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Days of Rona: Bo Sejer of Vestjysk Ørken & Esbjerg Fuzztival

Posted in Features on April 2nd, 2020 by JJ Koczan

The statistics of COVID-19 change with every news cycle, and with growing numbers, stay-at-home isolation and a near-universal disruption to society on a global scale, it is ever more important to consider the human aspect of this coronavirus. Amid the sad surrealism of living through social distancing, quarantines and bans on gatherings of groups of any size, creative professionals — artists, musicians, promoters, club owners, techs, producers, and more — are seeing an effect like nothing witnessed in the last century, and as humanity as a whole deals with this calamity, some perspective on who, what, where, when and how we’re all getting through is a needed reminder of why we’re doing so in the first place.

Thus, Days of Rona, in some attempt to help document the state of things as they are now, both so help can be asked for and given where needed, and so that when this is over it can be remembered.

Thanks to all who participate. — JJ Koczan

bo sejer vestjysk orken esbjerg fuzztival

Days of Rona: Bo Sejer of Vestjysk Ørken & Esbjerg Fuzztival (Esbjerg, Denmark)

How are you dealing with this crisis as a band? Have you had to rework plans at all? How is everyone’s health so far?

Luckily we only had a few live shows planned in March and April domestically in Denmark. Still, even a few shows cancelled meant a few boxes of freshly made merch we were not able to sell after live shows. Compared to other bands we’re talking to, we got off easy in that regard. We just announced a new album, though, and in that respect it could not come at a worse time: We’ll not be able to ride the new album wave for long and book new gigs as a current band.

This is only made worse since most venues are now busy re-booking bigger bands and acts for the Fall that should’ve played in the spring, meaning less potential dates for smaller bands like ourselves. Even worse though is that we can’t jam or rehearse, as we do not live in the same city. This last part is the most frustrating, I think. There’s little worse than being a band that can’t get together to create.

As a promoter for Fuzztival in Esbjerg, Denmark, we’ve been working overtime for weeks now. It took less than a week before the first band had to cancel after the crisis got really bad in Italy and the restrictions started happening all over Europe. After that we had somewhat of a snowball effect that resulted in some tough decisions. It’s not cheap to relocate a festival you have been working on for the better part of a year, and it’s not easy. But we felt it had to be done, and luckily we have been met with cooperation and understanding from all parts.

I don’t think anyone got much sleep the first two weeks, but once the decision was made to postpone the festival and we made the necessary arrangements to do so, I think we could all take a deep breath and reflect a bit on the situation. We have to make a lot of changes all over in the coming months, but I’m still positive we’ll have one hell of a party come August. People will be starved for fuzzy music, especially after both Desertfests and Roadburn had to cancel. While things can still be affected well into the summer, I think we all feel that something has to happen in August,or we’ll simply loose our minds!

What are the quarantine/isolation rules where you are?

Right now the borders are completely closed, all airports are closed down, and all travel restricted. All gatherings, inside or outside, of more than 10 people are forbidden (this means parks, beaches, whatever). All restaurants, cafes, bars, venues, theatres, whatever are closed. Everyone working in the public sector have been sent home, except healthcare workers, and everyone else have been asked to work from home, if they are able.

These are so far in effect until after Easter, but I think most people are expecting it to be extended at least two more weeks after that. Most likely we’ll see a gradual return to normalcy, maybe the oldest schoolchildren and students returning for the summer exams, and smaller establishments reopening sometime in April. Unlikely that we’ll be having any live music this side of the summer holidays, though.

How have you seen the virus affecting the community around you and in music?

Luckily, I don’t know anyone personally who contracted the virus, and I hope to keep it that way. People are taking this thing seriously, staying home. Sadly we’ve already seen several venues, smaller booking companies, promoters, and more going out of business, and several others struggling. I’m afraid this in turn mean that niche music like stoner/doom/heavy-psych is going to have an even harder time this year.

Already we’re seeing venues being booked solid this Fall with no room for touring bands in this genre, and I’m afraid it’ll continue into 2021 as well. This crisis will probably be the biggest blow a lot of bands will ever get to experience, and I fear for the consequences. Luckily, a lot of artists tend to bloom in their darkest hours, so what we’ll miss out on in live music, we might get to enjoy from upcoming releases. That’s a silver lining if any.

What is the one thing you want people to know about your situation, either as a band, or personally, or anything?

It’s crucial to stand together right now and support artists struggling to keep head above water. We’re not one of them, at least not financially, but we are represented by a one-man record company, and I know it’s not easy on his part either with the added shipping time all over. I think a great way to support these small businesses is buying records directly, if you can.

Our festival will survive this, as will most, but this is also a time to make sure you support your favourite festivals and venues. Keep your tickets, don’t return them, if you in any way can afford to do so. And make sure you get out, party, and listen to live music, as soon as you can wherever you are. This is a time to take chances on new music, and support artists you don’t necessarily already know. Let’s show the scene all the support we can – make sure even the smallest and most unknown of bands attract full venues later this year. That would really be something.

https://www.facebook.com/VestjyskOrken/
https://www.instagram.com/vestjysk_orken/
https://vestjyskorken.bandcamp.com/
https://interstellarsmokerecords.bigcartel.com/
https://www.facebook.com/esbjergfuzztival/
https://www.fuzztival.com/

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Vestjysk Ørken to Release Full Dark No Stars on May 8

Posted in Whathaveyou on February 24th, 2020 by JJ Koczan

In some ways, Vestjysk Ørken are very much a heavy psych jam band, but within that framework, there’s still a lot of refusal to be defined in their sound. In May, they’ll follow-up 2018’s Cosmic Desert Fuzz (review here) with their second long-player for Interstellar Smoke Records, Full Dark No Stars, and is it instrumental? Not entirely. Is it laced with samples? Not entirely. Is it improv jamming? Not entirely. Is it all of these things? Well, sometimes definitely.

It’s spacious and weighted and exploring psychedelic reaches in its own way, and one gets the sense that the three-piece — who are also the crew behind putting together the Esbjerg Fuzztival, which will be their release party this year — are finding their approach out there in the sonic ether even as they’re having a good time gathering up clips from their favorite movies and, in this case, picking out some of Kurt Russel’s many awesome lines from over the years. No, I don’t think any from Captain Ron made it in, but I could be wrong.

Kind of amazed some studio hasn’t rebooted Captain Ron, frankly. Missed opportunity.

In any case, there’s no music out yet from Full Dark No Stars, but it’s coming next month, as the PR wire informs:

Vestjysk orken Full Dark No Stars

’FULL DARK NO STARS’ sophomore album by Vestjysk Ørken out May 8th 2020

Danish cosmic desert fuzzers Vestjysk Ørken once again sign to Interstellar Smoke Records to release their second album ’Full Dark No Stars’ in May of 2020 on name appropriate black vinyl, limited to 250, just in time for the festival ‘Esbjerg Fuzztival’, which the tree-piece space rockers organize themselves.

Vestjysk Ørken once more take your hand through a grand back catalogue of 60’s and 70’s sci-fi films, dusty desert guitar riffs, smoldering fuzz, funky bass, and earth shattering drums, all mixed with samples, synthesizer drones, and a loose and open relationship with vocals. Once more they take their DIY approach to music and recording to present you with a spacey desert rock opera of epic proportions.

The album follow up on the debut from 2018 (released on vinyl via Interstellar Smoke Records in 2019) with 4 new tracks, clocking in at around 45 minutes total runtime.

First single and pre-order of the album on March 13th 2020!

Full album and vinyl release May 8th 2020.

Vestjysk Ørken live:
14/3 states, aarhus
20/3 races, kbh
21/3 Kansas City, odense

Vestjysk Ørken are:
Søren Middelkoop Nielsen, bass guitar.
Thomas Bonde Sørensen, drums/percussions.
Bo Sejer, guitars & vocals.

https://www.facebook.com/VestjyskOrken/
https://www.instagram.com/vestjysk_orken/
https://vestjyskorken.bandcamp.com/
https://interstellarsmokerecords.bigcartel.com/

Vestjysk Ørken, Cosmic Desert Fuzz (2018)

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