THE BEAT GENERATION

How Meshuggah legend Tomas Haake learned Japanese Taiko drumming for the extraordinary Alphaville WHAT’S YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT?

Tomas: “Kenny Grohowski, the drummer of Imperial Triumphant, is someone I got to know first through my girlfriend, as Kenny was previously a drummer in her band and they’ve been friends for many years. She played me some Imperial Triumphant songs and I was immediately blown away by Kenny’s drumming skills and the vibe of the band. I have since seen them a few times live and they

do not disappoint!”

HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED PLAYING TAIKO DRUMS ON CITY SWINE?

“Kenny reached out and asked if I had ever played Taiko drums, to which I answered, ‘No, of course not, are you high?!’ He asked if I would be into recording some Taiko drumming with him and the other guys, Zach [Ilya Ezrin, vocals] and Steve [Blanco, bass/piano/keys], at a studio in Brooklyn. Since the idea of trying Taiko drums intrigued me, I just said, ‘Yes, let’s do it.’ Being a total newbie at Taiko drumming, I wasn’t so sure they would actually use anything that we played and recorded that day, but I guess they did and I’m proud to be part of it.”

HOW DOES IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT’S MUSIC TALLY WITH YOUR IMPRESSIONS OF NEW YORK CITY?

“To me they definitely sound like a ‘New York band’, in a sense… I know Kenny is an avid jazz and Latin drummer as well, and the ‘blend’ or infusion of that combined with the type of compositions they write definitely puts me in ‘a New York state of mind’. Ha ha ha! I can’t really see this particular style or vibe of music emerging just anywhere. I’m certain that the diverse multitude influence that city has on a lot of music and musicians, has had a direct effect on how and why they sound like they do!”