Yakuza Interview: SXSW 2010

Bruce Lamont isn't your average metalhead. As the frontman for Chicago-based quartet Yakuza, Lamont expresses an appreciation not only for other heavy metal bands but also for world music, experimental performance and Eastern religious and philosophical practices. That can go a long way in explaining the 10-year long career of Yakuza, in which they have put out four records that have pushed the boundaries of metal with shifting time signatures, guest performances from jazz musicians and songs about Zen. Yakuza have received plenty of critical support and have a new record, 'Of Sesmic Consequence,' out on June 8 on Profound Lore Records. Before heading down to Austin (which Lamont calls "one of the greatest places in the US, let alone the world, to play") Lamont spoke to Spinner about his disparate musical influences, not being Buddhist, per se, and getting buzzed in rehearsal.

How did your band form?

We've been together for 10 years now, since 2000, just sort of forging together different sounds musically. How we formed was four guys wanted to play in a band together, basically. We all kind of knew each other from the Chicagoland area, and I had actually put an ad in the local paper looking to join a band, and they had put an ad in the paper looking for a frontman or vocalist or whatever. And they called me, and I went down and they already had some stuff written, and that's how it came to be.

What were you looking for in the ad you posted?

I was looking for something somewhat out of the ordinary. I [was] looking for something a little more on the heavier tip, but I didn't want it to quite be like anything else that was going on at the time or anything else ever, for that matter. At the time, in '99 [and] 2000, there were bands like Neurosis and Candiria and Meshuggah that were all doing things that I thought was really interesting and wanted, although I didn't want to do anything specifically like those bands. I liked where they were taking heavy music, and I thought, this is kind of fresh and honest and would be cool if I was looking to do a heavy band out of the ordinary. And that's exactly what was going with this band. The stuff that was written was perfect, odd time signatures that were still really organic -- it was awesome.

What are your musical influences?

"Influences" is kind of a weird, a strange, word. I can't specifically say, "Oh, such and such an artist had an influence on this thing." I can tell you as a band we listen to tons of different things. For example, last week, I went to three shows in three days. I went to see Peter Brotzmann, a German avant saxophone player. The next night, I went to see Paul Di'Anno, the original singer of Iron Maiden, and the following night the whole band went to go see Huun Huur Tu, a Tuvan through singing group. Then [on] Sunday, I saw Goatwhore. To me it's all music, so it doesn't really matter, but that's kind of where we lie as far as our tastes are concerned. If not consciously, it's all got to have a play some way, somehow in what we're doing. I wouldn't say, "Oh, Peter Brotzmann influences me to play saxophone!" But his music is very important to me and very powerful, so I'm sure that somehow it's played on the psyche at some point.

How did you come up with your band name?

Interest in Eastern culture, specifically dark underground culture -- that's how it came to be.

So do you have Yakuza tattoos?

No Yakuza tattoos. We aren't worthy. But we are heavily tattooed [laughs].

With album titles like 'Samsara' and 'Transmutations,' there seems to be a definite Buddhist thread to your music.

We're not Buddhists, per se. I wouldn't go down that road, but our minds are open to possibilities beyond ourselves, so wherever or whatever that may mean, it's had some kind of play. We're always seeking all the time, finding that place where things seem to resonate perfectly. I don't want to tag it with a Buddhist mantra, but when we play our music and we reach that, that's all that matters. When we play, we try and find that special place within ourselves and bring it out through the music. I've been trying to get to that place since I was a young man, [and] so has everybody else in the band. We share that vision.

What are your SXSW survival tips?

Just keep positive, and there's a lot going on, so don't let things stress you out -- especially if you're a band and you want to make your big splash or something. Don't freak out about that kind of stuff. Just go down and have a good show and have a good time, meet people, mingle, go out, do stuff. Don't just hide in your fucking van or hotel room, if you're fancy enough to have one of those. It's just a fun time and I love it. It gets more chaotic every year. Every time we go down there, we're like, "Oh my God, there's even more stuff going on!" You can barely see half the things you want to see, but you know what? At the end of the day, you're still out on 6th and Red River with a good time and smiling. Just enjoy it.

Describe your sound in your own words.

I mean, I hate this. For the sake of making it short and quick, avant metal. That's just terrible. I'm stretching here for words and I'm buzzed too, so I'm sorry, I just had a couple beers in my practice space and now I'm like, "Oh s---." You just caught me off guard [laughs]. Our music is a cross between -- and we've been saying this for years -- is a cross between Sun Ra and Napalm Death.


Carl Atiya Swanson is a contributor from Seed.com. Learn how you can contribute here.