1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the musical project?
I sure can! Crejuvent is my little musical love child that is a direct result of not getting laid in my teenage years coupled with clinical cynicism. It incorporates everything that I love about heavy music into a seamless musical concoction. Being a regular working musician working in different project, I wanted to release my own music without anybody else’s objection to the dumb shit I wanted to do. As of now, the band is only a studio project with myself as the sole member, but who knows what will happen in the future!
2.So far you have released a demo and an ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on both of the recordings and also how do they differ from each other?
The first demo ‘Pretty Demos’ was just that, a small collection of songs I had written and recorded that were just lying around in my laptop. The demos are a bit rudimentary, the tracks differ quite a lot from each other and it sounds a lot less cohesive as a release. But hey, the songs themselves are pretty cool! There are probably more elements of old school death metal in that one as the song writing is a bit less defined, band the recordings are also a bit more raw, mainly due to the fact that I wasn’t as good at producing as I was when I released ‘Time’.
‘Time’ is my first attempt at a solo EP. IT sounds much more cohesive and I feel the whole EP has a more unique feel than ‘Pretty Demos’. It’s somewhat more atmospheric and I toyed around with musical ideas a bit more, I got to do all sorts of dumb shit with it that I didn’t get to do with the demos. The sound is rooted more in progressive death metal and is arguably a bit more melodic, but it’s miles heavier in terms of feeling and intensity. Plus there are samples from Simpsons, which is an element that I feel was extremely lacking in ‘Pretty Demos’.
3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you explore with your music?
Typically, it’ll be some sort of abstract concept, or existential crisis, or even a small narrative that explores the theme. You know, typical depressed teenager sorta stuff. I’m not a very literal lyricist, and I like to mask things in metaphors and allegories, I like to think it allows the listener to make up their own interpretation of the song and ultimately makes them more attached to the songs. Sometimes the lyrics have to be implied rather than expressed, ya know?
4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Crejuvent'?
It has zero meaning. It’s a dumbass word that I made up and decided to use because it had zero results on Google when I looked it up. Plus it’s great when people ask me how to pronounce it cus it’s like “pfft, I don’t know” and people can pronounce it however they want. Plus I’m really shit at coming up with names for songs or bands, like REALLY bad…making up my own word was an easy way for me to skirt from that responsibility
5.Other than a few quests you record most of everything by yourself, are you open to working with a full band or do you prefer to work solo?
Yeah I’d love to, there’s just no available musicians in my are that are open and willing to devote time into my own artistic vision! Which is completely fair enough. Depending on how my finances are in the future, I would definitely consider getting session musicians for recordings, but that’s more of a one-off thing. For this project I definitely prefer writing solo.
6.How are some of the quests that have participated on your recordings?
When ‘Pretty Demos’ was released, I had my friend from university sing on the track Dualism. I knew what I wanted but couldn’t pull it off myself at the time and knew he had the vocals for it and he fucking nailed it! I also wanted a berserk and overkill guitar solo in Projection, so I asked my friend Max (who I’m currently playing bass for in the studio) to go nuts on a guitar solo and he whipped that bad boy out in a second! I enjoy letting people in on these things every now and again, it provides a small break from the monotony and ultimately they bring something to the table that I probably wouldn’t have thought of. Plus I’m an extremely mediocre guitar player at best so, you know.
7.What are some of the best shows that the live band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
So far with Crejuvent I’ve only ever played two shows. One was right after ‘Pretty Demos’ was release and I didn’t really know what to do with myself. There was barely anybody in the crowd and the venue was less than ideal, so my friend ended up giving me a tortilla wrap that I fixed on the microphone, which was humorous but looking back totally made it look like I just wanted a good. Which is sorta true, but not the whole truth. The second show I did was the year after that and it went off great! Given that it’s just me on stage playing bass and singing to backing tracks, people absolutely loved it for what it was. I really try to go all out on stage, cus nobody wants to see some asshole playing guitar or whatever standing awkwardly, people come to see a show and be entertained! I’ve injured myself so many times on stage and at almost every gig I end up jumping around so much I almost puke, it’s great, it’s intense.
8.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
Not much is going on at the moment really, I wanted to wait and see how the release for this EP goes first and then get on that gigging horse.
9.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
Well of course I’d be interested. I’m not actively looking or anything just yet, but I’m keeping my eyes peeled. I’ve had a few small independent labels approach me on Facebook, but they usually seemed like they just copy and paste their messages to bands so I never really pursued them. If a label, no matter how small, is GENUINALLY interested then they’ll be willing to write to me personally. I wouldn’t want to sign with someone who doesn’t really give a shit.
10.When can we expect a full length and also where do you see yourself heading into as a musician in the future?
No full length yet. I’m considering doing a single in these next few months, but since I’m already really busy with my other bands who knows what will happen. I got a few tracks already written, it’d be just a matter of reworking them, re-recording them, getting artwork, doing some PR…see, it’s not as easy and quick as it seems!
11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
Main influence for Crejuvent is by far Strapping Young Lad. It’s their intensity, sarcastic layers, and production that I really fell in love with. Fear Factory have also been a big influence, especially in terms of adding synths and industrial elements. That said, I’m big on my progressive death metal, bands such as Beyond Creation, Cynic, Obscura, to name a few, have been huge influences on my bass playing and songwriting. Nowadays I’m listening to metal a bit less and more to whatever Spotify chooses for me, from Toto to Leprous and anything in between.
12.What are some of your non musical interests?
Eating, Rick and Morty, bouldering, and World of Warcraft. And plenty of sitting. I love sitting down.
13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
I’m going to assume you mean final words for this interview and not final words for like…life. Because that’d be nuts.
All I wanna say is go and check out Crejuvent’s ‘Time’ EP out now and get ready for the most sexually arousing listening experience of your life BAR NONE. It’s out everywhere, on Spotify, iTunes, Google Play, all of it!
I sure can! Crejuvent is my little musical love child that is a direct result of not getting laid in my teenage years coupled with clinical cynicism. It incorporates everything that I love about heavy music into a seamless musical concoction. Being a regular working musician working in different project, I wanted to release my own music without anybody else’s objection to the dumb shit I wanted to do. As of now, the band is only a studio project with myself as the sole member, but who knows what will happen in the future!
2.So far you have released a demo and an ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on both of the recordings and also how do they differ from each other?
The first demo ‘Pretty Demos’ was just that, a small collection of songs I had written and recorded that were just lying around in my laptop. The demos are a bit rudimentary, the tracks differ quite a lot from each other and it sounds a lot less cohesive as a release. But hey, the songs themselves are pretty cool! There are probably more elements of old school death metal in that one as the song writing is a bit less defined, band the recordings are also a bit more raw, mainly due to the fact that I wasn’t as good at producing as I was when I released ‘Time’.
‘Time’ is my first attempt at a solo EP. IT sounds much more cohesive and I feel the whole EP has a more unique feel than ‘Pretty Demos’. It’s somewhat more atmospheric and I toyed around with musical ideas a bit more, I got to do all sorts of dumb shit with it that I didn’t get to do with the demos. The sound is rooted more in progressive death metal and is arguably a bit more melodic, but it’s miles heavier in terms of feeling and intensity. Plus there are samples from Simpsons, which is an element that I feel was extremely lacking in ‘Pretty Demos’.
3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you explore with your music?
Typically, it’ll be some sort of abstract concept, or existential crisis, or even a small narrative that explores the theme. You know, typical depressed teenager sorta stuff. I’m not a very literal lyricist, and I like to mask things in metaphors and allegories, I like to think it allows the listener to make up their own interpretation of the song and ultimately makes them more attached to the songs. Sometimes the lyrics have to be implied rather than expressed, ya know?
4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Crejuvent'?
It has zero meaning. It’s a dumbass word that I made up and decided to use because it had zero results on Google when I looked it up. Plus it’s great when people ask me how to pronounce it cus it’s like “pfft, I don’t know” and people can pronounce it however they want. Plus I’m really shit at coming up with names for songs or bands, like REALLY bad…making up my own word was an easy way for me to skirt from that responsibility
5.Other than a few quests you record most of everything by yourself, are you open to working with a full band or do you prefer to work solo?
Yeah I’d love to, there’s just no available musicians in my are that are open and willing to devote time into my own artistic vision! Which is completely fair enough. Depending on how my finances are in the future, I would definitely consider getting session musicians for recordings, but that’s more of a one-off thing. For this project I definitely prefer writing solo.
6.How are some of the quests that have participated on your recordings?
When ‘Pretty Demos’ was released, I had my friend from university sing on the track Dualism. I knew what I wanted but couldn’t pull it off myself at the time and knew he had the vocals for it and he fucking nailed it! I also wanted a berserk and overkill guitar solo in Projection, so I asked my friend Max (who I’m currently playing bass for in the studio) to go nuts on a guitar solo and he whipped that bad boy out in a second! I enjoy letting people in on these things every now and again, it provides a small break from the monotony and ultimately they bring something to the table that I probably wouldn’t have thought of. Plus I’m an extremely mediocre guitar player at best so, you know.
7.What are some of the best shows that the live band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
So far with Crejuvent I’ve only ever played two shows. One was right after ‘Pretty Demos’ was release and I didn’t really know what to do with myself. There was barely anybody in the crowd and the venue was less than ideal, so my friend ended up giving me a tortilla wrap that I fixed on the microphone, which was humorous but looking back totally made it look like I just wanted a good. Which is sorta true, but not the whole truth. The second show I did was the year after that and it went off great! Given that it’s just me on stage playing bass and singing to backing tracks, people absolutely loved it for what it was. I really try to go all out on stage, cus nobody wants to see some asshole playing guitar or whatever standing awkwardly, people come to see a show and be entertained! I’ve injured myself so many times on stage and at almost every gig I end up jumping around so much I almost puke, it’s great, it’s intense.
8.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
Not much is going on at the moment really, I wanted to wait and see how the release for this EP goes first and then get on that gigging horse.
9.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
Well of course I’d be interested. I’m not actively looking or anything just yet, but I’m keeping my eyes peeled. I’ve had a few small independent labels approach me on Facebook, but they usually seemed like they just copy and paste their messages to bands so I never really pursued them. If a label, no matter how small, is GENUINALLY interested then they’ll be willing to write to me personally. I wouldn’t want to sign with someone who doesn’t really give a shit.
10.When can we expect a full length and also where do you see yourself heading into as a musician in the future?
No full length yet. I’m considering doing a single in these next few months, but since I’m already really busy with my other bands who knows what will happen. I got a few tracks already written, it’d be just a matter of reworking them, re-recording them, getting artwork, doing some PR…see, it’s not as easy and quick as it seems!
11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
Main influence for Crejuvent is by far Strapping Young Lad. It’s their intensity, sarcastic layers, and production that I really fell in love with. Fear Factory have also been a big influence, especially in terms of adding synths and industrial elements. That said, I’m big on my progressive death metal, bands such as Beyond Creation, Cynic, Obscura, to name a few, have been huge influences on my bass playing and songwriting. Nowadays I’m listening to metal a bit less and more to whatever Spotify chooses for me, from Toto to Leprous and anything in between.
12.What are some of your non musical interests?
Eating, Rick and Morty, bouldering, and World of Warcraft. And plenty of sitting. I love sitting down.
13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
I’m going to assume you mean final words for this interview and not final words for like…life. Because that’d be nuts.
All I wanna say is go and check out Crejuvent’s ‘Time’ EP out now and get ready for the most sexually arousing listening experience of your life BAR NONE. It’s out everywhere, on Spotify, iTunes, Google Play, all of it!
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