he didn't force me to do it. I enjoyed it, but he played Shadow of Mordor. Shadow of Shadow of Mordor.

Projektitachi (58:16.144)
Mmm.

Daniel (58:16.566)
That's the one I was about to mention. So it's kind of random, but one of my favorite things in that game is the dialogue with orcs. They say the most funny things to me whenever you're interacting with them or you kill one or just like whatever you're doing. And they kind of like make fun of you and they just they say things at you. And it's just really funny to me.

Projektitachi (58:20.593)
The Nemesis System.

Melethiel (58:45.951)
I remember that that did leave an impression. The voice acting was really good. It felt very organic every time they... It was well made. it's... What year was the game released? I think it was a bit older.

Daniel (58:51.042)
Mm -hmm

Daniel (58:55.894)
Yeah, and...

it's like, what is it like? it, it's like about 10 years old, I think. It still holds up though to me. I definitely played a lot of World of Warcraft. And then Elden Ring was a big one that came out the past few years that me and him got really into that game. And then,

Projektitachi (59:03.037)
2014, I think. Yeah.

Melethiel (59:08.416)
It holds up, it holds up, it looks great.

Daniel (59:26.294)
Yeah, just along those lines and horror games as well. think Greg is huge on Resident Evil. I haven't played Resident Evil quite as much as he has. Silent Hill is definitely probably one of my favorite horror games. feel like it's. Yeah, and I feel like it's it's kind of a niche.

Melethiel (59:44.223)
They need to make more of those, I think.

Daniel (59:51.72)
area because the lore is very spread out the the Silent Hill games are not in any like they're all connected but they're not made in any chronological order so unless you're really paying attention to the lore you may not catch on and it might just be confusing so yeah

Projektitachi (01:00:08.379)
And we did a lore episode on Silent Hill. It kind of was just, we did a... I went down a rabbit hole for Silent Hill because I love the horror games, but I love the stories that's behind them. And Silent Hill has one of the most robust lore -based stories covering different types of folklore and religious aspects. And it created, you know, Silent Hill. And a lot of people, they...

Daniel (01:00:12.226)
Yeah, about a year ago or so.

Projektitachi (01:00:37.713)
They can't fully appreciate the games without understanding the story of why Silent Hill exists in the first place and how old Silent Hill lore -wise actually is. We're talking hundreds of years.

Daniel (01:00:51.224)
Well, and how it's connected to real world events. think that's so cool when games do stuff like that.

Melethiel (01:00:59.817)
I know anything about the Silent Hill lore. I've watched a lot of videos about the Resident Evil lore, because there's a lot of those and it's it's chronological, it's very easy to catch. Silent Hill, no, I remember, is there anything, is there any news on PT? Because that was terrifying.

Projektitachi (01:00:59.857)
So.

Daniel (01:01:07.906)
Mm

Projektitachi (01:01:20.285)
PT is never gonna happen, unfortunately, which they, that's kind of Konami's fault. They messed up a good opportunity with two amazing people, Hideo Kojima and Garomodel Toro. So they, you know, they dropped the ball because PT probably would have been a really good starting point for a lot of people too, for Silent.

But yeah, if you ever curious, I would say check out the lore for Silent Hill. It is very, very interesting to to see, especially when there's so many varying timelines that overlap and it starts making the games make more sense. You're like, that's why this happened. that's why this. OK, cool. It all makes sense now. But yeah, I am a huge Resident Evil fan. All.

Melethiel (01:01:52.211)
All right.

Melethiel (01:02:15.893)
I'm gonna check your video on it.

Projektitachi (01:02:18.641)
OK. I think I think we titled it Silent Hill, or I was really bad with titles a few years ago. But yeah, it's in there. And we went in there and we really dove into it. But yeah, I really like Resident Evil. I don't know. I don't remember when I got into Resident Evil. Honestly, I actually wasn't in the horror games when I was a kid. I stayed away from them. But I think once I started getting in the horror movies,

Melethiel (01:02:28.028)
find it.

Projektitachi (01:02:47.995)
Then I got curious about horror games and one game I couldn't play by myself for a while was a game called Fear.

Daniel (01:03:01.86)
yes, yes.

Projektitachi (01:03:01.945)
And fear was it lived up to the name. And I got I convinced myself to play it because I was like fear and they were clever because they were like, it stands for first encounter assault recon. I was like, yeah, that makes sense. That checks out.

Daniel (01:03:17.025)
Hahaha

Melethiel (01:03:17.961)
I haven't played this one, but it looks cool.

Projektitachi (01:03:20.429)
It's such a scary game. And to this day.

Melethiel (01:03:23.559)
It reminds me of Slender, The Arrival, a little bit, but maybe it's not. no, no, you're actually fighting, you actually have a gun. All right, no.

Projektitachi (01:03:34.171)
You actually have a gun, but you would think that that adds a layer of safety and security. It doesn't. And that's how fear gets you. The gunfights are probably the safest you'll you'll feel. You're like, it's a gunfight. I'm happy for this. And then when it's not a gunfight, you're like, that's not good. Things are bad. So.

Daniel (01:03:54.35)
Greg, I had to look it up because I it's been a while, but the Silent Hill episode, this is the Spotify one, but it's November 2022 and it's called Welcome to Silent Hill. So it was two years ago. you're fine.

Melethiel (01:03:54.761)
Thank

Melethiel (01:04:08.533)
I'll be back in one second, sorry.

Projektitachi (01:04:11.931)
You're

Melethiel (01:04:12.777)
Have it?

Daniel (01:04:19.064)
Feels like we did that just last year.

Melethiel (01:04:19.241)
Now we're good.

Projektitachi (01:04:21.743)
It does feel like we had done it.

Daniel (01:04:25.134)
Cause we do a, we do a Halloween special every year. So I guess we did that one. Yeah. Cause we, that's right. We intended to do that one, but we had stuff going on. So it came out late and that's why it came out in November that year. Now I remember. the silent Hill one we did. I don't know if it's on YouTube. It should be, but

Melethiel (01:04:29.865)
I'm back.

Projektitachi (01:04:38.757)
Yeah. Yep.

Melethiel (01:04:40.009)
Which one came out late?

Projektitachi (01:04:47.825)
Yeah, I didn't start. It might be depending on when I started rolling out the YouTube video versions of the podcast. It took me a while to come around to to doing this. Yes. Welcome to Silent Hill. Yeah, I dove into the to the lore as best as I could in the time I allowed allowed.

Melethiel (01:04:59.113)
Welcome to Silent Hill. I found it. Yeah, you have it.

Daniel (01:05:07.45)
If, if I remember correctly, Greg, I think most of that episode was me asking you questions. Cause I was, we had talked about doing it, but you, he, like, I love lore, but Greg is a lore master. If I, if I have a question about something, he's like, he doesn't even have to look it up most of the time. He's just, and he connects the dots. And I'm like, what? so that I felt like I was the one interviewing him on our own show.

Projektitachi (01:05:13.233)
Yeah.

Melethiel (01:05:36.021)
You

Projektitachi (01:05:38.117)
Yep, so, I know we actually got a request. Somebody, you know, asked if we could do a lore on Warhammer and 40k and I was like, it's extensive, but I'm willing to dive into it.

Daniel (01:05:48.11)
Yes. yeah, that's something else I'm super nerdy about. I love the Warhammer universe and then something that's even more niche that I don't think I've really met anybody in real life that... Battle tech. I love battle tech. There's like 1500 years worth of lore and I can sit down with someone and if they let me, I can give them a summary.

Projektitachi (01:06:03.003)
Battle Tech.

Daniel (01:06:17.518)
of the 1500 year. I'm like, let's yeah, I could, yeah, I could totally teach a class on battle tech. I feel like I could do a pretty good job.

Projektitachi (01:06:17.735)
You can hold a whole class on it.

Melethiel (01:06:27.241)
only played Vermintide, where you kill rats. That's the only thing I know. Well, I know that people spend a lot of money on figurines and they paint them themselves, they make them themselves, and they have these... We were doing a D &D live session thingy with some friends and we went to make figurines for our characters.

Daniel (01:06:39.918)
Mm

Melethiel (01:06:56.749)
And the guys, were specializing in Warhammer. And we went into the studio and the studio was... It was these... like these huge tables and on top there's terrain, there's mountains, there's castles, there's... It's so intricate. It's so intricate and so beautiful. And the amount of effort that goes into this, it's insane. I don't think any other... I don't think any other type of...

Projektitachi (01:07:09.734)
Mm -hmm.

Daniel (01:07:09.792)
Mm -hmm.

Melethiel (01:07:25.365)
play any other type of game just requires so much and people are so willing to do it. They love doing it.

Daniel (01:07:32.332)
I would, you know, what's, what was super interesting to me, during, COVID a lot, you know, a lot of things, lot of businesses went out and stuff, unfortunately. but down the street for me, there is a Warhammer store as other businesses were just even well -known businesses, which is shutting down that Warhammer store is still there. It made it through that whole pandemic. And I, I have been impressed.

ever since.

Melethiel (01:08:02.953)
because thanks to that store, a lot of people made it through the pandemic.

Daniel (01:08:06.968)
probably, but I, just always cracked me up. like, man, it, just pushed through and it's the tiniest little building. Like it's just.

Melethiel (01:08:13.715)
Nice.

Melethiel (01:08:17.919)
you know, they're tiny. have like these endless catalogs and all they need is a 3D printer and a laptop.

Projektitachi (01:08:18.084)
Hobbies.

Daniel (01:08:21.571)
Mm

Projektitachi (01:08:26.993)
That and D &D, will say, piqued my interest. And eventually, I plan to dive into both of those. I know they require dedication, but I'm willing to give it because I just find them very, fascinating. And especially with Warhammer, that's a chance to build masterpieces. They're not just

a collection, you're building a masterpiece. You're creating a whole world.

Daniel (01:09:00.16)
I haven't. I don't think I've showed you my, showed you the battle tech stuff I bought, right? I, I recently bought a table and I finally put it all together. So I have like my terrain and all my figurines and stuff. And it's what's, you know, what's cool about games like that is you can play, like you can go through a storyline and just do it by yourself. Like you don't even need a group. A group would be more fun, but I, that's, I like tabletop games for that reason. Like you can.

Projektitachi (01:09:04.815)
Mm -hmm.

Melethiel (01:09:23.441)
or can play by yourself.

Battle tech, it's what I know is that it has a medieval part and then it has like a futuristic tech part, right?

Daniel (01:09:35.914)
Mm -hmm. Yeah, it's a very dark, dystopian, sci -fi future world or universe.

Melethiel (01:09:46.641)
Love that in robots, a lot of their episodes through all of the seasons, they had a lot of episodes that were like this type of futuristic battle tech. It was really interesting. I think maybe it is a good show. It's a...

Daniel (01:09:51.123)
yes!

Projektitachi (01:09:57.819)
Such a good show.

Daniel (01:10:01.022)
I had never seen it actually up until a few months ago. I finally checked it out. Everyone was telling me to watch it and I was like,

Melethiel (01:10:08.511)
favorite episode.

Daniel (01:10:14.882)
What's, I don't know the name of the episode, but it has, I'm trying to remember, there's these robots that are people?

Like they're like cyborgs, I guess.

Projektitachi (01:10:31.623)
think I know the episode you're talking about.

Daniel (01:10:35.094)
It's been a few months. I think it was one of the first few episodes.

Melethiel (01:10:41.855)
Was it? Okay, there's one where there's one where people go into like they put their consciousness into the body of these creatures and they and they and they have street fights. Okay, yeah, that one that was is the first episode. I don't remember what it was called, but it's actually do you notice about you remember the art style? You remember how it works? How it looks? Does this remind you of something because it immediately reminded me of something.

Daniel (01:10:51.938)
Yes, no, yes, that one. Mm -hmm, that one.

Daniel (01:11:05.536)
Mm -hmm. Yes.

Projektitachi (01:11:06.331)
Mm

Melethiel (01:11:10.975)
The concept artist is the concept artist for the sonnard.

Daniel (01:11:16.824)
For the what? What?

Projektitachi (01:11:17.575)
for Dishonored?

Melethiel (01:11:17.663)
for dishonored. So it's the same, let me show you. Love.

Projektitachi (01:11:25.981)
That's so cool when you learn that certain people work on other projects and you wind up loving both of them and not realizing why until after the fact.

Daniel (01:11:39.606)
I remember the reason I liked that episode so much is I'm, AI fascinates me and all the things that we're doing today with talks of uploading consciousness through AI and robotics and neurochips. That stuff fascinates me for better or worse, just in all directions. And that's why, you know, playing cyberpunk, of course.

Melethiel (01:12:07.999)
Yeah.

Projektitachi (01:12:08.089)
Cyberpunk, yeah.

Daniel (01:12:09.28)
So yeah, that's why it was one of my favorite episodes. I have not seen season two yet though. I have not finished it.

Projektitachi (01:12:18.073)
Melethiel (01:12:18.551)
Let me send you guys, can I send photos on the chat? I don't think so.

Daniel (01:12:23.21)
That's a great question. I don't know.

Projektitachi (01:12:24.927)
I don't see why not. I think I'm pretty sure. Maybe.

Melethiel (01:12:32.849)
No, I can't. anyways, the episode is called Sony's Edge.

Melethiel (01:12:42.069)
Check if it's the one that you're talking about. It's season one, episode one.

Projektitachi (01:12:44.763)
I was at season one, right?

Daniel (01:12:46.03)
Let's see.

Projektitachi (01:12:51.472)
Kids, do your homework. Look it up. Everyone pick your favorite episode.

Daniel (01:12:58.725)
Mm -hmm. Mm -hmm.

Projektitachi (01:12:59.557)
Me, anytime I like the ones that are horror related, so Night of the Many Dead.

Daniel (01:13:03.178)
that was loud. It's full blast YouTube in my ears because I have like everything else kind of set to a certain volume because I'm loud. So I try to like match it. And then the YouTube is just super loud. Let's see.

Projektitachi (01:13:25.361)
But yeah, horror related episodes always top the chart for me.

Daniel (01:13:27.658)
yeah, this was the one. This was the one. I was just telling GregTube yesterday, I'm so bad with, I try to be better, I'm so bad with names, especially if it's something I haven't seen or messed with. And the only exception, and I don't know why, is Game of Thrones and The Lord of the Rings. And it's probably only because I've reread, especially Lord of the Rings, and rewatched them so many times.

Projektitachi (01:13:59.557)
Yeah, I I'm actually good with like. Character names, game names, yeah, but ask me if I remember the name of someone I may have gone to school with. They'll remember me. I will not remember their name. I'll remember their face, but I will not remember their name. I'll be like, hey, you person. That I went to school with.

Daniel (01:14:05.95)
Your recall is ridiculous.

Daniel (01:14:23.83)
Yeah, I...

Melethiel (01:14:24.649)
You don't have to say anything. You can just say, hey. And that's enough. Hi, nice to do. I haven't seen you in a while. Do you think people notice that you go the whole conversation without saying their name?

Projektitachi (01:14:27.547)
Yeah. Hey.

Nice to see you again.

Daniel (01:14:32.684)
Long time!

Projektitachi (01:14:39.609)
You know, probably not because I don't think I notice when someone has a conversation with me and not once says my name.

Daniel (01:14:47.466)
I have been called out on it once and it was actually fairly recently and I, I was very open about it though. I, I told the person, it was actually a work like a colleague. and I said, I said, I don't remember your name and I'm very sorry. Please don't take that personally. it's not cause I don't care. It's just cause in my brain I have all this stuff going on and then you're, you show up and you're like, my name is, and I just, I from there.

Melethiel (01:14:49.717)
No!

Melethiel (01:15:10.052)
lot of things.

Daniel (01:15:17.315)
So don't take it personally.

Projektitachi (01:15:19.33)
room for for one more name.

Melethiel (01:15:20.033)
Sometimes I ask, sometimes I don't remember what someone's called and they ask, what's your like, what do you like to be called? Like a shortened version of their name and they're like, Nick and I'm like, so your name is Nikolai. From that I can, or Mimi and I'm like, your name is Maria. So I just ask, what do you like to be called? Like a pet name and it usually suggests to their actual name and you can like.

Daniel (01:15:29.57)
Mm

Projektitachi (01:15:46.938)
actual name.

Melethiel (01:15:48.041)
You can make the connection without being embarrassed.

Daniel (01:15:49.525)
That's a great idea.

Projektitachi (01:15:52.155)
I still feel like you wouldn't remember Daniel. Yeah, you could see like the sadness in his eyes. It's just like his facial expression gives it away. That's what it is. It's like.

Daniel (01:15:55.182)
Probably not. But the effort is there, I promise.

Daniel (01:16:05.558)
Yeah, I'm not good at lying, which is why masks are great.

Projektitachi (01:16:12.699)
You

Melethiel (01:16:15.355)
When do you wear masks? When does that help you?

Daniel (01:16:17.165)
Just for work sometimes when I'm interacting with patients and stuff, sometimes wearing a mask helps me just, like if it's like a really rude or just do what, know, people have different personalities, right? So just wearing a mask sometimes.

Melethiel (01:16:27.251)
I was not thinking.

Melethiel (01:16:32.753)
No, I was imagining you with like the mask from the scream killer or something and then...

Daniel (01:16:39.038)
God, no, I, you know what? I've actually always wanted to do like a little YouTube show called Dr. Bane from Batman. And he's just like, good morning. I see you have the flu again.

Melethiel (01:16:50.975)
Would you go, you talk to your patients with the mask and you just film their reactions. Cool.

Daniel (01:16:53.986)
But yeah, who's the mouse? Yeah. This is my brain all day and it gets worse. This is just the surface. And I can't share it with people at work because people at work are very professional as they should be. And I am, but my, have to keep myself in check.

Projektitachi (01:16:58.887)
thought he had forgotten about that.

Melethiel (01:17:01.801)
Damn.

Projektitachi (01:17:05.839)
Another thing to add to the list.

Projektitachi (01:17:17.405)
for his own sanity. I get it. And the yawning. See, I am glad we had that conversation. So guys, if you're like me and you yawn when you're trying to sing, don't feel bad. And if you burp when you try to sing, don't feel bad. It's normal. It's normal, Daniel. It's normal.

Melethiel (01:17:17.909)
Same with the burping.

Daniel (01:17:19.914)
See?

Projektitachi (01:17:36.273)
But Maria, thank you so much for joining us today. I know you have such a very busy schedule, so we don't want to keep you any longer. But I would really love to do that introduction to D &D episode in the future.

Melethiel (01:17:56.071)
like to do that as well. Now introduction to LARP.

Projektitachi (01:17:57.433)
I would, and LARPing, yeah, introduction to D &D, LARPing, that's, yes, yes, yes. So we are gonna have to make that happen. But thank you for spending so much time with us, letting our listeners get to learn more about you and where can they find you?

Melethiel (01:18:03.69)
would be fun.

Melethiel (01:18:17.553)
Well, I have a YouTube channel where I will be uploading content. I'll be uploading covers or original music. And I already have some old stuff there from when I was younger. I use Instagram mostly, I use TikTok. I made a LinkedIn for the first time like two days ago.

I don't think it's for artists, I think it's for finding an office job. But anyways, I'm just gonna send you, you can post the socials, but I am mostly active on Instagram and TikTok, and I will hopefully be more active on YouTube. And also my Twitch, I haven't started yet, but I am thinking of, since my laptop can't run.

Projektitachi (01:18:48.418)
Yeah.

Daniel (01:18:50.081)
Yeah.

Projektitachi (01:18:56.347)
Yeah.

Melethiel (01:19:12.885)
Baldur's Gate 3 passed the second act so I've only played act one and act two and after that I've watched Let's Plays. So I was thinking of having, well maybe if we can do that, somebody plays Baldur's Gate 3 and we're on live chat and I just tell them what to do and what choices to make because I can't do it myself.

Projektitachi (01:19:21.138)
Mm.

Projektitachi (01:19:38.497)
I would be 100 % for that. I already have a streaming setup. Daniel, you can commentate and we could just do just like a round table thing.

Melethiel (01:19:48.773)
It can be fun, it can be really fun.

Daniel (01:19:50.71)
Mm -hmm.

Projektitachi (01:19:50.961)
That would actually, you know what? Let's make a note for that because Daniel knows I am very, I think a lot. So I think out all of my choices. So having the control taken from me would bring him so much joy to see my reaction because if I'm just the instrument, I can't hide like my reaction if I don't agree with the choice, but I.

Daniel (01:20:09.376)
It would. Yes.

Projektitachi (01:20:20.347)
I have to make that choice. So.

Daniel (01:20:22.891)
I would look forward to, bothering you in every possible way.

Projektitachi (01:20:29.914)
So yeah, we can we can try to make that happen. I am totally for that idea

Melethiel (01:20:33.863)
That will be fun. Also this whole, this experience, it's really nice. very, it doesn't feel like an interview. It feels super, it's very chill. We're having a conversation, we're discussing, we're sharing with each other and everybody has something to add to every topic. It's very fun. It's very enjoyable.

Projektitachi (01:20:58.695)
Thank you. Thank you. Yes, I appreciate that.

Daniel (01:20:59.032)
glad that was your experience. That's what we shoot for. We just want to meet people and have experiences and learn and just have a good time.

Melethiel (01:21:00.669)
Of course.

Projektitachi (01:21:07.451)
Yeah, because one of the main things is, you know, everyone, they see a music artist and then everyone, it's like it becomes a drill. It's like question, question, question, question, question. And it's like, no, you know, there are people too. They, you know, let's learn about you. You know, what are you into? So. Definitely hoping we can do this again in the very, very near future. So once again, thank you so much. And everyone who's been tuning in.

Melethiel (01:21:07.677)
It was a good time.

Melethiel (01:21:26.963)
it

Melethiel (01:21:32.085)
Hopefully yes.

Projektitachi (01:21:37.477)
If you haven't already, please hit that subscribe button. Follow the Jeezy Chop Chop podcast. And who should we reach out to next? I'm willing to put my heart on the line and send more cold emails. So make some suggestions. You never know. They might pop up on the show. Anyway, you guys have been amazing. Take care of yourself and each other. We will catch all you wonderful people on the next podcast.