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First of all, please
introduce your band to the readers.
Mat: We are a three-piece band: Flux (Guitar,
synthetiser), Pierro (bass guitar and guitar sometimes)
and Mat (lead singer, machines). We get on very well
together, we really are on the same level and the major
axis that connects us is no doubt the pure creative
surge. Although our ideas can be divergent at times, we
meet on the deep feeling that musical creation of any
other form of creation is the best way to escape. It
allows us to re-invent a world in our image. To let
loose what's boiling in our heads in order to spread
some of our own universe around us. The world is as you
see it in your head and not how you see it on T.V . This
is ours, it's called Malakwa.
How did things get started?
Mat: Right, we're going to sum it up: First Flux
and I met and decided to make music...Later, we adopted
an electribe named Paco (we've always had problems with
our drummers!!). After the first recording session in
2005, Steeve, the bassist, buggered off. We continued
composing just the two of us, with Flux.Then we made
friends with Pierro (originally a drummer and a
guitarist). We spent some wacky moments together, we got
on well. His first band had been a bit of a clash. He
then integrated Malakwa a few months after that. He
managed to find his place brilliantly as a bassist and
brought his particuliar vision on to the Malakwa sound.
That's it concerning the chrysalide, and little by
little the insect comes out and now things can begin.
Your bandname has a crazy sounding. Who made up the
bandname, and has it a special meaning?
Flux: We found it with Mat, it started off as a
joke. MALAKWA: it rings like some magic spell, a sort of
"abracadabra". It doesn't really mean anything ,it
represent the universe we created for ourselves.
With your music you combine grunge with some modern
electronic beats and samples.What made you decide to
bring this weird combination into songs, and how would
you describe your music yourselves?
Pierro: In fact purchasing the electribe has
allowed us to bend our favorites styles, to keep a well
grungy and destructured touch while we still have a very
square rhythm, thanks to the machine without mentionning
the possibility of industrial sounds but the spirit is
to do our best to make our music with rudimentary
material (Strat guitar, Marshall amplifier a little
distortion,and a "passé" machine). The evolution in the
sound just happened by itself. We still listen to
electro, punk, indus...and we spit out our pre-chewed
grud the most sincerly possible. We decided to call it
"industrial electrogrunge/ electropunk", because we
needed to name our sound into few words, but I believe
that we can't even explain our music ourselves. We don't
ask ourselves too many questions on whether we belong to
an environment, we think that all styles have good in
them, we absorb it, we digest it and Malakwa is our
shit!!
What are your main influences?
Pierro: Among the bands that have the most
inspired us, we can mention N.I.N, Ministry, the Sonic
Youth, the Doors, Rammstein, Iggy Pop... we also have
the Sheep on drugs, Punish Yourself... and many more!
But our influences aren't only musical, paiting and
literature play a large role in our lives, some artists
as Francis Bacon, Matthew Barney, Orlan... and writters
as Rimbaud, Lautreamont, E.Poe, Sade...have often
inflenced our way of seeing things.
So far you have realised some demos already upon
minkind. How did the audience reply on your weird music?
Mat: Generally the public is quite surprised. We
have had some good echoes concerning our live
performances and the recording, but we cannot always be
sure of people's sincerity!! Concerning our lyrics, I
don't want it to be too easy to understand. Okay kill
your T.V or Under control are explicit enough where the
title's concerned, but others like The day of the
tentacle or Like a dry jellyfish are much more personal.
Generally our songs talk about our era, our generation,
about the fact that most people still don't know that
they can think by themselves, about man's need to let
himself be guided by others. This apathetic collectivity
as if it were too hard to think, to question one's self.
It's too easy to lean on a leader, to follow a party or
a fashion instead of creating one or to watch reality
shows and to identify yourself to others instead of
looking in a mirror. T.V has made us stupid and has
taught us to envy others, fashion has taught us to point
at our differences and politics to believe that one man
can make decision for an entire nation.Things are how
they are and to take note of it may enable us to think
about it.Thinking about it would already be a step in
evolution of things. Meanwhile, if the world doesn't
suit you, well, like us invent another one!
Now lets talk about your live performance. the music
you make fits excellent to a crazy and powerful show.
What can a stranger expect when he visits a live show of
Malakwa?
Pierro: The public can be sure of two things: we
play at hundred purcent and totally drunk! For the
visual side, we let ourselves go to spontaneous trips,
at that moment we are fond of fetishist trip with a
schamanism of the modern times touch: bones, cranes
almost everywhere, stroboscope for highly-rated
hypnotic... and many others crazy stuffs. Any how, don't
expect a syncronised choregraphy.
There seems to be lots of talent in the underground
scene in france when it comes to industrial metal,
although few french labels seem to be interested in
signing them. How do you look upon the French industrial
scene, and it's audience included?
Pierro: Concerning labels we haven't really
thought it over to be able to speak with ease about
them; but indeed we do know that we are lucky to have
some very good bands in France like Punish Yourself,
Tamtrum, Dolls of Pain, to name a few. And concerning
the public our experience allows us to say that the
crowd we find in this field is drawn together by a same
way of seeing things, you always have the true people
(those that you notice the less), and the posers, those
with their ceremonial costumes to prove something to the
others but surely not to themselves.
What can we expect of Malakwa in the near future?
Mat: A new CD very soon, remixes,videos and more
concerts... always, why not in Holland! And why not
photos for Playboy, hahahaha!
Thanks a lot for answering the questions. If you have
some final words to add, please do it here.
All: Cheeeeeeeeers!!
Interview by: Gerardo (September 2006) |
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