Today CVLT Nation brings you an interview with one of New York’s heaviest bands, Batillus.
This band deconstructs doom & then reconstructs it in their likeness. Every song on Furnace, their recently released album, is murder to the tenth degree. They created one of my favorite albums this year hands down. I could keep singing their praise, but I’m going to let them speak. So after the jump, travel into the mind’s eye of Batillus.
Photo Scott Irvine
How are things, Batillus? How is NYC treating you?
Fade: Hi, things are good. All of us have been in NYC for awhile now: Willi was born here and Peterson and I have been here for over 10 years, Geoff has been in the area since 2006. And speaking for all of us I can say we enjoy it greatly.
On your song “…And The World Is As Night To Them” you have these melodic emotional parts & then change tempo to a more industrial doom. What inspires a song like that?
Geoff: I think one of the most important elements in composing compelling music is contrast. Loud / soft. Dense / sparse. Fast / slow. “…And The World” is an example of that– the two parts you refer to contrast each other in tempo and mood, and I think it makes for an exciting listen.
Has existing & creating in New York City impacted your sound?
Fade: I think everything is an influence consciously or subliminally, I think in this case maybe more subliminally, the city is alive and breathing with mechanical sounds non-stop. Living here it becomes a backdrop– sometimes claustrophobic, other times it’s just there in the background unnoticed. You don’t really realize it until you leave and experiencing the stillness and quiet of the country. So yes, it probably creeps into our sound.
Photo by Markus Shaffer
Would you agree with me in describing your sound as Apocalyptic Blues? Why or why not?
Geoff: In the sense of the word ‘blues’ as it pertains to mood, yes of course. Our music obviously invokes melancholy, despair, and gloom. But in the sense of the word as a musical style, probably not. We don’t usually use blues harmonies or pentatonic scales– harmonically, our music is much more chromatic and dissonant.
What emotion, event, or moment in time influenced the lyrics on this record?
Fade: I write lyrics from a personal place in an abstract way. Whether it be wrestling with personal demons, observing the suffering created by the ego and trying to dissolve it, or transcend the human condition. And observing the suffering created by this.
When it comes to your musical tastes, would you say that you are into a variety of genres or just a few?
Geoff: Our iPods are overflowing and our record collections are deep.
Photo by Markus Shaffer
Does performing live bring you to a different state of mind & being?
Fade: I can only speak for myself, but I feel if I perform and I don’t reach a different state of mind and being then, for me, it is not a good performance. For me, that is the goal: to trancend and be present. The experience of “being in the zone” may be different to each of us, but getting there is what we try to achieve.
Repetition & space…how important are these concepts to Batillus creatively?
Fade: Repetition can be a double edged blade: if used correctly it can be a very effective tool to powerfully hammer home an idea, but used carelessly it can be boring or even annoying. We use repetition in rhythm and theme often but make slight changes to develop ideas and keep the listener’s attention. Space is a great tool for emphasizing a dramatic change, or just to contrast the typical density and overbearing nature of our music. Space allows the listener to be drawn in.
What’s your favorite Killing Joke album & why? You might hate them but I’m willing to take that chance…
Fade: I’ve been into the self-titled album (2003) a lot lately: strong songs and great drumming by Dave Grohl. The new record is great as well.
Is there anything about the band that is never asked in an interview, but you want the world to know?
Geoff: Our name is pronounced “buh-TILL-us,” just like it’s spelled. It is not pronounced “battle-us,” because that’s not how it’s spelled.
Fade: Thanks to everyone out there who’s diggin’ what we are doing.
All photos by Samantha Marble, except where noted.
CVLT Nation would like to thank Batillus their support!
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