Συνέντευξη με τους GOD IS AN ASTRONAUT 30/10/2008

Το ιρλανδικό συγκρότημα των GOD IS AN ASTRONAUT είναι από τα σπουδαιότερα Post-Rock συγκροτήματα της Ευρώπης. Έρχονται για 1η φορά στην Ελλάδα το Σάββατο 1 Νοεμβρίου στο ΑΝ club, πάνω στην καλύτερη στιγμή της καριέρας τους, έχοντας πραγματοποιήσει αναρίθμητες sold out συναυλίες σε Ευρώπη και ΗΠΑ. Το επικείμενο live τους θα περιλαμβάνει τόσο υλικό από το πολυαναμενόμενο ολοκαίνουριο άλμπουμ τους όσο και το θρυλικό full visual show, με το οποίο το γκρουπ έγινε διεθνώς γνωστό! Ο Χάρης Αποστολόπουλος πήρε μια ενδιαφέρουσα συνέντευξη πό τον Torstern, τον τραγουδιστή (sic)κιθαρίστα και keyboardίστα(έτσι για να ξέρει καλύτερα ένα group που εδώ και χρόνια το αναφέρει στη λίστα του με τους δίσκους της χρονιάς…)

Is it true that God is having fun, hanging out there in a space suit?

Hey, you never know but I imagine without a spacesuit with a pretty goddess.

How did you come up with this metaphor as a band name? Is there a religious reference (e.g. denial) to the divine in general?

We have always been extreme religious fanatics, real bible thumpers, here to spread the word of enlightenment and origin, but seriously it is just a name we like, we got it after watching Clive Barkers ’Nightbreed’, one of the monsters said "God is an Astronaut and Oz is over the Rainbow ....".

In which way can orchestral music provide listeners the chance to explore more about psychological state of themselves?

I don’t really listen to orchestral music so I can’t answer that question.

Your music usually climaxes and bursts. How essential is this in emotional relief?

Some of it climaxes and some of it doesn’t. When it bursts as you put it (ooh! behave) it is usually a release of energy be it negative or positive which is always good to get off your chest.

Experimental, post-rock (allow me to use the term) music has already completed a long circle of life. What do you think is the future of this genre nowadays?

A long circle of life compared to other media tags? I don’t agree. The tag doesn’t mean that much to us, as we don’t follow the rules of post rock, so I don’t care when or if it expires. A lot of it has become a parody of itself. On our new album we have a song called ’Post Mortem’, it is a nod to that fact, we reversed a typical post rock structure in that song.

Comparing to other experimental bands, you are quite distinctive because you have strong melodies, complicated rhythms and more sophisticated structures. How important is technical abilities during creation? How important is the emotion during the expression process?

Experimental is not overly important to us, whatever the song desires we will give it the appropriate production. Technical skill is needed to record music but it is important to note that we don’t make music to show off our technical abilities, to do so would be meaningless and empty. It is all about creating feeling in the music and expressing it as much as possible in the melodies.

In which way you would describe evolution in your music?

Similar to our lives, we go through different stages, trials and tribulations and musically we react to that. Our music has become much more detailed from the early days, we have improved our methods in our writing, performing and recording.

Do you think music and art, in general, can arouse human consciousness and awareness in 21st century?

No! I don’t think we can stop Mugabe being an asshole or part the sea or some shit. I know our music has helped people who have been in a dark place in their lives, so that is as much as we can hope for.

If you were asked to make a parallelism of a human state (e.g. feeling, fact, or picture) with your soundscapes, what would it be?

I think a dark place with a light at the end of it, there has to be hope.

Thanks a lot Torsten and thanksGod Is An Astronaut

ΣΑΒΒΑΤΟ 1 ΝΟΕΜΒΡΙΟΥ 2008 + ABSENT WITHOUT LEAVE
@ ANCLUB* - ΕΙΣΟΔΟΣ: € 27 (ΠΡΟΠΩΛΗΣΗ-ΠΡΩΤΑ 200), € 30 (ΠΡΟΠ.-ΤΑΜΕΙΟ).:

www.myspace.com/godisanastronaut

www.godisanastronaut.com

Χάρης Αποστολόπουλος