Live-Metal.Net - Interviews: Mnemic

Mnemic: Pronounced "nem-ik"

March 5, 2010

They have been revered as a groundbreaking band and the future of heavy metal. They have been compared to industrial heavyweights like Fear Factory and Meshuggah. A little band called Metallica may be their biggest fans, and they have an outstanding new album--Sons of the System--out in 2010. With their first two successful albums, Mechanical Spin Phenomena and The Audio Injected Soul, the Danish industrial metal band Mnemic (pronounced nem-ik, an acronym for Mainly Neurotic Energy Modifying Instant Creation) already had made a name for itself. But like any band, some minor obstacles had to be overcome, mainly the departure of its original vocalist. After temporary live singer, that void was filled by the ex-vocalist of the French band Scarve, Guillaume Bideau, who took the band to even higher levels on 2007's Passenger.

Now with Sons of the System, Mnemic has unleashed its strongest effort, an album that is the equivalent of a decaying industrial world set in a future where machines and government have formed an alliance to enslave man.

Prior to the release of the album, Live-Metal.net conducted a question-and-answer session with Bideau after a our scheduled phone interview fell through when the vocalist's iPhone was stolen. He talks all about Sons of the System, Mnemic's writing process and everything else "pronounced nem-ik."

Live-Metal.net: I heard that you recently had your iPhone stolen. I’m sorry to hear that man, seriously. I just got a new Droid Eris and I know if something happened to it, I’d be going through serious freakin’ withdrawal. They’d probably have to lock me up in a room somewhere like a drug addict. In all seriousness, do you have any leads—what happened?

Guillaume Bideau: Hi dude! Well, here’s the story: I was in Paris on my way back from Denmark for the Danish metal awards show. I was eating some McDonald’s crap outdoors and a dude came by to ask me some change. "Sure!" I work to feed the others. So before leaving he got closer to tell me some stupid stuff and he stole my iPhone "pickpocket style." I didn’t notice anything. Two minutes later I wanted to check the time and I realized it was gone.

Now I’ll be preventing every unknown person from getting closer than four feet from me. It’s sad, but what can we do? It’s really hard to live without these kind of instruments. I’ll get another one later in March because my phone company was asking me the ridiculous high price of 550 euros to get a new one because I hadn’t enough points on my account. I had to act the French way and yell at every person I had to talk to at the phone company, and they finally gave me the points I was needing to get it cheaper. Damn suckers! After being a customer for 12 years they still try to butt fuck you!

We constantly hear about bands being the target for theft—having gear and other items stolen without trace. Why do you think this happens so much and what can we do to prevent it?

We are transporting all kind of expensive stuff in our trailers and of course it’s an easy target at night. But I think it’s worse in the U.S. than in Europe. It’s not that common down here. But maybe the way to avoid that is to leave a German Sheppard in our trailers.

Tell us all about the new album, Sons of the System. Describe the lyrical themes of the album. What does it all mean?

That title doesn't really represent the album. On the song "Sons of the System," we described some kind of a revolt feeling against a greater evil. But the "system" is, of course, the society of today. We are all sons of this society we live in. It influences us in both good and bad ways.

About the lyrics, [guitarist/keyboardist] Mircea [Gabriel Eftemie] and I are the ones who write the lyrics on Sons of the System. It's our own vision of the world. The system ... Personally I describe the society as it is today through my eyes and own sensibility. But most of the time in a very subjective way. I like people to be able to suggest different visions of the lyrics I write. Mircea does pretty much the same in a less subjective way, but this is more his vision of the future in 50 or 100 years for example.

When you go to write music for Mnemic, do you try and imagine what music will sound like in the future—is this a reference point for writing? Or is it just a natural process that happens?

Well, at first we need to agree upon some kind of a common musical approach to make sure we’re all on the same page. Once this is done, we start to compose together or on our own. Then we pick up the best material and finalize it in the rehearsal or studio. But no barriers here, just a common idea of the whole thing. We’ve experimented a lot with this new CD.

The album is currently streaming on Mnemic's MySpace. What has been the overall response so far? What have been favorite songs of fans and reactions?

During the first days we had more than 35,000 daily plays. It was pretty big. The funny thing is that people have many different favorite songs. For some, it’s "Diesel Uterus," for some it’s "Hero (in)," for others it’s "Within" or "Elongated Sporadic Bursts." It’s pretty interesting. But we’ll very soon shoot a video for "Diesel Uterus." Then a second one later, but we don’t know for which song yet. We’ll see.

Many bands are going this route with streaming albums before their release. Do you think this will benefit the band greatly?

People these days need to be sure of what they’re about to pay for. And it’s also a good way to get some more people interested in the band because it’s a free listen and not free music. I think it’s cool. These days people download a lot so we have to feed them up their mouth with attractive candies to push them to buy the album.

The album has been described as more experimental. That seems to be a scary description for fans of metal bands. Do you think that this description is accurate? Isn’t always writing a new album an experiment anyway?

Well, I believe that you always experiment when you write a new album. You’ve grown old, you have different influences, your life changes, et cetera. If you decide to do the same shit over and over again, your fans will maybe follow at the beginning then after a couple of years they’ll say that you always do the same shit. You can never know what the fans will think of an album. You don’t have to make an album thinking about the fans. It would restrain your music. You have to do it for yourself. Of course, you have to respect the musical essence and style of your band, but that’s it. Then you can just have fun and experiment.

Mnemic is a band that embraces technology and has a very futuristic element. Do you see that as your niche? In other words, is this one of the main draws for the band?

It’s something we like, but that’s not especially the reason of being of Mnemic.

What are Mnemic’s upcoming touring plans? How do you plan to promote the album in the States?

We have different gigs everywhere in Europe for now, but we’ll go to the U.S. later. We’re just waiting for the right opportunity to tour with the right bands. It will come soon! We want to visit the U.S. again but not as headliners yet. It’s a pretty cool country to tour in. One of the best!

What was it like opening up for Metallica a few years back? I hear they’re fans.


	MNEMIC WITH JAMES HETFIELD OF METALLICA

It was a great damn pleasure and honor, especially when you know that the first time we played with them in Aarhus (Denmark) it was on their demand! We were on tour with Deftones, and we got a call from their production saying, "Are you guys up to open up for Metallica in Aarhus because they want you guys on this gig?" Of course we want to! Then we threw a damn party on the bus! It was just unbelievable. We played stadiums in front of 65,000 people! We shared the bills with Machine head, Rage Against the Machine, et cetera. The Metallica guys frequently visited us. One day, James [Hetfield] wanted to ask us if we had on our set list the song "Dreamstate Emergency." He was not remembering the title of the song, so he just started singing the riffs of the song. Then we realize that he really knew the band. I can tell you that hearing James Hetfield singing your songs is pretty sick! Every gig we played together turned out great. These guys are really down to earth and nice. A damn experience! In the end! No black point ...

Being the newest guy in the band, did you feel as if you were a guest in someone else’s house at first--how was the transition when you first joined?

Well, of course, you have to play songs that you haven’t composed or lyrics you haven’t written, but as I stepped into the band we right away recorded Passenger. So it helped a lot to avoid this "being in someone else’s house." We hadn’t played before the recording of Passenger. So it was all smooth!

Meshuggah and Fear Factory comparisons aside, what would be the one band that you look to the most in terms of the model of Mnemic? From the business side to musically and everything else.

I don’t really know. We don’t listen to that much metal these days. Personally, I’m impressed by the careers of Jamiroquai and Dave Grohl. Nothing to do with metal ... Otherwise, there is of course Pantera, but we all know the ending of it ...

Tell us what’s going on with your other band One-Way Mirror right now. [Editor's note: One Way Mirror is a French band that formed in 2005 and released their self titled debut album in 2008. The band features vocalist Guillaume Bideau (Mnemic), guitarists David and Franck Potvin (Lyzanxia, Phaze I), drummer Dirk Verbeuren (Soilwork) and bassist Loic Colin (Scarve, Watcha).]

We are composing a new album and we hope to be able to record it before the end of the year for a release in 2011. Then tour, of course. Maybe we’ll be able to make it to the U.S. this time. It should be in the same vein as the first album, but we of course want to try some new things! We’ll see what we’ll come up with! I’m really curious! We have composed four songs so far.

If there’s one question that you wish I had asked in this interview but didn’t, what would it be and what is your answer to that question?

What’s Mnemic favorite drink on tour? Hahaha! White Russian, for sure!

What about one you wish I hadn’t asked? Why?

The first one! I don’t mind the question, but I mind the fact that it got stolen!

Thank you Guillaume! I really enjoyed Sons of the System—keep up the good work!

Thank you very much, man! And glad to hear that you dig our new CD! We hope to see you guys in the U.S. as soon as possible for some metal sickness!