Ande Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the musical project?
Ande was created in early 2015, I felt the need to make black metal and had some ideas. It's also a way to learn how to record and mix stuff, I've always been interested in that. Actually it's been in my mind to do a solo black metal project since about 2001, but I've just now gotten round to it.



2.Recently you have put out your first release on bandcamp, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
In my opinion the best way to describe the music is atmospheric black metal. It's harsh at times, yet also melancholic and consciously repetitive. The recordings are pretty basic, 2 to 3 layers of guitar, bass, drum and vocals. And I've recorded some short ambient tracks to separate the metal songs.



3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you explore with your music?
All the lyrics are written in Dutch, me being from Belgium / Flanders. On this first release I worked on one song at a time. So when writing lyrics I just wrote about something that was happening in my life at that time. They're pretty personal and somewhat dark, so I've decided not to publish them.



4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Ande'?
When I started the project, I actually had another name in mind. But a few months ago I found out someone else had adopted that name by then, so I had to start thinking and looking around again. 'Ande' is an old Dutch word that's not used anymore. It's a word to describe strong feelings like anger, remorse, passion, ... and I think it fits the concept rather well.



5.With this musical project you record everything by yourself, are you open to working with other musicians or do you prefer working solo?
At the moment I'm quite comfortable doing it by myself. I'm learning a lot, and I still have ideas to work on. It's also easy when you don't have to plan rehearsals and other things. You just work when there's inspiration. I do have to admit that I sometimes miss other people's ideas. For instance another person can play a variation of your riff in a way that you wouldn't think of, and actually sounds better. So I don't rule out inviting other people to join me somewhere in the future. The initial concept I had in mind was for me to create and release songs, then ask some friends to help me rewrite things to bring them live a few times. Afterwards I would release those live versions. Kind of like a black metal collective.



6.The release has only been out for a few days but are you hoping to get some label interest once your music is more well known?
I have already contacted some small labels, and there does seem to be some interest. Maybe not for this release, but for the next one. However nothing is definite at the moment. The backup of a label does make promo and distribution easier. It's also a compliment if someone is interested in releasing my music. On the other hand I'm also still thinking of doing a limited release of 'Licht' on CD by myself.



7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black metal?
I contacted some zines and blogs, and people that react are quite positive about it. I also saw someone added Ande to the Metal Archives, and already found a fan video of the track 'Beelden' on YouTube. My friends are giving positive feedback too. So it's going rather well, but it still needs some more time and promo for more people get to know Ande and get more feedback.



8.Are you also involved with any other musical projects?
Yes, I played bass in a garage rock'n'roll band for about 13 years. I had a great time with that band, doing gigs and meeting a lot of cool people. At the end of 2014 we put the band to rest, so that's when I got time to work on Ande. Apart from that I'm also active in a death/grind project with some friends.



9.Where would you like to see yourself head into as a musician in the future?
At the moment I'm looking at making more songs, and doing a next release, probably somewhere in 2016. Preferably I would like to have live drums in the future, so I'm thinking about learning to play the drums. And possible doing some live shows should there be an interest for it.



10.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?
I listen to a lot of music and different styles, and I'm always looking out for new stuff, so it's probably a mixture of all kinds of things. However this first release 'Licht' does have a few concrete influences. Like Burzum in the simple arpeggio riffs. Furthermore the way one riff of the song 'Paniek' is played, is inspired by a riff of the track 'Herval' by Lugubrum. And a variation of a riff in 'Beelden' is inspired by Urfaust. The slow breaks are inspired by music of Altar of Plagues and Year Of No Light.
At the moment I'm totally into the following records:

    Terzij de Horde – Self: kind of a mix between post-black and the recent albums of Enthroned
    Wovenhand – Refractory Obdurate: with David Eugene Edwards from 16 Horsepower. It's the first Wovenhand album I've checked out, and I quite like it.
    the first album of Chelsea Light Moving with Thurston Moore from Sonic Youth
    Russian Circles – Memorial: great instrumental post metal band, I especially like the drum patterns
    Vanum – Realm of Sacrifice: members from Ash Borer and Fell Voices, it really sounds like a good mix between those two bands
    Lugubrum – Herval: their latest release, I have a lot of respect for this band, it seems they keep re-inventing themselves.




11.What are some of your non musical interests?
Nothing too spectacular really, mainly having some beers with friends, attending gigs and festivals, watching cool movies and the occasional vacation to Scandinavia with my girlfriend. My favourite up to now is visiting Oslo in Norway. Very interesting city. We also visited the cellar of Euronymous' Helvete shop there, with the 'Black Metal' sign written on the wall. It's a strange feeling you get when you're walking around down there. Ok, of course it's just a cellar, but that place did have a huge impact on black metal in general.



12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
I wanna thank you for your genuine interest in Ande, and wish you good luck with your zine! People that want to check out the music can download the first release 'Licht' for free on bandcamp: http://ande-be.bandcamp.com/