Interview with Odo from H.Exe
H.EXE have always worked with contrast, but on ‘Anthems of the Unseen Tide’ they turn it into a method: ‘Initial’ and ‘Legacy’ aren’t “alternate versions” so much as two parallel moral systems. The same songs are judged by different rules - one grounded in full-band physicality, the other returning to the project’s early, machine-led vocabulary - and both are treated as equally canonical.
In this conversation, Odo and the band speak with unusual clarity about what stays fixed when everything else is re-lit: vocal cadence as a backbone, melodic DNA as a non-negotiable, and atmosphere as the true headline, whether they’re facing a club’s close-range pressure or the tricky distance of a festival stage. They also frame their live shows as controlled experiments - sometimes planned, often reactive - where the “H.EXE machine” can hit full speed and the only honest move is to observe what it does to people in real time.
Threaded through it all is a kind of disciplined darkness: Lovecraft not as cosplay, but as a conceptual binding agent; intensity without overstatement; authenticity as the only safeguard against self-parody. What emerges is a band less interested in genre posture than in emotional transmission - the moment when sound becomes a shared, physical impression, whether it makes you dance, read deeper, or simply come back for another listen and notice new seams.
Reflections of Darkness RoD: ‘Initial’ and ‘Legacy’ treat the same material like two different moral systems. When you decide a song “belongs” to guitars or to machines, what’s the deciding factor - rhythm, imagery, vocal phrasing, or something less rational?
H.Exe: On our latest, third album we recorded all the tracks in two versions. The first one - ‘Initial’ - is closer to what H.EXE is nowadays, after 16 years since its formation. It features full drum kit tracks, guitars, bass, etc. The second is a reference to the sound we developed at the very beginning of the band’s existence: without guitar tracks, with an electronic beat and a more “dance-oriented” character. For us, both versions are fully valid.
RoD: A lot of bands “remix” themselves; you re-interpret yourselves. What stays untouchable between the two faces of a track (melody, lyric core, tempo-map, emotional temperature), and what’s fair game to betray?
H.Exe: You put it well. This wasn’t about releasing remixes. I think we managed to differentiate these tracks to such an extent that they can differ from each other in terms of energy, atmosphere, and the intensity of mood and vibe. The vocals and most of the melodic lines had to remain unchanged - overly drastic changes there would have been counterproductive.
RoD: Odo’s vocals read like a presence that changes shape depending on the arrangement. Do you write for the voice as an instrument (register, cadence, consonants), or do you write against it to create friction?
H.Exe: Indeed, establishing the vocal cadence was always the most important thing for me. Only then would I fit the lyrics to it. With this album, however, it was different. Only two of the lyrics are my own; when writing the remaining six, I drew on Lovecraft’s work, and at times realizing this idea proved to be a challenge for me. I had long dreamed of making a concept album, and this is my first attempt. The element that binds the whole thing together is the Cthulhu Mythos.
RoD: Some material wants a festival stage, some wants a club basement, and some wants a theatre-like listening room. When you build a setlist for Castle Party (festival) versus Castle Party (club), what are you optimizing for - impact, hypnosis, narrative arc, or crowd physics?
H.Exe: For us, creating the right atmosphere has always been the most important thing - building a certain mood that makes everyone want to join in the shared experience, but not only that. The new material is definitely more atmospheric. There are moments when it’s good to pause for a while and let deeper emotions take over. Achieving this effect on the biggest stages is always a huge challenge.
RoD: Castle Party audiences are famously “genre-literate” - they’ll catch references instantly, and they can be brutally honest. Has that crowd ever forced you to rethink what you assumed was working live?
H.Exe: Actually, every live performance carries a significant element of experimentation, where you have to react to the outcome here and now, on stage. Of course, to some extent you can plan a certain goal, but you can’t control the audience’s emotions. We always try to tune in to the specific venue and crowd, but sometimes the entire H.EXE machine is already running at full speed, and all you can do is observe the effect.
RoD: At Dark Dark Treffen or Dark Malta, you’re performing to crowds with different scene histories and expectations. What changes first when you cross borders: stage persona, pacing, sound design, or the way you “explain nothing” between songs?
H.Exe: We try to play the same way everywhere - regardless of whether it’s a small club, a big stage, abroad or at home. Of course, communicating with the audience in Poland is definitely more natural. Abroad there may be a language barrier, but I try not to worry about it and always go with the flow. There are bands that meticulously plan every word they say on stage in advance. Maybe that’s professional, but I can’t do it that way. I would feel like I was losing my authenticity
RoD: Your work leans into darkness without cosplay. Where do you draw the line between aesthetic and meaning - and how do you make sure the imagery serves the music rather than hiding behind it?
H.Exe: Personally, I don’t like excess and overstatement on stage when it comes to these things. The mood and atmosphere should be created mainly by the music, movement, energy, and lights. Elements of stage design and clothing should be rather restrained and should not dominate the music. With well-placed accents you can achieve your goal much more effectively than by overwhelming the audience with a mass of stimuli. Less is more.
RoD: If you had to describe your artistic growth without using words like “evolution,” “maturity,” or “next level” - what exactly has sharpened since earlier releases: your restraint, your aggression, your storytelling, or your standards?
H.Exe: I feel that not much has changed in me in this aspect. The ideas I was implementing 15 years ago I could still perform with pleasure in this day. And likewise, back then I already had ideas that I am realizing now. What has changed enormously and significantly are the possibilities and the tools that we have now.
RoD: The easiest trap in dark electro / industrial is self-parody: bigger kicks, harsher vocals, louder everything. What’s your internal alarm bell that tells you “We’re turning into a caricature,” and how do you pull back before it happens?
H.Exe: As long as we try to stay authentic in all of this, pursue real passions, and follow our own sensitivity, none of those things threaten us. It will only be bad when we start creating a calculated product dictated by trends, or when we simply lose the desire to keep going.
RoD: After hearing ‘Anthems of the Unseen Tide’, what action do you secretly want from someone - dance, research, confront a fear, re-read the world, or simply return for a second pass and notice different seams?
H.Exe: Emotions. My most welcomed reaction is always the same as what I experience myself when I discover and listen to music I like. Recreating that same strong impression in the listener is probably the most important thing for me. It doesn’t matter whether it’s the urge to dance, diving into the lyrics, soaking in the atmosphere of eerie coming from the music, or maybe reaching for the works of H. P. Lovecraft.
RoD: After ‘Anthems of the Unseen Tide’, what’s the next obsession pulling you forward - a new concept, a new sonic method, a new stage language, or something you haven’t dared to attempt yet? And what can listeners expect next: releases, videos, collaborations, or specific live plans for 2026?
H.Exe: In the nearest future, we want to focus on publishing four singles and music videos. Of course, we’d like to play as many concerts as possible. H.EXE is definitely a live project. "Anthems..." is also my first attempt at creating a concept album, something I’ve always dreamed of. I’d like to create an even more integrated album someday, especially lyrically.
Pictures by Paula Szymkowska
