- Hello, Joost! Before becoming a part of Creepmime, had you already had any experience playing in a band? How did you start playing metal music? Was there any particular reason for choosing the bass and not the guitar? - Hey man! Yeah I was 19 when I joined Creepmime. That's a long time ago….. Anyway, before that I played in a crossover Funk/Metal band AND in a metal band called Segment (nothing on net) with Aad Giezen and Frank Brama. First Frank left to join Creepmime, then I did and in the end Aad as well so we where back together in a new band! I started playing bass when I was 14. I tried to play everything I came across and there was AC/DC, Maiden, Metallica, Morbid Angel and Death. It all became clear…. I always looked for new approaches of my instrument. Until this day the challenge for me is to find this balance between musical creativity and straightforward brutality in both writing music and playing bass. Before I ever touched a bass I wanted to be a drummer but when I checked bass I soon discovered the infinite possibilities and fell in love.
- So I learned the bass parts in that week but in the weeks that followed I made my own. I think a year after that Rogier left and I started screaming my balls of. I remember the many hours of practice to be able to play and sing…. - At that time, did you have any live shows performing the "Shadows" material? - Before Rogier left there were shows with only Shadows material where I played bass and after he left I actually did some with vocals. - Let's move towards your "Chiaroscuro" record. Who came up with that title and what is the meaning behind it? - Andy came up with that. It's an Italian word meaning contrast of light and shadow. These are both present lyrically and musically. - When did you start working on the album? What was your main goal while composing new tracks? - The first ideas where dropped when I just got in. The last song of the album "Gods Thoughts" was already there but in a different version. We even played that live long before Chiaroscuro…. As soon as Aad had joined we worked hard on new material. Andy and I were writing and the band as a whole rehearsed 3 to 4 times a week! The goal was to make an album that would have aggression, melody and meaning, with our individual qualities present. - Who was responsible for the lyrics? Can you say that "Chiaroscuro" is a conceptual album? What are the main concerns raised in your songs? - Andy wrote all the lyrics. It's not really a conceptual album but the dark sides of the human psyche often appear. I now remember that I had a bizarre experience that led to the song called "Clarity": I woke up at night with a smile and a feeling of great relief since I had the answer to all questions. I had grasped the greatest truth… But as soon as I tried to define this it started to fade away. Baffled and frustrated I discussed it with Andy who then wrote the words for that song. - In what studio did you record it? Who was the producer? Did he have any influence on your music? - It was recorded at Excess studios in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. It was engineered and mixed by Hans Pieters, a great guy. He was also responsible for the right vibe so in that way I guess he must have had some influence on the music.
Yeah I think it was. It was a great experience for us. What we were doing back then was quite experimental though and had little to do with the onslaught Sinister was bringing with "Hate". Still we reached out and got appreciated, sometimes many years later! - Shortly before Creepmime was disbanded, you managed to record a 4-track demo, which had been never released. What could you say about this record? What songs were there? - I think it was a three track demo… It was after Andy had left. Drums are programmed and it all sounds like ass but the songs were pretty cool! I think you can listen to that stuff if you visit the Creepmime Facebook page an old friend of us made…. - So, what was the reason for the band to split up? Was it your mutual agreement? Are you still in touch with the other Creepmime members? - After Andy decided to quit there was no Creepmime left. We tried for a while but apart from the missing atmosphere that Andy created, other things got in the way. It bled to death. I'm still in touch with Andy who is a good friend. - Thank you for the interview, Joost! Could you say a few words to our readers? - My pleasure man! Yeah with all this talk about the past, please check "I CHAOS" and "Dew-Scented". Both bands will release a new album this year! Thanks for reading people. Horns up! Thank you Dima. Chrz, Joost |