Interview: Saratan

Saratan (arab. Cancer), Polish Death-Trash Metal, influenced by oriental music, was founded in Cracow in 2003. Here is an interview with Jarek – Jarosław Niemiec (vocal, bass, tar, setar, baglama cura, kamancheh) and Michał – Michał Stefański (drums, darbuka, riq, daf)

First of all, I would like to thank you for your time.

Band was formed in 2003, in Krakow, Poland. Demo “Infected With Life” was released in 2006. It received good marks in Metal Magazines all over the world and two years later you released first album “The Cult Of Vermin” (My Kingdom Music, IT).  Very good debut album, influenced by Thrash Metal (vocals in “Future is Grim” reminds a lot of Chuck Billy, and Vermin has a little part that remind me on Megadeth’s “Holy Wars”…). Tell us something more about your early influences.

Jarek: Yes, indeed, we were influenced by thrash metal bands. Testament, Annihilator, Nevermore, Metallica were the bands that we were listening to in early 2000s. We wanted to do it our way, but still we were searching for our own style. „The Cult of Vermin” is the most „thrash metal” album in our discography.

2nd album “Antireligion” was released in 2010 (My Kingdom Music, IT).  Still Thrash Metal, but this time influenced by Death Metal and Oriental music. At the album you had 3 guest musicians: Vogg (Decapitated), Jacek Hiro (Sceptic and Virgin Snatch) and Daniel Kesler (Redemptor). Can you tell us something more about that cooperation?

Jarek: The story of cooperation with those guys is quite simple and short. We were all working in the same guitar store in Krakow, so it was quite easy choice for us. They are great guitar players and our friends. All 3 solos were recorded in that guitar store, after the work.

2012 brought “Martya Xwar” (Massacre Records). Perfectly mixed two worlds: brutal/destructive/wild/loud and at the other hand calm/seductive/quiet. Did “Martya Xwar” bring the sound you wanted from the beginning of your career?

Michał: I wasn’t involved in creation of previous albums but „Martya Xwar“ was something fresh – for me as a drummer (with death metal experience) as well as for metal music fan. After recording session it seemed to be what we wanted. But as you may suppose – more oriental influences were expected in our songs.

Jarek: This album was different that previous ones. First two albums were recorded during one session,  but „Martya Xwar”’s session was divided into parts and different studios. It was our deliberate decision, because we wanted to have more time than 15-20 days in a row to record it. Moreover we decided to record all the tracks in Poland, but do the mixes and mastering in other country. We had contacted V.Santura from Woodshed Studio, and asked him to mix our new album. We were impressed by the sound of Triptykon and Dark Fortress albums, and we wanted to have more dim, gloom, but natural sound. Also, we had more time to improvise and compose ethnic stuff. I recorded some parts on tar from Azerbaijan, and added some parts using samplers. But – yes – we started to think that more ethnic and oriental albums are possible to do and they are not „out of our reach”. Because of „Martya Xwar”, we could think about our next album’s expanded ethnic parts…

In 2013 you participated “At the Gate of Sethu Tour” (Nile, Ex Deo, Lost Soul, Svart Crown, Pestifier, Sincarnate). Can you tell us something more about that experience?

Michał: It was really exciting to meet guys from these bands and share stages with them. We played in more/less popular venues, saw how „tour“ looks like from the bands point of view. It was hard work and the most important part of every day lasted for just 30 minutes of our show. Nevertheless there is no better test for your musical and physical skills at once. What was also important – people were kind and friendly, none of us felt we were small band or less important. That was really cool. Besides – touring around Europe in estate car isn’t worth repeating (laugh).

Jarek: It was a great experience. We did 11 shows with those bands and we could see „how does it all work”. We returned from that tour with new energy and experience.

“Asha” was released in 2015 (Fonografika, Poland). Great production if we consider you are using authentic instruments. Each instrument we can hear perfectly. Clash of powerful growl and oriental vocals. Only 6 songs in 40 minutes. How hard it was to record Arabic instruments and incorporate it to songs the way it sounds perfect?

Jarek: After releasing „Martya Xwar”, we were sure that we must continue the oriental, ethic way. All the time, from 2005-2006 I was collecting ethnic instruments form Central Asia, Middle East and Turkey, because it was connected with the main topic of my studies. My collection was growing and I felt that I am able to play more parts than only on tar. That’s why we set a goal that on „Asha” album we will use only authentic instruments. No samplers, no VSTs, only real instruments, brought from that regions. It was hard to record it properly because those instruments have some flows, they are acoustic, built for different, larger scales. But we did it, and I’m really proud of that. In the age of computerization and digitalization of music and recordings, we were able to use some real instruments that are quite rare in European culture, like: kamancheh, tar, setar, baglama cura, darbuka, daf, riq etc.

Michał: My part was much easier in comparison to Jarek’s compositions with string instruments. Darbuka and tom-toms sound fits really good with metal and oriental music. Much complicated was to write patterns and make them sound not boring. At least I hope it sounds interesting

This album made me to explore, read and learn Zoroastrianism so I could understand lyrics. I guess, since Jarek graduated from Oriental studies, his is the main lyrics writer. Tell us something more about the whole process of writing lyrics?

Jarek: I wanted to write the lyrics referring to more oriental music. Because the main language of my studies was Persian, I was quite acquainted with Persian history, culture and religions. That’s why I picked Zoroastrianism, the old religion of Central Asia and Persia, which is mysterious, and now, in a way, forgotten.

Maggie came to band in 2015. Was she a missing puzzle?

Michał: For me – yes, indeed. During first rehearsals I had shivers on my back – that was definitely good step in evolution of our music. Female vocals made our music fresh and in some way – not as heavy as typical death metal.

Jarek: More ethnic parts indicated more melodies. We had a feeling that we need to write more melodies on vocals too. On „Antireligion” and „Martya Xwar” albums we had some female vocal parts, and we wanted to upgrade it. That’s why we asked Maggie to record some parts. „Some parts” became „more parts”, and it was obvious that she will be the part of the band.

You played with Marduk  (Frontschwein: 2016 Europa Part 4). What are your impressions?

Jarek: This short tour was really great. It was postponed tour from October 2015. On that tour we were to play 9 gigs with them, but it was canceled because of the some technical problems with the night liner. But we are glad that some of those gigs were postponed, not canceled. So we were able to visit some great places and play 5 nice shows.

Michał: I wish we could play more gigs with them. I recommend everyone too see those guys live.

During the 13 years band progressed. Music became more brutal and numerous Arabic instruments made it also more melodic. Obvious, you grew up in every sense. Which path will Saratan follow in the future?

Michał: In some business people say „less is more“. I suppose the same thing will be with Saratan – less metal sounds and more oriental stuff. However, it seems we don’t know what proportions will be in the end. We are limited only by our creativity and abilities to play these oriental instruments.

Jarek: We are finishing our works on the upcoming Ep, so in next few months you will be able to see if our music still evolves.

Poland metal scene is strong (Vader, Behemoth, Vesania, Decapitated, Hate, Thy Disease, Trauma, Sceptic…). Where is your position?

Jarek: Polish metal scene is really strong, especially when we mention all black metal bands like Mgła, Furia etc. Every metal fan knows veterans like Vader, Behemoth, Decapitated, and depending on the favorite metal genre, some other polish bands. Of course it takes very long time to achieve it, and we know that we are at the beginning of our road, but it’s gratifying that in some places we are not so anonymous. We receive a lot of support from Romania, Turkey, Egypt, Croatia, and Persian people living outside Iran.

Plans for future…

Jarek: In next few months we will post some new songs, we are finishing our new Ep album. Be prepared for it!

Michał: We need to learn more, play wiser and compose more awesome songs!

Would you like to say anything to our readers?

Michał: Check out our latest album „Asha“ and see you on next shows in Europe!

(с) Ivona Bogner