Is it fair to call a modern heavy metal band “old-school”, even when their music is rooted in the traditional form of the genre? Christian Lindell, guitarist of Sweden’s Portrait, takes issue with the term, and after hearing his argument, it has me rethinking my own usage of it. We discuss this, as well as the band’s inspirations and evolution between Crimen Laesae Majestatis Divinae and their newest album Crossroads.

(((o))): What would you say is the biggest difference between Crossroads and Crimen Laesae Majestatis Divinae? Was there anything you wanted to do differently, and do you think you succeeded?

Christian: The biggest differences are that we have simply developed ourselves as musicians and learned a lot from our past efforts, and also there is a big difference on the lyrical side, but very few people are interested in that anyway so I will not go into detail. We are working much more as a unit nowadays and everybody is more involved than before. We know what we want and we know how to get it.

(((o))): The songs on Crossroads are, on average, about a minute shorter than on Crimen Laesae. Was there a conscious decision to go shorter, or did it happen naturally?

Christian: It happened naturally. The songs that ended up on the album was the first seven ones that we wrote after Crimen… was released and no song ideas were scratched this time. I do think that some songs on Crimen… maybe are a bit too long but the songs on that album fit better so also. I don’t see any reason for why songs like for example ‘Our Roads Must Never Cross’, ‘In Time’ or ‘We Were Not Alone’ should be 7-8 minutes long. There’s just no reason and it would only drain the energy out of them if we had added more parts.

(((o))): Crossroads was recorded across three different studios, with drums in one, guitar/bass in another, and vocals in a third. Why split it up?

Christian: Basically because the studios we used are located near our respective homes. For example I could put down some guitars one day, listen to the recording for a week while Per was doing his vocals in another studio and then go back and change a few things that I wasn’t satisfied with later on etc. It was a really smooth way to work actually.

(((o))): Obviously, Portrait is heavily rooted in old-school heavy metal. What is it about this style that speaks so strongly to you?

Christian: The mere fact that it is not “old school” – it is timeless, and even though this style came in the beginning of the eighties, it has always been there since then, uncaring of what the media have been focusing on. I have said this in so many interviews now that I almost puke at myself when writing it, but it is important – heavy metal has never been dead – the media has, and the rest of the music scene has, but not heavy metal. Just because a man gets blind and can no longer see his girlfriend, it doesn’t mean that she cease to exist, you know. Just look at the 90’s releases from Mercyful Fate, King Diamond, Saxon, Anvil, UDO, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Dio, Running Wild… About the music style itself, it is just the music that channels the strongest feelings in me and I can’t explain why, and I don’t feel I need to either.

(((o))): A lot of listeners (myself included) hear some black metal influence on your riffs. While you've never directly cited any extreme metal as a direct influence, you've mentioned that you're all big fans of the death/black metal genres. Would it be fair to that some of it has rubbed off on you, or are we mistaking it for something else?

Christian: I like some black and death metal bands and I believe everything I listen to inspires me in some way, be it Jethro Tull or Sadistik Exekution.

(((o))): What would you say are Portrait's most unexpected influences? Are there any hidden gems that you hold close to your heart that heavily impacted Portrait's sound?

Christian: Not really anything I could think of right now. Our aim is not to write music that somebody else has already done before. It has to come directly from ourselves and the influences should remain unconscious, at least to a certain extent. It is just impossible to push forth a good riff for me, it has to just… come, you know. But with that being said, of course we have our musical influences like everybody else, but we never think like “Here we should put a Master’s Hammer sounding riff” or “We need a Hell Awaits drum break here”. It just doesn’t work out that way for us.

(((o))): What bands - new or old - are not enough people listening to?

Christian: Portrait! Haha… I don’t care too much about such things but I really think that some current big black metal bands would not be as big if younger people took the chance to listen to old Ulver, Emperor, Katatonia and some other 90’s stuff. I can’t understand what people find interesting about new extreme metal releases. There were some great albums in the past but to me, both the black and death metal genres are so diluted nowadays…

Daniela Patrizi and Phil Johnston were very impressed by Beholden To Nothing And No One, the upcoming release by the English duo Sunwølf and asked Matt Carrington some questions to find out more about the band and the new album.

Beholden To Nothing And No One (see our review here) is one of those records that must be heard from the opening note till the last. Each track is excellent, but the biggest impact comes from listening to it as an entire thing.

Exclusive video premiere for 'Vultures Crown'

(((o))): Hi Matt, how are you? Where are you at the moment?

Matt: Hey, all good thanks. At the moment I’m in northern Scotland where I’ve just moved to and Dom’s over in Vienna taking in some culture.

(((o))): Oh, wow..that's a nice journey! First of all, thank you for taking time to talk to us. You previously gave us a background of your band when you spoke to Ech(((o)))es and Dust previously (read the interview). At that time you were about to release the album Midnight Moon. What have you been up to since then?

Matt: No problem, thanks for having us. A lot’s happened since then…We’ve played about 50 shows in Europe and the UK, had a serious crash in Germany, and written and recorded our third record.

(((o))): Has there been any specific highlight while touring during this time?

Matt: Berlin would be the highlight…we’ve played there twice and it’s been a total pleasure both times. The city is amazing and the shows are always great!

(((o))): Your new record, Beholden To Nothing And No One, is going to be released at the end of this month. Can you tell us a bit about it? How long did it take to write and what was the theme or sound you wanted to convey?

Matt: It’s a double album, clocking it at around 84 minutes. The heavy stuff is the heaviest (I know every band says that) we’ve ever done and the ambient songs are more experimental and developed than before. It took us about 6 months to write the record, and a little over a week to record and mix it. There’s no specific theme that we’re trying to convey as such, but I think the new album definitely has that, bleak and blackened signature Sunwølf sound.

(((o))): Is there a concept behind the album? if so, can you talk us through it?

Matt: There’s no concept for this record really. Although I could lie and say there’s this really profound concept about life and death and how it’s all interwoven…each song details the years from birth to death. But, would you believe such a feeble lie…!?

(((o))): Why not? 🙂 What inspired the album title? And what about the album cover?

Matt: The title reflects our DIY ethos and attitude; not owing to anything or anyone. We’re not dictated to by some label or manager, and have the freedom to do what the fuck we like, which is great! Unlike a lot of bands out there right now, who are being coerced with every decision ‘they’ make.

The album cover is by Reuben at Rainbath Visual. We really love his art so we let him go nuts on our cover, and it turned out great. I really like his harsh imagery and I think it suits our sound perfectly. We got some stick for it from a few people because it’s quite a departure from our previous record art stylistically.

(((o))): What most influences your creative process in general and what specifically influenced you for the new record?

Matt: We take influence from a variety of subject matter, but this time around I wanted to make a really introspective, personal record. A lot of the songs on the album are the product of isolation and anxiety. I think this comes across if you listen to the album in the right manner, i.e. alone.

We also really thought about the space and composition of the songs a lot more on this record…the gaps, the pauses, the nuances. Sometimes it’s those notes you don’t play that make for a more engaging listen.

(((o))): Beholden To Nothing... is a dense and engaging listen. A double album can be a bold move as newer music crowds seem less patient and have a preference to individual tracks due to streaming and download culture. Was it necessary however and are you confident there are people who appreciate the experience of delving into a vast work like Beholden...?

Matt: It’s definitely a bold move to put out a double record, considering we’re not some high profile name. Especially in the modern world, where people are busier and less patient than ever. But it was never a consideration for us to appease people; to make a three minute song so some punk can listen to it to kill time whilst waiting for his soya-latte. I’ve got nothing against coffee, but it’s safe to say that we’re not vying for the attention of that type person.

It’s a record that is best experienced in one sitting…I think a recent review went as far as saying it was best experienced alone and at night! I do however appreciate that not everyone has 90 minutes to sit and listen to our music. But those who do seem to really get what we’re about.

(((o))): Should you pick a song from both disc 1 and 2 to listen to right now, which one would you choose and why?

Matt: For me it’d have to be the title track ‘Beholden to Nothing And No One’ because it’s a good snapshot of the record. It has the melancholic verse which leads into a nice bridge part with the big finish at the end. It’s probably one of my favourite tracks we’ve ever done.

(((o))): The album's production leans towards an almost Steve Albini feel. It's very raw but excellently done and captures the emotional weight of the songs. Even in its quieter moments there's a degree of heaviness but more in relaying a tension and setting the tone. How much work was put into capturing the sound?

Matt: We’ve worked with a guy called Ross Halden in Leeds on all three records. He’s a great producer and really understands where we’re coming from. I’m sure he’ll be pleased with the Albini comparison; I guess Ross operates in a similar fashion in that he’s able to capture sounds in a natural fashion and is reluctant to embellish a record.

Mell Dettmer mastered the record in Seattle, we’ve used her for all our previous stuff. She’s worked on some seminal records for Sunn O))) and Earth, so it’s great to have her expertise and skills applied to our music and the results are always phenomenal.

We’ve had the same production team for the past few years, which has been brilliant; it’s really nice to work with people who share our vision and help us realise it.

(((o))): There are a few notable guest performances. Not least the excellent chill inducing vocals on 'In The Darkened River...' and 'Heathen's Rest'. Can you tell us who contributed to the album and how any guest involvement came about?

Matt: The new album is a collaborative effort, with several guests appearing across the 14 tracks. The vocals you mentioned are by Tiffany Ström, a very talented Swedish singer who plays in the band Myyths. We heard of her music through mutual friends who we toured with last year. We liked her vocals so much that we asked her to sing on our new album, to which she obliged, fortunately.

We also have a guest vocal from Phillip Flock, who plays in an amazing German psychedelic stoner band Aleph Null. We played a festival in Belgium together last year and got on really well. We later asked Phillip if he wanted to sing on our LP and he was really up for it. His vocal performance on ‘Thrown Into A Nameless Time’ is just phenomenal.

Another guest vocal came from a local friend of ours from Leeds called Ben Corkhill. Ben plays in a really cool stoner band called BongCauldron. He just came down to the studio one night and banged out a few tracks on the fly and we were blown away…he’s a super talented guy, and has a very strong beard!

The rest of the guests were violinist Alex Hannan from Band of Hope Union, session trumpet player Jon Scully and Saxophonist Sarah Tyler. All of which turned in fantastic performances, which I feel really add something special to the respective tracks that they appear on.

(((o))): The album also features some spoken word samples; where are these from and how do they fit with the theme of the album?

Matt: The spoken word samples are of Noam Chomsky which is used in ‘Twelve Sunne’ and the other sample is taken from the film Network and is used on the title track. The Chomsky sample was used as a form of social commentary on propaganda; a bureaucratic sham with a monopolistic stranglehold on the media...serving the ends of the 'elite'. The network sample was used for similar reasons.

(((o))): Can fans look forward to a tour behind this release?

Matt: To be honest, we need some time away from playing live, I don’t feel like the current Sunwølf live presentation does the material justice, so some time away is needed to figure out and refine a few things before we can play again. We need to learn how to play the new record live as well. Also, and perhaps more pertinently, I’ve recently moved to northern Scotland, which makes it difficult for us to play shows and tour. But, if the right tour came along, we’d definitely give it some consideration.

(((o))): Here’s a very open-ended question: what role does music as a whole play in your life?

Matt: A pretty big one.

(((o))): Imagine you’re watching a concert and one of the band members spontaneously combusts. You get called to the stage to replace that band member. Who’s the band?

Matt: High on Fire?

(((o))): We saw you at StrangeForms last April and your performance was great. How was the festival for you guys?

Matt: Thank you very much. It was great to meet the Ech(((o)))es and Dust contingent that were present. The Festival was absolutely brilliant…Stewart and Kerry did a marvelous job of making it all happen and we met a lot of genuinely nice people over the course of the weekend. Musically it wasn’t really my cup of tea but I discovered some awesome bands, like Cleft!

(((o))): What would be your perfect festival line up?

Matt: Temples Festival in Bristol was pretty close…Neurosis, Electric Wizard, Clutch.

(((o))): What music do you listen to when you are having a bad day?

Matt: Something like Black Breath or that new YAITW record…holy fuck!

(((o))): What has been your biggest challenge as a band? Have you been able to overcome that challenge? If so, how?

Matt: One of the biggest challenges is trying to promote a record with no budget, no label and only a few press contacts. You can’t help but wonder what could be possible with a little investment and support behind us. Alas, it’s not something we dwell on but we definitely have a finite amount of resources available to us when we’re trying to promote a new release, which can be a little frustrating at times.

(((o))): What advice do you have for people who want to form their own bands?

Matt: Don’t take it too seriously. Do rip off Sabbath.

(((o))): Apart from the upcoming album, what else do you guys have planned for 2014?

Matt: Very little to be honest, unless we get offered a decent tour! We’re really busy with things outside of Sunwølf so it looks like the rest of the year will be quiet whilst we focus our attention elsewhere.

(((o))): Thanks for talking to us and good luck with all projects. Is there anything you would like to add?

Matt: Thanks again for having us. Ech(((o)))es and Dust is one of our favourites…keep up the good work!

The new Sunwølf album is released on 30 June and is available to pre order here  and here.

Santa Cruz's hardcore pioneers BL'AST! have experienced something of a resurgence in the past year, with two of their iconic albums, It's In My Blood! and The Power Of Expression given new life via new mixes by Dave Grohl, and deluxe vinyl reissues via Southern Lord as Blood! and The Expression Of Power, respectively. Plenty has been written about the vitality of those records, and the story behind them, but what's really exciting is that soon we'll actually have the chance to hear those tracks live.

Original vocalist Clifford Dinsmore and guitarist Mike Neider, along with a new rhythm section featuring the manic energy of bassist Nick Oliveri and ridiculously hard-hitting drummer Joey Castillo, BL'AST! will hit European shores for the first time this summer. Ahead of those shows, I was lucky enough to get to ask Mike some questions.

(((o))): I've read in a couple of interviews since your reformation that you guys were actually meant to tour Europe back in the day, but things just didn't work out. Are you excited for it to finally happen, even if it is 25 years later? Anywhere in particular you're looking forward to playing?

Mike: I’m very excited to be finally going to Europe to play with BL'AST! and share the experience. It’s all new to us man so it all gonna be killa!

(((o))): Almost every band mentions that there's a huge difference between touring in America and touring in Europe, but what about the difference between touring back in the '80s and touring now? Back then the DIY circuit over in America was just being set up by the generation of bands you guys come from, do you think things have gotten easier for underground bands since?

Mike: Haha, yes it seems bizarre actually not to have phones back then and to depend on the club to promote the show and so on. Haha and actually use a map that’s been soiled through the tour. It’s like night and day with the modern accessibility. We need to find out for ourselves what the difference is between touring Europe and the US.

(((o))): You're bringing a killer rhythm section over for this tour; Nick Oliveri and Joey Castillo, two guys who have played in a couple of pretty high profile bands in their time. How did you hook up with them? Are they excited to be playing more intimate club shows?

Mike: The timing was great, Cliff watched Nick play a Mondo Generator show and told him what was going on and asked if he wanted to do it and he was into it and now is killing it in BL'AST! Same with Joey, Nick told him at a Danzig show what was going on and he was into it as we played together back in the day when he played in Wasted Youth. It sounds incredible and we are all looking forward to bringing it over to Europe and bring it live and creating a new record that will be punishing.

(((o))): From the two incarnations of 'Black Flag', Keith Morris going back to his roots with OFF!, and reformations by the likes of Negative Approach and the Descendents, why is it that the original hardcore bands are still able to draw a crowd these days?

Mike: Why not? People still go to the Stones. What’s the difference? It`s not a relic makeshift fad. People are into what they are into. I’ve never stopped listening to great bands and I hope I can still see them play in 20 years and then some. You don't just stop, it will slay forever.

(((o))): Do you feel any sort of connection between the two time periods that makes old-school hardcore more relevant than ever?

Mike: It’s just nice to see heavy hardcore get shown to the kids today.

(((o))): What other bands from back in the day would you love to see playing shows
again?

Mike: I would like to see Bill Ward back in the band [Black Sabbath]. It’s rock and if he sketches out a bit who fucking cares. That's personality.

(((o))): What about newer bands that get you excited, are there any young bands you'd
love to play a show with?

Mike: We have been, there are bands like The Shrine and Lecherous Gaze, The Obliterations, Nails, Trash Talk, OFF!, man there are some great bands happening and we hope to continue playing with them and more to come and who I have not mentioned. It’s great!

(((o))): For years it was pretty hard to actually get a hold of your records, even in the internet age, which may have a lot to do with Greg Ginn's reluctance to reissue anything on SST. Other than it being something of a passion project for both Dave Grohl and Greg Anderson, and yourselves of course, was remixing the albums and giving them alternative titles a way for you to get around that?

Mike: Well we really appreciate the fact that we were on SST Records. It was amazing at the time and we were at its tail end of the 3 partners separating. So a lot of the attention went internally and we kinda fell to the waste side and couldn't do much about it. I mean we watched a lot of things go down there and we were last in line with no intentions to try to get our records from SST. But with bands such as Meat Puppets, Sonic Youth, Bad Brains, I mean the roster is incredible. So that is one reason why BL'AST! never had become substantial. To our peers we have a mutual respect and it’s partly why Greg and Dave did what they did besides of being fans ya know. They knew we had been forgotten and never complained. So to see this respect from our friends prominent in the industry or not is nothing short of amazing. The record titles were changed because the records are not the same. Plus SST continues to sell their versions.

(((o))): The new mix heard on Blood! features onetime guitarist William Duvall, who these days is pretty well known for fronting the new incarnation of Alice In Chains. I don't suppose there any plans for him to play with BL'AST again, but would you guys be open to that if he was into it? Do you know what he thinks of the remix, if he's heard it?

Mike: He was stoked and backed it 100% and I am stoked for him. It’s an amazing record and story. He is busy guy now but we have already talked about that. It would be great if he could play with us again. You never know with these shows and all the bands playing together maybe it could happen. It’s always welcome.

(((o))): You've managed to re-release almost everything you guys recorded during your original time together, are there any plans to follow up Blood! and The Expression Of Power with a re-release of Take The Manic Ride?

Mike: Well unfortunately, our tapes to Take The Manic Ride were thrown out by Ex’s. It’s
kind of a situation. We want to put that record out and it is an amazing record that we dig but to just re-master it wouldn't be sufficient and to re-record it wouldn't capture that time. So, it is unfortunate that it will probably not happen. Myself with Nick, Joey and Cliff agree to focus on our new record. Then eventually re-record some of the Manic songs for some kind of EP or sound track or something.

(((o))): What about new material? Do you have plans to take the band forward as if you'd never broken up?

Mike: Definitely, this band right now is sounding unreal. The BL'AST! hang times and big intros etc... are more magnified now than ever before. Every time we play something new happens that stokes us out and the pocket the music is in right now is unreal. We have the energy and excitement with this group to make a very heavy record and we want to start recording this fall.

(((o))): Thanks for taking the time guys, looking forward to catching the show in Glasgow!

Mike: Right on! See ya there.

European tour dates:

With the release of their second album Ancient Astronauts, Glasgow based Holy Mountain unleashed another album full of psychedelic 70’s inspired heavy rock. Martyn Coppack was very impressed when he reviewed the album (see here) and asked drummer Pete Flett a bunch of questions.

(((o))): First up, can you introduce yourselves and give us a mini band history, please?

Pete: I'm Pete. I'm the driving force behind the band. Literally ... I'm the only one that has a license. Andy [McGlone] plays guitar and farts, Allan [Stewart] plays bass and travels the world.

I suppose the band history properly starts when Allan joined. That's when things definitely took a turn for the worse, and here we are now...

(((o))): Let's get straight to the new album Ancient Astronauts. There's a very vintage feel about it, how was it recorded and was this the aim?

Pete: Cool. The production approach was fairly modern. Multi-miked drums with plenty of room mic options, combinations of different heads and cabs for guitars, through a SSL AWS948 desk and some choice outboard into Pro Tools at Chem19 Studios.

I think the vintage feel probably comes more from our state-of-mind when we were writing and the type of gear we play. I've got a '65 Ludwig kit, Andy plays through some pretty cool amps (a '73 OR120, a Dynacord from the '50s) and Allan has a 70's Rickenbacker through a Laney Supergroup. Straight away, that's subconsciously going to make people think of older recordings, even if they know nothing about gear or recording techniques.

As with the last album, the aim was to get live band takes that felt right, which we did in about 8-10 hours. No point fucking about doing hundreds of takes so that everything is note perfect and bang on time. That's not what it sounds like when we jam or play gigs, so why make an album that is a false representation of how we sound?

Then Andy spent a couple more sessions doing guitar overdubs/solos/weird shit, Graeme Smillie added some cool keys, and I think I engineered the vocals on 3 or 4 songs while Paul Savage started the mixing.

(((o))): Where do the ideas for songs come from, do you just jam them out or do you all come in with your own pieces?

Pete: Some of the songs were around from just after we recorded the first album, which was actually about 3 years ago now, maybe longer. Others were written, refined and in some cases ditched as we approached recording Ancient Astronauts. In fact, my favourite song on the album is one we pretty wrote the day before we recorded it.

(((o))): What about the lyrics? What inspires you?

Pete: There were a few inspirations, mainly stemming from stupid conversations we have about mythology and time-travel, completely unaided by smoking weed. Seriously.

(((o))): the album seems to work as a whole rather than a set of songs, was this the plan and is this how you like to work?

Pete: It wasn't planned, but there is a thematic arc that runs throughout the album. As it happens, I noticed when I started to listen to the mixes, a clear progression suggested itself. We were hampered by the running times of 12", but one small change to running order actually made it flow even better.

(((o))): How does this transpire in the live show? Do the songs become extended jams or is there a set structure to it?

Pete: It really depends on the gig. At the album launch in Glasgow we just played the album start to finish, with a couple of sections with looser jam sections, mainly in ‘Luftwizard’. That's a 100% jam number.

(((o))): What has been the reaction of the audience to the new songs and how do you see the live show progressing as you (hopefully) move to bigger venues?

Pete: It's hard to gauge really. Put it this way, we've never come to the end of a song and been greeted with a wall of silence.

(((o))): Have you got any takes of rock and roll excess on tour?

Pete: What happens on tour, stays on tour. Except for all the weight you've put on and the dirty laundry

(((o))): What does the Glasgow scene have to offer these days? In the past it was all Orange Juice and jangly indie...

Pete: Glasgow has a very rich and diverse range of music, from the jangly indie you refer to right through to lo-fi punk, chart bothering pop, black metal and singer-songwriters. I'm not going to lie and say that everything that comes out of Glasgow is great, but there is definitely a lot to be celebrated. I should probably drop names of some of our friends; The Twilight Sad, Rungs, Halfrican, Chvrches, The Phantom Band, RM Hubbert, Admiral Fallow, Remember Remember and of course, the mighty Mogwai.

(((o))): Hometown gigs or playing in front of a new crowd?

Pete: Both please.

(((o))): With festival season approaching, what would be your perfect line up?

Pete: Jimi Hendrix '70, Black Sabbath '71, Deep Purple '72 and Led Zep '73. And us opening to no-one

(((o))): Talking of your favourite bands, who did you grow up listening to and who do you listen to now

Pete: We all have very different backgrounds. For instance, Andy listened to a lot of Meat Loaf when he was really young. I was more of an indie kid in my early teens until I bought Pantera’s Far Beyond Driven, and that was that. Our taste as a band changes quite a lot. We listened to a lot of Deep Purple running up to the new album, but on recent tours we've been listening to more proggy-fusion type stuff - Return to Forever, Mahavishnu, etc.

(((o))): What do you think of Metallica headlining Glastonbury...is this somewhere you would like to play and can you see your music being accepted there?

Pete: It was just a matter of time. They're probably the most accessible of the big 4, and they're definitely going to cater their set to the crowd I reckon. Loads of Sandmans and not so many Dyer's Eves. I'd advise people to go see Mogwai instead.

You can forward our email address to the Eavis's.

(((o))): If you could go back in time...what gigs would you have liked to have been at?

Pete: I wish I could go back to our first gigs and laugh at how mental we were. Drum kits on top of tables, Andy outside playing in the street, playing 3 gigs in a night, one of which being in a van between the first and last gigs. Idiots...

(((o))): Whats your favourite biscuit?

Pete: The Seabiscuit.

(((o))): And finally...do you have a message for our readers?

Pete: Do as we say, not as we do and smoke fucking weed.

(((o))): Considering your long career making music together, coupled with the sometimes long waits between releases, what is the magic formula for deciding “Okay, we have something else to say.  Let’s get together and make a record”?

Nathan: In this case the magic formula mostly consisted of the head of our label calling Phil last November and saying, "I need everything including artwork and promo photos by mid-December."  It kind of kicked me out of my mindset that no one was waiting on the edge of their chair for a new Trans Am album.  At least one person was. 

(((o))): Your releases always seem to have a sort of specific, unifying theme, whether it be sonically or thematically (such as the pulse-pounding new wave perversion of 2002’s TA or the strangely menacing Futureworld).  Is there any specific sound or motif that felt like it particularly unified the songs on Volume X?

Nathan: I think Phil provided the unifying sound with his e-bow.  An e-bow has an electromagnet that vibrates a guitar string creating almost a bowed effect more like a violin or cello.  It adds a lot of atmosphere to a number of songs.  Personally I'm not a huge fan of unified albums.

(((o))): In addition to each album having its own unique character, it is also clear that Trans Am is one of the few bands with its own, almost immediately recognizable, aesthetic, even while exploring new ideas and sounds.  There is always something that makes a Trans Am album sound like a Trans Am album - be it through the propulsive percussion, or the effect-treated vocals, or some of the other trademarks of the band’s sound.  How much of that is conscious decision-making and how much of it is just the natural result of three people who have worked together for so long?

Nathan: We aren't a band that hides from what the critics are writing about us, though we aren't really seeking it out either.  But after 9 albums' worth of material and reviews, we have a sort of consciousness about what we sound like and what other people think we sound like.  My main concern is that we will get too comfortable with it.  Our third album didn't sound anything like the second.  And the fourth was different from both.  But it's hard to keep that up.  I'm pretty happy with most of what we've done but it's a lot easier to become self-satisfied at this point.  I worry about that.  Because then we"d have to stop playing together.

(((o))): Phil Manley has spoken before about the bands' writing process being a sort of series of recorded jams that are then whittled down and analyzed as far as what will make a good song and what won’t.  Was that more or less the same process used on Volume X?

Nathan: The process that Phil described has become the absolutely dominant one for our more recent albums because you can just start up the computer and jam without worrying that the tape will run out.  For Volume X, I think we all came in individually with more material (that resembled the final product) than in recent albums.  That's a more healthy way to work.

(((o))): Assuming your work is the sum of these edited, compacted jam sessions, how much recorded material have you accumulated that will never be heard as an official release? Do any of these snippets ever crop back up down the road or become re-contextualized?

Nathan: We have music that rolls over from album to album.  One of the tracks on Volume X (Backlash) is from a totally different sound tracking project that Phil was working on individually.  I wanted Volume X to be longer  - maybe even a double album.  There's a lot of material that was left on the floor.  It might crop up again.  I like cramming lots of shit in.  The world is crowded with a lot of shit, why shouldn't our albums be?

(((o))): Speaking again to the longevity of your career, when you all get into a room together specifically to play and write, is it fairly intuitive at this point?  Is there a noticeable benefit to being collaborators for so long, or do you still have moments where you think “I am not sure what I am doing right now”?

(((o))): Volume X strikes me as, in many ways, a quintessentially Trans Am album.  By that I mean it very much sounds like an expansion of your sound, without in any way feeling like it is catering to, or even very aware of, other contemporary trends in music.  Is there any sort of purposeful isolation involved in creating your music?  Part of what is so exciting about the bands' music is that every album seems in some way totally out of step with what is going on in current music, as if Trans Am is traveling along its own timeline where music history is almost purely a feedback loop of your own music and ideas.  Is that a totally off-base way of thinking about your music?

Nathan: Early in our touring life, we took mushrooms before an interview session for some Dutch radio station.  I don't know if they expected some earnest, thoughtful lads who were part of the earth-shakingly intellectual post rock movement.  But what they got were responses like "well trans am has a sound and... It's our sound."  Still holds up, right?  We do try to avoid trends, though.

(((o))): What about Volume X stands out to you in terms of what Trans Am has accomplished in the past that raises the stakes for the band sonically?  Is there something on this album that you think people maybe wouldn’t have been able to find in your previous work, or even in anyone else’s?

Nathan: Vocal harmonies.  Not as many as I would have liked, but there is more focus on vocals than before.  Voices are difficult to get right.  I'm not saying we have, but I'd like to lunge that direction a bit more.

(((o))): How important is it to surprise yourself as a band?

Nathan: New material is the only way I can play ten shows in a row.

(((o))): There are some incredibly heavy moments on your new album, especially the track ‘Backlash’.  While incorporating elements of a broad range of music is certainly not something new for your band, where do some of these heavier influences make their way into the sound?  Are there any conflicting influences between members of the band that serve to complicate the collaborative process in an interesting way?

(((o))): After your current US tour, do you have further plans to tour for this record?  Where can people see you next? 

Nathan: We are coming to Europe in November - dates are already announced I think.  We're trying to go to South America sometime in 2015.  New Zealand/Australia are always good.  Asia is a bit less likely, but would be amazing.  We've got more ambitions than time.

(((o))): What can we expect in the near future from the Trans Am camp?  Are you guys working on any thing else? 

Nathan: Yes. 

James Hamilton is best known as the drummer for Electronic post- something ravers Errors.  However, he has stepped out from behind the drumkit to release music of his own.  I spoke to him about his musical background, Errors, drumming for Mogwai and new project Owleye.  Tokyo based Nayo Oliver, who formed Owleye with James also give further insight into the group and himself. 

(((o))): Hi James, thanks for taking time to talk to us.  You're best known for being the drummer of the excellent Errors.  However, you have been involved in a number of other bands and collaborations in the past.  Can you give us a bit of a background?

James: Well I’ve been playing in bands and making music on my own for longer than I care to mention, some of those projects being more noteworthy than others, and frankly a few I’d rather were erased from the annals of history.  I joined Errors after the release of the first single ‘Hans Herman’ (which I’d played drums on) as a live drummer.  After the first gig we played together they asked me to join full time.  Before that I’d been in a synth-rock band called Multiplies, along with Graeme Ronald (who went on to form Remember Remember) and David Roy (who went on to form Dananananaykroyd and Alarm Bells; in fact I also played in Dananananaykroyd for a while).  Not long after joining Errors though I self-released a free download solo album under the name ‘Crapdragon’ (hilarious, I know) which was pretty much your average bedroom post-rock-doom-techno record, not that I want to play it down because A) It took me about 4 years in total to make and B) I stand by it being a bloody good album.  So right there is an approximate brief history.


(((o))): You also had a stint touring as Mogwai's drummer.  Can you tell us how that came about and how was the experience?

 James: That initially came about for a number of reasons, Mogwai were touring ‘Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will’ but Martin’s wife was pregnant and her due date was slap bang in the middle of the North American leg of the tour.  Mogwai were taking us (Errors) as support so they asked if I’d play drums for them on the tour also.  It was a pretty crazy experience, playing two sets a night and getting to feel what it’s like being in the big band haha. 
So much fun though, highlights included hanging out at the Sub Pop offices in Seattle and appearing on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.  Then about a year later Errors were playing a couple of festivals in England over a weekend and I got a phone call on the Saturday asking if I could fill in for Martin at a gig on Tuesday with Mogwai in Mexico City.  That was quite the round trip over three days I can tell you.

(((o))): Going back, who or what influenced you the most to become a musician?

James: One word: Lithium.  To be more exact, watching Nirvana play Lithium at the 1992 MTV VMA’s and seeing Dave Grohl playing drums.  It was a seriously, properly life defining moment where my wee jaw dropped and I just thought “I NEED to do THAT”.

Nayo: I think for me the thing that inspired me most to work on music was probably the popular culture in America and Japan in the late 90's / early 2000's.  As a pre-teen and teen, I was really inspired by the music that was coming out at that time from both countries, regardless of genre.  Also, there was always this sense of nomadic freedom and honesty that came with actually being a musician.  Plus my mum was always very musical.  Always playing the piano and signing. 


(((o))): Errors blend a few different styles, but you've clearly a liking of straight up dance music yourself.  What sort of stuff do you enjoy listening to?

 James: I do love me some techno.  I’m a big lover of Hyperdub records and the more electronic end of Blackest Ever Black’s output, a lot of which I’ve been listening to lately, but to be honest sometimes I find myself listening to Jessy Lanza followed by Sepultura then Charles Mingus straight into Bach without skipping a beat.  Actually speaking of beats, I guess I’m very much rhythm-centric when it comes to music I enjoy listening to.


(((o))): You have teamed up with Nayokenza to release music as Owleye.  Considering Nayo is Tokyo based how did the collaboration happen?

James: Errors were playing in Japan, our first time there no less, which was tremendously exciting and a generally great time.  We were supporting CHVRCHES in Tokyo and Osaka and after the first show we went out on the town, still pretty jetlagged and wired, and ended up in this awesome dive bar called Beat Café where, to be honest, things start to get a little hazy at my end.  But I got talking to Nayo and we hit it off pretty well.  Upon hearing he was a musician and vocalist, I gave him my details and probably in a very slurred drunken way asked if he’d do vocals on one of my solo tracks.

 Nayo: We met after one Errors's gigs in Tokyo back in February of this year.  And we just got to chatting about music and we both expressed that we were keen to collaborate.  I honestly thought he'd forget about it, but he actually sent me some tracks upon returning to Glasgow.  These tracks ended up being the first two songs on the ep. 

 
James: The first song Nayo ended up working on was ‘True Hair’ which was pretty fitting since I’d started writing it while I was in Japan, specifically on the bullet train between Tokyo and Osaka, which is what inspired the opening synth arpeggio and beat.

 
(((o))): The EP "Forget Me" is now released, how was the process of putting it together from different sides of the world?

 Nayo: it was cool.  Kinda reminded me of the way that the Postal Service went about working on "Give Up".  James would send me songs and I would record vocals and send my vocal stems back to him and he'd mix them together.  For our first music video we decided to not be in it, so that made things a bit easier.  Looking back on it, it was like having a pen pal, I was always very excited to get messages and songs from James. 

(((o))): James, you have a great label in Rock Action handling a lot of the business side with Errors.  Was there an element of trepidation stepping out and self- releasing this project?

 James: Yes and no; I knew after the first track we recorded together (“True Hair”) that I wanted to pursue the project and release something.  I didn’t want to waste time and energy trying to find a label willing to put it out though, because, well I guess I’m just impatient that way.  I have friends who’ve used bandcamp to release before so decided that self releasing, at least even for the first EP, would be far and away the most convenient way to go about it.  What I hadn’t taken into consideration, having spent so long with a label and press people doing everything on my account, was the reality of trying to get people to actually listen to and review it, trying to get airplay and notice. 
Luckily I’ve got a lot of friends who were willing to help out, but there was also a lot of late nights and fruitless emailing and feeling like a complete prick for noising people up all the time about something they had no need to give time to, especially given the fact that our budget for this release was absolute zero. It’s been quite the learning curve.  I was considering trying to crowdsource funds to do a limited vinyl release of the EP which is something I may look at properly in the future but by the time I looked into that it was already pretty close to the planned release date, so we went with a purely digital release.  We’ve already started working on material for an album which I’m really excited about because it’s giving us more tracks to explore different elements, we’ve got some really exciting collaborations already lined up for it too.  Ideally I’d like a label to release it but who knows, if the EP does well enough self released we might keep it DIY for the album.   

(((o))): As well as Owleye, you are also producing music under the name Infant Telethon.  What are the plans with that project?

James: Infant Telethon sort of morphed into Owleye through circumstances, the main ones being that Nayos vocal on “True Hair” convinced me that making it a collaborative project was a better idea, and also because I got massively denied permission to use most of the samples which made up the vocals in the Infant Telethon songs.  I’m still doing stuff in the background under that name, remixes and suchlike, but it’s unlikely that any original material will see the light of day any time soon and if it does it probably won’t have a whole lot sonically in common with Owleye. 

(((o))): You played the first solo gig as Infant Telethon supporting Machines in Heaven recently.  How did it go and what was it like not having drums to hide behind?

James: The thing about me, playing any given show, is that I’m massively, horrifically full of myself if I’m behind a drum kit.  Put drums in front of me and I’m completely within my comfort zone and could play any venue to any size of crowd.  Stepping away from that and being a guy with a laptop and a midi controller was so far outside my comfort zone that I was more nervous than I can remember being for years, but it was a different kind of buzz.  The gigs I did were great, a lot of that had to do with Machines in Heaven being brilliant anyway and I got a lot of support from them and their manager Clair.  I can’t praise those guys highly enough though, seriously.  Just beautiful people and a great band.  My personal Infant Telethon highlight though was supporting the excellent RUNGS at the 13th Note for their EP launch and playing to the diametric opposite of an audience which would enjoy the music hah.  Big guys with long hair and beards standing right at the front, arms folded, looking really angry while I dropped a bunch of Mary J Blige and Drake samples.

(((o))): The Owleye Ep reminds me of Death Grips while incorporating more diverse influences.  Giving their reputation for outlandish stunts( like not showing up in person for gigs), have you considered following their tactics at all?

Nayo: Death Grips is an amazing band to be compared to.  I think more so than actual pranks or stunts, James and I have really discussed our live shows in great detail.

James: I’m still hopeful some promoter is going to pay us a ludicrous amount of money to play shows.

Nayo: We really want to develop a reputation for having great, intimate, high energy shows.  However, I can't disregard my ability to become a bit outlandish if I'm provided with a good amount of alcohol. 

(((o))): Errors have been a bit quiet of late but rumour has it there are plans to enter the studio soon.  Can you give us any insight or what is planned. 

 James: I’d just say keep your ear to the ether; we’re all doing various other things, for example Steev just released his debut Clip Art record (which is excellent btw) but we’re all working on new material for a new Errors album which should sneak up on you when you least expect it.

(((o))): Scotland has a bit of a buzz about it currently.  Not just seeing established acts like Mogwai continue to grow, but new artist like Chvrches gain wide acclaim.  And there's the whole Independence debate.  Do you feel it's at a creative highpoint and do you think Independence will only see this increase?

 James: I think that right now is a very important and exciting point in Scotland’s history and I for one am glad to be experiencing it; whether it happens or not is anyone’s guess but I think that right now there is a lot of attention on Scotland.  In terms of music though, there’s always good music in and from Scotland, it just so happens that every so often the spotlight gets turned on it, and when that happens it’s nice.

(((o))): Thanks for talking to us and good luck with all projects.  Is there anything you would like to add?

Nayo: Thanks for taking the time to talk to us.

James: Go and download our EP, it’s pretty good.


Forget Me by Owleye is available now via bandcamp. 

https://owleyeinternational.bandcamp.com/album/forget-me

https://m.facebook.com/owleyeinternational/about?refid=17

https://mobile.twitter.com/0wl3y3

I was lucky enough to come across Hair of the Dog in February 2014 while looking for a band to review and did I find a gem? Bet your ass I did. Not only have they been picking up lots of gigs this year they have just been signed by a very cool label, so not a bad year so far for this local Edinburgh three piece. This interview is an insight from brothers Adam and Jon Holt and Iain Thomson into the life of the Dog.

(((o))): You have just signed to the German label Kozmik Artifactz, can you tell us how this and Hair of the dog came about?

Jon: Perseverance and tenacity.

Adam: Yeah, we’ve been playing music together for the better part of our lives. A lot of that has been musical exploration and maturation. With Hair of the Dog we’ve just taken everything that we love and that inspires us to play music and rolled it into a band that is primarily for us; the fact that others seem to be diggin’ what we are doing and support us is extremely humbling and of course deeply encouraging.

We knew when we started to write the debut, in late 2013, that we were onto something special because there was a genuine excitement between the three of us; something that had been lost along the way within various other projects we were involved in. It felt very natural and took us back to a time when we were all much younger; just jamming all night at Iain’s house until the sun came up.

When we had the record finished we did what every band does; we sent it out to be reviewed, we sent it out to some labels and we started to gig as much as we could playing for as many varied audiences as we could. After a few months, we had gathered quite a bit of interest towards the record, which is a strange situation to be, but Kozmik was for us a no-brainer. Kai, his team and the bands that make up the Kozmik family all share our ethos towards music; so again it just felt like the right step for us to take.

(((o))): Kozmiik Artifactz specialises in vinyl releases and your excellent self-titled debut album is about to be released on vinyl, was using this medium something that the band had planned, especially with vinyl sales doing so well at the moment?

Jon: Not really planned, but it is definitely meant to be.

Adam: Definitely, I think our sound and vibe lends itself perfectly for vinyl, but it was never in our plans to do a vinyl release. However, now that Kozmik will be giving our record the vinyl treatment, we are very excited. This gives people another way to engage with our music physically, which is so important; the ritual of buying physical music, taking it home, unwrapping it, sticking it on and enjoying the music, the art and the lyrics etc – that’s what excites me.

(((o))): With the ever increasing minefield of genres and Kozmik Artifactz being a label that supports stoner and psychedelic rock bands, what genres do you think best fits Hair of the Dog?

Iain: Post ironic modernistic fauvism…….….Or blues rock.

Jon: I’ve always said we are a rock band. We play heavy songs and lighter songs but the important thing is to keep each song as musically interesting as we possibly can. I don’t like the idea of being tied down to a genre. Why only play one type of music when you can play anything you want and really get creative with it.

(((o))): You have been doing lots of gigs up and down the country this year, are there any venues that have stood out as being memorable on the Hair of the Dog live journey?

Iain: The Moorings Bar in Aberdeen and Monty’s in Dumfermline.

Jon: Yeah, the Moorings in Aberdeen. We always have fun up there. It’s a great bar and venue. It’s recently had an overhaul done to the stage; the house drumkit is one of the best kits I’ve ever played. Plus the beer is cheap!

Adam: The Moorings is always a blast to play, we have friends up there who play in bands such as Bisongrass and [ ] (pronounced Wall), so it’s always awesome to see them, have some beers, have some more beers and rock out. Another great gig night is the Bunker in Edinburgh. It’s a skate-night in Studio 24 which takes place on a Wednesday night. As skateboarders, we were in a sort of heaven; playing our music then getting to skate some killer ramps!

(((o))): I read that you are working on a second album at the moment, do you have a process that you use when writing new material and are there any avenues that you never visited on the self-titled album that you want to explore now?

Jon: Adam comes in with the songs, the riffs, an idea and we all just jam it out. We like to keep it pretty organic and jam session led; it’s how we’ve always done it, since we were in our early teens.

Adam: That’s the best part about having two people in your band that you’ve grown up with, both musically and physically. I can just come into the studio with a riff or a full song and without having to sit down and learn we can just crack into a jam. As Jon said, that’s how we’ve always worked, so that’s how we are approaching the follow up record.

As for the follow up itself, well, it’s shaping up to be a bit of a monster. We never pigeon hole ourselves to one sound when we write an album, so we always just write songs that we want to play and hear be those big riff heavy grooves, or more laid back melodies.

Iain: Perhaps more trombones this time though?

Adam: A lot of people don’t know this, but Iain is a fuckin’ wizard on the trombone! We could get some jazz-trombone on there?

(((o))): ‘Empty as the Wind’ and ‘Ships in the Night’ are two of my favourite tracks from your first album. They are both very different, one blends all the musical elements of the band together so well and the other is pure bluesy bliss. How hard is it to create two gems like that?

Jon: Those two tracks sort of wrote themselves once we were playing them as a band.

Adam: I wrote the main riff for ‘Empty as the Wind’ the way I do with most, humming it as I walk around Edinburgh. This particular time I was en-route to our studio, so when we got in I was like “quick, I have to work out this riff!” Minutes later we were blasting through the main riff of ‘Empty’. After about half an hour of jamming we had the majority of the song. Then, by twiddling around, I came up with the big end section that builds up. When we jammed that for the first time, we all just looked at each other grinning from ear to ear; we then played it over and over again just for the joy of playing it because to us it sounded awesome!

‘Ships in the Night’ was slightly different because I had the majority of the song already mapped out, so we just jammed it, taking note of any improvisations that added to the song; one of which was the line “I’m waiting here for you”. Even when we were recording the music for ‘Ships’ I didn’t have any other lyrics than that one line. After the first day of recording, having heard the track all day, I went home, got my guitar out and the lyrics just started to spilled out of me; it ended up being one of my favourite tracks on the record.

(((o))): Glasgow has had a well established music scene for a long time now, so what are your thoughts on the Edinburgh music scene and are there any local bands that you would recommend we listen to?

Jon: Check out Lords of Bastard and Tommy Concrete and the Werewolves

Iain: Vasquez are great, check them out!

Adam: The Edinburgh scene is thriving at the moment. There are loads of gigs on each week and there are a lot of great bands emerging all the time. This is however, in my opinion, both a blessing and a curse. It’s great to see so many awesome gigs in my beloved city, but too many gigs can weaken a scene and too many bands fighting for the same audience can ruin a genre.

That said, one company that is doing a much-needed service to the Edinburgh scene is Pisschrist Promotions, run by Ewen Cameron. Pisschrist bring some of the best and most respected stoner, sludge and doom bands from around the world to Edinburgh and gives local bands the opportunity to support them.

As for local bands, again I would say to check out, Lords of Bastard. They are one of my favourites; I have their album on in my car quite frequently; they have a really unique sound, which live is very mesmerizing. Also, Phantom Riffage from Perth; I’ve been a fan of Riffage since I left home at 16 and moved to Perth, they were a big influence on me.

(((o))): You all have a love of 70’s Rock, what was the album that influenced each of you to become musicians?

Jon: It sounds mad but I remember listening to tracks like Robert Palmer’s ‘Addicted to Love’ and ZZ Top’s cover of ‘Viva Las Vegas’, Run DMC’s ‘Walk This Way’ when I was 10. They were on the “best rock album in the world ever” or something like that. Me and my mate would air guitar and drum along to these tracks completely oblivious to the likes of Deep Purple and Sabbath who were on the same CD. That’s what made me want to play drums loud and fast. Over time I learnt about Bohnam and his style has always been my biggest influence. Heavy groove!

Iain: A Frank Zappa “best of” album called Strictly Commercial; got me hooked on Zappa for life!

Adam: When I was 8, I was taken for my first guitar lesson. My teacher was just an older kid from a local high school and on my first lesson he taught me the intro to ‘Hey Joe’ – I’m a fast learner! Hendrix got me hooked on guitar and music, but when I discovered Zeppelin months later, it opened me up to the never ending possibilities of music. Their album Physical Graffiti embodies this; from the bold ever-changing riffs of ‘In My Time of Dying’, to the gentle masterpiece that is ‘Ten Years Gone’, its perfection!

(((o))): Your doing BOB Fest IX in July, what else does 2014 have in store for you.

Adam: BOB Fest is a total fuckin’ riot, I highly advise anyone with the opportunity of going, to do just that!

Other than recovering from BOB Fest, we will be playing more shows throughout the country; but our main focus at the moment is making sure we deliver a follow up record that we are again proud of.

(((o))): Thank you Hair of the Dog for taking time out to do this interview.

It’s been a pleasure talking to you!

(Credit: Hair of the Dog band photos were taken by Alan Swan)

Emma Ruth Rundle is an exceptional musician and singer; already having releases as The Nocturnes and as a member of Instrumental giants Red Sparowes, not to mention the sublime Marriages.

2014 sees her name take a more prominent billing, with her first official solo album released on perennial E&D favourite label Sargent House. I caught up with her to discuss.

(((O))): Emma, many thanks for taking time out to speak with us. To gain some background, can you tell us when you first began writing and playing music and who or what influenced you to do so?

ERR: Thanks for taking interest in my music and story. Both my parents play music, not with any mainstream success but nonetheless I grew up around a lot of it and quite a variety at that. I always banged away in my father's studio and on his piano, like most kids did. At 8 years old, I was gifted my first instrument, a Celtic harp which came from the legendary folk epicentre that is McCabe's guitar shop in Santa Monica ... I spent a lot of time hanging out there and was eventually hired. I was immersed in folk and old music for a large part of my life as a result. Not to say I didn't get into everything else- just that folk is close to the heart and my musical beginnings.

(((O))): You previously released music with The Nocturnes, Red Sparowes and also Marriages. What influenced the decision to release music under your own name now?

ERR: I wanted to step away from behind a band or the name ‘the nocturnes’ for my own compositions. It was just time to do so. I've spent a lot of time hiding or giving myself to other projects and this was a good thing as it afforded me an incubatory period to grow a little more comfortable releasing and playing music in front of others. I had released an ambient guitar record (Electric Guitar One) as Emma Ruth Rundle but it took more time for me to feel comfortable sharing these more structured and traditional efforts, like what is Some Heavy Ocean, as such.

(((O))): Some Heavy Ocean seems to have been written / recorded after you encountered some personal turmoil in the last few years. Is there an element of the album being cathartic?

ERR: This is true. The album is cathartic I suppose. Writing the songs was; although this is no detour from the norm for me. The music gives this aspect of my life and self a place to exist.

(((O))): A lot of people find listening to music almost therapeutic or as a release (this site recently had a series of articles dedicated to this). Is there an artist or any music in particular that you turn to in this way?

ERR: I was going to say in my response to your last question that I find more catharsis in listening to the music of others. There are so many artists I've turned to for this over the years. Some artists I listen to for cathartic therapy: Jesu, Sun Kil Moon, Stars of the Lid.

(((O))): When I listen to Some Heavy Ocean, and being Irish, I keep getting a sense of a Celtic influence. Not in direct musical terms but maybe a brooding Sinead O'Connor feel. Have you any influences or ancestry that can explain it.

ERR: Thank you. I take that as a huge compliment. I've had people ask that before. I can only attribute it to my exposure to Celtic and folk music as a kid. The Celtic harp is a dead giveaway. I'm a redhead and always wanted to believe I came from Ireland but my blood is English and relatives are deeply American and go back to the first Brits who made it over to the states. Maybe all the music is passed in the blood. I'd like to think so.

(((O))): I have loved your voice since the first time I heard it (on Marriages’ debut). I find it very distinctive but also incorporating different styles. Has this helped you shift between heavier guitar based music and the folk tinged solo stuff?

ERR: Thanks again. I feel that I have to sing in a way that makes sense for the song in Marriages. The solo stuff is a bit more unhinged and just coming out of me - where Marriages is a tempered effort to serve the song; more as an instrument than a focal point.

(((O))): The themes on the album can be described as dark but there's a sense of hope there also. Is this a reflection of yourself; are you a ‘glass half full’ person generally?

ERR: I'm a bi-polar bear. Extremes in all directions and constant shift in view and feeling. The record is hopeful at times and some of the songs are absolutely about forgiveness and overcoming. The references to lying in salt, a purifying element that protects from demons, this is a theme that does run through the record. But many of the songs do describe moments or relationships that are simply doomed or times without resolve. So.. Yes? And no? That's all underneath. On a surface level I hope I'm not too serious and I try not to take myself too seriously.

(((O))): The song ‘Oh Sarah’ is not only one of the most beautiful things I've heard but touching that it is written for your sister. How did the song come about?

ERR: Thank you. That song was the first one that I knew was for this record. The record started out being for her from start to finish but it ended up being about both of us. I wrote it in an empty house on a visit to see her up in Portland, my second home. I want to keep her personal stuff safe but Sarah and I have a bond that no one can understand. We've been through so much together on the verge of pure horror. Holding hands and looking into the void we share. She's the only one who understands and I think she feels the same about me.

(((O))): Sargent House seems to be a hugely supportive label, not just musically but on a personal level. How important has this been to you?

ERR: THE most important thing. I've said this in another interview but Cathy has gone above and beyond to support me in my darkest hour as well as push me to stand on my own.

She puts her artists first and works incredibly hard for them. She's a whirlwind of a powerful and unique woman. She's treated me like family. I owe her big time.

(((O))): I think of Cathy Pellow (Sargent House CEO) sometimes of being like a film director in the vein of a Scorsese. All the artists being part of a film's cast, often recurring or in a cameo role, and everyone has to be on the same page. If this was the case who from cinema would you're character be most like?

ERR: Wow. I'm not sure if I understand this question! Well if could be anyone I'd be like Bruce Willis, in any role as he's a badass, but I'm probably more like the scary homeless person behind the Denny's in Mulholland Drive.

(((O))): The first track that was released from Some Heavy Ocean - 'Arms I know So Well', rendered me speechless. It's an incredibly emotional song. The lyric “Deliver me from all the evil, I've done to myself” is extremely powerful. It sounds very personal but is there more you can tell us about it?

ERR: I'm glad it translated. It is personal and there is no hidden meaning behind that lyric. It's been a long road and I've helped myself into some bad shit. It's hard to stop one’s self from becoming what your formative life has directed you to become. I'm hoping I can find my way.

(((O))): As well as music you paint and have a number of art prints available to buy online. Is art something you derive as much pleasure from as music, and who or what influences you?

ERR: Thanks for noticing. Yes I paint and draw and doodle or make objects; just whatever I'm compelled to do. I wanted to be an artist ‘when I grow up’ more than a musician. I never took classes or pursued it in a formal way though.

I go between music and my art. It's like having two lovers which can keep things stimulating but can also mean twice the fighting. If I should ever find the money and time, I would like to study it in a traditional way.

(((O))): It looks to be very busy time for yourself, as well as Some Heavy Ocean the second Marriages album is scheduled this year. How far into recording is it and can you tell us anything about it?

ERR: It's been very busy, at least for what I can tolerate which is good. The second Marriages release is coming along. We are finishing it up right now and all the artwork and songs are in order. I can tell you that it's different than Kitsune in that we approached the music with the intent to write ‘songs’ as in music with a focus on lyrics and singing vs our older approach which was a Red Sparowes hangover imploring us to write long, unbroken music all flowing together with vocals as an afterthought. The addition of Andrew Clinco on drums has changed the game as well. Being a songwriter himself and multi-instrumentalist he has been able to speed the writing process and shape the sound with Greg and I.

(((O))): With Marriages is the writing and direction shared equally and do you approach it with a different mindset?

ERR: Some of my previous answer applies here... We share things equally or at least are very democratic about how we work and we all have vastly different influences as well as approaches to writing. That's why I like Marriages. We set out to be a band but were so different from one another that the music we needed up making was hard to place in any one genre.

(((O))): Sargent House recently announced a huge showcase gig in Dublin featuring you, Russian Circles and ASIWYFA and many more. Is there a possibility of you touring extensively through Europe and the UK; either with Marriages or solo (or both!)?

ERR: I can only hope so! Can't wait to do a whole EU tour with either project but I'm very excited to return to Ireland. I've been several times, stayed in Galway for a while, ventured around a bit and made my pilgrimage to the statue of Phil Lynott- I hope he will remember me. I look forward to seeing my SH brothers over there above all!

(((O))): Thanks for talking to us, is there anything you would like to add?

ERR: No I think that's all. Thanks for your time and thoughtful collection of questions.

Some Heavy Ocean is available now through Sargent House. Follow Emma, and Sargent House online to keep updated with touring, and further releases.

Just before the launch of ‘Navigator”, Her Name Is Calla’s latest release, I met with Sophie and Adam on a rainy evening at St Pancras Old Church.  At first, it did not look promising at all - I found myself soaking wet, waiting in front of a closed church.  In the end, I took a stroll in the surrounding graveyard, whilst the sound check was feeding through the thick walls.  On returning to the church and knocking profusely, I was eventually greeted by Sophie Green, Adam Weikert and Gavin Miller.  Gavin is the bands' floating bassist, borrowed from Ghosting Season.  He was also opening the night with his superb solo set.  For lack of a better space, we just stood in the church’s kitchen, with pictures of various popes watching over us whilst we feasted on crisps sandwiches.

(((o))): It’s been a while since ‘The Quiet Lamb’– what happened in between and why did it take you so long to come up with new material?

Adam: We were never in a particular hurry to get things out.  I think a lot happened between then and now.  Two of the founding members left the band, me and Tom had solo releases out – we were just concentrating on other things, like sorting our lives out a bit.  But we always had those little songs kicking around.

Sophie: We had “Ragman Roll’, the 7”, about half way through.

Adam: And more before that as well!  So we were still putting stuff out – it’s our first album in four years, but we’ve been putting things out to let people know we’re still alive.

(((o))): It does seem like a lot has been happening.  For instance, you did the documentary about the hardship of being DIY musicians.  Has anything changed since then or is the documentary still as valid as it was?

Adam: Just as valid.

Sophie: We’ve just come back from being away and it was almost scene for scene the same.  With all the good bits - but with some of the rubbish bits as well.  We didn’t break down this time at least.

Adam: Yeah!  Well, the van didn’t break down.

Sophie: We all broke down silently inside ourselves.

(((o))): Any highlights from the tour?

Sophie: Brno in Czech Republic was good fun.  It was a very small room, it was really crammed and sweaty and everyone was singing along so that was really fun.

Adam: My highlight was that someone noticed that I was in the band, people don’t normally do that!  So I was really chuffed with that.

Sophie: We didn’t put that in the diary.  We should put that in the diary!! [everyone chuckles]

(((o))): And you did the crowd funding campaign.  How did it affect the band?  What made you do it and what did it change?

Sophie: I think at the time it paid off a lot of debt.  The van had broken down on tour so that needed paying off.  Old label money, from when they pressed records and we obviously had to pay our share back.  Just loads of debt that piled up!

Adam: Because we never really… If we come back with no money - that’s a good tour.  We pretty much always come back with just a lot of debt that accrues over time.  So the reason we did it was either that or we’d fail and die, just accept we can’t do it anymore [laughs].

Sophie: Even after all our best plans, a promoter might not pay the whole fee or… something might go wrong or…

Adam: Cause that was right after we had four of five days in Poland where it was meant to get us like a grand or something, and it all got cancelled.

Sophie: There was a tweet or an email, someone just said ‘sorry, the promotion company has gone under’ so five gigs got cancelled.  We had no way of getting anywhere.

Adam: But then at times like that – and that was just before the fundraiser – people just rushed in and saved us then.  Fans just put us up, we played random house gigs.

Sophie: They were probably the best thing!

(((o))): It was sounding pretty serious: like if that doesn’t work, there won’t be a band anymore.  Was that actually the case, or was it just a bit dramatic?

Adam: No, no, that makes it almost an ultimatum!  We just wanted to solve a lot of financial issues.  We always wanted to put out new music and it seemed like a good way of doing that.  It was also a good motivator to kind of draw us all back together, to get us writing and get on track again.  I think that’s what made us realise how much people are interested and gave us the push to do the album, ‘cause before we were just drifting around.  We all live in different cities so it’s hard to find motivation because we all live very separate lives.  The only place we kind of converge is on the Internet.

Sophie: And we love hanging out, we love making the music.  It’s just that everyone is working full time jobs, having families… finding that one weekend off when everyone is free can be really, really difficult.  It’s really rewarding in the end.

(((o))): And obviously the line up of the band has changed.  Who’s who in the band right now?

Adam: Well, Sophie is Sophie, that hasn’t changed [we all laugh]. I still do all the bits that I do.

Sophie: You do what?!

Adam: I still do all the bits that I did.

Sophie: I thought you said you saw my wallet! [laughs all around]

Adam: [puts on a cheeky voice] I saw your wallet!

Sophie: You saw my ID!  You’re the new Sophie! [we all laugh] I think in terms of roles it’s become more collaborative.

Adam: Yeah, and having Nicole join – she’s very musically verbose so she can say ‘oh, I’ve learned this piano part’ so she doesn’t have to only play the cello.  I think it’s important for the band to be adaptable.  [to Sophie] Like, you started singing a lot more as well.

Sophie: We’ve all started to play more instruments live.  We’ve broken out of a lot of comfort zones over the past four years. [to Adam] You’ve been singing a lot more as well.

Adam: The band is pretty solid.  It’s me, Sophie, Tom, Nicole and floating bass players.

(((o))): About that - I saw John [Helps of Maybeshewill] played with you a lot before, but he wasn’t signed on your recent newsletter.  Is he a permanent part of the band?

Adam: He kind of was for a bit, but he’s got so many commitments, because he runs the band tour thing…

Sophie: Maybeshewill is almost on tour all the time, all over the time.

Adam: They’re much bigger than us, we can’t really become the second choice.

Sophie: We’re still close friends, but we couldn’t force him to…

Adam: You can’t commit to too many things.

Sophie: He’s a really busy man!  I don’t even know how he finds any time to sleep!

(((o))): It seems like a lot of you have a lot of side projects going on as well.  How do they affect the band? Do they enhance your sound or do they distract you?

Adam: I don’t know, it’s weird.  I find that whenever I write a song, I know whether it’ll be a Weikie song or a Calla song.  So when I was writing ‘Ragman Roll’, I knew this must be sung by Tom – this is very much a Calla song.  Whereas the folkier stuff just wouldn’t work in the almanac of what we already released, it actually makes no sense.  I guess it has been distracting a bit – when me and Tom were writing our solo albums, we didn’t write much for Calla at that point.  But I think it enhances what we’re doing because it means we’re getting rid of what we need to do over there.  Like I can do my upset Tracy Chapman sound with banjo and get it out of my system and come back and have a bit more composure.  I don’t think this has been detrimental to Calla – if anything it enriched, brought more to the floor. 

(((o))): In terms of ‘Navigator’ – with everything that’s changed in the band, did that affect the sound of the album at all?

Sophie: It’s funny, because we have got some tracks on there that we wrote way back when… like “Burial’.  And in my mind, I can remember where we were.  So it feels different to me.  But I think it fits in with the whole sound overall.  And ‘Ragman’ is a bit older.

Adam: And the sound’s been quite consistent, because on some of the recordings it’s me playing the bass, just because it was easier when we had floating bass players.  So on ‘Nightingale’ it’s me playing the bass.  So it’s more about the songs than the players, and you do what you do to get the right sound.

(((o))): And what were your main inspirations while writing it?  Where there any main motives?  Is there a ‘message’?

Sophie: I think it’s just life on this one!

Adam: I’m just really sad, basically, [we all laugh] and that just goes into all the music.  I think it’s a good place to offload.  I don’t like to talk to people about… emotions and stuff, but I like to have them written down.  So it feels like they’ve existed and I can understand them a bit more.  Lyrically, I think that’s the same with Tom as well.  I think he finds it very therapeutic to have this outlet.  So that is the main inspiration and idea.  That and togetherness, bringing each other together.  Because if it’s just me and Tom sitting by ourselves, it will sound like me and Tom sitting by ourselves.  But if we bring Sophie and Nicole in, it will change completely how the song will pan out.  But yeah, the main inspiration is just… sadness. [We all burst out laughing] Just melancholic kind of stuff.

Sophie: That’s just life!

Adam: I think it’s also because I don’t like happy songs – I think they sound very patronising.  I hate when they sing about how great everything is and you’re like ‘fuck you!’, whereas it’s more empathetic because everyone has felt some sadness at some point.  Taking a very lonely feeling and making it into a communal project.  That’s what makes me want to write music.  That and riffs, just gotta get those riffs out!

Sophie: Yeah… Cathartic riff…

(((o))): Obviously you have toured already.  Is this the last night of the tour?

Sophie: Yeah…well, today feels like the last night.  But we have got a little, smaller section of gigs in about two weeks.  But the last night of the big burst that we’ve had.

Adam: Yeah, and you can hear we’re all… pretty ill. [laughs and fakes a cough] All that sleeping in hostels just makes you ill.

Sophie: And that one sweaty gig that we talked about.  Which also reminded that the smoking ban is pretty crude over there so it was very, very smokey.  We all came away sounding as if we were smoking all night!

(((o))): As a band, what are your immediate plans now?  What can we expect from you from the foreseeable future?

Sophie: Tour, promote ‘Navigator’, get to write some things when we get together.

(((o))): And can we all get a little bit excited about ArcTanGent for a moment?

Sophie and Adam: Yes!

Sophie: This is gonna be fun.

Adam: I’ve never been before.

Sophie: I’ve never been! Have you been?

(((o))): Yes!

Sophie: Was it good?

(((o))): Yes!!

Sophie: Everyone keeps saying how much fun it was.  I think we’re going to a wedding right after that.  We play a wedding, it’s a lovely friend of the band, and he’s having this really cool wedding with lots of fun stuff to do…

Adam: Everyone is going to be too happy.  So we’re just gonna go in there and bring it down a bit.  ‘Sure you’re in love! But will it last…?’  It’s gonna be awesome. 

All Photos by Magda Wrzeszcz

A full gallery of Magda's pictures from the night can be found here.

With the release of Melting Sun, Lantlôs progresses into new musical territories and directions, which resulted in a beautiful release. We are proud to be able to publish the in depth interview below with mastermind Markus Siegenhort that was originally conducted by Yänn Mondragon for New Noise Magazine.

Yänn: Let’s go back to the past, do you remember what your motivations were when you created Lantlôs back in 2005?

Markus: I wanted to make emotional German black metal and I wanted to make something special and new. I wanted to make the most dedicated music I can come up with.

Yänn: Is creation a true cathartic need, a way to let yourself go…or is it just your love of music that leads you to write music?

Markus: It's weird - I feel like I have cathartic urges almost all the time. I hate being awake and too close to my life, work and everything that just "needs to be done". I feel like living in some kind of bubble in a blur, more or less floating from one place to another. I feel like I live inside myself for the most part of my life. I don't have too many wishes or goals, or direction. It's weird. It’s like being in a dream. And that's what my music is about. So, well it's hard to draw a line where music starts and life ends.

Yänn: I’ve read that you experienced something quite disturbing when you were 17 and that the way you see life had changed from then on. Can you tell me a little bit about it?

Markus: It's called derealisation. It's a disorder that makes you sense the world and your surroundings in a very weird and distant way. It feels like you watch everything you do and feel on a TV screen. Like having some sort of "filter" before your eyes and soul. You walk on different soil, trying to make your way. Everything is kind of "robotic" and foreign. You can't explain this. It's almost like a terrible horror trip on a drug. It was the most intense, hardest and worst period of my life.

Yänn: In that same interview, you mentioned you have a very ‘personal’ relation to reality. Can you tell me those such particular emotions that you sometimes feel in detail?

Markus: Haha, I think I answered it already in the questions before, because this is such a big part of my life and music. I feel awkward or weird all the time. Being in several places but never where my body is. I'm a dreamer and I try to escape from everything as often as possible. I don't feel comfortable with seeing how everything actually is - there has to be more. Feelings are my blessing and curse - I often need to follow them and I live in my world rather than participating anything else. It almost feels like they are bigger than I am. I'm not trying to tell that I'm depressive or someone so special - I'm often told I'm a funny and easy guy. And I try to be that way, work hard on myself to be a good man and try not to value any man or thought. But I feel so disconnected to matter and most people, without wanting to whine around. It's just how it is. I don't feel superior or better, but I know that it's a gift to feel yourself, your life and your thoughts so intense, even if it is hard sometimes. So what’s "reality"? It's a thing connected with struggle and obligations for me in the first place.

Yänn: Even if the music you’ve been currently writing does not contain any black metal elements, could you nevertheless give us your own definition of this kind of music and what it means to you? What has black metal taught you philosophically and artistically speaking?

Markus: Before everything: black metal used to mean a lot to me, but with getting older and changing, it reminds me of so many things of myself that I don't want to be part of my life anymore. It's negative energy. I try to avoid that as often as possible. When I think back of myself listening to black metal or dark music in general, it's almost like I think of a friend. So many things changed so drastically in my life... that's not who I am anymore. Though, I don't feel ashamed or hate black metal or anything. I did not decide "I will stop reflecting and listening black metal". I think my friends and I were cool together and we had a great time back then. The music suited our perception on life. The whole black metal thing meant a world to me. It was the first serious music I really consciously listened to and sensed a feeling of "home" and understanding. I felt connected. It has taught me to reflect myself.

I think it will come back one day, but for now, I rather listen to new music.

Yänn: You have worked together for a long time with Neige from Alcest. Why is not the case anymore today?

Markus: Nothing really special - we changed in sound and he lacks time!

Yänn: Does Melting Sun represent the beginning of a new era for Lantlôs, like a new cycle?

Markus: I don't know. Like I told you, my music is my life and my life is my music. Melting Sun is another step to get closer to myself and I feel like I have reached a new state/level in my life. So, Melting Sun is rather the outcome of that new level than a new era for Lantlôs, if you know what I mean? I don't decide. I do what I feel best. And what I feel best changes all the time when it comes to music. Just listen to all the albums I did - they sound very different from another. All the albums are about certain groups of feelings I strongly experience in different periods of my life.

Yänn: Melting Sun immediately draws our attention with its bright, colourful cover. Without listening to the album, we feel that Lantlôs has never so much leaned towards the sun. Is the sun today more agreeable to watch than the darkness to you?

Markus: Yes! 100%! I don't see sense anymore in keeping stuck with your own darkness. Try to open your eyes. There's lots of light in the world, in people and finally and most important in yourself. It's all about yourself. If you feel pity for yourself, you will see everything as vein, dark and pointless. If you stand up and fight against all the shit that drags you down, you will see light. And you will see the brightest light growing inside yourself. Just to keep up with this kitsch metaphore.

Yänn: Lantlôs is beyond recognition on Melting Sun. Are you aware of it? Aren’t you afraid your fans might be confused?

Markus: Yes it's different, of course. But I don't feel that Lantlôs is beyond recognition. I rather feel that Melting Sun is natural progression. It's not like this comes from nowhere or so... just listen to all the past albums. They have always been very different from another. Agape has some songs/parts that point a finger towards Melting Sun. For the fans - well, what else should I do? Record a 2nd .neon? Of course, I think it must be frustrating for people to see a band they like turning to something they don't. But what can I do about it? I will never make an album sounding like one I did before. It's important for me. And for everything not liking the idea - I can understand. But this won't change how I feel about my stuff.

Yänn: Even the production is very different from your previous albums: less blunt, bright and warmer, the way you approach the sound confirms that the music doesn’t borrow anything from black metal…do you agree?

Markus: I don't know. Who cares anyway? Listen and like or don't!

Yänn: Does that change of music direction show that you’ve changed as a man? Does it show that the way you see people, the world by large is not the same?

Markus: Yes! Like I told you, I work hard on myself and try to be the person I can.

Yänn: Do you remember the state of mind you were in when you started writing Melting Sun?

Markus: Yes! I was living in a small village in the south of Germany, when I wrote the first song – ‘MS I: Azure Chimes’. Far away from civilization, so to speak, haha. It was that time when I lost that reality disorder and depression and everything was sort of brightening up. I met new people, we were often outside, chilling by the lake, on the mountains or at some forlorn castle in the summer, being high all the time and experiencing the summer in a very calm, comforting and ethereal way. It helped me a lot with seeing things differently and is definitely the most important impulse for Melting Sun.

Yänn: Can you please explain the song writing process of Melting Sun in more detail? From the first note written to the sound mixing phase?

Markus: Inspiration comes as it comes. I had a lot to tell and felt something in my chest all the time. I was not having a real job, keeping things up with doing some music jobs, factory labour etc, so I was free to go to the studio anytime. I have my own studio where we recorded Melting Sun. I often went with the dog in the morning and getting sort of high. Some ethereal flashes or waves, I can’t explain it. A thick and viscid feel, bright, warm, distant and weird. And on those trips I meditated these flashes and directly went into the studio. I also experimented with some substances to make these flashes even bigger. So yeah, I was pretty much high all the time. Like being in this weird bubble. I really can’t explain it. Just listen to the album. Every second is about exactly that feeling. For the songs - they just sort of happened. I went to the studio, concentrated really hard on these flashes and played the guitar and experimented with sounds. Nothing too concious, nothing too logic. Just out of the mood.

Yänn: About the song writing process of Melting Sun, did you approach it as usual or did you change some details in the way you work? Did you come across some hardships to assemble all the pieces of the puzzle? If so, which ones?

Markus: Actually the way of writing songs did not change, rather the message. I never constructed music and always did what I felt best. Same goes for these songs. And like I told above, the songs just sort of "happened".

Yänn: You’ve worked entirely on your own on this album or did you have some outside help? Are there people who contributed to Melting Sun you would like to thank?

Markus: We did everything ourselves in my studio "DO-Studio" in Rheda. We did everything on our own except for the mastering and the artwork. I definitely want to thank Pascal Hauer for his beyond sick artwork, which is definitely one of the best artworks I've ever seen. So many details, so much passion. Please give him a like at his Facebook page. The master was done by Philipp Welsing from Original Mastering. I can definitely recommend this guy too. Last but not least, I want to thank my friends Philipp Dombrink and Lukas Jahns for the documentary they did on Melting Sun, which will be released with the special book edition of the album.

Yänn: If Melting Sun is a journey, can you describe me its beginning, its movement and its completion?

Markus: It's an inner trip. Of flush, fluffy clouds and weird shadows. It doesn't move, it's an ode to an absolute feel of the ethereal spirit of substances and summer. It's standing still and glorifying a moment of bliss. It's a deeper reflection of making feelings the biggest thing on earth.

Yänn: Do the lyrics of Melting Sun stem from emotions that you have felt through the hardships and the joys related to existence or is it a fiction built upon some literary or philosophical references? If so, can you tell me which ones?

Markus: It's just visions I had that fulfil the music. I didn't write even one sentence or word with the intention of logic or so. Its images rowed one after another. No sense, no direction, just images evoking feelings.

Yänn: Do you think you will perform Melting Sun on stage? What does live music represent to you? Is it some promotional obligation or a means to make your music live beyond the records?

Markus: Oh yes! 2014 will be our year! We're working on a tour in late 2014 and we will try to play as much as possible to get our music spread and see places, meet people and have a good time.

Personally, I have to admit that playing live now to me means a lot of pressure. I have to get used to standing in front of people. I don't feel so comfortable to be in the centre of interest. And I also have to say I rarely enjoy live shows from other bands, too. Concerts sound shit almost all the time. I'm an audiophile. I rather enjoy listening to music in front of my studio speakers and LISTEN. Nothing but listen to clean tracks. For music from other artists, concerts are less personal to me and somewhat hectically. Going to concerts for me is more about meeting people/friends than the music. But well, like I said I'm talking about other artist's concerts now, not my own. On stage I want to give 100%, the best musical performance I can give and make the songs sound biiiig, this is why it means pressure. But that's kind of a good thing too, huh?

Chaotic, intense, and unrelentingly brutal, veteran hardcore act STUBBORN FATHER has bludgeoned its way to the forefront of the Japanese underground scene with frenetic live performances and consistently inventive musicianship. “They’re the best thing happening in Japanese hardcore at the moment,” says Harada, manager at Osaka’s M4 studios where the band rehearses. Echoes & Dust caught up with longhaired, soft-spoken frontman Shige Born in the third-floor studio in Umeda’s teeming red-light district. Fingers of tobacco smoke climb up the postered walls as the singer digs in his bag for a cellophane-wrapped cassette—the group’s latest release, a compilation encompassing their best output to date.

“Stubborn Father formed in 1999,” says Born. “It’s been 16 years. I've been into music since I was a kid and I formed a few different bands, but I couldn't find friends who it really clicked with for a long time. Finally I met and became friends with Fukusuke [guitar]. He said he’d been in a band before, so we went to the studio and just hit it off. We started to make songs together as we looked for other members. That was the start of Stubborn Father.”

(((o))): How would you describe STUBBORN FATHER to someone who hasn’t heard you before?

We are basically a hardcore band. It's difficult to describe in one word. I think the music is full of stark emotion; it’s chaotic, but it’s a lyrical sound. In a scene with so many finely distinguished sub-genres, I guess you’d call us "chaotic hardcore".

(((o))): Are there any tracks that you’re most proud of on your latest record? What direction do you think the music will take in the future?

"Juuninichi me no Fumoto" is the one I’m most proud of. It felt like we reached a frontier leading to our next evolution with that song. Ryan, founder of the Meatcube label, asked us to record a “discography mixtape” to release on his label. I’d never thought about it and we had no plans to release a discography tape, but he was so passionate about it that we agreed straight away. We deeply appreciate Ryan producing such great stuff. And it’s been a turning point. It’s revitalized us. I don’t think our basic sound will change dramatically, but I think it will evolve naturally as we progress.

(((o))): What bands have influenced your sound?

I guess SWARRRM or Envy. We used to listen to them when we started performing as STUBBORN FATHER. And our ex-label mate ANODE. They were a big influence because they're Japanese bands and we could experience them live. And also Shikari. They are all completely original. They had a huge impact on us. But we’re inspired to make totally original music mainly because the guys have a lot of originality. Other than hardcore, I also like electronica, noise, and ambient music. That kind of music has a very different set of rules and methodology. I try to extract its essence and pass it through my own filter, and apply it to our sound. And the other thing we try to do is infuse the flavor of Japan into the songs. We’re a Japanese band. I think it's essential that the melody and style of singing have that unique flavor.

(((o))): The way bands gig and record is different in Japan. Do you think it is easier or harder for a band in Japan compared to overseas?

Unfortunately I don't really know about the way bands do things abroad. I think it's difficult to compare because the situation is so different in every country. We we’re talking about music with a musician from Chile who was interviewing us for a fanzine. The guy said he was envious of Japanese bands because we have a lot of fully setup live venues and rehearsal studios, whereas in Chile bands have to transport, load in, and set up all their own equipment when playing live. Actually I saw their video and this band had to assemble the wooden stage by hand. Compared to that, I’m sure Japan is an easier place to perform.

(((o))): Do you feel any frustration about the dominance of commercial music in Japan? Do you think there is any pressure for groups to change their sound or image to become commercially successful?

I feel no frustration at all. I think commercial rock couldn't exist without underground music, and vice versa. Commercial acts play the music that they do because they like it, and also the big-label environment and that way of doing things convinces them. We believe in the environment of the underground music scene, so that’s how it is. Major label managers only invest in music that makes a lot of money. And in Japan, that music is pop music. That's it. Also I think another reason is that rich people can't really understand true music, art, and sub-cultures in Japan. On the other hand, our lack of energy and interest could be to blame.

(((o))): Which bands do you most like touring or gigging with?

I'd like to tour with Seek. I really get those guys. There are so many exciting bands, but if I'm forced to choose, I’d say Seek, TRIKORONA , ANCHOR, SWARRRM, weepray, SHIKABANE, and PROTESS. Each of them has outstanding originality and they inspire me so much.

(((o))): What are you listening to now that is blowing your mind?

TETLA93, a Japanese band and ex-Meatcube label mate who unfortunately broke up. Their first and last records are awesome and they completely blow my mind! The first gig I ever went to of theirs impacted me in a way I haven’t felt for so long. I am really sorry they disbanded. I actually did some guest vocals on one of their records. I strongly recommend checking them out.

(((o))): Do you think Japanese hardcore has a unique character?

Yes. Don't know about all Japanese hardcore though, but I think the bands around our scene are unique. Most of their songs are high quality, and I get a sense of delicacy in their music. The melodies and Japanese lyrics are distinctive and have a unique feel.

(((o))): What most inspires you when you’re writing lyrics?

My own daily life. In many cases, I write about my feelings or about something I'm interested in. Sometimes I use a metaphor to express the idea in another situation or scene; sometimes I take a different point of view. I try to use absurd contexts and wordplay. It's important to describe situations with real and familiar words.

(((o))): What is most satisfying about playing with this band?

When we exceed our limits live, and when I get our finished records. It's always a joy to finish hard recording work and hold the record in your hands. I'm sure every musician feels the same satisfaction in that moment.

(((o))): What are your plans for the next album? What direction is your sound heading in?

Recently we’ve had a lot of offers to make split records, so after finishing those, I'd like to start making our third EP or first full-length album. I guess that will take about two years. For the next record, the direction hasn't been decided yet. I'd like to mix everything that I like to do and make a kind of grand sum. Like we've done on last record, I'd like to make it good quality but with the feeling of a live performance. We’re also planning to invite some guest musicians.

(((o))): Do you guys hang out much when you’re not playing, and what do you do?

I used to hang out often with Fukusuke [guitar] and Morishita [bass] as well as playing music together. They’re old friends. But after having our own families, it’s become a once-in-a-blue-moon thing. We still get together with Camel [drums] to go see a show or visit each other’s homes. Where we drink. A lot.

(((o))): Any plans for an overseas tour? How can we listen to your music?

Meatcube is a great American label that’s introducing a lot of Japanese bands to people overseas. We are grateful for their help. Ryan is passionate guy and knows more about Japanese music than Japanese people. I'm really looking forward to meeting the amazing guy someday. We've also got an offer from America that we're negotiating. We’ve actually had a few different offers to tour abroad but because of bad timing or whatever, never done been able to do it. We'd like to go to the UK or any other countries if there’s any offers. I'd like to get our music out there as much as possible!

2002-2012 is available by mail order at meatcube.com. STUBBORN FATHER is Shige [vox], Fukusuke [guitar], Morishita [bass], and Camel [drums].

It's a quiet bank holiday Monday, and a number of faithful fans hopped down to see three bands who are pushing the boundaries in progressive and technical metal in quite different directions. I grabbed a chat with Ian Rockett, guitarist and founding member of Shattered Skies, to grill him on the band's upcoming début album, his take on 'djent' and doing cover songs, and the band's Five Year Plan. Meanwhile, Chimp Spanner were making quite the racket during their soundcheck to provide us with appropriate mood music.

Firstly, some background information. One of the many interesting bands to come out of Ireland, Shattered Skies initially came up in the wave of bands fusing Meshuggah's influential polyrhythmic sound with more melodic and catchier pop influences. This resulted in an extremely well-regarded EP entitled Reanimation, which can be downloaded for Pay-What-You-Want. Fast forward three years, and the band are finally on the home stretch for releasing their début album The World We Used To Know, which is set to be 13 tracks across an hour's runtime. It's been a long time coming, but there's finally a light at the end of the tunnel.

The birthing process of this album has been painful, to say the least, but it has fuelled an incredibly productive writing process. Ian claims they have “probably an album and a half's worth of material” on top of the album they've written; whether the tracks end up as a series of EPs or another album remains uncertain, not least due to a change in bass player resulting in Chimp Spanner's live guitarist Jim Hughes being on board. And he's been a busy guy, it seems: “he's sent over a big folder of riffs he's written over the past six or seven years”, so those will no doubt make appearances on future tracks.

When asked about the album's lyrical content, and how the topics have developed since Reanimation, Ian reveals that, “there's a theme through it, about experiencing major changes in your life”. This is rather pertinent to the band, considering they moved from their native Wicklow in Ireland to Croydon, London, during the process, and took big risks related to making a full album, as any band does when investing so much time and money. As if that weren't enough change, the band also re-mixed the album as they realized that the style they had gone for was tiring on the ears. So instead of a “harsher, more 'metal' and punchy sound”, Ian says while punching his hand for effect, they opted for a smoother production, which will allow for the less metallic songs to shine through as well.

What comes across strongly when Ian describes the album is that Shattered Skies are, both consciously and unconsciously, stepping away from the tech-metal scene. He insists that the transition was natural, and that tech-metal has settled into their taste with the other elements rather than a stand-out component. Clearly it has done; “the 8-string guitar isn’t just constantly chugging, there are songs with clean guitar on it, some of which are predominantly clean, ones that are more funk-groove based as opposed to tech-groove. There’s a song with a waltzy feel, and one that’s a ridiculous 12 minute prog epic that goes theatrical in the final bit”. And not a harsh vocal in sight, it appears. Granted, the harsh vocals only appeared momentarily in Reanimation, but Ian admits that part of the reason for their absence is that “I don't really like doing them, I'm not very good at them” and vocalist Sean Murphy, being from a pop and musicals background, was even less suited.

But there's an underlying reason for their absence, which can be detected when the dreaded 'djent' term arises in conversation. Although metal still figures in Ian's listening habits, this particular niche corner has become a bone of contention. After the golden age between Mnemic/Sybreed and Periphery/Tesseract, he describes himself as “jaded...most of the stuff after that [era] does nothing for me. No connection emotionally or creatively”. Instead, he feels the band have evolved to become their own entity; he remarks that the best compliment he's received regarding the new album is that “it sounds like Shattered Skies”.

This unique sound has allowed Ian to embrace many other styles of music, and he honors these with the sometimes unpredictable covers the band pulls out. “It's a bit of fun”, he says grinning, “it throws people off”. You're right, not many prog/tech metal bands can make Pendulum's Propane Nightmares and Europe's The Final Countdown work, but thanks to Sean's versatile voice they always go down a storm live. This partially stems, Ian reflects, on an Audioslave concert he saw years back where they brought out a cover of 'Seven Nation Army' by The White Stripes “for no apparent reason”. And even as the band's repertoire grows, their love of covers won't stop. Ian reveals that the band are gearing up to head into HVR Studios to record a live performance video. They've taken inspiration from Tesseract, who recorded two lengthier songs as live videos, and are aiming to do two as-yet-undisclosed songs along with a cover of Muse's old classic 'New Born'. Ian explains, “some people said we have Muse-esque qualities in our stuff”, so the song is a nod to that, and perhaps will generate some crossover interest from Muse fans.

When not making covers and writing prog tracks, Ian and Sean also spent some time with a piano, reworking Reanimation material into a stripped back and softer approach cleverly titled Pianomation. They débuted a song from this live last year at Hard Rock Hell Prog in Wales, and when asked whether acoustic or piano shows were on the cards, Ian gives a confident nod, adding, “there was talk of us doing something at the Barbican Theatre”, a place renowned for its fantastic acoustics. But that's on the backburner for now, as the main focus is getting the album out and putting on some more 'traditional' shows. They're sick of the studio, and it shows in the way Ian looks back fondly at their Bloodstock performance two years ago, and how by pure chance a sound guy from Ireland ended up mixing their set for them, resulting in a stunning-sounding performance. Nothing like the luck o' the Irish.

Looking the future, Ian states that Shattered Skies' five year plan is far from set in stone, but the band are looking into a few promising options. He divulges a couple of them, mentioning that the album will be out by the end of the summer, either via a label or self-released with support from the renowned Hold Tight! PR. After that, the intention is to “get a bit more touring under our belts” through Europe and elsewhere, and then start shopping for a label, which will give them a sense of security and extra support if anything, although it's not the “be all and end all” of their career.

We wrap up the interview as Chimp Spanner are blasting their way through 'Bad Code', providing a taster of the show that was to follow later. A live report of the show will follow.

Many thanks to Ian Rockett and Nick Azinas for the interview opportunity. You can follow Shattered Skies on Facebook here.

One half of Diaphanoids, Andrea Bellentani took some time out to talk to Martyn Coppack about the history, inspiration, and future of the band.

(((o))): Tell me about how Diaphanoids started, what is the history of the band?

Me, Andrea Bellentani, and Simon Maccari met in 2003 while I was recording demos in his studio, we started talking about music and art in general so we discovered we had the same passions and decided to make music that we liked, when we had the time, just for our own sake.

Slowly the tracks began to take shape so we decided to step seriously further into production and began to get involved with other musicians we knew, jamming with them in studios around Italy and recording everything. Some of these people had incredible vintage keyboards and synthesisers collections so we used them all!

Our first album was Astral Weekends and was recorded throughout 2003 until 2006. Every now and then we were recording parts and then we were assembling them adding elements from time to time.
Back then, we didn't even know there was a nu-disco scene or this cosmic disco as this kind of music's been labelled now. We were producing this music basically for our own pleasure, we were not thinking about pleasing a particular audience or finding a particular record label.

To capture the 70's sound we had in mind, we recorded most of the tracks in small studios that were still keeping vintage analogue mixing desks, 24 tracks recorders, separate wooden boxes for playing all together jammin' with the other musicians... Basically we wanted to record stuff in the way the great musicians of the seventies and eighties used to record, jammin' , improvising stuff, leaving the mistakes on, capturing the climax of the moment. We've tried to use at the minimum the new technology, the plug-ins and the software, just in the post production, and the whole first album has been played by real musicians.

In 2005, in the middle of the recordings, someone told us about Lindstrom's "I feel space"...we listened to it and we thought "we're not the only people playin' this kind of stuff!" so started gettin' to know the whole underground dance scene and movin' the first steps inside the scene. We made mistakes...even sounds-wise...we threw away one entire album!

When some demos were ready, we sent the tracks to Tim Sweeney's @Beats in space radio show In NYC and he played a track, it was a good sign! Then we decided to send the stuff over to Hans-Peter Lindstrom, just for the hell of it, to know his feedback, He was thrilled and liked the music so much, and he was so incredibly kind to turn our stuff to all his record labels friends, then we got contacted by all of them and got offered to release our stuff!!!

We chose Bear Funk because Stevie Kotey, label boss and 1/3 of Chicken Lips, was so genuinely enthusiastic about the music and offered us to release an album, that was what we wanted. 

Unfortunately we had to wait 2 years before the record "Astral Weekends" got released because the label was going under some major changes, but when in 2008 the CD finally got released we received so many enthusiastic reviews. In the meantime, in the 2 years while we were waiting for the record to be released, we started working on our other project, Blakula!, so we start putting all our energies and visions into this, and we released 3 albums "Permanent Midnight", "Back From Mystery City" and "Paint It Red". We never got serious offers to tour so we put The Diaphanoids into a time capsule and hibernated it until the end of 2011, when we thought that after 3 Blakula's albums we had to take a break from it.  So we started thinking again about making The Diaphanoids' second album.

(((o))): What were your inspirations growing up? What are they now? What has the greatest impact on the music you make?

The Diaphanoids' sound is a melting pot of all our influences and music background: electronic music, seventies psychedelia, krautrock, new wave. Musically we still love very much the same music we loved when we were teenagers: Velvet Underground, Stooges, Kraftwerk, Can, The Stooges, David Bowie, Tangerine Dream, early punk and new wave, classic psychedelic acts....too many to mention them all!!! I mean: we listen to everything just out of knowledge but we got influenced only from the great music of the past! Plus the whole sci-fi psychedelic scene of the 60s and 70s like pop art, writers like William Burroughs and Philip K. Dick and movies like Barbarella, Shado, and the trashy B-movies.

(((o))): The new album is a non stop ride, how do you go about writing an instrumental album? Where do the ideas come from?

Well, we are capable to write proper songs with vocals line but so far we like better not sending any kind of information or message or a vague melodic line, only try to project into other people's minds our own visions and perceptions. Also a vocal line requires a frontman, and basically we're musicians and producers. Even if I've been told I have a beautiful voice we decided to have an instrumental album, maybe in the next one we'll try something out! Sometimes we start a track with a simple groove then we jam on top of it adding and adding parts, sometimes we discover a special sound then we build everything upon it.

There's never a masterplan. The basic idea of the "LSME" album is a visionary altered-stated journey through the inner self. Each one of us lives in his own private world, and sometimes this world it's inside a room, with records, movies, objects, images, computers, videocameras, TV's: like virtual reality, second life, Facebook, MySpace etc..everyone can choose what and who wants to be, and sometimes, wherever you live, you can really lose touch with reality and you can dig yourself so deep inside your own little world that you really disconnect yourself from real world.

So with the music we want to give this feeling of being a million miles away from everyone and everything, because sometimes inner space is so much better than virtual reality and  than real world... When you're totally lost inside your world, lost in your room, that no-one can really reach you, the walls dissolve and expand and you fly higher than the sun! Like when you find yourself in a strange situation in the worst moment, entering from the wrong door upside down, all messed-up, dazed and confused, totally spaced-out, one minute late-one dollar short but still feeling glamorous and glittering!

(((o))):What sort of equipment do you use to achieve the desired effects? is it an organic process or does it happen in fits and starts?

We used original analog vintage synthesizers, the big ones also, (moog modular-Yamaha CS 80-ARP 2600-ARP sequencer-Roland synths-ARP omni 2-eminent-EMS AKS-oberheim-mellotron-JX 3p-JX 8p-juno, VCS 3 synthesizer). We've used for the recordings of both albums at least 40 different synths, including rare collector ones and even one that belonged to Klaus Schulze, there's still his sticker on it!!!

It's been a blast visiting mouldy basements, dusty garages and old recording studios all over Italy where these machines had been stored for decades...ARP, any kind of Roland, the wall-size Korgs, the micro moog...it's been synthesizers' paradise! The owners are just ex musicians, or simple collectors who loved to be part of our project just letting us use their synths to jam in total spaced-out trippy sessions...I imagine the old Can-Faust sessions were more or less in that mood!  We even managed to use an original Frippertronic for guitar!

Then Fender Stratocaster-Telecaster, Gibson Les Paul, Fender Jazz bass, lots of original sixties-seventies guitar rigs with effects like Electro-harmonix, Crybaby Wah-MXR Classic Fuzz 108, Foxx Tone octave fuzz, Danelectro French Toast, EH 16 Second Delay, MXR Dynacomp, JC120, ADA Flanger, EHX Echo Flanger, EHX Graphic Fuzz, Roland DC-30 Analog Delay, Roland GR-300, MXR EQ.Fuzzface-CB Ottava Magus stacked with FD II, MXR RI Phase 90-EH Pulsar Trem-EH Deluxe Memory Boy, Klemnt echo-Echolette delay, Binson, Farfisa tube amps,  JC 120, Big Muff, Soundblox Multiwave Distortion, Roland FC-300 MIDI Controller,  Boomerang Plus Looper, GigFX Chopper, Eventide Timefactor, Keeley Compressor,  Digitech Harmony Man, Analogman Peppermint Fuzz Box, Pigtronix Disnortion, Digitech Jimi Hendrix, Digitech Whammy pedal, Roland GR-30 Guitar Synth.

(((o))): How does the music translate to a live show? It's very visual, is this a part of the show?

So far we haven't thought about a live show as we haven't received serious proposals, but we're seasoned bastards so as soon as we'll have a booking agency we'll rock everyone's socks off! Also, yes the visuals will be a fun-da-mental part of the show as we'd like to take the audience with a psychallucisergic interstellar ride along with us  but so far it's too early stages.

(((o))): It's very psychedelic in parts? do you consider yourselves to be part of the psychedelic scene?

Yes, absolutely psychedelic! Yes we're part of this scene, even if every band around now is different in sound and approach from the other ones so I guess there's also room and chance for everyone to be original and have his own identity and personal sound. I think no-one really is copying anyone else, of course the references are pretty much the same but the recording systems-the gear-the approach are different from the old ones so you can't repeat them! We've always been part of this culture, reading the books, watching movies and...experimenting chemicals!

(((o))): Are you planning on touring soon?

No idea at the moment, we'd like to play very soon but as the late great John Holmes say, we were born ready!

(((o))): What would be your perfect festival line up?

Regarding the artists we love that are still alive Iggy Pop-Suicide-Patti Smith-Hawkwind-Gong-Kraftwerk-Nick Cave, The Diaphanoids and a supergroup formed by the surviving members of the Kosmische Kouriers era!

(((o))): What is your favourite biscuit?

Loacker wafer!

(((o))): And the future...where next?

We're already working on the next Diaphanoids album, probably will be released sooner than you expect!

(((o))): Do you want to leave a message for our readers?

Buy REAL records and cds and not the horrible MP3s that sound like bees in your ears and destroy quality and  sounds-wise all the efforts we make to give the right colours to the tracks. Support your local record pusher and your local pusher of whatever you fancy to expand your mind and levitate properly!

For a long time now, we've been big fans of  Tim Waterfield; both in his guise as head honcho of Field Records and as the one man post rock  machine that is Karhide. April saw the release of new EP 'Colossus' (reviewed here) - so we thought it was about time he sat down with us to discuss his music, and what's in store for the future.

(((O))): Thanks for talking to us. First off, can you tell us a bit about what Karhide is, how it
came about & how long you've been doing it?

Karhide started as my last band Ann Arbor came to an end around 2007 because I was planning to move to the US and I did not want to stop working on music. It was a really good learning period for me because I threw myself totally into recording and wrote all the tracks for the Acadia album while I was over there. It took me the whole 4 years to write and record the album and part of it was wanting to do something different to what has gone before. I’m still really happy with the album and even as I was finishing the mixing on it I
was having lots of ideas where I wanted to take the sound.

(((O))): Playing solo post rock is a pretty crazy brave thing to do. Are there ever times
when you wished you had other band members to hide behind?

There’s often times where I wish I had a full band to back me up when things go wrong or I arrive at a venue and I know the PA might not be quite right. A few weeks ago I played at the Cellar in Oxford and the laptop had a fit during the first song and I had to reboot so it put me on the back foot straight away. It’s only one of the few times I’ve had issues with the laptop but it always makes me think of how I can improve things and move forward to make it the best I can.

(((O))): Even on the unfinished mixes of Colossus I've heard the sound feels 'bigger' than
Rough Sleep, which in itself felt bigger than what had gone before. Is that something you're consciously aiming for or just a product of more experience / new equipment?

It’s odd you should say that because the tracks on this EP are older than most of the tracks on the last two EP’s and I’ve not really thought of them as bigger. I think of these tracks as the fast loud tracks for an album and they seemed to fit together to make the EP.

(((O))): On Colossus you've brought in Alex from Tacoma Narrows Bridge Disaster & the drums sound huge. Is this something you plan to do more?

I really like to be able to write tracks and then get a live drummer in because it adds something new to the tracks that I would not be able to program. I’m a control freak and technology has allowed me to create really cool things but I know when something needs a little something extra. I think there’s going to be more collaboration in the future and there’s people I’m talking to so that the tracks can be reworked for the album.

(((O))): You've been 'on the scene' for a long time now, how do you think things have changed over the last 10 years? And how, both as a musician and a label, has digital & online changed things for you?

Things have changed a lot and things are not as clear as they once were. At one time everyone wanted to be part of a label and now bands have to forge their own way through. But there are now some great tools for musicians and bands like Bandcamp and Soundcloud which would of been amazing when I was first starting out. I have always believed in DIY so the web has made it easier to get material out but now it seems like
there is a lot more bands which makes it harder to stand out.

(((O))): Colossus is yet another Karhide EP. Is there a reason you choose to release your music this way rather than save the tracks up for an album?

I think at the moment I have not been able to face working on a full album because of how much it will take out of me. Most of the tracks I’ve been releasing as EP’s were written by the end of 2012 and I was ready to start on the album in Jan 2013. Lots of things happened last year that meant I could not commit the time to work, the main one being that my Dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer at the start of the year but lost his battle in November and then I had to make sure my Mum was OK. I’m just about back into music and deciding on what my plans are for the future but I’ve also been thinking a lot about the past.

(((O))): Saying that, we've been having a lot of debate here recently as to whether there is indeed really still a distinction between an album & an EP in the digital age. What are your thoughts on that?

I would say that an EP is still a harder sell than an album because it does not always get the recognition that an album will. With Field I have released a number of EPs and they have always been harder to push and the press will often focus on albums. So I made the decision not to release any physical EPs again through Field because it’s so hard to make the money back.

(((O))): You've been at the helm of Field Records for over a decade now & seen many a post rock luminary pass through your doors. Who are you excited by at the moment & is there anyone we should be looking out for, Field and otherwise?

I’m really in to Killl Chaos which I released the album by at the end of last year after they were invited to go on tour with Jamie Lenman. They are just working on a new EP which should be ready in a couple of months. If you’ve not heard the new Jamie Lenman album you should check that out and if he plays near you go!

I’ve also been enjoy the new album by The Barnum Meserve which I think they are releasing later this year but I’m not sure on what label. Other bands I’ve enjoyed over the last couple of months are Signals from the Isle of Wight, Beat Easton from Southampton, AK/DK, 100 Onces, Tera Melos as well as the new album by Lesser Key.

New things that are coming up are finally a new album from Alright the Captain which should be with us this year along with a possible new Upcdownc album. I’m also excited to hear the new Rumour Cubes album when it’s finished because last time I saw them play they were really good!

(((O))): Is there one artist you really wish you'd worked with over the years but never quite
managed it?

I always wanted to work with ASIWYFA because I love them and the live show is great. I did talk to them about releasing a split single a long time ago but the other band I had in mind dropped off the face of the planet so it never happen.

(((O))): Quite a few of the bands & promoters we've interviewed recently have cited last year's ArcTangent as feeling like something of a turning point for the post rock / metal scene; giving what was previously something quite disparate a flag to rally around. Would you agree with this & any plans to get Karhide on the bill at some point?

I love the idea of ArcTangent and was really disappointed that I could not go last year because of other commitments. I think a lot of the Post Rock scene has grown in a DIY way and left a space for some smaller festivals to come and fill the void and show the bigger festivals how it should be done! I have some news about playing but I’m not allowed to say. (Karhide have since been added to the ArcTangent lineup!)

(((O))): Finally, is there anything else you want to tell us that we haven't already covered
here?

Go and check out the Karhide and Field Records back catalogue there’s some great stuff!

Polymath recently blew our tiny minds at the amazing Strangeforms festival in Leeds, and have just played a handful of dates around the UK. Bassist Yoseph Leigh Branton had a chat with us about what’s in store for the future.

(((o))): First of all, thanks for taking the time to talk with us! First and foremost, how about an introduction to the as-yet uninitiated and unaware?

Yoseph: Ok, we are an instrumental, 3 piece, Prog-Math band from Brighton. We've been around for a bit less than 2 years, and we started life as a side project for Monsters Build Mean Robots and Last Days of Lorca founding member, Tim Laulik-Walters.

(((o))): What have you guys been up to so far this year? Has 2014 been good to you up to now?

Yoseph: 2014 has been great. We've spent as much of it as possible playing shows. We've done a few mini-tours around the Midlands and the North, as well as a few shows closer to home. We've been really lucky to play with some great bands this year; recently we shared the stage with Mutiny on the Bounty on a couple of occasions, which was a fantastic experience. We've also been playing with Cleft, Shrine, Lost in the Riots, Vasa, Quadrilles, and loads of other great bands, so it's all been pretty full on. It's always great to play with bands who inspire you, and push you to play better, faster and create weirder effects.

(((o))): I can imagine you guys having a huge whiteboard in a studio somewhere with impossible equations of time changes and rhythmic shifts that you somehow put together to create these chaotic, yet thoroughly formulated soundscapes. How do you go about the songwriting process?

Yoseph: I wish we did have a white board, we should definitely get one! Our song writing process tends to be quite rhythmically based, both Tim our guitarist and Chrispy are drummers, so we tend to think in rhythms first and build everything else around that. Tim will usually bring us a rough idea for a progression, we'll learn it, build it, and then go back through it messing up time signatures and making it all a little weirder.

(((o))): With being able to record as many layers as you want within a studio, how is that then transformed when performing the song live? I did notice a hell of a lot of guitar pedals at the Strangeforms festival you guys played recently!

Yoseph: Studios will always give three pieces a freedom that we can't replicate live, that said there are very few layers on any of our recordings to date, more sugar icing than additional parts. Live we use between 3 and 4 separate looper pedals, mainly used for doubling up guitars here and there. As far as the rest of the pedals go, I don't think we're any especial exception on the Math circuit, Cleft, Mutiny on the Bounty and ASIWYFA are good examples; it's a pretty effects crazy genre, everyone has a two man lift pedal board. Every guitarist is constantly trying to make their guitar sound nothing like a guitar.

(((o))): Speaking of which, how was Strangeforms for you guys? For us, that has to be one of the best line ups we've witnessed in quite some time!

Yoseph: We agree, it was a great festival. Bad Owl did an incredible job of organising and promoting, and the venue was perfect for it. It had such a great DIY feel to the whole event. None of the bands were rushed in between sets, no-one played to an empty room, all the bands were brilliant. We can't wait for next year.

(((o))): So there's 'Vertex', 'Tetragon' and 'El Castillo' available as free downloads on your Bandcamp along with EP La Unión De Roku & Demipenteract. Do you have any plans to record/release anything else in the future?

Yoseph: We do indeed. In fact, we're very excited to be heading to the studio with And So I Watch You From Afar engineer, Lee McMahon to record our first full length EP. We're even planning on putting it out on Record. We're currently crowd funding the project through Kickstarter, which is going very well. We've come up with loads of rewards for supporting us in funding the record, and it's a great opportunity to pre-order the record. We're planning to have everything finished and released by September, but we might even put out a couple more freebies in the meantime.

(((o))): Here's a little something I like to throw into the mix, for nothing but shits and giggles really: I'll ask a question in the form of a lyric - idenitfy it if you can, and answer in another random lyric. "Can you tell a green field from a cold steel rail?"

Yoseph: The lyric is Pink Floyd, 'Wish You Were Here'.

Response: "The gardener plants an evergreen, whilst trampling on a flower"

(((o))): Apart from the upcoming album (good luck with the Kickstarter!), what else do you guys have planned for 2014?

Yoseph: More shows, more stuff. We're going to head over to Europe later in the year, and do a few shows with Mutiny on the Bounty. We'll try to play with 100 Onces when they're back over here as well. We might do a few more live sessions, maybe do a live release as well. We're focussing on the record right now, but when it's done, we'll be sure to pack the rest of our year full of shows and downloads and anything else we can fit in.

(((o))): Thanks again, it's been a pleasure!