Interview with Adam Agius (vocals, guitar)
Q>>
Hello guys! Let me start off by saying how excellent I found your new release
"Austral Alien". What particularly pleased me was the richness on
the level of influences, which goes way beyond the trodden paths of strictly
Metal ways. Could you start with giving our readers a brief overview on how
you managed to set your aim straight on the type of music you were going to
make, the process you went through to get to that innovative sphere in which
you seem to have landed, possible pitfalls you encountered along the way...
A>> Ever since the inception of the band we wanted to have our own sound.
At first we forced this out of our minds but as albums continued to be written
we found that it started to come very naturally. The way we achieved this was
by not excluding any musical influence from our palette. We would agree to any
band member's ideas as long as they sounded good. We would write the songs in
a basic form as a group and then we would add keys and electronics on the computer
later. There were very few pitfalls except sometimes we would get stuck on a
part of a song that could not be completed for months.
Q>> A very
interesting feature of your music is exactly that integration of variegated
influences that don't only stem from pure Metal sounds. What bands/styles do
you guys listen to and is it a conscious or inconscious thing that you integrate
these "alien" sounds in your compositions?
A>> As mentioned above at first it was very conscious but now it is very
natural. We love everything from early psychedelic like Pink Floyd and King
Crimson to eighties Thrash like Voivod and Destruction and to modern bands like
Radiohead, Rage Against The Machine and The Music. We also loved bands like
Autopsy and Entombed. We will listen to anything that may catch our fancy.
Q>> There's
something really peculiar about Australian bands (and I noticed the same thing
with graphic artists). A very wild, vibrant, warm and dry quality - almost as
the land itself - can be felt through a lot of the music coming from your country.
Can you explain this sort of thing? What's so different about the Australian
creative spirit?
A>> I would say that nothing is different. People are influenced by their
environments be it a landscape, politics... and in the Australians' case: Isolation.
Alchemist is a direct result of its environment and we would not have our unique
sound without that isolated influence.
Q>> How do
you all work when composing a song? Is there one main composer or does everybody
chip in? Tell me about your "routine"...
A>> Everyone may come up with a riff or a beat or a vocal hook that we
will work and base a song on as a band in our jam shed. I am mainly responsible
for all the electronics but it must pass the band's scrutiny. Rod and myself
are solely responsible for the lyrics but everyone is responsible for song titles.
We work as a team and would not have it any other way.
Q>> What's
your main ambition with Alchemist in respect to the public? For example: do
you have a particular message you want to convey or special topics you want
to cover for yourself... or is it just about delivering good headbanging times?
Please develop on the role that a band may have in the eyes of the young (and
not so young) listener...
A>> WE definitely have something to say. With AA we touched on some environmental
and political issues that we thought were important to us and that people should
give more thought to. Having said that, we do not want to get totally bogged
down with issues and we want to entertain people with our music.
Q>> What
do you enjoy most about composing/playing music? What does your music mean to
you and did your dedication to it start early in life?
A>> Our music, playing live and writing and directing and editing our
own film clips is everything to me and the boys. We all started our addiction
at about 12 or 13 years old and as now we are all about 30 years old and loving
it more than ever.
Q>> How do
you incorporate your life as a musician into everyday life? I mean by this:
do you manage to make a living out of your band or do you have day jobs... If
so, how hard is it to make the schedules fit, knowing that you probably have
to practice and/or tour regularly in order to keep your advanced technical skills
flowing?
A>> We only make a living by doing day jobs but it is our goal to be full
time. I have lost many jobs due to the band's recording and touring schedule
but I would not give it up for anything. It can be very hard to juggle sometimes
but so far our AA tour has been sold out and we are breaking our previous sales
records here in Australia, so things seem to be moving in the right direction.
Q>> I liked the contrasting vocals a lot and wonder if there's any particular scheme of evolution concerning them. I mean by that: will you opt for a dominating "clean" sound, go rougher or keep the balance on future releases? Being a vocalist myself, I was thrilled by the fact that you manage to master both clean sung and more extreme vocal lines. What's your secret? Years of practice and listening to "role models", classical singing lessons... Tell me more about your vocal evolution... A>>Thanks for that I'm glad you like them! Well I just practice very hard. I harmonize to myself on pro tools at home and practice scales. The clean vocals were hard to master but I'm getting much better. They were very hard at first in concert but I am making the contrast better now. I think I will continue to use both approaches depending on what the music calls for.
Q>> How do
you see Alchemist evolve on a musical level? The bottom line of my question
being: when you're already considered the "cream of innovation" (which
I do believe to be right too), how on earth do you keep innovating over and
over? What's your viewpoint on creativity; can a source run dry so to speak?
A>> I think a source can run dry and there have been many times we have
been stuck for ideas, but I think the secret is to stay open minded and to continue
to try incorporating new themes and ideas.
Q>> Which
do you prefer: touring/playing live gigs, recording or composing? Why?
A>> I like them all in there own respects. I think when I'm playing a
bad show I would rather be writing or recording and in the middle of recording
I would rather be touring or performing.
Q>> What
do you think is Alchemist's strong point as a unit, the one that will keep the
band alive and kicking?
A>> The fact that we all have a common goal to break into a larger audience,
the fact that we have kept the same line up for all our albums and the fact
that we are good friends.
Q>> Which
advice would you give to the debutant band with professional ambitions?
A>> Stick to your guns and stick together. Get the fucking stars out of
your eyes and just concentrate on the music.
Q>> What's
up with Metal 4 the Brain in 2003? I read on your site that you guys have endeavored
for over a decade to keep the Metal scene alive... What was the objective you
started with, how did it evolve and what, after all these years of experience,
are your conclusions regarding: the music business, public interest in Metal
(in Australia and/or abroad), musical diversity/evolution of the genre, response
from the authorities with respect to Metal events, public opinion as to the
"average" Metal fan (any clichés you'd wish to tackle here?)...
A>>We started the show as a benefit concert for Alec Hurley, a friend
with a brain injury, as we wanted to raise some cash for his family. It just
grew and grew and now it is Australia's premier Metal show. I think the clichés
with metal will always be there all around the world as there are always going
to be ignorant people who don't understand the genre. M4TB attracts non Metal
punters as well because some more open minded people use it as an opportunity
to check the scene out. The business side of things sucks! Insurance is the
biggest killer and since 9/11 our premiums are very high even though we have
not made a claim, but it's always a great show for all the bands and we run
a tight ship. I have been to festivals in Europe and America and the way they
treat bands and run the show is fucked! We are a band so we look after our own.
Fae