So we are nearly a quarter of the way into a new year and
the quality of records dropping into our grimy mitts, is as ever, jaw
dropping. For me two records have stood
out head and shoulder above the rest , Estron by Slomatic is one. The other? Well, you probably know what it is
by now, if you follow us on social networks. Fill in the blank …… Eagle.
To say, I am fan of Slomatics is probably an understatement,
indeed I have attempted to spread their music to the masses, by doing whatever
means necessary, usually in the form of spam – sorry about that. It is for good reason however, given that they
deal in high levels of fuzz awesomeness, and whilst one band’s popularity
is not based upon the actions of the few, I personally lauded over their last
record, A Hocht back in 2012 and I was fortunate enough to have David talk to us, at the
time.
Now 18 months later, Slomatics are back with their 8th
release to date. So does releasing one
of your strongest records add a certain amount of pressure when you approach
writing the next one, well, I hooked up with David from Slomatics on the eve of
the release of Estron, to get the lowdown.
(N.B. Interview conducted Beginning of Jan 2014, prior to record release)
That is not all, The Sludgelord have been fortunate to offer
a fantastic give away from the band themselves.
So make sure you take notes at the end of the interview, if you want to
be in with a chance of winning a fantastic prize.
(SL) David, it was September 2012, since your last
appearance at Sludgelord HQ, a real pleasure to talk to you again.
(David Majury) Cheers, always a pleasure to be here!
(SL) Congratulations, your new record is Epic. You must reflect upon it with a sense of a
pride? It’s funny, the last time we talked; you hinted that you begin to
lose perspective about the record, because you lived with it so long.
Seriously though, it’s your best record to date, right?
(DM) Thanks, I'm glad you think so. We're definitely really happy with
it, I'd say more so than anything we've done in the past. I think every
band feels - or at least should feel - that their most recent is their best,
and certainly this one feels like it represents where we're at right now.
We're our own harshest critics, and nothing got through the writing unless we
were all really into it. In terms of losing perspective I think what I
mean is that by the time we've left the studio we've listened to
every second of the recording so many times, and in such isolation,
that it almost doesn't sound like music anymore! I guess with this release we
were so clear about how everything was to sound that we were pretty
focused and a bit wrecked after it all. But now that we've a bit of distance
from the studio I can honestly say yeah, it's everything we wanted it to be.
Mind you, I've read a lot of interviews with bands saying "yeah, it's our
best record ever" and it turns out to be total shit, so really it's up to
you to decide!!
(SL) What can we fans look forward to from Slomatics
in 2014? How is your schedule shaping up?
(DM) We're firming things up right now. Ideally we'd gig away from home
a bit more, and we've had loads of offers from around the UK so we're trying to
sort out the logistics of it all. Not easy when we all have jobs and young
families, but it'll work out. Right now we've sorting out Scottish and Irish
dates with Headless Kross, and organising Conan's Irish trip. I think we'll be
in London for the first time too. We'd really love to get across to mainland
Europe again too. We'll record again later in the year, hopefully for a
split release with another band, so fingers crossed we'll have two releases
this year.
(SL) What springs to mind when you think about the
completion of your new/current record? Either you or Chris, hinted at an
underlying concept running through the record. Tell me more?
(DM) Oh yeah, there's a concept alright! The idea since Marty joined
the band is to develop a narrative through the records - we're all old enough
to have been pretty well into 70's prog, so I guess it's been lurking away in
the background for years. Marty really loves all that stuff and he would come
down to the practice room with reams of paper with all sorts of crazy ramblings
on there. To be honest though, I've always preferred it when the concept is
somewhat ambiguous -I don't want to be spoon-fed a story and I think good music
should create a mood or feeling but be open to interpretation. Estron was
the first album where we had the sequencing in mind almost before the songs,
it's definitely meant to be listened to as one piece, and hopefully there's a
narrative thread that the listener will get into. The last album was about
destruction, so I'll go as far as to say that this one follows on and is about
rebirth, albeit it a somewhat nihilistic and misanthropic way. If you want
to know what the full story is, come to a gig and buy Marty some beer, I'm sure
he'll spill the beans! Chris put it well in another interview – he said the
album is about “despair, hope, space travel, and more despair”. That sums it up
nicely.
(SL) Who handled song writing duties and were you perhaps
more confident going into the record, given that this is Marty’s second
record?
(DM) Song writing duties are fairly evenly spread. I'd say that this
record was way more collaborative than anything we've done in the past, and the
majority of the songs were written together in the jam room with all of us
steering them in different ways. On the last record we definitely did
collaborate, though it was more of a matter of bringing semi-formed ideas to
practice and then developing them from there, so to write in the same room from
scratch this time felt pretty good. I think it's just been a natural
progression, before Marty joined I wrote pretty much everything bar lyrics,
which really wasn't a great set up to be in. Marty had a strong input into A
Hocht, but he really came in to his own on this one, particularly with the
vocals. He's got a real musical background and vocabulary, and was able to
bring all sorts of stuff like three part harmonies, kettle drums and piano into
the song writing, which is definitely not something that could have happened
before. A Hocht was written within three months of Marty joining the band,
whereas with this one he's been in the band almost two years, so yeah, I
suppose we were that bit more focused. Marty definitely wasn't approaching the record
with any baggage of previous releases influencing what he played or wrote.
(SL) How long was the gestation of your new/current opus
from conception to delivery?
(DM) We booked the studio time around six months in advance, and had a
couple of songs in the bag pretty quickly, but then with gigs/ summer holidays
and all that we didn't seem to write anything else until maybe two months
before recording. The thing is though, that we jam all the time, just
improvising these half hour long Hawkwind rip offs, so writing and coming up
with ideas isn't difficult. We definitely spent a lot more time discussing the
flow of the record this time though, and we had it all mapped out conceptually
well before the studio.
(SL) The artwork is really great, was it designed with a
particular physical format in mind? Tony Roberts is a genius right?
(DM) Oh yes, he certainly is. We chatted to him as we wrote the record
and sent him lyrics and a couple of demos, so he was involved all along,
although he's a man of few words and just seems to work it out himself. Marty
filled him in on the details of the concept, and he was into it. As mush
as I love the other stuff he's done for us, this one really floors me the
most. He absolutely captured what we wanted and I think it matches the music
really well. When I was young I spent hours gazing at album covers and
absorbing every detail, and I think this cover is in keeping with that whole
thing.
In terms of format, obviously vinyl is the best format for artwork,
there's no contest - but I think it'll look great on CD too, and we've had Tony
come up with a version for the cassette release which is on Tartarus.
(SL) As music fans and given that music seems to be so
disposal at times, how important is it to offer a great package to your fans,
and yet not alienate them in the process by producing something which is not
affordable. What are your thoughts on the finished physical product? What
format is/will be available? More importantly, how does it sound on wax ?
(DM) Really important. Firstly, we all come from the distant past long
before downloading, so the physical format is something we really value.
Growing up we all poured over sleeves - the more detailed and elaborate the
better. I remember spending hours reading Iron Maiden sleeves, looking for the
hidden symbols and all that, and it definitely added to my enjoyment of the
whole thing. Being realistic, folk who buy our stuff are probably of a similar
age, or at least a similar mindset - so it makes sense to offer something
worthwhile. It's a balancing act between price and package for sure - but I
think that there's even more of a collector/nerdy thing about vinyl now than
when I was growing up, and I think people (myself included) appreciate that for
bands such as our vinyl is a limited thing, and therefore pretty
desirable. The last Pombagira record is a good case in point; it was housed in
the thickest card imaginable, felt like a book and was really
beautifully presented. I think that makes it worth a few quid more. It's a
double edged blade though, as to ship vinyl internationally is seriously
expensive. I've seen stuff from bands similar to ours going for $50, which is a
lot of money to part with.
I'm in the minority here, but I really like CD too, and I think the
packaging can be super cool. CDs are cheaper, and I know that I listen to
CD more than vinyl as my daily commute gives me the time to do so. I'm stoked
that it's coming out on cassette too, I've bought cassettes myself and really
like that format.
The wax does sound really good though - James Plotkin even remarked
that the non-mastered mixes were really well suited to vinyl, which was a good
sign!
(SL) You’re releasing this record via Head of Crom / Burning
Worlds records, what particularly resonated with you in terms of working with
that label again?
(DM) Just the same reasons as the last couple of releases really. Both
are totally in keeping with how we feel music should be released and
"promoted", for want of a better word. Head of Crom is run by one
person, and his aim is just to document the great music that's around the
UK/Ireland right now. It's not about "making it" or any such rubbish,
so the DIY ethic sits nicely with how we see things. Adam (HOC head
honcho) also really appreciates the idea of the record as a complete package,
and is as enthusiastic, or nerdy, about the art/ vinyl colour and all that
as we are. It's a real honour to have Head of Crom release our stuff too, as
Adam has pretty similar musical tastes to us, so to think he sees our racket as
fit for release is a real compliment. We share a fixation with weirdo synth
music from Germany, so it's good company to be in.
With Burning World, that's the sort of thing we never expected.
Jurgen is a really nice, super enthusiastic guy, but really having the
"official Roadburn" label means he could probably pick and choose
what he deems suitable to release, so again we're really privileged to be
part of Burning World. We've actually met and drank beers with both Adam
and Jurgen too, and it definitely feels good to know that these guys are as
excited about and into music as we are.
We're also releasing Estron on cassette too, through
Tartarus records, which are run by one of the lads from Ortega. I'm really
into this idea, having grown up in the 80s and having been into the whole
tape trading thing I see cassettes as a totally valid format. We've had Tony
create a version of the artwork for the cassette too, so it'll look really
great. Again, the thought that anyone is interested in releasing our stuff is
still a bit mind-blowing, and exceeds our expectations completely.
(SL) Don’t think I asked you this last time, best and worst
things about being in a band?
(DM) The best thing, without doubt, is the three of us in the practice
room playing music together. We've been friends for a long time, and to still
be playing music together and enjoying it so much is a really good thing to
have in our lives. There's no doubt that after we've been forgotten about and
the record/gig offers have dried up, we'll still hook up every week and play.
Of course, getting flown into places to play shows and drink beer is pretty
good too! The worst thing? I'm really not sure there is one - I suppose there
are things like having a budget to record with, and having to turn down gigs
we'd love to play due to work. We were offered Temples Festival this year,
which would have been so incredible, but due to work/costs it didn't happen, so
stuff like that is a bummer alright. But the pros far far outweigh the cons, no
question.
(SL) Influences and heroes, what are turn offs and
turn on’s?
(DM) Influences are hard to define. I always think people confuse bands
they like with influences - like, I really like Sonic Youth, but in no way does
their sound come through in ours. Also, I've always been more influenced by
bands I've seen and played with. There was a band here in Belfast about 12
years ago called Kabinboy who really influenced me - they were a really
rockin' Gore/early Melvins sort of thing, an instrumental three piece.
From them I learned about using good equipment, and also about the
importance of doing what you want to do and not caring about how it's received.
Their DIY ethic still resonates now. Like a Kind of Matador from Leeds were a
huge game changer for us all too, I'd seen them play with Boris when I was
in a previous band, and they just blew my mind. We got to play with them a few
times, and apart from being lovely people, they had the most huge sound
imaginable. Their whole thing really affected the way I think about writing,
and definitely guitar tuning/gear/playing.
In terms of the big names, then Ron Ashton from the Stooges
remains my number one, Chris really likes guitar players like Mark
Linkous (Sparklehorse), and like all heavy rock drummer I guess, Marty
takes a leaf from John Bonham's book. I like musicians who don't feel the need
to show off all their prowess all the time, people who play for the song. Steve
Brooks from Torche is a good example, he can really shred, but just focuses on
the riffs.
Turn offs are way too many to list - but really any band who just try
and mimic another one tend to bore me senseless, regardless of genre. I've sat
through quite a few where it's clear they've only heard one album, and just
recreate it. Not good!
SL) Any record from the past or present that springs to
mind?
(DM) The first Stooges album, definitely. So simple, but so good. We're
all suckers for early Hawkwind too, it probably doesn't come through too
strongly in our stuff, but the sense of spaciousness from the first three or
four records is something we aim for in our stuff. And probably fail
miserably!! Of more recent stuff, Floor's self titled was the first record I'd
heard that combined real seismic heaviness with ultra-melodic vocals, and I
still can't believe more people don't rave about that record.
(SL) The last album that kicked your arse?
(DM) I only recently picked up the True Widow record
"Circumambulation", and I think it's really great. They're quite new
to me so I'll investigate their stuff further. Not heavy in any way, but
the last Bjork album is so crazy it's a really great listen too. The next
records that are going to really kick everyones arse are the new Conan and
Headless Kross records - a big plus of being in a band is sneaky previews of
mate's stuff, and those two are absolute stone cold killers.
(SL) What was your first instrument or musical experience
and what do you use today?
(DM) It was guitar, and I was a definite late starter. I'd bought a
cheap guitar as a teenager, but gave up almost immediately as I couldn't play
Voivod songs straight away. So it wasn't too positive - I was insanely jealous
of people who were able to just pick it up, seemingly without any real
effort. It was only when I was in my late 20's that I really got started,
my wife was living in France for a year with University, and so I had to occupy
myself somehow. I hooked up with Marty, and through sheer force of will (on my
part, Marty could play really well from the age of 14) we wrote two or
three really crude two riff songs. Out of the blue we were offered a gig at the
DIY punk collective where we practiced, and now here we are years later. I'm
glad it happened though, I can't imagine not playing. Today our gear hasn't
changed much for years, and we're all serious gear nerds. I play the same
SG guitar I've owned since I bought it off Chris 12 years ago; it's all
modified and has pretty much all the original parts replaced. My amp is an
Orange/Matamp 120, and I run an orange 4x12 cab. I'd like to run two amps, but
it's so much hassle dragging all that gear to shows, plus we've never had
anyone complain we're too quiet! I've a pile of fuzz boxes, mostly custom
stuff, some delays, stuff like that. Nothing too crazy to be honest. Chris is
more clever with effects than me so he tends to use more weird
modulations/loopers and stuff. Marty is slowly developing his own
mini-empire behind the kit, he's adding synths and weird orchestral drums and
all sorts bit by bit. It's quite a set up!
(SL) One item, gear or otherwise that characterises
your band and one item from your set up you cannot live without?
(DM) Honestly I don't think there is just one, we're all such nerds
that every aspect of our equipment is really tweaked to suit exactly what we
want to sound like. I suppose reviewers and that tend to mention to guitar
tones quite a bit, which is down to a combination of gear, it's not like
we'd get this sound by simply plugging any guitar into a Big Muff or whatever.
Chris and I spend an inordinate amount of our time researching guitar gear, and
from the type of strings to the valves in the amps it's all carefully
chosen, which to be honest is half the fun. We've been extremely fortunate
to have a few really great companies built pedals specifically for us,
just last year Nicholas at Dunwich Amps sent us over some really cool Cthulu
fuzzes which we used a lot, and both Eldritch Electronics and OXfuzz have built
us really top notch stuff. The gear that's been on most of our stuff over the
years is D*A*M fuzzboxes, they're just so well made and sound fantastic.
We've a great relationship with the head honcho there, Dave Main, and both
Chris and I have used his stuff since Slomatics started. Given the global
acclaim his stuff gets, it's mad to think he would choose to support some tiny
band like ours.
(SL) You decided to work with James Plotkin again in terms
of the mastering; he and Brad Boatright for example, seem to be the go to
guys. You worked with him on A Hocht, what does he bring to the table and
in terms of recording what are your thoughts on Pro-tools versus old school
methods?
(DM) James is an easy choice every time. He just works magic, and is
really easy to deal with, as well as being super efficient and quick. He's
improved the sound of everything we've sent him. We'd never look beyond him to
be honest.
In an ideal world, where studio time was unlimited, we'd like to record
to tape. Really though, we took 4 days to record and mix Estron
which for us is a long time, so Pro-Tools makes sense. I'm a luddite, but not a
technophobe at all - I don't have a clue how pro-tools (or literally ANY
recording gear to be honest) works, but it's worked well for us. I think the
studio and the approach of the engineer is way more important anyway. We record
live, all of us a room with the amps up full blast, and then we overdub extra
guitars and vocals. There is genuinely very, very little "fixing"
goes on, and there are loads of unexpected things, nice feedback or whatever,
that stay in the mix. The studio we use (StartTogether here in Belfast) is
great, and the main engineer Rocky O'Reilly has a very relaxed approach where
he just tries to capture our real sound, without cleaning anything up. He's
always into loads of experimentation which suits us down to the ground.
SL) Nearly 10 years as a band, is playing live still as
important today given the influences of the web and social media?
(DM) It is to us, and I think for most bands playing stuff in a similar
vein. I listen to quite a bit of electronic music and can see why that stuff
may not translate as well to the live setting, but for bands like ours where
volume is important then the live show is always going to be what it’s all
about. I’ll definitely never get tired of seeing loud, heavy bands in small
venues, so I guess we’ll not tire of playing them either. Without trying to be
too capitalist about it, we get paid for gigs, and not for Facebook posts, so
gigs always help keep the band going too. Plus, gigs are fun – there have been
very, very few over the years where we’ve thought it wasn’t worth the long
drive or whatever.
(SL) What are your survival tips for the road?
(DM) Ha! “The road” for us is seldom more than a couple of days, so
survival is pretty easy! I really don’t know how serious road dogs do it – I
chatted to the guitarist from Mastodon years back and he said they’d been at
home less than 30 days in the previous year, living in a van the rest of the
time. So we’re not really in a position to offer any advice – get a cheap
hostel so you sleep well, and don’t form a band with anyone who is a dick,
that’s maybe the extent of our survival tips I’m afraid!!
(SL) Who are some your favourite bands you have toured with
and what have been your band highlight (s) thus far
(DM) Bands we’ve played with – definitely Conan and Headless Kross in
recent times, and before that Like a Kind of Matador. Both the Conan/Kross guys
are just so much fun, super laid back and really good company. We’ve known Jon
from Conan for years, so it’s always fun hooking up with those lads, he’s a
really entertaining and dead nice guy. The Headless Kross boys share a lot of
ground with us and are all in fairly similar situations as us in terms of real
life stuff, so the craic with those guys is deadly. The last time we played
with them in Edinburgh ended up in one of the most bizarre impromptu recording
sessions, which might actually make it onto vinyl this year. Too much fun. But
really, we’ve never played with any bands large or small who have been real
idiots or anything, and quite often the more well known bands are the most
welcoming and least uptight. Only one person, who will remain nameless, was a
pain. The Baroness, Torche, Khanate and Mogwai guys all stand out as being
super cool.
(SL) Vinyl Junkie or Ipod flunky? Discuss
(DM) Vinyl Junkies all the way. I get the convenience of an iPod and
all that, but there’s absolutely no comparison at all. None of us are
downloaders, we all value the physical format every time.
(SL) Finally, I am yet to see you guys live, therefore
and not wishing to put you on the spot, If I was create an inaugural Sludgelord
Fest (I actually mean play at 37 birthday, haha), would you play and do you
have any final comments/word of wisdom you’d like to bestow upon us?
(DM) BOOK US AND WE WILL COME!! Most definitely Aaron, we’d be happy to
ruin your birthday with our din, but would only for payment of birthday cake.
I’d LOVE to see a Sludgelord Fest, that’d be such a cool thing to happen. Count
us in!
Words of wisdom? THANK YOU to everyone who has bought a record, CD,
shirt, come to a show, put us on or downloaded our music – the support has been
amazing and hugely appreciated! We’ll hopefully see some of you this year, and
if anyone wants us to play their town just ask, we’re cheap! Oh yeh, and if you
don’t own at least one – go buy a fuzz pedal. Now!
Prize Giveaway
Thanks to David for such a great interview. Now!! For your chance to win a fantastic test
press of their latest record, Estron.
Simply share this interview including #SludgelordVsSlomatics #SlomaticsTestPressGiveAway.
Do this and a winner will be picked at random over the next 7 days, with a winner annouced via our Facebook a week today.
