A few questions – interview with grind machine ATARAXIA from Slovakia.
Recenze/review - ATARAXIA - Ataraxia (2016)
Ave, can you introduce
your band to our readers? – When was it founded and what style of
music do you play , etc. ?
Hi!
We´re Ataraxia from Ružomberok in the north of Slovakia. The band
came into existence in summer 2014 and after a few line-up changes it
is now a four-piece and we play crusty grindcore or grindy crust. The
year 2016 has been a real breakthrough for us because the two band
members who joined us are experienced guys from Košice, from the
bands Killchain and Obliterate so we feel like a more interregional
band. The line-up is: Gabi – vocals, Kubez – guitar. Sťu –
bass, Marko – drums.
Where
and under what conditions were you recording the new album? Who was
in charge of sound, production and mastering?
New
album was recorded in a small village called Badín, not far from
Banská Bystrica (Slovakia). There is a small but cozy studio SPK
Audio and its owner is Miro Spevák who managed the whole recording
including mastering. Conditions were great and we basically made the
whole album in a few days of hard work and we took care of production
ourselves.
How
many copies were released and which medium was used for this new
edition (CD, digital, vinyl, cassette)?
We
“released” the album in a digital form on Bandcamp and now we’ve
just released CDs through Slovak Metal Army label in a limited number
of 300 pieces for now.
Who
is the author of the lyrics and how were they created and what do
they deal with?
Our
lyrics are usually created spontaneously but a lot of times their
theme or motif resonates inside us for a longer time. Mostly they are
about the frustration with this day and age and social situation
around us but you can also find themes like hope, unity and so on.
Everybody in the band sometimes contributes with either whole lyrics
or at least a passage but Gabi and Kubez usually write them.
Who
created the logo of the band, and who took care of the graphics and
the website? What about you and social networks? Do you consider
these things important?
The
logo was created by Kubez. It is hardly a logo in the traditional
“metal” sense because we wanted something simple. Since the
creation of the band, we’ve worked on the graphics with our good
friend Rasťo Kmeť whose photography and style we’ve always liked.
We try to keep up with the times so when it comes to band´s
activities, we are active on the Internet as well. We deal with
everything that is concerned with the band so people can contact us
directly.
Which
label did you choose for releasing your album and why this label? Are
you satisfied by how your label represents you and takes care about
you?
Album
is being released under Slovak Metal Army which is a rebirth of old
Immortal Souls and a cooperation of other active people in Slovak
underground scene. Who doesn’t remember the 90´s by great albums,
Immortal Souls released key albums (not only) of Slovak death metal
and they organized gigs of world-known bands here in our country.
Therefore, the satisfaction is on both sides and we are immensely
happy that this mutual support has come alive again.
Which
bands do you idolize and where do you get your inspiration?
We
like Scandinavian crust, Portland scene around bands like His Hero Is
Gone and so on and last but not least Swedish death metal and various
grindcore classics. That’s mostly about the band as a whole. I love
various genres and subgenres so there is inspiration everywhere
unless you have prejudice in music.
Did
you send your record to some Labels - which are the labels? How was
the response?
We
have sent the recording to several labels but there hasn’t been any
response yet. Therefore, out of respect towards them, we don’t
wanna name anybody. With the “creation” of Slovak Metal Army,
this promotion has been renewed and we are very pleased that our
music will reach more listeners.
How
many gigs have you played? Which type of gigs do you prefer, whether
it's (clubs or festivals) and which of your performances would you
consider as the best?
Not
a number worth talking about..haha..but I think that approximately
ten. We aim for quality and quantity will go hand in hand with it. We
definitely like to play “at home” (Ružomberok and Košice) but
at the same time we like to perform in every venue with a good
atmosphere, great people and good sound. The best concert will only
come!
What
about your plans for the future? What do you want to achieve with the
band?
We
want to play as much as we can, write new songs and at the same time
have fun with it and entertain others. We have a few upcoming gigs
where we want to promote our new album.
How
and where can your fans contact you? Can you provide some contact
information?
They
can of course find us on Facebook, Bandzone or Bandcamp but feel free
to contact us by email or have a beer with at concerts.
Thanx
for the interview.
Thanks
for your support and cheers to all readers of Deadly Storm!
Recenze/review - ATARAXIA - Ataraxia (2016)
Recenze/review - ATARAXIA - Ataraxia (2016)
email: ataraxiark@gmail.com
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