Ave, can you introduce your band to our readers? – When was it founded and what style of music do you play , etc.?
Replicant is comprised of Pete Lloyd on guitar, Mike Goncalves on bass and vocals, and Matt Thompson on drums. Replicant was started sometime in 2014 from the ashes of now-defunct NYDM project Painted Rust (https://paintedrust.bandcamp.com). Pete and Mike met in the aforementioned band and wanted to continue making ugly, dissonant death metal together. After composing a few tracks, we got around to recruiting Pete’s bandmate from Dystrophy, Matt on drums, and our friend TG (Death Fortress, Lux Absentia) on bass. We jammed for about a year before releasing our debut four-song EP “Worthless Desires” on PRC Music in 2016. During this era Mike was in between playing guitar as well as doing vocals or solely handling vocals—it wasn’t until TG’s departure when Mike decided to take on bass and vocals, continuing as a three-piece.
Where and under what conditions were you recording the new album? Who was in charge of sound, production and mastering?
“Negative Life” was tracked and mixed at our rehearsal studio in New Brunswick, New Jersey with our guitarist Pete (One Stone Recording) handling all of the engineering. We started tracking drums in August 2017 and throughout the fall we tracked the rest of the instruments, effects, and vocals. Everything was mastered in December with Alan Douches.
How many copies were released and which medium was used for this new edition (CD, digital, vinyl, cassette)?
PRC Music produced 1000 copies of “Negative Life” on jewel case CD, while we delivered our digital streams and downloads via Bandcamp.
Who is the author of the lyrics and how were they created and about what do the lyrics deal with?
Mike conjures all the lyrics. The lyrics in “Negative Life” deal with a general distaste for existence—whether in this carnal state or beyond. A lot of the themes deal with ennui, depression, and frustrated rage. The words attempt to summon abstract emotions and are intended for a cathartic delivery while accompanying the riffs.
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?
Most of the graphics (including the logo) are handled by Mike, with the exception of the cover painting for “Negative Life” which is an original work by our close friend Dan Rivera. Rivera’s work is also used on the cover of Dystrophy’s “Wretched Host”. The visual is an extension of the music, so it is absolutely important to have them complement one another. Rivera’s painting fit the music so well that we had to use it. Social networking plays a major role in people listening to us and getting us on shows in our area.
Which label did you choose for releasing your album and why this label? Are you satisfied by how your label represents you and takés care about you?
PRC Music in Canada put out our discography so far. The owner, Remi is a fan of our music and we are grateful he took a chance on us with the first release and with “Negative Life”. It’s a small label and it’s handled more like a family. We’re in contact with most of the artists on the label and have met a good portion of them when we went up to Quebec to play a few shows. We’ll be going back up there for the Metalbash in Montreal in May.
Which bands do you idolise and where do you get your inspiration?
We’re all inspired by different things individually. Some influences for us are Gorguts, Negativa, Demilich, Human Remains, Ripping Corpse, Demonacy, Morbid Angel, Blut Aus Nord, Deathspell Omega, and Bolt Thrower. On the less abrasive side we dig Cocteau Twins, Thin Lizzy, and Pink Floyd.
Did you send your record to some Labels - which are the labels? How was the response?
No, we delivered the record straight to PRC Music.
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?
At the moment Replicant has about 30 gigs under our belt, from basements to clubs in Rimouski, QC to Richmond, VA and a few spots in between. We appreciate the personal setting of a house/basement show, but we also like that heavy and crushing stage sound at a club. It’s hard to choose sometimes, but we like to play anywhere. It doesn’t matter. One of our favorite performances was opening for Dying Fetus at Saint VItus Bar in Brooklyn, mainly because there were so many people who hadn’t heard us there.
What about your plans for the future? What do you want to achieve with the band?
We are going to perform some Canadian dates this August and are planning to record another batch of songs this summer. We want to keep making weird and angry music and keep playing shows.
How and where can your fans contact you? Can you provide some contact information?
People can reach us via our Bandcamp, Facebook, or Instagram:
@replicantnj
Thanx for the interview.
Thank you for reaching out to us.
