Hanna Tsepesh: Hello Derrick! Welcome to the THE GATES OF METAL and thanks so much for accepting this interview! First of all, i would like to ask you some questions about you and your work for our Portuguese and international readers to know you little bit more. First question, what is your favorite band at the moment?
Derrick: At the moment it would be “Red Fang”.
Hanna Tsepesh: What are your favorite themes to get inspired to write the lyrics for SEPULTURA?
Derrick: Well it depends on what we focus the album on has a lot to do with the writing. Many of elements that go into it are things that are happening in our world today. Our newest album was inspired by the novel “A Clockwork Orange” by Anthony Burgess. You could say books.
Hanna Tsepesh: How is the experience of singing in SEPULTURA? What have you learn with that?
Derrick: As an artist I have been able to evolve and grow in my what I love to do which is music. It is very unique situation being in Sepultura. I changed my whole life and moved to another country where I didn’t speak the language or know the people I was going to work with. They had a successful past and die hard fans from the past also who had no idea who I was. All eyes were watching me but it made me concentrate more on the music. Now I learned to speak Portuguese which is not perfect yet but it’s getting there. We have been able to survive 10 years now with me in the band touring the world.
Hanna Tsepesh: What do you like to do in your free time?
Derrick: Photograph, read, watch movies, and cook!
Hanna Tsepesh: What was your favorite concert with SEPULTURA so far and why?
Derrick: One of my favorites was Rock N Rio. It was a big honor to be in evolved in a big part of Brazilian music history. It was also on my birthday and the day has become unforgettable for me.
Derrick: One of my favorites was Rock N Rio. It was a big honor to be in evolved in a big part of Brazilian music history. It was also on my birthday and the day has become unforgettable for me.
Hanna Tsepesh: Did you already have or had some singing lessons or another type of preparations to sing? I take this opportunity to say my congratulations for all of your work with SEPULTURA!
Derrick: Thank you! I had a chance to study singing classical music when I was younger. I started at the age 15 playing hardcore music. Once joining Sepultura I had a vocal coach who taught me vocal warm ups and warm downs. It helps tremendously on tour and in the studio.
Hanna Tsepesh: You are very welcome! Let’s talk about the new album “A-Lex” to be released in January 2009, right? This album is about a book called: ' A Clockwork Orange'. Can you tell us a little bit about the album and also why to choose this book to inspire you?
There’s any particular reason for that? What does the band want to accomplish with “A-Lex”?
Hanna Tsepesh: You are very welcome! Let’s talk about the new album “A-Lex” to be released in January 2009, right? This album is about a book called: ' A Clockwork Orange'. Can you tell us a little bit about the album and also why to choose this book to inspire you?
There’s any particular reason for that? What does the band want to accomplish with “A-Lex”?
Derrick: Yes the album will be released in the last week of Jan.2009. We were interested when we were searching for ideas before Dante XXI our last CD. None of us had read the book but we all were aware of the movie because of the impact it had on us all. After doing a little research we discovered that the book has a different ending then the movie. We then went very deep into the reading and researching the author Anthony Burgess. It was important to understand where he was coming from and it helped us get into the mindset of creating this album. The influence of the words and the descriptiveness helped us to know what the main character was thinking. Primarily the book is about young 15 year old Alex’s fight for freewill. There are phases that we follow that are in the book. The are four chapters in the European version of the novel but not in the American version which is what the film director Stanly Cubric had read. We have 4 parts on the album the represent these chapters. There are intros that start each section named A-LEX I and A-LEX II , A_LEX III etc…The first 4 songs represent Alex’s rebellious, angry, chaotic phase in his life. The songs are aggressive and straight forward in your face. The next 5 songs represent the incarceration phase of Alex. The songs take a change and become more robotic in way like prison conforms people to a type of routine. Part 3 is when Alex is released after being forced rehabilitated by the state. We want the music to represent the revenge that was coming back to Alex.
The songs become a little faster and fiercer. Beethoven was the one thing that Alex truly loved and we had to have this also be a part of this album but along with out style of music.The finally part has one song . This song was part of a contest we had where are fans had the opportunity to write part of the lyrics . They needed to write there own idea of what A Clockwork Orange meant to them. The last song is straight to the point and brutal because at this point Alex has his free will back again. He decides on his own to make a better life for himself.
Hanna Tsepesh: What is the meaning of A-Lex? Who was the person that had the idea to choose this name? Any special reason?
Derrick: A-LEX was Andreas idea. A-LEX sounded to us like a drug or treatment and very futuristic. The idea of the book was supposed to be set in the future and wanted that same feeling also with the title. Alex in Russian means lawlessness and this was the idea given when reading the story. This gang Alex was the leader of were doing what every they want with out any regard to the law. Alex can also be interpret as Alexander the great who was a strong leader like the character Alex over his gang.
Hanna Tsepesh: For you, what are the differences between the last album and this one?Derrick: We have Jean Dolabella playing drums with us and who participated in the writing of this album. We have different artwork and a different focus then the last album. This album has more of a futuristic vibe then the last album.
Hanna Tsepesh: About the working on studio Recording, did the band have all done? or with time the band remember new things to add for this album? You have one video(the first one) at SEPULTURA Myspace were you are recording the voice but in a different away…right? Can you also talk about that?
Derrick: We got to the studio and we had few extra songs or ideas that we didn’t use. We had to be careful not to over load just because we had it. The recording process I tried on this album was holding a mic in my hand. In the past with most producers that I know or have worked with the microphone is in a mic stand. I wanted to have the feeling of being on stage and have the chance to put my body into it. I believe it made a big difference in getting a really different sound then ever before, it’s extremely aggressive and that’s what we were going after.
Hanna Tsepesh: It was the first time that Jean Dolabella record the drums at studio with the band. What is your opinion about Dolabella work?
Derrick: It’s great to work with Jean because he is knowledgeable about other instruments even voice. His opinions and ideas were extremely valuable and made the recording process in the studio move so smoothly. He is extremely talented it was such a pleasure to work with him on this album. I couldn’t imagine it with out him.
Hanna Tsepesh: Talking about concerts, last year the band played live in Portugal (25-3-07 at Cine-Teatro de Corroios). Did you remember that particularly concert? What is your opinion about all the night? Did you had fun in there? What do you think about the public?Derrick: I don’t remember well enough to comment but good sound is always important to me. I vaguely remember there being some problems on stage with sound but it would be the first time.
Hanna Tsepesh: There’s any plan to come here next year? Do you wish to come back to play?
Derrick: On this first part of the European tour I don’t think there is a Portugal show but I’m sure that we will play there in 2009 is just a question of when.
Hanna Tsepesh: Can you tell us, what are the future concerts that SEPULTURA will give and where?
Derrick: I don’t have all the dates confirmed yet but you can check out or website http://sepultura.uol.com.br/v6/ or http://www.sepularmy.net/ or http://www.myspace.com/sepultura. They will be posting all the upcoming tour dates very soon. I do know our next show will take place in the Philippines the 29th of this month. It will be our first time performing there in the history of Sepultura.
Hanna Tsepesh: Last question, do you want to send one message for all SEPULTURA fans out there that supports the band since the beginning, and for the readers that maybe don’t know SEPULTURA yet…
Derrick: It’s great to have the support of the people who never gave up on us. This next year is going to be special for Sepulltura and for the fans. We intend on destroying the stage every place we go and we can’t wait to see you all in the pit doing the same.
Hanna Tsepesh: Thank you so much for your answers and also the time to answer! THE GATES OF METAL wish all the best and a lots of success for this new album “ A-Lex” and good luck for the future concerts! Hope to see SEPULTURA in Portugal very soon!
Derrick: Thank you and I hope to see you on tour!
By: Hanna Tsepesh
