Kris Peters
With so much music in the modern age basically a re-imaging of genres gone by, it is refreshing to hear a band unafraid to think outside of the acceptable parameters and instead use their own creativity and experimentation as their musical vehicle.
High octane Sydney outfit Pyramid Mission do that and more.
Much more.
By using elements of rock, metal and punk but underscoring that with samples, visuals and infectious hooks Pyramid Mission have ultimately crafted a sound uniquely their own, forged in their own image and beliefs without the unwanted distractions of adhering to set formulas or demands.
In doing so they have created an artform that truly expresses their unique viewpoints on music, life and the universe as a whole.
On the surface Pyramid Mission are simply a musical project that utilises sounds and samples to varying degrees, but if you take the time to join them in their personal journey down a myriad of rabbit holes then you face the very real possibility of opening your palate to a greater world within a world.
Gio Lambos (composer/vocals), Yiani Baratsas (production) and Quentin Romot-Smith (production/drums) sat down with HEAVY earlier this week to talk about their new single Hex and life outside the bubble.
Even the genesis of Hex has an intriguing nature to it's birth, as Lambos explains.
"That was nuts," he smiled. "It was just one of those moments where I was having this dream where I was lost in a train station. So, I'm in the dream and walking around the station and I meet this woman who's got this witch-like presence to her, and she's an interesting character. She's kind of guiding me to where I have to go, saying 'get on this train and go there', but at the same time she's also trying to keep me stuck in the train station. I got this crazy, conflicted energy from her, where it's like woah, she's trying to help me get places but also trying to keep me here forever. I woke up in somewhere in the middle of things. You know how dreams are always kind of hazy. And I was in this state where I was half excited, half terrified, but totally inspired. I wrote all of the lyrics for Hex in a few hours right after that. I guess the idea behind it is... I'm really into ancient mythology and a myth character you see a lot is the idea of these super natural feminine seductress figures. You've got sirens from ancient Greece - that's probably one of the most common ones - they sing these beautiful songs that lead sailors to their doom, and these characters, that's how they are always presented. They are these alluring, but dangerous women that are drawing men to their doom. After I woke up from this dream I had this feeling that it was a nuance kind of thing, you know. I was seeing that these interperations of these characters are just projections of the fear of the unknown that we have. Like I said, I was writing the lyrics straight away and it was... ultimately, it was reimagining them as instead of these scary characters, it's a call for myself and others who listen to the song to see the beauty and potential for growth when you experience that kind of stuff. And it's a call to understand that these witch like characters have a deeper nature. They're spiritual guides, yeah they draw us into the darkness, but that's only so they can guide us through it and we've just gotta be brave enough to see that value that's beyond our fear."
In the full interview, the boys run through the musical nature of Hex, the trippy film clip that comes with it, the single artwork and how it ties into things, their upcoming debut album and what to expect, the early days of the band and the unusual nature of how they came to be, their mixing of sounds and where it comes from, pushing the musical envelope, their dynamic stage show, future gigs and more.