Interview with Czech death metal band FEEBLE MINDED - answered Pavel and Honza.
translated by Markéta, thank you!
Ave
FEEBLE MINDED! In the end of last year you published your new album
„The Perfect Suicial Act“. I have to say that it is a massacre.
Are you happy with this album? Do you have any reviews or comments
from fans?
PAVEL:
Hello! Of course we are happy with this album because it is our
“comeback” album after hibernation which happened because of
family or personal reasons. Reviews are great so far. To be honest, I
didn´t expect these reviews. I am a sceptic and that´s why it is
more pleasant to hear those reviews, it makes you to do more work
with your band.
HONZA: Hello, there is
are a lot of reviews from our fans. I don´t read comments below
articles, however after BiL posted their record on the internet I saw
a lot of discussions which surprised me. No hate, only positive
reactions. What the hell is this world….
You
album was published with NICE TO EAT YOU by Vláďa Prokoš and with
Japanese AMPUTATED VIEN RECORDS. How come? Did you cooperate with
Japanese guys? What label took part on what with publishing your
album and how do they advertise your brand? Are you happy with this
collaboration?
PAVEL:
This question is better for Vláďa. The publisher is NTEY RECORDS
and they cooperate with Amputated Vein Records. If this is only about
distribution or if Japenese guys also force some copies on, that´s
what I don’t know. We wanted to publish our album with death metal
label and be heard with more people who are focused on this kind of
music which is perfect with NTEY. After our quiet time which FM had
it´s amazing to have this label because we don´t have to start from
scratch.
HONZA: Actually we hadn´t
been looking for a publisher. However there was another offer than
Vláďas one and it was in some ways more interesting but for reasons
which Pavel mentioned we went for NTEY.
 |
| cover |
The
first thing that hits you about your album is the great cover. I
didn´t really get who is the artist? However this cover really fits
your music, like a coffin fits death body. How did you choose the
cover? Did the artist hear your music before? Or did you choose from
their previous work?
PAVEL:
This cover was supposed to be different and with a different artist
and different technique. We just didn’t finished early enough so
our album was published in the end of the year and not earlier. The
booklet was made by our singer Honza in 24hours on computer and he
took booklet authors photographs and mix them together. And that´s
what you can see now. And I actually answer other questing: author
did and do know our lyrics because he writes them by himself and I
think the cover evokes the lyrics and 24hour work perfectly.
HONZA: We´re glad you
like your cover. The motive of this cover was made in one night when
most of the time took the searching for photographs with the suitable
licence. While searching we were thinking about more than one
visions. The rest was just manipulation with it, editing, colour
correction and a little bit of handiness with drawing. The second
half of the day was taken by collection information about the record
and making the graphic of the rest of the booklet and the print of
the CD.
Between
your last and second last album there was some personal problems in
your band. Mr. Stembus left and you took Tomáš Halama in. Why was
that? Tomáš is known as a composer n BRUTALLY DECEASED and HEAVING
EARTH. Did you comment or take place in your new songs? How much did
he do on your new album?
PAVEL:
There were more changes than that. Štembus went to play with
NEUROTIC MACHINERY. Jaromír (base) was tired of death metal and his
salvage Banjo was irresponsible, another base player Petr left
because of no free time. There is only me, Honza and drummer Véna
left. We did played a few concerts in this group, however it didn´t
feel good enough. After that I was offered an engagement in HEAVING
EARTH by co-player from IMPERIAL FOETICIDE Jarda Šantrůček and
Žlababa from HE. And that was where I met Tomáš Halama which
offered me to be our base player after Feeble Minded concert on the
Czech Death Fest 2012 but it happened 2 years later. He didn´t
talk to our new album, because I don´t talk to his work in Heaving.
He just came to our studio by Otyn and during that we were sleeping
after a long night. Tomáš recorded his base lines in the morning
and we didn’t trench. I think he did a fantastic job we are so
happy!
HONZA: I just add that
before Ádoš came to our band the 99% of music did Pavel and only
Pavel. Others did just one or so riffs on album. Adam came to almost
done songs for Perfect…however we did a few changes after his come
and the change is noticeable on the album´s mood and the whole work.
The new stuff are prepared by Pavel and Adam together and that´s how
new songs for our album are made.
I
really like the sound of your album. You choose Otyn and his Davos
Studio. He did a very good job and I am not afraid to say that this
work is almost “European”. You are easy recognizable, readable
and at the same time raw and cruel. That´s what I like! How long
took the recording? Were you prepared for it with a clear vision or
did you do those thing in the studio?
PAVEL: Yes we had known
Otyn for a long time, we liked the subtitles he did. The drums were
recorded in Otyn´s place and guitars and vocals were recorded in the
home studio of Feeble Minded. Base lines and reamp of the guitars in
Otyn´s place. And we did mix and production on the phone and via
emails.
HONZA: In one moment,
Otyn was not happy. He sent us a mix and we talked about changes at a
distance. We were talking about dynamics and spectral substitution of
instruments which meant for him that he had to change the mix when he
thought it was finished. But when he did change it he sounded happier
than us.
There
is no memo of the lyrics author on your booklet? What are your lyrics
about and who is the author?
HONZA: The authorship of
the music, lyrics, cover and part of the production and recording is
awards to the whole band in the booklet. When we do something for
FEEBLE MINDED we make FEEBLE MINDED the author. It looks better in
our eyes. When I download mp3 record and there are names instead of
the name of the band I would kick someone for that. Our lyrics are
classic – the themes of or songs are: autotomy, suicide, atheism,
suicide, suicide, murder, suicide and suicide in the end.
I
can´t help it and I have to ask. Why do you have so much gap between
your albums? Since the 1996 (the beginning of your band) you have
published only 3 long played albums. Why so small number?
PAVEL: You are right and
you are not the first person asking us that. There are 2 splits, 1
DVD, a few compilations, promo records but also playing in other
projects. Looking back we can see that it was not the happiest
solution and now we do just the regular records. There is no way that
band such ours would be able to do more than that.
HONZA: Well, be careful
about the 1996. That year and the next one, we just get to know the
instruments and that´s all. Since the beginning there has been 15
people (I hope I didn´t forget someone). Some of them came back and
leave again. We also had a few base players who we didn´t even seen
– at least they didn´t waste our time. We also had a drum automat
and a recording device with a recorded drum sounds form the studio.
It takes about a half of a year to teach and synchronise with people
who play with you. The time flies, you have no idea. Plus we played
more than 200 times live on concerts and one year after the My
Anorexia publishing we played 50 events per year. So, that´s why it
was impossible to meet each other in studio to play.
I
have noticed that you are going to baptise your album soon. Please
tell us when and where is it happening? Furthermore you will be in
Pilsen (Božkov) on the 19th
of March 2016 where we are organizing the DEADLY STORM festival. Can
we look for your new albums songs? Or are you guys preparing
something special for us?
PAVEL:
Yes, I would like to invite you to go to Rokycany to the Nová Sparta
Restaurant where is our festival (which we organize) SUICIDE!FEST.
It´s happening on 2nd
of April and we will baptise our album with our friends from Heaving
Earth and Cutterred Flesh. We will play the new album (all songs from
it) and some older songs from the My Anorexia album and of course
classic lavages from Pernicious Intergrowth. We are so glad to play
on DEADLY STORM festival in Božkov and we are looking forward to be
there. We are going to play our new album songs The Perfect Suicidal
Act and two songs from My Anorexia. And maybe we should bring the
champagne and pre-pop it there.
Speaking
of concerts, you don´t really play live that much. Why? I still
think that playing music in front of fans and give them the music
face to face is the best promotion ever! People have the personal
experience, they buy CD and maybe has a nice hangover after.
PAVEL:
Well we played before more and often and we still do. Someone has to
just invite us. Now we have the new album and steady structure,
so there is no problem to play live.
HONZA: As I said earlier
we played before a lot and two years ago we just cut it. We played a
few time in Morava – you driving there for 4 hours, you wait there
for 3 hours until there is the time for you to go on stage. Because
there is a local band who has to do their sounding for a half an hour
and play for an hour. Then there is a sound engineer who destroy your
work and you look like an idiot. Fortunately (?) people didn´t came
back (the organizations told us that this is a rare situation) and
(tired as hell) after that you sit in a car and drive home for
another 4 hours and you are thinking if this is worth it. And a next
week it´s the same…And we also don´t organize the exchange events
which is very important for the Czech concerts industry.
Death
Metal is so extreme that there is not a lot of people who would
listen to it. That´s why bands have to go abroad to be noticed. Do
you want to do some concerts in foreign countries? Do you talk to
foreign labels? Do you want to be noticed on an international level?
PAVEL: As I said earlier
there is no problem for us to play abroad. We´ll see, maybe there
will be some opportunity in an exchange programs. We have some
contacts from earlier however, I don´t want to jinx it. You will
know it when it´s time. You can be noticed internationally through
the internet. And that´s what we are trying to do now. We have good
reviews on the new album so we´ll see. It´s important not to freeze
and work on ourselves and on new album. The Perfect Suicidal Act is
like a jumping board for us. It´s like a cornerstone for the future
FEEBLE MINDED.
HONZA: We published an
album so there is a period of promotion coming. On the other hand we
play for a long time, we enjoy death metal and we do FEEBLE MINDED
for our pleasure and fun. We have never kissed anyone´s ass and we
don´t want to change it. We try to share this album through our
friends, we contact labels before we send them the record and it´s
various with zins.
Pavel
and also Tomáš play in HEAVING EARTH from Prague. So there is an
important question – how can you guys work it out? Is there a big
difference to compose and record for one or another band? I´m
curious about the attitude and the procedure.
PAVEL:
Well, we work it. I don´t go to HE auditions and Tomáš don´t
go to FM auditions. But seriously, sometimes we are together and we
play at home for both bands, they play on concerts with klik so the
sound coordination is not a problem. This is an interesting thing for
musicians and I think that fans don´t really care about it. It´s
different with music composing – Tomáš does HE by himself and me
and Adam do FM. We usually prepare riffs or the whole songs and then
we talk about it and mix it and come up with guitar lines. It´s
going to be 50/50 with a new songs and there is a good example of our
cooperation the song “The pain is fascinating”.
Do
you have any new band favourites from the Czech Republic? I´m
curious what musicians listen. Do you like the same music? When you
travel to a concert what music is playing in your car?
PAVEL:
Right now I listen the new Beneath – The Barren Throne and I really
like it. Then I have Hate Eternal – Infernus, Hellyum, Dissolution,
Brute and a lot more other records. Most of the time I listen death
metal and when I don´t know what to listen, I just put some
Metallica – Ride the lighting or Slaver – South of Heaven, King
Diamond in the radio. When we go to play we usually listen anything
what we have. When we don´t like it, we turn on the radio –
Blaník, maybe. That´s really funny to listen when we are returning
from concerts. You know the old songs from prehistory.
HONZA: I don´t have a
lot of time to listen to some music in peace. I listen music at work
when I program and that´s when I´m choosing for something familiar,
so it doesn´t bother me. I also listen music in my car where I have
the latest Nile, older Tyrant of Death (Parasite, Alice,…),
Fortiori – Sloan, Cryptopsy – The book of suffering, Perfecitien
– Corten.
What
are your plans for the next few months as FEEBLE MINDED? Do you want
to go on a tour or something to promote your new album?
PAVEL:
I still think about a tour however, I still think about who is going
to pay for it. It would be ideal to go with someone who we know
(like Heaving Earth did) even for the price. There is a lot of people
who say that it´s not good, but that´s the reality. I don´t have
any problem with this – it´s a great promotion how to be noticed
in front of a lot of people and how to get new fans and also to see
the world. It would be a great vacation. We are looking for a
sponsor.
HONZA: There should be a
merch happening soon – our clothing with motive of the new album
and we also going to launch our new website: www.Feebleminded.cz.
You will be able to order everything which is connected with our new
album and a few stuff from the previous one.
Thank
you so much for this interview and I wish you a lot of concerts full
of fans. And I wish they pluck off your hands to buy our new CD!
PAVEL:
Thank you for this opportunity to be on your great blog. You rock.
Sometimes I think about how you manage to do all of this? I wish
all of you the best, listen music and enjoy it as much as we do and
see you guys on concerts!
HONZA: Thanks to you and
everyone who read the whole interview. Support music and be well!
Recenze/review- FEEBLE MINDED – The Perfect Suicidal Act (2015)
Promotion!
