House of Terror, a Berlin-based psychedelic/progressive rock duo, emerged from a serendipitous encounter in 2019 that sparked a creative journey defined by raw energy and vivid inspiration. Their debut album Transmission Lost, released in January, encapsulates the atmospheric essence of the decaying house where the band was formed—a place that profoundly shaped their sound and identity. Blending ambient soundscapes with dynamic, progressive passages, House of Terror creates an experience that invites listeners on a journey through space, time, and introspection. In this interview, the duo reflects on their origins, the haunting influence of their formative environment, and the creative process behind their captivating debut release.
Can you share the story of how House of Terror was formed and how the decaying house influenced the band’s identity and name?
We met in 2019 whilst both looking for new places to live in Berlin. Co-incidentally this was in the place that would later provide inspiration for the band name. Mutual musical interests and an old drum kit that we found in the house had us jamming in the living room, building a studio and creating the first sounds that would later become the album.
The imagery of the house you describe is vivid and haunting. How did its atmosphere impact your creative process and the themes of your music?
The house gave us the space and the time to start playing together in order to get creative. We had a big sound system to listen to bands we love and the space to be loud and play music together.
Elements of the house indeed had a haunted feeling to them. This was the abandoned top floor, the part of the house that was partially burnt down and the stories of the lost souls that had once lived there. The house and its condition came to put stones in our creative path that we were forced to overcome, in order to continue to make music there together. These dynamics, as well as some repeating themes can be heard in the music. The spaces in the house too imparted a sound on the music. We were able to be influenced from being able to play and spend time in the different parts of the house. The basement was relatively sound proofed which allowed us to practice some of the louder, heavier parts of the music. On the higher floors, we had the large open spaces to be able to experiment with different guitar sounds.
How did you both connect creatively to form such a cohesive sound as a two-member band?
After meeting in the house, we had the opportunity to connect with our musical pasts again, where we had both played in different bands. Living together and playing music together quickly formed a strong bond between us, both on a personal and musical level. We spent a lot of time talking about the themes and ideas in the music and what we both liked to listen to and hear in other songs. We were not always a two person band, we had other members at different points but unfortunately this did not work out the way we wanted.
Transmission Lost is your debut album—congratulations! What was the inspiration behind the title?
Thank you! After moving out of the house and finding another place to play music and record the album, we re-arranged to become the album and tracks it is today. We found this new version to sound much more musical and fitting to the band. We spent a lot of time reflecting on our time in the house and how moving out of there had inspired our music to become even better. This is the inspiration for the title, that the signal of our music would have not made it to where it is today had we stayed there, the transmission ultimately being lost. We also had communication problems with some of the other members, which also came to bear a meaning on the title.
The album takes listeners through shifting time changes and ambient soundscapes. What kind of journey did you intend for listeners to experience?
We have both been inspired by bands that set a soundscape with their tone. The fact that most of the music on the album is instrumental means that how the music is interpreted by the listener is more subjective as it would typically be with lyrics. This allowed us to put a larger emphasis on the sound of the instruments and the soundscapes the different effects create. We want our music to be an inspiration for the listeners’ own thoughts and ideas, that takes them on a psychedelic journey through space and time, accompanied by the dynamics and sounds in our music. We also wanted to create a big sound that could be played loud and capture all the elements of the different instruments. This added a lot of emphasis on the recording process.
Were there any particular challenges in capturing both the psychedelic and progressive elements of your sound during the recording process?
A lot of our music is inspired from riffs we made whilst first jamming when we met. These were then combined into the larger composition of the songs. We knew where we wanted the songs to go but found it at times difficult to make the transition between parts, especially where there were contrasting dynamics and themes. Creating bridges for these transitions were at times challenging, from a compositional perspective, and a performance one. It was also challenging to capture the dynamics in the music by not being able to play all the instruments simultaneously.
Psychedelic Progressive Rock is a broad genre. Which artists or movements have influenced House of Terror’s music the most?
That is right, it sure is a broad genre. We both had similar music tastes but introduced each other to a lot of different new bands. Anastasios introduced me to many bands like Naxatras, My Sleeping Karma, Tuber, whose psychedelic instrumental music was a big influence for me. I think I came with more of a metal / progressive background, with bands like Tool, Russian Circles, and other metal bands being the source for my inspiration. Bringing both of these backgrounds together formed the sound that can be heard on the album.
How do you strike a balance between ambient, introspective sections and explosive, dynamic passages in your compositions?
Good question. Although the songs are quite progressive and contain many different passages, we wanted the listener to be taken on a journey with the music. To do this we found it important to have lots of dynamics and different themes within the music. The tracks had to sound interesting, but not overwhelming. Whilst arranging the tracks, this is something we always kept in mind. It’s made to take the listener on a dynamic journey that changes pace throughout the song.
Berlin has a rich music culture. How has the city’s creative environment influenced your work as a band?
The music culture in Berlin has always been and will always be a great influence on our work as a band. Each week there is the opportunity to see so many bands perform, it’s impossible not to hear new music and draw inspiration from it. We have also been influenced by the level of diversity in Berlin, the opportunity it brings to meet many people from different cultures and be exposed to their ideas and music.
Do you find inspiration in any specific places or experiences within the city when creating your music?
Aside from the house we stayed in, and the inspiration it brought to our music, I think we have always been able to enjoy the many green spaces Berlin has to offer, especially in the summertime. These have been places to relax, listen to music and reflect. I think this is part of the beauty of Berlin, the juxtaposition of spaces left untouched and the brutalism of the city. We also spent a lot of time in the studio, which is a welcoming retreat in long winter months.
Now that Transmission Lost is out, how do you reflect on the journey of creating it?
Having the album finally released created a lot of reflection in the both of us. It has been a long four years, with lots of ups and downs. We had a lot of fun playing music and writing the album towards the start, and learnt a lot from the recording, mixing and mastering processes towards the end. We also got to know each other throughout this process, and helped each other through the hard times, as well as being able to celebrate the enjoyable times together. There were times where it was hard to listen to the tracks at all anymore, but we overcame that and now can be happy the music made it out there. Now we are looking forward to playing more music and getting some shows.
What have been some of the most memorable moments of your musical journey so far?
Definitely the most memorable times were having the opportunity to play live music each day in our living room. Some of the other memorable moments came from all the recording sessions. It seems to be that during these times, one can have the most luck, or unluck. Lots of times equipment randomly stops working or malfunctions, exactly when it needs to perform. During our first show, the string broke on my guitar which of course had to happen.
Are there any upcoming projects or live performances that you’re particularly excited about?
The Desert Festival in Berlin is always something to look forward to. A lot of bands play there that we are inspired by.
If listeners could take away one feeling or message from your music, what would you hope it to be?
One important lesson we had reinforced during this project is the level of perseverance that is required to reach the things one loves in life. We both needed to come to terms with this many times during the project. One also needs to know who they can trust and rely on in difficult times. The music is mainly instrumental, and we wanted the listener to be able to connect their own feelings to the music. Perhaps they will draw a message from what they hear but ultimately it’s up to their own listening experience.
Stream/download Transmission Lost on Bandcamp. Follow House of Terror on Facebook.
