if tisnt boring for yis to read, heres the interview i did with mike couple of months ago (before everyone into position came out):
1. Hi Mike, how are you? How does it feel to talk to some Serbian magazine for the first time?
I'm fine, thanks. We are just at a studio near Manchester where we are recording our second album. Sadly, Jim Steinman has pulled out of his role as producer, so Dan Austin has thankfully stepped in instead. By the way, your english is seemingly better than most English people, so it doesn't really feel so strange talking to your Serbian self.
2. I think youre the best thing that happened to metal in the last couple of years, since the Isis - Oceanic album. Yet neither Oceansize or Isis have much in common with metal, which is only a plus. Both Oceansize and Isis dont have much in common with each other either, beside the ocean affection, heh. Sources of inspiration? Why Oceansize the name btw?
I must admit i am proud of the fact we are stocked in the METAL section of most record shops, although there's a lot connotations with metal right now that i don't really wanna get associated with. I grew up on Black Sabbath, but it's getting all a bit whingey, real one dimensional, and those big rock thrills are becoming so cheap to me. Do you know how easy it is to downtune a guitar? Or make it sound big using a Pro-Tools rig? I think we are currently exploring ideas other than 'hey, i'm angry, let's play it HEAVY!'. I would hate for Oceansize to be thought of as a one-trick pony, which i feel that so many popular bands are these days. I'm not really a fan of Isis, but we do share fans with them. Similarities? Well, there's guitars involved, i guess. Oh, and any self-respecting rock music fan should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves if they are unaware of the brilliance of Jane's Addiction's 'Ocean Size'.
3. I know tis hard to please both the audience and the media on the Brit island. I think your music deserves to be heard more and maybe theres that catch 22 situation like with the band Anathema, that indie-radiohead audience is closedminded to this kind of music because of the term metal in yer camp, and on the other hand that not enough metalheads will swallow this because of the postrock-whatever-lets-just-call-it-MUSIC influences. Your opinions about this, correct me if im wrong...
Yeah, maybe you have a point. We're not quite ugly enough to be thought of as a grunting chain of jock metallists, but not pretty enough to be the fey indie boys that the English press get horny over. Which suits us fine: we have neither the money nor the inclination to dress fashionably. I think with the rise of the internet that most music-lovers (i mean the non-casual listener here) loves un-pigeon-hole-able (i think i just invented a word!) music. People can now obtain music for free, so why be picky?! Try everything, keep throwing shit at the wall and some of it should stick. I think the tribal instincts of music fans only really occurs in the teenage years anyway, y'know, that kind of 'I love Slayer and anything else is RUBBISH' attitude is something people grow out of. It's a shame that football fans don't mature in the same way.
4. I have to admit i didnt like Effloresce so much because it was way too longish and there was no particular song on it that would make my jaw floored. Yet, this Music For Nurses EP... theres only one word for describing those last three songs on it i got in my daily playlist for 2 months – and the word is unreal. Are those supposed to be some kind of trilogy? (although trilogies are kind of stupid anyway... and the third sequel is always dogshite, which is not the case with As The Smoke Clears btw) Moreover, is there some story behind Dead Dogs And All Sorts title?
They weren't composed as a trilogy, more like 'Here's 3 songs in the same key, let's put 'em all in a row!' That's the kind of wacky decision you can make whilst mastering records. Most of my titles/lyrics are sayings or coloquialisms relevant only to my small village upbringing. It was only when i moved away to Manchester i realised how stupid my voice/accent sounds. 'Dead Dogs An' All Sorts' was something my dad used to say to us, warning us not to swim in the canal because of it's grisly contents. By the way, congratulations on successful use of the word 'shite' too, that's a real Northern English thing, and i much prefer it to plain old 'shit'. Call me picky, but...
5. Whats the profile of the audience that comes to yer shows? Is there more hairy smelly metalheads or pseudointellectual mathcore guys with glasses?
We get a great cross-section of people, young and old. I would hate Oceansize to appeal to only that techy, calculater-stroking kind of nerd who thinks only about effects pedals and maths. Obviously, i want people to feel the music the same way i do. I hope to see more people on drugs at our shows, maybe when we play the summer festivals we'll see some nodding and chewing.
6. Your thoughts about your place in the big music scene? And about all the mp3 downloading thing vs the big pop industry market thats going on? Ive noticed yer site isnt very updated btw...
Our place in the 'big music' scene?! We don't have one! I hardly think that our band is giving Chris Martin the shits. We feel pretty comfortable though, on the outside looking in, thinking, 'What utter, UTTER dogwank'.
The downloading thing is something will have to bring about a fundamental change in the music industry. I don't wanna come across like Lars Ulrich (who, frankly has no business moaning about piracy; his grandchildren will still be making a killing of 'Ride The Lightning' long after he has said 'FAWK' for the last time), but it does affect bands like us. I'm fully aware of the effect it has had. We've had thousands of people sing along to our songs at european festivals, in countries where we have sold very few records. All this means is that fewer bands will make it to their 2nd or 3rd album, because the record companies aren't seeing enough return. But yeah, i got an iPod. I have decided that I AM allowed to download music for free, for the simple reason that i make plenty of music and receive no payment for it.
7. Pedals. Many of them. Tis fun isnt it? The Mars Volta proved it can be useful too.
They have also proved that people of all ages will pay good money to stand and watch a grown man play a bass solo. Who'd've thunk it?! But indeed, pedals are fun. I do think a lot of bands are using them as a crutch though.
8. I saw some fuss on the oceansize board about bands' using of pedals, the usual whichs and whys, so just for the players this one. I wont bother you to list every each one of em, just tell your fave one and why you like stepping on it so much.
It's gotta be the Boss DM-2. I got this off ebay. It's an old analogue delay pedal from the 80's. It's beautiful for soundscapes, it's like it paints pictures for you if play just a couple of notes into it. Sadly, i had to sell my entire Iron Maiden collection to pay for it, which i feel was akin to selling my soul. Still, great delay, so whogivesafuck?!
9. I havent seen Music for Nurses CD innersleeve yet, so id like to ask you about the production, the studio etc. Who was the guy who did the production? Was that some expensive studio and stuff?
You downloaded it, right?! It was produced by Chris Sheldon and Mark Williams in a couple of different London studios. You'd be surprised how much it costs to produce a 5-track EP that few people will ever know existed.
10. Your next moves? The next full-length perhaps?
Yeah, we're having fun making it. It's kind of hard to say what it's like...heavier heavy bits, spacier spacy bits, more sparse, yet more busy...as long as it's BETTER then i don't really care.
11. Do you listen to electronica? Yellotone? Tim Hecker? Venetian Snares and that kind of stuff maybe?
Not heard of that stuff, but we love Aphex, Fourtet, The Notwist, Bjork, Matmos, Nine Inch Nails etc.
12. We have the voting poll in our mag and in this issue you have to recall the stupidest thing youve ever done or the most embarrassing moment of your life so far!
I have an annoying habit of meeting musicians i admire and telling them that i absolutely love them. In the past, i've had my heroes run and hide from me cos i wont stop gushing or asking nerdy fucking questions! It's not like i'm lying, it's just that that kind of stuff is just NOT cool, apparently. It's kind of hard for me though, i feel like i might get hit by a bus tomorrow and that person may never know that i worship them. Still, there aren't many heroes left for me to meet...only really Trent Reznor and Tony Iommi. God help them.
13. This one about the movies... Some faves? Some fave directors or something?
Quadrophenia, Pulp Fiction, This Is Spinal Tap, Dancer In The Dark, Rocky III. Certain members of the band are Rocky obsessives, and could probably quote the scripts to the 1st four films backwards.
14. About the latest bulletin... the pope is dead. Anything youd like to comment bout this?
COULDN'T. CARE. LESS. ...And i've tried.
Ok, that would be all. Thank you for your time and hope youll continue creating jawflooring music... Who knows, maybe we'll book some gig some day over here if you make yer next full-length even better than this one eh : )
