GNAW THEIR TONGUES (NED)
"I THINK THE WORLD/PEOPLE ARE REALLY SHIT AND MY MUSIC REFLECTS THAT. IT'S MEANT TO BE UGLY, OPPRESSIVE, DEPRESSIVE, BEAUTIFUL IN ALL IT'S DEPRAVITY, VIOLENT, OUT OF CONTROL"
Written by Dave Waite on Tuesday 15 January, 2008. Last updated on Tuesday 15 January, 2008
It's not often you hear music as nihilistic and misanthropic as Netherlands-based black metal/noise/dark ambient artist Gnaw Their Tongues. As a one man project conceived/formed around 2000-2002 by sound terrorist Moires, this unsettling and often deeply disturbing blend of the extremes defies just about every musical convention, twisting its industrialised black metal body into something that serves to terrify all into bloody submission. With his devastating third full length "Reeking Pained And Shuddering" not long released, I though it about time to speak to Moires about the past, present and future of Gnaw Their Tongues and what it feels like to be a genuine article in the underground.
One of the first striking things about your ‘band’ is your choice of moniker. Can you explain the story behind the name? If my memory serves me correctly, it’s taken from the Book of Revelations isn’t it?
Although i'm not religious in any way, for some time I was kind of obsessed with that bible book. I've been reading a lot of explanations but it still remains some kind of mystery. I just like the sound of the words plus the picture it paints; people gnawing their own tongue because of the pain. I just like the atmosphere of the old testament where god was an entity to be really feared. I mean, if you do not obey he'll send some plagues on your ass! Bye the way according to some, the 'beast' with the number 666 is roman emperor Nero. And it makes sense if you look at the hebrew number/letter systems combined with the time of writing.
"Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl
on the throne of the beast,
and his kingdom became full of darkness;
and they gnawed their tongues because of the pain.
They blasphemed the God of heaven
because of their pains and their sores,
and did not repent of their deeds."
(Rev 16:10-11)
Even though I usually avoid this question, with so little known about the mysterious origins of Gnaw Their Tongues I wondered if you could explain to me just how and perhaps more importantly why you decided to put this project together?
I've been playing in bands since 1988. I've played in several shitty black/death/doom bands. The only worth mentioning in Cauteror and Soulwound. We played some kind of pre-funeral doom in a time when the term 'funeral doom' did not exist. All really slow riff with lllleeenghtyyyy songs and a very, very, very depressing atmosphere. We could have been something but the whole thing fell apart due to general apathy from all the members after several demo's. Around '93/'94 I was becoming more and more bored with the whole metal thing. Black Metal became a trend and all the bands sounded the same. For years I did not listen to metal. I listen(ed) to all kinds of music. For years I made all kinds of music; a lot of breakcore/drum and bass, but still with a very dark touch. Around 2000 I started getting interested in metal again. I was really into "666 International" at that time. But still 99% of all metal stuff sounds the same to me and is really boring. I'm easy bored in general I guess. Around 2002 I started messing about on the computer. Then one night I had a dream (i'm not kidding) about a kind of 'avant' big band/orchestra. With a lot of people producing this kind of imrpov monster with two drummers, 4 basses, a brass section, a string section and a lot of guys/girls screaming their head of. That's what started the whole thing, a dream. It all evolved from there. I just decided to let go, not to have any limitations what so ever. Besides I have to do music, it's a very important part of my life.
What is it that you want to convey through your music? Can you explain to me a little bit about the concept (if any) behind the music and what you want people to experience when listening to it?
Gnaw is generaly about realistic stuff. I think reality is so much darker than any fiction can be. People are really fucked up and shit. I'm not interested in 'fairy' shit and stuff. I think the world/people are really shit and my music reflects that. It's meant to be ugly, oppressive, depressive, beautiful in all it's depravity, violent, out of controle etc. etc. All elements of human nature. I'm endlessly fascinated by human nature and how 'civilisation' crumbles within seconds. 'Civilised' people turn to their true animal state within seconds. All over the world there are examples of 'friendly folk' who turn into mass murderers for what ever reason. What I want to people get out of it? I don't know. Basicly it's pro-animal/anti-human. If people are horrified or scared by the music, that would be great! It's there to be enjoyed in many different ways.
Each release you have spewed forth thus far seems to be very different from one another. What spurs the creative drive for Gnaw Their Tongues both musically and lyrically?
Ah bless the internet, there's so much obscure and fucked up stuff to view and read. I can spend hours exploring the dark corners of the internet and the human psyche. But also the news/television/books what ever. The true ugly aspects of human nature shine through everything so splendidly. That really sparks my creativity. It's also all about letting the subconscious roar in all it's vile depravity. I just let go and watch some of the most fucked up shit rearing it's ugly head.
Your music is incredibly complex with many layers of instruments and a particular fondness for lacquering everything in masses of distortion. Can you tell me about your song writing process and how you manage to create these truly unique sounds with such an intense atmosphere?
I get bored easy. So I try not to make my own music boring. Also i've been doing this for quite some time so I know a thing or two about composition and how to build some tension. I also listen to all kinds of music. Lately to a lot of avant garde/20th century composers; Schnittke/Sjostakovich/Luciano Berio/Bussotti/Varese/Boulez. That shit really give me goose bumps or/and scares me to death. And yes I try to make it as oppressive/intense as possible, that's how I like it to sound. I like things to sound as if there is no more room for any more sounds and yet the sounds keep piling up. Plus I put no limitation on myself in anyway. Metal people always tend to look at metal only and say..oh this band is so radical they got this instrument this kind of structure/rythm or what ever. In the grand scheme of things it doesn't mean shit. There is so much more music, scarier music than metal. I mean some stuff of Coil for example is so much more 'evil' than all black metal combined. Not to mention a thousand times deeper.
As for the writing process; i first try to write/play with my subconcious; not to think just do. Later I organize all the riffs sounds/samples untill it sounds right in my ear. Sometimes 'magic' happens. Often not and I throw away the whole piece. Sometimes I go back to stuff i've done two years ago and change it within 5 m inutes. Sometimes an idea springs in my mind, it can be a riff/melody/structure or a sentence whatever and i'll go from there. Inspiration is a very strange thing. There is a song on the upcoming release "An Epiphanic Vomiting Of Blood" called "The Sewer Rats Of Calcutta" which I did within 10/20 minutes. It all clicked and that's a really nice example of 'stream of conscious/subconscious'. I spend two nights editing the drums/structure, but the basic guitars/bass stuf was done in 20 minutes and i think it's a great 'song'.
I mentioned about your song structuring earlier, which is undoubtedly something that makes you stand out from a lot of bands currently out there at the moment. Through all the layering, screams and deafening distortion you manage to keep everything sounding structured and tight; something that sounds like it has a purpose. Is this something particularly aim for when composing your music?
Yes everyhing has a purpose; to confuse, to build tension, build a bridge, to scare, to lure the lister in whatever. I first have a basic structure, than i'll keep adding stuff. So some noise there, so tension strings there, a horn blast there, some field recording there until it sound right in my ears. I usually have a basic idea which keeps mutating over the course of time. In the end it's all about good music. 'Good' can be: new, extreme, scary, beautiful or just fucked up.
Another great thing about Gnaw Their tongues is when I read reviews no one ever seems to categorise your music into one specific genre, always naming about five different genres that you could belong to but in actually fact don’t at all. This must be refreshing for you as an artist who seemingly strives to be and do something that is extraordinary and out of this world?
I haven't really thought about it really. I really don't care if people are not able to categorise my music. It was never a purpose to make un-catergorisable music. I just make music and this is how it turns out. I see it as a BIG compliment if people think i'm extraordinary and out of this world. And of course i'm trying to create some 'special'. Feed my ego!
What would you say is the best/most accurate description of your music someone has offered you so far?
I don't know, some guy on some website said: "Just disturbing" and I had a big laugh, I like those words. It's really difficult for me to look at gnaw from a distance. gnaw is me i'm gnaw. So when somebody says 'Just disturbing' it's like a wake up call HAHAHA. Like damn, 'normal' people must think i'm really sick or weird. And honestly I really don't care about that. Also the guys from aquarius records (usa) had a really epic review of my stuff, which I like a lot!
What are you personally trying to express through your music? With music this extreme and thought provoking it must offer some sort of cathartic experience for you as the writer?
Some of it is about getting stuff out of my system. Some of it is meant as a wake up call for people. Some of it is just plain Hatred and Anger.
Some of it is just observing stuff that goes on in the world and channeling that through music. For me, music is probably the most important way of communicating with the world. As for a 'cathartic experience', I don't know. I guess in some way it is. Unlike most people; I don't turn away my eyes. I want to see / know everything. Most people are blind to what goes on inside their own mind/outside in the world. I try not to be. I try not to repress whatever thought/emotion. It's all channeled through gnaw their tongues or my other projects.
 Just how much importance do you place in the lyrics to your compositions? Are they as important to you as the overall sound?Lyrics are not that important; just the overall sound/impact of the music. As there is a lot of screaming, no-one will hear/know what the lyrics are about. But i don't really care. People should make up their own mind and take out of the music what they want. Also most the vocals get processed/cut-up/pitched/reversed. Together with the samples they create a 'mystical' aura. I personally get a creative buzz out of the lyrics, but it is not meant for other people.
You seem to place a lot of importance on the artwork to your releases, all of which is done by yourself if I’m correct? Can you tell me something about the art aspect of Gnaw Their tongues and whether these depictions mirror the lyrical approach or the music itself? Or is it a touch of both?
I think art is an important aspect of the whole music experience. It's indeed both a reflection of the lyrics and the music. In my dayjob i'm a graphic designer so yeah I enjoy that part of gnaw also very much. When I started Gnaw I had a pact with myself not to use the usual 'metal' cliches, like skulls, gothic fonts or those awfull photoshop covers you see on most metal albums these days. I like minimal stuff. I think for example the REVENGE art is great (also the music). But I find it hard to stay away from skulls and corpses/and gothic fonts hahahahaha. For the "Dawn Breaks Open Like A Wound That Bleeds Afresh" release I used some cliche unreadable logo as that was a kind of tribute to the tape-trading days of early nineties. But I general is like minimal strong images. I just try to come up with suitable artwork for the releases. If I ever use some gloomy nature pic or trees, you can shoot me! Those are so over-done!
In regards to your past releases, which one in particular do you feel has best summed up your existence so far as Gnaw Their Tongues?
Well that's a little difficult. Seeing my output seems to be very diverse it's hard to pinpoint one that sums up gnaw.
A good starting point would be the free promo "Vominting Helplessly.." which is free to download from the myspace website. That one covers almost the whole spectrum of Gnaw sounds (from blackmetal/funeraldoom/noise and everything in between). Also the "Reeking..." release is pretty diverse in sound. The "Horse Drawn Hearse" EP is a little special to me. That one is the real starting point of the sound I have now. I try to give every release it's own special feeling.
Being an artist that is refreshingly unpredictable in terms of the what we as listeners can expect from you next, can you tell us about the future for Gnaw Their Tongues? Do have a grand plan, so to speak, in mind or is the writing process as unpredictable for you?
No, no grand plans. Just grand music. I like my music loud, offensive, out of control: BIG. I have to do music. The last year was a real high, but I also get lows, where i find other things more interesting; like 'living a little' and not be tied to my computer every fucking day. But I always go back to that mindset where i'll be obsessively composing/playing/mixing for a couple of months in a row.
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