1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?
It's been a while so we have mainly focused on perfecting our live performance, since 2 of our members no longer are among us. It's a world gone up side down for me, since I've played with these guys since fucking 2009! But we are definitely getting there regardless, grief or not. And what with all the streaming possibilities nowadays we get a lot of practice. We have been at it a long time all of us, so it's not really a problem, haha! Also, we do a lot of interviews, thank you <3
2.In September you also released a new album, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
I have to be honest with you. Most of our songs are compiled with ideas we have had since the very start. The only little thing that would actually be the difference is that i am now the one arranging and organizing those ideas. We used to sit around and drone riff after riff for hours on end and that was the way we worked... Musically, I don't think that there is too big a difference from the first release really. Instead of 4 weird songs there are 8 of them, you know? Although, this time I personally tried to produce the album with "heavy" in mind instead of just pressing record on the tape recorder.
3.The band has been around since 2009 but waited until 2017 to release an album, can you tell us a little bit more about the earlier years?
The early years were chaotic to say the least. We were very productive, but had no focus, no plan, no deadline, just alcohol and weed. We loved to hang around and drink. It was when I realized that we were too good to just let things slip away that things began to happen and that alone took several years. Also, we all had problems in our relationships, job situations, social presence, what have you, and very few thing could change that in a sober manner. Personally, I am divorced so I am recovering, haha! The other guys are dead so they are okay. I guess we all had our various personal problems, which may be the reason we are musicians and why we worked so well together.
Musically, we always loved to experiment and that is where post metal comes in, we always loved heavy music, which is where doom comes in and we always regarded honesty as highly important, which is where sludge comes in, if you can understand that.
4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music and also how would you describe your progress as songwriters over the years?
Musical progression is a boring topic in my world, since I consider myself being a better song writer and lyricist every year and it is so very difficult to explain it without sounding like a tedious and uptight bastard, haha! The only real change I can mention is where we put the bar on what we allow ourselves to show...you guys...you know? We experiment and allow ourselves to just let go of inhibitions and ideas about genres and all that crap. If I want to play the harmonica backwards accompanied by distant rumble along with Poxpandemic crying in a fetal position we do it! I'm not saying that we will, but having the freedom to do it is freedom enough!
Lyrics are nowadays some of the funny things! I never thought so, but I am getting better so I'm allowed to say that, haha! Aisumasen lyrics are almost without exceptions about the end of the world, the post apocalypse, a dead world, etcetera. I'm sorry, but there we are. Clichée no 1: "One Day Poff Gone" is basically inspired by the movie "The Divide". Clichée no 2: "Miasma" (from The Greater Good) is about stealing/robbing from other scavengers in a post apocalyptic world. Clichée no3: "Staring Into The Sun" is about people running from something in a post apocalyptic future. Actually, most of the bands I play in has something to do with a world gone nuts.
5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Aisumasen'?
This is simple and interesting: We all love The Beatles and while we may hate John Lennon as a person (let's face it, he was a fucking asshole!), we love his music. So when we talked about how it could be a good idea to put a name on whatever it was we were doing and we loved the kind of freedom The Beatles had musically and the blissful ignorance of John Lennons musicallity. We decided to use one word from any of The Beatles titles or its members titles and I came up with the very bluesy song Aisumasen by John Lennon. This song is very heavy musically but not production wise, but I felt it straight away! Aisumasen means "I'm sorry" or "forgive me" in Japanese and he wrote it to Yoko after he cheated on her. This means it is honest, which is what we are 24/7, it also means that we are humble in our honesty (we bend for nothing, but we apologize in the process) and it also sound really cool and mysterious. It's a win/win/win. Also, it is a tribute to our heroes, needless to say.
6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
Actually, that was me looking for film clips for a post humous The Preachers video way back. I was looking for atom bomb video clips, ran across a video thumbnail with this house being just brushed aside by an atom bomb blast wave and simply fell in love with it! It's a very strong image and being just a picture, I don't think it has the same impact. The film clip is very powerful and I believe there is a plan to make a video made out entirely of blast waves hitting buildings, vehicles, vegetation, and so on.
7.Has the band had any opportunities to do any live shows?
Never. We had plans, but 2019 killed 2 members and COVID 19 killed the rest of the plans. Let that be a lesson, kids: stay away from the number 19! It seems like we are stuck with online streaming, which is no where near as fun, but if we are going to practice, why not tape it?
8.The album was released on 'Social Blasphemy Records', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?
Social Blasphemy is a very small label, which I myself have been helping out with on and off. They try to stick to weird metal, as they call it, but I think sludge, noiserock and industrial metal is what they mean. It was founded when the mother company Preachers Cath (goth rock and alternative) was put on hiatus after almost all of their bands was disbanded or had some kind of problem. Today, Preachers Cath is flourishing with more releases every year and Social Blasphemy has 2 staff members plus me when they need help packaging cds and shit. I am happy to help out, since I see my own tees and cds go out to all corners of the world, haha! Happy happy joy joy!
9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of underground metal?
Oh...I...don't think I've seen any statistics as such, but I hear Asia and the US are very keen on extremely heavy music. I like that! I always knew USA had a very good taste in music, but when I get 200 orders from Delphi, India, I get confused. Also, Arabic countries are fucking weird, which I like, because weird is good. I hate statistics until I receive fan mail from a country that I thought couldn't spell "metal". I love getting my prejudice crushed.
10.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?
Well, "Ye Old Codgers" will release the debut album next year and that will be a blast. "Grate" will put out a few videos, but probably no new song as far as I have heard. "Windymills" is thriving and will release single after single and maybe an album next year. "RadioniRadion" will do the same, "The Last Of Us" will release videos, "Poxpandemic" will release an album, etcetera. "Aisumasen" will release videos and maaaaayyyyybe finish the second album.
11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
More experimental stuff, I guess. No limitations, remember? I always thought jazz could be really heavy and you have seen proof of that on "The Greater Good", you can do some serious damage with electronics and anything that hurts you is good. We are still going to be above that bloke that throws shoes at a snare drums, or that park music person, or those cute screaming unplugged chicks (all Japanese, but no racism here), but we are going to do whatever we feel is necessary to accomplish our goals.
12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
This is probably going to sound very boring, but this is what we talked about the last time: The sense of musical freedom that we all felt from The Beatles, the epic feeling we got from semi-early Pink Floyd, the hippiesque absurdity of Hawkwind, the drony sense from old school Tangerine Dream, the heaviness of Bohren Und Der Club Of Gore and voila: There we have it! What we listen to has nothing to do with it however: We talk Bowie, New Model Army, electro, and so on. Also, my girlfriend is into old school goth and deathcore, but she is a pierced and tattooed goth model so I accept almost anything she says or does...
13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
I try not to think: it hurts. However awkward it may seem: we love you more than you love us, keep listening and hear our doomy prayers. Until the 10" vinyl of "The Greater Good" and the cd of "Tunguska" comes along you just have to stick to Bandcamp and Spotify and we are SORRY! Okay?! Sorry!
| Bandcamp |
| Spotify |
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