roadburnfestival

One of Europe’s most enigmatic and adventurous bands, Wolvennest have already passed into Roadburn legend after a packed-out debut foray in 2017 and then an astonishing performance of debut album Void in 2019. This year, despite current circumstances, the Belgian mavericks are poised to bring their brand new album, the wild and immersive Temple, vividly to life. Steeped in the dark side of psychedelia and audibly driven by otherworldly insight and horrors unseen, Wolvennest are an irresistible bad trip made flesh.

— Dom Lawson

How have you adapted to our weird new reality over the last year? Any new challenges, in terms of being creative?

Corvus (guitar): “Adapted? As everybody, we deal with it, but I don’t see how musicians could totally adapt. You can use the free time to develop musical skills and go deeper into writing, mixing etc, but at the end, you put a point in your calendar with a live goal. That last part is not happening right now for 99% of musicians. So, you have to fight the ‘What’s the point?’ feeling we all have here and there. On a personal level, I went deeper into midi editing, how to record vocals correctly, how to create weirder sounds, that kind of thing. I surely learned a lot, but always with the goal that live music will be a real thing in the future. I don’t want every musician to turn into a YouTube shred warrior, there were plenty enough before the world stopped.”

What can you tell us about your forthcoming Roadburn performance?

“The Commission work is something special that includes aspects we would probably not do under the Wolvennest banner. It’s a little more violent and dark, I would say. We got several guests who were crazy enough to say, ‘Fuck yes, let’s do it!’ That gives us strength. And Temple will be fully performed, with Thousand Lost Civilizations bringing new visuals. I know they spent countless hours working on that. I’m curious to see the result, and by that I mean to feel the result while we will perform. They have total freedom and the best way to respect that is to discover it while playing.”

What does Roadburn mean to you, as creative people and on a personal level?

“Expect the unexpected’. Roadburn always brings weird surprises, joy and collaborations, and we are happy to be a little part of it. On a human level, Roadburn was, is and will be a place where you just feel good. Shitloads of people are there to have fun, listen to good music and meet people from all around the world. You walk in the street, you have a chat, you laugh hard and then you realise you just missed a band you absolutely wanted to see. We all experienced that at Roadburn!”

Can you tell us about your favourite past experience(s) of Roadburn? Were there any shows that had a strong impact?

“Mysticum, for sure: one of the best visual experiences when it comes to black metal. Cold, harsh, mechanic. It was a frenetic descent into madness, and a perfect performance from start to finish. I would also put on the top of my list Aluk Todolo and The Ruins Of Beverast [performing Exuvia], in a packed Green Room. You can experience those bands in a small venue with an aggressive vibe, but it’s another thing when they both benefit from a stellar sound.”

What are your hopes and plans for the (hopefully post-pandemic) future?

“Live shows mean freedom, and you can’t have that feeling with restriction, plain and simple. We’ll do the best we can to still offer something special here and there, but as everybody involved in live music, we are waiting. I don’t have faith in collective and individual intelligence, so I’m mentally prepared to wait for years before it becomes again what it used to be. We entered the data world, not only for health, but also for, for example, schools. What’s the next move? Covid should not be a Trojan horse. That scares me a lot. Is this all we are, data? My strongest hope is that the word ‘human’ will start to mean something positive again, not only for us, but for what’s around us as well. Concerning Wolvennest, we got our own studio, so we’ll always be able to create and experiment. Musically, the best can still happen, it depends on us.”

What else are you looking forward to experiencing during Roadburn Redux?

“First of all, I hope that the countless efforts of so many people involved will pay and will bring some joy for the ones who will watch it. It’s quite a challenge to prepare, but we did everything we could to make it happen in the best way possible. You can’t control everything, but if you give your very best, you’ll not have regrets. Restrictions are quite strict, so I’ll wait for a normal Roadburn for the memories and the beers in the street!”

Wolvennest (The Nest) will perform Her True Nature on Saturday at CEST, and Temple in full on Sunday at 20.40 CEST.

From shimmering ambience to maxed-out noise, Roadburn is a riot of contrasts, and few bands are more instinctively riotous than Dead Neanderthals. Purveyors of a warped and hostile blend of clattering grind, freewheeling noise and screeching sax, they have revived the spirit of John Zorn’s early experiments in heavy music and pushed the whole thing to the edge of delicious, swivel-eyed madness. Check out the recent Rat Licker EP for a pure adrenalin rush, delivered with the kind of shit-eating grins that make you fear for your life, even as you dance like a lunatic.

— Dom Lawson

How have you adapted to our weird new reality over the last year? Any new challenges, in terms of being creative?

“Apart from all booked shows falling through, things are moving forward at breakneck speed. We’ve decided from the very beginning that we would keep on rehearsing weekly and this has led to a plethora of Dead Neanderthals releases such as Blood Rite, Cosmic Slime and Rat Licker. In the meantime we’ve written IXXO and are preparing for the Roadburn Redux performance. We’ve also made demo recordings for a couple of new albums.”

What can you tell us about your forthcoming Roadburn performance?

“Not too much, as we’re keeping everything firmly under wraps. Only thing we can tell you is that we’re super excited and that things sounded fantastic during rehearsals.”

What does Roadburn mean to you, as creative people and on a personal level?

“It’s a place to meet friends and colleagues from the scene and in that way it’s similar to the late Incubate Festival, which also took place in Tilburg. It’s always good to surround yourself with friendly and like-minded people.”

Can you tell us about your favourite past experience(s) of Roadburn? Were there any shows that had a strong impact?

“We’ve been to Roadburn many times and some standout shows were those of Zombi (2015), Church of Misery (2008), Obliteration (2014), Magma (2014) and Mühr (2014). And of course the Dead Neanderthals show in 2016 was important to us, we even made a Live at Roadburn album out of it!”

What are your hopes and plans for the (hopefully post-pandemic) future?

“Playing shows with a crowd right in front of us, of course! Talking to friends and fans at the merch table. Let’s hope we can already do this in 2021.”

What else are you looking forward to experiencing during Roadburn Redux?

“Working Wi-Fi!”

Dead Neanderthals will perform IXXO as part of Roadburn Redux on Sunday 18 April at 16.50 CEST.

Few records released in 2020 were as magically transportive as Of Blood & Mercury’s debut, Strangers. Primarily a creative collaboration between underground mavens Michelle Nocon (Death Penalty/Serpentcult) and Olivier Lomer-Wilbers (also of Emptiness, another act involved in Roadburn Redux), the Belgians’ sublime blend of amorphous ambience, ghostly textures and bittersweet melody promises to be an oasis of shadowy calm amid the world’s ongoing turmoil. Most importantly, the band’s newly commissioned piece promises to showcase the real-time evolution of Of Blood & Mercury’s unique sound.

— Dom Lawson

How have you adapted to our weird new reality over the last year? Any new challenges, in terms of being creative?

Michelle: “We have been quite successful in adapting ourselves through history to all kinds of changes. The question is, should we adapt to this, or rather fight our current situation? In terms of creativity, it has been challenging as well. Where we normally make all the music ourselves but play live as a quartet, we decided to play live as a duo. Covid restrictions were going back and forth on how many people could meet, so we took matters into our own hands and didn’t leave room for unforeseen changes. Because of this choice, we didn’t only have to write a new music piece in the time given, but we also had to produce and mix it, as we wouldn’t have all our musicians playing with us. Olivier has written all the music while working full-time and having to prepare for his band Emptiness as well. I wrote the lyrics and vocals. Concerning the rehearsals, we had to figure out a live set up: a backing track, samples, and all we could do ourselves as musicians on top of that. We also had to learn to work with new programs, new devices, some of which we build ourselves. So, a lot of challenges in an already challenging year, but there is beauty in that.”

What can you tell us about your forthcoming Roadburn performance?

“The lyrics are focused around the universal perception of death. When you go really deep into the core of any religion or spiritual movement, they all seem to agree. They all embody the exact same ideas represented differently and from various angles. But the very essence of it doesn’t differ at all. It is only now and mainly here in the West that the ideas on death, our beliefs are completely distorted. Nowhere on the planet, at no time in history have people been so deluded concerning spirituality as they have been for the last millenaries. We are not the rule, we are the exception, no matter how crazy that sounds. We have very poor understanding and insight on who we really are and what life or death really is. But that too has a role to play. Musically we approach this theme as Of Blood & Mercury, meaning that we merge our music with this topic. We build a noise-box around the concept that gives power, visually and sonically. Furthermore, it carries an element of surprise, randomness and chaos in itself that we found to be fitting for this project. Because of this, the performance balances between order and chaos, skills and fate. On our previous album we already explored the ghostly world surrounding us. We took that a bit further too by using distorted tapes; old tapes that we found and looped. These are tapes from people that already crossed the other side.”

What does Roadburn mean to you, as creative people and on a personal level?

“My first experience with Roadburn was playing there with my former band Serpentcult in 2008. I was very happy to witness such an already diverse music festival. Although more directed towards doom metal, it was a festival where you could easily discover a versatile range of bands. From then on, I was a frequent visitor to the festival myself. I had the honour to play there with my other bands: Death Penalty in 2015, Bathsheba in 2017, and now with Of Blood & Mercury as well. I’ve met many great people there that have become my close friends, I’ve bought music that has become very special to me. I’ve discovered bands I would have never discovered. As a musician, I never had to worry about not being able to do my job right. Roadburn is by far the most well-organised festival there is, and it is also the most honest, integrous and authentic festival I know. Apart from that I think the respect that Walter and his crew show for the artists is very touching.”

Can you tell us about your favourite past experience(s) of Roadburn? Were there any shows that had a strong impact?

“One of the best memories I had at Roadburn… it’s honestly a tough question, because I have so many, both as a visitor and an artist! But I have two memories that stand out. The first was in 2009 when I discovered Bohren & Der Club Of Gore. Their concert was a mind-blowing thing to behold. At the end of the gig, a fan recognised me and told me we were watching his favourite band and he was very happy I liked it too. He had bought their LP and wanted me to have it. Of course, I refused because although very kind, I didn’t want to take the gift. But he insisted on me taking it. Who knows, he will read this and recognise himself here!

“The other memory was Earth, in 2008. I was there with my friends from Serpentcult. I was very touched by that concert. Steven, our bass player saw that and said, ‘It’s beautiful isn’t it?’ I nodded and as I looked around me, I saw in people’s faces that they felt the same way. The whole room was as touched as I was. I will ever forget that.”

What are your hopes and plans for the (hopefully post-pandemic) future?

“We will focus on working on a new EP or an album and keeping creative. We hope that we can also go back to playing live. Creating is one thing but playing live is something we both enjoy as well.”

What else are you looking forward to experiencing during Roadburn Redux?

“Roadburn is always an opportunity to discover different artists and different acts. This time many things will be different, but not that. We are looking forward to seeing acts like Lustmord, Autarkh and Primitive Man. We are naturally curious to see how other bands managed to work under these special conditions. There are plenty of good bands on the line-up and many bands we don’t know yet, so we are surely going to discover a lot of great music. We hope to see a happy Roadburn crew as well. Walter and his crew have had a tough year with last year’s Covid situation. They made the impossible possible this year so we hope to hear from them too on the platform.”

Of Blood And Mercury will perform The Other Side Of Death on Sunday 18 April at 18.40.

An esteemed legend of the ambient underground, Dirk Serries has been incredibly prolific over the years. Aside from his enormous catalogue of releases, both under the iconic Vidna Obmana banner and in a variety of other guises and collaborations, Serries has become a staple of Roadburn line-ups, offering some of the most transcendental sounds to ever grace the festival. This year, minds will be blown once again, albeit within 2021’s unavoidable restrictions. If anyone can transcend the moment and send us skyward, it’s Dirk…

— Dom Lawson

How have you adapted to our weird new reality over the last year? Any new challenges, in terms of being creative?

“Of course, the pandemic left us all quite breathless for a while, cancelling all planned concerts, studio sessions, and so on. So it took a bit of time to adjust to this new way of interacting, but creativity doesn’t fade if you keep on thinking and re-creating the possibilities. I do realise there’s no digital concert that equals the experience of a live concert in your favourite venue, but nothing else is possible right now, so why not? This is where Roadburn really excels, in organising this fantastic alternative. But also, on a more compositional level, you do have software tools which allow you to play with your fellow musicians online. It’s most likely not suitable for every genre but, at my own free jazz label, we already did a full album using such software during the first main lockdown. So to keep on creating you do have possibilities to explore, you just need the will.”

What can you tell us about your forthcoming Roadburn performance?

“Since I started with music in 1984 I’ve been exploring different genres, from the heavy industrial music in the eighties to drone and ambient music in the nineties and noughties, and currently being deeply involved with the free improvisation scene. Amazingly, Roadburn has followed me on this path. I’ve been enormously fortunate enough to have played Roadburn six times already, each time with one of my different projects (from twice with Fear Falls Burning, solo or with Yodok III). The support of Roadburn, specifically Walter, has just been amazing, and their faith in what I do has boosted me to creative heights.
“Now being invited for a commissioned work on Roadburn Redux is more than an honour, and it’s a fine opportunity to introduce my ambient music to the Roadburn audience, and not only because the digital concert format gives me way more freedom and less pressure than during a real live concert, as the construction and build-up of my ambient music is slower, more detailed and refined. Also, since the beginning, this is the music for which I’ve been acknowledged worldwide, and through which I got to know a lot of fellow musicians who already played Roadburn themselves, so it’s time to share this with the festival. I originally worked on this style of music exclusively with synthesisers and electronic devices, but in the late nineties I slowly started to convert it to electric guitar and effects, making it way easier and flexible to perform live. For this commissioned work I’ve invited two musicians, with whom I already worked closely together before: Tom Malmendier on drums and Rutger Zuydervelt on electronics. Two fantastic musicians who will for sure play their own part to create along with me a beautiful space to experience. It’s partially composed but with still a lot of freedom to interact in the moment of creating the live experience. I’m really looking forward to it!”

What does Roadburn mean to you, as creative people and on a personal level?

“Roadburn is a philosophy. Every year, with every edition, it becomes a way of living differently, meeting up with comrades inside but also outside. And it’s fantastic to see how the city of Tilburg embraces this event, becoming the village for such kindred spirits. But also Roadburn wouldn’t be the same festival if it would just book the same bands and the same genres, but over the years they have taken up the brave opportunity to introduce their faithful audience to new genres, new bands, new projects and to expand the scope of what Roadburn stands for. On top of that it’s just amazing to experience first-hand that the audience just embraces the adventurous programming of the festival. It lifts you as a musician to way higher levels.”

Can you tell us about your favourite past experience(s) of Roadburn? Were there any shows that had a strong impact?

“The festival is always the highlight, but of course some are printed in your memory forever. On a personal level when I played with the fantastic Kristoffer Lo (on amplified tuba) and Tomas Järmyr (on drums) with our band Yodok III. The way we were able to interact with the audience in a fully packed Green Room was just overwhelming. Another one was when I was able to accompany good friend Justin Broadrick for the return of Godflesh to Roadburn with the performance of Streetcleaner. Amazing to see and hear that monumental album live in the big hall, helping him out with setting up and doing the live mix. Goosebumps.”

What are your hopes and plans for the (hopefully post-pandemic) future?

“Hoping that I can continue with my A New Wave Of Jazz label releasing exciting music and arranging concerts and studio sessions, and wishing for those Kodian Trio and Yodok III tours to happen, which were cancelled last year. And of course, staying Covid-free!”

What else are you looking forward to experiencing during Roadburn Redux?

“Absorbing the atmosphere of a real Roadburn festival will be impossible, and completely understandable. All performance slots are full separately so hanging out with the other musicians and bands will not be possible. Nevertheless, I hope to catch most of Friday and Saturday before fully dedicating myself for my own performance on Sunday. It goes without saying I’m super psyched to be part of this unique edition and Roadburn can already be very proud of making this happen.”

Dirk Serries will perform Epitaph as part of Roadburn Redux on Sunday 18 April at 14.50 CEST.