Joy/Disaster – interview with Nico
http://www.myspace.com/joydisaster
http://www.joy-disaster.com/
http://www.zorchfactoryrecords.com/
Nattsol: For a start, tell me, please, how the band was formed. How did you gather? Did you have previous musical experiences?
Nico: JOY/DISASTER have started at the end of 2004 with Franz (bass) and Nico (sing-guitars) because we made music together in another band (Palinka)
but at that time we just imagined it was the end. After that, we’ve decided to create another band together with use of our rock and post-punk influences.
Nattsol: A listener can notice many echoes of different styles in your music, like indie rock, post-punk, gothic rock…. What was the original conception of the band? Did you try to reflect your influences in your music or you tried to be apart from them?
Nico: The start was quite New-Wave and Post-Punk but I think now we goes to something between Post-Rock and Indie music but we always have a Post-Punk touch back to our new sound.
Nattsol: Well, so you quite quickly recorded your first demo, then ‘JD’, your videoclip of ‘Lobotomy’. How did you manage to reach that quality for a start? Was there any support from bands/people?
Nico: We have many good friends to help us to realize the projects we wish and by the end, the start was made by many people ready to help us. We met some Djs from many countries who played our sound for parties and it was the start of crowd and first fans.
We really had this chance to have some help from many people that we always thanks a lot.
Nattsol: Your lyrics and your music, what are they about?
Nico: Lyrics and music comes from our feelings about the world, people and our own experiences.
I write the lyrics after we made music… I use the feelings and the emotional way to write and keep the sound to find the words… but lyrics and music talks about people, love, society, religion, psychology, world and really often about our frustration with the world where we live.
Nattsol: Could you represent your studio releases separately? What are they?
Nico: Between the J.D. Album (2006) and Paranoia (2007)… mmhhh… I think the approach of the sound and music was quite different… we have practiced five songs of the Paranoia album with Malik our old drummer during few months and after that (Malik left the band) we have recorded the album with drum machine and make the three other songs of the album during the recording with Franz (bass). We have used the sound of the drum machine to have a cold color for all the songs… it was a great experience.
I can’t prefer one of the albums because they are different and I don’t listen a lot our music after the recordings… I prefer to play songs on stage… more exciting!
The new album is called «StäyGätôW». This album is another side of our music… there is a lot of different songs, we have including keyboards, backing vocals from Lily Water (singer of TOXIC KISS band from France) and we have tried to find a new way with a best recording and more work with sound. This album is very different of the others and I think that probably people who loved JOY/DISASTER on the two others album should be dislike this new one… we will see !
But by the end, we won’t use keyboard on stage (only for one song) and we will play more guitars one stage because we have including Simon (guitar on stage) and it will be more powerful.
Nattsol: Are there some conceptions you’d like to try in Joy Disaster, but haven’t managed to do it yet?
Nico: So, since the beginning we do everything by ourselves and we made many things, Tour Management, band organization, we’ve created our own label “ZEITGEIST?” to manage us. We have an association “FAKE RECORD” to organize gigs in our city.. we are really active since four years now.
But of course, the Eastern Europe Tour 2009 is very hard to manage because I have started to organize this Tour from September 2008 and we have booked the last gigs in February 2009.
It’s a lot of wok and we are thinking to find a label to help us because we really want to be concentrated on our music and preparing more original live versions of our songs.
And I think we want to start to make new stuff this summer.
Nattsol: Now I’d love to ask you about your attitude to musical formats. Web label ‘Zorch Factory Records’ is considered to be your ‘second home’ though you have several official CD releases and your latest single is limited edition vinyl 7’’. So what makes you to choose a format, and what does it mean for you?
Nico: Oh, we have project to make a limited Edition Vinyl 7” but we didn’t have enough money and we are looking for money to realize the format we want for the new album.
We have finished the last year without money and we found a good guy to help us to record the new stuff. But for this year we try to have a new start and we really want to find the way to finalize our projects for summer 2009: Vinyls, albums re-editions, new album too.
Nattsol: Joy Disaster is exactly successful band. You have releases, tours all over the world. Could you tell the secret of your success, or you prefer to hold it back? ;)
Nico: I think in general people enjoying our sound and our attitude… we have a good communication with people and fans and on stage we are more rock’n’roll than many gothic bands… we don’t have make up and there is nothing theatrical… I think there is something like truth in our music and in our attitude… but we are working a lot to made/make good things… this is maybe the reason of a success?
Nattsol: Looking four years back to your start, what has changed to the moment? And is there something which is going to be changed for the nearest future?
Nico: Four years in our faces!!! But to be honest I think the wish is the same… we wish to have some pleasure together in the J/D and we wish to share our music with people.
One thing has changed… the line up of the band… and more maturity in our music/lyrics.
Nattsol: What is Joy Disaster on stage? Which of your previous shows you consider as the most remarkable?
Nico: Rock’n’roll on stage, Punk in the backstage, Post-Punk during our practices and probably Funky in our lifestyle.
The most remarkable gig was in Creeper Fest in Vilnius (Lt) the last year… it was a very wonderful experience with a lot of nice people.
Nattsol: Do you have a plan about a new release? What it will be?
Nico: The new release was finished the last month and it will be ready in CD and Vinyl 12′ format this Summer… this is the first start but the new release is very different of the two others albums… we have recorded 10 songs with many influences of experiences of the last year.
We are really proud about this new stuff because there is pop-music, rock music, new wave music, post punk music mixed with the JOY/DISASTER touch !
Nattsol: It’s interesting to know your opinion – do you think that a musician should earn a living by his music or money should stay separately with art? (Do you earn a living by your music?).
Nico: So, we don’t earn a living by our music… but I think if you get money with your music… it’s completely honest to admit that we should live by our music.
Many mainstream bands says “we don’t want to get money with our music !” it’s ok, I can admit this way but if maybe tomorrow they could pay their bills with music and play everyday something that they really like… by the end who never want to get money and make what they love to do ?
Nattsol: Are you involved in any other musical activity except JD?
Nico: For now, we don’t have any side projects but I wish to find the time to work about an acoustic album… something between country and rock like Johnny CASH or Lou REED… but it’s in my head… not in time to be recorded now.
Nattsol: What are your interests and hobbies except music?
Nico: Cinema, especially horror movies between 30′s & 60′s but we don’t have any other hobbies after music… maybe beers… if we should talk about this like a hobby?
Nattsol: What would you like to add about yourselves in music or apart from the music?
Nico: Take the time listen to our sound in general but be sure that your best experience with our music is to come to one of our gig.
Nattsol: And your final words.
Nico: Hope to have the pleasure to talk and drink some beers with you guys !
Thanks a lot for this interview and I hope that you know more of JOY/DISASTER by my answers.
Best regards.
Nico
Questions: Pall ‘Nattsol’ Zarutskity
‘Grave Jibes Fanzine’
