Interview with Epitome

What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?

•  Dyvan: It depends on who exactly you are directing your question to ;) I can answer for myself. I entered the world of metal music at the age of 13, so with this act I clearly defined my future primarily as a music fan. Being someone like "musician" came spontaneously, but also in such a way it left me for quite a few years ;) But I'm here again and I'm very happy with it :) For that I never assumed who I would be if music wasn't in my life . It's a waste of time!

What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?

•  Dyvan: I love to roam the wilderness, walk in places where I have not been yet. I'm also very lucky because I don't do it alone, my beloved wife is my best companion :) Apart from music, it's the best way to break away from everyday duties ;)

How long has your band been around?

• Dyvan: The band has existed continuously since 1992. So it's been 30 years and the counter is still spinning!

 Where are you based and how did that influence your music?

•  Dyvan: I think the influence of origin heavily influenced all the composers of EPITOME's music in quite a significant way. Each of them could say something more, but there were several of these authors during the 30 years of the band's existence. From my perspective, how I sing and what lyrics I write was influenced not only by the place where I lived / am currently living, but also by the experiences related to it, in the entirety of everyday life. We build ourselves every day. And so it will be until the very end.

How did you come up with the name of your band and what does it mean to you?

•  Dyvan: As far as I know, there is no deeper story behind it. It was supposed to be a "epitome" of grinding death metal!

Tell me about your most memorable shows.

•  Dyvan: Depends from which perspective you look at it ;) I assume you mean EPITOME concerts ;) I currently have quite a bit of experience with this band's concerts, but quite specific. My first two concerts are the band's 30th anniversary, so they are automatically the ones I remember best. The guys have a much larger database of memories, for example from routes around Mexico. But to reminisce about these events, they would need much more space and time that we would have to spend on it ;)

What is your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you have not already?

•  Dyvan: Any place is good if three basic conditions are met: a band well prepared for the concert, a good sound director and the audience that came just for you. And there are as many places where we would like to play as there are cities in the world where we would like to play!

If you could play any show with any lineup, who would be on the ticket?

•  Dyvan:Ah, there are too many great musicians with whom I would like to share the stage for a moment to list them here. At the moment I'm focusing on playing with those people with whom I share my time devoted to concerts and rehearsals ;) They are the most important to me!

What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into playing in a band and some advice that you would give to your younger self?

•  Dyvan: In fact, there are not many words that can be said to a young music-making adept. Everything closes sooner or later on not deceiving yourself, doing everything as you feel, drawing joy out of it. I wouldn't advise anything to the younger version of myself, because I believe that my path is what it was supposed to be and I don't regret anything!

Of your songs which one means the most to you and why?

•  Dyvan: I love all the songs that I took part in recording. They are very important to me because I have devoted a piece of my life to each of them, focusing 100% on them.

Which songs are your favorite to play and which get requested the most?

•  Dyvan: I really like to perform "Hey You! Broadcast This Bloody Vomit!" and the title track from the new album "ROTend". But also older songs like "Public Disorder", "AutoeROTicism". Not only the ones I mentioned. If I didn't like them, I wouldn't enjoy playing live. In terms of the most desired songs we play live, we don't conduct any survey, many people who come to our concerts like whatever we play from the band's discography :)

What is the creative process for the band, and what inspires you to write your music?

•  Dyvan: The music is created in the home of the guitarist Misiek. I write the lyrics for the final versions of the songs. As you know, songs can change during the creation process. So, in order not to mess with the lyrics, I write at the end of the writing process. I talked about inspirations at the beginning of this interview ;)

What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music?

•  Dyvan: These may not be messages, more of drawing attention to various facts. Often the texts were and are written in an abstract or even sarcastic way. Often also in a very direct way.

Do you ever have disagreements in your band, and how do you get past them?

• Dyvan: The time I spend in the EPITOME is completely devoid of interpersonal problems. As far as I know, there have been such problems in the past, which is why the line-up of the band has changed. As of today, everything is fine!

What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that is coming up?

•  Dyvan: We are focusing on booking concerts, we are also starting to write new material for the album, which we would like to release next year if nothing prevents us from doing so. ROT!