Line Up:
Byron Kałuża On Bass, Vocals
Wojciech Gruźliński On Guitar
Arkadiusz Namysłowski On Drums
Well,Friends Of Aristocracy!
We speak again of our newsroom, where in a little while, we will have, in all its emotions, the interview 161 of the Aristocracy.This time, we'll talk to a Polish band that abuses the tremors, vibrations and explosions. A sound of high intensity and quality. Worthy of a debut, but dosing weight and cadence in the right measure. We're talking about Smokes Of Krakatau that makes its debut for us with a self-titled album. Made by themselves together with sound engineer Krystian Musiał. The Album was worked on during the last year by Studio Ciemnia, which is located in Poznan in Poland itself. We must also say that the last song on the album was written and composed by Rudi Schuberth. Mixing and Mastering was in charge of the band's drummer, who is also a sound mastering engineer. questions and for the wonderful work they have delivered to us, their fans. Let's get to the interview!
A1:Talking about the composition work in Smokes of Krakatau?
Byron Kałuża:As with most bands, I presume, composition basically is bringing some songs ideas or just riffs to band practice.After that it's trying to make the pieces fit and have a finished song at the end,that we enjoy playing and others might find interesting.Sometimes it takes just a few hours to have a general draft of a song ready, but often it's jamming at home, looking for "that riff" and then messing around with it at practice,until after days or weeks you got something that you can actually present to an audience.
A2:What kind of vibrations the band put in this album?
Byron Kaluza:There's all kind of vibrations on this album. If we take vibrations more as "vibes" and feelings, it's packed with whatever the music makes the listener experience,of course through melodies, rythms or lyrics we're trying to guide the listener in a certain direction, but the final vibration lies in the hands of the listener.
A3:What are Pleiades?
Byron Kaluza:Pleiades is a star cluster that's among the nearest to earth.Our song with the same name is a short story of mankind's dream to travel through the stars to find conquer new frontiers,by sending out a generation ship into the endless void.
A4:Some literature or film inspire the band?
Byron Kaluza:2001 A Space Odyssey, H.P. Lovecraft and Diesel engine manuals.
A5:Was making long songs something agreed upon or did it come naturally?
Byron Kaluza:Our songs are as long as they need to be, in order to allow us to tell a story and take you on a journey. We prefer to make a longer song instead of trying to compress something to "radio-friendly" requirements. But then again, the 5th song on our album, called Carousel, is just over four minutes,which is exactly how long it has to be, no more no less.
A6:What kind of piscodelia is brought in this work?
Byron Kaluza:NOTE:Piscodelia? You mean psychedelics?Yes, we enjoy a nice buzz from time to time, each one of us having their favourites. Even though they might have had some influence on our sound, in the end they're not the centerpoint of this album.
A7:Does the last song have an exclusively Polish context?
Byron Kaluza:The last song "Kombajn Bizon" is the only cover song we did and it's a polish country song from the 90s written by Rudi Schuberth from the band Waly Jagiellonskie. We felt that this track had the perfect energy to be transformed in an over 10 minute long stoner homage and since then it kind of has become our most revered song among the polish stoner community.
A8:Why the band have this name?
Byron Kaluza:At our beginnings we were looking for a name for quite some time, one that would one hand be recognizable, but then again would express what kind of music one can expect from us. Wojtek, our guitarist finally came up with Smokes of Krakatau.Krakatau being the volcano that literally was vaporised in an explosion in 1883, one of the strongest and loudest erruptions recorded in history. Smokes are the fumes, the clouds, the weed,a characteristic pointing directly at stoner rock and similar genres.
A9:Why does this album have an explosive aura?
Byron Kaluza:I'm very happy that some would say that the album has an explosive aura, I mean, our band's called after a volcano, after all! The feeling might come from the calm intro that the first song serves, which then around the 1:00 minute mark explodes into a full cascade of sounds. And some other songs or riffs on the album are like a kick in the face, BAM!
A10:What´s the idea behind artwork´s album?
Byron Kaluza:Besides, what I've just said about the bands name, we also wanted to add some feelings of space,stars and the galaxies to the story.So basicall it's Krakatau and smoke flying through space. A11:How is Smokes Of Krakatau different from your previous bands?
Byron Kaluza:Just give the album a listen and you will hear for yourself, whether and why we are different. I've had people say we might do something new for the scene, filled with generic sounds, but then again I've had people compare us to other bands, like Egypt for example. One thing for sure is that we're not holding on to one sound only, instead we are experimenting within our own capabilities and influences. A12:This album is conceptual? Byron Kaluza:No.
A13:Is it easier or more practical to be a powertrio band?
Byron Kaluza:Yes,it's much more practical, especially when it comes to gathering everyone in one room and have band practice or recordings. Also, touring is easier since you're more or less able to fit everything and everyone into one car. Also, the limitations this sets artistically, having only 3 instruments plus vocals, sets the frame for reaching beyond these lines to look for things that we can do to make our music more interesting.
A14:When the band talks about the carousel, is that in a metaphorical or literal way?
Byron Kaluza:Yes,you see the song Carousel is basically about heavy drinking, drug abuse and that something which calls you into this never ending repeating cycle, this metaphorical carousel of going out and getting totally wasted every time. It's about addiction to partying, about the fear of missing out, about trying to drag others into this.
A15:What kind of subject don´t deserve a Smokes of Krakatau song?
Byron Kaluza:No limitations.Even the most boring topic can be turned into a interesting song with a story.
A16:What are your plans for the future?
Byron Kaluza:Well first,we have to get our album out there to more people,so we're trying to be as active on social media as we can. Also, I''m contacting various people and sending out promotional CDs, hoping to land a review in some printed magazines.Then we're thinking of doing a tour in Poland with some other bands we're friends with.