[Interview] Kaschalot
* Pour lire la version française de cette entrevue cliquez ICI!
Unless you have a strong interest in the Estonian post-rock scene, the band by the name of Kaschalot is probably not familiar to you yet. We will try to remedy (fix) the situation in our interview with Alex, the founding member. Having released their first full album, Whale Songs, two years ago, the band will be back soon with an EP that will launch a new partnership with Atypeek Music. The French label will also re-edit Kaschalot’s complete discography and we are pleased to present you first some of those re-editions. Discover without waiting a musical project full of potential and energy that deserves to be heard all the way to Montreal and beyond!
Kaschalot was created six years ago and was originally a solo project. What is the story behind your band and the meeting of the other members?
It all started with the S/T EP. It was more of an experiment for me because I mostly played metal before. I just uploaded four songs that I made at home, online, and started to wait for the people’s reaction. The feedback was very positive, so the next step was to find the right musicians. I knew Dmitri for years, so I asked him to play bass straightaway. After that, we played local gigs with different drummers and guitarists, but until we found Sulo on the guitar, it didn’t click, I guess. Back then, Sulo was working with Sten, so it was he who asked him to play drums with us. I think after 2-3 rehearsals, we were ready to play a gig. With this lineup, we finally started to write our LP. It all was the almighty word of mouth and friends (and friends of friends) who helped us to find the right people.
Your music is drawn from the different tastes of the band members and it results in doing only what you like. How did you developed a passion for this delicious mix of melodic and pickling tones, for rock, and for music in general?
Well, I was always a big fan of emotional hardcore punk and I think it kinda shaped the fundamentals of our music. Dima (Dmitri) brought some darker colors which gave contrast. Sulo is a beast on classical guitar. He is also a classical guitar teacher and worked with Sten in the same school where Sten was teaching drums. Their knowledge of theory helped us to bring order into our songs and shape them the way they are now. I’m honored to play with these guys and I still learn from them every day.
You will launch a new EP next February via the French label Atypeek Music. How did this association start with them?
To be honest, we weren’t optimistic in the beginning but didn’t want to release an EP by ourselves. We collected some contacts from our friends and the internet. Huge help came from our friend Margus who plays in Wolfredt (post-rock/shoegaze band from Tallinn). After that, we started to send out the emails… like a lot of emails. Christophe from Atypeek Music responded and was even interested in our earlier music. It seemed like it was the best option for us.
Your new EP shows a really interesting progression, starting with post-rock and evolving towards more math rock sounds while remaining energetic until the end. What can you tell us about this album and what did you do differently from your previous releases?
First, to say, we didn’t plan it as a «Covid EP». We actually managed to record drums before the lockdown. I think this time guys trusted me and have let me spend more time with the songs on my own, but brought lots of nuances into the mix when we were finishing tracks.
Over the years, many of your compositions have found themselves accompanied by nice music videos and you also have some live recordings available online. How important is the visual aspect for Kaschalot and will we be lucky enough to have a new music video for the upcoming EP?
We’re not sure about any official music videos at the moment. I think if we decide to go for full production, we’d better start something like a Kickstarter campaign. Our band always wanted people to think of us as a live band, so this time we might go with studio session lives and live videos.
Even if it becomes heavy to talk about COVID, it’s difficult to skip this sad topic. How is the pandemic situation going on in Estonia and how do you see the launch of your EP under these weird circumstances?
The second wave of Covid went harder than the first one for Estonia. Masks are mandatory now. People are waiting for what is next to come. Some venues still do gigs with 40-50% of capacity, including band members and venue staff. We are quite nervous about EP presentation shows, but we hope it will go well.
Now that we have covered a part of the Estonian scene with your music, do you have any other must-see acts to recommend to us? Whether from Estonia or elsewhere, what is stimulating you at the moment?
Despite being a really small country, Estonia is bursting with cool bands at the moment. My favorites are Wolfredt, Ocean Districts, Dreamkrusher!, Kannabinõid, Pinkwave, JUUR to name a few. Sulo and I also play in a blackened punk band called Mört. Give it a listen if you want to hear the Estonian language being screamed out loud. As for bigger acts, I’ve been listening to lots of Alcest, Plini, and Monobody lately plus And So I Watch You From Afar has been in my playlist for years.
Thank you for your time!