Hail Jürgen! How are
you man? Of course new album of Absent / Minded “Earthtone” is main news, but
let me start with one simple question – how did you get into the band?
Hello, I´m fine!
Well, in the spring of 2009 I searched for
musicians to make some downtempo stuff or something like that. After a short
time I found our guitarist Uwe. Micha, a friend of him, entered the band with
his bass guitar... a friend of mine, Steve, grabbed the microphone: ABSENT/
MINDED was born.
I see that you were
involved in few different bands and projects, so can you say that Absent /
Minded is main one for you?
Yes, Absent/ Minded is main for me. My 2nd band
is My Shameful. But the founder and songwriter Sami lives in Helsinki
How did you forge
band’s sound through the years? Absent / Minded has recognizable “hollow” and
“groovy” sound on the edge of sludge and death doom, so I wonder what kind of
feelings did you put into your songs?
During the first 3-4 songs we didn’t have a
clear idea how Absent Minded should sounding like. We just wanted to transport
a lot of energy. And we didn´t want to copy our idols or other bands. We had
to grow thru the years to find our own sound and our own kind of working.
Each member of the band connects own meanings
with the songs on a different way. We have no main- songwriter. We are all a
part of this thing. When we start writing songs it doesn´t matter where the
ideas come from. My personal feelings I put into the songs are rage, sadness,
relaxation and happiness.
Oh yes, the most times it works. But I would it
not call therapeutic effect. It´s more like a liberating effect.
Things like rage or sadness for example wanna
flow. And I just let it flow into the songs. And of course: it makes a lot of
fun to rock our songs with the guys!
Jürgen, one of most
famous bands in which you did play is My Shameful, how does this experience
reflect in your work with Absent / Minded? And how do you work over new stuff?
Does everyone in the band have their part in song writing?
Well, a few years ago I played in a couple of
bands with a higher speed level, black/deathmetal or something. I still love
blastbeats. In 2007 I joined My Shameful a few weeks before our Doom Shall Rise
gig. It was difficult to switch from blastbeats to funeral doom. But it was
awesome. I always liked it to play slow stuff like Deftones or My dying bride.
But with the experience in My Shameful I changed more and more from high speed
technical drumming to mid/ downtempo- heavy beats. It´s wonderful to create a
lot of different moods with this kind of grooves!
The most time when we work with new material we
are all together in the rehearsal room. Sometimes it starts with a simple
theme, sometimes anyone have some riffs or beats ... that´s different. Then we
let it grow.
And I hope we gonna find a new label for My
Shameful and for the new record. The recordings are done already.
Oh! So I have to ask
you about new My Shameful stuff! Do you feel some noticeable changes in band’s
songs? Or is classical depressive death doom enough for you in itself?
Yes of course. The “Descent” record was
released more than five years ago. A lot of things happened since then. The new
stuff is still close to funeral doom, but with a lot of more different
influences and moods. The most songs are very strong. The first time I heard
the songs, I heard the typical My Shameful harmonies, but on a different way.
We wanna release the record in December this year. The chance to form your own
opinion later ;)
Well, I never thought
about that indeed, so you’re first man who I ask: do you see enough space to
improve your skills as a drummer in one band? Usually it seems that doom is
pretty slow to leave free space to demonstration of any astonishing
attainments, will you break my stereotypes man?
That depends on how many genres you like and
what you wish to play. I like the drummers from Cult of Luna, Katatonia,
Deftones to Gojira, Nile and Strapping young
lad for example. So it is not possible for me to bring all my favorites in one
band. But a few bands are able to manage this.
I think the most important thing is, what kind
of music or music-playing gives you the most!
And sometimes I realize, that very slow stuff
is the hell lot more difficult to play than fast stuff! Because there is so
much space where a beat exists but no hits on the drums. That is what I like in
this kind of music: Space!
Can you tell about most
difficult parts of “Earthtone” record-session?
The most difficult part was to find a good
studio with a good producer. In our
music the sound is essential With the Earthtone record we needed more power, dynamics,
rawness on a good quality level. And of course, it shoulded be affordable for
us. We had good fortune with the choice of V. Santura and his Woodshed Studio/ Germany
The biggest problem now is to find a good
record company.
So you mean that there
were no problems with records of some drums parties or parties of other
instruments during this session at all? Just want to clarify that all went well
and smooth! :-)
No, we had no problems in the studio. We had
snowy weather in the middle of nowhere, our producer was relaxed and competent
and we practiced the songs enough. So everything went well and we had enough
time for the sound, organizing the tracks etc.
And Jürgen what’s
about another way to relax besides music? Does alcohol or – opposite -some
sports exercises help as well?
Well, sometimes alcohol helps, but only for a
few hours! (laughing) It´s important for me to get enough time for myself or
spending time outside. I get a lot of energy on this way. Another way to relax
is the whole private stuff, spending time with my girlfriend or hanging around
with friends. Keeping life in a balance with everything you do is a good way
for relaxing ;)
I see that “Earthtone”
is DIY album as you release it without any labels, I wonder if you did knock in
some labels’ doors before you get decision to do all things by yourself?
Yes of course. We did some calls to a few
record labels with the Pulsar record. With the Earthtone- album also. We have a
lot of good reviews. But it´s difficult at the moment. It´s pretty hard to find
somebody for a band, who do not care
about mainstream or trends. But on the other hand it´s not bad to deal
everything by yourself. We can do whatever we want, we have all the rights on
our songs in the band´s hand. And:
Nobody can exploit us! But we will see, maybe we gonna find a label who cares
about the music at first…
I guess that musicians
are worst critics of their own creations, I often hear it from them. But dare I
ask you to evaluate both strong and weak (if these ones exist) sides of Absent
/ Minded.
Haha, good question! I think one of our strong
sides is, we are a unity on stage. “We are able to go with the flow.” We know
what we want. We don’t want to sell our souls for commercial success. We don’t
want to become a bunch of jerks for popularity.
One of our so called weak sides is, we are not
perfectionists.
Well, I don’t know the exact reasons, but we
realize, that this scene is growing. In my opinion, a lot of people are tired
of this huge pool of overproduced bands and of the big metal- business. There
are so many releases during the last years, which sound like other 100 bands. I
think the individuality in attitude and sound is getting lost more and more in
this mass of bands. In the most modern bands I miss the dirt and innovation.
Most of the doom bands are not focused
on popularity, business or perfectionism. Sometimes less is more! And yes, I
think a lot of listeners are saturated.
Maybe another reason is, that slow, intensely
music could be a countermovement to the faster and faster becoming times.
Especially in the so called “rich nations”.
I think this kind of music is focused on what really matters, our
origins for example. Or just having fun
And of course, it´s difficult to create new
ways in all the typical metal genres. So much is played already. I mean, what
will be when all the great bands of the early days will finish? What comes next
when Metallica, Slayer, Iron Maiden etc. are saying goodbye? Which way will the
hard´ n heavy scene goes? I´m curious about this.
Jürgen may you give me
a universal answer – what drive adult dudes to play such highly energized heavy
music? This interview turns like philosophical dispute but it’s pretty
interesting and common phenomena, so I wonder if those who addicted to such
kinds of music see some concrete reasons for such obsession.
We are young and we need money! ;))))) (joke)
So...Tones and Music are one of the strongest
forms to catch feelings and energies and bring them on a way. We love it to
create new songs with no boundaries and to play the stuff on stage. There were
a lot of bands, who gave us so much. And if I could give a bit back to anybody,
that would be one of my highest reasons. And it really really doesn’t matter
how old are you to play in a band and
walk the way of Rock´n roll!
Ha-ha, the answer is
accepted! :-) Thanks for your time man! Wish you all the best on band’s way to
glory’n’money :-) Good luck!
Thank you for the interview! And some Doooom
Greez from Germany
Interview by Aleksey Evdokimov
Interview by Aleksey Evdokimov
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