I can't think of a better name for a band like this, Slow Crush fully encapsulates the bands sound. Equal parts ethereal and weighty, abrasive and celestial like gradually dying and simultaneously being born inside a blue and pink hued dense cloud of reverb and fuzz. Its the juxtaposition of these textures that make the band such an interesting prospect. I can't remember how I came across Slow Crush, I feel like the record merely appeared before me like an apparition but I was instantly hooked. It's been awhile since I've been really taken hook, line and sinker with a new band but I fell into them, lost in their cloudy dream like world. I was very lucky then that Jelle and Isa agreed to spend some time with us and give us insight into Slow Crush. You need these records and this band in your life.
Today they posted a picture of their records to date and that Spring 2017 marked the start of the band telling us that it isn't about the records but about the human connection. I think now more than ever everyone can really appreciate what this means.
Enjoy!
Can you tell me what first inspired you to make music, what made you pick up a guitar, write songs and join a band?
When I was a young teenager I used to have an older friend with greasey dreads, always smoking weed, who played guitar and another friend who used to play drums. I used to hang out with them all the time at rehearsals. This was in the mid 90s and we were all into metal the big 90s metal bands: Pantera, Sepultura, Biohazard but also black/death metal and atmospheric bands like Into the Woods or Type O Negative, all the cool 90s indie and grunge, even electronic music. This was such a cool time for music and at school it was just such a cool and inspiring time with tons of kids picking up instruments and jamming out.
What bands posters did you have upon your bedroom wall and what was the first the album you ever bought and why?
As a young kid I listened a lot to my parents records from Deep Purple to Alice Cooper to Elvis Costello to Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. My first 7” was AC/DC Thunderstruck. My first album Guns ’n Roses Use Your Illusion 1 on tape. My mum hated it because of all the swearing but she loved the music.
First posters were of course Guns ’n Roses and Pantera. A bit later my younger brother started playing the drums and we really wanted to be Pantera jamming together in our bedroom.
First posters were of course Guns ’n Roses and Pantera. A bit later my younger brother started playing the drums and we really wanted to be Pantera jamming together in our bedroom.
Shortly after your initial release ‘Ease’ you were playing Roadburn, can you talk about that period of time, when you were recording and released ‘Ease’ did you know you were creating something exceptional, did you expect the response to it?
Not at all! We were still looking for our style. You can clearly hear more indierock influence on Ease.Back then we had a bunch of songs way more oriented towards the likes of Weezer or Pity Sex but really had been in love with the atmospheric sounds of shoegaze and dreampop for a longtime. You can hear these songs are still a band looking for it’s sound.
We recorded these tracks as a demo and sent them over to Jan, who at the time was the booker of another band I played bass in and became our first booker. He loved it and sent it over Walter Roadburn who invited us immediately over to play Roadburn a few months later. We had 4 songs and we had to play a set of 40 minutes at Roadburn so we had to write a ton of songs really fast this is how the first songs from Aurora were created. More atmospheric and a bit heavier.
When you came to record ‘Aurora’ did you have a specific sound in mind for that record, did you achieve what you set out to with it, can you tell us about the writing and recording process for that album? You worked with Neil Kennedy for that album, did the process differ having a producer on board as opposed to when you recorded ‘Ease’ in your house?
We wanted to work with Neil because friends of ours in a post hardcore band ‘Atlas’ recorded their album with him and it sounded amazing. A new, fresh sound.
Most of the songs for Aurora were written right after Roadburn, Spring-Summer 2017. We track a good demo of each song in our reharsal space at home. Isa and I do most of the writing and preproduction. After that it’s just hitting the right studio and getting a consistent sound. This was the first time for us in such a professional environment and the recordings came out better than we ever expected.
Most of the songs for Aurora were written right after Roadburn, Spring-Summer 2017. We track a good demo of each song in our reharsal space at home. Isa and I do most of the writing and preproduction. After that it’s just hitting the right studio and getting a consistent sound. This was the first time for us in such a professional environment and the recordings came out better than we ever expected.
The Slow Crush sound is layers and swathes of beautiful sonic waves, delicate and yet dense. Can you tell us about the gear you use to conjure up this sound, any particular pedals or guitars, are there any pieces that are quintessential to the Slow Crush sound?
My go to guitar is my Jazzmaster AVRI, it sounds so dynamic. Soft and gentle but you can really hurt it as well without going out of tune. I like my guitars to be work horses. I fine tuned it to my liking. Swapped bridge, changed pickups and pickguards. It’s a process.
I always play twin reverbs or deluxe reverbs and Marshall basslead amps.
As for pedals there are 2 pedals always on, Eqd DISPATCH master and Hall of Fame 1 on modulation setting. I use a ton of different pedals, I think I have about 50 at home but live I try to keep it to a minimum, the main idea is that I try to stack reverbs and modulation. Most of the time I have 3 reverbs on at the same time all bearing a different timbre.
As for pedals there are 2 pedals always on, Eqd DISPATCH master and Hall of Fame 1 on modulation setting. I use a ton of different pedals, I think I have about 50 at home but live I try to keep it to a minimum, the main idea is that I try to stack reverbs and modulation. Most of the time I have 3 reverbs on at the same time all bearing a different timbre.
Can you talk about the approach to song writing in the band, is there one main song writer or is it a completely collaborative effort, given the numerous effects and often ethereal soundscapes the band create how do you ensure that each instrument has its own space and contributes without losing delivery amongst everything else.
Mostly it’s me and Isa doing the songwriting. As of late George is contributing as well. He has only been part of the band since last July.
So every song we write has a different approach. We always try to get a structure down really quick and then it’s more like jamming and keeping the best parts or trying to recreate that one special thing you did during rehearsal by accident. We love all the little weird timings and mishaps. Which might not seem obvious to the listener but which make it lively and special for us.
So every song we write has a different approach. We always try to get a structure down really quick and then it’s more like jamming and keeping the best parts or trying to recreate that one special thing you did during rehearsal by accident. We love all the little weird timings and mishaps. Which might not seem obvious to the listener but which make it lively and special for us.
Can you tell us about the approach to lyrics and melody in the band, from release to release are there any common themes that run across each record, when you come to name a record is that reflective of the lyrical content or over arching idea with that release?
There certainly is a certain theme or idea for every record. But more importantly there is an all encompassing idea for all Slow Crush records with variations within this concept for every record. Most of our lyrics are really open to interpretation and ethereal. Every record starts from the persona but approaches it in a different way. The artwork is also a big factor in this, there is a link between the feelings our music evokes and the artwork of the record all within this total concept of the persona.
I don’t know if this makes sense but it does to us.
I don’t know if this makes sense but it does to us.
Being in a band comes with its hardships and stresses, what drives you to create the music you play, does the band act as a cathartic outlet? The music you play is very dreamy and almost trance inducing when you play live do you feel yourselves ever lost in the soundscapes do you feel moments of transcendence?
Being in an active band is a lot of hardwork, more then people realise.
But being out there on stage and playing a good set, getting lost in the moment and sharing the same emotions with all these people at the same time is one of the best things there is. There are a lot of shows when it doesn’t work because of external factors like bad room acoustics or only having 5 minutes to set up and without soundcheck and really crunched set times on a festival. We have definitely learned from these challenges, not always free from frustration. But when it all comes together, we can be on a high for days. The whole covid crisis causing us to cancel 3 tours has shown us how much we love playing live...We are a live band!
But being out there on stage and playing a good set, getting lost in the moment and sharing the same emotions with all these people at the same time is one of the best things there is. There are a lot of shows when it doesn’t work because of external factors like bad room acoustics or only having 5 minutes to set up and without soundcheck and really crunched set times on a festival. We have definitely learned from these challenges, not always free from frustration. But when it all comes together, we can be on a high for days. The whole covid crisis causing us to cancel 3 tours has shown us how much we love playing live...We are a live band!
You just released your brilliant new EP Reel/Pale Skin and you’re donating the proceeds of that to various charities. Can you tell us about that.
We think it’s essential to help wherever you can.
We don’t make a lot of money with this band but we get a lot of love. We just want to give something back. We have organised a benefit concert in the past for our friend who runs a cat shelter and now we are donating half of the profits of this 7” release to 2 local organisations who fight poverty.
We don’t make a lot of money with this band but we get a lot of love. We just want to give something back. We have organised a benefit concert in the past for our friend who runs a cat shelter and now we are donating half of the profits of this 7” release to 2 local organisations who fight poverty.
One of them is DoucheFLUX. Their aim is to combat exclusion of those living in precarious circumstances by offering basic yet essential services to those in need - showers, laundry, clothing repair, medical, psycho-social care and legal advice, to name a few.
The second charity is BruZelle, who provide menstrual protection to those in need.
The second charity is BruZelle, who provide menstrual protection to those in need.
Also you recently posted that Reel was ‘as poppy as it’s going to get’, with album number 2 in the works can you talk about how the album is going to differ from previous releases, is it going to be a much darker affair compared to Reel?
Most of the record is already written and we have the feeling it’s like one big story. The flow feels really good. Maybe darker, sometimes heavier. More dreamy but not necessary slower and not so much only song based.
Maybe broader, we don’t like writing the same things twice. Reel is definitely the pop song.
Maybe broader, we don’t like writing the same things twice. Reel is definitely the pop song.
There seems to be a wealth of great music at the minute across many different genres, is there anyone you’d want to shout out to?
We love all types of music. Atm we really dig The Japanse House but also the latest Alcest record or the last Washed Out single.
We try to keep track but there is just sooo much out there.
We try to keep track but there is just sooo much out there.
And finally in the vein of Rob Gordon. What are your Top 5 favourite records.
That changes every day.
It is sunny out so I go for these:
Crosby stills Nash & young- Deja Vu
Washed out - Paracosm
Type O Negative - Bloody Kisses
Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
M83 - Before the Dawn Heals Us
Find and follow Slow Crush:
New EP Reel/Pale Skin out now!
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