Was there any special process with which you wrote these tracks?
Eugene: Yeah, we’re a bit more synth-driven. [We] got some new toys in the studio so that’s cool. We did some sampling with voice and stuff like that, stuff that’s happening in the world. In terms of the sound, we also listen to a lot of tracks and pointed out, “Ah, we like this kick, we like this snare, we like the sound here and [look] what they’re doing here.” But the coolest achievement for me and Ewald [Jansen van Rensburg, guitarist], I think, was the fact that we [aimed to] create these empty spaces, focus on the vocals and let it be centre stage, but it’s always hard especially if you haven’t got a billion dollars [worth] of equipment like overseas. But luckily we’ve managed, and Ewald also did a great job with the mixing. But it terms of the arrangement, we created empty spaces for the lyrics to shine through and for the melodies and the vocals, so I think that’s cool in terms of production.
What was the recording process like?
Eugene: [It] was more fluid this time. The previous songs were a nightmare from the start because we had to get aligned and we had different ideas of some things but we were [also] in line with some others. But I think we just got used to each other’s method of working so we give each other space but the moment you work together you also know what strength to focus on and we become a powerful team, so that’s cool.
Deon: A lot less arguing and debating and fighting and a lot less band psychologists. Hopefully it’s not a calm before the storm.
What was the most memorable part of the recording process?
Eugene: I think it’s always when we listen to the songs together for the first time and it’s finished, we sit there and experience and think, “We did this. This is amazing.” I think that’s cool.
What has the response to the original Negatives album been like?
Deon: Especially talking about the new stuff, like “Hush”, it was amazing. It’s actually been one of our best songs if you judge how it did on radio. So it’s been really good and I think what’s good is people hear the golden thread of what MonArk is [about] in the music and even if … little things change. [They] can recognise MonArk in there and that’s really cool. It’s been really positive and I think that’s also why we decided on releasing the deluxe album again … because the response is so positive and we just feel like there’s still a lot of life left in it.
What kind of response do you think the deluxe album will receive?
Eugene: Interesting, the trend now is to release EPs… rather play it safe and do three [or] four track things or only singles because the market is very singles-driven. People may release singles on iTunes as well. People buy singles more easily than they would go buy an album. So it’s going to be interesting to see what the responses are because we don’t know, and it’ll be interesting to hear their comments on the older tracks, some of the remixes we did, and there’s a cover on there as well – Justin Timberlake. So we’re anxiously waiting for what the response is going to be like.
What can we expect next from MonArk?
Deon: Well, more of what you’re hearing from these songs we’ve released now, like “Falling”, our last single. We’ve just released it. So, definitely [more of that sound]. Hopefully, [honesty] in the lyrics and melodies and something people can relate [to]. In terms of where we’re heading, we’re definitely planning some international stuff, so we’ll see how that goes, but we definitely think the fans will support us in [that].
Image: Waldo Pretorius
