The Inquisition: 081.Lost In Kiev

1.How did you came up with the name of the band? 

Yoann: Thanks for asking this question. Well actually it’s not at all a name linked to any political stuff. So, to explain, the girlfriend of our former guitarist is from Kiev and he visited her quite often a few years ago. And one day, he did not give us any news; he was late at the rehearsal. There was a huge snowstorm in Kiev, so I was not able to flight back on time. So we said that he was Lost In Kiev. We liked that name a lot and we decided to name our band like that.

2. Do you have a standard procedure of creating a song? Do you just jam around or is there a main riff and the track is build up on it? 

Yoann: To my mind, we are overthinking during the creation process. I hope that you can notice that while listening to the album haha. Seriously we are searching a main riff, and then we are reworking and arranging it to find how we will be able to use it for a new track. We are also working a lot in home studio, jamming, recording, cut and paste everything in order to obtain the best version of our initial idea. 

Dimitri: I am personally a huge fan of band jamming session. It’s always interesting to try everything with a riff and at the end to keep the best ideas. It’s a very different approach and to me it’s by far more creative than being alone at home recording riffs on your computer. 

3. What are your influences and what kind of music do you hear when you are at home? 

Yoann: Battles, 65 days of statics, Clint Mansell, Pedro the Lion, but also french singer like Michel Cloup or Alain Bashung (l'inprudence ou Bleu pétrole). 

Dimitri: I am a huge Deftones fan! I am still listening a lot of their work even if I have been a little disappointed by their last album. Otherwise, currently I’m enjoying artists such as Isis, Portishead, If this trees could talk, The Prodigy, De Staat (discovered them quite recently). 

Max: A very wide range of stuff. At home, a lot of electro or movies soundtracks, but also many rock albums depending of my mood. 

4. Which is the one album you can't live without? 

Yoann: Misery is A Butterfly, Blonde Redhead 

Dimitri: Wish You Were Here, Pink Floyd 

Max: Vheissu, Thrice 

Jc: The Chemical Brothers, Surrender 

5. What's the first record you've ever bought? 

Dimitri: Adrenaline, Deftones 

Max: "The Plague That Makes Your Booty Move...It's the Infectious Grooves" by The Infectious Grooves. At this time I did not know them, but the artwork was funny, so I bought it. 

Jc: Silmarils in 1995 ! Still an amazing album of neo hip hop metal. 

6. Name a band that you would like to share the stage or tour with? 

Yoann: 65daysofstatics would be great. 

Max: 65 daysofstatic would be awesome, yeah. 

Dimitri: If These Trees Could Talk 

Jc: Cult of Luna 

7. Did the internet and especially the blogs helped to spread your music around the world? Name a place (country) that you were surprised to know your music has reached to? 

Yoann: Yes it helped a lot. We were very surprised to get a lot of support from Mexico or Greece for example (as we are not at all doing a music in the vibe of Maserati). 

Dimitri: True Story... 

Max: For sure, today it is the best tool and communication way to us. As it could be pretty quick to be forgotten by people, we have to work and pay a lot of attention to all the Internet medias. 

8. Do you support the idea of bandcamp where fans can decide the price or services like spotify?

Dimitri: Yes it is a great idea. It’s by far better than to demand a fix price to our fans (especially for digital). On the other hand, for CDs and LPs, we had to invest a lot, so I think that it’s normal to ask for a fix price for these. And well if someone wants to illegally download Nuit Noire, I’ll not blame him. The most important is that our music is listening by a wide range of people. 

Max: Bandcamp is truly an interesting way of selling our music as independent artist. On the opposite of big platforms such as ITunes, the margins are very comfortable for artists. 

9. Where do you see yourselves in 5 years? 

Yoann: Two new LPs. We have been waiting too many time to release new music that we are really in a creative process now. 

Dimitri: And live shows all around the planet (we’ve never been to Asia and to the US). 

10. Is the artwork of an album important nowadays in the digital era? 

Yoann: Yes, it is a real identity. Without this, it would be like people without faces. All these little pixels are giving a real life and warmth to the digital market. 

Dimitri: Our identity moreover, because Yoann is in charge of all our artworks that are linked to our visual effects and video on stage. This is the Lost in Kiev artwork package. 

11. What is your favorite album cover? 

Dimitri: Rage Against The machine, the first album with the burning monk. The meaning is so strong that absolutely no title is required for this great LP.

Max: I’m quite fan of the artwork of Eternal Kingdom by Cult of Luna.

Jc: To me the best artwork is Vertikal from Cult of Luna.

12. It seems that a lot of people are turning on vinyl again. Why do you think that is and which is your preferable media format? 

Yoann: Music is a gift. A gift must have a great packaging. To me a CD is too small to let a band express its entire universe. This is where vinyl is a true winner. On the other hand, the vinyl is an, analog music support, so there is a real physical and even sensual feeling with it. Totally the opposite of digital that can become sometime overwhelming. 

13. What's the most vivid story or moment as an artist? 

Dimitri: In Lithuania we played pretty early for the DevilStone festival (4:30pm) and sadly under the rain. Even with this, after 3 tracks there was a huge crowd. Each time I was looking at people there, they were smiling or enjoying the show by closing their eyes under their hoodies. It is my best live moment as an artist. 

Max: Totally different style, but after a cool show in Prague, we had a party in the town centre and after we realized that we had nowhere to sleep, so we decided to sleep in our van. Annoying on the moment! But it became such great memories. 

Jc: To me it was a show in Bamberg in Germany. We played in a school, all was a bit DIY, but the vibe was amazing, we shared stage with great bands and the after in town was priceless (drinking bacon tasted beers!).

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