HOLOTROPIC Breaks Down “Individual” and Their Evolving Sound

Holotropic inhabits a sonic territory where extremity becomes a vehicle for introspection rather than mere force. Their music unfolds through layered structures, atmospheric tension, and a refusal to obey predictable architectures, allowing emotion to surface from within complexity rather than being imposed upon it.

With the release of “individual,” the band moves further into a space shaped by cohesion, experimentation, and an almost philosophical curiosity about unity, fragmentation, and the invisible threads that bind human experience to its environment.

What emerges is a body of work that feels deliberate, immersive, and texturally rich, carrying the imprint of meticulous studio exploration alongside an instinct for narrative movement within sound. Themes of uncertainty, connection, and inner multiplicity resonate beneath the technical surface, suggesting that heaviness can function as both confrontation and revelation.

In this conversation, we explore the creative impulses behind “individual,” the evolution of the band’s sonic language, and the ideas that continue to shape their artistic direction.

How would you describe the core identity of Holotropic to someone hearing you for the first time?

Kamil: From my point of view the essence of Holotropic probably lies in striving for artistical freedom and originality within more or less an extreme metal framework. I would like our band to sound like no other band without being completely experimental and avant-garde. In very dry terms we are a progressive extreme metal with roots in death metal and a lot of other outside influences, playing compositions that are not necessarily traditional with an occasional oriental sounding melody thrown-in for a good measure.

Vladimir: If you like your heavy music without refrains and verses, and all that nonsense, but still catchy and with fun rhythms and atmosphere, you should try Holotropic.

What does the title “individual” mean to the band at this moment?

Kamil: “individual” in our case goes basically to the origin of the word itself. We might normally think about it as “an individual” a person that is a separate entity. But at its core it actually means “not divisible / inseparable”. We are not only indivisible as beings but we are inseparable from our environment, from others, from the world.

Vladimir: For me personally it also means the fact, that there are internal divisions in us, in our emotions, in our thinking and in the way we perceive the world. But these divisions are often self made and they can be resolved.

When writing new material, do you start from technical ideas or from atmosphere and emotion?

Kamil: Usually from a technical idea like a riff, chord progression, melody which usually dictates all the parts that come after it. I tend to compose in a way where everything that comes in the song is dictated by what came before it. Atmosphere and emotion usually emerges out of it. I don’t set out to “write a song in certain emotion”. I consider songs as being small stories which can harbor different emotions.

“individual” sits somewhere between an EP and a full-length album. Why did this format feel right for this release?

Kamil: We originally set out to do just an EP, and this was a very long time ago. Due to many different reasons we kept postponing the finishing works and actual recording. The songs themselves then became a bit richer, sometimes longer or more developed, especially in the studio, where we deconstructed them with our producer Jakub Hríbik and added a lot of details to them.

So, in the end we reached a format which technically is an album, but it doesn’t feel completely that way to us. That is why we also call it “something between a long EP and a short album”. The format felt right as we didn’t want to artificially add new songs to it just to have a longer album as the songs themselves work as a coherent unity from start to finish.

Compared to your debut album, what feels fundamentally different about “individual”?

Kamil: Oh, a lot of things. The songs are more coherent, focused and flow more naturally although they are not less complex or complicated in structure. In general there is less death metal in the music than before. It is more atmospheric and vibrant.

The drum patterns are also more atypical and unexpected then before because I wanted the drummer Janko to express more of his non-metal influences and I think it has given the music a very unique flavor. We have also changed vocalists between the records and that is a giant change as Vladimír comes with a completely different approach to vocals, patterns, melodies and even lyric writing than our previous singer Vein.

Probably the biggest change in my opinion is the production value. We spent incomparably more time working out the song details, arranging and recording parts, layering them. It has given the songs depth that was not previously present.

Vladimir: Production was definitely better, big shout out to our producer. Also I think Kamil grew as a guitar player, composer and a musician in general. With lyrics and singing, I tried to make these new songs more open, structured and less abstract, than what Vein did. I really enjoy contemporary pop music, and it shows.

Much of the new material is already part of your live set. How did playing these songs live influence their final versions?

Kamil: I wouldn’t say that much. As we do not shape our music based on the audience responses. The final versions were much more influenced by their mentioned deconstruction in the studio and a creative deliberation then playing them live. And that is why it is now not so easy to play them all live with all the studio nuances, but we will make it work. (smiles)

Vladimir: I think it’s basically the opposite, hearing the final versions with all the layers and arrangements made us understand, where are the true highs and lows, what is the true dynamic of the songs. And at least for me, as a singer, it helped me understand how to perform them live.

Can you share a story from the writing or recording of “individual” that really shaped the record?

Kamil: As we have written a lot of the music quite some time ago, I wouldn’t remember a lot from the actual writing and my writing process is usually kind of “the same” with no specific stories to tell, but I can share something from the recording.

It was very tough as we worked with a producer that is tough and wants to always get the best version of the song and of the performance from the artist. On one of the recording days, we got stuck with one arrangement to a point of complete desperation and almost an argument. We ended a very long studio day at that point. Coming home at night, completely tired, feeling empty, I sat in the bath just staring into the wall trying to reconcile what to do with the song and at that point of feeling completely hopeless, a completely new, fully formed idea of what should happen in the song appeared in my mind, ended up on the record and also sprouted further ideas that enriched the whole record and gave it its final form.

The moral of the story probably is that a seeming dead end can sometimes lead to something great and beautiful.

Are there any sounds, instruments, or techniques you discovered during production that surprised you?

Kamil: A giant amount actually. There are so many different guitar sounds and layers on this thing it is not even funny. (smiles) And not only that. We have also written and used various synths and samples. We have two great guest appearances by our friend Stanislav Baranec, who composed and played saxophone parts on the record and we also opted out for quite non-traditional sax sound in the end.

But even with our basic instruments we have recorded things we have never done before. We have recorded more or less the old school way, meaning we didn’t just reamped guitar tracks or used VSTs. Almost all guitar sounds are direct amp and pedal + amp recordings.

We have used a lot of pitch shifting, fuzzes for textures and layers, various pedal combinations, an old Fender combo for cleans, hell we have even played the guitar that was lying horizontally with an e-bow placed on the strings while using a slider on the fretboard. So, yes there is a lot of experimentation with sound on this record.

Oriental melodic elements are a strong part of your sound. Where does that influence come from?

Kamil: It would probably be me who is guilty of smuggling these elements in. There is something exciting and fulfilling about these melodies and scales to my ears. I actually first got to hear them in metal, with bands such as Nile, Melechesh, Orphaned Land or Rudra. From there, I also got to explore the original traditional music of various regions of the “Global East” – from middle to far – which in turn further influenced me as a composer.

Are there themes or emotions you hope listeners discover beneath the technical surface?

Kamil: I would say something like “unity in complexity” is the theme as well as emotion a listener could feel after listening to this record in full and with the attention to detail but personally I am most happy when people tell me their interpretation of our music and lyrics as well as their individual (no pun intended) emotions that our music bring out in them. I am sometimes very surprised what associations and feelings listening to us can evoke.

Vladimir: I agree with Kamil, one think I always enjoyed in music and art in general, was the sheer magnitude of different interpretations and feelings it can create in different people. Also I would love to receive just one hate comment from someone, so far its been only compliments. (smiles)

What’s a detail in the music of “individual” that you think most listeners might overlook but you’re particularly proud of?

Kamil: Probably all the layering and sound design that went into creating the whole sound.

Vladimir: In ‘Al(l)one’ there is a solo that is not made with guitar and most people that heard it thought it was. It’s a different instrument, it’s not programmed, but that’s all I’ll say.

Are there emotional or philosophical themes that keep resurfacing in your work, even unintentionally?

Kamil: For me it is probably a kind of holistic approach to things, not being stuck in one box or looking at things from only one perspective, being open to new and different views, opinions and being vulnerable to a certain extent.

Vladimir: Uncertainty is a big theme that keeps coming up for me. The older I get, the less I know about the universe and it’s a strange feeling, not necessarily bad. Maybe even a little comforting.

If you could design the perfect tour for “individual”, what would it look like?

Kamil: Now, this could be some serious rabbit hole for me as a metal nerd that could realize his childhood dreams, but I am imagining two scenarios.

First one is where we would support another progressive band that we either love, influenced us or could give an understanding audience in front of us. A tour with Cynic, Rivers of Nihil or Between the Buried and Me could be awesome but we would have to up our live game up a few notches and practice endlessly of course. The ultimate thing in this sense, for me, would probably be a supporting slot on a Karnivool tour. I consider them the best live band out there currently.

The second scenario that I would love is where we would take another underground band which we are friends with or we really like, get in a van and just drive through Europe and play shows in small clubs for a bunch of music enthusiasts and have a good time. I can imagine us going out with Besna, Hecatoncheir, Ceremony of Silence, Morthymer, Wayd etc. That would be a lot of fun.

And since we are speaking to a Romanian, I am throwing a third scenario for good measure. I would love to be able to support your own Dordeduh on a nice little European tour. That would be awesome.

Any upcoming shows? Where can we see you?

Kamil: Currently, we are in the final phases of preparing the release party for the record which will happen a day after the release in Bratislava, Slovakia, but we are also planning multiple shows, currently only in Slovakia and Czech Republic, but we are open to any offers. (smiles)

What is especially interesting for me is that on these shows, we should be supporting Depresy, which is a Slovak legend and a band that influenced me in my musical upbringing tremendously so that is a big achievement for me personally and could also fulfill the conditions of a perfect tour from the previous question.