Tiger Pilots - Life

Inmiddels alweer twee jaar geleden had ik een interview met een van Amsterdams meest sympathieke, kwalitatief ass-kickende en fijne bands van die tijd: Tiger Pilots. Dat was 2013. Inmiddels is het 2015 en zijn de heren voor zover ik zelf kan beantwoorden nog steeds zeer sympathiek en erg fijn, maar bovendien kicken ze nog steeds kwalitatief ass. Dit bleek eerder dit jaar maar weer toen ze het nummer Life uitbrachten voor de No Music No Glory campagne, voor de stichting No Guts No Glory, die zich bezig houdt met het inzamelen van geld voor behandelingen tegen kanker die niet door de zorgverzekeraars vergoed worden. Zowel de media als de luisteraar (nummer 1 in de download top 100 van iTunes!) zijn laaiend enthousiast over de track, genoeg reden om hem hier weer eens naar voren te halen.

Het interview dat ik had met Tiger Pilots was toentertijd geplaatst op het alternatieve muziekblog Jimmy Alter, maar dat is helaas ter ziele gegaan. Daarom hieronder nog maar eens dat interview, want deze mannen verdienen de aandacht. Overigens: op 7 mei spelen ze in de P60 te Amstelveen!

Dutch Delight: Tiger Pilots (interview maart 2013)

Soms heb je van die mooie concertavonden, waarbij niet alleen de headliner geweldig is, maar waar je ook positief verrast wordt door het voorprogramma. Onlangs gebeurde dat bij de show van Paul Banks, waar het voorprogramma werd verzorgd door het Amsterdamse Tiger Pilots. We hadden enthousiaste woorden voor hen in onze recensie en we besloten hen op te zoeken om eens nader kennis te maken. Jimmy Alter sprak met hen in het bovencafe van de Amsterdamse Melkweg over hun muziek en hun nieuw te verschijnen EP, die ze dinsdag 5 maart presenteren tijdens een releaseparty in de Sugar Factory.

Het interview met de vier heren van Tiger Pilots (Ramón van Geytenbeek -zang, Derk Zegwaard - drums, Ludwin Schouten - bas en Jonathan Chua - gitaar) doen we in het Engels, omdat gitarist Jonathan het Nederlands nog helemaal meester is. Op een of andere manier past het ook wel bij het geluid van de band, dat absoluut internationale allure heeft. De mannen zijn enthousiast, want over een paar dagen wordt hun EP The Truth About Lies gepresenteerd met een optreden in de Sugar Factory. Ze zijn zeer tevreden met het uiteindelijke resultaat. “We hebben de EP in twee dagen opgenomen in de IJland Studio’s bij Thomas Olivier. Het was voor ons de eerste keer in een professionele studio en we zijn blij met de uitkomst. Thomas kwam met goed ideeen om de nummers met wat kleine aanpassingen hier en daar net wat professioneler te maken. Ze klinken nu echt af, vooral door de toevoeging van electronische elementen. Af en toe kwam hij ook wel op de proppen met wat extreme dingen, maar die hebben we weten te beperken!”

Het geluid is zeker goed te noemen op de EP. De muziek van Tiger Pilots zit in de hoek van de post-punk met vleugjes new wave en indie. De tracks hebben zowel de mooie afstandelijkheid in het geluid dat zo kenmerkend is voor de post-punk, maar tegelijk klinken de nummers ook warm. Volgens de band klinken de nummers vooral erg als Tiger Pilots. “Voor je de studio in gaat heb je een bepaald idee over hoe je muziek moet klinken. Dan is het goed als je met een producer iemand hebt die met een vers oor er naar luistert en dan zijn vingers precies op de goede plekken weet te leggen. Toch is er weinig aan de nummers veranderd. De structuur en de essentie zijn hetzelfde gebleven.”

Tiger Pilots bestaat nu zo’n drie jaar. “De historie van de band gaat terug naar ongeveer 2010. Ramón en Ludwin speelden al wat langer samen onder verschillende namen, maar vanaf 2010 is de band zoals deze nu bestaat compleet, met de toevoeging van Derk en Jonathan. Het mooie is dat het allemaal gewoon klopt in deze formatie.” Het schrijven van muziek gaat de band dan ook goed af. “Het is bijna belachelijk hoe snel we soms nieuwe nummers kunnen schrijven, ze komen werkelijk uit alle hoeken binnen. Het is mooi om te zien dat dat ook geldt voor de complexiteit en volledigheid. We schrijven nog steeds makkelijk nieuwe nummers, maar ze zijn ook steeds meer af en zitten beter in elkaar. Na onze laatste oefensessie hadden we weer twee tracks die bijna af zijn. Op dit moment zitten we zo rond de 30 nummers die we af kunnen ronden.”


Ondanks de ruime keuze aan nummers, was het niet moeilijk te bepalen welke drie er op de EP terecht moesten komen. “De nummers die er nu op staan, geven goed de verschilende facetten weer waar Tiger Pilots voor staat. We voelden alle vier dat met deze selectie de gevarieerdheid van de band naar voren komt. Er staat een wat rustig nummer op, een meer up-tempo dansbaar nummer en eentje die er tussenin zit.” Live kan de band naast mooi en ingetogen of dansbaar zeker ook stevig klinken, hoewel er ook weer geen deathmetal moet worden verwacht. “Haha nee dat zeker niet. Misschien hier en daar wat pirate metal! Maar nee, we hebben wel wat stevigere nummers, maar daarvoor moeten de mensen ons voorlopig live aanschouwen.”

De EP is voor de band een opstapje naar hopelijk meer. De tracks ‘Soothe Me’, ‘Secrecy’ en ‘Ghosts’ doen in ieder geval uitzien naar een volledige debuutplaat. “Op een eventuele LP zullen we nog meer laten zien van onze veelzijdigheid. Dit is nog maar een EP, maar we hopen dat het kan leiden tot vooral meer optredens, zodat we als band kunnen groeien en hopelijk wat geld bij elkaar kunnen sprokkelen om dit te kunnen blijven doen. Dit is onze eerste professionele opname en ook de eerste keer dat we onze muziek de wereld in sturen naar blogs, radio, programmeurs etcetera. Je hebt toch wel een goede opname nodig om op te kunnen vallen. Dat geldt ook voor het artwork, je moet gelijk een goede indruk maken wil je niet ergens onderop een stapel blijven liggen.”

De eerste shows zijn in ieder geval al een feit, met onlangs dus het optreden in de Melkweg en de releaseparty in de Sugar Factory. “Dat was zelfs al de tweede keer in de Melkweg voor ons. Vorig jaar hebben we een korte support tour gedaan met de Boxer Rebellion, toen speelden we ook daar. Dat was sowieso een mooie ervaring en het heeft ons als band zeker sterker gemaakt. Voor het eerst een paar dagen achter elkaar spelen en onderweg zijn, samen spelen met een professionele band van wie je toch dingetjes kunt leren. We spelen nu weer beter dan een jaar geleden. Door zowel die tour als door de opnames in de studio, weten we nu ook beter wat er allemaal mogelijk is met onze muziek, de grenzen van wat Tiger Pilots allemaal vermag zijn een stuk opgeschoven.”

Wat dat betreft ligt de toekomst dus helemaal open en lijkt die ook veelbelovend. We kijken nog even naar de muziek zelf en de invloeden die daaraan ten grondslag liggen. Die blijken zeer uitgebreid te zijn. Van Tom Waits tot aan Radiohead, van vroege punkrock naar post-hardcore, van mathrock tot aan vervreemdende indie -de bandleden halen hun inspiratie overal vandaan. Tekstueel zijn vooral Ian Curtis, Morrissey en Placebo belangrijk geweest. Zanger Ramón haalt zijn inspiratie vooral uit zijn eigen belevingswereld vandaan en schrijft daar donkere teksten over, maar vaak toch met een hoopvolle ondertoon. “De combinatie van de muziek en de teksten zorg soms voor een mooi spanningsveld, omdat de muziek soms tegen het vrolijke en dansbare aanzit, maar de tekst eigenlijk een stuk duisterder is.”

Uiteindelijk is de muziek van Tiger Pilots een amalgaam van verschillende invloeden en stromingen, een perfecte symbiose van klanken en woorden die toch vooral heel erg als Tiger Pilots klinkt. Uniek op hun eigen manier, lukt het hen om een geluid neer te zetten dat zowel fijn als intrigerend is. De teksten zijn sterk en trekken de luisteraar mee een levendige literaire wereld in. Op de EP komt dit al goed naar voren (luister vooral eens goed naar ‘Ghosts’!), maar live wordt hier nog een extra laag aan intensiteit toegevoegd. Tiger Pilots is een band om te koesteren.

(tekst: Niels Tubbing)

At the Limit

At The Limit

A timelapse vision
will offer no insight
-no final version
of life's wildest delusion

Still I ponder these questions
by looking within
and opening up
to the farthest of realms

Embracing connections
with innumerable dots
birthing countless expressions
in crystalline consciousness

Can i see further
than my own contemplations?
can i step beyond
my own temple of thoughts?

And enter the dance
with the Symbol of Self
in a unifying moment
of belief in this Life

Now I'm filling the blanks
and I'm writing my novel
I'm creating my dreams
while staying awake...

-NT

A Dark Line - Head Through the Wall

The internet can make for interesting and surprising collaborations. Take for example the Dutch rock band A Dark Line. Hailing from the east of Holland, they've come into contact through Facebook with American singer and bass player Brett Hestla, known for his work in Dark New Day and Virgil Merlot. The Dutch lads laid down some tracks and Hestla added his vocals and a collaboration was born, resulting in the EP 'Running from the Light'.

The first single of that EP is Head Through the Wall. The music is recorded at the Split Second Sound studio by Jochem Jacobs of Textures fame, and he has done a pretty good job. The production quality is of international standards, which both works to their advantage and as a slight letdown. The overall sound of Head Through the Wall is very solid, but has an 'all-American-college-rock' feel. It's a little too generic for my taste. Hestla's voice very much adds to this feeling, and the fact that he mixed the songs in the US probably accounts for this as well.

All in all this first single sounds quite alright, but it lacks an edge. It makes me curious about the rest of the EP though. You can check out the song and the nicely illustrated video (done by Remko Tielemans, also from Textures) below.

Update: the EP can be listened to on Spotify (and iTunes). I've checked the other songs out as well, and they fit pretty much under the same umbrella as Head Through the Wall: generic all-American college rock. Not really my cup of tea, but definitely well made.

From Dream to Eternity

Blaming well shaped shadows for the fading light. Knowing the sweet sounds in the air come from a certain direction. Looking up, neon lights blinding me.

Another night. Another me. Changing dimensions like clothes. Fresh. New. Trendy.

You. My dimension. Right now. Time doesn't exist. Time is irrelevant. Space. Space is irrelevant.

We are. We dress ourselves in this moment. Let us be.

(NT)

I miss you already. I miss you always.

Seven years already... I believe this is the first time I have really written something about my father dying. I never seemed to be able to so before. It's still difficult though, and I keep feeling like eloquence is slipping through my fingers. Then again, that doesn't really seem to matter. Anyway, here's a little reminiscing and musing. 


(…) Through the larger than life windows, behind the stage from which the eulogies were delivered, I could make out the large pond that lay behind the cremation center. The water was perfectly still, mirroring the green and blue of the trees and the skies in accurate fashion. 

As above, so below... 

A flock of swans suddenly drifted into my vision, floating silently on the surface, in the interstice between reality and its reflection. I listened to the music being played, which my family and I had chosen. My father didn’t really want to pick any music himself. Or couldn’t. Maybe he didn't care. Maybe he found it too hard to think about stuff like that in advance, preferring instead to be oblivious of the inevitable. He had eventually chosen one song though, which would be played last, at the end of the ceremony. 

Now it was first my time to step up and take to the stage. To utter words I couldn’t write myself, even though I’ve always considered myself a writer. That time I really was at a loss for words though, being unable to put emotion (any emotion, those emotions) into writing. Even listening to music accompanied by words felt wrong at the time, or rather it was just impossible for me to listen to. All I could listen to was the instrumental music of 65daysofstatic, for weeks on end. I was glad my sister stepped up that time and had written something about our father for the ceremony. She couldn’t get herself to read it out aloud in front of everyone though, in front of the whole family. So I was happy to do that, feeling like I could at least add something to the ceremony that way, to give something to my father that way. 

At first it wasn’t that hard, reading aloud those lines, because they told about loving, caring and funny moments we had all shared with my dad. I felt a calm serenity take hold of me, carrying me through this, although I had to focus on the piece of paper carrying my sister's words, and had to avoid too much eye contact with my mom, brother and sister. At the end of the speech things suddenly started to get slippery, and I felt myself drifting away for a moment. I then had to collect all my strength to keep myself together, not only to keep my composure, but to prevent myself from collapsing within myself. Those last lines were so hard to read, but I felt such a strong urge to say them. I had to say them. It took me a full minute to say the last few words. “Vaders, we zullen je missen.” 

I don't remember walking off the stage, taking my seat. All I remember from those moments after, was staring through the windows again, those larger than life windows. Seeing the by then empty pond, with the swans having moved out of sight, while listening to the one song my dad really wanted to be played at his memorial ceremony. And while Mathilde Santing’s version of ‘Wonderful Life’ was playing, suddenly the flock of swans came into my vision again. At first quietly floating by, but then suddenly the whole flock of swans took off into the air, flying in a spectacular circle over the pond and then disappearing into the sky. It was a moment of pure yet sad beauty. And at that moment I felt something shift and click within me, and I realised something had changed, that I would never be the same person again. A profound sadness had settled into my soul, one that would never leave me.

It took me almost two years to come to terms with that sadness, and take the metamorphosis to its ultimate conclusion. Only then I realised that it was a sadness birthed in love, allowing me to open up my being like never before. One that gave my heart the ability to weave the fabric of life into my soul.

I can now say, with full understanding, that all these encounters with Life Herself, in all their intricate ways, are what makes this all so worthwhile. And now the silly cheesiness of that song ‘Wonderful Life’ suddenly somehow rings true, I can only smilingly admit while quietly shaking my head.

I feel like I have found a friend in that profound sadness. One that does not feel heavy like a cornerstone, but one that functions as a starting point from which I can embark on empathetic journeys. I have found a friend in the memory of my dad. I have found a friend within myself. I have found a friend in my outlook on life. And of course, I have a friend in all of you, my friends, my dear friends.

And now, when I look into the mirror, I pound my fist against my heart, and with the ferocity of Norma Jean’s delivery, I feel this simple but most wonderful realisation: yes, I choose to embrace Life. And I am intend on living it. That’s the legacy my father left within me, and for that I will always be so grateful to that wonderful man. 

Thank you, vaders.

“I miss you already

I miss you always”

But in a good way, because yes, you do make me smile.

Recommended reading: The Funambulist

Just a quick shout out to this blog I am following, called The Funambulist, written and edited by Léopold Lambert. It's filled with very interesting and critical articles on a number of related disciplines from an architectural point of view. In Lambert's own words:


"The Funambulist is a research platform written and edited by Léopold Lambert. Its name is inspired by a wondering/wandering on the line as architects' medium. A line on the white page splits in reality two milieus from one another and organizes politically the bodies in space. The act of walking on the line (funambulist means tight-rope walker) is an act of subversion of the traditional role of the line/wall. This name also refers to Philippe Petit crossing illegally the space between the two towers of the World Trade Center in 1974 and the funambulist in Nietzsche's Zarathustra who is said to die peacefully as he succumbs from the danger to which he dedicated his life."

It's highly recommended reading. A good starting point is this piece on the Mediterranean Sea as functioning as a wall, or an abyss, between the North and the South. This is such a poignant and emotional article. The abyss, the 'Gouffre', so salient a symbol while also having its literal meaning. Fortress North, whether north from a desert (Arizona) or a sea (the Mediterranean), always managing to deflect any attempts from Southern Bodies to connect. A self sustaining assemblage allowing only those connections it wishes to embrace

I recommend taking a stroll through this blog, since you will no doubt be intrigued by the different linkages that Lambert creates. 

Roadburn 2014 Warm Up - Part 1: YAMA

It is only four more weeks until the Elysian Fields of stoner, psychedelic, doom and other related genres will be upon us once more. That's right, I am talking about the Roadburn Festival 2014, taking place of course again in lovely ol' Tilburg in the south of Holland. Those who don't know what this festival is about are either on the wrong side of the musical spectrum or have been smoking so much they cannot see further than their front door. Those who know about the festival either long have a ticket or are bummed out about not having one since the festival is once more sold out. The next few weeks I will be paying attention to the festival and everything it stands for. Mostly as a nice warm up for myself to increase the anticipatory feelings, but also as a small and humble hommage to the festival and the music it advocates.

Yama to play Roadburn

I want to to start off this series by focusing on a Dutch band that will be playing this year's festival. Hailing from Tilburg and making ferociously intense Roadburn music it was only a matter of time before they would appear on the festival's poster. Needless to say I was very stoked to find out a couple of weeks ago that YAMA were to play at Roadburn 2014, I believe on the Saturday at newly added location Cul de Sac. That feels like more than justice, because not only does Yama do a great job promoting both the festival and the city with their smashing music, but also by being great and hospitable guys. Last year I had the honour of doing an interview with the entire band at Roadburn 2013, where they were present simply as attendees and music lovers. I tried to combine that interview with some new insights into the article here below.

Yama - Seaquake EP

Homeland
Yama has been playing together in the current formation for about two and a half years. In that period there has been a slight evolution in their music. "We used to play a bit more stoner than we do now actually, when it was just Alex and Sjoerd playing together. Later Peter joined and when Joep was added as our drummer we felt complete. From then on Yama as it is now really took shape. We also got more serious about our music when we had become a four piece. It helped that people immediately responded to our music as well." Coming not only from Roadburn-city Tilburg, but also having the south(east) of Holland as home country, meant there was a huge potential of both fans of the stoner, metal and heavy rock genre as well as a lot of bands who played music along similar veins. "We've always had good support from Tilburg and basically the whole of Brabant. There are likeminded bands as Sungrazer and The Machine, although their music does definitely differ from ours. We have more of a focus on grunge elements, reminiscent of the nineties. Other good Dutch bands in the genre include Herder (although they are from a bit farther away), Orange Sunshine, Sons of the Patriots... It is all perhaps a bit of a niche market, but there is definitely a great scene for this kind of music. Plus here in Tilburg you have great venues such as 013 and Little Devil."

Yama - Ananta

Vedic mythology
In 2012 Yama released their first EP, called Seaquake. Although admittedly the production value could be a bit better, the enormous quality of the songs definitely makes up for that. The EP has been met with very favourable reviews and it is no surprise that the physical copies have long been sold out. Luckily, now there's new material. "We recorded our new album last year in Utrecht at Independent Recordings. It's a full length this time, and it will be released soon. It's around 40 minutes long and the sound quality is great, so we are really stoked about it!" For the title of the record Yama stayed close to their origins. Just as their band name (Yama meaning 'God of death and illusion, servant of Vishnu') the name of the record comes from Vedic mythology (related to Hindu mythology). "We've decided to call the record 'Ananta'. It basically can mean different things, but for us it stands for the thousand-headed serpent, representing the Infinity of Life." This intriguing meaning calls out for fitting artwork. Yama have found the perfect artist to help them out there. "We're good friends with Maarten Donders, who also does a lot of great artwork for Roadburn. He is also responsible for our band logo and he has made a great piece of work for our album. In the Bhagavad Gita there is a passage in which Vishnu, the supreme deity, sails across the world on the serpent. Maarten has done a wonderful job capturing that image."


Future
With an album full of quality music and majestic artwork, Yama is ready to take on the world, and to do so in a professional way. "We're kind of past the point that we will play just for a few beers and a laugh. It always depends of course who asks you to play and where the show is at, but we've definitely matured in that regard. The show needs to have some sort of relevance, whether it is for setting up a network or just because the setting of the show is great. We've done a few shows in Belgium and Germany now as well, and the people responded very enthusiastically. In Holland we've mostly played the southeast, but little by little we are conquering the rest as well! We have a great booking agency with Bidi Bookings so we will definitely have some great shows coming up. We are all committed to the band and our music and we will work hard to get our music out there."

Acid and spliffs
The hard work seems to be paying off, because the mighty Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats have asked Yama to open up for them at their shows in Amsterdam, Nijmegen and even Bochum in Germany. The future is looking bright indeed, and it is comforting to know that the lads of Yama know to combine the hard work with a little pleasure, considering their mantra: "No spliff, no riff!" Amen to that. Go check them out at one of their upcoming shows with Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats to get in the right high moods for Roadburn 2014!

Yama

---

Yama is:
Alex Schenkels - Vocals
Peter Taverne - Bass
Joep Schmitz - Drums
Sjoerd Albers - Guitar

Upcoming shows:
- March 14 - w/ Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats @ Doornroosje, Nijmegen
- March 15 - w/ Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats @ Melkweg, Amsterdam
- March 16 - w/ Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats @ Matrix, Bochum (DE)
- April 12 - Roadburn festival, Tilburg

Music: 
http://yama.bandcamp.com/music