Gopota

When harsh noise blends with power electronics and death ambient, our ears to indicate Gopota.  An uprising act in the industrial sector, which already is credited two remarkable albums. 

Today we are pleased to get to know better Gopota, thanks to AA [Antonio Airoldi], a founding member along with Vitaly Maklakov. 

Let’s dig in their dark world. 

Gopota.  A project born from the merge of two minds.  How did your meeting happen and then how did your project begin? 

Gopota was born in late 2015, when I came into contact with Vitaly to promote the production of the first album of Empty Chalice to his label Torga Amun Records.  I brought to his attention the promo of ‘This Way Is Called Black’; after a few plays and listening Vitaly asked me to use some of that material to a product “different”, more violent and more “harsh”.  So, in this way Gopota was born. 

We can say that the project is both you (Antonine) and Vitaly.  How do you bridge your different musical cultures and then how do you create your songs? 

The composition process is very simple.  Usually I produce the initial basis, and then, after, I send the various pre pro to Vitaly, who combines the redundancy elements more variable and diverse components, such as the vocal effects that can be heard in different tracks.  The structure of the tracks is done so through this exchange, which usually has been, so far, very quick and linear.  For the second album of Gopota the final mixing was completed in my “Bunker studio” trying to make the most discomfort, dirt, orderly disorder, in which we move, and moves Gopota.  I’m very settled, musically speaking, on a few names actually.  But I do not know if I’m really just as affected by them.  Or rather, the groups that I listen are relatively few, then I do not know if what I express musically influenced by these my musical habits.  For sure Vitaly have more musical/technician skills. 

Often the industrial is generally seen as something twisted, but often the various bands use this approach to talk about sensitive issues.  What is your musical mission? 

I really don’t know, and, more, I really don’t care about the industrial scene how it is, what the bands use as “approach”.  I don’t know what the other names want to communicate, and I don’t care about the messages of others.  I know what Gopota is, and what to want to communicate with.  We spread the discomfort, the real inadequacy, the discouragement of the actual days of our life.  We’re not pessimistic individuals, we’re “open eyes” and open-mind ed persons.  But we face the reality, a reality which is not ours.  Disgust and rage. 

Let us always stay connected to your sound.  Hit very rhythmic changes, if we can call them, in various songs, passing from monolithic, harsh noise to get to the death ambient Brighter Death Now style.  Can we define your musical style or should we expect something different in the future? 

Gopota is always “on the move”, under construction, depending on the mood of the period in which it is “called” to express himself.  Therefore, nowadays I think it is not defined the kind proposed.  The messages in “musical” structures can be very intimate and personal, as well as far-reaching, social, ideals.  Depending on how we feel in the period of composition, we try to adapt the sound flow. ‘ Knots Of Fear’ casts powerful messages, irreverent, offensive toward something in us is both insulting.  Therefore, we have chosen sounds with very few compromises; those who hear our harsh noise passages, those industrial death. ‘ Music For Primitive’ is definitely more “reflective”, more considered and balanced.  We slowed down because the deeper messages appeared, though still most intimate of the first album, to be greeted by several people.  Then, it is not for us sentencing on it if those messages are arrived to the listeners.  The future of Gopota, in fact, -nobody knows about it-, not even us.  Therefore it will always be a bit of a surprise, even for ourselves.  When there will be the reason, it will be an opportunity to give voice again.  Sometimes we want to be brutal, violent and without mincing words, sometimes the time pushes us to be more precise, rational, calculating and measuring the sound, calling it in a more “melodic.”  We’ll never know until we start. 

You are a fresh project but with two superbly crafted albums in your luggage.  Describe your work, especially by identifying the emotional sides of your music. 

‘Knots Of fear’ is a fist in the face of the modern society, is violent and pure. ‘ Music For primitive’ is more reflective, is a quiet nightmare. 

Tracks that identify you at your best…

There are some tracks that identify myself, better than others, and are, from the debut album, for sure ‘Blackwater’ and ‘Long Road In The dunes’, and from the second album ‘Music For Primitive’ the track that I like more than others is ‘Attitude’. ‘ Music For Primitive’ is an “easy listening” ahahahah… but ‘Knots Of Fear’ for me will remain a must for the fans.  Pure violence. 

And what about ‘Flowers And Dynamite’?  We know you’re working with a dedicated video and other news…

‘Flowers And Dynamite’ was built for an online compilation, and in my opinion is a really good, sick track.  For everything else, it will be a surprise, everything.  Gopota sleep, but when wake up …. 

We know that many artists have a great view of your work (I cite for example Nordvargr).  Spontaneously, rises the following question: your musical influences? 

My musical influences are so varied; I move from the neofolk-apocalyptic folk, to the old school black metal to the Italian doom of Canaan, as an example.  But when I need to move the step of Gopota, I put myself into deep days of Anenzephalia, Folkstorm, Nordvargr, Atrax Morgue, Mz 412. 

Last question.  What can we expect in the coming months from Gopota? 

Time will tell.  We are planning for a “special new” for the forthcoming spring, but for now we can not tell more.