The mixing worlds of Whourkr

interview with whourkr

What is the origin of your name and what it means WHOURKR?
The name Whourkr was created after a long talking like prehistoric human being with Laurent, the first singer. We noticed afterward that this sound "Whourkr" was appearing quite often and it actually sounds primitive. No real signification, it's like the language of the body, there is no intellectual thing in it, just a primitive sound to let speak the instinct without the brain.

In the beginning WHOURKR was a band of Death Metal but shortly after the band change its sound. What was the reason to change the musical style of the band?
The Death-Metal stuff was the base for us, not the aim, when we got the "material" then we started to cut it up, break it, and make it as we felt, which means, more electronic, brutal, cold and sharp.


Some people says that WHOURKR plays electronic grindcore, breakcore mixed with industrial, death metal with electronic influences... How would you describe your style of music?
That's a good question, it's always hard to have a global point of view of your music when you are inside. I'd say that Whourkr is just a place where your brain is totally exploding, but if you want terms, I think Cyber-Grind or Brutal Breakcore would be the best lol


Your songs are a mix of metal, electronic and other elements, what are your influences and what musical styles or bands do you listen usually?
Actually I’m listening to a lot of things, like baroque music, traditional Balkan or true black metal, it is changing a lot, following my feelings. My music as Igorrr is a mix between everything of this, more than Whourkr which is more focus on 2 genres, Metal and Breakcore.


On your works we can find some song more dark and ambient than the rest of the songs. Are you thinking about making an album or EP full of this kind of songs?
I don't think so, maybe it will come one day when I’ll get wise, but I feel that I still have some way to get through the more explosive music before feeling myself at the right place with a ambient album.
I like it as a breathing on an album, like one track which is making the next one even more brutal, but I don't think that making a full album in this mood would be a fulfillment for me.


As your music, the name of the songs and the cover of your works are a bit strange (lol). What are you thinking when you compose the songs and what do you want to express with your works?
It depends if you are speaking about Whourkr or Igorrr lol
With Igorrr, it just sounds logical for me, I mean, the names, the covers and everything, all sounds logical and in the same mood, and to reply to your question, I have no clue how to explain with real words what I want to express! I guess that's why I’m spending so much time on my tracks, to be able to express what I cannot do with real words.
I think, listen to the track "Absolute Psalm", from my forthcoming Igorrr album "Hallelujah", and you'll probably get what I mean lol


For you, what is the most difficult part, conceive the songs or mix all the elements that make up each song?
It's really connected actually, because mixing the elements is a big part of the conception, I mean, every feeling, every mood and every sound should be at the exact right place.
It's taking a lot of time, and I think the most difficult finally, is to make your idea at first becoming a reality. When I get the idea of my track with Igorrr or Whourkr, it's like I’m taking a picture of my brain, and it is the fact to build this idea perfectly which is the hardest part.


Öxxö Xööx was the first vocalist of the band and he left the band after the launch of "Naät" but he is a guest in your works. What's the reason to not become a permanent member of the band?
Laurent (Öxxö Xööx) is singing on all the albums in Whourkr and Igorrr, but he has his own project as well, Öxxö Xööx, and it takes him a lot of time, he is not able anymore to work on more bands like he use to do. We still want to work together, and the way we found is that I’m a part of Öxxö Xööx, working on it as he is doing on Igorrr and Whourkr.


Mulk was incorporated in 2011 to the band, but we can feel his touch  in "4247 snare drums". How was the process of composition of this album and in what measure intervened Mulk?
Mulk brings his touch on many points on this release, first by his amazing voice, but also, 4247 snare drums is the first album with a Bass and a Saxophone.
The process of composition and recording with Whourkr was a bit similar to the previous album, I mean, I’m doing the instrumentals, I’m sending the tracks to him, and he is doing the test for the voice, the bass and the saxophone, then starts really long sharing of ideas and experimentations between each other.
When we feel that it's corresponding completely with our mind, then start the recording, this time we did it at Improve Tone Studio and I did the mix and the mastering at the same studio.


We saw on your site the video "Arithmetic Punishment" and it looks impressive and brutal both musically and visually. It's difficult to mix in your shows all the elements (vocals, recorded sounds, guitars, effects...) to make your songs sound live as well as in study?
Actually, not that much, we are playing the tracks like a "normal" death metal band, we just have each of us, one more instrument which is the machine, each sound we are producing, the guitar, the voice or the saxophone are getting through these machines and are recalculated like on the CD. The effects and the cut are the same, but on real time.


The people who go to your concerts are more metalheads, fans of electronic music or both? Do you think that the fans of both “worlds” like the final result?
I would love the things to be like that :) The reality is a bit different as Whourkr is bringing much more metal heads than electronic bald heads. With Igorrr it's a bit different as I see more Electronic heads, even the mix is more visible then.


“4247 Snare drums” is a very complex album and I am sure that you worked very hard to get the impressive album that we hear now. How many time did you used to complete it?
From the time we started the album until we got it in our hands, it was about 2 years of experimentations and recordings. It was intensive work and deep researches for me and Mulk, but we really got something we are really happy ! The result is exactly like we wanted at the beginning.


What has welcomed people “4247 Snare drums”? Are you happy with the sales of this album?
I've no clue about the exact sales of the album, the aim was somewhere different. I guess, to sell an album, we should do different music lol
It's always hard to sell a release like that, our label Ad Noiseam is quite brave! The only thing I can say is that this music can look chaotic at first, and most of people don't want to dig it, which makes the work of promotion really hard! Even my mom who is usually finding a way to say something positive about my music is saying for this album that it is too noisy for her.


Would you like to add something to conclude the interview?
Yes I would like to add a lot of things but Laurent, from Öxxö Xööx is waiting for me to go to the swimming pool, and I got his bathing cap, so I have to go!


Thank you very much for answering to our questions and good luck with the band and your projects.
Thanks to you man!


Interviewer: Hijo del Dolor
Oct 4, 2012

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