SINOPTIK- A Band From Kiev (Stoner Rock)

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SINOPTIK- Standalone Syndrome (Stoner Rock)

Inteview conducted on January 5, 2018

SINOPTIK – three generations of rockn’roll in one shot. The best mix of the ’60s and 2000s rock. Unpredictable fusion-absorption of psychedelic rock, old-school rock and digital stoner. The creative concept of SINOPTIK – delicate lyrics and the burst of sound. They blend power and beauty, roaring of overloaded guitars and cosmic sounds of the keys.

SINOPTIK’s musicians took part in such festivals: Sziget, Reading (UK),TheBestCity.UA 2012-2013, GogolFest 2014, 2015, Global Battle of the Bands Ukraine, Fan-Zone EURO 2012, Respublica Fest 2015, Shid Rock 2015, Z-Games 2015.

SINOPTIK’s front man – Dmitriy Sinoptik, lived in England for a long time, where he recorded two albums with the British band The Wow Signal and singer Penny Foster. His own records were published by Gean Pool Universal. Dmitriy managed to play at dozens of British festivals, and on one stage with Iggy Pop.

Band Members

Dima “Sinoptik” – vocal, guitar, keys;

Dima “Frosby” – bass;

Victor Gerchev – drums.

How did your band start? What are the background?

Dima Sakir: At some point in life I was fed up with playing in small-town bars, and Dima came around just in time, so I decided to ride this wave. Then we bought our first keyboard and it all started rolling! 🙂 My background spans from my own cover band Chuck Berry & Buddy Holly to playing in half-cannibalistic meal bands, plus everything in between. I even had time to study in a music college for a year and a half.

Where’s your band from?

Dima Sinoptik: Originally we are from the industrial city of Donetsk, from the East of Ukraine (it’s like a local Birmingham). We moved to Kiev, when our native region was caught up in a civil war. And from one hand it is a very sad twist, but from another – these changes pushed us to move forward greatly. In Kiev we met our drummer Viktor, who comes from another industrial region – Krivbas. You can fairly say that our band is a unity of coal and steel.

How did you pick your name?

SINOPTIK

Sinoptik- I have a gift of predicting weather. From the moment i wake up I already know whether it will rain or it’ll be cloudy. In our language SINOPTIK means “weather man” or meteorologist. This nickname is with me for many years now, and when it came to naming the band, i didn’t invent anything, i just took this name.

What bands influenced your band?

Sinoptik – I guess, classic rock bands from the 60s-t0s period influenced us the most. Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin were sucked in with mother’s milk, but we try hard to avoid too much influences from these dinosaurs in our music. If we talk about modern bands, then I can name QOTSA, The Dead Weather and Tame Impala as those, who influenced us greatly too.
Sakir: I listen to a lot of old school progressive (Yes, King Crimson, ELP). From later times i like Sonic Youth and My Bloody Valentine.

How do you describe your music?

Sinoptik – A lot of fuzz and some cosmic synths. I aim to play rock music in its classic form, however we often experiment with electronic music or Doom. Not so long ago one Ukrainian radio station asked us to record a song with lyrics from a poet from the 1930s. Dima Sakir made a translation into English and the song came out simply great!

How did you get the title Best new band of the world 2016?

Sakir – I made persuaded Dima Sinoptik to participate in this competition, and as a result juries and listeners loved our 10 minute-long song with a hell of a guitar part and with an acid synthesizer. We went to perform in Berlin right in the middle of our European tour by the way, so we came to the club still drunk and firsty for the attention. I came to stage with a desire to destroy the place, which seen Bowie and Ramons in the 1970s. We played our strong hits and in an hour we were proclaimed winners. Sinoptik – In this very moment I was in the toilet, so I had to make a race to reach the stage in time (the club looked like a bloody cave labyrinth: dark and confusing).

Tell me more about SINOPTIK – three generations of RocknRoll in one shot.

Sakir – three of us are from various generations, but if you mix three people in a human blender, you’ll get a smooth meatball in the end. So that’s what we are constantly trying to get – juicy meet. Sometimes we make it too salty or too spicy, but always tasty

How did you start your own label?

Sinoptik – Today anyone with a laptop is able to make his own label or to hack Pentagon. But if honestly, some time ago I lived in the UK, where I studied as a sound engineer. So it was rather logical to record my own band, with my gained knowledge. I spent some great time making our debut album, and I was pleased with a result too. Now I record and do sound production for many young Ukrainian bands, choosing only those whom I really like.

How did you pick the person to produce your album?

Sakir – We wanted to record our album just like musicians, without doing our own production, and listened to many famous sound producers. So in the end we arranged everything with Maor Appelbaum. We agreed to “add more cowbell” in order to get rich with this album. 🙂

What made and model of instruments and year do you play?

Sinoptik – currently my main instrument is a semi acoustic thin line hybrid Tele and Jazzmaster, which was custom made for me last year by a Ukrainian brand Woodstock Guitars. I named it after Rogue from XMen because of its acid green color and sharp hitting sound. Before this I had a green Tele, which I smashed at one of the festivals, so its inner parts were passed to Rogue.
Viktor Gerchev – Once I met Ginger Baker in Los Angeles, and he gave to me his signed snare drum. Since then I use it and I’m quite happy with it. During tours I use Tama drum kit from the 90’s.
Sakir – A few years ago I bought a red Precision Bass from the 1989 from some strange guy and for a very cheap price, so since then we are always together. This guitar is same age as me, and following my own tradition I named it after a character from my favorite TV show (freaky Phoebe Buffay from Friends).

Would you like to play a fest like Rock on the Range in the US?

Viktor – Of course! Ready to take off any moment, plus my visa is still valid.
Sinoptik – I hope that guys from Rock on the Range are reading this interview, and already looking for our e-mail or phone number.

Any plans for a US Tour?

Viktor – By the way I need to get to LA and check out the plum trees I’ve planted on the Hollywood hills. Sakir – And I just came up with this: I would also love to perform at the NASA Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

How would you explain your live performance?

Dima “Sinoptik”

Sinoptik- It usually looks sort of like this: we start getting crazy on stage, while our listeners fall into some kind of trance and watch us. Also, when there is a new audience, and at some point of the show the band and the people merge together, you can almost touch the electrified air between us. During every show we try to amaze our listeners in every country or city we go to…

Who have you open up for?

Sinoptik – Within Temptation and Enter Shikari are among the recent ones, and just this august we played a big gig with Marilyn Manson. But sharing stage with Uriah Heep was probably the most memorable one. These guys are already 70 plus, but they made a hell of a show. And comparing to them, most live gigs of famous bands I’ve seen, are just nothing. I never even thought that you can play just as great as they did!

What music fest would you like to play at?

Синоптик – I think Rock am Ring or Glastonbury would fit just right for a start. Sakir – I’d love to play at the Rome Colosseum. It’s not a festival, of course, but it will be just cool. (I got this idea from the famous Pink Floyd video)

If someone was listening to you for the first time, what 3 videos would you tell them to look at and why?

Sinoptik – We actually have only three official videos, so this would be easy. But first of all I would recommend to check out our cinematographic video work for the song White Cats and the new one – Standalone Syndrome. And for the finals you can watch our live video from the roof (Hromadske TV). This video is very nice and emotional: we had great weather, some cool breeze, we all were relaxed and enjoyed it.
Sakir – And then we had to carry our instruments down for 15 floors! 🙂

How do you see your band in the next 5 years?

Sakir – Hopefully not in a mental house! However I would be a very quiet patient, and Dima on the other hand will make a band even there.

Any guilty pleasures your fans would be surprised you listen to?

Sinoptik – Well, don’t know how surprising this would be, but here you go: I listen to Burzum and Jinjer

What is on your phone for music now?

Sakir – I use Soundcloud and Bandcamp. There are lots of independent bands there, and the mainstream is just unbearable these days.
Sinoptik- Lately I listen to online radio (through the Tunein Radio app) and to Ukrainian alternative radio Submarina. I also have a huge music library on my phone, which I often listen to (it has classic bands like Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, etc.).

Anything in closing you would like to say?