Interview with Guitarist Hasan Koc of Katre
By Mick Michaels
COSMICK VIEW: Hello, Hasan! Welcome to The Cosmick View. Thank you for taking some time out of your day to chat with me, it's greatly appreciated.
Hasan Koç: Thanks a lot for the opportunity; it is a pleasure for us.
CV: What do you feel makes Heavy Metal music so alluring to the
fans? What is it about the music that personally resonates so strongly with
you?
HK: In my opinion, there is a huge difference in the perception of heavy metal in Europe and Asia, especially the Middle East when it comes to live performances. First of all, a live performance of any band is more or less a “once in a lifetime” experience for the listeners in the Middle East, not so many bands tour Middle Eastern cities. Second, the purchasing power in those areas is comparably low to the European cities, which influences the first observation. Resulting from this, you have extremely passionate fans down there. If you pass one live performance in Europe, not too bad, the band will come again after the next release.
HK: In my opinion, there is a huge difference in the perception of heavy metal in Europe and Asia, especially the Middle East when it comes to live performances. First of all, a live performance of any band is more or less a “once in a lifetime” experience for the listeners in the Middle East, not so many bands tour Middle Eastern cities. Second, the purchasing power in those areas is comparably low to the European cities, which influences the first observation. Resulting from this, you have extremely passionate fans down there. If you pass one live performance in Europe, not too bad, the band will come again after the next release.
The energy in Heavy Metal helps me to
deal with my disappointment towards humanity. It helps to control my emotions
when it is hard for my mind to grasp certain facts. One example: How can you get
along with the fact that refugee kids are drowned and their bodies are washed
ashore? How can we deny global warming which as one result causes wildfires all
over the world? I do not understand.
Heavy Metal allows me to express my
feelings without having to think in stereotypes. As you know, this is a pretty
upfront, “in your face” type of music.
CV: Has Metal splintered into too many
sub-genres in your opinion, thus, making it harder for newer bands to actually
classify themselves as one style over another?
Is it confusing for fans as well?
HK: Yes, too many sub-genres exist and I would recommend having a look into the publications of Keith Kahn-Harris for that.
HK: Yes, too many sub-genres exist and I would recommend having a look into the publications of Keith Kahn-Harris for that.
For the bands, I
agree this might be a problem. I opt the view that your style can even change
within an album. Let me give you an example from our 2nd release, Behind the
Resilience. Some songs include Djent elements, some are Prog metal and others
incorporate ambient/ post-rock type of riffs. What do we do now? ;) But I
think, the moment the fans hear the album, they stop labeling, at least for a
moment, and enjoy the music.
CV: How would you describe
the current state of the music business considering we are now living in a COVID aware, and maybe even feared
world? Have things drastically changed long-term for artists and bands given
the recent pandemic? What are your thoughts?
HK: Yes, certainly. A very important topic. Everything had to be rescheduled, maybe the bands had to find new ways of monetizing their skills because they make a living out of it. We see some very successful examples, such as Leprous or Tesseract who offer online shows, but there are also very discouraging examples. In Turkey, around 100 musicians have committed suicide since the start of pandemic measures. Many of them work without insurance, so they are not eligible for benefit packages. I mean even if they were, this is not buying you anything.
CV: What do you feel makes your band and its particular approach to songwriting work? What keeps the band together and making music?
HK: I guess it is the fact that we grew up together, kind of having been exposed to similar problems, coming from a similar culture, having head of similar tales and jokes, having a similar taste for the music. Furthermore, there is a huge diversity, which sounds to be in contrast with this similarity, but maybe this is the source of the creativity. Okaner (Drums) is more into electronic music, which makes him an excellent sound designer. Şah (Synths) is a music library, ask anything…jazz, classic…I do not know, just anything. He will come up with an answer. Özgür (Bass) is more into both funk and world music.
HK: Yes, certainly. A very important topic. Everything had to be rescheduled, maybe the bands had to find new ways of monetizing their skills because they make a living out of it. We see some very successful examples, such as Leprous or Tesseract who offer online shows, but there are also very discouraging examples. In Turkey, around 100 musicians have committed suicide since the start of pandemic measures. Many of them work without insurance, so they are not eligible for benefit packages. I mean even if they were, this is not buying you anything.
CV: What do you feel makes your band and its particular approach to songwriting work? What keeps the band together and making music?
HK: I guess it is the fact that we grew up together, kind of having been exposed to similar problems, coming from a similar culture, having head of similar tales and jokes, having a similar taste for the music. Furthermore, there is a huge diversity, which sounds to be in contrast with this similarity, but maybe this is the source of the creativity. Okaner (Drums) is more into electronic music, which makes him an excellent sound designer. Şah (Synths) is a music library, ask anything…jazz, classic…I do not know, just anything. He will come up with an answer. Özgür (Bass) is more into both funk and world music.
CV: On a more global view,
how do you see your band’s music and songwriting separating itself from just
being another Heavy Metal act?
HK: We love to write stories and tell them in our songs without writing lyrics. For the fans, this might sound a bit odd. Just go ahead and listen to the tracks, read the short stories on our webpage katremusic.com. The difference should be then clear.
HK: We love to write stories and tell them in our songs without writing lyrics. For the fans, this might sound a bit odd. Just go ahead and listen to the tracks, read the short stories on our webpage katremusic.com. The difference should be then clear.
CV: Can an artist truly be
unique? Some would argue there is no such thing as being unique; that it’s
nothing more than a compounding of influences making an artist who or what they
are. Would this then say that artists today are destined to be just copies of
those who have already come to pass?
HK: I do not think that an artist can be truly unique, nor should be her quest to claim this. We just transform what has been there for a long, long time, the energy. Having said that, in this large spectrum, there are different forms between being unique and being a copy of one another. I think most of the bands would like to see themselves somewhere in the middle.
HK: I do not think that an artist can be truly unique, nor should be her quest to claim this. We just transform what has been there for a long, long time, the energy. Having said that, in this large spectrum, there are different forms between being unique and being a copy of one another. I think most of the bands would like to see themselves somewhere in the middle.
HK: No, I do not think so. I mean this is a unique experience being a member of a band, producing, musing, listening to what people have to say about it, but I do not think they cannot be taught elsewhere.
CV: What do you feel makes someone a “rock star”? Does being a rock star automatically make one iconic or are the two completely different in your opinion?
HK: Huge demand on the market makes someone a rock star and those two terms sound very close to my ears.
CV: What's next for you? What
can fans expect to see coming as the world looks to surmount a new normal laced
with a load of restrictions?
HK: Before hitting the stage, we want to shoot a performance video of Katre where we play our songs live, both from Encounters and Behind the Resilience. After this, we would love to play as much live as possible. Then it is time to write and record the third album.
HK: Before hitting the stage, we want to shoot a performance video of Katre where we play our songs live, both from Encounters and Behind the Resilience. After this, we would love to play as much live as possible. Then it is time to write and record the third album.
CV: Thank you again Hasan for spending some time talking and sharing with our readers.
It was a pleasure. I wish you all the best and continued success.
HK: Thank you very, very much, great questions! It was fun to be here, I appreciate it.
Check out Katre at:
Official: http://www.katremusic.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thekatre
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katremusic/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheKatre
HK: Thank you very, very much, great questions! It was fun to be here, I appreciate it.
Check out Katre at:
Official: http://www.katremusic.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thekatre
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katremusic/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheKatre
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My name is Mick Michaels...I'm an artist, music fan, songwriter, producer, show host, dreamer and guitarist for the traditional Heavy Metal band Corners of Sanctuary. Writing has always been a creative outlet for me; what I couldn't say in speech, I was able to do with the written word. Writing has given me a voice and a way for me to create on a multitude of platforms including music and song, articles, independent screenplays, books and now, artist interviews. The Cosmick View is an opportunity to raise the bar and showcase artists in a positive and inspirational light. For me, it's another out-of-this-world adventure.
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