Something a bit different today – I speak with Toby Driver Kayo Dot main man. I’ve been a big fan of the Flenser records and of course John Zorn – anything that gets both of their seals of approval is a-ok with me. Read on.
* The band has been going for over 10 years now which is twice as long as the average band sticks together. What do you think has given you the longevity to stay in the game for so long?
It’s true Kayo Dot’s been a thing for about 14 years now, but we haven’t had a consistent lineup the whole time. So, if you think of it as a “band,” then there is no such longevity– I haven’t been able to hold band members together for longer than five or six years. There’s no money and people want to get on with their lives. I keep doing it because that’s what I do.
* From memory you went from a metal band to forming Kayo Dot…what inspired you to switch streams so to speak?
My previous band, maudlin of the Well, was sort of a metal band but also was pretty non-traditional. The big change was that I wanted to stop using riffs and repetitive forms, and do something that was through-composed, or non-repetitive… but in the context of heavy music. These days, though, I do a mix of through-composed and riff-based music.
* What was the hardest thing about doing kayo dot from leaving the traditional structure of a “metal band”
As mentioned above, MOTW wasn’t a traditional metal band whatsoever, so it wasn’t a difficult transition, but eventually the ideas in Kayo Dot became more abstract. Therefore, I guess maybe the hardest thing at first was trying to figure out how to communicate more advanced or unusual ideas to a band of musicians with widely varying degrees of ability.
* What was the best part?
Probably being able to play shows that didn’t consist of exclusively metal bands, simultaneously expanding and closing our circle.
* I know you have said in the past you were a fan of bands like Emperor and Gorguts yet you have elements of prog and shoegaze in KD. Are you surprised that both of these styles still fall under the umbrella of “black metal” in 2016?
I’d say that I’m more amused than surprised that black metal has become such a massively popular style. It’s basically conformist pop music.
* Your song topics touch on spirituality and occultism – do you practice any faith at all? Enochian magick? If so which one? Any of the other band members?
Nope, not at all personally. Our lyricist, Jason Byron, has his own deep and complex spirituality though. He lays out a primer in the “Sword of Satan” which we released with Hubardo.
* You guys have some touring history but it must be hard when you have the full orchestra – what’s been the best parts of going on tour? and what’s the been the worst? Can we expect more touring in the future?
We don’t tour with a large ensemble anymore or play the songs that require one. Doing it at the financial level we’re at is shitty, unenjoyable, and compromised. We’ll do it again someday if we ever get popular and have the budget for it. Until then, we’ll tour on a small scale here and there… we usually do a few months every year.
* How did the deal with John Zorn’s record label come about? Were you guys friends already? Was it a goal forming the band to work with John in some capacity
I sent him a demo way back in the day, but we didn’t know each other. I was a fan of course, but the band wasn’t formed specifically to try to work with him. But I’d say that working with him was one of my personal musical goals, and still is a goal to go deeper with him.
* I think at one stage you were using the crowd funding model to work the band as opposed to a traditional record deal, what made you choose that route and would you do it again?
That’s not exactly true. We funded Hubardo via preorders, but that’s not really the same as crowdfunding– it’s just basic capitalism. I tried some crowdfunding for a few of my other bands though, bands that have absolutely zero market potential, and it’s not a model I would like to return to. It’s too difficult to manage well.
* How did the deal with the Flenser come about and since both John Zorn and Jonathan Flenser are both characters what are the biggest differences in how they run their labels, as far as you , the artist is concerned?
Same, I wrote to him and asked him if he was interested in working together. Jonathan and I already had a very basic relationship though because he’d released a Vaura record on vinyl.
* What can we expect in 2017 for Kayo Dot?
I’m actually not exactly sure yet. Some cool things are in the works, but might not be finished in time.
* Any shout outs or final words?
Please follow me on facebook: facebook.com/tobydriver and facebook.com/kayodot.official
Thanks everyone!