MASTER’S HAMMER (Eng.)
– Hello, thanks for your time. How is currently the band doing?
Relaxing and drinking occasionally.
– First off, if you don’t mind, I would like to review a bit your history. During the early 90’s you released two albums which are nowadays considered cult albums, therefore you are also considered a cult band. How do you feel about this?
I feel strange, music has never been my primary occupation. A cult of involuntary ignorance. Perhaps.
– In fact both “Ritual” and “The Jilemnice Occultist” were reissued by Nuclear War Now. Do you think this and the Internet have made these two albums got now more recognition?
The NWN release was not authorised by the band, we haven’t got a slightest notice before they did it, we never got a single copy of it afterwards. Although I accepted Yousuke’s apologize that it wasn’t his fault, etc., but I don’t care who’s fault it was – it doesn’t matter. And the ugly design… poor fans who spend horrible cash for such a garbage.
Recognition? In what way?
– We could say “The Jilemnice Occultist” was a Black Metal Operetta. How did you come up with this idea? Anyway you have never been a traditional band.
Right. Blackmetal for us is just a tool, not a goal. The operetta is a genre I love. I can sing some of them in pub with friends. We prefer epic stories over romantic lyrics, it suites perfectly to our cynical moods with a hint of humor.
– Then the band vanished for over a whole decade. What happened between “Šlágry” and ”Mantras”?
Nothing special, I had some type design business, others diappeared like Valenta – I don’t have a clue of him.
– And how was like your period with Osmose?
Osmose / Kron-H paid for The Jilemnice Occultist and Šlágry. They put the records exactly in desirable place – in metal distribution worldwide. Monitor in early 90s had rather local appearance, so we were happy with Osmose those years. Despite a certain “dissension”, after all, the good will remain, I think. However I’m happy it’s over, definitely.
– With your “Šlágry” we could saw a quite different sound by the band. Why did you decide to do an album like that? Did those years of silence had something to do or affected in some way the final output and approach of the album?
Šlágry was an experiment aimed at non-metalists also. I really like that album, we had a great time vith Vlasta when recording it.
– With your previous “Mantras” we could say you went back to your roots, getting a similar sound to your first two records. After so many years, was easy to capture that old style and feeling of MH?
Easy, of course, once you played hard music, you have got it for life long under your skin.
– Your new opus, “Vracejte konve na místo”, has been self-released once more. Did you get interesting offers from labels?
We’re getting an “interesting” offer every week. Nowadays, when we can do all production and sale by ourselves, there is no reason to ask for a help from labels. There is increasing number of bands doing this way. Thank you, labels, we don’t need you anymore. But it can change anytime.
– I guess this gives you more freedom but, is it easy to handle promotion and everything on your own?
Easier than before
– I could say this time, as you did with “Mantras”, you are mixing different elements of your earlier years plus adding more synths. What did you want to get and express with it?
On the new album there is notably less of synths, I like Joe Harper’s throat singing and his brumle. On «Šumava» song many fans were confused that they hear synths – but there are virtually no synths! Overall, any keyboard-sounding instrument can strengthen certain atmosphere, we used to play alot wit it, but now I’d like to have them more in the background, leaving more space for ethnic instuments with incredible colours.
Also live drummer after 20 years again kicked this record significantly up, albeit more laborous in mixing and mastering. I do prefer live instruments over synths now!
– I’ve always thought the visual part of MASTER’S HAMMER has always been quite important for you. In fact the cover for the new album is simply fantastic and has a different vibe to the artwork of your previous album. Could you please tell us what does the artwork for “Vracejte konve na místo” represent?
Thanks. The idea behind is: two stoned idiots with a lobotomy watering flowers at fullmoon in a graveyard full of extraterrestrials. The angel is in fact one of the aliens and he talks to them: «Okultisto, nihilisto, vracejte nám konve na místo».
– As always, lyrics are in Czech so, would you mind to shed some light on what do they deal with? If I’m not mistaken, you are now covering real experiences and subjects.
That’s right. This is rather sad album, it’s about how everything in this world is getting uglier and duller. A real experience, isn’t it? Besides that it holds songs about smoking chillum, illustrating Lovecraft, sailing in India, all lived through.
You call it singing? Wow! I love Quorthon, Boy George and Klaus Nomi as for real singers. And roaring sleeping bulldog, frogs as well. I like voices of animals alot!
– I would like to know how were the recording sessions of the album and the production process. Some years ago you built your own studio, did you record it there?
Home studio recording can now deliver the SAME professional results for a fraction the price say, 20 years ago in a pro-studio. Blackosh did the mastering for us on a casual laptop – now hear the nice sound. I wonder we had one tenth the today’s technology back in 1990! My studio in south Bohemia is a distant, deserted and quiet place allowing us to work all night long undisturbed, having party for a week, just talk, whatever…, very inspiring place. I prefer comfortable atmosphere, good people over technical perfection. There are many super-skilled musicians with bad characters – impossible to work with. We don’t have expensive hardware either, but spend more for decent instruments and creative freedom.
– You will re-release a remastered version of “Mantras”, why did you decide to do it? Are you now satisfied with the sound of this new “Vracejte konve na místo”?
Mantras shall be re-pressed anyway, the stock is empty, I found a little mastering won’t harm at all. Yes, I’m very happy with the sound of the new one.
– And I read Monitor/EMI will re-release “Ritual”. Could you give any further details? Is there a release date settled?
No idea and no hurry. At the moment I have the master and cover re-design ready. Sadly, no digipack, but I’ll push Monitor to order at least color inner sleeve for the LP and booklet for CD. I found all old diapositives and graphics as they were in the very first release, I’ll change a litte bit the colors, but it’ll stay faithfully in the original style. But the sound will remain 100% same, we’ll keep our ear on it carefully here in the factory.
– That has been everything from my side, thank you once more for answering to our questions. If you want to add some final thoughts; last lines are yours.
Beware of aliens, they are already here.
