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kju: Interview Emo Rock und Neon lights |
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Geschrieben von: Martin Beyer
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Freitag, den 21. Mai 2010 um 08:02 Uhr |
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kju: (Foto) sind zurück! Die Emo-Rock Band aus Hannover feiert Ihr 10 jähriges Bestehen. Pünktlich zum Bandjubiläum erscheint am 28. Mai das 4. Studioalbum „Neon lights carve shadows". Nach 3 Alben mit straightem Emo-Rock ist „Neon lights carve shadows" kju:s erstes Konzept-Album (Thema „Nacht in der Stadt"). Nach 2 gefühlten Jahren Stille stehen kju: am 8. Mai 2010 in Hannover wieder auf der Bühne. In neuer Besetzung und mit neuen Songs. Vor Ihrer Live-Premiere standen die Jungs Rede und Antwort zur Band, zu Auftritten und zur neuen Platte...
MBeyer: Bitte um Kurzvorstellung, wer ist wer und wer spielt was?
kju: Kord: Ich bin Kord und spiele Gitarre.
kju: Tobi: Tobi, Gesang und manchmal darf ich auch die Gitarre halten.
kju: Baake: Der Baake am Bass.
kju: Peter: Peter am Schlagzeug.
kju: Dom: Dom an der Gitarre und manchmal auch Gesang.
MBeyer: Beschreibt kju: mit einem, max. zwei Worten!
kju: Kord: Freundschaft.
kju: Tobi: Große Geste, kleiner Preis.
kju: Baake: Hannover 96.
MBeyer: Bezogen auf die Musik?
kju: Dom: Verkopft.
kju: Peter: Ganz großartige Rockmusik für mich. Rock für die Ewigkeit.
kju: Tobi: Post alles, pre nichts.
kju: Kord: Melodien.
MBeyer: Euer neues und viertes Album „Neon lights carve shadows" erscheint beim „Swell Creek"-Label. „Setting sun", Euer drittes Album, wurde auf „Treasure Tapes" veröffentlicht. Zitat (Notiz: Info-Sheet zu „Neon lights"): „nun können kju: endlich wieder das machen, was sie am liebsten tun: ehrliche, emotionale Songs". Das klingt nach Unzufriedenheit mit den „alten" Label.
kju: Tobi: Das muss ich revidieren. Eigentlich ist es ist eher so, das wir den letzten Satz in der Bio so verstehen, dass wir jetzt generell das wieder tun können mit dem Setup, das wir haben. Weil wir jetzt wieder ein Label haben, weil wir ne Platte am Start haben, weil wir ein neues Lineup haben usw. Es ist nicht so, dass das einzig und allein erst wieder funktioniert nach dem Labelwechsel. Wir waren nach der letzten Platte labelfrei. Wir hatten mit „Treasure Tapes" keinen Deal für ne weitere Platte. Es war schon alles ok, was das gelaufen ist.
Wenn man sich "Treasure Tapes" ankuckt, dann sieht man, dass das Label ein Release gemacht hat. Und das es ein Versuch war von den Übersee-Leuten mit nem anderen Sektor auch ein bisschen was zu machen, der so auf halbe Kraft voraus vielleicht gefahren wurde. Bei unserem Release waren die Jungs noch ziemlich hoffnungsfroh. Und weil auf einmal deren Jobs ziemlich viel Zeit gefressen hat, ist aus "Treasure Tapes" nie mehr geworden. Und deswegen war für uns auch Endstation an der Stelle.
Da wir Bauke schon lange kannten von Release 1 (Notiz: CD „Draw lines on" 2003) und Release 2 (Notiz: Cd „The pieces fit" 2004) war relativ schnell kar, das er Interesse hat, das zu machen, bevor er den ersten Ton gehört hat. So ist es gekommen, dass er es wieder gemacht hat (Notiz: Veröffentlichung via „Swell creek")
MBeyer: Eure ersten drei Platten sind Emo-Rock Platten, straight durch. Wie kommt man darauf, als viertes Album ein Konzept-Album zu machen mit dem Thema „Nacht in der Stadt"?
kju: Tobi: Das passiert, wenn man drei Platten lang Emo-Rock gemacht hat, ganz von alleine. Weil ich, der die Texte schreibt, nachdem ich das acht Jahre lang gemacht habe, war das durch mit dem Herz ausschütten. Ich sehe es so: es ist gut, wenn man in einer gewissen Schaffensphase sich einem gewissen Thema widmet und das dann abhaken kann und dann halt weiter machen kann. Für mich ist es ein gesunder Prozess.
Zu dem Zeitpunkt, als die Platte geschrieben wurde, vor eineinhalb, zwei Jahren, die Texte sind ungefähr ein Jahr alt, war ich einfach auch einfach mit anderen Dingen beschäftigt. Es lief alles sehr gut und Ich war neu in Hamburg. Ich hab das alles als sehr inspirierend wahrgenommen, in so einer großen schönen Stadt zu sein und dort zu leben. Hab das natürlich auch alles mit wacheren Augen gesehen. Wie das immer ist, wenn man an neue Plätze kommt und eine neue Umgebung hat. Und das war eigentlich so der Startschuss dazu und die Inspiration, das dann so zu machen. Sich ein bisschen an dem Stadtleben abzuarbeiten und den Episoden, die so da passieren. Und das dann in ein Konzept zu gießen, war dann auch einfacher für mich, mich daran abzuarbeiten und gegenzuschreiben. Und nicht jedes Mal mit einem weißen Blatt Papier dazusitzen und zu denken: „ok, wir haben jetzt ein Stück Musik und dazu soll getextet werden". Es fiel mir so leicht wie noch nie, zu texten.
kju: Kord: Ich glaube auch, dass es wichtig ist, das die Songs für sich stehen. Das man jetzt nicht unbedingt sagt, ok, Du kannst oder Du musst die Platte an einem Stück hören, um die Musik zu verstehen oder um den ganzen Hintergrund zu verstehen. Es geht wirklich darum, dass man die Songs auch einzeln nehmen kann und es macht trotzdem Sinn.
MBeyer: Zum Konzept. Wer kam auf die Idee mit der Fotoaktion?
kju: Tobi: Wir haben das ein bisschen meistens gemeinsam entwickelt, wie das immer so ist. Man spielt Ping-Pong. Man redet ein bisschen über Sachen und hat dann Ideen. Und dann spinnt irgendwer die weiter. Es war so, dass ich es sehr charmant fand, mit Zuhilfenahme der neuen Medien Menschen einzuspannen in das ganze Ding und das nicht so zu verstehen, dass sie ja Fan werden können auf myspace und das wars dann. Sondern sie teilhaben zu lassen am ganzen Paket. Und für mich gehört das Artwork als integraler Bestandteil dazu. Es gibt auch andere Bands, die das gemacht haben mit Sound. Wo Leute dann eben was einschicken konnten, um bei der Platte dann mitgemacht zu haben. Und das hat uns ein bisschen auch als Vorlage gedient. Wir haben das dann aufs Artwork projiziert und dann eben diese Aktion gestartet. Konzept also halb geklaut und halb selbst gemacht.
kju: Baake: Es ist ja auch ein Thema, was jeden betrifft und was jeder von uns erfährt und mit erlebt hat. Zu „Neon lights" hat jeder eine gewisse...
kju: Peter (aus dem off): Beziehung?
kju Baake: Beziehung zu. Genau. Von da her ist es eine Sache, die wir gern auch mit anderen Leuten teilen.
MBeyer: Was erwartet Ihr von Eurem neuen Album, wenn es erscheint?
kju: Tobi: (aus dem off): Nichts mehr...
kju: Kord: Das wichtigste ist, dass es trotz des langen Schaffensprozesses rausgekommen ist bzw. rauskommen wird. Es ist wichtig für uns, das wir die Songs als physikalischen Tonträger in der Hand haben und sagen können: wir haben es nach den ganzen Jahren geschafft, das auf CD zu pressen.
kju: Baake: Es ist immer schwierig, Leute zusammenzukriegen. Fünf Leute aus drei verschiedenen Städten, gerade auch mit dem langen Prozess. Es ist in den zwei Jahren viel passiert intern. Dass es überhaupt so weit gekommen ist und wir diese Platte veröffentlichen, ist ne große Sache.
kju: Tobi: Es sah lange nicht danach aus, das es das Album überhaupt geben wird.
MBeyer: Heute abend ist nach mehr als zwei Jahren Euer erster Live-Auftritt...
kju: Tobi: Das stimmt nicht ganz. Wir haben zwischendurch schon mal gespielt. Eine Show als Vorbereitung, bevor wir ins Studio gegangen sind, um die Songs auch mal live auf der Bühne zu hören. Im Grunde waren es aber ne Hand voll Gigs in den letzten zwei Jahren.
MBeyer: Ihr wohnt in Hamburg, Hannover und Berlin. Warum habt Ihr Euch Hannover, warum Bei Chez Heinz als erster Auftritt in neuer Besetzung mit neuem Album im Gepäck ausgesucht?
kju: Dom: Da kann ich jetzt am Besten darauf antworten, als einer der mit Hannover am allerwenigsten zu tun hat. Die (Notiz: kju:) haben sich in Hannover gefunden und im Chez Heinz, soweit ich das mitgekriegt habe, ihr erstes Konzert gespielt.
kju: Tobi: Wir haben hier (in Hannover) aufgenommen.
kju: Dom: Wir proben hier. Insofern verbindet uns als Band am allermeisten mehr mit Hannover als zum Beispiel mit Berlin oder Hamburg.
kju: Baake: Eigentlich genau die Geschichte mit Swell Creek und mit Bauke. Weil irgendwo hat man mal wo angefangen. Und das ist auch so ein bisschen wie dieser Fahrradkeller.
kju: Tobi: Ja, das (Notiz: Bei Chez Heinz) war mal früher der Fahrradkeller vom Jugendheim hier.
kju: Baake: Und das (der Fahrradkeller) ist in keinster Weise negativ gemeint.
kju: Peter: Fahrradkeller sind super!
MBeyer: Wie bereitet Ihr Euch auf einen Gig wie diesen heute abend vor? Spezielle Proben oder Rituale?
kju: Baake: Mit langem Urlaub.
kju: Kord: Rituale gibt es in dem Sinn eigentlich nicht. Aufgrund der dann doch etwas längeren Live-Abstinenz haben wir uns dann doch im Proberaum eingeschlossen zumindest gestern und heute. Haben das Set mehrfach gespielt, um halt auch maximal vorbereitet zu sein. Wir sind guter Dinge. Es sollte schon passen.
kju: Peter: Ich war das erste Mal, weil wir verstreut sind, in der Situation, dass ich für mich selber die Schlagzeugparts komplett üben musste. Ich hab von den Jungs die Songs ohne Schlagzeug, das heißt, das erste Mal mit Klick und hab für mich selber gespielt. Weil ich in Berlin wohne und wir die Sachen hier in Hannover aufgenommen haben. Das war auch mit den Vorbereitungen zu dem jetzigen Konzert so. Die Technik machts möglich. In Berlin gibt's Mietproberäume. Da setzte ich mich rein mit nem Computer oder nem Iphone und nem Kopfhörerverstärker mit den Songs drauf und knall die dann mal zwei Stunden lang so durch. Das hab ich mir vor zwei Jahren nicht vorstellen können, das ich so was mal mache. Das ist großartig.
kju: Tobi (aus dem Off): Das Positive vom Proben ohne die negativen Effekte der anderen Typen, die dann dabei sind.
kju: Peter: Ohne Scheiß. Das ist der Wahnsinn. Wenn sich die Gitarre verspielt oder es hängt und dann wird das normalerweise erst mal ausdiskutiert. So hast Du das Gerät in der Hand und drückst drauf oder nicht. Dann knallst Du die Dinger weg und gut ist.
kju: Baake: Es gibt keine idealen Konstellationen mehr und Vorbereitungen. Wir sind keine 15 mehr. Dadurch, dass wir alle über die Städte verteilt sind, muss man mit Alternativen leben. Da gibt's dann halt nicht mehr die Vorbereitung wie vor zehn fünfzehn Jahren und allen in einer Stadt, wo man noch mehr Zeit gehabt hätte. Wir leben damit. Und ich glaube, es gibt wenige Bands, die das trotzdem noch so hinkriegen. Wir sind froh, das wir ein Teil von denen sind, wo das noch klappt. Das ist nicht oft so. Gerade in einer Liga, wo wir spielen.
kju: Tobi: Wir kämpfen heute um den Klassenerhalt.
kju: Baake: Von da her sollte man dankbar sein, überhaupt noch die Möglichkeit zu haben und zu spielen. 99 Prozent aller anderen Bands hätten sich, nachdem sie in unterschiedliche Städte gezogen sind, definitiv aufgelöst.
MBeyer: Welche Songs gibt's heute abend zu hören?
kju: Dom: Es wird auf jeden Fall ne bunte Mischung. Definitiv was vom neuen Material, das ist der Schwerpunkt. Wir sind wirklich auch heiß drauf, die Sachen zu spielen, nach dem wir sie so lange aufgenommen haben. Es wird auch noch alte Sachen geben. Und es wird ein paar Überraschungen geben.
MBeyer: Letzte Worte/Werbung in eigener Sache...
kju: Baake: 96 ist und gehört in die erste Liga. Von da her gibt's wenig zu kju: zu sagen. Ich will sagen, dass wir da sind. Wir sind da, wo wir auch weiterhin hingehören.
kju: Peter: Ich wollte mich allen bedanken, das wir diese Band noch haben und diese Platte gemacht haben.
kju: Kord: Ich bin sehr dankbar und sehr stolz. Dass man jetzt im zehnten Jahr dieser Band immer noch sagen kann, wir haben das erste Mal vor acht Jahren hier gespielt. Ich freu mich sehr, dass wir auch in 2010 hier (im Flyer) drin stehen mit einem Auftritt. Es macht mich stolz und freut mich sehr, mit den besten Freunden die ich habe, zusammen Musik machen zu können.
MBeyer: Wo kann man Euch dieses Jahr noch live erleben?
kju: Peter: Am 3. 7. höchstwahrscheinlich im neuen Magnet-Klub in Berlin.
kju: im Netz:
www.kju-music.de
www.myspace.com/kju
www.twitter.com/kjumusic
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Zuletzt aktualisiert am Freitag, den 21. Mai 2010 um 09:42 Uhr |
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Geschrieben von: Ulrike Roth
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Hi Eddie, would you please introduce SIC to the people who don´t know you by now?
Sure thing, SIC is a modern Thrash Metal band from the Faroe Islands, located in the North Atlantic, right in the middle of nowhere, and we're here to inflict mayhem on you all for good, so get used to it ;)
How and when did you start with SIC?
It was back in 2002 when I and our former drummer thought it was about time to start a metal band. We began jamming and got us a bass player and switched between different guitarists and vocalists. Finally in May 2003 our vocalist Mikkjal joined the band and was also playing the guitar from 2003 to 2005. In 2005 I and Mikkjal thought it was time to move on as we were way more serious than the other members in the band. That's when we hooked up with the current line-up.
Can you explain your style of music to us and who´s responsible for songwriting?
We refer to ourselves as playing Modern Thrash Metal. We draw inspirations from many different bands, ranging from Metallica to Meshuggah to Faith No More to Korn to Slayer to blues music. We find inspiration in the surroundings, in the harsh nature that's around us and from all the paths we have drifted. We try to capture all of our favourite elements and emotions from the bands that we love and try to define it our own way and bring it out to the masses!
I usually always come with all the riffs and occasionally with some melodies, but that's more Frans' thing. It then starts with me jamming the riffs with the drummer, we'll jam it, twist it and make it SIC'ish, if you will, and try to fit various riffs together. Then the others usually step in, change this and that, come with constructive critique and we all form it to a song, one way or the other. So yeah, basically we're all responsible for the songs coming to life, if you say that I most often write the riffs.
Think the conclusion is: SIC is responsible for the song writing.
What does SIC mean?
It means Shut It Cunt! (laughs)
Upon forming the band we were of course in the need of a band name but whatever we came up with, nothing seemed to fit.
I came across (sic!) while doing homework in college back in 2002. I looked it up, turned out to be Latin and meaning something in the lines of "Thus, so it says" (...) basically you use it when quoting a direct source in a written text. Also used as "Sic 'em" (to attack). I had and have many reasons for thinking that that name was perfect for us. To put it short: "what you see is what you get; this is what we do, don't like it? Fuck off!" I realize that that may come across as arrogant, but that is not at all the intention. It simply means that we are dead serious about what we do and do not fool around!
Just look it up in the dictionary for the official definition, hehe.
There have been rumours and speculations floating around whether or not the name SIC is taken from the Slipknot song (sic!) or if SIC is an acronym for many things, like Shut It Cunt, Satan Is Cool and god knows how many different acronyms we've been told by fans that they believe our name stands for.
Eddie, your debut album "Pandemonium" was masterly produced by Tommy Hansen ( Helloween, Pretty Maids, Hatesphere etc.). How did SIC, a newcomer, get in contact with this producer legend?
It was during 2006 that we decided that it was about time that SIC should begin writing all the material as well as booking the studio. We love making absurd dead-lines, that way we work 10 times harder and thus the result that much greater! I was looking around in Scandinavia for good studios / producers and yet affordable for a band like us.
I found Ziggy from ZigZound Studios in Århus (Mercenary, etc..). We booked him for September 2006. I went to Denmark one week before the rest of the band and when I had arrived, Ziggy called me telling me that he had been hospitalized and however much I understood his situation, I freaked out and said that he had to figure something out as SIC had already booked the tickets, used shitloads of money and we'd just lost our good friend and mentor Karl Anton Klein a week earlier. Ziggy was kind enough to contact Tommy Hansen. Tommy agreed even if he and his wife were supposed to go on holiday during this time. Working with such an experienced producer as Tommy did wonders for us and we grew a lot during these 15 days that we recorded.
Your manager Orpheus lives in Athens. Tell us how guys from Faroe Islands got a greek manager, hehe!
It began on MySpace. In 2007 when we had released our album Pandemonium we began using all the different internet tools that we could find as well as using all the community sites such as MySpace. We blogged a lot making sure that as many as possible would know about our release. Our good friends from Aussie Invasion read one of our blogs and began playing our music and they pointed us to Orpheus as I remember it. At first he just reviewed our album for Rock Hard, where we received 8 out of 10 possible. Later on we began chatting on occasions and at one point I told him that we were in the need of a manager and it turned out that he was already one. Having worked for many labels I knew that he had good contacts, one thing lead to another, and we signed a deal with him.
In the booklet of "Pandemonium" you thank a guy called Karl Anton Klein. Who was this man? He seemed to be very important for you guys.
Karl Anton was a big person with an even bigger heart. Unfortunately his lifestyle and bad health lead to his death when he was only in his mid 40's. He was the leader of the youth center in our hometown and he was the kind of guy that would see the good in little trouble makers like us when all others would turn away. We couldn't have asked for a better mentor in life and we know he's smiling upon us now.
Tell us a bit of the metal scene on Faeroe Islands.
Since the '90s there have been a few metal bands but they all just seemed to stop at some certain point. From early 2000 it was only Týr and SIC that were serious and ambitious enough to plan album releases and world tours. Up until now it has only been SIC and Týr that have been active. But this year all the underground bands are taking it one step further: releasing their debut albums and even planning tours. I love seeing the metal scene here being as rich as it is just now. There are 4 or 5 metal albums coming this year in the Faroe Islands. That's a lot considering that we are only 48.000 people living on these islands!
In april 2009 you supported Hatesphere on their "Alive and dressed to the nines tour".
I´m pretty sure some funny things happened in this time. Do you have some witty anecdotes for us?
The tour was packed with fun stuff. To mention it all would take ages and forever. But, to mention a few things that stand out... In Slovenia (I think) the party was slowly getting crazy and at one point Gudmar (Bass Player) decides to give Orpheus the most crazy wedgy you've ever seen, he pulled his boxer all the way up his back and over his head, the poor bastard most have been in agonizing pain and to make things even worse Gudmar then ripps them off of him and Orpheus is crippled on the ground and is helplessly watching a Gudmar lights his boxers on fire. At this point the security from the venue steps out and asks us to stop whatever it that we're doing right away - we took them quite seriously, because earlier that evening they had shown us their whole artillery (guns, machineguns, etc) behind the bar (laughs).
Another was in Switzerland I think. Both tour busses had arrived with all 4 bands. Upon load in we all stumble upon this couple right next to one of the busses having sex and they were not at all afraid of the attention, in fact I think it turned them on. They kept on going for ages, and for me to keep on telling details would just get boring hahaha..
Then there was poor me on the ferry on our way home from the UK. Earlier that evening I had been telling the guys that it was really f***ing important that we wouldn't get too wasted and so on, as we had to get out of the tour bus when we boarded and guess who's the only one too wasted to wake up? Eddie! Mikkjal struggles with me for a while and eventually gives up, then someone else and they keep on going until they think I'm up. I start walking out on the car deck with one shoe on one foot and one sock on the other and a tank top and NOTHING else, and all these poor families on the deck had to see this dead beat rocker walking there with almost no clothes at all, priceless, where's the camera when you need it? But hey, this was the last night of a 2 month tour so of course I partied hard. There are many more funny stories but I think I'll stop here (Iaughs). And, I'm sure that we'll include tons of goofy material on our DVD when it will be released.
Hilarious!!!!!! Such a shame that we missed the car deck action! (anm. Rike)
We´ve met you guys a few times on that tour and everytime we had to smile... The headliner Hatesphere shared the bus with two other bands but SIC had their own, very cool Jägermeister tourbus. Why the hell? Are you guys rich or did you have a nice sponsor? Haha!
Jup, we're all millionaires that were bored and started a band hahaha, neh we're just like all other metal heads trying to make it = broke as fuck but having a hell of a good time, how many can say that?!? (laughs)
I did notice some eyebrows being raised when all bands met. Hatesphere actually thought that it was their bus when they arrived and I remember that I had to say "nope this one is ours" and I felt like a complete jackass / show-off haha
Personally I regret having our own bus, no matter how cool that bus was, I don't even want to begin talking about how expensive it is. But bottom line is: Together with Orpheus I began planning this tour. Initially it was without Hatesphere and we planned a tour where we were "headliners" but then we got the Hatesphere offer which we couldn't say no to. I had sent applications out to funds and sponsors and I managed to raise money for the tour, the bus, travelling, food, and so on.
No matter how you twist and turn it, the fact is, when you are a crew of 5 or more, having a tour bus is the cheapest solution for a band as it covers travels and a place to sleep. Having said that I would not recommend an up and coming band to do it though, they should rather stick to a buy-in tour, where they share the bus with the headliner!
Right after the tour with Hatesphere, SIC toured trough UK. Was it a headliner tour for you and how was it?
It was a headliner - part co-headliner - tour. Dave Kok from Vunk Ventures arranged all shows in the UK.
It was different. We had spent all of April together with Hatesphere and 4 other support bands. Everyday you'd hang out with all these people, and you made some really good friends with all of them, and from one night to the other, it was just us, it was a weird feeling, but we were just as excited about it. Of course, there were more people to the Hatesphere shows, needless to say. But, SIC is slowly building a solid and stable fan base all over. We can't wait to go out again! I don't think we'll be doing a headlining tour with the next album. We'll do a cool buy-in tour with some killer band because it more beneficial for the band - you reach out to far more people in much less time!
When I listened to SIC the first time, i noticed some influences of Korn, Sepultura and Soulfy. Eddie, what do you think about the discussion of a possible reunion of Sepultura with the original line-up?
Yeah, the bands you just mentioned are a few of the bands that always inspired us. I'm not really sure to be honest. I would love seeing Sepultura playing again with the original line-up, but I'm just not sure if it'd be the same. Having seen several performances with Soulfly and Cavalera Conspiracy online and so on it seems - sad to say - that there's not much energy left in Max. But, I'd go to a gig, hell yeah. I won't judge it before I hear it, but I just don't think that it'd be the same. I'm sure that many disagree with me, but that's all cool.
What bands or albums were your favourites in the last months?
Hmm... Tough one, I've been so focused on SIC the past months that I've hardly listened to any particular band. After the tour there were two bands that I've listened a lot to and that was Gojira and Hatesphere, as well as the other bands that we toured with. Just heard the new Mnemic album, that one is killer as well, way better than their last one. Today I've been listening a lot to Use Your Brain, Clawfinger, don't really know, I listen to all sorts of bands all the time.
Right now, you´re in the studio recording your 2nd album. Where do you record it and what can we expect from the new stuff?
I'm sorry to say that we're not in the studio right now. We were supposed to enter the studio in January/February 2010. But, due to several reasons on the home front this was not possible. We are working extremely hard to make it in April/May. As to where we'll record it, I simply cannot comment on that just now as negotiations are still taking place, this due to the face that we had to postpone the whole thing. You can expect to hear new stuff this year. We have 13 or 14 tracks that we'll record. We will be posting studio diaries and so on when we're making the album, and we'll release it as soon as it is possible, we'll not delay it any further when it's done!
Is there a release date and do you guys plan a tour in 2010? (I can´t wait for it, aaargh!!! hehe!)
I'm glad that you're eager for it, so are we!!! Hehe
No, as I just mentioned there is no release date just yet, we'll announce it later this year (the next few months). We will look for buy-ins for next fall - we all simply can't wait to get back out there! This material that we're sitting on is so much more than Pandemonium was! It's much more brutal, more insane and so on. We still have the "SIC-sound" but we've taken up 13 steps! hehe
Eddie, what wishes and dreams do you have for SIC?
That we can keep on doing what we're doing, that our fan base will continue to grow - 'cause, without the fans there is no band (laughs). We want to keep on touring, to do what we do best!
The last words are yours...
Ok, people you all should keep an eye out for our upcoming release "FIGHTERS THEY BLEED"! We promise you an intense ride throughout the entire album.
We urge you all to keep track of us either on MySpace or FaceBook to get the latest news on what's going on with the band.
Hope to see as many of you as possible out on the road! Until then, take care, keep it brutal and stay FUCKING METAL!
THANK YOU and Merry X-mas:o) Rike*** and Sven
Thanks guys, we'll all see you soon I'm sure! ;)
Update: We have to mention that the interview was done in december 2009 but it reached us a couple of weeks ago.
SIC are recordind the new album "Fighters They Bleed" at the moment at Jakob Hansen and after that´s done it´ll be mixed from Thue Madsen.
Dennis Buhl (ex-HateSphere) will do the drums on the new album. Wheeee! What else to say than: Killer-Combo!
Before SIC will release "Fighters They Bleed" there´ll come a live album titled "Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum".
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Interview mit The Burning |
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Geschrieben von: Sven Meier
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Dienstag, den 09. Februar 2010 um 22:37 Uhr |
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Let us stay next to your fire... An interview with Johnny and Rasmus from The Burning. Enjoy!
Hey Johnny, everything fine in the far north? Your second Album "Reawakening" is about to be released by the end of February. Can you tell us something about the mood in the band that closely to the release?
Johnny: Everyone is very exited, the first reviews have started to come in, and this is always a very exiting time for a band, when everything you've worked so hard on for half a year gets released to the public. So far the reviews have been awesome, and especially 2 big magazines really took notice of The Burning this time, and that is a very big step in the right direction for us. The most important thing is off course that we satisfied, but as artists its nice to get good reviews, and get recognized for your work.
Let us take a look at the past months before it comes to talking about the new work. Have you been happy about how your debut-album "Storm The Walls" worked out? What about the reactions of media and fellow-musicians?
 Johnny: Storm the walls did what it was intended to do. That album was written for us to have good simple songs that would translate well in a live situation, cause we knew we need to tour a lot before writing new material. We are very proud of that record, it is super intense, and really "cut to the bone" Fortunately for us, the media really liked it, and it got raving reviews through all of europe... He he, that just goes to show sometimes you don't have to make thing to complicated for people to enjoy them. As far as respect from musicians: I remember checking our myspace account a while ago and there was a mail from Mille from Kreator saying that he really liked our music, that was a very big day for me, I've been a fan of his band since I was young...
Urkraft, the odd fishes of Illdisposed and you formed the second part of the "Danish Dynamite Tour". How was the touring? We know that Franz (guitar-player of Illdisposed) is a master when it comes to farting but are there any more anecdotes you can tell us?
Johnny: He he, yeah he farts a lot! It was a very cool tour for us with lots of great memories and good times. It was the first time The Burning got introduced outside Denmark, and we meet so many nice and crazy people. It can't remember any one incident that stands out, what I remember the most is all the partying, and hauling gear to and from the bus, he he, we need more roadies!  (No problem! - Sven)
Finally "The Burning" can call themselves winner of a Danish Metal Award (tillykke drenge! fra julle  ) , in your case the award for best performing band. And rightly so must I add, because your liveshows are always loaded with a whole lot of energy. This leads us to your new album "Reawakening" which captures your live-qualities far better than the first one did. The songs sound heavier, more dynamic and straight. Would you call this a regular development? Where do you see the differences?
Ralle: Tak Julle. It was great to win the award since we always give it 100% on stage. When Storm the walls came out - it was almost a year after we recorded it (recorded januar 2007 - released december 2007). So we have moved on a bit since we wrote those songs. I think it is clear on the new album that we have become better musicians as well as better songwriters. It's just a more diverse album with more exiting material.
Apart from the songs the sound is very impressive, which, as an exception, is not made by Hansen, you recorded at the "Kohlenkeller Studio". What made you record in Germany?
 Ralle: Germany is the land of Currywurst and Sauerkraut - so where else would we want to record? Well on a more serious level - we thought Jakob Hansen did a great job on our debut and everybody loved the sound. But with the direction that our music has taken and the fact that almost every metal album in Denmark is produced by the same two guys (wether you like it or not it just makes the productions sound more and more alike) - we said to our selves "lets do something else". And Kohle has produced some great stuff and in very different in genres - wich shows that he has huge talent and great understanding of music - not just one part of music. We are very happy with the result - the production ended up just as we had imagined it in our heads before driving 1000 kilometers to a studio no one in Denmark knew of at that time.
The vocals were recorded by Jacob Bredahl in his "Smart'n'Hard-Studio". In Novemberwww.xxl-rock.de dropped by while you had a break and stole your time.  Your vocals sound far more aggressive on "Reawakening" compared to your latest album. Is this due to the collaboration with JB?
Johnny: Jacob was a big help with the vocals, I really respect his work in Hatesphere, and it was great for me to record vocals with a guy that knows what it's like to be on my side of the microphone. He was pushing me to the limits of what my voice can do, and I am very proud of the new stuff I tried that actually worked out.
I do not have any lyrics at hand by now. Can you tell us something about the album's concept?
Johnny: It really is 12 songs about 12 different things, but since I write about personal experiences, I guess the way i´ve felt the last 4 months while writing the lyrics kinda shines through, and creates a theme that runs through all the songs. It's all deeply personal for me, so I don't really like to give away to much information about song meanings. But I try to write them so it's open for interpretation so people might relate to them differently.
Whom do we owe the extraordinary artwork to? In which context does it refer to the title?
 Johnny: The artwork is done by a brazilian artist named Mariano Villalba, We found 2 paintings by this guy that we really liked, one is of a axe carrying warrior, the other is of a slave pushing a trojan horse. I wrote him and asked if we could buy the rights to the paintings, and if we could mix the two pictures together, and luckily he agreed.
We are very satisfied with his work, it's crazy epic, and really fits the title of the album very well.
Are there any concrete plans for an upcoming tour or are them impeded by the forthcoming birth of Ralle's child?
Ralle: We are - as usual - always on the lookout for great shows and great tours. So, Yes we will go on tour one way or the other. I will sit out on a couple of shows in march just around the time where my girlfriend is supposed to give birth. And Heinz from Koldborn will step in (thanx for that Heinz). But it won't change the fact that we want to play live a lot - that's why we play music.
The Burning is frequently seen on both MySpace and Facebook. How important is the internet to this band?
Johnny: It's just something we use 'cause as a band you have to be represented on the internet, and since we don't have distribution i US yet, it's a good way to get our name out over there, but as a band, we do our most important work on the road. The internet is mostly for informing people about shows and stuff.
You do a lot of cover-artworks and shirt-designs for bands such as Koldborn and Dawn Of Demise, which are friends of yours. Would you show your skills on a little German Webzine as well?
Johnny: Where is this going? He he, yeah sure!
www.xxl-rock.de had been to several concerts in Danmark in '08 and always experienced the metal-scene as quite friendly and so to say "healthy". It seems that all the musicians know each other and everyone gives its best to help the others out whenever there is a need for a helping hand. Can you tell us what is so special about the Danish metal-scene?
Ralle: First of all it is always better to be nice to people and treat them as you yourself wants to be treated. It doesn't do anyone any good when different bands badmouth each other in the media and so on - no good can come out of it. And well - it is a small country, so a lot of the musicians know each other from other projects etc. It is great that there is this friendly vibe in the scene (for the most part) We just try to help each other out the best way we can. And considering the size of our nation I think it is pretty cool that we have so many cool and really good bands.
Thank you so much for your time and your answers Johnny. The famous last words are yours!
Go out and buy REWAKENING on february 27, of go to www.theburning.dk and preorder now, it rocks!!!
Sven
(In collaboration with Julika & Rike)
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Zuletzt aktualisiert am Dienstag, den 23. Februar 2010 um 21:58 Uhr |
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Geschrieben von: Sven Meier
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Dienstag, den 09. Februar 2010 um 22:37 Uhr |
Enjoy an interview with Tommy and Magnus from Denmarks best Newcomers in 2008 (DMeA)... CROCELL
Sven: Tommy, little princess. Hope you´re doing good?
Tommy: I'm doing absolutely great, thank you.
In Germany Crocell are still relatively unknown. Would you please introduce the band with a short history?
Magnus and Ken had previously played in a band called Adversary and when they called it quits, they decided to start a new band. We already knew each other and quickly started talking about joining forces in a death metal-band. Ken plays with Andreas in Compos Mentis and persuaded him to be a part of the band, which was great as he's an exceptional drummer. All that was left was for me to get hold of the amazing Onkel Kusse, and the band was reality. We began writing and rehearsing in January 2007 and very quickly settled on our particular style. The songs we wrote way back in the first half of 2007 are what you're hearing on "The God We Drowned".
Not long ago your debut album "The God We Drowned" was released. In my opinion a very successful debut. What I really like is the fact that Crocell don´t sound "typical danish". Was it planned that you won´t work with Madsen/Hansen or were they just too expensive?
 First of all, I don't think it's just our sound that isn't typically Danish, it's our songwriting and general style as well. As for picking a producer, I happened to be old friends with Christian Bonde, who offered us a very good deal. Because of this good deal, we never really considered visiting some of the more famous Danish producers. Economy is always an issue when you're playing death metal, and we probably wouldn't have been able to afford it anyway. We are very pleased with the sound of the record and working with Bonde was great, so there's no regrets about our decision. But now that you mention Tue Madsen, the record was in fact mixed and mastered at his Antfarm Studios by his very proficient helper Jacob Olsen, who is now our regular sound guy.
You recorded "The God We Drowned" over a year ago. How was the feeling when you first held the finished album in your hands?
Very good. Finally holding the record we recorded so long ago in my hands was amazing. It was a long wait, but definitely worth it.
The cover of your debut looks amazing! Who was responsible for it?
We all agreed that we didn't want a Photoshop-cover, but a real painting and Andreas' girlfriend happened to know this young, extremely talented artist. He sent us his portfolio and we immediately knew that we wanted him to paint the cover art. Working with him was a breeze as we loved the very first drafts he sent us. Actually, the final cover is very close to the first drafts.
What about the songwriting? Whos responsible for this shit and what are the lyrics about? Are they just a means to an end or do the lyrics have a deeper meaning?
Ken and I have each written about half the songs on the record. Generally, he has done the faster, more aggressive stuff while I've written most of the slow-paced, melodic stuff. As for the lyrics, that's Magnus' responsibility, so I've gotten him to talk about those.
 Magnus: The lyrics are definitely not just means to an end, although you sometimes have to compromise in order to make the vocals work out in a good way. The lyrics are related to the general mood of the songs, for instance "Winter Is Coming" is very bleak while the title track features a lot of aggression with an epic feel to it. The general theme of the record (and I actually hadn't really considered this until the record was finished) is one of knowledge, remembrance and coping with the unknown. This is also reflected in the album's title, the "God" not being a religious entity as much as an idea or a set of morals, and the word "Drowned" and the water on the cover being a reference to memories and forgetting. Some of the lyrics, I have to admit, were written in a bit of a hurry and aren't that great but generally, I'm very pleased with most of the songs.
At this year "Royale Metal Fest" in Aarhus Crocell hit the stage very spontaneous because "See You Next Tuesday" had to cancell their show. How did you get the gig?
Even you had a very bad hangover the show from Crocell was bombastic! Were you satisfied as well?
We basically all happened to be there and when the organizers got word of the cancellation, they got hold of Ken. He quickly gathered the band and we all agreed to do it even though we were suffering a bit under the combination of hangovers and the flu. Taking our condition and the lack of a soundcheck into consideration, we were quite pleased with the show. The crowd was absolutely great, and we were very happy to hear the roar when we were announced as the replacement band.
Your bass player and Entombed fanatic Onkel Kusse (Onkel Fotze) has a very "special"
Name. How did he get it???
That's a long story, haha! Basically the mom of one of his friends misheard his real name and heard "kusse" and it's stuck since then. He's wearing it with pride!
At the last Danish Metal Awards Crocell won the award for the category "Best Newcomer". Congrats! How does it feel to have this award?
It's a great pad on the back and it made us even more sure that we have found a style that fits us well and that our songwriting is working. It was also just about the best publicity we could have asked for as we received the award just two weeks prior to the album's release.
Tommy, what are the plans for Crocell in 2009? What about upcoming shows and when can we finally see you in Germany/Hamburg f.e.?
 We've got loads of plans for 2009! We're writing the next album as we speak. We've got some very good songs already and I think we're expanding the style of the band further with this stuff. There's lots of different stuff, it's very varied. We have quite a few shows booked, unfortunately only in Denmark. We would love to play in Germany, not least in Hamburg. Basically, if you want us to play in your city, get hold of a booker that can make it possible or have a go at booking a show yourself! We're hoping to play as many shows as possible, after all, that's the greatest part about making music.
The danish metal scene is very busy at the moment. Tell us your thoughts about the fact, that a little country like Denmak has that huge amount of interesting and ass kicking metalacts.
That's great of course, but I don't really know why that is. We've been in the shadow of our Scandinavian neighbours for years. I hope we're just beginning to ascend.
Beside established acts like Illdisposed, Hatesphere, Mercenary and Raunchy there are other bands like Dawn Of Demise, Koldborn, Pilgrimz and Crocell. New bands to us, that metal fans should know. What danish bands do you like best?
I really like a technical death metal band from Århus called Die, who are still unsigned. And we've got a very, very young group called Avarice, who've got a lot of potential. More experienced acts like Exmortem and Koldborn are very good as well.
Tommy, thank you very much for your precious time and your answers!
The last words are yours...
As I said, we're really hoping to kick ass in Germany in the near future. We'll bring a bucketload of snaps (or Korn as you call it) and make sure that you're made aware of how we do it in Århus. Prost!
www.myspace.com/crocelldk
Sven
(In collaboration with Rike) |
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Zuletzt aktualisiert am Dienstag, den 23. Februar 2010 um 09:15 Uhr |
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Geschrieben von: Sven Meier
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Dienstag, den 09. Februar 2010 um 22:36 Uhr |
Hey folks, here´s an exclusive HateSphere-interview for you. We talked with Pepe about the new album "To The Nines", about the past and the future plans. He gave us some very interesting answers. So go and check it out...!
Sven: Hey Pepe, everything fine with you and your little family?
Once again congratulations on your son’s birth! I hope, your girlfriend overcame everything well?
Pepe: Thank you, yes she overcame everything in an impressive way... I am very proud of her!! All respect to women giving birth...
Your new album “To The Nines” will be released soon. Are you excited about that?
Oh yes  I am always excited about releasing a new album. How will people react to the sound, the music, the lyrics, the cover, the videos etc.? These same questions are popping up in my head this time... just ten times more than usual, as this is our first album with the new line-up. But we have been in this constellation in more than a year now, have toured heavily and have worked extremely hard on the new music, which we feel is the best, we can do. So we are confident in the album.
HateSphere experienced some quite bustling one and a half years. Four new members had to be integrated into the band, you have been playing your asses off live und along the way you composed a whole new album and recorded it... How did you experience this time?
It was both nervewrecking, exciting and very healthy, hehe. I mean, first of we had to get the machine rolling, like it had always been doing. That of course demanded a lot of work. Then we had to convince everybody that we were still just as alive, as we have always been – and we had to get people to accept the new line-up. The Dismember tour and the two new tracks we uploaded really helped with that – and with that in mind we had the necessary peace to write and record the album. And now it’s here... and we cant be more excited about the time to come, than we are right now
Many discussions on the line-up-changes had been up. It is like it is. Whatever.
Could you tell us something about the “new” members, who apparently did not appear that much in Germany before playing in HateSphere.
 Our drummer Dennis is also playing in a band called The Downward Candidate. He is the drunk granddad of the band – shit he hates me for saying that, haha – and have been playing in various metal bands over the years. Before he came in the band, we had already worked with him, as he were supposed to be stand-in drummer on a US-tour we had planned in 2007. So it wasnt hard to integrate him. Our bassplayer Mixen had been in contact with us regarding another possible US-tour, where he was supposed to stand-in as well. Both Mixen and Dennis already came in the band in June 2007 – and had at that time been rehearsing quite a bit with us. Actually Mixen is no stranger to the German crowd – just in a quite different connection. He has previously played in a Ska-band called Furillo, and have been feared in every bar north of Munich, haha!!!
Jakob, guitar, have played in the two death metal bands Dawn of Demise and Koldborn, before joining us in September 2007. I had been playing in a glam project with him, and I have known him – and HateSphere have toured with his other bands – for quite some while. So it wasnt a hard decission there! He joined the band at our supporttour of Behemoth in Poland in September with only 12 hours notice... how’s that for commitment?!!!
Joller also plays in a band called Scarred by Beauty – quite different from HateSphere – and has also played in a band called Mudslide. I guess not many knew him before, but he took us by surprise, when he did the audition after Jacob left. Never having played outside of Denmark, he has had a great time this first year in the band – and he has been doing an amazing job!
Pepe, let’s face it: what did you honestly think when Jacob Bredahl told you that he was about to leave the band and according to that the already booked “Dimmu Borgir”-tour had to be cancelled?
I was both sad and mad! Sad, because I thought the band was over, and mad because the whole band had been counting on this Dimmu Borgir tour – no shows, mean no income, and at that time I didnt have any job apart from the band. I thought – and still think – that he should have told me much earlier, as he had apparently been feeling like that for quite some time. If he had done that, we would have had the chance to find someone new for the tour. But, but, but, it didnt happen, and we got through this period much stronger. And we have a good relationsship today – so let’s leave it with that, shall we
You have found a very young, though very talented new singer in Jonathan “Joller” Albrechtsen. Was he your first choice and how did you get into contact with him?
 We had a lot of guys coming in for auditions from not only Denmark but also Germany, Scotland and Italy, but we ended up with a local Danish guy – and we are happy about that! We actually had guys from far-out places like Brazil and USA showing their interest as well, but I guess that would have made rehearsals quite difficult, haha. But anyway great to know that people far away were aware of the band.
Anyway, we had some difficulties finding the right guy. Joller was actually not even coming to the first auditions, as we didnt know that he existed at that time. We then chose somebody else but he ended up saying no. We then starting looking again, and this time one of our friends/fans from Copenhagen suggested us trying out this young guy – a friend of his – that he felt would be the right guy. I then called Joller, got him over, and we actually imidiately hired him. This happened only 12 days before our next show – and 13 days before our show at the Danish Metal Awards in front of 1100 people... so you can imagine that both Joller and the rest of the band where quite nervous, haha.
www.xxl-rock.de were on ten concerts of HateSphere last year and rightly so can I say that the new HateSphere are different but cool though. How has the response to the new line-up been so far?
It has been really good. As our second show with the line-up was a fantastic one at the Danish Metal Awards, I think we already there convinced most of the critics. As we then almost imidiately after that toured Europe with Dismember, we then hopefully convinced the rest, hehe... at least it felt like that. At first people had to check us out, but as they realised it was still one hell of a ride to be at a HateSphere show, they started the moshing. Anyway, since that we have toured Denmark and Italy, and played a lot of festivals, so I think most people are aware of the fact that HateSphere is back – just with different faces... and very beautiful faces, might I add, haha
On March 27th the new album “To The Nines” will be released. What is the meaning of its title? Is it more than “just another” HateSphere-album to you?
 It way more that just another HateSphere album to me... quite obvious! People are eager to hear how the new HateSphere sounds like, and this is like a new beginning to us. Not only the fans are excited but the band as well. We have worked hard on making this the best possible slap to the face on all our critics, and we therefore have a lot of feelings involved this time... more than usual The other guys in the band are excited about finally making their own HateSphere music instead of only playing the old stuff, and I am excited about making a new strong album with the new line-up... because at one time, I never thought this would be possible. So it is with great pride that we release this album.
The title refers to the number 9 – the highest number of them all, and therefore the symbol of perfection. “To the nines” means doing something to perfection – aiming for perfection! The guy on the cover thinks highly of himself – he is so self confident that he can cut off his own ear without caring!
You already showed the new album “To The Nines” several times to us when we met last time in November. To be honest: I have not been expecting such a powerful album. The vocals sound more Death Metallike and the songs are faster and more aggressive. What can you say about each single song? How long did you record?
Thanks. We feel this album is more aggressive than our last one as well. I guess, we felt that we had a lot to prove – and therefore just made all our aggressions come out!
The album was recorded very quickly. All in all it only took us 10 days – and then we of course had to do the mix. We had been preparing ourselves extremely much for this album, and that really helped in the recording process. Ok, here comes a bit about every song:
"To The Nines": title- and video-track. Starts right on in a fast pace – only slows down a bit in the middle – but takes no prisoners. One of the fastest songs of the albums – and therefore – as we feel it – a perfect opener!
"Backstabber": A typical HateSphere tune, which represents a bit of everything we stand for: fast thrash, great melodies, grooves and melodic solos. It starts out fast, slows a bit down in the choruses, before slowing totally down in the middle section. Of course it ends in a riff o rama – dont worry The first song to be revealed from the album.
"Cloaked In Shit": This one you might already know, as it has been up on our myspace-page since July – in a demo version. Fast and groovy and with a very melodic middle section. Again, typical HateSphere!
"Clarity": Slow and groovy all the way through – the dance track of the album. Most definately a song that will stand out – in a good sense – on the album. Ends in wirlwind of drum fills...
"Even If It Kills Me": fast and straight to your face. With only a little over a minute in lenght this song is by far the shortest on the album – and the most direct one as well. You never know what hit you, before it’s over!
"Commencing A Campaign": atmospherical instrumental track that serves as an intro to the next song
"The Writing's On The Wall": Super groovy and melodic. In the middle we experiment with quite different melodic stuff, before the song ends in a faster than fast riff!!
"In The Trenches": also available on our myspace-page. A groovy and old school thrasher. Reminds a bit about Exodus at times, I guess...
"Aurora": again a song that stands out. Quite groovy and slow before speeding up in the middle. The verse riff is totally old school thrash.... I love it!!!!
"Oceans Of Blood": fast and evil – the perfect last song, as it has got a bit of everything. The song starts out at a crushing speed, and first slows down after a couple of minutes – this time with an atmospherical and evil middle piece! Absolutely a highlight of the album!! We have been playing this song live for quite a while now – so maybe you know it...
Once again Tue Madsen took care of the production. What makes him so important to HateSphere that you mostly record with him?
Well, he is simply a world class producer. On top of that he is a friend, and living not far from us – actually it takes me 15 minutes on bike to reach his studio – so we have great confidence in him. He has been involved in four HateSphere releases so far, and he knows our music. Therefore he is good at giving us inputs and criticism – things we can actually use. But the most important reason for choosing him must be that he is just as happy about wigs and cream pies, as we are, haha
There is a video about to come out with your new album. Which song is it going to be? I heard the video is supposed to be very wicked with you wearing weird costumes. Do you think that music videos are still important in 09?
The video is going to be for the title track, To the nines. Videos are still very important. Maybe not that much in regular TV but on the internet people watch videos like never before! This video is for sure the best we have ever done... and it is so brutal that we have had to do a censored version as well... so people, be ware!!!
How do you handle the songwriting? Four out of five members live in Copenhagen, you live in Århus – which apparently makes rehearsing quite difficult. In what way did the “new ones” play a part during composing?
 Well, during the songwriting process of this album we were still two people living here in Aarhus – so that made things a bit easier. But well, Copenhagen and Aarhus are not that far apart, and we have been travelling a lot! But if you just arrange your logistics, it can be done
I have been writing most of the songs, like I always do, but there have been a lot of great inputs from the new members. Jakob has been writing a song as well, and Mixen and Joller have been working extremely hard on the lyrics and the vocal structures. So all in all these new members have had a great impact on the music!
Let’s talk about the lyrics: what do we have to expect? Is it still about “blood, beer and Satan!” or are there any variances? I imagine Mixen might bring some interesting stuff into it ...
Hehe, as told before the lyrics are way more worked through this time. Mixen and Joller write lyrics that is deeper than we are used to – and it will be exciting to see, if people will realise what they are about. Though to make Jakob, Dennis and me happy they have of course written at least three songs about blood,beers and satan, haha...
Rike and me recently were in Århus at the “Royal Metal Fest” and met some of the musicians in “The Burning” and “Crocell” who already listened to “To The Nines”. All of them were pretty thrilled. How important are the opinions of fellow musicians, media and fans to you?
Well, it would be a pity if everybody hated it, haha, so of course it matters that people like it. And to know that people close to you likes the album always warms. The fan reactions so far have also been very positive, so we are happy. But in the end you have to be satisfied yourself – nothing else really matters!
HateSphere left SPV and signed with Napalm Records. Can you give any reasons for this change?
A band needs support, and SPV couldnt give us that. Especially after the line-up changes they showed very little interest – even though we could tell them great news like winning a Danish Grammy etc. And they didnt seem to know what was going on – apparently didnt even know which members had left the band. We knew that we needed a label that believed in us, so luckily we were able to come out of the contract and sign to Napalm – which has shows great interest in us from the beginning!
Bands like “Amon Amarth” and “Legion Of The Damned” for example seem to make an effort releasing their albums with unimportant gimmicks. Fortunately HateSphere have not harassed us with crap like that so far. But when the hell can we finally get an action figure of Mixen with a removable beard?
Haha, we didnt think about that idea... until now!!! If you have a great design for action figures, we are more than willing to do it Maybe a Joller bowler hat as well... no ideas are too stupid here...
The “Alive and dresses to the nines”- tour will start next April. www.xxl-rock.de is going to join you on at least five shows (three cheers for that!). The tour is about to last for almost a month. You and Jakob have children now and this circumstance raises the question if HateSphere will keep on touring as intensely as before?
The touring will go on, but we just need to plan more now. This tour has two parts, and then a break of one week in between, so we have time to be with the family. So we have thought about that. Anyway, this is what we want, so if we tour a lot, I make a big deal about being there, when I am home! So I dont fool too much around back home – I make out with the family instead
Pepe, I want to thank you for taking the time to answer! The last words are yours.
Thanks for the great support. This last year and a half has been busy and exciting to us – and we wouldnt have made it without the support of the fans! So people, see all of you on tour in April – we will definately make a big party!!!
Oh, and by the way: make sure to buy the album
Cheers
Pepe/HateSphere
www.hatesphere.com
www.myspace.com/hatesphere
HateSphere - "To The Nines"
Release dates:
25.03.09 – FIN & Spain
27.03.09 – GAS, Benelux, FRA, ITA, SWE
30.03.09 – Europe
07.04.09 – USA / CAN
ALIVE AND DRESSED TO THE NINES Tour 2009
02-04-2009 K17, Berlin, Germany
03-04-2009 Martys Club, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
04-04-2009 DK Serikova, Plzen, Czech Republic
05-04-2009 Randal Club, Bratislava, Slovakia
06-04-2009 Orto Bar, Ljubljana, Slovenia
07-04-2009 Viper Room, Wien, Austria
08-04-2009 Bergwerk, Millstatt, Austria
09-04-2009 Salzhof, Freistadt, Austria
10-04-2009 Titans of Metal Festival, Dresden, Germany
11-04-2009 Easter Metal Meeting, Essen, Germany (w. Gojira)
12-04-2009 Juze, Oettingen, Germany
13-04-2009 Motorship Stubnitz, Rostock, Germany
14-04-2009 Logo, Hamburg, Germany
15-04-2009 Roxy, Flensburg, Germany
16-04-2009 Posten, Odense, Denmark
17-04-2009 Voxhall, Aarhus, Denmark
18-04-2009 The Rock, Copenhagen, Denmark
24-04-2009 Dachstock Reitschule, Bern,Switzerland
25-04-2009 Salzhaus, Wintertur, Switzerland (w. Gojira)
26-04-2009 Backstage, Munchen, Germany
27-04-2009 Nachtleben, Frankfurt, Germany
29-04-2009 Klangstation, Bonn, Germany
30-04-2009 Exhaus, Trier, Germany
01-05-2009 Vera, Groeningen, The Netherlands (w. Will Haven)
02-05-2009 W2, Den Bosch, The Netherlands (w. Will Haven)
03-05-2009 LVC, Leiden, The Netherlands
Sven
(In collaboration with Rike and Julika) |
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