Hungary’s The Moog: LP33 Interview

We had chance to grab a few questions with the Budapest based alternative rock group The Moog.  The group formed in 2004 consisting of teenagers; Tonyo Szabo (vocals), Adi Bajor (guitar), and Gergo Dorozsmai (drums).  The original members were soon joined by Csaba Szabo (bass) and Miguel Gyorgy (2nd guitar).  We sat them down to find out what its like working with legendary producers of Pearl Jam and Nirvana, their upcoming album Razzmatazz Orfeum, and what the future holds for The Moog.

LP33: You’ve just wrapped up tour in the US and headed back home, any memorable tour stories?  Something about a brawl with Lady Gaga??! Care to share?

The Moog: Well there was lots of partying with touring mates The Photo Atlas and many nights I don’t remember at all.  Sorry to start with a rock cliché. Anyway, I think I still have to sort my memories out so I can start writing my memoirs in interviews. The Lady Gaga “story” – well I didn’t actually see that because apparently, to the great fun and delight of the whole band organization, I was high on some tranquilizer I was given that night. I don’t remember exactly where this bar was, but somewhere in NYC and we had to take 2-3 cabs from the club we played to get there.  So yeah after our show the venue manager treated us to a bunch of tequila shots, then the night really got going.  Then at this other bar later that night Adi came up to me and said Lady Gaga was there and that he made her buy a drink for him.

That’s what he does these days, his style getting rougher as he gets older. So I think it was something like that, he got the drink and Lady Gaga was all cool with Adi, but then Csabi wanted to take a picture with her but her bodyguards came over and pushed him around and tried to go through his camera.  Maybe there was a brawl?  I think people in the US are cooler (in the temperament sense) because in Hungary there surely would have been a proper brawl over this. So I guess that’s the story. Too bad I didn’t see her, cause I hear she was in her underwear, or pretend underwear. Is there such a thing?

LP33: Do you have a favorite city you like to visit and play in the US?

The Moog: Usually Seattle, San Francisco, Austin, New York… but this time we played more in the Midwest so my new favourite is Akron, OH – high school kids drinking pink alcoholic stuff from a big plastic can and it was curiously reminiscent of how we partied in ‘99-2000. Ohio is a bit like Hungary anyway, in a good way.

Photo: Chad Anderson

LP33: Your latest record, Razzmatazz Orfeum, was recorded in Seattle.  What was your time spent there like?  Did you pull any of your experiences from your time in Seattle into the new record?

The Moog: We lived off Pike Street in the Capitol Hill area for about a month, so close to anything worth the attention, I guess. Well the album is kind of dark so we prepared for Seattle, but then the whole month (it was March) was rather sunny so the stereotypical Seattle we expected didn’t happen.  All the better because this way I could take long walks around town (had money for a bus ride), see a ship being loaded with grain, isn’t it cool. But the sessions were really enjoyable, we were in three or four studios altogether.  Can’t decide which one I like more.

LP33: You’ve been able to work with some rock legends like Jack Endino (Nirvana) on your first record and, most recently, with Geoff Ott (Pearl Jam, Queens of the Stone Age).  What’s it like working with such iconic and established producers?

The Moog: To be honest I was a bit afraid at first.  We recorded the first album in Hungary and then went to mix in Seattle, that was my first time in the US and we brought the raw tracks for Jack Endino. I felt like before a college exam, I was afraid of what he might say to us.  But this time was the last time I was afraid in America I guess.  Anyway in the best way possible there was nothing out of the ordinary happening while working with Jack.  The sessions were all cool, mixing four songs a day, and ordering Thai food or whatever else. He ate a lot of tortilla chips at the mixing desk but also I think he did the best job with the record.  With Geoff for the new album Razzmatazz Orfeum, we spent more time because we did a week of pre-production in Seattle rehearsing, recording some new arrangement ideas, going to bars, etc, so from the first rehearsal on he became our friend, and so the ‘iconic and established’ ceased to matter, or rather it became clear why he and Jack Endino are iconic and established, because they’re the best of course.  I mean they are friends with us and I think they know what to do with this music.

LP33: Is there a meaning behind the title, Razzmatazz Orfeum?

The Moog: Orfeum was a kind of music hall/vaudeville/circus/nightclub crossover in the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, late nineteenth century, so I think it refers to all the assorted flowers of evil of the dark side in our world. Hungary’s quite dark and depressing anyway.

LP33: What’s the music scene like in Hungary?  Can you tell us about your experience as a rock band on the rise from Eastern Europe?

The Moog: There are all kinds of scenes, reggae, ska, punk, goth, electro, hard rock and of course metal, and as one journalist put it: all are stuck in 1997.  Like, there is no real scene for the music we play, as compared to the West. For two years I’ve been trying to convince myself that there is a scene (indie? garage? for God’s sake the Hungarian magazines often call this music “Anglo-Saxon guitar pop” or “Britpop” (!!!!!!)), but there’s only a few bands like ours.

We have a good following, which means for a Hungarian “alternative, English-lyrics band” a 1000 plus people if tickets are cheap, and around 300-400 at a smaller club show. So there is an audience, but we feel a bit alone here, swimming against the tide, since the press doesn’t really care. But it’s cool, makes us feel young and against the establishment!  Fuck them all, we know we’re cool, I mean as long as we like to play the songs and not care about how you actually achieve coolness, right?  I wish we toured Eastern Europe more.  I’ve visited these countries so often and they are so nice. Well, Prague could use a tourist ban though.

Photo: Chad Anderson

LP33: Do you think the internet has played a strong role in your music’s international awareness?

The Moog: Of course.  I think for us it’s the main thing, the internet.  As far as international awareness goes.  We found our label through the net, we’re giving lots of interviews by email, our videos, etc.  Music awareness week, they should have that in schools.

LP33: Your recent video for “When I See You” is a creative spectacle of puppetry, clowns, costumes and an audience. What was your inspiration?

The Moog: Our manager had the idea of combining the videos for The Cure’s “Close To Me” and Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun”.  Then they wrote up the screenplay with the director.  We went along with the idea because it seemed cool, and it proved them right!  The video is great.

LP33: Gris Grimly did the album art for the first single, “You Raised a Vampire,” were you fans of Grimly’s work before? How did you come to work with him?

The Moog: We didn’t know him before, but after we saw his work we instantly thought that he could be great to do artwork for us. Our label approached him and fortunately he was open to the idea of doing something. He created a masterpiece, so even if you don’t like our band it’s worth to buy our 7″ single (You Raised A Vampire) because of the cover artwork he did for it.

LP33: What’s next for you guys for the rest of the year?  What can we expect from you?

The Moog: Well we got some festival dates, one of which is a tribute night to a famous Hungarian singer, Akos, and this thing is big.  Produced by the Hungarian MTV and it’s broadcasted live and all from a lakeside beach, lots of people and as a judge, Akos himself, it’s gonna be funny, cos he openly dislikes alternative bands, so we’ll see how we can impress him.  So we have to prepare with two cover songs for this occasion.  Then there are regular festivals this summer.

Most importantly, we’re going to start writing new material for a new album possibly out next spring. We’ll record demos and sort them out, we’re dreaming up a concept about society’s injustice and how women are treated. Grave issues, really!  Nah, we want to do the best record but we got no idea how to make the best record so we’re gonna just write songs.  One thing, no more vampires.  We didn’t know about Twilight when we wrote the song.  In 2007 Hungary it wasn’t happening, but now fucking vampires are everywhere: that’s our luck. Not that vampires are so important for us. As I said now society is more important, right?  I’m listening to a lot of Manic Street Preachers now. Actually I really am, but perhaps that’s another matter.