Dragunov's upcoming album VEPR dives into Ukraine’s tumultuous history, blending dark post-metal with evocative visuals. We explore their creative process, collaborations, and the powerful themes behind this striking release.
1. "The Great Hour" is a striking music video that highlights
Ukraine's resistance and commitment during WWII. Can you share more about the
inspiration behind this piece and how it connects to the broader themes of VEPR?
Tristan :
The global theme of the album is Ukraine’s History. We always try to develop
concepts inside the concepts of each album. With 637, each song was 6min37sec
long.
Here, with VEPR, the concept is a chronological order of the History of
Ukraine.
So we
decided that this song would be a good fit to go with the violence of WW2 and
all the actions the militias had to take to fight for their independence.
Sebastien :
The work from Stefan De Graef on vocals and who wrote the lyrics made it even
more natural to talk about those things. And then a second artist came in,
Clément Paris, who drew the video, and he gave life through the video to our
song and to the message behind it.
2. You’ve collaborated with Stefan De Graef on “The Great Hour.” What was
it like working with him, and how did his vocals shape the emotional landscape
of the song?
Seb: Here
you go, we just talked about him… so yeah, Stefan is a very talented singer
(and guitar player). He was very professional even with the distance. He sent
us his vocal tracks that we then mixed with benoit, here in France.
Tristan :
We obviously always asked him to share his thoughts about what we did with his
voice, but everything was smooth and we didn’t have anything to change ! So I
think we understood each other quite well from the beginning. We gave him the
guideline to write the lyrics about what we wanted to talk about in this song,
then his talent did all the rest. We are really proud of the emotions the song
and the video are transmitting.
3. Your music often delves into historical narratives. What drew you to
focus on Ukraine's turbulent history for VEPR,
and how do you approach blending these stories with your sonic identity?
Tristan : The invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Army was a big shock to us. We were raised in Europe, being taught about WW1 and WW2, and we are quite passionate about those periods of time, we couldn’t really believe that we were going to live this in Europe once again. Then we realized that our band has always “played” with the imagery of war, especially with the soviet one. So since 2022, we don’t want to be associated with anything Russian. Back in 2022, we were already writing our new album and we thought that the best thing to do not to be linked with Russia would be to focus this new album on Ukraine History.
Sebastien : It’s also a way of being politically engaged, to share Ukraine's
violent history through this album. We blend all of this in our music with a
lot of samples, voices (the album is opening on a famous speech from Volodymyr
Zelensky)
4. The upcoming album showcases both the horror of war and a message of
hope. How do you balance these contrasting emotions in your compositions?
Tristan :
Well, as I said before. We were raised in France, being taught the atrocity of
war and both of us are pretty peaceful dudes in real life. What we have been
carrying with DRAGUNOV since the beginning of the band is pretty violent and
turns around death but it doesn’t reflect our personalities. So we have always
tried to mix this violence in our albums with some more positive things. Like
in Korolev, when we talked about space, well the Cold War brought us to where
we are today in terms of technology with all the satellites gravitating around
us. With Arkhipov we talked about the guy (Arkhipov himself) who probably
stopped a nuclear war going against his superior’s order and refusing to launch
a nuclear head on the USA. We also talked about a scientific vessel that has
been doing some research in the Antarctic. So bringing a message of hope is not
something new.
Sébatien :
So talking about Ukraine, we also wanted to not be too gloomy as of today the
situation out there seems still frozen and doomed. But when you study Ukraine’s
history, you see that they have been fighting for their independence for
centuries. So there is hope that this people might be free once again.
5. The production of VEPR
involved notable names like Benoît Roux and Raphaël Bovey. What impact did
their expertise bring to the album, and how did their vision align with yours?
Tristan :
We have known them for quite some time now, as Raphael has worked on Arkhipov
in 2018. Benoit is a good friend of mine, being almost a neighbour, and I have
already recorded music in his studio with my other band (called TELLMARCH). So
that is why we chose to work with them. We knew that they would do a really
good job to magnify our music. They also both are veeeeery impressive in what
they do, so we were really happy to make them work together. And also, they
have brought us, Sébastien and I, to another level. They both have taught us
loads of stuff that made us today better musicians and most of all better
listeners ! We can’t stand music that is badly produced now... Thanks guys !
Sébastien :
Benoit’s impact on our music is how it is produced. He really achieved what we
wanted with how HE works. We wanted a big modern sound that hit you in the face
when you put it really loud in your car. But Benoit is really old school and
doesn’t really like modern productions. He has a more authentic approach, and
everything in his studio is analogic. So he knew what we wanted and he did what
he usually does to achieve this. The result is a really clear sound, even if
the guitars are really low and dirty and saturated (thanks to the Sunn Beta
Bass amp we used), everything is really intelligible but also really
percussive.
We really are thankful to them for doing what they did to our music.
6. Your sound has been described as a fusion of massive, dark post-metal with
emotional tension. How do you achieve such an immersive and unsettling
atmosphere with just two members?
Tristan :
This is a really long process. We usually write the songs with our guts in the
rehearsal room. It usually is really raw materials that come out from these
sessions but they also often are pretty close to the final results. What really
gives our music its identity are the samples we add afterwards.
Seb : On Vepr, they have been created by my brother Vincent who owns a few synthesizers. He did an amazing job as well !
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Tristan :
Clement is an old friend as well. We know each other very well, so it was very
natural to work with him as well. He knew how we wanted the video to look like,
but he drew everything by himself being inspired by Stefan’s lyrics.
Sebastien : Visuals have always been important for us. Here, we do believe that it carries the message we wanted to share even more. Both the lyrics and the drawings.
8. The tracklist for VEPR includes titles like “Makhno” and “Holodomor,” referencing key
moments and figures in Ukrainian history. How do you decide which historical
elements to incorporate into your music?
Tristan : I
said earlier that VEPR’s concept was to tell chronologically the History of
Ukraine. So we choose 7 key moments in the country’s modern history to tell how
its people have been persecuted and how they have been fighting for their
country for decades.
9. You’ve previously explored themes like the USSR's space conquest and
maritime history. How has your thematic focus evolved over the years, and what
drives your choice of topics?
Tristan :
As I said before, we always try to think about themes that can bring
positiveness as well, and being something not 100% military. VEPR being an
exception to this, as it really focuses on war and revolutions, but it is
positive on some points !
Sebastien :
We also try to choose themes that are really rich. Both sonically and visually
so we can explore all the resources we can to develop the concept of the album
! And we already know what will be next !
10. Your live performances are known for their intense and immersive
energy, with the added mystique of wearing masks. What role do your stage
aesthetics play in conveying your music’s message?
Tristan :
Playing live is something that really drives us. First of all because it
creates moments for both of us to be together and share things… but also
because it allows us to deliver our music how we really see it.
Sebastien :
Aesthetics are really important for us. As a duo, AND ALSO an instrumental
band, we had to think about how to keep the audience into what we are doing. So
today we have our own lights on stage, and the masks, and the acrylic drum
kit…. ! To create a unique experience for everyone who comes to see us live.
11. You’ve shared the stage with influential bands like Brutus and
Psychonaut. How have these experiences influenced your growth as musicians, and
what do you hope to bring to audiences with VEPR?
Tristan :
Well these experiences lead to this featuring on The Great Hour, with Stefan,
which is something we really are proud of ! But playing those shows also made
us want to carry on, so we could play more and more shows with people we admire
or look up to. We recently played with Mutoid Man, and met Ben Koller who is
the drummer from Converge !! I also have the privilege to consider Benoit Roux
a friend, and I’m often sharing crêpes and chestnut spread with him. He used to
play in Anorexia Nervosa, a leading Black Metal band in France and in Europe in
the 2000s. I used to listen to their albums on the bus when going to middle
school when I was 13. What else can I say?! :)
Sebastien :
What we hope to bring to people with the VEPR cycle, is to touch as many people
as possible, and to conquer new fans around the globe. We hope that people will
like the album, will like the live show, and will like us as humans so they can
share our music with their friends and you know the deal : the more people like
you the more you can play in bigger venues and festivals.
12. As a duo, what are the unique challenges and advantages of creating
such expansive and layered soundscapes, and how has your dynamic evolved since
forming Dragunov in 2013?
Tristan : What has evolved is that now we are surrounded by people. It’s not just the two of us in our bedroom. We work with a lot of professionals. You talked about the music producers and engineers. But we also work with a press relation agency, with a booker and with other artists for our videos and all the stuff a band needs.
Sebastian :
Concerning creativity, nothing has changed. I think it’s even easier than
before because we know each other so well. We meet up, we plug our shits, and
we jam. And most of the time we don’t throw anything into the bin. We keep it,
tweak it a bit and change a few things, and boom we have a new song !
That’s the biggest advantage of being a duo of best friends. It’s really easy to understand each other and to create together.
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