I N T E R V I E W

Interview September Code (by mailer)

First of all thank you for taking the time to answer to this interview for the French webzine "Aux Portes Du Metal".

SC: Hello! It’s a pleasure.

Six years have passed in-between "2 Smiles Ago" and "Remembering Mirrors" your second album. Why has September Code taken so much time to produce this second record and have group members participated to other projects?

SC: The band spent quite a lot of time searching for a lead singer. You see, former singer Loukas Panourgias left the band to follow new musical directions, while September Code wanted a different vocal approach. After finding a singer, we started composing, arranging and finally recording "Remembering Mirrors". All the group members play in several other projects just because music is totally significant for our lives! But September Code is our top priority for sure! "Remembering Mirrors" will lead the band to be famous all over the world, performing on stage every night and then, no more other projects for us, only September Code!

The harmony within the band seems good, giving the opportunity to all to demonstrate their musical strengths, which certainly helped offering a varied and melodic album. What is your creation process, do you work a lot in the studio and what is your recipe to bring out this harmony?

SC: We work in the studio and individually. Every one of us can bring any musical idea and we are all free to interfere in melodic, rhythmic and harmonic aspects. Not only we try to get the best “voicing” from each instrument but as well to serve September Code’s music essentially.

We can feel several distinct and well integrated parts into "Remembering Mirrors" in which all your musical influences are homogeneously mixed. How did you manage to integrate these influences and is September Code working in group or more individually?

SC: This is simple for us. If the guitar player for example has an idea, he knows that the idea itself sounds like “guitarist and his influences”. In the studio every member knows that he should cooperate with the others to make the first idea twisted to something new. We don’t want to sound like copies of anything and we know that in order to achieve that we must allow each other to express a part of himself through every idea. That’s how we create a unique sound’s September Code’s sound!

Although the global integration is excellent; I noticed the strong presence of the bass in many of the titles. Is this a desire or an effect of this album's compositions?

SC: Both an effect and desire. Every sound development happens deliberately in this band.

I have perceived a certain impact of Scandinavian metal footprint in the music of September Code. Do you have any interest in this musical wave?

SC: We are interested in most of the musical waves that involve rock, metal, classical, jazz and funk. Our singer Dim and the drummer John like many bands from Sweden’s

I had some "negative" comments regarding the length of the album, which for me would have been better with a couple of tittles removed. What is your point of you on this comment and why have you decided to release a 14 titles album?

SC: Because "Remembering Mirrors" is a concept album! It speaks about the inner battle within everyone. In our lives once or more times we find out that perhaps the human inside us is not what we want to be’s we struggle to “kill” our unwanted characteristics and to become a better person’s something like a “wrong against right” battle, which happens within. The two sides of us, the “good” and the “bad”, fight each other and you can find out who wins and by what cost through these 14 tracks. The track listing, the music, everything in "Remembering Mirrors" depend on the lyrical concept’s

All Tracks of "Remembering Mirrors" are sung in English certainly helping the album to have a larger distribution in Europe. Why this choice and why not having a few songs in Greek?

SC: I believe a band cannot sing in two languages. In our case, English language suits perfectly for rock music.

The Greek rock and metal scene is unknown for most of our French readers. Could you give us some advices and artists names that are for you well representing the Greek metal movement?

SC: Of course! Rotting Christ, Nightfall and Septic Flesh are some of the top names in Black/Death metal. Planet of Zeus is what is hot in stoner. Firewind with Ozzy’s guitarist Gus G is a guarantee in power metal. Spitfire, Danger Angel, Disharmony, well there are so many, I can’t mention them all!

I'm sure that you are constantly looking at what is new on the rock or metal scene. Do you presently have any recommendations or favourite groups?

SC: Again, to many to mention them all! Let’s say a couple of new bands: Riverside from Poland (prog), Hexen (thrash), Myrath from Tunisia, do not ask me for already known bands because you will need lots of space!

You are now in the "Remembering Mirrors" tour. Do you have any dates in France already scheduled?

SC: Actually no dates in France are scheduled but they will surely be after spring! Please visit our website for any kind of info!

Since a few months, it has been hard to discuss with Greek people without mentioning the European crisis. How have Greek artists been impacted by this event and what is the group point of view regarding the situation?

SC: Needless to say, not only the artists but all Greek people feel the crisis every day. Politics are responsible for all you hear from us, you know. Greek people are forced to work hard, sometimes over 10 hours a day, with cheap insurances and low salaries. They pay taxes for everything except the air they breathe. And if they try to complain, the government uses the police as a weapon to destroy every hope in ways I’m sure you can imagine. It’s so unfair but we will stand here, facing what will come for us.

Thanks a lot for your participation to this interview. Do you have any additional message to our French readers?

SC: France is so beautiful! I’ve been there and I hope I will return with September Code! If you seek for answers within take a look in the mirror.

Venez donc discuter de cette interview, sur notre forum !