Doomed Confessionary: Clemens, Stefan & Alexander (Lahmana)
Lahmana is an instrumental prog/stoner/psychedelic rock trio based out of Saint Pölten, Austria.
Lahmana was founded in 2021 when Stefan Dangl (guitar), Alexander Grubner (bass), and Clemens Rosenthaler (drums) came together to embark on a new collaborative venture. Initially, the idea was to engage in extensive rhythmic and tonal experiments free from external pressure or observation.
Drawing on their roots in stoner and psychedelic rock, the trio – who were already acquainted from various other musical endeavors – charted new territory in their songwriting approach. From day one, their compositions were characterised by hypnotic repetition, complex and often shifting time signatures, and expansive atmospheric jam sessions. As they refined their sound, songs emerged that later would find their way onto their debut album »On Embracing A Blank Space«, released on April 15th, 2024.
Can you say a few words about your band?
Clemens: We are Lahmana from Austria, three friends who share a big enthusiasm for wild instrumental music. In April we released our debut album »On Embracing A Blank Space«. Our music has influences from prog and stoner rock, but with a unique style that makes it seem like it’s the musical rendering of an eastern wasteland.
What was the biggest challenge for the band?
Stefan: For me it was finding a compatible sound for an instrumental trio. Not only for my guitar sound but also for the mixing of our music. On our album we didn’t want to derive too much from our live sound with as little overdubs as possible. We went through a lot of trial and errors to get a solid working base we could build upon.
Alexander: At the moment, it is challenging to stay focused in writing songs and not get lost in endless improvisation.
What can you be most proud of so far?
Clemens: I would say the release of our album was an important milestone to make our music accessible to the people out there. But I am most proud, or better said, I feel lucky that we can just do our thing together. We usually meet once a week to jam, and sharing that time together is a great thing.
What was the best concert/tour so far and why?
Stefan: My most memorable one was a charity gig we played right after the lockdown. A lot of locals showed up not knowing what they were getting into. I think they ended up enjoying the music though. We never had such a big crowd of people dancing along to our songs.
What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
Stefan: The big support you get from people through Bandcamp. I wasn’t aware of the reactions, feedback and support you get even as a small DIY band like us.
Alexander: The biggest surprise is that we get so much feedback from people all around the world. Interviews like this are a great pleasure.
What is currently in your heavy musical rotation?
Clemens: Oh Hiroshima & Mother’s Cake.
Stefan: Amyl and The Sniffers.
Alexander: Joan as Police Woman, PJ Harvey, »The Endless Coloured Ways« – an LP full of Nick Drake covers and King Crimson »Live in Vienna 2016« – just to get angry about the fact that I was not there 😉
What was the best advice you’ve ever been given as a musician?
Stefan: Less is more.
What are your guilty pleasures?
Clemens: 3 over 4 polyrhythms with some spicy reverse delay on top 😉
Stefan: Modern Talking.
Can you say something more about current music scene in Saint Pölten?
Stefan: Unfortunately, the town we live in has little to no audience for niche music like ours. However, there is big support for stoner, doom and rock music with lots of events and festivals all across Austria. Unfortunately we don’t quite fit in this genre either. Haha
Alexander: I am part of “Solektiv”, a cultural association in our city that focuses on subcultural autonomy and artistic avant-garde. Actually, the scene is very lively and various, but most people in our country don’t know anything about it.
What are your plans for the future as a band?
Clemens: We don’t have any ambitious plans for our band. Sooner or later there will be a second album. Our rehearsals are a constant process of finding our proper musical expression in song and sound. Of course it’s our goal to get most of the live and jamming energy on the record.
Stefan: We’re definitely not rushing to release a second album asap. Even though we’d have some songs for it already. Our focus lies on developing our sound. We experiment a lot, try different setups, gear and musical ideas to see what works best for us.
Alexander: We love free-form improvisation and work hard to integrate it in our sound and our live-set. To improvise is a lot harder than playing, writing our songs.
How can people best support your band?
Clemens: The most rewarding support is when people just listen and enjoy our music, and share it with other people. None of us are professional musicians, so it’s just for fun.
Do you have any message for your listeners?
Stefan: Thank you for your interest in our music. It means a lot to us. Also thank you Bojan for this interview!
Alexander: Take your time when listening to our music. It’s not meant for fast consumption 😉
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well