Review Fix Exclusive: Black Space Riders Talk ‘’Refugeeum’

Review Fix chats with The Black Space Riders, JE (vocals, guitar, organ) SEB (vocals) and C.RIP (drums, percussion), who discuss their new EP, “Refugeeum,” as well as their influences and goals for the future. A band fronted by two charismatic vocalists, the band’s sound is certainly unique.

Review Fix: What was the creative process like for this album?

C.RIP: It was open-minded as always when we are in a creative process. The way we played together after the studio time for our 3rd album D:REI had changed, ears seemed more open- more awareness, more experience in the band. We started in the late summer of 2014 with jamming and recording those jams in the rehearsal room. JE brought in some riffs, SLI (guitar) and me worked on some of my ideas. On the album are songs with very different approaches. For example: “vortex sun” and “melek´s lament” are based on jams, “universal bloodlines” and “born a lion” are based on JE´s riff-ideas, “come with us” developed from an idea I brought in and even if the approach and root of the songs differs the outcome is always “BSR.” The band has it´s own sound, it´s own groove. In the beginning of 2015 we had ideas for about 20 songs, decided to pick 14 of them to work them out more seriously. This means listening, arranging, hearing again, maybe re-arranging, working on the vocal-lines, guitar-sounds, drum-grooves and breaks. We were well prepared for the studio.

Review Fix: How is it different from your other work?

C.RIP: When we started songwriting this time we didn´t have any “old” ideas left. We started with nothing, all ideas were fresh. Maybe this is the reason for the flow of the album. Another new thing: two songs were written based on a drumbeat.

SEB:  REFUGEEUM is, for the third time in succession, not a follow-up but a really new BSR-album. That means, that we still act as open minded as in the very first hours of the band.

JE: We developed. Still the same band, but with a further progress in songwriting, sound, attitude and profoundness, both musically and lyrically. I wouldn´t call it a political album, but we are definitely taking a stance.

Review Fix: Is it hard to have two frontmen? Why do you think you guys get it to work so well?

SEB: For the other band members? Certainly, ha-ha, for ourselves not at all. When I joined the band in 2012, no one knew how interaction and drive would develop between JE and me.

We just did and do, what we think and feel that it has to be done – it works. We’ve got a similar broad spectrum of how we let our voices sound – but I think, the expression in our voices is quite different. And maybe that’s why we don’t compete but instead complement each other.

JE: I absolutely agree. And because I don´t have the feeling that we compete and because SEB is a great guy, trying to integrate and to supplement, always taking care not to push others, away I manage to recline and to put my big frontman-ego aside and to give him room and space.

Review Fix: What song on the album do you think is the most indicative of your sound?

C.RIP: Is there anyone out there? As usual for an BSR-album (for me) – there isn´t this one song. They are in a way so different (every song stands for itself) and still there is this flow, this “all songs works together.”

SEB: For me it changes twice a week – and so I agree with C.RIP.

JE: Please listen to the album. Not to single songs.

Review Fix: Bottom Line, why should someone check out this album?

JE: REFUGEEUM sounds great, has something to say, is moving, and also great to listen to.

Review Fix: What’s the band’s goals for the rest of this year?

JE: I hope and believe that the album will be as well or even better received than the albums before. We will play some release shows and book a tour. I hope that people will be moved and touched by our music, that we are able to take them on a trip and at the same time make them think about what could be right and what could be wrong.

Review Fix: What’s next?

JE: We will finalize some songs from the recording session for the album that we have kept back to release them later, probably in the beginning of 2016. Colourful songs, some of them very different to what we have done before. Lyrically they are all about the refugee topic as well. So we have the idea of releasing a follow-up-EP, a continuation of REFUGEEUM.