We have the honour to do an interview with a musician from CELESTIAL SEASON called OLAF SMIT (Guitar / Bass), about the beggining of the band, anecdotes and the new album The Secret Teachings...
"This Doom Era is a tribute to the 90's Celestial. We are not a band in a traditional sense."
[Lecture time 7-10 minutes aprox.]
Ciuda Dadanodel Universo: Hi Olaf, how are you? are you ready for the questions?
Olaf Smith: Sure!
CDU: Tell us about your beggining in the way of music. (CELESTIAL SEASON)
OS: CELESTIAL SEASON started in 1991 - a new project from Jason, Stefan, Lucas, Robert and Jeroen. They wanted to go in a different direction than the thrash / death metal scene that was very popular at the time. Inspired by ST. VITUS, THE OBSESSED and CATHEDRAL. Just having fun in the rehearsal studio. Then soon a demo The Merciful was recorded.
CDU: Who was responsable of introduce to you on doom metal?
OS: We were part of a hardrock club that played all all sorts of metal. We went to concerts and did tape trading. That is how we got into doom. We heard of PARADISE LOST, not yet of MY DYING BRIDE. I guess there were more bands at the time that we playing something different than the thrash / death metal.. Violins came early into the band and became an integral part of the sound, not just a flavor on top. Soon there was enough material to record Forever Scarlet Passion in 1992.
CDU: Interesting... I don't know much bands with strings (90s) on metal except MY DYING BRIDE, CELTIC FROST and CELESTIAL SEASON for sure...
OS: It add to the melancholic sound for sure and it fits well with the low tuned guitars too, adds lots of melodies that the grunt vocals cannot do. more melodramatic.
CDU: But Solar Lovers (album) was a very cool transitions between death doom to stoner rock... what happen?
OS: It was a transition over 2 years so for us it was not so sudden. some songs were recorded straight after FSP but when you play live songs, you notice that the songs with more groove get a good reaction from the crowd. We always had rhythm changed is our songs. We were growing as musicians and adding the groove was a natural progression for us. We also did not want to do the same thing again (FSP 2), something that we never did.
Our musical taste was also being influenced by bands like TROUBLE and KYUSS amongst others. We made our own combination of those influences. Also, Pim came as replacement for Jeroen, he brought his own style to the mix. We think that Sonic Orb was a transition album, more psychedelic than stoner. Orange was the first album in the stoner trend (at that time is wasn't even called stoner rock).
CDU: Sonic Orb EP was released one month after Solar Lovers approximately and mark a new sound to the band... but Orange was the album... Is about orange amps inspiration?
OS: Haha.. Not only the Amps but Orange was a metaphor for our new direction. At that time everything was Marshall, Orange amps represented a wink at the past - BLACK SABBATH - with great riffing gitarists. We loved the way it looked and used it to show that we were different. Orange is also the national color of the netherlands. We felt that USA/UK bands were getting more respect that local Dutch bands. So we were promoting orange. Obviously the sound of the amp was more important and helped us to change in the direction we wanted to go. We still kept the melodies in the songs but more done by vocals instead of violins.
CDU: Nice approach, But do you use orange amps on any of the next albums?
OS: Yes! Pim and I still have and use the same amps we bought in 1996. The last album was recorded mostly at home but the orange amp was used when reamping.
CDU: Cool, very good idea... The new album was recorded in quarantine ?
OS: Indeed! we started recording in the end of 2019 but finished in lockdown. Sending each other files back and forth, occasionally using a studio mainly for the strings.
It was an interesting way of working but as we are not a band that lives close together and goes into the rehearsal room every week - we all have jobs/families etc - so this way of working was natural to us.
CDU: Wow... is an epic album... sound very heavy gloomy, congrats!
OS: Thank you very much! The album is a tribute to the 1992 - 1995 era and the very dedicated fans of that period. We wanted to give them something back. Ofcourse very tricky because how do you write a successor to such a classic album but 25 years later.
Many things could go wrong in that process - luckily it worked out well and it is being well received. We felt that if we stayed close to how we wanted to make an album and not listen to how modern doom bands sound, then we would be true to ourselves. That is what matters.
CDU: For me is It is the best of 2020... a great surprise! Some bands like PARADISE LOST or CATHEDRAL recorded an album based on the early original sound... How long did it take you to make this album since you started composing?
OS: Wow. a great compliment. We really did not want to measure with any bands like that.. Yes, it was great to surprise everybody. I think about 6 months from the first idea to a final mix.
CDU: What music do you listen? and what's influences do you have now?
OS: I listen to a variety of bands. I am more blues influenced; I really like RIVAL SONS, but that is not something that would influence my songs writing for CS - maybe in the solo's. MASTODON / GOJIRA are still favorites. Just like the Dutch band DOOL. GILMOUR / PINK FLOYD never leaves my playlist. But I don't really listen to Doom actually.
We really tried not to be influenced this time - ofcourse, everything I listen to influences me. I play in blues oriented rock bands too - Troy Torino, Meyer Bliss - so that is part of me also.
CDU: I think the guitar work of CS seems to the strings too, some harmonic textures , sounds like a chamber music, maybe something traditional european culture..,
OS: I think you are right - we prefer to have less parts, instruments, that carry the melody (opposed to big orchestras). The violin /cello parts are used as instruments just like guitars - not just for flavours but essential parts.
CDU: ¿Why do you make a doom and not an another stoner rock album?
OS: CS stoner period was with many other musicians. We stopped that band in 2002. This Doom Era is a tribute to the 90's Celestial. We are not a band in a traditional sense. We just wanted to make music with the lineup of that time - that can only be doom. Maybe there will be another stoner album, someday, but it will be with other musicians.
CDU: Do you you have any plans to do with the band to promote the new album? streaming, concert or something ? I saw new Rutten's band HABITANTS that they were playing on a club in NL.
OS: Good question! At this moment that is not on the table. We will do videos, but live is something different. We are all very busy and it will be hard to make it work, especially now with covid-19. That is unfortunately the realistic situation we are in. But never say never...
CDU: It is really hard to do something with the global situation, I hope news from CS soon... I like a lot go to the music shows.Which was the last concert that did you go?
OS: That is what I miss the most - concerts!. I actually had many tickets to see many bands - all cancelled. but luckily I go to see BISMUT - a local great band - It was strange because we had to stay seated and we not allowed to move around... I need to get some sleep so what is your last question? or two..
CDU: Oh sorry... well, tell us your 7 favorite albums of all time and thank you so much for the interview Olaf... greets from patagonia!
OS: In no particular order:
Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
Queens of the Stone Age - The Bronze
Jimi Hendrix - Axis:Bold as Love
Sigur Ros - Agaetis Byrjun
AC/DC - Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
Rival Sons - Great Western Valkyrie
Mastodon - Leviathan
Wow - Patagonia, would love to visit there someday.. Thank you for your kind words and support! I will make the list... Rock on... Cheers!
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