Zmej: Reading the band's biography, I started recalling the USSR period (rehearsals at a chess club, performing in a Teachers' Training Institute hall, etc.). Well, my first question is going to be pretty natural: how is the metal scene in your country? Are there any chances to play metal in Turkmenistan and have a proper audience, or is all metal activity destined to be trampled by the authorities?
Serdar: Yeah, the metal scene is in awful shape. There are just two bands in Ashkhabad — RELIKT and ELEMBUS (gothic black). Both bands receive no support from any label and remain devoted enthusiasts. Our country has almost no metal fans, so nobody is interested in promoting metal. The authorities don't officially suppress the music — at least we've never encountered any confrontation. But it's just impossible to organize a gig because we'd never be able to cover the venue rental and licensing costs. Occasionally, there are gigs, but the organization is awful. I wish there were no gigs at all in that case.
Zmej: OK, that's clear. You haven't surprised us. Still, I think low-quality gigs are better than no gigs at all. Why don't you contact russian labels then?
Serdar: We're planning to do that after we get our newest material recorded. I hope the sound quality will be much better. Of course, we have to rely on ourselves — no russian label is going to cover our studio and travel expenses (a rare occurrence indeed — Ed.). We don't think we'll be able to cover all the expenses on our own either.
Zmej: You also had the chance to play at discos! That's damn interesting! Any comments?
Serdar: Those days are gone. In 1999, we played in small student disco halls. Now some of us just play pop music in pubs. I'm totally against that practice, but I can't forbid them from earning money that way.
Zmej: How was RELIKT's thrash music received in disco halls? Were you asked to play pop covers?
Serdar: No! We were playing for our own audience, of course! And some punks as well.
Zmej: What problems did you run into when recording the "Religion" album?
Serdar: The main problems were lack of time for creativity and the absence of labels willing to invest money into the recording. There are also no decent studios in our city. So we recorded everything ourselves using whatever equipment we had at hand. That's why the sound quality is far from excellent.
Zmej: Your website mentions the release of "Religion." Where was it released, in what format, and how many copies?
Serdar: Right, I was too quick to talk about a "release." We made 50 CD-R copies. Most of them haven't been distributed. I wish we'd made fewer, but we were dependent on the print shop's minimum order.
Zmej: Your band's info appears on Ukrainian metal portals. Why is Ukraine so attractive to you?
Serdar: A friend of ours was in Ukraine and handed out CDs for review. Unfortunately, we didn't get our CD to The MetalList. Due to certain reasons, we can't distribute our CDs via postal services, so we have to ask people who are traveling abroad. I hope we'll be able to send some CDs from moscow.
Zmej: So all your gigs have taken place in Ashkhabad — let's call them local gigs. Tell us about playing in Ashkhabad.
Serdar: Normally we play once or twice a year. The latest gig took place on December 28, accompanied by a film screening (or the film accompanied by music, depending on how you look at it). The sound was awful, and very few fans showed up. As you can see, the quality of gigs keeps getting worse.
Zmej: Are there any bands that inspire you to believe in the undying spirit of heavy metal? Any bands you dream of sharing a stage with?
Serdar: NAPALM DEATH, SLAYER, DEATH, PANTERA...
Zmej: Which local bands would you single out?
Serdar: As I mentioned, we've only got two bands here. ELEMBUS is a relatively young band with a debut demo called "Story of Fantasy" already recorded. In our conditions, any recording is highly appreciated — we're glad the guys managed to get it done. Unfortunately, they're experiencing line-up problems now, but hopefully everything will work out.
Zmej: Is that all? Do you only know bands from your own country?
Serdar: OK, I see I misunderstood your question. I thought you were asking about Turkmen bands. Well, I sometimes download demos, but they don't give me a complete picture of the CIS scene. In Ashkhabad's shops, you can hardly find CDs by CIS metal bands (except ARIA). You're right — we're out of touch with what's going on in neighboring countries.
Zmej: Have you thought about writing lyrics in your mother tongue?
Serdar: That's what I'm already doing. With the exception of the latest English songs currently being worked on, we use our native language — russian! We don't speak Turkmen and don't see any point in using the Turkmen language, since the local population has no interest in metal music.
Zmej: Your bio mentions problems with a rehearsal space. Do you have one now? How do you work on your music? Who is responsible for composing RELIKT's music and lyrics in general?
Serdar: We rehearse in a woodshed — it's a small room, but it belongs to us! Usually I write the lyrics, then the guitar players start working on the riffs, then we bring in the drummer, and after several months the song is complete.
Zmej: What instruments do you play, and what are your dream setups?
Serdar: We dream of excellent instruments — Jackson, Ibanez, Marshall combos, and analog pedals. In reality, we use old junk. Ruslan Ostapenko is fighting for solos on a Jolana Diamant. I've got a Hammer with a rusty Floyd Rose. Sasha Kochetov plays an old, unidentifiable bass. Tumur makes do with Amati drums and Remo heads. I'm sure he's not that happy with it — at the very least, he wants to get a double pedal.
Zmej: A traditional question. What are your plans?
Serdar: Creativity. And more creativity. It's creativity when it's burning inside you. No other plans.
Zmej: Any final words?
Serdar: Yes, final words!