Tim Commerford introduces 7D7D: “I’m not trying to reinvent RATM”
Tight, transgressive rhythms and dense bass linescharacterized by a skilful use of effects and distortions: starting from the nineties Tim Commerford helped redefine the role of the bass in modern rock. Among the most influential bassists on the contemporary music scene, Commerford has left his rhythmic imprint at the center of the musical structure of Rage Against the Machine. During his career, the 56-year-old musician originally from Irvine, California, has also been part of other projects, such as Audioslave and Prophets of Rage. Among the plots of these experiences, when Tim Commerford was still playing in the supergroup formed by Chris Cornell together with his RATM companions Brad Wilk and Tom Morello, the first seeds of
a group that is now part of the bassist’s present: the 7D7D.
“The name 7D7D doesn’t mean or represent anything,” Tim Commerford tells Rockol: “I just like the way it looks written. It’s like a tattoo. Maybe it depends on my passion for graphics. It’s already a small work of graphic art in itself, you don’t have to do anything with it: just write it on the computer, enlarge it, and there it is, as it is”.
The origins of the project on which Commerford decided to focus his creative resources in recent years after his last concert with Rage Against the Machine in 2022 at Madison Square Garden in New York, and after discovering cancer.
As in a story of continuity, the birth of 7D7D is due to a meeting dating back to the period of the creation of “Out of Exile” by Audioslaveduring which Tim Commerford met the guitarist Johnny Polonsky. Years later, thinking about new musical projects with the drummer
Mathias Wakratwith whom he also worked in Wakrat. Beyond the musical backgrounds of the artists involved, at the base of 7D7D is Tim the good fortune of being part of a band, in its deepest sense.
“I am very lucky to be part of 7D7D and to play with such an interesting drummer like Matthias Wajkratz. And I’m lucky to be in a band with Johnny Polonski: I’ve never played with anyone like him before, he can play guitar or piano and any song you ask him to. I am lucky, no more and no less lucky than I was to have been able to meet Brad Wilk, Tom Morello and Zack de la Rocha and to be in the right place at the right time”, explains the bassist, reached via Zoom by Rockol. From his home in Los Angeles, wearing a simple t-shirt that leaves his characteristic tattoos on his arms clearly exposed, Commerford adds: “As a trio, me Matthias and Johnny are particular, but the way we write songs is interesting. Because it’s related to mine and Polonsky’s tuning. He has standard E tuning, while I have E flat: if we both play an open string, it doesn’t work, it’s just noise. We must look for our dimension. But I’m excited about this, because it forces us to a completely different style of songwriting. And it seems that as we get better, we become rougher and more punk”.
7D7D’s first single, “Capitalism”, arrived in November 2022followed by other songs, up to “Insigna” last February. “The songs we released aren’t really a representation of who we are,” says Tim: “We released one song recorded live, “Ouchi Live”, which better represents who we are. All our songs are made for live: so they never have to be the same every time. This thing made me think that we may no longer release studio versions of 7D7D songs, but film and shoot live in our studio. I would so only release live tracks from here on out, because I think the way we perform live is the way we sound best”.
There freedom that a project like the 7D7D allows Tim Commerford translates into a sound that also embodies the spirit of jazzwhich is possible thanks to Mathias Wakrat’s passion for this music.
“All our songs are built around drum rhythms and Mathias is a jazz enthusiast: he plays and knows jazz more than anyone I know,” reveals Commerford: “Thanks to him I always try to find interesting ways of playing lines bass lines that sound like bass lines over drum beats that don’t sound like drum beats. But they seem like a different kind of thing. Then there is Johnny Polanski, who is simply a virtuoso, he is good at both the guitar and the piano. And it excites me just to think that in the future Johnny will play the piano instead of the guitar in a song. I like how different we are. I don’t think there are any bands out there that sound like us.” Continues:.
“I don’t play with the idea of trying to reinvent Rage Against the Machine or Audioslave. I’m trying to play music that I think is unique and I’m proud that we’re a trio. It’s the best feeling ever. I was diagnosed with cancer. And this band is like medicine. This band makes me forget I have cancer. When I play in this band, I never think about it. And it’s wonderful.”
Furthermore, for Commerford, “music is an opportunity to have a message, like it’s part of who I am”. Tim then says: “It’s like Rage Against the Machine shaped who they are. I was a stupid white dude from Irvine, California. And I was taught by Brad and Zack and Tom and the world, ultimately So I am who I am.
This new band, 7D7D, is no different than any other I’ve been a part of. It gives me the opportunity to be a better bass player and musician. It’s an opportunity for me to refine my ideology and find ways to make it known.” He continues: “I wrote the lyrics to many of the songs during the Covid-19 pandemic, so they also deal with my feelings about vaccines. But there are also songs that reflect on the world political situation and how I feel about it.
The impulse to experiment with one’s sound more in a live dimension than in the recording studio leads Tim Commerford to not wanting to follow record publishing logic for 7D7D but a sort of freedom for future projects: “The only thing I can say and which I am more than sure about is that I don’t want to be the Rage Against the Machine guy playing in a side project. It’s not what I want.”Commerford emphasizes: “I really want to experience what it’s like to be in a new band and go and play live and win fans. And here in Los Angeles, we’ve played three shows so far and they’ve been great. And no one leaves. That’s what I noticed when we go on stage, there might be a small audience in front of us, but it will always be a little bigger at the end, but no one will leave.”
With Rage Against the Machine, Tim Commerford experienced the feeling of playing in front of large audiences until August 2022. While the future of the “Killing in the name” band seems uncertain, the bassist returned to the stage in a dimension that was almost new to himknowing the feeling of playing in small dimensions and for a small one that gets to stare you straight in the eyes. Unfortunately, the experience was not enriched with European dates, initially announced, including one in Bologna for November, and then canceled without any warning or announcement.
“With Rage Against The Machine we didn’t play many club dates before we signed and became a big band.
With Audioslave we literally didn’t play clubs. While with Prophets of Rage we actually did a club tour, and in those situations I remember being nervous,” explains Tim: “To be honest, .it’s more nerve-wracking to play in front of a small audiencebeing close to people and looking them in the eyes. For me it’s much more difficult than playing in front of a huge audience where your vision simply blurs and everything becomes a blur of colour.” He continues: “The first time in the clubs with Prophets of Rage was therefore intimidating, but in the end I felt really good playing in these places and I got excited. So here I am again. I feel like I’m in “Grand Theft Auto,” the simulation video game, where to become a mafia boss you first have to do small jobs as a drug dealer and things like that. To be successful in music you must be able to do several steps. So eitherI’m going back to taking the initial steps, to be able to feel comfortable as a musician in any arena”.
