Farkas Zoltan

Ektomorf

Ektomorf is a really cool Heavy / neo-Thrash Metal band from Hungary. They have been around the Heavy Metal block for quite a long time now but maybe they are not so extremely well known in our a few countries (like mine)! Our ears and brains still echo really hard from their last live appearance with Kreator but they echo even harder from their last album, Instinct! Here is a chat we had with their singer, the mighty Zoli [Farkas Zoltan], who explains everything about his songwriting - and not only - instincts and feelings!

By Panagiotis Koutsompogeras

• May 8, 2005

Hello Zoli and congratulations for your new album Instinct! Since we are an online magazine we have to ask you this. What is your relationship with the Internet and what do you think about it as a way of communication?

Hey! First of all I'm happy we're doing this interview, 'cause this is the first Greek Ektomorf interview! I like the internet! It's so cool, cause with internet there is no distance anymore!

Even though I am not totally into this style of music you've really managed to impress me and I think that the same thing happened with many other listeners all over the world! So, what do you think that the general opinion of the people towards your record was?

Thank you very much! I'm happy that you like the new album! We got a lot of positive reactions, which is really cool, that we have fans all over the world: Europe, Asia, Australia, U.S.A., Brasil, Russia, Japan, it's unbelievable! We never expected it!

Do you enjoy touring? How hard is life on the road and how can a balanced man keep the right attitude and combine a musical career and a warm and healthy family?

Well, we have no families yet, so we can tour whenever we want! And we love to be on tour!

The tour with Kreator and Dark Tranquility must have been a perfect sonic experience. How was your co-operation with those bands and do you have anything strange or funny to tell us that happened during the tour?

The tour was so cool with Dark Tranquillity and Kreator! It was a very long 36 gigs and only one day off! So I thought that it's gonna be too much for my voice but no, I had no problems! But I also think it was the first time in my life I did not drink alcohol on the whole tour and I can say that it felt much better to play that way! We got a very good friendship with the Kreator guys! Mille [Petrozza, vocals & guitar] and me were hanging out a lot together. This is a big thing for me, because I grew up with Kreator and now we are friends! The funny thing was that the fans mixed up Mille with me at times and me with Mille at other times! It was so funny! Ventor called me Milly...

How did the name of the band come out? It sounds a bit Greek to me!

The name was born a long time ago (10 years); I found it in a fitness magazine. It's a Latin word actually, it's a kind of gene problem, when the human body gets too thin. I didn't want an English name and I think Ektomorf sounds good.

How did the Greek audience sound to you? Which other countries do you think have a real loud and hellish audience?

When we played with Kreator in Greece it was fuckin' cool but also a little hard, cause after four songs, the die hard Kreator fans at the front row started screaming Kreator, Kreator... so that moment was not easy, but we enjoyed the gigs very much and the rest of the people too! We will be back!! The craziest fans are in Germany, they are so good jumpers... But we had a nice time with fans in England, Spain, France and the Czech Republic. But Germany is the number one!

You sound very mean, aggressive and full of energy in this record and on the scene. How do you manage to keep the feeling of anger all the time?

My anger comes from the life that I'm living! The music and the lyrics are about the daily stories, about the things which could happen even to you! No fantasy lyrics, only the truth, the reality and reality is about pain, sadness, disappointment, etc. I'm sure you know this! All these things create a big anger deep inside of me and I just put it in the songs, That's why Ektomorf is so aggressive! But every Ektomorf song is a positive message to the people - to everyone!

Since you are all musicians and music surrounds you all the time what stuff do you like to listen to when you feel like hearing somebody else apart from you?

I love Metallica; that's my biggest influence and old Sepultura, Machine Head, Soulfly, Iron Maiden. From other music genres I like the soundtracks of Gladiator - its really cool and that's why I like Dead Can Dance - roots gypsy music, the Arabian flute - I love the atmosphere of this music and some modern electro bands: Asian Dub Foundation... they are cool!!!

What bands do you think have influenced you and what other bands do you think that you have influenced?

The same bands and music styles! I heard that some bands in Germany have covered up some of our songs so I think we did influence them!

Could you possibly tell us any other interesting band from Hungary?

There are two very great bands, Replika and Cadaveras De Tortugas! We've been friends for a long time already!

In the past you covered It's A Hard Day's Night of The Beatles. Do you have any other crazy ideas about covering non-Metal songs and what is your general opinion about cover albums?

Yeah, we did the Beatles cover and I think it sounds good, it's really punk in life. In the near future we have no plans to do something like this again. My opinion about cover albums: I think it's cool and exciting. I would do it but it depends on who you're covering and which song.

So what are your plans for the immediate future? Do you have anything in mind about playing in Greece again?

Yeah, for sure! I hope we can go back to Greece to play again as soon as possible!

Do you have any other interests except music? How would you find it if you played a role in a movie?

Well I have no other things, only music, but I do some sport even on tour. I never really thought about this, but if I have the chance one day, to play a role in a movie, then it would be in a movie like Gladiator or Braveheart - these are my favorite movies!

Thanks for the interview, man! Any last words you would like to say to the people of Metal Temple and generally to the people of Metal?

Thank YOU and all the Greek metalheads!!! Stay As You are!

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