1. Hello. It´s been a while since our first interview in 2006, so hello again Alboin! During this period, many things happened in Geist, co could you refer a bit about occurrences? About line-up changes and other particular events?

After our second album “Kainsmal”, Cold Dimensions, our former label, decided to quit our cooperation. Approximately at the same time or a bit later, Padraiq and Renegade (bass and guitar players back then) had to leave the band. That means we had to re-build the band, work on new material and find a new label – and we finally did it piece by piece and not in a hurry. First, we found Hedrykk and Larva B. Caneer as our new guitarists, I switched to bass, and in mid 2008 Faruk joined us on synthesizers and technical duties. We finished the new material, rehearsed a lot, recorded a pre-production and eventually signed to Lupus Lounge in the fall of 2008. So, we’ve not been lazy during these three years.

2. New album “Galeere” is going to be released in May, three years after successful “Kainsmal”. According to photos and artwork it seems to be linked to some concept. Could you introduce the album’s theme and story for the readers of Mortem zine?

“Galeere” is a maritime album, dealing with several aspects of the sea, its different shapes and the influences it has on the human mind and its emotions. It’s hard to understand the full range of atmospheres the album features when you don’t have an idea about the lyrics I guess. But, still, the music, the soundscapes and ambience and artwork gives you certain hints on the feelings that are hidden in the songs. There’s no story though.

3. Though “Kainsmal” came out not long after “Patina”, “Galeere” took 3 years of Geist’s life-span. Does the composition took you so long, or it was delayed due to personal changes, we we’re talking about in first question?

The compositions itself have been finished in just a couple of days actually (here and there in 2007 and 2008), but the whole stuff around it (which I explained in the first question) delayed everything more than a bit. Apart from that, I’m not always inspired (actually… seldomly), and we had been aware of the fact that we needed to take all the time the album needs. There was no sense in recording or releasing half finished music we’re not happy with.


4. I have to ask you about your personal relation to your new band mates. Do you think that they have pushed the music into some new, essential territories? Do you like the new album more than those old? Were the old members energized by the arrival of the fresh blood?

We’re a completely different band nowadays. All three new members have influenced the arrangement and atmosphere of the new songs a lot, they’ve added introductions, synthesizer lines, guitar variations or solos and different song structures I had not been able to compose or play. Apart from that we may all be strong characters with own ideas, but at the same time we’re working on a common thing everybody is constantly influencing. I do have the impression that the arrival of the new members has had a sort of motivational impact on the three remaining members, yes. The new album and the new record deal has had as well. It’s just good to see that things are moving again.

5. Personally I can say that the new album is exceptionally compact album. Whether we talk about black metal parts rich in melodies, background samples, or Ambient parts etc. Everything seems to have a right place. In addition, the production is better than before. Have you started composing “Galeere” knowing, that it could be groundbreaking album of Geist?

To be honest… a bit, yes. I’ve seen a lot of talented bands wasting their talent by recording semi professional, good albums, but never really using every percent of their potential. I know that time is short, and I never know how long the spirit of creativity may be with me or how long I’ll be able to play with that band. I’m not willing to waste the good material I have for half-hearted releases and stuff like that – from some point of time one or two years ago on, I wanted to give 100% for everything concerning the band, even if it would just be for my personal feeling of having invested EVERYTHING I have to offer. “Galeere” has been finished under these circumstances, and it has proved, at least for me, that it was worth the effort. Our former albums are really good as well, but I never had the impression we really did EVERYTHING we could to make them as good as possible. It’s some 90%, but to complete the remaining 10% you’ve to invest so fucking much energy… and that’s what I tried. The rest did as well, and only because of that we could record such an album.

6. After multiple listens of the new album I thought that you may have slightly changed your view upon how the black metal should be played, maybe your attitude to black metal changed as well? The new one is significantly different from older records. Do you agree? Do you think that you have evolved, being both composers and listeners?

We’re always evolving, of course. As far as my taste in black metal music is concerned, I haven’t changed much. I’m still enjoying the old albums the most, the ones I listened to when I was 16 or 17 years old. But… what you probably refer to is my idea of how black metal should sound today. Of course my ability of composing music has improved during the years, and I’m not interested in composing the same songs again and again, like a lot of bands do it. That’s why all three albums differ from each other pretty much, at least at the outside, even if their core is still the same. According to “Galeere”, I noticed that it’s much more atmospheric to combine the best of different musical genres instead of relying on blast beats and the typical cliché black metal trademarks. In my point of view, that’s the only chance music has in today’s scene – being more emotional, more atmospheric, and less influenced by stylistic boundaries. Unfortunately, a too big part of today’s bands in the black metal circus does exactly the opposite.


7. I might a bit rude, because I guess that you’re a quite fed up with your music, but have you thought about the future? About touring, new material, etc…? Are you looking forward to Geist’s future or do you feel like giving the things their own going?

A bit of both. At the moment I’m so much involved in promoting the album, preparing live shows and stuff like that… we have had a few thoughts about new material, but that’s so slooooowly developing in my mind that it’s far too early to talk about it. We’ll concentrate on playing a few impressive live shows, maybe a short tour in fall, and start with new material during the end of the year. Maybe.

8. From my side it’s all. This interview should be focused on the events around the new album, so we’re not going to dedicate ourselves to unnecessary things. Thank you for the great new album and I hope that you’re going to visit Czech Republic during the upcoming gigs.

Thanks for your support.