Your latest album, EXODUS, was released last year. How have your fans and critics responded to it?
We have received very good reviews from various magazines in Germany and internationally. There were many magazines and writers where we had a lot of respect for their opinion about Exodus. In the end, the reviews were all at least good and also very good. Among our fans, however, there were 2 camps. Many find Exodus brilliant, others too complex compared to our 1st album. You definitely have to listen to the record more often, some songs are not immediately catchy. But that was also our goal.
If someone hasn’t heard EXODUS before, how would you describe its sound and themes?
Exodus does not sound like your typical stoner or doom album. Compared to our first album, Exodus has a lot more complexity and plays with more experimental sounds and rhythms. While some passages, for example in The King of Monsters and Everything That Has Been Given are heavy, thick and low, a lot of the songs have a certain lightness to them. In general, EXODUS is much more a progressive Album than its predecessor.
What inspired the name Godzilla In The Kitchen?
Long story short. We were hanging out at a party back in 2011 and were all properly fueling up. When extremely delicious muffins were served, Eric found it increasingly difficult to speak after eating those muffins. At some point it was said: we move on, there is another party. The new location was known for the super large kitchen in which almost everything took place – including the parties. Eric asked everyone to go there and at that moment he said: and then we act like Godzilla in the kitchen. Actually, he wanted to make use of the German slogan: Act like an Elephant in a porcelain store. We looked into each other’s eyes afterward and after several fits of laughter later it was clear: that’s the name of our band.
How did you create the unique sound of EXODUS?
Since our first album, all of us experimented a lot with their instruments sounds. All of us added elements to our repertoire and the FX count definitely went up a lot. In some cases, the newly formed instrumental sound influenced the songwriting process directly, for example the heavy bass distortion used in Will Be Taken Away is somewhat necessary to make the song work the way it does.
Without the use of lyrics, how do you convey emotions and ideas in your music?
When you hear great compositions by Wagner, Beethoven or Mozart, they also do very well without singing and at the same time convey an incredible amount of emotion. Melodies and rhythms always transport emotions. Singing can channel these emotions in a certain direction. With our music, the listener is free. Everyone can interpret the music for themselves and develop their own images in their head. It is similar to the difference between a film and a book. With a book, you develop the images in your head. The film provides you with ready-made images, which take a lot of the work out of your hands. Now there are people who prefer books to films. It is the same with music with singing and without singing.
The idea of a post-apocalyptic future has been a popular subject in literature, film, and music for many years. What is it about this theme that continues to captivate and inspire artists?
Apocalyptic scenarios have been part of human culture and imagination from day one. Humanity has been witness of cataclysmic events many times, and what could be more impactful than the vision of apocalypse itself? In recent times, post-apocalyptic visions might also be an almost hopeful fantasy of many people who are stuck in a mundane routine of their daily lives. The idea of a future in which none of the current rules apply, where chaos and anarchy rule, might even be promising or at least stimulating from the perspective of someone stuck in a cubicle 24/7.
In a post-apocalyptic world, what do you think would be the most important values for people to hold onto?
That’s a very difficult question to answer. We are all strongly influenced by films and series from this genre. But history has also shown many negative examples of how people react in extreme situations and lose their compassion. I think what will remain is the strong connection to your fellow human beings: Families and friends. Everyone will care for their well-being, but the question is what are you willing to do? Many people will lose their moral compass.
The theme of a post-apocalyptic future often raises questions about humanity’s relationship with technology and the environment. What do you think the message of EXODUS is regarding these issues?
There is hope. Even in the face of the most dire catastrophe, hope is what keeps us going. Even though the apocalypse will come in one form or the other, humanity will endure.
Many people see the post-apocalyptic future as a warning about the potential consequences of our actions in the present. Do you think that this is an accurate interpretation?
No one can say what exactly the future holds for us. Not even 10 years ago, the omnipresent topic in Germany was Greece’s national debt. This topic seems like kindergarten in the context of today’s issues. Today’s topics can also seem totally banal in 10 years. We don’t know what’s coming. However, it is clear that humanity is heading for an abyss. Because almost all of our problems are man-made and only we humans can solve them.
How do you think society would change if we were faced with a post-apocalyptic future? Would we become more or less connected to each other?
Most likely, life will become a lot tougher. With the loss of most of the current infrastructure, living conditions will be much harsher. If we are lucky, the overarching conditions could lead to a stronger sense of compassion within the remaining society.
In EXODUS, you explore the idea of a monster that humans have created themselves. Do you see this monster as a metaphor for something in our present world?
Godzilla stands for the greatest elemental force: nature itself. In the end, it is as simple as it sounds. The earth will still exist millions of years from now. Humans are currently doing a lot to ensure that we will no longer exist. Because the more we strain the earth, the greater our own losses will be.
Do you believe that a post-apocalyptic future is something that we can avoid, or is it an inevitable outcome of our current actions and decisions?
In general, a cataclysmic event seems inevitable. Even though there is hope that we do not destroy ourselves with our own hands, through war, division or destruction of our habitat, the statistical likelihood of any kind of apocalypse seems to be close to 100%. Our own preparation, awareness and behavior will determine whether we are ready to live post-apocalypse or vanish in the process.
How do you approach performing with other artists and connecting with your fans?
We perform with other artists all the time and are always helpful. Actually, not a concert goes by that we don’t share our equipment. We also benefit in a joint event from each artist performing well and not upsetting fans and organizers if possible. Apart from that, we naturally try to network within the scene and get things going with other bands.
We are still amazed at how many signatures we currently have to give. The fans attach a lot of importance to it, which flatters us but of course also surprises us. We want people to connect with our music and not so much with us. Please do not misunderstand: we talk to all our fans, are very happy about positive feedback and find it incredible when people travel hours to see us. Sometimes we can’t even believe it ourselves.
Can you tell us about your experience working with Argonauta Records to release EXODUS?
We are proud and happy to be part of the Argonauta-Family, through which we have met a lot of other artists and created so much more visibility. The fact that Gero and Argonauta picked us up along the ride to release EXODUS gave us a big fat confidence boost to approach making music.
How has your creative process evolved over time?
The process has never changed since we started creating music together. We jam and develop new songs out of that. Of course, the technical possibilities of recording have simplified this process. But we still draw creative inspiration from loud untamed jams in our rehearsal room.
How has the music scene in Leipzig influenced your sound and approach to music-making?
To be honest, we had very limited contact and interaction with the local scene until very recently. Most of our music has been written and produced in a very isolated manner. To see what our enlarged horizon of the current era does to our creative process, you will have to wait and see what future releases bring!
Can you give us a glimpse into any upcoming projects or plans for Godzilla In The Kitchen?
We are writing a 3rd album currently and have quite a few gigs planned for this year. There will be a tour in autumn. For next year we want to realize our first international tour. The planning is in progress.
In your opinion, how do you see instrumental psych rock evolving in the future, and what role do you see Godzilla In The Kitchen playing in that evolution?
We are the evolution. With a generally larger acceptance of non-standard music in recent times, and people being willing to pay a lot of money for example for electronic music events, I do not see any limitations on the potential for instrumental psych rock growing in popularity. Close your eyes and dance with us, into a psychedelic, and hopefully not too apocalyptic future 😉
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