Interview by: Nkro
VFTU had the pleasure of sitting down with Alan Madhavan of Toronto based Technical Death Metal outfit Nephelium. A band that
seems to be making waves here in Canada and in their local scene. With their debut Coils of Entropy officially unleashed Feb 7, we
thought this was a fitting time to discuss what we can expect from this brutal release...enjoy!
Please introduce your mighty band to our worldwide audiences.
Nephelium
Equipment:
1 HI speed blender
Ingredients:
1 Decapitated record
1 Death record
1 Suffocation record
1 Morbid Angel record
Directions:
Put Decapitated, Death, Suffocation and Morbid Angel records in blender and mix on HI! Add Blotted Science, elements and structural
writing of jazz fusion and Dream Theater to taste. And there ya have it, a Nephelium smoothie in a nutshell…
And your history? There is not a lot of information we can read about it, so can you tell us the most important facts about it? For
example, I know some of you are from Dubai. How did you manage to move to Toronto, Canada from Dubai of the U.A.E. etc?
Short-lived but convenient, as kids, we were able to rehearse at home and get away with it until our parents couldn’t handle it
anymore. Being in an Islamic country, it was always a task finding a rehearsal space. There were times that we’d have to change
locations every two months or drive for hours to get to them. One space that comes to mind was the room we had in a house that
constructions workers shared - that was quite the experience to say the least. When former members sought after other directions
and decided to move on, Alex and I decided to relocate here to further our dream. Having family in this part of the world made our
transition from the Gulf and smooth and easy one.
As a follow up, could you please introduce your latest effort Coils of Entropy. Maybe you can tell us a little something about the album?
Coils of Entropy is without a doubt our best work yet. It encompasses our sound, writing style and passion for music in general. We
started writing this record back in 2005 and entered the studio with it after pre-production in early 2007. Through a very tedious and
humbling experience, we completed the record in 2008. Renovations at the studio hindered mixing and mastering procedures a
further 2 years allowing us to have the final product only earlier this year. It has been a long time coming but the technical wizardry,
“in your face” brutality and well crafted sound our engineer produced on this album was well worth the wait!
Nephelium is quite an interesting name. Can you explain to us why you chose it and what does it mean exactly?
Well, the King James Version of the bible refers to the word "Nephelium" as giants. It was also made apparent that in relevant modern
texts giants were to be understood as Nephelium. It is said that these giants were found on the earth during the era in which the
sons of God cross bred with the daughters of men. These hybrids would then breed themselves aiding the corruption of human
genetic coding, which would gradually spread across the lands. We blended science and religion in questioning ourselves whether they
could they be aliens against us or religious figures for us; will we ever know? We did create our own perspective of the name in
putting these mutations into an ancient “GIANT” tree as we refer to it, hundreds of thousands of years old that had witnessed the
activities mentioned above. In essence the tree has life. Not mere plant life but the ability to take in, process and spit out what it
needs to.
Which songs off the new album do you feel represent Nephelium the best?
In all honesty, each song on this record has its charm. Having said that, I think the title track speaks volumes. Lyrically, it captures the
spirit of the concept and musically, is a whirlwind of orchestration. Along with that, the Arabian themes and melodies especially in the
solo section pay homage to our roots.
So how would you characterize your music in terms of the genre are you playing?
I’m not one to label music but if I were to do so, I would call it tech death.
What were your musical influences when growing up and where do you find inspiration now, both musically and lyrically?
I was exposed to a lot of different music as a child. My parents would constantly play ballads, jazz, pop and a lot of classical music in my
presence. The one thing I thank myself for being rebellious for was listening to metal! :D My uncle is a drummer, which meant that I
had a resource center whenever I needed it. I find my inspiration through several avenues. Believe it or not, sitting in front of Niagara
Falls and listening to the rhythm of the water gives me some craaazy ideas! If I remember correctly, the closing phrase of Halls of
Judgment was one of them! I also get my inspiration from other musicians. I might hear Steve Vai hashing something out in 21/8 time
and think hmmm…how could I subdivide that…three bars of 7/8 or a bar of 7/4 and 7/8…? K, I’m getting all geeky here, I gotta stop!
Lyrically, I think our vocalist is generally deranged…in a good way though. I guess the constant decay in the world we live in,
metaphorically speaking of course is what drove him to come up with such a concept.
How does the band work as a unit, in regards to discussing a musical direction, is there one person who writes most of the music or
do all members add something and how serious do you take your musical art?
Our writing process is somewhat unorthodox yet pretty methodical if that makes any sense. We have a library of riffs and ideas that
we record on a constant basis. For example, if Alex or James comes up with a riff that we like, we record the audio, tab it out and
store it in the library. I then refer to the library to see how I can arrange the ideas rhythmically and what I can do with them to give
them a little twist, be it accenting or varying a time signature amongst other things. Flo then takes what has been crafted of the
guitars and drums to effectively tie them together using his bag of tools and tricks. Finally, we get the pre-Madonna on board to add
his vocal chords to the piece. When we’re not in to the room practicing as a unit, we’re at home going through various exercises and
practice routines. P.S. I’m just a resentful drummer who’s sick of drummer jokes so I take every chance I get to take the piss out of
my band mates!
You currently do not have a label yet. Are you looking for one or did you decide to stay independent?
We do not have a label as of yet but are definitely looking.
Coils Of Entropy has a cool looking cover, please elaborate on the album cover. Is there any meaning and does the cover reflect the
music?
When we received the first draft of the artwork we were like “I think it needs some work here and this has to be done there…” We
looked at it again the next day and said “Wait a minute, I thought I was seeing something different yesterday…” The same thing
happened the following day and the next and the next. When we realized that this artwork was LITERALLY growing on us, we were
sold! Juan really raised the bar on this piece of work – you rule brother, thank you! The cover depicts the observer mentioned in the
narrative in our sleeve. It is basically what the entity we speak of is seeing. However, its advanced design allows it not only to see the
present but the future too as seen in the bottom half of the eye. If you notice, there is a cable-like piece on the bottom right corner
of its eyelid establishing communication with someone (That is a mystery – one that we wish to keep).
It seems that you are all very ambitious and dedicated to your music, which is always a good thing. But what is it about metal that
makes you wanna play it?
We love listening to and playing music – all forms of it, in different styles and contexts. Metal allows us to combine these thoughts and
ideas creatively to form what we do. I guess it’s also an undying love for a genre of music that we want the world to accept more.
Are there any plans to take Nephelium on the road - should the demand arise?
Absolutely! We have a few things to finalize and take care of before we hit the road next year but be sure to check our social
networks like Facebook, Twitter, ReverbNation and MySpace for upcoming shown in and around your area.
Something we ask all bands whom call Canada home...How do you find the Metal scene in Canada?
The metal scene in Canada is very inspiring and supportive. It’s the little things that make the difference; like the fact that a fan has
the drive to help local artists by opening up a little distribution company or a little label – that says a lot! We never had that back
home, which is why small things like that make us eager and happy to see. People have a true love for metal here and they are an
integral component of the blood that keeps Nephelium running.
Any last words? They are all yours...
We always like to take any opportunity we get to thank our fans, friends and family around the world for their endless love and
support. Oh and one more thing to younger and upcoming bands and musicians…never EVER give up!
WEB: http://www.facebook/nephelium
seems to be making waves here in Canada and in their local scene. With their debut Coils of Entropy officially unleashed Feb 7, we
thought this was a fitting time to discuss what we can expect from this brutal release...enjoy!
Please introduce your mighty band to our worldwide audiences.
Nephelium
Equipment:
1 HI speed blender
Ingredients:
1 Decapitated record
1 Death record
1 Suffocation record
1 Morbid Angel record
Directions:
Put Decapitated, Death, Suffocation and Morbid Angel records in blender and mix on HI! Add Blotted Science, elements and structural
writing of jazz fusion and Dream Theater to taste. And there ya have it, a Nephelium smoothie in a nutshell…
And your history? There is not a lot of information we can read about it, so can you tell us the most important facts about it? For
example, I know some of you are from Dubai. How did you manage to move to Toronto, Canada from Dubai of the U.A.E. etc?
Short-lived but convenient, as kids, we were able to rehearse at home and get away with it until our parents couldn’t handle it
anymore. Being in an Islamic country, it was always a task finding a rehearsal space. There were times that we’d have to change
locations every two months or drive for hours to get to them. One space that comes to mind was the room we had in a house that
constructions workers shared - that was quite the experience to say the least. When former members sought after other directions
and decided to move on, Alex and I decided to relocate here to further our dream. Having family in this part of the world made our
transition from the Gulf and smooth and easy one.
As a follow up, could you please introduce your latest effort Coils of Entropy. Maybe you can tell us a little something about the album?
Coils of Entropy is without a doubt our best work yet. It encompasses our sound, writing style and passion for music in general. We
started writing this record back in 2005 and entered the studio with it after pre-production in early 2007. Through a very tedious and
humbling experience, we completed the record in 2008. Renovations at the studio hindered mixing and mastering procedures a
further 2 years allowing us to have the final product only earlier this year. It has been a long time coming but the technical wizardry,
“in your face” brutality and well crafted sound our engineer produced on this album was well worth the wait!
Nephelium is quite an interesting name. Can you explain to us why you chose it and what does it mean exactly?
Well, the King James Version of the bible refers to the word "Nephelium" as giants. It was also made apparent that in relevant modern
texts giants were to be understood as Nephelium. It is said that these giants were found on the earth during the era in which the
sons of God cross bred with the daughters of men. These hybrids would then breed themselves aiding the corruption of human
genetic coding, which would gradually spread across the lands. We blended science and religion in questioning ourselves whether they
could they be aliens against us or religious figures for us; will we ever know? We did create our own perspective of the name in
putting these mutations into an ancient “GIANT” tree as we refer to it, hundreds of thousands of years old that had witnessed the
activities mentioned above. In essence the tree has life. Not mere plant life but the ability to take in, process and spit out what it
needs to.
Which songs off the new album do you feel represent Nephelium the best?
In all honesty, each song on this record has its charm. Having said that, I think the title track speaks volumes. Lyrically, it captures the
spirit of the concept and musically, is a whirlwind of orchestration. Along with that, the Arabian themes and melodies especially in the
solo section pay homage to our roots.
So how would you characterize your music in terms of the genre are you playing?
I’m not one to label music but if I were to do so, I would call it tech death.
What were your musical influences when growing up and where do you find inspiration now, both musically and lyrically?
I was exposed to a lot of different music as a child. My parents would constantly play ballads, jazz, pop and a lot of classical music in my
presence. The one thing I thank myself for being rebellious for was listening to metal! :D My uncle is a drummer, which meant that I
had a resource center whenever I needed it. I find my inspiration through several avenues. Believe it or not, sitting in front of Niagara
Falls and listening to the rhythm of the water gives me some craaazy ideas! If I remember correctly, the closing phrase of Halls of
Judgment was one of them! I also get my inspiration from other musicians. I might hear Steve Vai hashing something out in 21/8 time
and think hmmm…how could I subdivide that…three bars of 7/8 or a bar of 7/4 and 7/8…? K, I’m getting all geeky here, I gotta stop!
Lyrically, I think our vocalist is generally deranged…in a good way though. I guess the constant decay in the world we live in,
metaphorically speaking of course is what drove him to come up with such a concept.
How does the band work as a unit, in regards to discussing a musical direction, is there one person who writes most of the music or
do all members add something and how serious do you take your musical art?
Our writing process is somewhat unorthodox yet pretty methodical if that makes any sense. We have a library of riffs and ideas that
we record on a constant basis. For example, if Alex or James comes up with a riff that we like, we record the audio, tab it out and
store it in the library. I then refer to the library to see how I can arrange the ideas rhythmically and what I can do with them to give
them a little twist, be it accenting or varying a time signature amongst other things. Flo then takes what has been crafted of the
guitars and drums to effectively tie them together using his bag of tools and tricks. Finally, we get the pre-Madonna on board to add
his vocal chords to the piece. When we’re not in to the room practicing as a unit, we’re at home going through various exercises and
practice routines. P.S. I’m just a resentful drummer who’s sick of drummer jokes so I take every chance I get to take the piss out of
my band mates!
You currently do not have a label yet. Are you looking for one or did you decide to stay independent?
We do not have a label as of yet but are definitely looking.
Coils Of Entropy has a cool looking cover, please elaborate on the album cover. Is there any meaning and does the cover reflect the
music?
When we received the first draft of the artwork we were like “I think it needs some work here and this has to be done there…” We
looked at it again the next day and said “Wait a minute, I thought I was seeing something different yesterday…” The same thing
happened the following day and the next and the next. When we realized that this artwork was LITERALLY growing on us, we were
sold! Juan really raised the bar on this piece of work – you rule brother, thank you! The cover depicts the observer mentioned in the
narrative in our sleeve. It is basically what the entity we speak of is seeing. However, its advanced design allows it not only to see the
present but the future too as seen in the bottom half of the eye. If you notice, there is a cable-like piece on the bottom right corner
of its eyelid establishing communication with someone (That is a mystery – one that we wish to keep).
It seems that you are all very ambitious and dedicated to your music, which is always a good thing. But what is it about metal that
makes you wanna play it?
We love listening to and playing music – all forms of it, in different styles and contexts. Metal allows us to combine these thoughts and
ideas creatively to form what we do. I guess it’s also an undying love for a genre of music that we want the world to accept more.
Are there any plans to take Nephelium on the road - should the demand arise?
Absolutely! We have a few things to finalize and take care of before we hit the road next year but be sure to check our social
networks like Facebook, Twitter, ReverbNation and MySpace for upcoming shown in and around your area.
Something we ask all bands whom call Canada home...How do you find the Metal scene in Canada?
The metal scene in Canada is very inspiring and supportive. It’s the little things that make the difference; like the fact that a fan has
the drive to help local artists by opening up a little distribution company or a little label – that says a lot! We never had that back
home, which is why small things like that make us eager and happy to see. People have a true love for metal here and they are an
integral component of the blood that keeps Nephelium running.
Any last words? They are all yours...
We always like to take any opportunity we get to thank our fans, friends and family around the world for their endless love and
support. Oh and one more thing to younger and upcoming bands and musicians…never EVER give up!
WEB: http://www.facebook/nephelium
