Some say first impressions are important and Dusseldorf-based stoner rock trio Cosmic Marauder were really determined to make a strong impact with their first studio effort, a five-track EP titled "Venus Ryder". Fusing heavy and fuzzy riffs and thunderous rhythms with psychedelic and hazy tones, the EP reveals a young group already in possession of a strong maturity and sharpened songwriting skills. We had a brief Q&A with vocalist and guitarist Daniel Berndt to know a bit more about their past and this new EP.
Cosmic Marauder are relatively a new band in the music scene, so could you give us a brief history as to how and when the band got together?
Actually it was pure coincidence we came together. Drummer Dany and bass player Domi already played in several bands together before, mainly doing progressive kinds of rock. I also played in several metal projects and met Dany before so we decided to have a jam together and we matched perfectly, so Dany suggested to bring in Domi as a bass player. We all have some things in common and we like to listen to stoner rock and similar music. So we started to play more stoner rock music and it suited us so well that we decided to start this band.
What can you tell us about the new EP Venus Ryder? What went into it and made it the way it is?
In fact "Venus Ryder" is a compilation of the best first songs we wrote so far. We experimented so many musical directions and found out that these five songs form our band's signature sound.
One of the things I like in Venus Ryder is the contrast between psychedelic melodies and big, chunky riffs, is this balance something you consciously strive for and work towards?
The contrast between hard guitar riffs and melodies was indeed created on purpose. We want to create a unique sound that is easy to listen to, but that still pushes forward and stands apart when compared to other bands in this genre. We spent a lot of time to find the balance between these contrasts.
Who would you say were the bands that inspired you to create your sound?
Definitely the big ones of this genre like Kyuss, QOTSA, Sleep, Electric Wizard, but also and maybe more influenced by European scene and bands like 1000Mods, Deaf Radio, Stoned Jesus, Samsara Blues Experience, Belzebong, Naxatras, Colour Haze and many more.
How have you found the reaction to Venus Ryder so far?
It was pretty astonishing to receive so much positive feedback for our first EP. Incredible that people started to have interest in our music and wrote reviews, asked for interviews and rated and ranked it next to bands, who make and represent this kind of music for years.
There seems some references to the space and cosmos in the song titles, what you tell us about the concept of the EP?
All of us were always fascinated by space settings. So we thought, it could be a part of our band concept. Additionally our sound engineer Benny had the idea to put some strange space sounds, generated by our guitars and modified by him afterwards, on the EP to complete the made-up setting.
These are strange times, but what do you think the future holds for the band? What would you like to achieve with Cosmic Marauder?
We definitely love to play on stage, so our main goal is to have as many gigs as possible. We dream about playing on big stages throughout Europe, like on bigger stoner rock festivals and similar shows. One thing is for sure, we want to reach as many people as possible with our music and hope you like it.
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