“Loverdose”: An Interview with The Experimental Tropic Blues Band on Their New Single and Album
The Experimental Tropic Blues Band, the high-voltage Belgian trio from Liège, has been cranking out high-energy rock ‘n’ roll for over two decades. Now, they’re back with ‘Loverdose,’ a new album set to drop this September via JauneOrange.
Known for their sweat-drenched, full-throttle live shows across Europe, the U.S., and Canada, the band delivers the first hit with ‘Angelborsht Tragedy’—a raucous new single out now, paired with a music video directed by Simon Scanner.
‘Loverdose’ sounds like something you’d either OD on or fall desperately in love with. What’s the most dangerous thing about this record?
The most dangerous thing about it is developing a critical mind and starting a revolution after listening to ‘Mad Men Rule the World.’ You might lose everything in the process. The band isn’t exactly political, but when you look at what’s going on internationally, it’s quite worrying.
If The Experimental Tropic Blues Band were a doomed outlaw gang, what would each member’s wanted poster say?
Devil D’Inferno: Wanted, preferably alive, for drug trafficking. Reward: A space cake.
Dirty Cock: Notorious fluffy wolf. Wanted for indecent exposure (true story).
Boogie Snake: Effeminate oddball. Wanted for ladylike hairstyles and gender confusion.
‘Angelborsht Tragedy’—what unholy mix of divinity and disaster is at play here? Should we be praying or running for cover?
You should be running for divorce at the nearest town hall.
After two decades of sonic destruction, do you feel more like mad scientists, cult leaders, or grizzled war veterans?
We feel more like unhealthy, underpopulated mad war cult scientists.
If this record had to be played during a bar fight, a séance, or a jailbreak—where would it fit best?
Definitely during the escape of rabbits from a cosmetics factory.
What’s the one rule in rock’n’roll that you’ve happily broken and will never apologize for?
Not dying at age 27.
If ‘Loverdose’ had a banned commercial, what would it look like?
Three people (the band) are dressed up as Adolf Hitler, Donald Trump, and Vladimir Putin, respectively. Three poor victims are about to be executed: one in a gas chamber, one in an electric chair, and one shot at a post by soldiers. The dictators each say in their respective accents, “So you’re not taking part in the economic and patriotic effort? You haven’t bought ‘Loverdose,’ the latest album by The Experimental Tropic Blues Band?”
They give the order, and the three human beings die in excruciating agony. It’s very gory and hard-hitting. They laugh cruelly. Finally, we hear Adolf’s voice saying in German, “Bestellen Sie jetzt” (Order it now). He’s holding the vinyl in his hands. The end.
Do tell us more about its recording process…
Boogie Snake: I wrote all the songs and then recorded demos alone in my living room and kitchen. I shared them with the band, then arranged them with Dirty Coq to re-record everything with a TR-808 as drums. Coq adapted the tracks to suit his very colorful psyche in his home studio. The guitar parts were simplified to go better with the rhythm parts. I put my voice to the tracks, and then we mixed the record. It took about four months before we had a good result. We wanted to have total control over all the songs because we’ve rarely been fully satisfied with our previous records. How could we ever be? Will we ever be?
The Experimental Tropic Blues Band Facebook / Instagram / Bandcamp
JauneOrange Official Website / Facebook / Instagram / Bandcamp
