[IMGLEFT]http://www.russell.ultimatemetal.com/Interview/tran0.jpg[/IMGLEFT]By Josh Phillips
Tranmission0 is a name rapidly rising within the metal scene and rightfully so. Their drifting soundscapes bleeding through bursts of heavy music appeal to many fans of both metal and hardcore, and with this style they are transcending modern boundaries. In the mist of touring and putting together a new album, Dave Van Beek was kind enough to answer some burning questions about this enigma of a band, so sit back and enjoy.
Hello Dave and thanks for taking the time out to do this interview. How are things currently within the Transmission0 camp? Busy?
Yes, we are pretty busy. We've got some shows lined up for the coming months and were working on the new record. We finished all the songs before we went on tour with The End and when we got back, we fine-tuned them. A couple of weeks ago we made some demo-recordings and this week were gonna start with the actual recordings.
What kind of bands did you listen to growing up and how much influence did they have on the type of music you make today?
Ive always listened to a lot of different kinds of music. Since I was young I have been listening to both hip-hop and guitar stuff. I started with bands like Suicidal Tendencies, Bad Religion and Black Flag. Then I got more into hardcore music, although I must say that I didnt like so many hardcore bands. There were a couple that really changed my musical direction, bands like Unbroken, Refused and Catharsis did that for me. Around that time I also started listening more and more to Sonic Youth, The Cure and Dinosaur Jr.
Almost all of the music of transmission0 is written by our guitar player/producer Mischa so I dont have that much of a direct influence on the music. In the beginning it was just Mischa and I and we wanted to make dark, atmospheric music but also with a metal-edge. Kind of a combination of The Cure and metal stuff.
The first track off of 0 is entitled Journey and aptly describes the music contained on the song. What kind of journey does your music take you on and what do you hope your fans get out of it?
We like to take the listener on a journey through different kinds of music. From cold and dark sounds to warm and bright ones. There is no real path that you have to follow, we want the listener to make their own. We hope that people take the time to really listen to the songs and that way discover something new every time.
What inspires the lyrics written by the band?
Both Michiel (keys/vox) and I write lyrics for the band. The stuff that I write is mostly inspired by all the negative stuff that I see around me or that I feel inside of me. I cant really write about postive things, dont really feel the need to write about it for the band at least.
Transmission0 is a band with roots in hardcore, but it appeals to many fans of metal, what do you think helps this band transcend those barriers?
To be honest: I dont have a clue. Mischa and I have kind of a hardcore background, but we consider transmission0 to be a metal band. Maybe some parts are more hardcore then metal for some people, but in the end thats also metal. I mean, then you can also say that some Slayer parts are hardcore, since so many metalcore bands use stuff like that.
Serenity is one of my favorite songs off of the album, really a beautiful song. With these soundscapes that you create, does it just flow naturally and bring itself together?
It really flows naturally, yes. It started with just the beginning riff (if you can call it a riff) and then the notes just found their way through the atmosphere the beginning creates. It didn't take really long to write the song, as it didn't take long to come up with a songtitle for it. "Ether" was also a song that flowed naturally. Some others took a lot longer to finish, depending on the image we wanted to create.
Was your former band, Reveal, completely traditional hardcore or are there elements of what we would later see in Transmission0 present?
No it wasnt traditional hardcore at all, or thats what we like to believe at least. On our last record To Explore the Invention to Create you already hear t0. It was already there, but it really came out the way it was when Mischa started working with his keyboard. Were gonna do a reunion show with Reveal at this years Furyfest in France and therefore I was listening to the Reveal records again. I really noticed how much of transmission0 was already in Reveal just before we quit that band.
Do you have any side project bands outside of Transmission0 now and if not, would you ever consider having another band? What style of music would that band play?
No, I dont have any side projects. If I would ever start another band, then it should be something completely different then t0. I couldnt be in 2 bands that play the same kind of music. Some friends and I have been talking about a grind project with a drum computer, so who knows, maybe well start that in the future. Bart, our drummer, is the only one in the band that has another band, its called Sk;rl and they are about to release their new cd.
Did you ever consider writing within more traditional song structures for this band, or do you feel that the blend of music Transmission0 writes now is exactly your niche?
I think the new songs are a lot more evolved and naturally written, so now I can actually say that we have found a path on which we all can make good music and get the best out of ourselves. So yes, this is exactly our niche.
How does your music translate over to the live environment and what could a fan expect from one of your shows?
When we play live, we want to set a certain atmosphere and try to keep that during our show. People that come to our shows shouldnt expect big moshpits, because that has never happened. If you come to watch us, be prepared to be taken away on a journey in your mind. Some people say that our music makes them think
Do you prefer the live experience or the studio experience?
I like both. The studio is cool because you can experiment and youre working towards finishing a cd, which for me is always a big thing. Its a good thing that we dont have to be in the studio every month though, because I dont have enough patience for that. I really like the live experience because of the energy it gives you and the outlet it can be.
What lies in the future for Transmission0? I know youre currently playing a few shows, have you considered when to start writing material for the next album, or have you already begun?
Well, like I said before, this week weve started recording our new album. At the moment were working on the drumtracks. All the songs were already finished a long time ago. We have also already finished all the songs for the third cd, but were not gonna work on that for some time. The main focus right now is our follow up to 0. We hope to release it sometime in September/October. Expect a band that has grown into its own musical habitat and I think we got a bit more heavy.
Any final words of wisdom?
I hope that people who check out our cd take the time to listen to it. I dont think many people will immediately understand our music, but if you give it a couple of listens then youll discover more and more. And if you like that, check out our new cd as well.
Alright, thanks for the interview Dave and I look forward to hearing the next Transmission0 album! \m/
Thank you for the interest in the band.
Official Transmission0 Website
Official Go Kart Records Website
Tranmission0 is a name rapidly rising within the metal scene and rightfully so. Their drifting soundscapes bleeding through bursts of heavy music appeal to many fans of both metal and hardcore, and with this style they are transcending modern boundaries. In the mist of touring and putting together a new album, Dave Van Beek was kind enough to answer some burning questions about this enigma of a band, so sit back and enjoy.
Hello Dave and thanks for taking the time out to do this interview. How are things currently within the Transmission0 camp? Busy?
Yes, we are pretty busy. We've got some shows lined up for the coming months and were working on the new record. We finished all the songs before we went on tour with The End and when we got back, we fine-tuned them. A couple of weeks ago we made some demo-recordings and this week were gonna start with the actual recordings.
What kind of bands did you listen to growing up and how much influence did they have on the type of music you make today?
Ive always listened to a lot of different kinds of music. Since I was young I have been listening to both hip-hop and guitar stuff. I started with bands like Suicidal Tendencies, Bad Religion and Black Flag. Then I got more into hardcore music, although I must say that I didnt like so many hardcore bands. There were a couple that really changed my musical direction, bands like Unbroken, Refused and Catharsis did that for me. Around that time I also started listening more and more to Sonic Youth, The Cure and Dinosaur Jr.
Almost all of the music of transmission0 is written by our guitar player/producer Mischa so I dont have that much of a direct influence on the music. In the beginning it was just Mischa and I and we wanted to make dark, atmospheric music but also with a metal-edge. Kind of a combination of The Cure and metal stuff.
The first track off of 0 is entitled Journey and aptly describes the music contained on the song. What kind of journey does your music take you on and what do you hope your fans get out of it?
We like to take the listener on a journey through different kinds of music. From cold and dark sounds to warm and bright ones. There is no real path that you have to follow, we want the listener to make their own. We hope that people take the time to really listen to the songs and that way discover something new every time.
What inspires the lyrics written by the band?
Both Michiel (keys/vox) and I write lyrics for the band. The stuff that I write is mostly inspired by all the negative stuff that I see around me or that I feel inside of me. I cant really write about postive things, dont really feel the need to write about it for the band at least.
Transmission0 is a band with roots in hardcore, but it appeals to many fans of metal, what do you think helps this band transcend those barriers?
To be honest: I dont have a clue. Mischa and I have kind of a hardcore background, but we consider transmission0 to be a metal band. Maybe some parts are more hardcore then metal for some people, but in the end thats also metal. I mean, then you can also say that some Slayer parts are hardcore, since so many metalcore bands use stuff like that.
Serenity is one of my favorite songs off of the album, really a beautiful song. With these soundscapes that you create, does it just flow naturally and bring itself together?
It really flows naturally, yes. It started with just the beginning riff (if you can call it a riff) and then the notes just found their way through the atmosphere the beginning creates. It didn't take really long to write the song, as it didn't take long to come up with a songtitle for it. "Ether" was also a song that flowed naturally. Some others took a lot longer to finish, depending on the image we wanted to create.
Was your former band, Reveal, completely traditional hardcore or are there elements of what we would later see in Transmission0 present?
No it wasnt traditional hardcore at all, or thats what we like to believe at least. On our last record To Explore the Invention to Create you already hear t0. It was already there, but it really came out the way it was when Mischa started working with his keyboard. Were gonna do a reunion show with Reveal at this years Furyfest in France and therefore I was listening to the Reveal records again. I really noticed how much of transmission0 was already in Reveal just before we quit that band.
Do you have any side project bands outside of Transmission0 now and if not, would you ever consider having another band? What style of music would that band play?
No, I dont have any side projects. If I would ever start another band, then it should be something completely different then t0. I couldnt be in 2 bands that play the same kind of music. Some friends and I have been talking about a grind project with a drum computer, so who knows, maybe well start that in the future. Bart, our drummer, is the only one in the band that has another band, its called Sk;rl and they are about to release their new cd.
Did you ever consider writing within more traditional song structures for this band, or do you feel that the blend of music Transmission0 writes now is exactly your niche?
I think the new songs are a lot more evolved and naturally written, so now I can actually say that we have found a path on which we all can make good music and get the best out of ourselves. So yes, this is exactly our niche.
How does your music translate over to the live environment and what could a fan expect from one of your shows?
When we play live, we want to set a certain atmosphere and try to keep that during our show. People that come to our shows shouldnt expect big moshpits, because that has never happened. If you come to watch us, be prepared to be taken away on a journey in your mind. Some people say that our music makes them think
Do you prefer the live experience or the studio experience?
I like both. The studio is cool because you can experiment and youre working towards finishing a cd, which for me is always a big thing. Its a good thing that we dont have to be in the studio every month though, because I dont have enough patience for that. I really like the live experience because of the energy it gives you and the outlet it can be.
What lies in the future for Transmission0? I know youre currently playing a few shows, have you considered when to start writing material for the next album, or have you already begun?
Well, like I said before, this week weve started recording our new album. At the moment were working on the drumtracks. All the songs were already finished a long time ago. We have also already finished all the songs for the third cd, but were not gonna work on that for some time. The main focus right now is our follow up to 0. We hope to release it sometime in September/October. Expect a band that has grown into its own musical habitat and I think we got a bit more heavy.
Any final words of wisdom?
I hope that people who check out our cd take the time to listen to it. I dont think many people will immediately understand our music, but if you give it a couple of listens then youll discover more and more. And if you like that, check out our new cd as well.
Alright, thanks for the interview Dave and I look forward to hearing the next Transmission0 album! \m/
Thank you for the interest in the band.
Official Transmission0 Website
Official Go Kart Records Website
