Ainsoph are the newest jewel in the dutch underground music crown.
If you haven’t heard about them yet, you should definitely read about their upcoming album HERE.
I need to say that I was really excited when the members agreed to share more about the band .
It was a real pleasure to chat with them & unveil the Ainsoph mystery at least a little bit .
A few days before the release of “Ω – V” on February 2nd, the experience is a real thing.

1. When exactly AINSOPH was found?

– T: Probably when I went „crazy“. A year and a half ago maybe?

– I: I actually have no idea when it started exactly, but for me it involved a tiny basement studio with a mic that wasn’t properly attached to the stand and a door that didn’t close.

2. What is the current line up of the band?

M.T. drums
T.D. guitar, bass and keys
I.V. vox

3. Do you have any musical experiences before AINSOPH?

– None that are relevant to the project.

4. Can you tell me more about the idea behind the album?

– I: I don’t think depression is the right word, it’s something more intense than just dreary. It relates to the way we see ourselves and the things that will always chase some of us; how it never stops, like an endless circular motion.

– T: Which is pretty much where the name came from – a feeling of emptiness so overwhelming that it constantly borders on psychosis. About giving in to it and becoming a vortex carried by flesh, blood and fire, consuming everything in its path.

There is a lot of subtext throughout the album and many stylistic choices were made because of numerological values, but we’d rather leave it to the listener to figure that out if they’re interested.

5. Where was the album produced/recorded/mixed/mastered ?
By Georgios Maxoris at e sound.
The mastering was done by Jack Shirley.

6. Influences (musical or not) for your music?

– T: One of my all-time favourites would be the band Sigh. I listened to their older work a lot over the years and I doubt there’s a single act who have influenced me more than they did.

I also used to listen to a lot of Ghenghis Tron, especially Dead Mountain Mouth, some classics like Blue Oyster Cult and lots of Japanese jazz like Prism and The Square.

– I: I find influences kinda hard to pin down, really. I normally listen to all kinds stuff (I’m a big Kate Bush-fan for instance), which doesn’t really come through at all on the record. That said, I do believe everything you listen to has a subconscious influence on you in one way or another.
During pre-production I was listening to a lot of FKA Twigs and we had a couple of references, like the song ‘Summer Moon’ by Ghxstt and the voice on ‘Haunts’ by Mr Kitty. (I still have no idea whose voice it is)

7. Who wrote the lyrics? What inspired them?

– T: I guess some music just writes itself.

8. Can you share the meaning behind every song or part of the songs and what exactly you wanted to express with each one of them?

– I: To be honest, what every song specifically means to us is not that relevant to the experience. It’s up to the listener to interpret the content in whichever way they find most relatable.

– T: Also, the whole thing was pretty much written in one go and is really intended to be listened to that way.

– I: It’s hard to explain songs individually as it’s one coherent piece.

– T: It even felt kind of weird cutting it up into separate tracks, I really view them more as segments than songs. The two sides of the album are like different sides of the same feeling.

9. Favorite part of the album? I think every musician has its own favorite moment from the album – something little that really makes them proud.

– I: My favourite song is definitely ‘Back to Purgatory’, mostly because I secretly have a thing for instrumental music. The song says a lot to me without actually „saying“ anything.

The song I’m most proud of is ‘Less Than a Beast’, because I was completely out of my comfort zone and the result is something I didn’t know I was capable of.

– T: One of my favourite parts is after the intro of ‘The Long and Self-Destructive Road…’ when the vocals and blast beats kick in. The idea of having these vocals over a full-on blast beat just seemed stupid but for me it was just stupid enough to work.
I’m also very proud of ‘Back To Purgatory’ just because I’m really into the sound of a Rhodes piano.

10. What does the cover artwork mean for the band?

– T: The basis of the cover art was created throughout the writing process, mostly from cigarette ash.

K. v. H. from The Throat finalized the artwork as he saw fit and we were very stoked about the end product. It came out as a portal to a visual depiction of that intense feeling and mind state we spoke about earlier.

11. Is AINSOPH a live band or a studio project only at the moment? Can we expect to see you live somewhere?

– T: It started as an outlet in the form of a studio project, practically destined to gather dust, but we’ve had the good luck of friends who pushed us to release it, and of people like you who are actually digging the record and interested in our story, for which we are incredibly grateful.
There are also a number of talented musicians who are excited to help us perform it live. In fact, we have actually just picked a date for a release show.

For the exact date of the release show & more valuable info, you can follow the band on Facebook .

AINSOPH, thank you for your magnificent music & your time !