http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=414649061&blogID=466189805 Interview with Electric Magma ..
1) You previously stated to me that you were struggling in your previous band known as Alabaster. From what I have seen, struggling seemingly is the last thing that Electric Magma has had to endure. What were the main struggles in Alabaster, and how were these struggles over
come?
TIM: the main struggle was that basically we didn't know what the fuck we were doing. We started as alabaster, and played 3 sets of crappy rock tunes, mixed with our originals. We made a shit load more money doing it that way, but we didn't have the focus to become a completely original band. We had a lot of fun, but we were very young, and didn't quite know how to go about doing what we needed to do. It worked out in the end tho, because I dig the band we've become.
2) I have to ask the inspiration behind the name Electric Magma.
TRYG: it was a fluke. it was someones email address that had emailed us about auditioning to be a singer. We thought it sounded cool so we adopted it as our new name.
TIM: It was also the first cool name that came up that wasn't taken. Searching for a band name is a VERY tough process. We've done it a few times now... it sucks every time.
3) Your band changed its style after the discovery of Clutch. What style was the band when you were known as Alabaster and what releases were seen from the band for interested parties who may like to find them.
TRYG: Alabaster was a moment in time that Tim and I went through in our music , like high-cut running shoes and long-hair. Similar to what Pantera went through before they discovered their sound and style. Alabaster was the early stages of a songwriting partnership between Tim and I, that has lasted over 15 years, so its an extremely important part of what has proceeded it.. but the music we made with that band was way more top 40 and didn't age well. The stuff we're doing now with Electric Magma.. I consider it a more timeless style of music. Its real roots oriented... its bare-bones rock music and I would argue that it'll sound just as good in 10 years as it does right now... I couldn't say the same for the stuff we were writing as Alabaster.
As far as Electric Magma, we found our sound around the time we changed our name in about the year 2001. I can't speak for the rest of the band, but for me, I had just discovered the fact that there was a whole genre of music that completely inspired me that I previously didn't know existed. Prior to 2001, I thought COC was the only current band that put out the kind of music that I loved. Deliverance to this day is probably the definitive sounding record to me, I have loved that album since 1994. I think the night I went to see COC at the opera house in 2001 (with Clutch co-headlining) it definitely was a musical epiphany for me... Clutch sort of left my jaw on the floor - I had no idea who they were before that show and had never heard a song by them... driving home from the show... it all seemed clear to me. It was a missing link to the style of music I wanted to be making.
4) The band has played the "Doomed or Be Doomed" and "Stoner Hands of Doom" festivals, as well as sharing the stage with many bands such as Blood Ceremony, Atomic Bitchwax, Orodruin, Yob, Sons of Otis, Clutch, Fu Manchu and Kingdom of Sorrow. To date, what is the best experience that band has had?
TRYG: Its an honour to share a stage with bands that we dig because we respect them and their music. I think our M.O. has always been to try and take the steps necessary to get up there on stage with the big players of the genre... and the bands you've listed, is a testament to that. We feel pretty lucky about it. Theres no particular moment that is a 'best' experience, its more like something you look back on as a whole and say "damn, thats pretty cool". Also the road trips are great. We're not a "touring band" we dont have a record deal and we have no delusions as to where things stand in that regard (even underground stoner rock labels don't understand instrumental bands and generally won't touch them... there are some exceptions of course), but we do take our band on the road whenever we can... We've travelled as far as Halifax Nova Scotia in the east to Mesa, Arizona in the west. Last year we did a road trip with Against Nature that started in Baltimore and ended in Las Vegas Nevada. Two bands, one van and tons of beer. I drove across the entire United States of America, had a spiritual re-awakening while standing on the edge of the world with my feet dangling over the edge of the Grand Canyon... that never would have happened if Electric Magma hadn't formed... so thats one of the experiences that tops the list for me. If you havent been to the Grand Canyon put it on the VERY TOP of your bucket list. Don't die without seeing it.
We try and play where it matters and thats never really here in our hometown of Toronto... so we go where we hear there is interest in the band, and we go to other towns, cities, provinces, states and countries. I think there is a lot more appreciation for Electric Magma everywhere besides Toronto. We've never had any luck in Toronto... its a disjointed town for the sludge scene and the shows here usually turn into a cluster-fuck of bands overflowing the bill and lots of silliness. We've been doing this for too long to be bothered with that anymore. I'll drop off the bill now if the promoter adds bands after we agree to terms or if they change the order of the bill. Its just common courtesy and professional to follow through with what you agree to... and if someone changes what I agreed to then there is no longer an agreement. To that end, its business and nothing more.
5) You left vocals out of the Electric Magma formula for some time, but have brought them back in. Is this to say that the jam/instrumental oriented Electric Magma is to be left behind for a more traditional vocal fronted group, and why the sudden interest of including lyrics in your music again?
TRYG: No. Electric Magma will always be an instrumental band. There are three members of the band and non of us sing within the context of the band. We are a power trio. If there ever are vocals on the music, they are an accessory, like cowbell or bongos and generally only appear on sporadic album tracks, we dont have vocals at our live shows because there is no singer in the band, just guest spots in the studio. Every song we write is written and recorded 100% instrumentally. There are cases that we'll give a finished song to a singer that we dig and ask them to put vocals on top. But the core of Electric Magma is three guys writing and jamming out songs instrumentally.
The new album will have the most vocals we've put on a record since going instrumental. It just seemed like a good idea. Its always good to change things up, to keep things interesting and people guessing.... just like when you come to one of our live shows... theres been times that we just get up on stage and throw the set list away and improvise jams on the spot for 20 mins. why not? there are no rules when you're an indie band like us... no one expects anything from us, we just do what we feel like in the moment. The bottom line is there really are no rules or guidelines with Electric Magma, it will be whatever we decide we want it to be. Hey, we've even discussed putting out a jazz record. I'd love to hear that and don't be surprised if it happens (I just have to learn to play better first haha).
6) Christoph Kotyk, the vocalist you got for the new album (who was also in a previous recording) now lives in Vancuver, British Columbia. Would he be involved in any tours? If not, how would the songs with vocals be performed on stage if at all?
TRYG: All the songs that are on the new album were written 100% instrumentally and we perform them that way live. The vocals were written overtop the finished instrument tracks. We like the songs both ways, with and without vocals. I think when you write the way we do, which is about 98% riffs, its easier to pull off songs without vocals and keep it interesting. If we ever happen to be playing a show that Christoph is in the same room with us, then absolutely, I think he'd jump up on stage and sing. It'd be great, and he does like to come and visit Toronto a lot, so I could see it happening in the future.
TIM: Yea, we do fly by the seat of our pants. Christoph actually has jumped on stage with us early on. Others that have include Alex from Georgian Skull, who we had covered 'Animal Farm' by Clutch with us. Jim (illuminati) was all for jumping up on stage with us to sing a song here and there too. Paolo Rizzo (Puddy/Red Elite) added vocals on our last album, and had done the odd show with us as well.
We've gone as far as having Bongo players join us on stage... so there's always something going on, and we're open to anything
7) Two of you are new fathers within the last few years (congrats to you all). Has this changed what the band has strived to achieve all these years?
TRYG: No. It just means that we know our boys can swim.
TIM: Yea, our boys can swim...who knew!!!
8) The album is completely recorded and close to being ready for print. When can one expect the release of "Mudshovel"
TIM: We we're actually VERY close to releasing it last month, but an awesome opporitunity came up to record with John Custer (COC). We were trying to find the financing to go and rerecord the album, but eventually decided that we would release what we have, and continue to work on getting things ready to have John record our next album. We have had a plan of an album a year, which was brought a bit off course due to children... but i think we are in very good shape to continue that from here on in. Fingers crossed you see our next album produced by John in his studio down south!
9) The way you discribe on your website how the new album will be packaged sounds costly and time consuming. Discribe for the readers how this is to work, as it sounds rather difficult yet very interesting for collectors.
TRYG: Actually what we had proposed to do would have saved us money... but in the end we did have to re-think it simply based on time-issues. What we will be doing now is releasing the album in a DVD jewel case with a nice big DVD size booklet inside. There won't be multiple covers anymore. It will be very cool packaging though, but not exactly what we had originally intended. Im actually currently working on the package design as we speak, which will feature a cool polished chrome skull and cross-bones as featured on our website right now.
10) I thank you for your time and patience for this interview. Is there any last words you would like people to know that we havent
covered here?
TRYG: To those who are reading this and still follow the Electric Magma machine: THANKS. We hope to keep crankin out records for years to come. I still envision a dozen Electric Magma records and I probably won't rest til they've been completed. So stay tuned.
TIM: Yea, what he said.