UNEXPECT – Interview with Chatoh

Interviews

March 30, 2007Pavel aka Gnom

UNEXPECT – Interview with Chatoh

UNEXPECT is not for common listeners of Metal, nor for orthodox. Their music is product resultant many Metal and non-Metal species, for which the base is creating by Metal sounds. First of all UNEXPECT is unexpected, surprising and surely mad Unfortunately I made interview in time of shows and ChaotH wasn't too talkative. Maybe they energy what they put in their show absorbs them entirely

UNEXPECT's music is great challenge for the musicians of the band and for listeners! Does the qualification “Avantgarde Extreme Progressive Metal” characterize your works fully?

Hm, we are asked that question every interview about the name of the style of the band and I never knew what it was exactly. In fact I dont know the kind of music we play. The word AvantGarde comes back pretty often for sure. Actually you can call it whatever you will, I dont think any words will help you understand or give you an idea of what it can sound like. Defining is limiting, and the purpose of doing music is to express whats in your head and soul without the use of that weak communication tool that are words. So call it what you will but define it by the shiver you have when you listen to it, not with words.

I read that your music is Metal laboratory mixing elements of Black, Death, (*)Core, Symphonic, Progressive and Melodic Metal; Classical, opera, mediaeval and Gothic music, Electro, Ambient, Psychotic, Noise and circus music as well as occasionally Jazz and really the all mentioned elements I found in the music of UNEXPECT Where do you have energy to create so mad and also brilliant music from?

Being such a huge band (7 members) helps us find new sounds. We all listen to different styles of music that most of the time as nothing to do with metal at all and we just blend every style of music we know and love into what we do. I mean, what would happen if you had a band with members being respectively fans of Cynic, Daughters, Bjork and Tchaikovsky for example. That would give us. Everything goes.

What do you listen everyday? Sometimes I heard some similarities to ARCTURUS and ELEND as well as to soundtrack of “Corpse Bride”.

I know some of my bandmates (older members) are huge fans of Arcturus wich was one of the early influence. The album La masquerade infernal is surely one of the influence that gave UneXpecT is own sound at first. But like I just said, we listen to a thousand different things. Pop to modern hardcore, Classical to Electronic.

In total you released 3 materials: “In a Flesh Aquarium” (2006, The end Records), “We, Invaders” (2003, Galy Records), “Utopia” (1999, Independant). Do the previous materials oscillate in similar climates like the last one “In a Flesh”?

In a Flesh Aquarium is for sure a new step in our musical progression, its like the official release where we just went with the whatever goes philosophy. I would say that, with the line-up changes and the musical evolution of everybody in the band, we crossed a point of no return and we continue evolving in these weird directions.

What do you think? If you play such difficult music in perception then you make limit of fans' quantity in this way? For me – your music is brilliant, but I know that not every finds pleasure in such sounds. Probably for majority UNEXPECT is too unexpected, mad, psychotic and psychedelic there have not places for a moment rest you must still concentrate for listening and do not think about nothing other, or so many important musical elements will escape you I think so How does public's concert react for your sounds? This music is so mad that for some weaker minds can make odd psychotic states – especially that people often have not pure-blood in concerts, hahaha

Rabbit extensions crawl through magic rotten schizoid treat grabber for events like never Me and Oz would suck a wiggly selfish moose. 4. Itchy. Tasty. Its the zombie dance.

Do you use on a scene some unmusical objects on concerts?

Yes our bodies.

Do you have some concert plans for 2007?

Of course. We are going on tour in Canada (Vancouver to Halifax look on the map its far) in March and April with Anonymus (from Quebec) and then were looking for something for this summer.

And apart from concerts? Promotion “In a Flesh Aquarium or a next material?

Mainly shows.

You use very mysterious pseudonyms. Do the pseudonyms are important for owners of pseudonym? What are them meaning? Will we get to know secret of every of them, hahaha? By the way maybe we get to know the current line-up of the team

Current line up is:

Syriak: Vocals, Guitar

Artagoth: Vocals, Guitar

Leďlindel: Vocals

Exod: Keys and Samples

Landryx: Drums

Borboën: Violin

ChaotH: 9 string bass

Our music is really visual and I guess just being called Frank wouldnt suit it very well, so we created our own characters that allow us to be whatever we want when we perform live.

So, you have the new violinist. Why does Le Bateleur go away?

He went away for personal reasons. He wanted to settle down with his life and with his wife. Having a working band and having to work full time while planning life projects is not far from impossible so sometimes big life decisions are taken. He will forever be the bands best friend and we wish him all the luck in the world in his future plans. We will miss him a lot as he was the funniest and most cheerful guy of the bunch. His replacement his Borboën and he is one crazy musician. Catch us on tour and go give him cookies.

Your image is original (like the music)… The odd dresses remindful clowns' clothes or else male's Hindu dhoti. Do you connect some ideology with your music and image?

Open mind, period. Dont judge, dont limit yourself and dont be afraid to be weird. Life offers way more that what you see right now, it is more than whats around you at this very moment. Dig as far as you can in your soul to find enlightenment and dont ever become one of The Greys.

I suppose that lyrical binding is rich and surprising like the music equally. Who is responsible for texts? What are them themes?

Syriak is the main lyricist in the band. As for the themes it can go everywhere social criticism, poetry, letter for a dead friend, shroom trip gone bad as for the music anything goes.

What are relationships in the team? You have the woman. Do you have a leader of the band?

Yes and No. Some compose more than others but musically, I think we all have strong personalities so everybodys ideas will be heard and considered and worked on which gives that crazy blend of sounds.

So I am interesting what do you work for creating tunes?

Sounds, Fear and Alcohol.