Het was duidelijk dat de wereld niet verging bij het overgaan van 1999 naar 2000. Dat was maar goed ook, want in dat jaar speelde earthtone9 (zonder hoofdletter!) maar liefst driemaal in 013 Tilburg. Eenmaal was in het voorprogramma van Soulfly. Daarbij verscheen Karl Middleton ook nog op het podium. Niet Soulfly was die avond de grote ster, maar earthtone9. Arc’Tan’Gent’, het album dat dat jaar verscheen, moest bemachtigd worden. In een tijd waar internet nog maar in de kinderschoenen stond, en platenzaken echt bezocht moesten worden, kwam de tip om naar Amsterdam te gaan. Aldaar werd Arc’Tan’Gent bemachtigd. Tot op heden misschien wel een van de meest gedraaide albums uit de collectie door de ondergetekende. Nu is earthtone9 terug en had White Room Reviews een interview met hen.
Wie nu denkt dat earthtone9 toch al weer heel lang samen is, heeft gelijk. Toch kan in de aanloop van In Resonance Nexus gesteld worden dat de band echt terug is. Ja, In Resonance Nexus. Dat is de langspeler die op 21 juni van dit kalenderjaar gaat verschijnen. Hij is al geluisterd en weet alvast dat het heel positief gaat zijn. Dit gaat de mensheid bevallen. Maar eerst, het interview met Karl Middleton van earthtone9.
Het interview
WRR: ‘It has been 24 years since the outstanding Arc’tan’gent. There is a lot changed in the world, in music, so what was for you personal the biggest change onwards to In Resonance Nexus compared to Arc’tan’gent?’
KM: ‘We wrote and refined In Resonance Nexus over a long period of time, not knowing if the music would ever see the light of day, for the pure joy of creativity – to push ourselves and make something fresh and exciting. These songs weren’t written in a rehearsal room, they were developed in our home studios.‘
‘ArcTanGent was written and recorded in a ‘band in a room’ scenario. There was a lot of expectation and pressure in and around the band at that point in time. So the circumstances were entirely different.’
Nieuwe muziek en Si Hutchby
WRR: ‘What did earthtone9 recording new music again?’
KM: ‘We’re excited and grateful to get to show the world where earthtone9 is at in 2024, that we’re a musical force to be reckoned with, and to have a shot at reaching a new generation of heavy music fans.’
WRR: ‘The characteristic drums were always important to the whole sound of earthtone9. This will be the first ever record without Si Hutchby. Will there be a difference in the drumming?’
KM: ‘Si is an amazing rock drummer and he loves alternative rock music. Jase Bowld is a world class metal drummer. Their styles are very different. It felt like this material needed drums that were less rock. The drumming is a major factor in the increased intensity of the music on In Resonance Nexus.’
In Resonance Nexus
WRR: ‘What is the thing the whole world has to know about In Resonance Nexus what is not told yet of what is still forgotten to tell?’
KM: ‘This album is a homecoming for us musically-speaking – over the course of our musical development our material became more polished and song-orientated. In Resonance Nexus is an alternative metal album with the emphasis on metal. The time was right for us to reconnect with our roots and go beyond what we have done before. To embrace a more aggressive sound and less traditional song structures.’
‘Working with Candlelight and Spinefarm is a great opportunity for us to reach our old fans again and connect with a new audience. We started this band in 1996. At times over the last 10 years, it felt like earthtone9 was over and that we might never get to release new music again. To be in this position is extraordinary and proof that anything is possible.’
WRR: ‘What are the plans for when In Resonance Nexus is released?’
KM: ‘Well, we’ve been inactive for a long time. We want to play shows regularly, see new places, meet our fans, and win over new fans.’
In Resonance Nexus verschijnt dus op 21 juni via Candlelight Records. De release is inmiddels in de pre-order. Check daarvoor deze link.
Tracklist In Resonance Nexus
1, The Polyphony Of Animals
2, Navison Record
3, Under The Snake
4, Oceanic Drift
5, Black Swan Roulette
6, Lash Of The Tongues
7, The Etiquette Of Distortion
8, Observe Your Course
9, Third Mutuality
10, Strength Is My Weakness
earthtone9 online
CANDLELIGHT RECORDS ONLINE
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