1.Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before?
Well, we wanted to play together for a really long time but all our previous attempts failed somehow. And then we were at Deadhorse show in Prague where was like 3 more people to see the band. It was at a café and this time nobody bother to fold tables to the side of course. So there was hardly more than 5 people including a couple having a "romantic" dinner, haha. Despite all the weird cirmustances their performance blew our minds completely. Reading booklet after show just sealed the intense experience. After that we had to create something. And that was the beginning of Smuteční slavnost.
Since black metal is long-time passion for both of us and we had some songs that we wrote together and never had a chance to play them it wasn't that hard decision to decide what we want to play. But we're giving it not modern but rather contemporary context because one thing we really hate about BM world is that it's still frozen in time. It became whorshiping of unification. And of course every generation wants to be the last one.
2.How would you describe your musical sound?
Sick, furious, autistic, noisy, weird.
3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
Well I had this constant feeling that people speak everytime they had a chance even though they have no reason to. Most of them are too afraid to enjoy silence or know to spend time alone. And I'm trying my best to avoid such people. On the other hand urban anonymity, lack of interest of people around us and seeing through one another with ignorance are things that make me very anxious even though I'm a lone-wolf. But I miss the spontaneous spirit between people in the streets.
Since we're from a city we don't want to write about nature and forests and these kind of things. It would be pathetic and hypocritical even though we like these topics and as a individuals we feel somehow conected to the nature. Human race is constantly ruining its enviroment and what is even worse we are destroying and abuse the nature without remorse while we should treat it with respect. So animals running like hell from their woodlands which we ruined to our cities which we ruined as well. That's the idea behind our "deer logo". Lyrics deeply influenced with classical surrealism take another big part of our music. And we also play with intertextual references a lot. But that would take days-long discussion.
4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?
1969 czech movie Smuteční slavnost which wasn't screened until 16th of November 1989 at the Faculty of Philosophy which is part of Charles Univeristy in Prague. It was banned by the communists, we called such movies "strongbox movies" but that's another story. The movie is disillusion portrait of time that pictures "motive of collectivization guilt, motive of disintegration of the old order". It shows moral decay of individual inside the society of totalitarian state. And the reason why we use our native language? It's language we think with, it's natural decision it has nothing to do with patriotism.
5.Currently there are only 2 members in the band, are you planning on expanding the line up in the future or do you choose to remain a duo?
Well there are some guests on the album and I consider every one of them as a part of the band. But yeah, the only core members are two of us. Nothing's gonna change that probably since it's really hard for me to let people close and furthermore this is our creation that we value. Our friends are always welcome to participate. But we just don't want trying play with people that would be after a few rehearsals like "Maybe it's not for me, this kind of music" or whatever blah blah. Waste of time.
6.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or received any interest?
No, we aren't looking for any label neither we received any interest.
7.Can you tell us a little bit more about your anti fascist philosophy?
There's no philosophy at all. Fascism is just sick or any other oppressive ideology is bullshit. There's no use for individualism in under such ideology and for us individualism is what matters in BM. Slavs celebrating Third Reich is just sad, sad thing but it's them who are fucking their own butts.
8. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black metal?
On a worldwide possibly none. We noticed that most of the people interested in our music are not typical metalheads but we can't imagine anyone who hates BM and would enjoy our music. But we are grateful that our listeners mentioning our music on forums, create vids or making another download links even though our music is accessible for free via our bandcamp. Yeah, we completely forgot that our demo was broadcasted on Ashevillefm along with Altar of Plagues and Black Cobra, haha!
9.Are there any other musical projects besides this band or is this full time?
Full time with no compromise.
10.What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?
It's quite hard to say since we're pretty much unpredicatble during the writting process. Before every recording we have finished songs but after that comes improvisation. We seek for unique essence through randomness. But we think it's time to enjoy much more slower/different atmospheres (than these maniacal rages with many changes) and different and more difficult approach to our music.
11.What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
To completely answer this question it would take to make two different mix tapes with at least four sides each. We love diverse spectrum of music and everytime we go to the record shop we mock each other what crap we listen.
12.Outside of music what are some of your interests?
As for me it's definitely cinema (Bergman, Trier, Lynch, Czechoslovak New Wave, asian cinemena, hell I even love some of the Hollywood bullshit) literature (William Wharton, Kurt Vonnegut, Richard Brautigan, Ken Kessey, Ladislav Fuks, Jan Otčenášek, etc.) poetry (František Halas, Jan Skácel), philosophy - although I don't understand what these Will Huntings are trying to say (Schopenhauer, Lévinas, Karl Jaspers, Wittgenstein, etc.), occultism and every obscure weird shit nobody wants to talk about.
13.Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?
Don't be afraid to disagree with the band on your t-shirt. And thank you very much for this interview John, we appreciate it greatly!
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