The Obelisk Questionnaire: Mishu, Byst & Panda of RoadkillSoda
The Obelisk Questionnaire is a series of open questions intended to give the answerer an opportunity to explore these ideas and stories from their life as deeply as they choose. Answers can be short or long, and that reveals something in itself, but the most important factor is honesty.
Based on the Proust Questionnaire, the goal over time is to show a diverse range of perspectives as those who take part bring their own points of view to answering the same questions. To see all The Obelisk Questionnaire posts, click here.
Thank you for reading and thanks to all who participate.
The Obelisk Questionnaire: RoadkillSoda
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How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?
Mishu: I guess I can define it as simply creating music or just generally being involved in any kind of music-related activity. I came to do it randomly, I didn’t think much of it even though I liked music, but I met with some friends that were doing music and they wanted someone to write a drum line and I said I’ll try. And after that I guess it just kept on evolving
Byst: I’m glad that I can achieve one of my childhood dreams: to sing and make music, and I think it was a combination of different elements acquired in time that drove me here. Making music for me is a life pressure relief valve.
Panda: I am living my childhood dream. Playing the music I love, with my friends around the world.
Describe your first musical memory.
Mishu: I have a bad memory and the first musical memory was way too many years ago, but I think it was listening to some music player of someone somewhere.
Byst: At my seventh birthday I received a cassette from my uncle with the Judas Priest, Painkiller album, and I was blown away by the album cover and the fact that you could insert the cassette the other way in the case. And when I started to listen to it, a universe opened for me.
Panda: A trip to the seaside with my parents and my brother, when they would put on mixtapes and sing along, this is the first vivid memory that comes to mind. They would harmonize beautifully.
Describe your best musical memory to date.
Mishu: I don’t know what the best would be, most of them are as good as they can be. It can be attending a live show or playing in one or being in the studio and hearing a dope track or chilling with the gang and getting turned up together while listening to music or it can be finally getting to listen to some new music being released after you have been waiting for it.
Byst: In 2010 I saw Korn in Romania and I was with two friends. I think it was my first big concert with one of my favorite bands and the world just stopped when they started playing. It was so intense; we were moshing in the middle of a crazy crowd and singing and it was unbelievable. And after the show we decided to drive back home for like 230 km passing through some narrow roads in the mountains and at one point the driver fell asleep and that could have been the end of the story.
Panda: Highlights from my career would be anytime I would meet one of my musical influences at shows, and getting a chance to talk to them. This includes Slash, Nick Oliveri, Isaiah Mitchell, Chino, the guys from Alice in Chains and so on. It is always amazing to see their way of seeing music.
When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?
Mishu: I don’t remember exactly but I’ve had a few times it was tested more in the sense that I reacted to certain situations in ways that I wouldn’t have to normally but the belief made me react in that only to confirm my belief.
Byst: Fortunately, I have not been put in a situation like this in recent times, after I started to develop some firmly held beliefs, and I don’t have that many. The ones I have are really hard to be put to the test. I’m a pretty flexible guy most of the time.
Panda: I think as a musician in an underground scene, you get tested pretty much on a daily basis. You believe in what you are doing, and you do it with great passion, and there is always a promoter, a booker, a music expert that maybe isn’t having his best day, and decides to tell you different. Nevertheless, I think sticking to your gut feeling is the best approach.
Where do you feel artistic progression leads?
Mishu: Progression leads to better understanding of the art and how to transpose whatever you want to say or whatever feelings you want to express into the art itself.
Byst: Where progression in everything leads… In the beginning can’t seem like much but after a while thing start to change and evolve. Can’t stop progress.
Panda: I think it’s in our nature to progress. I think once you stop evolving you kinda die inside. Then again, I am a firm believer that doing things just for the sake of not repeating yourself is bad. Change has to come naturally, in order to feel natural.
How do you define success?
Mishu: For me, success would be being able to do whatever you want without having to think about anything else and having all your needs fulfilled so you can only focus on what you really want to.
Byst: I can’t say what success is, ‘cause I don’t know it. And it’s a very loose term, I think it depends on the mentality of people and the society each individual lives in.
Panda: Success is getting people to ask for you, and not the other way around. It is not introducing yourself but being known. It’s being able to have a constant schedule in advance. I don’t think it has anything to do with money. And as my colleagues mentioned, to each his own. For me, it would be to be remembered as someone who did his part right.
What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?
Byst: If I saw something, I learned something from it, so I took all the things I’ve seen as part of my experience and I embraced them all, bad or good.
Panda: If you live and breathe you get constantly into weird situations. As Byst mentioned, the important thing is to react correctly and learn from everything.
Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.
Mishu: Electronic music like gabbar or bassline, and maybe music not related to bands or any musical projects, something like making the soundtrack for some anime would be cool.
Byst: It will be a surprise so I don’t want to spoil it.
Panda: For now, the next step for me is to build my house, that will include my studio. So, until I create that physically, it remains on paper, and remains a wish.
What do you believe is the most essential function of art?
Mishu: It’s art, it can be anything but I guess it’s the way it can expand your creativity or how you can just get lost in art.
Byst: To inspire people and make them dream.
Panda: To complement your feelings, your adventures in life. I think we find answers in life to certain thoughts that we cannot explain. I think without art, we would become robots.
Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?
Byst: At this moment I just want to finish my DIY tiny music/house shack before the winter comes.
Panda: As mentioned, and apparently, it’s a thing with the RoadkillSoda boys, finishing my house, before next winter comes. :)
https://roadkillsoda.bandcamp.com/
https://facebook.com/RoadKillSoda/
https://www.instagram.com/roadkillsoda/
https://www.youtube.com/user/RoadkillSoda/videos
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