Interview with WHITE MAGICIAN
!!!THE MAGICIAN IS BACK!!!
We had a conversation with the Great Kaiser (Vocals/Guitars).Enjoy!
Welcome to the FILTHY DOGS OF METAL Webzine.
Tell us a few things about WHITE MAGICIAN (Members, Starting Year etc).
White Magician formed in and around 2010 in the basement of an old house in Detroit known as the Satan's Friendship Palace that I was frequenting at the time. My great (possibly greatest) friend (not yet known as) Mofang Tengrand lived there with his friends and other bandmates that I didn't yet know so well. I wrote a bit of The Devil's City on my own and presented it to my friend and his friends who were soon to be my friends. We all have been jamming ever since.
You are going to release your new album ''Dealers of Divinity''. Tell us a few things about this project.
Well this project was a large thing to take on for us. As a band that was just casually jamming while I was involved in other projects it took a long time to create a cohesive release. It was treated as lower priority really for quite some time but I finally gave it the effort and attention I knew it deserved once this batch of songs came up. I really felt like with our Antipathy split (With Prelude To Ruin) I was onto something good, and I had a few songs that would make a good portion of the full length so I went further in that direction and got everything written and re-written and re-written again and hammered it all out from there with the Drummer Master Commandriani as well as some one on one sessions with Tengrand where I recall the intro/solo section of Mad Magic II were conceived and I think the main riff that became ''Dealers of Divinity''. He wasn't even playing I was just fucking around and played this riff and I was like do you think that's fucking cool? I think he said yeah... or I just overrode his answer. Not sure. he probably said it was bad-ass or told me to look at his hands.At any rate this took a long time to record during an extremely hectic time in my life. I'm glad I ultimately decided I was going to have a very uncompromising attitude with the creation of this record. I didn't do anything without giving it a lot of thought or time and I'm happy with the end result. There was one part in particular I recorded on I think 5 or 6 different guitars just to see which one I liked more... these were the kind of silly things that made this process last a very long time. If you love long songs and ambitious guitar work you're probably going to find this record pretty interesting. If you hate it... it will bring you solace to know that I spent a really long time trying to make it great in my eyes.
Label or DIY and why?
We joined with Cruz Del Sur for the CD, LP and Digital release, They have been great and supportive thus far and I'm pretty pleased to have been working with them! Cassette tape will be handled by our close friends and cohorts in DYSTOPIAN DOGS (Filthy Dogs in their own right) There will be chut, cold boys and triplers all around when this record comes out.
Do you prefer Vinyl, Tape, CD or Digital Format and why is that?
Good question! Lately it has shifted a bit since I have spent a lot less time at home listening to music so my current preference is CD.But that's only due to circumstance. I am currently at home on a day off listening to my record player and having a great time doing it.My hierarchy normally goes like this: I. LP II. CD III. Digital IV: Cassette
Why?
Vinyl sounds great, and my favorite favorite part about them is that I keep them at home and on a shelf and they don't get trampled in my car or lost under the seat etc.
Also the artwork is HUGE. As a brief side note 98% of the time double lp's can go to hell. I just don't have the patience to flip something that many times. 7" are too much effort for one or two songs so I kind of hate those too. I like to have them but they're basically just there physically.CD is fantastic because you can listen to it on the go.
I drive quite a bit and it's nice to be listening to physical music on the go, also great for trading with friends, or having them over and being like have you heard this? this? this? this? and handing them a plastic bag full of percieved essentials and say give them back when you've listened to them ALL!
I also love to load my 6 disc changer and just let it play until I fall asleep.... at least I used to when my stereo was set up in my bedroom or near a suitable napping couch.
good real estate for artwork/layout content. Major downside... One mishandling and you can't listen ever again. Other major downside... frivilous bonus tracks. Not always bad but really not always good.
Digital couldn't be more convenient HOWEVER it is kind of limiting. Youtube has a ton of ads and other bullshit. Barely usable on a mobile device unless you have a paid membership.
Spotify doesn't have some of the more obscure stuff...
or only has certain albums from certain artists for example: No Virgin Killer or Fly to the Rainbow while having almost every other scorpions album.Dismember is listed with like a song but no full albums, Tormentor has anno domini but not the 7th day of doom demo. haha obviously I listen to Spotify quite a bitwhile I'm working. It's my favorite because it offers full albums. I can't do pandora or the "song" only shuffle thing. Pisses me off.One more thing of note is checking out new music on Youtube, spotify, streaming whatever: To me it's just harder to connect with and really click with. Can't explain why. I guess I just grew up listening to music in discmans or a boombox looking at the lyric sheet and booklet at least the first time I listen to it.
I am however still dumbfounded by the amount of people who buy digital albums. I just don't comprehend it. I get wanting to support an artist but you're already paying money and you DON'T want the CD/Tape/LP for just a few dollars more? Jokes on you pal! ALSO anything in your physical music collection will never be DELETED for whatever reason. If it were to disappear it will have to be stolen, traded, sold or pried from my cold dead hands. Cassettes... I just have the least amount of use for them. I like them because they are cheap and pretty durable. I will take the opportunity to check something out if I see it on tape for very cheap. I do like how easy it is to dub tapes of records or CDs you own.
Your music style is Heavy Metal. Which are your main influences (Favourite Artists / Bands etc.)
My main influences for this music in particular would be Blue Oyster Cult, E.L.O. Demon, Rainbow/Dio, Scorpions, Mercyful Fate/KD/Black Rose(20 yrs ago a night of rehearsal), Uriah Heep, Genesis, King Crimson, Survivor, Angel Witch (More Screamin' and Bleedin' than S/T) Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack, Billy Joel, Bill Conti, Eloy. I have many other favorite artists within black metal and death metal but they don't so much influence this music.
Which things, do you think, a Band should sacrifice in order to succeed? Have you ever sacrificed anything in your life for a better future of your Band?
I have sacrificed most parts of my life to ensure that I can have time, money and freedom to play and rehearse often. This means jobs, time spent with family and loved ones etc.I really just consider it doing what you gotta do. I think a band or artist should do things on their terms only or at least as close to it as is possible.Success is relative anyhow and especially in music scenes that are predominantly underground there's only so much you can get back from it financially or in terms of commercial success without turning into something that the underground would, or should know better than to support.
Describe your ideal live show as a performance Band. Have you already experienced that?
I do have an idea of this and haven't shared it with almost anyone. Probably completely impractical so I'll just leave it at that. The closest thing we got to having the perfect live set is playing to a new city and having the locals ask the booker who brought us there what the fuck was wrong with us.
Which attributes, do you think, that a new Heavy Metal Band should have in order to gain identity and be unique?
Hard to say. I think that any band should just try to do something that moves them in some way.I know when I make music I want to do things in a way that works against what I don't like in the contemporary things going on in heavy metal/death metal/black metal, but also what feels true to me. Which are one in the same. Just do what you think is right.
Do you believe that Bandcamp and other Digital Platforms help the new Heavy Metal Bands? Which, do you think, is the ideal way for a Band to promote its work?
Bandcamp is okay. I like bandcamp generally and it does help artists have a platform that's easy to find and easy to use and makes it so someone doesn't have to go to the 4th page of a google search to find, but I've also laughed out loud at there "CHA CHING YOU'VE GOT MONEY" E mails when it shows a "$0.28" deposit into my Paypal. I can't even figure out how to get that into a parking meter.As a user I've tried searching through bandcamp to check out new music and it seems I usually don't find stuff that's really awesome when I do. Word of mouth will forever be the best promotion for anything, maybe not in any way that you can gather metrics or trace data for, but it's more important than any other way of promotion. Everyone knows their people who they view as trusted sources for recommendation and everyone listens to them because they have nothing to gain but the joy of sharing great music.Spotify and other streaming services are dogshit for bands financially but I don't get too worried about that because any fan worth anything to a band will want to buy a copy of whatever they really love. It makes me laugh because I've been timed out of listening to albums on bandcamp without having purchased it on their platform and I'm like Fuck off computer! I spent my hard earned money on the LP,
CD cassette and T Shirt (Tarot - Revelations).
Tell us a few things about the New Underground Metal Scene in Detroit, Michigan USA (Bands, Fanzines, Webzines, Metal Clubs etc.)
The underground metal scene in Michigan fucking rocks. We have active labels and distros with Dystopian Dogs and Sangreal records. Current bands from here would include Sauron, Cruthu, Perversion, Locust Point, Anguish, My other band Isenblast, and of course Demon Bitch. Our venues are becoming more sparse but we have a great home at the Sanctuary in Detroit.
Started from a basement venue, moved as another basement venue, a DIY space and now found it's hopefully permanent home in Hamtramck MI in the old space of legendary venue "Paychecks" fanzines and webzines don't come to mind at the moment so much.
Do you know anything about the Hellenic Metal Scene?
Being very into black metal I of course am. I believe Rotting Christ's "Thy Mighty Contract" and Necromantia's "Scarlet Evil Witching Black" to be two of the greatest of the genre. I really dig Varathron, Zemial, and Agatus as well. If I'm missing out on anything please send recommendations, can't say I'm familiar with any heavy metal or old rock bands from the country! The Hellenic black metal scene is definitely one of my favorites in the history of the genre. So unique. Dare I say triumphant. Epic. A true sign of evil existence.
What are your future plans?
To keep working and rocking until my body or mind falls apart completely.
Thank you very much for your time & Keep up the good work! The closure is yours.
Thank you! If you like what we got going on order the new record on LP, CD or wait of the cassette (or buy digital if you want to confuse me) if you don't like what we got going on and it bothers you let it be known publicly or privately (greatkaiser666@gmail.com) and assemble 5 of your best to formally challenge me and 5 of my best.
Support your independent distros and your non chain music stores.
White Magician.
By Steve the Filthy Dog.
WHITE MAGICIAN CONTACT: