Interview with Slovak death metal band DEHYDRATED.
Answered Dragan and Brano.
translated by Markéta, thank you!
translated by Markéta, thank you!
Ave
DEHYDRATED! Greetings to Slovakia to your again renewed band. I have
recently read that you are forming the band again and I was so
excited. Your album “Ideas” from 1997 has its own place in my
golden fund of my CDs. So here is the first question I want to ask
you: Why did you stopped playing?
Hi! There were more reasons – the most important were personal
problems, the members were leaving, new members were coming, there
was not enough reliable people on a personal or musical level. And
that was why the solid core of your band began to fell, which was me
and Vlado Pagáč. The next problem was me going abroad. I did not
want to leave for a long time but it just happened and I stayed there
for almost six years.
I
have recently saw you play in Prague´s music club Modrá Vopice. I
have to admit that I was quite sceptical at the beginning. Your band
had not played for a few years. New singer, a lot of changes.
However, I was pleasantly surprised by your old school death metal.
You only played 5 songs but you still got it! The whole band was sick
and had cold but you did a perfect performance. How did you feel
about the concert as musicians?
The
concert was amazing, the atmosphere and the response of our fans was
fantastic. We were really satisfied. The inner joy still lingers. It
was just a beautiful feeling which will not be forgotten. We only
played 5 songs because we had a new drummer and we had no time to
rehearse for a longer program.
You
have a new singer Dragon who used to sing with DEPRESY. How did you
managed to work together and why did you chose him? Personally, I
really like him with the band and I when you play live he is like a
demon. Initially your singer was Vlado Pagáč. Did you talk to him?
I have
known Dragan for a long time. We have a lot in common. I knew that he
came back to music after he had some problems so I did not hesitate
and asked him. He agreed and that was it:).
I am really glad that he is in our band. And about Vlado Pagáč, I
have not been in contact with him for a long time because he lives in
Scotland and we don´t know anything about him….
Have
you ever thought about re-issuing or recording your old albums? For
us, the collectors, it would be great to have a nice digi pack. I can
imagine the “Ideas” album and as a bonus your demo records. What
do you think?
We
have thought about something similar, some reedition of “Ideas”
would be nice but it also depends on us finding a label which will do
this. We have an idea but we don´t want to jinx it. Well, demo
records are also not a bad idea and we will think about it…
I
know that at the beginning your drummer was Pegas who know plays with
HYPNOS. How long was he a member of your band? Why did he left?
Pegas
was the original member of our band and he played with us for like 4
years. He left to play with KRABATHOR which we understood because at
that time they were a big famous band. He came back to us to record
the “Ideas” album because our drummer Maroš Julin had to go to
the army. After he came back from the army he was the drummer again.
When
I look at your concert schedule I can see that you play a lot. Does
it mean that DEHYDRATED are finally back and we can look forward to a
new album? Do you have something prepared?
Dragan:
Of course, we prepare to record the new album and we should have it
recorded in May. So I believe that everything will work out and our
fans can look forward to the hardest album by DEHYDRATED so far…
It
has been a long twenty years since 1997. Music, fans, everything is
older, and there is a new generation which downloads music from the
internet. People play differently, more technically, louder, more
complicated. We can say that your music might be for “the old
people”. How do you feel about you coming back? Do you want to
still play “your music” or do you want to evolve to more brutal
and technical music?
Dragan:
Metal has evolved into many different kinds, subgenres. But the
classic styles still remain and young people play a lot of oldschool.
Just look at Germany, the Netherlands and we don´t even have to talk
about the Nordic countries. When we have a rehearsal, we talk about
ideas and then we are putting it together. There is always something
which we dismiss, so the composing is quite usual, just like the
other bands do. When you play a classic death metal and you don´t
put there factors like electronics, effects, keyboards, it´s not
that difficult. We just have a bass, two guitars, drums and vocals.
That is all we need to make killer music. We don´t have to be any
virtuosos, we just need to know how to play an instrument and control
the speed. But we don´t play that fast anyway.
Time
and fans have changed but also the technical equipment. There is a
difference between playing today and before. Instruments and sound
have developed. When DEHYDRATED had a pause did you even play
together to stay musically fit? Were you going to each other’s
house to play just for fun, did you play in other bands? Or you just
let your instruments in a closet and focused on different things? Did
you follow the music industry and technical innovations?
Dragan:
We didn´t play except Elev (ex-DEPRESY). But me personally, I
followed the music and new things and I think that the other guys did
also. We have musically a very similar taste which is good. But we
have a democracy in our band so everyone can listen to anything they
want – even Lenka Filipová (famous Czech folk singer from the
90s). I have her CD with her own signature.
Thanks
to the internet I perceive today´s Slovak death metal scene very
positively. There is a lot of old but still playing bands, however
there are new young bands too. I hear and read about all those great
concerts, festivals and so on. I see your webzins and magazines. In
short, I feel like Slovakia is incredibly alive. I wonder how you
feel about it.
There
is much more happening now thanks to the events like Beluša Death
Fest, Fleshka or Hoyasov Celestial Help fest. There is approximately
around 500 fans. During weekends there are local concerts and there
can be around 100-150 fans. There is less people in the concerts
during the week, around 50 fans. But concerts are not every day and
sometimes there are bands from abroad like BASTARD GRAVE from Sweden
who just had a Sunday off and they were near, so they stopped to
play. They didn´t even want anything and they played just for food
and good sleep. They were very nice and modest Swedes and it was
olsdchool like hell.
For
each band, there is obviously important to have some goals which they
want to reach. Some people want to release an album, other wants to
have a great label or to play with a famous band. What goals and
dreams about its future has DEHYDRATED?
Dragan:
My dream is to play on a tour with AUTOPSY.
Brano:
My dream is to record and release a killing album which will make all
listeners thing that DEHYDRATED are not old!!! And I would love to
play on a tour with CARCASS.
Thank
you so much for this interview and I wish you sold out concerts. I
wish you fans who want your merchandise so bad. And of course I wish
you a success in your personal life!
Dragan:
Thank you so much, Jakub. What you do is great and you do it good. We
are musically similar and we are old dicks who will stay the same. I
am just afraid about the young – there is a lack of interest, they
don´t know a lot. They might only know a secondary black or slam. We
listened to all genres in the 90s and it was natural. But those new
pseudo metal-heads will not last long – there will be a girl, kids
and Lenka Filipová:).
.JPG)