Is there any Euro band has done as much as KNUT? They’re one of the tightest live bands I’ve seen and play some of the heaviest music w/ more twists than a rollercoaster… I already did an interview with them a long time ago for another magazine, with the release of “Wonder” I just had to talk to them again… Mini time, this time…
I started this interview at the end of summer but slacked towards Roderic and Didier… Eventually I picked up at the start of the new year and asked him some new questions… if there are gaps… blame me!
*What exactly is the wonder, or is so wondrous about this new record?
Roderic: I'll leave the thematic side to Didier, but since your question sounds open-ended I'll throw in my two cents. The «Wonder», for me, is the fact that we've managed to maintain the spirit of our music regardless of the hardships and line-up changes we've endured throughout our 16 years of existence. If we had failed in this, we'd have given up a long time ago. I think «Wonder» speaks for itself. I'm more excited these days about the prospects of the band than I was 5-6 years ago. We've done our little revolutions and it's been beneficial. The whole studio experience was great – to such extent that I actually (hm) wonder why I only have a taste every 4-5 years. Studio is a place where you put more energy and creativity than any other time in your life. It's demanding, exhausting, but also revealing and rewarding. As a unit, it was a mandatory step for us after a long period of live playing and rehearsing the same old shit (which was fresh only for the new members). I personally couldn't wait for new material to take shape and represent Knut as of today. The fact that Didier found out that he'd be a father in February gave us the extra kick in the butt. The songs of «Wonder» had to be completed very quickly (some of them had been skeletons for months) before we rushed in the studio, early January, shortly after New Year's party and under heavy and sudden snowing.
Didier: Well I chose the title Wonder in opposition to the lyrics of those six in-your-face tracks describing impatience, greed and irresponsibility for instance. Wonder is almost a forgotten word in a world where people take everything for granted.
*So Roderic just said about the songs being compelted right before entering the studio, how did that work out with vocals? Did you write the lyrics while in the studio?
Didier: "Fast forward Bastard" had already been completed and recorded once for the "Falling down" compilation (vol 1) a whole year before recording Wonder. We played most of the songs live once, just before going into the studio, but everything was scraped off and I rewrote pretty much all lyrics everyday before recording my vocals. I just kept the general thematics and wrote it all over again except for FFB. I guess I needed the studio pressure more than ever to deliver it all. It's all pretty simple and fast forward to say the least, in opposition to the music.
*Since you've mentioned those 16 years I'd like to go back in time myself... I remember when the «Bastardiser» CD/LP got released it really changed a lot for me. Chrome Saint Magnus delivered high quality nice layout vinyl (design courtesy of J Bannon) and then the CD got re-released by Hydra Head Records. That was so amazing since you were the first European band back then on the HH label... It felt like everything about the record was right.
How do you look back on that record and specifically the contact of Hydra Head and the question to sign with them?
Roderic: Those were amazing times when you look back at it. From being buried in our little Swiss underground, touring a bit and releasing records on our own imprint (Snuff Records), suddenly here came Gregor of Chrome – who used to play drums in the incredible Acme – and then Hydra Head, after Converge and Botch, whom we had toured with in Europe, pointed our name to them. We were also talking to Relapse at some point, and more typically hardcore-rooted labels like Overcome and Join The Team Player. Bottom line is, something was happening. We had been such a hard act to pinpoint, with no scene to fit in, and suddenly were able to talk to people like Gregor, Mark/Aaron who were like us, functioning outside categories, doing quality work honestly, music- and artwise. We couldn't believe it, we were extatic.
As for «Bastardiser», that's a really special record for us. It's the first full-length proper, the one where we fully embraced our sound – from tuning to dynamics and vocal tone. I think this record contains all the typical Knut elements: crazy time signatures, intricate but melodic riffs, harsh vocals, and repetition, a lot of it, more so than on any later work actually, except for a couple of songs on «Challenger». It's also a record that served as the backbone for further moves. It was far from being fully accomplished. The sound is a little too polished, some beats a little too restrained (4/4) and we had not enough live experience to let ourselves go and play with the required frenzy. «Challenger» in this regard is quite the opposite. We learned a lot from «Bastardiser», which we actually recorded ourselves in a professional studio, courtesy of our first bass player who was also a recording engineer. Only the mix was done with studio owner David Weber.
How do you look back on that record and specifically the contact of Hydra Head and the question to sign with them?
Roderic: Those were amazing times when you look back at it. From being buried in our little Swiss underground, touring a bit and releasing records on our own imprint (Snuff Records), suddenly here came Gregor of Chrome – who used to play drums in the incredible Acme – and then Hydra Head, after Converge and Botch, whom we had toured with in Europe, pointed our name to them. We were also talking to Relapse at some point, and more typically hardcore-rooted labels like Overcome and Join The Team Player. Bottom line is, something was happening. We had been such a hard act to pinpoint, with no scene to fit in, and suddenly were able to talk to people like Gregor, Mark/Aaron who were like us, functioning outside categories, doing quality work honestly, music- and artwise. We couldn't believe it, we were extatic.
As for «Bastardiser», that's a really special record for us. It's the first full-length proper, the one where we fully embraced our sound – from tuning to dynamics and vocal tone. I think this record contains all the typical Knut elements: crazy time signatures, intricate but melodic riffs, harsh vocals, and repetition, a lot of it, more so than on any later work actually, except for a couple of songs on «Challenger». It's also a record that served as the backbone for further moves. It was far from being fully accomplished. The sound is a little too polished, some beats a little too restrained (4/4) and we had not enough live experience to let ourselves go and play with the required frenzy. «Challenger» in this regard is quite the opposite. We learned a lot from «Bastardiser», which we actually recorded ourselves in a professional studio, courtesy of our first bass player who was also a recording engineer. Only the mix was done with studio owner David Weber.
*I hear what you say about the "KNUT" trademark. But specifically, if you go from record to record, like from Bastardiser to Challenger, then from Challenger to Terraformer and so on until Wonder... What were the biggest differences / improvements / similarities / difficult issues / etc... inbetween, during and after the writing and recording process...?
Roderic: Regarding differences and improvements that's for you to decide really. And for the rest let me read again. Hell... I feel dizzy...
*So we’re early 2011. How were the responses to “Wonder” so far, and what did it bring you guys?
Roderic: Yeah man, January 2011 means that one year has passed since we recorded Wonder. Time flies and we're getting old, 3 dads out of 5 members in the band now. Back to your question, the response has been really good. I think most people expected a more expansive or experimental record and what they've got instead was a pretty brutal piece of metal. So, a few interpreted that as a step backwards, but most seemed happy about it. Who needs another «post» record after all? By the way, it's always funny to go from «sludge» in a review to «post hardcore» in the next, or «noisecore» or whatever.
Can you really sound like Deadguy and ISIS at the same time?
*Is there a difference with this release and other releases?
Roderic: I don't know, Internet plus longevity obviously work at our advantage. We get offers to play countries like Russia, which would certainly have been difficult a few years ago. Fanbase is hard to tell, in terms of sales for instance, since most people are probably downloading the record for free. Shows are working pretty good but we're far from high profile, very far actually. Still underground for the most part, which is not a problem since we've all got jobs and are doing this for fun.
*What will be the next step/release for Knut?
Roderic: Who knows... A kraut record? No record at all?
*You haven’t written any new songs yet?
Roderic: Nope.
*To finish this off… where can we admire the wonderful Knut in the near future?
Roderic: Well, thanks to IKEA it's now right up your nose these days
*So blah blah your blahblah thx or whatever…
Roderic: 2011 should pretty busy, with our first visit in Russia planned for late February, then UK with our fine mates Keelhaul (late April) and hopefully the USA in the Summer, plus a few festivals. Stay tuned, thank you Kristof.
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