domingo, 2 de febrero de 2014

GUKURAHUNDI - INTERVIEW

1. Can we place the beginning of Gukurahundi in the band The Daemon Project Why you decided the name change ?
Lawrence -With the Daemon Project we were just writing music to entertain ourselves in our spare time. Both Pete and I were in other bands at the time so we just created material that we were not able to create with our other projects. I got in contact with Pete near the end of 2012 with some new material that I had been working on. We both felt that the band was starting to take more of a serious direction and we wanted to rebrand the band image and have a name that represented our passion and style.

2. The name refers to the Gukurahundi ethnic cleansing unleashed in the 80s in Zimbabwe after Mugabe to power , is there really a connection between the name of the band and this done? Is this related to the fact that Daemon is a native of South Africa?
Lawrence - Yes that is correct. The name is in connection with those horrendous events. I wanted a name that would reflect a part of me as well as incorporate the theme of the band as a whole. Growing up in Zimbabwe I witnessed countless crimes against humanity, and saw what human beings are capable of when given power. A lot of people are not even aware of some of the genocides that have happened and that are happening in the world. With the name Gukurahundi we hope to educate and elevate some of the listeners, with both lyrics and music.

3 . How has the sound of the band the fact that now all live in USA And in addition to the battery Zuccarelli Cameron ?
Lawrence - Well Pete and I still stay on opposite sides of the country so live practices prove a little tricky. As with Cameron now joining the band I think the band is going to be a lot more progressive and tighter in general. Cameron is incredibly talented and is just what the band needed to elevate to the next level.



4. Under the name of The Daemon Project you released an EP , how have you changed the sound of the band at this time until " An Apparition in Nocturnal Splendor " How is it your way of writing and recording ?
Lawrence - We developed more from a classic black metal band with The Daemon Project into a more progressive blackened death metal band with Gukurahundi. I usually come up with a few riffs and develop a demo of a song and then send it to Pete so he can begin writing lyrics and vocals for the track. Now that Cameron has joined the band, the writing process has changed a little. So far we have been working more cohesively and in return I think the tracks are going to sound a lot more polished and have an easy flow.

5. What bands have inspired the sound of Gukurahundi How would you describe the sound of the band?
Lawrence - A lot of bands have inspired me, from black metal to 60s psych rock. I am pretty open to any genre of music and always crave a good musical production. Sometimes its the lyrics or the drums that really stand out to me while other times its the ambience or the overall theme of the music. Bands that I am really into at the moment are Summoning, Dark Fortess, Allegeaon, Watain, Immolation, Fleshgod Apocalypse, and Deafheaven.

6. With Daemon and Cameron Zuccarelli from South Africa , how do you describe the metal scene in your country?
Lawrence - the metal scene in South Africa has developed into something that has lots of potential. More bands are touring there and receiving a really great experience. Even the local bands are getting to a point where they are of internationally touring quality and I think after a few more years, with a lot of dedication of course, South Africa can bring something unique to the world.

7. I'm wrong but you have not yet offered any concert with Gukurahundi , will there be in the future the possibility to see you giving concerts ?
Lawrence - Well it is pretty tough because we dont all stay in the same town or country but in the future we hope to atleast do a few tours or shows. It would have to be the right time and place but we are not ruling any live performances out. Hopefully if time is good to us we will be able to play some shows.

8. Lyrics to "An Apparition in Nocturnal Splendor " are some lyrics full of suffering, pain and death, would you consider important to write about it ?
Pete- I try to stray away from the standard black/death metal lyrical fare when writing for the most part. Blood and guts are fun and all but I try to portray emotions in my words that almost paint a picture for the listener rather than horrify with brute force. I like to set up a scene or story and show both sides of the overall atmosphere being presented. Its important to set a different mood and landscape with each track to avoid monotany.

9. How did you get started in music and why the decision to become a musician ?
Lawrence - I started playing guitar probably when I was about 15. It was just a way for me to express myself in a place where I felt I couldnt. Music is just a part of who I am and I couldnt imagine a life without It. I am just as passionate about music production. I actually met Cameron when I was studying audio engineering in South Africa. I guess I will always be a musician whether by profession or not.

Pete- I've been playing in live bands since 2000, mainly in and out of the NJ hardcore scene, although death metal and black metal are my true muscial passions to persue. Now that I'm in my late 20's full time live bands are kind of out of the question and my career takes up most of my time. Being able to record with Lawrence and now Cameron (!) is definitely my main musical endeavour




10. Who designed the cover "An Apparition in Nocturnal Splendor" ? Referred to and how it relates to the content of the album?
Pete- The cover art we chose for this EP was a painting by Gustave Dore from the 1800's. The feeling of this particular piece really fit with the lyrical content for the title track, An Apparition In Nocturnal Splendor

11. What future plans do you have for Gukurahundi ?
Lawrence - Well right now we are busy writing materail for our debut full length. We are almost done with the basis of the album and should head into preproduction before Spring 2014. The album promises to be a lot more progressive yet have a darker tone than our EP. We are always trying to push ourselves and with Cameron in the drum seat we are pretty excited to see the end result.

12.Thank you very much for taking the time to Black Metal Spirit , if you want to add something for the followers of Gukurahundi , this is the place . I hope the questions are to your liking .
Pete- Thank you for the support, Black Metal Spirit. Readers, please take the time to follow and support our label, Manicidic Records on Facebook for up dates on Gukurahundi and all of our other projects.
Lawrence - Thanks to all our fans, webzines, advertizers and other musicians that have shown us so much support since the release of our EP. We appreciate everything \m/

Gukurahund
i


No hay comentarios:

Publicar un comentario