Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Blast(s) from the Past: Art of Burning Water Interview from 2003

I thought that all the interviews from the first iteration of Dreams of Consciousness were lost, but apparently there are a few still hidden somewhere in the dark recesses of my external hard drive. Here's one of the first ones I ever did, with London's Art of Burning Water. I met them at a Mastodon show while I was visiting London mid-2003, and e-mailed them some interview questions ("which they were kind enough to answer" - ™ every zine writer, ever). They were super nice guys, and gave me a copy of their three song promo No Tarablus Interablus. Which, if I'm being completely honest, was the main reason I asked if I could interview them.



These dudes are still around (maybe the only band I interviewed back then who are, besides Japanther). Earlier this year they released the album This Disgrace on Riot Season. The fact that they're still active, still plugging away, and still fucking heavy makes me really happy.


Hi Adrian,

Here are the answers for your interview. Please let us know once it is published.

Thanks for your support!!!!
Khyam for and on behalf of Art of Burning Water


DoC: What is the current line-up?

Art of Burning Water is a Trio. Gorbacheov plays Drums, Mahyk plays bass, and Grief plays Guitar. We all do voice.


DoC: When did the band form? How has the line-up changed, if at all?

We originally formed back in 1996 as Werm, with Mahyk on Drums, Grief on Guitar and Daymon Piercy on Bass. Then there was tarablus, and Mayhk left in 1998 and started Ursa. Gorbacheov replaced Maykh in 1999, Werm crumbled in 2000, Art of Burning Water took shape soon after and in 2001 Mahyk was asked to return as a Bass Player.

Confused yet!!!!


DoC: What would you count as influences? (not just bands, but books, movies, fictional characters, philosophies, etc)

Easy Rider, the French Connection films, Pumping Iron (the documentary, not us getting ripped), The Holy Mountain, Mean Streets, Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia, Ben Kingsley as Ghandi, Benico Del Toro in Usual Suspects, Walter Mathau’s index finger, Bill Hicks, Richard Pryor, Gene Wilder, David Lynch, 1984, The States of Kazantrutha, Franz Kafka, Bob Dylan’s lyrical inaccuracies, HR of Bad Brains’ vocal delivery, Tourettes Syndrome, False Latin, Iraqi slang, Palestine, Berlin, Europe, Female Body Building (In Grief’s case only), Baklawa, Joe Preston’s Thrones, Maru Chan, Juan Remo Alverez Jim Gomez (Grief’s Cat) and our fine selves.


DoC: You seem to be compared to the Melvins a lot (from the write-up Paul from Tangaroa wrote, and that was the impression I and others at the show got as well).  Is this something you try to steer away from at all?

Believe us when we say… If we could steer into them we would, the facking [sic] bastards! Fak [sic] their faking [sic] mothers!!!! Sick… proppa [sic] innit… don’t you think?


DoC: How long have the band been gigging?

As of today (06.07.03) it has been 146 Days since our first show in this form.


DoC: Who do you see as your contemporaries in the current British music scene?

Foe (www.foemusic.co.uk), because they are nice!


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Art of Burning Water on Bandcamp