Hi! Can you give a brief history of KONG, including the music style and the members?
KONG formed on the ruins of a 80's new wave band. When we started playing we didn't have the intention to form a new band, we just wanted to make music without any restrictions or boundaries. But we were interested in new developments in electronic music and had just started listening to metal. Also we still were influenced by the music we grew up with in the 1980's.
From these influences our style developed, which has many different moods, angles and directions. We don't have a name for it but I guess you could call it something like progdanceambientmetal.
Kong toured a lot all across Europe and uptill now released nine studio albums.
In the years of Kong's existence band members have come and gone, only with the bass player as a constant factor. The music also changed and developed but the sound and style remained basically the same and always recognizable.
Could you provide more detailed information about Traders Of Truth?
The music for the album has been created mostly individually by all 4 band members, partly because of Covid but also because we chose to work like this. Previously our music was created by jamming with the whole band or sections of the band until something 'magically' happened. At that time this worked well but was also a time-consuming and sometimes frustrating process. With the present technology and the fast internet it's very easy and convenient to work separately, sending demos to each other for evaluation and/or contributions. It gave all of us the freedom to work in our own way and time and to be totally free in the creative process. Of course there have been moments we came together to evaluate and make decisions. And when everybody was happy with the material we recorded everything 'officially' and had the album mixed by Dag Erik Nygaard from Norway whom we knew from his work with Ribozyme, The Gathering and Abbath, to name a few.
KONG has signed with Sliptrick Records. Could you tell us more about that?
After having been signed to Peaceville Records and Roadrunner in the 90's, we released our last three albums before this one on our own label with just a distribution deal. Although the albums got good reviews and reactions we felt much more could have been achieved with the support and know-how of a serious record label. So when we were approached by Sliptrick Records we were happy to transfer this part of the job to them and make sure the album gets all the attention possible. Sliptrick has an impressive catalog with all kinds of heavy music so we're confident that they will do a great job.
What is the difference between your latest record and the band's very first one?
Our first album was recorded live in our rehearsal room which was situated in a former atomic bomb shelter under a bridge in the middle of Amsterdam. It had very special acoustics but the only disadvantage was the tram which was running over the bridge every 3 minutes (if you know it, you can hear it in a couple of songs). It was the first album we recorded and mixed ourselves and, in hindsight, it sounds very raw and primitive.
The new album has been recorded in at least 4 different places (covid...) with home studio equipment, but sounds much better and was mixed by an experienced mixer.
Music-wise there has also been quite some development: when composing the first album we were totally blank and still had to find our direction while for this album we could make use of the experience of many years. Still, I think that the first album could also be seen as a blueprint for everything we did since then.
By the way, a couple of years ago we remixed our first album and managed to improve the sound considerably.
What inspires KONG's music and lyric writing? What do KONG's lyrics talk about?
We don't have any lyrics, we play instrumental music! Our vision is that anyone who wants lyrics should read a book. Our music is about sound, rhythm and melody, not about words.
Do you play live often? Do you enjoy performing abroad?
We have played many gigs in the past (700+ through all of Europe) and almost always enjoyed it very much. Recently we haven't played a lot but that might come again.
I also have to mention that the live set-up of Kong is somewhat special: we almost always play in a quadraphonic setting, meaning that the 4 band members are positioned on separate stages in the corners of the venue with the audience in the middle. Accompanied by a quadraphonic P.A. system and extensive light show this set-up provides an intense and overwhelming experience for the audience.
For an impression see:
or
How often does the band practice and work on new material?
We rehearse only when we have gigs coming up. Working on new material is an ongoing process, every band member has the opportunity to play and record at home and we also have our own rehearsal and recording studio where we can work whenever we feel like it.
How did the band come up with the name KONG? What does it mean to you?
The name KONG came out of nowhere. We had to have a name quickly because we were going to play our first gig. It appealed to us because of the simplicity and the 'sound' of it (like hitting a gong). This was in 1988 so we never could foresee that it was gonna be a very unpractic name as soon as the internet came into existence (type Kong and you get a million hits with Hong Kong en King Kong, and nowadays also several other bands with the same name...)
What are the band's plans for the near future?
We hope to realize a tour with our long-time friends and blood brothers Gore (gore-revanche.com)
Also we're planning to write music for a modern dance production (which bass player Mark Drillich often has done already).
Do you have a message for Iron Backstage readers?
Listen carefully and let's make music instead of war.