Located in the middle of Eastern Europe right on the Danube and between the mountainous part of Hungary and its lowlands is Budapest, a city known for its rich history, its secession style architecture, its baroque and Neo-classical style buildings of the 18th to early 20th century that is at the same time a mecca for people from all different backgrounds, also musically. While, before the collapse of the Warsaw Pact-states and the fall of the Iron Curtain, Budapest was often being associated with classical music, its old opera house and composers like Ferenc Liszt, since the late 90s it has also become the center of a new pilgrimage with the famous Sziget Festival taking place on a Danube island and attracting more than 500,000 in the span of one whole week. The festival is not only famous but also one of the best in all of Europe winning the award for Best European Festival twice in the 2010s. However, it is remarkable how few bands outside of the usual rock and pop genres perform at Sziget, and anything “post” can literally not be found on the lineups of the last few years.
The festival is, as mentioned before, also known for its location on a beautiful island in the Danube. And one should not forget that music is always influenced by its surroundings – may it be social, political or architectural. The latter, of course, is dominated in Budapest by buildings from the 16th and 17th century onward with many baroque (have a look at the Kiraly and Széchenyi baths) and revival style buildings (the House of Parliament is world-renowned). However, you can also find Art Deco, or Secession Style buildings, see the Museum of Applied Arts or the beautiful Parisiana, which once was a cabaret, are examples. The city also features some buildings in the socialist-classicism style (note the Körszálló hotel building). The Central European University Building and the MüPa again are highlights of contemporary architecture in the Hungarian capital. Imagine walking through these streets with so many interesting buildings, their styles and history all combined by a lively group of inhabitants known for their hospitality. Two of Budapest’s most famous clubs – the A38 and Dürer Kert can also be connected to the architectural landscape of the city, but more about that a little later.
Politically, Hungary is nowadays known to be a place ruled by a very conservative government, fronted by Victor Orban. However, the image of a near totalitarian state that some might have in mind when thinking about the country is definitely not the case when we talk about music. All the interviewed artists said that they do not feel any kind of censorship. On the other side, many of the bands also describe themselves as politically not active and they also say that their music is non-political. It would be far-fetched to say that of course they are non-political in such a state. Let’s leave the notion of personal freedom to those people inside Hungary, where some people also state that the state has no kind of interest in the scene because it is simply too small and unimportant.
The festival is, as mentioned before, also known for its location on a beautiful island in the Danube. And one should not forget that music is always influenced by its surroundings – may it be social, political or architectural. The latter, of course, is dominated in Budapest by buildings from the 16th and 17th century onward with many baroque (have a look at the Kiraly and Széchenyi baths) and revival style buildings (the House of Parliament is world-renowned). However, you can also find Art Deco, or Secession Style buildings, see the Museum of Applied Arts or the beautiful Parisiana, which once was a cabaret, are examples. The city also features some buildings in the socialist-classicism style (note the Körszálló hotel building). The Central European University Building and the MüPa again are highlights of contemporary architecture in the Hungarian capital. Imagine walking through these streets with so many interesting buildings, their styles and history all combined by a lively group of inhabitants known for their hospitality. Two of Budapest’s most famous clubs – the A38 and Dürer Kert can also be connected to the architectural landscape of the city, but more about that a little later.
Politically, Hungary is nowadays known to be a place ruled by a very conservative government, fronted by Victor Orban. However, the image of a near totalitarian state that some might have in mind when thinking about the country is definitely not the case when we talk about music. All the interviewed artists said that they do not feel any kind of censorship. On the other side, many of the bands also describe themselves as politically not active and they also say that their music is non-political. It would be far-fetched to say that of course they are non-political in such a state. Let’s leave the notion of personal freedom to those people inside Hungary, where some people also state that the state has no kind of interest in the scene because it is simply too small and unimportant.
Hegy Nevertheless, the near-simultaneous release of the brilliant records of Hegy and Törzs bring up the question how lively the post-metal and post-rock scene is in Budapest. Talking to a lot of people from the Hungarian scene (you can find all the interviews at the bottom of this report) one gets the notion of live in the shadows of the Hungarian public and at the same time of a vibrant scene for Eastern Europe with lots of big bands coming through Budapest and playing at Dürer Kert a spot famous for its very open-minded audience and its importance for the metal scene located in an old school complex formerly run by nuns. The complex surrounds a beautiful, classic yard which is also used as an outside pub or event location for screenings, concerts etc. Summer nights outside under the trees sharing one of the famous drinks from Hungary with some open-minded people who might end up new friends – quite an experience. Another important club is A38, located on a ship right on the Danube, talking about a beautiful location. The former Ukrainian stone ship was transformed into its current existence with five different rooms, lots of open space and a pretty modern look. A38 is quite different to the former one, because the venue itself is not as big as the other one and pretty futuristic but its location, right on the river with some of Budapest’s staggering houses right on the riverbank makes for a quite unique combination. Some of the bands interviewed for this report already played in either or both of these venues and according to Ágoston Dániel from Dürer Kert the club has like post-rock or post-metal concerts every few weeks and the audiences that turn up are usually quite strong and very loyal with an even stronger focus on post-punk which is also stressed by the success of recent bands like Black Nail Cabaret. There is also a post-festival taking place not far from Budapest called Fekete Zaj that focuses on Eastern European bands (like Black Nail Cabaret) but was also able to bring acts like Jo Quail, Nadja, Oceans of Slumber, The Twilight Sad or Tribulation to the Hungarian mountainside in the summer of 2019. There also seems to be some kind of winter edition taking place in Budapest, maybe you check their website or FB page for it.
Torzs live at Baradla Cave
Pozvakowski When talking to a lot of the modern bands one name always comes up and that is Pozvakowski, who are regarded to be the founding fathers of anything post-metal or post-rock in Hungary. Most of you will not know this band but might know another great example of experimental music from Hungary, Thy Catafalque. That band, however, is more of a one-man project by Támas Kátai who then invites others to accompany him on some of his records. He definitely helped to push Hungarian music with his unusual, very experimental approach, which surprisingly seems not to be a major influence on the scene, as most bands spoke about Pozvakowski – and if you listen to both bands you will notice that their music is definitely sharing more with the focal point of this article, the new post-scene. The band is already together since 1999 and set out as “a noisy, instrumental power-trio, where we won't use the usual forms” as Adam describes it. The band drew a lot of inspiration from old 80s and early 90s noise bands and labels such as Amphetamine Reptile, Touch and Go – Adam also says that he listened to Slint, one of the iconic early post-rock bands that also released on Touch and Go; nonetheless he doesn’t mention them as one of his major sources of inspiration but rather bands like Cherubs, Hint, Man or Astroman or Jesus Lizard, Shellac or Cop Shot Cop. Only later did he see that people called the music he and his fellows made post-rock and were compared to bands like Tortoise. Nevertheless, that never meant anything to him, also they shared the stage with several post-metal acts like Pelican, Torche, Jarboe or Baroness, which also implies that they are more on the post-metal side (which makes sense for he also says that “We were just playing very loud, louder than anyone else in the Hungarian underground”). Listening to their early stuff (for example the “sinus” EP from 2002), you can definitely see both ideas – why people would identify them as “post” but also their noisy roots.
Nevertheless, it seems as if there is quite a gap between Pozvakowski's beginnings and a real scene of Hungarian post-bands, even though most of its protagonists still see it as one group of bands which is interesting because at the same time it can be seen that the attendances go up, seemingly it is more of a receptive than a productive scene. Hegy and Törzs, who are open to do some concerts and tours together, are not even sure, where this post-scene will go in the future and some of their hopes lie outside Hungary. Naturally something like that needs something like a backing by a label or a good booking agency. Törzs have now made a step in that direction with signing to Golden Antenna Records from Germany, however this is a singular event for the Hungarian post-scene. Most of it is done in accordance with the DIY principle, for Pozvakowski it has always been that way, as Adam explains: “I am my own distro and label.. I don't believe in any sort of [such] thing. We didn't get any kind of help or anything through the years. And it's absolutely OK, I don't have [any] problem with it.. We wanted to record albums, so we did, wanted to go to tour, so we did.” Feel the punk-attitude flying through these words.
Success outside of course also depends largely on the bands involved. Some of the bands that are already in it for several years are Perihelion who play a kind of post-influenced, blackened prog metal and sing in Hungarian, which of course doesn’t make it easier on the global stage; or Beriloom and the Doom whose oftentimes acoustic post-rock is really mesmerizing and very gentle; one of the already gone bands from the second wave was Torn from Earth, who had their own rather sludgy approach to post-metal a bit like a crossing between Red Sparrowes and The Ocean.
Nevertheless, it seems as if there is quite a gap between Pozvakowski's beginnings and a real scene of Hungarian post-bands, even though most of its protagonists still see it as one group of bands which is interesting because at the same time it can be seen that the attendances go up, seemingly it is more of a receptive than a productive scene. Hegy and Törzs, who are open to do some concerts and tours together, are not even sure, where this post-scene will go in the future and some of their hopes lie outside Hungary. Naturally something like that needs something like a backing by a label or a good booking agency. Törzs have now made a step in that direction with signing to Golden Antenna Records from Germany, however this is a singular event for the Hungarian post-scene. Most of it is done in accordance with the DIY principle, for Pozvakowski it has always been that way, as Adam explains: “I am my own distro and label.. I don't believe in any sort of [such] thing. We didn't get any kind of help or anything through the years. And it's absolutely OK, I don't have [any] problem with it.. We wanted to record albums, so we did, wanted to go to tour, so we did.” Feel the punk-attitude flying through these words.
Success outside of course also depends largely on the bands involved. Some of the bands that are already in it for several years are Perihelion who play a kind of post-influenced, blackened prog metal and sing in Hungarian, which of course doesn’t make it easier on the global stage; or Beriloom and the Doom whose oftentimes acoustic post-rock is really mesmerizing and very gentle; one of the already gone bands from the second wave was Torn from Earth, who had their own rather sludgy approach to post-metal a bit like a crossing between Red Sparrowes and The Ocean.
 Club Laerm |  A38 Club |
This fall saw the release of two outstanding post-albums, Hegy’s “We Won’t Make it Home” and Törzs’ record “Tukör”. While Hegy plays a very modern and grounded kind of post-metal, Törzs are much more playful and combine wide-ascending guitar lines with a spacious production that can not only be heard but also seen, as they released a video of the recording a few weeks later. And this recording highlights not only the skills of the band but also the spot where it was done, outside of Budapest in a cave which is part of the UNESCO World Heritage. Soma from Törzs describes the way he got the idea: “I was listening to our rehearsal recording, and just realized that we have [such] big reverbs on all our tracks that we should do this record in a place where the atmosphere is similar to the songs.” And indeed, when you listen to those songs, you’re automatically transported to that cave where the songs and reverberations have just so much space to float and come back that it is simply amazing. For all those interested in how the recording took place – you can find a video of the whole thing online on WherePostRockDwells’ Youtube-channel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Et8LmrqMJiQ). If you want to get the full thing of a record that is already really impressive, you should watch the video, it is really worthwhile watching as you get a pretty good impression into the recording process itself and you can see how tight the band is together. And the intro is really mesmerizing!
Black Nail Cabaret There are lively signs of a continuation of the Budapest-scene with new bands like S O N Y A who play a cinematic version of post-rock with a tinge of 80s synth-soundtracks; Kytaro is a trio who seemingly take Pozvakowski’s notion of a noise-infused post-music to heart, they might be considered their stylistically closest followers; Wasted Struggle is a four-piece focusing on the modern screamo side of post-metal, very much in the vein of Vein, they will release their next record in Mid-January; Black Nail Cabaret on the other side of the spectrum are definitely Black Nail Cabaret, the art pop duo using a lot of synthesizers for their version of post-punk. The variety between these bands, the different approaches and a steady flow of new bands makes it clear, that this scene is flourishing.
So you see, the post-scene in Hungary is affluent and striving and if you want to witness a scene on the verge of “breaking it”, of gaining a wider audience for all its diversity and DIY-attitude – then give these bands a listen and discover more than this tip of the iceberg. If you then throw in the beauty of Budapest itself and the level of attraction that some locations like A38 or Dürer Kert have (also among big international acts) then you might find yourself, planning a trip to the Danube in your mind. It is definitely worth it!
(Feel free to add any noteworthy release, band, location or else in the Comments section!)
So you see, the post-scene in Hungary is affluent and striving and if you want to witness a scene on the verge of “breaking it”, of gaining a wider audience for all its diversity and DIY-attitude – then give these bands a listen and discover more than this tip of the iceberg. If you then throw in the beauty of Budapest itself and the level of attraction that some locations like A38 or Dürer Kert have (also among big international acts) then you might find yourself, planning a trip to the Danube in your mind. It is definitely worth it!
(Feel free to add any noteworthy release, band, location or else in the Comments section!)
For your further listening pleasure and for organizing your own field trip:
Bands to check out
The Founding Fathers
Pozvakowski (noise influenced post-metal)
Angertea (Tool’ish prog-metal)
Thy Catafalque (avantgarde metal)
The current forerunners
Hegy (post-metal)
Törzs (post-rock)
The Second Wave
Beriloom and the Doom (post-rock)
Entropia Architektura (experimental doom)
Perihelion (blackened prog metal)
Torn from Earth (sludge)
Ultranoire (electronica)
The New Additions
Black Nail Cabaret (synthy post-punk)
Irrational Orthodox Noise (experimental)
Kytaro (noise)
Planetdamage (industrial)
S O N Y A (post-metal with female vocals)
Wasted Struggle (screamo, post-core)
Bands to check out
The Founding Fathers
Pozvakowski (noise influenced post-metal)
Angertea (Tool’ish prog-metal)
Thy Catafalque (avantgarde metal)
The current forerunners
Hegy (post-metal)
Törzs (post-rock)
The Second Wave
Beriloom and the Doom (post-rock)
Entropia Architektura (experimental doom)
Perihelion (blackened prog metal)
Torn from Earth (sludge)
Ultranoire (electronica)
The New Additions
Black Nail Cabaret (synthy post-punk)
Irrational Orthodox Noise (experimental)
Kytaro (noise)
Planetdamage (industrial)
S O N Y A (post-metal with female vocals)
Wasted Struggle (screamo, post-core)
 Duerer Kert | Hotspots Dürer Kert A38 Fekete Zaj Festival (facebook) (usually taking place mid-August) Lärm Labels/Zines/etc. HOD Lilian Goth Art Prod Stereo Morphium |
Interviews
Ágoston Dániel (Dürer Kert)
1. How often do you have concerts with bands from the post-genre? Like Hegy or
Törzs? Or Mono or Russian Circles?
Normally we have these kind of gigs in every two months, but it depends of the other
bookings we make in the club.
2. What would you say, does the Hungarian audience like those bands?
I think yes, we have a pretty strong subculture of post-punk in Hungary, even if it is a
smaller scene here.
3. Do they attend the smaller bands from Hungary, too? Or only big global acts like
The Ocean or Mogwai?
Yes, they do, we had before Dark Horses and Cold Wave and we'll bring them back soon.
4. Which Hungarian post-bands would you name, apart from Hegy and Törzs and
Pozvakowski?
For example Black Nail Cabaret. They are pretty cool and talented, you should check upon
them.
5. Are there any bands from around the world or from Hungary that you would like
to book?
All the biggest names and the newcomers as well :D
6. Are there any Hungarian labels that promote and push Post-Rock or Post-Metal?
Unfortunately there is no such thing like this in Hungary.
Törzs? Or Mono or Russian Circles?
Normally we have these kind of gigs in every two months, but it depends of the other
bookings we make in the club.
2. What would you say, does the Hungarian audience like those bands?
I think yes, we have a pretty strong subculture of post-punk in Hungary, even if it is a
smaller scene here.
3. Do they attend the smaller bands from Hungary, too? Or only big global acts like
The Ocean or Mogwai?
Yes, they do, we had before Dark Horses and Cold Wave and we'll bring them back soon.
4. Which Hungarian post-bands would you name, apart from Hegy and Törzs and
Pozvakowski?
For example Black Nail Cabaret. They are pretty cool and talented, you should check upon
them.
5. Are there any bands from around the world or from Hungary that you would like
to book?
All the biggest names and the newcomers as well :D
6. Are there any Hungarian labels that promote and push Post-Rock or Post-Metal?
Unfortunately there is no such thing like this in Hungary.
Emese and Krisztian of Black Nail Cabaret
1. How do you see your "position" within the Hungarian "post"-scene?
Emese: I think there is an overlap within our audience. Our music is a mixture of synthpop and darkwave, with a hint of pop and electronica, and it shows in our follower base, too. Considering that, I think we are fairly known among Depeche Mode fans as well as in the goth community.
2. What was the biggest concert you headed by now? What was the biggest you played in (no festivals)?
Emese: I would say our release shows, especially for the last album. We did 2 shows with
Pseudopop, one in Budapest and one in Leipzig, where we had guest musicians and
dancers/performers. We were headlining and chose our supporting act with the help of local
promoters.
3. What's your biggest influence?
Emese: Music inspires music, but we often we get an idea from a single sound in a sci-fi
movie. When it comes to lyrics, there are many things, from philosophy to sexuality. I read
a lot of stuff.
Krisztian: My instruments, which all had been specifically selected for various reasons. The
more I get to know them, the more impulses I get for a new song.
4. Do you think that the Hungarian "post"-scene has grown over the years?
Emese: I feel that it sort of fluctuates. There had been a downfall around 2011-12, but I feel
there is a revival happening in the past 2 years, which is more like a modern take on the postpunk scene. Alternative festivals in Hungary are getting more attention, which I’m so happy to
see!
Krisztian: I would like to add that even though there is a decent audience in Hungary for this
kind of music, there are not many active post-punk/alternative bands, as many of them don’t
play often or at all. The problem behind this is probably that smaller club nights don’t have a
good attendance rate.
5. What are the biggest names, locations, clubs, labels for post-music made in Hungary?
Emese: Fekete Zaj Festival and OGT are definitely the main organizations which are trying to
keep the scene alive. Fekete Zaj has been bringing fantastic acts to Hungary, as part of their
main festival but also with their other events. Lilian Goth Art Prod is arranging old school postpunk and cold wave parties quite often. The Memento Mori organisation preserves the art and culture of the dark scene by arranging exhibitions, performances and screening events.
Sadly there are not too many specifically dark / post-punk clubs left. The biggest venue is
probably Dürer Kert in the heart of Budapest. There is a fairly new venue with a fantastic, huge
stage called Analog Music Hall. I probably should mention the A38 ship, although they have a
lot of mainstream events going on, but they accommodate many “post” artists, too. I have also
heard good things about a club called Robot, although I have never been there myself. I do like
me some dark techno and electronica, Lärm is a great place for that. Boy Harsher gave a
hypnotic show there when they played in Hungary for the first time.
Krisztian: As for bands, I’d like to mention Volkova Sisters (electronic shoegaze), Planetdamage
(electro-industrial), Entrópia Architectúra (ritual, doom, experimental, noise), Irrational Ortodox
Noise (romantic bio-dark), Ultranoire (dark synthpop).
6. Would you say that Hungarian post-music is political?
Emese: Some of them are, some of them not. It is hard not to be influenced by politics and
society’s issues these days.
7. What would be your biggest dream for your band?
Emese: I am quite happy with the way things are going right now. We get to do what we love to
do and we get to choose how we do it, and we get so much love from our followers. It would
probably be great to tour in countries that seem so far away right now: the far East, in the US, or
Canada for example. We have had discussions about it, so it might not be a surreal dream after
all.
Krisztian: I don’t really have big dreams. If people will remember us in 20 years, that will be
awesome.
Emese: I think there is an overlap within our audience. Our music is a mixture of synthpop and darkwave, with a hint of pop and electronica, and it shows in our follower base, too. Considering that, I think we are fairly known among Depeche Mode fans as well as in the goth community.
2. What was the biggest concert you headed by now? What was the biggest you played in (no festivals)?
Emese: I would say our release shows, especially for the last album. We did 2 shows with
Pseudopop, one in Budapest and one in Leipzig, where we had guest musicians and
dancers/performers. We were headlining and chose our supporting act with the help of local
promoters.
3. What's your biggest influence?
Emese: Music inspires music, but we often we get an idea from a single sound in a sci-fi
movie. When it comes to lyrics, there are many things, from philosophy to sexuality. I read
a lot of stuff.
Krisztian: My instruments, which all had been specifically selected for various reasons. The
more I get to know them, the more impulses I get for a new song.
4. Do you think that the Hungarian "post"-scene has grown over the years?
Emese: I feel that it sort of fluctuates. There had been a downfall around 2011-12, but I feel
there is a revival happening in the past 2 years, which is more like a modern take on the postpunk scene. Alternative festivals in Hungary are getting more attention, which I’m so happy to
see!
Krisztian: I would like to add that even though there is a decent audience in Hungary for this
kind of music, there are not many active post-punk/alternative bands, as many of them don’t
play often or at all. The problem behind this is probably that smaller club nights don’t have a
good attendance rate.
5. What are the biggest names, locations, clubs, labels for post-music made in Hungary?
Emese: Fekete Zaj Festival and OGT are definitely the main organizations which are trying to
keep the scene alive. Fekete Zaj has been bringing fantastic acts to Hungary, as part of their
main festival but also with their other events. Lilian Goth Art Prod is arranging old school postpunk and cold wave parties quite often. The Memento Mori organisation preserves the art and culture of the dark scene by arranging exhibitions, performances and screening events.
Sadly there are not too many specifically dark / post-punk clubs left. The biggest venue is
probably Dürer Kert in the heart of Budapest. There is a fairly new venue with a fantastic, huge
stage called Analog Music Hall. I probably should mention the A38 ship, although they have a
lot of mainstream events going on, but they accommodate many “post” artists, too. I have also
heard good things about a club called Robot, although I have never been there myself. I do like
me some dark techno and electronica, Lärm is a great place for that. Boy Harsher gave a
hypnotic show there when they played in Hungary for the first time.
Krisztian: As for bands, I’d like to mention Volkova Sisters (electronic shoegaze), Planetdamage
(electro-industrial), Entrópia Architectúra (ritual, doom, experimental, noise), Irrational Ortodox
Noise (romantic bio-dark), Ultranoire (dark synthpop).
6. Would you say that Hungarian post-music is political?
Emese: Some of them are, some of them not. It is hard not to be influenced by politics and
society’s issues these days.
7. What would be your biggest dream for your band?
Emese: I am quite happy with the way things are going right now. We get to do what we love to
do and we get to choose how we do it, and we get so much love from our followers. It would
probably be great to tour in countries that seem so far away right now: the far East, in the US, or
Canada for example. We have had discussions about it, so it might not be a surreal dream after
all.
Krisztian: I don’t really have big dreams. If people will remember us in 20 years, that will be
awesome.
Hegy
Thank you guys for doing this. First off, how has the time since the release of your new
album been? Have the reactions pleased you?
Hey, thanks for having us! Those few feedback we received was favorable, but we probably won’t
get a Grammy award.
How would you describe the process of writing this album? Was it a normal everyday record for you – because it seems that this one excels the first record by far?
It was nothing special, we went to rehearse, did some gigs and the songs were shaping. If you feel that these songs are more mature, it’s because of a natural developmental process, we got to know each other better as musicians.
Where do you record your stuff? Who does the recording?
Both albums were recorded in Miracle Sound Studio, it is one of the most professional studios in
the country. For the second album we took all our gears to the studio, amps, cabinets, drums you
name it and we managed to capture the live sound of Hegy. Because what you hear on "We Won't Make It Home" is pretty much the same as you hear in a Hegy gig. (Live gigs are a bit more killer though)
Now to a few questions more closely related to the Hungarian scene – when thinking about Hungary the first band that jumps to my mind will always be Ignite even though they are from Orange County, California. But their singer has Hungarian roots and also sings some songs in Hungary. However, I do not think that they play too big a role in Hungary, right?
We don't really know that much about Zoli Téglás' stuff, he seems like a nice guy and “Our Darkest Days” is a really cool record, but we don't think they have such an effect on things in Hungary either.
Otherwise most Eastern European countries are known for obscure metal bands and some with pretty strange political views. Where do you place your band within the Hungarian
scene?
We wouldn’t think that the situation is that bad, government don't really give a shit about
underground bands in Hungary.
It seemed to me as if Hegy was a popular band in Hungary, at least within the boundaries of the genre?
It might just seem like this because there are very few noteworthy bands in this genre in Hungary,
but that's okay, we are not doing this because of popularity.
You and Törzs recently released two outstanding “post” - albums, yours is more post-METAL, theirs is more post-ROCK. Do you know each other? What can you tell me about Törzs?
We knew the band by name, they look like cool guys, we agreed that we would have a joint gig
someday.
Do you think that the whole scene will benefit from the proximity of those two outstanding
releases?
We are always pleased when high quality Hungarian post records are coming out, so I'd like to
think yes.
Which other bands from Hungary should – in your opinion – be next to make a big jump in
popularity outside of Hungary?
Unfortunately a lot of bands who should have made the big jump outside Hungary have already
broken up. Those who are still out there and really deserve notice are Pozvakowski, Perihelion,
Beriloom and the Doom, Sonya, Kytaro, Angertea, Torn From Earth, Wasted Struggle...
Speaking of outside Hungary, where would you like to go with your band next? Any ideas
for a perfect tour? How about a tour with Törzs?
Any kind of tour would be nice, but managing it takes a lot of preparation and sadly neither of us is manager type. I think the most important thing for us is to play music together, write songs and
hang out. These are our main driving forces.
Is there a special location for post-rock in Budapest? Like a club everybody goes to? Are
there any other epicenters for post-music in Hungary? Cities? Clubs? Labels?
Post-Rock and Post-Metal are mostly unknown sub-genres in Hungary, the audience is very small and with a few exceptions they are likely interested in stereotypical, dime a dozen bands. So sadly no, Hungary is not the capital of the post genre.
Now – if I may – a few political questions:
Do you think that instrumental music like yours is able to criticize the current political system in Hungary with a political leader bordering on the edge of sanity?
We separate ourselves from political issues, we have our own angle about the matter but I don't
think this is the right channel for expressing these opinions.
Is it easier to publish instrumental music than music with lyrics in Hungary? Do you find
yourself a victim to some kind of censorship?
No, nothing like that, things could be better but it's not like Orwell's 1984.
How vocal are you as a band about your political/ethical ideas?
As we said we try to keep distance from politics..this is an instrumental thing, not in the way of for
monuments for masses for example...so we don't use any speech samples or something like that.
We don't want to preach about anything. Ethics is a different thing because as an underground
band in Hungary you have to do everything in DIY mode so this is our ethical credo..but we have
nothing to do with any institutional ethical order so if you think about ethics like veganism, straight
edge or any ideas about religions or something we have to say, that we as a band are true neutral about ethics.
Dream club/location to play in in Hungary?
A38 in Budapest. We were lucky enough to play there a few times.
Outside Hungary?
Royal Albert Hall.
Dream tour package?
Deftones / Russian Circles / Night Verses / Hegy
Wish for 2020?
New songs, new gigs, maybe a live session video.
Favorite band of all-time?
Faith No More (Miklós), Karnivool (András), Deftones (Attila)
Most influential band in terms of influence on your song-writing?
Neurosis, Dub Trio, Deafheaven, Mastodon, Deftones, YOB
Best concert seen in Budapest or Hungary for that matter?
Shining (2 of us were drunk as hell but still)
Which band would you love to see in Budapest?
Cult Leader (Attila), Car Bomb (András), PSOTY (Miklós)
Where do you see your band in 5 years?
In five years ideally we would tour in cool clubs around Northern Europe. But in reality probably
we'll play at home with our kids and only play the occasional club show in Budapest...plus play
shows around Northern Europe.
album been? Have the reactions pleased you?
Hey, thanks for having us! Those few feedback we received was favorable, but we probably won’t
get a Grammy award.
How would you describe the process of writing this album? Was it a normal everyday record for you – because it seems that this one excels the first record by far?
It was nothing special, we went to rehearse, did some gigs and the songs were shaping. If you feel that these songs are more mature, it’s because of a natural developmental process, we got to know each other better as musicians.
Where do you record your stuff? Who does the recording?
Both albums were recorded in Miracle Sound Studio, it is one of the most professional studios in
the country. For the second album we took all our gears to the studio, amps, cabinets, drums you
name it and we managed to capture the live sound of Hegy. Because what you hear on "We Won't Make It Home" is pretty much the same as you hear in a Hegy gig. (Live gigs are a bit more killer though)
Now to a few questions more closely related to the Hungarian scene – when thinking about Hungary the first band that jumps to my mind will always be Ignite even though they are from Orange County, California. But their singer has Hungarian roots and also sings some songs in Hungary. However, I do not think that they play too big a role in Hungary, right?
We don't really know that much about Zoli Téglás' stuff, he seems like a nice guy and “Our Darkest Days” is a really cool record, but we don't think they have such an effect on things in Hungary either.
Otherwise most Eastern European countries are known for obscure metal bands and some with pretty strange political views. Where do you place your band within the Hungarian
scene?
We wouldn’t think that the situation is that bad, government don't really give a shit about
underground bands in Hungary.
It seemed to me as if Hegy was a popular band in Hungary, at least within the boundaries of the genre?
It might just seem like this because there are very few noteworthy bands in this genre in Hungary,
but that's okay, we are not doing this because of popularity.
You and Törzs recently released two outstanding “post” - albums, yours is more post-METAL, theirs is more post-ROCK. Do you know each other? What can you tell me about Törzs?
We knew the band by name, they look like cool guys, we agreed that we would have a joint gig
someday.
Do you think that the whole scene will benefit from the proximity of those two outstanding
releases?
We are always pleased when high quality Hungarian post records are coming out, so I'd like to
think yes.
Which other bands from Hungary should – in your opinion – be next to make a big jump in
popularity outside of Hungary?
Unfortunately a lot of bands who should have made the big jump outside Hungary have already
broken up. Those who are still out there and really deserve notice are Pozvakowski, Perihelion,
Beriloom and the Doom, Sonya, Kytaro, Angertea, Torn From Earth, Wasted Struggle...
Speaking of outside Hungary, where would you like to go with your band next? Any ideas
for a perfect tour? How about a tour with Törzs?
Any kind of tour would be nice, but managing it takes a lot of preparation and sadly neither of us is manager type. I think the most important thing for us is to play music together, write songs and
hang out. These are our main driving forces.
Is there a special location for post-rock in Budapest? Like a club everybody goes to? Are
there any other epicenters for post-music in Hungary? Cities? Clubs? Labels?
Post-Rock and Post-Metal are mostly unknown sub-genres in Hungary, the audience is very small and with a few exceptions they are likely interested in stereotypical, dime a dozen bands. So sadly no, Hungary is not the capital of the post genre.
Now – if I may – a few political questions:
Do you think that instrumental music like yours is able to criticize the current political system in Hungary with a political leader bordering on the edge of sanity?
We separate ourselves from political issues, we have our own angle about the matter but I don't
think this is the right channel for expressing these opinions.
Is it easier to publish instrumental music than music with lyrics in Hungary? Do you find
yourself a victim to some kind of censorship?
No, nothing like that, things could be better but it's not like Orwell's 1984.
How vocal are you as a band about your political/ethical ideas?
As we said we try to keep distance from politics..this is an instrumental thing, not in the way of for
monuments for masses for example...so we don't use any speech samples or something like that.
We don't want to preach about anything. Ethics is a different thing because as an underground
band in Hungary you have to do everything in DIY mode so this is our ethical credo..but we have
nothing to do with any institutional ethical order so if you think about ethics like veganism, straight
edge or any ideas about religions or something we have to say, that we as a band are true neutral about ethics.
Dream club/location to play in in Hungary?
A38 in Budapest. We were lucky enough to play there a few times.
Outside Hungary?
Royal Albert Hall.
Dream tour package?
Deftones / Russian Circles / Night Verses / Hegy
Wish for 2020?
New songs, new gigs, maybe a live session video.
Favorite band of all-time?
Faith No More (Miklós), Karnivool (András), Deftones (Attila)
Most influential band in terms of influence on your song-writing?
Neurosis, Dub Trio, Deafheaven, Mastodon, Deftones, YOB
Best concert seen in Budapest or Hungary for that matter?
Shining (2 of us were drunk as hell but still)
Which band would you love to see in Budapest?
Cult Leader (Attila), Car Bomb (András), PSOTY (Miklós)
Where do you see your band in 5 years?
In five years ideally we would tour in cool clubs around Northern Europe. But in reality probably
we'll play at home with our kids and only play the occasional club show in Budapest...plus play
shows around Northern Europe.
Adam Darvas (Pozvakowski)
1. How long have you been playing together as a band? Have you always played "post"-music?
Playing together since 1999, never had any lineup change. I'm the founder of the band, met the guys in university, talked about music a lot, and I've wanted to do a noisy, instrumental power-trio, where we won't use the usual forms. That was it, I have literally NEVER considered my band post-rock, never used this term to describe our music. Some others did a bit later...However I've listened some so called postrock bands from the first era of the genre, such as Tortoise or Slint.
2. What are your major idols? Where do you draw your inspiration from?
My musical inspiration comes from the early ninenties noiserock bands. Labels such as Amphetamine Reptile, Touch and Go... all of their bands were amazing. I've discovered the whole scene from Hungarian underground fanzines (Masodik Latas, Straight Edge) For me personally the major milestones were the band Cherubs a raw noise-rock band from Austin, the mighty Man Or Astroman which is literally the best band in the whole universe (period), there was a french act called Hint and their first album 100%WhitePuzzle changed my whole perspective about music itself. The Jesus Lizard obviously, then CopShootCop, Girls against Boys, Shellac, Janitor Joe, ... etc. See, they have not much to do with postrock :)
3. How would you describe the Hungarian "post"-scene 10 years ago and now?
10 years ago in the reviews and articles we sometimes were described as postrock music, I was amazed by this I’ve never thought that we could be a postrock band, otherwise they usually attached the fact that this kind of genre didn't even exist in Hungary that time, so we were really some kind of pioneers of this music in Hungary. But this never meant anything to me. We were just playing very loud, louder than anyone else in the Hungarian underground, we had the visuals, which nobody else had... and now, I've even less knowledge about post music. What is it? If you have a band without a singer does it qualifies you to postrock? If you are using those (by now) very lame and boring schemes what Explosions In The Sky used 15 years ago (and they
did perfectly), does it qualifies you to be a postrock band? Because this is what I see now. I guess the "post" music genre meant to be something very unique, using some sort of classic rock formulas, but in completely different fresh new way. As the Slint, or Tortoise did.. but I don't see this nowadays. could be my fault of course..
4. Do you think that post-music is more popular today?
Yes I think so, it's way more popular than earlier.
5. I listened to your records on bandcamp and must say I really like them. Have you found a good European distro?
We are a DIY band, didn't search for any distro... for us the most important thing is playing live. I don't even like or listen our own albums :)
6. Are there any other post-rock/metal bands that started at the same time as you did? Some that are still around?
No... we were the pioneers. :) but this fact is not about our supremacy, it's just about age... we are doing this for 20 years. That's a lot...
7. Which Hungarian label/distro/clubs push post-rock the most?
I am my own distro and label.. I don't believe in any sort of thing. We didn't get any kind of help, or anything through the years. And it's absolutely OK, I don't have problem with it.. We wanted to record albums, so we did, wanted to go to tour, so we did... However there's for example the Fekete Zaj Festival which is a summer festival located in the mountains in every August and they have a winter edition as well in Budapest. They are doing single shows on a regular basis as well. They are amazing, and they are everything what the whole music business should be.
8. Which was the biggest post-show you played in Hungary by now?
Biggest? hm.. we have played with bands such as Pelican, Torche, Baroness, Mono, Ufomammut, Jarboe... yes these gigs were kinda big.
9. Where do you see post-rock/metal from Hungary in 10 years?
If we are part of that scene, I can promise we'll be still there. If we are not, then how should I know..
10. Is there any (major) epicenter for post-music in Hungary outside of Budapest?
Debrecen maybe.
Playing together since 1999, never had any lineup change. I'm the founder of the band, met the guys in university, talked about music a lot, and I've wanted to do a noisy, instrumental power-trio, where we won't use the usual forms. That was it, I have literally NEVER considered my band post-rock, never used this term to describe our music. Some others did a bit later...However I've listened some so called postrock bands from the first era of the genre, such as Tortoise or Slint.
2. What are your major idols? Where do you draw your inspiration from?
My musical inspiration comes from the early ninenties noiserock bands. Labels such as Amphetamine Reptile, Touch and Go... all of their bands were amazing. I've discovered the whole scene from Hungarian underground fanzines (Masodik Latas, Straight Edge) For me personally the major milestones were the band Cherubs a raw noise-rock band from Austin, the mighty Man Or Astroman which is literally the best band in the whole universe (period), there was a french act called Hint and their first album 100%WhitePuzzle changed my whole perspective about music itself. The Jesus Lizard obviously, then CopShootCop, Girls against Boys, Shellac, Janitor Joe, ... etc. See, they have not much to do with postrock :)
3. How would you describe the Hungarian "post"-scene 10 years ago and now?
10 years ago in the reviews and articles we sometimes were described as postrock music, I was amazed by this I’ve never thought that we could be a postrock band, otherwise they usually attached the fact that this kind of genre didn't even exist in Hungary that time, so we were really some kind of pioneers of this music in Hungary. But this never meant anything to me. We were just playing very loud, louder than anyone else in the Hungarian underground, we had the visuals, which nobody else had... and now, I've even less knowledge about post music. What is it? If you have a band without a singer does it qualifies you to postrock? If you are using those (by now) very lame and boring schemes what Explosions In The Sky used 15 years ago (and they
did perfectly), does it qualifies you to be a postrock band? Because this is what I see now. I guess the "post" music genre meant to be something very unique, using some sort of classic rock formulas, but in completely different fresh new way. As the Slint, or Tortoise did.. but I don't see this nowadays. could be my fault of course..
4. Do you think that post-music is more popular today?
Yes I think so, it's way more popular than earlier.
5. I listened to your records on bandcamp and must say I really like them. Have you found a good European distro?
We are a DIY band, didn't search for any distro... for us the most important thing is playing live. I don't even like or listen our own albums :)
6. Are there any other post-rock/metal bands that started at the same time as you did? Some that are still around?
No... we were the pioneers. :) but this fact is not about our supremacy, it's just about age... we are doing this for 20 years. That's a lot...
7. Which Hungarian label/distro/clubs push post-rock the most?
I am my own distro and label.. I don't believe in any sort of thing. We didn't get any kind of help, or anything through the years. And it's absolutely OK, I don't have problem with it.. We wanted to record albums, so we did, wanted to go to tour, so we did... However there's for example the Fekete Zaj Festival which is a summer festival located in the mountains in every August and they have a winter edition as well in Budapest. They are doing single shows on a regular basis as well. They are amazing, and they are everything what the whole music business should be.
8. Which was the biggest post-show you played in Hungary by now?
Biggest? hm.. we have played with bands such as Pelican, Torche, Baroness, Mono, Ufomammut, Jarboe... yes these gigs were kinda big.
9. Where do you see post-rock/metal from Hungary in 10 years?
If we are part of that scene, I can promise we'll be still there. If we are not, then how should I know..
10. Is there any (major) epicenter for post-music in Hungary outside of Budapest?
Debrecen maybe.
Törzs
Thank you guys for doing this. First off, how has the time since the release of your new
album been? Have the reactions pleased you?
Dani: We are really grateful for all the support and feedback we had since we have released Tükör. It is amazing to see all the love post-rock fans show. It is quite new to us, that people from all around the world write to us and show their appreciation for our music.
How would you describe the process of writing this album? Was it a normal everyday record for you – because it seems that this one excels the first record by far?
Dani: I think we are self-identical with our music at all times. When we wrote Magasra fel and
Földön, we felt like that. The process was quite similar though. Music is a therapy for us. We try to “digest” what happens in life through creating music.
Who does the recording?
Dani: Recording and mixing is done by Gyuri Ligeti in all our 3 albums so far. He is a true lover of
music and has been the “dad” of the band since the beginning. Actually the three of us played
together in a previous band, and most of those albums were done by Gyuri. He saw the value in
our music from the very beginning and was supporting us no matter what. He is a really well known producer in Hungary and done tons of records, all sound amazing. For this special venue he came up with a unique idea how to capture the natural sound of the cave. But let Soma tell you more about that.
Soma: He exactly knew how to record the huge atmospheres, and how to place the microphones to achieve the most natural sound. The main idea was to give the feel of standing in the cave in front of the band.
Who came up with the idea of recording underground? How did you get to really do it?
Soma: I can’t remember exactly when, but I just had this crazy idea. I was listening to our rehearse recording, and just realized that we have so big reverbs on all our tracks that we should do this this record in a place where the atmosphere is similar to the songs. Also I was on the idea to think big, because I really liked the songs, and wanted to record them like no one else did before. The process of organizing the record was quite long, It took like 3 months or so. We needed to get all the permissions, because the cave is part of the UNESCO World Heritage, it’s located in a National Park, and it’s highly protected. Also to organize how to get down all the equipment we needed was more than challenging. The recording hall was about 500 m-s from the entry. And below that the temperature is constant 10°C and the humidity is 100%. Not the best conditions to record an album and a 42 mins live footage, but I think all the efforts worth that.
I really like the vibe of the record – to what extent did that come along with a recording spot?
Soma: The cave itself is a huge part of the album. The natural reverb just colors the whole sound in a rich way. Also it gives more meaning to the album in a special way. When we recorded the album, it was a strange but beautiful feeling. The songs between the monumental spaces and the
extraterrestrial forms worked quite differently in the cave than in the rehearsal room, giving them a strange, timeless frame. Somehow, this is how I imagine what people, who have lived for
thousands of years, have experienced when they played their ancient melodies in one of these
places.
Most Eastern European countries are known for obscure metal bands and some with pretty strange political views. Where do you place your band within the Hungarian scene?
Dani: Since the very beginning I feel like we don’t really fit in any of the musical scenes in Hungary. With the first two record we were to instrumental for the alter-rock listeners, and not instrumental enough for some others. But now I feel like we started to find the people and communities which resonates with us. Just recently we played with a really cool band from Netherlands, called GOLD. The event was organized by Fekete Zaj festival (Black Noise Festival). The audience of Fekete Zaj and the community behind it seems like a prefect fit for us. I felt the same when we played with two post-rock bands Fleet Goes North & Johnny in the Jungle. I felt on the gig with them, that the audience really appreciated the type of music and vibe we have.
It seemed to me as if Törzs was a popular band in Hungary, at least within the boundaries of the genre?
Soma: Slowly we find our way to the audience. The previous albums were more shoegaze than post-rock, we just recently started to discover the post scene. We see that post-rock lovers are very receptive, and they are showing a lot of interest to any new stuff, including us and our music.
You and Hegy recently released two outstanding “post” - albums, yours is more post-ROCK, theirs is more post-METAL. Do you know each other? What can you tell me about Hegy?
Dani: When I heard their new album I instantly wrote on them asking for a gig together. It is
definitely on the other part of the post spectrum, but I don’t care about genres or subgenres that
much. Good music is just good music. And HEGY’s new album is for sure that. Fun fact: when i
wrote to them, it turned out the drummer is a former schoolmate of my brother.
Where would you like to go with your band next? Any ideas for a perfect tour? How about a tour with Hegy?
Dani: We have reached out to post-rock festivals around Europe and hoping to get some positive
feedback in the coming weeks. We are happy to play in any place where people truly appreciate
the music we do. Music doesn’t know borders. And sure, we’d love to tour with HEGY.
Is there a special location for post-rock in Budapest? Like a club everybody goes to?
Are there any other epicenters for post-music in Hungary? Cities? Clubs? Labels?
Dani: I couldn’t say any club, label, festival or city which would be a clear post-rock epicenter. But
there are clubs, festivals and labels which are open for that kinda music. The most post-rock bands who played in Budapest were at clubs like Dürer Kert and A38 Ship.
Do you think that instrumental music like yours is able to criticize the current political
system in Hungary with a political leader bordering on the edge of sanity?
Dani: I think we are far from articulating any per say political opinions. Yet I think the atmosphere of the music we make speaks clearly for the values we have. Love of nature. Love for LIFE itself.
Is it easier to publish instrumental music than music with lyrics in Hungary? Do you find
yourself a victim to some kind of censorship?
Dani: Our first two albums had vocals in Hungarian, I think we could reach less hearts from all
around the world with that, than now. Totally not. We are free in creating music.
How vocal are you as a band about your political/ethical ideas?
Dani: We speak clearly about our love for all beings, for the magic of life on Earth. We also joined
Music Declares Emergency; a collective of musicians who say it is time to take the climate crisis
seriously and try to do our best as musicians to contribute to the protection of our home.
Now, a few simple questions (maybe you can also explain those a bit?)
Dream club/location to play in in Hungary?
Soma: We really like A38, I think that’s the perfect place to listen to any kind of music. The sound is superb, and also it’s a ship located at the river Danube. Quite a special club. We also like Dürer
kert, which is home for more metal and post oriented music.
Dani: Ozora, Dragon Nest.
Outside Hungary?
Dani: Dunk! festival forest stage. And VIVID. festival. Ah, and Post. Festival (US).
Wish for 2020?
Dani: Being able to play live to people who appreciate our music. And that our music finds its way
to people who would benefit from the trip of Tükör. To be there for them as a therapy, as it is for us.
Favorite band of all-time?
Dani: Ah that’s hard. The last few years I’ve been listening to pg.lost, Explosions In The Sky, We
Lost The Sea, Pink Floyd, Slowdive. Most recently I discovered Am Fost La Munte Si Mi-a Placut
from Romania and Of The Vine from the US. Tycho. Ah, the list could go on.
Most influential band in terms of influence on your song-writing?
Dani: Our main inspiration for writing music and thus most influential is life experiences. Struggles
we have. Fruitful conversations. But we could say all the bands above. And the fact that all three of us listen to pretty different bands.
Best concert seen in Budapest or Hungary for that matter?
Dani: This year I would say it was MONO.
Which band would you love to see in Budapest?
Dani: Recently we reached out to Oh Hiroshima, to invite them for a gig in Budapest. I really hope
that will work out.
Where do you see your band in 5 years?
Dani: I hope we’ll have the same quality of friendship and “working relation” within the band, which is I think is quite unique. If that is still there, I’m sure we’ll be in a good place in 2024.
Thorsten
album been? Have the reactions pleased you?
Dani: We are really grateful for all the support and feedback we had since we have released Tükör. It is amazing to see all the love post-rock fans show. It is quite new to us, that people from all around the world write to us and show their appreciation for our music.
How would you describe the process of writing this album? Was it a normal everyday record for you – because it seems that this one excels the first record by far?
Dani: I think we are self-identical with our music at all times. When we wrote Magasra fel and
Földön, we felt like that. The process was quite similar though. Music is a therapy for us. We try to “digest” what happens in life through creating music.
Who does the recording?
Dani: Recording and mixing is done by Gyuri Ligeti in all our 3 albums so far. He is a true lover of
music and has been the “dad” of the band since the beginning. Actually the three of us played
together in a previous band, and most of those albums were done by Gyuri. He saw the value in
our music from the very beginning and was supporting us no matter what. He is a really well known producer in Hungary and done tons of records, all sound amazing. For this special venue he came up with a unique idea how to capture the natural sound of the cave. But let Soma tell you more about that.
Soma: He exactly knew how to record the huge atmospheres, and how to place the microphones to achieve the most natural sound. The main idea was to give the feel of standing in the cave in front of the band.
Who came up with the idea of recording underground? How did you get to really do it?
Soma: I can’t remember exactly when, but I just had this crazy idea. I was listening to our rehearse recording, and just realized that we have so big reverbs on all our tracks that we should do this this record in a place where the atmosphere is similar to the songs. Also I was on the idea to think big, because I really liked the songs, and wanted to record them like no one else did before. The process of organizing the record was quite long, It took like 3 months or so. We needed to get all the permissions, because the cave is part of the UNESCO World Heritage, it’s located in a National Park, and it’s highly protected. Also to organize how to get down all the equipment we needed was more than challenging. The recording hall was about 500 m-s from the entry. And below that the temperature is constant 10°C and the humidity is 100%. Not the best conditions to record an album and a 42 mins live footage, but I think all the efforts worth that.
I really like the vibe of the record – to what extent did that come along with a recording spot?
Soma: The cave itself is a huge part of the album. The natural reverb just colors the whole sound in a rich way. Also it gives more meaning to the album in a special way. When we recorded the album, it was a strange but beautiful feeling. The songs between the monumental spaces and the
extraterrestrial forms worked quite differently in the cave than in the rehearsal room, giving them a strange, timeless frame. Somehow, this is how I imagine what people, who have lived for
thousands of years, have experienced when they played their ancient melodies in one of these
places.
Most Eastern European countries are known for obscure metal bands and some with pretty strange political views. Where do you place your band within the Hungarian scene?
Dani: Since the very beginning I feel like we don’t really fit in any of the musical scenes in Hungary. With the first two record we were to instrumental for the alter-rock listeners, and not instrumental enough for some others. But now I feel like we started to find the people and communities which resonates with us. Just recently we played with a really cool band from Netherlands, called GOLD. The event was organized by Fekete Zaj festival (Black Noise Festival). The audience of Fekete Zaj and the community behind it seems like a prefect fit for us. I felt the same when we played with two post-rock bands Fleet Goes North & Johnny in the Jungle. I felt on the gig with them, that the audience really appreciated the type of music and vibe we have.
It seemed to me as if Törzs was a popular band in Hungary, at least within the boundaries of the genre?
Soma: Slowly we find our way to the audience. The previous albums were more shoegaze than post-rock, we just recently started to discover the post scene. We see that post-rock lovers are very receptive, and they are showing a lot of interest to any new stuff, including us and our music.
You and Hegy recently released two outstanding “post” - albums, yours is more post-ROCK, theirs is more post-METAL. Do you know each other? What can you tell me about Hegy?
Dani: When I heard their new album I instantly wrote on them asking for a gig together. It is
definitely on the other part of the post spectrum, but I don’t care about genres or subgenres that
much. Good music is just good music. And HEGY’s new album is for sure that. Fun fact: when i
wrote to them, it turned out the drummer is a former schoolmate of my brother.
Where would you like to go with your band next? Any ideas for a perfect tour? How about a tour with Hegy?
Dani: We have reached out to post-rock festivals around Europe and hoping to get some positive
feedback in the coming weeks. We are happy to play in any place where people truly appreciate
the music we do. Music doesn’t know borders. And sure, we’d love to tour with HEGY.
Is there a special location for post-rock in Budapest? Like a club everybody goes to?
Are there any other epicenters for post-music in Hungary? Cities? Clubs? Labels?
Dani: I couldn’t say any club, label, festival or city which would be a clear post-rock epicenter. But
there are clubs, festivals and labels which are open for that kinda music. The most post-rock bands who played in Budapest were at clubs like Dürer Kert and A38 Ship.
Do you think that instrumental music like yours is able to criticize the current political
system in Hungary with a political leader bordering on the edge of sanity?
Dani: I think we are far from articulating any per say political opinions. Yet I think the atmosphere of the music we make speaks clearly for the values we have. Love of nature. Love for LIFE itself.
Is it easier to publish instrumental music than music with lyrics in Hungary? Do you find
yourself a victim to some kind of censorship?
Dani: Our first two albums had vocals in Hungarian, I think we could reach less hearts from all
around the world with that, than now. Totally not. We are free in creating music.
How vocal are you as a band about your political/ethical ideas?
Dani: We speak clearly about our love for all beings, for the magic of life on Earth. We also joined
Music Declares Emergency; a collective of musicians who say it is time to take the climate crisis
seriously and try to do our best as musicians to contribute to the protection of our home.
Now, a few simple questions (maybe you can also explain those a bit?)
Dream club/location to play in in Hungary?
Soma: We really like A38, I think that’s the perfect place to listen to any kind of music. The sound is superb, and also it’s a ship located at the river Danube. Quite a special club. We also like Dürer
kert, which is home for more metal and post oriented music.
Dani: Ozora, Dragon Nest.
Outside Hungary?
Dani: Dunk! festival forest stage. And VIVID. festival. Ah, and Post. Festival (US).
Wish for 2020?
Dani: Being able to play live to people who appreciate our music. And that our music finds its way
to people who would benefit from the trip of Tükör. To be there for them as a therapy, as it is for us.
Favorite band of all-time?
Dani: Ah that’s hard. The last few years I’ve been listening to pg.lost, Explosions In The Sky, We
Lost The Sea, Pink Floyd, Slowdive. Most recently I discovered Am Fost La Munte Si Mi-a Placut
from Romania and Of The Vine from the US. Tycho. Ah, the list could go on.
Most influential band in terms of influence on your song-writing?
Dani: Our main inspiration for writing music and thus most influential is life experiences. Struggles
we have. Fruitful conversations. But we could say all the bands above. And the fact that all three of us listen to pretty different bands.
Best concert seen in Budapest or Hungary for that matter?
Dani: This year I would say it was MONO.
Which band would you love to see in Budapest?
Dani: Recently we reached out to Oh Hiroshima, to invite them for a gig in Budapest. I really hope
that will work out.
Where do you see your band in 5 years?
Dani: I hope we’ll have the same quality of friendship and “working relation” within the band, which is I think is quite unique. If that is still there, I’m sure we’ll be in a good place in 2024.
Thorsten
