What do you consider to be the darkest piece of music you’ve ever heard?
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Dead Flag Blues
How would you characterize your own music?
That’s always a bit tricky, since our music does not fit into one genre specifically. It rather exists within a cluster of different styles. There is some grunge, sludge, doom, stoner, post punk, noise rock, shoegaze and some have even brought up similarities to black metal. But there might also some indie, emo and maybe even pop in there. We just couldn’t really settle on one thing… ;)
What are your musical aspirations?
We just want to continue to make authentic and sincere music without compromise and use it as a vehicle for our perspective on a broken world. We do not chase success for success’ sake but we are open to see where this path takes us. As long as people are willing to put up with our racket we are more than happy.
What are your main goals in life?
That’s a very big question and every answer I give is doomed to be incomplete. But in general I think I would be content if I can reach a certain level calmness and not being stressed out by the demands of modern society too much. I want to be able to follow my interests and passions, make meaningful and positive connections with those around me and have authentic real-life experiences instead of being lost within the digital attention economy. However, with everything going on in the world and the tendencies of societal developments I am sceptical that this might be within the realm of possibility. So the best I can do is probably strive for a compromise within the given circumstances. In the end I think it’s about accepting that I can’t change certain things and that the universe does not owe us anything.
What motivates you to create?
Music or art in general allows me to share ideas and emotions which can not otherwise be communicated in the same intensity or honesty. It removes the need for justification.
Are you more of an early bird or a night owl?
Definitely a night owl.
Besides music, what other art forms would you like to explore?
I really like photography, especially when it is analog. Also I have discovered boxing as a very good way to express myself. Although I’m not quite sure if this counts as art.
Which is the very first record that had a big impact on you?
When I was about 13 years old I bought Radiohead’s live album „I Might Be Wrong“ simply because I liked the cover art. Around the same time a friend gave me „In Utero“ by Nirvana and „The Dark Side Of The Moon“ by Pink Floyd. These records changed my entire world and made music the most important thing in my life. Later on I discovered Godspeed You! Black Emperor’s „F♯A♯∞“ and Mogwai’s „Come On Die Young“. These two records again changed my perception of what music can be and what you can do with it.
What is the best decade for music?
I think that ever since people made music there was always music there was exceptional and inspiring. So I’d like to turn the question onto its head and ask, what is the worst time for music. In my opinion, this time is now. Not because of the music that is being created but rather due to the way that it is consumed. With streaming, music has become somewhat of a commodity and it has become so much harder to become really passionate about a certain band or record because there is just way to many options and we lack the connection that we used to have with physical media. The value of music has fallen victim to inflation due to the ease of access and the overwhelming amount of supply.
What do your future plans include?
We just want to keep making honest and sincere music without compromise and see where the path takes us.
-
Cyanide releases May 19th, 2023 via A Tree In A Field Records / Czar Of Crickets Productions
-
Asbest
Photo courtesy of the band
All questions answered by Robyn Trachsel
-
