Interviewed and Photos by Zenae D. Zukowski
Zenae: I’m Zenae from My Global Mind, and you guys are?
Makki: My name is Makki.
Hati: Hati.
Robse: Robse!
Dom: Dom!
Rene’: Rene’!
Zenae: How are you guys enjoying 70K and what is your drink of choice?
Hati: Beer
Robse: Beer
Makki: I like rum and coke
Rene’: Water!
[laughter]
Dom: I go for beer, everything else is too expensive I think.
Zenae: Are there any bands that you are excited to see?
Robse: Trollfest
Dom: Dying fetus
Rene’: Vreid
Robse: Pain
Makki: Marduk
Robse: Anthrax
Hati: Demolition Hammer
Dom: Cryptopsy, Carcass.
Hati: Iron Maiden..
[laughter]
Robse: Slayer!
[laughter]
Hati: Is that a trick? Is that a trick?
[laughter]
Zenae: I came here to see you guys.
Dom: Alright!
Makki: Lucky us!
Zenae: You’re the reason why I booked this entire trip.
Robse: This is not recording right now?
Dom: Not under any pressure at all right now.
Zenae: Now that Armageddon has been out for some time now, how do you feel about it? Now that you stepped away from the whole recording process, listening to it every single day of your life.
Rene’: We’re really happy with the result. It really takes months or even years, especially for me when I want to listen to this album again. With Armageddon Because we have been working on it for months. But for Armageddon, it took maybe 2 or 3 months that I could listen to it again. I’m personally really happy with the result – lyrical wise, musically wise, production wise. I think it was a nice step and direction for us.
Zenae: I was curious because you guys wrote a few songs in English, usually you write it in German. What made you write, “Rise Again,” “Born to be Epic” and “Prey” in English?
[laughter]
Rene’: We really like to try out new things, not only concerning music, but also concerning the lyrics. This time when I listened to the songs, when they’ve already played, when you listen to the music you have some words and some words into your brain. This time for some songs that was like, English might fit better actually to this kind of sound. And of course,, we are advantaged to use English because more people can understand it somehow. And I think it has something to it and we will always keep German lyrics of course.
Zenae: Exactly, “Born to be Epic” has that catchy chorus to it.
Band members: [whistling – “Born to Be Epic]
Zenae: “Eternal Destination” is my personal favorite track off of the album.
Robse: Nice!
Zenae: Are you guys looking forward to your upcoming tour in Asia?
Rene’: Of course. I don’t know about the others, but for me.
[laughter]
Rene’: You know, we don’t see each other too much.
[laughter]
Hati: Um, for me, Asia is very special because of ah.. I always wanted to go there. And see the big streets in Japan, buildings in Tokyo, or walk in Shanghai. [Laugh] Cool stuff and yeah…..
Band members: [laughter]
Robse: [inaudible] Cats, and dogs.
[laughter]
Robson: Cool stuff. What about you?
Makki: Me? Yeah, I mean I like going back there, I’ve been there with my-my previous band, we played in China I think it’s a quite an experience. It’s very different from Europe or America to play there. Metal is not that common for years now, in the other part of the world. So, it will be different and I’m very excited so I’m looking forward to it.
Zenae: This brings us to … is there a reason why you guys haven’t book a North American Tour yet?
Dom: Because Robse is you know, he’s not really not allowed to enter in the United States.
Zenae: Really?!
[laughter]
Zanae: What?
Dom: No.. Robse.. Robse.. is a convicted alcoholic so.
[laughter]
Robse: Bad luck, I guess.
Rene’: Yeah, but we’ve been thinking about coming to the U.S. for years now. It didn’t really fit. Sometimes we didn’t have the time for it, the schedule wasn’t rightfully placed. Yeah, but we will try to come next year. We are on this trip right now, talking to promoters, so maybe, we’ll figure something out on it.
Zenae: Crossing my fingers for that! Over the years there have been quite a few line-up changes, how has this affected the creative process?
Hati: I think that doesn’t affect the creating process.
Band members: [laughter]
Zenae: Fair enough.
Rene’: The only thing, of course, was the change of our singer because Robse has a different voice compared to our former singer (Helge Stang), so this affected the creative process.
Band members: [laughter]
Dom: Where in the United States do you live?
Zenae: New York.
Rene’: That we should be on the list.
Dom: That’s why I’m asking.
Zenae: I would love for you guys to come to New York.
Robse: Nice.
Zenae: Lastly do you have any advice for starting out musicians?
Hati: In sense of.. in sense of what?
Zenae: That’s a good question. [laugh] For those who are trying to form their own band, just starting out into this industry.
Robse: Yeah, well work hard, don’t be too fast, too happy because even the contract, the record contract doesn’t mean you’re gonna be a big rock star. This is what the fans should know, they should realize, it’s really hard. You have to work your ass off, and for me, it’s very important that to be authentic in that.
Hati: I think like Robse said, to work hard. It takes a like a really lot of, efforts and strict dedication. And really ah.. be willing to ah, put this like your first priority out of the things in life that you would like to pursue as well, and it would have to be pushed away if you really want to make it. And of course playing wise, you don’t have to be the best player in order to be in a successful band, but I think you ah.. eventually it’s product, it has to be a good product, the music has to be good, there should be a I would say a demand for it. The image, ah.. it still has to be well backed.
Rene’: And you also need a person who really knows about the business. I mean after years, um, some band members always become the manager or the corrector of a manager of a band, if you don’t have an external person. You have to know how the business runs, you cannot be totally naive and just go there and play shows and think you would become a rock star. It’s not like that.
Zenae: Yeah!
Dom: Don’t form band, go to school, and get a girlfriend.
[laughter]
Zenae: One more thing earlier this year, you marketed Armageddon on social media by posting the most hysterical photo I’ve ever seen for an album. It was like sitting on a hotel bed or something. I forgot exactly, I don’t know if you remember..
Dom: For what?….
Zenae: You guys were promoting the album in a really funny way. Do you remember?
Dom: What? The last album?
Zenae: Yeah, Armageddon.
Dom: The Equilibrium album?
Zenae: Yes. [laughing]
Dom: Are you sure?
Zenae: Yes.
Dom: Maybe there is a different Equilibrium band?
Zenae: No! no! I can’t remember the photo exactly.
Band members: Ah! Yeah the lying down.
Zenae: Thank you, I’m not crazy! It convinced me to buy the album.
Dom: We should do it like this from now on.
[laughter]
Zenae: Armageddon was on my top 10 of 2016 albums.
Robse: See, sex sells.
Hati: Here is another tip for the bands.
[laughter]
https://equilibrium-metal.net/en/
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