"THEY DON'T GET IT"

 

Interview with Titan 2008

 

Once a year, React With Protest’s label shepherd Lars assembles all his sheep at the Eastern- Westphalia Province to celebrate Cry Me A River Fest with friends and family. Among this year’s musical guests were the Canadian hardcore gods of Titan. We caught vocalist James at the idyllic backyard of the Wöstekrug at Peckeloh , who told us a series of interesting anecdotes: Of personal demons, world domination, a deal with the devil and denied entry to the US.

Hier geht's zur deutschen Version.

 

GETADDICTED: What do you expect of today’s performance?
James: I expect it to be very sweaty. I expect to embarrass myself. There won’t be any fire –there was supposed to be fire, but there won’t be any fire. And hopefully everybody is going to enjoy themselves!
We’re going to play right between Trainwreck and Zann, so I’m really worried, that people go nuts for Trainwreck and want to go nuts for Zann and then say: ‘I need a break! I’ll take a break for these Titan jerks ‘.
(James’ apprehensions didn’t come true, as the following live pics prove…)

GETADDICTED: Which impressions did you get touring Europe for the first time?
James: We were really, really amazed by the structure of how Europe works. In North America, the cities are rather separate and nobody helps anybody out, everybody knows everyone a little bit – but I’m at Cry Me A River now and I know everyone here, because they’ve all been to our shows. And that doesn’t happen in North America.
The big impression is that the thing we don’t have is the Squats, which just blew us away. We had no idea, what we were going to see, when we were told, a lot of our shows were going to be in Squats. We found out it’s amazing! It’s so far beyond anything that happens in North America. Almost every time we play a Squat I tell the people to appreciate what they have. Cause we don’t have it in North America. Partly due to the property laws, we can’t do it. But I also don’t know how well it would work with a more North American attitude.
And the food is really, really good. And plentiful! In North America you’re told an expensive restaurant you can go to…
GETADDICTED: What do you think – why is it so different?
James: The facilities here are so much greater because of things like the Squats. The infrastructure has the ability to obtain itself. And there’s such a good punk attitude here.
GETADDICTED: A question of mentality?
James: I guess so. North America is really a good place and I really like living there and being from there, but there’s really something here that’s very different –and more than I expected.

GETADDICTED: What exactly are the differences between Canada and Europe you’ve mentioned about?
James: I’ve forgotten about Canada and don’t wanna go back. I get everything I need here in Europe. I’m very smitten with your continent. Is there anything I miss in Canada right now?
Water without bubbles I miss very much! So much – cause all water has bubbles here and it freaks every North American out! I don’t know why you guys keep doing it, but next time I’m here, I ‘ve got to be able to get some water without bubbles.
Canada’s good, believe me. But I can’t tell you why. I can’t put my finger on it right now. I love Europe.

GETADDICTED: Which special impressions did you gain offstage?
James: Well, everything. I haven’t really travelled a lot in my life, as I don’t come from a family of money. Every time I travel with my band it’s a new and incomparable experience. And the Squats and Cry Me A River are things I’ve never seen before!
The Eiffel Tower didn’t impress me as much as the shows we’ve played and the people we met.

GETADDICTED: Which band member has piled up the highest telephone costs since you arrived?
James: Definitely Chris. He’s constantly sending text messages to his girlfriend. It’s unbelievable -he’s fucked when he gets home. I actually gave my phone to his girlfriend at the airport cause I’m just not even going to use it. I can’t afford anything like that. I’m cut off from home.

GETADDICTED: Let´s talk about your first album. Who came up with the concept for “The Chrysanthemum Pledge”?
James: That was me. It’s based on a Japanese ghost story by Ueda Akinari. I first heard of it through a book by a different, modern Japanese writer –Haruki Murakami. And it was exactly parallel to this experience in my life when I moved away from Toronto and then back. It’s about a particular relationship to a particular friend of mine and how that relationship changed.
Basically it’s dedicated to a friend of mine –and he doesn’t know it! I’ve never told him that it’s about him.
GETADDICTED: So it’s a very personal thing?
James: Extremely personal.
GETADDICTED: You want to tell us the name of your friend now?
James: His name is Kiam Fazel.

GETADDICTED: Lars of React With Protest released your album in Germany. How did you get in touch with him?
James: Chris, who plays guitar in Titan, was in I Spoke. And I Spoke was on “The Emo Apocalypse” Sampler. And when Titan got together, we recorded a demo and sent it to Lars with the intention of re-recording it. But Lars really liked it and said he’d release it as it was. And so he released it. It was awesome!

GETADDICTED: Can you imagine to get signed by a major label?
James: A major label will never happen. There are bigger labels that are still independent –they are okay. But you have to be stupid to sign to a major label. It’s like a deal with the devil, you can’t get out of it.

GETADDICTED: You released two splits with June Paik and In First Person. Please describe your relationship to those bands!
James: We’ve met June Paik for the first time today. We really liked them. They are really dark and big-sounding. And we both had music to release, so we put it together. We’ve never played with them before, so we were really excited to play together today.
And In First Person are really close friends of ours – really awesome. We’re not allowed to go to the United States anymore. We’re banned of the border. But we used to play with them all the time. We used to sneak over the border…
GETADDICTED: You’re not allowed to go there anymore?!
James: No. we have criminal records at the border. Cause they don’t want you to sneak in, they don’t want you to play shows. They call it ‘stealing money from hardworking American musicians’. That’s what they say and it is ridiculous! But we used to play with them all the time and they are the sweetest people. We all read comic books hardcore and they’re the best. I just love them and now that we can’t go to the United States I miss them so much!
GETADDICTED: Can’t In First Person go to Canada?
James: Now they can. Their former bass player, who also plays in the band Pyramids, was a British citizen and didn’t have a green card, so he wasn’t able to cross the borders. But now that he’s not in the band anymore, they could be able to come. It’s still hard though. It’s such a pain on the borders. That’s why I love Europe so much. Yesterday I was in Denmark and I didn’t even have to talk to anybody. If you try and cross the border in the US it’s crazy! They search you head to toe!
GETADDICTED: But you´ve already played the US?
James: We have. We’ve snuck across a few times. You can do it, but it’s hard. Last time we got caught and arrested. And then never went back.
They count it as working. Cause you’re going there and you’re making money. Last time we were going to play one show with Comadre, Graf Orlock and Off Minor in New York. It was one show on Chris’ birthday and we definitely weren’t going to make any money. We spent more money on gas than we made at the show. They think it’s working still. It’s taking money out of the US and bringing it to Canada.
GETADDICTED: There are people who search for guys like you?!
James: Yes they search for us. Cause they don’t understand the difference. They think being in a band is this really glamorous thing and they don’t understand the difference between us and Nickelback -as if every band were U2. Every band comes in and takes everything they can from the American economy. They didn’t understand when we told them ‘we’re not going to make any money’ –‘so why you’re playing the show?!’ they didn’t get it.

GETADDICTED: One more question about your cooperation with June Paik. Isn’t it strange to release a split record with people you’ve never met before? Having your music linked directly to complete strangers?
James: It was strange, but it was also very cool. There are these guys from Germany like us -so why not? We both go for a similar kind of aesthetic, so why not just trust that? We’ve met for the first time today and were instantly best friends –how cool is that?!

GETADDICTED: Your band’s called Titan and the upcoming EP goes by the title “Colossus”. Is there a subtle hint to megalomania?
James: Yes!!!
GETADDICTED: Are you seeking world domination?
James: Titan maybe. Me: Yes! Actually, the “Colossus”-EP deals with issues of self importance. Looking back on this period of my life, on the past few months, made me realize I only did things for myself and I was using all these people around me. I saw how self-centred I had become. And writing lyrics was this really good experience where I purged those demons. It really helped.

GETADDICTED: What do you demand from yourselves when you develop new songs?
James: I demand a lot from everybody. I’m a perfectionist as far as everyone goes. Song writing is a lot of yelling and it’s all me.
GETADDICTED: Is it necessary to be a little dictator?
James: Absolutely! But I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. I love the songwriting process so much, I just want it to be as good as it can be. Especially right now we’re interested in creating something really dark and powerful. Cause if it doesn’t affect me in a way that changes who I am and affects me really really strongly, it’s a waste of my time.
We really want to create something like what we’re influenced by. These works have really changed us. We want that as well. We don’t always do it, but the ultimate goal is to create something that really speaks to a certain side of people, to really moves people. That’s the goal. That’s what we’re focussed on right now, when we’re writing new songs.
GETADDICTED: Is titan an island for you to survive in this world?
James: Yes. Actually yes. “The Chrysanthemum Pledge” was written when I wasn’t in a band. About that time I was so depressed because I wasn’t writing music and so I definitely needed it to survive. I was In a really bad time in my life and then joined Titan and it all disappeared. I somehow need that expression.

GETADDICTED: Is Titan your first serious band?
James: No. I was in a band called Panserbjorne. We did a Split Seven Inch with Chris’ old band I Spoke. But I was a kid, I was really young then, so this is a more serious band. And it’s become very, very serious which is awesome-it’s great.

GETADDICTED: Where are your musical roots?
James: When we started, it was different than it is now. We all have different influences, but as a band, a big influence has been this band from California called Neurosis, it’s one of my favourite bands. And then there are Canadian bands, there are those big, dark and heavy Canadian bands like Uranus and Buried Inside. Cursed were a big influence as well. we like dark, heavy hardcore.

GETADDICTED: You mentioned your soft spot for comic books. Who’s your favourite super hero character?
James: That’s an excellent question. The In First Person split is actually X-Men themed. And that’s where my heart is. My heart is really with the X-Men. It’s the most popular one –but it’s the best one! I just love the X-Men so much.
GETADDICTED: Special character?
James: Wolverine. Straight up! He’s the popular guy, everybody loves Wolverine. He’s the best! He is. He’s really well written and you can take him in so many different directions. He’s dark, so you can take him to these really extreme places you can’t take the other characters. He’s also Canadian! He’s kind of funny, he smokes, drinks beer…

GETADDICTED: What do you think –when will be your next time in Europe?
James: We haven’t talked about it because financially this tour was just a mess. But hopefully very soon! All the other guys get freaked up by money, but I don’t. so I’ll come back, whenever I can or we can. But very soon, because we all really enjoyed it and it was our first time, so we couldn’t expect it to go perfectly, but we really want to come back soon, so hopefully next summer, that’s what I really, really hope for. If not earlier.

 

• Interview mit Titan 2008
• Titan live in Mülheim 2008
• Titan/JunePaik Split 12'
• Titan . The Chrysanthemum Pledge

 

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