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DEATH DOOM/ SLUDGE
FROM FINLAND

                                                             

1. Hello, what's up? Can you write a little introduce to the band?

Markus: We began to practice during the early Covid era, spring 2020. Some of us knew each other before, some not, but there was a connection to “sahti”, a traditional drink that’s mostly homemade, a bit similar to beer. We had (and still have) the same dealer from the countryside and this was the decisive unifying factor that made us realize we have the same kind of goals in music! I play guitar, Hannu tortures the drums, Julle is responsible for bass and Lauri takes care of guttural sounds plus noise. For the time being we have played live only three times.

Hannu: Make Sahti great again!

2. What does ILON LAPSET mean? The Finnish language is a bit mysterious to me, but I think it has a cool meaning…

Markus: It means “children of joy”. That’s our nature. Also one could take it as a reference to SWANS, because some of us are heavily into “Children of God” album by SWANS.

Julle: It’s a good simple name, you can’t figure straight away that it's this or that sort of music, so it doesn't bound us to any established genre, and nice contrast to our music but in no way as a joke, I’d say Finnish language plays quite much into what we do, brings more varied ways to express lyrical topics which is of course unfortunate for our international audience, and it's also not that typical language in a world of sludge, let alone on this planet anyway.

3. Your new recording "Kurjuuden tuijotus" shows improvements compared to the previous one... The music is more intense, and there are more death doom influences! These parts are very cool for the fan of old death metal I am... I remember your music was mostly into sludge before. What has led to this change? Maybe life has become more difficult?

Markus: Our so-called progress is related to playing together more and more and trying some new things more easily. For example different time signatures and song structures. We don’t have strict rules of how we should sound like, so there are influences also from eg. doom, noiserock and psychedelic rock. The first tape was more simple but I’m satisfied with that recording too. There could be truth in your assumption about difficulties in life. The older one gets the more bitter life becomes.

Hannu: Although all of us listen to the same kind of music, we also listen to a lot of different music. And when you play together more and more, your own different taste of music, and approach to playing music, starts to show more.

4. In some of your new songs, I hear a very old death doom influence, in the spirit of the first album of MY DYING BRIDE or PARADISE LOST (First Lp of each band mostly)... Did you have these bands in mind when composing? Or perhaps you feel some other doom outfits are closer?

Markus: They were not exactly in our mind during composing but in general old death doom is an important influence. Personally I would add early material by ANATHEMA, until “Serenades” album. In particular “As The Flower Withers” by MY DYING BRIDE is often on my turntable. In our latest release especially the track “Rajapinta” has a death doom influence in my opinion. Partly that was conscious but partly not because I composed the opening riff while sleeping.

Julle: I’d say our composing has been sailing forward smoothly, new bits or elements popping up along the way as we have felt and when we have felt like, or when Markus has felt like as he’s the riffmaster, but all in all everything has evolved rather naturally and we keep playing what we feel like playing, there is some conscious tinkering and figuring out of what to do next involved as well.

5. The production on this new release is better, it's more "full" and "wolverine" (like wolverine blues maybe ahah). Where was it recorded and who helped to make it?

Markus: I’m mostly using a pedal that has a Swedish death metal vibe so that’s the reason for your “wolverine blues” reference... Our friend Porcifer has recorded all of our material at our rehearsal place, and in addition he has also mixed everything. After the recordings we mostly just trust his vision, so it’s not really planned, as long as it’s dirty. That’s the way we are going to continue!

Hannu: I think that's also part of the reason why there are 3 tapes in four years. We probably would have made the songs anyway, but to record with our friend at our own rehearsal place with our own (shitty) gear is so easy and comfortable that we are super happy with the setting. Porcifer also listens to a lot of sludge and death metal himself, so he understands the music we aim to do.

6. Old school death metal seems to become quite popular again in Finland, with lots of new bands, some festivals... Do you think the bigger presence of death metal in Finland could have influenced your tastes or compositions? What are the current Finnish DM bands you enjoy?

Markus: I’ve enjoyed lately especially MORBIFIC, GHASTLY and MÄDÄTYS, if I think of contemporary bands. It’s very true that there are a lot of bands and concerts, even good quality festivals like Helsinki Death Fest and that some early bands are still very enjoyable, like DEMILICH or RIPPIKOULU. Death metal in general is an influence so in that sense it’s not really related to contemporary presence of death metal. However we are not a technical band in the same sense that death metal bands often are, so there are limits of how much influence we can take. I could also add that nowadays there is a wave of new bands (mostly from Helsinki) with young members, like AZATOTH, DISGUISED MALIGNANCE and MALFORMED and this is a very positive phenomenon indeed!

Hannu: If we knew how to play our instruments, perhaps we would  play death metal too? Newer Finnish death metal bands i’ve enjoyed other than what Markus already mentioned, are UNEARTHLY RITES and SONIC POISON.

7. What about the Finnish music scene more globally, how healthy is it in your area? Are there some good bands to check out in there? (Metal and other styles).

Markus: We all live in Tampere and especially considering the size of the city the amount of interesting underground concerts (metal, hardcore etc.) is high. There are a couple of excellent venues too, just right for dirty and brutal music. A lot of people who are into underground music live here, however often there is a lack of younger talent. A couple of bands I could recommend are for example REMISSIONS (metallic hardcore) and HEKATOXEN (mid-tempo death metal).

Julle: To me it seems healthy, active, lots of gigs and bands, more zines would not hurt, and this applies to the whole country and for different scenes/styles. I would add DOME RUNNER (Godfleshish pounding), SNUFF RIDER (feedback noise rock screech).

8. In the north of France, we have a festival for stoner, doom, sludge and other music's like that (Rock in Bourlon fest)... And I noticed there exists various kinds of sludge, from the very slow and raw one, to a more atmospheric "aerial" version.... What are your favorite kinds of sludge? What are the most important bands for you in this style?

Markus: For me it started with for example NOOTHGRUSH, EYEHATEGOD and FLESHPRESS in the late 1990s. They are still very important to me. Even if I mentioned EHG, I’m mostly into sludge that’s not so “rocking” but more dismal and harsh. Difficult to explain maybe because obviously EHG is dismal too. But I mean later bands like METH DRINKER and MOLOCH, in addition from Finland FROGSKIN and SLAVE HANDS. These bands have a special gloominess. In the case of FLESHPRESS I appreciate their exploration of different ways of going beyond sludge but still sounding just right.

Hannu: For me, I’ve always preferred the unpleasant, uncomfortable sludge. Of course I like some of the more groovier ones too, but for example NOOTHGRUSH and CORRUPTED are my go-to´s. METH DRINKER did that same thing brilliantly. But at the same time NIGHTSTICK is one of my favorites too.

Julle: Excellent examples there, from EYEHATEGOD to KHANATE and back to MELVINS works for me, I don't have any preferred method, I would add WINTER, one of the best for me, GRIEF of course, always enjoyed their boneheaded feel bad human infection approach, and their fellow Boston mongers UPSIDEDOWN CROSS, and all Larry Lifeless bands.

9. If you could listen to an only album of sludge for the next 12 months, but had to listen to it at least once a week... Which band/ album would you choose from this list, and why? EYEHATEGOD, IRON MONKEY, CROWBAR, SOILENT GREEN (old), MELVINS (Is that really sludge?)... Feel free to add more bands to this list if "urgently" needed…

Markus: Good question - is MELVINS sludge or not? To me at least MELVINS is a part of the musical continuation that led to sludge. From the list I would pick “Gluey Porch Treatments” by MELVINS because it’s so full of ideas that there are still opportunities for discoveries. From outside the list “Pillars” by FLESHPRESS.

Julle: I think I stick to basics here and go for “Take as needed for pain” by EYEHATEGOD, dirt, loose, slow churning, good riffs, wonderful sound, so yes that's it.

10. I see your guitarist's brother has released two of your recordings on cassette on his label Rämekuukkeli-levyt, that's how I got in touch with your music. Is it cool to have a label guy in your family? Does it make some things easier? Or maybe he tries to sing or play strange instruments (like cordless harsh-noise violin) during your gigs? Ahah

Markus: Yeah, Rämekuukkeli-levyt chief is my older brother. That has made some practical things easier.  We have never had any proposals from him to perform or record with us. I would be open to such an idea even if he can’t play any instrument! The second tape was released by Necrolytic Effluence label because we thought that this way the distribution channels could be a bit different.

11. Why is Finland a very nice country, and why should foreigners travel here during their vacations? Is it better to come to Finland during winter or summer?

Markus: Both winter and summer have positive and negative sides. Finnish summer is not that suffocating like the summer in southern Europe so I think that because of climate change it’s going to become more popular for tourists to travel here during the summer months. Winter can be beautiful when it’s cold enough but also disappointing when it’s too warm, wet and dark. Anyway I hope visitors would choose something outside of the ordinary routes. That way they could possibly find something more authentic than what they get at the crappy center of Helsinki or in the Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi. Try some microbreweries, go to non-touristic towns, check out some unusual festivals, enjoy and respect the nature etc. If you’re not a wimp, go to Lahti and “Lanu park” (dedicated to sculptor Olavi Lanu) where you can witness sculptures that are included in the artwork of FLESHPRESS 3rd album and also the latest album.

Julle: Well if there is something that makes this country nice I guess it’s nature, although it’s in coma for way too long during winter but if cold and snow is your thing and enjoy outdoor life then why not, summertime is different of course, listen to birds chirping, water sloshing on many lake shores, whole day with sunlight, fishing, swimming, sweating in sauna, slurping beer, and yeah good music, so what the heck, come over here.

12. What's in your current playlist? What are the bands you listened to the most the last weeks/ months?

Markus: BELL WITCH, REVEREND BIZARRE, KING CRIMSON, UNHOLY, WORM, MORTIFERUM…

Hannu: New SHIT AND SHINE LP, new GOAT(swe) LP, new YDINASEETON POHJOLA tape and the new CASISDEAD LP has been in heavy rotation.

Julle: CHROME CRANKS blasting now on my headphones, earlier british BLOODY HEAD was pummeling my cranium, some death metal yesterday, DIPYGUS and CARCINOID, Back from the Grave and other 60s inept garage punk comps on steady rotation, some older rock’n roll/rhythm & blues/instrumental compilations, CHROME, whatever it is that is needed.

13. It's the last question, something to add before we unplug the artificial heart?

Markus: Our music has a particularly negative feeling, but despite that I hope that every individual could find a way of avoiding the spiral of completely negative thinking. It can be a struggle but often it’s various kinds of art and creativity that are a big help. Stay critical but not totally negative. Thanks for the interview.
 



Listen: https://ilonlapset.bandcamp.com



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