Saturday, December 27, 2014

Sata kaskelottia Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
1. Sata kaskelottia is a heavy four piece rock band from Helsinki, Finland. We have been playing together since 2011 and are publishing our first album on January 1 2015. I guess you can describe our music in terms of stoner or sludge metal with some twist of Finnish vocals but of course it’s not the whole truth. The best way to form your opinion is to check it out for yourself.


2.You have an album coming out during the beginning of the year, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
2. The sound of the album is heavy, brutal and fresh, I guess. We didn’t want to polish it too much so we believe it’s a more honest picture of how the four of us sound like live. If you overproduce your music you are in a danger of losing its soul. We didn’t want to go there.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
3. We try keep some amount of integrity in our songwriting so it’s not about boom shaka-laka and happy-happy joy-joy. Themes could be seen more like a poetry trying to reach some comfort and meanings behind this everyday darkness called life. Ha.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Sata kaskelottia'?
4. Sata kaskelottia means ”One Hundred Sperm Whales”. It’s a heavy thing to imagine. And a heavy sound. Of course you can point to Moby Dick also and think of all the meanings surrounding it.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
5. We had a lot of fun last summer playing in the Battle of the Bands in PRKL Club Helsinki. We had some moments there and probably got some new following through the shows. At our best we are energetic and empowering, a fun band to watch. We are still nothing like an 80’s hair metal posers or gothic gloomers. The music comes first.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans once the album is rleeased?
6. We are playing a record releasing gig in Elmun Baari (downstairs of Nosturi) Helsinki in 29th of January 2015. After we recover from that we will play in PRKL Club Helsinki in 20th of February. Shows in the spring and summer will be announced soon.

7.The album is going to be released on digital format, are there any plans for a vinyl or cd release of the album?
7. No. But we are usually dealing out self-burned CDs at the gigs for people who happen to want them. Sometimes also to people who don’t yet know they want them.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of stoner, progressive and sludge metal?
8. The response has so far been enthusiastic but since the album is not out yet, we hope it is only the beginning. We have been pleasantly surprised by the interest already shown by radio programs in Finland, UK, US, Germany and Spain as well as positive preliminary reviews by some very nice metalzines (like this one).

9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
9. We have a bunch of new songs in circulation, and so far there seems to be two main “modes” they fit in. One is a groovy riff-based stoner rock-mode and the other is a more complex, progressive metal/rock mode. We are extremely ambitious in exploring ways to expand our musical repertoire, both as individual players and as a band. We are super excited about the new material which will definitely blow minds and ears once we get it done!

10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
10. The definite influences that have affected our musical thinking are early Mastodon, Red Fang and Baroness, but there are traces from many other bands and many other music styles. All of us listen to and like different kinds of music. Matti has been listening to Paul Butterfield Blues Band and a very cool new finding called the Anciients. Eetu likes the new Foo Fighters album a lot and on the other hand you can never have enough of a Finnish tango singer Topi Sorsakoski!

11.What are some of your non musical interests?
11. We have a broad variation of stuff that we like to do outside music. Eetu is an X-man, Matti is also a writer and has published a couple of books on insects, our drummer Ville is a graphic designer and a yoga instructor, and the bass player Juge is not only a multi-instrumentalist but also a multi-function superman.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
12. Go to satakaskelottia.fi or find us on spotify, itunes or amazon and tell us what you think or learn to fly.

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