To celebrate the launch of the new, official,
Manicidic Records blog. I was asked to do an interview with one of their most notorious and celebrated artists, Evil AKcoustik. As a fan, I am honored to take up this task as this is the first ever published interview with Mr. "Evil". I hoped to have many questions answered about the past, present and future of this ultra creative one headed acoustic monster...
Evil, thank you for agreeing to this interview. I am honored to have been chosen by Manicidic Records to finally learn more about you.
You're very welcome, Munk.
You were one of the most decorated artists on the Manicidic roster with 8 of your 12 official releases having been released through the label. I've got to start my questions by addressing the rumors that circulated just after the release of "Vouex Kill Ass Salt". You are still in fact alive, yes?
Hahaha yea i'm still here. At that point in 2010 I had made my decision to end EvilAK very clear with Manicidic so the label and I thought it would be a fun idea to litterally end the legacy of EvilAK on a very somber and disturbing note... I'm sure it fooled a few people as much as it delighted others hahaha. It really was just a sick way to promote the 'Anthology' release in disguise.
And did it work?
Ha! Fuck no. We didn't really promote that release much anyway. To be honest, 'Anthology' was more just a thank you to the label and a few friends and some diehard fans. Really though, who wants to listen to 38 straight tracks of Evil AKcoustik bullshit??
I've listened to it more than once! I think I even posted it here on The Guttural Munk, and with good response, after the label agreed to have it available for a free download.
Hahaha. well i'm very sorry to hear that dude.
Owch, ok so which one of your many releases do you like the most?
Honestly, i hate most of it like poison hahaha but, the first few recordings were by far the most fun for me to do. The 'Beer Single' actually started as an experiment and really inspired me to record more. Believe it or not I recorded 'Yes It Is' and 'Chronicles' in the same fucking day. I was really fucked up and I had finally found a guitar tone that I wanted to use so I banged out the guitars for 'Yes It Is' in no time and thought it would be funny to attempt a black metal album right afterwards. I got on such a creative high that day that I said fuck it and layed down the drums and vocals for both 'Yes It Is' and 'Chronicles' in the same session right after. I had such a fucking head ache after all that shit but I was so proud of those songs!
That is pretty cool stuff! Why did you decide to remaster Chronicles?
Because it sounded like complete shit! For some reason I fucked with my settings going from the 'Yes It Is' songs to the 'Chronicles' tracks. The first mix of 'Chronicles' is one of the most offensive things you'll ever hear. You cant make it all the way through without getting a pounding headache, I swear hahaha.
Why the sudden change in approach on the 'No Strings Attached' EP in 2008?
After 'Yes It Is' and 'Chronicles' I recorded the 'Zombie Apocalypse' cover, which to this day is one of my personal favorite EA tracks. Then i banged out a few more stupid songs that were never released until the 'Anthology' collection because I really didnt like the direction that the sound was going in yet. To me everything sounded rushed and horribly unpolished. People started comparing EvilAK to Seth Putnam's joke project called 'Impaled Northern Moonforest'. In a way I was flattered, but ultimately I had no idea of the existence of that band until AFTER i started EvilAK. It definitely took the wind out of my ass. So i wanted 'No Strings Attached' to sound like something completely different so i ditched the acoustic guitar and decided to record a noise/grind album with retarded fast drums, corny fuckin keyboards and varied vocals. As a whole i think the album fucking sucks.
I liked it, I remember when you released it on your MySpace page. It was really killer.
Hahaha fucking MySpace.
You eventually picked up the acoustic guitar again though...
Well yea. But the 'AKcoustik Beast' album was technically recorded right after the release of 'Chronicles' in 2007. it wasnt originally going to be an 11 minute song. I had so many riffs and ideas but i couldnt find cohesion until i had the idea to theme the shit out with Altered Beast samples. I fucking hate that song.
Really? There are tons of great riffs in there...
You're right, I hate MOST of that song.
So you released AKcoustik Beast in 2009, 2 years after it was recorded but also in 2009 you released the famed split with 'Behelet Blodimys' and my personal favorite the 'Frost' EP. That must have been a pretty busy year for you huh?
Yea i finally finished the mixing and editing of 'AKcoustik Beast' and threw it to Manicidic and basically begged to not have it promoted. They countered by asking me to record a split with one of their new artists 'Behelet Blodimys' to help promote their new full length so i recorded the 2 songs in classic EvilAK style with a more practiced aproach and better results. I wanted to create a dark, atmospheric sound that I had never dwelled in before. I actually like those songs as well, so i decided to repackage them as the 'Frost' EP.
Those songs are killer, very dark stuff...
Extremely dark. I recorded them on seperate days with different settings, I didnt want them to flow like one recording, i wanted to have 2 distinct songs for that release. I was hoping it would inspire me to write more tracks.. but it didnt hahaha.
What about 'Vouex Kill Ass Salt'? That was done after the 'Frost' sessions right?
Yes. VKAS was a spur of the moment recording. I had the idea and i ran with it.
I think thats Evil AKcoustik at its most creative and successful, would you agree?
Hahaha yea probably. I basically took the poorly executed idea from 'No String Attached' and refined the hell out of it. No guitars, fast drums and a total "vocal asault". I got a lot of great feedback from that EP. Manicidic loved it and included it in its entirety on the 2010 Summer Sampler. If Evil AKcoustik is remembered for anything right now its probably VKAS, and i'm fine with that.
What have you been doing since the release of VKAS and the 'Anthology' collection?
Shit. I've worked with a few bands but nothing im at liberty to talk about for the sake of keeping EvilAK a secret...
Whats up with that anyway?
It just seems right. EvilAK was never to be about me, it was always supposed to be a creative outlet for some feelings and emotions, ideas and failures. I'd rather not have a face connected with the music, its more mysterious that way. Although that IS me on the 'Zombie Apocalypse' cover...
Fair enough, so its been over 2 years now since any new material has surfaced. You agreed to this interview so what does the future hold for Evil AKcoustik, if anything?
Its hard to say, i still have the original guitar but it needs a fucking ton of work. I dont really want to put out another album like VKAS because i'm not a one trick pony. I feel that would sound tired, i'd like to leave that style alone for now. But.. Manicidic had an idea that would promote 'Blodimys' by having him record an old 'EvilAK' song and me record a 'Blodimys' track for a split cd. I'm still debating the idea, i'm sure it would be fun but, i dont know. We'll see.
Well you have over 12 releases under your belt already, and personally I'd love to see you with a few more. Did you like the banner I created for your new blog?
Fuck yea. actually, thats the first time I've ever seen all the album covers lined up like that. It was pretty staggering actually. It brought back alot of positive memories! Thanks for that hahaha.
Any time man! Is there anything else you'd like to touch on?
Nah not really, i thank you though.
Would you mind if I added a link for the Anthology collection?
Hahaha go for it. Thanks.
Evil AKcoustik- Anthology (2010 Manicidic Records)
Acoustic Death/Grind/Black/Noise, USA
1-9) Voeux Kill Ass Salt EP (2010)
*speed grindcore/noise
10-11) Frost EP (2009)
*black metal
12-17) No Strings Attached EP (2008)
*speed grindcore/noise
18-24) Chronicles EP (2007)
*black metal
25-30) Yes It Is... EP (2007)
*death metal/grindcore
31) AKcoustik Beast (2008)
*instrumental black metal
32-35) Unreleased Material (2006-2010)
36) Zombie Apocalypse, Mortician Cover
37) Break Your Fucking Face, So I Shot Myself Cover
38) Beer Single (2006)
