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-The eclectic sound of
Sjenovik is immediately prone to a variety of comparisons ranging from death
metal to droning ambient. However, underlying this projection of various
genres there is a deeper concern with the band's artistic value. What in
particular inspires the sounds of Sjenovik?
S: Sjenovik
is more or less a result of all of our influences rolled into our own sound
thus creating something "unique". This came to be after throwing around a
lot of ideas regarding musical style. After awhile it was more or less like
"why not combine everything we’re into?" Musicianship is our lifestyle and
as artists we use the music created as a medium to convey a large palate of
ideas and such that we identify with. Several topics include yet not limited
to: philosophy, religion, culture, politics, etc.
-Likewise, philosophical, historical and cultural concepts construct the
ideological basis of Sjenovik. Please define some of these concepts, and
explain why they are of importance to both yourselves individually and for
Sjenovik.
S: I find a
strange connection amongst varying philosophies. Some may find the following
points of view contradictory but certain elements I feel are very
complimentary to one another. As most of philosophy is subject to personal
interpretation.
Postmodernism:
In a nutshell; the idea to create culture out of the resulting lack of
culture caused by the overabundance of consumer culture in the modern world,
most notably the USA. A popular method of this is to combine elements not
normally compatible to create something "new". I find this concept reflects
in our music.
Nihilism:
It seems to me that elements of religion, politics, etc, tend to produce
lack of effort. Since one is "saved" by their "God" or other invisible
power: they no longer need to care about making things better. After all,
they’re going to heaven, right!? (laughs) I think once one accepts the
nonexistence of purpose or destiny or their meant to be; then and only then
will one strive to do something great.
Progressive:
We want progressive economics and progressive politics. Like most forward
thinking intelligent people. Progressive taxation of the rich, enforcement
of the Sherman act, higher minimum wage, transition to renewable energy,
stricter environmental regulation and so on.
-Your lyrical perspective diverges from the
traditional metal formula "Beer, metal & Satan". At least you have noted
once that "Metal needs to evolve". Is this the first step? What is the next
step- and why should metal have to "evolve" in the first place? Would the
genre be doomed otherwise?
S: Well,
there’s nothing wrong with the "beer, metal & satan" per se. If that’s what
you’re into then that’s cool and there are some very entertaining bands that
promote such ideas. On top of which, I particularly enjoy "beer, metal &
satan". In regard to using that as a "gimmick"; I just think to myself:
"That’s all you got?", "That’s the best thing you have to talk about?". How
bout some effort and creativity as it doesn’t take to much brain power to
create something that’s cliche and beat to death. On the contrary, as the
ex-drummer for Exhumed allegedly left the group to pursue a career as a
scientist in the cancer research field, I think the assumption that these
people are necessarily stupid is ridiculous. The average person can’t do a
thing with a guitar or any other instrument for that matter. So if one
doesn’t know how to play an instrument and operate a relatively functional
band then your opinions are not really worth much.
As far as metal evolving... Luckily most things tend to evolve on their own.
As of late metal music seems to be moving forward thanks to some creative
minds in the genre. I don’t have a step by step analysis of how metal should
evolve nor am I concerned. I think that metal in say mid-late 90s seemed to
set itself this negative guideline system of sorts which caused it to
stagnate. For example: the music MUST be a certain way, you must BE like
THIS, BELIEVE THAT, DRESS and certain way and if you don’t you’re a poser.
If you change your music you "sold out" and then the end result is most
people complaining that it’s all the same old shit. Which then produced a
slew of clone bands and all those metal people that aren’t at shows or
whatever anymore are now into hardcore.
I guess my reason for mentioning this is to be creative. It’s cool to be
influenced by the bands you like. You could probably say we sound like a
bunch of different bands but our goal was to do our own thing and combine
our influences and not pick a genre out of a grab bag and try to fit the
mold. We are very influenced by metal music but it’s not our goal to BE a
metal band.
B: Metal's
become nothing more than a corporate gang. Band's aspire to be on labels
like Relapse and Roadrunner that are fully RIAA endorsed labels that screw
countless bands out of money. So these bands form their own little
microcosms or "scenes" as they would have you call it, for example: "TRUE
PORTLAND, MAINE DEATH METAL" or "SUPPORT DULUTH HARDCORE!!!". So these gangs
all get together and put on 800 billion shows with 900 billion bands of
which one or two bands get signed, and that's a stretch. From there, these
bands go on to either relative success, or financial ruin depending on the
mood of the label. Which is in truth, fucked up as these are usually people
who have laid dry-wall since they were 15 to afford gear or a van to go on
tour with. Something for which a label, let alone a metal label, would never
front money. So I have lost much of my affinity for metal. Modern metal
anyway. It just seems like a big sleazy pyramid scheme that these labels
like Roadrunner, Relapse, and Century Media have going on. I still like
everything I liked way back when, much of which was on Roadrunner, but I'm
always hard pressed to find a band that I don't feel is trying to join the
"gang".
-"Jouissance" is your first full length release,
and will be available by the time this interview is posted. Let's breakdown
"Jouissance" song by song, and explain the importance of each one in
sequence.
S: That’s a
little extreme. "Jouissance" is a concept album (as well as everything else
we do) that promotes a nihilist perspective of the decaying modern world. I
feel it represents not only that but spiritual emptiness and failure yet
through the darkness the strive to overcome. Let’s leave the rest up to the
listeners interpretation.
B: The
ultimate message of the album is self-accountability. I think 'Jouissance'
on a consumer and/or spiritual level brings justification to a lifestyle and
method of existence that is damaging to everything from the environment to
our individual psyche. Giving life to things that are n ot
alive (e.g. God, material goods, fast food, petroluem, etc.) has been a
massive setback in the growth and progress of mankind since Ancient times
and the sooner we overcome our earthly and spiritual hunger, the sooner we
can focus on maybe trying to be a society that lives in harmony with itself.
As "hippie" as that may sound.
-What did it take to prepare for the recording
process? Did anything in particular help drive the creative aspect of "Jouissance"?
S: We’re so
rapid fire. We create music at an astounding rate. Our next release should
be out by March and the music of which was finished before "Jouissance" was
even released. Being the owner of the studio we’re grateful for the luxury
to pretty much always be recording. Everything from writing to rehearsing to
recording is all done in the studio. We get some riffs going and or songs we
combine it with an idea and a release is born. It’s that simple.
B: We've
schooled ourselves on efficiency over the past 12 months. As the process
becomes more routine we will find ways to challenge ourselves and make the
recordings more challenging and better.
-Are you happy with the results?
S: We’re
always proud of what we do. But their’s always room for improvement. With
every release we like it and think what could we do better. Trial and error.
B: Self-repore
is always biased. I think it's a very engaging listen. I also think we
haven't even come close to our creative zenith as of yet.
-You've noted that your future endeavors will be
much less "metal driven" and will instead focus on other forms of dark
underground music, emphasizing experimentation and atmosphere. Indeed "Jouissance"
was a significant transition from an essentially core death metal sound to a
more progressive, ambient style. How do you foresee this progression
continuing?
S: Well, on
the demos the majority of the riffs were speed picking slow chord
progressions which is commonly typical to black metal... Add in the
keyboards and I don’t see where anyone gets death metal. Oh the deep vocals.
Whatever. What people want to call our music is up to them. We were calling
it dark metal but it doesn’t really matter.
The progression seems to be sending us to much darker terrain in a more
subtle way. Everything now is much more minimal regarding the metal
elements. Blast beats are gone, double bass is minimal, little distortion,
etc. We tend to let the music go where it wants to opposed to going "hey,
let’s sound like this now!" In fact our first recording of this new sound
entitled "Gemeinschaft" will be available as a free download on our web
site.
This does not mean that we’ve "changed our sound" or anything like that. We
sound however we feel like and if we want to make another metal based
recording...we will.
B: "Metal"
is always going to be inherent in Sjenovik. I think it's hard to get around
that when you're making music that's as dark as what we're doing. If we do a
release of all acoustic instruments with cheesey female goth vocals and then
do a splatter grind album with no ambience whatsoever, it'll be Sjenovik
because we say it is. I personally don't hear a "huge progression" from the
demo material to 'Jouissance' outside of the improvement in the production
and arrangements. Regardless, we'll do what we want and the 'metal' element
will be there due to how much weight it holds as an influence for all of us.
Whether or not this is apparent to the listener is irrelevant.
-Does Sjenovik fill a necessary gap, or bridge a
chasm for the potential of underground music? What precludes Sjenovik from
being "just another band"?
S: We ARE
just another band. I hope people enjoy our music but we don’t think we’re
some messianic entity sent to rescue underground music. There is a
particular way we operate and that’s that. That would be great if people
admire how we do things and we hope that happens. But whether that happens
or not won’t change what we do.
B: I think
the music's need for a "conquering hero" every ten years is a little on the
pathetic side. I think that mentality is how people like Kurt Cobain, Janis
Joplin, John Lennon etc. ended up dead. All different means to the same end.
These were all regular everyday people at one point and their "iconic"
status ended up finishing them off. I'm not one for preaching "sanctity of
life" or anything like that but, this is just music. We're not finding a
cure for AIDS or stopping glaciers from melting. We're just expressing
ourselves. Hopefully it inspires someone to go back to school and take up
that cause or to write that book or whatever. To directly answer the
question, I honestly believe that with how insanely vast the internet is
right now and how many billion indie labels there are in the world that if
you can't find the "bridge to the chasm" then your standards are just way to
high and you should try reading or watching more movies. Or maybe smoking
some pot, that can make things sound better too.
-Ho w
have reactions been to Sjenovik from listeners? What in particular is
praised or criticized?
S: Very
positive but not everyone is going to love what you do. I’ve read one person
saying that the 20 minute ambient recording "In the Tomb of Sleeping
Children" from the "Circle I" demo was like the most astounding thing ever.
Then another said the same track was boring.
B: It's all
relative. You have to have an ear for psychedelia, doom, black metal, noise,
goth, industrial, and other more obscure forms of music to really relate to
what we're trying to do. One thing I get asked a lot in my personal life is
why we don't play live. Which, in truth, makes me laugh.
-What first sparked your interest in creating
music?
S:
Interesting question. Believe it or not I think I turned to music
subconsciously as an angry teen seeking identity and self worth. It made me
feel empowered so to speak. Some kids get into sports or art or even
drugs...music was my thing. At 14 my parents bought me a bass and shortly
after which a got a job and bought drum kit. I’ve been producing music ever
since...
B: I went
to Lollapalooza when I was 13 or so and it changed how I looked at things. I
decided that counter-culture was more suitable for who I was probably going
to be as an adult. Part of this realization was picking up the guitar and
learning Metallica and Sepultura songs. I then branched off into piano and
studied classical guitar for a little bit, but formal music education seemed
contradictory to why I played music in the first place. So I just kept
learning Metallica and Sepultura songs and playing in bands.
-All artists aspire to grow; some take their
progression as it comes while others set goals for which they seek to pursue
to it's fullest extent. As an artist and musician, what do you intend to
learn or acquire that is currently just out of reach for you? How will your
creative abilities emerge in say another 5-10 years?
S: This
isn’t something I consciously ponder on any longer. I don’t sit here going
"I need to learn this beat" etc. I have learned that some things simply come
with experience and/or age. So I can do this now but I wonder how much
better I’ll be in time. You can always be better... Practice is the only way
to get there.
B: I'm
learning drums a bit. I've been slacking of late. Though, Shane's usually
got me on a good regime. I'm working on my own home studio, slowly but
surely. I work in a music store so I'm always learning new licks, which
makes one a better musician at the end of the day. I always wonder if the
passion to make music will leave me someday as I move on to something new,
but it's kinda pointless. Right now, music is still very fulfilling so I
just focus on Sjenovik and whatever else I have going on.
-Some agree that
popular music is a projection of the society in which it is created within;
much like Wagner exemplified the romantic, and patriotic current of the
Germany of his
time. If this theory is correct, how does "dark" themed music like black
metal or industrial project society in the 21st century?
S: Not
anymore. Pop music is now fashion and doesn’t reflect reality whatsoever.
Pop music is designed for consumer culture to generate sales targeted at
youth and other determined targets. For example: promiscuity to draw in
horny teenagers and perverts, gangster rap and whatnot to draw in the people
looking for a facade to promote there machismo, etc. The music industry is
designed to make money now and things like creativity and reality are not of
interest. Especially since this music is produced by major corporations
receiving massive tax cuts via republican economics. I highly doubt it’s
their intention to reflect the current time. If it was, instead of 50 Cent
of whatever you’d be hearing songs like "Oh, Fuck! What Credit Card Do Have
To Put Gas And A 6 Pack On?" or "My Household Income Is $4k Takehome But
After Daycare, Rent, Car Payments and Credit Cards I’m Fucked!"
Just because it’s mainstream doesn’t necessarily make it bad as there are
some good bands.
Dark music as well
as independent music as a whole is a reaction toward the mainstream whether
it be deliberate or not. Independent music either approaches real things or
at least represents artistic freedom. People have figured this out though. I
believe it was 2006 where there was an all time low for platinum albums and
whatnot yet music sales actually increased 19%! People are sick of it and
it’s starting to show. Now the majors are suing people because their music
sucks and people just download it since most titles simply aren’t worth the
15 bucks.
B: I think there's
a genuine anxiety about the civilization as we know it ending and there not
being anybody else to blame but ourselves. I think that tows a very very
profound hatred for humanity in and of itself and that is the true message
of black metal, I think at least. I believe that' s
also why it was/is so easy for the National Socialist elements to be
intertwined in the message of black metal. It's very elitist and overtly
fascist, but if you thin out a large portion of the world's population than
we may very well allow ourselves to exist for several more centuries. It
objects to "sanctity of life" so that life may actually be allowed to
continue. It's contradictory of itself but it's not absurd. I think the
"dark themed music" of today is a reflection of mankind's self-loathing. I'd
also have to say I'd be lying if a huge part of me didn't necessarily
disagree with the message of black metal music and industrial as well.
-I'm optimistic about the evolution of music
throughout the 21st century. Dark times help to influence great works of
art, and we may be on the threshold of a new "golden" age of music. What are
the possibilities? For example, could music be "experienced" in such a way
that it would interact more intricately with human emotions than it does now
with current technology?
S: One way
or another music (as well as everything else) will continue to
change/evolve. I’m not concerned with that. As far as technological
interactivity I’ve heard you can take classes on human reaction to sound.
Like certain frequencies can cause different reactions in humans. I’ve also
heard that country music causes more violent reaction than any other music.
I’m not sure on the facts on this but if these things are true I would
assume the possibility is there. I think this is already inadvertently
practiced as certain people like certain music and it’s in turn marketed to
those for consumption.
B: As long
as the RIAA is indicted on over 250,000 counts of entrapment and all the
major labels are sunk to the bottom of the ocean and left to rot, whilst all
the bands on those labels are relegated to 3rd shift at their closest
Whataburger....then I think music will be fine. It really makes me sad to
watch these artistic visionaries that I really looked up to as a kid beg me
for money. I think it's pathetic and there's no dignity in making music at
that level anymore. By declaring their stance on the side of the labels,
they stand for making music for no other reason than money, period. I find
this to be shameful, and dishonorable to our craft. Music will continue to
be downloaded for free. Myspace and other tools are great ways to find new
music. I will actually go out of my way to purchase independent music in the
flesh. But if someone on an RIAA endorsed label releases something...I
download it for free. Music will change and evolve, naturally, that's a huge
part of its appeal to me. If it stops, then I'm bored and I'm moving on. But
music will find a new identity. It will be an independent identity where you
can share music for free on the internet and you will be able to, quite
literally, listen to whatever you want whenever you want however you want.
-You intend to amass a considerable catalogue for
Sjenovik with constant new recordings. What is forthcoming?
S: We are
currently in the recording process of "Gemeinschaft" an online only free
download release based on the apocalyptic current of US politics. We’ll have
shirts to go along with the release as well.
-I appreciate your
investment in our chat. You have the last word.
S: -
B: Thank
you for the attention. Very best in the new year.
www.sjenovik.com
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