Interview: Mental Architects

Mental Architects are a gem among the huge wave of recently formed instrumental rock bands. Having seen them open for bands like GIAA and Tides from Nebula, their amazing synergy on stage is truly compelling for both the novice, and the adept listener. This is one of those bands that sound just as good live as they do in the studio, and they sure as hell sound awesome. I recently got a chance to chat with them about the latest developments around the band.

 The guys were really nice to gave us 5 download codes for their album. If you want to download Celebrations, use one of those codes and paste it here. First come - first serve!

tbp8-yhs5    jhfy-ehv8    64d3-u5t2    ks4m-ju3h    njs7-6plv

Daniel: For your relatively short history as a band, your sound and ideas have grown tremendously. Could you tell us what pushed you to abandon your metal roots and become an instrumental trio?

Mental Architects: It came be pretty naturally because we started off as an instrumental band, not being able to find a guy who would fit into the whole thing and could actually sing. Vocals always sounded a bit forced and overlooked on our previous stuff because Niki had to sing, so it really was a revelation when we sat down and said, OK we don't have to have vocals and we don't feel like adding them now. Someday probably.

D: The EP you released in 2011 Patience, Communication, Understanding, Go! was the turning point for you guys in terms of sound. Does the name summarize the process of your transformation?

MA: Yes, completely. But still, those are lessons we need to learn and exercise constantly. Those things are a super important part of being in a band and everything else for that matter.

D: Your latest full-length release Celebrations was produced by Aaron Harris (Isis, Palms). How would you describe working with him, and what was his impact on your sound?

MA: It was awesome. He really dedicated a lot of time on the record and we believe he definitely over-delivered, contributing greatly to the overall sound.

D: Will you work with him in the future?

MA: Hopefully. We had an idea of bringing him to Bulgaria to record the next album, but we will see.

D: You guys just released Celebrations on vinyl. Could you tell us more about how that happened?

MA: Subsuburban records is a small label from Denmark who specialize in releasing mathy music on vinyl, they liked the record a lot and really wanted to do Celebrations and that’s basically it. People can check it out here -subsuburban.bandcamp.com as well as the other awesome bands on the label. Special shout out to Town Portal!

D: I really enjoyed the two videos you have released so far, as I understood Niki (bass and synth player for Mental Architects) is heavily involved in the creative process. My question is, when will you release your next video?

MA: NOW! Yeah, on the 5-th of June we’re doing a small promo for the vinyl with some friends at a place in Sofia and there we will show the new video for "Caves Of Keys" which was again shot and edited by Niki.

D: For our readers that haven't listened to you live yet, are you planning any gigs or tour in the near future?

MA: Maybe around autumn, but we're really taking our time on working on the new record, so we can't promise anything, however if we feel like it we might do a show or two.

D: And finally, what have you been listening to lately?

MA: Town Portal, Kylesa, Ultra Electric Mega Galactic & tons of other stuff.

If you want to stay up to date with the latest from the Bulgarian trio, follow them on Facebook or Twitter.