Thursday, April 13, 2017

Kollapse Interview

Interview w. Thomas (singer/bass player) + Troels (singer/guitar player) in kollapse, 11.04.2017

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?
Thomas: We are currently going to play a line of shows around Europe. We have predominantly been occupied in our rehearsal space as well as playing a few select shows in Denmark. We've been in contact with various people regarding creative stuff like the VOID video (Dukkefar) and more trivial stuff like booking shows and so on.

2.You have a new album coming out in May, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
Thomas: ANGST is definitely different from what we did 5 years ago. When we started out, we didn't have a clear vision of how we wanted kollapse to sound and feel. When you put three guys in a room, with various musical pasts and strong convictions, you have to do a little bit of leg work, before something congruent pans out. We basically started out by recording a demo, that we released on vinyl. Very DIY and very "punk rock". To say we have a difference of opinion about those recordings would be an understatement.
We started to find our feet around the time of the recording of the FATHER track we did as a split with NO FEALTY out of Copenhagen. They are good people and their music is awesome as fuck. At that point we had abandoned all notions about sounding like anyone else or writing genre specific music. I tend to get bored by music that falls neatly into categories pretty fast, I have no ambitions towards playing d beat, crust, black metal or whatever. I like some of that stuff, but I tend to gravitate towards music that doesn't wrap up to nicely. I like some records that nail a certain classical feel, but as far as my own musical endeavours are concerned, it doesn't really interest me. I haven't got the musical nor emotional chops for stuff like that anyway.
As for how the sound is presented on the album, I couldn't be happier about it. Every instrument sounds strong, the guitars have a nice blend of different, interesting sounds that I like, the drums are massive but still fit Peters very meticulous style and for once the bass is actually audible. Many recordings today are all guitars and in-the-red mastering: everything is as loud as it can possibly get - we didn't want that for ANGST.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?
Thomas: The lyrical approach of kollapse is probably the only thing that has been fairly constant. We write about things that matter to us in our personal lives. We steer clear of politics and religion because it's shit. I have written a good deal of the lyrics on the album and my lyrics are rooted in emotional turmoil basically. My vocals come from the pit of my stomach and I would feel silly "singing" about satan, demons or whatever. Also I have a strong atheist outlook and I keep the lyrics within the confines of this outlook, so I focus on humanist and existential issues. I prefer psychology and being grounded to spiritual or faith based lyrics.
I tend to get inspired by somewhat depressing stuff like Thomas Ligotti, Francis Bacon and Northern European art like Edward Munch.
Life is messy and unstable. We feel a need to be honest about that.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Kollapse'?
Thomas: We really like the Swedish band Breach and we felt it tied in well with what we were trying to do lyrically - both in terms of the lyrics themselves but also the spelling of "kollaps(e)" with the added "e" in the end (we write lyrics in more than one language).

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
Thomas: We are all from the Northern part of Denmark and we tend to adopt the very self critical attitude that is prevalent here. We don't really "perform" as such. We do whatever feels natural. I tend to focus on the delivery whereas Troels and Frederik tend to move around more. I enjoy bands who are able to project something honest, even if this means coming of as insecure or not "professional" or whatever. Be yourself.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?
Thomas: We will play Manchester and Hamburg this month, hopefully we will get to play Norway and Sweden this year as well. I am half Norweigan, so Norway is a special place for me.
Troels: Besides that we are also playing Germany and most parts of Denmark, that are worth playing at for a band like us. Going on tour is always extremely rewarding as we get the meet likeminded people and have an outlet for our minds and music.

7.You have also been a part of a couple of splits, can you tell us a little bit more about the bands you have shared these recordings with?
Troels: We did the No Fealty split and a compilation of local bands with the song FATHER . It was a compilation I did as a homage to an old local compilation, that documented a time and space at our local scene. I felt like there needed a new one, because there were so many great punk and hardcore bands at the time. I think the record turned out well and people were stoked about it. It is sold out now, but every now and then new punks approach me and ask me if I’m able to get them a copy. I hope one day they make another compilation as a homage to the old ones. DIY!

8.Can you tell us a little bit more about '5 Feet Under Records'?
Troels: 5FeetUnder is a label I run with five of my friends. We have this policy at our record label that we all have to agree that it is awesome, and if one of us does not think that, then we will not release it. There are no boundaries and we try not to limit ourselves. If music is good then it does not matter what type of music it is. All our releases are heavy music, though. We have released almost 80 records and we are really proud of our work and the records we have put out.

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of sludge, crust, and hardcore?
Thomas: Reviews are coming in as we speak, but generally people seem interested.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Thomas: This is a tricky one, I see kollapse evolving. All four members are past thirty, so we will do whatever feels natural and exciting to do given the circumstances. As long as we are honest about what we do, feel exited about the music and we are able to get time off from parenting and work, kollapse will reflect who we are as people.

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
Thomas: We are all big music fans, so influences for kollapse are pretty varied, Frederik is really into black metal, crust and minimal techno. Peter goes for experimental heavy stuff. Troels is really into modern hardcore.
As far as my own listening habits go, there are hundreds of bands haha.
Lately I have been buying and listening to Danish stuff like Recitation, Slægt, Orm and Nyt Liv (and a slew of danish free jazz reissues), but I have my "go-to's" like Breach, Swans, Neurosis, Weakling, Coil, Joy Division and so on.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?
Thomas: I really enjoy painting, skateboarding and hanging out with my son and my girlfriend. Pretty standard stuff. Lately I have been buying/reading books on art - people like Hermann Nitsch, Raymond Pettibon and Billy Childish.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thomas: Thanks for the interview.

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