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Interviews

Hello and welcome back to our ongoing sexification of Staff past and present and hopefully present-and-future by way of deep-diving casual-reading power-lifting interview posi-sharking antics: Sputnik’s very own Meet the Spartans. Steel yourself as impossible questions are posed and the Staffers you wish you’d had the courage or attention span to acknowledge surpass your wildest expectations.

Hide your kimonos and prepare your most shrewd takes, for today we vie for forum dominance with a veritable king of typed discourse, a reformed metalhead, and a bloody cheeky wee jokester to boot: JohnnyoftheWell!

*quickly dons Joe Pesci voice imitation* Hey cutie. How does it feel, huh? Not so easy on the other side of the Google Doc, is it?

Who gave you this number I must relieve myself immediately hello.

Staff Wars is your baby yes and a chance to get to know your fellow co-conspirators and staff writers, but are there any particular colleagues you’d fear would turn this interview back on its maker? Why? 

I wouldn’t call this my baby! I was all for anyone else on Staff stepping in, similarly to what we’re seeing with Sowing’s freshly founded singles blog series. Needless to say, no-one (apart from you!) wanted to, and here we are. 

If you mean having the interview declined outright, then I had a hunch that Rowan would step further into the Mr. Robot brief and get camera-shy. This technically proved half-correct; he passed it up due to Covid last I asked, but

Are you a member of Sputnik? Are you also a musician? Drop a message here for a chance to get your name out there to the community!


BACKGROUND

Artist Bio: Spieglass is the solo project of Josh D. based in Austin, Texas.

Genres: Post-Rock, Metal

Band Lineup: “Just little ol’ me on guitar and piano, and performing/programming all other instrument samples”

Website: http://spieglass.bandcamp.com/

Most Recent Release: Toward My Hand (LP, February 2022)

Sputnik User(s): Josh D.


INTERVIEW

I caught up with Josh D. of Spieglass to discuss his intimidating discography, his intent as an artist, and the Sputnik community.

 

You are the sole member of Spieglass, a post-rock/metal project. What have you found to be the pros and cons of being a solo musician? Would you ever aspire to be in a band (or to add other musicians to your project) if the opportunity presented itself?

Of course the best thing about solo work is complete autonomy. The only thing I feel like I’m missing most days is a pro-level mixer/producer. I would love to work with other people, although maybe under a different project/name. That way Spieglass is something I can have as my own, sort of like how Toby Driver has his distinct projects and solo material. I don’t think I’ve actually played…

Hello and welcome back to our ongoing sexification of Staff past and present and hopefully present-and-future by way of deep-diving casual-reading power-lifting interview posi-sharking antics: Sputnik’s very own Meet the Spartans. Steel yourself as impossible questions are posed and the Staffers you wish you’d had the courage or attention span to acknowledge surpass your wildest expectations.

Today we speak to an old hand, a hand so seasoned and so shrewd that I was frankly at a loss as to where to start with him. How do you attempt to grill an entity for whom your imagination can conceive neither beginning nor end. It’s like interviewing God, but not – for he is no God,  just a chill dude who, in his time, has written more reviews than you will ever read and deleted more than you will ever write. His presence still casts a long shadow over the site as we know it today, and so please give a hero’s welcome to: mynameischan! 

Channing Freeman. Settle, baby. What’s up, how are you?

Pretty good, thanks for asking. Going through some health issues that are yet to be diagnosed, but we’re getting there.

Yikes, hope that worked out okay! How was your Christmas?

Very quiet and uneventful. We sold our condo and bought a house this year, so presents were light given the amount of money that we’ve been putting into the new property. 

What’s the best-received present you’ve ever given?

You’re probably talking about Christmas, but I indulged in the cliche

Are you a member of Sputnik? Are you also a musician? Drop a message here for a chance to get your name out there to the community!


BACKGROUND

Artist Bio: Black/doom metal from the UK formed in 2013 by Joseph Hawker whom handles all the instrumentation, songwriting, performances, artwork and production (unless otherwise stated!). No live shows. Anti-fascist and angry at the world.

Genres: Black Metal, Doom Metal

Band Lineup: Joseph Hawker

Website: https://etherealshroud.bandcamp.com/

Most Recent Release: Trisagion (LP, December 2021)

Sputnik User: DarkNoctus

 


 

INTERVIEW

I caught up with Joseph Hawker about his sudden ascent to relevance, the emotional impetus behind his music, and his future as an artist.

In December 2021, your album Trisagion received quite a bit of attention. Not only did it receive a glowing review from our own Kyle Ward, but it also placed #24 on the Staff’s 2021 Top 50 Albums of the Year. In addition to recognition on Sputnik, Trisagion received high praise from many other publications, graced the front page of Rate Your Music, and was even a featured download on iTunes’ metal page. How does it feel to suddenly receive this kind of recognition?

It was honestly very bewildering. ‘Trisagion’ was a record I held onto for a very long time and I felt it could have gone two ways –…

Are you a member of Sputnik? Are you also a musician? Drop a message here for a chance to get your name out there to the community!


BACKGROUND

Artist Bio: Domestic Terminal is an indie rock band from Lake Forest, Illinois.

Genres: Indie-Rock, Emo, Alternative Rock

Band Lineup: Tim Hotchkiss: guitars, backing vocals / Jack Mancuso: lead vocals, additional guitars / Kyle Waggoner: bass, keys, backing vocals / Matt Ackman: drums

Website: https://domesticterminal.bandcamp.com/

Most Recent Release: I Could See Midnight Sky (LP, October 2020)

Sputnik User(s): YoYoMancuso (Jack Mancuso), Bilbodabag (Tim Hotchkiss)


INTERVIEW

I caught up with Jack Mancuso and his fellow bandmates to discuss their debut album, their aspirations, and this little corner of the internet we call Sputnikmusic.

 

Tell us a little bit about the band — what’s the vibe like? Is it chill and laid back, or serious and meditative? Was there a lot of pressure to fashion a representative debut out of I Could See Midnight Sky, or was it treated as more of a sampler plate for ideas to see what worked out the best?

MATT: Out of all the bands I’ve been in, I’ve felt the least amount of pressure in this one. The meditative part of me comes out in the lyrics…

Hello and welcome back to our ongoing sexification of Staff past and present and hopefully present-and-future by way of deep-diving casual-reading power-lifting interview posi-sharking antics: Sputnik’s very own Meet the Spartans. Steel yourself as impossible questions are posed and the Staffers you wish you’d had the courage or attention span to acknowledge surpass your wildest expectations.

Today we speak with the man with the pan: a gnarled veteran of the features tab and a primary culprit behind the Staff tab’s oversaturation of metal reviews. Is his bite as big as his boil? Please bow your heads and clean your kitchens for: Gnocchi/Nocte! 

What is Gnocchi Night? | Gnocchi Night

Hi.

Hi there Mr. _Well

What’s the time?

Ah, 4.44pm. I am sunburnt. The Ashes are on and I’m drinking sparkling shiraz.

Who are you?

It’s hard to pin down exactly. Mostly I just feel like an everyday Aussie who’s life rotates in three’s: work, family and food. “Who I am” seems like a deep dive especially when I’m really no one special, really.

Who are your people?

I have a family, so I guess they have to put up with my shit right? That would make them my people – but mostly I’ve forgotten how to make conversation with people face to face. Sure, I can have a professional conversation, getting things done that pertain to things that need to be done but when it comes down to it, dialogue between people I would make “my people”…awkward silences come easier than most lines.

What I’m trying to say is that…

Hello and welcome back to our ongoing sexification of Staff past and present and hopefully present-and-future by way of deep-diving casual-reading power-lifting interview posi-sharking antics: Sputnik’s very own Meet the Spartans. Steel yourself as impossible questions are posed and the Staffers you wish you’d had the courage or attention span to acknowledge surpass your wildest expectations.

Today we embrace the softest boi of all the bois. He is wonderful, we all love him, and I am now going to think deep thoughts about hugging him instead of beefcaking up an uncomely introduction. Pleae make some candid noises of appreciation for… BlushfulHippocrene! 

Hello! 

 Salam.

 Who are you, and why does your name begin with Blushful

John Keats - WikipediaMy username, BlushfulHippocrene, is a Keats reference (from ‘Ode to a Nightingale’: ‘O for a beaker full of the warm South, / Full of the true, the blushful Hippocrene’). Pretty embarrassing, but aptly so I guess. I don’t remember what my thinking was; but I’d been studying Keats in high school literature, I probably thought the phrase was interesting, I forgot the p/w to my old account, I was dying of boredom in Pakistan, and I wanted to 5.0 a Bon Iver album. Hence, the first thing I could come up with: BlushfulHippocrene. I’m glad people started calling me Blush; I wince when I have to read the full thing. 

You’re one of the most floaty huggable chillpeople on the interspace. I love this, but I also love bursting balloons: what’s something unexpected that makes you lose your cool,

Not long ago most of us death-nerds found ourselves listening to the new Obscura record. ‘A Valediction’ came out in a particularly busy release week alongside other names such as Adele, Converge and Chelsea Wolfe, Exodus, Swallow The Sun, Pathology and many others. Naturally I thought we’d make the band’s release week just a little busier and singled out Obscura personality, head-honcho and guitarist, Steffen Kummerer.

Here’s how it went.

Hello, Steffen, and welcome to the obscure reaches of the internet we like to call Sputnikmusic[dot]com. We’re home to a myriad of peoples and argue constantly over which albums are the best of their respective years — sometimes we even agree. Maybe you’ve heard of the site before?

There is nothing better than arguing about which band, album or song might be better than anything else with people you don’t even know. Yes, I am aware of the page and especially the well-written reviews on Sputnikmusic.

While the site looks like it hasn’t crawled out of the early-to-mid 2000s we at least try to keep up with as much modern music as we can get our fingertips to. Some of us feel quite spoiled with the quality of music being released during 2021. Are there any releases that have tickled your fancy this year?

Every year, new great albums see the light of day. In 2021, Hypocrisy, Nestor, Unanimated, Archspire, Lucifer and many more released new records I listen to constantly. A while…

Hello and welcome back to our ongoing sexification of Staff past and present and hopefully present-and-future by way of deep-diving casual-reading power-lifting interview posi-sharking antics: Sputnik’s very own Meet the Spartans. Steel yourself as impossible questions are posed and the Staffers you wish you’d had the courage or attention span to acknowledge surpass your wildest expectations.

Today we welcome the most expensive cocoa in the Staff chocolate cupboard. He is a gentlemen among warthogs. He prances heavenwards while the rest of us wipe our noses with our unpaid utility bills. He knows how to write, he’s the essence of charm and dignity when on duty, and he’s too nice to do much more than ignore the hell out of your sorry arse if you’re not up to standard. Believe you me, that’s the treatment most of us deserve and (oh fuckin’ yes) receive. Give it up for the one, the only… Pon! 

Image

Pon. Hi.

Henlo!

What is your alignment?

Based on others’ assessments of me I’m either lawful or chaotic neutral. So I guess I’m completely self-serving and my methods depend on the situation.

Why are you named after a Kyary Pamyu Pamyu song?Stream Kyary Pamyu Pamyu - Ponponpon [cover] by nathfin | Listen online for free on SoundCloud

“Pone” gave way to “Pön”, which resulted in an attempt to have my Sput name changed to the latter. Regrettably, because Sput’s code is as old as the internet itself, the accented character broke the site…

Hello and welcome back to our ongoing sexification of Staff past and present and hopefully present-and-future by way of deep-diving casual-reading power-lifting interview posi-sharking, Sputnik’s very own Meet the Spartans. Steel yourself as impossible questions are posed and the Staffers you wish you’d had the courage or attention span to acknowledge surpass your wildest expectations.

Today’s hot bod in the hot seat is a dreamer of dreams, an upside-down-er of opportunities, a cipher of ciphers, an animal for unexpected hype, and an unmasker of hidden faces in places you never knew faces were to be found. He has facets also. Please give it up for: Winesburgohio! 

Who the hell are you?

wines

I feel like this should clear things up. Otherwise! Eyes: Poo-brown. Hair: Balding remains of once leonine and voluptuous locks :O. Sex: if you insist! etc.

How did you originally arrive on this website, and what convinced you to stick around?

O.K. bear with me: I must have stumbled on this website in my teen years – surely one couldn’t have loved Circle Takes the Square and Kayo Dot in the ‘00s and not have cursorily browsed spitnuk at least once – but I was actually put onto it by Zach Savage, a man who I have never met and will never meet. I friended him on facebook because we were the only two people who had the wit to add “allocating resources” to our “likes”; he recommended sput and the rest was history! I’ve formed really strong friendships with

Hello and welcome back to our ongoing sexification of current (and past) Staff by way of deep-diving casual-reading interview razzle, Sputnik’s very own Meet the Spartans. Allow your jaw to drop as impossible questions are posed and the Staffers you never acknowledged surpass your wildest expectations.

Today’s willing participant missed the Pokemon hype train, but is more than happy to help, guide or just speak to anyone that wants to do so… oh and has also found the time to write 594 reviews (So Far). Please welcome Sputnik Music’s nicest moderator, SowingSeason — in we go!

SowingSeason

SowingSeason: Ready to Bare his Soul

—————————————————————————————-

Good day, Mr. Sowing. How is your day?

It’s good! I’m settled in with a coffee and ready to bare my soul to sputnikmusic.com.

Nice, nice. What Pokemon would you be if you were a…Pokemon?

This may be heresy to some people, but I totally missed the Pokemon hype train. I remember it being huge when I was a kid – my friends all had Pokemon cards – but for whatever reason I simply didn’t care. Pikachu, I guess? That response is sort of “by default” because it’s the only one I know off the top of my head (thanks Mario Smash Bros.!)

74023495

[response lol!] And yet, you are not a Pokemon, you are a Moderator! Disregarding the vast amount of largely unseen administrative work that this role entails for one moment, could you comment on the following community

eclipse orbs

An interview with Joseph Rabjohns & Lachlan R. Dale…

Hey guys and thanks for taking time out of your day to have a little chat. Although given the weather currently hitting Australia’s East Coast there’s a chance I’m just saving you from a family Monopoly game or that novel you keep putting off?

Lachlan: Man… we only just got out of a COVID lockdown of almost 4 months, so I’ve already taken the opportunity to finally read both Tolstoy’s War & Peace, and Dostoyevski’s Crime & Punishment (which was the last of his great novels I had left). I guess now I’m just practicing for my solo album launch, and for Hashshashin’s recording session just before Christmas.

Joe: We’ve been lucky here with minimal lockdowns and not many cases. I’m not much of a reader, I’m still going on the Hobbit from year 10 on high school. I’ve just finished teaching guitar at school for the year and am now practicing and transcribing string arrangements for my solo album launch, and writing with my other musical projects.

Tell us a bit about the collaborative album. How and why did you guys decide to do a split like this? I understand you guys were doing some shows for Kodiak Empire and Hashshashin around 2016?

Lachlan: Split releases were a big part of me growing up in the extreme metal and hardcore punk scenes. I hadn’t realised that outside of those genres a split record is an anomaly.

Truthfully, I didn’t…

Hello and welcome back to our ongoing sexification of current (and past) Staff by way of deep-diving casual-reading interview razzle, Sputnik’s very own Meet the Spartans. Allow your jaw to drop as impossible questions are posed and the Staffers you never acknowledged surpass your wildest expectations.

Today’s willing participant hates writing reviews but has written 256 of them. Please welcome Sputnik Music’s three-time Emeritus-awarded writer, Xenophanes — in we go!

Xenophanes3—————————————————————————————-

Good day, Xenophanes. Who are you and what is your story?

Hello! I’m a 32 year old guy living in the Midwest. I’m a mid-level corporate hack by day and artist by night.

I started lurking around Sputnik around 2008. A girl I was interested in had a Dir En Grey tattoo (red flag emoji) so through research I found my way here.

Flash forward to now and I have a husband and hate Dir En Grey.

You share your username with an ancient Greek philosopher – what about the original Xenophanes inspired you so?

I was sitting in a classics class circa 2009 and whatever my original original name was wasn’t jiving with me any longer. I think I remember digging his views on religion which seems so cring-y and basic to me now but oh well.

I read your username as xe-no-thanes as in Skyrim and the OG as xe-no-phan-ees as in ancient Greek. Is this okay?

No, but…

Hello and welcome back to our ongoing sexification of current Staff by way of deep-diving casual-reading interview razzle, Sputnik’s very own Meet the Spartans. Allow your jaw to drop as impossible questions are posed and the Staffers you never acknowledged surpass your wildest expectations.

Today’s willing participant is our reformed meanie-head and connoisseur of podcasts, Trebor. Please give him a hero’s welcome; in we go!

69mozsbv4xm41

—————————————————————————————-

Good afternoon, Trebor. How is your day?

Every day I have to find the motivation to keep going and that usually takes about an hour or so, so I’ll let you know in an hour.

Literally everyone knows who you are, but you’re gonna have to reintroduce yourself to save me writing a bad mini-bio.

I’ve only been banned once, I’ve almost always had a Redlettermedia avatar, I used to be a meaniehead to a lot of newer users, and 90% of my friends no longer use the site.

bda68a3a33098fc2301161f77bc28907

Red Letter Media. Click the photo for videos.

What kind of role does music play in your life compared to when you first started on Sputnik?

When I first started posting I had a broken knee and foot and couldn’t walk or do much of anything for a month, so I mostly just listened to new albums I found on Sputnik all day and posted about them. Now I can walk and go on hikes so I don’t need…

 

Photo by Andy Ford: http://andyfordphotography.co.uk/

Author’s note: This interview was conducted in April; however, due to personal reasons, it fell by the wayside until now. Because of this, a few questions and answers may be slightly outdated.

Please enjoy the interview.

 

UK upstarts Pupil Slicer are one of the most promising acts in modern mathcore. They may have only released one studio album so far, but that record has already received a great deal of critical praise and a rapidly growing fanbase. In this interview, I sat down with vocalist/guitarist Katie Davies and bassist/backing vocalist Luke Fabian to discuss everything from the creation of their debut album Mirrors, to how they signed with Prosthetic Records, to their future touring and recording plans, and much more.

 

 

Regarding the reception of Mirrors: this thing has been blowing up! How’s it felt for you? I couldn’t imagine how overwhelming that would be.

Katie: Yeah, definitely! We never could have expected this. We’ve even had people saying “I don’t really like metal but I really like this album”!

Luke: To give you an example: literally about five minutes ago, I just looked on the Bandcamp page to see the sales of the second pressing of the album, of which we had 100 copies. And we had ten left… and we put those up yesterday! In Gojira numbers it’s not that much, but it’s still pretty mindblowing.

 

How did you come in

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