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Ektomorf - The sense of fucking with a song

Not many musicians feel able to do an interview right before going on stage but Ektomorf are professional, doing their own thing since 1994 and still wanting more. A break? Forget it! It’s more the opposite, getting stronger and even more ambitioned to fulfil their expectations. The Mix between Hardcore, Metal and gipsy folk influences made them unique indeed. It’s time for the STALKER to ask for a chat.

We met Lead singer Zoltan Farkas in the dressing room in Hamburg/Markthalle and got a look behind this angry young man: What’s the price to pay for writing Hungarian history? How does it feel to live as a half blood? Do we need our roots? Why do Hungarian people feel betrayed by Ektomorf? Who is the real person on stage? Lost between the cultures? What’s the sense in fucking with a song? Just continue reading and all these questions will be answered…



About being on tour…

You’ve been touring for such a long time now. So what are your impressions now reflecting the last weeks?
Ohhm puhhh… Everything is just so great! Ok, we got a little tired now. You know, it’s all about not getting enough sleep. What can I say, we like to party even though we should take more care of ourselves (laughs).

Aha, that sounds interesting. So what keep you poor guys up all night?
Ähm, well, you know, it’s just… Anyway, what was the question again? It doesn’t matter, it’s fucking great, we really love to be on tour (laughs out loud)

Okay, understood. So what about your cultural sides? Are you guys able or in general interested in seeing something from the cities you’ve been touring through?
If we want to, we will do…Especially while touring through Spain, we got our asses quite early out of the hotel to do some sightseeing. Barcelona was amazing! London was also fantastic but to be honest, we are too lazy to check out the town…



About the family…

Your family stays at home or do you sometimes take them with you?
No, mostly they stay home. This is a thing, which is also really difficult for me, I miss them but that’s the deal…

There’s always a compromise to find…
Yeah, probably but the band is what I love to do, what I want to do. Well, it’s been the longest tour I’ve ever made and I miss them but it’s ok for me.

That sounds like you put music in front of it all, even your private life. Is that really the case?
Well, I did miss both but when I’m on tour this has to be my first priority, you know? I really want to concentrate just on one thing.



The first contact with music…

Ok, so let’s step back into your past. Do you still remember that certain point in your life you really got into the passion for music, when you did realize, this is the thing I was born to do?
Oh yeah, I do! I was like ten years old and my father gave me some Rock-Band tapes and I really felt, yes, this is what I wanted to do. Wow, it just caught me and I knew, that would be my destiny and this same feeling still grows… So thanks Dad!



Feelings on stage…

So when you’re on stage, you really seem to be open-minded, absolutely into that music. Do you feel like coming home on stage or is it more like to escape into another world? And would you say you’re completely the same person on stage as in private?
That’s a difficult question: Give me a minute to think it over…
(Looks through the room… Watches the wall…)
Hmm, I guess I’m still the same person, just a little bit louder (laughs). What I’m saying on stage it’s not just a “stage-thing”, you know? I absolutely mean it and would say it in private as well. What I say are my own words, in private life, like talking to you, in a normal tone and on stage I scream it.

Some musicians say that on stage they have the opportunity to express their real inner attitude, their real character. Maybe just to say things they wouldn’t dare to say in private life because the stage gives them a certain kind of security…
No, I don’t understand that! If you really feel what you say it makes no differences whether you are on stage or in a normal life situation. You know, I’m jumping on stage, I bang my head but I’m not doing strange things, which I wouldn’t do in private, like putting on some make up (laughs). That’s bullshit! I scream out what I feel! I have no plan, no ritual for the stage, it shouldn’t be that kind of acting thing. I just gave myself. That’s why I love Metallica. They don’t need any extras, there are just themselves, with some fucking shirts, jeans and sports shoes and that’s absolutely enough, isn’t it? If you can play music, you don’t need anything more!

Well, I agree in general but some music genres just in need of extra stuff, for example make up or costumes to support their musical mission and to give it a visual effect as well. Just imagine Kiss without their masks…
Yeah, but Kiss did cool music anyway but you’re right, it depends (laughs).



Hungarian background and Gipsy roots…

Hungary wasn’t very popular for metal music before, so Ektomorf exist now for more than ten years. Would you say you did something for Hungarian metal bands, well, open them the doors into that international sector…
Yes, you are absolutely right – I know it sounds strange but in Hungary they say we wrote history. We influenced a lot of bands there because we stepped out of the country, we broke though the border. We just did something; no Hungarian band did before, even not Pop bands.
And that’s rally strange because we don’t do any popular music! It’s different now, the situation changed. Hungary is no longer the place for us to be… The place we like to go home and play for fans is not Hungary anymore…

Oh, that’s really unusual! I thought that just because of your special position you guys had a strong relationship to Hungary; moreover it’s your home country…
Yeah, that’s probably the way it should be but the whole situation in Hungary piss me off! The atmosphere it’s getting worse! You know, they are complaining all the time that we are not going to sing in Hungarian language and that’s bullshit! I sing in English, English is the language everybody understands. That’s so stupid…

So they feel, like you guys kind of betrayed them?
Yes, exactly! I didn’t betray anybody; I’m just doing my thing…

But would you still say, your Hungarian roots influenced your music?
Not the Hungarian ones but the gipsy roots but that’s all so strange. I feel between the both… I’m not Gipsy and not Hungarian, I’m a half-blood in a way… It feels strange… If I go to Hungary they call me Gipsy, if I join some Gipsy the call me Hungarian. They blame me on both sides. I like the gipsy music but I don’t want to belong to any certain culture, that’s too strange… I really loved that Gladiator-Soundtrack; they worked with some gipsy elements as well.



Future-Plans…

So is that a kind of next aim for you, doing some film-music? Or is Ektomorf on its top now? No improving necessary?
Oh no, it can always be better. We will never change our style, that’s for sure. Really angry music, you know? But I’m working on new stuff, like acoustic elements, which will be surprising for everybody but don’t be scared, it’s not gonna be popular (both laughing).

Is it difficult for you to fulfil your own expectations in your music, in the band, in your own person?
Sometimes I deal with myself and I hesitate like “Hmm, is that really good enough?” but every time we record a song, it’s got absolutely the way we wanted it. I feel it a few times, that we maybe should reconsider some stuff but I try not to get too strict with myself, otherwise you cannot feel free to work out your ideas… Ektomorf is a band like here is the song, boom, recorded… (laughs) We don’t fuck too much with the songs, I hate that (smiles).
I have the guitar in my hands all the time, suddenly an idea comes up and here we are. Most stuff inspires me when I’m in a bad, sad or angry mood.

So no candles in front of you, no red wine in your hand to create the perfect song?
(laughs). No, it’s really not that way, although many people believe that cliché of that lonely songwriter…



Getting deeper…

What is your biggest fear in life?
To loose somebody I really love… I never had such a deep lost and I know that I have to face it one day as well but I hope this day will be far away…

Would you say you are a happy person?
I try to see the positive side in life but let’s say fifty fifty, I’m sometimes fucking down and I hate it but that’s me…

Any advice to get out of the depression mood?
Puh, not really… I’m just waiting until it’s over. It’s changes suddenly and I feel happy again, well, it’s stupid I know… Mostly I feel that down after touring, it’s a deep hole you fall in… I miss life on the road then but I do some sports then.

What kind of sports?
I do run around the corners (laughs)

Where in Hungary do you live?
I don’t think that you will know this; it’s a little town near to the Romanian border.

I lived in Hungary for two months as well and also stayed in a town near to the Romanian border, so maybe I know it…
Really? Where?

Bekescaba
What? No? Really? (He’s calling the other band members, saying something very fast in Hungarian language)
I lived there for four years – now I live in Amsterdam but our drummer still lives there. (exciting talking between the band members)

What did you do there?

I had a kind market research project over there to give a report about the Hungarian newspaper market.
Did you like it?

Well guys, I should interview YOU!!! (all laughing).

Thank you very much for this interview and good luck for the future!
Thank you so much for this interview and hope to see you again soon!

Author: Jasmin Froghy, Photos: Melanie Haack, Samira Alinto, translation: Klaudia Weber
Date: 2006-02-20

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