Rock Monsters Romania

Asincron is a relatively new band on our underground scene. It consists of four people eager to play music, joining the new wave of underground artists that have emerged recently. Alongside bands like Private Venganza, Taxawal, Getchoo, Contratimp, Saryn, Leaky AC, Plant, and D.E.N.I.S., they bring a fresh energy and extraordinary enthusiasm for performing. I had the chance to see Private Verganza live, and they blew me away. It’s been a while since I’ve seen a band so determined to be heard, to be on stage.

Asincron is set to perform as the opening act for Coma, whose concert is already sold out, starting from December 7th at Club Expirat. Asincron consists of Sara on vocals, Andrei on bass, Tavi on drums, and Rares on guitar. We had the pleasure of talking to them about upcoming concerts, plans, and also about their influences and who they would like to perform with in the future.

How did you discover music, and how did you become a band?

Sara (vocals): I feel like music was always very dear to my heart, and growing up, I would hear music everywhere around me, in my parents’ house or any other relatives’ houses, all sorts of genres and artists. I remember my mom playing classical music while doing chores, and she would talk me through each composer’s life. I have a lot of tapes from when I was 4 or 5 years old, of me singing silly little ‘self-written songs’ that were just gibberish and an undefined line. It wasn’t until I turned 12 or 13 years old, though, that I discovered music on a deeper level, figuring out that the stuff I heard on the radio was not the only music that existed, due to digging to find things to play on the guitar. My taste in music took a twisted turn when I joined the band. When the guys started sharing their favorite tunes with me, helping me widen my horizons. It took me a while to join the band, mainly because we all had different styles, and I didn’t know if I was ever going to fit in. I was also terribly scared of disappointing the guys (who were and still are some of my bestest friends), but this turned out to be the best decision I ever made, and I am so glad I did it.

Andrei (bass): I discovered music mainly due to the free time I had during the pandemic. After a couple of weeks spent watching Youtube videos, I said “that’s it, bass is gonna be my thing.” I already knew that my friends were looking for a band member, so I joined them and, fast forward, here we are.

Tavi (drums): I started listening to music when I was a little kid, because of my parents who were listening to rock music while we were on roadtrips. 

Rares (guitar): I discovered music through my parents, who would listen to music a lot, mostly while cleaning the house. I would sit there, mesmerized by the different songs. Soon, I decided I wanted to start playing the guitar, as that was probably the only instrument I knew existed at that time. Before actually learning how to play, though, I would force my classmates to be part of my rock band (none of us knew how to play any instruments). A few years later, Tavi and I started learning how to play the guitar and drums. Later, Andrei, already a good friend of ours, started learning bass and joined us. After a few more years, and after much persuasion, Sara finally gave in, as we desperately needed her to do vocals for our first real show. And that’s how the band was born, having its first show in late May 2022.

 I saw a lot of new bands this year with young and fresh-minded people. Are you friends with any other bands? Do you already have a connection with them?

Yes, we were also really happy to see the underground scene blooming. We’ve befriended a lot of people from those new bands, such as Private Venganza, Taxawal, Getchoo, Contratimp, Saryn, Leaky AC and D.E.N.I.S.

How would each of you describe your musical style, and where do you come together to create something cool? 

Sara: I have absolutely no idea how to describe my musical style. I think it’s all over the place, it’s pure chaos, and not always a beautiful chaos. I am very prone to assimilate everything I see and hear and I am also easily influenced so, in time, I took bits from everyone I met and everywhere I’ve been. I can enjoy almost any type of music, and I don’t know where to place myself. In the band we’re all very different, in all aspects, but I consider myself pretty adaptable and willing to try new things, things the guys come up with, things that help us create a unique sound. 

Tavi: Our taste in music is pretty different . For example, I like heavier music, such as NU-metal, metalcore and even deathcore. And, from this mix of different tastes, we come up with something pretty unique, in my opinion.

Rares: I would say it’s somewhere in the alternative rock spectrum, a mix of grunge, indie, shoegaze and we’re starting to add a touch of emo as well.

Writing songs together is very interesting though, as all of us come from different musical backgrounds. 

Are there any plans for a debut album or an EP?

Yes, we plan on launching our debut album as soon as possible, probably somewhere around late spring, but we aren’t sure yet. Almost all the songs are written though, so we just have to polish them a bit and then start recording.

How does it feel to open for Coma at their concert?

It’s absolutely amazing, since Coma had a big influence on the music we listen to and, of course, the music we write, since we were kids. Also, the first rock song Andrei liked was “Nu vreau fetito casa” by Coma.

Not all the people in the crowd are going to know your band. What is the one thing they must know before the concert?

We’re just a big ball of everything. We approach multiple sounds and our songs vary a lot in tempo, lyrics and energy. I guess the public also has to know that we are all (aside from Tavi) low energy people, and that reflects a lot in the way we perform. Another very important aspect is constituted by our lyrics, we proceed towards topics like the way mental health affects daily life activities and interpersonal relationships, we talk about deviant behaviors and we tie all this together with a beautiful poetic bow.

What concert plans do you have for the future?

We are planning a show somewhere at the end of February, but we will announce more once everything is set.

How do you balance teenage life with the life in a band?

We’re still trying to figure out how to properly balance everything. College life is taking a toll on us, and our schedules have suddenly become incompatible, but we are working on it and we’ll get a hold of things.

A lot of people have mentioned that they can’t find you on streaming platforms. How do you respond to that, and what are your plans regarding this topic?

We are going to release our first single on streaming platforms on the 4th of December. And after that will come the album, once it is ready.

Do you believe that the concept of having an underground band open for a big band should happen more frequently in Romania? Can you share how this experience feels for an underground band?

Yes, we believe that’s very important. We believe that big bands should help underground bands more often, since this is a scene we all are a part of, and a scene that we all should help grow together. If there are more successful bands, more interest and support is shown by people, more possible events and opportunities arise, more teenagers want to start their own bands, and more money will be used to help the scene grow.

As 2023 is nearly over, could you please tell us what were the best and the most challenging moments you’ve encountered? 

The most challenging moments were while we were trying to study for the baccalaureate, resulting in a significant drop in shows and rehearsals. However, the best moment came right after, our first gig back being an awesome show with Getchoo in Underworld Club. 

What plans do you have for 2024? 

Our main plans include releasing the album and then playing as many shows as we can to promote it. 

Which Romanian bands would you like to play with next year? Additionally, which foreign band would you like to open for, and in which location?

Sara: Aaaaaaaahhhh this is such a complicated question for me. I think for the Romanian bands I would love to play with Robin and The Backstabbers, Firma and some others that aren’t coming to mind now since I’m under pressure. As for foreign bands, I think maybe Blonde Redhead, Gorillaz, Deftones, Men i trust and, again, the same problem from earlier with the pressure making me forget…

Rares: Internationally I would like to play with Julie or Feeble Little Horse, since they really inspired my shoegaze side of playing guitar and making my guitar tones. As for Romanian bands I would like to play with my favorite bands, Travka and Bastos, but since both kind of stopped being active, I would love a concert with Pinholes, since I feel our sound somewhat matches theirs.

Tavi: I would like to play a show with Byron or maybe a second one with Coma. Internationally I would like to play at Rock Am Ring with Deftones, System of a Down, Ice Nine Kills, Bad Omens and/or Sleep Token.

Andrei: Some Romanian bands I would like to play with are Omul cu Sobolani and maybe Fara Zahar. As of foreign bands, I would enjoy sharing the stage with Last Dinosaurs or Goo Goo Dolls.

What message do you have for fellow underground bands who dream big but haven’t reached that point yet? 

We aren’t sure since, even though we are opening for Coma right now, we still consider ourselves a small underground band. However, the most important advice we could think of would be to write as much as you can, don’t give up and have a playful approach.

What message do you have for the people who supported this project? But for the ones who are discovering the band through this interview?

We are very grateful to everyone who supported our band, since coming to the shows of small bands isn’t very enjoyable for most people, so we appreciate everyone who put in any kind of effort. For the ones discovering the band right now, we hope we will be a gateway for you towards more of the Romanian underground bands.

Interview by Radu Mihai and Ionela Pleșan