Yakuza: Cancers Of Industry
April 11, 2006
Live-Metal.net talks with vocalist Bruce Lamont and drummer Jim Staffel about Yakuza's unique musical style and their new release, Samsara among other topics.
Live-Metal: Introduce the band Yakuza:
Jim Staffel (drums) and Bruce Lamont (vocals, sax) here for your interview. Also in Yakuza are Matt McClelland (guitar, vocals), and Jackson (bass).
What is the meaning of the name Yakuza? And what is behind the album title Samsara? What is the album about?
Jim: The word Yakuza means outcast, someone that doesn't belong. 'Samsara' means birth, suffering, death and rebirth, a cycle we're all trapped in.
Bruce: There is not any hidden message behind the album. Lyrically it's random rants, a bit of social commentary but nothing outwardly obvious, musically it’s free of any perceived expectation. We do what we want. We create things the way we would like them to be. Many say this...we actually do it.
What is the band's background? What scene did you start from and where do you place yourselves now?
Jim: We all have a metal background, but we all listen to lots of other stuff. I don't think we fit into any scene and I hope we never do.
Bruce: Yeah, I think we all tend to come from a harder music background, but it doesn't stop there. We are all fanatics so to speak: always seeking out something new and fresh to our ears, regardless of genre, when it was created, etc. This has obviously had an effect on how we create. Sometimes it’s difficult to recognize that when you are deep inside the music.
What is the scene like going on right now in Chicago?
Jim: Chicago has always had a diverse scene and there are lots of great bands and players.
Bruce: You can go out any night of the week and catch something, whether it’s improvised music, metal, honky tonk, whatever. Plus, every major touring act comes through, so that's a plus.
The band's sound is very hard to place and sounds unlike anything I've heard for the most part. Was this sound/style intentional or accidental?
Jim: We just play. There was never any preconception, so I guess it was an accident...A terrible, terrible accident!
Bruce: An experiment in progress, trial and error. It's evolved over time.
How did the inclusion of the saxophone come about and what do you think it adds to Yakuza? Did it play as large of a role on past releases?
Bruce: That’s the instrument I play. Originally, I had no intention of having it in this band. But, with a little encouragement and, like I said before, some trial and error, it's found its place. As far as its role: when it's there it's there, and when it's not, it's not.
What are the band's touring plans for 2006?
Jim: We're in the van right now and we'll probably still be in it when you read this.
Bruce: We'll be out for a lot of this year.
What are the main influences in Yakuza's music? Is there any sort of message you're trying to get across? Who are you trying to reach with your music?
Bruce: Once again, no hidden messages here. I know the feeling of finding something that transcends beyond just buying another CD...it leaves a mark for good. If we do that to anyone, I would be really happy.
On Samsara a number of guest musicians appear. Could you tell us a little more about this and how it all came about?
Bruce: Fred Lonberg-Holm (cello) and Jim Baker (piano) are both musicians involved in the Chicago improvised music scene. Troy Sanders (vocals), of course is from mastodon, and Sanford Parker (the sound manipulator) is from a band called Minsk. We were looking to add cello and piano to a couple of the songs, and Troy is an old friend. He was in town when we were finishing some vocals for "Back to the Mountain." Sanford was helping with some of the engineering and we had come up with an idea to manipulate the saxophone with a bunch of pedals.
I personally feel that Samsara is best listened to all at once but what do you think are the strongest tracks from the album or favorites?
Jim: Start to finish is the best, but we do have favorites. They change daily.
Bruce: Agreed. The recording is to be taken in as a whole. Right now, I am into "Back To The Mountain."
Many songs on the album have long moody instrumental parts. Is this something the band has always done or is this further experimentation? Could we ever see a full instrumental release or ep?
Jim: We've always done it, but it seems to evolve more and more. We really want to score some movies, which would probably be mostly instrumental, but who knows.
With so many styles incorporated on the album, is there anything else you wish you could have done or are there any other directions you're looking toward on future releases?
Jim: Every day we evolve as a band and it will only lead us deeper into the more sub-conscious stuff that we do.
The band had been on Century Media Records. Obviously Prosthetic is an awesome label, but what made you switch?
Jim: We licensed our last record to Century. One album, no options. Century has a great staff working for them but it wasn't home. Prosthetic feels a lot better, because they're willing to expand on what they're releasing and they believe in the band.
What have been some of your favorite bands to tour with and who would you want to tour with the most?
Bruce: Isis was cool, doing shows with Mastodon is always a good time. Ideally, I would love to go out with a really eclectic line up. Something like us, Huun-huur-tu, and The Vandermark 5. Ok, let's add Meshuggah as well.
With much of the press giving the band good reviews, is this something you had expected? What is your reaction?
Jim: I had no expectations about what people would think. I know we're a love or hate type of band and the press will either like it a lot or fucking dump on it, and that's fine.
Bruce: It's nice to be recognized in a positive light, but at the same time, bottom line, it's not what motivates us to do what we do. Good or bad, people are always gonna have opinions.
What has been the most memorable experience for the band overall?
Bruce: Man, there's a lot. One for me was when Ken Vandermark sat in with us when we played with Dillinger Escape Plan. That was neat.
Are there any wild stories from the road you'd like to share?
Jim: Our van burning to the ground was pretty wild.
Bruce: Yeah, that sucked...we have not had good luck with vans. We also got stranded in Texas for a week 'cuz our van broke down. That sucked too.
Describe the average day/night for Yakuza while on tour:
Jim: Drive, play, sleep and eat occasionally.
Bruce: Repeat...
And finally: When do you think 'Chinese Democracy' will be released?
Jim: Does anyone still give a fuck? There are so many great bands doing great work right now. Why waste your time waiting for that?
Bruce: If anything, just go out and re-buy Appetite. At least you know you'll get something worth while...
No, seriously - is there anything else you want to add?
Bruce: Thanks for the time. |
