Hello Franta, thank you very much for your time, let´s
talk about your recent release, the 7”
EP, “Kult Mládí a Mrazu”. Can you tell us about the songs, sound
and concept? Is it a continuation of the work expressed on your previous
release “Vagus Vetus”?
Yes,
everything is somewhat linked to a previous release, inspiration is a
continuous flowing stream, but this holiday 7"SP is again some sort of
diversion from our regular album line. It contains my winter sick impressions,
the illustrations tell exactly what's in the lyrics and it's based on a real
situation.
Like with all your releases, one element that really
surprises me is the artwork, not only the cover art, but the whole artwork
associated with each release is something I really praise and enjoy. What was
your role in generating the art? How is it related to the music and how should
one integrate the two?
I'd say
the image comes first, then the text, followed by music. I wanted to have a
break from my woodcutter's style so I made ink drawings. I believe it's not
trendy, not aimed at immediate effect, it's just me and my world, my landscape
visions. Music is very visual thing for me.
I could make the same question regarding “Vagus
Vetus”, which in my opinion was the best release of 2014. Would you say it is
your most mature work to date? How does it differ from your previous art?
I
wouldn't say "mature" but maybe more independent, you might notice
that MH rarely gave its fans exactly what they wanted nor met their
expectations. People basically don't want new things and therefore musicians
can't simply dare to risk. We can go more experimental because we're not
dependent on music for living. The previous "Vracejte konve na místo"
was more pure in style because of live drummer and specific mastering, that was
positively appreciated by metal fans. “Vagus
Vetus” is another step to diverse from metal and I believe this style is going
to be developed further in MH.
You have released several 7”s lately, since your 7” in
2012, what is the best of releasing music under this format?
I'm
doing it primarily for friends, all of the 7"SPs were quite limited
editions [500 - 1000 copies]. The 7" square is a good size for creating
some piece of art as present - not big to carry as an LP and not a pocket CD
size, a timeless fetish, we all love it, including fans who don't own a
turntable
Regarding the 7” of 2012, I really love the song
“Transgalaktický řezník”, how would you describe this song? You mentioned that
you will probably add the songs of this 7” on the next album but then you
changed your mind, will you re-record those songs to use them in future
releases or are you satisfied the way they are?
Transgalactic
Butcher was my nickname given once by Martin Vrana (the painter) in an e-mail,
I had to make a song immediately, I loved that idea. I think the 7"EP
songs should remain apart from our serious line of albums. There is an idea to
make a dedicated CD with all of the songs released on 7" so far, but now
we're busy with new stuff. Anyway, the sound is just fine on the vinyls, the CD
will probably need a special mastering, but nobody will hear a difference.
Will you release more splits wit Blackosh? How is the
relationship with him?
It's
always been fun to work with him and we will make something together for sure -
a beer, a joint, a song. Blackosh is an excellent musician in the black metal
genre, but always able to bring something new.
On the last split with Blackosh last year you included
the song “Pod Vrstvou Prachu” that was also featured on “Vagus Vetus”, why did
you choose that song? What´s the meaning of the title? The promo says the song
is about two old letters…
"Under
the Dust" is the name of the song in English, meaning I found the letters
in the attic dusty. Two letters - one
from Øystein - Euronymous, second from Count Grishnack. Interesting memories.
The content of the letters was quite similar, both wanted to trade their
records with some MH stuff in early 90s, and the song is moreorless about that.
I feel the need to ask you about “Jilemnický
Okultista”, one of my all-time fave…where did you find inspiration for such an
avant-garde album? Did you have the felling once the album was finished that it
was something “big” and “outstanding”? Just like “Into the Pandemonium” meant
to Celtic Frost? Do you still remember many details concerning that recording?
The
Occultist is our first "digital" album, Mirek Valenta drumming on
plywood pads, all recorded on Macintosh Quadra 650, 600MB hard drive, Ensoniq
Mirage and Pro-One synthesizer, lot of fun and smoke in our cellar studio with
Vlasta... I think it was our first artistic decline from pure metal regardless
the technology.
btw. thanks for mentionig Celtic Frost: T G Warrior was one of my great idols
and still kicking.
What were the reactions from your fans, press and your
friends back then? How do you look back at the album nowadays, 23 years later?
Local
press then and now is always the same - share readers' taste and
preconceptions: complete opposite to creativity, I never made music for them.
Real fans and friends are crazy enough to survive it.
Frankly, I don't listen to our old records, at least not very often. But I
understand that the heritage of MH (so to speak) doesn't belong to us anymore,
it's more or less the fans' property, including all the cult etc., I don't want
to harm it at all. I'm just saying that it's history, and now we're here with
new things. Some fans are still stuck with our demos and Ritual album - that's
okay, but we love diversity and development whatever the cost.
Do you think that metal bands are too conservative
nowadays to take the risk to do an album such like JO?
Precisely,
I think so, with all respect to those terrific, hard working bands who are
faithful to the style, rehearsing and playing live, but that's not my way. I
never learned the rules for running proper metal band.
The following album was Slágry and I remember it
received really bad critics, but they came from “metal journalist” so probably
you didn’t give a fuck, but did you ever received bad feedbacks from fans or
people close to you regarding “Slágry”?
What do you think about the whole underground reaction? And how did your
label back then (Osmose) react?
There
is no bad review, the worst is no review at all. (At the moment we earned
really mean and deprecatory critics from local writers on the new 7"SP,
put in very long texts, over three pages or so, like ten times longer than my
actual lyrics on it).
Back to Šlágry album: As you may remember, Osmose launched its branch named
Kron-H and we were leaning towards purely electronic project with Vlasta, so
the coincidence was rather lucky for such unusual album.
What memories
do you have of the days you released “Ritual” and started receiving attention
and doing interviews for zines from all parts of the world?
Jumping back in time,
okay. But my memory is fading. For what I can say, Ritual is more popular
nowadays than at the time of release. I was freshly graduated on the AAAD in
Prague in 1991, doing decadent freelanced graphics, a very emotional part of my
life in many ways...
Who designed your old logo and what did
inspire it? At the time It was something different and [still is] original, it
looks like the banner of an “ancient occult order”…
The design is my part. I
don't like it much, but we keep it just for fans. It does not have any
particular story behind, just simple symbols put in traditional heraldry
aesthetics.
Some years ago and thanks to the “magic” of the
internet I discovered the video of Géniové recorded for a TV show, do you
remember how was it planned, arranged and performed? You had candles, statues
and even an altar with a naked woman…
That was directed by
someone from Czech TV and the band had no influence on it and we never approved
it, it's truly 80's design and production. Great fun, indeed.
What do you think of other black metal bands that
shared the black metal scene with you and like MH reached a Cult status, bands
such as Samael, Beherit, Rotting Christ, Blasphemy, Darkthrone…did you ever get
in touch with any of them?
Yes, we were in writing
contact back then in the pre-internet age. I think it's great that most of them
are still rocking.
Did you
play any cover tunes in your early days? Was Bathory your main influence?
For some reason we never
even try any cover song from anybody. But I admit we love Quorthon and you can
hear its influence on our early records. Bathory was for me a synonymum of the
northern dark music.
You decided to re record
Jama Pekel for the album Mantras, is there a special feeling for that song? In
my opinion, it is not a simply re-recorded song, as 2009 version differs quite
a lot from the original recording, can we say that it is “mature” MH
covering “primitive” MH?
If
"mature" is a part of ageing, than one should be cautious and
serious. We need to retain our primitivism and specific amateurism, but best is
to not think such way, just make music and leave the theory on others. The
particilar song was actually triggering the Mantras album, I told the story
many times, but to put in short: when walking back from local pub with Vlasta
in night on a path across a pond we heard a concert of frogs roaring a
"refrain", we recorded them and used it for a re-make of Jáma Pekel,
and we needed other songs to add on the atmosphere, that was our in summer
2009.
Ok, back to the present, you are releasing your work
through your own label Jihosound, and you said several times that working this
way gives you total freedom. Do you think that many bands will do the same in
the near future? Do you think that working this way needs to take some “Risks”
Absolutely, we all have
to take some risk when creating something new. We don't need labels anymore,
but what we need is a good producer or at least a person who is able to
consider, to judge, advise to the band, a fresh pair of educated ears outside
the band. Risk is needed, imperfection, dirty sound is fine, but we can't risk
anything boring.
How is the current line-up of MH, and how is the work
of composition and recording?
In the second life of
MH, I mean since "Mantras" album it's just me and Necrocock plus some
guests on each of the albums. I do the songwriting, Necrocock is curating my
ideas and adding his harmonies - sometimes just short parts, sometimes the
whole melodic lines and lot of sick emotions and spirit.
What things influence you music and lyrics? Do you feel
influenced by music, places, movies, books… do you think you will write a lyric
about Satanism- occultism?
Not at all, we were
influenced by satanism and occultism till 1991, since then we look for a
broader inspiration. I like decadent poetry, painting, history, pseudoscience,
heresy, halucination and real stories.
What records have been spinning a lot at your home
lately?
Nowadays I'm busy with
some mortal-core music, Mortal Cabinet is the name of the new project so I have
to listen to some Prodigy, Revolting Cocks, Butthole Surfers, Stereo MCs,
Danzig and some Alabama 3 among many others...
What do you like to do when you are not working or
creating music?
Arts in general, casual work on my cottage or
travelling.
What would you submit as the proudest moment you've
had in MH thus far?
MH logo tattoed on a
beautiful back of a certain young lady.
What´s the strangest place and the most shocking place
you have been?
Varanasi and Girnar,
both in India.
Thanks for your time, Is there anything else you would
like to add?
Yes, look for Mortal
Cabinet project - it's coming this autumn.
