Umor - Live @arena beisl 9th May 2011 (with interview)

UMOR present you a live recording digital release of one of their shows. By all means this is no fancy multichannel recording mixed for weeks and weeks - it's just a straightforward two mikes into a digital recorder somewhere in the room, but the results are still earth moving! Features also a performance of "rift" - one of the songs that will be on our next album, with a couple of old ones and two closing songs from Pralayaah. Interview with umor below.



*band members were playing together way before the umor was formed. Since how long and how does it started?Anyways, the four of us knew each other since high school, that's where we met, all in the same class, more or less, and what started out like a couple of buddies learning songs from each other and basically trying to learn how to play instruments, somewhere in the winter of 1999 - the idea of a band came to mind. We did not know how to play when we started the band, so we learned by attempting to play with each other through the years. It was around 2006 when we started taking things "seriously" and focused more on doing something creative besides bang cover songs and doing nothing with music.

*why umor as a band name?
Actually the drummer proposed the band name, because before 2007 we used to perform under the different name, but since the departure of the second guitarist/friend, we realized we need to change the name of the band, also the music changed a lot in that period. "Umor" - in Croatian means a couple of things - to be tried, fatigue, murder or death, but usually refers to fatigue - when music gets so slow, like you're tried of playing hehe.

*umor shared the stage with bands such as U.S. Christmas, Cough, Saviours, Karma To Burn, Counterblast, Entrance...how it’s like to play together with most wanted bands of the genre?Sharing stage with "bigger" bands is always a good thing. Usually they attract more crowd to gigs, so naturally more people see us too, but besides that - we always learn something new. Not to say that they are role models or inspiration for us, but from a more known band you can usually pick up the ways of "doing things", performing, attitude towards concerts, playing itself... well... they show you how the "job" is done - with results. Sometimes you also see the negative sides of it all, but always, always - you can learn something!

*what is your source of inspiration?
Inspiration - hehe... That's a hard one! The practice spaces we used and the one we have right now - they all have some sort of energy to it. We shut the doors on that 13 square meter room and crank the amplifiers and literally try to escape from that outside reality, at least for those short moments. What drives us forward - who knows, maybe it's a constant reminder that we live in a country that doesn't have much perspective for younger people, that there are no jobs, and when you have one, you work too much overtime, then the personal problems, relationships, at the end of the day, sometimes we feel like blasting the hell out of our instruments, and sometimes it's more gentle, depending on the mood, at least in one thing in life through which we can march our way through, the way we want to. So, basically no occult, satan worshiping, cheap tricks there, just plain life in some sort of expressionistic way of putting ideas to melodies and words. Trying to comprehend the ethereal part of existence. Whoa!

*umor “one” is one of my all-time favorite songs. What’s your favorite umor song?

I'm not sure if we have a band's favorite song, we all like our songs in the same way, but maybe Exposure is for some of us the current highlight of our creative limits - we explored various musical territories with that song and managed (more or less) to express broader range of our emotions and thoughts with it.

*any updates on umor new record?
We are currently working on new songs, and hopefully we'll record the new album during the summer, followed up by a tour in late September/early October. I have no clue about what will happen with the record, since we need to save serious amount of cash to put it out on vinyl. Pralayaah never made it to vinyl due 60 minute album length, which would require double lp and that's waaay to much money for us at this moment, in the self released arrangement. With the next album, we'll probably go with the cd and lp release, along with digital too, but don't expect that one before winter of 2012.

The digital releases are cool, they are really fast way to share music, and we decided to make them free for download - always, and it will never change. People can always donate money if they feel they want to support us by buying digital download, but if somebody wants to buy it for free, he can always enter 0 and have it also. There's no point in selling bandwidth, the music is much more than bits and bytes and if it means by making it free - that it will get to much wider audience - then it's something that's worth much more than that cheap money can buy.

*Tour plans for the 2012?
Touring - we love it, but it's hard to book by yourself, especially if you're unknown to some extent. But that's what's touring is for, getting to people in person is the best way to promote your music, and of course to experience it! Recording of the band cannot capture the energy, the atmosphere, the day of the week, that particular moment, the sheer volume and pressure your ear sustains, the tremors of the body from the vibrations - so touring is the only to spread the word efficiently. Sure internet is fast and vast, but by touring you focus your music to the people more directly. I have to say these years of playing across Europe (the parts of it, at least), the progress is obvious, because what you have to say about your band is not something other people are interested in, it's what they hear from other people is what matters. Word of mouth is a powerful tool, touring is the first thing that sets that chain reaction into motion.

when can I expect you to see in Latvia?
I would like us to go to Latvia for sure, but anything up north from Germany is a complete mystery for me, I don't know who to contact for gigs, how's the scene, where to go, nothing! Sure if we had someone more experienced in booking, we would go anywhere in the world, but for now I'm patiently trying to expand my network of contacts for various regions/countries so we can make at least 14 day tour from time to time. Although I know the guys from Talbot and they for sure book gigs in Estonia, so Latvia is not that far away if we pull it off to that direction some day ;)

Generally I hope we'll make more progress in 2012 with touring and to split the release of the vinyl with some other independent DIY labels and try to hook us up with more promotors and bookers to have way
longer tours in the future. More touring - more areas covered and bigger chance of us coming to Latvia some day.
umor & archiv hate.

bandcamp: umor | support at bandcamp

1 comment:

  1. readers don't forget to check Umor - pralayaah
    http://archivhate.blogspot.com/2011/05/umor-pralayaah-2011.html

    ReplyDelete

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