A Chat with 12 Tribes of Mars (26.03.26)
Heavily influenced by the spirit of free improv and experimentation, 12 Tribes of Mars blends elements of reggae, ska and dub into their uncompromisingly gritty, sexy music. We speak with band member Andrius Dereviancenko about their new album, Hidden Sun, what music means to him, and much more.
OSR: Rather cliché, but how did 12 Tribes of Mars come about? Also, how did you decide on the band name?
Dereviancenko: It all began in 2019. I had just graduated from my studies at the Conservatory of Amsterdam and was placing my feet in Amsterdam. I started sharing a studio space (a container) together with 2 artists. Our rent contract was ending, and they were demolishing the whole place, so we had to make a goodbye party. I was asked to put a band together for that occasion. Thinking about what kind of band to make, I came to the conclusion that it had to be a reggae/ska thing. The gig was an absolute success.
Back then, we played covers from Sly and Robbie and some tunes from the Skatalites. I was planning to have more shows with this group, but then 2020 came, and no more parties for a couple of years. This is how the band started for me. Of course, some members changed in the process, but now we are steady.
The name came together for me because I wanted to combine 2 ideologies: reggae and interstellar music. The reggae part, to me, is the 12 Tribes, and Mars borrows ideas from Sun Ra. His ideology was that all Black people, to escape poverty in the 1960s, were supposed to board a spaceship to Saturn. So I kind of reimagined that if we were to go to Mars, we could create our own tale of 12 Tribes, our own tale of reggae, dub, ska, jazz and so on.
OSR: What does music mean to you?
Dereviancenko: Music is a universal language that doesn’t belong to anyone. It’s there for everyone to reach out to, and we can all take elements from it and interpret them through our own perception of reality.
OSR: You are about to release your album, Hidden Sun. What can you tell us about it? Is there a particular concept or theme?
Dereviancenko: To be honest, a couple of years ago, I started thinking that I would be so happy to have a vinyl out with this band. Back then, I had no idea how to make it happen, but I guess the thought gave the first push to it. Shortly after, we started working on it with the band, and we received a grant from a local Amsterdam fund to cover most of the production costs.
Hidden Sun, to me, is a symbol of how our music kicks off from reggae, ska and dub, but then sounds as if it’s from another planet. You can be somewhat familiar with the sound, but it takes you to completely different places. Once you discover our music, you can’t go back to not seeing it anymore, as if it was there all the time, but now you see it. Like it’s not hidden anymore.
OSR: Given that there are various genres on Hidden Sun, do you feel it represents the band? Also, is there a particular favourite genre you tend to lean toward?
Dereviancenko: Usually, for me, it depends on the project what genre it is. I tend not to lean toward one genre, but rather go toward what feels like good music. If it feels good, I am 100% in it. I’m ready to learn what’s necessary about the aesthetics of it, read books, and become as familiar as I can with it. I think this approach always sparks excitement to combine music in different ways, making it difficult to place in one genre box.
OSR: What do you hope people take from Hidden Sun, and what do you take from the album?
Dereviancenko: I want people to have a good time listening to it, whether dancing, travelling, sitting in a chair, or just vibing to it. For myself, I take it as a huge learning experience in making such a work. All the nuances, from writing the music to communicating it with the band and the people behind the production, and then, of course, putting it out into the world for people, and hoping that next time I’ll do even better.
OSR: If you had to introduce a new listener to your music, which song off Hidden Sun would you recommend?
Dereviancenko: If it’s the A side: ‘In Hi’.
B side: ‘Past Times’.
For digital: ‘The Lake Oasis’.
OSR: What do you think makes 12 Tribes of Mars unique?
Dereviancenko: We all live in Amsterdam, which is known for having so many people from different parts of the world. Each member comes from a different country, and each of us is rooted in a different scene of the city’s music scene. We all play groove-based music, but from different points of view – funk, cumbia, samba, salsa. Together we form a band with reggae music as the main glue, using improvisation as a driving force to make our songs come out as they do.
OSR: In the past, 12 Tribes of Mars have performed at various venues and festivals
in Amsterdam. Which is your most memorable gig and why that one?
Dereviancenko: I think it was some time ago when we played in Amsterdam at Space Is The Place, one of the last festivals at Sexyland. The room was so crowded that there was no way for more people to get in. The audience and the band were so into the music, and that feeling of togetherness made it an unforgettable experience for me.
OSR: What can we expect from 12 Tribes of Mars in the future?
Dereviancenko: We have quite a bit of new music to work on. I was also planning to incorporate some Drum and Bass and some Dubstep into the set, but, of course, in our own way, if you know what I mean. I also had some ideas about perhaps producing one track with a singer, but I’m still not sure yet.
OSR: Do you have a message for our readers?
Dereviancenko: First of all, if you’ve read this far, I want to thank you. We are eager to grow our presence and hope to come to many places to share our music with people. We would love to stay connected with all of you who are interested, so subscribing or following our channels is crucial for us. We would be so happy to stay in touch and send updates about our latest developments and where we’re playing.
Many thanks to Andrius Dereviancenko for speaking with us. Find out more about 12 Tribes of Mars on their Instagram, YouTube, Bandcamp and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
