Predatory Greed: Wake Interview

Interview with Rob and Kyle.

How did you guys get together to form WAKE? Are the members also playing in another band?
Rob: WAKE was formed in the fall of 2009. I had a bunch of songs pre-written and asked Sergey if he would be down to do a more d-beat/grindcore influenced band, he joined and we began the arduous job of finding members of this band that fit with what we were/are doing. Released a 7" and did a quick tour of the west coast US/Canada. I'd say that pretty much sums that up.
We've all played/play in other bands, none that you've probably heard of hahaha

You have recently concluded another US tour. How was it? Any show highlights that you want to share with us?
Rob: Fucking awesome. Played some amazing shows with some amazing bands, Met a lot of really good people and got to drink a lot of really good beer. All in all it was a blast, can't wait for Europe. The main highlights would be that our van didn't break down and got to play back to back shows with our friends No Brainer in Milwaukee and Chicago.

How do you manage to get by on the road on your own?
Rob: It ain't easy. Jokes and being ridiculously mean to each other.

So far what’s the worst thing that's ever happened to the band while on tour?
Rob: We've been very fortunate not to have anything go that sour while on tour. Except for maybe the odd cancelled show here or there, which comes with the DIY territory.

You are about to embark on your first European tour beginning with a Bloodshed Fest appearance. You guys must be really stoked to do this one. The line-up for this year’s festival is a killer. What are your expectations for this tour?
Rob: We're extremely excited to come to Europe for all 5 shows. It'll be awesome to play for our European friends and drink some great European beers. I EXPECT to come home with a lot of records and a pair of wooden shoes.

What do you do outside the band? How does touring affect your everyday life?
Rob: We all work menial jobs to fund what we love to do, which is to play and make music.
DIY touring is a lot harder than it was 10 years ago, we try to space our tours out so it doesn't affect our "everyday life" all too much.

Listening closely to each song progression, some songs are like a single track divided to form another song, with the last riff drifting into the next song. Is it just me or was it really planned? Rob: I'm assuming you are talking about Leeches, A lot of times we will write an ending of a song with with the beginning of another in mind. sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

Where do you guys draw your individual influences?
Rob: My individual influences are Poison Idea.
Kyle: I listen to so much different music that it's pretty hard for to me pinpoint my influences directly. Smart ideas and shitty people. I know they're opposite of each other, but those 2 things are really big influences on how I write.

You have some well-written but do you think the fans care about them? Ever had a chance where a fan approached you to discuss about your lyrics?
Kyle: I've had people tell me they like my lyrics, but never had a conversation discussing them. I don't tend to be overly cryptic with my writing, so it's all pretty straight forward.

Since most of your lyrics deals with negative aspects of the world, what can you say about the world situation these days?
Kyle: The world situation is garbage, it's hard not to focus on all the negative aspects when you watch the world crumble day after day. I'm not the most optimistic when it comes to faith in the human race.

What’s the concept behind the album cover? What’s the purpose of making the whole lay out dark?
Rob: The darkness of the cd was a shitty mistake by the people at the press. The lp on 7 degrees is far superior.

Shortly after the release of the album you came up with a split EP with Greece’s Dephosporous. How did this project happen? Can you tell us more about this split EP?
Rob: We recorded the 3 songs that appear on the 7" while on tour as only demo recordings. Once we got the tracks back we decided that they sounded killer and wanted to put them out, we spoke with Simon from 7degrees and he offered to do a split release between us and Dephosphorus.

What’s next for Wake?
Rob: Well, 2013 is going to be a pretty busy year. We have a split with a band called Rehashed which will come out on Give Praise Records some time very soon, we will have one of our songs released on a comp put out by Panos from Dephosphorus's label, Blast Beat Productions.
As for touring and live shows, we will use most of the winter to write and record our follow up to Leeches, We will do a few small Canadian tours/select American dates though out the winter and spring with a full European tour in July. Our friend Clennon is putting together a really cool festival in Calgary called "Torment in Fire" which we will play in April, we have been offered a bunch of festival dates all over the place, now we're just trying to decide which ones we will be taking on.

Ososo Ousatsu: Jig-Ai Interview

Interview with Brain, Buraak and Kaspy.

Jig-Ai played two sets at the last OEF to fill in for SCD. How was it like? I’m sure you already have the best songs during your first set. How hard was it to make another set list in a whim?
Brain: Actually it was pretty easy. We played exactly the same set list two times. Nobody planned that we will play two shows and the offer came shortly before the first show. Should be better if SCD could play in that time but anyway we enjoyed time there and I hope people under the stage also.
Buraak: It was kind of surprise that we got the offer from Curby. I admit we were a bit scared, because we have been drinking for the whole two days before. But in the end our concert was even better than the one on Thursday. Both sets for the concert were the same.

Eardelete also played this year. Your exposure to this year’s OEF must be beyond overwhelming. Playing 3 shows in one festival must be draining as well.
Brain: Only two shows for me. I had to quit Eardelete because of time reasons in 2010, so I am not in the band anymore.
Buraak: Since I have been playing in five bands, it´s not unusual for me to play with more bands in one afternoon and yes it is draining, but I just love playing at OEF, because it´s the best festival in the whole world.

Up until the release of the split 10” with Ass To Mouth Jig-Ai’s been pretty much in low profile. What have you guys been up to during those idle years? That is aside from preparing the materials for the split, of course.
Brain: I moved to Ireland in 2009 and spent few years working and travelling abroad so that was the main reason of our inactivity.
Buraak: The material for the split 10 ” Ass To Mouth was recorded simultaneously with the second album and mix and mastering was made by Brain and it took him a long time and he also spent some time living abroad.

The original plan for ATM split was a 7” but stretched further up to 10”. How did it happen?
Brain: It is because we exceeded time limit for 7” a bit and we did not want to compress audio to keep a good quality of sound.

Tell us about the songs of the split. Are they part of the Katana Orgy recording session?
Brain: Just partially. Some instruments we did with Katana and some of them later. Also we did another mix and master for that.

Only 500 copies of the vinyl were pressed and according to BLP no CD version will be made. Aren’t you guys gonna heed the plea of fans to have this gem on CD too?
Buraak: The idea was to make a limited edition, so no, there won´t be a CD version. The vinyl will be a rarity just for the true fans.

What about the artwork, can you tell us more about it?
Brain: It was made by talented young Russian artist Elisabeth Ivus. You can check her work at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/elisabeth_ivus
She did really nice job on that picture and we decided to use one cover for both bands.
Anyway it is one vinyl so one cover sounds logic.

Stefy left the band just after the American tour. Can you tell us why he left and how did his departure affect the band?
Brain: He left because of personal and time reasons. There is nothing more behind it. We are still very good friends. He told us a long time in advance so we knew counted with that. Now we play with Kaspy and as you could see at OEF it definitely works.

What’s the story behind the song “Vlakin and Otyn Are In”? Is this your way of asking Otyn for a studio discount and Vlakin to scream out for you free of charge? Haha.
Brain: Of course, you have to be clever if you want discount :D.
Buraak: We like Otyn and Vlakyn a lot, they are the legends of the Czech grind core scene and we made fun of them in a friendly way by this.

I don’t know much about Kaspy but you and Buraak also play in several other bands. How do you divide your time between different bands?
Brain: I had to quit with Eardelete and Psychotic Despair because of time reasons. Music in both bands is for two guitars and I could not come for shows and rehearsals while I was abroad. Now I have just Jig-Ai and Flying Brains which is not active band now.
Buraak: I play in five bands and I sacrifice all my free time to them, but the most time demanding one is the black metal one Brutally Deceased.
Kaspy: I have some other band projects and lot of work as well but Jig Ai is my priority. Jig Ai was my favourite band before I joined in so I want to do my best.

The Czech scene is probably one of the most prolific in Europe. A lot of my favorite bands are from there and one thing that I noticed was that bands often share members. What can you say about this? I doubt your country is running out of competent musicians, haha.
Brain: That is the way how it is.
Buraak: Well there aren´t a lot of people competent to play grind core and that´s why ten people play in thirty bands.
Kaspy: I think Buraak made a point.

Judging by the OEF set, it’s obvious that Kaspy’s style is quite different from Steffy. How does this reflect on the new songs? At what direction is the new album heading this time?
Brain: It is going to be in Jig-Ai direction same as always, maybe little bit more grindcore and less polka but still in our way.
Buraak: Kaspy is a lot younger than Steffy. Steffy was more experienced drummer. But Kaspy has got a greate potential and in a lot of songs he is a bit quicker and has a better technique. The new album will be more grind and I started listening to more old school bands.
Kaspy: I like Stefy´s style of drumming a lot and old jig-ai songs as well, its my big inspiration for new songs. But my style is of course different, as every other drummer´s I think. Songs are not completely ready so we´ll see.

Have you started recording for the new album? Can you give us a bit more info about it?
Brain: Not yet. We have some material ready but it is still not complete so we have to finish it first. It is complicated because all of us we have to work, Buraak is pretty busy with other bands and I still work abroad. That makes things slow.

Will there be another cover song for the next album? How about doing another traditional song and giving it a unique Jig Ai touch to it just like what you did in the first album?
Brain: There will be something but we have to decide what exactly.

Aside from the new album, what else can we expect from the band in the near future?
Brain: Shows with a lot of fun.
Buraak: We´ll see.
Kaspy: Grind I think.

Tripalium/IDP/WOD/Scrawlshop Project

(From left to right: Me/Tripalium, Alex/In Dark Purity, Georgekill/Impetus, Emil/Wave of Darkness and Rallye/Scrawlshop)

5 years ago we had this photo taken after a show in España. In this photo are me/Tripalium Zine, About 5 years ago in IDP forum we have some sort of insider joke “see you in 5 years” after somebody commented about the forum not lasting 5 years or something.
2 days ago Alex suggested creating something that is probably going to be the first of its kind in fanzine/underground history: publishing a 4-way split fanzine with In Dark Purity, Wave of Darkness, Scrawlshop and Tripalium. Rallye of Scrawlshop probably still doesn’t have any knowledge of this plan yet since we simply tag him along but knowing Rallye, he wouldn’t pass such opportunity.
Orgy in Excrements and Dinuguan were the working titles for IDP and WOD respectively. Tripalium’s yet to decide on a title but expect my part of this project to feature more grind and brutal death metal from the world over. We never talked about deadlines but I’m personally hoping that this project would see the light of day soon.

In Death We Grind!

The Beast Unleashed! Toxemia (PH) Interview

Interview with founding member/guitarist Corix

It’s been a while since we’ve all been together. How’s everything going in Toxemia camp?
Everything’s fine, thanx man!…We had a blast playing live in San Pablo Laguna yesterday sharing stage with our good friends Pathogen again for a long time.

How did Kenneth and Cryster got into the fold? How do they managed to keep up with Toxemia’s way of life?
Kenneth and Cryster both smoke and drink, so it wasn’t hard for them to keep up with toxemia’s crooked edge style…hehe!

You guys are now busy with your family and work; it personally surprised me when the band returned back. What’s the prompted you to awaken the beast once again?
It’s because our long term goal and dream for Toxemia is to exist long and to release more recordings and demos, Family and work wasn’t the problem why the band is not moving though most of us have our own family now. Erwin and Vic’s distance and availability is one of the reason the band was on hiatus (2008-2010) because we were too far away from each other, we cannot set up a good schedule to practice and to drink.
I was hook on playing Dota and MMORPG, Ron and Patrick were doing their own stuff. When I met Kenneth and Cryster last 2010 that was the time I was inspired again and called up Ron and Patrick…Cavite’s Beast was created.

What’s more surprising was the release of Cavite’s Beast, your first professional studio recording. Can you tell us a bit more about this record?
All of us were excited, because Cavite’s Beast is really the Beastly release for Toxemia in my opinion, because it was premeditated before we run to the studio to record.

What made you choose Noiseworks? How’s like to record with Dondi? How’s the whole studio experience like?
Because we like Noiseworks’ works, like for example the Pathogen recordings, because we want to maintain the rawness of Toxemia like the old way, though it was decent this time but still the raw feeling is still there, neat but not digital…working with Dondi in the studio was like partying, smoke some and drink some, very nice guy.

Compared to the earlier materials, I think Cavite’s Beast is by far your best materials. How has the song-writing process evolved since the early days of Toxemia?
Three trax from Cavite’s Beast EP was written last 2008 when Vic is still our drummer, it was rearrange when Kenneth and Cryster join in and added two new trax, the evolvement is really obvious these days compare to the old ones, because all of us are contributing in every track as a team effort.

How would you describe Toxemia’s music? Where does the band draw their musical and non-musical influences?
Aaargghhh! We draws a lot of musical influences, we are colliding each other’s musical trips, from Punkish Thrash to Grind, from Doom to Death Metal…non musical are Marijuana and Alcohol.

Consciousness Expansion sounds a lot different from your previous materials and by far my personal favourite among your records. Can you tell us more about this song?
Lyrical content of this song tackles about drugs, how drugs expand our consciousness when we are influenced on it…the song is doom and some thrashy parts inspired, there are more slower trax like this in our new materials.

I think the only song that connects the EP from the older materials was Ihaw-Ihaw. Was it a conscious effort to keep the old Toxemia spirit in your newer materials?
Yeah you are right, and also it’s because Ihaw-Ihaw was created from the past line up when Vic is still our drummer.

You have quite a number of songs written in the past and all of them are crudely recorded either at the rehearsal room of live in the studio. Ever thought of re-recording some of your older materials and if you do which songs do you think deserve a proper studio treatment?
Greed and Toxemia Attack were on the planned list to be re-recorded in our next recording and actually planned to be re-included in our debut full length hopefully.

You recently uploaded a raw rehearsal track and it looks like you guys are once again expanding your horizon. How many new songs have you written so far? In which direction the new songs are heading this time?
We have already 5 new songs but we are on the process of re-arranging and mixing riffs and beats and stuffs, the musical direction varies from fast to slow, but the grindcore elements were minimized unlike the old stuffs but you can still feel the feeling of the old Toxemia way.

You guys are planning to release an album soon. Can you give us a bit more information about it?
Yeah…we are hoping to finish this before the end of the year, for Toxemia’s dream come true! Because some members at the moment has a tight schedule, we are rehearsing once a week only and sometimes we failed it, we really hope all trax will be settled by November or December this year so the debut album will be release early 2013 together with our 10th year anniversary (A decade of existence) as a band…we will release this with label or without label! It will be on Cd’s and Cassette Tape.

Aside from uploading your songs on fakebook, how else do you promote the band? We are promoting our band by doing local underground gigs, selling and trading our stuffs on gigs, printed flyers, contacting local u.g individuals from bands, zines, labels and distros as our first target, now, we are preparing our packs to foreign u.g creatures, hope our financial aspects permits.

Thanks guys for your time. It’s a pleasure to have you in Tripalium. I’ll see you guys in a few months. It’s OUR pleasure to be featured in Tripalium zine, man! Thanx a lot for giving us an attention, we really appreciate that much! See you soon, man! Emperador brandy is waiting for you here in the Philippines. Hehe and RURAL CARNAGE 4!!!
Toxemia – Cavite’s Beast EP is still available on Pro Cdr and Cassette Tape, trade is always welcome!
For Toxemia info, write us at:
c/o Corix Baluca
Blk. 14 Lot 11 Villa Apolonia Phase 2
Naic, Cavite 4110
Philippines

http://toxemia.cjb.net

Sound Quest 101: Noiseworks/ Demiurge Digital Interviews

DB of Noiseworks Studio and Ian of Demiurge Digital shared their insights about the not-so-simple world of recording.

Please tell us how you get started as recording engineer/producer?
DB: I never intended to be one. Originally I just wanted my own place to rehearse and record my own songs at odd hours (I have an abnormal, erratic sleep cycle) and not have my neighbors call the cops on me. It started out with just soundproofing the guest house which my late aunt left me. Then I bought a drum kit, and a second drum kit, then amps and then it just snowballed from there. I eventually ended up accumulating more and more gear until I had everything necessary to start Noiseworks. I figured if nothing else, this place can bring in some extra cash to pay for the stuff I had already accumulated.

Ian: It was the mid 90's and my old garage band’s rehearsal space opened to the public [mostly just friends and their bands plus the occasional neighborhood punk band at first]. It was during this time that I inherited an old Kenwood tape deck that had both an auxiliary in and a stereo line-in and we had these hooked up to an old 8 track mixer/PA.
We recorded our live rehearsals for mostly just songwriting but then our other patrons took notice of the setup we had -- it finally came to a point that we didn’t take on as many rehearsal schedules because recording demos took up a lot of time setting up and tearing down.
Feedback gathered from people said that our recorded demos had a reputation for having a clear kick drum and bass guitar sound that could be heard in the “mix”-- unheard of in those days and in that method. What made our DIY configuration, without the benefit of formal training, better than some of the stuff I heard from actual recording studios was what really got me seriously into the thing.

Aside from the usual studio instruments, do you have something else that you think make your job easier in the studio?

DB: Pen & paper, masking tape, gaffer tape, extra picks, extra cables and a cable tester/tone generator. Oh yeah, and alcohol. Something to look forward to at the end of the working day if the client sucks. Next studio upgrade will be a standalone hardware RTA and some more mics.

Ian: I have a really comfy chair and air-conditioning!

What exactly are the roles of a producer/engineer on a certain record?
DB: In a nutshell, a producer sets the overall tone and vision for the performer, something to guide their performance. While the engineer is in charge of realizing that vision by refining the raw recorded performance into something as close to the producer's vision as the limits of recording technology will allow. On a related note, I don't mind if a member of the band is the acting producer during a session and in post production but I don't allow producers who aren't band members in the studio. Take note if your girlfriend is your producer you can fuck off and record somewhere else.

Ian:The role I assumed in our studio is to make things run as smoothly as possible for the time we have available. Yes, I take it upon myself to make the a project sound the best that it can. But the band sounding good is still just the band -- sounding good. Yes, they can sound better but there’s only so much you can do if they suck.

Technically, what’s the difference between a producer and a sound engineer?
DB: Strictly speaking, the producer advises the performer on how the recording ultimately ought to turn out sound-wise, while the engineer actually sets up the room, the gear, coaches the performer on certain techniques to facilitate getting a particular sound (mic technique for vocals for example) and twiddles the knobs to coax that particular sound out of a raw recording.

Ian: An engineer’s like the surgeon to the producer’s diagnostician. In some cases, the attending physician can also be your surgeon. Dunno if that makes any sense! Haha!

What are the pros and cons of having your own studio and doing everything from tracking to mastering, even sweeping the floor, haha?
DB: Pros: No more wasted time getting to and from work. No boss or co-workers to deal with. I set my own hours. I can spend as much time as I like going over and redoing my own stuff.
Cons: I end up spending as much time as I like and then some, going over and redoing my own stuff.

Ian: It’s great not having to rely on anyone else. I would though, love to have a person that can stand as a translator for people who can’t understand Logic and Reason.

It’s a producer job to give input on recording. Up to what extent do you normally get involved in a particular project? How do bands normally react when you’re making suggestions?
DB: I do what I can to keep the raw recorded sound within certain range so as not to become a mixing nightmare in post. I make it clear to the bands that good recording technique is absolutely necessary to avoid headaches and wasted time later on. If the band has a professional attitude to recording they usually follow my suggestions which are entirely to do with working with the physical limitations of the hardware.
There have been times however when I've had to deal with Mr. Producer Jr. In such cases I just make sure they sign a waiver that they insisted on recording their performance a certain way against advice. As far as I am able to without compromising the quality of the recording, my studio's name goes on the credits after all, I try to accomodate the client's preferences. But if I feel they'll fuck things up irreparably I tell them so.
As for producing, I limit my involvement with a band's tone shaping to the absolute minimum and I generally leave that up to the band and their preferences. If a band wants to sound like whatever flavor of the month thing is happening, fine with me. Making a recording sound good is my job, making a band sound original is the band's job.

Ian: I don’t know if it’s me but most of them don’t seem to object. There’s a whole lot of stuff you can do to get a band to do what you want but at the end of the day, it’s their sound and I can always choose to not take credit for blunders.
I made a meme from one such experience:
"Spent a whole HOUR putting together the HEAVIEST, most BRUTAL configuration for an entirely UNIQUE and original Guitar Tone using state-of-the-art reamping hardware and the best software plugins at my disposal -- present it to a client and he says: “That’s Great, but we just want to sound like Lamb Of God!"

What genre do you think is the toughest to record?
DB: Pop. Though I should qualify that: intelligent pop. Prefab "product" pop is easy.

Ian: Toughest to record would be an orchestra. I’ve actually done that -- it’s hell on earth especially for a one-man team.

What is the most challenging aspect of doing a metal record?
DB: Compression during mastering. It's a bit tricky getting a proper compression without squeezing out the good, chaotic "liveness" of a metal recording. The second most difficult aspect I'd say is keeping the vocal clear and punchy over the rest of the band.

Ian:Getting the bands to arrive on time!
Seriously, everything about time is an issue. I’m sure no one will admit to this but a lot of the extreme drummers from our lokal scene are rhythmically challenged. I think this has something to do with having no drugs or having too much drugs! Very few have found the actual sweetspot!

Listening to records I’m assuming that the toughest instruments to record are the drums, particularly the snare and bass drums. How do you normally record them in order to get the best sound?
DB: My prefered method is four mics: one each on the kick and snare and 3:1 condensers on overheads. But I can accomodate mid-side and a fully miked kit if the client requests it. It has been my experience that the kick+snare+heads combination is the best set-up for old school death metal though.

Ian: I’ve been using snare and kick drum triggers ever since we started Demiurge Digital a couple of years back. I still use acoustic miking from time to time, depending on the drummer but now mostly it’s the triggering they ask for.
I completely get it, it sounds great right away and it eliminates the need to go through unwanted bleeding, and uncomfortable gating. Now making it sound unique will be the challenge.
Not making a drummer sound generic, that’s the new ball game.

Drum triggers and false triggers are sometimes abused by extreme metal bands these days. What’s your take on this? Can you point out the advantages and disadvantages of using this technology compared to miking up?

DB:Well, from a business perspective you really need triggers to save time especially when the drummer's creative vision exceeds his/her technical capabilities. Also, the less time I spend behind the deck when an unskilled drummer is abusing the kit and my ears, the better! While I prefer the "liquid chaos" of a miked kit, in the hands of a competent drummer even triggered drums can be made to sound excellent.

Ian: There’s this misconception that floats around drum triggering that have people believing that triggering can make you play better. Especially in live shows. It’s actually the opposite. An adept drummer will sound really good on a triggered kit... A novice though, might have his work cut out for him. The one good thing triggers will do for you in a live situation would be unparalleled clarity.
Issues with latency and double triggering or crosstalk [where another hit on another drum part might trigger a different one] can all be addressed and a good enough time allotted for troubleshooting and idiot-proofing will make these problems non existent.
Making a bad drummer play better isn’t at all the case. Now, if triggering a preset path of notes or drumbeats are being used in live shows then I’d have to congratulate that band. That actually seems harder to do!

Guitar tone is often the first thing that we take notice of when listening to a record. Do you have a particular tone that you always wanted to appear on the records that you produce?
DB: Not really. I usually present a preliminary mix to the guitar player for approval before making adjustments based on his/her preference. I usually mix the guitars, regardless of genre, as "hot" as they'll go without clipping (yes even the relatively quiet bits), but only after I've made sure the kick and snare punch through the mix.

Ian: Yes. I want it warm and crunchy -- like freshly fried lumpia!
I’m not a huge fan of the full metal chug. I honestly think it sounds trendy and new. There’s really something about the slightly overdriven, vintage guitar tone at line level or blasting just a few dBs under a colder more calculated, modern tone - I make sure I have that in every project! It just adds an amount of depth that’s almost unheard of these days.

Some guitarists plugs in directly to the amp and still get a rich tone while others have a rack full of effects but still sound weak. My point is how far do you think a guitarist can go in terms of gadgets in order to create a really amazing tone?
DB: Depends on what you're trying to acheive with the gear. It's a tired old saw but in most cases, particularly in rock, less really is more. If the guitar player knows what he/she is doing, an overdrive pedal pushing the overdrive/dirty channel of an amp is a magical combination.
However there are instances especially when you're going for maximum ugly, that a rack full of gear is the way to go. I've got things set-up so that if I think the guitar player needs a little help tweaking his/her tone I can give 'em a few options with regards to tone shaping. In the end I have to disregard my personal guitar tone preference since people aren't paying me to make them sound like me.

Ian: It all boils down to two things:
a] The guitar player’s skills; his knowledge on tone; and his gear.
b] The levels they were recorded at.
There are amazing sounding cuts out there now that were recorded on a laptop, without the use of a recording interface and made to sound real with just software plugins. Every technique and style is available - just season to taste.

How far do you go when it comes to mixing? Does EQ play a big role in mixing? Are you particular in terms of sound/tone during tracking?
DB:EQ doesn't just play a big role in mixing, it's absolutely necessary. Anybody who tells you they got their "godly tone" with just a mic and pressing record is a fucking liar. Without filtering out the non-essential frequencies of any instrument or the human voice, a session that sounded fantastic while you were playing it live prints like shit on playback. You can't fuck with physics, all the little hisses, clicks and rumbles all add up to ruin a recording.

Ian: EQing before finalizing a mix is important, at least for me.
It really blends it all together and will help you get certain frequencies become more dominant or be less audible during playback. I use EQ to help shape what the final outcome will be.
For tone while tracking, we use a recording interface for guitar which splits one take into three ready-to-work-with tracks. Two of those tracks will be the stereo separation of the guitar tone that we’ll work on before we press the record button. The third and last track will be a dry one which I can then use for reamping.

I’ve read and heard in one article the basic process of recording wherein a rich sounding raw record become flat after mastering. How do these happen? Can you give us a basic overview of the whole production process?
DB:Mic placement then setting the levels. After that it varies depending on how the client wants to record their music. I usually record a test run and reset the gear as needed. Then cut three to four takes per song beginning with the rhtyhm section: rhythm guitar, bass, and drums. Overdubs of the rest of the instruments follow with either the vocals or the lead instrument at the end. Whenever possible I use the single best take instead of compositing from several takes. I render several different mixes over several days for the client's approval then when I've got a mix that satisfies their requirements I assemble the master recording. Then they have that duplicated and then they distribute it. Again the production process varies according to the requirements of the client.

Ian:It happens when levels of compression are allowed to go party, unsupervised.
Also a common occurrence in preset-heavy productions.

Are there any bands that you would want to work with? What pique your interest with this band/s?
DB:No, not really. If your band has got the right attitude I can see myself working with you. I can work with nearly anyone, even christian rock bands... I don't particularly enjoy it though, and I often need a stiff drink afterward to take the edge off. Tell you what I can't stand, the prima donnas who're rock stars in their own minds who think they can have the run of the studio once they've paid my professional fee. I've never had to throw anyone off of the premises yet but some people really try my patience.

Ian: Locally, I would love the opportunity to work with Nuclear Punishment on a full length release. They have a shitload of sharp and pointy aggression wrapped in a sense of humor that does not bleed out as pretentious and callus.
They’re part of the Dead Ends tribute and the cut they recorded for that sounds like it’s party time in the no fly zone!

Can you name out 5 of your favorite albums with great production value?
DB:This is entirely subjective but here goes: Led Zeppelin - I, Blue Oyster Cult - Secret Treaties, Slayer - Reign in Blood, Annihilator - Never, Neverland and XTC - Apple Venus & Wasp Star. There's also a recording of Stevie Ray Vaughn & Double Trouble which has amazing production considering it was mixed on the fly during a live performance that was broadcast over radio. I can't recall off the top of my head what the title was.

Ian: Refused - The Shape of Punk to Come -- this is clarity and grit rolled up in a loud package.
Slayer - Undisputed Attitude -- your favorite punk/hardcore songs... Modernized and Slayerized.
The Beatles - Revolver -- waaay ahead of its time.
Indio I - Indio I -- not a big fan of lokal reggae and Star Records but this is proof that having someone with impeccable taste at the helm will make something one of a kind no matter where it’s from.
Obscura - Cosmogenesis -- fretless bass... I mean, YEAH! Fretless BASS!

What about 5 favorite albums that you wish could have a better production?
DB: There are plenty of albums that could have been mixed better but I don't spend any time wishing they were. That's time better spent on other things.

Ian: Metallica - Death Magnetic -- Rick Rubin and Metallica don’t mix well.
NOFX - Pump Up The Valuum -- the overheads on this one sound so much like heavily compressed death metal overheads. It doesn’t sound that bad but So Long and Thanks for All the Shoes just sounded so damn good!
Demiurge - Demiurge -- limited to what we had back then in terms of tech and knowledge -- I know I could have done a better job but...
Sceptic - Pathetic Being -- we bought this album online, at first we thought it was the MP3 quality that was off and we thought of complaining. Then one of my buddies got himself the CD... It wasn’t much different from the digital download version.
SKANB - Because let’s be honest -- nobody involved in any form of production back then, except for the bands, gave a shit about the music.

Thanks a lot for your time. Anything you wanted to add?
DB:Best of luck restarting Tripalium zine. Send some of that nastiness my way when you get it printed.Thanks in advance!

Ian: More cowbell! \m/

Noiseworks Studio
Demiurge Digital

Groovy Gigolos: Interview with SPASM

Drum+Bass= Rave. Think again.
Luke talks about his favorite sexual deviations and more.

I think the best way to begin this is by sharing us your experience in the latest OEF.
What we should say? It was awesome! Despite the fact we played there for the third time, it was an unofrgettable experience again. Lots of crazy fans moshpitting, many stagedivers and fans who gave us a really big support. One of the most impressive moments in our music lives so far.
Check the latest OEF videos on youtube, you can convince yourself.

Your live shows are absolutely insane. Does all this insanity happen in small stages too? Can you tell us some interesting stories?
Thanx a lot! I would lie if I told you this happens everytime, but in most cases for sure. The fans are almost always insane and support us in our performances. It´s a great feeling that someone appreciates your effort and endeavor.
There are many stories to tell, but one of the most extraordinary was when we played in Portugal and some mosher got really into our music and broke his head. Someone had to call the ambulance and I hope he is doing well now. At another gig our friend chewed a bass string, I didn´t understand he had done it without any dental consequences, haha.
The latest one is when we played in Austria and fans started dancing right on the stage. They were about 20 persons and poor Sam (our bassist) didn't have space enough to play properly, haha. But these are great moments to experience and are also the reasons to do what we do.

How’s everything going since the release of Taboo Tales?
As I see it, everything is goin' well. Even we didn't play more gigs than years before, we got even more supporting fans. We were also offered to take part in our first European tour with amazing friends Gutalax. What's really positive, is the fact that we have been offered to play big shows with complete catering and big names in metal/ grind world.
For example, in November we are playing with Brujeria muchachos and the week before we are playing in Austria with Squash Bowels, Ahumado Granujo or Sublime Cadaveric Decomposition. We also try to think of our fans and give them different T-shirts and hoodies, simply the whole merchandise. I think all the passion, effort and enthusiasm we have put into our band have finally paid off.

It took you about 2 years to release the new album. What took it so long?
We played dozens of gigs in different countries of Europe, more than 80 gigs in years 2008-2011. In the meantime we tried to get relaxed because it was a hard time, you know. We were a bit exhausted, so after getting over it we focused on writing new material for another CD. At the beginning of September 2010 we started composing and practising some new ideas, riffs and also completing the songs in our rehearsal room. In March 2011 we finally recorded our CD "Taboo Tales" in 4 days, haha. Otyn (Pigsty, sound engineer) complained that we didn´t give him the chance to earn some money, we were too fast and precise, haha.

The overall look of Taboo Tales is much better than the previous CD. Marco (Rottenroll Records) must be into you guys a lot more this time, haha.
Yes, I hope he is, haha. He told us we are one of the top selling bands in his label, so his care of our band is amazing. We always try to be better and improve with all the following challenges and CD's. This time we concentrated on the whole concept – music, artwork, photos and merchandise to create a new dimension of Spasm. If you listen to our CD, look at our booklet and wear our T-shirt, everything should come out and be cleared up. It´s like a lascivious concertina fold, haha.

The only thing missing in Taboo Tales are the lyrics, or should I say do you have any lyrics at all?
This is the only thing you will never find in our band. We decided not to have lyrics at all, even some slogans appear in choruses, for example – Masturbation – No pain, no gain or Let´s go porn stars, haha. We don´t consider important to have lyrics, our image and song titles speak for us, haha. There are many political bands, also some gore bands having lyrics, but we don´t care, haha. Radim doesn't have to remember all the lyrics as well and he can focus on the gig itself.

Sam was wearing a Pigsty shirt in the group photo. Did Otyn give you any special treatment while in the studio in exchange for that, hehe?
Haha, no, it wasn't deliberately. It was the only clean T-shirt he had, so he wore it for a photo shoot, haha. Otyn was always in a great mood during our recording, we had a lot of fun with him. He's just a nice person and friend.

Taboo Tales is basically a concept album. How did you come up with the idea of writing songs about different sexual deviations?
I found it interesting to do something like that. Many bands have touched this sexual items, but only a few got into the depths of this theme. I spent more than 14 days with surfing and googling the most impressive and interesting deviations, I felt like a perverse sexologist, haha. We always try to be different in many ways, try to change ourselves and improve ourselves. Above that, sex, fetish and deviations belong to everyday life of everyone, it´s a natural part of our lives. Who denies it is a liar. The whole concept is actually about all the people, haha.

Which among those sexual deviations you find most interesting? Do you practice any of them?
For example klismaphilia – pleasure of filling the anus with some liquids, brontophilia – pleasure of storms and thunders (for black metal fans, haha) or Menophilia – sexual arousal from blood, used tampons and stuff like that, haha. I don't practise all of them, but like all men (except gays) I am also addicted to female private parts, this is called eurotophilia, haha.

If ever there is one, how would you categorise your music? Would you consider the band pornographic?
I would categorise our music as groovy gore grind with blasts and pornographic items. I don't like being sorted as porn grind because music in this genre is far different from our stuff. We don't play always "tupa tupa" rhythms all the song long. Of course, we have slow songs, but also fast songs with groove. You will never face this mixture in porn grind bands. I think we are just the balance between classical gore grind and old school grind with porn issues. This is our recipe to be at least a little original, haha.

There is a strong semblance between the songs Paedophilic Kindergarten Party and Downsyndromelagnia, except that the latter has a slight Pigsty feel (the chant part) into it. Is this intentional?
No, it isn't intentional again, haha. We just play riffs and compose songs and if some riff or song is similar to another, it´s natural. Our bassist Sam told me some time ago: "This is a natural process with playing grind core. I have composed 5 or 6 albums on 8 frets and 3 strings, haha". So, when you are playing simple music with a short length, you might slightly repeat yourself in some way. We are not a proggressive band where no one repeats even one note, haha. Despite this, we love proggressive music as well.
As to "Pigsty" part in Down..., maybe Otyn adviced Radim to try a different way of singing, but I´m sorry, I can't remember it.

Tell us about the liner note that explains the concept of the album. Do you think it’s really necessary?
It was meant as a small introduction for the people who didn't come across our band and also to approximate our ideas and the whole concept of this album. I hope we didn't bother you and our fans too much, haha.

Tell us about the subtlety of the cover art.
It should show the mystery of hidden secrets like Pandora's box. If you open it, you never know what happens. The act of opening means to look at our booklet and see all the story. The weird guy who invited a student girl (a prostitute) for a "blind date". When she realised he is a beating and mutilating monster, it was too late, there was no escape.
We took a photo shoot in our friends´rehearsal room and we arranged all the stuff, couchces, posters to be as believable as we can. It took more than one night to make photos of us, the whole story for layout and to record a video clip. But everything was cool and we really enjoyed it, actually Verča (student girl) enjoyed it as well, haha.

While most 3-piece band plays the usual guitar and drums combination, you opted for drum and bass, a combination that is more synonymous to rave and techno. Can you tell us more about this?

When we started playing with Spasm, we decided to play as a 3-piece band. It's true we played a few months with a guitarist, but he left the band and we didn't search for another person to fill in. From the beginning Sam played his bass like guitarists play their guitars. Moreover, the sound of bass strings is amazing, groovy, heavy and practically inimitable.
People always ask us how Sam creates this kind of bass distorted sound and it still keeps us smiling. It´s an ordinary Ibanez distortion with bass strings, that's the whole simple clue, haha. When we played the first few gigs, we realized we don't need a guitarist anymore. Maybe another bassist, who knows, haha?

I checked out the original version of She Loves Me Not, man that was offensive. The chicks are hot though. What made you decided to cover it on Paraphilic Elegies?
Many grind core bands cover their favourite bands to express their admiration for them. It's not for us. We tried to find a different way and try to cover a pop band we like. We listened to many bands and interpreters and finally came up with TATU. This song "Loves me not" is really heavy and maybe one of the most rock-ish in TATU career. Riffs are great for copying, so we did it. It was done within one rehearsal, haha.
Why for Paraphilic..? We just wanted to have a special cover for our fans and we're really curious about their reactions. Now we know, it was a good decision, more than 170,000 views on youtube speak for us, haha.

Anything else that we should look forward in the near future?
Some days ago, we discussed the theme of another CD, so maybe some new songs will be composed and written. You can take for granted we will play lots of gigs across Europe and the next year we may appear in Mexico for a few shows and of course, we may be preparing brand new merchandise for our fans. These are our plans for the nearest future.

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Back from the Grave.

As some of you may remember, the last printed issue of Tripalium Zine was in 2003. Issue 4 was almost ready by 2005, I remember having the lay-out almost complete by then when my computer crashed and destroyed everything.

Issue 4 was supposed to be the biggest issue with about 20 interviews and if I’m not mistaken about 200 reviews of zines, demos and albums. You could just imagine my frustration when I lost everything during that time.

It took sometime before I get to have another computer and by then things have already changed a lot. No I never became a born again Christian or something, I still listen to metal that’s for sure but the zine was put on hold indefinitely. I never stopped listening to extreme music, but buying records have declined drastically. By 2006 I already have 2 kids and no permanent job, buying records was the last thing I could think of back then. Trading continued but even that became very minimal.

Lately, I patiently went over my old e-mails to retrieve the unpublished interviews and found 19 of them. Soon you’ll get a chance to read them. These interviews include END OF MAN (my second live interview), KRONOS, DESPONDENCY, GRADINATA NORD, L.O.C., FASTER THAN SATAN, EXTREME RESPONSE, MORTAL GRUDGE, RALLYE IBANEZ, PROJECT: FAILING FLESH, ONE STEP BEYOND, SIXFOURTWOFIVE, MIDGARD, HUMAN MASTICATION, NUCLEAR PUNISHMENT, ELITE, SCENT OF DEATH, LIVIDITY (a separate interview with Dave Kibler and Shaun Lacanne)and NEGATRON. These interviews may no longer represent the current status of the bands as some of them have already disbanded while others went on a slightly different direction.

What I miss the most for this issue was the lengthy live interview with Mark Sawickis. If I’m not mistaken it was about 4 pages, including a side bar with short comments from underground artists about the band.

I might still have the hand written draft of that article in my old boxes of stuff in Cavite. Test print copies of reviews might be there too but encoding them again is going to be a real bummer.

In 2010 Tripalium went online thru this blog but after a couple of interviews it faded into oblivion once again. I didn’t even spread the word about this blog back then.

Lately I’ve been thinking of submitting interviews to other zines but since I already have this blog set up I guess it’s best to just let this machine roll once again.

Expect to read those old unpublished interviews alongside the new ones one of these days.

The machine may be rusted but it’s still grinding and crushing!