Swiss Dark Rockers Monkey3 are set to release their new album entitled Welcome To The Machine on February 23rd. The band’s guitarist Boris De Piante took the time to talk with Metal Express Radio about their upcoming album, their upcoming touring schedule, their longevity, and more. Check out the chat below!
Metal Express Radio: Your band, Monkey3 are set to release their new album entitled Welcome To The Machine on February 23rd, what can you tell fans about the upcoming release?
De Piante: This new album offers a defined common thread. We wanted to express our doubts about the evolution of our society and the duality which pits man against machines, all the excesses that this already implies today, and what this will imply in the near future. Indeed, we partially drew our inspiration from films such as The Matrix and 2001: A Space Odyssey, and books such as 1984 and Brave New World. Musically we deliberately pushed the electronic side of our sound and opposed it to the purely organic aspect of our music. The pieces on this album are a constant confrontation and fusion of these two aspects.
MER: How was the writing and recording process having this being your band’s seventh album?
De Piante: When we started to work on this new album, we favored spontaneity and leaving the mind free from concepts and musical directions to take. When we had enough material, we started to see the vibes and atmospheres that these new pieces suggested. At this point we worked on developing the overall concept of the record. Overall, we spent a substantial amount of time on the writing and pre-production work. The recording process was fast, 10 days in the studio and everything was done. The team and the studio were the same as our previous album Sphere.
MER: You recently released two singles from the album entitled “Rackman” and “Collision”, what kind of feedback have you received?
De Piante: So far the feedback has been very positive and those two tracks have created a lot of curiosity among fans on how this record sounds like.
MER: What do you see as plans for you and the band after the release of the album?
De Piante: We’ll start touring Europe in May, then summer festivals, and another Euro tour this fall. Early 2025 we will tour Australia. It’s gonna be a nice ride and can’t wait to be on the road and share the new stuff on stage.
MER: Is there anyone that you hope to tour with that you haven’t yet and why?
De Piante: It would be awesome to have the chance to go on tour with bands such as Tool, Opeth, Porcupine Tree, or Devin Townsend.
MER: Your band formed in 2001, what have been some challenges maintaining your longevity?
De Piante: Trying to constantly evolve our music and being confident in our work, keeping it fresh and appealing. Always take the positive from a negative situation and make something good out of it. Facing line-up changes. Keeping mutual respect within band members in order to stay strong as a group.
MER: What have been some of your favorite memories since your band’s formation?
De Piante: The recording of the 39Laps album was very special. We rented a wood cabin somewhere in the Swiss mountains and spent two weeks locked there working on that record. There was a very special vibe and I would never forget all the positive energy we put on that work.
MER: Is there anywhere that’s your favorite to play live and why?
De Piante: Too many to pick just one. We loved all the places we played. Every single venue and festival was an opportunity to create a unique and special story.
MER: Out of your band’s seven album’s, what is one you would suggest to a new fan and why?
De Piante: Obviously the new one, but if I had to pick an old one, I would suggest our second album 39Laps. It’s a very spontaneous album but also very coherent and homogeneous. We feel like we found our sound and our identity with this work. It’s a spacey and trippy record.
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