Napalmed
is a band that bombs our ears with noise. Their interpretation and presentation
of music is in a form of noise using multiple ways to achieve it. If you
are curious and would like to learn some more all you have to do is read
the following interview and contact the man behind it who is no other than
Radek.
1.TELL US IN A FEW WORDS THE MOST IMPORTANT
MOMENTS OF THE BAND'S HISTORY. WHICH IS TODAY'S LINE UP?
Hi Nick and the reader of the 'BEHIND
THE VEIL' e-zine! No special moments in our band's history. Some changes
in the line-up and instrument park was changed a bit
too. We started NAPALMED as a band with two basses (Petr
Beranek, Martin Holy) drums (Martin Beraxa) and me on voice. It was mid
`94 and the we created unplanned improvisational noise(core) sounds. All
three musical instruments were thrown away. At the end of `97 first
line-up changes started. I started searching new members, which were Franta
Pacan, Mira Vlcek and long time band friend Petr Kopecky. Now we are from
four to five piece band: Mira Vlcek - sounds & metals, Petr Kopecky
- metals, Martin Holy - ; metals & sounds, Martin
Beraxa - rhytms & sounds, Radek Kopel - voice, sounds & noise
manipulations.
2. WHY HAVE YOU NAMED THE BAND NAPALMED?
IS IT A WAY OF SHOWING THE EXTREMITY OF YOUR MUSIC?
At first NAPALMED is a fonetical version
of NAPALM DEATH what was(is?) my favourite band. Of course
other meaning are available as like > to be NAPALMED, napalm medicine,
napalmad, napalm mad, .... The choice is on you. The extremity of our "music"
isn't closed to our band's name...
3. WHICH ARE THE BAND'S INFLUENCES?
WHICH ARE YOUR 5 MOST BELOVED ALBUMS?
At the beginning the influences were:
ANAL CUNT, MERCILESS NOISE, MEAT SHITS, GEROGERIGEGEGE, EINSTUERZENDE NEUBAUTEN,
some/many other sorts of music like electro, jazz, minimalism, garage types,
grind core, punk, impromptu, ethno/world, and many, many more. No 5 actual
beloved albums, because I listen to music each day since my 15. Jewels
of the last times are for example: SISSY SPACEK - s/t [USA], PLASMA - Gorefuck
[Germany], ALIENATION MENTAL - Ball spouter [Czech], ...?!?!?!?!?!
4. TO BE HONEST IT IS VERY DIFFICULT
FOR ME TO CHARACTERIZE YOUR MUSIC? HOWEVER,
I THIK THAT IT'S SOMETHING EXPERIMENTAL AND ARTISTIC IN A WAY. CAN YOU
TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE?
Moreover you listened only to one of
many of our recordings. I think each realese is "absolutely"
different > DIFFERENT! Some of works are power electronix,
industrial, noise, ambient, other rhytmical, sampled manipulations
... I achieve to create interesting sounds in the perfect quality sound
and good production. The rest is on the listeners themselves.
5. DO YOU PERFORM LIVE AS A BAND? CAN
YOU DESCRIBE TO US A TYPICAL SHOW OF YOURS?
For sure. As we are a band. NAPALMED
was started as a normal BAND. Of course we performed live. Til now about
50 times. We made sounds, I collect them from my co-players,
manipulate. Alot of feelings and stranges ideas there.
6. HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO COMPOSE
THIS DEMO? HOW DO YOU GENERALLY COMPOSE SONGS? WHAT PROCEDURE
DO YOU FOLLOW?
We prepare the technical equipment,
tell some technical, small concept and time data. Thanx we
recorded the demo/album in live and continual stream of sound. After some
time of small editation, listening I'll count if the recording
is O.K. to be released. If there's idea for proffesional item, I
went to studio for final mastering work.
7. HOW WAS YOUR DEMO ACCEPTED BY THE
FANS AND PRESS? WHAT REVIEWS HAVE YOU RECEIVED? WHICH WAS THE
BEST AND WHICH WAS THE WORST?
I made a huge promotional action with
this album.
8. WHEN I HEARD YOUR ALBUM FOR THE
FIRST TIME I THOUGHT THAT "HELL" IS SOMEHOW LIKE THIS. DO YOU WANNA CREATE
SUCH FEELINGS TO YOUR LISTENERS?
We made sounds, we made experiments,
we released and the rest is on the listeners themeselves. To find something
there, any interesting ideas, places. Listen, think about them. It's a
bit bored for me to listen to new metal album and know what
will come in a few next seconds, minutes. This is the one of the
reasons I don't want "normal" band, I don't listen "normal" music.
9. DON'T YOU THINK THAT WHAT YOU DO
IS RISKY? THAT SOME PEOPLE MIGHT ACCUSE YOU THAT YOU DON'T PLAY MUSIC AT
ALL AND JUST CREATE NOISE? WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO ANSWER TO THEM?
To do anything is risky. As I answered
the previous question. For me is risky, when a band released another metal/grind/rock
album and I feel I know it. People could judge/accuse NAPALMED from all
the things. Their choice. We create just NOISE, and I think it is MUSIC.
Unusual, but MUSIC. No often hearing melodies, no chords, no
words, no rhythms(?). There are any other kinds of music/sounds,
so not problem to find their own.
10. WHY DON'T YOU USE LYRICS?
I think no need to add words in our
sounds. I used voice, what is enough. On my mind all is there. Someone
missed rhythms, other words, if we will add all people missed, then our
music will be not ours. Never say never, so may be in the future we will
put words, rhythms there.
11. IF YOU WEREN'T INVOLVED WITH MUSIC,
WHAT ELSE WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO?
I would like to learn languages: make
my english better, learn japanese. More I'm interested in graphic art,
photography, so these would be the ways.
12. WHY ARE THERE SO MANY BANDS IN
THE EXTREME METAL GENRE THAT EPXRESS RACISTIC IDEOLOGIES?
I don't know, you have to ask them.
Few of the are really so stupid, they trust in the shits, the rest use
these themes and ideologies as pose or to shock. Same I don't
understand some bands (in the industrial scene too), who use themes about
mass murderers, sexual abuse, etc.
13. HAVE YOU LISTENED TO ANY INTERESTING
NEW BANDS?
I listened to a lot of music. No genre
limitation here: the NICE, BRUTAL TRUTH, BEASTIE BOYS,
SISSY SPACEK, NENEH CHERRY, LAIBACH, YUSSOU N'DOUR, czech rock/alternative/...,
world music, jazz, industrial, electro, ......... All of them and many,
Many, MANY OTHER sound interesting to me.
14. IF SOMEDAY YOU HAD THE CHANCE TO
MEET THE CREATURE THAT CREATED THE UNIVERSE, WHICH WOULD YOUR
BIGGEST QUESTION BE?
No question, just pray to be peaceful
and find the way to communicate.
15. IS THERE AN ALBUM THAT YOU'D WANT
TO HAVE COMPOSED YOURSELVES? WHICH IS THIS?
We composed all the albums we wanted.
Any of them are: "Never mind the MSBR, here's the NAPALMED" and "Up to
the ears in tinnitus". I would very like to compose simple melody
or idea, which will became evergreen, ha-ha!
16. WHICH IS MAN'S BIGGEST TEMPTATION?
I really can't imagine what's man's
temptation, mine is to have a try look for new things again and again.
17. WHAT PROLOGUE AND TITLE WOULD YOU
LIKE THIS INTERVIEW TO HAVE?
Your choice. I hope you will find something
good. If no idea from you, here's: "baBITCHka a kraBITCHka"
18. THANK YOU! HAVE I FORGOT TO ASK
YOU ANYTHING AND YOU'D LIKE TO MENTION?
Thanx U2 and the readers. I'm very
sorry about so long delay, too much things in life and no time. Time is
fast, and I only tried to be faster. Feel free to jundge NAPALMED, don't
forget to communicate. You can start w/me. We can trade music, flyers,
etc... Radek Kopel, Lipova 1123, 434 01 Most, CZECH REPUBLIC, [email protected];
http://napalweb.host.sk