Citadel Swamp was an international atmospheric dark ambient project founded in October of 2010 by Canadian musician Alexandre Julien. At the time the project consisted of Alexandre Julien (who also played in Vision Éternel, Soufferance, Éphémère and Vision Lunar) on guitar and bass and Norwegian musician Bruno Duarte (who also performed as Immundus) on keyboard, effects, samples and noises.
Before Alexandre and Bruno had a chance to start working on the first Citadel Swamp song, a second keyboardist, effects, samples and noises musician was brought into the band in mid-January of 2011. Valerio Orlandini was from Italy and he performed under the name Symbiosis (and later played in NORV). In late January, Bruno and Alexandre recorded the first Citadel Swamp song, “A Nightmare Ends“. Bruno was fired from the band in early March of 2011 for a variety of reasons, including jealousy from Valerio over the prominence of his keyboards on Citadel Swamp’s recordings.
From late-February to mid-April of 2011, Valerio and Alexandre recorded the second Citadel Swamp song, “Dead August Leaves“. It took three years for the song to be released, finally appearing on the Roach Clip Records Various Artists compilation “insomniSerpents Vol.1” in February of 2014. For the remainder of 2011 and 2012 Valerio and Alexandre worked on two more Citadel Swamp songs but the project was put on hold while Valerio faced personal emotional problems.
Hoping to keep the band alive, Alexandre invited a new member to join Citadel Swamp in February of 2014. British musician Marc Hoyland (who also played in 13 Candles, Ethereal Forest, Heathen Deity, Hoyland, Nefarious Dusk, Plaguewielder, Thornland and Wither) joined as guitarist and keyboardist and worked on four new songs with Citadel Swamp during his brief one-month stay. But things weren’t working out and the styles clashed. Marc left the band before the end of the month.
In 2015, Kontingent Records’ Various Artists compilation “Kontingent II” featured the Citadel Swamp song “When The Sun Folds“. Another song titled “Plains Of A Billion Suns” was planned for release by Pale Noir, and yet another, titled “Auburn Sights At Dusk“, by Inner Ocean Records. In mid-September of 2015, Italian musician Raimondo Gaviano (of the project Svart1) collaborated on two songs with Citadel Swamp, providing keyboards, effects, noises and samples. “Northern Skies/Lights Abroad” was scheduled for release on a limited edition cassette tape.
Throughout 2014 and 2015, Valerio and Alexandre worked on five new songs together, planning an extended play for release through Abridged Pause Recordings in North America and Dio Drone in Europe. But Valerio’s musical and creative direction was heading into disco-beat and abstract techno-drone-noise, far from the style that Citadel Swamp was known for. Alexandre was forced to reject three songs that Valerio sent it that could have played at a 1990’s rave party.
On September 29th 2015, Valerio was officially fired from the band. That same day, Alexandre announced Citadel Swamp’s new keyboardist, effects, noise and samples band member, Argentinian musician Lucas Martin (aka Unsilent, who also played in Almófar, Beneath The Wind, Enceladus IX, Funus Tristitiae, Invisvm, Lëvrij and The Descent Of The Sun). Lucas and Alexandre recorded two new Citadel Swamp songs in the fall of 2015 and a 7″ vinyl single was prepared for European distribution.
In December of 2015, Belgian musician Niels Geybels (who performs under the names Sequences and False Monikers, designed several renown artworks through Depraved Designs) collaborated on three songs with Citadel Swamp and planned out a series of releases through his record label Audio. Visuals. Atmosphere. The first was a cassette tape of the three new songs for which Niels provided keyboards, effects, noises and samples. Niels was ultimately let go from the band when he heavily remixed the songs beyond any recognizable instruments performed by Alexandre, Valerio and Lucas.
In early 2016, the song “Moontide In The Shallows” was planned to appear on the Abridged Pause Recordings Various Artists compilation “Billowing Tempestus“. In April of 2016 Lucas left Citadel Swamp to focus on several of his other projects. In December of 2016, Alexandre Julien opted to end the chapter of Citadel Swamp. Audio. Visuals. Atmosphere. is currently planning a complete discography of all fifteen songs written and recorded spanning every band member from 2010 to 2016.
