Interview:Jamie Saint Merat and Michael Hoggard
Grindead zine
grindead.cjb.net
Hey Jamie, whats going on? How's life in New Zealand? (did I spell it right?) Life here in Sweden is pretty ok, and spring is finally on its way, woho!
Jamie: Life in New Zealand is OK, just finishing up my last year of graphic design studies and focusing a lot of energy on the band.
Haha, well, just wanted to see how you are feeling etc. So, for how long has Ulcerate been a band and how did it start? Were any of the members in any other bands before joining Ulcerate and if, are they still in them?
Jamie: Guitarist Michael Hoggard and myself began Ulcerate in high school in early 2001 under the moniker of 'Bloodwreath'. At this point we were kind of undecided on the style that we wanted to take, so our first songs were very mismatched and generally pretty awful. I think it was around 2002 that we started to focus the sound, and by 2003 we knew exactly where to take the band - hence the name change to 'Ulcerate'. We've had a lot of previous members that have been in other bands, none really worth mentioning! Our current line-up however consists of 2 Graymalkin (local grind outfit) members. Michael and myself have been involved in a few projects over the years, namely a spazz-grind band Misadventures in Self-Surgery being the only one that we really worked on.
You have just released your second effort called "The coming of genocide". How does it sound compared to your first demo? How has the response been to Ulcerate both locally and worldwide?
Jamie: Overall, we're a lot more comfortable with this recording and group of songs. The first demo was rushed and came at a time when where shifting our sound, so the songs are a little too primitive in the sense that we have 'matured' our sound so much since then. And although the first demo was recorded in a relatively professional studio, I think we're all a lot more happy with the sound quality and tones captured with 'The Coming…'. Response to this new demo has been really fucking awesome, it seems as though finally we're ready to break into the international 'scene'. We've had a lot of good reviews (praise to Grindead for this of course!) and we're also in the process of discussing some options with some great labels, which for us is pretty overwhelming
Michael: Like a completely different band really! The first one's competent, but really it isn't a patch on the new recording in every respect. The new songs are faster, darker and far more technical - we just really wanted to go for an overall denser sound.
I was really suprised by the quality of your soundproduction and correct me if I'm wrong, but isnt't it all D.I.Y? (do-it-yourself). Are you happy about what you ahve accomplished and did you study to learn about how to record, how the equipment works etc. or did you learn it all by yourself?
Jamie: I'm glad you're surprised bro! And yes, it was all DIY. We're very happy with the result because it gives us a lot of confidence in producing recordings ourselves, and furthering our self-reliance, rather than putting trust in other people, which often can produce poor results. I haven't had any formal training with engineering and mixing, but I'm very interested in the field, and pay a lot of attention to how instrument tones are captured and records are constructed. I had some help during mixing from a guy here who is studying audio production regarding frequency theory, which helped immeasurably. Also, our newly acquired bassist Phil Kusabs is a freelance audio engineer (who engineered and mixed Dawn of Azazel's 'Law of the Strong' album), so I have no doubt that we can create recordings for ourselves in the future…
Michael: 'Twas indeed. That was one of the best things about this recording - between doing the recording ourselves and Jamie doing all the artwork, we had total control over everything. And as it turned out, it's the only recording we've ever been part of where something (usually fairly critical…) hasn't fucked out!
One more thing that really took me by storm was the way you all handled your instruments, for how long have you been playing your instruments and how did you get to learn them?
Is there any artists/groups that has really influenced Ulcerate both as musicians and as musical inspiration (meaning, that if Ulcerate is playing a certain vein of death metal that any other bands plays).
Jamie: Thanks a lot Uffe! I've been playing drums since 13, which is 7 years and counting so far. I took a few lessons from a music teacher at high school, but aside from that, I'm self-taught. As for influence, drummers which kick my ass are Dave Weckl, Steve Smith, Carter Beuford, Dennis Chambers, Derek Roddy, John Longstreth, Flo Mounier, John Engman, Tony Laureno, Marco Minneman, K from Rotten Sound, and drummers from local bands Forced to Submit, Graymalkin, Dawn of Azazel, Aphelon, Militia. For musical inspiration, we take influence from all kinds of music, but I guess the extreme metal acts which we're closest to would have to be bands like Immolation, Hate Eternal, Gorguts - bands which are doing something a little different from standard brutal death.
Michael: I've been playing guitar for around 7-8 years now. I took lessons for a couple of years which got me off to a good start, but on the whole I'm largely self-taught. It's just the way that worked best for me at the time. Unfortunately I'm forever ironing out flaws in my technique though, and am far more one dimensional as a guitarist than I'd like as a result. Jared (former 2nd guitarist who played bass on TCOG) has played bass, which is his first instrument, for a number of years and is quite a proficient Jazz bassist. As we had no bass player at the time, it made sense for Jared to jump across to the bass for the recording. James picked up a mic one day and went ARGHHHHHH! He hasn't looked back since.
Has Ulcerate had the chance to play anything live yet and if, how has the response as a live band been to Ulcerate? What do you prefer: playing live, rehearsing or recording?
Jamie: We play quite regularly (or as regular as NZ shows get…), and we get a fucking great response from people, especially lately since our material has started to sink in with audiences. And playing live is with out a doubt the reason why we do this! Rehearsal is really great as well, but recording is generally an entirely stressful time, making sure that every note is as perfect as can be, but the end result can be really killer!
Michael: For a long time people didn't really seem overly fussed about our live show - we tend to play everything twice as fast live, so I dear say it all turns into somewhat of a blur for people who don't already know our songs… But once people got a chance to hear the first demo, all of a sudden our shows started getting pretty fucking crazy - should be good to play again now that TCOG has been out for a little while as well…
Since you're from Zealand, is there any chance that you will play anywhere else, maybe in the USA or in Europe? Is it easy to get gigs in New Zealand?
Jamie: Our first goal is to get something out on a label, and then we're really keen to do some international shows, and in as many places as possible! Ultimately, Europe is the most desirable place for us to play, yet the States and Canada would be fucking great as well! Getting gigs in NZ is no problem at all, due to the small size of the scene here, ourselves and the other bands are generally the ones organising the shows...
Michael: That's definitely a big goal…! One of the main things I'd personally love to do is to tour across Europe in particular, so that's definitely something I'd be keen for us to work towards, and I know the other guys are too. Unfortunately though, being quite literally at the farthest reaches of earth from Europe means it's going to be no cheap or easy feat…
How is the scene in New Zealand? To be honest I dont know anything about any other bands more than Ulcerate coming from your country hehe, could you please fill me in about that?
What kind of musicstyles dominates New Zealand?
Jamie: The extreme music scene over here is very small, but most of the bands are very intense and fucking killer! Bands like Dawn of Azazel (signed to Poland's Agonia records), Forced to Submit, Graymalkin, Aphelon. If you're asking what kind of styles dominate extreme metal, then none really, pretty much every band here has a completely different sound to one another.
Michael: New Zealand tends to be quite a weak rock and shitty hip hop / RnB dominated country - they are definitely the two styles the masses seem to latch onto the most here. Can't say I'm overly fond of either though…
Has there been any response/interest shown from any labels yet or does Ulcerate have no plans yet on getting signed to any label? If you are interested in getting signed (dumb question now when I think about it) is there any special requests you have in mind?
Jamie: We've got a few labels showing interest in us, which we're really excited about! Nothing is set in stone yet of course, we're just trying to ascertain what will work for the label and us the best. As for special requests, nothing really, we're still in a position where anything is everything to us, so we're just happy that our music is being appreciated \m/
Michael: We've actually only just sent out anything to labels recently - we were keen to hold off a bit in the hope of including snippets from reviews with our bio once we had a few back. That aside though, we have actually had a bit of positive feedback already, so hopefully that bodes well… Requests…? Haha, basically just that we don't get shafted!
What kind of equipments/gear does Ulcerate use? Is it easy to get cheaper, but still quality instruments etc. in New Zealand?
Jamie: I currently use a Pearl Export kit, Sabian / Paiste cymbals and Pearl + Gibraltor hardware. It is by no means my 'dream kit' or anything, but it does what it's told for the time being… And no, it's far more expensive to get quality gear here, around double the price of what people would pay in the States, which sucks hard.
Michael: Both Michael R and myself use Marshall amps and cabinets, which is cool because it makes it a lot easier to balance up our sound by using similar equipment - something we struggled with with our former line-up. Michael R plays a Jackson, and I play an ESP. And of course, lest we forget the mighty noise-suppressor! To be honest, I'm not sure what Phil uses though - I'm not overly knowledgeable when it comes to bass gear I'm afraid. Unfortunately, local stores tend to be rapists with their prices, and because we're just so damn far from anywhere it tends to make it difficult with insane shipping prices. At the end of the day though, if you can source it directly from overseas it's usually the best way to go…
Whats going with the lyrical theme? What are the lyrics about and do they play a big role in Ulcerates music? What influences you to write the lyrics you use?
Jamie: The lyrical themes are very apocalyptic, concerning the downfall of humanity and the inherent weakness that befalls our species. The lyrics play a huge part in creating the visual aesthetic for the band. This combined with our art direction and sonic attack creates the moods that we want to convey. Our vocalist James writes all the lyrics, so he would of course have all the in-depth answers concerning his influences and sources of inspiration. I know for a fact that he spends a lot of time crafting and reworking the lyrics and vocal rhythms, so they are as integral to our sound as any instrument.
Michael: I think the main link between the lyrical theme and our music as a whole would be that both are written primarily with the intent of conveying as close to pure aggression as we can achieve - one is simply through a musical forum and is at the mercy of Jamie, Michael R, Phil and myself, while the other is verbally, and is James' particular take on things.
Do you personally think its important to be openminded to other styles of music when being a musician? Does it have any effect on the things you write and play?
Jamie: Of course, there's a lot more to music than what one single genre can provide, be it deathmetal, techno, rap etc. I think that to fulfil all musical tastes you've got to listen to a broad range of styles, after all, there really is no room in deathmetal for upbeat, happy moods etc. It has a huge effect on the way we write and play, note selection, rhythm ideas, formal structures can all be incorporated from outside sources into this style of music and molded and adapted into something entirely unique. Just look at bands like Nile, Immolation, Lykathea Aflame etc
Michael: Definitely! I think anyone who restricts themselves to just one style of music is killing their creative potential, and more often than not is doomed to continually re-hash the same old ideas we've heard a hundred times before, not to mention generally by someone who did it better! I personally have been getting more and more into jazz lately, and have also scratched the surface of classical music with composers such as Shostakovich, and a man I am particularly in awe of, John Williams.
The process of writing an Ulcerate song, how does it work out? Who writes the most music and how do you put it all together? I mean, since Ulcerates music is pretty complicated it must be pretty hard (well, at least it would've been for me haha)
Michael: In the past Jamie and myself (and now Michael R and Phil as well…) have written riffs and/or small sections separately, then I would often take all the ideas and try and come up with a few sections of structure. Then at practice we'd run through the ideas and more often than not cull half of them that aren't up to scratch, and by the end of this whole process we'd end up with a section of maybe 2-3 riffs strung together. Also, at the same time we'll work on individual drum structures and ideas to accompany each separate riff. Eventually, after working through an entire song in this fashion, half the time we end up thinking it's shit and entirely rearranging and/or scrapping large portions of it! Haha, all part of the fun though!
Jamie: Generally after we start to get the song down there's always new ideas which come into the fold - even before the recording of 'The Coming…' we rewrote a lot of the guitar parts to give it a lot more density. Vocal arrangements come last once the framework of the song is in place, these are worked out by our vocalist James to begin with, and then if everyone's happy, we play the song live to see how it works.
I recently heard that you got two new members recruited to the Ulcerate crew, whats their names and how did you get in touch with them? Were/are they in any other bands?
Michael: The Mighty Michael Rothwell (or 'Ray' as we know him, to avoid confusion between the Michaels…) who also plays in Graymalkin as I mentioned before, has joined on second guitar to fill the spot left by Jared's departure. His comrade in arms (and Graymalkin…) Phil Kusabs has signed up adding his speciality of bass-barrage to the ranks. We already knew both of them through having played many a show with Graymalkin, so we knew they were more than up to the task. And probably more importantly, they're on totally on the same wavelength in every respect.
So, how did you first start to listen to this kind of music? What was your first experience with it and has your taste in music changed anything with what you have listened to through the years?
Jamie: The first band of this style I heard was Obituary from the CD 'Slowly We Rot'. At that stage I thought it was the coolest thing I had ever heard! The next few bands I started to get into were Bolt Thrower, Nile and Cryptopsy. Strangely enough, I never got into the 'staple' bands such as Morbid Angel, Cannibal Corpse, Deicide, Slayer etc. I never hung out with anyone into this kind of music until I met Michael H, so I just sort of explored on my own. Throughout high school, the only music I ended up listening to was deathmetal and some hardcore like early Cave In, Disembodied etc. Since then, I've started to explore a lot of jazz / fusion styles and classical stuff also, which is very cool.
Michael: My first real taste was probably when a friend of ours gave us a tape with Cryptopsy - Whisper Supremacy on one side, and DEP - Calculating… and Today is the Day - In the Eyes of God on the other. At the time the most extreme thing I was into would have been stuff like Machine Head and hardcore bands like Strife and Earth Crisis, so while I dug the tape it all went so far over my head it wasn't funny! Then after some time of getting more into hardcore with the likes of Disembodied, Vision of Disorder etc, I eventually got into a lot of the Swedish bands which I'm still largely into, and finally came back to the more extreme bands like Cryptopsy and DEP (this time with somewhat of a better ear for it!) and basically progressed from there…
In your oppinion, which country has the best underground scene today and why?
Jamie: Can't really give a definite answer here as I've never been outside of NZ yet, so from a 'scene' point of view, not really too sure. Obviously the States and Canada are very strong, but also countries like Sweden, Belgium and Holland seem to be producing the bulk of bands.
Michael: The internet tends to break down a lot of barriers, so I think gems can pop up from just about anywhere these days.
Besides playing in Ulcerate, what does the members do for a living and does it work to have both a band and a "normal" life for you guys?
Jamie: I'm completing a Bachelor of Media Arts degree in digital design, vocalist James works as a shift manager at a gas station, guitarist Michael R. is studying law and commerce (I think) and bassist Phil is a freelance audio engineer. And it totally works to do both, although sometimes my studies get in the way of the band, which sucks balls. Hopefully once I'm working this won't be the case so much, but with my luck it'll probably be worse :/
Michael: I just do administration work at the hospital here, and also travel a little bit where I can. Shit can get a bit hectic with trying to work around all of our varying schedules, but we've managed to get by so far!
Is there anything that really bothers you when it comes to this scene?
Jamie: I guess the 'evil' thing gets played out by way too many bands that don't have a real fucken clue - don't get me wrong, there are bands that know their shit, just so many jump on Satan's bandwagon. The 'br00dal' phenomenon is kinda killing the scene as well, way too many one-dimensional bands.
Michael: Haha - I think the best answer is just a simple, yes. Otherwise we might be here all night…!
So, before we end this I would like to ask you a question that I havent had in my interviews for a loooooooooooong time. Please tell me your five favourite albums of all time hehe.
Jamie: Can't really do that (!), so I'll just give you five that are floating my boat as of now:
- The Black Dahlia Murder: Unhallowed
- Circle of Dead Children: Human Harvest
- Anaal Nathrakh: The Codex Necro
- Dawn of Azazel: The Law of the Strong
- Cryptopsy: Whisper Supremacy
Michael: Alphabetically:
Cryptopsy - Whisper Supremacy
Dave Matthews Band - The central park concert
Dillinger Escape Plan - Calculating Infinity
Hate Eternal - King of all Kings
Immolation - a toss up between Unholy Cult and Close to a World Below
-At the Gates - Terminal Spirit Desease, Defleshed - Royal Straight Flesh, Nasum - Helvette, Rottensound - Murderworks and The Haunted - S/T should all really be on that list as well…
I would like to thank you for taking your time doing this interview with me and I hope that everything goes well with you and Ulcerate and you have my support. Is there anything you would like to add? Btw, what must people do to get in touch with you?
Michael: Cheers for the awesome interview dude!
Jamie: Thanks a lot for the great interview Uffe, and thanks for supporting and promoting Ulcerate! You can check us out at www.ulcerate.orcon.net.nz or drop us a line at ulcerate@hotmail.com. Also, hopefully soon the Spew records will be distributing 'The Coming of Genocide' - www.thespew.org
Thanks again! Take care!
