SOURCE – Congratulations on your fantastic album, XII: A gyönyörű álmok ezután jönnek. Could you please tell us a little about it? What will be your strongest memory from the recording of the album?
Tamás Kátai (guitar, bass, vocals, keyboards, programming) – Thank you very much. Well, my most vivid memory is probably the shooting of the video for the title song, during which I ran up and down for two days. It was a bright autumn weekend in my hometown of Makó, with friends, and we had a lot of fun. Even the cover was taken from a frame of the video. Talking about the recording itself, the tracking of “Lydiához” was quite exhausting. It is a cover song with a strange rhythm and we sweated a lot to play and sing it properly.
SOURCE – With the guest appearances on XII: A gyönyörű álmok ezután jönnek, how was it working with those artists, and did you always plan to feature them on the songs they performed?
Tamás Kátai (guitar, bass, vocals, keyboards, programming) – I have a good number of great vocalists around me because of the live incarnation of the band and we usually work with everyone from the live band for at least a song or two, including the guitarists. I record most of the album but it’s nice to have some real guitar leads from people who are actually musically talented. Then there are the additional instruments that I wanted to use heavily instead of virtual ones. I wanted an organic, warm sound and whenever possible, I wanted to sort things out with real instruments. They really make a difference.
SOURCE – Have you experienced any differences in how the foreign press treats you and the band compared to how the local press and media treat and write about you?
Tamás Kátai (guitar, bass, vocals, keyboards, programming) – Interesting question. Well, the main difference is that the local media speaks the language, so they have an extra layer that the foreign press lacks. But apart from that, hm, I think Thy Catafalque has a good reputation here in Hungary and also outside the country, I have no reason to complain. We are treated generously, often with unreasonable generosity.
SOURCE – Nowadays, the person responsible for sound production is often prominently mentioned in every album, especially if they are well-known. How important do you think the producer is to a band’s sound?
Tamás Kátai (guitar, bass, vocals, keyboards, programming) – This was the first time that I did not mix and master the album. I felt I had reached my limits in terms of production, I needed a new perspective and I called in Gábor Vári from Miracle Sound Szeged, whom I had known for a few years and we had worked together before, so I knew he would be the right person. Yes, the sound changed, but we wanted to keep the roots while exploring new territories. The music itself was done, it was about the sound production and he had a lot of ideas that increased the quality of the album. The whole process was a lot slower than before, but the result was worth it. At least that’s how I feel.
SOURCE – Several artists have recently been discussing issues with streaming services and the loss of revenue, while others have been defending them. What are your thoughts on this evolution in the music industry?
Tamás Kátai (guitar, bass, vocals, keyboards, programming) – You know, I see what’s going on in the music industry, especially now that we’re actively playing live, and it’s not easy, especially in my country. A lot of really, really great bands are suffering from the circumstances and will eventually give up. I am in a very lucky position with Season Of Mist and I am aware of that and all I can do is what I have always done: create music and then whatever happens happens. I did the same thing 20 years ago when we didn’t have a label, no one at all, and I burned our third album onto CD-Rs one by one at home and sent them out from the local post office to anyone who ordered one.
SOURCE – How does Hungary, as an immediate neighbor, view the war in Ukraine? What impact has this conflict had on Hungary?
Tamás Kátai (guitar, bass, vocals, keyboards, programming) – This conflict is having a huge impact on our country. Our leaders have the chance to show their true colours, and Hungary is slowly navigating itself out of Europe.
SOURCE – If you had to choose two song from each album for a retrospective setlist, which would you choose?
Tamás Kátai (guitar, bass, vocals, keyboards, programming) – Do you want me to come up with 24 song titles here? Are you sure? Erdgeist, Come Late Autumn Rains, Mirkwood Sonnet, Panta Rhei, Csillagkohó, Zápor, Szervetlen, Molekuláris gépezetek, Fekete mezők, Vashegyek, Jura, Sgúrr Eilde Mór, Uránia, Mezolit, Hajnali csillag, Gőte, Tsitsushka, Számtalan színek, Gömböc, A kupolaváros titka, A csend hegyei, Alföld, Vasgyár, Vakond.
SOURCE – Other than the album promotion what other plans do you and the rest of the band have?
Tamás Kátai (guitar, bass, vocals, keyboards, programming) – We’re doing a live show in Spain very soon, and then we’re doing a double show in Hungary where we’re doing the whole Rengeteg album from 2011 and half of the new record. Then we’ve already got a couple of dates lined up for next year, so we’re pretty busy.
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Photo Credit: Orsolya Karancz