Following the release of their debut full-length album “Delete to Proceed,” TARMAK have established themselves as a band capable of merging Post-Rock, Heavy Post-Metal, and Progressive elements into a cohesive, cinematic sound. The six-part concept album explores the dark consequences of human progress through immersive sonic and visual
storytelling. In this interview, we dive into the origins of the band, the evolution from their previous EP, their creative approach to this ambitious release, and their plans for the future.
Can you tell us about the formation of TARMAK? How did you all meet and decide to create music together?
TARMAK really started to take shape around 2014–2015. Simon (drums) and I, Sander (guitar), were part of another band that had just come to an end, but we had a strong musical connection and friendship, so continuing to make music together was never in question. Creating and experimenting was something we both needed to do. Geert (bass) joined the project many years later, just before our first live show. Actually under a bit of pressure, as our original bassist had quit a few weeks before that gig. He learned all the songs in record time, and it just clicked immediately. I already knew him
from another heavy Ghent-bas ed band (BufferState), so there was mutual respect and trust from the start. That lineup became the foundation of TARMAK.
What were the main influences that shaped the band’s sound in the early days?
Tool’s Lateralus has always been a huge influence for me. It’s a masterpiece that shaped how I think about rhythm, layering, and dynamics. Beyond that, bands like Russian Circles, Isis, Cult of Luna, Meshuggah, and Jambinai have also inspired us, as well as more experimental acts like The Physics House Band or Cloudkicker. Outside of music, a lot of inspiration comes from science fiction. Both in concept and in mood. I love how good sci-fi creates entire worlds through atmosphere, just like we try to do with sound. Movies like Dune and Arrival (and their soundtracks by Hans Zimmer and
Jóhann Jóhannsson) have also had an impact on how I think about tone, space, and storytelling through music.
Before “Delete to Proceed,” you released an EP. How did that initial experience guide your approach to a full-length album?
Our debut EP Plow came out in 2020. It was our first real step into defining what TARMAK could be, but it was much rawer and more instinctive. We didn’t overthink it, we just wanted to get our sound out there. With Delete to Proceed, everything became more deliberate and interconnected. We wanted to write something that wasn’t just a collection of songs, but a continuous narrative. Every musical choice, every transition, every texture had to serve that story.
Your music moves between atmospheric Post-Rock and heavier Post-Metal. How do you balance these two contrasting styles?
For us, that balance comes very naturally. The heavy and the atmospheric are just two sides of the same emotion. It’s about tension and release, pressure and reflection. The guitars often carry both worlds: Delicate melodic lines can suddenly morph into something dense and visceral, and it feels like a conversation between those two energies. We never force the contrast; it’s more about following the emotional current of the song and letting it decide where it needs to go.
Cinematic elements are very present in the album. How do you approach creating those immersive atmospheres?
It starts with layering and pacing. I usually write guitar parts as if I’m scoring a scene. Thinking in terms of movement and space. Each new layer should add perspective, not clutter. Once the structure is there, we think about how to build an arc that feels like a story unfolding. Dynamics are a huge part of that. The quiet moments are never just “soft,” they’re there to make you lean in. And when the full wall of sound hits, it feels earned.
The rhythm and groove are very detailed and dynamic. How do you develop these percussive layers and ensure cohesion with the guitars?
That’s one of the areas where Simon’s creativity really shines. Even before recording the album, he had a clear sense of how rhythm could be used not just for pulse, but for texture. His drumming was recorded first, back in 2021, and those takes became the spine of the record. The odd time signatures in some tracks (like Gene Roulette) gave everything a natural flow, like a current pulling the song forward.
In comparison to the EP, what do you think is the most significant evolution in your sound and composition?
Everything became more focused, more intentional, and somehow a bit more unique/distinct, helping us really create our own identity and sound. On Delete to Proceed, every sound serves the concept. We became better at blending heaviness with subtlety, letting ideas breathe and converting them into coherent mini stories.
Were there any lessons from the previous release that you consciously applied or avoided on “Delete to Proceed”?
The idea of contrast was an important guide for us, which we consciously tried to work with. A song like Gene Roulette moves like water. Calm, reflective passages colliding with chaotic, friction-driven sections. It mirrors the birth of life itself: beauty and tension coexisting.
The album tells a dark sci-fi narrative over six tracks. How did the concept for the story originate, and how did it shape the songwriting?
The story grew out of the music, not the other way around. When I write, I don’t start with a plot. I start with melodies and structures that feel emotionally loaded. Once the songs begin to take shape, they start to “speak” a certain mood or setting. For Delete to Proceed, that feeling was clearly something like dark sci-fi. About progress, creation, and destruction. Once that concept emerged, everything we added reinforced it.
Each track seems to flow into the next like a cinematic sequence. How did you approach continuity and pacing across the album?
Continuity was one of our main goals. We didn’t want six disconnected songs. We wanted one journey in six movements. Every transition was written and mixed to feel natural, like chapters bleeding into each other. We also thought a lot about emotional pacing: when to give the listener space, when to build pressure, and when to release it all.
Tracks like “Gene Roulette” and “Wörtrilg” incorporate both ethereal and Heavy passages. How do you decide which moods to combine in a track?
It’s a bit of a chance-driven process, I guess. I have hundreds of these raw recordings on my phone, short/musically separated ideas. When one of those really sticks I know it’s good and worth further exploring. In that process I sometimes stumble upon another idea recorded at a completely different time, but it just happens to fit perfectly. It’s like laying
out a puzzle and finding all the pieces that fit (allow me to insert a Tool reference there). The hardest part is being patient for the puzzle to be finished and not want to rush it when you get excited about finding one crucial piece of it. Sometimes it starts with a badass heavy riff, and you think it will lead to a short compact explosive song, but months later it just turns out to be one part of a 10-minute prog piece.
Were there any particular tracks that posed unique challenges during composition or recording?
Definitely Gene Roulette and Wörtrilg. Gene Roulette was complex because of its odd time signatures and the long, fluid structure. It had to feel organic, not mathematical. Wörtrilg, on the other hand, required an enormous amount of layering and dynamic control to make the crescendo feel immersive instead of overwhelming. We recorded drums first, along with primal layers of bass/guitar. Building all of the additional layers around that was a challenge, but it ended up giving the record a very solid foundation.
Visuals play an important role in your live shows. How do you integrate them with the music, and what effect do you hope to create for the audience?
All the visuals were made by me and are synced perfectly to the songs via click tracks. We also play to that same click live, so everything, sound, light, and image, stays perfectly aligned. The goal is to create a space where people can lose themselves completely. The visuals aren’t there to explain the music, but to amplify its emotion and make the performance feel like a single, multisensory experience.
Do you see the videos accompanying each track as part of the album’s storytelling? How do they complement the music?
Absolutely. The videos are extensions of the songs. Each one adds another layer of meaning and atmosphere. Some are more narrative, others more abstract, but together they form a continuous visual journey. We want the listener to experience the album not just as sound, but as a world. Something to explore rather than consume.
How does the songwriting process work within the band? Are ideas developed collaboratively or does one member take the lead?
I bring in the core ideas (guitar riffs, structures, transitions) once I feel they’re able to tell a story musically. Then we refine them together. Rehearsals are about seeing what works, what doesn’t, and what the song still needs. It’s very iterative, and we give ourselves time to step away and return with fresh ears. That distance often helps the songs reveal their final form naturally.
With layered guitar work, rhythmic complexity, and cinematic soundscapes, how do you maintain clarity and cohesion during production?
Patience and perspective. We spent a lot of time making sure each sound had its own space, both sonically and emotionally. If something didn’t serve the atmosphere, it didn’t stay. Even when we use a lot of layers, we try to keep the essence simple. The song should always communicate a clear feeling, no matter how complex the arrangement is.
After “Delete to Proceed,” what can fans expect next from TARMAK? Are there new musical directions or live projects you are planning?
Right now we want to focus on bringing Delete to Proceed to as many stages as possible. The full live experience -with the visuals, lights, and narrative flow- is where the album really comes alive. We’d love to play full album sets wherever there’s interest, starting with the Belgian scene and hopefully expanding beyond. Writing might slowly continue in the background, but for now, it’s about sharing this world we’ve built with others.
With “Delete to Proceed,” TARMAK have crafted an immersive, technically and emotionally complex debut full-length album. In this interview, readers will gain insight into the band’s origins, creative process, and vision, offering a deeper understanding of the world TARMAK has built—both sonically and visually—and what the future holds for
this ambitious and evolving band.
Purchase “Delete to Proceed” on Bandcamp: https://tarmaktheband.bandcamp.com/album/delete-to-proceed
Read our Review here: https://progrockjournal.com/review-tarmak-delete-to-proceed/