FARSOT. (Eng.)

– Hello, thanks for your time. What are you currently up to?

Hello! I’m currently following my goals at work, haha. Fortunately there’s some space for things like this.

– First of all, would you mind to share a bit the history of the band for all those who don’t know about you yet?

farsot. was founded back in 1999. The first time of rehearsing resulted in the first promotion tape „Im Zwielicht meines glanzlos Lebens“ (2001). The following months until the release of our first official Demo „042103freitod“ personally formed and stabilised the band, because the vacant positions on bass and second guitar closed finally. From that moment we could force our powers only on the bands visions, musical and thematical. The song-writing-process itself improved a lot with discovering ourselves and finding an homogeneous master plan. The logical consequence was the work on a really longed for debut album. After releasing the album, two European tours and a lot of gigs followed. The works on our actual release „Insects“ started in between these touring activities.

– And why did you pick the name «Farsot»? Both its origin and meaning.

Farsot stands for an metaphorical view on things concerning global applicable terms like epidemic, perdition or transience. The source itself belongs to the Swedish vocabulary.

– The band was formed in 1999 but your first album came out in 2007; why did it take you that time?

As mentioned in the second question, we just needed our time building a stable line-up and of course to increase as musicians and songwriters. We all started without skills or experiences related to be a part of a band, writing it’s own music.

– After your debut «IIII» you have just released «Insects», 4 years after, so I guess you take your time to create your sound…

Yes, but we also intensively toured and played gigs after releasing “IIII” so that there wasn’t much time to create new material. Beyond this we are all into jobs, studies and family obligations. We always try to create complete songs without exclusion material or half-hearted claims. But to agree with your words, the increased playing time and the much more complexity on “insects” was a huge reason for this native delay.

– Your sound has plenty details and different influences but, how could you describe the sound in «Insects»?

It is more earthy, more direct but also more inaccessible. For sure a bow to the genres „metal“ and „rock“ in its purest origin. Gripping, conjuring and sustainable. Simply choose your favourite subject heading.

– In fact it seems to be guided by feelings but, beside this, what musical styles or artists have influenced your sound?

No artists or genres consciously characterised our sound. We are all into very various kinds of music. There are nearly no limitations. The result on „Insects“ could be comprehended as an accidental image of our emotions for this period of writing. The coming material, for example, could force completely another direction.

– Comparing «Insects» to «III», I could say this new effort sounds much more mature, moreover production sounds better and the general song-writing has improve. Do you think this is your perfect piece or is this just the threshold for something better?

„Insects“ simply stands for that, what defines farsot personally and musically in the period of about 2008-2012. I think, we can’t create thresholds because we always try to re-invent our sources of musical interpretations. However the result fulfils our anticipations to a very high extent, as before on „IIII“ or „042103freitod“.

– If I’m not mistaken, in this album there are no songs in your mother tongue; was there any concrete reason behind this change?

The simply reason for this change is based on the better compatibility to the riff-exceeding material and the harsh and obstructed aura of the music.

– And talking about this, could you please shed some light on some of the lyrical ideas in the album?

First of all, we think the title “Insects” creates an absorbing mysterious aura of uncertainty. Finally it can be seen as a metaphor of life´s weakness – the fall of mankind. But after all it’s up to the attending listener how to interpret it for himself. The lyrical concept accentuates the cover artwork´s message by challenging man and the human condition. It pulls crushing comparisons between the behaviour of man and insect and was inspired by writings of Gass, Herbert or Kafka among others.

– Tunes as the instrumental «7» bring a different feeling and tessitura to the band, which keeps the listener interested. What did you want to express with that song?

The instrumentals were created to build up some mutual spots within the dramaturgic process of the album. „7“ stands for a time of reasoning reflecting and projecting. Try to pause the earth and its processes for a while and you will get the suitable explanation!

– Though exploring different territories and elements in the album, everything sounds shockingly honest and not forced at all, flowing incredibly good. So due to this I would like to know how was the song-writing process this time around.

The song-writing process lasted for about 3 years. Things took place with the near same formula as we followed since the beginning. The main structures of the songs were developed by drums and rhythm guitar in the rehearsal room. After that, all other members evolved their parts and we refined and matched the whole thing as a collective.

– As I said, your music seems to be guided by feelings so, what’s your music for you? Maybe do you use it to channel your own feelings?

Yes, it’s the right view on things. Farsot became more and more an engine to express feelings and emotions which aren’t predestinated to be spoken out in common life. I can’t say that this procedure is wanted consciously, but definitely determined by our individual subconsciousness.

– In this album atmospheres and balances between different elements seem to be even more important, is this an important part of the band?

Yeah, we love anticlimaxes. Playing with different moods, proceeding with parts which aren’t expected logically. I think we will secure many people who won’t come close to the album, because of its various nested scopes, haha. The listener who isn’t intended to have an extended look on the album, couldn’t follow „insects“. But for all the devoted ones: in the end, everything gets conclusive (I promise!).

– I think the album title impacts with the overall sound on it, which is beautiful and bleak. Would you mind elaborating a bit on the album’s name?

I think you get a correct explanation some questions before.

– Honestly, I think this CD represents a clear progression for FARSOT (though you first album was almost perfect too) but, what does it mean to you? Is an important thing for you to evolve and experiment with each album? Also as individual and not just as musician.

The constraint or rather the intent to create something new and to discover unlimited directions is the genesis and momentum of all. Other ways would simply bore us. „Insects“ itself is for sure another milestone in our development, musically and personally. Hope we can continue with equal powers…

– You haven’t changed your line-up in these years of existence, this seems to be something unusual nowadays. Has been positive for you as a band having the same members involved or the opposite?

It is definitely an advantage to have a stable line-up. The years over you really become a good team, because everybody knows what the other guy tries to explain and what musical perplexities you have to decode. I think no other band can dispute this. For sure, the main cause for this lies in the friendship surrounding us. We started farsot. as an effort of friends, not as a bond of musicians, collected for a project with a defined master plan.