GET TO THE POINT: VAN GIMOT (AGOS, VIRUS OF KOCH)

 

(More than two years have passed since Floridian NCS contributor KevinP last delivered to us an episode of his series of brief interviews, which he calls “Get To the Point“. But today he revives the series in a conversation with Greek musician/vocalist Van Gimot, the creative force behind both Virus of Koch and Agos, two entities whose music blends black and death metal, and other ingredients, in different ways.)

 

K:  So people might know you from Virus of Koch.  But the last few years you’ve worked on Agos almost exclusively.  Why?

V:  Regarding my music, I tend to go with the flow. I don’t force anything. I focused on Agos simply because it inspired me and let me channel my creativity and thoughts at this particular time. Agos and V. O. K. are two distinctive entities in my mind serving different needs of expression. Currently, I am working on V. O. K. material as I feel the time is right.

 

 

K:   What you are trying to express with each band?

V:  I founded V.O.K. in 1997 and that’s why it  is closer to the earlier black metal sound. In the course of time the band acquired its own identity and uniqueness alongside my own musical maturity. Agos was created simply because I wanted to experiment and express something different without ruining the musical identity of V.O.K. There are technical differences; Agos leans more into the death genre with drop-down guitar tuning and much different vocals from V.O.K..

 

K:  Listening to both Irkalla Transcendence and Aonian Invocation back to back (note – both are Agos releases), they are remarkably similar, almost hard to differentiate (not necessarily a bad thing).  Would you agree or disagree?

V:  The time period between the first and the second material is approximately one year apart (in terms of musical composition). I wanted the second album to be a sequel to the first EP (Agos started as an experimental project) in order to develop the band’s personal sound and to create a complete LP. The first release delves into the Sumerian secrets of the past and the second pays homage to our great Greek mythology, both adorned with mystical eastern touches. There are of course differences regarding the music production and vocals, and in my opinion, the second record did go one step further and completed the vision I had. It’s an opus dedicated to the mysticism and allure of the ancient world.

 

 

K:  So, where do we go from here?

V:  I am planning to finish the recordings of the new V.O.K. album by the end of 2019. This album will contain 8 tracks, and after completing the remaining instruments I will decide on the lyrical part, taking into consideration the final result and the overall feeling of the album. As for Agos, I don’t have anything to say right now but there will be an announcement in the future.

 

https://virusofkoch.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/agos218