I recently reviewed the latest release Circles by Swiss post-metal/sludge band When Icarus Falls (see review here), which is a very impressive follow up release to Aegean. I asked singer Diego Mediano and drummer/keyboard player Xavier Gigandet some questions about the new release, the band and if the story finishes here or if there's more to come in the future.
(((o))): For who isn't familiar with When Icarus Falls, can you please introduce the band to our readers?
Diego: Of course! When Icarus Falls is a Swiss quintet based in Lausanne which plays heavy music since 2007. We've always been into heavy built up sounds but I think we manage somehow to bring from the beginning a “cinematic touch” that really defines what When Icarus Falls is: a good blend of hazy atmospheres and loud riffs.
(((o))): How and when did you guys come together as a band?
Diego: We've known each other for years and we naturally also started to play together but the final line up as it is today really began in 2007 with the arrival of Luis [Cordeiro: guitar].
(((o))): I really like the new Circles EP and I also really enjoyed your previous release Aegean. Did Circles take long to get recorded?
Xavier: It was indeed quite a slow process. We’re not the kind of band which enters in a studio with a few ideas and comes out two weeks later with the final product. We rather book the studio once we have a clear idea, i.e. a demo, of what the songs will be. Drums were recorded first in May 2013, followed by guitars and bass two months later. Synths were added at the very end, in order to optimally complete the compositions. Overall the recording took about 5 months during which the songs evolved significantly.
(((o))): What are your songs about? Are there any specific messages or stories you would like to get across with your music?
Diego: Each song is like a small metaphorical tale but there’s not really any specific messages or ideologies behind it. In fact, the myth of Icarus is only a good starting point for broader (and maybe darker) stories about mankind.
(((o))): The artwork for Aegean and Circles is really beautiful. Can you tell us who did those artworks and if there is a specific meaning behind them?
Diego: The magician behind the geometric artwork of Aegean is a young illustrator based in Paris named Synckop. He has done numerous posters and gorgeous artworks for several bands, magazines and theaters. He's very talented! Being a graphic designer myself it was really interesting and inspiring to have someone else giving his own vision of When Icarus Falls' music. Circles, on the other hand is a personal photographic work. It brings something mysterious that fits quite well what I had in mind for this EP.
(((o))): It is obvious that Cult of Luna is a huge influence in your music. Do you see them as an influence as well?
Xavier: Cult of Luna is actually the kick in the ass that made us stop playing covers and put ourselves on the way to Over the Frozen Seas. They were for us the ultimate demonstration of how mind-blowing post-hardcore can be, and they still are. We never try nor want to copy them, they’re just a source of inspiration like many other bands. But unconsciously, they might influence us more than anyone else.
(((o))): Are you influenced or inspired by other bands or artists?
Xavier: Of course we have many sources of inspiration, but most importantly each member has its own influences. Come touring with us and you’ll see five guys, each with their own mp3 player, fighting to have access to the USB cable of the van’s radio, and desperately criticising the winner’s tastes. But in the end, this diversity of influences is very appreciated and inspiring for us.
(((o))): What is the Swiss heavy music scene like?
Diego: It’s a small world with a lot of talented bands. In Switzerland, if you want your band to go somewhere, you have to seriously move your ass and be your own producer, promoter, tour booker and whatever you have to do to make it happen. That’s why the only bands you’ll hear from in this scene are truly passionate people.
(((o))): Let’s assume you are asked to organise your own one day festival. What bands would you ask to play?
Xavier: If I had to choose I would stay rather conventional. I have a personal “to see” list of bands I had no opportunity to meet so far, among which Sigur Ròs and God Is An Astronaut would be good candidates. But more importantly, I’d ask them to play together with other bands, trying to combine various musical universes together and see what comes out of it.
(((o))): I understand that your latest release Circles is going to be your last release for a while. Is this the end for the band or are you going on a long break?
Xavier: It is hard to predict the future of the band. We now focus on the European tour and we’ll see what we decide afterwards. What we know is that we need a new breath to continue afterwards. A fourth release only makes sense if it has something different to propose. Therefore, it is important for us to make a break to think about how the band can evolve and renew itself.
(((o))): Are any of the band members involved in other projects or planning to start new projects?
Xavier: There is no on-going or planned individual side projects. Currently, we’re fully dedicated to When Icarus Falls and I don’t think we can find more energy to do something else.
(((o))): I believe you will go on a tour soon to promote Circles? Where will you play and is there a specific place you really looking forward to play and why is this?
Diego: Pretty much everywhere in the east as far as I remember. We don’t tour often so when it happens it’s like Christmas for us! So we’re really looking forward to it!
(((o))): Thanks a lot for this interview. I wish you guys all the best on your tour and with the future. Is there anything you would like to add?
Diego: Thanks for this kind interview and if you need more infos on the forthcoming tour, you can join us on Facebook.
