Retrace My Fragments Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new ep?

After we the relase show of Tidal Lock, we went straight back to our practice room to start writing on more new stuff. We won’t be touring the EP or play many shows during the next months, but we progress extremely quick with new stuff, so we will be able to release a new Retrace My Fragments LP in the near future. We also spend some evenings with Marti, our former singer, in order to celebrate his 11 years with Retrace My Fragments. Our release show was also his farewell show.

2.Recently you have released a new ep. how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

I think we would call it Progressive Metal. We will not try to find some niche description, because Prog Metal is what it is. Most of the Death Metal elements are gone, because there are no more vocals. Obviously you can imagine vocals on the record, so you can transform it into a Death Metal, Metalcore or Thrash Metal album with your fantasy. The music is dominated by heavy riffs paired with melodic guitars,and a tricky, yet groovy drum and bass section.

3.All  of the music on the new recording is instrumental, what was the decision behind going into this direction and also will vocals make a return on future releases?

When our singer Marti told us that he would leave the band to pursue his personal dreams and adventures (in which he greatly succeeded 😊), we tried out several new singers. But in the end, it never worked out. We grew tired of this and decided that the best replacement for Marti, was no replacement at all. The songs work well instrumentally and so does the new stuff. Concerning vocals on future releases, I’ll keep it vague and just say: never say never, haha.

4.When you still had vocals what where some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explored with the music?

The last album was a sci-fi concept story, so science fiction was our main inspiration. Our singer Marti had even started to write a whole sci-fi novella, unfortunately he did not manage to finish it (maybe he’ll find some time now). The vocals on Ethereal Flux make little sense if you don’t know the background story, as they are merely excerpts from Marti’s sci-fi novella. So our lyrics were our own sci-fi story.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Retrace my Fragments’?

I wish that I could tell you a great story now about the name, but the fact is that we just thought that it sounded very cool, when we came up with it. That’s it, haha.

6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?

The best shows were the Ethereal Flux release, the Tidal Lock release, the opening slot at Metal Days on the main stage and to be the first band to have played the Luxembourgish Philharmonic Concert Hall. We try to deliver an energetic stage performance, which was largely due to Marti’s presence on stage: he’d climb stuff, throw stuff around, act like crazy. Obviously, we’re in a different situation now and we still have to figure out a way to become entertaining as an instrumental 4-piece now.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?

No, our main objective now is to finish the next album and start recording it. We are obviously always interested in playing shows, especially abroad, but right now our priority is songwriting.

8.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?

We are not actively looking for one as we can record ourselves with a very low budget, we work with a good PR campaign and can manage social media and internet presence ourselves. But if any booker is reading this and wants to work with us for serious touring, feel free to contact us.

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of progressive and extreme metal?

We get good feedback in general, although it is not that much because we lack exposure. Hopefully this will change soon. Our music can be hard to digest so the reactions are mixed: Prog Metal is not everyone’s cup of tea. But we always receive very good feedback from people who are into all kinds of Prog Metal, from Rush,Opeth, Between The Buried and Me or The Facless.

10.What is going on with 'Abstract Rupture' these days, a band that shares a couple of the same members?

As far as I know, they are also writing on new stuff and have been to the studio to record some new songs. They also play shows regularly. Both bands coexist very well, although we share the bassist and one guitarist. We also practice in the same place.

11.When can we expect another full length and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

When is hard to tell, but maybe in a year or two. Right now, I’d say that the new stuff sounds more tricky and groovy than Ethereal Flux. Laserbrain from Tidal Lock is a good example of how new RMF music will sound like. But we are very openminded when it comes to songwriting and incorporating maybe some odd sounding parts to our songs, so there is never a masterplan we follow. But we stay heavy and proggy!

12.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?

Major influences are Between The Buried And Me, Obscura, Nile, The Red Chord, Cephalic Carnage, Opeth, The Dillinger Escape Plan, but also a lot of 80s and 90s stuff, what you could call the classics. Bands we all listen to these days are Leprous, Agent Fresco, Cannibal Corpse, Animals As Leaders, Cult of Luna; that’s bands we all dig. Individually, everyone has loads of stuff he listens to. The musical panoply is huge in Retrace My Fragments.

13.What are some of your non musical interests?

We all have different hobbies. Marc likes bicycling and is a big sci fi geek. Maks does several sports and is also very much into arts and travelling. Alex is into old US cars which he is restoring and is also co-organising Luxembourg’s biggest oldtimer festival. Claude is into video games and weightlifting and is also a history student, so he’s quite a geek about history and languages. And we’re all big foodies, so we regularly meet for band dinners in our favourite restaurants.

14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

Not really, we just wanted to thank you for your interest and the interview. And for those who haven’t heard Tidal Lock yet, go download it for free on bandcamp. See you out there!