How long have you been playing Eugene?

Well I have been playing guitar for about 13 years now. But I only started on the bass in February 2005. So it’s pretty much a new thing for me right now.

How did you get started?

I played for a band in Randburg. But 2 houses down from where we used to practise, another band jammed as well. I knew the drummer of that band, and he told me that they were looking for a new bassist. Our drummer had issues after a few months of practise. So things didn’t go as planned. I gave it a bit of thought, phoned the dude, and pitched for the ‘’ audition ‘’. And the rest is history. And I really enjoy playing bass. Should have started a long time ago.

Do you come from a musical family?

Not really. My best friend’s dad played in a band so my buddy is quite a demon on a guitar. I guess that’s what really caught my attention.

What’s your favourite band / solo artist?

There’s too many to mention. But when you sit down, and you listen to Ryan Martinie (Mudvayne bassist) and Chris Wolstenholme (Muse Bassist), it just adds another meaning to the word ‘’ Bassist ‘’. Totally amazing to hear people play like that.

What are the amps and instruments you currently use?

I’m currently playing with a Fender Rumble 100w amp. And a 5 string Ibanez Ergodyne bass.

What instruments would you like to have if money were no object?

I’ll get back to you on that, when money is no object.

What have you been doing for the last five years or so?

I’ve been overseas. But like most SA Musos, the day job thing limits pretty much everything else.

What recordings that you’ve played on, would you recommend for listening?

We’ve only recorded 4 songs so far. But it’s still in a changing process. We’ve only started with gigs very recently, but we’ve got 13 complete songs and we’re planning our EP. But if people want to download the songs from our website, they are more than welcome. It will give them an idea of what we sound like.

The band is called Torment isn’t it? What kind of music are you playing?

Torment it is. There is something for everyone. Slow songs, heavy songs, radio friendly stuff and songs not suited for radio at all. It’s got this Spanish/Arabian/tribal acoustic sound to it, with distortion all over the place. So it’s kind of hard to explain to people what it sounds like. We just call it tribal acoustic rock.

What’s been the low point in your career so far?

I think playing with people for quite some time, and all of a sudden musical differences take over. But for me it’s more like experience than a low point.

And what has been the high point?

The people I’m currently playing with are very open minded, and they are willing to experiment with pretty much anything. There are a lot of musical influences we have to look at while composing a new song. So if you would like to add a little Deftones to that ballad of yours, or a bit of Slipknot to that radio friendly version of the valentines song you wrote, makes it more challenging. 1 of 2 things can happen. 1) No we don’t like it!! (Previous bands) 2) Awesome idea, if we can’t pull it off, we’ll use something else. (Current band). And that makes it a lot easier to work with people who really understand how music should be composed.

Have you visited www.bassplayers.co.za yet?

Yes I have. And I think it’s pretty awesome to have a page dedicated to bass players only.

What does Eugene Kok get up to when he hasn’t got a bass hanging round his neck?

Man I’m a hardcore gamer. I can sit in front of my pc for hours blowing shit up and killing everything that moves. But then again I’m an adrenalin junkie too. I do Freestyle Motocross over the weekends. So when I’m not partying, jamming or working, I either unleash mayhem or ride my bike pretty hard.

What are your goals currently?

World Domination. Mastering the Ice Cream man tune. Getting sponsored by Jack Daniels and the Playboy mansion. Making braaivleis a popular international dish . Creating our own boere-version of the Karma Sutra. Starting our own record label while maintaining all of the above.

Thanks for the interview Eugene – best wishes to you and the band.