Martikor is a post-metal project from San Francisco led by Lenn Martikor.
I caught up with Lenn to talk about his early musical experiences, how he started writing music and the making of his latest record “The Ritual”.
CMM-What was the first music that really made an impact on you as a kid and what artist or band did you enjoy the most?
Lenn-I listened to a ton of different music, but the artists who had the biggest impact on me as a kid were Rammstein, The Prodigy, and Aphex Twin. I loved them for different reasons, of course, but they were all hugely influential in shaping my taste and approach to music.
CMM-How did you start writing songs and developing your own sound?
Lenn-I started playing guitar, then bass, but I quickly realized I wanted to learn more instruments as a kid. While doing that, I kind of fell in love with recording, mixing, and all that technical stuff. That’s really when I started writing music, mostly just experimenting with different sounds and textures and seeing what would happen.
CMM-You recently released a record called “The Ritual”. What was the recording process like and were there any particular pieces of gear you used to get the sound you were looking for?
Lenn-The recording process was like all the other records I’ve done. Since I record, mix, and master everything myself, my process is pretty autonomous. Whenever I get the itch to write, I just sit down with my instruments and my DAW and create whatever sound I’m feeling in the moment. Eventually, it starts to take shape, and I’m done when I feel like the idea doesn’t need to be stretched any further!
CMM-If you could do a score for any film director, who would it be and what would the film be about?
Lenn-I love Tarkovsky! Or maybe Darren Aronofsky! The plot wouldn’t be that important to me. I think I’d care more about how the visuals and the music align than about the storyline itself.
CMM-Anything coming up?
Lenn-Nothing new for Martikor at the moment. I’m working on a different project that’s heading in a slightly new direction, so Martikor is on a brief pause for now, but I might get back to it soon.
