EMQ’s With HARKON
EMQ’s With HARKON
Hi everyone! Welcome to another EMQs interview, this time with German Heavy Metal band, Harkon. Huge thanks to their vocalist, Björn Gooßes, for taking part.
What is your name, what do you play and can you tell us a little bit about the history of the band?
Hi there, my name is Björn Gooßes and I am doing the vocals in Harkon. We’re sitting on the fence somewhere between Heavy and Metal and released an EP called “Ruins Of Gold” in 2019. This fall Doc Gatir records will release our debut album “Love And Vore” and we’re super stoked!
How did you come up with your band name?
It’s a moniker that doesn’t have any actual meaning. Harkon is us and we are Harkon.
What Country / Region are you from and what is the Metal / Rock scene like there?
We’re based in the state of Northrhine-Westphalia in northwestern Germany, and this region has spawned world renowned acts such as Kreator, Accept, Sodom, Rage, Running Wild, Blind Guardian and many many more. The local and regional scene has flourished ever since and besides countless bands and fans there are a lot of venues where you can usually choose between a handful of concerts each weekend. So all in all, it’s a pretty nice area for a Rock/Metal fan to live in.
What is your latest release? (Album, EP, Single, Video)
Our debut EP “Ruins Of Gold” is unfortunately already 6 years old, but soon our debut full-length album “Love And Vore” will see the light of day!!
Who have been your greatest influences?
We’re four guys in the band with individual preferences, ranging from classic stuff to contemporary acts and beyond. Also beyond Heavy Metal. There is so much great music out there and somehow all that you listen to probably influences your own writing to a certain degree. So at the end of the day it would rather be misleading to give you some names here, because when Harkon meet to write songs, we’re mixing up all those impulses and are still running everything to our very own filters to finally come up with what you will hear on “Love And Vore”.
What first got you into music?
I can only speak for myself, but after checking out my big sister’s records, which included a lot of Indie/Goth stuff such as The Cure or Sisters Of Mercy, my older cousin got me hooked on ZZ Top, whom I still like a lot. But in my teenage years I soon discovered Black Sabbath, Megadeth, Danzig and so on. MTV was still a thing back then, and the “Wayne’s World” soundtrack surely helped to give a little kickstart, too. Right away it was the mix of music, lyrics and overall appearance of the Heavy Metal scene that struck my nerve. And even though I listen to a lot of non-metal music these days, you always return to the Church of the riff sooner or later!
If you could collaborate with a current band or musician who would it be?
Hard question, as there are so many great talents out there. If it was a co-written song I could imagine a Gojira-Harkon joint venture for sure, haha! On the other hand it would probably be more interesting to work with someone who is not from the Metal genre, to give such a collaboration a fresh, interesting spin. Agnes Obel is a great Danish artist, for example, who always amazes creating music that is just as dark and dramatic as it is fragile and delicate. Combining her talent with what Harkon has to offer could be really interesting, too. Maybe it wouldn’t work out at all, but who knows?
If you could play any festival in the world, which would you choose and why?
There are many great festivals, small and big. The most impressive line up these days is probably to be found at Hellfest in France, so I wouldn’t say no to a Harkon gig there for sure!
What’s the weirdest gift you have ever received from a fan?
I think a kiss ain’t weird, is it? You see, the level of weirdness still needs to be raised, as Harkon’s fan-crowd is still a pretty small one.
If you had one message for your fans, what would it be?
My lyrics might offer more input people could use or not use in their lives than any spontaneous “message to our fans” probably could. I don’t see us as a superior group of people that is allowed to give any kind of wise messages. We’re fans, too! There’s no difference. Of course I could say “Be kind!”, but that’s universal anyway, right?
If you could bring one rock star back from the dead, who would it be?
None of them, because continuing to honour their work posthumously is more important to me than satisfying my own ego and bringing someone back to a world they might not even like anymore.
What do you enjoy the most about being a musician? And what do you hate?
“Hate” is a strong word, and as everything that we maybe like less about being in a band is still some kind of luxury probloem, I’d say that I don’t hate anything about it. What I do love though is playing live and witnessing the energy exchange between on and off stage. That’s where the magic happens, where the smiles get bigger, where you can drop a tear or simply enjoy the moment.
If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
Changing it from an “industry” to a fair, passion-driven business with equal chances. Some might say that’s the case already, but I’m not so sure about that…
Name one of your all-time favourite albums?
Naming only one is torture, please let me give you three at least:
Black Sabbath – Dehumanizer
Danzig – Lucifuge
Megadeth – Countdown To Extinction
What’s best? Vinyl, Cassettes, CDs or Downloads?
It’s a matter of taste and practicability, I guess. I had all of them, and nowadays I am 100% streaming. Vinyl surely has a special touch to it, though.
What’s the best gig that you have played to date?
Always the next one!
If you weren’t a musician, what else would you be doing?
Well, I AM not only a musician/lyricist. Most of the time I am a visual artist and pretty happy with that. In general I am enjoying a life full of privileges, living a free life in a peaceful democracy. What I would like to do what I am not doing now? I would like to be a traveller for a while…
Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?
Five of the most dangerous “leaders” (Be it politics, religion, economy, etc.), who are pushing this world to the edge. And I would serve poisoned food.
What’s next for the band?
We’re looking forward to the release of “Love And Vore” and hope to play some shows to promote the album!
What Social Media / Website links do you use to get your music out to people?
We just use the basic channels at the moment, which are www.facebook.com/harkonmusic and www.instagram.com/harkonmusic
There’s a long-standing food-based debate here in the UK. And we’d like your help. So… A Jaffa cake – is it a cake or a biscuit? Discuss!
It’s a micro-cake – no doubt!
Thank you for your time. Is there anything else that you would like to add?
Yeah, please do yourselves a favour and check out “Love And Vore”, y’all! And thanks for having us! Peace!
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