Kadavar does stoner rock like no one else and the German three-piece is just about to touch down downunder with label-mates Blues Pills for a national tour…this is one you simply cannot afford to miss!
Mark: Hi Christoph, this is Mark from The Rockpit in Australia, how are you?
Christoph: Hey, I’m good thank you.
Mark: Kadaver is a band that we are not too familiar with at the moment in Australia. Can you tell us a little bit about the band, and how you got to where you are now?
Christoph: Of course. We got together in the middle of 2010, so we have been together for three and a half years now. We started with a new bass player about 6 months ago, and we’ve been on tour a lot in that time, we’ve released two records and we finally make it to Australia next week.
Mark: The first album that I have just listened to sounds quite different to “Abra Kadaver”, which we absolutely loved, I understand you had a lot more time to make that first record, is the change in sound a natural progression, or the fact that you had less time to put together the second album?
Christoph: No, I think, the sound of the second record was not really influenced by the time that we had, it was more about the song writing, which actually changed. I think the songs on there are definitely greater than before. The sound of the second record is different compared to the first one, actually because we wanted to make a change, we wanted to have the most possible live and “groovy” sound we could with the least amount of technical help. We had a bass, a guitar and six mikes, and we played together in one room, and that’s what the record felt like, really basic.
Mark: Yes, it’s a really clean, retro rock sound, it’s like there’s a real love of the music this time round. It’s obviously “riff” driven and there’s a bit of Sabbath in there, and also a touch of early Hawkwind. The band has a diverse musical background; you all come from different areas, are your influences different as well, as individuals?
Christoph: No really different, I’d say each of us have influences of our own. I’m probably more influenced by The Beatles than anybody else in the band. Hawkwind is definitely are a big inspiration. I think all of us are trying to have a certain, given bands like Grand Funk Railroad, they did it very well in the seventies, with a minimal amount of instruments played it was very powerful.
Mark: It is great to hear a band that is trying to get back to basics and get that pure sound out there. Do you use vintage equipment when you record, or are you up to date, using the latest technologies?
Christoph: Yeah, we use a lot of old instruments and analogue stuff to have this tone, not necessarily everything has to be old, it’s more of an obsession, and definitely it’s good for the sound to have good quality stuff from the seventies.
Mark: The drum sound is wonderful, were you happy with the way that came out on the album?
Christoph: Actually I’m a little bit between, I like the first album because it was very in your face, and the second album doesn’t have the “punch” of the first one, so, I’m in the middle, I did the two recordings differently, but for me the perfect one would be in between the two, to be honest! But, I like both of them.
Mark: They are great albums. I only heard the first album this week, but the new album is definitely one of our picks of the year. You are coming to Australia in November and December, it will be very hot here, do you like the heat?
Christoph: Yes, of course, now I am riding through Belgium, and it’s cloudy, and windy and cold, we had a good autumn, with not too much rain, but it’s starting to get nasty right now! So, we are all pretty happy to leave this weather and come to the summer.
Mark: You are playing with Blues Pills, are you familiar with those guys?
Christoph: Yeah, of course, they are friends of ours. I don’t think we have played with them before, but we have seen them a couple of times.
Mark: You have also on the bill for some dates, an Australian band called Tumbleweed, who are apparently very big fans of yours, were you aware of them?
Christoph: I am aware we are playing with them, but I haven’t heard the music of the band.
Mark: It’s a bit different to what you play, but they are big fans of your sound, so it should be ok. I believe your friends “Orchid” were instrumental in getting you signed to Nuclear Blast, how did that come about?
Christoph: They played a show in Berlin, probably about two years ago, and after the show we said “hi” and gave them our record. They really liked it, and forwarded it to Nuclear Blast.
Mark: That’s great, and it’s good to see you coming out to Australia as well. What’s the Kadaver live show like? What have we got to look forward to?
Christoph: Actually, more energetic than on record, I mean we have a very special sound on the record, but the live thing is different, live we play with all the energy we have, it’s a different thing when we play on stage.
Mark: We love the new album, and some of the songs that stood out for us were the opener, “Come Back to Life”, and we particularly loved “Eye of the Storm”, which has a real clarity to the sound. What are your particular favourites on there?
Christoph: From the drummer perspective, I like the second track the most, “Doomsday Machine” because it just has a very simple beat, “Eye of the Storm” I like because I did my best work on the record, because there are a lot of little details, maybe those two songs are my favourites.
Mark: The single “Doomsday Machine” is fantastic, and I think it’s the track that people are talking about down here. Going back to your earlier influences, what made you take up drums, what inspired you to become a drummer?
Christoph: I actually had two phases that I was going through, my mother bought a drum kit for my brother, when I was 14, but when I started playing in a band, I was more of a guitarist back then. But then I didn’t play for 8 years, a long time, and then when I moved to Berlin at one point, I played bass in another band. Then when I met the guys I’m in the band with now, drums was the only instrument that was left! So, I was forced to do it! (laughs).
Mark: That’s a good enough reason!! Was there a particular band, or a moment when you heard something, when you thought I’ve got to be in a rock and roll band!?
Christoph: I cannot say that, I think it was more of a process, me and my friends were in bands when we were 14, and I always wished to have a band, but, this is the type of band I really like. So it wasn’t a moment, it was more continuing over the years and finding what you like.
Mark: Do you listen to a lot of music at the moment, are there any bands you’re really in to, we should know about?
Christoph: In the last two months, I haven’t been listening to bands or music, because I don’t have anything on my phone, but of course we listen to music in the van! One band that I definitely enjoy listening to at the moment is Danava from Portland, they are one of my favourite bands, have you heard of them?
Mark: I have, but they are not very well known down here, I think I have a CD called ‘Hemisphere of Shadows’ somewhere! It’s great.
Christoph: That is a record I could always listen to, but right now it’s more random what’s on the bus actually.
Mark: What does the future hold for Kadaver? What are your next steps after this tour of Australia? Are you looking at touring Europe or the States?
Christoph: Australia is really like the end of the huge tour we started in the middle of September in the States; we were there for one month, we then had roughly five weeks in Europe, we are right at the end now and then we come to Australia, and after that we go back to Berlin and play the last show of the year there on the 19th of December. After that we will take off a month completely and do nothing.
Mark: A friend of mine saw you at “South by South West”, you played there whilst you were in the US, did you? How was that experience?
Christoph: Yes, we played there in March, it is a great festival, but it was too much! It was our first time in the States, and to come to the City it’s not like Austin is normally, it was so crowded and there were so many bands! But then we ended up playing on the porch of houses and that was the coolest thing, it was a more relaxed part of Austin, and no longer looking at the schedule anymore that was fun.
Mark: I like Austin very much. Just a couple of quick questions to finish. If you could have been a fly on the wall for the recording of any album, what would it have been for you?
Christoph: Oh, that’s a good question! I would probably pick a Beatles record, because in a way they are still my band, I don’t know which one, probably from the later period. I like all of them, and I would have liked to witness that.
Mark: I’m actually reading a great Beatles book at the moment called ‘Tune In’ it takes the band all the way up to 1962 and I think it’s being released in Germany shortly, it’s a wonderful insight into the music. Finally, what is the meaning of life?
Christoph: Haha! I don’t know!! Just feel it! Be whatever, there is no bigger meaning I guess! You have to make your own meaning!
Mark: I think you are absolutely right. Thank you so much for your time, Christoph, it’s been a pleasure talking to you, and we’ll see you in Western Australia.
Christoph: Thank you, and it was my pleasure, see you there.
