Absent/Minded Interview

1. Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before?

Absent/ Minded is a band from the small German city Bamberg. We found together in 2009. We had not really an idea, how our sound and music should be… so we just played! After a few weeks our music and sound got more and more doom, sludge and postrock elements! But we never sounded like a typical doom or whatever band, that doesn’t work for us. So we created our own style with these elements. 

2. How would you describe your musical sound?

Deep, earthy, organic, unaltered

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?

One of the topics in the lyrics is: find yourself and live this! We don’t want to convert anyone, we just wanna show, how we are. Everybody have to deal with different things in the lifetime. Everybody have to deal with energies on earth, which no one can control. We are all a part and creators of those energies. That is the reason for the title of our third record “Earththone”.  

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?

In one sentence: stop thinking, start living. We have words from Charlie Chaplin in our song “Greed has poisoned mens souls”. Its from the movie The great dictator. He said: We think to much and feel to little. Well, that it is.

5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?

Wow, that is difficult… we had a few very good shows with awesome fans and other bands. The most time our stage performance isn’t depend on the audience. We really love it to go on stage to make noise and rock our songs as hell! But we are not entertainers or something. We don’t try to appeal everybody… 

6. DO you have any touring or show plans for the future?

We gonna play a few gigs in 2013 to promote our new record Earthtone. We wanna do some more of course. So we check the autumn and wintertime for shows or small tours. The rest of the time we will write some new material to go back to the woodshed studio maybe in 2014.

7. Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or received any interest?

Well, we are interested for label or promotion companies. But in these times of its f….. difficult to find some, who wants to promote an unknown, no- mainstream band like us. Of course we could sign a crappy deal on a crappy label. But we don’t wanna do that. If we find  a good  label, what takes our music serious, fine. But if not, we try to promote our stuff on stage or the internet. But we are on good hope. I think the scene with bands like us is getting more and more attention at the moment. One of the reasons could be, that a lot of people are tired of high end productions and super rockstar bands. So a lot of fans are try to find bands with natural, not-perfect and deep sounds.   

8. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of doom, sludge and post metal?

The most time pretty good. Also the reviews. But the most listeners got problems, to define our style. Especially on the first album “Pulsar” we had a lot of different influences. The second Album Earthtone is more straight, more heavy and more dirty… because we like that. I think its easier to find the flow in this record. That was important for us! We are nosey, how the reactions gonna be. 

9. Are there any other musical projects besides this band or is this a full time line up?

Well, Absent/ Minded is the main band of us. Our guitarist is also playing bassguitar in a band called “Dark Star Legion”. And I´m the drummer of the finish doom band “My Shameful”. We recorded a new album this year, but we have to search for a new label at the moment. So the most of our musical energy is flowing into Absent/ Minded. 

10. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?

Well no one knows. Every new song or record is like a new journey. I think we found our sound right now, but we have so many ideas what we wanna do with it. So stay tuned!

11.What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

I think we have a lot of influences, because each band member likes different stuff. But mostly Doom, Sludge, Postrock/core, death/black metal. Bands could be Crowbar, Cult of Luna, My dying bride, Baroness, Down, Deftones and Black Sabbath of course. 😉

12. Outside of music what are some of your interests?

Hm, nature, party, sports, sleeping, soccer

13. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

What is the best peppermint-liqueur distillery in the world? We need an endorsement with it! 😉