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METAL SKULL: ARARAT: REALIZING RESISTANCE
by JJ Koczan
Aquarian Weekly
http://www.theaquarian.com/2009/10/08/inter view-ararat-realizing-resistance-metal-skull/
Octo ber 8, 2009
Ararat 1 (Diego Toledo)There has always been a rebellious tinge to
the musical work of Sergio Chotsourian. For over 15 years, as the
guitarist and vocalist of Argentina's brightest stoner metal exports,
Los Natas, Chotsourian (together with bassist Gonzalo Villagra and
drummer Walter Broide) has championed a freedom as prevalent musically
as it is in their Spanish-mostly lyrics.
For the first time, Chotsourian steps outside the Los Natas role
(sort of) with his new project, Ararat. Named for the sacred Armenian
mountain, Ararat's first album, Musica de la Resistencia, shows the
duality of Chotsourian's heritage. European and native South American,
the guitarist explores a variety of influences, from straightforward
rock and folk to drone-based noise and darkened soundscaping. The
result makes Musica de la Resistencia a vastly underrated work of
remarkable depth that can offer the listener as much as he or she is
willing to get out of it.
Chotsourian, with whom I'd previously conducted and interview this year
on the occasion of Los Natas' new album, Nuevo Orden de la Libertad,
recently took some time out to answer a bevvy of emailed questions
about his lineage and the forces at work behind Ararat.
How did the idea for Ararat come about? Was there something specific
about the music or the writing process that you knew separated it
from Los Natas?
I started recording home shit since 10 years ago, many things on
vacation time, tour days off and time wasted with my older brother
Santiago. He plays piano classical-style and we used to share music and
melodies since we were kids. Also been doing the very first versions
for the Los Natas songs, I mean demos or the very first ideas I do at
home and enjoy mixing in different ways to see what's up with the song.
One day fixing my home studio I realized I got all this music non
ss of listening to all my recorded shit, then choosing and then a
very different map of composition than Los Natas, more like a movie
edit. Many times in the studio recording over and over new things,
editing and bringing concepts to it. And that was it, man; the spirit
was just there, waiting for me to name it and work it hard.
Is there something you feel you can express in Ararat and not in
Los Natas?
Ararat is a part of Los Natas and both ways around. Los Natas' Nuevo
Orden de la Libertad shares some moment with Ararat's debut album,
as it was kinda made up at the same time, and Ararat was kind of the
experiment room for some Los Natas ideas. So it could have been also
featured as a DCD album.
Ararat is more about my blood and spirit, Los Natas is the three-piece
of los tres hombres: Sergio, Gonzalo and Walter.
There's an intimate vibe on a lot of the songs, sometimes darker and
what Los Natas does. How much of 'Gitanoss' came from experimenting
in the studio, and did you have a specific sound in mind for the
album going into it?
Um, yes 'Gitanoss' is a deep thing. I remember sitting in the studio
with my friend El Topo, I just dropped a deep bass drum Indian local
shit, then El Topo had these words in mind about the gypsies and shit,
we developed some keyboard passage huge, and then on easily acoustic
guitars broke through to a final speed-up all together.
Ararat's music, yes, is more intimate and more spacey, it's got more
room in-between melodies and songs, it takes all the time music needs
and asks for developing the idea.
Between Mt. Ararat and the South American elements in the music (and
obviously the lyrics), you've got a lot of blending cultures going on
with Musica de la Resistencia. How much did your personal heritage
and experience play into the concept of the band and the duality of
the music?
Ararat is most of all about my personal heritage I cannot runaway
from. Part of my family is Armenian, the other part German, the
other part local Argentine Indian. I feel the nee se three spirits
inside of me. Ararat and the pianos got more about to the Armenian
army, my father my brother and these little sad melodies, at the
same time intricate and repetitive, like a mantra but from Armenian
folk. It's also a duel of time and history, the elements sometimes so
raw and ancient, and sometimes these future sounds or organs undefined
in time...
How was it working with your brother on piano? What made you decide
to include 'Dos Horses?' Is it a way of tying this record and the
last Los Natas together?
'Dos Horses' was basically done for the Ararat album. It is the
battle horse of this album. Then, when editing El Nuevo Orden,
I wanted to share this song as a connection between both albums,
like a sequel unnamed but meant. The Ararat side of the Los Natas
album grew immediately and we suddenly ended up editing it like we
did on Ararat, like a movie.
You've handled plenty of artwork before, but with the cover of Musica
de la Resistencia there's a lot of national-style symbolism, with the
colored bars and the crest. Where did the concept for the visual side
of the record come from?
I wanted to give the idea and feeling of a nation called 'Ararat.' A
nation with its anthems, people, wars, fights, wins and losses. It's
not a defined country I got all stuff from, it's a banner I did
in particular by myself, also about the shield, that's taken from
Armenian military forces from the past. So it's the idea of a whole
force of power blending into music as its folklore.
How did working with MeteorCity come about?
Lately we got a very good relationship mostly with my man El Danno,
he's been working great with Los Natas since 10 years, sold and
distributed tons of Los Natas shit and he was the only one I thought
about when finding the ways out for the Ararat release, along with
Stefan [Koglek, Colour Haze guitarist/vocalist and head of Elektrohasch
Shallplatten, which might release the Ararat vinyl]. Also as a matter
of trust, I think MeteorCity folks are gentlemen and re what they
release. We are family.
Is the process any different for you writing acoustically as opposed
to plugged in and fuzzed out? Does it affect your style at all?
Lately and most in Ararat I tried not to play many guitars, as I enjoy
also diving into new instruments such as organs, piano, percussion
and sequencers. But mostly I listen to the music and let 'her' tell
me what to do, if need heavy riffing I will notice, if needs acoustics
you can hear them there, just before you even record them.
So gladly this album is not about me and my relationship with the
guitar, it's me as a composer and music man.
Will Ararat play shows? Any other plans for the band?
Yes, I have the future plan of joining an Ararat force live band,
it will be mostly a drone doomy heavy version of the album.
But on the other side I have also been talking to my brother to
bring out a cleaner Ararat set, only him and me, piano vs. guitar,
more experimental and non-rock and roll! So let's see what's up. Most
of all we need some time, ha ha.
Last time I interviewed you, you mentioned Los Natas was going to
record Toba Trance III. Any more details about that you'd like to
spill, and any idea when it might be out?
Uhh, lately we had a very bad health situation with bassist Gonzalo, so
let's see how this develops. Right now we are more focused on touring
the new Natas album, Nuevo Orden de la Libertad, we have been invited
for the Roadburn Fest 2010 along with European touring, so there's
not much time left and Gonzalo [has to take] care of his health.
For the moment I am slowly working on Ararat volume II with my brother
here, on our very little free time. So that's the more Toba situation
I am bringing right now.
Musica de la Resistencia is available now on MeteorCity. For more info,
check out meteorcity.com.
JJ Koczan isn't such a bad guy if you get to know him. Okay, that's
not really true, but still. theobelisk.net.
Photo credit: Diego Toledo
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
by JJ Koczan
Aquarian Weekly
http://www.theaquarian.com/2009/10/08/inter view-ararat-realizing-resistance-metal-skull/
Octo ber 8, 2009
Ararat 1 (Diego Toledo)There has always been a rebellious tinge to
the musical work of Sergio Chotsourian. For over 15 years, as the
guitarist and vocalist of Argentina's brightest stoner metal exports,
Los Natas, Chotsourian (together with bassist Gonzalo Villagra and
drummer Walter Broide) has championed a freedom as prevalent musically
as it is in their Spanish-mostly lyrics.
For the first time, Chotsourian steps outside the Los Natas role
(sort of) with his new project, Ararat. Named for the sacred Armenian
mountain, Ararat's first album, Musica de la Resistencia, shows the
duality of Chotsourian's heritage. European and native South American,
the guitarist explores a variety of influences, from straightforward
rock and folk to drone-based noise and darkened soundscaping. The
result makes Musica de la Resistencia a vastly underrated work of
remarkable depth that can offer the listener as much as he or she is
willing to get out of it.
Chotsourian, with whom I'd previously conducted and interview this year
on the occasion of Los Natas' new album, Nuevo Orden de la Libertad,
recently took some time out to answer a bevvy of emailed questions
about his lineage and the forces at work behind Ararat.
How did the idea for Ararat come about? Was there something specific
about the music or the writing process that you knew separated it
from Los Natas?
I started recording home shit since 10 years ago, many things on
vacation time, tour days off and time wasted with my older brother
Santiago. He plays piano classical-style and we used to share music and
melodies since we were kids. Also been doing the very first versions
for the Los Natas songs, I mean demos or the very first ideas I do at
home and enjoy mixing in different ways to see what's up with the song.
One day fixing my home studio I realized I got all this music non
ss of listening to all my recorded shit, then choosing and then a
very different map of composition than Los Natas, more like a movie
edit. Many times in the studio recording over and over new things,
editing and bringing concepts to it. And that was it, man; the spirit
was just there, waiting for me to name it and work it hard.
Is there something you feel you can express in Ararat and not in
Los Natas?
Ararat is a part of Los Natas and both ways around. Los Natas' Nuevo
Orden de la Libertad shares some moment with Ararat's debut album,
as it was kinda made up at the same time, and Ararat was kind of the
experiment room for some Los Natas ideas. So it could have been also
featured as a DCD album.
Ararat is more about my blood and spirit, Los Natas is the three-piece
of los tres hombres: Sergio, Gonzalo and Walter.
There's an intimate vibe on a lot of the songs, sometimes darker and
what Los Natas does. How much of 'Gitanoss' came from experimenting
in the studio, and did you have a specific sound in mind for the
album going into it?
Um, yes 'Gitanoss' is a deep thing. I remember sitting in the studio
with my friend El Topo, I just dropped a deep bass drum Indian local
shit, then El Topo had these words in mind about the gypsies and shit,
we developed some keyboard passage huge, and then on easily acoustic
guitars broke through to a final speed-up all together.
Ararat's music, yes, is more intimate and more spacey, it's got more
room in-between melodies and songs, it takes all the time music needs
and asks for developing the idea.
Between Mt. Ararat and the South American elements in the music (and
obviously the lyrics), you've got a lot of blending cultures going on
with Musica de la Resistencia. How much did your personal heritage
and experience play into the concept of the band and the duality of
the music?
Ararat is most of all about my personal heritage I cannot runaway
from. Part of my family is Armenian, the other part German, the
other part local Argentine Indian. I feel the nee se three spirits
inside of me. Ararat and the pianos got more about to the Armenian
army, my father my brother and these little sad melodies, at the
same time intricate and repetitive, like a mantra but from Armenian
folk. It's also a duel of time and history, the elements sometimes so
raw and ancient, and sometimes these future sounds or organs undefined
in time...
How was it working with your brother on piano? What made you decide
to include 'Dos Horses?' Is it a way of tying this record and the
last Los Natas together?
'Dos Horses' was basically done for the Ararat album. It is the
battle horse of this album. Then, when editing El Nuevo Orden,
I wanted to share this song as a connection between both albums,
like a sequel unnamed but meant. The Ararat side of the Los Natas
album grew immediately and we suddenly ended up editing it like we
did on Ararat, like a movie.
You've handled plenty of artwork before, but with the cover of Musica
de la Resistencia there's a lot of national-style symbolism, with the
colored bars and the crest. Where did the concept for the visual side
of the record come from?
I wanted to give the idea and feeling of a nation called 'Ararat.' A
nation with its anthems, people, wars, fights, wins and losses. It's
not a defined country I got all stuff from, it's a banner I did
in particular by myself, also about the shield, that's taken from
Armenian military forces from the past. So it's the idea of a whole
force of power blending into music as its folklore.
How did working with MeteorCity come about?
Lately we got a very good relationship mostly with my man El Danno,
he's been working great with Los Natas since 10 years, sold and
distributed tons of Los Natas shit and he was the only one I thought
about when finding the ways out for the Ararat release, along with
Stefan [Koglek, Colour Haze guitarist/vocalist and head of Elektrohasch
Shallplatten, which might release the Ararat vinyl]. Also as a matter
of trust, I think MeteorCity folks are gentlemen and re what they
release. We are family.
Is the process any different for you writing acoustically as opposed
to plugged in and fuzzed out? Does it affect your style at all?
Lately and most in Ararat I tried not to play many guitars, as I enjoy
also diving into new instruments such as organs, piano, percussion
and sequencers. But mostly I listen to the music and let 'her' tell
me what to do, if need heavy riffing I will notice, if needs acoustics
you can hear them there, just before you even record them.
So gladly this album is not about me and my relationship with the
guitar, it's me as a composer and music man.
Will Ararat play shows? Any other plans for the band?
Yes, I have the future plan of joining an Ararat force live band,
it will be mostly a drone doomy heavy version of the album.
But on the other side I have also been talking to my brother to
bring out a cleaner Ararat set, only him and me, piano vs. guitar,
more experimental and non-rock and roll! So let's see what's up. Most
of all we need some time, ha ha.
Last time I interviewed you, you mentioned Los Natas was going to
record Toba Trance III. Any more details about that you'd like to
spill, and any idea when it might be out?
Uhh, lately we had a very bad health situation with bassist Gonzalo, so
let's see how this develops. Right now we are more focused on touring
the new Natas album, Nuevo Orden de la Libertad, we have been invited
for the Roadburn Fest 2010 along with European touring, so there's
not much time left and Gonzalo [has to take] care of his health.
For the moment I am slowly working on Ararat volume II with my brother
here, on our very little free time. So that's the more Toba situation
I am bringing right now.
Musica de la Resistencia is available now on MeteorCity. For more info,
check out meteorcity.com.
JJ Koczan isn't such a bad guy if you get to know him. Okay, that's
not really true, but still. theobelisk.net.
Photo credit: Diego Toledo
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress