ILLDISPOSED - Jakob Batten

\r\n"The Prestige" is the latest album of the "Danish Dynamite" band Illdisposed. Just a few days after the release of the album, Vassilis Mazaris and Metalzone.gr had the opportunity to talk with the mastermind of the band Jakob Batten who is the guitarist and songwriter. Jakob gives us in a few words everything concerning the latest album and everything about Illdisposed in general. \r\n

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\r\nMetalzone: Your new album Prestige has had a very warm welcome from the media. Which do you feel was the key factor that made everyone receive it so well?
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\r\nBatten: In a way I think that people had enough of modern metal the past years. So sometimes it’s a good thing to look back instead of following the trends.
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\r\nMetalzone: The album was recorded in Sweden, in Fredman studios. Could you give us an insight on the recording sessions and the co operation you had with Fredrik Nordstrom? Are you satisfied with the result?
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\r\nBatten: Fredrik and his assistant Henke are funny guys to work with. Very professional and at the same time great sense of humour. So it was perfect for us to be there. And usually Denmark is full of drunk Swedes, this time Sweden had drunk Danes. A whole new experience!
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\r\nMetalzone: What made you name the album Prestige? Is it a concept in the lyrics? Every track begins with Bo announcing the title. Why did you do that? Do you have any comments on the artwork?
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\r\nBatten: I spent a year on writing 18 songs and just the 12 strongest songs made it to the studio. So we felt that we had a strong album and "The Prestige" would be a title that would symbolize that. Actually the title is the first line of the lyric in each song. A quite original thing Bo made up there I think. So he is not just announcing the title, it’s part of the verse. The artwork is pretty cliché - but it just fits the album very well. And it looks great on t-shirts! \r\n

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\r\nMetalzone: Over the years many have compared you with In Flames. Even in your cover we read the phrase "In Flames with balls". Why is that?
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\r\nBatten: I have no idea, I don’t hear any In Flames in our music. Maybe some people think that if you have a bit of melody in your songs they sound like In Flames. We’re actually an older band than In Flames. The "In Flames with balls" quote is from a review in Ardschok Magazine - not something we or the label made up.
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\r\nMetalzone: Prestige includes all the trade mark features of your sound but also some progressive elements. Do you agree with that?
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\r\nBatten: Hmm I don’t know. I think it’s too simple to be progressive. But everybody gets different impressions of music, that’s one of the fascinating things about it.
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\r\nMetalzone: Lets talk about your label. Why did you leave Roadrunner? How is your co-operation with AFM so far? Give us the details on your new contract (for how many albums are you signed etc).
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\r\nBatten: We simply didn’t sell enough for Roadrunner so they didn’t pick up the 3rd option with us. The goal they set for us was impossible to reach so we knew that it would come to an end. But it was some very good years with them! We signed just for one album with AFM but with 2 more options. Fortunately!!! Cause it doesn’t look good with them. They are a bunch of amateurs and they treat us like a demo band. They are not capable of working with a band like us.
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\r\nMetalzone: Even though you’re not a new band there are many countries in which you’re not well known yet, like Greece. Why is that? In which countries are you more famous?
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\r\nBatten: We had the problem that Roadrunner released our latest 2 albums in very limited territories. And besides that we’re not touring as much as we should. We have other priorities as families and jobs. It’s no secret that metal music is quite a shitty business and we’re too old to live at cash benefit.
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\r\nMetalzone: Up till now you’ve released an official bootleg DVD with a live appearance in Denmark. Do you plan on releasing an official DVD in the future?
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\r\nBatten: We don’t have any specific plans, but as soon as a label is ready to do it with us we will do it. I think we will do it in the near future!
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\r\nMetalzone: Recently you had a line up change. Your guitar player. What’s the reason for that and are you satisfied with his replacement so far?
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\r\nBatten: Martin got a job that was important for him and he didn’t have time to play shows with us anymore. But we are very satisfied with our new player Franz. He’s an old friend of ours and a good guitar player. He kicks ass live as well! \r\n

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\r\nMetalzone: What are the future plans of the band? Are you going to tour in support of the new album or just one off shows?
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\r\nBatten: First of all we tour Denmark, Germany and Austria in May. Then the summer festivals are coming and hopefully that will lead us to Greece. We would love to go there. We also have plans for Russia this year. And when the new album is released in the U.S. we’ll look at that as well.
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\r\nMetalzone: How do you feel about the fact that even though you weren’t in the band since its formation you are now a vital member of the band since you write most of the tracks? What is the creative process for Illdisposed? Do you all contribute in ideas and combine them or is it just you?
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\r\nBatten: Next year I have been in the band for 10 years so after all I’ve been there for a long time. Already when I joined the band I started writing music. I wrote 4 songs for the Kokaiinum album back then.
\r\nFor the latest 2 albums I have written everything without any input from the other guys. Sometimes Bo told me that something sucked and then I made it better, that’s all. I record everything I write in my home studio and give the others a cd with the finished tracks. It’s not that I own the rights for writing music in Illdisposed, I’m just the only one who can do it right now.
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\r\nMetalzone: Being a big fan of the band there are a million things more I want to ask you but since time isn’t an ally in such cases, I would like to thank you for your time and the interview! Hope to see you soon!
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\r\nBatten: Thank you for the interview and hopefully see you on tour soon! \r\n

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\r\nVassilis Mazaris  \r\n

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