A few questions - interview with grindcore brutal death metal band from France - CRYPTIC PROCESS.
Answered vocalist Damien Roger, thank you!
Recenze/review - CRYPTIC PROCESS - Human Snack (2023):
Can you introduce your band to our readers? When was it founded and what style of music do you play, etc.?
Hey there! Cryptic Process is the story of two buddies who have always loved making music together and seized the opportunity to reunite. So, it's Ugo on guitar and drum programming and Damien on vocals. This project was born during the Covid pandemic in 2020; we're old friends and just wanted to get back to playing Brutal Death together. As for our background, we're former members and founders of Goryptic (and Heresy). Both of us had a stint in Grindcore for several years: Ugo played guitar in Trepan’Dead, and Dam was a vocalist in Unsu. Our style is Brutal Death with touches of Grindcore and even some Slam elements here and there.
Where and under what conditions did you record the new album? Who was responsible for the sound, production, and mastering?
We recorded the album in August 2023 in our rehearsal space. We locked ourselves in for about ten days and did everything from A to Z. Since Ugo is a sound engineer, he had everything prepared and knew exactly what he was doing! He also handled the mixing and mastering. We were very meticulous and didn't let anything pass until we had a completely satisfying result. It was enriching as an experience, not only in terms of our own instruments but also in discussions and choices regarding the sound/mix/testing, etc.
How many copies were published, and what format was used for this new edition (CD, digital, vinyl, cassette)? Who wrote the lyrics and how were they created, and what are the lyrics about?
We released 500 copies in a 6-panel digipack to allow for more panoramic visuals. Dam: As for the lyrics, they're quite varied, covering various subjects. There are lyrics about the current absurdity of our world, life entangled in these networks, compulsive overconsumption, my personal experiences, but also totally spacey lyrics about entities visiting us (beings from another hostile dimension, for example). We're not into the ultra-gore stuff like most bands in our style, but there are elements here and there. However, I try to create real stories and not just say "kill kill, blood, guts." In fact, about half of the lyrics are in French. Some texts flow easily and quickly, while others are more difficult to come up with because I don't want to reuse the same words. I aim to deepen and vary the elements; it's just a matter of honesty with myself. Vocals are first and foremost an instrument with multiple sounds to explore, which should bind the composition together and make it even more massive and violent. Vocal variations are as important as variations in other instruments.
Who created the band logo, and who handled the graphics and website? And what about social media? Do you consider these things important?
Dam: The original logo was created by me, but we weren't 100% satisfied, so we enlisted an artist named Brilliansyah who did a great job! As for the visuals, I developed everything myself. The concept stemmed from a title we really like, "Human Snack" (which closes the album). From there, I imagined a story where essentially the human species was "planted" on this planet by beings from who knows where (everyone can imagine what they prefer: other dimensions/demons, etc.) to be later harvested and eaten, like common snacks. Added to this is a fury multiplied by these beings upon realizing how much our species had destroyed its habitat. We love this dirty, dusty, hopeless, no-return-possible aspect. We could have easily gone for the classic gore style, but that's not really our thing. We prefer bizarre and gloomy universes. These creatures have extraordinary dimensions; they are gigantic reapers. As for the realization, I did it myself. I'm a graphic designer by profession, but I'm fascinated by what can be achieved today with AI, in particular. Using AI in a band that already has a "robotic" drummer is very coherent from our point of view. So, I had to learn to use it because it's not a magical tool that produces a wonderful result with just three prompts, contrary to what some may think. It's a tool to be approached like Photoshop was when it was first released. So, I experimented with a lot of things for several weeks until I got a solid foundation. Then I used this material to build the entire universe of this album cover. We wanted a 6-panel digipack to have two fairly explicit panoramic visuals. As for social media and the website, I created them myself. It takes time and effort to acquire knowledge, but we like to manage things ourselves, and it's worth the effort. Social media is indeed very important. Let's not kid ourselves; the dissemination of everything goes through there and not through "physical" stores anymore (and I've experienced both, so I can make a good comparison, lol).
Which label did you choose for the release of your album, and why this label? Are you satisfied with how your label represents you and takes care of you?
We don't have labels per se, but two promo/distribution partners, Crypt Of Dr. Gore and Drowning In Chaos Records. They helped us finance the pressing of the album and, more importantly, they help us with its distribution. It's a deal that suits us quite well, done in good faith, and the guys are motivated!
Which bands do you idolize, and where do you draw your inspiration from?
Well, the term "idolize" is a bit strong, lol! But of course, there are bands that we love and that have strongly inspired us. In terms of influences, we like a lot of bands like Goratory, Necrophagist, Cryptopsy, Dying Fetus, Aborted, or even Infant Annihilator. And some more old-school stuff like Pantera, Carcass, etc. We also listen to totally different styles that can bring openness to our own compositions.
Did you send your recording to labels - which labels? What was the response?
No, not at all, we're not actively seeking to be signed by a label! We've always been self-produced with our previous bands, and that suits us just fine (that's our "A to Z control" side). But we're not closed off to it! If a label offers us an honest deal that suits us, why not! In the meantime, our partnerships suit us just fine.
How many concerts have you given? What type of concerts do you prefer, whether it's clubs or festivals, and which of your performances do you consider the best?
We've had 2 concerts so far, one on April 26 in St-Omer for a festival warm-up, and the other on May 4 in Paris for a festival featuring Inhumate (a big French grindcore band). It was totally new for us to come and offer a concept (not new) but experimental for us: 2 musicians only with the drummer coming out of the sound system! And honestly, it was excellent! In Paris, people really got into it, even though many were initially intrigued and wondered what was going on, haha. And in the end, it was war! People were really moving! The feedback was good, and we're thrilled to finally be able to perform HUMAN SNACK live! Everyone had a smile, and that's fantastic!
Every venue is different and has its own energy; we like the proximity to the audience, so bars are cool, but big stages with lots of people and awesome sound... that's great too! A concert also depends a lot on the receptiveness of the audience; if people are really into it and moving, it's great and it will give good memories to everyone, both the band and the audience!
What are your plans for the future? What do you want to achieve with the band?
All we want is to play together, compose, and have a good time! We're primarily friends who love what we do. We don't have a "career plan" or anything; we just want to keep composing songs, playing, and doing concerts!
How and where can your fans contact you? Can you provide contact information? Thank you for the interview.
The album is available on our Bandcamp here: https://crypticprocess.bandcamp.com/ merch or even by email at crypticprocess@gmail.com! You can visit our website: www.crypticprocess.fr where all our social media links are provided, as well as links to listen (Spotify/Deezer/etc.). We post all news and info on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/crypticprocessofficial
Thanks again for the interview and support! If we come by your area, don't hesitate to come see us!
Thank you for interview.
Recenze/review - CRYPTIC PROCESS - Human Snack (2023):
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