KIJU
The label sheet describes
KIJU as nu-thrash metal. Though many times such terms are used to cover
the truth and confuse us, this time the term is quite accurate. Cause KIJU
definitely have a modern sound, but they never forget their roots, which
is thrash metal. If you want to listen to sheer headbanging music, these
guys might have the answer to your quest...
Also if anybody knows
an actrees called Maria Fagra which was born in kiatou, and used to live
in Athens some years ago and also played with a semi
professional theater
company in Sicily, please contac with us, cause Vitto from Kiju want to
contact with her...
1. FIRST OF ALL, GIVE US A SHORT BAND BIO AND
PRESENT US THE CURRENT LINE UP.
-
So we are together since 1998… when me, Vitto,
I joined the band as a vocalist. After 6 months we recorded the first demo
"hook my neurons".. after 2 years we decided to enter again the studio,
and to release "nothing to play for"… www.metalageproductions.com was the
best partner in that period… so we decided to start working with them for
this exiting experience…maybe they are going to be our label also for the
new album, next year. We have play some shows outside the border of Italy,
we have been in Slovakia, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Hungary… and I
can assure that in is much more interesting to play abroad. The album is
distributed by www.twilight-vertrieb.com, from Eutin, in Germany, and is
available almost in all Europe….
2. KIJU IS A VERY STRANGE NAME. WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
HOW DID YOU CHOOSE IT?
-
The name means nothing! But it sounds good. Isn’t
this enough?
3. SOMEWHERE ON THE NET I READ THAT YOU PLAY NU
METAL. DO YOU AGREE WITH THIS TERM? HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR MUSIC?
BY LISTENING TO YOUR CD I HAVE DISCOVERED A STRONG KREATOR/SEPULTURA FEELING.
DO YOU AGREE? WHICH ARE THE BANDS THAT INFLUENCED YOUR STYLE?
-
Nu metal… mmmm… we are KIJU. That is all. We love
very different kind of music. And my part is to play. Than, your part,
as a writer, is to describe our influences. For sure we love everything
from bands like sepultura, machine head, biohazard… duran duran(I am not
joking), slayer, fear factory…
4. BEFORE YOUR OFFICIAL ALBUM YOU HAVE RELEASED
A DEMO. WHICH ARE THE SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES AMONG THESE 2 RELEASES?
IS ANY SONG OF THE DEMO INCLUDED ON THE DEBUT ALBUM?
-
One song from the demo is on the album:
"out of control", but is shorter on the album than in the demo. And all
the production is definitively better…hook my neurons is a good demo… but
the vocals were really awful (sorry!) and the sound was not good at all.
5. ON YOUR ALBUM YOU ALSO HAVE A HIDDEN TRACK.
WHICH IS THE PURPOSE OF SOMETHING LIKE THAT?
-
It Was just a stupid joke about stupid things…
let it be. There is in your life always a reason for everything? mmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!!!
we are funny persons… we are serious only on the stage. When we put the
instruments down… oh please…you must to run away!
6. THE PRODUCTION IS VERY GOD AND ENERGETIC. WHERE
HAVE YOU RECORDED AND PRODUCED IT? WHO WAS THE PRODUCER? HOW LONG DID IT
TAKE YOU TO FINISH WITH THE RECORDING AND MIXING SESSIONS?
-
We recorded the album at www.fearstudio.com one
of the best studios in Europe I think. It is small, not super comfortable…
and the sound is really blowing away everything… We spent there 1 month,
the producers where mr.gabry ravaglia and paso.
7. WHICH IS THE THEMATOLOGY OF YOUR LYRICS AND
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THEM?
-
The lyrics are about the troubles that we face
every day… you wake up in the morning: you start listening to absurd politicians,
naked useless actresses, stupid tv shows… and war, ignorance, violence.
this is the real brutality! The only violence I love is the one that comes
from the amps, from my mouth, sweating on the stage, all together… this
is wonderful!
8. IN YOUR FRONT COVER YOU HAVE A SCREAMING FACE
AND ON THE BACK A MASK. WHAT DO THOSE 2 SYMBOLIZE AND HOW ARE THEY CONNECTED
TO YOUR MUSIC?
-
We live inside a fucking glass bell, we don’t
really understand what’s the reality of the things around us… sometimes
we need to scream really strong to let everybody understand… or wear a
mask to hide our real identity… or wear a mask to hide ourselves inside
the system… and than one day break it…
9. HOW IMPORTANT IS IMAGE, PHILOSOPHY AND IDEOLOGY
BEHIND A BAND? WHICH IS THE PHILOSOPHY BEHIND KIJU?
-
Respect for everything is alive around us. We
love Life, having fun in any possible way. Meeting people and sharing ideals
and points of view. I hope to meet you in your country: I’ve been there
twice and I have good memories… Have you ever been in kiatou? A small town
near korintos. Maybe you can help me to find a nice sweet girl in Greece…
was called maria… nice great period in your country…
10. DO YOU HAVE ANY PLANS FOR LIVE SHOWS? WHAT
SHOULD THE METALLERS EXPECT FROM A KIJU LIVE SHOW?
-
Energy! Sweat! We are a great live band… maybe
we are much more better than on the album. In Budapest and Zurich and in
Slovakia there were people really flying all around in the venues… amazing!
We will be in Holland In January… we hope some day to come to your country.
11. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO SOMEONE THAT DOESN'T
KNOW YOU, IN ORDER TO INTRIGUE HIS INTEREST? WHICH IS YOUR MOST APPEALING
ELEMENT ACCORDING TO YOU?
-
On a statistic of more than 200 reviews, The average
rate for "nothing to play for" has been 8/10 and considering that some
magazines where specialized with black metal or rock and roll… this is
good, don’t you think?
12. IF YOUR MUSIC WERE AN EMOTION, WHAT WOULD
IT BE? IF IT WERE A PAINTING, WHAT WOULD IT SHOW
-
Anger, rage, feeling strong but wounded? A painting
of one of us sitting… sitting without any movement… and on the backside…
one of us on stage…jumping!
13. IF YOU HAD A PROPOSAL TO DO A VIDEO CLIP,
WHICH SONG OF YOURS WOULD YOU CHOOSE AND HOW DO YOU IMAGINE IT TO
BE?
-
Maybe the title track… but it is too long probably,
mtv will cut it! I don’t know… us perhaps… into the black and white images
of a movielike "the hate" from Mathieu Kassovitz.
14. LET'S SUPPOSE THAT WE LIVE IN A WORLD WITHOUT
MUSIC. WHAT WOULD YOU DO IN SUCH A CASE?
-
Only dedicating myself on girls…if is not possible
to invent a new system of self relaxation and self expression called KIJU
15. IN WHICH MOVIE SOUNDTRACK WOULD YOU LIKE TO
HAVE TAKEN PART OR HAVE COMPOSED?
-
I don’t know… maybe in one yankee movie
f war or super heroes… but I don’t like this kind of cinema… so…
16. THANK YOU! HAVE I FORGOTTEN TO ASK YOU ANYTHING
AND YOU'D LIKE TO MENTION?
-
No it is ok… do you have any sister? No? if you
have one… never let her meet me.(I’m joking!) Thanks a lot for the interview.
Nikos "William_Kidd" Parastatidis
|