Blackie from Cales & Root interview
by joseangeles@muchomail.com
In America, not much are familiar with any of your bands, are you famous in your country though? Do you wish to get more recognition in the West or do you not care for popularity?
I would be telling a lie if I I would say no. But in the situation
as it
is, it is very difficult to achieve any recognition in the West,
especially when you are from (formel) Eastern block.
Many times I put much effort into it, but nowadays I have left it
completely:o) I leave it up to fate and don't give it much pressure.
Of
course, if any serious offer arrives I am open to work on it. I would
certainly like to play abroad more, but not just for travelling expenses,
which the most common offer.
Root influenced a lot of black metal over the years and you guys were very underrated in my opinion, what are your thoughts on the popular "black metal" (I use the term loosely here) bands that kind of made it big like Dimmu Borgir and Cradle of Filth?
I dont feel like Root is underrated. We gain much recognition abroad
by
the time and quite a respect as well. Just in case of feepaying we are
often "underrated":o) Bands in the West world usually take
5000 Euro and
more for a show, we eant 1000 Euro for a show including travelling
expenses and it appears to be too much for some organizers, just because
we live in the East (they possibly think we live on air or what:o))
The bands you named above are very popular and achieved nearly maximum
in their genre. One must agree, that they do their job perfectly, whether
he likes that particular music or not. In fact, I do not listen to this
particular kind of music for some time. But I am always willing to see
a DB or COF show
I read you like drinking alcohol when writing music, what is your favorite drink and how often do you drink?
When composing I prefer to drink red wine with occasional addition
of some weed. From spirits I like most slivovitz (czech plum brandy).
Besides I drink beer, whiskey, finlandia vodka and...well any quack
remedy:o)
I like all of your bands, out of all your projects though, which would you say you enjoy doing the most?
Cales of course, which is the only project I still abide and I intend
to
do in the future. Besides that I play and compose only for Root (and
some ordered music to make my living:o)
Do you make a living just on music alone or do you have another job?
As I suggested in the answer above, I make my humble living just on
music. In times of financial crisis my father, girlfriend and friends
always support me:o)
What bands would you say Cales is similar to? I've read reviews comparing you to Opeth and Dan Swano, would you agree you are similar to them?
Please dont't ask me that, because I refuse any comparations:o) I dont
know Opeth much (just heard some bits of it in the car with Redblack
owner). I dont understand why are we compared to them, though from the
pieces I have heard, I can say Opeth is music of high quality so I dont
mind:o) I personally compose in much different way. Opeth are usually
connecting
individual riffs into track, I compose the whole songs.
I like Dan Swano therefore I must admit, there can be an influence
from
that side, why not? He is very skilled musician. In many cases a
similarity can appear, which is based in the fact that we were born
the
same year, had similar influences, listened to similar music etc.
Your last album had very personal lyrics, when you were making Uncommon Excursion, what did you begin work on first, the music or the lyrics?
I started writing music and some time later the whole process
synchronized. The majority of material I composed with a hangover after
patries or right under the influence:o) I had many such ideas in the
past, but it never seemed to suit for Cales concept. In the end I
decided for this radical change. I apparently spent all the rock
conception for this record and will not likely come back with it on
the
next CD. Nowadays I came back into the mystic and atmospheric moods.
It
wont be however any kind of return to the Pass In Time, I want to
develop forwards again.
In the song "Unknow Reasons", were the lyrics about someone you knew in real life? What is the story behind that person and what does that person think of the song?
Yeah :-) The persons story is too large to write out in entirety here.
If the one mentioned read the lyric, he surely understood whats up:-)
we
did not talk about it, so I dont know his opinion, however, he knows
my
opinion of him, I told him every aspect of the lyric in person:-) It
is
a mere interpretation of reality.
Uncommon Excursion was very mellow from everything else you've done,did you listen to different kinds of bands for influence like the Cure or Pink Floyd?
Well, not quite, I have done mellower things in the past, they are
just
not known to public:o) My musical range is very large, which is good
for
a musician, I suppose. I really listened to The Cure and Pink Floyd
and
besides those also many other bands of various genres (no point of
mentioning all of them here ). I cannot deny that the vast scale of
bands influenced me in my musical deveopment. However it is still
evident that I created my own personal style of playing, composing,
production and expression, which I believe is heard from anything I
am
doing.
In the future, what kinds of themes will you have in your music? Will you continue with more Celtic stuff or more personal stuff?
There will always be that Celtic stuff in my music, but not so much
in
the front. That means I will not chant what a great hero I am with
celtic blood in my veins etc. It will only be apparent in music, because
I feel very inspired by celtic music and rhythms. In addition, my
plans for 4th Cales album are, that it will be 80% instrumental, with
just some 2 or 3 sung pieces. The concept will be dedicated to Natural
and Space elements.
Well, if I take more thorough look, in fact all the music and lyrics
(including Pass In Time) are "personal stuff":o)
How many more Cales albums do you think you'll make in the future?
Cannot say that by now. It may happen that I wont feel like making
more
music some time. I dont know.
People are ceasing to buy albums thinking that they could easily download
anything from internet. That is why I am beginning to feel like making
no more new records. Anyway, I have made so many songs, that I could
play them live until I retire:o) Now I am working on 4th Cales album
and I am not concerned yet with what will come after.