Disperser Interview

 

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band? 

JB (vocals/lyrics): A black metal band from the United States that just wants to express the full spectrum of this experience that we are all living. We just want to create honest art and I have found that for all its hidden veils and mysteriousness that black metal really is a way to express raw, ugly and sometimes vulnerable experiences and emotions, specifically ones that are painful and traumatic. That is what we are trying to capture. I mentally take myself back to some disturbing and unpleasant experiences and places when we record, so I can ensure that I am not only honoring the lyrics and what they are about but also to match the energy of the rest of the group.

2.So far you have released a demo, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?

JB: When I started this band I was (and still am) obsessed with Black Cilice’s 2017 opus “Banished From Time”. It stirred something in me that made me need to create, it also helped calm a lot of negativity. So I envisioned doing my own version of that style when I started. As the band formed and began working together I noticed how…We all loved black metal and music in general but we each had our own niche’s of what we loved the most and what had influence on us. So the sound you hear wasn’t anything we went into the writing process trying to do, we just went where it took us. I let go of preconceived notions very early on. I would say we play a rawer style of black metal but we bring in a lot of influences outside of that. Just trying to paint a rawer picture on different canvases so to speak. Wanting to take some influences from black metal that you may hear on some more polished sounding records’ but give it a raw kick in the teeth. Every song here was placed for a reason, the first song sets a tone that the 2nd one tears apart and the final track pieces them both together in some combination. Once you release something though, you give consent for people to place their own opinions on it. 

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band has explored so far with the music? 

JB: Going back to the first question, I just try to be honest, I spend a lot of time thinking about memories and time. Life is just flowing constantly, regardless of any circumstances going on in our personal lives. The moments we live are here and gone, living on only in our own minds. Most of the time we are at the mercy of memories, thoughts and experiences. I think memory is what allows us to hold onto the idea that we can find meaning in any of this. However, on the flip side of that…how many horrific memories of the past poison the present for people? How much horror do we carry with ourselves everyday? This is a disgusting and vile world, for one reason only. Us. So, the longer we live that burden becomes heavier and heavier. A lot of what I write about falls under that umbrella. On the topic though, A lot of people will blindly speak of black metal just being HATE. I can agree with that, I write a lot about hate. I think, like anything else in life though, SOMETIMES people take a conveyor belt style thinking to that. They’re yelling about hate for hate's sake, cause they’re supposed to and they’re living by some black metal code of conduct. That’s not real, if you’re speaking on something just to do it, you will never reach the level of someone expressing an emotion they’ve been through. When I say hate, I don’t mean hating other people for the sake of what they do, how they were born, where they live or any of that. When I speak of hate, I am speaking from personal experiences that have led me to be the person I am today, things that focus on the self, rather than outside things.. I think a lot of time, hate comes from a place of not accepting something the individual has been through…That  a lot of  anger and resentment is unresolved pain. I am not disrespecting any band, I just feel that sometimes people just use the veil of hate for the sake of using it. It all comes back to honesty.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Disperser: 

JB: I have always been obsessed with wolves, far before I became aware of black metal or how often you see that imagery. So when I was looking for a name I wanted to find the same type of metaphor using a wolf that could convey what the idea of the band was, along with some of the darker imagery that I really love in Black Metal. A Disperser is a wolf who leaves the pack and exists on the fringes of wolf society, sometimes traveling far away from where it grew up. I connected with that both as a person and what I would like us to do as a band. 

5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the ep cover? 

First and foremost, thank you to Maxime Taccardi for our logo that we used on the cover and various sections of the J-card on the cassette. I discovered his work with Psychonaut 4 and some other bands. I was extremely impressed, shortly after that, I saw some work he did on a noise project a friend of mine has, I knew we needed him for Disperser. Being that we have the full album coming out with some extremely detailed artwork (done by Maxime) I wanted to keep it simple. However, the design nuances and ideas go out to our drummer J. He did an amazing job getting it together cohesively and the tape would not look nearly as good without his vision.

6.The band has members that live in New Jersey and Texas 2 separate parts of the country, what impact does this half on the musical style?

P (guitars/keys): The idea of writing music, especially writing music with a member from a separate part of the country, seems daunting, and that was my initial thought when we first began this project as well. As we progressed, being at such a distance from one another, we developed a flow within the writing process because it was necessary to make this work. This has actually become a strength for this band. Everyone has a job to do, and we understand the roles that we have in order to make the best record we can, and we learned this process simply by adapting to that situation. At a backwards glance, it has seemed to help us improve as musicians and songwriters.

K (guitars): I agree with P and I'd add that writing 'virtually' removes some of the pressure of a weekly band practice. I've been in so many bands where once you get everyone in the same room, not only is everyone in different head spaces but may have completely different inspirations and ideas in mind that week. Sending a riff virtually and allowing everyone to collaborate at their own pace has benefited our creativity and flow immensely.

7.If the opportunity ever came around, would you be open to doing live shows?

JB: That is always the question in Black Metal, isn’t it? I don’t know if there’s another genre/sub-genre where people can take such polar opposite opinions on such a simple matter. If you asked me when I started this project I would say no. However, I will be writing or recording with the four other members and there are moments I think, “The energy we could create live with this could be really great.” So I do see us playing live in the future. I would like to tour if opportunities were presented. I think finding four other people who I work well with really opened me up to the idea of playing live. 

8.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest? 

JB: Yes. I have no disillusioned ideas of selling ten million records, however, I want people to hear what we are doing and what we have to say. Liking it or hating it doesn’t matter but this is our creation and we want it to be heard, not locked away like a bastard. We’ve had some conversations with various different labels and individuals but nothing is set in stone. We are still in talks and any label interested is more than welcome to reach out.

9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black metal?

JB: The reaction has been positive and we’re grateful for people taking the time to listen. There’s some ideas here that may not be typical for black metal and I was curious how that would be received. However, we try not to clutch too hard to compliments as art isn’t about creating something people love, it’s about creating something that gives people a strong reaction be it good bad or ugly. The only feedback that would bother me is if they felt nothing at all. 

10.When can we expect a full length and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

JB: Soon. The three songs here will most likely appear on the full-length but we want to ensure we create a worthwhile and long enough process that justifies people listening to an album they’ve heard 3 songs from. We currently have numerous songs in various degrees of being finished. Our style is that we work on 2-3 songs, finish them and record, as opposed to doing everything at once. So our goal is to continue writing in the Summer and Fall for a Winter release, anywhere between December 2021 and February 2022 feels like a safe assumption at this point. I want to leave the 2nd half of this question to a few of our songwriters (everyone writes in this band, there is no designated “songwriting”)

P: Like a lot of things, progression is hard to catch while it's occurring, and might be better looked at after we have that lightbulb moment. But to answer the question, I feel we will continue to not only lean towards a rawer, progressive and more refined sound. Most importantly for me, not to be afraid to push against the limits of what people may think the "right" way black metal should be played.

K: Would say I envision the violent aspects to become even more visceral and punishing, while the quiet moments become even more introspective and dare I say "pretty"? I look forward to combining all the elements of the demo into individual songs or even just passages of new songs.

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays? 

JB: Right now I really enjoy the new Aara record, “Triade I: Eos” it captures so many different aspects of things I like about black metal. Plus, the sound and production is just so well put together and tight, it’s so hard to pull off well but they nailed it.. I really enjoy the new Valac album, “Burning Dawn of Vengeance”  as well as what Vide is doing right now. Valac just knows how to write a damn fine riff and Vide just makes you feel the atmosphere that the individual behind that project is trying to set, I respect that ability quite a bit. Overall, I am inspired by black metal I emotionally connect with. It sounds stupid but a lot of time black metal sounds like the pain and trauma I have felt in life. That is what connected me to it as a kid, so my biggest influence is really just giving back to what helped me and continues to help me in times of crisis. I just have a love and passion for this genre.

P: Music has such an impact on my daily life, I could probably elongate this answer and absolutely bore people to death, but I'll try to keep it as short as I can. That being said, I try to keep the genres I listen to as expansive as possible. Not only do I appreciate and love all music, this also helps me as a songwriter, as I believe (as cliche as it may sound) that genre should not pigeonhole a musician, life's too short for that. As of now, I find myself listening to as much Americana style music as I can get my hands on, which influences a lot of the various intros, outros and interludes that you will find on our new record. This style allows me to focus on the atmosphere within our music. I grew up listening to not only folk-style music, but also devoured as much punk and metal as I could. As of today, I have been listening to a lot of Panopticon, Nothing, and Amigo the Devil, all these artists have been inspiring me a lot lately and encapsulates the various things I love about those very different styles of music.

K: Americana is huge for me as well and I actually think it has a theme of dread that is evident in black metal. John Moreland and Will Johnson loom large for me. As far as the endless expansiveness of black metal lately it has been Krieg's early stuff, Horna's 'Perima Vihassa Ja  Verikostossa' and 'Elmet' by White Medal.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts? 

JB: Thank you for your time, the only thing left to say is that no matter the result or end product, we will put a hundred percent of ourselves into the new record, “Shallow Waters Take Us” . We look forward to sharing it with you.

https://thetrvedisperser.bandcamp.com/album/demo-2021