宿主 - 英国实验金属乐队Khost专访

今天采访到的是来自英国的实验金属乐队Khost，2014年成立的khost乐队只有两名成员AS和DB，在成立不久之后乐队录制一些带有脓肿实验室的色彩的歌曲并且邮寄给了Cold Spring，当Cold Spring听完Khost的作品之后随即联系到了乐队的AS想为他发行一张完整的专辑，同时Khost也接受到了现场演出的邀请，随后乐队的另外一名成员DB加入乐队了，Khost乐队的作品给我留下了深刻的印象，噩梦般的现场，标志性的去音吉他，缓慢的打击乐，冷酷的氛围。此外，你的歌曲中还出现了强烈的实验色彩、极端刺耳的电子音乐以及朋克/工业节奏。可以感受到了Khost乐队风格不受任何的限制，同时也可以看到Khost乐队受到了很多风格的影响，在前不久我与Khost取得联系进行了一次专访！

（V: 代表笔者 D: 代表DB A: 代表AS）

Today's interview is with UK experimental metal band Khost, formed in 2014 with just two members, AS and DB, the band recorded some songs with a pusillanimous lab feel and mailed them to Cold Spring, who contacted AS to release a full length album. I was very impressed with Khost's work, the nightmarish live shows, the signature de-tuned guitars, the slow percussion, the chill out vibe. In addition, you have strong experimental overtones, extreme harsh electronics and punk/industrial rhythms in the songs. You can feel that Khost's style is not limited in any way, but you can also see that Khost is influenced by many styles, and I got in touch with Khost for an interview not long ago!

(V: for the author D: for DB A: for AS)

采访对象：DB，AS（Khost乐队所有成员）

采访时间：2024.09.17

V: 你好兄弟很高兴见到你，也感谢你参加这次采访。我想这是你们乐队第一次接受中国杂志的采访。首先向所有中国的歌迷问好。Khost乐队是哪一年成立的？是谁提议组建这个乐队的？Khost这个名字的含义是什么？

Hello, brother. It's nice to meet you and thank you for participating in this interview. I think this is the first time that your band has been interviewed by a Chinese magazine. First of all, I would like to say hello to all the fans in China. In which year was Khost founded? Who proposed to form this band? What is the meaning of the name Khost?

D: 你好！很高兴和你交谈

Hello, it's great to speak to you.

A: 嗨，很高兴见到你。Khost大约始于2014年，我录制了一些实验性的曲目并把它们放到了 Bandcamp上。一个共同的朋友把它们寄给了Cold Spring，然后他们就联系我说要做一张专辑。这让我有了现场演出的机会，于是我立刻想到了达米安来完善Khost的阵容。我当时正在阅读一本详细介绍中情局在阿富汗行动的书，书中提到了Khost市。我觉得这个名字非常令人回味，但又不具体。

Hey, great to meet you. Khost started sometime around 2014. I recorded a couple of experimental tracks and put them up on Bandcamp. A mutual friend sent them to Cold Spring and they got in touch about doing an album. This led to offers of live shows so I immediately thought of Damian to complete the Khost line up. I was reading a book detailing CIA involvement in Afghanistan and the city of Khost was mentioned. I thought the name was very evocative in a non-specific way.

V: 你们乐队只有两名成员，但你们都拥有丰富的极端金属创作经验。能介绍一下你们的创作过程吗？

There are only two members in your band, and you both have a lot of experience in creating extreme metal. Can you introduce your creative process?

D: 很多想法都是在白天或晚上最不经意的时候产生的。就我而言我可能会听到一些错误的声音--可能是电视里的声音，也可能是其他房间里的声音。也可能是对另一首歌的重新想象；也许我多年前写了一首歌或一个想法，后来对它进行了反思并将它带入了不同的领域。这是没有限制的。还有的时候一个想法出现了，我就对着听写器说出来或哼出来，然后再学习。很多时候，这种情况发生在晚上或户外。我也喜欢排练室，那里有音箱和鼓架或者用扩音器播放鼓机然后一起演奏。很多想法都来自于此。

Many thoughts come in times of the day or night when least expect. For my part, I may hear something incorrectly - it could be off the TV, or from some other room, and I wonder what would happen if I recreated it, the actual thing I misheard. Or it could be from re-imagining another song; maybe maybe I wrote a song or idea many years ago and later reflect on it and look take it into different territories. There's no limit to that. Other times an idea comes and I speak it or hum it into the dictaphone and then learn it later. Many times this happens at night, or when outdoors. I also love rehearsal rooms, where you have an amp and a drumkit. Or if you run a drum machine through an amplifier and play along with it. Many ideas come from that.

A: 我可能会听到一句歌词，然后看看是否能围绕它进行创作，加入节拍和吉他。也可能是一种噪音，我开始处理它，让它变得有节奏或者在看一部老电影的VHS录像带时，声音开始扭曲和闪烁，从而产生新的想法。

I might hear a vocal line and see if I can work around it, adding beats, guitar. Or it might be a noise that I start manipulating that becomes rhythmic. Or watching an old film on a very worn VHS copy, the sounds start to warp and glitch leading to new ideas.

V: 你们乐队的录音非常出色，你们的专辑是在哪个录音室录制的？哪位制作人制作了你们的专辑？你们即将发行一张新专辑，新专辑的录制过程如何？

Your band's recordings are excellent. In which studio did you record your albums? Which producer produced your albums? You are about to release a new album. How was the recording process for the new album?

D: 曲目是在我们之间、我们认识的其他人之间以及与我们合作的其他人之间演变的。我们只是静静地去做，真的。新专辑真的是慢慢成型的。

The tracks evolve between us, and with other people we know and with which we work. We just go quietly about it, really. The new album really took shape over time.

A: 它们并不是专门录制的，所有的部分都来自不同时期录制的不同素材，相互叠加，然后再叠加。新专辑有很多不同的风格，从口语、噪音、氛围到金属。我喜欢把这张专辑想象成一种体验，就像在一个你从未去过的城市的郊区--边缘地带，在夜色中漫步。这里没有太多的灯光，火车从远处驶过，谈话声从耳边飘过。

They’re not recorded anywhere specifically, all the parts come from different sources recorded at different times, layered over each other then layered again. There’s a lot of different styles on the new album ranging from spoken word to noise to ambience to metal. I like to think of the album as an experience akin to wandering round the outskirts of a city you’ve never visited before, the edgelands, at night. There’s not a lot of lighting, trains pass by in the distance, conversations drift by.

V: 你们乐队的Logo设计精美，精致简洁，谁为你们设计的？你们的专辑封面也非常独特，谁为你们设计的？

Your band's logo is beautifully designed, with a sophisticated simplicity. Who designed it for you? Your album artwork is also very unique. Who designed it for you?

D: Logo是Dan Conway设计的。他是一位出色的平面艺术家，多年来他与一些非常出色的现场演出（如Gazelle Twin）合作，制作现场视觉效果。

The logo was done by Dan Conway. He is a great graphic artist, and over the years he works with some really incredible live acts - such as Gazelle Twin - on live visuals.

A: Damian和与Cold Spring紧密合作的Abby也做了很多艺术工作。我喜欢Dan的Logo，它可以倒过来读，读起来还是一样。

Damian does a lot of the artwork as does Abby who works closely with Cold Spring. I love that Dan’s logo can be turned upside down and it still reads the same.

V: 你们音乐的主题是什么？为什么选择这个主题？你想通过这个主题表达什么？你写歌词吗？这些歌词是谁写的？

What is the theme of your music? Why did you choose this theme? What do you want to express through this theme? Do you write lyrics? Who wrote these lyrics and what did they get their inspiration from?

D: 主题是相当难以捉摸的，它们会随着时间的推移而变化......它们会改变，也会恶化，这是另一个阶段。想象一下：如果你想象一个大型研究设施，它是为了某种特殊目的而建造的，但随着时间的推移，一切都变了......它被大自然开垦了。人们看着它，想知道在那里工作过的每个人都发生了什么，他们后来怎么样了，他们当时所尊重的标准和程序是保持不变还是逐渐消失了？时间流逝所产生的这种粉碎性影响，在写作时肯定会引起人们的兴趣。

Themes are quite elusive, and they shift over time... they change, they also deteriorate, which is another phase. A mental image: if you imagine a large research facility which is built for some distinct purpose, and then over time things change... it's reclaimed by nature. People look at it and wonder what happened to everyone who worked there, what became of them, and did the standards and procedures that they respected at the time stay the same or did they fade away? That pulverising effect of time passing is definitely of interest when it comes to writing.

A: 我喜欢把曲目想象成一盘被反复录制的老式录像带，磁带越来越老，也越来越不连贯，也许会有以前录音的痕迹渗入其中。有些录音是彩色的，有些则是黑白的，声音变得紧张而杂乱。歌词大多是意识流，几乎就像自动写作，灵感来自Austin Osman Spare。另一方面，新专辑中的一首歌"Apotropiac"的歌词则是制作女巫瓶的具体说明。

I like to think of the tracks as an old VHS cassette that has been recorded on over and over again. The tape is getting older and inconsistent and there’s maybe hints of previous recordings just seeping through. Some of the recordings are in colour, some black and white, the sound is getting strained and glitchy. The lyrics are mostly stream of consciousness, almost like automatic writing very much inspired by Austin Osman Spare. On the other hand, the lyrics to ‘Apotropiac’, which is a track on the new album, are specific instructions for making a Witch Bottle.

V: 你是自己发行专辑，还是选择与正规厂牌合作发行？你们的新专辑将由哪个厂牌发行？

Do you release your albums by yourself or do you choose to release them with a regular label? Which label are you going to release your new album on?

A: 我们自己发行过几盘磁带、一张CDr和一个U盘，但正规专辑的发行由Cold Spring负责。

We’ve self-released a couple of tapes, a CDr and a USB stick but Cold Spring handle the regular album releases.

V: 首先祝贺你的新专辑在今年面世。你的作品给我留下了深刻的印象，噩梦般的现场，标志性的去音吉他，缓慢的打击乐，冷酷的氛围。此外，你的歌曲中还出现了强烈的实验色彩、极端刺耳的电子音乐以及punk/industrial节奏。这些元素为你的作品增色不少。您如何看待自己的作品？新专辑与旧专辑相比有什么变化吗？

First of all, congratulations on your new album coming out this year. I am deeply impressed by your work, the nightmare-like field, the iconic detuned guitar, slow percussion, and the cold atmosphere. There is also a strong experimental color, extreme and harsh electronic music, and punk/industrial rhythms also appear in your songs. These elements add a lot of color to your work. What do you think of your work? Are there any changes in the new album compared to the old album?

D: 我想说的是：你刚才在问题中给出的这个总结真的很棒...... 噩梦般的领域"。我会为这句话思考好几个小时。你也提到了一个事实：是的，这张专辑有一些不同的曲风，比如如“Face"和"Transfixed"，我们想转向Post Punk风格，因为我们就是在那个时代发展起来的。我们希望通过大型扩声系统、大型扬声器来聆听这些曲目。不过，总有一些曲目偏离了主吉他曲目，前几张专辑中就有一些这样的例子。我们还探索了很多口语，看看如何与吉他和贝司融合；"Buried Steel"专辑中的 “Night Air ”就是一个例子。在“Buried Steel”专辑中的“Yellow Light”一曲中，我们与Stephen Mallinder进行了深入的合作，在这张新专辑中，这首歌曲也有了不同的处理方式/版本。

I want to say that: this summary you have just given in the question is really great... 'the nightmare-like field'. I will be thinking about that phrase for hours. You have also touched upon the fact that yes: there are some diversions on this album, and with tracks like 'Face' and 'Transfixed' for example, we wanted to divert to a post punk sound as that is an era in which we evolved, very much. The tracks are meant to be heard through a big PA system, big speakers. Having said that, there were always tracks that diverted from the 'main' guitar tracks, and there's some examples to be found on the previous albums. We have also explored a lot of spoken word, to see how it merges with guitar and bass; an example being 'Night Air' from the 'Buried Steel' album. On the track 'Yellow Light' from 'Buried Steel' we worked quite intensively with Stephen Mallinder, and there also is a different approach/version to that track on this new album.

V: 你参加过哪些音乐节，哪些音乐节给你留下了深刻的印象？能否描述一下当时的气氛？你计划在2024年参加哪些音乐节？能向大家透露一些信息吗？

Which music festivals have you attended and which ones left a deep impression on you? Can you describe the atmosphere at the time? Which music festivals are you planning to attend in 2024? Can you reveal some information to everyone?

D: 我想说说Khost参加过的一些音乐节，例如在捷克共和国的Brutal Assault，我们在一个很棒的室内空间演出，气氛很好。在波兰的弗罗茨瓦夫，我们也参加了一个叫做Into The Abyss的很棒的音乐节，那里的灯光师和我们配合得非常默契，为我们带来了一场密集、闪烁的视觉盛宴。我们在舞台上还使用了投影仪，所以它是多层次的。我希望我们能一直这样做。我们还在比利时参加了一个令人难忘的音乐节，是我们的朋友Denis Halleux组织的。那是在一个巨大的堡垒里。

I wanted to mention some of the festivals khost have played, for example: Brutal Assault in Czech Republic, where we played in a great indoor space, with good atmosphere. Also in Poland, Wrocław, we played a great festival called Into The Abyss, where the lighting person really really worked totally in sync with us to bring a dense, glitching visual show. We use a projector on stage too, so it was multi-layered. I wish we could do that all the time. We also played such a memorable festival in Belgium, which was organised by our friend Denis Halleux. It was in a huge fortress.

A: 几年前的冷泉全天演出也很棒。我们为Sutcliffe Jugend提供了支持，还和一些很棒的人在一起。我们今年没有音乐节计划，但明年应该会有一些有趣的活动。

The Cold Spring all dayer from a few years back was great too. We got to support Sutcliffe Jugend and spend time with some great people. We’ve got no festival plans for this year but we should have some interesting dates next year all being well.

V: Khost是一支出色的另类乐队，你们的作品给我留下了深刻的印象。我会一直支持和关注你们的乐队。我也希望通过这次采访，能有更多的中国乐迷关注你们、支持你们、了解你们。最后你有什么想对中国歌迷说的吗？

Khost is an excellent and alternative band. I am deeply impressed by your works. I will always support and follow your band. I also hope that through this interview, more Chinese fans will pay attention to, support and get to know you. In the end, do you have anything you want to say to Chinese fans?

D: 中国音乐--当然也包括很多类型的金属音乐--我一直觉得是不同的、意想不到的声音和氛围的融合和变形。充满了灵性和神秘。我只想说和你谈话真的很棒。

Chinese music - and this includes so many types of metal of course - I always felt was about blending and morphing different, unexpected sounds and atmospheres. Full of spirits and mystery. Just wanted to say. It was really great to speak to you.

A: 非常感谢你的支持。我很高兴我们在中国有一些听众，这对我们意义重大。

Thank you so much for your support. I’m so glad that we have some listeners in China, it means a great deal.