Stagnant Waters

STAGNANT WATERS

French­Norwegian band “Stagnant Waters”, unleash their self­title album of extreme black­metal enriched with electronic, free­jazz, noise and industrial fragments, resulting in a totally new kind of music. This is a fully crazy project formed by Norwegian vocalist Svein Egil “Zweizz” Hatlevik (“Fleurety”, “Umoral”, "ex­DHG/Dødheimsgard”), drummer/electronics operator/clarinetist Aymeric Thomas (“Pryapisme”) and guitarist/bassist/keyboardist Camillle Giraudeau (“Dreams of the Drowned”, “Smohalla”). I had the opportunity to get in an interview with the Frenchman Camillle Giraudeau to talk about this band project. Read the full interview below.

Your self­titled album received a lot of hype in the underground press. Were you surprised of that?

A bit yeah, because the process for finishing it has been so long I wasn't that psyched about this recording anymore. Hated it at some point to be honest.

How long was the writing/recording process for this album? What was the experience like?

90% of the album has been written and recorded within 2008, then vocals were recorded in 2010, and basslines / mixing / mastering took the two other years. For me, it was a very exciting experience because I deeply respect and admire Aymerics and Svein Egils past work. And yeah, had the feeling of exploring. I live for this.

Your mashing of different styles seem a trademark of your sound. What degree of attention is necessary to fully appreciate your music?

I guess you just have to drop the etiquettes.

Otherwise you’ll keep thinking “why are they melting this and that”.. And it will prevent you from listening.

What bands have influenced your sound the most?

For me and for this album especially: free extreme

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music such as “Disco Volante” era “Mr Bungle”, “666 International” era “Dodheimsgard”, “Smohalla”,“Fleurety”,“Atomsmasher/Phantomsm asher”, and “Pryapisme”. For Aymeric and Svein Egil ­ a whole bunch of even weirder stuff, I guess.

Hehe. I'm the conventionnal one here!

Do you have a particular favorite song on the album or any segment that you are particularly proud of?

All those songs have a story of their own, but Svein Egil kind of said something like “this his how Dodheimsgard should have turned after 666 International” about “Of salt and waters”, and that made me proud.

Can you talk a little about “Stagnant Waters” songwriting process?

Yeah. Good memories. Wrote four songs by my own (“Algae”, “Of salt and waters”, “Castles” and “Bandaged in suicide notes”), in a very tormented era of my life. It would have ended up in the trashcan as most of what I'm doing if my friend Nico from “Pryapisme” didn't introduced me to Aymeric (who plays in this wonderful band as well). He agreed to collaborate, sent me some supersick patterns ­ and assembling them into songs turned my summer into one of my dearest memories. It was all shrouded in colours, magic.

May 2013 I Milfits 'zine

I was really having fun in a really creative, childish way. Then he kind of pimped the four first songs with magic of his own, finished the others that I had just written with his recordings, and by the end of august, the album was done ­ except for “Axolotl” who was finished months later, and was written differently (I wrote the first part with Aymeric patterns, and he wrote the second part by himself). After that, we began looking for a vocalist. Joey Hopkins proposed himself but sadly and absurdly died. Svein Egil took his place ­ they were long time collaborators, and I hereby suggest you to check out their superb album “Zweizz & Joey Hopkins”. In february 2010, he came in Aymerics place to record his parts, and it was a very fun and productive week.

Then we had to finish the whole thingie and it was just shitty, long and non instictive. Wont be the same for the next one. I learned.

How much of what you write do you end up keeping?

For this album, I'd say 90%. “Concrete” used to be way longer and richer, but we got tired of it. So Aymeric kind of rebuilt it the way it is now.

Otherwise, we used the whole thing. Instant magic ­ nothing to throw. For the rest of my music, I'd say...10%. I'm cursed with self loathing, and I have regular absurdity attacks which prevents me to do a lot of things. But for “Stagnant Waters”, two wonderful individuals got my back, so its easier. Maybe even three, now.

What's the greatest challenge to recreating your songs live?

Won't ever happen. Not the way its supposed to be.

Those songs are a studio experiment ­ besides, it wouldn't be do able, as we all live far away from each other, and we would need to hire other musicians, and stuff.

Do you have any tour dates in support of the album?

Nopes..

If you could tour with any band, who would you like to tour with the most?

I'd say...”Pryapisme”. Its one of my favorite bands, May 2013 I Milfits 'zine

STAGNANT WATERS really, and seeing them every night would surely be a wonderful experience ­ havent been able to witness it yet. Need to fix this. By the way, their new album is coming in 2013, and it's a masterpiece.

Are there any plans for a new, full album yet?

What other important ideas do “Stagnant Waters” hope to unleash upon the world?

I know it would sound more erotic if Id tell you we have ideologies behind our music. But as far as I'm concerned, for our debut album, I wasnt thinking anything specific while writing those songs other than ­ wow, this part sounds wonderful !! or ­ this riff rules ! ­ I was hanging out with my girlfriend, it was sunny, I was playing Chrono Trigger when I wasnt recording.

Far from anything psychopathic or remotely dark I'd say, sorry. It was just about music, and magic. Fun to see how people perceive it now. I guess the whole weirdass shouting, dislocated lyrics and dark artwork shaped it into a whole new thing, and its good.

It simply makes it the way it is ­ multifaceted, hybrid.

Some say, wonderful. Our french multicolours meets norwegian absurdist darkness. I'm five years older now, so its going to be entirely different for the second album, which will definitely happen if nobody dies first. Im done paying hommage to other bands or trying to impersonate other musicians. And I've got five new years of awful and dark experiences to transcend into music.

Svein Egil will also have a lot more input, musically speaking.

Is there anything else you would like to say?

Yes. Thank you for the support, and keep your ears opened. Be sure to check out Pryapisme’s upcoming album. And I guess I'm also going to release a shitload of things soon, as “Dreams of the drowned”, so yeah, check it out if you liked “Stagnant Waters”. Thanks.

"Stagnant Waters" online: www.facebook.com/eauxstagnantes

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