Stone Fixion
Stone Fixion is a band from my hometown Timișoara (Romania), which I left when I was 12. Now I live in Austria, but in the last 5 Years I have visited Timișoara very often.
In 2002 I met Alin, the drummer, as I was looking for a Metal shop in town. He was (and still is, together with the Negură Bunget keyboarder) a salesman in this little shop, Bestial Records (also a small label), that is located amidst the student area in a garage. At this time he also worked as a barman in a club near the shop, called "Gong". A couple of bands played there too, like Negură Bunget or Ancient ...and Stone Fixion of course. Unfortunately it had to close some time ago... Alin introduced me to the rest of the band, and we spent (and still spend) a lot of time together. In 2005 they released their first "real" album, called "Stagnant", and I was lucky to make the artwork for the CD, my first one:)
However, this story could go on and on, long and detailed, but nobody cares about my memories, so let's start the interview, with Sergiu, the founder, guitarist and main songwriter. It's a little difficult for me because I know them all very well, but I'll try to find the right questions to make it interesting for you, the readers, so I'll start with a common question:
Arcana Noctis: Tell us the facts about your baby, some important details about the history, the line-up, describe the members a little bit... Where are the roots of Stone Fixion?
Sergiu: My "baby" was born from the ashes of a project band called SE.DO.AL. at the end of December 2000. We switched a lot of members until we found this last line-up because we had to work with difficult people, you know, it's hard to find people that share the same view with what I wanted to do, some of them were not that talented or that professional as I wanted so it took some time until we could find a good stable line-up. We had around 5 line-ups I think since then until this day and I still wanna rock and not call it a day. So we'll be around, until we can and I want it, no mather if we become famous or not. You have to believe in what you do and you have to do something that has something to say, I'm talking about art, this is my opinion.
Arcana Noctis: You are interested in all kinds of music, and you have a huge collection of CDs and movies... what are your influences and inspirations, how about the other band members?
Sergiu: Yes indeed, at this time I'm a very big fan of the so called Post Metal scene from Relapse records: Mastodon, Neurosis and all that divine alchemistic stuffs that come around, I'm also a great Pink Floyd fan, David Lynch, Stanley Kubrik, Andrei Tarkovsky so that's the universe that inspires me, even though I'm not that inspired as those titans are and were. I'm trying to link to something and do pieces of art, you know. Also there's a lot of movies and music around from the sixties until nowadays that makes me cum. It's like a big puzzle all is a great inspiration, every piece, and I hope my work is also a brick in the great wall of art. The other band members share mostly the same views as I do, some of them listen to more Metal, some Grunge, Alternative, classic Rock but we generally dig the same stuff. Some like more commercial movies, some pornos but it's OK, we make experience exchanges, you know what I mean.
Arcana Noctis: Oh... I know what you mean, for sure :P It is very hard to keep a rockband alive, especially in Romania. You had to deal with a lot of problems. Tell us about it if you like. You may curse whoever you want to ;)
Sergiu: Yes, it's a living hell it's a price we have to pay for beeing born here in this fucked up society, but we like it, it's like a drug you can't live without it. There are no gigs, no scene, no listeners, only problems. There are a lot of charlatans, nobody wants to pay for what you do, for performing, for having or listening to your music. Hope for better days. So I curse the destiny, what can I say? It's what it has been given to us to live hahaha but there's always a needle and a spoon and you can forget about all the shit and drawn in your world and dream until you don't hahaha. I curse you all men haha as Emperor once said!
Arcana Noctis: What about the line-up problems? You never found a good voice/vocalist 'til now... (by the way, it's Klepsy, a very varied vocalist. He played with a lot of bands in the past, for example Fogland, who will release an interesting album soon (a sort of Arcturus, I'd say) and is the founder of My Shadow. My Shadow will release the debut album this month... detail soon here?) Will he stay?
Sergiu: Yes, Klepsy is a very talented guy. He is very good in what he does and puts a lot of heart in it. I'm very pleased of his musical abilities. He'll stay as long as he can and wants to play with us. Yeah, he's the best vocalist we ever had since now, from the beginning we switched about five singers‚ til he got in our band.
Arcana Noctis: What do you generally think about the fact that some people have up to 7 (!!!) bands in a small town like Timișoara (ca. 400.000 inhabitants). I personally think they should concentrate on one good album, then start thinking about a new "project"...
Sergiu: I have the same opinion as you do. I once was also this type of guy who wanted to be in every band around. It's an experience, but yes, you have to focus on a thing to come up good. I repeat myself, it's an experience to be in several other projects but you have to settle down, you have to move to the next level, people must recognize you from only a few bands and project, but good ones, instead of dozens and shitty ones.
Arcana Noctis: You've changed your style a lot in the last 3 years, from Stoner Rock to Stoner Metal mixed with Nu Metal... last month there was a (very successful) gig, and I've recognized that the new tracks are much heavier. Was this because of Klepsy too, or did you already had the songs when he joined?
Sergiu: He has his parts in the vocal lines that he came up with but the songs were ready, most of them, when he joined. So, yes we had already the songs but he has also a very agressive style of singing. This is what I wanted to do, as the drummer of Napalm Death once said "from something totaly mellow to something totally extreme" hahahaha.
Arcana Noctis: What are the reactions on "Stagnant"? What will the new album sound like and when do you want to enter the studio again? It's all about the money, right?
Sergiu: The reactions were good, we received only good reviews but it had a desastrous distribution and only a few copies were sold. The new album will sound much heavier, we have material, for a new one, you could listen to the new songs on our last gig. We will enter the studio but I don't know exactly when and yes, it's all about money, fuck!!! We're looking for a record deal, offers, gigs, a manager, someone who should take care about us. That's the problem.
Arcana Noctis: I hope this time it's a "real" studio... You also had some problems recording the first album. I think it's a very good one, but the production is quite shitty...
Sergiu: Yes, you're right, I hope and I'm sure it will be much better this time. We had to learn from our mistakes and it won't happen again.
Arcana Noctis: Due to problems with some "special people", AGAIN, you had to release this album on your own label "Dirigent Records", which was spontaneously founded to fix this... Would you like to run it seriously, to support other bands too ...some day?
Sergiu: Yes, someday I hope when I'll be rich enough to release material from bands that I like. However, I wait for demos from Post Metal, Hardcore or any bands into Rock and Metal (Indie, Alternative, Industrial, Metal, Gothic also) at this address. You'll never know with what debut band I'll fall in love. So send demos, promos and stuff!
Arcana Noctis: There will be a gig in Hungary this month, your first outside Romania, how do you feel about it? Do you expect anything?
Sergiu: I feel great, lucky can I say. I expect everything, to make contacs, to make a good impression and to come back. In the Western Europe anytime. Hope we come also to Austria one day, as soon as possible cause it mustn't be that difficult. We're very near so to say...
Arcana Noctis: Is there anything else you'd like to tell us? Your tastes in women, religion, tradition, politics?
Sergiu: OH, a very good point, hahaha, women, I like them a lot, I like women that are almost like me, haha, my half part, my soulmate, hahaha, but I don't think that exists haha, I'm so unique, haha. I'd like too meet a woman that should be my psychic clone but who should have a nice sexy body, haha. That's the ideal woman!!!! Religion: I don't like monotheistic religions. I believe in Gnosticism and self consciousness, in impersonal divinities, you can say i'm a Buddhist but I don't share that tradition. I believe in the legacy that every man can became God itself!!! I like Pagan, non-Christian ancestral, archaic traditions! Ancient gnostic cults! Hail! Politics is a tool for manipulating the masses! haha I say politics is the opium of the masses. I have my own point of views and I know they are true! haha but I don't share them in public. I say only what I want, however, I believe in the right of self expression and I hate lies and opression, manipulation. I hate blind leading the blind!!!
Arcana Noctis: Thanxxx for this interview, and good luck for the future, I hope to see the next album in every goddamn mailorder, you all deserve it!
Sergiu: Thankx for your time, hope we meet soon, my brother!!!
To all: Stay true!!! Keep it real!!!
However, this story could go on and on, long and detailed, but nobody cares about my memories, so let's start the interview, with Sergiu, the founder, guitarist and main songwriter. It's a little difficult for me because I know them all very well, but I'll try to find the right questions to make it interesting for you, the readers, so I'll start with a common question:
Arcana Noctis: Tell us the facts about your baby, some important details about the history, the line-up, describe the members a little bit... Where are the roots of Stone Fixion?
Sergiu: My "baby" was born from the ashes of a project band called SE.DO.AL. at the end of December 2000. We switched a lot of members until we found this last line-up because we had to work with difficult people, you know, it's hard to find people that share the same view with what I wanted to do, some of them were not that talented or that professional as I wanted so it took some time until we could find a good stable line-up. We had around 5 line-ups I think since then until this day and I still wanna rock and not call it a day. So we'll be around, until we can and I want it, no mather if we become famous or not. You have to believe in what you do and you have to do something that has something to say, I'm talking about art, this is my opinion.Arcana Noctis: You are interested in all kinds of music, and you have a huge collection of CDs and movies... what are your influences and inspirations, how about the other band members?
Sergiu: Yes indeed, at this time I'm a very big fan of the so called Post Metal scene from Relapse records: Mastodon, Neurosis and all that divine alchemistic stuffs that come around, I'm also a great Pink Floyd fan, David Lynch, Stanley Kubrik, Andrei Tarkovsky so that's the universe that inspires me, even though I'm not that inspired as those titans are and were. I'm trying to link to something and do pieces of art, you know. Also there's a lot of movies and music around from the sixties until nowadays that makes me cum. It's like a big puzzle all is a great inspiration, every piece, and I hope my work is also a brick in the great wall of art. The other band members share mostly the same views as I do, some of them listen to more Metal, some Grunge, Alternative, classic Rock but we generally dig the same stuff. Some like more commercial movies, some pornos but it's OK, we make experience exchanges, you know what I mean.
Arcana Noctis: Oh... I know what you mean, for sure :P It is very hard to keep a rockband alive, especially in Romania. You had to deal with a lot of problems. Tell us about it if you like. You may curse whoever you want to ;)
Sergiu: Yes, it's a living hell it's a price we have to pay for beeing born here in this fucked up society, but we like it, it's like a drug you can't live without it. There are no gigs, no scene, no listeners, only problems. There are a lot of charlatans, nobody wants to pay for what you do, for performing, for having or listening to your music. Hope for better days. So I curse the destiny, what can I say? It's what it has been given to us to live hahaha but there's always a needle and a spoon and you can forget about all the shit and drawn in your world and dream until you don't hahaha. I curse you all men haha as Emperor once said!
Arcana Noctis: What about the line-up problems? You never found a good voice/vocalist 'til now... (by the way, it's Klepsy, a very varied vocalist. He played with a lot of bands in the past, for example Fogland, who will release an interesting album soon (a sort of Arcturus, I'd say) and is the founder of My Shadow. My Shadow will release the debut album this month... detail soon here?) Will he stay?
Sergiu: Yes, Klepsy is a very talented guy. He is very good in what he does and puts a lot of heart in it. I'm very pleased of his musical abilities. He'll stay as long as he can and wants to play with us. Yeah, he's the best vocalist we ever had since now, from the beginning we switched about five singers‚ til he got in our band.
Arcana Noctis: What do you generally think about the fact that some people have up to 7 (!!!) bands in a small town like Timișoara (ca. 400.000 inhabitants). I personally think they should concentrate on one good album, then start thinking about a new "project"...
Sergiu: I have the same opinion as you do. I once was also this type of guy who wanted to be in every band around. It's an experience, but yes, you have to focus on a thing to come up good. I repeat myself, it's an experience to be in several other projects but you have to settle down, you have to move to the next level, people must recognize you from only a few bands and project, but good ones, instead of dozens and shitty ones.
Arcana Noctis: You've changed your style a lot in the last 3 years, from Stoner Rock to Stoner Metal mixed with Nu Metal... last month there was a (very successful) gig, and I've recognized that the new tracks are much heavier. Was this because of Klepsy too, or did you already had the songs when he joined?
Sergiu: He has his parts in the vocal lines that he came up with but the songs were ready, most of them, when he joined. So, yes we had already the songs but he has also a very agressive style of singing. This is what I wanted to do, as the drummer of Napalm Death once said "from something totaly mellow to something totally extreme" hahahaha.
Arcana Noctis: What are the reactions on "Stagnant"? What will the new album sound like and when do you want to enter the studio again? It's all about the money, right?
Sergiu: The reactions were good, we received only good reviews but it had a desastrous distribution and only a few copies were sold. The new album will sound much heavier, we have material, for a new one, you could listen to the new songs on our last gig. We will enter the studio but I don't know exactly when and yes, it's all about money, fuck!!! We're looking for a record deal, offers, gigs, a manager, someone who should take care about us. That's the problem.
Arcana Noctis: I hope this time it's a "real" studio... You also had some problems recording the first album. I think it's a very good one, but the production is quite shitty...
Sergiu: Yes, you're right, I hope and I'm sure it will be much better this time. We had to learn from our mistakes and it won't happen again.
Arcana Noctis: Due to problems with some "special people", AGAIN, you had to release this album on your own label "Dirigent Records", which was spontaneously founded to fix this... Would you like to run it seriously, to support other bands too ...some day?
Sergiu: Yes, someday I hope when I'll be rich enough to release material from bands that I like. However, I wait for demos from Post Metal, Hardcore or any bands into Rock and Metal (Indie, Alternative, Industrial, Metal, Gothic also) at this address. You'll never know with what debut band I'll fall in love. So send demos, promos and stuff!Arcana Noctis: There will be a gig in Hungary this month, your first outside Romania, how do you feel about it? Do you expect anything?
Sergiu: I feel great, lucky can I say. I expect everything, to make contacs, to make a good impression and to come back. In the Western Europe anytime. Hope we come also to Austria one day, as soon as possible cause it mustn't be that difficult. We're very near so to say...
Arcana Noctis: Is there anything else you'd like to tell us? Your tastes in women, religion, tradition, politics?
Sergiu: OH, a very good point, hahaha, women, I like them a lot, I like women that are almost like me, haha, my half part, my soulmate, hahaha, but I don't think that exists haha, I'm so unique, haha. I'd like too meet a woman that should be my psychic clone but who should have a nice sexy body, haha. That's the ideal woman!!!! Religion: I don't like monotheistic religions. I believe in Gnosticism and self consciousness, in impersonal divinities, you can say i'm a Buddhist but I don't share that tradition. I believe in the legacy that every man can became God itself!!! I like Pagan, non-Christian ancestral, archaic traditions! Ancient gnostic cults! Hail! Politics is a tool for manipulating the masses! haha I say politics is the opium of the masses. I have my own point of views and I know they are true! haha but I don't share them in public. I say only what I want, however, I believe in the right of self expression and I hate lies and opression, manipulation. I hate blind leading the blind!!!
Arcana Noctis: Thanxxx for this interview, and good luck for the future, I hope to see the next album in every goddamn mailorder, you all deserve it!
Sergiu: Thankx for your time, hope we meet soon, my brother!!!
To all: Stay true!!! Keep it real!!!