Gigabastards interview

It has been a while since I posted an interview here, I have got caught up with the year end list and also Horns Up.

Gigabastards are an international grind duo, Alexander (Horde of Worms, Sepulchre) and Johan (Stort, Hybrid Xenomorph Predator, Cyboresis, Digital Blastbeat Manifest, Saprophyte Sapiens).  The prolific act put out their 5th release V:EX in November last year. The album combines grindcore and power electronics, making it not an easy listen.

I spoke to Alexander about how the project was formed, their latest album and also his favourite grindcore releases of 2018.

 

Your 5th release V:EX was out last month. How does it feel now that EP has been released?

Alexander – It feels great to finally have this monster of an album out. We were quite ambitious this time around in terms of creating a much longer and more conceptual album than most of our previous releases.

With Johan based in Belgium and Alexander in Canada. How did the project come about?

Alexander – I have known about Johan since the first Bloodbucket Productions compilation “Buckets Of Blood Vol. 1” when he submitted his HXP (Hybrid Xenomorph Predator) release for inclusion on the comp and have followed his many musical projects since. The actual formation of Gigabastards, truth be told, happened one night when I was very intoxicated. I was listening to old school grind and lamenting the fact that the rawness and short song approach has changed and there are no people in my city that want to do this type of extreme music and I then drunkenly sent a message to Johan asking him if I were to send him drum tracks, would he make noise over it. He agreed. The next day I recorded three grind drum tracks and sent them to him, a little while later I received his tracks and that’s when Gigabastards was truly born.

How did you decide the sound for the band? What was the inspiration behind it?

Alexander – Gigabastards is unique in approach, as I record the drums, bass, vocals all analog to retain that underground old school sound and Johan does his thing digitally, so the sound is a blended mix of those elements. The inspiration simply was and is to create violent and extreme music.

V:EX is an intense listen with 47 tracks in just over 31 minutes. Tell us a bit more about it.

Alexander – V:EX is a gnarly concept album about the deadliest nerve agent mankind has ever created, namely VX. The title is a play on words seeing as the record is very angry and extreme from start to finish.

 

You have been quite prolific, putting out 5 releases in the past 3 years. What is the writing process you follow?

Alexander – The writing process hasn’t changed and begins with myself recording drum tracks and sending them to Johan. We work on our parts independently and then add them together over the drums. There is little or no editing musically and then once all the parts are done, I record the vocals. All of this is done via email and file sharing. When the album is finished, I then try to capture what the album sounds like visually in album art.

2018 was a good year for grindcore/powerviolence. What are your favorite releases?

Alexander – Yes, there has been a resurgance of grind based music, which to me is great because I love grindcore. I’m not sure if these releases are of this year but a couple of my favorites are: Chepang/Test split, Bleeding Out demo, Flash Out demo, Holy Cost and Massgrave,

What is currently in your playlist?

Alexander – My playlist looks like this:

Mysticum – Planet Satan
Ultrarat – 7”
Bleeding Out – Demo
Chthe’Ilist – Le Dernier Crépuscule
Weregoat – Pestilential Rites Of Infernal Fornication

V:EX is being released as a deluxe edition on via Bloodbucket productions. What can we expect as a part of it?

Alexander – It will be a digipak and will include our first EP “Fright Of The Isoceles” as a bonus!!

Thanks for answering all our questions. Do you have any final words?

Alexander – Thanks for the opportunity to spread the word about Gigabastards! There will be more music released in the new year. Connect with Gigabastards and Bloodbucket Productions on social media and support the underground/your local scene!! Stay heavy \m/