Agiel



interview with Kris in 2002

Please give us a short introduction of yourself?
I'm Kris. I play bass in Agiel.

So why did you leave Abysmal Fall and join Agiel?
Abysmal Fall used to play in the practice room right next to Agiel. Our drummer went out of his mind and Ken (the guitarist in Abysmal Fall) and I thought we'd join Agiel since they wanted a second guitarist and bassist. Ken didn't like playing in Agiel that much because he didn't get to write anything, but this was in November, 2000 and I've been with Agiel ever since.

How do you see the future for Agiel? What would you like to be in 5 years?
We'll be doing more technical, layered and melodic material while still trying to stay fast and heavy. As Mike and James (the guitarist and vocalist in Agiel) write more material there is a definite evolution in their style. Hopefully, we'll still be playing together in 5 years.

Explain the name Agiel? It sounds like washing powder!
Agiel is the Enochian intelligence of Saturn.

Do you wanted to create an image with Agiel? I mean the combination of artwork and lyrics?
James' lyrics are actually quite well-written and address a wide range of topics, but the reason they are not printed in the booklet is because we used to have a second vocalist who recorded a lot of the vocals on the CD, but then was kicked out and subsequently had his vocal tracks removed from the recording. Due to this, some of the original lyrics are missing on the CD, and it wouldn't have made sense to print out the lyrics only to have some of them not on the CD. I'm not certain as to what particular ’image’ we create; I suppose that's up for the individual to decide based on whether or not the music conveys anything to them.

Is it easy to get people convinced to listen to your album? What do you do to promote the band?
It was generally pretty easy to get people to listen to our band because a lot of underground metal fans are willing to hear new bands that they might enjoy. To initially promote our material I sent out a lot of free rehearsal tapes, but now most of the promotion is handled by our label (Unique Leader).

Why is the site not done? Why only a link to the MP3 files?
We recently got rid of our drummer and we really don't have any updates as of late, so it seemed like a waste of time and money to build a site at the moment. Also, people can get all of the important information about us (releases, MP3s) from the Unique Leader site. I think that most people who have heard of us have at least seen the Unique Leader site, so a site dedicated to Agiel probably would not provide any new information.

Think internet can help to distribute your music? What about the MP3 technology? Any ideas how the music industry evolve in the digital direction?
The Internet is an effective tool for bands to use because it allows a large number of people to sample your music and decide if they like it. It also allows people to spread the word about bands they like a lot quicker than normal mail. I'm a big fan of the Internet because it has led me to discover many new interesting bands and releases.

Do you write only songs that can be played live? Any experiment with difficult techniques that only can be done with the help of electronica?
We can play all of the songs we currently have written in a live setting. We haven't tried using any studio tricks to produce sounds that cannot be replicated live. I personally prefer the more ’organic’ feeling when a band can play their songs live; as opposed to bands that might sound good due to studio manipulation of their work.

Where did you learn to play the instrument? Musical lessons or DIY? Do you give lessons yourself? Ever been asked for giving a clinic?
I pretty much taught myself, but I've looked at a few books on technique and what not. I've helped a few people learn some new things on bass, but I'm not talented enough to give lessons or clinics. I'm not a very good bassist, I just play because it's a fun hobby. I don't plan on being the next Tony Choy or anything.

You are the contactperson for the band. Do you enjoy spending time on promotion? Like doing inties?
I actually enjoy writing to different metal fans and labels. It's nice to keep in contact with people who have a shared interest with you. Sometimes the interviews and CDs I need to send out can become a little overwhelming; especially since I go to college full-time and work on the weekends, but it never becomes intolerable.

What is the stupidest question ever asked? What question are you tired to answer?
I don't think any questions are really ’stupid.’ If someone wants to know something about the band, I have no problem answering, regardless of what the question might be.

Do you show you musical taste to your surroundings? Wearing tight jeans? Black shirts?
I look very nonmetal. I usually just wear jeans and ugly Hawaiian shirts. I own a decent number of metal shirts, but I mostly wear them under my Hawaiians. I don't really see the need to ’look’ or ’act’ metal. To me, metal is music and all that matters is whether or not you enjoy it, not whether or not you can prove to your friends how ’underground’ you are.

What did you grandma say about you being a metalhead? Does she understand the musical evolution since Perry Como?
My grandmother is quite supportive. When I was in high school she used to actually buy me death metal CDs for Christmas. She doesn't like death metal or see any sort of musical value in the genre, but she appreciates the fact that I'm interested in something.

Do you play covers? On stage or when rehearse? Ever thought of doing covers from non metal bands?
We don't do any covers and I don't think we plan on doing any.

Your opinion about all the tribute albums that come out? Is Agiel on one of them?
We aren't on any tribute album, mainly because we haven't been asked to be on any. I really don't see the value of the recent slew of tribute albums that have been released, but I suppose that if you're a fan of a particular band it might be interesting to hear some covers.

For which band would you record a song? And then play it like it should be or give it your own twist?
If we did ever do a cover, I would certainly imagine that we would try to add our own unique perspective to it. We would also probably chose to do an unexpected cover. Perhaps it would be from a metal band that in no way resembles the style we play.

Is there something you would like to add to this intie? Something that is important to know?
Not really. I'm just honored to be able to do an interview with you. Thank you very much for your time and patience.
Band:
Interviewer: twansibon
Feb 26, 2002
Next interview: Agankast

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