invokethemetal's Podcast

Jordan, host of the show Invoke the Music on Hollywood Music TV, recently interviewed the amazing band from the U.K, TesseracT.
Find out answers to some in depth questions on layers, sound, equipment and how they feel being compared to names such as Meshuggah, Periphery, Sikth and Textures.

Published at our Underground Invoke The Metal HMTV Canada eZine at: Invoke The Metal Interviews TesseracT

Q: The name 'TesseracT', many people don't know what an octachoron is.
Can you please explain what it is, and how you came to chose this very
particular and unique name for the band?




A: TesseracT is the name we use for our ideal. Creating music that is fluid
and not reliant upon modern pop structure, much like a lot of tech metal
but more like alt rock of such bands as Pink Floyd, where it just evolves
and develops all of its own accord. Often it tells us where to go! There is
no scientific connection, it just fits our vibe. Its different, but
without a doubt us. Plus why not? Its better than new kids on the block
and they didn't do half bad!

Q: While writing out music, do you take a notational approach? Or a
mathematical one? Or is that something that just happens?




A: It definitely just happens, its all about the groove. A lot of bands
sacrifice the groove of a section to fit it into a mathematical idea or
structure where as we are not interested in that. No time signatures,
harmonic structures, or math music approaches, just...music. As simple and
as complex as it can be. It took a while for us to drop our musical
habits and just play!



Q: Where do you draw your unique style from?



A: All and everything we've ever listened to. Some of it is quite clearly
'filmic' for lack of a better word, meaning it would work very well as a
soundtrack - we're Moricone of the Rock world - haha. Sounds are just as
important as structures and melodies to us, so maybe by having an ear for
that side of things has helped us develop an edge?





Q: How do you guys deal with the attention you are receiving? Any crazy
fan stories?



A: To be honest apart from the odd grab of your bits at a gig
or an over enthusiastic fan after a show, we don't get that much. We
ain't Backstreet Boys level yet, but there's still time to reach that
goal. Some amazing dude in the U.S. made a tesseract out of ballons - that
was fucking great. The amazing thing is that as we're only gigging in
the U.K. at the moment, people are traveling to see us from other
Countries. We've had people from Sweden, Italy, France and fucking
Canada! I mean what the fuck! Ontario, Canada to London, England - wow!
That’s amazing.

Q: Have you guys gone through any intense transformations in between
the first song you wrote together until now? And if so, how, and what
inspired it?




A: The older stuff was wrote without the idea of a vocalist, so it has a
lot more going on, more layers and stuff that would get in the way of a
vocal line. But now with Abi here, there’s more room in the tracks for
him to do his thing. So really that’s the only change. Maybe
arrangement-wise there’s more attention to sounds used, not just
distortion and that’s it!





Q: You guys have a very large following , almost a legion of people, who
think you kick ass and are spreading the word over the net etc. What
do you have to say to your fans?





A: You guys are amazing. It’s so good to hear from you so keep getting in
touch and letting us know where you're from. Its just so cool to hear from
the farthest reaches of this massive yet somehow tiny planet we live on.





Q: When experienced metal heads hear you for the first time, they may
think 'Meshuggah', how do you react to that?





A: We don't have a problem with it, its a compliment to be compared to them,
I mean come on, if we toured with them they'd hand our asses to us every
single night. They are amazing live. But bands always sound like
Each other, take the new new new wave of heavy metal. Jeez those bands
sound exactly the same as each other and no-one seems to go -“hey is that
Lamb of God, or Slayer or Metallica.”. It’s almost like when people here rap
music for the first time or rock and metal - they generalize. That’s cool.
So the response to us is like the audio equivalent of a sheltered white
guy who doesn't have any black friends and thinks all black guys look the
same - haha - wicked! People always generalize. They start with the
bigger picture and then gradually get the details as they discover more.
One thing though, can't remember the last time Meshuggah had any singing
in it?





Q: Do you guys feel like you are part of a new style/movement in metal
music along with bands like Periphery, Sikth and Textures?




A: Well apart from Sikth being no more, there is a repeat of the prog days coming
around again, which is cool. There is definitely a move towards less
standard stuff. Again to be put in the same league as Textures,
Periphery and Sikth is a surprise to us. We don't consider our stuff all
that metal, and like Textures enjoy exploring other aspects of sound and
genre. Lets just hope we can keep it real and not disappear up our own
arseholes like many a good prog rock band has done!




Q: You used to do home recordings which sounded phenomenal, what made you
want to go into the studio?

A: Firstly, it's what every home recording aficionado dreams of doing. When the chance arises you have to take it. Secondly its real hard recording a drummer in a tiny space, and the equipment in some of these
big studios makes everything so much easier. Don't get me wrong it's possible to do anything anywhere these days, but a big massive desk and
lush mics and preamps encourages great performances and makes getting
great sounds easier.

Q: Acle, you used to be the sole member of this band right? How has
adding members affected the music overall?





A: [Acle] I hate it - every night I cry, my baby, my baby....hahahaha




Q: What's going on with you guys getting signed? What would you look for
in a contract?





A: Money money money...jokes. Vision, commitment and a proven track record.
We realize we ain't gonna hit no.1 on the billboard charts, but give it
a few years and who knows! TesseracT could be the next Tool, touring
stadiums throughout the world. But money would be nice too.




Q: Acle, you are the guitarist for Fell Silent, do any of you other guys
have other bands? How will TesseracT effect those?





A: [Acle] Yeah Jay is in a band called Heights, who are great, and Mos works as a
session musician for a fairly well known band so there will come a point
when the shit hits the fan and clashes occur, but we'll just have to
wait and see. Although TesseracT is an obsession for all of us so we all
know the answer to that question really.




Q: You guys have taken your time with releasing tunes and making moves.
Do you guys have a 'slow and steady wins the race' attitude? When do
you see TesseracT exploding?




A: It would be nice to say ‘now‘! But we do take
our time, simply because its not easy to right this stuff. As there is no
formula, its a case of inspiration hitting, and following the story as
far as the song will take us. We are finishing of our first mini album -
called Concealing Fate. Finally we can put a nail in that one and move
on! And then there is the demos for the album which we have just started
too. It'll take a few more months yet but we'll get there and it'll be
worth it too!




Q: TesseracT uses many musical layers. Some of the sounds that you guys
get are very esoteric. What is the approach to writing with layers,
and where do you find the sounds?




A: [Mos] The sounds come from experimentation, and to be honest so do the ideas. I always come up with loads of sound ideas, but they'll be sparked from the original ideas that Acle
puts down. He'll be the first to admit - he just jams along to what he's
put down on tape and experiments that way, just letting himself get
immersed in the tone and groove.

Q: On the layers topic, are any of your songs have difficulty translating
into a live setting?
A: Its very simple to take it live as we use a sequencer in addition to us playing. So at times it'll sound like a wall of guitars and synths, with just the 5 of us on stage! We're working on a Milli Vanilli thing so Abi doesn't have to sing anymore





Q: Your music has a lot of emotional 'color' to it, what kind of mindset
do you get in when you write?




A: Again just get immersed until the right vibe is hit. Often until the vocals are added its very hard to predict he nature of the final emotion though, so we're always accepting that
it might change. When people hear your songs, they immediately know that it's TesseracT.

Q: What do you think creates this signature sound, and how
would you describe it?




A: Thats like asking the cornel for his secret recipe! We're hoping now that the vocal demos are getting out there too that Abi's unique character and timbre will add to that TesseracT 'sound',
but I'm guessing its the groove, vibe, and production, all of which we
strive to make as good as we can, yet keep human.





Q: A lot of people have partially accredited it to the gear that you use
with your signature sound. Have you changed your gear up at all over
time? Why?




A: Yeah it can't be just our gear as we change it all the time -
upgrade it. Acle has just gone from Pod's to Axe FX Ultra's. The gear is
inspiration for the tunes basically, we get a new toy then a new track
comes along - haha. Basically, and this may seem like a contradiction to
an earlier answer, but I suppose we do have an idea of what we want and
how to use certain tools to get these.





Q: What advice would you have for young bands that look up to you guys?




A: Don't try and copy anyone. What will make you unique is creating your own
sound. Now you'll discover that many many others have done what you've
done before but don't let it dishearten you. Most importantly though -
surround yourself with musicians that inspire you. If you are the
guitarist in a band and you're a better drummer than the one you have -
get a better one! Never ever give up, do it for the love and the money
will come soon enough, well that’s what we hope anyway!




Don’t miss the opportunity to see TesseracT headlining the unsigned stage at Bloodstock
Sunday, August 17th.




Bloodstock: Nightwish, Soilwork, Dimmu Borgir, Kataklysm, Soulfly, As I Lay Dying, Opeth, Helloween, Iced Earth, Overkill, At The Gates, Primal Fear, Communic, Mob Rules, Moonsorow, Kataklysm, Soulfly, Swallow The Sun, Eluveitie, Napalm Death, Destruction, Evile, Hospital Of Death, Akercocke, Praying Mantis, Cloudscape, Alestorm, Heaven’s Basement, Ravens Creed.