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Antigama Interviews


One of the most interesting acts in the extreme metal scene today is Antigama. This Warsaw, Poland four-piece tests the limits of sonic extremity on their third full length album, "Zeroland." We converse here with guitarist Sebastian Rokicki about the musical chaos known as Antigama.


The Gauntlet: What is it that you find to be so appealing about playing such an extreme style of music?

Sebastian Rokicki: We've played extreme music right from the beginning. Every one of us has done it for some time in different bands. We all like our form of expression and want to use it to forward certain messages and feelings. That's why our music is fast, brutal and uncompromising. You see, if we were "peace-oriented," we would play jazz or reggae ha-ha. The strength of our music is surely an outcome of our frustrations and our riot towards everything "normal" and narrow-minded and therefore hard to accept for us.


The Gauntlet: How do you personally define the sound of Antigama?

Sebastian Rokicki: We've been asked many times if our music was grindcore. I doubt the definition of grindcore is right for it. The genre is surely our main inspiration and makes us play fast, extreme and chaotic sounds. Nevertheless we also explore different fields of music and are not bound by one definition. This freedom gives us comfort and enables us to develop and move freely across many kinds of so-called extreme music.


The Gauntlet: What specific factors influenced the direction of the band's music?

Sebastian Rokicki: Generally speaking, it was life itself, with all the positive and negative events that happened in it. Apart from that, we are well knit together in our band and know what we can expect from each other and what we want to get in our music. It makes us work together despite many problems and fights we have. We are all quite complicated and it's hard to make everyone satisfied at the same time ha-ha. It's like in your life, there are better and worse days.


The Gauntlet: How did you originally get involved with extreme music?

Sebastian Rokicki: When I was a kid in 80's I used to listen to KISS, AC/DC, JUDAS PRIEST, WASP and lots of bands of this kind. Then I heard SLAYER, VENOM, METALLICA, DISCHARGE. Later it was NAPALM DEATH, TERRORIZER, REPULSION � and that changed my life forever. I used to make underground 'zines and played in some local grindcore bands. I was into tape trading and correspondence with people from around the world. That way I learned about lots of great bands and made friends with lots of great pals. And now I'm still this way � I deal with music all the time and I love doing it�


The Gauntlet: What has been most responsible for the success of the group up to this point?

Sebastian Rokicki: Our biggest success is that we still play together and make new things. Apart from that we owe a lot to our friends like our publisher Karol from Selfmadegod and promoter Dave from Earsplit PR for their hard work. It's thanks to them that people start to learn about our band. We prize every success, small or big. We enjoy every good review we get, every album we make, every gig or festival we play. Of course the main factor is our music itself. We enjoy creating it and I think that without this kind of attitude we wouldn't be where we are at now.


The Gauntlet: Do you feel a certain dedication toward creating the most intense music that you possibly can?

Sebastian Rokicki: I think we are all very dedicated as this kind of music demands a lot of sacrifices and even more money if you want to continue your existence. Being in Antigama is often like being in constant fight ha- ha. Maybe that's why our sound is so extreme. It's good I can still see everyone's engagement in it. That makes us continue our progress.


The Gauntlet: Is there a particular band that you would really like to share the stage with?

Sebastian Rokicki: Every good band is welcome. We've played with lots of punk, hardcore, death metal, industrial and noise bands and we have very elastic audience. As for my personal choices I would like to experience 2 weeks with bands like NAPALM DEATH or REPULSION ha-ha-ha � I think we'd make a good combination.


The Gauntlet: How does the typical Antigama song come about?

Sebastian Rokicki: First I jam with the drummer Siwy and we come up new ideas that get additional sounds later with the lyrics in the end. Lucas writes about everything what inspires him at the moment. He's totally free in what he does and how he expresses his thoughts. We might have songs about hate, love, problems, relationships, politics or thousands of other subjects. Lucas's sick poetry is often ironic with a specific type of humor so we have a song about a Japanese ski-jumper, Newton or marijuana ha-ha. You never know what subject he will pick in the next piece. I am very content we are not a band dealing with one narrow topic like war, guts and corpses � we leave it to others. We prefer freedom in experiment.


The Gauntlet: What non-musical factors make an impact upon the band's music?

Sebastian Rokicki: Everything that has features of non-commercial and unconventional art. It could be movie, paintings, photography or anything void of pseudo-intellectual pulp and ever-present trash. Apart from that there are our closest friends and people giving us constant inspiration to create everything. Of course I think about women ha-ha because they strongly influence all of us. The last thing would be marijuana which is another everlasting source of inspiration for Antigama.


The Gauntlet: What is it that sets "Discomfort" apart from other extreme metal albums?

Sebastian Rokicki: It's you that should answer this question ha-ha. In general I think it's the nonconformity that makes our albums stand out in the mainstream. I won't judge my art; I just can share the joy of making it and presenting it to others. I think if someone likes extreme music he should check us out.


The Gauntlet: The inside of the CD liner is obviously intended to create a stark impression upon the listener. Do you seriously feel that there is so little hope in this world? Is this artistic statement designed to wake people up, so to speak?

Sebastian Rokicki: In a way, yes. For sure it's a manifest and a trial to show the depth of our message. The interpretation is up to our listeners. I personally like your opinion and think it's quite accurate. We try to make every our release unique in its form and content. We want it to make people think deeper on its whole concept. Back to your question � sometimes everything turns out to be even more rotten than it seems in reality.


The Gauntlet: What does it take to keep the intensity of the group at such a high level?

Sebastian Rokicki: Anger, ha-ha� We are well experienced at playing such kind of music and stay open to experiments. It makes us work harder and harder what gives its results and makes it easier for us to explore music and easily keep it at a high level.


The Gauntlet: What do you feel is the most important thing that an artist can accomplish by communicating through music?

Sebastian Rokicki: The most important thing to me is the possibility to express my personal emotions and show a piece of myself. I think everyone does what is best for them but as a band we just want to play together and have fun. And we all really like the effect of our work.


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Tags:  Antigama  , Sebastian Rokicki - Guitarsinterviews

    July 20, 2005

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