IMR: Hi "ILLUMINATI"! It's been a privilege to interview you guys. You must be feeling quite relieved now that your latest E.P "JUKEBOX" is finally released. What is the mood surrounding its release by the band's fan base so far??
ILLUMINATI: Well people have liked it so far, but it’s been a long time since "JUKEBOX” and we are planning to come out with another E.P with new tracks. Also, we are planning to re-master "JUKEBOX". Hope this time, we'll be able to get even better response.
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IMR: Since, now the band "ILLUMINATI" have climbed up the popularity level across the local circuit. Is your collaboration with Alloy Productions limited to the release of E.P "JUKEBOX" or is it going to extend to more full-length albums in the future?
ILLUMINATI: It is difficult to say anything now; I don’t know what the future holds for us.

IMR: “JUKEBOX" is the band's first E.P release that I came in contact with and I am happy to say that the music really sounds as fresh and powerful. What is the secret behind the success story?
ILLUMINATI: Well the credit entirely goes to all our parents who have been very supportive right from the start. The E.P was more like a scrap book for us cause we knew after this two of our original band members, Bhushan-Guitars and Thomas-Drums, were not going to be a part of our band as they had to achieve their educational goals and would be moving to different countries. This E.P keeps us together, it’s like a piece of our memory our 3 years spent together in college.

IMR: What does the name “ILLUMINATI” signify? You guys started just as an underground college, how did things flow onto your shore?
ILLUMINATI: The name “ILLUMINATI” directly means “the enlightened ones”. This name was suggested to us by a very close friend of ours. Coming from a college like ours, it was very difficult to keep things going, lack of support and giving our dreams or achievements a blind eye was a very regular practice. Again, it’s only because of our parent’s support we have been able to achieve what we have achieved today.

IMR: Who writes the lyrics for the band? Do you try to fit the lyrics to the music or the music to the lyrics? What are the mechanics of your song-writing?
ILLUMINATI: I write the lyrics to all our songs, each and every song of ours in a way or other connects all of us. Also, most of our songs are real life experiences. We don’t have to try to fit lyrics to the music or vice versa, it’s the connection that we have as a band that makes the music and the lyrics flow out in a single stream.

IMR: Does the band normally enjoy being in the studio? Any funny/weird moments that you would like to describe which were associated with the recordings of "JUKEBOX"?
ILLUMINATI: Well, we have had good times in the studio; let me correct myself “great” times in the studio. The most funny moments that, I can think of and always will is our walk from the studio to this small restaurant called “uncle kitchen” where we had lunch for like six days. I really miss those times, the cheap tableware, the awesome food everything.

IMR: Two of the soul originals that really left a remarkable impression on me were "Fly away" and the crazy track "My Friend Jack". Can you tell us in a few words how these two compositions came to existence?
ILLUMINATI: "Fly away" is this feeling, I felt once when, I was sitting on my roof, and thinking of good times and how so fast they fly away.”My Friend Jack" has a huge history behind it, to start of with it was composed in my Ex-drummer “Thomas's” car right outside my guitarist's place, in this song “Jack Daniel's” our favourite whisky has been personified. The idea came to us, when on one of our out station gigs, I ended up drinking an entire bottle of “Jack Daniel's” and that is when the song started to take shape in our heads.

IMR: Bangalore is quite famous for producing more of Metal bands from the past, coming up with "Rock'n'Roll" genre is quite an innovative idea, how did that work for the band. Each of your songs seems to convey some sort of message. How do you come up with the material?
ILLUMINATI: Well, it was a little difficult for us at the start but, later, it was fine because more and more people started listening to our music, also our music is such that any lay man can connect to it that is the only reason we have been able to survive as a band. Most of the times, we pick out issues that need to be conveyed to people and haven’t been conveyed properly, like our song "Use Protection", it talks about a very important social issue. The only thing, we do is convey it in a way which no one has ever thought of before. Also, we sometimes have to bring it down to such a crude level that no one faces any difficulty in understanding. We also believe in making our songs sound very original as well as catchy so, that people don’t have any difficulty in remembering them.

IMR: It’s quite a commercial risk for a label to sign a band that plays such an unusual style of music. Was it difficult to get signed? What about audiences? Have you played much live and how is the crowd response so far?
ILLUMINATI: We are not yet signed. “Alloy Productions” was only a one time project. We always believe in playing live, talking bout the crowd response well one has to experience it to know it.

IMR: Everything, what you've done during your musical career to date, is there any times that are particularly memorable?
ILLUMINATI : Every show, we have played is like a trophy for us, winning or loosing doesn’t really matter to us, everyday we get up and pray to experience something really magnificent to happen on stage and it does happen and we pray for more. All thanks to the lord above who has made every moment spent with the band memorable.

IMR: Looking at your list of previous gigs, it seems that you've conquered whole of the Bangalore and you're on your way to victory path over the other zones. Are there any particular countries in which you would love to play? Are there any other mainstream bands you would really like to share the stage with?
ILLUMINATI: Well, there are a lot of countries, we would like to play in but, first we want to create a stand a foundation in India. Coming onto sharing the stage with a band, to start of with "Thermal and A Quarter" from Bangalore and "Parikrama" from Delhi is what we wish.

IMR: What are your plans for the immediate future and how far do you think the band "ILLUMINATI" can evolve, taking into consideration the current state of the music industry?
ILLUMINATI: We believe in going with the flow, and talking about evolution well like Darwin says 'Survival Of The Fittest” and for that evolution is a must.

IMR: I hope that the band sticks to their original style and the new songs follow the same themes as the rest or will the band branch out according to the label in the future?
ILLUMINATI: No, the band will stick to what the band likes to play and what the people like to hear.

IMR: Is there any other entity going on with the band in recent times that you'd like to pass along to our readers?
ILLUMINATI: Sometime, in the fall of 2008, the band is going to be opening for “Def Leppard” in Bangalore, so guys watch out for us.

IMR: Once again, thank you for doing this interview with Team IMR. I hope that "JUKEBOX" gets loads of good reviews because that's what it truly deserves!
ILLUMINATI: Thank you, God bless!!!


* Team IMR wishes "ILLUMINATI" for all their success and hopes that the band comes up with bright colors in the future!!!

 

Pravin Prajapati(LordMessiah)

IMR :Hello "METAKIX”! Greetings from Team IMR. Long time nothing to hear from your end, how are the things going on at your campaign?
METAKIX(Viresh) : Hi, Yeah it’s been long time. Things are running a bit slow with the band since our bassy Nicky has quit. We are auditioning people for the job and will lock on someone who we think is good enough to replace him.

IMR :"METAKIX" sounds to be a quite distinct name, let us know what does it signify? How the band did came together and gives a brief introduction about each one of you?
METAKIX (Viresh) : Well Meta-signifies a state of transition and Kix- signifies a rush of adrenaline through the mind inspiring us with our music. The band has been around for more than 12years. We had whole lot of line-up changes, but the current line-up has been strong since 2004. I met the band 5 years back in 2003 through a common friend. Nicky & Sheldy joined together a year after and within a month played our first website Launch gig.
Nicky:Is a very sensitive person and has a mad & wild streak in him. He is unpredictable and can be manipulated easily. He listens to a lot of thrash metal, trance and has been the youngest in the band. I would say he is an excellent Bass player and we will miss working with him in the band.
Sheldon :Is the groove and power of our music. A very easy going kind of guy to get along with, he has adjusted himself to the cruelties and exploitation from me and zombJ. He essentially started off as a saxophone player and then switched to drums. His influences include death metal and classic rock bands.
Zomb:Has been there since the beginning and shows a lot of patience and perseverance. He is attached to the band very emotionally. He has a classical background and prefers to listen to a lot of thrash metal bands.
Me: I think I am a dreamer and will keep doing things without knowing what lies at the other end. I can influence people around me in a positive way and don’t get manipulated by things. You cannot know if I am in my best or worst mood since I am very indifferent. My confidence and belief is my strength and my music is my biggest inspiration. I listen to almost everything like heavy metal, thrash metal, classic rock, alternative, Jazz, Blues, Folk, New age, Hardcore, Progressive and Indian music.

IMR :Today "METAKIX" have acquired a strong fan-base not only in India but also in many of the foreign countries. Let us know how much did the band slogged, any transformations, challenges etc in younger days?
METAKIX (Viresh) : Its been a great five years, almost like an amazing & rough roller coaster ride. We have gone through a whole lot of transformations as musicians & as a person. We have seen it all & made up our own conclusion about how we understand each other and the music we choose to play and get inspired from. We have accomplished a lot in these years and a lot of that credit goes to our fans, friends, family & supporters, they all mean a lot to us. There have been a lot of challenges in our life’s and in our musical journey as a band which has made us stronger.

IMR :Our readers are very much eager to know about your musical priority? Looking at each one of your experiences, what kind of lyrics and music you try to embed in your compositions?
METAKIX (Viresh) : I believe our music has always been very versatile and strong. It shapes according to different moods and phases of life we go through. We put our heart and soul into our songs which reflects in it. We do not try to follow a certain pattern or thought process, which gives us the extra edge of experimenting and evolving with our music. Everyone one in the band holds a lot of experience and influences the sound and nature of the music along with the band in a very unique way. We are working on some new bone chilling material which is heavier & very unique from what we have ever done before.

IMR :Musically you people sound quite unique than many of the other Indian bands, let us know from which all Indian/Foreign bands you draw your major influences?
METAKIX (Viresh) : We grew up listening to rock n roll, metal, classic rock, folk music, Indian classical, jazz and blues. There draw our influences from a whole lot of bands like black Sabbath, metallica, sepulture, Kreator, pantera, ozzy, dream theater, Alice in Chains, etc etc.

IMR :Which was the remarkable gig with a maximum metal heads attendance you had until now through your entire unstoppable journey, what was the response that you had generated? Any special moments you would like to share?
METAKIX (Viresh) : There have been way too many memorable gigs which we always cherish to remember. Some of my favorite gigs were at IIT-Roorkee to a 15000 strong army of metal heads which was covered & aired by channel[V] and at MCC, Chennai to a mad & wild crowd of 10000 rockers. The response was tremendous and overwhelming. We had a blast doing both the gigs and relish a lot of good memories from it.

IMR :Which is the best venue that you always love to play or any dream place where "METAKIX" would die to perform?
METAKIX (Viresh) : There are a lot of venues we would love to play. I would love to play at the Wacken Festival in Germany and my dream is to play at Wembley stadium, London to a 100 thousand strong.

IMR :"METAKIX" have been touring India and abroad quite frequently, are you satisfied with the progress that the extreme bands are making in the Rock and Metal scenario? What is the difference among the listeners and why do Asian countries lag behind in the music scene?
METAKIX (Sheldon) :Touring like always has been amazing. Different people every where. We had great fun & countless amazing memories at all the gigs. Metal in Asia is definitely picking progress towards an amazing phase. Metal heads in India and the rest of Asia are all different and they all take music differently. I would say that Metal is not really lagging but is going towards full power. There is some amazing metal coming from entire Asia.

IMR :Now coming to your debut album "HEADLINES" and "CONNECT AND INSPIRE”, could you tell us something about the releases? What is the concept behind the album and what message did band try to convey through your albums, describe in brief? How strongly do you support original music?
METAKIX (Sheldon) : Both the albums have their own meanings. Can't tell much about the first album as I was not around during the making. Talking about "Connect & Inspire", we worked on the album for around a year & half and it came out the way we wanted it to. The entire album talks about our lives and how it has made a change towards us and I am sure it will change a lot of lives. We totally support original music. Original music defines a band and what they are all about. Doing cover tracks is fun till a point of time when u r still growing with your music but towards the end it doesn't really mean much to anybody.
We have had Colossus - a band from Bombay that covers one of our track. In fact it will absolutely be great if Indian bands cover local bands. It will surely make a big change to the entire music scenes in India.

IMR :We would like to know why do the crowd run behind and accommodate their asses for a foreign band gig, instead we have many of the most desirable and talented bands like "INDIAN OCEAN","PARIKRAMA","DEMONIC RESURRECTION","ORANGE STREET" ,"PIN DROP VIOLENCE","MILLENIUM"etc ?
METAKIX (Viresh) : I don’t agree with that. It depends on a lot of factors. Every gig is a new experience and it doesn’t matter if the band is from India or abroad. I think what makes a strong audience is the Band’s music, the name they have in the market, the fan base, the way the band is promoted, the way the gig is promoted, venue, the popularity of the festival or event, the ticket prices, mass media, electronic media, etc. I think the audiences for Rock/Metal Music in India are increasing every year but as I said it all depends on the above factors. So in the end of the day a good band will always have a good crowd irrespective of the place they belong to.

IMR :What "METAKIX" would like to go for "Entertainment”, “Fun" or "Money" on the musical ground? Why?
METAKIX (Viresh) :I think it’s all connected to one another in some way. I personally would go for Entertainment & fun.
METAKIX (Sheldon) :Would be for Entertainment, because we love what we do and for all the people we do it for. As musicians Entertaining people is very important and that’s what matters.

IMR :"CONNECT AND INSPIRE" received a great local and international response and the album was endorsed by some of the major big shots like SEPULTURA's (Andreas & Derrick) and KREATOR's (Mille). How was the feeling?
METAKIX (Viresh) : It felt incredible and very overwhelming. Being endorsed by the bands we grew up listening to was a great feeling of joy and accomplishment.

IMR : For every major event in India, there has to be some or the other issues with the venue or atlas it comes to culture..."WTF". Who is responsible for this according to you? As a Rock or Metal fan what steps would you take to overcome these things?
METAKIX (Sheldon) :There is always ups and downs at every venue, but normally it shouldn't matter much. There is just one main Issue, the Sound. Every band needs good sound, as it plays a very important role on the bands performance. Not every body would try to see how good the bad was while performing but will instead see how was the sound and then would try to judge the band and that’s what mainly messes it up for couple of bands. The best will be that there shouldn't be any comprises made when it comes to sound.

IMR :You people have a long way to go on, but where do you see "METAKIX" from now in the near future? Any message to Team IMR/Bands/Metal heads before we close down our shutter?
METAKIX (Sheldon) : No body can predict what is going to happen tomorrow. We are definitely aiming for a lot and  we know that we can, its just the matter of time. We are looking forward to perform for gigs abroad.

For IMR : Thanks for your great work and helping Metal Music & bands come together.

For Bands : Good work guys, keep the originals coming the world is waiting for it.

For Fans : As always You'll have been great. Thanks so much for all the support that you'll have showed. Hope to see you'll at all the gigs. Rock on \m/

METAKIX (Viresh) : The sky is the limit for us. We will continue making great inspiring music in future and try to create a positive and strong influence on people through our music. We are looking forward for gigging all the big venues abroad as much as we can. IMR- Keep up the amazing work of promoting Indian bands and supporting their existence. You guys deserve a lot of credit for the uprising of all the Metal bands in India. Bands – Do your thing and keep it going, don’t give up. No one can do it for you but only you can. If u think you have a genius artist in you, just let it come out and follow your dreams. Metal Heads – Thanks a ton for all the support and good wishes. Be ready to band that head on the next gig. Metal rulz \m/


* It was really our pleasure spending time with you people, good luck for the future. Thanking you Team IMR!!!

 

Pravin Prajapati (LordMessiah)