We were insanely impressed by how you guys managed to mobilise the metal community to get behind you in our “Best Local Artist of 2011” poll. How does it feel to know that your fans put you guys ahead of an act such as Van Coke Kartel?

Well, first off we would like to thank you at MusicReview.co.za for actually nominating a death metal band; this is exactly the kind of support metal needs in South Africa, so a big shoot-out to you guys for nominating us in the first place. We knew that the metal crowd would get behind us on this, as it was more an issue of South African heavy metal getting the recognition of the mainstream industry than getting CTW to actually win. We are such proud metalheads at the moment, and so proud to say we are a part of the South African metal scene. We just got to send a shout-out to Mark Haze, a hard working and gifted artist, as all the bands on the list where, and we were just honoured to be a part of it all.

We’ll pass on the kind words to Mark. So, what inspired Contrast the Water to release their album, Perseverance, for free? Surely, it must’ve cost you cash to record. How do you plan on recovering these costs?

Nowadays, in the global music industry, downloading is here to stay, and with the internet expanding to countries that battle even to get metal, people have a better chance to hear your music by downloading. It’s something we support with our music, to download and share with as many metalheads all around the world. Your music is your marketing tool. More people can get our music, because we want them to have it. We were very lucky to have a good friend of ours, Michiel van Niekerk, from The Campus Of Performing Arts and Erebus, to offer his services while he was doing his Honours in music production and recording. So, we never had to pay for our recording – just petrol money and food. Most of the time, the record was recorded in my lounge, while I jammed Xbox. With today’s technology, you don’t need a studio. So, we were in a great position for this album. So, our recovering cost is the joy on the fans faces in the pit when they can mosh out to our music.

You guys have been in the States for a while. What do you think of the scene there? Do they suffer from the same sort of issues that we do here?

The scene in the USA is way bigger than our scene, and the bands we worship at home are just a part of the scene here. There is a huge resurgence in heavy metal at the moment, and the vibe in the Bay Area is very positive. We tend to steer clear of any politics, or negativity, irrespective of what scene we are in; we are a band and it is our job to perform for our fans, and not to get caught up in any naysaying or ‘hating’, as it just destroys what we are all trying to achieve, and stagnates the scene.

Speaking of negativity, there has been some controversy regarding CTW and alleged statements that have been quoted about why you guys left South Africa for the U.S. Care to fill us in on what actually happened?

Yes. First off, this misconceived perception that we immigrated, or relocated to the States, is absolute nonsense, and a continuous source of amusement when we hear all the rumours of all the reasons why we are here. Simply put, Chris Kontos heard our demo for Perseverance, and felt we had something to offer the metal industry, and we set up a tour to promote The Alliance for Artist Rescue, and raise awareness about our own heavy metal industry. Chris had just got asylum for the amazing Iranian guitarist Artak Ozan, and is involved in rescuing several other artists, and this got a huge response, and hence the ABC interview. Our part in the interview was just the South African band that was on the promotional tour for A.F.A.R.; it was a very emotive interview, involving three different stories. The quote I made was in reference to lyrical content, and not to the state of our nation. We have been a socially conscious band for 6 years; our fans know it, and have supported us through everything we have been through, and our fans are well-versed metalheads with a mind of their own.

Burn Nightclub is closing down pretty soon, and since CTW are from Durban, we have to ask you: what’s going to happen to the scene in Durban? Are there any other venues that you think will cater for the metal crowds?

No venue is bigger than any scene, and the fact that Burn is closing, should in no way effect any bands progress. We have played in many different venues in Durban, including school benefits at fairs, etc, and there are several venues in Durban that are more than happy to host metal events because they realise that metalheads drink bars dry, so it will mean just a little more work, and a little inventiveness.

You’re coming back to South Africa soon. What’s the plan for when you arrive? New album?

When we get home, we are going on hiatus for a month to recuperate. We have been writing new material continuously, but we still have to finish touring Perseverance, before we even start thinking about a new album. We are looking to tour Indonesia and Europe this year, and preparing to tour the USA summer circuit in 2013.

We have to be realistic here; it’s hard for a South African metal band to survive in the local industry full-time. Do you see yourselves making the move overseas permanent, or are you going to try your luck here once again?

Yes, we have to agree with you there, but it is not as bleak as it is made out to be. As a touring international band, you could operate from S.A., which would give you the added advantage of the current exchange rate, or you could relocate – but these are all questions that will have to be answered by South African bands who take the chance and take their music abroad. For us, at the moment, the world is a stage, and we’re just hanging on real tight, and enjoying what we are being exposed to.

Do you think any local bands, apart from CTW, have what it takes to succeed overseas?

Most certainly, yes! The metal bands in South Africa are as competitive as any band we have seen. Just live your dream, man, and love what you doing. Don’t doubt yourself, work hard, sacrifice, and, man, just be “Far Beyond Driven”!

- Sergio Pereira

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So, 10 years in the industry. That’s a long time. Aren’t you sick of all the politics yet?

Gareth Wilson: Got sick of the politics very early in our career; that’s why we do our own thing, work very close with our manager,  play with bands who feel the same way we do, give ourselves the freedom to do whatever it is we want to, musically – and, most importantly, avoid ever becoming a part of any so-called scene.

Looking at where you are now, do you have any regrets?

Gareth Wilson: Yeah, loads – but the main one is worrying what the music industry people thought about what we were doing earlier in our career. When we started making the music we wanted to, is when it really started happening for us. Seems the more respect you have for your music, the more the rest of the industry has as well, and if they don’t, well it’s no skin off our backs; we do have the best job in the world, so who are we to complain.

If there was one thing you could change in the local music industry, what would it be?

Gareth Wilson: I’d like to see radio stations get a little more daring when playlisting music. In my experience, most people can relate to some or other form of ‘real’ music they just need to be exposed to it.

What have been the highlights of your career up until now?

Gareth Wilson: You’d think it’d be playing to our first crowd of 10 000 or our first # 1 on a radio station – but, to be honest, for four kids from Molteno to still be doing this 10 years later definitely ranks as our highlight. Can’t wait for 20 years.

Considering that the whole band is family, have you ever had any major disagreements that have boiled over at the family braais? You know what they say about mixing family and business…

Gareth Wilson: For sure, Paul [Wilson] and I fight over absolutely everything, but we also forgive really quickly.

Southern Gypsey Queen seem to have built up a good rapport with Shadowclub, and do quite a lot of shows with them. Why is this?

Gareth Wilson: They probably the only band we have toured with who really have that old school rock ‘n’ roll work ethic. Also, we have a great respect for each other, musically, and feel we can sometimes achieve more touring together, taking rock ‘n’ roll to the people the old school way – on the road, baby!

What are some of your other plans for the year?

Gareth Wilson: We are doing a national tour with Shadowclub in April, and there will be some really cool things happening for our 10 years later in 2012.

Do you feel that it’s still worthwhile recording full-length albums, or are EPs and singles the way to go?

Gareth Wilson: We’re still on the fence with this one, but it does seem that albums are losing more and more relevance these days.

And finally, do you think you’ll still be wearing skinny jeans in the next 10 years?

Gareth Wilson: (Laughs) I have recently discovered Bermuda shorts and flip-flops; this might just be the beginning of the end for me.

Photography credit: Shireen Arbuthnot

- Sergio Pereira

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Last year, Like Moths to Flames experienced a bit of musical chairs, as Eli Ford joined the band on guitar, and Aaron Evans moved from guitar to bass. Is Aaron happy to be on bass, or was it more out of necessity than anything else? We all know that bassists are hard to find – kind of like the Holy Grail…

Chris Roetter: Yeah, it’s been pretty unfortunate, but we’ve always been prepared with a backup plan. Aaron stepped to bass duties for a few reasons. He took over some singing live and it was a lot easier for him to grasp playing bass and singing, rather than playing guitar and singing. He’s also one of the founding members of the band, so it was crucial that he remained a part of it, so I guess that’s where the necessity of it kicks in. Eli has been a great friend of the band and we’ve known from the get-go that he would have been a perfect fit for us. It just worked out for the band if Aaron moved to bass and Eli became the band’s new guitar player. I think in the end we’ve become a lot stronger of a band because of it all.

When We Don’t Exist has been out for a few months already. There has been lots of praise, and there’s been criticism. What do you think is the main lesson you’ve learned over this period?

Chris Roetter: I’ve learned to take it all with a grain of salt. People will love the band and people will hate the band. We knew going into recording that we were changing up our sound and we also knew that not everyone was going to like it. What we did and wrote was for the better of the band. We’ve all had experience in other projects, so we were well aware of the fact that we weren’t going to please everyone. With this band, we wanted to play music that pleased us.

The music video for ‘You Won’t Be Missed’ is standing at just over 900K views since its release in November. That’s pretty darn impressive. What has been the secret to securing so many views?

Chris Roetter: Honestly, we are blown away by the response. It’s awesome to think of what we went through to get the video done, to then see it online getting the attention it is. It’s a great feeling. We’ve not really done anything special, but spread it around online. We really like to utilize our social network sites to reach out to our fans.  It’s important that we make them feel involved in what the band is doing.

The S.I.N. (Strength in Numbers) Tour has begun, with LMTF hitting the road with Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows, Hit the Lights and Sparks the Rescue. We’ve been trolling the net and a lot of comments have been made that you guys are almost too heavy for the bill. What do you make of this?

Chris Roetter: I mean, everyone is entitled to their opinion. I tend to overlook some of the things that people say online. What a lot of people don’t understand, is that not every tour is going to be stacked with their favourite bands. This tour is a great opportunity for us to expand our fan base.

Speaking of tours, Shane Blay of Oh, Sleeper gave a rather frank summary of what the life of a mid-level touring band in the 21st Century is like (they basically said they aren’t making any cash from albums and tours). Now, obviously at this stage of your career, you guys are still pretty fresh and new – but do you believe Shane’s sentiments to be correct?

Chris Roetter: Reading over it, I definitely agree. I think it sucks that money has to be taken from a band over things like merch rates, but I also understand that it’s something necessary to keep some of the venues going. It’s one of those things that probably won’t ever go away so I’ve learned to just deal with it.

The past year was quite a busy one for LMTF with the release of the album, video and subsequent live dates. Looking back, would you have done anything differently?

Chris Roetter: Not a thing. Our band is exactly where I want it to be. We’ve been working hard from the start and it’s great to see it all finally starting to pay off, even if it’s only a small pay off now. We are just happy to be on the road and to have the opportunity to do what we are doing. We plan to stay on the road and keep just as busy throughout the life of the band.

What’s the main focus for 2012? Is it just touring, or are their plans for a new album already?

Chris Roetter: Obviously, we will always have new music on our mind, but I think we are concentrating on touring and really spreading around the album [which] we just released. This is the first that some of our fans have heard or listened to anything that the band has put out. We want to let it settle a bit, but like I said, we do have new music on our mind and recording a new album is definitely something to happen in the future.

When We Don’t Exist is out now via Rise Records/Nuclear Blast Records.

- Sergio Pereira

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Young London has been described as electro pop – but there are hints of other genres creeping around in your sound. How would you describe Young London?

Matt Rhoades: I would describe our sound as feel good. Our music is easy to get into, but there are some complex elements mixed in. We really put a lot of effort into the lyrics and try to make sure everyone can relate to the message of each song.

As a project, Young London is relatively young, having begun only in 2011. What were you doing before the project began?

Matt Rhoades: I was producing a lot of different music for other artists, along with touring in a previous band. Sarah was in school and playing a lot of open mic nights as a singer songwriter. We both were really pushing to do music full-time, but needed the right project to make it all come together. I really think what we were doing right before Young London shaped our sound and goals.

2012 has begun rather well for YL. You’ve signed up with Maphia Management, released your debut album and your music video for ‘Celebrity’ hit over 5, 000 views in a week. Now, what’s next?

Matt Rhoades: 2012 has been unreal and it’s only been a couple of weeks! We really want to keep this momentum going and grow our fan base, so more people can hear all our songs. The next stage for us is full-time touring and hopefully another music video. Mostly, we just want to play these songs in front of everyone!

This time next year, where do you want Young London to be? Give us a realistic and idealistic goal.

Matt Rhoades: I try not to think realistically! Next year, I want to be BFFs with Katy Perry. Maybe I’ll take her to Applebee’s and get her some endless nachos. Honestly, I just hope to have even more awesome fans of Young London, if that means tons of touring, maybe some radio; we’ll see!

Russell Brand is gone, so Katy could do with a friend – go for it, Matt! Moving along, what has been your favourite experience with Young London so far?

Matt Rhoades: Every time we play a show; it’s pretty insane so far. Glitter, bubbles and lasers all night. We have met some really cool fans at shows and online, too. This whole thing has been the best experience for me. I have never had such good vibes around a music project, and can’t see that stopping.

Awesome. Final question, who is your favourite artist at the moment?

Matt Rhoades: Right now, I am super into Avicii. I am a huge euro dance nerd and Avicii makes some amazing synth lines. I am also into Crystal Castles, The Ting Tings, and I can’t seem to escape my love for Katy Perry.

- Sergio Pereira 

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TECH-HOUSE-GOOVY-NU-DISCO-INDIE ELECTRONICA. A good mix of everything; my sets are usually long…

You are the world’s youngest producer to hit no. 1 on Beatport. How does it feel to have achieved such an amazing accolade so early on in your musical career?

It came really early, that’s true, and it helped me a lot to make myself heard. I felt really surprised, to be honest; I never imagined that it would be such a success.

With your South African gigs just around the corner (Fri, 20 Jan – Trinity – Cape Town ; Sat, 21 Jan – Truth – Johannesburg), what can South African dance-goers expect?

Everything! Im really excited for this one. The last gigs here were epic and this time I also have my best friends from Spain here and we are spending a holiday in this amazing country, so I’m more ready than ever to rock it!

Music wise, they can expect my last unreleased productions, that will be out on labels like Get Physical. Get ready to dance!

Growing up, who were your musical influences?

My father, who taught me to play the piano when I was a child. When I was older, I really liked Laurent Garnier. Nowadays, I try to listen to other types of music. I really like The XX, James Blake and Nicolas Jaar. I think they have done something really special.

It is relatively well-known nowadays that dance DJs are the new rockstars. With so much travelling and so many gigs in such a short amount of time, what do you do to relax between sets?

When I’m on tour I just try to : a) listen to other types of music, b) note the emergency exits on the planes c)have good food and rest in the hotel…

What is next for you as a producer, can we expect the imminent release of any full-length albums?

A new EP on Get Physical alongside my friends Los Suruba by the end of February and some more remixes. I’m really inspired right now in studio, so I’m sure there will be plenty of music.

Thanks, Edu. Have a blast in South Africa, I know your fans will! Last question – if you could get residency at any club in the world, which would it be?

Well, I already have a residence in 2 of the most important clubs for me, Barraca in my home town Valencia and Space in Ibiza. I think Truth would be awesome!

Catch Edu Imbernon at:
Trinity in Cape Town – 20 January
Truth in Johannesburg – 21 January

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MusicReview: A while ago, Oh, Sleeper’s Shane [Blay] gave an eye-opening account of why mid-level bands cannot make money. Have things changed much since then for you guys?

Zac Mayfield: I think a lot of people missed the point of Shane’s post. He was not trying to tell people how broke we are – I mean, we are not rolling in cash, but we make enough to pay our phone bills. The point was to show how many hands are reaching into our pockets. Everyone feels like they are entitled to money that we make. That is something I feel will never change, unfortunately.

MusicReview: A lot of bands have been going the Kickstarter route, in order to fund their musical projects. Are you guys looking at following this route down the line?

Zac Mayfield: Kickstarter is such a cool website. I think there are some pros and cons to it, though. You are essentially asking fans to pay for your album twice. Once to fund the recording, and then again to buy the album. I think it would be an awesome idea to try, but I would want the people that funded the album to feel included. We would have to come up with some really awesome incentives to donate.

MusicReview: You seem to spend quite some time on Twitter. You enjoying yourself?

Zac Mayfield: Always enjoying myself! Haha! On a serious note…I am such a believer in “grass roots” promotion for bands – meaning: talking to fans and interacting with them on a personal level. The people who support my band are the reason we can do what we love. I feel like the least I could do is reach out and say thanks when people say how much they like Oh, Sleeper. I want them to know how much they really mean to us.

MusicReview: Do you feel Children of Fire is the best representative of the sound Oh, Sleeper is after? Or are you guys still searching for the definitive album?

Zac Mayfield: In the context of the album theme, I think we achieved our “sound”. Although, I don’t think our next album will be anything like Children of Fire. With our latest album, we wrote songs to a story, much like a composer writes music for a movie. We had songs that we wanted to “sound like God dying” or “sound like an uplifting battle”. We wanted the album to tell a complete story, musically and lyrically. I think we achieved that.

MusicReview: You mentioned on your Twitter account that you’ll be jamming Diablo 3 until it’s time to go on tour. You’ve obviously played the previous Diablo games – correct? So, tell us, who is your favourite character and what was the highest level reached?

Zac Mayfield: I played Diablo 2 quite a lot. Not to brag, but I had the top hardcore Necromancer in the east realm for a few seasons. Getting to level 99 in hardcore was no easy task!

MusicReview: Favourite pastime on tour?

Zac Mayfield: Playing Starcraft/Diablo and working out – gotta balance out all those video games!

MusicReview: Which was the first drummer to really inspire you to pick up the sticks?

Zac Mayfield: It wasn’t a drummer that inspired me, but a whole drumline. As a kid, my parents would take me to parades on Christmas and Thanksgiving. Hearing the drumline from down the street, feeling the drums shake the ground…I fell in love instantly!

- Sergio Pereira

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MusicReview: Both full-length studio albums have been received positively by critics, even though what the band is doing is slightly left-field from what everyone else is doing today. How do you feel about this?

Jeremy Bolm: It goes without saying that any positive reviews of what you’re doing is gonna be appreciated. We’re happy that anyone cares at all. We are thankful.

MusicReview: Also, most bands write the music first, and the lyrics afterwards, yet Touché Amoré are a pretty lyric-centric band. Does the band also write the music first and lyrics later, or the other way around?

Jeremy Bolm: Music always comes first. I write the lyrics with the feel of the song embedded in my mind. I have a fear that if I wrote the words first and tried to just make it work with a song, I’d be potentially robbing myself and anyone who listens to it.

MusicReview: Parting the Sea Between Brightness and Me is extremely personal and hits home with so many people. It’s almost like 13 diary entries. Is there ever any topic that you will shy away from writing about? Or, better yet, are you going to keep certain secrets locked away?

Jeremy Bolm: I write about what I’m dealing with at that moment, or what’s overall affecting my life. So far, there hasn’t been a subject too taboo. I’m normally a pretty introverted person when it comes to my real feelings. I’ve always been terrible at expressing how I feel in common scenarios. TA is my one outlet. That being said, we’ll just have to see.

MusicReview: Undoubtedly, with the personal nature of your songs, there must be a lot of fans who come up to you and chat about the lyrics and how it has impacted on their lives. Have you ever had one that really made you think, “Hell, this is what makes it all worth it”?

Jeremy Bolm: When you have people telling you cryptic things like “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you” or “Your record saved my life this year”…it’s hard to respond. You can’t say, “Thank you”…I sort of just freeze up. It’s a really startling thing to hear. When you yourself are obviously dealing with your own struggles, having that kind of pressure put on you can be overwhelming. I can say that I’m proud that our music and my words have helped anyone at all. There are plenty of albums that did the same for me. I just never thought I’d be put in this situation. I don’t think I’ll ever warm up to it, but it’s a responsibility I need to embrace.

MusicReview: You’re touring with Rise Against in March. What sort of a reception are you expecting from their audience?

Jeremy Bolm: I wish I could tell you! This will be a big challenge for all of us. What makes our band thrive when we perform is the audience participation. These shows will have large barriers and a large distance between us and the crowd in general. We knew it was an opportunity we couldn’t pass on; we know we’d regret it forever. So we’re going to do our best, that’s all I can say.

MusicReview: After the Rise Against tour, what’s next on the agenda for Touché Amoré?

Jeremy Bolm: More touring and more touring!

- Sergio Pereira

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MusicReview: Firstly, for those who might not know, why did The Monroes relocate to the US? Secondly, why Nashville?

Klement McCoy: We decided to give the US a shot, because there is a much larger rock market we can cater to. There is also a fast food joint on every corner – who wouldn’t want that? No, seriously, this is the land of opportunities for anybody in the entertainment industry. We decided on Nashville, because our management company HollyvilleNashville is based here, and we are situated on the prestigious “Music Row”.  Nashville is the music capital of the world. Nashville is home to some of the best studios in the world. Definitely a good place to start; [but] we are hoping to relocate to LA or Vegas, if we are ever given the opportunity. Besides, where in South Africa will you ever have Taylor Swift and Hayley Williams just randomly walk past your house…

MusicReview: How are you finding the reception to your music in the States as opposed to South Africa?

Klement McCoy: It’s crazy over here. For some reason we have gained so many new hardcore fans; it’s ridiculous. Nashville is a showcase town, the venues all have perfect sound, so it’s always a pleasure getting on stage. The people here are very open-minded about music; there are a lot of passionate people in this town. So far, everybody loved our stuff and we are grateful for that.

MusicReview: How much of The Devil’s Carnival was recorded in South Africa?

Klement McCoy: We did not record any of the album in South Africa. We recorded some pre-production, but nothing more. We recorded our drums here at OMNIsound Studio, and the rest of the instruments in a home studio with rented equipment. In Nashville, you can get world class equipment at the corner shop. We used some of the best pre-amps money can buy. We recorded, engineered and produced the album ourselves.

MusicReview: There was a lot of label interest in the band a while back. Why did you guys decide to go the independent route for The Devil’s Carnival? Were the label deals not worthwhile?

Klement McCoy: We will definitely not say the interest we got in South Africa was not worthwhile. We were approached by literally the best in the industry; we have all the respect in the world for the companies that approached us. We got our offers before we even played any live shows, so we were still finding our feet and trying to make sense of it all. Soon after, we got approached by an American agency and since then, we have set our eyes on the international market. We are still a young band and hope our strategy will pay off at the end.

MusicReview: We hope so, too. We [MusicReview] were surprised how our review of your album went viral, as your fan base shared it like mad. How did you guys manage to establish such a hardcore fan base in a relatively short time as a band?

Klement McCoy: Our fans are all hypnotised to forward our album to everybody they know – we have been watching enough Derren Brown to gain some skills! Seriously, we are blessed with some amazing fans. We really do try and communicate with every fan on a personal level – it sounds difficult and, trust me, it is. We all reply to every message or comment we can and make time every day to spend time with the people that support us. We know that without our fans, we are nothing.

MusicReview: Now that your full-length debut is out, what is the next step in the band’s career?

Klement McCoy: As far as we know, the album reached some very important people and companies. From here, we hope that we will make the right decisions.

MusicReview: Sounds exciting. Any plans for a music video?

Klement McCoy: Hopefully very soon. We believe we will have some interesting things happen in the very near future. We would love to do our first video for the album.

MusicReview: Finally, will you guys be visiting South Africa any time soon?

Klement McCoy: Who knows?! We would love to be able to come back to South Africa with a bang…only time knows the answer to your question. We definitely miss the people we love and would love some Simba chips, biltong and Black Label.

MusicReview: We’ll try sending some to you guys, but those airport dogs might be feasting on chips and biltong – not sure if they dig Black Label. Thanks for your time, Klement. We hope that all the recent happenings are just the start of bigger things for The Monroes.

- Sergio Pereira

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Albinobeach, where have you guys been? Are we wrong in assuming that you guys temporarily broke up?

No, not wrong at all, but it wasn’t a breakup over music, it was a life/admin thing, Kalin(Bass) went to America to sort out a Green Card and Garrick (Drums) had to tour extensively overseas with Hugh Masekela.

With 60 000+ scrobbles on Last.fm and with a history of a bit of a cult following in South Africa, what is different about your approach to music now, then when you first started?

We know what’s possible and what isn’t. Our expectations have changed, we don’t have delusions of grandeur; a marketing campaign doesn’t make people like your music, music makes people like it, that’s all you should concentrate on. If a song takes off and people enjoy it, it will do marketing for you by word of mouth, virally. The internet is a wonderful thing, it’s a great leveler.

Creatively we are a lot less precious; we enjoy experimenting and improvising a lot more. We used to sit and write our music, it’s still there, but the philosophy of finding it in the ether by improvisation is much more appealing to us.

We recently saw your video for Angolan Girls, which we loved. What is your inspiration for this song and video?

Thanks, the video was made by Lukasz Pater, he has a very DIY style, it’s gritty and uncomplicated, yet very well thought out. Angolan Girls for us is a song about Urban African decay and its hidden beauty, the contradiction of its innocence and its pain. The video was shot in Johannesburg on a typical Jozi winter dusk; it was surprisingly eerie and endearing at the same time. They seemed to suit each other.

You have stated that you won’t be releasing a full-length album, but that you will rather be releasing singles from time to time like chapters of a book. What is your inspiration for this unique approach?

Albinobeach songs are stories, they are all very different to each other, it seemed fitting in this case to release them separately and in the end compile them together. This collection of songs is more a summary of 2 years of down time and short spurts of collaboration. We will get together in early 2012 to write a new comprehensive album.

We know that you guys have some pretty controversial views when it comes to music piracy. What are your views on selling and buying music in today’s digital age?

It’s a view generated out of necessity. The internet is a free for all; we don’t have the resources to keep our music copy protected, so we just give it away for free. We are a small, unknown band, why make it hard for the public to access you? Rather exploit that for your own advantage, thank God we don’t have to rely on some radio DJ with particular taste to choose whether you get heard or not, the internet has negated him… or her… Francis Ford Coppola said in an interview somewhere that it has only been a few hundred years that artists have been working with money. Before that they had a patron like the duke of Weimar or the church, or the pope. Or they had another job. The idea of Metallica or some rock n’ roll singer being rich, that’s not necessarily going to happen anymore. Art will soon all be free. If you want to make money, tour. We believe in that mode too.

Your music is probably described best as Instrumental Post-Rock/Prog-Rock. What do you guys have against vocalists and where do you get your inspiration from?

We had worked with vocalists in the past, and honestly sitting back and listening to our music we just preferred it without vocals – vocals seemed to interrupt the stream of consciousness. It was very particular to us though, our writing style and song structures were always ambitious, especially at that time. We sometimes felt sorry for all the vocalists that did try to sing over our stuff, it was always a massacre for them.

Funny, when we first started playing live shows all these kids were asking if we were into Pelican, God is an Astronaut, Explosions in the Sky etc. We had never heard of them, we didn’t even know what Post-Rock was, we were just ignorantly instrumental.

What can we expect from you moving forwards? Can we expect upcoming gigs and further videos?

Yes, but at our pace. Albinobeach and everything about it is made in-house by a small bunch of people, it’s a labour of love that unfortunately has to take a back seat from time to time; life gets in the way and that’s the way it goes. We can’t predict what will happen a few months from now, just know that we love to make music and do whatever we can to share it with you.

Where can fans find more of your music? Is it true that you are giving away your entire discography for free?

Yes we are, we just opened soundcloud and bandcamp pages, so go to www.soundcloud.com/albinobeach or www.albinobeach.bandcamp.com and even www.last.fm/music/albinobeach to download them for free. Our videos will be on YouTube most probably – each new song will have a video made by Lukasz Pater, released incrementally, and they’re basically the visuals for our live show. There’s some fan made ones there too surprisingly.

We also have a Facebook Band Page where people can get updates on each release we will be making in the next couple of months.

Guys, thank you so much for your time, we are looking forward to catching you live soon.

- Bret Dugmore
info@musicreview.co.za
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MusicReview: Forty Winks burst onto the music scene in 2001 with To the Lonely Hearts. A decade later, and you’re still here. So, tell us, what has changed dramatically from 2001 to 2011?

Sandro Amabili: We toured around the world, made tons of friends and 3 albums…and we’ve finally matured – or better, we’ve blossomed.

MusicReview: Bow Wow is deeply rooted in an old school rock sound, featuring the use of organs and electric pianos. You’ve said before it was a “very natural and spontaneous recording process”, but there must’ve been some sort of influence that drove you to this sound. Were you listening to any particular bands or albums at the time?

Sandro Amabili: Well, there are many different influences you can hear in the album. To name one, there’s that loop we threw in ‘Beneath Her Feet’, that actually takes inspiration from a song by GZA. When working on ‘One Last Round’, we decided it would sound rad with some Costello style organs. Oh, and then there’s an evident Beatles quote in another track…

MusicReview: How long did the recording of Bow Wow actually take?

Sandro Amabili: It has been a long process. At first, we were just rehearsing in our studio, every weekend or so. It was fun, but we were kinda inconclusive. So, one day, we decided to listen to all the stuff we’ve recorded through the sessions and head into the studio with the tunes we liked the most. This is the first 3 years. Then, we focused on finishing them up, and recorded 12 tracks and a couple of extras. That was 2010. So, altogether it took 4 years. Still, we did better than G’n'R’s Chinese Democracy.

MusicReview: Haha! Bow Wow resonates with playfulness, but also a lot of rhythm and swagger. What would you say if you found out a stripper was taking her clothes off to a song such as ‘Beneath Her Feet’?

Sandro Amabili: Damn, you got me a boner now.

MusicReview: I’m a sexy journalist; it happens. Here’s a boner killer… The album artwork for Bow Wow is…um…interesting. What was the idea behind it, or was it done as a bit of a joke?

Sandro Amabili: Well, it was a bit of a joke at the beginning. During the shooting for some FW promo pics, we thought it would have been nice to dress Salo as a dog, ‘cause we’ve always called him “Pitbull”. Once we saw him in that sexy meat-brownish outfit, we didn’t have doubts; it had to be the cover of Bow Wow, no matter if he was – rightly – complaining about it.

MusicReview: Obviously with the album out of the way, you’ll be keen to be hitting the road. What are the major touring plans?

Sandro Amabili: The album came out in Italy in March, so we’ve been touring since then, in this part of the world of course. Now with the US release, we’d really love to come on tour in the States again – it’s been too long!

MusicReview: Thanks for your time, Sandro!

- Sergio Pereira

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