Οι Ιταλοί Butt Splitters βρέθηκαν στο Off The Record του Rock Blender και μίλησαν για τη μετάβαση από τις διασκευές σε ένα concept album δώδεκα τραγουδιών, τη συνεργασία πέντε μουσικών με διαφορετικά ακούσματα και την παρέα που βρίσκεται πίσω από την μπάντα. Μας αποκάλυψαν επίσης ότι δουλεύουν ήδη νέο υλικό και εξέφρασαν την επιθυμία να εμφανιστούν στην Αθήνα.
Άκου τη συνέντευξη
Οι Butt Splitters ήταν καλεσμένοι στο Off The Record του Rock Blender στο Pink Radio, σε μια συζήτηση που ξεκίνησε από την αντίθεση ανάμεσα στο όνομά τους και τη μουσική που παρουσιάζουν. Γιατί όταν επιλέγεις ένα όνομα που δύσκολα λες κρατώντας εντελώς σοβαρό πρόσωπο και στη συνέχεια κυκλοφορείς ένα concept album βασισμένο σε μια ιστορία για τη ζωή στο μακρινό μέλλον, δημιουργείς αναπόφευκτα μερικές απορίες.
Η μπάντα ξεκίνησε το 2019 παίζοντας διασκευές. Η αρχική πρόθεση ήταν να βγαίνουν, να παίζουν μουσική που αγαπούν και να περνούν καλά μαζί. Στην περίοδο του lockdown άρχισαν να δουλεύουν δικά τους τραγούδια, τα οποία τελικά συνδέθηκαν στο Nibelvirch, ένα άλμπουμ δώδεκα συνθέσεων που κυκλοφόρησε το 2024.
Στη συνέντευξη θελήσαμε να μάθουμε πώς προέκυψε αυτή η αλλαγή, πώς συνεργάζονται πέντε άνθρωποι με διαφορετικές μουσικές καταβολές και πόσο έχει αλλάξει η καθημερινότητα της μπάντας από τις πρώτες διασκευές μέχρι σήμερα.
Ένα όνομα από την αρχή της παρέας
Η πρώτη ερώτηση αφορούσε τον συνδυασμό του ονόματος με το περιεχόμενο του άλμπουμ. Σκέφτηκαν ποτέ ότι μπορεί να μπερδέψει κάποιον που τους ακούει για πρώτη φορά;
Οι ίδιοι αντιμετώπισαν την ερώτηση με χιούμορ. Το όνομα προέκυψε όταν η μπάντα είχε ως βασικό στόχο τη διασκέδαση, τον θόρυβο και τις ζωντανές εμφανίσεις. Όταν η μουσική τους πήρε μια πιο απαιτητική κατεύθυνση, δεν αισθάνθηκαν ότι έπρεπε να το αλλάξουν.
Ήθελαν να κρατήσουν τη σύνδεση με τον τρόπο που ξεκίνησαν. Το γεγονός ότι πλέον δουλεύουν ένα ολοκληρωμένο concept δεν έχει αλλάξει την ανάγκη τους να απολαμβάνουν αυτό που κάνουν.
«Περνάμε πάντα καλά και αυτός είναι ο βασικός λόγος που μας κρατά μαζί σε αυτή την μπάντα.»
Αυτή η σκέψη επανήλθε αρκετές φορές στη διάρκεια της συζήτησής μας και εξηγεί πολλά για τη σχέση τους.
Πώς τα τραγούδια έγιναν μια ενιαία ιστορία
Το Nibelvirch εμπνέεται από το ημερολόγιο του Ντίναχ και την ιστορία ενός ανθρώπου που βιώνει μια ζωή σχεδόν δύο χιλιάδες χρόνια στο μέλλον από την εποχή του.
Είχε ενδιαφέρον, όμως, ότι τα τραγούδια δεν γράφτηκαν εξαρχής με σκοπό να αφηγηθούν αυτή την ιστορία. Όπως μας εξήγησαν, κάθε σύνθεση είχε τη δική της αφετηρία και μπορούσε να σταθεί αυτόνομα.
Ο τραγουδιστής τους, Stefano, ήταν εκείνος που γοητεύτηκε από το βιβλίο και βρήκε τον τρόπο να ενώσει το υλικό σε μια κοινή αφήγηση. Όταν παρουσίασε την ιδέα στους υπόλοιπους, μπήκαν και εκείνοι στη διαδικασία να χτίσουν το άλμπουμ γύρω από αυτή.
Ρωτήσαμε επίσης πόσο ελεύθερα αντιμετώπισαν την αρχική ιστορία. Αν υπήρξαν σημεία που άλλαξαν επειδή το απαιτούσε η μουσική ή επειδή ήθελαν να της δώσουν μια διαφορετική κατεύθυνση.
Η πρόθεσή τους ήταν να μείνουν όσο μπορούσαν πιο κοντά στο βιβλίο. Επέλεξαν τα σημαντικότερα σημεία του και προσπάθησαν να τα μεταφέρουν μέσα στα δώδεκα τραγούδια, διατηρώντας τη σύνδεση με την αρχική αφήγηση.
Γιατί μια μπαλάντα βρίσκεται τόσο νωρίς στον δίσκο;
Το άλμπουμ ανοίγει με το Encephalitis Lethargica και συνεχίζει με το Flowers of the Wind, ένα τραγούδι με αρκετά διαφορετική ατμόσφαιρα.
Επειδή σε ένα concept album η σειρά των κομματιών συνήθως έχει τη σημασία της, θελήσαμε να μάθουμε γιατί επέλεξαν αυτή τη μετάβαση τόσο νωρίς στην ακρόαση.
Η εξήγηση βρισκόταν στην ίδια την ιστορία. Μετά την αναφορά στην ασθένεια του κεντρικού προσώπου, ήθελαν να παρουσιάσουν την ερωτική ιστορία του Paul και της Anna. Θεώρησαν ότι μια μπαλάντα ήταν ο κατάλληλος τρόπος να αποδώσουν μουσικά αυτή τη στιγμή.
Η θέση του τραγουδιού είχε, επομένως, αποφασιστεί με βάση την εξέλιξη της αφήγησης. Όπως μας είπαν, είχαν αρκετά ξεκάθαρη εικόνα για τη σειρά των κομματιών όσο δούλευαν τον δίσκο.
Πέντε μουσικοί και το ερώτημα της κοινής ταυτότητας
Ακούγοντας το Nibelvirch, μπορείς να διακρίνεις διαφορετικές επιρροές από τραγούδι σε τραγούδι. Το Global War και το Magnet of My Destiny, για παράδειγμα, δίνουν αρκετές αφορμές για να συζητήσεις πώς χωρούν διαφορετικές προσεγγίσεις μέσα στον ίδιο δίσκο.
Ρωτήσαμε αν αυτή η ποικιλία δημιουργεί διαφωνίες στην πρόβα. Αν κάποιος θέλει ένα μεγαλύτερο solo, κάποιος άλλος ένα μικρότερο ή αν μια σύνθεση αλλάζει κατεύθυνση επειδή τα μέλη την ακούν διαφορετικά.
Οι Butt Splitters εξήγησαν ότι συνεχίζουν να δουλεύουν ένα τραγούδι μέχρι το αποτέλεσμα να τους ικανοποιεί όλους. Μερικές φορές η αρχική δομή αλλάζει τόσο πολύ, ώστε στο τέλος απομένει μόνο ένα μικρό μέρος της πρώτης ιδέας.
«Ολοκληρώνουμε ένα τραγούδι όταν αρέσει σε όλους μας.»
Για εκείνους η ταυτότητα της μπάντας προκύπτει μέσα από αυτή τη διαδικασία. Ο καθένας προσθέτει τη δική του αντίληψη για το πώς πρέπει να ακούγεται το κομμάτι και το αποτέλεσμα διαμορφώνεται στην πορεία.
Όταν, πάντως, τους ζητήσαμε να επιλέξουν ένα μόνο τραγούδι για να συστήσουν τους Butt Splitters σε κάποιον, η απάντηση δεν ήταν τόσο εύκολη. Ακούστηκαν τα The Death Bells Rang Far Away και Homeland, αλλά και η παραδοχή ότι είναι δύσκολο να ξεχωρίσουν ένα κομμάτι από το σύνολο.
Κάπου εκεί αστειευτήκαμε ότι τελικά βρήκαμε τη διαφωνία που ψάχναμε.
Η φιλία που περνά και στη μουσική
Η απάντησή τους σε αυτό το πείραγμα έφερε τη συζήτηση στη σχέση των μελών μεταξύ τους.
Μας μίλησαν για γνωριμίες που κρατούν από τα παιδικά τους χρόνια και για την ευχαρίστηση που βρίσκουν στο να περνούν χρόνο μαζί. Αστειεύτηκαν μάλιστα ότι μερικές φορές διασκεδάζουν περισσότερο στο φαγητό πριν από την εμφάνιση παρά πάνω στη σκηνή.
Αυτή η οικειότητα φαίνεται να βοηθά και στη δημιουργία. Οι αλλαγές σε μια σύνθεση αντιμετωπίζονται ως μέρος της κοινής δουλειάς και το ζητούμενο παραμένει να λειτουργεί το τραγούδι.
Προς το τέλος της συνέντευξης επιστρέψαμε σε αυτή την ιδέα. Τους ρωτήσαμε αν τους λείπει η απλότητα των πρώτων ημερών, όταν έπαιζαν μόνο διασκευές.
Όπως μας είπαν, εξακολουθούν να παίζουν διασκευές όταν το επιτρέπει η περίσταση. Παράλληλα, αισθάνονται ότι έχουν εξελιχθεί τεχνικά και έχουν αποκτήσει εμπειρίες μέσα από το δικό τους υλικό. Η φιλία και η χαρά της παρέας, όμως, παραμένουν.
Το «Nibelvirch» στη σκηνή
Στις ζωντανές εμφανίσεις, η μουσική συνοδεύεται από συγχρονισμένα βίντεο και εικόνες που βοηθούν να παρουσιαστεί η ιστορία του άλμπουμ.
Αυτό δημιουργεί συγκεκριμένες απαιτήσεις. Η μπάντα χρειάζεται να ακολουθεί τον συγχρονισμό και να διατηρεί την ακρίβεια της εκτέλεσης, ώστε η μουσική και το οπτικό υλικό να προχωρούν μαζί.
Οι ίδιοι θεωρούν ότι αυτή η προετοιμασία προσθέτει στην εμπειρία του κοινού. Ο θεατής έχει τη δυνατότητα να παρακολουθήσει την αφήγηση και μέσα από τις εικόνες, πέρα από όσα ακούει ή βλέπει να συμβαίνουν πάνω στη σκηνή.
Φυσικά, μια τέτοια εμφάνιση έχει και τα τεχνικά της απρόοπτα. Στη συζήτηση θυμήθηκαν μια συναυλία στην Ιταλία όπου η μεγάλη απόσταση της κονσόλας από τη σκηνή τούς ανάγκασε να βρουν μια πρακτική λύση για τον συγχρονισμό. Ήταν μια ακόμη υπενθύμιση της δουλειάς που χρειάζεται για να φτάσει μια οργανωμένη παραγωγή μπροστά στον κόσμο.
Το επόμενο άλμπουμ και η επιθυμία να παίξουν στην Αθήνα
Οι Butt Splitters έχουν ήδη αρχίσει να δουλεύουν δύο ή τρία νέα τραγούδια. Το ενδεχόμενο ενός ακόμη concept album υπάρχει, αλλά προς το παρόν προχωρούν ένα κομμάτι τη φορά και παρακολουθούν πώς εξελίσσεται το υλικό.
Αυτή τη φορά η διαδικασία είναι διαφορετική από την περίοδο του lockdown. Μπορούν να παίζουν μαζί και οι ιδέες να διαμορφώνονται με τη συμμετοχή όλων στον ίδιο χώρο.
Τους ρωτήσαμε επίσης για τις συζητήσεις που είχαν αναφέρει σχετικά με πιθανές εμφανίσεις στην Αθήνα. Εξέφρασαν ξεκάθαρα την επιθυμία να έρθουν και να παίξουν μία ή περισσότερες συναυλίες, χωρίς να ανακοινώσουν κάποια συγκεκριμένη ημερομηνία.
Υπάρχει ήδη μια σύνδεση με την Ελλάδα, τόσο μέσα από την ιστορία που ενέπνευσε το άλμπουμ όσο και μέσα από τον συνεργάτη τους που βρίσκεται στην Αθήνα. Ελπίζουμε η επόμενη συνάντησή μας να γίνει από κοντά, με αφορμή μια εμφάνισή τους εδώ.
Στο κλείσιμο ζητήσαμε από τα τέσσερα μέλη που συμμετείχαν στη συνέντευξη να συμφωνήσουν σε ένα τραγούδι άλλου καλλιτέχνη για να ακουστεί στην εκπομπή. Αυτή τη φορά η απόφαση ήρθε γρήγορα: I Don’t Believe in Love των Queensrÿche.
Και κάπου εκεί φάνηκε ξανά ο χαρακτήρας αυτής της μπάντας. Οι Butt Splitters έχουν πλέον δικό τους υλικό, έναν ολοκληρωμένο μουσικό κόσμο και σχέδια για τη συνέχεια. Ταυτόχρονα, παραμένουν μια παρέα που χαίρεται να συζητά για μουσική και να την παίζει μαζί.
Διάβασε την απομαγνητοφώνηση
Εκεί που το rock βρίσκει φωνή.
Σήμερα στο Off The Record έχουμε καλεσμένους από Ιταλία, μια μπάντα που καταφέρνει να δημιουργήσει αρκετές απορίες πριν καν ακούσεις μια νότα. Ακούσαμε ήδη ένα τραγούδι τους, θα τα συζητήσουμε και μετά και ομολογώ όμως ότι το όνομα της μπάντας όπως Butt Splitters είναι μεγάλος πειρασμός για να κάνει σχόλια. Θα τα δούμε όμως στη συνέχεια. Ξεκίνησαν σαν μπάντα το 2019 παίζοντας διασκευές, έτσι φίλοι μεταξύ τους να περνάνε καλά, να τους ακούει ο κόσμος. Μετά στην περίοδο του lockdown αποφάσισαν να γράψουν δικά τους τραγούδια και διάλεξαν να κάνουν ένα concept δίσκο, δηλαδή όλος ο δίσκος έχει μια θεματολογία. Το αποτέλεσμα ήταν το Νίμπελβιρχ, ελπίζω να το λέω και καλά, τα γερμανικά μου είναι τρομερά, αν και έχω γεννηθεί Γερμανία. Βασισμένο λοιπόν το άλμπουμ τους σε μια παράξενη ιστορία που έγραψε ο Πολ Αμαντέους Ντίναχ και μιλά για έναν άνθρωπο που βίωσε μια ζωή σχεδόν 2.000 χρόνια στο μέλλον από την εποχή του. Οπότε πάμε σήμερα να συζητήσουμε με τους Butt Splitters τη μουσική τους και πώς συνεργάζονται πέντε άνθρωποι που έχουν και λίγο διαφορετικά γούστα μεταξύ τους. Hello, guys. Welcome to Rock Blender. This is the Off The Record section. Yeah, it's great to have you.
Thank you very much
Thank you. Hello, everybody. It's Chris, Dimitris, and Andreas in the studio. Nice to meet you. Well, guys, first of all, I have to say you've made my life a bit difficult—not because there are four of you on the other end of the line, but because it's very difficult to say the name of the band, Butt Splitters, and still keep a straight face. And then you go and make this awesome concept album about a man traveling to the future. Did you ever think that the combination might confuse people just a little?
Okay, I understand, I understand. We know, but we are stupid enough. Don't care about it. The name of the band is related to our beginning of our community. Back to the conjunction between the name and the concept album are two differences. We are aware of the difference, but... We decided to take this name, this strange and rough name, because we planned to do this band just to make fun and make some noise and play out. And then as you explained, we decided to make this album in the current period. And this album is something different, that's more serious, but it takes its behavior itself. And we decided not to change our name and our aim to have fun always.
You started as a cover band, if I'm right, back in 2019, playing music you all enjoyed. And as I said to our listeners, during the lockdown, you somehow ended up creating a 12-song concept album about a man traveling to… 3906. Who first brought the idea into the rehearsal room? And how did the rest of you react?
The idea was about our singer Stefano that decided, he was fascinated by the story of Paul Amadeus Dinarch and he decided to make all the songs that we are making in a concept album. So the songs were not written for the purpose to join as a complete story. His songs were his own story. But Stefano made the magic to gather all together as a narrative for the whole project. And then when Stefano... described to us his own ideas. We get in and we get fascinated too when all the projects seem to move with the presence of Paul Amadeus Dinarch behind our actions.
So you spent quite a few years as a cover band, playing music that other people wrote, and then you started writing your own material. Was it difficult to stop thinking like a cover band? For instance, can you remember writing a riff and then changing it because it sounded too much like another band? That's a difficulty I've noticed over the years with bands that used to play covers and then started writing their own material. Was it hard for you to move away from the music you were covering and start creating your own music?
Yeah, okay. It takes a different way. We start doing things as it comes. And we started doing mainly the guitar tracks and the voices because we were close. And then after the lockdown, we shared the material with other... people of the band and everything changing in the practice sections and all the songs were written without any purpose to be original or to be close to other bands. Each song has its own story and it made up itself almost because each member of the band had his own behavior. And so each song is a mixture of the things that we like. We didn't think, OK, this is too similar to other things or it's too different. It's something that his own songs as his own story. OK,
I'll be throwing names around now because I don't really know who's there. I suppose the next question goes to Stefano because, as you mentioned, he's the one who discovered Dinax's diary and built a concept around it. When you take somebody else's story and turn it into a 12-song concept album, at what point does the story in the diary become your own? How easy is it to take that story and turn it into song lyrics?
We're going to translate to Stefano. So I'm Francesco. Yeah. I'm talking for Stefano.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I heard Stefano in the background, so you're doing the translation for us.
He says when he was writing the lyrics of the Nibelvirch album, he said that he would like to be as close as possible at the diary concept and at the diary stories. There is no disconnection from the diary, but we would like to stay very, very close as much as possible to the concept and to the text of the book.
Okay. Did you ever change anything from the original story because the music needed it?
No, no, nothing changed, but we just tried to took out the most principal points, you know what I mean, the significant points of the stories we used to write our songs and to take out our songs for the album, the 12 songs.
Okay, the album opens with “Encephalitis Lethargica.” We've already heard the song, and I think you'll have to admit that I'm probably the first person ever to get the title right the first time.
Yes, we call it Encephalitis Lethargica.
Yeah, well, it's a very Greek pronunciation, I must admit. As I said, the album opens with that song, and then you move straight to “Flowers of the Wind,” which has a different feeling, a different atmosphere. When you were putting the tracklist together, what made you choose these two songs to introduce your story? What made them the right songs to introduce the story to the public?
Yeah, you mean it's quite strange to... to play a ballad as a second track song in the tracklist, correct?
Yeah, and normally, especially in concept albums, the order of the songs has a meaning.
Yes, the fact is that the ballad is more a love story. And in the diary, our view of the diary... It was the time to introduce the love story of Paul Amadeus, just after talking of his illness, before to go further with the diary. So we didn't care. We knew that it was a ballad as a second track, but for the story... So yeah yeah so the the story in to to to follow the narrative does this the story was the place to put the the love story of the first love story of paul amadeus though or the only maybe okay so yes that's why we have the ballot as a contract okay because the the story starts in the beginning uh with the the true love between Paul and Anna. So we thought the best way to reproduce that in the music was to play a ballad.
Did the order of the songs change much while you were recording the album?
No, I think no, because we had clearly what we meant to do while projecting and writing the songs. what would be the sequence of the tracklist.
Oh, okay. So you decided pretty early on in the process.
Yeah, because it was a very long period of time.
Yeah, you did quite a lot of preparation. It was released in 2024, wasn't it? So you spent a lot of time preparing it.
We started writing it in 21. Yeah. We took a long time.
To be honest, at least musically, I can't really tell, because writing lyrics is a personal thing for everybody. Some people find it very easy to write lyrics; others struggle a bit. But musically, the record sounds quite advanced, and you can tell that you've put a lot of effort into the album.
Thank you.
Well, I do research before interviews because I like to find things that you haven't already answered. In earlier interviews, you mentioned that you all come from different musical backgrounds, from classical metal to progressive punk. Correct? Yeah. Can you remember a song on your album, Nibelvirch? I'm going to get it right at some point. It's Nibelvirch. Ah, Nibelvirch. Okay. Correct. So, can you remember a song where those different tastes actually caused a disagreement between the members? Like, “We should take this approach,” “We should play it like that,” or “It should sound like that.” Was there a song you disagreed about?
Okay, no, no. Mainly all the songs have the same behavior. We stopped doing it. And we end making the song when everybody like it. We didn't take any song that we don't like everybody. And sometimes songs started with a structure that doesn't exist anymore. It remains only very little part of the original track. And we worked together until we were satisfied of the results.
Okay. To be honest, that is a bit surprising because the sound is quite different from track to track. You can really tell that you have different influences. But I can't really believe that five people in a studio have never had a disagreement. When I say “disagreement,” I don't mean that you're arguing with each other. Someone might think, “We need to make that solo a bit shorter,” or “We need a longer solo,” or “We don't need a solo for this track.” That kind of disagreement. If you have any, who has the final say on what goes on the record and what doesn't?
We thought everybody of us think that the most important thing is that the song works correctly yeah so if obviously there should be something that you would like to arrange different but the most important point is that the war the song works correctly as we would like to to work So we accept something different from our single mind. But if the song works, we have no problem between ourselves.
So, listening to your songs, as I mentioned, you've got pretty different styles on your album. If I were to ask five people what kind of music the band plays, comparing “Global War,” for example, with “Magnet of My Destiny,” I would get six answers. I'm pretty sure of it. I singled out those two songs because they seem to occupy very different parts of the metal spectrum. So when you're writing something that moves between these styles, what makes it sound like Butt Splitters to you? What makes you say, “That is us. That sound is us. It's Butt Splitters now”?
I think you will make a good example. These two songs are pretty different between them, but all the two are Butt Splitters. I think the thing that joins all the songs of the album is our... The thing that everybody of us has put its own vision of what the song should play, what should sound. And we like the result in all the songs. It's strange. We never start with... We don't know where we will arrive when we made up a new song. We just know we were started. And the result we will see at the end. If it works, we say, okay, nice. This song, I didn't imagine it should be in this way. This is what I think is Butt Splitters.
Okay. If you had to introduce Butt Splitters to someone using just one song from Nibelvirch, would all five of you pick the same one?
I don't think. It's an agreement there. It's very difficult. It's not difficult to choose just one song. It's very difficult. I can't tell you the one that I prefer and maybe all of us. different uh different songs that like more yes it's very difficult to say i don't really know i don't know how to answer to this difficult because as i mentioned before old songs as his own story and they were not made to be a track or the concept album but at the end everything seems to work as a is a concept uh production and this is the magic that made our singer and uh but yes i can't say really what's my best song i don't know
So there are five members, and you'd choose five different songs?
Maybe. I would choose The Death Bells Rang Far Away, for example, or Homeland. Okay. I love all the harder ones, but I can't skip any.
You see, it's right there. We found the disagreement.
Okay, on this point I have to tell you something. We have a very lucky story. We are a band that we feel very good to stay together. We never complain of the leadership of someone. We always have fun and this is the main purpose that join us in making this band. And we always have fun. Maybe we have more fun when we have dinner or lunch before to play than on the stage. Okay, this is not true, but we enjoy a lot to stay together. We have a special, how to say, something very, not usual. This is not a band made to be... very nice band or good players. The main point is to share the goodness to stay together.
The music you write, though, isn't that simple. These aren't punk songs. You play good music, and it's definitely technical as well. And I can really sense the chemistry. If I were to explain why you have such good chemistry and have fun in the rehearsal room, as you said, I think it's because you started by playing covers. You did it for fun, and then you evolved. But that period of time is what brought the band together. Of course, you might have had personal relationships before that. You might already have been friends.
You're right. quite experienced people because we have we have more than 50 years so we know each other since we were kids and we have a very good relationship between us so this is working perfectly also in the writing process of the album
Well, let's see what Butt Splitters are like on stage. In your live shows, you bring together music, images, and synchronized video. You tell the story of Nibelvirch—got it right this time. Does having all these visuals on stage give you more freedom as performers, or does it mean you have to follow a much stricter plan when you perform?
Of course, when you play with a video, you should follow the synchronizer. You have to have the click on the air to avoid getting out of the track. And we also have some bases that synchronize with the video. And of course, when you play in that way, you have to stay on the... Okay, but don't mean that you are too much concentrated and it's just to be one part of you that reminds to stay on the track. I think it's something very good for the audience because in this way it is more entertaining not only from the audio or from the shows itself. seeing us playing this music, but also from the videos that are running on our back. So I think it's a very, very good experience for the people who come and see us.
So, has anything ever gone wrong during a show, on stage? And because the answer is yes, the follow-up question is: how did you handle it?
It can happen, it can happen. small technical problems that there is always always imagine that in one of our latest big show in italy past year we have the the mixer console at about 100 meters away from the stage and we have to put [unclear: “a launch”] Yeah, another person of our group, it means the girlfriend of our drummer, to play the [unclear: “B-Bit instrument”] to synchronize click and videos across the console. So it was a bit difficult, but at least we solved it quite good.
Okay. Earlier this year, you said you'd started working on new music and that another concept album was possible, if I'm not wrong. That's what you said. After spending so much time on Nibelvirch—got it right a second time, good—what makes you want to take on another big story instead of writing individual songs for a change?
I think we will go in this direction, but as we did for the last time, we only care about one song at a time. And we will see. We're just building up new songs without any purpose. And I try to see how they work together. At this time, the behavior is a little different because we don't have lockdown. play together and we don't have to do things twice. All the songs come out with the work of all of us together.
Yeah, so the new material is already taking shape. You've already started working on it.
Yeah yes that's correct we started working on a couple of new songs yeah maybe three and we are arranging them but as you already know the process is quite long so I believe and I hope that the new album would come out next year maybe or between one year and a half
And I also noticed in interviews that you mentioned discussions about a possible show in Athens. So I have to ask: did anything come out of those talks? Are you planning to visit Athens so we can see Butt Splitters in Greece?
Yeah, we would like to come. We would be very excited to play a gig in Athens, or a couple of gigs. You know, our agent is from Athens, so it should be like playing at home, you know. Not only the diary of Paul Amadeus, it was putting out in Greek because he leave his diary to a pupil that he has just to study German, Deutsch, I would say. And so all the story came out from that place and we would like a lot to come down and play in that area.
Okay, so my final question. Oops, sorry, that was a bit loud. I know you've kind of answered this, but, um, I need some confirmation here. We started the conversation talking about five friends who just wanted to play music together. You started with covers and everything, and then you made that ambitious concept album, which you brought to the stage. Now you're playing on bigger stages as well, and you've started working on new material. Do you ever miss the simplicity of the early days, when you were a cover band and everything was easy and fun? Or are you having even more fun now?
Okay, we always have fun. And we didn't stop to play as a cover band. Sometimes it depends on the situation. Sometimes we... still play as a cover band we introduced some new tracks to modify the track to avoid always the same things but yeah but now change it we are more how to say we we grown with this project we we grown technically and we made a lot of experience But no, we didn't lose our friendship. The beauty is to stay together and to have fun always.
Yeah, I wouldn't say that you're a cover band anymore. People who come to your shows come to listen to the concept album. Yes, you might play two or three cover songs, but you're not a cover band anymore. You have an identity, you have an album, and you're working on new material that has your signature. So, yeah, I can't say Butt Splitters are a cover band anymore. And I'm happy that you're enjoying it and still having just as much fun. To be honest, I'd like to see you on stage and see how you perform. I've seen videos, I'll be honest.
It would be a nice experience to have you here in Greece. And when you're here, we might talk face to face. I might have improved my Italian by then. That would be nice.
It could be better than to us to learn Greek. It's more difficult, I think.
You see, my wife speaks Italian. Or used to, I don't know. She hasn't spoken it for years now, but you don't forget the language.
It would be beautiful to meet you personally in Greek. It's one of our dreams.
I didn't ask who had the debate earlier. Which town are you from?
We come from around [uncertain: “Terni”]. In the center of Italy is close to Rome, 100 kilometers in Umbria, the region.
Okay. Yeah, I can't say that I've heard of this town.
No, it's a small town close to Rome.
Yeah, you don't have a football team or anything? I don't know if it's a bad story.
We have it, but it's in the very... Minor leagues. Yeah, minor leagues. Yeah.
Okay, now we're coming to the end. Where can people catch Butt Splitters live next? Do you have anything on your calendar?
Not now, actually. We are planning to join some festival, maybe next summer. And because now we would like to work on the new album and try to do as less as possible to reduce the time to work on it. But of course, next year we will plan to be somewhere we are not exactly at the fix together yet.
Okay, before we let you go, is there anything we haven't talked about or haven't asked you? Is there anything you'd like to bring up? Or, if you have any questions for us, now is your chance.
I don't know. No, I think it's always good. I think it was really good to talk to you and to be invited from you at your radio program. But we don't have any special question for you.
Now I've got you, because I've got a special request for you. The four of you have to choose a song for us to play to our listeners. But it has to be just one, and it can't be one of your own songs. It doesn't have to be from your playlist, but it can't be from your album. You'll have to give us one. While I'm saying thank you and saying our goodbyes, you'll have to prepare. That's about 15 seconds, maybe 20.
Okay, we agree. The four of us took a decision very fast. Queensrÿche? Yeah. I don't believe in love.
Okay. That's not the next one; it's the one after. Queensrÿche. I didn't expect that, although you do play progressive music in your songs. Guys, thank you very much for being with us tonight. It's been great talking to you about Nibelvirch, your music plans, your new material, the music behind that album, and everything that's happening with the band right now. Hopefully, we'll get to see you here in Greece [unclear]. Until then, good luck with your new music and whatever comes next. Thank you for joining us on Off The Record, guys.
You're welcome, you're very welcome. Thank you very much, it was a pleasure to share this time with you and okay good luck for you too. Looking forward to play in Greece.
Hopefully, yeah. Bye-bye. Bye.
Μας δώσαν πολλά νέα για τη μουσική τους πως πέντε άνθρωποι που παίζουν διασκευές μπορούν να εξελιχθούν σε μία μπάντα που γράφουν ένα concept album για κάποιον τύπο που έχει ταξιδέψει 2500 χρόνια στο μέλλον. Και επειδή είπαμε αρκετά πάμε να ακούσουμε ένα τραγουδάκι από τους Butt Splitters και μετά θα βάλουμε και ένα τραγούδι που διάλεξαν οι Butt Splitters για εσάς.
