Saturday 27 February 2016

Interview with DEADSMOKE

I'll admit I was a little apprehensive before I posted the album review for today's guests. As Lucas, written a Live Review or as he put it - “my first impression of this record, "raw" as it happened”. I was apprehensive as I hadn't published a review like that before, I was thinking would the band like the review. Was it worth taking a risk.

So I said FUCK IT and I published the review. It got a great response from regular viewers and the band themselves. It was a risk worth taking and that's how I feel what DEADSMOKE have achieved with their brilliant S/T debut album. They take risks with their sound and created a heavy and sometimes ugly Doom/Metal sound that I hope will see these guys go a long way in the scene.

Newly signed to Heavy Psych Records, I wanted to find out more about DEADSMOKE and what they thought of Lucas aka LK Ultra's review. This is what they said....

Hi guys. How are things with you today. Thanks for doing this interview.

Hi Steve, we are fine. Thank you for the interview!

So why did you choose the name Deadsmoke for your band. Any specific meaning.

Actually Deadsmoke wasn’t our first choice. We needed a deep and long brainstorming for find an appropriate name. We want a name, which could give a first taste of the kind of music we’re playing. If you read the name and you don’t know the band, you don’t have to expect to listen to catchy rocky glam blink-blink metal!

Deadsmoke is the vortical product of a deadly combustion.


How did the band get together. Did you all know each other before forming the band.

Everybody of us was playing since forever in different bands, so we obviously know each other since many many years! At the beginning the band was more stoner-oriented, but along the way we lost every melodic influence.

How would you describe your music. Apart from my pal Lucas who reviewed the album for me stating the following:

This album will forever be linked to tone in my mind, as these guys have found the heaviest one possible. It's that deep grimy tone with pendulous, monolithic riffing that brings to mind Spelljammer and Monolord. I'm sure doomsters will go apeshit over Deadsmoke once they get their name out there a little more, and well they should. “

It’s an honour for us to be linked with such bands! This is exactly the kind of sound we aim…or maybe even more engraved…


Your about to release your new album soon. What can people expect from the album? Or does Lucas description above tell people all they need to know.

The description of Lucas is mind-blowing. We hope our music is also mind-blowing!

Was it an easy or hard album to record for?

It wasn’t a hard album to record for, but actually we practised a lot to get the right riff at the right moment. In such a music small details may have big influences…and Maurice is quite a perfectionist…
We also tried to keep the post-production as simple as possible. We didn’t want an artificial album.

The album is being released via Heavy Psych Sounds. How did you hook up with them? Did you have any offers from other labels to release your album?

We know Gabri of HPS Rec and after a concert on a beach in Italy we end up drinking some beer and speaking about a possible future collaboration.

What inspires you when writing and recording music?

What we need is a cold smelly dark room and some beer. We take inspiration listening to bands like Toner Low, Sleep, Goatsnake, Monolord…


Do you have an advanced set-up when playing live or recording new material in the studio?

Not at all! Except for Teo and his luggage of pedals, we have a basic set-up.

What is the song-writing dynamic in the band. Is it a group collective or down to one individual.

The song writing is mainly centred on the collective: we meet in our rehearsal room and we play. Many things come during some jam session, but the best inspirational place for Teo, where he’s used to generate the best riffs of history, is the toilet.

Will you be touring the record heavily locally. Do you get the chance to perform regular gigs in Italy or your home-town or do you have to travel further afield to perform live.

We actually have good chances to play both locally and afield. Most of the shows we are going to perform abroad are booked by HPS Rec (take a look on the page to see when and where).

Before you go, do you have anything to say to your fans?

Take some spliff ;-)

Well guys, thanks for doing this. All the best with the new album. It's a great album.

Thanks.

Words by Steve Howe and DEADSMOKE

Thanks to Claire at Purple Sage PR for arranging this interview. Thanks to DEADSMOKE for taking the time out to talking to us. Their S/T debut album will be released on CD/DD/Vinyl from Heavy Psych Sounds from March 26th 2016.

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