1. Kto si, čo robíš a čo ťa najviac zaujíma práve v týchto dňoch?
Nemo: Volám sa Martin, volajú ma aj Nemo alebo Peter Marcin. V kapele sa snažím hrať na bicie a mimo kapely sa snažím nejak sa z tohto všetkého nezblázniť.
Tibor: Aktuálne sa starám o malých potomkov a snažím sa o nejaký ten balanc. Baví ma nájsť “nové” albumy z minulosti / posledných rokov, ktoré mi unikli.
Tom: Pivo a Whisky
VOID ODYSSEY BAND CHANGES and HISTORY
2. Void Odyssey je na scéne od roku 2017 a na konte má jedno EP z roku 2022. Vyzerá to na doomovú päťročnú frekvenciu, čo pripravujete na rok 2027?
Snažíme sa skladať, vymýšlať nové veci, ktoré sa síce pomaly ale isto zbierajú. Hneď ako budeme cítiť, že to už dáva ako tak hlavu a pätu, tak to pôjdeme nahrať. Je dosť možné, že to bude práve budúci rok, ale nič nie je ešte na 100% isté.
3. Kto tvoril Void Odyssey v roku 2017 a kto je v kapele dnes?
V podstate sa základná zostava vôbec nezmenila, stále je tu Nemo na bicích, Tibor na base a Tomáš na gitare. Podarilo sa k nám pribrať Alžbetu, ktorá hrá na podladené husle. Na tom sa snažíme stavať novú tvorbu.
4. Ako ste sa dostali k stoner doomu a čo predchádzalo vzniku kapely - poznali sa členovia pred založením kapely?
Tom: Poznali sme sa dlho pred založením Void Odyssey. Hrali sme predtým také garážové covery. Ale nič čo by stálo za zmienku.
Nemo: S Tomom sa poznáme dlhé roky a v určitom momente sme si povedali, ze si nájdeme nejaký priestor, kde by sme si mohli občasne zahrať nejaký cover pre radosť. Do toho nám priplachtil Tibor a nejak sa to prirodzene vyvinulo až sem.
Tibor: Jo, ja som vlastne nehral na nič než sme sa stretli, ale vždy som mal rád dobré spodky - basové linky tak som sa toho chytil.
5. Keď sa obzriete za takmer desiatimi rokmi Void Odyssey, v čom je dnešná kapela úplne iná než tá z roku 2017 a čo sa naopak vôbec nezmenilo?
Tom: Už sme tak nejako z časti hudobne dospelejší, to sa potom odzrkadľuje aj na našej tvorbe, počúvame viac iné žánre. Taktiež sme trošku viac sebakritickí, než by bolo treba. To je aj jeden z dôvodov prečo sa veci v kapele hýbu pomalšie.
Nemo: Čo sa určite nezmenilo je naša schopnosť prekecať celú skúšku… To bude tiež dôvod pomalej tvorby heh.
RIFF/FUZZ A NO VOCALS
6. Ako vznikali prvé riffy a skladby - mali ste predstavu, ku ktorej ste sa chceli priblížiť a ako dlho vám trvalo nájsť svoj zvuk?
Na začiatku sme si išli hlavne Black Sabbath to bol náš hlavný zdroj inšpirácie, neskôr sme sa viac začali približovať modernejšiemu doomu, typu Belzebong, Monolord... Mám pocit, že hľadanie zvuku je u nás nekonečný proces. Stále objavujeme a skúšame nové veci.
7. Debut z roku 2022 je postavený na masívnych riffoch, ale zároveň má psychedelickejšie až rituálne pasáže. V akom momente ste spokojní s novým riffom a ako s ním pracujete ďalej?
Najlepší riff je ten, ku ktorému človeku hneď napadnú dalšie pasáže. Vždy to zatial bolo o hladaní takého riffu. Keď ho nájdeš, zvyšok už príde sám.
8. Prečo ste sa rozhodli fungovať bez vokálu? Bol to zámer, alebo ste nenašli hlas, ktorý by vašej hudbe dal niečo viac?
Ešte počas coveroveho obdobia sme skúsili niekoľko spevákov, ale nikdy nám to spolu nevyšlo. Tak sme si nakoniec povedali, že vlastne, načo spev.
9. Vzhľadom na to, že nemáte vokály - aké vizuálne a pocitové asociácie máte pri hraní vašich skladieb?
Nemo: Je to v tomto žánri trošku už cliché, ale keďže nemáme spev tak sme sa pokúsili jeho absenciu nahradiť, respektíve vykompenzovať, kadejakými nahrávkami z filmov, seriálov či rádiových hier. Mne osobne sa počas hrania a počúvania v hlave prehrávajú jednotlivé scény z ktorých určitý sample v danom songu je.
Tibor: Mám to ako pri počúvaní hudby všeobecne. Dostane to človeka do nejakej nálady, čo je zintenzívnené tým, že priamo aj hrám. Plus keď to šlape ako celok je to bomba. A potom výplach mozgu keď príde masif riff hehe.
10. Ktoré fuzz pedály používate a ako ste sa k nim dostali? Čo okrem fuzzu tvorí základ vášho zvuku?
Tom: Ja som dlho fungoval so silikonovym fuzzom od Minotaur Sonic Terrors, dokým sa nepokazil a teraz mám Sunn Life Pedal V3 od Earthquaker Devices
Tibor: Obdoby Green Muff. Občas skúšam niečo iné, ale to väčšinou neopustí skúšobňu a vrátim sa naspäť k tomu čo funguje. Takže momentálne Sovtek Deluxe Big Muff, čo dobre vyplňuje moj poloprázdny basácky pedalboard.
BRATISLAVSKA / SLOVENSKA DOOM MIKRO SCENA
11. Ako je podľa vás slovenská stoner/doom scéna vnímaná za hranicami? Je kapela zo Slovenska stále exotika, alebo je dnes už jednoduché dostať sa na medzinárodnú scénu so všetkým čo k tomu patrí - pozvánky na festivaly, ponuky od zahraničných labelov, atď?
Tak k tomuto sa žial vyjadriť nevieme. Zatiaľ sme hrali len doma, aj keby sme si veľmi radi zahrali v podstate hocikde (ak to číta niekto kto by nás chcel na akcii, píšte, hráme aj za pivo :D)
12. Podarilo sa vám hrať s niekoľkými výraznými menami svetovej stoner-doom scény. Čo vám tieto účinkovania dali a podarilo sa vám vďaka nim exportovať váš zvuk von?
Vždy sa tešíme keď môžeme s takými kapelami hrať. Málokedy sa stane, že taký koncert pritiahne nejakých nových fanúšikov, to skôr ale dávam za vinu tomu, že sme strašne slabí na sociálne siete.
13. Kto okrem vás tvorí bratislavskú, ale aj slovenskú stoner-doom scénu a sú kapely navzájom v kontakte?
Tu môžem znova odkázať na našu alergiu na prácu so sociálnymi sieťami. To bude stáť asi aj za tým, že nie sme v kontakte v podstate s nikým zo scény.
14. Má dnes Slovensko dostatok kapiel a publika na samostatný stoner/doom festival, alebo by na druhý ročník prišlo tých istých 25 ľudí ako na prvý?
Ja si myslím, že kapiel je tu už dosť a určite by sa taká akcia mohla uchytiť.
NAHRAVANIE, PULP A OBAL
15. Pre nahrávanie vášho debutu ste si vybrali štúdio PULP - prečo práve oni a ako ste boli spokojní s výsledným zvukom?
Hľadali sme štúdio kde sa dalo nahrávať naraz celá kapela, nech to ma taký "vintage" feel. Pulp bol vtedy pre to asi najlepšia voľba. Zvuk je super a s celým procesom aj so zvukom sme nad mieru spokojní.
16. Ako prebiehalo nahrávanie a tvorba finálneho zvuku - bola to stávka na istotu cez osvedčené stoner nastavenia, alebo ste šli svojou cestou?
Už prvotná nahrávka bola veľmi obstojná následne sme si všetci spolu sadli a doladili detaily.
17. Pri stoner/doome sa veľká časť výsledku rodí až pri nahrávaní, mixe a masteringu. Uvažovali ste pri novej nahrávke aj nad štúdiom alebo producentom mimo Slovenska, ktorý má s podobným zvukom skúsenosti?
Tým, že ani jeden z nás nemal absolútne žiadne skúsenosti s nahrávaním, sme nad ničím podobným vtedy neuvažovali.
18. Cover na vašom debute pochádza od vychyteného talianskeho ilustrátora MontDooma - ako ste sa k nemu dostali, a ako ste boli spokojní s tým ako vystihol feeling albumu?
Našli sme ho na Instagrame myslím a vedeli sme, že pri ňom to bude stávka na istotu. Cover sa mu určite podaril a vystihol v ňom všetko čo sme chceli.
BENEFÍCIA PRE MICHALA CETERU A NOVÁ TVORBA
19. Aj touto cestou vám chcem poďakovať za spoluprácu na kazetovom benefičnom splitku s Bongsilisk, kde ste venovali finančné prostriedky na liečbu pre Michala zo Zmyrny - ako ste spokojní s kazetou a výberom oboch kapiel pre toto vydanie?
Kazeta sa podarila na jednotku a sme radi, že sme mohli svojou troškou aspoň trochu pomôcť.
20. Na benefičnom splite sa objavil materiál z debutu. Kde je teda nový Void Odyssey? Máte už hotové riffy alebo celé skladby a bude nový materiál pokračovaním debutu, alebo sa za tie roky zmenila aj vaša predstava o tom, ako má kapela znieť?
Na nových veciach sa pomaly pracuje, na koncertoch už pravidelne znejú niektoré nové skladby aj s husľami. Hneď ako bude dosť materiálu s ktorým budeme spokojní, ideme nahrávať. Tvorba sa samozrejme za tu dobu trošku zmenila, čerpáme inšpirácie z iných kapiel. Pevne veríme, že nové veci budú rovnako alebo ešte zaujímavejšie.
JDØS FINALE
21. Majú pre doomový feeling lepšie prednastavenie metalisti alebo punkeri?
Asi skôr metalisti. Minimálne tak to na koncertoch vyzerá.
22. Bol Jiří Schelinger prvý československý stoner-doomový interpret? Keď si človek pustí Kartágo alebo Lupič Willy, miestami tam počuje riffy, za ktoré by sa nemusela hanbiť ani kapela o štyridsať rokov neskôr. Kde by ste hľadali pravek československého doomu?
Pravdupovediac, o týchto skladbách počujem prvý krát. Vždy sme ho mali len za horšieho coveráka.
23. Do akej miery je podľa vás marihuana ešte autentickou súčasťou stoner kultúry a do akej miery už iba žánrovou rekvizitou – niečo ako corpsepaint v black metale? Dá sa vôbec robiť stoner bez reeferu? Platí, ako hovoria naši severní bratia, že je 'Zajebiście palić liście'?
Tom: Hudba je to ako stvorená pre trip, takže nás vždy poteší, keď sa niekto tak dobre cíti, že si na našom koncerte dá. Určite sa tá hudba robiť dá, pozrite na nás. Ja som voči efektom imúnny, je to len strata peňazí. Basáka zasa po jednom šluku odpáli až na Saturn a bubeník má z toho úzkosť.
Takže sme prestali úplne.
Nemo: Sme už len starí pózeri…
24. Čo počúvate, pozeráte a čítate v týchto dňoch?
Tom: Od Russian Circles cez Stinga až po King Crimson.
Nemo: V týchto dňoch som po dlhšej dobe celkom tlačil do hlavy Nine Inch Nails. Okrem toho nový album Sleep (to je smutné sklamanie), českých P/\ST či Russian Circles. Aby som to pomixoval tak sa ešte nechávam unášať šťavnatými groovmi Donnyho Benéta (12.9.2026 Kácečko, tešíme sa).
Tibor: Posledné dní Torche, Ulcerate a zhodou okolnosté nejake staré dedkóry. Jeseň trochu pomení žánre. Čítam skôr staršie knihy (viac neprečítaných ks z antikvariátov mi postáva v knižnici). Nové veci radšej na odporúčanie. Momentálne Stendhal.
25. Je niekto, s kým by ste si radi prečítali rozhovor na JDØS?
Tom: Ethereal Pandemonium :D
Nemo: Taký nezaujímavý fun fact je, že náš úplne prvý koncert sme odohrali v 2018 s Besnou. Odvtedy som ich veľký fanboy a hoci sú to dnes už celebrity, rozhovor na JDØS by som si určite rád prečítal.
26. Motto alebo odkaz na záver.
Na Black Sabbath
1. Who are you, what do you do, and what are you most interested in these days?
Nemo: My name is Martin, but people also call me Nemo or Peter Marcin. In the band, I try to play drums, and outside the band, I try somehow not to lose my mind because of all this.
Tibor: At the moment, I'm taking care of my little offspring and trying to find some kind of balance. I enjoy discovering “new” albums from the past or from recent years that somehow slipped under my radar.
Tom: Beer and whisky.
VOID ODYSSEY BAND CHANGES AND HISTORY
2. Void Odyssey have been around since 2017 and have one EP from 2022 under their belt. That looks like a proper five-year doom cycle, so what are you preparing for 2027?
We're trying to write and come up with new things, which are slowly but surely piling up. As soon as we feel that it all more or less makes sense and holds together, we'll go and record it. It's quite possible that it'll happen next year, but nothing is 100% certain yet.
3. Who made up Void Odyssey in 2017, and who's in the band today?
Basically, the core line-up hasn't changed at all. There's still Nemo on drums, Tibor on bass and Tomáš on guitar. We've also managed to bring Alžbeta into the band, who plays downtuned violin. That's something we're trying to build our new material around.
4. How did you get into stoner doom, and what came before Void Odyssey? Did you guys know each other before forming the band?
Tom: We knew each other long before starting Void Odyssey. Before that, we played some garage-style covers together, but nothing really worth mentioning.
Nemo: Tom and I have known each other for many years, and at some point we said we'd find ourselves a place where we could occasionally get together and play some covers just for fun. Then Tibor drifted our way, and somehow it all naturally developed into what we have today.
Tibor: Yeah, I actually didn't play anything before we got together, but I'd always loved a good low end — basslines and that sort of thing — so I picked up the bass.
5. Looking back at almost ten years of Void Odyssey, in what ways is the band today completely different from the one you started in 2017, and what hasn't changed at all?
Tom: We've somehow become a bit more musically mature, and that naturally shows in the music we make. We also listen to a wider range of genres these days. We're probably a little more self-critical than we need to be as well. That's one of the reasons why things tend to move more slowly in the band.
Nemo: One thing that definitely hasn't changed is our ability to spend the entire rehearsal just talking shit instead of rehearsing... That's probably another reason why we write so slowly, heh.
RIFF / FUZZ AND NO VOCALS
6. How did the first riffs and songs come together? Did you have a particular sound you wanted to get close to, and how long did it take you to find your own?
In the beginning, we were mainly into Black Sabbath — that was our primary source of inspiration. Later, we started moving closer to more modern doom, bands like Belzebong, Monolord... I feel like searching for our sound is an endless process. We're constantly discovering and trying new things.
7. Your 2022 debut is built around massive riffs, but it also features more psychedelic, almost ritualistic passages. At what point are you satisfied with a new riff, and how do you develop it from there?
The best riff is one that immediately makes you think of other passages that could go with it. So far, it's always been about finding that kind of riff for us. Once you find it, the rest just comes naturally.
8. Why did you decide to remain instrumental? Was it intentional, or did you simply never find a voice that could add something more to your music?
Back when we were still playing covers, we tried a few different vocalists, but it never really worked out between us. Eventually, we just thought: actually, why do we need vocals at all?
9. Considering you don't have vocals, what kind of visual or emotional associations do you have while playing your songs?
Nemo: It's a bit of a cliché in this genre, but since we don't have vocals, we've tried to replace — or rather compensate for — their absence with various samples from films, TV shows and radio plays. Personally, when I'm playing or listening to the songs, the individual scenes that a particular sample comes from start playing in my head.
Tibor: It's similar to how I experience listening to music in general. It puts you in a certain mood, except that feeling is intensified because I'm actually playing the music myself. Plus, when the whole thing really locks together, it's fucking great. And then comes the brain-melting moment when a massive riff kicks in, hehe.
10. Which fuzz pedals do you use, and how did you end up with them? What else besides fuzz forms the foundation of your sound?
Tom: For a long time, I used a silicon fuzz from Minotaur Sonic Terrors, until it broke. Now I've got a Sunn Life Pedal V3 from EarthQuaker Devices.
Tibor: Various versions of the Green Muff. Occasionally, I try something different, but it usually doesn't make it out of the rehearsal room and I go back to what works. So right now, it's a Sovtek Deluxe Big Muff, which nicely fills out my half-empty bass pedalboard.
THE BRATISLAVA / SLOVAK DOOM MICRO-SCENE
11. How do you think the Slovak stoner/doom scene is perceived abroad? Is a band from Slovakia still something exotic, or is it relatively easy these days to break into the international scene, with everything that comes with it — festival invitations, offers from foreign labels, etc.?
Unfortunately, we can't really comment on that. So far, we've only played at home, although we'd be more than happy to play pretty much anywhere. If anyone reading this wants us at their event, get in touch — we'll even play for beer.
12. You've managed to share the stage with several prominent names from the international stoner-doom scene. What did those shows give you, and did they help you get your sound out beyond Slovakia?
We're always happy when we get the chance to play with bands like that. It rarely results in us gaining any new fans, though. But I'd mostly blame that on the fact that we're absolutely terrible at social media.
13. Who else besides you makes up the Bratislava and wider Slovak stoner-doom scene, and are the bands in contact with one another?
Once again, I can point to our allergy to social media. That's probably also one of the reasons why we're basically not in touch with anyone else from the scene.
14. Does Slovakia have enough bands and enough of an audience today to support its own stoner/doom festival, or would the second edition just attract the same 25 people who came to the first one?
I think there are enough bands here by now, and an event like that could definitely catch on.
RECORDING, PULP AND THE COVER ART
15. You chose PULP Studio to record your debut — why them, and how satisfied were you with the final sound?
We were looking for a studio where the whole band could record live together, to give it that kind of “vintage” feel. PULP was probably the best option for that at the time. The sound is great, and we're more than satisfied with both the whole process and the final result.
16. How did the recording process and creation of the final sound work? Did you play it safe with tried-and-tested stoner settings, or did you go your own way?
Even the initial recording sounded pretty decent. Afterwards, we all sat down together and fine-tuned the details.
17. With stoner/doom, a large part of the final result often takes shape during recording, mixing and mastering. For the new recording, have you considered using a studio or producer outside Slovakia with experience in this kind of sound?
Since none of us had absolutely any recording experience at the time, we didn't really consider anything like that back then.
18. The cover of your debut comes from the acclaimed Italian illustrator MontDoom — how did you find him, and how satisfied were you with the way he captured the feeling of the album?
I think we found him on Instagram, and we knew he'd be a safe bet. The cover definitely turned out great, and he captured everything we wanted from it.
BENEFIT FOR MICHAL CETERA AND NEW MATERIAL
19. I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank you for collaborating on the benefit cassette split with Bongsilisk, where you donated the proceeds towards the treatment of Michal from Zmyrna. How satisfied are you with the cassette and with the pairing of the two bands for this release?
The cassette turned out great, and we're happy that we could do our small part and help, at least a little.
20. The benefit split featured material from your debut. So where is the new Void Odyssey? Do you already have finished riffs or complete songs, and will the new material continue where the debut left off, or has your idea of what the band should sound like changed over the years as well?
We're slowly working on new material, and we're already regularly playing some of the new songs with violin at our shows. As soon as we have enough material that we're happy with, we'll go and record it. Naturally, our songwriting has changed a little over the years, and we're drawing inspiration from different bands now. We firmly believe the new material will be just as interesting — or hopefully even more so.
JDØS FINALE
21. Who has a better natural predisposition for the doom feeling — metalheads or punks?
Probably metalheads. At least that's what it looks like at the shows.
22. Was Jiří Schelinger the first Czechoslovak stoner-doom artist? When you listen to Kartágo or Lupič Willy, there are moments where you hear riffs that even a band forty years later wouldn't be ashamed of. Where would you look for the prehistoric roots of Czechoslovak doom?
To be honest, this is the first time I've heard of those songs. We always just thought of him as an inferior cover artist.
23. To what extent do you think marijuana is still an authentic part of stoner culture, and to what extent has it become just another genre prop — something like corpsepaint in black metal? Is it even possible to make stoner without reefer? Or, as our northern brothers say, is it true that “Zajebiście palić liście”?
Tom: The music is practically made for tripping, so we're always happy when someone is feeling good enough to light one up at our show. You can definitely make this kind of music without it — just look at us. I'm immune to the effects, so for me it's just a waste of money. One puff sends our bass player all the way to Saturn, while our drummer just gets anxious from it.
So we've stopped completely.
Nemo: We're just old posers now...
24. What are you listening to, watching and reading these days?
Tom: Everything from Russian Circles through Sting to King Crimson.
Nemo: These days, after quite a long break, I've been feeding my head a fair amount of Nine Inch Nails. Besides that, the new Sleep album (sadly, a disappointment), Czech band P/\ST, and Russian Circles. And just to mix things up a little, I've also been letting myself get carried away by the juicy grooves of Donny Benét (12 September 2026 at Kácečko — we're looking forward to that).
Tibor: Over the last few days, Torche, Ulcerate, and, coincidentally, some old-school deathcore. Autumn will probably change the genres around a bit. I tend to read older books — I've got quite a few unread second-hand finds sitting on my shelves. With new stuff, I prefer recommendations. At the moment, Stendhal.
25. Is there anyone you'd like to read an interview with on JDØS?
Tom: Ethereal Pandemonium.
Nemo: A not particularly interesting fun fact is that we played our very first show in 2018 with Besna. I've been a huge fanboy ever since, and even though they're basically celebrities these days, I'd definitely like to read an interview with them on JDØS.
26. A motto or final message?
To Black Sabbath!
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