Podcast: Download (Duration: 2:03:55 — 283.6MB)
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Owen Swerts is a multi-instrumentalist and producer from Belgium. His love for berating, adrenaline-pumping metal began at a rather young age and within these early years, he conjured a handful of bands. Though these projects never blossomed beyond his early adulthood, they were essential in concreting his love for brutal, textured music. A drummer at his core, he eventually picked up guitar and bass to construct his progressive, djent-laden titan known as Frequency Eater—he plays every instrument. The debut LP for this project, Finite States, came out in October 2017, but the kernel of its inception was seeded at least four years before. And it germinated as Owen’s proficiency in various instruments bloomed. Over these successive years, Owen perpetually ground his teeth in other bands. He played guitar and snarled words in his hardcore punk project, Shaken Baby; he dabbled in droning soundscapes plagued with experimental touches under Horse’s Sinews; he actively crushes the kit in the Belgium-based crusty d-beat outfit Days of Desolation; and his most recent endeavor, Ikea Mutilation Manual, embraces absurd—and at times, hilarious—clashes of myriad sounds and styles with unhinged grindcore.
Underlining this relatively packed level of musical output is Owens’ burning desire to create. When he is not writing or recording in his home studio, he is assisting other artists in recording their creative efforts. In this conversation, Owen speaks about his day-to-day and his innate propensity to conjure and record. He also delves deep into Frequency Eater, Days of Desolation, and Ikea Mutilation Manual, discussing the creative writing processes in each project whilst also exploring the themes and concepts they wrangle. Thank you so much for listening.
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You can sample all of Owens’ projects in the respective hyperlinks sprinkled above. Here are a handful of links to his projects’ Facebook pages: Days of Desolation, Frequency Eater, and Ikea Mutilation Manual. You can also follow Owen on Instagram to receive new updates on his projects. Thank you Kyle at Ash & Dust Studio for mastering this episode’s audio.
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