Kantamus Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?

We're a trio from Oulu, Finland who strive to create heavy and rockin' tunes without sticking to any strict rules.

2.So far you have released 2 ep's, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on both of the recordings and also how do they differ from each other?

Both recordings contain a variety of slow and fast songs with elements from hardcore, sludge, death/black metal etc. The second one has more experimentation and variation than the first one, and the production is much better.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?

Frustration with life situations, depression, nightmares, existential crises. All the nice things.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name ;Kantamus'?

It's a neutral word for "burden". Just something you carry. We could have chosen a more negative one ("taakka") which would have been more obvious. Which is not what we like to do all the time.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?

We've only played six shows so far. The best one (for me at least) was the last one. Our performance is just us rockin' out, nothing too special.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?

We're probably gonna play on a local punk festival in the summer called Hässäkkä-Päivät. Nothing outside of Oulu so far. Hopefully that will happen sometime soon.

7.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?

We haven't thought about it. It's kind of fun to release little EP's by ourselves once a year. Maybe if we make a full-length album in the future we might look for a label.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of sludge and hardcore?

I can't remember any negative reviews! Maybe we should experiment some more and try to piss people off.

9.When can we expect a full length album and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

We're in the process of writing new songs. Nothing's been planned yet. There's probably gonna be more experimentation, the slow songs will get slower and the fast ones will get faster and so on.

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?

Hemi has written most of our songs but she doesn't really listen to heavy music that much. Mainly Nasum and local bands like Viisikko and Vene. Also Oranssi Pazuzu, who are from the southern end of Finland. I come from a metal/punk background, but that's only a part of my taste as well. I’ve been into some downtempo  stuff lately, like Scorn, Bowery Electric and Labradford.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

Movies, getting responsibly hammered.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts/

Come to see our gigs, buy our cassettes and shirts and keep on rockin'!