Ελληνικά
Last Updated on 04:01 PM by Giorgos Tsekas
Gadget is a band that’s active since 1997 and this year released its third full length album after ten years.The album not only spits fire but keeps the flame of the grindcore scene alive! William, the drummer and the producer of the band will shine some more light in the interview that follows.
William, there’s no time for greetings and introductions! What’s up with you Swedes? Will you ever release a bad record? You’re less than 10 million people up there, however since the beginning of the 90s you haven’t stopped releasing great records in the extreme sound field!
Hey man! Cheers, yeah Sweden is litterally boiling with music. Since I work in a studio and concert venue I’m used to being surrounded with musiscians but when you stop to think about it, the climate is completely different here compared to other european nations, and I’m not just talking about the weather. I think we have two things to thank for it, a well functioning municipal music education (every kid gets the chance to learn an instrument from a very early age) and the Swedish “study circle” organisations who fund the older kids and young adults with equipment and practice rooms. This makes it very easy to start a band in Sweden, even if your’re 16 and don’t have any money for gear. They also help with other stuff such as clinics, studio time and marketing.
You are constantly inside the studio, so, what’s the deal with Gadget? Why did it take you 10 years to make the next step?
It’s due to two big changes; the relocation of Rikard and the fact that I stopped playing guitar. I used to write most of the material but as I stopped playing guitar I also stopped writing songs. This means Rikard and Fredrik had to take over that bit and their process rely more on the band putting material together in the practice room. Since Rikard lives 200km away since several years now, we don’t practice nearly as much as wee need to. When we get together it’s usually to play a show, so we need to practice a set and there’s hardly any time to play new stuff. Then on top of that it’s just the fact that we have all gotten older and have kids etc. Life is different when you are 22, uneployed, single and all you have in your life is your instrument. Hehe.
You can realize that “The Great Destroyer” has diminished everything in its way. The feedback it gets is amazing, as far as reviews and comments are considered. Did you expect such a thing to happen?
I didn’t know what to expect really, it’s probably the first time I’ve been this pleased with something we put out but you never know what the reaction is going to be like. So far I’ve been really overwhelmed. I’ve been under the impression that grindcore lately has become a bit more “back to the roots” with a more raw and gritty sound. Bands like Wormrot and Insect Warfare seem to have been doing great. I think GADGET stands out in this context since we mix in a lot of deathmetal and hardcore. I guess what’s nice is that our old fans seem to be very happy with this album. In a way it’s just more of what we always have done, and with a better production.
The record is well – crafted in terms of compositions and sound. Was that something planned or did it just happen to lash out all the emotions you hid over the last decade?
We spent a lot of time with the production on this album, we’ve not been very pleased with the sound on our old albums and this time we wanted to get it right. We are also blessed with the option to take our time, so we had a lot of time to go over the arrangements and material. I guess it’s a blessing and a curse since this also enables you to put things off for too long. While it took us 1,5 years from the first drum hit to mastering, obviously nearly all that time was spent procrastinating the next part of the process. Haha.
So far, how do you feel about Relapse Records? If you want to swear, no need to worry! We won’t mail the interview to them!
We are very happy with Relapse, it’s a really cool label. Down to earth and easy going, but also super professional – I think that combination is important. When they put an album out it’s done properly.
We haven’t been the most active band in their catalog so we could expect more flak coming our way for beeing lazy, but they’ve been very laid back and supporive. If anyone at the office is reading this – we promise not to take another 10 years!
What are your plans about live concerts?
Two in the band have toddlers at home now so it’s difficult to play as much as we want, but we both have supportive girlfriends and are really hoping to play as much as we can this year and possibly the next. This includes a few one off shows plus festivals, and then a USA tour this autumn. Still hoping to get some more festival gigs in next summer. I guess this album came out a little late in the year to really make that happen.
How come you collaborated with Barney?
We’ve been in touch with them throughout the years a bit and then played a short tour with Lock Up. When they played a big metal festival at our home town they got in touch with some backline problems so we helped them out with a drumkit and some amps. As a way to say thanks Barney agreed to do a vocal take in my studio. The song actually had the working title “Nappe” even before that, since it’s supposed to be a bit in that vein. Really chuffed about the results.
Will we have to wait for another decade to release a new album or will you surprise us in a couple of years?
Absolutely not. Rumours have it that some members in the band have already sprung to work with riffing. Ha!
In general, are you satisfied by the overall outcome of “The Great Destroyer” as far as production goes? Did you do everything you wanted or do you want to change something now that time has passed and can see things clearly?
There’s always going to be things you would have done differently but in general we are really, really pleased. I think the next time it would be nice to be even more prepared, especially regarding the lyrics.
Thank you for your time, the last words are yours! 666 bravos from me for the album! Hopefully we’ll see each other in some stage soon!
Thanks to you and all the best! I don’t have much more to add except come check us out live and don’t forget to come up and say hi after the show! Cheers!
