Interview with Dan Foord from Sikth

After 8 years of gap Sikth are making there comeback this June 14 headlining Red bull Download Festival stage. That very day Behemoth is also headlining other stage of Download Festival. In Mid's of October ,they are headlining SILENCE FESTIVAL V but before that they are headling Euroblast festival in Germany. So far they have launched 2 full length and 4 E.P's. Their last gig was in 14th Sept 2007 at Islington Carling Academy. Bands like Periphery take them as their major influence. While talking with them they exclaimed that they are quite excited to play here in front of the Nepalese crowds.To know much about them , you can check them in there official page as below.

https://www.facebook.com/sikthofficial

Here we go a short talk with Dan Foord from Sikth .

Before we begin we will like to know how the preparation is going on for Download Festival happening from June 13- 15.How are you guys feeling Sikth hitting the stage after this long almost 7 and half years. Honestly I am having Goosebumps right now it’s my privilege that I am talking with you guys.
Good thanks. James and I have been rehearsing since the start of the year together and we hooked up with Dan Weller and went through the whole set together a couple of weeks ago. Mikee and Justin have also been rehearsing together. It’s exciting to play these songs together again after all these years. We’re just as excited as our fans to be playing together again. It’s great to make our return at Download. Donnington is the home of heavy metal in the UK, it has a rich history. Everyone has played there and we have our own history there too, as we have played Download there twice. We couldn’t think of a better place to return. It will be a very special gig for the band and our fans.

Ok guys before we proceed we will like to know how have this journey of almost 14 years been. Yet in between you guys were disbanded for almost five years (2008-2013) and just this December surprisingly the Download Festivals site revealed that you guys will be headlining the RED BULL Stage. We would like to know why the band was inactive for that long period? If I am not wrong this gig is your 1^st gig after Islington Carling Academy that happened in 14^th Sep 2007.
It’s been a great experience at times. We have made records and played shows that will forever make us proud. Download will be our first show since the Islington Academy show. Everyone has been busy within the music industry in that time either making records, producing records or going on tour. We have talked about reforming for some time and it’s finally happened.

Coming to the bands name Sikth what does it means?

The word Sikth means nothing. It doesn’t exist, which makes it unique, like the bands approach to music. But there have always been six members in the band.

Coming beyond Sikth what were you guys doing in this gap from 2008 until Dec 2013?

All sorts of things within the music industry from production to song writing ,music teaching to managing tours and making music videos. We have worked with artists from “Iron Maiden's” Adrian Smith to “Enter Shikari” to Steph Carpenter from the “Deftones” to Young Guns. We also have new bands. Pin's “Aliases”, Dan Weller's “In Colour”, Mikee's “Outpatients” and James and I play in “Krokodil”.

As far as I know the lineup has been consistent with almost nil lineup changes. What do you want to say regarding the consistency on lineup changes that we see normally?

Yeah, essentially that’s right. All of our official releases since “Let The Transmitting Begin” have been this current line-up. There are some bands who change in a good way. Iron Maiden for instance, although I like the Paul Di'Anno recordings. Some bands like Megadeth or MegaDave as they should be called change too often, although many of their line-up changes have worked. I think most people come to identify a certain sound with certain individuals. So I think it's good thing that we are all back. We all bring something unique to the band and make it what it is.

So again coming back to Sikth after the Download Fest you guys are headlining 2 Gigs one in Euroblast Festival to be held in Germany and then here in Nepal at Silence festival –V to be held on 18^th Oct 2014. Apart from these 3 gigs any dates to be announced?

What do you think? Ha ha. Sorry to be cryptic. I’ll say yes. Nothing we can talk about at the moment but keep checking our Facebook for announcements.

Coming to your genre Mathcore or sometimes considered as Djent one thing that strikes me is Polyrythms. Can you explain us about it because many of our viewers especially the upcoming mathcore bands will love to know much about it?

Well a polyrhythm is the simultaneous use of two or more conflicting rhythms. Polyrhythms require at least two rhythms to be played concurrently, Such as 3 over 4.Polyrhythms are used a great deal in Djent. A word which was spawned by Meshuggah. I believe it was a word used by Fredrick Thorndendale to describe their guitar sound on a message board and a whole generation of bands chose to use it to describe their sound. I associate the term Mathcore more with bands like Dillinger who have multiple time signature changes. But that is just my opinion obviously.
I wouldn’t describe Sikth as either Djent or Mathcore personally. I’m sure Meshuggah and Dillinger wouldn’t describe themselves as Djent or Mathcore either.
I'd personally describe Sikth as technical metal.

a)      Were a metal band
b)      We use many techniques as a band like polyrhythms, time signatures, modulation, displacement and odd subdivisions. Plus as individuals we use many techniques like tapping, slapping, double stoke rolls, linear playing etc.

We basically try and make our music as interesting and multi-faceted as possible and approach every song different. I know it’s a long winded answer but it’s the only way I can answer that makes sense!

Again coming beyond Sikth tell us how did you guys start your journey in Metal music?

We all started out in bands at a young age. Mikee was a promoter in Watford so he put on local bands, including his own band. It was from this scene that Sikth was formed. Dan Weller and Pin went to school together and formed a band. They eventually started a band with Mikee which went on to become Sikth.  When the guys decided to go in a more diverse, original direction they looked for the best musicians in the Watford scene to help them achieve an entirely new sound. The guys recognized James' talent having seen him play in Watford. He originally turned them down but suggested me as a suitable drummer as James and I went to College together and had played in a band together before we joined Sikth. When James saw the new Sikth with me playing in Watford he decided to join also. The only thing needed to complete the sound then was a great melodic vocalist. Mikee remembered seeing Justin play in Watford and being really impressed so asked him to join to complete the Sikth line up that everybody now knows.

Ok guys can you tell us what are you listening these days?

I couldn't tell you what the other guys are listening to now as the only time we have all been in the same room since our last show was for our Metal Hammer photo shoot. But I can tell you what we used to listen to. I think collectively we all loved bands like Pantera, Metallica, Slayer and Sepultura. I seem to remember Justin liking Glassjaw and Jeff Buckley. Mikee was a fan of Nick Cave, Lou Reed and Leonard Cohen. Megadeth's "Rust in Peace" and Pantera's "Great Southern Trendkill" were always on in the van.

A few months I was going through some articles of Periphery and I found out that Mishar Mansoor (Periphery) Stating Sikth as one of this major influence. Based on this we can even know the popularity of Sikth. How does it feel I mean how you guys feel turning back and seeing the initial days and the current time…

It makes us proud that new bands are citing Sikth as an influence. It's very humbling and they are helping keep our spirit alive. We worked tirelessly to make those records as timeless as possible. It’s great to know that we are still gathering new fans even though we haven’t released a record for 8 years. I guess all that effort was worth it after all.

Until now you guys have released 2 full length and  4 Ep’s out of the entire 6 release your 2004 released Ep Let The Transmission Begin is the one which I listen quite often. Can we expect new tracks in the upcoming festival especially in SILENCE FESTIVAL V.  
At this stage were just excited to be playing the old ones again after all this time. We haven’t had a serious discussion about new music yet. It would be a lot of work to create new Sikth music but if these shows go well then why not?

Well guys we will be keen to welcome you guys here in Nepal. And I am pretty much sure you guys will enjoy the intensity of Nepalese crowd in the pit. So guys, any message to the Nepalese fans.

Thanks so much for having us. It’s an honour to be invited to play in your country and we promise to make it a show you will never forget.

Lastly a space for you guys to ask us SNRMB crew if we forgot to ask you can ask us here?

No. Thanks.