Interview mit Simon Olsen von Baest

Hey Simon, how are you?
I’m good. Good. It’s been busy the latest. But right now we’re into a bubble of a bit more spare time. These Danish jobs are not as stressful as going on tour. But it’s been busy since New Year. We’ve been basically playing a lot.

Yeah You’ve been traveling a lot around in the UK and….
UK and we’ve played the school concerts. At some point that was every day three times a week. From Monday to Thursday. Depending where it is in the country. We have been staying in hotels and stuff like that – and being on the road. That’s cool. But yeah, a lot of work. And then obviously we’ve been doing some new music as well.

We’ve seen that on social media a lot. When you were traveling and doing the school concerts. What’s that all about?
Basically it’s like a national organization that arranges school concerts on a level, that gives fans the possibility to… What do you call it? …

So you get like a job there?
Yeah, you just get booked through that agency. It’s on a national basis. Then you get into a catalog. And then for the schools to choose for you. Usually you do some school relevant material. For the kids as well. Just to prepare. And then the concept is that you just give a concert. And depending on what kind of schools it is – they just open up for boarding schools. And usually when we go to boarding schools. It’s just a normal gig. It’s a 45 minutes concert. Because the kids are pretty big. And they know what it’s all about. They just want the experience. If you go to the regularly public schools, you do some preparations. And you tell about… For example, we just tell about the whole cultural thing about death metal. You go to a concert. And usually what happens. And you go more into the stuff as well. Because the pupils are a bit small.

How old are they?
It depends a bit. In like 7th, 8th, 9th grade. So that’s basically like 13, 14, 15 years old. But also with kind of smaller kids, it works well. So like 4th, 5th, 6th grade. One day we just played for the whole school. Which was basically like first graders. And it seemed kind of fun. So death metal is for everybody.

But I think it’s more like… How should I put it? It’s the schools and their collaboration with you guys as a death metal band. From my Austrian perspective, the church still holds quite some relevance in the school system. Is it similar in Denmark? Or is it not as prevalent within the school system? I’m uncertain about it.
No, no. Denmark is quite moderate and liberal. In terms of the public school. We are a welfare system. So the state has invested a lot in public schools as well. So it’s kind of like a firm, good system. And that’s also the reason why we can have things like that. And it’s like an organization that’s been around for… I think since 1992. But they started booking bands since 2007. Before that it was like regular cultural events. And it’s a great organization. A lot of old school teachers have also been in touch with the cultural world in Denmark as well. So basically people know what they’re doing.

That’s really cool. But of your profession, you’re a teacher, right?
I’m a teacher.

Are you still working at school?
Yeah. I work 30 hours a week still. I work in a small public school in my home town. Which is a bit outside Aarhus. And I teach history, science and music.

So how would you say, is the work with the band influencing your teaching? Is it?
I think it does, whether I want it or not (laughs). At some point. That’s how it is for a lot of things. You get inspired by both worlds and you bring it into both worlds as well. But usually I try to keep those things apart. But I’m a music teacher and I work with music. So sometimes I just pull off my experiences from that. But for me it’s also a job. And there are certain regulations and stuff like that… But you know, that’s how it is.

How would you say, are the pupils reacting with you as a teacher? Are they like, oh, that’s really cool?
You know, pupils are like anybody else. They like it or not. Usually kids are very honest in their completely own way. But they are also curious, very curious. Usually they are not like, “I don’t like this”. But sometimes they are quite interested. First it’s noise, so it’s a wild outlet, expression, you know. But they usually have a lot of questions, like: “Do you earn money?”, “Are you a millionaire?”, “Are there any lyrics?”, “Are you just screaming?”, “Are you a famous person?”. I let them ask all these questions. It’s good for kids to be curious. That’s in their nature. But it’s very like, yeah, isn’t it? Some like it, some doesn’t.

There is some research on metal music and mental health who say that aggressive music (especially the lyrics) increase the aggressions or the aggressive thoughts of kids. Would you agree with that or what is your professional opinion on that?
Like it boosts aggression? I’ve heard the complete opposite. I’ve heard that it helps against depression. To be honest, it’s just music, man. It’s expression and we can’t put people in a box like that and make tests and all that shit. Music has their complete own expression and people have their complete own emotional mindset. And if you’re being aggressive, you choose to be aggressive. Of course, there are some mental experiences and traumas that can guide people in that direction. And people are struggling with some troubles. But that is not a reason to give heavy music and aggressive music the fault. It’s not their fault.

And usually if people choose to be aggressive in the form of this music, it’s not the music you should look at. You should look at the person and their mental state and above. And usually also what they are a part of. What is triggering them and what’s affecting them from other sides as well. Because when they are talking about this kind of test or whatever, psychological, they only take it from the music perspective. They just cage it in. And you have to open up for a lot of reasons. That’s why as well music speaks to a lot of emotional sensors in the brain. But it’s not the only thing that triggers your brain. All other expressions and things can show up in your emotions and affect your emotions. So don’t blame the music, there are other things as well.

Yeah, it’s maybe just people who think metal is only screaming and they want to prove that this music is bad influence.
Yeah, I don’t know what kind of bullshit organization who paid them to say that. But it’s not worth the money, I would say.

So as you said, you’re quite busy. How much time do you have for rehearsal or songwriting left?
Usually we always meet up in the rehearsal space every Monday. We haven’t had so much time to write new music. We’ve entered the studio a few times, did some singles and some demos. I think it’s a nice progress because we’ve had a lot of time just to think about what songs we would like to do. And a lot of the riffs have been around for quite some time now, since I think 2022. For the guys, maybe they have a lot of old things they just dug up and wanted to play with. And we’ve tried to ease up the whole process about writing new songs now. Usually we try to have fun with it.

So with ease up, you mean you don’t take it too seriously?
Yes, we do take it seriously, but we don’t stress. And that usually helps with the creative process. We realized when we did “Necro Sapiens”, we did that in late 2020. We entered the studio, and with the whole lockdown thing, that was a perfect time to just … Every concert and show was canceled. So basically we just wrote an album there. It’s a nice process because there was a lot of time. We met up in the rehearsing space and just turned the mental state inwards. There were so many songs that came out of what we actually wanted to do. The two first albums [Danse Macabre; Venenum]were very death metal fused from the bands that we like. But the third album, Necro Sapiens, and also Justitia, the latest EP, was also a symbol of what we would actually like to do as well. More free-based and “BAEST” and controlled songwriting. So I think the latest work we’ve done, and now the new one is coming, is something much more like us. What we want to do as well.

So you found your style?
Kind of, but you know it’s a process. It’s quite a road. It’s not linear. It’s just how we do this. It comes. It’s like a natural thing.

A lot has happened since you founded the band in 2015. What difference can you see between your beginnings and now? Especially since the break with COVID and you being able playing shows now again. How do you feel on stage at the moment?
We usually feel good on stage. Of course there’s a lot of work to do. In Denmark we are a big thing. But we still have a lot of work to do, like internationally. We’re still playing not large-large shows, but still kind of an upcoming vibe. So that still needs work. But people like the new stuff. And the old stuff as well. Usually we have a lot of history from the two first albums. And I think we sort of go through the international area with the newer stuff. So it’s a nice process. Because usually we show our new stuff. And then they learn the old stuff.

Around two months ago „Colossus“ came out?
Yeah. Right before we went to… Yeah, January … I think so. Right before we went to the UK.

How was the feedback?
Great. Very, very great. It’s a very death-metallic-based vibe song. So we were like, okay, let’s pull this out. Let’s release this. It’s such a great song. We really liked playing it. It’s just a great BAEST-formula. A very typical BAEST song. It’s just so heavy and so effective. It’s got some things in there that is kind of like… It’s catchy. It’s an anthem. We’re trying to work with heavy anthems.

Yeah. So the next coming things? You said that there is something in the pipeline but nothing concrete yet. Is it in a similar style?
Yeah. „Colossus“ is a very safe kind of… kind of BAEST vibe. With a lot of death-metal standard things. But the next coming up is more 80s rock infused. I’m a bit curious how people like it. Because it’s catchier, it’s more simple. Maybe not with a focus on the heavy side. Of course it’s still heavy. But more on a… In Danish we call it “blea”. Which is like showing off. Okay. A lot of 80s inspired things. It’s kind of showing off. More rock-ish but still with a heavy-metal, death-metal vibe to it as well. And I’m curious how people will like it. Ourself, we are very, very happy with the results. Today we are playing a new song which is supposed to come out soon. The “Imp of the Perverse”. That’s a great song. Really, really proud of that. That’s like a symbol of where the BAEST sound is heading. Trying to open up for a more broad crowd. Yeah. It’s been fun working with things like that.

Any particular reason why you chose this direction?
Because we like it. Yes. It makes us happy. And it’s a natural thing. I don’t know. We spoke to the guys from Cabal as well. The older bands get the more simple the riffs and the songs you try to compose. Okay. I don’t know if you like… When you’ve been in this game for a long time, you also kind of like… You get good at reading the compositions and do the composition dance. And you know… You get very good at seeing what you need and what you don’t need. What to cut off and where to put it. I guess so. And you also get more into the core of what you like. But of course, it’s always a process. Sometimes you also have the need to go back to some old things or whatever. And back to the roots and the fundamental way you came from. I don’t know. But yeah. This is what we like. This is what we think is supposed to go. And it’s not like a compromise of we want to be a more rockish, poppish band. For us, it’s what we like. Yeah. And hopefully I have a great trust in that people will like it. Because it’s so much of all worlds. Usually our passion is always on the same level as our fans. That’s how I see it. Let’s see. Yeah.

Do you already have a release date for the next song or even an new album?
We are working on an album. But ahm… I actually can’t remember when it has to come out. But a few weeks after this, we have a video team wandering around. The music video has to be from content that we shot last week in our hometown albums and shoot today as well. I think in a few weeks. I’m not sure. I don’t have the timeline with me.

Maybe let’s stick a little bit with the video topic. In the music video for „Colossus“ you cooperated with Jakob Printzlau. Why did you choose him?
Our manager Jens is working with Live Nation. He is a very experienced in-house video maker as well. And has worked a lot with Live Nation. He has done work with a lot of cool bands as well, for example with Bring Me The Horizon I think. So that was a great opportunity to do something else – to have someone who has done bigger productions. And done some exciting stuff as well. So it came quite natural as well. Because he is also in the inner circle of people we work with. Yeah. And he did a great job.

So you like it?
Yeah, I like it. We shot it after we came home from our supporting tour with Krisiun from Brazil. A few weeks after we came home. So we shot it in December. It was fucking cold. So perfect. It created quite a good atmosphere.

Was it like in a cellar or…?
It was actually at the… It was shot in Slindborg. A town in Funen where Jakob Printzlau is from – in the same building that he has his offices as well. A lot of it is like an abandoned space. And that has like a gloomy sort of vibe to it. So it was easy for him. Because he was in the same building. It’s kind of like abandoned rooms. I remember we were shooting in like an old toilet. So there was like a toilet there. But it was completely smashed. And there was no water to it. And it hasn’t been used for a long time. And a smashed window. And it was cold as hell. We were working most of the day. But it was shot in one day.

Before we call it a wrap and doing a short brainstorming – is there anything we haven’t touched upon yet and you want to talk about?
Nah… ahm…We have… I don’t think I can talk about that now. But 2024 and 2025. We have a lot of touring activity. So stay tuned for that – it’s going to be exciting. And I think it will be… It will be released after this show. We’re going on a headlining tour. Or a couple of headlining tours with an awesome band, that’s quite nice. Nah, man. I also think the plan is… We’re trying to do some songs for our new album. When it’s going to be put out, it’s not safe to say. But we’re working on it. Trying to give it out sometime this year. Late this year. A lot of exciting things are gonna happen.

We’re doing a Co-Headlining-Tour with Benighted from France and Coffin Feeder from Belgium as a support. Yeah. And we’re doing a couple of shows in September. And in November we are hitting that. We’re playing a Tattoo Convention in Hamburg as well. And now, today, we’re doing the biggest metal club show in the history in Denmark. And we’re like 50 tickets from sold out. At a 1500 capacity venue [Store Vega]. Which is the biggest club scene in Denmark. It used to be the headquarters of the Social Democratic Party. And it used to be a “Schwimmhalle” [= swimming hall]. I don’t know if you’ve seen the buildings. But in the old days it was a swimming hall, a pool. And it’s a fucking legendary building in Denmark and in Copenhagen as well.

I would like to conlcude the interview with the traditional Metal1.info brainstorming:
Top three Albums of 2023:
Top 3 albums? Ehm (…)

I mean, you can also say top three album of all times.
That’s the more problematic issue. I have no fucking idea. I’m so bad at like my top three. It’s like there’s so many… so much cool music. Yeah. Ehm. I would say the fucking new Metallica. That was a cool album. Yeah. I think. There’s been a lot of like. “Yeah, it’s too long. And the whole Metallica thing has become a dead rock thing.” But I think they have some interesting things in compositions. That’s very like creative. And also kind of progressive. At that last song. Very, very long and so fucking cool. Yeah. And they’re working with a lot of very serious themes. Especially the – What is it called? – The suicide song. Which is a very cool thing to take up and bring up. The whole thing that James has been struggling with. And also creates like a good image of this “What is masculinity?” And the usual picture of masculinity has been like… just showing some cracks. And that’s… I think that’s cool. It’s a more acceptable thing to be a man than to be vulnerable. For vulnerability. Of course… No not of course! That’s just not been in the picture… The new Kvelertak album as well. Pretty cool. And the new Dying Fetus album. Pretty sick as well.

Autumn: I think of an old Danish death metal band called Autumn Leaves. Fucking cool. Let’s check it out.
BAEST in ten years: Still playing shows. Still doing music. Keeping it up. Still being cool.
Dream vacation destination: California.
Best movie of all time: „Dumb and Dumber“.
Tea: Bleh.
First metal album possessed: „St. Anger“.

Thank you very much for your time.
You’re very welcome.