tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85375724677102654992024-02-02T16:31:10.024-08:00Dark Entries EnglishDark Entries is an independent Belgian music webzine with a focus on dark sounds. The webzine itself is completely in Dutch and can be found at www.darkentries.be. This blog was created with the intention to have an additional online place where our editors can post their English articles.xheviourmachinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11836083167873978543noreply@blogger.comBlogger122125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8537572467710265499.post-48468758743419159182022-12-01T05:12:00.007-08:002022-12-03T09:38:30.644-08:00Hellsinki Industrial Festival 2023<p style="text-align: justify;">The COVID-19 pandemic waning, my
partner and I decided to go to the Hellsinki Industrial Festival 2022, only three weeks before it would start.</p><p class="Standard"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">There is a good youth hostel<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>near to the venue, but we decided that if we would spend the money for a
last-minute plane ticket, we could also pay a little more to have a bit more
luxury, like our own bathroom.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">We flew in on the 2<sup>nd</sup> of November, one day before
the festival started, so we could have some time to explore Helsinki before.
Last time we were there was to go and watch Waltari's 'Yeah Yeah Die Die'-death
metal symphony in the opera house in 1995. F*ck, is it THAT long ago?</p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><b>DAY 1 - Thursday</b></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">The Helsinki Industrial Festival 2022 kicked off with what the organisation
calls a pre-club in the cozy 300 capacity music club Kuudes Linja, a stiff walk
from our hotel, at 20:00 in the evening of November the 3rd. With three very
different bands on the agenda, it had the ingredients for a very interesting
evening.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">At the entrance of this club, and the bigger venue for the
next 2 days, there is a cloak room. Finns are used to leaving their coats at a
cloak room. In winter, last time, we saw them even bring a separate pair of
shoes. The 3.50 EUR fee for the cloak room and the 2 EUR fee if you need to get
something from your stuff in the cloak room well, that's how it was
communicated, I don't know if that was really enforced) is totally acceptable
in Finland. The cloak room is mandatory, I understood. We took it. Showing our
tickets, we got nice professional cloth wristbands for the full festival.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPGSlvZ2u8PFhc0h_S7wYGT47ungLi3U3_i00ztV7fi5E-tRfZ0cW6gHzwpy3I_dQavrQn1bN9GOqqwZO-8fwlEQNZ2Ou-oY3njYnu1pPVjbTMYBCPRiBioX-MR_g9iYaaE404ypDTYBoASpGNAQzSfVys12Wp2bjkcB5aiot9YdwtLpfjDkPitMiG/s2048/CarnalMachinery%20-%20Samael.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPGSlvZ2u8PFhc0h_S7wYGT47ungLi3U3_i00ztV7fi5E-tRfZ0cW6gHzwpy3I_dQavrQn1bN9GOqqwZO-8fwlEQNZ2Ou-oY3njYnu1pPVjbTMYBCPRiBioX-MR_g9iYaaE404ypDTYBoASpGNAQzSfVys12Wp2bjkcB5aiot9YdwtLpfjDkPitMiG/s320/CarnalMachinery%20-%20Samael.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">We arrived just in time to witness Helsinki-based Jacques
Saph's darkwave/punk solo project <b>Carnal Machinery </b>kick off the evening;
bringing the crowd in a good mood.</p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaCB4sBizQPczKrUtL8Lhr6LMbCE-IdssMtCCuyf-fstt0vcQXBja5lmhlfMItraagFOKM18cEGHhhnePg4DuwsJNQB3QEw6rMLTPR9CHtnumdDnLvdQX2ZtJUl9oS4ixs5n_og2SUiVjymSKW4MOBO67nbSUu1Ziv67Y4Eim-4JTlRQkVGe0c0XD6/s2048/Jessi%20Frey%20-%20Samael.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1368" data-original-width="2048" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaCB4sBizQPczKrUtL8Lhr6LMbCE-IdssMtCCuyf-fstt0vcQXBja5lmhlfMItraagFOKM18cEGHhhnePg4DuwsJNQB3QEw6rMLTPR9CHtnumdDnLvdQX2ZtJUl9oS4ixs5n_og2SUiVjymSKW4MOBO67nbSUu1Ziv67Y4Eim-4JTlRQkVGe0c0XD6/s320/Jessi%20Frey%20-%20Samael.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">I didn't know <b>Jessi Frey</b> before seeing her and her
band. Somehow I also missed Velcra, her previous band,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>during all those years ... Shame on me.</p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">Jessi Frey's set was very diverse, also stemming from them
playing quite a few Velcra songs as well. 'My Law' is a ferocious cracker!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And 'Can't Stop Fighting' and 'Test Animals' are
very good earworms. Only having heard them once live, I am
sure these were in the set, since I did a search on Velcra. There were more.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">This is a band I really want to see again after getting to
know their music, and Velcra's more deep songs first. The great metal cover of Skold
vs KFMDM's 'Bloodsport' – also featured on their last album – was a point of
reference for me, but listen to a song like 'Future Hackers' by her self-titled
new band and you'll understand why I – and you – should check this band out.</p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">Unfortunately, the sound engineer decided to mix
the pre-recorded support vocal tracks in louder than Jessi's live vocals. This
killed some of the live atmosphere and the power of her performance.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">For my taste, some of the songs could<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>do with a little bit of guitar-lead
seasoning. The guitarist did play a short impromptu lead during the
performance, showing that he has the skill. De gustibus desputandum, I guess.
Jessi probably doesn't agree with me.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit9JRrI-05jnXbc3GpnFum7tisRsCA7ZwiXUf-4ls5hgQkdvZUkzyugWOL_kL27yyl-SVhtqAWKAVFOkHZpDl7KNcBPawuzJxe0Uaq-50C8YG90Bs2ltczLJ7XwoTBMdrLoS6pW3TicsZC5iqILxhh0KrbsTmQT1BisiXjSc3ANZcCb587R4G2qwWt/s2048/ESA%20-%20Samael.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1368" data-original-width="2048" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit9JRrI-05jnXbc3GpnFum7tisRsCA7ZwiXUf-4ls5hgQkdvZUkzyugWOL_kL27yyl-SVhtqAWKAVFOkHZpDl7KNcBPawuzJxe0Uaq-50C8YG90Bs2ltczLJ7XwoTBMdrLoS6pW3TicsZC5iqILxhh0KrbsTmQT1BisiXjSc3ANZcCb587R4G2qwWt/s320/ESA%20-%20Samael.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">Third up was the second one-man band of the evening: Jamie
Blacker's <b>Electronic Substance Abuse</b> from the UK, aka ESA. Frankly I
don't like the ESA abbreviation, because for me ESA means European Space
Agency.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He got the whole club dancing to
his harsh electronic stomping. His performance and the accompagnying visuals
impressed me greatly. It's like being sledgehammered into submitting to the
beat. I felt great, even though the subject matter of his songs is not
always a reason to!</p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><b>DAY 2 - Friday</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">We visited the Mall Of Tripla, marketed as the largest
shopping center in the Nordics, which also serves as Pasila station, not too
far from our hotel, where we bought a nice handmade cap from the last Finnish
hatmaker, and walked around in the area between the hotel and the mall. Not a
part of Helsinki most tourists would go and visit.</p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">What struck us was the large amnount of cheap lunch
restaurants – an 11,5 EUR all-you-can-eat buffet! – with free tap water and
tea/coffee. Having had a big breakfast at 9:00 we didn't go for one of them,
but it's good to know that there are a lot of
these cheap lunch restaurants – some opening as early as 10:00 but also closing
very early in the afternoon – with great healthy food. Or at least, it looks great.</p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">Day 2 and 3 of the festival were held in the also closeby
Ääniwalli, a 1000 capacity industrial complex on a hill in Helsinki's Vallila
district. Ääniwalli is divided into two concert areas and an outside yard/terrace
(fleece blankets are available). This
means there are two stages: a smaller Club Stage and the larger Main Stage, both
in a separate hall and both with their own bar. Not everyone can fit in the
Club Stage hence, but it was never too crowded there. It's also the only area
where there are some places to sit apart, except from a few seats outside just next to
the Club mainly used by smokers.</p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">A very positive point about this festival is that you can see
all the bands in their entirety. There is no overlap. The Club stage
performance starts when the Main Stage performance stops and vice versa.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">There was a common merch booth for all bands in the Main
hall. In front of that there were tables for timed meet-and-greets with the
bands. Each band had a meet and greet slot. No exceptions. Many of them were
just in the audience, though.</p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_0-CDLMr3GdrbMVJ6CUZl_NiWjQ1qeARHJ5Tj4ZMWNdCvAdlghmixRGj1qq43ngLXoN_HwN83-RUC8_f4bnbDovZxUA4CkcX3u979dyY_ase2gfuzIuD6Wu2G1uvPRelJcs4II97EO_Xq7lq0n3SmV5TU_bAaG-CnPb_XX-rGwGJaZA2CFAdiYwWM/s2048/DivMod%20-%20Samael.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_0-CDLMr3GdrbMVJ6CUZl_NiWjQ1qeARHJ5Tj4ZMWNdCvAdlghmixRGj1qq43ngLXoN_HwN83-RUC8_f4bnbDovZxUA4CkcX3u979dyY_ase2gfuzIuD6Wu2G1uvPRelJcs4II97EO_Xq7lq0n3SmV5TU_bAaG-CnPb_XX-rGwGJaZA2CFAdiYwWM/s320/DivMod%20-%20Samael.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">Day two Kicked off on the Club Stage with another one-man band,
<b>Div Mod </b>from Austria, bringing 8-bit electronic dance beats with gameboy
sounds; live controlled through ... a gameboy. Not really my cup of tea musically, though geekly professional. I think it is a cool idea. It did work as a warm-upper.</p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZNL2xNr78RUE2ciot_UNbFcwu73BEp3SHohipacEWavKsY570uWOwshqv0ufnfh30N7pR7XNUljkwyOJ5G3nfHMTfEErE8kMekAWW13ZVEBGfVOOvnguTdm9SJ28Mjzd5BpN4w0npHA-gFRV5SDIzYbTBFEjYgjTw_o3ODvKLtoEOrfeErtiHhH05/s2048/Siva%20Six%20-%20Samael.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZNL2xNr78RUE2ciot_UNbFcwu73BEp3SHohipacEWavKsY570uWOwshqv0ufnfh30N7pR7XNUljkwyOJ5G3nfHMTfEErE8kMekAWW13ZVEBGfVOOvnguTdm9SJ28Mjzd5BpN4w0npHA-gFRV5SDIzYbTBFEjYgjTw_o3ODvKLtoEOrfeErtiHhH05/s320/Siva%20Six%20-%20Samael.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">Greece's <b>Siva Six </b>were the first ones on the Main Stage.
They did a decent performance, but the vocals were somewhat weaker than I would
have expected. I had hoped for Siva Six to be a band to grow on me during the
festival. Unfortunately, it didn't.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKCEdi9FYMxtR7nHKH6IdJOQny_2zBDSYcwFUe733-SxZXg0fDyLOBynY3ibazvznKArxB3r_vdsXUMBmDtZ409cH7Q4c8iCNazBQgydmQcThRL36nNdYgQdwatcVH8Z53FUSFiAotof3wS59rMnBT8JfiOzSv2iGRwGEWWe7kdYFMuRQ105vpeDm6/s2048/King%20Satan%20-%20Samael.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1368" data-original-width="2048" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKCEdi9FYMxtR7nHKH6IdJOQny_2zBDSYcwFUe733-SxZXg0fDyLOBynY3ibazvznKArxB3r_vdsXUMBmDtZ409cH7Q4c8iCNazBQgydmQcThRL36nNdYgQdwatcVH8Z53FUSFiAotof3wS59rMnBT8JfiOzSv2iGRwGEWWe7kdYFMuRQ105vpeDm6/s320/King%20Satan%20-%20Samael.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">Back to the Club Stage for <b>King Satan</b> from Tampere
(FI). I didn't like their album 'I Want You To Worship Satan', and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>unfortunately this live performance
strengthened my conviction that King Satan is a band I will steer clear off. I
really can't get into what I, and my partner agrees, experience as kiddy metal
with horrible synth lines running identical (why?) alongside uninspired guitar
riffs. And the fact that to boot the mix was not really good, didn't help
convincing me of anything positive to say about them. Maybe their on-stage looks.
I'll give them that. Sorry King Satan, but you didn't find a fan in me. I
tried. I really tried.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9cKbL_rl0ehCUgeqZx42fmbiQzstLgjZVMKSr3N3O5wbIeouuR3Xyusn7aqdyIczA1qC2nBCnNDy3sZZfS3DqVCK36CQfRsJL3lGlj5ZkN6x96V520hwBq9KrFFPLUiOJS0lOg8T-lKrz7EWdmxgr3QtnbQgWEBI9N6ttBPCQjTpOBWsjeBXnnC2u/s2048/Freakangel%20-%20Samael.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9cKbL_rl0ehCUgeqZx42fmbiQzstLgjZVMKSr3N3O5wbIeouuR3Xyusn7aqdyIczA1qC2nBCnNDy3sZZfS3DqVCK36CQfRsJL3lGlj5ZkN6x96V520hwBq9KrFFPLUiOJS0lOg8T-lKrz7EWdmxgr3QtnbQgWEBI9N6ttBPCQjTpOBWsjeBXnnC2u/s320/Freakangel%20-%20Samael.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">Next up on the Main stage were <b>Freakangel</b> from
Estonia. Freakangel were one of the main reasons why I decided to go to the
festival in the first place. They turned out to be everything I expected them
to be. Wow, what an impressive band! They had played the Hellsinki Industrial Festival in 2018 already. <span style="color: black;">Frontman <span class="StrongEmphasis">Dmitry Darling</span> looked very cool in his dress and
mirror sunglasses. I really, really want to see them again. I agree with Juha
Virtanen, the organiser of the HIF, that Freakangel is a highly underrated band that
doesn't get enough attention. And they have a new hardcore fan in my partner.</span></p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_7Wc-PM3PVACW9CeEISk_sKvvg8_K_34k4RO1z7fzHw9RIN93937bkIH6R6AzdEs8gaLz_MqMzVXid8H86ntDb-srXsra_ZW991qxK5FeZsGaDd7gx5-E6aEEcf3Z1Bd0l8TlWf3PpD1X-7Gz36ukqXGDPv3IYzJGAVEm72-HELvga6sFwqCZ5wlj/s2048/Mechanical%20Vein%20-%20Samael.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_7Wc-PM3PVACW9CeEISk_sKvvg8_K_34k4RO1z7fzHw9RIN93937bkIH6R6AzdEs8gaLz_MqMzVXid8H86ntDb-srXsra_ZW991qxK5FeZsGaDd7gx5-E6aEEcf3Z1Bd0l8TlWf3PpD1X-7Gz36ukqXGDPv3IYzJGAVEm72-HELvga6sFwqCZ5wlj/s320/Mechanical%20Vein%20-%20Samael.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="color: black;"><br /><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">From Freakangel, it was on to <b>Mechanical
Vein</b> (UK) with their furious blend of drum and bass, dub-step, industrial
and metal riffs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most eye-catching was
the midi-controller built into, and hence disguised as, a bass guitar with
glow-in-the-dark strings. On-stage co-operations with Biomechanimal, ESA and
Moris Blak brought some extra spice to the set. There was some movement in the
audience, but less than I would have expected given the effort the band was
putting into their performance.</p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip_NsJWEyS5jlQxKoSiZgV3J0FE_u4R-AejGBU_g1n4xM-fmQLzj-QR2mgMLdzpan7r8TV0n0lBlalTTOOHKvv48fs1uAkMx2cgd31mKTbHYuv08azHjAI-Zx1NX0teHIboCNlE3AamXNPXRpV7fQgLI8WNfgAAjKGvCh2-e7WlqjOVy4N7O8bi2tR/s2048/Faderhead%20-%20Samael.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip_NsJWEyS5jlQxKoSiZgV3J0FE_u4R-AejGBU_g1n4xM-fmQLzj-QR2mgMLdzpan7r8TV0n0lBlalTTOOHKvv48fs1uAkMx2cgd31mKTbHYuv08azHjAI-Zx1NX0teHIboCNlE3AamXNPXRpV7fQgLI8WNfgAAjKGvCh2-e7WlqjOVy4N7O8bi2tR/s320/Faderhead%20-%20Samael.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="color: black;"><br /><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">Then it was <b>Faderhead</b>'s turn
to get the audience in motion in the Main Stage hall. And the German duo from
Hamburg did exactly that. Definitely, yours truly was on row two. The choice of songs
from the repertoire was perfect for me. My favourite Faderhead song<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>'Houston' was the penultimate song and made
me go wild, even wearing my over one kg per foot New Rocks! Knowing what it is
about now is an added benefit.</p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb0104y4qbC_fc5idiH6qwiXnKn6FzWae4LCVXvclXMZnIOnQu_sjFYUNPJXjsv1olqP_xTxsYJnKwYeDWhYPAui4UU3yAc5gZ2VXK9LBJbxmqMRmFrAQjbl57HRqO-8-QUHvkeFDCBvSSYgJNn23HAO3w_7q4JumDSD1LZIYSpp63emg69rDdn97C/s2048/System%20Noire%20-%20Samael.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb0104y4qbC_fc5idiH6qwiXnKn6FzWae4LCVXvclXMZnIOnQu_sjFYUNPJXjsv1olqP_xTxsYJnKwYeDWhYPAui4UU3yAc5gZ2VXK9LBJbxmqMRmFrAQjbl57HRqO-8-QUHvkeFDCBvSSYgJNn23HAO3w_7q4JumDSD1LZIYSpp63emg69rDdn97C/s320/System%20Noire%20-%20Samael.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="color: black;"><br /><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;">Last band for the evening in the
Club was <b>System Noire</b>, a dark electronic band from Hannover, Germany. To
me, this fusion of uptempo electronic beats, distorted vocals and high pitched
synthesizers becomes tiring after a while, </span>even when the songs are decent and brought with conviction. OK. But not wow.</p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK27fNjDXKgonGLzFMQYgOWcoxAPDtmmq-MWySR2zKOz7TGYi0C_ogVGozwrtMUEMdWzBcnJlF9MrkIb5TMGCrU6dzCsuSqONo4EgYNR_zGT2KN1rJf8DhIoUuEGYBWBNNRPyZ22C4Qxutmb3D40FLxFJVi3tbfQT7vmumdJ4eOBpNb2JrkL4hIUeg/s2048/Suicide%20Commando%20-%20Samael.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK27fNjDXKgonGLzFMQYgOWcoxAPDtmmq-MWySR2zKOz7TGYi0C_ogVGozwrtMUEMdWzBcnJlF9MrkIb5TMGCrU6dzCsuSqONo4EgYNR_zGT2KN1rJf8DhIoUuEGYBWBNNRPyZ22C4Qxutmb3D40FLxFJVi3tbfQT7vmumdJ4eOBpNb2JrkL4hIUeg/s320/Suicide%20Commando%20-%20Samael.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="color: black;"><br /><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">The band to close off the second day of
the festival was Belgium's world-touring EBM band <b>Suicide Commando</b>; more
electronic beats and distorted vocals. Johan Van Roy and his two comrades set
the house on fire and kiitos'ed the audience a lot!</p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;">After the live performances, a party
started, but we were too tired to stay for the Club Infektio afterparty. Next
time, we should remember to walk less in the days before the festival.</span></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"><b>DAY3 - Saturday</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;">After waking up quite late and
having breakfast just in time, we decided to just stay in the hotel, relax
and read until we had to go eat and then head for the festival. The 20k+ steps – including the jumping around </span>– of the 2 previous days were taking their toll.
And it was a holiday after all, wasn't it?</p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-5Rh2BBxb31MUTKuzWa4w1xY_lkII7Mi5zkDLtyOzG54e5vwFKzGyWx6Dbqz0qoEzym4clgJ_SsEXf3YdyxcR9JJ-_vutMvQYCnwaAvAB9wY3_TAFYB4muwrdOp56GbNoSrrlafz4DOna9YUYatcyrmm2oHKWY58IrI8tbKXHocqilLzPtTsYQKUi/s4032/Matt%20Hart%20stage%2003.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-5Rh2BBxb31MUTKuzWa4w1xY_lkII7Mi5zkDLtyOzG54e5vwFKzGyWx6Dbqz0qoEzym4clgJ_SsEXf3YdyxcR9JJ-_vutMvQYCnwaAvAB9wY3_TAFYB4muwrdOp56GbNoSrrlafz4DOna9YUYatcyrmm2oHKWY58IrI8tbKXHocqilLzPtTsYQKUi/s320/Matt%20Hart%20stage%2003.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">Opener on Saturday was <b>Matt Hart. </b>Stomping industrial
beats, gruff distorted grinding vocals and similar live guitars. A very
good opener of the festival's 3<sup>rd</sup> day.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM6e_6MxAVMrz6X-nQj6OOJBNTzozdoxuZUCfcgCprzCK9yQZMvPTsfGXBXPDKWkvX4Q_iure20DAtfzVCJWgqmpaDWKVkfUeALJ6n76KswKwv-gG2TYr8dOfE5fU1qGaYtohJ3vaZaw2CpX8dvp4_U55pxBufYJamyUs_SzDLroUbVC8OXZ5h7dQ2/s4032/Ruoska_StevenRedant.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM6e_6MxAVMrz6X-nQj6OOJBNTzozdoxuZUCfcgCprzCK9yQZMvPTsfGXBXPDKWkvX4Q_iure20DAtfzVCJWgqmpaDWKVkfUeALJ6n76KswKwv-gG2TYr8dOfE5fU1qGaYtohJ3vaZaw2CpX8dvp4_U55pxBufYJamyUs_SzDLroUbVC8OXZ5h7dQ2/s320/Ruoska_StevenRedant.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">Another big reason for me to come to Helsinki was <b>Ruoska</b>. And
judging from the meet and greet line after the concert, I wasn't the only one.
Their last full album 'Rabies' dates back to 2008. In 2021 and 2022, they
released one song each year. Opening with 'Veriura' immediatly put the audience into the
right mood! They played a good, but somewhat short set, even
changing what they had planned to do for a very fast song, if I got the
gist of what happened well (my Finnish is non-existant, remember). The set also
felt way too short, because in between songs Ruoska were taking a minute to sit
hudled around their drummer discussing god knows what ... Those moments reminded
me of how Rammstein takes several minutes between songs to don different
fireworks gear. The concert would have had much more impact with less of that.
Another thing disturbing me, was that Ruoska's singer had a mask on during the meet and greet pictures. It could have been me in that outfit, posing as
Ruoska's singer, so to speak. Strange. I was and am definitely hungry for more.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZl2M6q3XI_a1CN2CgSAzRgKBopwqIdaQia6IMk6_3FoXV5t-4zfXqRor7RASbdK004s3HhByY7sJDvaxoOkU4Q2J1C-Zn5g_QjvFtHvY9J-6FddG7gGkeYh5hxyVZqZK0QHFSU9ElkprNcBvmu1LUY4EEGiVSuMYrRNHajwnAYVyjOKztMDckK1qK/s1440/Antibody-%20Jukka_Kohonen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1121" data-original-width="1440" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZl2M6q3XI_a1CN2CgSAzRgKBopwqIdaQia6IMk6_3FoXV5t-4zfXqRor7RASbdK004s3HhByY7sJDvaxoOkU4Q2J1C-Zn5g_QjvFtHvY9J-6FddG7gGkeYh5hxyVZqZK0QHFSU9ElkprNcBvmu1LUY4EEGiVSuMYrRNHajwnAYVyjOKztMDckK1qK/s320/Antibody-%20Jukka_Kohonen.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">Jan Laustroer aka <b>Antibody</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>is a rising star in the genre: dark ominous
electronic gothic dance music without vocals except on a collaboration with
Matt Hart as guest vocalist on 'I Don't Understand', also live. He played his
first ever show on Resistanz 2022 – he will be on the bill of 2023 as well – and
later in November 2022, he will be on at Dark Dance Treffen. He is supporting
Nachtmahr here and there at their shows these days. Again a one-man band, indeed
keeping HIF's budget in check. Jan was really having a great time during his
set. His smile couldn't be bigger. And the audience loved it as well. Kudos to
Jan for wearing a white shirt in an all-black venue, and for being an active
festival-goer as well as an artist.</p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuis-d_qHil6kiv9uCkaVz9ua7kPq7zgKbkeQ3C1_-P7RtkxeV_qTeoOKxG6ExRgVuqY3UU-Irv77XTYAE4Nk0p4ICS7EwHxF8MfvD4DXJF8-XXddkMZnUF0JUR0qKgXXzz1sooWNXKCnLW5l3HMo0sMbHCBDq85yipyxGPGsLbm7qtfgcmhig-_j4/s2048/Agonoize%20-%20Samael.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuis-d_qHil6kiv9uCkaVz9ua7kPq7zgKbkeQ3C1_-P7RtkxeV_qTeoOKxG6ExRgVuqY3UU-Irv77XTYAE4Nk0p4ICS7EwHxF8MfvD4DXJF8-XXddkMZnUF0JUR0qKgXXzz1sooWNXKCnLW5l3HMo0sMbHCBDq85yipyxGPGsLbm7qtfgcmhig-_j4/s320/Agonoize%20-%20Samael.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">Nextup:<b> Agonoize</b>, aggrotech from Germany's capital.
Beats, distorted vocals and repetitive melodic synth<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>lines. Not bad for a couple of songs standing
in the audience near the stage, but after a while it was time for a beer and
sitting down in the bar area waiting for ...</p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTufjO7_V3YFhLlOD30IvXpTxx5OlhvT8SRodWhtZxgPL0WH7dj7M1ierQdGwUOi7jW0zQ7F4xw7-lP7XfGpEIU12BduhdjdqHWTRABw_cQf8axJCfB9U8GBwyUFQvJWiE3jtmGkp1VjQucruPgOpSSGzYNtsfKo4aHuBJ9JAtl8ei56ntTjTToX_f/s2048/Nestruction%20-%20Samael.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTufjO7_V3YFhLlOD30IvXpTxx5OlhvT8SRodWhtZxgPL0WH7dj7M1ierQdGwUOi7jW0zQ7F4xw7-lP7XfGpEIU12BduhdjdqHWTRABw_cQf8axJCfB9U8GBwyUFQvJWiE3jtmGkp1VjQucruPgOpSSGzYNtsfKo4aHuBJ9JAtl8ei56ntTjTToX_f/s320/Nestruction%20-%20Samael.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">Finland's <b>Nestruction. </b>They play pixel metal: metal
versions of soundtracks of retro video games. So no vocals, but beats, guitars
and synthesizers. I don't have to tell you what accompanying visuals they use
on their LED screen, do I?</p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">Nestruction were possibly the most virtuoso musicians playing
HIF 2022 but their pixel metal after a while becomes one constant
guitar/keyboard lead. This can get a lot on the ears, especially when you are or were not familiar with the
actual retro games. I did like the joke about
the (not) broken LED screen. That was nicely done.</p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCfSnD6HWGXwJ4hv8EVH6r5N5B7EYQWABuWCOosLyyS1pqynSQfp5ycR67VWHaajED6J75kmmbpbBsTii4km8YEAwC33lpA6E2ljezJASf4VrQ-ir6dPqvt2C0IuFLUlx2guUH6FSww58X-6vx4-4mpDyqM0onORopa4c-KSdJAA8AAGTF8RuYvmol/s2048/Gothminister%20-%20Samael.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1368" data-original-width="2048" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCfSnD6HWGXwJ4hv8EVH6r5N5B7EYQWABuWCOosLyyS1pqynSQfp5ycR67VWHaajED6J75kmmbpbBsTii4km8YEAwC33lpA6E2ljezJASf4VrQ-ir6dPqvt2C0IuFLUlx2guUH6FSww58X-6vx4-4mpDyqM0onORopa4c-KSdJAA8AAGTF8RuYvmol/s320/Gothminister%20-%20Samael.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><b>Gothminister</b> had to play without their bassist because
of COVID. We had seen Gothminister two times before, once in Belgium and once in
Germany. This time was good, again, but<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the mix favoured the 'supporting' tracks (even for the drums) again with
a lot of low frequencies, which took away the 'live' feeling for me.</p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">They played quite a few new songs off their recently released
album 'Pandemonium'. With 'Demons' Gothminister had a number 1 in the German
Alternative Charts at that moment. With hindsight, I should have listened to
the album more attentively before seeing them live. Ah well, there are only 24 hours
in a day.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDYo165NyrtHd5UeHFFdnP8id-ga8Rkkm3TNswbnm6Pedl7Sjm73D2wcQ0THYOcSNF2Z2zPmDsl4WxeijYbOxOCg7SGuA4kcDQGatUohRAaF3ipJQ6tU3bVlfEs-RAHwzu3vPdyk1xs3f_I1juZ2lOl48XAM_BalwCNdWiQCLBmzAZxiPtJBoNBCnO/s2048/Moris%20Blak%20-%20Samael.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDYo165NyrtHd5UeHFFdnP8id-ga8Rkkm3TNswbnm6Pedl7Sjm73D2wcQ0THYOcSNF2Z2zPmDsl4WxeijYbOxOCg7SGuA4kcDQGatUohRAaF3ipJQ6tU3bVlfEs-RAHwzu3vPdyk1xs3f_I1juZ2lOl48XAM_BalwCNdWiQCLBmzAZxiPtJBoNBCnO/s320/Moris%20Blak%20-%20Samael.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><b>Moris Blak</b> from Boston (MA, USA ) was up then,
complete with the hoody and the black mask with the red logo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He brings violent industrial bass techno. For me, it's a bit too much like club techno at times. There were people that
specifically came for his set in the audience, they loved it. He's a reference
in the genre.</p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmlk-GiEavdCAgpHWpbOr_CNIXXLEYNUfC4463N-HdLO8ewz05Xrj0N7PLTV8CzQz9I0pjvuiOsrvg05O3hPSwfPbaA2_x9UZnwNu_ppHg3igtYT97aDKmIDg88vjQYTu1buA2eBiu5joM5dqf0jlJ-gTJAzit98xNcF75angNFagI0sSgunjTAzTN/s9504/Centhron%20-%20Samael%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6336" data-original-width="9504" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmlk-GiEavdCAgpHWpbOr_CNIXXLEYNUfC4463N-HdLO8ewz05Xrj0N7PLTV8CzQz9I0pjvuiOsrvg05O3hPSwfPbaA2_x9UZnwNu_ppHg3igtYT97aDKmIDg88vjQYTu1buA2eBiu5joM5dqf0jlJ-gTJAzit98xNcF75angNFagI0sSgunjTAzTN/s320/Centhron%20-%20Samael%20.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">And, the headliner of day three and closing the festival was <b>Centhron</b>: harsh electro/EBM from Germany. They were quite energetic on stage and their
music and distorted vocals were like a flat roller. We were totally done even
before they played their last song. This night also, we wouldn't make the Club
Infektio afterparty, that was clear.</p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">On Day three, it seemed as if about 40% of the audience were
different people from the day before. The audience being a bit more inclined
toward metal. Understandable, with Ruoska and Gothminister on the bill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><b>SUNDAY</b></p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">We were just in time to still have breakfast in The Folks
Hotel Konepaja. This is the hotel nearest to the venue, just a few 100 meters
walk. We got a very good deal there, booking through their own website. As
said, it is more expensive than the youth hostel – and provides more luxury and
privacy – but we weren't the only festivalgoers staying in the hotel.</p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">Afterthat, we went to the Hakaniemi Sunday market with a lot of
local produce, and we had a stroll around the harbour and cathedral area before
picking up our luggage and going to the airport to fly out of Helsinki, to be
back home at midnight.</p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><b>OVERALL - logistics</b></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">Our choice of hotel suited us very well. It was very near to
the venue, which is good when you have to come back to it tired, late at night.
It also has a great Finnish style restaurant called Weeruska less than 200
meters from it, which allowed us to walk to the restaurant and then go to the
venue without loosing too much time on transport. We went to Weeruska on Friday
and Saturday. Both times we had a very nice dinner.</p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">Mind you, Helsinki's<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>public transport is very well organised. Next time I will use the HSL
app on my phone more. This time, I used it to find the best route, but not to
buy tickets yet.</p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">If you consider going, book your flights earlier in advance.
It will be much cheaper than our last-minute decision. </p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">There is no food at the venue. I expected a food truck or so,
but there wasn't one. Make sure you ate well before going in. We did,
fortunately.</p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">It's Finland. Beer is expensive. 9.5 EUR for a decent beer is
what you pay. Which means I spent as much money as I would spend in Belgium but
drank less than half. Either my liver or my wallet were happy, you decide.</p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">As a foreigner I like the timing of the festival a lot.
Having the opportunity to travel back home on Sunday without having to rush or
wake up too early, added up to a real holiday feeling.</p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><b>OVERALL – the festival itself</b></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">Alas, the two bands I wanted to buy a shirt from – a man can't
have enough t-shirts, can he? – didn't
bring any merchandise. Nothing the organisation could do anything about, of
course. But I was a bit disappointed.</p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">Don't go to this festival if you want to hook up with random
new people. It turned out to be<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>near
impossible to start a conversation with someone. I only exchanged a few
sentences here and there, mainly about me looking like a viking, but it was limited due to me absolutely
not understanding a word of the Finnish language.</p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">The most important of remarks is that the overall mixing of
live voices and instruments is an attention point. The sound level was also
quite high. Maybe Finns are talking even more during performances than
Belgians? Don't ever go to this festival without good ear protection. You DO
need good earplugs if you want your ears to survive the relentless onslaught.
This is actually true for all festivals these days, isn't it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">The place never felt too full. Whether it was filled to capacity
I doubt, but it must have been not very far off.</p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSNLN2nz7ucnkW2XjL-Om1-2mz0P3A83iH4oopiMuhSpusoSygDflw3j3wWtYi-f9p-09ooahdiEw20lglWda5bd3jL1COOA6H3gmjT5ui6qXGHhn_6vGCnH3vLhG0nFJCwczPCXwf0s0shWUG54PTj-hS19EAcQladFz2pUmUGcDwEgGjkYurA7-4/s4032/Main%20Stage%20-%20Steven%20Redant.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSNLN2nz7ucnkW2XjL-Om1-2mz0P3A83iH4oopiMuhSpusoSygDflw3j3wWtYi-f9p-09ooahdiEw20lglWda5bd3jL1COOA6H3gmjT5ui6qXGHhn_6vGCnH3vLhG0nFJCwczPCXwf0s0shWUG54PTj-hS19EAcQladFz2pUmUGcDwEgGjkYurA7-4/s320/Main%20Stage%20-%20Steven%20Redant.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">All 3 stages used had good video backwalls and many bands had
visuals. The main stage had some extra decoration. Simple but effective.</p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">Some bands for HIF 2023 were announced: Nachtmahr (AT), V2A
(GB), Pretty Addicted (GB) , Protectorate (FI) and Nano Infect (IT). You could
already buy a ticket for next year at 45 EUR.</p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">The announcement was written in alcohol marker on a piece of
A4 paper taped to the table of the merch booth in both venues. I doubt whether
everyone saw it, though.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">On Day 2 and 3 there were <b>poi acts</b> with fire and light
at the start . I have the feeling they<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>got a little bit lost to most of the audience.</p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVInmZ__3ydITgtBC0a57ZBkqy7ibQkI_HRg7z-VSwsWGuSdBcoBzgDK1r_84IwidVxMl4q9JANOB-BNkTF4VMKxSnarmQ87VtBE1l6i_colo2BP2poHGDGCCfR-C7rF8DHEyqSyIQMJO_1FLjb-EG7D8j80JjHXQO1le7EhZNqud4b2GDCee_d4RE/s4032/Poi%20Act%20-%20Steven-Redant.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVInmZ__3ydITgtBC0a57ZBkqy7ibQkI_HRg7z-VSwsWGuSdBcoBzgDK1r_84IwidVxMl4q9JANOB-BNkTF4VMKxSnarmQ87VtBE1l6i_colo2BP2poHGDGCCfR-C7rF8DHEyqSyIQMJO_1FLjb-EG7D8j80JjHXQO1le7EhZNqud4b2GDCee_d4RE/s320/Poi%20Act%20-%20Steven-Redant.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">The audience was very diverse. Outfitwise there were ultra
goths, mohawked punks, pierced metalheads, scaresly clad clubbers, spiked
industrial rockers, dreadlocked hippies, preppie nerds with old jumpers and
non-matching trousers, and a fairly old guy with a grey beard and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>long blonde hair in a pony tail. Whatever.
Everyone was welcome and no discrimination was tolerated. That's how I want it!</p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><b>FINAL WORDS</b></p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">HIF 2022 was a well organised, very nice experience even when
I didn't really meet any new people, apart from a few short chats with Jan
Laustroer (Antibody) and a very short talk with Juha Virtanen (the organiser)
and a nice girl at the entrance. The salient feature of this festival is that
you can see all bands.</p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">I would seriously consider to go back next year or thereafter
if the bill is right!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">Picture credits:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">Main Stage, Poi Act & Ruoska: Steven Redant<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">Antibody: Jukka Kohonen<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="Standard" style="text-align: justify;">All other pictures: Riku Forsman - Samael Creative<o:p></o:p></p>xheviourmachinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11836083167873978543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8537572467710265499.post-18022617528112656702022-05-16T05:03:00.003-07:002022-05-16T05:04:44.268-07:00Pussy Riot: Unfortunately, everyone only understood what Putin is like when he started a war in Ukraine.<div style="text-align: justify;">Pussy Riot is making the headlines again. Maria Alyochina - one of the members of Pussy Riot who was sentenced to two years in a labor camp in 2012 after a subversive performance at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow - has fled Russia secretly with her friend. This also means that she can participate in the current tour, which will come to Leuven on May 20 as part of the punk festival Breaking Barriers.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Maria 'Masha' Alyochina currently resides at a secret address in the east of the EU, about which next to nothing is known. The interview is interrupted twice because the police come by, but they are not there for her. One thing is for sure: she does not lead an everyday life at all. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ocA0FlNeTArBCQ_f19aZfZ2fT7f0Qo6SxiLS2JIZYP_PtBIMn4Kr4rG5-ZJ_G21KqbMpa3v3k8VE5j6IEOvxV_27rp8jDXH8prN3EArZN0wMBdkwQ_K1H-I1v0wGg43WrbxVP9AP5k7LWfHUok6yqtRTCT8Nhbdx5GPMwmBQGr3lUmIKChXR-vC4/s1920/pussyriot.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1005" data-original-width="1920" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ocA0FlNeTArBCQ_f19aZfZ2fT7f0Qo6SxiLS2JIZYP_PtBIMn4Kr4rG5-ZJ_G21KqbMpa3v3k8VE5j6IEOvxV_27rp8jDXH8prN3EArZN0wMBdkwQ_K1H-I1v0wGg43WrbxVP9AP5k7LWfHUok6yqtRTCT8Nhbdx5GPMwmBQGr3lUmIKChXR-vC4/s320/pussyriot.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><b>You managed to leave Russia after all. Was it difficult? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I do not have permission to leave Russia and I do not have an international travel pass, but it is important that I have found a legal way. During the last week of April I tried three times to cross the border into Belarus and the third time was finally successful. The second time it went fine but the answer was no. The first time was terrible. The KGB in Belarus was really terrible. I am happy to be in the EU, because now I can rehearse. We are not only preparing the concerts, but also a statement I want to make towards the audience. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Are you looking forward to touring again? What do you hope to get out of this? Do you think you will get a lot of support thanks to those concerts? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I spent two years in prison for the song ‘Punk Prayer: Mother of God Drive Putin Away’ [sometimes translated as ‘Mother Mary, ban Putin’] and now, in 2022, I want this song to be sung as loud as possible. It's not just about us now, it's about the whole world. Clearly a fascist maniac and dictator has his finger on the nuclear button. I live in Russia and I protested there for ten years. My first performance, for which I was sentenced to two years in prison, was at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. After that we took many more actions and I spent weeks and months under all kinds of arrests and in all kinds of prisons. I'm a bit of a pro when it comes to prisons. I want people to know how things are in Russia. We already knew in 2014 that a war was coming and we wanted to make people in Europe aware of this too. Unfortunately, everyone only understood what Putin is like when he started a war in Ukraine. Ukraine is now paying full price for this belated insight. With this tour we also want to support the Ukrainian refugees and Ukraine as much as possible. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiCyS7UEa_S4UkEHMeGa9GfAHY7TL88UBaEuwENk8CX8T20yLjzYAF3fQuCTocreUBFahrAzO6CMLvXa1Yw6PLTnFIHtR6f6HY2Y8MxFiJz6M3Drojiqbffr48OMu43n_TI2qCgIas-lPSW8AgpSESekhHpqN3xy5Vxa0H8a_X11OygqzRrjBdxgZ_/s1280/1.2.2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="854" data-original-width="1280" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiCyS7UEa_S4UkEHMeGa9GfAHY7TL88UBaEuwENk8CX8T20yLjzYAF3fQuCTocreUBFahrAzO6CMLvXa1Yw6PLTnFIHtR6f6HY2Y8MxFiJz6M3Drojiqbffr48OMu43n_TI2qCgIas-lPSW8AgpSESekhHpqN3xy5Vxa0H8a_X11OygqzRrjBdxgZ_/s320/1.2.2.jpg" width="320" /></a><b>There are many Ukrainian refugees in Belgium and the population is being asked to help them. There are a lot of initiatives, but what the whole EU is asking is how we can do something against Putin. Many people feel powerless. What do you think we should do? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">No one needs to feel powerless. You have power. Putin and his entire SFB/KGB/Cheka system are spreading hatred and displaying their weapons and their tanks everywhere. They just want people to talk about that. It shouldn't be like that. The basis of European civilization and the EU is the right to live for every person. There is nothing more important than human life. The total opposite of this European civilization is the way Putin and his post-USSR regime treat people. They don't care about people's lives. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Maybe they care about their own lives... </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Yes, and that is also why life in Russia now is not just terrible, but three times worse than terrible. The reason is that the regime believes that all people should commit themselves to maintaining the regime. I've had to live in these conditions for 33 years and I know what it's like. Things got worse after the invasion of Ukraine, of course. Journalists and politicians are oppressed. Human rights are suppressed. Only in the deepest clandestinity can someone find something else. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Are there still independent media in Russia? In any case, those media do not reach us. </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It's not about real media, but about channels on Telegram, which we can reach with the help of a virtual private network (VPN). Facebook and Instagram are not suitable for protesting the war. One even risks being sentenced to fifteen years in prison if one dares to call it a war. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih8pmaxFuVuq9Y01MUJWBIvb07H2l_fRq-QEzdAiInG986qX5bQaqeT2zOR0KfNtvDGstEtJk24fCMkYDMRqGAQ-viSZdFHrTE48-gSvRtmEoX8qlE5u5XLcExrutDoag0seSYr88J_E3WrqDpvneb7aSBXnD6Tk2fZnQXb2xSbhZpxU-43qReBBI9/s1000/1.2.4._jpeg.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih8pmaxFuVuq9Y01MUJWBIvb07H2l_fRq-QEzdAiInG986qX5bQaqeT2zOR0KfNtvDGstEtJk24fCMkYDMRqGAQ-viSZdFHrTE48-gSvRtmEoX8qlE5u5XLcExrutDoag0seSYr88J_E3WrqDpvneb7aSBXnD6Tk2fZnQXb2xSbhZpxU-43qReBBI9/s320/1.2.4._jpeg.jpg" width="320" /></a><b>A few days ago the Western media reported that Putin himself now calls it a war. Before that, it was a ‘special military operation’. Can people still go to jail in Russia for calling it a war, even now that Putin is doing it himself? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Putin can do whatever he wants. By law it is a special operation and not a war. In any case, Putin will not be sent to prison for using certain words. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>It seems that many Russians follow Putin because they only get to see his view of things. Is this true or are many Russians just scared? Do many Russians support the regime and believe all the lies? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It is a completely different world, in which one gets to see propaganda 24 hours a day. Everyone knows George Orwell's 1984. Well, in Russia, a person has been sent to prison for holding a poster against fascism. According to the court, it is a crime to own a poster against fascism. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>That's strange, because Putin claims that the Ukrainians are all fascists and Nazis. Officially, he's just started this war to wipe them out. </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">According to a decision of the Russian court, a poster with the caption ‘We are against war’ discredits the Russian army. It's not strange. It's a pure dystopia. You are still a long way from that, but it can happen anywhere. Depriving people of freedom of information in your countries will result in present-day Russia for you too. We are all human. We are not reptiles. It's all about people. With the war raging now, there is of course even more propaganda and censorship, just like in the Third Reich. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirBQufoMM5L477JDinvpseUuQEzIPuINfr5uIx5qlO-MaRq_VmPrqjjSAVXnFDJ0GtcugoPhYJz45OtQv58ImGQMktbjZq4DykFt_zRJkYccDc0gC2lsxPiu46j1RS6sWfkGtgyDzJyf9Ld31cS4sSVVrUUGT7XSwgupFHkCGC-jFT8ejRBRLhvd5j/s1280/1.2.5._jpeg.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="854" data-original-width="1280" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirBQufoMM5L477JDinvpseUuQEzIPuINfr5uIx5qlO-MaRq_VmPrqjjSAVXnFDJ0GtcugoPhYJz45OtQv58ImGQMktbjZq4DykFt_zRJkYccDc0gC2lsxPiu46j1RS6sWfkGtgyDzJyf9Ld31cS4sSVVrUUGT7XSwgupFHkCGC-jFT8ejRBRLhvd5j/s320/1.2.5._jpeg.jpg" width="320" /></a><b><br />Are both regimes similar? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Definitely. In the West, people probably hear that 80 percent of the Russian population supports Putin, but that is nonsense, because no one dares to give his honest opinion openly. You could end up in jail for that. The Russians are only human too and we are not at the point where everyone is saying they are willing to go to jail for ten years. The people who do are real heroes. We will certainly talk about them during our concerts. It is also our role to mention these people, because in the West one hears almost exclusively about Alexei Navalny. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>The VRT – the Flemish public television – recently showed a documentary about women in the opposition who are doing their best, but most of them have fled Russia in the meantime. I had the impression that you would never flee from Russia because it is your home. </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I am currently in the EU on tour. I should really be in jail. In 2021 I was in prison six times and then we don't count the house arrest. I've found an opportunity to go on tour now and stay out of jail. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Do you think it will be safe? Are you not afraid that they will come looking for you? We've heard a lot in recent years about Russian refugees who were subsequently poisoned by Russian secret agents. Aren't you concerned about this? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This is not the time to be afraid. Just look at Ukraine, where people behave heroically. If they are not afraid, how can I be? The aim of this tour is, of course, to draw attention to the political prisoners. We want to show the people in the West that there are other people in Russia, with a different outlook on life and a different background. They are now in prison. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMMu7ARq8kc0iXaC8lK-kk8Dufds2GpVaZ6PbJJ4DVSAuyiZEDqQfAocjS82FeSlVdd7sr3eKSI41KPftRG-BIU5oruseP-XCPEkhoKt51ehFDHQZShsSxQfmmqUT9Djp1G-YQpSS1y2uD1GrRU22ie_P4fcpNVxiElmXVLm8FL8b37mlgcRg_w2nL/s1280/1.2.7._jpeg.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="854" data-original-width="1280" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMMu7ARq8kc0iXaC8lK-kk8Dufds2GpVaZ6PbJJ4DVSAuyiZEDqQfAocjS82FeSlVdd7sr3eKSI41KPftRG-BIU5oruseP-XCPEkhoKt51ehFDHQZShsSxQfmmqUT9Djp1G-YQpSS1y2uD1GrRU22ie_P4fcpNVxiElmXVLm8FL8b37mlgcRg_w2nL/s320/1.2.7._jpeg.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b>I have read your book ‘Riot Days’. The two of you were political prisoners, but at some point they separated you because they didn't know how to deal with two political prisoners in the same prison. I suppose there is now more than one political prisoner per prison. </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Oh, but we have a lot of prisons, you know. Russia, as in the past, is a big prison. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>How many prisons are there really? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I can't count them anymore, but actually they aren't prisons. They are work camps. It is legal slavery. The inmates have to sew and stitch uniforms for the police twelve hours a day. They are paid 3 euros per month for this. It's real slavery. This system has been around for twenty years. We've talked about this before and I think it makes sense to talk about it again. I also want to speak with politicians in the West. I'm an insider who knows what's going on. They do not have a clear picture of what is happening in Russia. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>One of the reasons we don't have a clear picture is that European journalists don't find a way to find out what's actually happening? Is there a way for them to gather accurate information? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There is no legal way, but there are a number of channels on Telegram. We know what Lukashenko has done with Belarus. Well, Russia is moving in that direction very quickly. Belarus really is hell, but nobody cares about that. It's like North Korea, but in the middle of Europe. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcUw_FClAvhTEPWNaI4t4pRHi7dN22wW4n58mFAtn-RhwReOTMFzrr6ytnK8kxcJy-8GN6e3bz9nwA-gFYiwkmjg8bnJ1iKNSJBA0HNIeeqAruBVdW4tq7lLd6FhYKr65yJp79nJShqR24xYB8fIk-uKoXEfGjYeTA3qzGhC9yBmZl9VS7Opp-r0zx/s1000/1.2.6._jpeg.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcUw_FClAvhTEPWNaI4t4pRHi7dN22wW4n58mFAtn-RhwReOTMFzrr6ytnK8kxcJy-8GN6e3bz9nwA-gFYiwkmjg8bnJ1iKNSJBA0HNIeeqAruBVdW4tq7lLd6FhYKr65yJp79nJShqR24xYB8fIk-uKoXEfGjYeTA3qzGhC9yBmZl9VS7Opp-r0zx/s320/1.2.6._jpeg.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>We care about that situation, but we don't really know what to do about it. Putin still has nuclear weapons and he also controls the gas supply. Gas prices are skyrocketing. The EU would like to ban Russian gas, but has nothing to replace that Russian supply with. Putin could shut down the gas pipelines at any time and European leaders are also concerned about nuclear war. What do you think about this? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">If everyone stays scared, the price will always get higher and higher. If the current sanctions had already been taken in January this year, there would be less blood spilled now. It was late then too, but now it's all worse and it could get a lot worse. As for potential sanctions, Navalny's team has drawn up a list of 6,000 names. Navalny has an incredible team fighting corruption like real lions. The EU should use this list. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>The bank accounts of many wealthy Russians have already been blocked. They can no longer travel. </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Now there are about twenty oligarchs, but there are 6,000 names on the list. That list is really worth it. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Are there any Russians who support Putin and, if so, why are they doing so? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">You have seen Donald Trump and his supporters. More or less the same is happening in Russia, but with new imperialist ambitions. The propaganda is doing its job. Officially we are fighting the fascists. They use an old template for this and refer to the victory in the Second World War. We are told 24 hours a day that we are fighting for the cause and against the Nazis. We must not forget that Stalin is Putin's role model. He does not compare himself to Lenin, Brezhnev or Khrushchev. He follows the Stalinist model. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">____________________________</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On Friday 20 May 2022, Pussy Riot will perform 'Pussy Riot presents: Riot Days' in music center Het Depot in Leuven, a musical and theatrical journey through their arrests, show trials and prison sentences, supplemented with poignant comments on the current situation in a prison of more than 17 million square kilometers. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.hetdepot.be/concert/breaking-barriers-presents-pussy-riot" target="_blank">Breaking Barriers: Pussy Riot, Hägar The Womb, Hetze, Friday 20 May</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Interview by Malcolm Nix</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VOTVW8cyhSo" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>xheviourmachinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11836083167873978543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8537572467710265499.post-46800222775720967082022-05-16T01:46:00.003-07:002022-05-16T11:47:08.073-07:00Hägar The Womb: Now we know the audience will help us out when we forget the lyrics.<div style="text-align: justify;">On Saturday 20 May we will meet again in the Leuven Depot for Breaking Barriers, the annual punk festival. Hägar The Womb will perform there, together with Pussy Riot and Hetze. Hägar The Womb has been around since 1981. In 1987 they gave up, but in 2011 they decided to re-establish the group with only original members. You can read how things went for them in this interview by Breaking Barriers organizer Malcolm Nix.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivnZl1E4wf1kfXnbqJTZRw2yDaesZUEoB7cFJ19TZD8_AKOMI1jJWqAR3l8UBmWAHNGnIH9xqD64REpqc4RylGfmgqNhXkJapREWq3Vqolq3ZovWlqYHZ6NVV9TWcmCZs3a29Dzv5Uv3Uv2IvZF4_xN4Ou6ToAp8gWcAWrfxJRq0q0w0Q66OT9dOpT/s225/n-hagar-the-womb-833-443.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivnZl1E4wf1kfXnbqJTZRw2yDaesZUEoB7cFJ19TZD8_AKOMI1jJWqAR3l8UBmWAHNGnIH9xqD64REpqc4RylGfmgqNhXkJapREWq3Vqolq3ZovWlqYHZ6NVV9TWcmCZs3a29Dzv5Uv3Uv2IvZF4_xN4Ou6ToAp8gWcAWrfxJRq0q0w0Q66OT9dOpT/s1600/n-hagar-the-womb-833-443.jpeg" width="225" /></a><b>Hägar the Womb have been around for a while. Who's left of the original line-up and where do the replacements come from? Did you find them through a local temp agency or did they come with their own pedigree in the punk scene? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Hägar the Womb formed in 1981 and split in 1987. When we reformed in 2011 (after getting together to agree the release of a retrospective LP on American label Mississippi Records), we were one of the very few 80s bands who reformed with ALL of their original line-up. We’ve recently lost our guitarist Steph but have welcomed Lorna from London band Rabies Babies in her place. Lorna was down at the front dancing to us in the 80s so she is a great addition. We also have Mike in to drum when original drummer Chris Liberator goes off to dj around the world (his paying job). Ruth, Paul, Mitch and Karen make up the rest of the band now, as they did then. All the boys were in various bands before the Hags – Cold War, Snork Maidens and Flack amongst others. The girls however, had to be encouraged onto the stage. Not one of them had considered performing before but were greatly supported by people who were too drunk to know better.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>I won't ask you to explain the band name, but I noticed this is your second time around. The band split in 1987 and then reformed in 2011. Was there a specific reason to split up or did you all just have enough of it for a while? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Thank you for not asking for an explanation of the band name as there isn’t one – which hasn’t stopped that question being asked at every interview (smiley face). We had to make up a name in a hurry because we had been offered a gig and we didn’t have any of the trappings of a band – instruments, songs – and name! I can’t say why that one stuck from the more and more rubbish names that were being suggested, it had no meaning but we have been informed of several over the years as people try and make sense of it – ranging from biblical references to cartoon characters. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We had several little splits before 1987, losing one or two band members each time for various reasons and several new members coming and going until in 1987 Janet and Ruth were the only original band members left. It seemed a good idea to stop completely then. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmRJlbPNgBr74W3k5C3BkkyQ3xKl6s87IZd-FCeLu9TthnYIgN7fpP6FXZKfl9j1fvaF_TL-ETy3L-do7-N5XupqTBHujfH69OPIcABRaVM3W3w3O5WtN9TqIv0wO-SOkr-eqd1DyJpScUBKPPYYxld3qdPTkqj9srIRgiy0DpHuU-fhqM0G7QOHSW/s650/n-hagar-the-womb-833-444.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="650" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmRJlbPNgBr74W3k5C3BkkyQ3xKl6s87IZd-FCeLu9TthnYIgN7fpP6FXZKfl9j1fvaF_TL-ETy3L-do7-N5XupqTBHujfH69OPIcABRaVM3W3w3O5WtN9TqIv0wO-SOkr-eqd1DyJpScUBKPPYYxld3qdPTkqj9srIRgiy0DpHuU-fhqM0G7QOHSW/s320/n-hagar-the-womb-833-444.jpeg" width="320" /></a><b>We're of course very happy you have reformed, but a lot has changed since 1981, the year of the band's official inception. What do you consider the biggest difference for better and for worse? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Thank you for being happy, we are too! What feels different now is playing is so much FUN now; this wasn’t a word much used in the serious UK anarcho-punk circles of the 80s where we were criticised for not wearing black like most bands at the time, and for having light-hearted songs like ‘Dressed to Kill’ as well as those about heavy issues affecting us all. Now we feel much freer being ourselves. I think also that as we are more ‘mature’ now (the band has a collective age of approximately 330). We just don’t care how we come across or if we fuck up - which is often. In fact, we have turned fucking-up into an art-form, the audience have come to expect it! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>You have even released some new material, including the very nice 10” 'Hagitate'. Do you think you're able to reach a new audience or are these records mainly bought by old friends? Do you think there are still young people who want to listen to this kind of music? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We’d be pleased if the material we have released is bought by the generation who grew up with us in the 80s but we are even happier that we have reached across generations and young people seem to enjoy us just as much. For girls in the band, it’s gratifying to see so many more girls involved in punk now than there were back then. When we were young girls, there weren’t many women we could hold up as role-models in our anarchopunk scene or the first wave scene that preceded it. We found inspiration in Vi Subversa from the Poison Girls who was older and had a very powerful stage presence; we always said to each other that we wanted to be like her when we grew up. Now we have young girls coming up and telling us the same thing – it’s great to hear that we can shown what is possible, despite the wrinkles. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>It's obviously an unavoidable issue. How did the COVID-19 pandemic affect you and your band? We all remember the various lockdowns, which weren't a bad idea in itself, but are there other, more lasting consequences for the music scene? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">COVID crept in at a time in the UK where we were already uncertain of what the implications of Brexit would have on us travelling – we’re still not certain. Along with every other band, we had to have an immediate stop in March 2020 when the first restrictions came in. We were so lucky to have just played an amazing 30 year birthday celebration for Kopi squat in Berlin just before that – many bands never played all year and the year that followed. Restrictions have come and gone and the Hags have managed to play a couple of times between them but it’s always felt like gigs could stop again at any time. Now at the start of 2022, we’re hopeful that despite a slow cautious start because of Omicron, we and all the bands we’ve missed seeing can be reunited again. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEKS9ZCDmCfbreTO2-WRdf2xKQRr2R62lSD069SjTvRZLmEUnG78I3LOUryXLzd5RiaIWVK9t4mobwsu1C8W2UISplvhNS2mrb4j54TWrZixxbIiXkdp_wgnDgXGNzMwzhREorhd8FwspUDMwJsRNiQkBtsYQyo3K4NBs20geXFyfm6ZzylW1ApQ-H/s508/n-hagar-the-womb-833-446.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEKS9ZCDmCfbreTO2-WRdf2xKQRr2R62lSD069SjTvRZLmEUnG78I3LOUryXLzd5RiaIWVK9t4mobwsu1C8W2UISplvhNS2mrb4j54TWrZixxbIiXkdp_wgnDgXGNzMwzhREorhd8FwspUDMwJsRNiQkBtsYQyo3K4NBs20geXFyfm6ZzylW1ApQ-H/s320/n-hagar-the-womb-833-446.jpeg" width="315" /></a><b>What I find remarkable is that there are a lot of young people protesting against the destruction of the planet and the lack of policy regarding climate change, but the music they listen to doesn't reflect this. Why do you think there are so few politically motivated young artists these days? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">At the risk of sounding like the old people that we are, we have watched the apathy of younger people for decades, thinking: “it wasn’t like that in my day!” It seemed that they didn’t have a protesting bone in their bodies – no one voicing opposition, no one out on the streets or forming movements. From what we’ve seen here in the UK, all that is changing at last! Helped a lot by the recent ‘me too’ and climate change movements – to name just a couple. We only have to look at the line-up of the gigs we play, there are a number of young, switched-on bands who have a LOT to say and do it DIY style just like we did and still do... they may not all sound or look “punk” but they have the attitude and the spirit. It’s so good to see, it gives hope that whatever future we get isn’t achieved through apathy. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Your records were quite successful in the UK Indie charts, but you're still pretty much unknown in large parts of the world. Do you think this is slowly changing? Does the internet provide you with opportunities to familiarize people you've never met with your work? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">When we reformed, we thought the internet would open us up to the world but the Hägar the Womb facebook and instagram interactions showed us that – despite being dormant for decades – we had already been opened up. Since reforming and playing abroad, we’ve been constantly surprised that the crowds – young and older - know the words to our songs better than we do! Now we know they will help us out when we forget them. We are happy that now we are more accessible through our online presence, people can talk to us and hear our new or live stuff, not just play the old records. The internet does help us reach out further afield which is great as we are generally rubbish at self-promotion. It was never an aim for us as a DIY band - we had little appetite for (and let’s face it, little chance of) Hag world domination. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>On May 20, you're playing at 'Breaking Barriers presents' in Leuven, Belgium. This is your first concert ever in a country that is actually located not far from the shores of Albion. What do you expect from this concert? What do you think will go horribly wrong? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisSiD6b32AOCBp2aisBwILv0plHATQCkBYZAl1S96qZHVjFSWwXizQD-2DduWAjNKCTxJgEyus420igR84IWU70502eRF-qljw-A_86_pqMKvmetlODJVV24IURLoPltQvpY-eyI90cRfNN_n7Qo3SY2R8x2wPmYKfcZUUORbMS8o9P75K1KYPNfnx/s650/n-hagar-the-womb-833-445.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="485" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisSiD6b32AOCBp2aisBwILv0plHATQCkBYZAl1S96qZHVjFSWwXizQD-2DduWAjNKCTxJgEyus420igR84IWU70502eRF-qljw-A_86_pqMKvmetlODJVV24IURLoPltQvpY-eyI90cRfNN_n7Qo3SY2R8x2wPmYKfcZUUORbMS8o9P75K1KYPNfnx/s320/n-hagar-the-womb-833-445.jpeg" width="239" /></a>We expect the finest beers and waffles in the world! And of course, that you will all know the words to our songs better than we do. The only country we ever got to in the 80s apart from the UK was Holland. Even now, we’ve never been to Belgium which makes Breaking Barriers festival all the more special for us. It will be a real treat to see and meet see bands from other countries – Breaking Barriers has a truly international flavour as its name and its ethos suggest. Many things could and do go horribly wrong on and off-stage. I (Ruth) try and ‘manage’ the rest of the Hags but it’s like keeping a lid on a box of frogs – pointless! So we could have problems like keeping upright on stage after too many very fine beers or be downed by excess-waffles, or have travel problems – who knows, we’ll just say Fuck It with capital letters and carry on. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Having seen you play a few times in the past, I'm under the impression Hagar the Womb are at their best when not completely sober. How drunk will you be during your first Belgian concert? Can we expect another drinking contest with variously flavoured vodka samples or will you just improvise some verbal abuse aimed at your frequently victimised bass player? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Haha you have done your research well. Well, as already indicated - we may not be “completely sober” when we reach the stage. Mitch is the source of our on-stage flavoured vodka shots. He works for the Finnish church in London and manages to get a nice array of imported fine spirits. The last flavoured vodka he got us was chocolate and mint, very strong stuff although it seemed like something you could give a small child. He poured it into 6 cocktail glasses he’d bought with him – he can sometimes be very civilised! As you have seen, poor Mitch does get some ‘attention’ from Karen on stage – verbally and physically. Sometimes she injures him but she never means to. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Finally, do you think the bureaucracy which is a direct result of the whole Brexit-scam will stop alternative British bands playing in Europe? Isn't there a risk a lot of them will simply think it's not worth it anymore? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Our stupid government seems intent on making it difficult for British bands to play in Europe and for visiting bands to come and play in the UK too after Brexit. Its actions during the pandemic have shown that it doesn’t value culture in most forms, especially live music which has had very little support. Where we are now as a result, is trying to build back what we once had. Despite the pandemic and Brexit uncertainties, we hope that we get to play at home and aboard more regularly this year. See you in May!
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Interview by Malcolm Nix</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Hägar The Womb: <a href="https://hagarthewomb.bandcamp.com/album/hagitate-4" target="_blank">bandcamp</a> / <a href="https://www.facebook.com/people/Hagar-the-Womb/100060669773699/" target="_blank">facebook</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.hetdepot.be/concert/breaking-barriers-presents-pussy-riot" target="_blank">Hägar The Womb at Breaking Barriers with Pussy Riot and Hetze</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EL0peQ7FQcY" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>xheviourmachinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11836083167873978543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8537572467710265499.post-22179474505613894172022-05-15T09:57:00.006-07:002022-05-16T01:50:21.394-07:00Hetze: We all work with homeless people on a daily basis and we try to be actively involved in their struggle.<div style="text-align: justify;">Punk is not dead. The Breaking Barriers festival in Leuven - founded in 2016 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of punk - continues to keep its finger on the pulse. They will have a new edition on May 20. We don't need to introduce the main act Pussy Riot the the anarchopunk veterans of Hägar The Womb. Hetze – Dutch for agitation – on the other hand, is still very young. They have been around since 2017, but they already have a great reputation. Malcolm Nix spoke to the ladies (and gentleman). </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Hetze is still a quite young band. Did you have any past in other bands before you founded this band? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRVwbFkQYPkb-_Kd1YzK8wAE0w2NcwpBBAyIPcce5kUvWL-uu45s4KdDL-5Em1xBGjRn6dsxJnm0BV0wXcy5Z5xf6zEcNqunICtSTI5BvZ0HAOLNrOrwPo7IWNOMBBx9jtm8hJqL3t7T9mNL6MVsyvIZgRfAPzuQCDzUKiFCoe9VbCyR-fZVTcYP97/s640/n-hetze-843-443.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="640" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRVwbFkQYPkb-_Kd1YzK8wAE0w2NcwpBBAyIPcce5kUvWL-uu45s4KdDL-5Em1xBGjRn6dsxJnm0BV0wXcy5Z5xf6zEcNqunICtSTI5BvZ0HAOLNrOrwPo7IWNOMBBx9jtm8hJqL3t7T9mNL6MVsyvIZgRfAPzuQCDzUKiFCoe9VbCyR-fZVTcYP97/s320/n-hetze-843-443.jpeg" width="320" /></a>Not that much. Viktor had the most experience, because he's been playing in various bands for fifteen years. He's also the drummer of Bones, an excellent death metal band worth checking out. Carla had a bit of stage experience and Dorien sometimes played bass in Travolta. For most of us, Hetze was the first real experience with a band. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>What drives young people to start a punk band? Didn't your peers tell you it's trendier to make hiphop, dance or sensitive ballads? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">No. Actually, we're not that young any more, but thanks for the compliment. We don't know a lot of people who listen to dance or sensitive ballads. We like it hard, harder, hardest, although throughout the years we started to appreciate more genres. A bit of hiphop in the car or dance during an afterparty are definitively options. What genre you play doesn't matter, as long as you do it with conviction. Put your heart in it, because otherwise it will remain hollow. The cool thing is we get to see bands who don't fit our genre, but who we appreciate because they perform well. Being blown away by a band, no matter what the genre is, is the most beautiful thing there is.
Hetze is a way of showing our discontent with various societal issues. Screaming at the top of your lungs and producing noise are the best ventilation valve in a world that looks increasingly indifferent. There's no age limit on punk. We know people bordering on 60 who still manifest the punk spirit with conviction on stage. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>The punk scene has been around for a few decades now. To which extent do you consider yourselves the heirs of a tradition? Which older bands have influenced you the most? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It's brilliant that a lot of young bands make very good music. We do our best to keep up with new music and not just listen to the classics. The radioshow Wangedrag is a good tip for those who want to be up-to-date.
Just like other bands, we try to do our own thing, but in the contemporary music scene it's all about certain nuances or influences that differ from the rest. In our case, it's a mix of traditional hardcore, powerviolence and, because of Viktor's background, an death metal edge in the drums.
If we have to drop some names, bands like Health Hazard, Disrupt, Despise You, Spazz, Seein' Red and Dropdead have been a big inspiration. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaqdYBVFuBzOWosJCA9HK24hYaL4RrmL8gTTJo-k9utEC5ByksXavfb0FE3vMfqoeG3QzIA6DqqrX3pIN3ptHSn2wDGvOFrtggaclGT4FIONfNmtSy3JUtdjIgqbMSNyeZsuwLYgbNT_2G-JN5WGXz7xabZFAhSdXacUWVAGLfTcfLfCqcpxFqBgww/s640/n-hetze-843-444.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="640" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaqdYBVFuBzOWosJCA9HK24hYaL4RrmL8gTTJo-k9utEC5ByksXavfb0FE3vMfqoeG3QzIA6DqqrX3pIN3ptHSn2wDGvOFrtggaclGT4FIONfNmtSy3JUtdjIgqbMSNyeZsuwLYgbNT_2G-JN5WGXz7xabZFAhSdXacUWVAGLfTcfLfCqcpxFqBgww/s320/n-hetze-843-444.jpeg" width="320" /></a>I wouldn't dare to claim you're motivated by financial gains, but a bit of recognition is always nice. Does the racket you produce get some positive response from young and/or older music lovers? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Money and recognition are definitely not the same. Getting recognition is a nice thing. In this regard, Hetze is a bit spoilt. In a short period of time, we've become a stalwart of the punk scene in and around Belgium. Our shows and our records are doing better than we had dared to hope in advance, leaving us feeling absolutely blessed. The fact we're invited to perform during the Obscene Extreme festival, for instance, is just crazy. The best response we can get is a wild moshpit and everybody in the crowd going bonkers. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>The previous question obviously referred to the era before the pandemic overturned all our lives. How did you survive this period without live concerts? Do you have any tips for musicians to hang on to their motivation, so they won't lose the joy playing music brings them in times like these? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />In the beginning, this forced time-out was a bit of fun, but by now it has become almost impossible to maintain. We really miss the contact with people and the energy of live shows. We released a split EP with Trappist. We didn't wait for the pandemic to end to release new music. Because there weren't any live shows, people wanted to support the bands and bought their music. This motivated us to keep going. We're currently writing songs for a new full album.
During the first lockdown, when we weren't allowed to rehearse together, we had some fun making Hetze mouthmasks and selling them for a worthy cause. We are blessed with an extremely creative singer, who also knows how to sow and to tinker. Each member of the band also recorded some footage, which we turned into a promo video. That way we weren't just being idle and it also gave us an opportunity to promote our new split EP, which was released right before the lockdown.
This might be a tip. Where does your band want to stand for? It doesn't necessarily always have to be music. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/95Ek17wXiJg" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>In spite of all the positive experiences, something's bound to go wrong sometimes. What's the worst or the most depressing you've experienced on the road so far? Which lessons can we learn from it? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">For now, we've been mostly blessed. Something that could have been depressing, was the fact that a member of the opening band had died shortly before our concert in Trier. The audience then listened to their album and the whole night was dedicated to this person. All that support and the community feeling, that's the beauty of punk. By the way: RIP Tommy. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_EoEeM5CRSh0j9-B2DOogPaI2YKIii3MUduavFV1zBgB5XLiZRleZWqXC-Zg9FfbQwU3BgPHD6rx9HYCTj69qYSIBiZhj00CGNK8QcyKPbZzgjBHL2xPyBJgorOH3dORQz5BEe65U2D9eIP4sqLRMzULznaymMnxbOqHkgyexVyJ_1j0n_cL7hk6X/s640/n-hetze-843-445.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_EoEeM5CRSh0j9-B2DOogPaI2YKIii3MUduavFV1zBgB5XLiZRleZWqXC-Zg9FfbQwU3BgPHD6rx9HYCTj69qYSIBiZhj00CGNK8QcyKPbZzgjBHL2xPyBJgorOH3dORQz5BEe65U2D9eIP4sqLRMzULznaymMnxbOqHkgyexVyJ_1j0n_cL7hk6X/s320/n-hetze-843-445.jpeg" width="320" /></a><b>In May 2022, you'll be playing live at Het Depot in Leuven, Belgium, with Pussy Riot, an ensemble whose criminal records are longer than their discography. The reason is, of course, that they live under a dictator who oppresses all forms of dissent. To which extent are you actively involved in protest? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It's horrible what Pussy Riot has been put through. You can find us at protest rallies regularly, but we don't go to every possible demonstration. If something really affects us, we'll be there. We all work with homeless people on a daily basis and we try to be actively involved in their struggle. As social workers, we try to defend their interests on the local level. That way, we try to generate some changes for the most vulnerable members of society. We've noticed the struggles at the bottom are getting harder and harder. An increasingly rightwing policy produces more and more exclusion and poverty.
With Hetze, we try to participate regularly in fundraising activities. That way, we try to draw attention to various projects and try to draw attention to specific issues. In our opinion, protest also means standing up and opening your mouth if you're a witness of discrimination or injustice, ensuring the victim feels supported instead of isolated.
These days, most demonstrations are organized by shady rightwing extremists, trying to use a general feeling of discontent to recruit new members. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>What do you consider the biggest threat to society, if we can still use that word? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Intolerance and social media. All too many people just believe everything they read on social media platforms. The rightwing knows how to use this very well. They operate very cunningly, and a lot of their views have become mainstream throughout the years. They create fear and polarize, which is quite frightening. Apathy kills! Our shortest song summarizes it all in just 7 seconds.
On the other hand, we still want to believe most people are decent. We see a lot of groups who try to connect people, civil movements defending solidarity, small-scale actions by ordinary people who organize themselves, etc. We also see lots of young people who organize themselves and organize actions related to climate, LGBTQ-rights, women's rights, etc. Maybe we should have a little faith in the coming generation. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>It's never easy for a Belgian band to build up an international reputation. Our country is mostly known because of its beer. Ironically, your split EP with a Californian band with the unlikely name Trappist demonstrates this perfectly. Is there any interest for your music in other countries or do most of your concerts still boil down to a trip through the ten provinces of Belgium? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1mZEdWGlwBFfL-rE3-oBqnJvpqwTGCOswOnhBEQjfqtNz5ykP07aRHKPgrNJe7RiMquO5f3vfLrzHTtX1VoI2-kEyorVAtXLnG9vzSLAwzdEwCBU3nf-cFl11DMfs1sSxxyUTNERtPx65Fp87AD9nQSzuGQzUEFwiaudBysdd72oAhvNqscCqB_yk/s640/n-hetze-843-446.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="640" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1mZEdWGlwBFfL-rE3-oBqnJvpqwTGCOswOnhBEQjfqtNz5ykP07aRHKPgrNJe7RiMquO5f3vfLrzHTtX1VoI2-kEyorVAtXLnG9vzSLAwzdEwCBU3nf-cFl11DMfs1sSxxyUTNERtPx65Fp87AD9nQSzuGQzUEFwiaudBysdd72oAhvNqscCqB_yk/s320/n-hetze-843-446.jpeg" width="320" /></a> We played with Trappist in Het Bos in Antwerp. It's amazing that Trappist, featuring members of Spazz and Despise You wanted to release a split EP with us. The previous Split LP, with the German band Dismal Fucker, was the result of a legendary night at JH Sojo in Leuven, where we first met them. This led to a strong friendship and the decision regarding a split release came shortly afterwards.
Next year, we'll be playing several concerts in Germany, The Netherlands, the UK and the Czech Republic. A tour of Germany and the UK are being planned now. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">That's the beauty of the DIY-scene. It's a small, but international scene and people across all borders try to help each other by organizing gigs, offering places to sleep and share contact details. Each one of us, has at one time offered a band to sleep at his or her house, organized a concert or cooked dinner for other bands.
Do you have any tips or suggestions for starting bands who are keen to produce punk or other extreme sounds without any commercial potential? Which errors should they definitely avoid?
Go to a lot of concerts, have fun and support other bands. That way, you'll get to know a lot of new people, which will get a lot of things started.
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Interview by Malcolm Nix</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Hetze: <a href="https://hetze.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">bandcamp</a> / <a href="https://www.facebook.com/HETZEHETZE" target="_blank">facebook</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.hetdepot.be/concert/breaking-barriers-presents-pussy-riot" target="_blank">Hetze at Breaking Barriers, with Pussy Riot and Hägar The Womb. 20 May 2022</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/s0hPhJCtoLQ" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>xheviourmachinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11836083167873978543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8537572467710265499.post-14619255276545453972022-03-22T08:43:00.003-07:002022-03-22T09:01:58.866-07:00Lacrimosa: There were times when I could hardly believe that I would ever be able to finish the album.<p style="text-align: justify;">Lacrimosa has delivered another beautiful album with ‘Leidenschaft’, in their well-known mix of gothic with symphonic orchestrated metal. We had the chance to discuss the record with mastermind Tilo Wolff, and the man appears to be quite philosophical as well as very religious. He denies that the record revolves entirely around the corona pandemic - as we initially thought - although he does address the subject. But let's just listen to what he has to say.</p><b><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh8DbSA4oQ68Nivz1A6eEuQWpUxBp0bHW3zBu9nGZ0M6DwJtmfMiR6vLgOFOUKC9CpI2DwdA1sRq6RE5ew7wMhx8Ip5JtD-tiRjQJ1BbIEBXU-gI8z9zyiilM6K8CQnCduubvrMolv130RrTg9RttX46UlXqJ_HtQ5K3hsz9HGslKdftTds_M2rWad/s700/n-lacrimosa1-kerelsplein-roeselare-belgium-belgium-27-02-2016-door-marquis-pi-x-1534-462.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="490" data-original-width="700" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh8DbSA4oQ68Nivz1A6eEuQWpUxBp0bHW3zBu9nGZ0M6DwJtmfMiR6vLgOFOUKC9CpI2DwdA1sRq6RE5ew7wMhx8Ip5JtD-tiRjQJ1BbIEBXU-gI8z9zyiilM6K8CQnCduubvrMolv130RrTg9RttX46UlXqJ_HtQ5K3hsz9HGslKdftTds_M2rWad/s320/n-lacrimosa1-kerelsplein-roeselare-belgium-belgium-27-02-2016-door-marquis-pi-x-1534-462.jpeg" width="320" /></a><b>Dear Tilo. Congratulations with a new masterpiece. ‘Leidenschaft’ is, again, a great Lacrimosa album. When reading the lyrics, I couldn't help but notice that the title is linked with the corona pandemic. Is the subtitle ‘Eine Geschichte der entflammbaren Seele’ (a story of an incendiary soul) also connected to the pandemic? And does this make 'Leidenschaft' a concept album? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div></b><div style="text-align: justify;">TILO WOLFF: First of all, thank you for your nice words about the new album! I am happy when people like it, because I love this album very much! And yes, somehow this is as much a concept album as all other Lacrimosa albums, because every album has its inner core around which all songs are circling. The name of each album sets the theme, and each song takes on this theme in its own way, explores and reflects on it. This is also the case here again, even though we didn’t divided the album in several acts. But this album is all about ‘Leidenschaft’, which can’t be translated one to one with the English word ‘passion’, because in the german word the meaning of suffering is part of the interpretation of the word. And this brings us to the subtitle, because to feel Leidenschaft is like burning from the inside! So this subtitle is not so much connected to the pandemic but more to the deeper meaning of the album title ‘Leidenschaft’.
It is impossible to escape the topic of corona these days. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>In ‘Kulturasche’ (Cultural Ashes), you lament on the way culture has been treated. Just at the time where we needed it the most, times of loneliness and fear, the culture sector was closed down. Did you suffer personally from the cultural lockdown? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">TILO WOLFF: Yes, you describe it right. It is a crying shame! And in that sense, I am suffering in this situation. I didn’t suffer mentally in the lockdown, but I see how people lose their jobs and theaters, clubs and restaurants had to close, and I noticed how much the people would need culture and art in these bitter times! So yes, this song is all about the way how governments are blind for the entire picture in the fight against the virus – it is good and important to fight against it, but this fight should not turn against the people, but it did. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>The song ‘Augenschein’ (Eyeglance) also deals with the pandemic, in particular with the heated debates about the restrictions, the vaccines, et cetera. You also sing ‘Not everything new is good for us / Not everything is progress’. What do you mean by this? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1DXN9eWjezahqrRdMWIKJP7swFezcrrCTFFq37cxllL82t29Y1R8XtrunlTJNry0iCXmF-JWOLWcGctncyk5_lTy7hE2Dh2XDFaetTODsqG_ObhxIQ7dsKgLmXJf2SgX7M3CEbzKuGknuPH3T7mxJAeqpINb_8K85l0gYdOKwyhcEeQ6mOa_AtgsO/s700/n-lacrimosa33-live-amphi-festival-26-en-27-juni-2014-tanzbrunnen-keulen-door-marquis-pi-x-1261-453.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="488" data-original-width="700" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1DXN9eWjezahqrRdMWIKJP7swFezcrrCTFFq37cxllL82t29Y1R8XtrunlTJNry0iCXmF-JWOLWcGctncyk5_lTy7hE2Dh2XDFaetTODsqG_ObhxIQ7dsKgLmXJf2SgX7M3CEbzKuGknuPH3T7mxJAeqpINb_8K85l0gYdOKwyhcEeQ6mOa_AtgsO/s320/n-lacrimosa33-live-amphi-festival-26-en-27-juni-2014-tanzbrunnen-keulen-door-marquis-pi-x-1261-453.jpeg" width="320" /></a>TILO WOLFF: This song is only partly about the pandemic. The phrase you picked out is about the believe of every upcoming generation, that they would know everything better. If we look back into history, we clearly can see that this is not the case. Many people only see their own state of mind and their own personal needs and are blind for the big whole. For example, take the climate crises. People living on the countryside, taking care about sustainable cultivation and the environment, are attacked as environmental polluters when they drive to the city with their SUVs, which they need out on the countryside because of the lack of public transportation and of proper roads out there. Just the same, which topic we pick out, too many people think they know best without having in mind, that they don’t see the entire picture. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>The song ‘Die Liebenden’ (The Lovers) seems to bring salvation, and goes back to a classic theme in the lyrics of Lacrimosa: love. The pandemic has restricted our freedoms, but freedom can always be found in true love. Is this the message of the song? Can you elaborate on that? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">TILO WOLFF: This album is much less about the pandemic as you might think. I wrote this song before Covid started, but yes, I think that freedom is to be found in love. This brings us back to the previous topic, because I have the feeling that the people unlearn to be caring for each other. Everyone is busy with themselves in striving to optimally expand one's own freedom, forgetting that personal freedom only extends as far as the state of mind of the other person. Jesus said it perfectly: “Treat others always as you would like them to treat you” (Matthew 7:12). This says it all, but well, every generation thinks they know it better… </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>In the video for ‘Raubtier’ (Predator), you introduced two new characters: Jean-Gustave de Geulasse and Lacristobal, both played by yourself. Can you tell us more about these characters and why they entered the world of Lacrimosa? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">TILO WOLFF: Haha, yes, my new friends and enemies. Well, Jean-Gustave of course is my arch enemy, the one who should have no reason to be respected in our society, he stands for all those selfish, self-centered people who make the life of others miserable. Well, and Lacristobal is my alter ego, full of passion and desire, living like a ghost inside of me. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5wNWPynoRzQ" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>You also choose to play almost all the instruments yourself on ‘Leidenschaft’. Only Anne Nurmi and drummer Michael Mohr are present on most songs, with some appearances of JP Genkel and of course the Lacrimosa Session Orchestra. Why do you choose to play almost everything yourself rather that asking more guest musicians to play on your album? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">TILO WOLFF: That was on one hand due to the pandemic. Most of the time, it was nearly impossible to plan recording sessions because traveling was not so easy. On the other hand, it was the most natural and direct way to capture all the emotions and all the little details I had in mind. It’s the pure Lacrimosa way! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEsktRCgUoPz_iTh83VJpFDjk78k7y6FVl69PbL5VJ8-vSLz8fKOVxjUxeipWY9meZdfUW0LjWyXXvPMLFSH15V94c0VeGmJ3KOWT9dDwlrEJAS35-NYsPX3sGsd_OD-EVGXVixzk6Q0LV1MQs_wKfyLr6dShCwednXRBVf4l6tiHDw3meaK5oduGH/s700/n-lacrimosa4-kerelsplein-roeselare-belgium-belgium-27-02-2016-door-marquis-pi-x-1534-460.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="490" data-original-width="700" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEsktRCgUoPz_iTh83VJpFDjk78k7y6FVl69PbL5VJ8-vSLz8fKOVxjUxeipWY9meZdfUW0LjWyXXvPMLFSH15V94c0VeGmJ3KOWT9dDwlrEJAS35-NYsPX3sGsd_OD-EVGXVixzk6Q0LV1MQs_wKfyLr6dShCwednXRBVf4l6tiHDw3meaK5oduGH/s320/n-lacrimosa4-kerelsplein-roeselare-belgium-belgium-27-02-2016-door-marquis-pi-x-1534-460.jpeg" width="320" /></a><b>You chose to release ‘Leidenschaft’ on the day of Christmas. We know that you are a devote Christian. Is this the reason that you chose Christmas, or did other things also played a role in your decision?</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b> </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">TILO WOLFF: Actually, the reason for this decision was, that this album is something very special for me. To record this album was an unbelievable journey, it was nerve-racking, exhausting, intoxicating, uplifting and sometimes devastating and there were times when I could hardly believe that I would ever be able to finish the album. After it was completed I was so thankful and happy that it felt like becoming the most wonderful present. Well, and this was the idea to bring it out on Christmas, a present for all Lacrimosa lovers! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Speaking of Christianity. You have said before that you are also active in your own Christian community. I always wondered how the other people in the community reacted towards this extravagant gothic artist that you are... </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">TILO WOLFF: Well, they know me and they take me as I am. This is the Christian way, as one can read in the scriptures: “For not as man judges – for man judges according to the eyes, but the LORD judges according to the heart.” (1Sam 9:2) True believers are living in the knowledge, that every person is a creation of God, and that God loves everyone. So, who are we to judge others? </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>If I remember well, when you released the compilation ‘Zeitreise’ in 2019, you promised a new Lacrimosa album in 2020, obviously in the light of the 30th anniversary of Lacrimosa. You even included a song on ‘Zeitreise’ that was supposed to be on the new album. Can you tell us why the album was delayed and why ‘Im Schatten der Sonne’ is not featured on ‘Leidenschaft’? Did you write more songs that are not featured on ‘Leidenschaft’? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">TILO WOLFF: The delay was due to the pandemic situation. I so much wanted to have the new studio album out to celebrate the 30th anniversary, but Covid came into the way. And yes, I wrote some more songs and about “Im Schatten der Sonne” it turned out that it was the perfect link between “Testimonium” and ‘Leidenschaft’ – just last night I heard the song again and got convinced again that this was the right decision, even though I love this song, it was a pleasure listening to it again – though it does not fit into the concept of ‘Leidenschaft’ as much as all the other songs that found their way on to this album. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirhHiYUHWrJVw5O7HOoEdbOuzbCY9u8x1hnP5maKWLi4kZLmWBIqitwtQlS-gDg7w14QKrLNgPLsY0wctq0JxnFL9UCDdv71DBsoTMDofNvryoXVOur1Eizq_HboBp-emPol9J7Zajk2L7uDUxPOU4MYEEQjqbGQROz1OF9BeywOEMT6243J8Y7sdm/s650/n-lacrimosa5-kerelsplein-roeselare-belgium-belgium-27-02-2016-door-marquis-pi-x-1534-488.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="455" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirhHiYUHWrJVw5O7HOoEdbOuzbCY9u8x1hnP5maKWLi4kZLmWBIqitwtQlS-gDg7w14QKrLNgPLsY0wctq0JxnFL9UCDdv71DBsoTMDofNvryoXVOur1Eizq_HboBp-emPol9J7Zajk2L7uDUxPOU4MYEEQjqbGQROz1OF9BeywOEMT6243J8Y7sdm/s320/n-lacrimosa5-kerelsplein-roeselare-belgium-belgium-27-02-2016-door-marquis-pi-x-1534-488.jpeg" width="224" /></a></div><b>In 2020, you released the ‘30th anniversary box’, a box with three CDs and lots of other things like a kalender, a flag, a memory game... This box was sold exclusively through the Hall Of Sermon webshop. I love the CDs contained in the box, especially the ‘Live 2015’ CD. What was the idea behind the box and why make it an exclusivity for only your hand-core fans?</b> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">TILO WOLFF: After I realized that ‘Leidenschaft’ won’t be ready for the anniversary, I wanted to fulfill my promise, in coming up with something new, at least in this sense, and to give the audience something special, to make the people happy in this special year! This was the idea behind this box and therefore it only come through our shop because it was meant to be for our closest audience, those who are living with Lacrimosa. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>I want to finish with a question about an earlier album. ‘Echos’ is a disc beloved by many of your fans, internationally. The record was perhaps a very difficult one again. This is the only post-1993 album that was not followed up by a tour, and only a limited number of songs can be played live, due to the importance of the symphonic orchestra on ‘Echos’. What were you aiming at with this album and what other important things should we know about this classic? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">TILO WOLFF: One thing is to be known, is that the people didn’t like the album at all when it was released. One big metal magazine even told me that they would no longer write about Lacrimosa, because Lacrimosa has turned its back to metal with this album. Yes, this album was not treated nice either by the Lacrimosa audience and also not by those who never liked Lacrimosa. I was a little confused back then, because I myself was very happy with this album, I thought it was a masterpiece, but with this in mind I was quite alone back then. Well, I was surprised to realize, that many years later some people popped up telling me that this would be their favorite album. I thought ‘where are you now coming from and where have you been all these years’. Yes, sometimes things are pretty weird.
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Lacrimosa: <a href="http://lacrimosa.com/" target="_blank">website</a> / <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LacrimosaOfficial" target="_blank">facebook</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Pictures: Xavier Marquis</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zLs-2VgM2QY" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>xheviourmachinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11836083167873978543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8537572467710265499.post-76513299566605627082022-03-04T23:59:00.004-08:002022-03-04T23:59:48.617-08:00Irdorath: I still don’t understand how participation in peaceful rallies can be repressed with prison sentences.<div style="text-align: justify;">With the current war raging in Ukraine, we would almost forget what is happening in Belarus, the northern neighbor of Ukraine. Five musicians connected to the Belarussian fantasy folk band Irdorath are currently in jail. Their crime? They protested peacefully against the election results of August 2020, which were broadly claimed to be rigged. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The protests were answered by the regime of autocrat Alexandr Lukashenko – who is in power since 1994 – with merciless repression. We had the chance to talk to Aliaksei Palauchenia, the drummer of Irdorath who also spent 15 days in jail after the violent arrest of the band members and their supporters at the birthday party of singer Nadezjda Kalach. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhYX_Hf856BnlWfO67nAEu-Yc6vUhWLdlPmEFtFqLRU2Yeiom6p4ehjruqeczKnGdD4SUxOza-GvIDxpp8vVQh17H_FbvnIZzjkAzKR5LIAPT5bppNnxC9g9MiaEcrl7N-hjCG9pj4JumbXc04LZXDS_HGyizgg2hgxC4EBJNLTDf8pMvwPycquPDvY=s240" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="240" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhYX_Hf856BnlWfO67nAEu-Yc6vUhWLdlPmEFtFqLRU2Yeiom6p4ehjruqeczKnGdD4SUxOza-GvIDxpp8vVQh17H_FbvnIZzjkAzKR5LIAPT5bppNnxC9g9MiaEcrl7N-hjCG9pj4JumbXc04LZXDS_HGyizgg2hgxC4EBJNLTDf8pMvwPycquPDvY" width="240" /></a><i>Aliaksei Palauchenia</i>: In connection with the events in Ukraine, I am obliged to say on my own behalf and on behalf of Irdorath that right now there is a monstrous war going on in the country where our friends and relatives live. We beg to stop this crime against the people of Ukraine! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Thank you Aliaksei. Let’s focus on what’s happening in Belarus now. How was Irdorath formed and how did you join the band? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Thank you for your interest in Belarus and Irdorath. Irdorath was born in 2011, when Vladimir and Nadezhda Kalach – the founding members of Irdorath – moved from Grodno to Minsk, where there were more opportunities to implement the project and find musicians for cooperation. Until that time, they had been playing together for several years: Vladimir on bagpipes, and Nadezhda on davul. They played on medieval festivals, street fairs, holidays - it was a good experience. But it was time to move on, there was an understanding that they were ready for more. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The first to join the duo was Anton Shnip, a talented musician and sound producer, and it was these three people who created the project and set its direction in music. In 2012 Irdorath presented the debut album ‘Ad Astra’ and then the line-up of musicians became wider and changed periodically. Concert activity in Europe began. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I had heard about Irdorath many times, but I did not see them at concerts until 2018. In December 2018 we participated together in the Christmas festival in Minsk. I came with my band Osimira and saw how they performed. It was a well-staged costume show with an explosive program! It was immediately obvious that Irdorath had a lot of experience on the European scene. Later I saw an ad on social media that they were looking for a drummer from Minsk. I live in another city 200 km away, but still decided to come to the casting. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Not everything worked out right away, but in January 2019 I started coming every week for rehearsals, and after a few months we played a big concert together in Munich! During that year we travelled to many countries for concerts. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Irdorath describes itself as a fantasy-folk band. The songs are often based on traditional folk themes, but the songs also tackle fantasy themes and serious societal criticism. Can you tell us more about the subjects of Irdorath’s music? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgRIUAsLGi0T7iaPMZ5QzjRkOKDbqLbqOvfKx6D5ERhuI-HKUxnLmwODKZRTrPPjuEZYl2KtSM1RZEEu07ta1vaWw7_dFmdaI6-S72nfwrTu0dCEqwl1Azjq2fLaA51Nv_yGYUW_UXu-AdJ6N3ASgPEVz8t9P6CJ2gi7Ye9dTnYpPeE2t-h7eQe0Rj3=s840" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="840" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgRIUAsLGi0T7iaPMZ5QzjRkOKDbqLbqOvfKx6D5ERhuI-HKUxnLmwODKZRTrPPjuEZYl2KtSM1RZEEu07ta1vaWw7_dFmdaI6-S72nfwrTu0dCEqwl1Azjq2fLaA51Nv_yGYUW_UXu-AdJ6N3ASgPEVz8t9P6CJ2gi7Ye9dTnYpPeE2t-h7eQe0Rj3=s320" width="320" /></a>The image of the musical heroes of Irdorath, as it were, take us back to fairy tales and legends. We use the images of mystical creatures to describe different human qualities, not from the side of magic, but more often from the side of real emotions and feelings, from joy and admiration to hatred and deceit. Everything you hear in music is a reflection of the modern world and what is happening in it. Some of the material we have is from Western European folklore, but most songs are Belarusian and author's songs. Irdorath has songs in different languages and everyone will find something of their own. And, of course, there is enough instrumental music. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>During the mass protests against the election results of August 2020 and the police repression that followed, musicians of Irdorath decided to participate and play music during the marches. Why did they decided to do so? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Good question. At that time, it was not a question for us. It seems to me that just everyone who felt that it was time for a change came out. There were so many people, and it was natural. These were emphatically peaceful processions. I think you have seen these shots - they can be easily found on the Internet. The musicians went out and did what they do best - play for people, cheer them up. For me, they are not guilty, as are several thousand people who are now deprived of their liberty. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Were they aware that participating in the protests was dangerous? Did they know that they faced the danger of long prison sentences? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I still don’t understand, and the whole world with us doesn’t understand how participation in peaceful rallies could be dangerous. No one thought about prison terms. This could not be in the rule of law. Unfortunately, we still see new facts of detentions and arrests in the news every day. We are waiting for the release of our friends and colleagues. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>At the end of 2020, several members of Irdorath lost their jobs at the Viktoryia Children and Youth Centre due to participating in yard concerts in Minsk. Can you tell us more about this? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I can't answer you. But I really hope that people keep a record of all employees dismissed for conscience reasons since that moment. It's thousands and thousands of people. These layoffs are ongoing. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj-kbLEvQoNW92r94XFVTW8ro2Y0KFTuJGgEz3AZb_cHUQd8YBBQfHFy9awPR0tkTKrW1mkM0xRrn19btFNkK8CxD2Xlj0tqfZIVoL-aYBUJJ7BpGoL5pyn9L593H5zWsxkS4LnXzqnCIKkoDhT78WW5CPeSJ8eW-QkwyRopSd4m6-KkSsDS_yrM_UB=s1888" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="969" data-original-width="1888" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj-kbLEvQoNW92r94XFVTW8ro2Y0KFTuJGgEz3AZb_cHUQd8YBBQfHFy9awPR0tkTKrW1mkM0xRrn19btFNkK8CxD2Xlj0tqfZIVoL-aYBUJJ7BpGoL5pyn9L593H5zWsxkS4LnXzqnCIKkoDhT78WW5CPeSJ8eW-QkwyRopSd4m6-KkSsDS_yrM_UB=s320" width="320" /></a><b>You were present during that fateful night of 2 August 2021 when several members of Irdorath were arrested. Can you tell us what happened? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It is very strange to detain musicians representing Belarus in Europe like this. I will refrain from commenting. I can only say that we planned to celebrate Nadia's birthday and half of the guests met there for the first time. Draw your own conclusions. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>As a result, you and others were convicted to 15 days in prison for disobeying the special forces that did the arrests. Meanwhile, 5 people received long prison sentences: 2 years in custody for singers Vladimir and Nadezjda Kalach, and 1 year and 6 months for their fellow musicians Piatro Marchanka, Yuliya Marchanka and Anton Shnip. Do we have any news of how they experience the prison? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I can't speak for the guys, but from my experience I can say that the first thing is shock. Shock is everything. Emotional breakdown and depression. Imagine that they were imprisoned without a court verdict for four months. Four months of waiting ... And what is it like for Vladimir and Peter to know that their wives Nadezhda and Yulia were in the same building and there was no opportunity to see each other. And how does Anton feels? His bride is waiting for him. There was hope for a different outcome, but this did not happen. Recently, Nadezhda and Yulia were transferred to a colony in Gomel. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjM2SQJ3Zy85-7MlFKf-J_nMCAy9SZZTU_3IRmI91oscZX9T6qM256zuSXgTcooAPitGAdigJzCaeeeBMcae_EpUiQ4r8tl160oJdPOT6KIKB2J5yk9J3SktoPTCb88wd4yC_8VKciMMvEehDNs-KiEtZoaMi6w7zm-6LJTpVBgi8OO2Bt2nkMezxyZ=s615" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="504" data-original-width="615" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjM2SQJ3Zy85-7MlFKf-J_nMCAy9SZZTU_3IRmI91oscZX9T6qM256zuSXgTcooAPitGAdigJzCaeeeBMcae_EpUiQ4r8tl160oJdPOT6KIKB2J5yk9J3SktoPTCb88wd4yC_8VKciMMvEehDNs-KiEtZoaMi6w7zm-6LJTpVBgi8OO2Bt2nkMezxyZ=s320" width="320" /></a><b>Where do you live right now? Can you still walk freely in Belarus or is it dangerous for you too? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I left Belarus with one suitcase of things. Now I am starting my life from scratch in another country. All over again. It's not easy, but it's quite possible. I believe that we will definitely get together again and play at the best festivals in the world! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I thank you for the interview. Now and during the entire period in prison, my guys and their families really need support and help. you can write a letter without a political context or transfer money. All information can be found by hashtag #freeirdorath </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>The five members of Irdorath are recognized as political prisoners. You can write the at the following addresses: </i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Vladimir Kalach, Piatro Marchanka and Anton Shnip </div><div style="text-align: justify;">SIZO-2</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Gagarina st. 2 </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Vitsebsk </div><div style="text-align: justify;">210026 </div><div style="text-align: justify;">BELARUS </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Nadezjda Kalach and Yuliya Marchanka </div><div style="text-align: justify;">SIZO-3 </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Knizhnaya st. 1A </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Gomel </div><div style="text-align: justify;">246003 </div><div style="text-align: justify;">BELARUS </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-ipX3mZKaOjkHwnslZK-ov_cMOfGP4djLfi2ZXtW-GcZi1ajh_LV_aokRZvIgLJaMoZgL-JPCuCvhz4Wy5Z2wSaNdtTE7QTkwoec5aaDAizJwnrCUEfe8_ltoQW7f2gwN7wKOqCCnV8Ey-EWV-3qJuieo8CQV9eEBG6YvKSNyLzEI1s5EkvYkouh_=s4356" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2884" data-original-width="4356" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-ipX3mZKaOjkHwnslZK-ov_cMOfGP4djLfi2ZXtW-GcZi1ajh_LV_aokRZvIgLJaMoZgL-JPCuCvhz4Wy5Z2wSaNdtTE7QTkwoec5aaDAizJwnrCUEfe8_ltoQW7f2gwN7wKOqCCnV8Ey-EWV-3qJuieo8CQV9eEBG6YvKSNyLzEI1s5EkvYkouh_=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://byculture.org/en/irdorath " target="_blank">You can donate for the prisoners of Irdorath through the Belarussian Council for Culture.</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">You can find all the information on Irdorath and the actions of solidarity with the prisoners under hashtag #freeirdorath. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/388898669623398" target="_blank">There is also a facebook group where all the information is shared</a></div><p>
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xheviourmachinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11836083167873978543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8537572467710265499.post-33697298579162266952022-02-15T09:23:00.001-08:002022-02-15T09:23:19.299-08:00Goethes Erben: Politics and society have generally used the arts and the cultural sector as whipping boys in the pandemic.<div style="text-align: justify;">Oswald Henke is angry. Angry and disappointed. In the pandemic, the cultural sector was used as a scapegoat. Everything about culture had to be closed, while sporting events and travelling were allowed to continue. His income was severely reduced for two years as a result. Nevertheless, Goethes Erben released two beautiful records during the pandemic: 'Flüchtige Küsse' in 2020 and 'Elemente' in 2021. The live CD and DVD 'Das gestohlene Konzert' will soon be added. Enough reasons to listen to Uncle Oswald once more. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>In July 2021 you released 'Elemente'. It is not just a CD, but a collection of singles about the four elements of nature: air, earth, water and fire. There is also a CD with some bonus tracks. What inspired you to work with this concept? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiRu0dJuwjdEhyJ69xwIjwUp9GP7uq8yzy8cg3eEsDWN8DVh_TXNNmZoPOrtXuqpe6tI_ZKJ5q6dL6wlUtks-fGZM0ICyzN2xDTK6IpifsJLW1zNBGuOMmXZhgI6cmctdISas9VvErNahB-LWJYq1Ahcxle6Ora-xngiQAkRkPhep3IWOOajlTdIhS7=s600" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiRu0dJuwjdEhyJ69xwIjwUp9GP7uq8yzy8cg3eEsDWN8DVh_TXNNmZoPOrtXuqpe6tI_ZKJ5q6dL6wlUtks-fGZM0ICyzN2xDTK6IpifsJLW1zNBGuOMmXZhgI6cmctdISas9VvErNahB-LWJYq1Ahcxle6Ora-xngiQAkRkPhep3IWOOajlTdIhS7=s320" width="320" /></a></div>Oswald Henke : In times of pandemic, we had to adapt our way of working. We haven't been able to rehearse much in 2020. We discussed a lot through Skype meetings or on the phone, because you couldn't get together even as a band. So I thought to myself: let's put together in one box everything that Goethes Erben has produced as creative work and content. Past, present and also future. For this reason the 7" box 'Elemente' has also been released as vinyl + CD + soap + other extras. My creative work doesn't includes one single thing, but many small elements that then result in a complete work. '<a href="https://seifen-oper.ch/?product_cat=selenbalsam" target="_blank">Seelenbalsam</a>' <i>(the soap collection that Oswald Henke helped create, xk)</i> for example only exists because during the pandemic I lost almost every opportunity to make money and then I implemented the idea of vegan cosmetics based on pieces by Goethes Erben, Erblast or Artwork. We then created it and offered it as a product. <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The soap 'Rebel' – one of the designed soaps from the 'Seelenbalsam' collection – is the representative of this in the box. The music consists of the chamber ensemble and the regular band, and the box contains old and new pieces… You will find all kinds of memories on the pins. All these things recall what makes Goethes Erben so special. All elements together result in my work. Even though Goethes Erben is always an ensemble performance, I am the artistic director and I try to collaborate with other creatives and thus set up artistic projects. I am not afraid to try new things out and have also tried to overcome the limitations imposed by the pandemic as part of the box concept. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But it is also true that 'Elemente' is available as a simple CD, but that is only one aspect of the idea behind this release. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>On the release, Goethes Erben plays in two different ensembles: as a rock band on 'Spiel mit mir' and as a chamber ensemble on most of the other songs. The two ensembles also lead to several live concerts, completely independent of each other. How do you combine the two versions of your project? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I am the crossroads and at some concerts of the chamber ensemble, Markus Koestner of the regular band is also there as a percussionist. They are simply two different live ensembles rehearsing at different times and working independently on new pieces. So it is not really a combination. Rather: we can stage Goethes Erben in different ways. Whether as a band, as a chamber music ensemble or as a music theater production. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Nq5W_8trEF0" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>'Elemente' also includes 'Ölberg' versions of several older pieces performed by the chamber music ensemble. I love them. They appear to be leftovers from the recordings of your previous record, 'Flüchtige Küsse'. Why did you include them on 'Elemente'? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">That's right, they were recorded in Ölberg church as part of the recordings for 'Flüchtige Küsse'. For 'Elemente' these pieces represent the past, which at best is an important part of the present and should also be an option for the future. We keep changing the live versions to keep them in the present. Arrangements can be made smaller or larger, or they can be left as they are. That's the exciting thing. The only important thing is that you don't destroy the "magic" of a piece. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>In the song 'Zeit zu gehen', but also in the CD booklet, you criticize the measures surrounding the corona pandemic. You even say that 'society has failed'. What made you so angry about the measures? Why has society failed? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhVT6J6EtVu4-hKLZIX-k0MqObR9aRDsGXeJjXQUhlHwXR8zrHVoxSAYl9Svr6j3Zpxu3ScYoK81_wRBZkVx_HaDAlClr01BYvck97kzyAcAOmUgPJAiT6hYe10LqbEknYqO8iQNQYaFPo0Iea3l08yixawio7C_YOzUSjog23sn3Kv3Mf3_WGuqPsh=s600" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhVT6J6EtVu4-hKLZIX-k0MqObR9aRDsGXeJjXQUhlHwXR8zrHVoxSAYl9Svr6j3Zpxu3ScYoK81_wRBZkVx_HaDAlClr01BYvck97kzyAcAOmUgPJAiT6hYe10LqbEknYqO8iQNQYaFPo0Iea3l08yixawio7C_YOzUSjog23sn3Kv3Mf3_WGuqPsh=s320" width="320" /></a></div>Politics and society have generally used the arts and the cultural sector as whipping boys in the pandemic. In principle, we as a band and I as a musician have not been able to give concerts at any time since the outbreak of the pandemic in Europe. We always had restrictions and conditions, while people attended football matches in stadiums or travelled all over the world to enjoy their holidays and then wondered why the number of infections increased again after the holidays. Culture was the first thing that kept getting turned off and one of the last things allowed to be reactivated. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Football in particular angered me, because football matches without an audience have only proven one thing: it's all about money, not about sport. It is about the broadcasting rights that must be served. Imagine a tour of The Cure of Placebo without an audience... Wouldn't that be crazy? Culture has no lobby in Germany, but what would people have done in these days without movies and music? I think people don't realize that until you just don't give them access to music or movies for a month. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>The pandemic also had a major impact on the artistic world. You complain that both record sales and concert ticket sales have suffered greatly from the pandemic. What do you think are the causes and solutions? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I have no idea. After two years of not being able to plan anything, I decided to avoid a third year in this regard and only plan and offer concerts by Goethes Erben in and around Bayreuth. Only the festival in October (Autumn Moon in Hamelin) is at a distance. All other concerts take place in our neighbourhood.
I also think it will take months if not years after the pandemic to get people back to concerts. Some will probably not come at all because after two years of uncertainty and fear they are used to staying at home. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EeKig1P2W8M" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>'Elemente' comes after 'Flüchtige Küsse', which was released in 2020. We had seen concerts with the chamber music ensemble before, but this is a whole CD in this style. And it is brilliant! I heard it should have been a live CD, but because of Corona it was recorded without an audience. Why did you decide to record a CD with this ensemble and why should it have been a live recording? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiKMCp6KeD3PCVh-6FTWQKNHjtmwtqFoo8vhO9YUrgu6NCUYMUAwVu3HCvR4aHOu9TYQx8TKTp_DQaj2X5X11EBbjsl5mOILxHIqZu0PGD41jh1L7_cw1_HAshX3LGSezM_y1Cuk8Fz4H4YAez8hge4X4WzpsxU66w2C71bwEYJvo5SPEMfkTVOtaHV=s600" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiKMCp6KeD3PCVh-6FTWQKNHjtmwtqFoo8vhO9YUrgu6NCUYMUAwVu3HCvR4aHOu9TYQx8TKTp_DQaj2X5X11EBbjsl5mOILxHIqZu0PGD41jh1L7_cw1_HAshX3LGSezM_y1Cuk8Fz4H4YAez8hge4X4WzpsxU66w2C71bwEYJvo5SPEMfkTVOtaHV=s320" width="320" /></a></div>Goethes Erben has always been a strong live band and the chamber music arrangements in particular work most intensively when they are recorded live at the same time as an ensemble. That's why I wanted to record 'Flüchtige Küsse' like this. The titles 'Ich möchte fliegen', 'Zeit zu gehen', 'Darf ich bitten' and 'Fern ab vom Licht' were not recorded live. This has advantages in terms of mixing, but when you hear these pieces live on the upcoming DVD and CD 'Das gestohlene Konzert' you will understand why I prefer live, also in terms of recording the chamber ensemble. It's just livelier and more intense. <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Sebastian Boettcher's compositions for the chamber music ensemble are very melodic. Your singing style, often referred to as Sprechgesang, has evolved in that direction, hasn't it? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Let's put it this way: with the chamber ensemble I sometimes hit the right notes. (laughs) Since the rehearsals here are much more intensive and complex, I also dare to expand my linguistic possibilities in a tonal way. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>In your lyrics on 'Flüchtige Küsse' we can read things like: 'We all seek great happiness and forget to be just satisfied' and 'Sometimes it's just about getting through life'. How do you see things in this regard? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Exactly as it says in the text. Life is not always beautiful and sometimes fate is unfair and mean. But life is also the option on EVERYTHING, because if you don't live, you can't have beautiful things, fall in love, dance, have adventures or have happy moments. But a part of life is also experiencing grief and loss. It is important that we make something of our lives and somehow try to make the world a little better. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>It gets more political at the end of 'Flüchtige Küsse': 'Because we don't believe anything anymore; no longer believing the facts' and 'arguing against ignorance is meaningless as playing chess with pigeons and religion'. Does the current affairs around corona and corona skeptics also seep through in these texts? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiS1Om7nvAcMjsfkW0f6S1dnd0D1UVCcgR9yFTt5gPMESSJuaOFQPYBhdYRc-ej_NEYQT3Dipd7YLxESuj3J8sr6Fq1onMEiO7y4BNI7OIwDRJSpLYdRGnkmA3i1Wkislaw669oDVBKT-38lHL4bl-kFKIiww6tXIx7x8EI2Wx8m3o0Etj5Wk3C92tO=s600" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiS1Om7nvAcMjsfkW0f6S1dnd0D1UVCcgR9yFTt5gPMESSJuaOFQPYBhdYRc-ej_NEYQT3Dipd7YLxESuj3J8sr6Fq1onMEiO7y4BNI7OIwDRJSpLYdRGnkmA3i1Wkislaw669oDVBKT-38lHL4bl-kFKIiww6tXIx7x8EI2Wx8m3o0Etj5Wk3C92tO=s320" width="320" /></a></div>'Ich bin der Zorn', indeed. It is mainly thanks to idiots and toxic men like Trump, Erdogan, Bolsonaro, Putin and Orban that the world has become smaller and more intolerant in recent years. Conspiracy theories are on the rise and I'm actually waiting for the first pyres and book burnings. The democracies must now assert themselves and also clearly say goodbye to ruthless capitalism, in which only a small elite accumulate more and more money while the rest of humanity dries up. Whether financially, economically, socially or factually. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>You also say that a new record is coming soon – the tenth studio album. Can you tell us something about it? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We presented X live with 5 titles on the X Tour 2021. We will present the new album live on September 17 in Bayreuth. However, the X album itself will not be released until the spring of 2023, as we need this time to record the album in a way that we are happy with during this pandemic period. The pandemic has slowed things down and put a lot of things on hold as well. An unwanted delay has disadvantages. But you can also make this circumstance a possibility and that's what we're trying to do with the concept of X. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Goethes Erben: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/goetheserbenoffical" target="_blank">facebook</a> / <a href="http://goetheserben.de/" target="_blank">website</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/henkeoswald/featured" target="_blank">youtube</a> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Pictures: Luc 'who cares' Luyten</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5Gxio1cn_NI" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>xheviourmachinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11836083167873978543noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8537572467710265499.post-55333404995945964962022-02-15T08:53:00.003-08:002022-02-15T08:53:58.954-08:00Goethes Erben: Die Politik und die Gesellschaft hat Kunst allgemein als Pandemie-Prügelknabe benutzt<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Oswald Henke ist sauer, wütend und enttäuscht. In der Pandemie wurde der Kultursektor als Sündenbock hergenommen. Alles aus der Kultur musste geschlossen werden, während Sportveranstaltungen und Reisen fortgesetzt werden durften. Infolgedessen war sein Einkommen zwei Jahre lang stark eingeschränkt. Trotzdem haben Goethes Erben während der Pandemie zwei schöne Platten veröffentlicht: 'Flüchtige Küsse' im Jahr 2020 und 'Elemente' im Jahr 2021. Die Live-CD und -DVD 'Das gestohlene Konzert' kommt bald hinzu. Genug, um Onkel Oswald noch einmal anzuhören. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b>Juli 2021 habt ihr „Elemente“ veröffentlicht. Es ist nicht nur eine CD geworden, sondern eine Sammlung von Singles, die sich mit den vier Elementen der Natur auseinandersetzen: Luft, Erde, Wasser und Feuer. Zusätzlich gibt es auch noch eine CD mit einigen Bonustracks. Was hat euch dazu inspiriert, mit diesem Konzept zu arbeiten? </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><i style="text-align: left;">Oswald Henke</i><span style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiEatvCoRsJvUHca7YmM6L3pwizDWgHCMKmtv4VUI0R50PS2RAVIuynkVw1X1RBkqkMXJnbos8eamwMzu7CrAY2WzoiPe-U7UizD5Sx34Yc5DA6TrJTw4EeQBKOlFeFJPkjzBJBaMsrf-7tfseLwQtRNo0svcrgOh5UAwzlvXITQSaDZ-nlReL4BYdL=s600" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiEatvCoRsJvUHca7YmM6L3pwizDWgHCMKmtv4VUI0R50PS2RAVIuynkVw1X1RBkqkMXJnbos8eamwMzu7CrAY2WzoiPe-U7UizD5Sx34Yc5DA6TrJTw4EeQBKOlFeFJPkjzBJBaMsrf-7tfseLwQtRNo0svcrgOh5UAwzlvXITQSaDZ-nlReL4BYdL=s320" width="320" /></a>: In Pandemie Zeiten mussten wir unsere Arbeitsweise anpassen, wir konnten gerade 2020 sehr wenig gemeinsam proben, haben viele Dinge via Skype-Konferenzen oder am Telefon besprochen, da man sich nicht als Band in großer Runde treffen durfte und so dachte ich mir, fügen wir doch in einer Box alles zusammen was Goethes Erben bzw. unsere kreative Arbeit ausmacht und was dies beinhaltet. Vergangenheit, Gegenwart und auch Zukunft. Aus dem Grund ist die Elemente 7“ Box auch als Vinyl + CD + Seife + Sonstige Dreingaben veröffentlicht worden. Meine kreative Arbeit umfasst eben nicht eine Sache, sondern viele kleine Elemente, die dann ein komplettes Werk ergeben.
„</span><a href="https://seifen-oper.ch/?product_cat=selenbalsam" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">Seelenbalsam</a><span style="text-align: left;">“ gibt es z.B. nur, weil in der Pandemie ich so gut wie jede Möglichkeit Geld zu verdienen verloren hatte und ich eben dann die Idee umsetzte vegane Kosmetik, die auf Stücke von „Goethes Erben“ oder „Erblast“ oder „Artwork“ basieren zu kreieren und als Merchandise Produkt anzubieten. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Die Seife „Rebell“ ist hier der Repräsentant in der Box. Die Musik steuert das Kammerensemble und die Bandbesetzung, alte und neue Stücke - auf den Pins sind Erinnerungen und all das ergibt eben das was Goethes Erben ausmacht. Alle Elemente gemeinsam ergeben letztlich mein Werk. Auch wenn Goethes Erben immer eine Ensemble Leistung ist, ich bin der künstlerische Leiter und versuche mit anderen kreativen Menschen künstlerische Dinge umzusetzen. Dabei habe ich keine Berührungsängste neue Dinge auszuprobieren und habe auch versucht die Beschränkungen durch die Pandemie als Teil des Konzeptes der Box zu integrieren. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Fakt ist aber auch, es gibt Elemente auch als CD only Veröffentlichung, aber das ist eben nur ein Aspekt der Idee dieser Veröffentlichung. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b>Die Veröffentlichung wurde von Goethes Erben als zwei unterschiedliche Versionen geplant: als Rockband bei „Spiel mit mir“ und als Kammerensemble bei den meisten anderen Songs. Die beiden Versionen führen auch zu unterschiedlichen Live-Konzerten, völlig unabhängig voneinander. Wie arbeitet ihr, um die beiden Versionen Ihres Projekts zu kombinieren? </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Der Schnittpunkt bin ich und bei manchen Konzerten des Kammerensembles ist auch Markus Koestner von der Bandbesetzung als Percussionist dabei. Es sind eben zwei unterschiedliche Live-Ensembles die auch zu unterschiedlichen Zeiten proben und an neuen Stücken unabhängig voneinander arbeiten. Also ist es keine Kombination sondern, wir können Goethes Erben eben variabel auf die Bühne bringen. Entweder als Band, oder als Kammerensemble oder als Musiktheaterinszenierung. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Nq5W_8trEF0" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b>„Elemente“ enthält auch „Ölbergversionen“ aus verschiedenen älteren Stücken, gespielt vom Kammermusikensemble. Ich finde sie großartig. Sie scheinen Überbleibsel von eurer letzten Scheibe 'Flüchtige Küsse' zu sein. Warum habt ihr sie in 'Elemente' aufgenommen? </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Richtig, sie sind im Rahmen der Aufnahmen zu „Flüchtige Küsse“ in der Ölbergkirche aufgenommen worden. Für Elemente stehen diese Stücke für die Vergangenheit die im besten Fall eben ein wichtiger Teil der Gegenwart ist und auch eine Option für die Zukunft sein sollte. Wir verändern immer wieder die Live-Versionen um sie auch immer in der Gegenwart ankommen zu lassen. Man kann Arrangements kleiner oder grösser machen oder sie belassen. Das ist das spannende, wichtig ist nur, dass man den „Zauber“ eines Stückes nicht zerstört. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b>Im Song „Zeit zu gehen“, aber auch im CD-Booklet, kritisiert ihr die Maßnahmen rund um die Corona-Pandemie. Ihr sagt sogar, „die Gesellschaft hat versagt“. Was hat euch so wütend über die Maßnahmen gemacht? Warum hat die Gesellschaft versagt? </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_Ro5OEfFzm93Ufa6PC2n9NzWrA4PbzOzsv5MoLrz3vU2D-PglZKMpX9sVJaDKY3idU1_GmKo_7p6LMGV05shMdr9QgebnsJM47a2fM6o-X0icMQXAViIgR73u37513Oybv7WIhSAlrxboOtkx8hCqRbiPpjyyHNYkTA1n99fpLhzJw0sqrCMdunRn=s600" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_Ro5OEfFzm93Ufa6PC2n9NzWrA4PbzOzsv5MoLrz3vU2D-PglZKMpX9sVJaDKY3idU1_GmKo_7p6LMGV05shMdr9QgebnsJM47a2fM6o-X0icMQXAViIgR73u37513Oybv7WIhSAlrxboOtkx8hCqRbiPpjyyHNYkTA1n99fpLhzJw0sqrCMdunRn=s320" width="320" /></a><span style="text-align: left;">Die Politik und die Gesellschaft hat Kunst allgemein als Pandemie-Prügelknabe benutzt. Wir als Band und ich als Musiker konnten im Prinzip zu keiner Zeit seit Ausbruch der Pandemie in Europa wirtschaftlich Konzerte geben. Immer hatten wir Beschränkungen und Auflagen, während Menschen fröhlich in Stadien Fußballfeste gefeiert haben oder quer durch die Welt ihrem Urlaub frönten und sich dann gewundert wurde wieso nach den Ferienzeiten wieder die Infektionszahlen erhöhten. Kunst war das erste was immer wieder ausgeschaltet wurde und mit das Letzte was wieder aktiviert werden durfte. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Besonders der Fußball hat meinen Zorn erregt, denn Geisterspiele haben doch nur eins bewiesen, es geht hier nur um Geld nicht um Sport, sondern darum das Senderechte bedient werden musste. Stellen sie sich eine Tour von Cure oder Placebo ohne Publikum vor… Wäre das nicht idiotisch? Kultur hat gerade in Deutschland keinerlei Lobby aber was hätten die Menschen wohl ohne Filme und Musik in dieser Zeit gemacht? Ich denke das würde Menschen nur bewusst, wenn man ihnen einem Monat lang einfach keine Musik und keine Filme zugänglich machen würde. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b>Die Pandemie hatte auch große Auswirkungen auf die künstlerische Welt. Ihr beschwert euch darüber, dass sowohl der Verkauf von Schallplatten sowie auch von Konzertkarten stark unter der Pandemie gelitten hat. Welche Ursache und Lösungen gibt es eurer Meinung nach?</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Keine Ahnung, ich habe für mich entschieden nach zwei Jahren Unplanbarkeit ein drittes Jahr diesbezüglich zu vermeiden und nur Konzerte von Goethes Erben in und in der Nähe von Bayreuth geplant und angeboten. Einzig das Festival im Oktober (Autumn Moon in Hameln) ist eine Reise. Alle anderen Konzerte finden vor unserer Haustür statt.
Ich denke auch, dass es nach der Pandemie Monate wenn nicht Jahre dauern wird, dass die Menschen wieder auf Konzerte gehen werden. Manche werden vermutlich auch gar nicht mehr kommen, da sie nach zwei Jahren Verunsicherung und Angstmacherei sich daran gewöhnt haben zu Hause zu bleiben. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EeKig1P2W8M" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b>
„Elemente“<span style="text-align: left;"> kommt nach </span><span style="text-align: left;">„</span><span style="text-align: left;">Flüchtige Küsse</span><span style="text-align: left;">“</span><span style="text-align: left;">, das 2020 erschienen ist. Wir haben schon vorher Konzerte mit dem Kammermusikensemble gesehen, aber das ist eine ganze CD in diesem Stil, und sie ist brillant. Ich habe gehört, dass es eine Live-CD sein soll, aber wegen Corona ohne Publikum aufgenommen wurde. Warum habt ihr euch entschieden, mit diesem Ensemble eine CD aufzunehmen, und warum hätte es eine Live-Platte sein sollen? </span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjEbbkrFG0EQBr8tGqQLFYkBgd3eecuUeJavD3GRacbeG_zwfEUzssvE4WQtkRlxyjhMypnloIv5JtUtuY_fXdV-jq6P6RD-TUqSDY3697gygE4-wlunnNMC7iObFgvrkeheeYxQSM7cFVRG6C6j9ULmkhWQg7E173S5gmNalBDCzF1SxDWCeHj4644=s600" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjEbbkrFG0EQBr8tGqQLFYkBgd3eecuUeJavD3GRacbeG_zwfEUzssvE4WQtkRlxyjhMypnloIv5JtUtuY_fXdV-jq6P6RD-TUqSDY3697gygE4-wlunnNMC7iObFgvrkeheeYxQSM7cFVRG6C6j9ULmkhWQg7E173S5gmNalBDCzF1SxDWCeHj4644=s320" width="320" /></a></div>Goethes Erben ist schon immer eine starke Live Band gewesen und gerade die Kammerensemble Arrangements funktionieren einfach dann am intensivsten, wenn sie als Ensemble gleichzeitig live eingespielt werden. Aus dem Grund wollte ich die „Flüchtige Küsse“ auch so aufnehmen. Die Titel, „Ich möchte fliegen“, „Zeit zu gehen“, „Darf ich bitten“ und „Fern ab vom Licht“ sind nicht so eingespielt worden. Das hat Vorteile was das Abmischen angeht, aber wenn man diese Stücke in der Livefassung auf der kommenden DVD+CD „Das gestohlene Konzert“ hört, wird man merken, wieso ich Live bevorzuge, auch was das Aufnehmen des Kammerensembles angeht. Es ist einfach lebendiger und intensiver. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b>Die Kompositionen von Sebastian Boettcher für das Kammermusikensemble sind sehr melodisch. Ihr Gesangsstil, der oft als Sprechgesang bezeichnet wurde, hat sich in diesem Sinne weiterentwickelt, oder? </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Sagen wir es so, beim Kammerensemble treffe ich manchmal sogar richtige Töne. (lächelt) Da hier die Probenarbeit viel intensiver und aufwendiger ist, traue ich mich eben auch mehr meine sprachlichen Möglichkeiten tonal zu erweitern. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b>In euren Texten auf „Flüchtige Küsse“ können wir Dinge lesen wie: „Wir alle suchen das große Glück und vergessen das Zufrieden-sein“ und „Manchmal geht es nur darum, das Leben auszuhalten“. Wie seht ihr die Dinge in dieser Hinsicht? </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhXprIOj_uHtg3wNau4MPYucPYOvsb0YXw5Mmyx2jZoBenm3OhDKm2UgBetx3NMdEaI9aOSuZa5BosorZc0CeDvlf-zsEeHS-Ko56GUDrZeg_7h4gFanfqsv_DHgrTgojk7GYjy5Tp_LJ6UcBa3lY6gNRhmfC0uW6KZ-_rFYKSPGhkTDFoQzV02PPc9=s600" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhXprIOj_uHtg3wNau4MPYucPYOvsb0YXw5Mmyx2jZoBenm3OhDKm2UgBetx3NMdEaI9aOSuZa5BosorZc0CeDvlf-zsEeHS-Ko56GUDrZeg_7h4gFanfqsv_DHgrTgojk7GYjy5Tp_LJ6UcBa3lY6gNRhmfC0uW6KZ-_rFYKSPGhkTDFoQzV02PPc9=s320" width="320" /></a></div>Genauso wie es in den Texten lautet. Das Leben ist nicht immer schön und manchmal ist das Schicksal auch ungerecht und gemein. Aber Leben ist auch die Option auf ALLES, denn wenn man nicht lebt, kann man auch keine schönen Dinge erleben, sich nicht verlieben, nicht tanzen, keine Abenteuer sammeln oder Glücksmomente empfinden. Aber Teil des Lebens ist auch Trauer und Verluste zu erleben, wichtig ist, dass wir aus unserem Leben etwas machen und irgendwie im ganz Kleinen die Welt ein wenig besser machen. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b style="text-align: left;">Am Ende von „Flüchtige Küsse“ wird es politischer. „Da wir nichts mehr glauben; keinen Fakten glauben“ und „gegen Ignoranz zu argumentieren, Sinnlos wie Taubenschach und Religion“. Schimmert die Aktualität von Corona und Querdenker auch in diesen Texten durch? </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Es ist vor allen Dingen Idioten und toxischen Männern wie Trump, Erdogan, Bolsonaro, Putin und Orban zu verdanken, dass die Welt in den letzten Jahren wieder kleiner und intoleranter geworden ist. Verschwörungstheorien haben Hochkonjunktur und eigentlich warte ich auf die ersten Scheiterhaufen und Bücherverbrennungen. Die Demokratien müssen sich jetzt behaupten und auch klar vom rücksichtslosen Kapitalismus verabschieden, bei der nur eine kleine Elite immer mehr Geld anhäuft aber der Rest der Menschheit ausblutet. Egal ob finanziell, wirtschaftlich, gesellschaftlich oder tatsächlich. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b>Du sagst auch, dass bald eine neue Platte – das zehnte Studioalbum – kommen wird. Könntest du uns schon etwas darüber erzählen?</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Wir haben X mit 5 Titeln auf der X Tour 2021 live vorgestellt. In Bayreuth werden wir am 17. September das neue Album live am Stück vorstellen. Das X Album selbst wird aber erst im Frühjahr 2023 veröffentlicht werden, da wir diese Zeit benötigen um das Album in dieser Pandemiezeit so umzusetzen dass wir damit auch zufrieden sind. Die Pandemie hat Dinge ausgebremst und vieles auch verzögert. Eine ungewollte Entschleunigung hat aber dann auch Nachteile. Aber man kann diesen Umstand auch zu einer Möglichkeit nutzen und das tun wir mit dem Konzept von X.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Goethes Erben: <a href="http://goetheserben.de/" target="_blank">website</a> / <a href="https://www.facebook.com/goetheserbenoffical" target="_blank">facebook</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/henkeoswald/featured" target="_blank">youtube</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Bilder: Luc 'Who Cares' Luyten</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5Gxio1cn_NI" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>xheviourmachinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11836083167873978543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8537572467710265499.post-57612310308070701572022-02-02T06:21:00.003-08:002022-02-02T06:34:31.149-08:00The Rebel Riot: Protests in Myanmar are scarier because they shoot with real bullets here<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">On February 1, 2021 - exactly one year ago - the army in Myanmar took the power. The 2020 election results, in which the National League for Democracy of Nobel Prize winner and democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi again obtained an absolute majority, were wiped out. Since then, there have been violent protests and the civil war has flared up again in the country. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Myanmar also has a committed punk community. The Rebel Riot is one of the most important bands and is at the forefront of the fight against the coup. We had a conversation with singer Kyaw Kyaw. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b>On the first of February, it was one year ago that the military coup took place. Back then, the military promised to hand over the power to a civilian government after one year, but of course I don’t think this will happen. What do you think will happen? </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7s17a3XmHM-SYfjHlaj7dot8KXNrvfguOSUDl5c06jT5x4U3lBw00tY8UXzwxxit0l8GuK9P_Nt4bkeO6C3sH8frLeDwzCbsbXuTZPQoaRDKGSEdPDzB0vstXZ2q-Ol2CXTDsTSFk556c_fBcncJo7Ck76o1HDlmIjXTf0wE4J1_L4Xz-9uoAmRRV=s800" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7s17a3XmHM-SYfjHlaj7dot8KXNrvfguOSUDl5c06jT5x4U3lBw00tY8UXzwxxit0l8GuK9P_Nt4bkeO6C3sH8frLeDwzCbsbXuTZPQoaRDKGSEdPDzB0vstXZ2q-Ol2CXTDsTSFk556c_fBcncJo7Ck76o1HDlmIjXTf0wE4J1_L4Xz-9uoAmRRV=s320" width="320" /></a></div><span style="text-align: left;">I think things are well out of hand for them. The revolutionary movement is too strong. After the English colonisation, in 1948, we gained independence. In 1962 the military took the power. In 1988, we had a big revolution, but the military took the power again. After the coup in 2021, things are totally different than in the past. After one year, people are still fighting, and they keep on fighting. The military didn’t manage well. They didn’t get what they want. People fight back in many different ways. People are still protesting, keeping up the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM), they are fighting with the armed force and so on. Artists and politicians are still showing solidarity with the protest movement. In the past, the military could control any protests after two or three months. This time, they don’t control the land. After one year, the people’s revolutionary mind and spirit are still big. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b>So you don’t think the military will make any concessions to the people at this point? </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">No, I don’t think so. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b>On the first of February last year, you heard about the coup. Was it a surprise for you or not? </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">I was surprised, but I had also thought before that they would take the power. I was informed, but when I heard they took the power for real, it was a surprise and shock. But that drove us to do something against that coup. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b>What was your first reaction when you heard about the coup? </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">I walked around my township and checked about how people felt. A lot of people were chocked and sad. I felt sad too. I didn’t know what to do in the future, with this military system. I was also very sad for the young people and the next generation. These were my first feelings after the coup. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b>You were one of the first to go out on the street to protest the coup, which started a few days after the coup. How did that go? </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">It started on February 5. I’m not an organiser. I just wanted to show my solidarity with other people. I got a message that we should demonstrate at 4 pm in this specific area. I went to support this crew, but the organiser didn’t come. We didn’t know what to do. The media were also waiting. Many other people were there. We were confused. Should we start on our own or just leave? 4:30, nothing happened; 4:45, still nothing. When we left, my friend started showing three fingers on the street <i>(the three finger salute was inspired by the movie ‘The Hunger Game’ and became the symbol of the protests, xk)</i>, and then everybody started showing three fingers. The media noticed it. We didn’t talk, we didn’t pull the banner, we just showed the three-finger salute and walked on. A lot of people were happy and were clapping for us. They were applauding from their flats and from the busses. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">The media took pictures and made videos. I was so shocked and scared. I didn’t know what to do. A cameraman from the media told me: ‘Kyaw Kyaw, you should leave now.’ I tried to leave. I tried to take a taxi, but the taxi drivers were very scared. They didn’t want to take us because they didn’t want trouble with the police. It was difficult to take a taxi, so we went to another area and took a taxi there, and then went to meet our friends. After this, I deleted my facebook account and I hid myself. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b>You had to hide? So, you cannot walk freely in Yangon? </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">If they recognised me or other people in the newspaper, they would arrest us for sure. But we were lucky, because after we went to demonstrate … the next day, a lot of people were on the streets. So, our demonstration disappeared. On February sixth, a lot of people were showing solidarity against the coup. That was good luck. Otherwise, I would have been arrested. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b>One month after the military coup, you released the video for ‘One Day’. It was a song that you were already working on before the coup. It was a great video, with also the three fingers salute that you just mentioned. What was the impact of that video? </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">This song was already made before the coup. We imagined … One Day … a future without any discrimination, we don’t want any oppression, we don’t want any military, no corruption, no wars … Because our country has known so many civil wars. We have the longest civil war in the world! We have a lot of discrimination between islam and buddhism, and we have had a military system for so long. From 2010 to 2020, we had so-called ‘democracy’, but people didn’t really have human rights or were not free to speak. In the parliament, the military power was still there. They controlled it from behind the screens. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">We wrote this song six months before the coup. But after the coup, we thought it was the right time to release it. We wanted to do it like many political bands like Pennywise, Rage Against The Machine or System Of A Down. They influenced me a lot. We wanted to shoot a video during the protests. But it’s scarier here because they shoot with real bullets. Protests here are different than in other countries. In other countries, the police might beat you and arrest you. But here, they shoot with real bullets. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">We were scared, but we had to do it. Everybody was aware of the danger. We asked everyone: ‘does it feel good to participate? If you don’t feel safe, you don’t have to be part of this. If you agree, we will do it together.’ That’s the way we made the music video for ‘One Day’. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3ODKj6E-L5E" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b>The release of the CD ‘One Day’ was delayed because people were afraid to work with you. The printers didn’t want to work on it. What happened? </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">It was very difficult. We knew that it was risky when we released it. It’s like walking on a string. I think: ‘they do their job, we do our job’. They took the power and try to manage it, and we wanted to release this CD. It’s not just music, it is showing our attitude. They try to show how they control us, and we want to show that we are free. They’re trying to push us down, and we are trying to stand up. That’s how we relate to this idea.
That’s why I wanted to release it, especially during the coup. It is very dangerous, because we sell merchandising and so on … and they don’t want any artists against the coup. I wanted to do a DIY-release, but because of the colours, I could not make a DIY-print. So, we had to go to a printing shop. But every shop said no. They didn’t want to do it because it was political stuff. They were afraid their business would be shut down. But one of my friends who is also a political activist said that he knew one shop who would do it. So that’s how we succeeded in printing it. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">But as we keep on doing what we do and keep on fighting, we get less attention than other political leaders and activists. We are punks, we are underground … so we are not so influent to their big society. We influence mainly young people, alternative people, and some political activists. We are not as influential as people like Aung San Suu Kyi. That’s why we stay under the radar. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b>Is the military aware of the CD with harsh critic of the coup? Does it have any impact for them? </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">I don’t know. They focus on other protests, political leaders, activists, and they might forget people like us. They are more focussed on others that are maybe more dangerous and more important for them. But we are on their list for sure, I think. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b>You sing about the protests in ‘The Night Will Not Be Silenced’. At first, the protests were peaceful, as you sing in the song. It was civil disobedience, banging on pans and pots. But there has been an evolution towards a civil war. There has always been a civil war since the independence of Myanmar in 1948, but it has broken out in a much harder way. How was that evolution between peaceful protest and armed protest? </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">95% of the population hate the military. We have been in a military system for so long. A lot of families have people missing or killed. So, people deeply resent the military. When the military took the power again, this anger was coming back. But we never start the violence. The peaceful protests were right. But the military shot at us, in the head, in the body … So, the anger exploded and people wanted to fight back. Some people don’t believe in peaceful protest anymore. Because even if we stay peaceful, they will never stay peaceful … That’s why a lot of young people, teenage people, a lot of my friends, people whose family or friends died … choose the armed resistance. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">They think the Civil Disobedience Movement is not fit anymore. Because the military arrests new people every night. People are not safe. They think the city is not safe anymore. That’s why they choose to go and join the armed resistance. A lot of people are joining the People’s Defence Force <i>(PDF, an armed movement that is active since MAY 2021, xk)</i> and do fight the military with weapons. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ilwzg0vHKNw" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b>The PDF is a new force, but there are also the armies of the ethnic minorities. You sing about them in the song ‘Destruction of Humanity’ … </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">The ‘Destruction of Humanity’-song is about how the military attacks minorities, burning their houses or villages. We are criticising this. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b>In a way, you already answered my question. A lot of young people are leaving the city to fight with rebel groups, also ethnic rebel groups or the People’s Defence Force. Is this a big movement? </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Yes, it is a big movement. In the past, the Burmese army attacked the Shan people, the Kachin people… Then the Shan and Kachin people fought back. But with the PDF, the Burmese people are attacking the Burmese army. There are now two Burmese armies fighting each other. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b>And I have heard that the official army – the Tadmadaw – are afraid to leave their barracks. They are attacked at multiple fronts. Is that right? </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Yes. They are very afraid right now. They have too many enemies at one time, because the PDF and other groups are all fighting them at the same time. So many people are dying right now. That’s why they are afraid. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b>Another song on the album is ‘Genocide’. I think this is about the ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya minority in 2016-2017. You said already that muslims are still persecuted. How is the situation with them now? </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMTS69ZXvcMyOLGLAyTkb-7V92MuMK9d7gqXVoXZz9vRwYMdAhZt0jzzmN8EnW1PusNcfAq_WlhD1QFgKfmlEh5JXN_6NJSCNwhojPKEMyrJZ7skVArktySRZnH96aB2_tZ_d5J3eAB5ajYN0IVTFgxW_iEB9OvxsI0pw0c3lRpHrPLMhd-UALYmqV=s1201" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="681" data-original-width="1201" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMTS69ZXvcMyOLGLAyTkb-7V92MuMK9d7gqXVoXZz9vRwYMdAhZt0jzzmN8EnW1PusNcfAq_WlhD1QFgKfmlEh5JXN_6NJSCNwhojPKEMyrJZ7skVArktySRZnH96aB2_tZ_d5J3eAB5ajYN0IVTFgxW_iEB9OvxsI0pw0c3lRpHrPLMhd-UALYmqV=s320" width="320" /></a></div><span style="text-align: left;">When we wrote the ‘Genocide’-song in 2018, some people agreed that this was a genocide, but other people disagreed. The government, the NLD (<i>National League for Democracy, the party that was in power between 2015 and 2021, xk)</i>, the Tatmadaw … they don’t want to hear about a genocide. They tell us that there was no genocide. That’s why we made a song that was called ‘Genocide’, to stress that it was an actual genocide. We don’t use the word ‘Rohingya’, but we wanted to stress that a lot of people in the Rakhine state were fleeing their houses and dying. Everybody knows that we mean the Rohingya people, right. <br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b>Another song is ‘Food Not Bombs’. We are aware of your Food Not Bombs-project in which you distribute food to people in need in Yangon. I’ve understood from your facebook that you also have a Food Not Bombs programme directed to the Rohingya people. Is that correct? </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Yes. But we are not in the refugee camps in Bangladesh. Some Rohingya people are still in the Rakhine state <i>(the part of Myanmar where the Rohingya live, xk)</i>. We are supporting the Rohingya people who stayed in the Rakhine state. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b>Yes, but you live in Yangon. The Rakhine state is far away. So, the Food Not Bombs-project must be a big organisation… </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">No, it is not a big organisation. We have a lot of influence on young people. They like Rebel Riot, and it’s not only about the music. They like our way of thinking, our way of living, they like our ideas … Some fans of Rebel Riot who live in Rakhine state wanted to start a Food Not Bombs-chapter in their own state. Because if you want to support our band, you should not buy the CD or merchandising, but you should just show it through your attitude. That’s how the chapter in Rakhine state started. We don’t need to go there. We can meet with a zoom meeting and share our ideas and brainstorm. We are not only active in Rakhine state. We have chapters in Dawei, Mandalay, Mon state, Bago… Sometimes I go and join, but normally I live in the city. We are now also starting a new chapter in Kachin state. I don’t need to go. I just meet with people on internet and share my ideas. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CtYdN1u4iGc" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b>Let’s go back to the start of Rebel Riot. You started the band after the Saffron Revolution in 2007. You already said that it was very different from now, but the Saffron Revolution was also a big revolution against the military. What differences do you see between now and then? </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Back then, the buddhist monks were starting the revolution. We are a traditional buddhist country, so everybody though: ‘they can arrest everybody, but not the monks’. People didn’t expect the military to turn on the monks. Usually, the people are afraid of the military, but now they thought that they were many and the monks supported them. They thought the military could not kill or arrest a monk. They have to respect the monks. But they did not. They shot and killed many people. So, people were very scared. A lot of people died. That made me think and I started making music after that. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">What was different is: we didn’t have internet. Well … some people had, like the rich and the government people. But normal people didn’t have much information. We could not communicate. The Saffron Revolution mainly took place in Yangon. The news didn’t go out to the rest of the country. This current revolution doesn’t only take place in Yangon. The whole country is involved. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">But especially the information technology is different. Everybody has a phone. We know what happened somewhere after five minutes. This helps us in our fight. The people have more knowledge. They understand what the military is doing. They have a lot of information, and the information goes very fast. This is very different than in 2007. They could shut down everything after only one week back then. But now, we have been protesting for one year and it is still going on. We keep on sharing information. Everybody is awake right now. We are less scared and better educated than before. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b>We also remember that the Saffron Revolution was leaded by monks. What role do the monks play in the current situation? I think some of them support the Tadmadaw and others not. </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Some monks are puppets of the military, as is MaBaTha <i>(a radical right-wing organisation of buddhist monks, xk)</i>. They are supporters of the military. They are not talking about buddhism. They are rather spreading nationalist propaganda: ‘we have to fight for our religion, we have to fight for our people’ … They try to brainwash the people. But in these times, many people know their real face. They are not that successful with wat they are doing. But this type of monk had nothing to do with the Saffron Revolution. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhLoxUN5Yoiggy-pvFrcQELgEWvc0aF_Gq7PVNenfMBIaVLlKcEm697SxJHVY4l4b86LjE470hTOoRpRIyXAEQRz6LJMQKPOqkoXRb8fC-UUpeO5imD0JElAAWTfaF3VmQ28rPs-H8h2qUVV5uQtd_weQqtVesjOl7OZCpRO7Nus99pACOohzdepFLS=s770" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="519" data-original-width="770" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhLoxUN5Yoiggy-pvFrcQELgEWvc0aF_Gq7PVNenfMBIaVLlKcEm697SxJHVY4l4b86LjE470hTOoRpRIyXAEQRz6LJMQKPOqkoXRb8fC-UUpeO5imD0JElAAWTfaF3VmQ28rPs-H8h2qUVV5uQtd_weQqtVesjOl7OZCpRO7Nus99pACOohzdepFLS=s320" width="320" /></a></div><span style="text-align: left;">We have three types of monks in Myanmar. The first type is apolitical. They are not interested in any politics. They just want to do the meditation, reach inner peace, and spread the buddhist religion. The second type is the pro-democracy monk. These are the monks you saw in the Saffron Revolution. They support the NLD, they support democracy and human rights. They believe that they cannot be in peace if the people do not live in peace. They get food from the people, so they believe they must stand up for the people too. The third type of monk is the pro-military monk. They spread propaganda about how important the army is: ‘In this country, we cannot survive without the military’. They don’t trust Aung San Suu Kyi because she is married with an Englishman. She could bring in English and western influences, so the Burmese people will lose their identity. They think that Aung San Suu Kyi is pro-muslim and will help the muslim community to get bigger. They want to defend their religion and identity. The pro-military monk is represented by MaBaTha. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b>Sometimes Aung San Suu Kyi is also called a Burmese or Bamar nationalist (the Bamar are the main ethnic group in Myanmar, xk) because she defended the army about the ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya. She even went to The Hague to tell the World Court what happened was just an ordinary armed conflict, not a genocide. Some also say that she didn’t fully support the peace process with the different ethnic armies, which started in 2015, too. Is this true? </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">You know, most of the people who fight for democracy love Aung San Suu Kyi a lot. Since 1988, Aung San Suu Kyi is the icon of freedom and peace. Some people would even die for her. She has a lot of support. After 2010, we were on the way to democracy, and she was released from house arrest. She had massive support, also from ethnic minorities and from alternative people. They too see her as our mother. After 2015, when she won the elections, the Myanmar people put their hope in her. She was a top politician that had the power, you know. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhYkfOshPhufxXcuKOac23EeF23RWuR8W9F07ie4LQ0jgMMjuOWdf-FgraPzj-kGQkmUbIlyr54Ou99BhLMh7mMQ1CvBshHyzi7IUfojO4L4bWIHigjUvtFpzUc7ME84xnxnmx1E6qUar0t2iXtOAM9M_2tJUeoVi453Wh0pO4C9DoQSjjNBnDffnNB=s980" style="clear: left; float: left; font-weight: 700; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="980" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhYkfOshPhufxXcuKOac23EeF23RWuR8W9F07ie4LQ0jgMMjuOWdf-FgraPzj-kGQkmUbIlyr54Ou99BhLMh7mMQ1CvBshHyzi7IUfojO4L4bWIHigjUvtFpzUc7ME84xnxnmx1E6qUar0t2iXtOAM9M_2tJUeoVi453Wh0pO4C9DoQSjjNBnDffnNB=s320" width="320" /></a>But she didn’t stand for the students, or for other ethnic groups. She was also very close to the military. She didn’t show enough strength. She only took decisions on things that are not so important. For the people of the big cities, it was a big change. The tourists were coming in, it was good business. Human rights got a lot of attention. The people in the cities love Aung San Suu Kyi a lot. But for the minority people, the civil war continued, the human rights abuses continued, a lot of violence is still happening … She doesn’t speak about them. They don’t hate Aung San Suu Kyi, but they wonder why the mother doesn’t do more for them. They are angry, but still with love for her. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">But Aung San Suu Kyi had less power than people believe. People are saying that she did wrong, that she should have created her own army before the coup … They are angry because she didn’t prepare anything. Now, people wish that after the coup and after the revolution, she would retreat from politics. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b>Let’s go back to the music. I like the way you mix the Burmese language with English in your songs. Why do you do that? You speak Burmese, but you also fit in some words in English in many songs. </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">It’s our style since we created the band. As we write our music, the choruses are mainly English while the verses are in the Burmese language. We tried to translate it in Burmese, but it didn’t work well. Our English is not so difficult. We use a type of English that everybody understands. We also have international people who support us, and they like it. But I cannot write a full song in English. I’m very bad at singing in English. But even if people don’t understand the whole song, they understand the chorus. The Burmese language is more difficult to translate and more difficult to shout. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b>I have just one final question. You’re in a struggle with the military, there’s a civil war going on, there is still a civil disobedience movement going on … Do you think the people can win this struggle? Can the people defeat the military? </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">I don’t know what will happen. I’m not a politician. But I strongly believe that if we fight every day, we must win for sure. Also, we are already winning. People keep fighting and are believing in it. And the military, the Tatmadaw, are scared. Even if they have guns, they still fear us. So, we have already won. We’re doing what we believe in every day. They are doing what they’re fearing every day. We have a lot of artists defying the military. I cannot predict the future, but if we keep doing what we believe in, we will win one day. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b>Is there anything else you want to say? </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">It’s not only Myanmar that faces problems. There are problems in every country. But our problems are bigger. People are getting killed. This military must disappear. That is our duty. Don’t look only at Myanmar. We are just a small part of the world. Don’t fight only for Myanmar, but for all people everywhere. We know no nations, no borders. We are one world. If we succeed in our struggle, we will also fight for your part of the world one day. All human people must show solidarity.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">The Rebel Riot: <a href="https://therebelriot.bandcamp.com/album/one-day" target="_blank">bandcamp</a> / <a href="https://www.facebook.com/therebelriot/?ref=page_internal" target="_blank">facebook</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JlUfqUceVo4" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div>xheviourmachinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11836083167873978543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8537572467710265499.post-12790313019915312172021-12-21T10:03:00.008-08:002021-12-21T12:26:18.689-08:0025 YEARS OF AHRÁYEPH: Everything I do, right or wrong, is being determined by my autism<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">25 years, that's how long Ahráyeph has been around. Or rather: in 1996, the first demo of Crucifire, the predecessor of Ahráyeph, was released. In 2021 the ‘XXV’-E.P. was released by Ahráyeph, which had to celebrate a quarter of a century of music by Raf Ahráyeph – Raf Jansen for the friends. We thought this was a great opportunity to review the most important dates from this ‘prog-goth’ career with Raf. We had many questions, and Raf has always answered extensively and remarkably candidly. So it turned out to be a long, but very interesting interview.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><strong style="text-align: justify;"><br /></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><strong style="text-align: justify;">1996: You record your first demo for Crucifire, a goth metal band which is a precursor for Ahráyeph. Tell me how that came about?</strong></div>
<p></p><div style="text-align: justify;">At that time, I used to live in an old convent, which also housed university students. Among others, Steven Zwaenepoel, now road manager for dEUS, lived there. In 1995, Jo, Crucifire’s bassist to be, got a room in Steven’s hallway for the duration of his nursing apprenticeship. We kept in touch afterwards and because he had told me of his band, Sarcastic, I went to a rehearsal of theirs in the Spring of 1996. They mostly played cover songs, like Therapy?’s ‘Teethgrinder’. I had already laid the initial foundations for Crucifire with a first demo, recorded on an analog four track back in 1995, and was now looking for a band. Jo, playing bass, and his buddies David and Peter were competent musicians, so I proposed to segue their band into mine.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I don’t remember why, but Peter wasn’t part of it initially, so we had a different guitar player for a while. When he failed to show, it turned out that Peter was interested after all. David moved from drums to keyboards and electronic percussion, because I had an amazing drummer in my buddy Geert, who - without wanting to diminish his drumming abilities - outclassed David on that instrument. But David had a lot more qualities: he had a much broader theoretical knowledge and was a multi-instrumentalist, so I really wanted to keep him in the band, even if we already had a keyboard player in Raf Corten, who I later took with me to Ancient Rites.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The six of us then started rehearsing and recorded a first, hideously sounding demo in October 1996. We did parts of that in our rehearsal space and in the loft I had moved to, which has been immortalised as ‘The White Square’. We had really decent recording gear, which is surprising for a fledgling band, but we made up for the lack of recording experience with enthusiasm, with all the hideously sounding consequences.</div><p></p>
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<strong>1996-1997: You start playing in the black metal band Ancient Rites. Is that the reason why Crucifire got sidetracked?</strong></p>
<p></p><div style="text-align: justify;">I have to adjust that timeline a bit: I’ve played in Ancient Rites for about six months that first time, from September 1996 till March 1997, with a one-off stand in gig in May, when Erik couldn’t make it to the concert. My addition to that band wasn’t the reason why Crucifire got sidetracked, though, because the band kept existing, albeit less and less as time went by, until early 1998. A couple of the rehearsal demos we recorded during that time, I later crafted into songs that appeared on the first few Ahráyeph releases (e.g., ‘Cure/Divine/Madness’). No, the reason for Crucifire’s slow demise had more to do with the fact that first Jo and then Geert quit, respectively due to studies and work commitments. Hence, they couldn’t dedicate enough time to the band. For a while, that dampened Peter and David’s enthusiasm, but one by one they returned. Raf apparently liked being in Ancient Rites better and started to be absent from our rehearsals without ever giving a reason. He just disappeared at crucial times. This became something of a recurring thing with him, which ultimately cost him his place in Ancient Rites and its side band, Danse Macabre.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Besides all that, our soft drug use, which Geert had brought into the rehearsals, became a big part of the band’s undoing. Rehearsals started to turn into excuses to smoke pot until deep into the night. I wasn’t happy with that, but I didn’t possess the authority to nip it in the bud either, not least because I was a guilty party.</div><p></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/track=6685736/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 120px; width: 100%;"><a href="https://ahrayeph.be/track/a-forest-fluctus-iv">A Forest (Fluctus IV) by Ahráyeph</a></iframe>
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<strong>2001: Crucifire dies a quiet death, but around the turn of the century you reboot the project. You change the name to </strong><strong>Ahráyeph</strong><strong> and steer the ship towards gothic rock, without the metal influences. What was your motivation to start over?</strong></p>
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Well, it may sound funny, but that first demo played a big part in that. I met the drummer of a band that often had opened for Ancient Rites. He was a fan of the songs on the demo and sang their praises in the presence of friends of mine, who only knew my alt rock project Sole, so they became curious about what I had done prior to that. However, I was too embarrassed about its bad quality to let them listen to it. Eventually, though, it did happen and one of them, one of the biggest fans of The Sisters Of Mercy I’ve known, was of the opinion that Crucifire was where my heart was at more than those alternative songs. That made me think, and after a couple days of brainstorming, I decided he was right and rebooted Crucifire. Still a while later, I changed the name, because I indeed wanted to expel the metal influences present in Crucifire. Not that I suddenly resented metal; I was just looking to conceive a more organic, open sound, with more atmosphere. Besides that, an Australian thrash band who used the same name had come into existence in the interim (they are no longer active). And lastly, I was the only remaining original band member, so it was an easy decision.</p>
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<strong>2004-2007: You once again become a member of Ancient Rites. You’ve contributed significantly to this band in this period, especially as a song writer on the ‘Rubicon’ album. In 2007 you leave Ancient Rites to concentrate on </strong><strong>Ahráyeph</strong><strong>. What do you remember about your time in the band?</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">
Oh boy… You got a couple of hours? A lot happened back then, both good and bad. To keep it positive: we’ve played several great gigs. There was the Revoltallo XIII festival in Vigo, Spain, where we played on a mountain which looked out over the bay where the city lay. A beautiful spot, which had a restaurant nearby which was situated under a large rock. Fascinating. The audience was truly amazing that night. I had contracted a twenty-four-hour flu from the air conditioning on the plane and played with a fever, but the audience was so riled up they really pulled me through with their unbridled enthusiasm.</p>
<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgU9rih16oN--zvXulBKlAypTCubrpb3WMj5yy1NR2WKNqa_mMf0zz9O9u1Uo7MZpIkmjVyYAxQAbx3aBlY9tL8TDEfhNg_Kp4pAcCOofBq9BlAXmpWSBAjx-5CjnYQzV12LitFE18xsZSDex-Bxh4TbI5QwU_Z9CP0k-WgCGH9Rc2st6iLiQ0qFo57=s600" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="541" data-original-width="600" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgU9rih16oN--zvXulBKlAypTCubrpb3WMj5yy1NR2WKNqa_mMf0zz9O9u1Uo7MZpIkmjVyYAxQAbx3aBlY9tL8TDEfhNg_Kp4pAcCOofBq9BlAXmpWSBAjx-5CjnYQzV12LitFE18xsZSDex-Bxh4TbI5QwU_Z9CP0k-WgCGH9Rc2st6iLiQ0qFo57=s320" width="320" /></a></p><div style="text-align: justify;">I also met Marec in the band, who had recently become their sound engineer. He would also come to fill that position in Ahráyeph. A wonderful human being who knew his craft inside and out, to both bands’ advantage. Unfortunately, he got diagnosed with Meunière’s Disease shortly before the pandemic hit, which is causing him to lose his hearing. A serious loss, both for Marec and the bands he worked with. But the comradeship remains, even if we don’t talk very often. He even came and helped me out with the renovations here for a few weeks right before the pandemic hit, just out of kindness. He’s contributed so much to Ahráyeph, more than many an ex-band member, so I would be remiss if I didn’t mention him.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Our gig at the Graspop Metal Meeting in 2006 was of course also a personal high note. I’m a full blood Kempian (Kempen being the Belgian geographic region where the festival is held annually), so being able to play in your own region at the biggest metal festival in Belgium and one of the biggest in Europe, couldn’t be anything else than a high note. Musically, it may not have been our strongest concert, no doubt due to raging nerves, but the Marquee was packed to the rafters, all the way to the outside, I was told later, and we got an amazing reception. There were also friends and acquaintances in the audience, which made it extra special. Other than that, our backstage trailer was across from Alice In Chains’, who are musical heroes of mine. I was able to exchange a few words with Jerry and Sean, very nice guys. But the most rock ’n roll moments of my life happened when I went to the toilet before our gig and ended up standing at the urinals between their singer William DuVall and the New York Dolls’s David Johanssen. Then you know you’ve arrived, hahaha!</div><p></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">
Another high point was of course the album ‘Rubicon’ itself. I’m still immensely proud of that album. It’s true that the music for most of the songs was written by me, but Erik’s songs and ‘Brabantia’, which I co-wrote with Domingo are just as strong. There are no weak songs on that album. And it also contains some of Gunther’s strongest lyrics. I recall that Erik and I went out for a drink one night during the recording process, because we needed a break and during the ride into Krefeld, we agreed that we had a strong album on our hands. This was evidenced later when the invariably positive reviews started coming in. That’s also the reason why I stayed in the band longer than I intended, as after the record was finished, things were said and done to which I took great exception, but I just couldn’t detach myself from those songs. Let’s call it vanity…</p>
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<strong>2008: it’s finally here: ‘Marooned on Samsara’, </strong><strong>Ahráyeph</strong><strong>’s debut. I’ve come to understand it was a difficult undertaking, because even though you had a band, you’ve recorded a lot of it by yourself. How happy were you with this album?</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">
I was happy that the album was released and got the opportunity to do so via D-Monic. Contrary to what you often hear, I’ve never had any complaints about the label that released ‘Samsara’. They’ve always treated me fairly and stuck to the contract and the agreements we made. It’s just unfortunate they weren’t able to provide tour support because they weren’t big enough to do that. I’m sure they would have if they could have. That could’ve made a difference.</p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gq_QBgpbLtg" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br />
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<strong>2008: I’ve only seen you live once, at a gig promoted by Bunkerleute at the Lido (Leuven, BE). You still had a band back then, now you’re doing everything on your own. Is there still a chance you’ll be playing live again with </strong><strong>Ahráyeph</strong><strong>?</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">
That chance is definitely still there, but unfortunately, with the times being the way they are, it’s not the right time to start organising that. I’d have to find new musicians to accompany me, organise rehearsals, find a booking agency… As long as the pandemic rolls on and the uncertain times for artists continue, I don’t think it’s the right time to put all of that in motion, even if the desire to play live definitely exists. I’ve not played live for much too long and it’s something I always loved. After my first European tour with Ancient Rites, I knew I was born to be on the road, as exhaustive as it can be. I came back from that tour completely drained, but after just one night’s sleep in my own bed, I was ready and willing to jump back on the tour bus and do another ten days straight. That says it all. I come alive when I’m onstage, even if I don’t talk much or at all between songs. That’s not arrogance: my songs are my way of communicating with the audience, what more do you need to add to that? But I’d really love to do that again. If there are any interested musicians out there: you can always contact me through the band’s official Facebook page.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj8NPuzMjO2xS9AtaFIedDoJaHhb_G_mejeZ_XTaLiaGtiB8SY9951P-IG0PU0Y6ORmJq-nliikU8eXn8Qck-YghQ9B-dd9Ij521G-egEP4MdQ8C_jbRn6PJ4Ls8zEWewekBSwiapm5vVwa7yhzkCLd9PcF0jzKzG59EyoCc99WlU9x-L-PP2dOgp7p=s650" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="647" data-original-width="650" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj8NPuzMjO2xS9AtaFIedDoJaHhb_G_mejeZ_XTaLiaGtiB8SY9951P-IG0PU0Y6ORmJq-nliikU8eXn8Qck-YghQ9B-dd9Ij521G-egEP4MdQ8C_jbRn6PJ4Ls8zEWewekBSwiapm5vVwa7yhzkCLd9PcF0jzKzG59EyoCc99WlU9x-L-PP2dOgp7p=s320" width="320" /></a><strong>2013: You get the diagnosis of having Autism Spectrum Disorder. On the one hand, you’re extremely intelligent, on the other you have issues with things that are mere afterthoughts to the average person. Do you think this disorder had an impact on your work with </strong><strong>Ahráyeph</strong><strong>?</strong></p>
<p></p><div style="text-align: justify;">Without a shadow of a doubt. Everything I do, right or wrong, is being determined by my disorder. It’s only when I got that diagnosis, that I started to realise how deep the impact of it has been on everything I’m doing and everything I’ve experienced.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />Allow me to say that I think it important to be open about my A.S.D. Some people, even fellow musicians, have tried to pressure me and told me I shouldn’t, but especially in times like these and after everything I’ve been through, it’s important to me to be able to be who I am. And I’ve also always supported other people in their quest to be who they are. I was bullied in high school, my family looked down on me… I ended up with bouts of prolonged severe depression and an extremely negative self-image because of that; I constantly hit the walls of my own boundaries, I was (and still am) considered a weirdo because I react in a raw and unfiltered way to everything, something I still often do because unfortunately, it’s beyond my control. I’ve been hurt, but I also have hurt, sometimes without realising just how much. There are certain relationships where, in hindsight, I have to admit I can’t hold it against those women that they ended them, because due to the combination of my autistic nature with those depressions and their ensuing self-esteem issues, I treated them less than they were worth. At the same time, I’ve also been easy prey for women who didn’t have my best interests at heart, due to my A.S.D. That’s how a song like, say, ‘Lilith’ came into being. Since my diagnosis and the therapy going along with it, I’ve become (more) aware of my own shortcomings, but just as well of my own boundaries, and that helps. Ahráyeph, in that sense, has always been an outlet for all these autistic experiences and observations. Ahráyeph is my self therapy. I certainly am not the only one in the music scene in that respect. And speaking of that self-esteem : it’s a lot better now. I don’t hate myself anymore, but the emotional damage I’ve accumulated over four decades has left an indelible imprint on me. It can’t be helped, but fortunately, I have Ahráyeph to help me deal with that.</div><p></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">
Practically speaking, my A.S.D. has also interfered with Ahráyeph and cost me many an opportunity, because I am, after all, who I am and the disorder is an integral part of my personality, even if I am, obviously, more than just my disorder. I am simply unable to turn it off. It’s always there and that’s often tiring, even for me. And when it comes to interpersonal dynamics, it’s never easy to deal with other people. I’m extremely detailed and hence very verbose (for example: it’s not easy for me to keep my answers to your questions concise, because I want to paint as detailed a picture as possible, which is, of course, impossible), am always striving for perfection and hence am not making it easy on myself as well as others. And at the same time, I have zero tolerance for laziness, manipulative behaviour, and selfishness. When it comes to band dynamics, those were too often the causes for rifts, not just in Ahráyeph, for that matter.</p>
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<strong>2015: It takes seven years before there’s a follow up to ‘Marooned on Samsara’, a delay caused in part by a serious burn out. Nevertheless, ‘AnimAElegy’ is a real gem. This time you record everything yourself, except for guest musicians on drums and keyboards. Are you still proud of this album?</strong></p>
<p></p><div style="text-align: justify;">Definitely. I have to correct you, though: Ness was not a guest musician, but a band member in Ahráyeph’s last live line up. It’s too bad she, too, had to give priority to her job, because she was without a doubt the Ahráyeph band member who meant the most to me, both on a personal and a musical level. I still miss working with her.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Getting back to ‘AnimAElegy’ then, I feel that it’s a step up from ‘Samsara’, even if my observation is that the debut struck a chord with a few people, more than this album or the releases that followed. Even so, when it comes to song writing, production and also lyric writing, I’m more than happy with ‘AnimAElegy’. Aside of ‘Desert Songs’ - which apparently is too long - all of my albums, E.P.s and songs are now on all streaming services, which makes me hope ‘AnimAElegy’ can burrow its way into the dark hearts of listeners a bit more that way, because I really think it deserves it.</div><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7HaXMcsQRA0" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p>
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<strong>2016: You release the 'Desert Songs'-E.P., building on the work of </strong><strong>Robin Proper-Sheppard - a man who you happen to know personally - and his band The God Machine. Can you elaborate on the inspiration behind the ep?</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjayFJ98ueZgj0fL8hpYsjs_Vhhsmo3AtIpTEzn9xelo29jHEkzkG2QM8mLB62pSLDSERhjEGBJNrw20gJofjOQsr5KsK0AATcbE1xspJTf9v_6BT_xTndwYw1arX09HpSyuTapHAXqQUvkcgjsNEJVjnQr44TqOA5AMzlqhYMZrn5EnIYr81D5bYSI=s650" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="650" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjayFJ98ueZgj0fL8hpYsjs_Vhhsmo3AtIpTEzn9xelo29jHEkzkG2QM8mLB62pSLDSERhjEGBJNrw20gJofjOQsr5KsK0AATcbE1xspJTf9v_6BT_xTndwYw1arX09HpSyuTapHAXqQUvkcgjsNEJVjnQr44TqOA5AMzlqhYMZrn5EnIYr81D5bYSI=s320" width="320" /></a> I wouldn’t say I was building on Robin and his previous band’s work necessarily with this E.P. The God Machine are, as you know, a big influence of mine, but I’ve only borrowed that title, because when I was writing the songs, they evoked a desert like atmosphere in me. My mother, who is by no means a fan, observed a couple of times that I ‘write cinematic music’ and when it comes to ‘Desert Songs’ in particular, I do agree with that assessment. While I was composing, I kept envisioning scenes of big sand dunes, red evening skies with a sun setting on a horizon trembling from the heat, caravans ploughing through the sands, trying to reach an oasis and nightly desert skies lit up by stars and planets.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">
On the other hand, I was living through that burn out you just mentioned at the time. How I felt back then was described perfectly in the title track of prog metal band Queensrÿche’s fifth album, ‘Promised Land’: ‘Life’s been like dragging feet through sand and never finding a Promised Land’. Queensrÿche may at first glance not be a band you’d listen to as a goth (even if ‘The Mission’ and ‘Suite Sister Mary’ on ‘Operation:Mindcrime’ are early examples of what later would become ‘gothic metal’), but this album has a very dark and sullen vibe. It’s more Pink Floyd than heavy metal, but that makes the album all the better to me, and the title track is really very dark and depressing. Everything being described in it could have come from my own life back then, so that came to mind when I was working on ‘Desert Songs’. Thanks to the image of someone ploughing through sand and not getting anywhere, I got the idea to use that title and write lyrics in the same vein, which was surprisingly easy. I feel they are among my best lyrics, if not my best. The book ‘What Dreams May Come’ was also a source of inspiration. I remain convinced it also was the main inspiration behind Carl McCoy’s lyrics on the Fields of the Nephilim album ‘Elizium’. I had just reread the book and was riffing on the concept of the ‘Summerland’, the dimension in between death and the next reincarnation, so that’s part of it as well.</p>
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<strong>2016: With ‘Desert Songs’ you also announce a temporary hiatus to </strong><strong>Ahráyeph</strong><strong>. You want to concentrate on your metal project, Trans World Tribe, with singer Staci Heaton. The band releases an E.P. and a single in 2016, but fades into obscurity thereafter. What happened?</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">
In short: just like Ness, Staci decided to give priority to her career. She works for the Californian government, where she is part of the environmental and agrarian department. She’s also married (her husband Brian recently co-authored the very first biography on the aforementioned Queensrÿche) and is raising a daughter. That all these things take precedence over a music project is something I completely understand. On the other hand, she’s a very talented singer and it’s a pity I can also no longer work with her. But Trans World Tribe isn’t dead, just hibernating. I don’t yet know when or how, but there will be a follow up. I still have plenty of demos and song ideas lying around to work with, so there’s no shortage of material for the future.</p>
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<strong>2018: You release the ‘Heavy like the ancient sun’ album, an homage to your deceased friend James Blaast!™. What was your motivation behind that?</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">
James was, without exaggeration, my best friend. Our friendship was completely mutual, something I can’t say of many other people. It’s hard to explain why our friendship was so special… It just clicked from the first moment we met. It was as if we’d known each other our entire lives. That in itself wasn’t obvious, because as everyone who knew him can attest to, James wasn’t always the easiest person to get along with. He was very outspoken and didn’t mince words to the point where if his words had actually been meat, he could provide the whole of Scotland with prime, unminced beef for years. He also had no issues writing off people when he was done with them for whichever reason. Even I butted heads with him a few times because he crossed the line. But contrary to where he’d stick to his guns with other people, he’d always make the effort to make amends and respect my boundaries. He even told me so in no uncertain terms the last time this happened, and he kept that promise until the day he died. That’s the way he was. On the other hand, James was the most loyal friend a person could’ve had. He never thought twice about giving me a Facetime call and if I took too long to do so myself, I’d get a good natured ‘ERSE!’ in my mailbox, signalling it was high time for me to return the favour. Those calls turned into one- or two-hour conversations, sometimes twice that.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">
He also was very patient with me. If, for example, I had a bad day and kept that from him, he wouldn’t say anything about it, but, almost always successfully, tried to make me laugh, after which he subtly - yes, he could be subtle - let me know he knew something was wrong with me. The man knew how to handle raising my spirits without being intrusive. That’s real friendship. I thought I knew a lot when it came to music, but James, generous as he was in sharing his musical knowledge, taught me a lot more still. His knowledge of music was vast and his love for music even greater. It was all encompassing, especially where it concerned prog rock, goth and metal. The fact that I know Chameleons’ ‘Script Of The Bridge’ is entirely his merit, because this band wasn’t on my radar back in the 80’s.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">
He also was a graphic designer, something I later became too, in part due to the things I learned from him. I owe my diploma in part to him. He also managed to pass on his love for his hometown, Glasgow, to me. I love that city; I love its mentality and the people who live there and its good and bad aspects. James and I always addressed each other in ‘Weegie’, the Glaswegian accent, which I’ve since made my own, even if my command of it may have waned since I’m unable to talk to James anymore, like we did up until two days before he died. James was my brother from another mother and he and his mum Molly, who died about eighteen months after him, were fantastic people to have known. James also was Ahráyeph’s No.1 fan. It was he who bestowed the ‘prog goth’ label on Ahráyeph. He even came to Belgium to attend Ahráyeph’s very first live gig. His support was unconditional, even if he could be critical when he felt it was needed, which was also something I always appreciated. So why would I not honour his memory in a way he would have found fitting, with music?</p>
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<strong>2018: You release a reworked version of ‘Marooned on Samsara’ digitally. All songs were re-recorded. Were you that dissatisfied with the original recordings?</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">
I was, actually. In the interim, my knowledge of music production had improved exponentially, and I also had better tools to implement them. I’m speaking in particular of the speakers I was using, the right studio speakers, which are different from hi fi speakers, make a huge difference. It’s something I learned empirically. All of a sudden, I didn’t have to work as hard to get a good mix, because I had a clearer sonic picture to work from. Additionally, the CD version of the album was sold out and no longer available. This made me feel it was the right time to re-record it and right a few wrongs. On top of that, I had a run in on Youtube with an American publishing company who, as part of my deal with D-Monic, had gotten their hands on the rights to my songs for the duration of the contract. I was warned I had no right to publish my own songs on the platform. Even though the rights reverted back to me after three years and I once again retained full ownership to the songs, I felt it prudent to re-record the album and re-register the songs, so I would keep the author- and publishing rights, so things like that would never happen to me again. People seldom realise it, but there’s a lot of administration involved when it comes to making music professionally, and if you’re not careful, there can be big consequences.</p>
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<strong>2020: You announce the ‘Heaven No. 7’-E.P. as an inbetween release to make up for the long wait for the next album. I do like it, and was especially impressed by the profound lyrics. Can you tell me how you handle writing lyrics for </strong><strong>Ahráyeph</strong><strong>?</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">
Ooff, that’s a question that often gets asked, just like ‘how do you write your songs?’, and for which there is no simple answer, really. As I’ve already mentioned, my lyrics deal with my own experiences and observations. I would, however, like to write something from a different perspective down the line, even something fictional and I already have come up with a few ideas, which may even be used for Trans World Tribe, but in Ahráyeph, I mainly am addressing my own life and emotions, not least because, as I mentioned before, Ahráyeph is my outlet and therapy.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">
Something I do try to avoid, is to become political in my songs. I did make an exception to that rule during the repulsive Trump era and the events of January 6th. That’s how the song ‘Superspreaders’ ended up on ‘Heaven No.7’. The man is Roman emperor Nero incarnate and you can take that literally. Anyone going through the effort of checking out the Wikipedia page on that emperor can’t get around the often shocking similarities. Only, Nero didn’t have social media to spout his poison. But other than that, you shouldn’t expect any politically inspired songs from me, except if there would be a neo nazi and fascist takeover in this country and in Europe. That must be resisted by any means, even musical ones.</p>
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What’s always been really important to me where Ahráyeph’s lyrics are concerned, is that they work. I have a very allegorical and metaphorical style of writing, often laced with references to other songs, authors and metaphysics. That’s not just due to my literary and musical influences, but also to me not being good at writing ‘direct’ lyrics, in which I express myself in a more explicit manner, like, for instance, Robin Proper-Sheppard. If I write like that, it ends up in clichés and schmaltz and it ends up sounding fake. Whereas when he does it, I instantly believe what he’s singing. I once told him I consider him an impressionistic writer, both in the God Machine and in Sophia. It’s a craft and he possesses that craft, I don’t. Furthermore, I just don’t want to be a copy of anyone else. I’ve searched long and hard to find my own literary ‘voice’, another reason why that Crucifire demo makes me break out in hives of shame, because those lyrics were, for the most part, really bad, with a few nuggets here and there. The irony of it all is that, right after I finished that demo, I did start finding that unique literary voice to express myself through. It still wasn’t easy, but at least I found the right angle to express myself in my very own way.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=203825946/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/track=1974708459/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 120px; width: 100%;"><a href="https://ahrayeph.be/album/heaven-no-7-e-p">Heaven No.7 E.P. by Ahráyeph</a></iframe>
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<p style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>2021: The ‘XXV’-E.P. is supposed to celebrate 25 years of </strong><strong>Ahráyeph</strong><strong>. It contains three songs, a Depeche Mode cover among them. How important was it for you to celebrate this symbolic anniversary?</strong></p>
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A little, haha. Twenty-five years is a milestone, and it doesn’t suck to emphasise that, does it? It doesn’t really feel like twenty-five years to me and to be honest, it’s not as if I’ve had it on my mind for this entire year. It’s just that by the end of last Summer, I looked back on my career and realised it’s been twenty-five years since Jo, Peter, David, Raf, Geert and I got together in that rehearsal shack to become a band and work on songs together. That made it easy for me to couple the release of the ‘XXV’ E.P. with it. Also gave me an easy title, haha.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhDFeVWpLZT13-3xaQJRRyYqcmMLXAPC6fMLj30tiNLG44GyWza7HiGeSc0wIg7VbTEttKRXHXfUgIxURoaSD1IIW2aQwczTe9viWNpMJCX3aQEFysYd0yPoo7sfqSdY0R4ZxJUK6K_YC-uARQNc7sanFOYQ92Zo46knuu7sUFCgZSZv22FJIZ2VpZk=s650" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="650" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhDFeVWpLZT13-3xaQJRRyYqcmMLXAPC6fMLj30tiNLG44GyWza7HiGeSc0wIg7VbTEttKRXHXfUgIxURoaSD1IIW2aQwczTe9viWNpMJCX3aQEFysYd0yPoo7sfqSdY0R4ZxJUK6K_YC-uARQNc7sanFOYQ92Zo46knuu7sUFCgZSZv22FJIZ2VpZk=s320" width="320" /><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">One constant, from the Crucifire demo to that E.P., is that I’ve always recorded cover songs. At that time, it was an English version of the song ‘Laatste Woorden’ (‘Last Words’) by Belgian band De Lama’s, retitled ‘The Hand That Feeds’, for which I wrote completely new lyrics and which I reworked as if it were a Type O Negative song, until now with Depeche Mode’s ‘Never Let Me Down Again’; because I always wanted to cover one of their songs (‘Stripped’ got discarded because I just couldn’t hear myself sing ‘Let me hear you make decisions without your television’ seriously). And since that song had a personal connotation for me, it was an obvious choice, even if I did manage to put in a few musical references to ‘Stripped’ en ‘Clean’ at the end. Funny thing : it was my cover of The Cure’s ‘A Forest’, conceived during the latter Crucifire days, which lay the foundation for what later became the ‘Ahrayeph sound’. The way I arranged it was kind of a light bulb moment which I would use to my advantage from then on, even if it has evolved over the years, because I don’t want to repeat myself.</div>
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<strong>2021: You release the single ‘Bloodletting’ with the promise to release a song from the next record each month. That didn’t prove feasible, but we’d love to hear about the new album you’ve been announcing for a while…</strong></p>
<p></p><div style="text-align: justify;">To be clear: those monthly releases were intended for the monthly ‘Bandcamp Friday’ initiative, which ran until May. But I did indeed struggle with the lyrics and was forced to postpone ‘XXV’s release, which turned out to be for the better in the long run.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As for the fourth album… It’s a bit of a tough one, because I wanted to approach it from a different angle than I usually do. I’ve got a certain concept in mind which I don’t want to disclose much about right now, but it requires me to write all of the lyrics before getting to the music. It’s not the way I work usually, even if there are plenty of Ahráyeph songs which had lyrics before I wrote the music. However, doing that for an entire album doesn’t seem to be all that straightforward, at least not to me. I’ve been struggling with it for a few years now and that’s also the reason why I’m releasing all those E.P.’s: if I’m sitting on songs that don’t fit the concept but are too good to save up for an album, I’d rather release them. Also, and I hate saying this because I love albums; but the album format is gradually losing its importance. Music these days is being - I’m this close to gagging - ‘consumed’ in a more fragmentary manner. Of course, true music lovers, who luckily still exist, will take exception to this statement because they don’t listen this way, but unfortunately, they’re the minority. That’s just the reality of it. I can’t release CD’s or vinyl albums for that minority because it would amount to a huge financial loss, not least due to the lamentable ‘renumeration’ streaming services ‘pay’ artists. It’s less than peanuts. Only Bandcamp, the platform I’m using to release my music, is treating artist fairly. Hence, it’s becomes important for artists to regularly release music and stay relevant and in the public eye, especially during a pandemic like this.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In the meantime, I’m continuing work on the album - I’m currently on hiatus due to my annual ‘hibernation period’ - but I can’t and won’t make any predictions about when it will be released at this moment. Just a few weeks ago, I think I’ve finally found the right way to open the story with and that’s been the thing I’ve been struggling with the most, because I already have several other parts written for other songs. But due to the nature of this concept, it’s essential that I start with Song One and finish with the last song, in order to keep things transparent and orderly for me. But it’s anything but simple, for me anyway, so I’d rather not say anything about it until it’s (nearly) done. But it will eventually be finished and released, that’s for certain, even if there will still be another E.P. coming soon.</div><p></p>
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Ahráyeph: <a href="https://ahrayeph.be/music" target="_blank">bandcamp</a> / <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ahrayephofficial" target="_blank">facebook</a></p>
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<a href="http://www.darkentries.be/nl/interviews/?iid=840" target="_blank">The Dutch version of this interview first appeared on www.darkentries.be.</a></p><iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/track=2898602911/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 120px; width: 100%;"><a href="https://ahrayeph.be/track/bloodletting">Bloodletting by Ahráyeph</a></iframe>
</div>xheviourmachinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11836083167873978543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8537572467710265499.post-19460508963222371402021-11-15T16:45:00.007-08:002021-11-16T03:14:56.954-08:00Whispers In The Shadow: I’m not a conservative songwriter and I’m not interested in the status quo. I’m interested in progress.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Whispers In The Shadow exists for 25 years, and that should be celebrated. A new compilation is out: ‘Gilding The Lily’, which consists partly of new recordings of the best songs from the past quarter century. The band has undergone a serious evolution during that period, and you can read all about it in the conversation we had with front man Ashley Dayour. Together, we discussed the entire career of this psychedelic wave rock group, the highs and lows and the permanent search for innovation. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b>Hi Ashley. We’re celebrating 25 years of Whispers In The Shadow this year. So, happy birthday. I suppose you were born out of the goth scene in Vienna. How was this scene at the time? What attracted you to it? </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><span style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Thanks a lot. Originally, I’m not from Vienna. I grew up at the countryside far from the big city so to speak - if you can call Vienna a big city. So, I wasn’t really part of any scene really. Of course, the music was influenced by the sound of guitar driven wave and goth bands but the little gothic scene we had and have in Vienna got nothing to do with it. I also must add I’m not a big club fanatic, never was. I don’t go out much and I don’t know a lot of people. So, I can’t really say much about the scene back then, and the same goes for the goth scene now. It’s small, but always has been active. And there’s a few people who really keep it alive and just don’t stop doing so, which is admirable. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijqpAC8cVnFNNBr2TdoYpzrrXG5vRLKuDYu-A4sncrPbQG79I7bY_nAPHNSpv6x3QA3TMr16oUAkRYhBdw9TfcMOENVnnNbS5ufXQ4nFX6Jh9Eo1aS-PmdUvaECY9poANcXk1nX0eIRjk/s2000/Ashley+Dayour+1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1333" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijqpAC8cVnFNNBr2TdoYpzrrXG5vRLKuDYu-A4sncrPbQG79I7bY_nAPHNSpv6x3QA3TMr16oUAkRYhBdw9TfcMOENVnnNbS5ufXQ4nFX6Jh9Eo1aS-PmdUvaECY9poANcXk1nX0eIRjk/s320/Ashley+Dayour+1.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b style="text-align: left;">The first cassettes were released in 1996. It seems that you were Whispers In The Shadow, playing all the instrument. What should we remember from this period? Can you recall how you started Whispers In The Shadow? </b></div></span></div></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">I was also playing in a band called Sanguis Et Cinis at the time but got a little frustrated how things were moving with them. I just wanted to play the music I was actually listening to. There was no place for that sound with Sanguis Et Cinis, so I decided to record something more or less on my own. The first demos were 4-track-recordings we recorded in my bedroom at my parent’s place when I was still living there. I was very young, it was more than one lifetime ago, actually. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">I wasn’t really satisfied with the first demo, but the second one was more to my liking. It was the one who got me a record deal. So within just a couple of months we had a deal and a few months later we were in a professional recording studio. We were lucky. Funnily enough only three Songs from that demo made it onto the final album. ‘Face’, ‘Rain’ and ‘Crying Eyes’, the rest were all new songs we wrote afterwards, and they sounded very different from the original Demo tape. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">I still remember the confused faces of the label executives when they came into the studio to listen to what we’ve recorded thus far. They said something like, ‘Hmm that wasn’t on the demo, wasn’t it?’. They repeated that sentence after every song, and of course I was aware of the slightly more concerned faces after each track. Within a couple of months, we changed a lot. But the record did well enough. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b>On the first two albums of Whispers In The Shadow – ‘Laudanum’ from 1997 and ‘November’ from 1999 – the band grew to become a trio with Richard Lederer, known from Die Verbannten Kinder Evas, Weltenbrand and Sanguis Et Cinis; and Zebo Adam, who has rejoined the band last year and is a well-known producer in Vienna. How did they join the band then and how was is to work with those people? </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">It was clear to me that I wanted to play live. Obviously, I couldn’t play all the instruments at once, and what’s the fun in touring alone? I knew Richard from Sanguis Et Cinis, so I just asked him if he wanted to be in the band. And Zebo was and still is a very close friend of mine, he’s been with the band ever since, not always as a member, but as a very close adviser and/or producer. I remember these first shows very well. Was good fun, some of them anyway, others not so much. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b>The first albums were very influenced by ‘Pornography’-style The Cure. If I’m not mistake, you also had this ‘big hair’-cut that is often associated with Robert Smith. Did it bother you to be compared with The Cure?</b> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">At the beginning it did not. Because that was what I wanted to do. Take on where The Cure left in 1982 and write songs which had that sort of space and darkness. Thing was, you have to know The Cure was pretty much out of fashion in the mid 90’s. They didn’t have the ‘God like’ status they have now. I mean, nowadays their influence can be heard in pretty much every guitar sound from every post punk band around the planet.
So back then we created a sound which was totally against what people thought was cool. The same goes for the look. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">But I didn’t care much to be honest. Later on, with our third (‘A Taste Of Decay’) and especially our fourth album (‘Permanent Illusions’), when we expanded our sound and experimented more, it started to bother me a bit when the press still reduced us to that Cure-ish sound.
Today I really don’t care at all. I love The Cure, they are part of my musical DNA, as is David Bowie by the way. I just don’t give a damn anymore. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Just recently one guy called me a Peter Murphy clone. He was the first! And surprisingly so. But you see people always need to compare you to other things. I couldn’t care less. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7X-UKlSVaTU" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b>‘A Taste Of Decay’ saw the band expanding, and offered a more direct rock sound. How did this switch happen? </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">After two albums which explored the dark wave sound in full, I just wanted to do something different. I always have been interested in changes and other perspectives. I’m not a conservative songwriter and I’m not interested in the status quo. I’m interested in progress. We wanted to be a rock band so we got us a real drummer and became a ‘real’ band. The line-up changed completely. That album has a few fantastic songs on it, like ‘Nothing Stays Forever’ which is sort of a quintessential Whisper In The Shadow song.
The production wasn’t very good though. It was our first recording with a real drummer.
It’s a very naïve record, and somehow that might even be sort of its strength.
The new versions we did for ‘Gilding The Lily’ from two of these tracks - ‘Nothing Stays Forever’ and ‘A Taste Of Decay’ - show the actual potential. I also have to point out we really became a band at this stage with Fork on Bass and Martin ‘Acid’ Gutmann on keys, who is still in the band and who produced our last couple of records with me. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b>The next album, ‘Permanent Illusions’ from 2001, is a further step forward. It offered a more psychedelic sound which earned you the title of ‘goth floyd’, and a first taste of mythological references, in this case to the legend of Pandora. You worked with the Austrian writer Thomas Havlik for the concept, didn’t you? How did this collaboration work? </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Yeah, that was the start of a difficult time and we bit too much of what we could chew. ‘Permanent Illusions’ was a very ambitious thing and only parts of it succeeded, to be honest. Thomas did write a story around some ideas I had. But the story wasn’t ready when the album came out. I think the problem was we were a bit too spaced out at the time. Nevertheless it has some great songs on it. ‘Pandoras Calling’ became a stable live favorite for quite some time. And yes you are right, our ongoing fascination with mythological themes started there. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZCdnkxdwR_G48KVwsNyFkvrLZcrrW9XU50KEqJ6-5pe0BWehQOvxKApq7XaSuwzkzjoaWq_vpveLwKZW8whpsv3tS7f_iwv9ndoH03xQo4LRpVVkodP05_V13CFDPw7LZG68_8q8JUCc/s2000/Ashley+Dayour+2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="2000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZCdnkxdwR_G48KVwsNyFkvrLZcrrW9XU50KEqJ6-5pe0BWehQOvxKApq7XaSuwzkzjoaWq_vpveLwKZW8whpsv3tS7f_iwv9ndoH03xQo4LRpVVkodP05_V13CFDPw7LZG68_8q8JUCc/s320/Ashley+Dayour+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b>A long silence followed between ‘Permanent Illusion’ in 2001 and the live album ‘A Cold Night’ in 2007. You said in an earlier interview that this period almost saw the band disappear. What were the difficulties and how did you overcome them? </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">‘Permanent Illusions’ didn’t do well, neither with fans nor with the press. I was frustrated.
Also, the band fell apart. There were private matters which were complicating things. The typical near 30 years of age crises. We also tried different directions. But nothing really worked. We recorded a whole album and tried to get our feet on the ground again. Parts of that album were released on the compilation release ‘Borrowed Nightmares And Forgotten Dreams’. Other parts remain unreleased to this very day.
How did we overcome this phase? We finally found a direction which felt right. I began to have a clearer vision of what I wanted to do. And we also got us a new record deal. Within a year or so everything fell into place again. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b>The next big step must have been 2008, when you started a series of records around occult themes, a four-part cycle: ‘Into the Arms of Chaos’ in 2008, ‘The Eternal Arcane’ in 2010, ‘The Rites Of Passage’ in 2012 and ‘Beyond the Cycles of Time’ in 2014. Each album treats another alchemic state. In total, you have worked more than seven years on occult themes. The references to Austin Osman Spare and other occult writers are legion on these records. What did inspire you in their work? </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">I always was fascinated with Magick and Occult themes, and I wanted to get that into the music. However, it all began with the movie The Fountain from director Darren Aronofsky. That movie changed a lot of things. Overnight, I dived deeper into the subjects of that movie. So, the changes for me were obvious. I learned about the usual subjects, Spare, Crowley, etc. and that influenced my lyrics and music. And it worked. We were back. A resurrection! We also became a five-piece around that time. With Lazy Schulz on guitar our sound became much richer, especially live. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">When I had the idea of writing 4 albums with these themes, I knew that this would be a lot of work to stay focused and explore that path to the end. After that fourth ‘occult’ album It took a couple of years to actually write songs again. Because clearly all was said and done with the that old direction. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Tb4Qc_oJqo0" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b>‘The Urgency Of Now’ in 2018 saw you taking another turn: more direct rock and more political themes. Did the reaction of the public fulfil your expectations? </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Just a few days ago, there was a review of ‘Gilding The Lily’ and the critique pointed out that ‘The Urgency Of Now’ is her favorite album. That happens a lot. When it first came out, I didn’t realize people liked it that much, or maybe it was a slow grower.
We were one of the first bands of our genre who went more political. It was about time.
And it certainly wasn’t expected from us. It’s a good album. Especially lyric wise.
It was written pretty fast. It’s an album driven by hate but equally so by hope.
I think that’s why it resonates a bit more with people. Because its themes are more universal. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b>On ‘Yesterday Is Forever’, the record from 2020, the music is more diverse than ever before, in my opinion. Even though you claim not to have started from an overarching theme this time, as you did on the last six albums, I can still see a subject connecting the songs: the relation between past, present and future. Do you agree? </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Yes, you might be right. But that wasn’t planned. It was just something that happened.
And I also agree that it’s our most diverse and kaleidoscopic album. I wanted to show the world and mostly myself that this band is still able to surprise and that we are not done yet. By all means I wanted to do the opposite of a nostalgic “back to the roots” record. Which is something most bands do around that point of their career. That doesn’t mean we will never ever record such a record though. I’m still very happy with that one. I consider it one of our best. By far actually. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir62TBatfLhgahUqeT1Tk1CQhkOZ71DnEZLdX4487LMKDHT_OdQ8Jz0nJBVpnpgoHg07oUgSolDBm3oi_Fld60NNyqwaPjPbIl1TMNVxOyDCIqeLzC-4k-O5CUBdVtqLh23XjRkPjaC9Q/s2000/Ashley+Dayour+3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1333" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir62TBatfLhgahUqeT1Tk1CQhkOZ71DnEZLdX4487LMKDHT_OdQ8Jz0nJBVpnpgoHg07oUgSolDBm3oi_Fld60NNyqwaPjPbIl1TMNVxOyDCIqeLzC-4k-O5CUBdVtqLh23XjRkPjaC9Q/s320/Ashley+Dayour+3.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b>The new record – 'Gilding The Lily. A Retrospective' – is a compilation that was made to celebrate 25 years of Whispers In The Shadow. How difficult was it to select the right songs for the album? What criterions did you use? </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">It was very difficult indeed. If you have over a hundred songs to choose from, that’s not an easy task. My idea was to have at least one and maximum three tracks from each album. Of course, there are songs we had to include: the hits, so to speak. But I also wanted to take the opportunity to dig out some deep cuts, songs that were slightly forgotten or didn’t get the attention they deserved when they first came out. 'Pillowcase' and 'Halous At Dawn' are such songs. </span><span style="text-align: left;">Also, the album is designed as a live set. My idea was to get away from the usual chronological playlists of such records and make it something else. Like a real album, actually. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b>You also chose to make new records of the tracks on ‘Gilding The Lily’. Sometimes you just changed the vocals, sometimes you rerecorded the whole track. Why was that? </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">I wanted it to be coherent in terms of production and sound, so it was obvious we had to re-record the older songs. Also, I’m a way better singer now than I was when we started. So this was a good opportunity to set things straight. And I wanted to make it special, even with the older material. I wanted to do something new.
A lot of songs are updated versions which represent the band in the here and now. Take a song like ‘Back To The Wound’ for example. My vocals now have a different attitude than on the original 10 years ago. That goes for most songs, actually. We also did a new video for ‘Back To The Wound’. It was interesting to create something visual for an almost 10-year-old song, but somehow present it like it would have been on the last album. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b>Finally, when you look back upon these last 25 years… There have been a lot of changes in musical style, in content, also several line-up changes… But Whispers In The Shadow was always there. You always survived. What has made the longevity of the band, and what is the one thing that the output of the band has in common, that defines Whispers In The Shadow? </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">As long as I exist this band will most likely survive. It really is that simple. Of course, I have played with thoughts to call it a day from time to time, but then I think again and realize it’s stupid. I mean, if I would break up the band, we would be back in a couple of years anyway and honestly, I really don’t want to become one of these bands you know. We are way too honest for that. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Musically I think my voice is what defines the band. That’s what makes it Whispers In The Shadow. With all its pro and cons that is. I’m aware that I’m not a spot-on singer. But it is my voice, it got better and it is the one constant. And spiritual wise I would say our consistency is to do what we think is best. We were not always right, by far not. But that was never the point.
Create music I’d like to hear and maybe surprise me and our audience from time to time. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">In the end it comes down to that. That’s why we are still here. That and that feeling when you just played a really good concert. Which is about time again. There are some very interesting shows planed for 2022. Fingers crossed they will finally happen.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Whispers In The Shadow: <a href="http://www.whispersintheshadow.com/" target="_blank">website</a> / <a href="https://whispersintheshadow.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">bandcamp</a> / <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WhispersInTheShadow" target="_blank">facebook</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bQOuLZ77wnw" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNfHiFVIF2XITT7IZN9bQvMnVWSwv5AFEx3LYhj4A3Z12Of08AQbVWp3JLLP2cxzQMK_kN93twA56ZUWiFRmzA_oI_xCMrPR4gvrebZr1Jxjg8oPuQn5XZ_dQ9Du4VgVgomQwau-KJ_Cc/s2000/Ashley+Dayour+4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1333" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNfHiFVIF2XITT7IZN9bQvMnVWSwv5AFEx3LYhj4A3Z12Of08AQbVWp3JLLP2cxzQMK_kN93twA56ZUWiFRmzA_oI_xCMrPR4gvrebZr1Jxjg8oPuQn5XZ_dQ9Du4VgVgomQwau-KJ_Cc/s320/Ashley+Dayour+4.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>xheviourmachinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11836083167873978543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8537572467710265499.post-27076972084781905362021-10-22T02:49:00.003-07:002021-10-22T02:58:49.247-07:00Winterstille: There are two contradicting aspects of individualism: the promise that you can achieve anything and the blaming of the individual for not achieving it. <p style="text-align: justify;">‘Puin van dromen’ (Ruins of dreams), the debut of Winterstille, was released at the end of October 2020, The record offers a mixture of folk, chanson and gothic. Winterstille will present their CD on 12 November in the De Krop in Kampenhout, and they will open the Porta Nigra Autumn Passage on 13 November in Aarschot. Reason enough to dig deeper into the backgrounds of the various songs on ‘Puin van dromen’. By the way, Winterstille consists of two of your servants at Dark Entries: Xavier Kruth on vocals and Gerry Croon who wrote the arrangements. </p><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwvQotl63X6iKadt042ghzuBzyE5srBVGZekr7ocFRf9roiFm9280QdK6D9gDkZODA83nofKfUADfSvST-69ozKkg4kfnztJTDQy8-Px7Nqe9lVwH3rxoA56N6TCpqox0LeEUzRhp6JD8/s600/n-xavier-kruth-crooniek-tour-a-plomb-brussel-26-09-2019-door-luc-luyten-2404-453.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwvQotl63X6iKadt042ghzuBzyE5srBVGZekr7ocFRf9roiFm9280QdK6D9gDkZODA83nofKfUADfSvST-69ozKkg4kfnztJTDQy8-Px7Nqe9lVwH3rxoA56N6TCpqox0LeEUzRhp6JD8/s320/n-xavier-kruth-crooniek-tour-a-plomb-brussel-26-09-2019-door-luc-luyten-2404-453.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><b>Drink nog een glas (Drink One More Glass) </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A drinking song, albeit of a rather melancholic nature. A man goes to the bar, drinks a few beers, talks to strangers, and returns to his house drunk and still lonely afterwards. Alcohol helped to make his life a little easier, if only for a short time. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>If I Would Only Know </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This song is based on the book ‘Die Leiden des jungen Werthers’ by Goethe. It really just covers the story line, and some sentences are even directly taken from the book. A young man is desperately in love with a girl he cannot get, writes about it to a friend and ends up committing suicide. ‘It’s not just me. All people see their dreams vanish, see their hopes crushed, to the ground.’ </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Boze wolven (Big Bad Wolves) </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The big bad wolves in the text are just a metaphor for our daily fears: being lonely, getting old, meeting other people, reactions on Facebook... and perhaps also the fear of loving someone without restraint. So... don't be afraid of the big bad wolves. Gert Kleinpunk made a beautiful homemade video for the song. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Or9IOXKo47s" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Sans rien dire (Without saying anything) </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I was too ambitious for this song. I first wanted to write a requiem for the revolution, then a lullaby for the working class. It finally became a lullaby for a small child, something that has no deeper meaning (hence the title: without saying anything). The adult who calls the child to sleep actually tells her that her dreams will always be more beautiful than reality, so sleep well and make beautiful dreams… Some parts of the text are the adults speaking, other parts are the child dreaming. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTJvAxTnriihbOH_ysILq1Gne-ILgSEqoJKqki5QdTIW-q8FWshTs0Si_T6rfboy9VEVnXLJWSJvIgr88AEmHk0usJlEyU8Hw_VXZzVHn88DdZ-UODKqckQ2yZAk-MYTlUEWplEcjW_gI/s600/n-xavier-kruth-crooniek-tour-a-plomb-brussel-26-09-2019-door-luc-luyten-2404-471.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTJvAxTnriihbOH_ysILq1Gne-ILgSEqoJKqki5QdTIW-q8FWshTs0Si_T6rfboy9VEVnXLJWSJvIgr88AEmHk0usJlEyU8Hw_VXZzVHn88DdZ-UODKqckQ2yZAk-MYTlUEWplEcjW_gI/s320/n-xavier-kruth-crooniek-tour-a-plomb-brussel-26-09-2019-door-luc-luyten-2404-471.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Partizanen van de volle maan (Partisans of the full moon) </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I wrote this song after watching the movie 'Hair', a musical that tells the story of hippies who refused to take part in the Vietnam War. The song is about a hippie commune and the way they don't want to participate in the real world, with its wars, hatred and bigotry. They prefer to live in their dreams. (The title is a reference to the song of the same title by the Russian band Akvarium.) </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>The Shores of Normandy </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The shores of Normandy is a song about the landing in Normandy in 1944 from the perspective of one of the Allied soldiers who took part. I had read a very interesting article about the invasion and saw it as an opportunity to write a text about it. It is also influenced by Eric Boggle's famous anti-war songs, such as "Green Fields Of France" and "The Band Played Waltzing Mathilda", which is why you can hear Irish and Scottish patterns in the music. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG128oGn1H98hlD_XOkGtPgL3aieu82YkddXA0fQDKWi5tPrqbO2jZTVx90_9RfsXvn0iuaxMXI9Z_szyq-8znOWOB80V1oMQ__x2P5OhqqFR71tk2-BSoh7PbF_t5JfsMRgxSsIlP3hE/s600/n-xavier-kruth-crooniek-tour-a-plomb-brussel-26-09-2019-door-luc-luyten-2404-462.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG128oGn1H98hlD_XOkGtPgL3aieu82YkddXA0fQDKWi5tPrqbO2jZTVx90_9RfsXvn0iuaxMXI9Z_szyq-8znOWOB80V1oMQ__x2P5OhqqFR71tk2-BSoh7PbF_t5JfsMRgxSsIlP3hE/s320/n-xavier-kruth-crooniek-tour-a-plomb-brussel-26-09-2019-door-luc-luyten-2404-462.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>Eric Boggle's songs sing about the First World War, which is easier to classify as a total waste of young life in the name of a fanatical elite. The subject of the Second World War is more ambiguous, as I believe that it was right to fight against the Nazis. But since I didn't want my song to be a glorification of war, I decided that the protagonist of the song should die on the beach, as a reminder that war is always a terrible thing that wretches millions of lives. The orchestrations of Gerry work out great on this song, and we have also included some authentic sound excerpts from the landing in Normandy. <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Und sie tanzten (And They Danced) </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Gerry wrote the music to this piece already in 2004. Thus, it is the oldest song on 'Puin van dromen' (Rubble of Dreams) and is off course very influenced by the early work of Lacrimosa, and to a lesser intent by bands as Goethes Erben and Sopor Aeternus. Gerry asked me if I could write a text in German for the piece. I decided to delve deeper into the meaning of the song, which is a tribute to the goth scene of the nineties. When I was in Waregem to attend the W-Festival in 2019 – one of the great wave festivals in Belgium – I happened to stroll past the Steeple, a great place where many Gothic parties and concerts used to take place. It is now replaced by apartments. That was the basic idea for the song: someone remembers the big parties that are no longer part of his life. The song contains references to Lacrimosa and Goethes Erben, and even to some obscure songs of the former DDR. As we got nice feedback to this song, we decided to make a video about it. We recorded it on an old brickyard in Boom, as in the Saint Stephanus Church in Nederokkerzeel, where an old Wauters organ from the beginning of the 18th century has a prominent place. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2BoUUdmlMhY" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Vrij zinnig lied (Free Thinking Song) </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It started out as a reply to a friend of mine who wrote in an article that the free human will doesn’t exist, something that I vehemently disagreed with. The song turned out to be a deeper reflection on individualism. In the first part of the song, the protagonists claims that they can become whatever they want in their life, that they can make all their dreams come true. In the second part of the song, they are confronted with the fact that they didn’t reach their goals, and that they as individuals are entirely to blame for this. These are two contradicting aspects of individualism: the promise that you can achieve anything and the blaming of the individual for not achieving it. At the same time, the song is still an individualist call to never conform to the masses. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigpnl0Tgi5Xj0yMyoEwHKFlAWhW5P6zyiukOMKcm64eKxVKO954TKON9GNiPoC0vBVo0zCTkfrjXfq9dOmpoi1uzEWFjgF3gSuLt-Ln8u7k_SPVdDUmO1ZqoQPWIPsudQMAdV5w1P49Fs/s600/n-xavier-kruth-crooniek-tour-a-plomb-brussel-26-09-2019-door-luc-luyten-2404-454.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigpnl0Tgi5Xj0yMyoEwHKFlAWhW5P6zyiukOMKcm64eKxVKO954TKON9GNiPoC0vBVo0zCTkfrjXfq9dOmpoi1uzEWFjgF3gSuLt-Ln8u7k_SPVdDUmO1ZqoQPWIPsudQMAdV5w1P49Fs/s320/n-xavier-kruth-crooniek-tour-a-plomb-brussel-26-09-2019-door-luc-luyten-2404-454.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>Egmont Park </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I wrote this song after watching a TV show about Charles Aznavour. I am strongly influenced by French chanson and singers like Aznavour, Yves Duteil and Renaud. In this program, Aznavour sang his song ‘Comme ils disent’, which was praised in the 1970s for breaking the taboo around homosexuality. But I saw it as a story about loneliness in the big city. My solitude song is about an old woman who goes to the park – I thought it would be nice to refer to the beautiful Egmont Park in Brussels – and talks to strangers about her life and – perhaps more important – dreams. ‘But who cares if they’re true or not, these dreams are all I have ever got.’ </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Als ik mijn leven overschouw (When I Look Back Upon My life) </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A very existential song about someone who looks back on his life and realizes that his dreams did not come true. He comforts himself in the idea that one day his life will come to an end. Great orchestrations by Gerry make this song a highlight on the disc.
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
Winterstille: <a href="https://www.winterstille.be" target="_blank">website</a> / <a href="https://wool-e-discs.bandcamp.com/album/wed078-puin-van-dromen-folk-chanson-goth" target="_blank">bandcamp</a> / <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Winterstille-101127277967529" target="_blank">facebook</a>
<p>
<a href="https://be.ticketgang.eu/orgFrameSaleNew.php?org=2701#" target="_blank">12/11/2021: CD-presentation 'Puin van dromen', zaal De Krop, Kampenhout, 20u</a></p>
<p>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/701359534069698" target="_blank">13/11/2021: Porta Nigra festival, De Klinker Aarschot, 16u</a></p>
<p>Pictures: Luc Luyten</p>
<p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-5lwsGWVoQ0" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p>
xheviourmachinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11836083167873978543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8537572467710265499.post-44654499475896389082021-09-27T02:18:00.005-07:002021-09-27T11:54:46.263-07:00The Ultimate Dreamers: Dimitri from Wool-E Discs had learned that I was part of a band in the 80s and asked me to listen.<p style="text-align: justify;">The 80s haven't released all their secrets yet. Take The Ultimate Dreamers. They played on the stages of Lessines and surroundings from 1986 to 1990, but they never released a record. Until now. After a dive into his archives, singer Frédéric Cotton - also known for the Fantastique.Nights concerts and the Club New Wave parties in Brussels - found enough songs to release a record, and it is published by Wool-E Discs and Dans Les Profondeurs. In addition, the group is being reformed and will play several concerts in the coming months, starting with the release concert at the CaliClub in Drogenbos on October 2nd. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-h_6HU1TQln2eeRePO-aIfwu64-LPj6uw9gdNXQ-B3q7XiK82yyd7T8LPEV43oNTj8igvxErbZwwmQBoVpo9Lu4PVfwr9qLjfFV6LoTA0gH8NSCzmQwrHA7fwbT0K73WBVxASz2obmr4/s2048/XMT47808-0-9+by+Xavier+Marquis.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-h_6HU1TQln2eeRePO-aIfwu64-LPj6uw9gdNXQ-B3q7XiK82yyd7T8LPEV43oNTj8igvxErbZwwmQBoVpo9Lu4PVfwr9qLjfFV6LoTA0gH8NSCzmQwrHA7fwbT0K73WBVxASz2obmr4/s320/XMT47808-0-9+by+Xavier+Marquis.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><b><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Hi Frédéric. The Ultimate Dreamers come from Lessines, the city of surrealists René Magritte and Louis Scutenaire. Can you describe the atmosphere that reigned in Lessines in the mid-1980s, and in particular the access you had to music and especially new wave? </b></div></b><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Hi Xavier! Lessines was a small provincial town where there wasn't much going on. Musically, it was pretty deserted, and we were just a small group of friends interested in underground music. There was only one record store and although the owner did what he could, we preferred to go to Brussels or Ghent to buy records or see concerts. Inevitably, dressed in black and with a weird look, we were seen as unapproachable by some small local minds. A classic story, I guess. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>It is in this context that The Ultimate Dreamers was born. How did the group come together? </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">We were still in high school when we created the No Position project, with Joël on drums, Laurent on bass and myself on synth and vocals. Two other guys were also playing synths. We only played two concerts and then Joël, Laurent and I, who had darker tastes, left to create The Ultimate Dreamers. </p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gX0IwCuhgRU" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>If I understood correctly, the band started out as a more synth-focused trio and then evolved to include more guitars. Can you give us more details on this evolution? </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Indeed. At the beginning, we used a rhythm machine, synths but also a very present bass. It was a formula that offered a lot of possibilities. Then Laurent, who was a multi-instrumentalist, took over the drums and we entrusted the bass to a newcomer: Bertrand. A little later, I started playing guitar, which made us evolve towards a harder sound, a little more rock. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>I heard that you have organized your own underground festival in Lessines. How did it fare? </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4rane2dZaHiC8vybQw7XpWFaRoEHGo2yocCCG4QGo3qqeuf6zF7piXvP13yjyMHeuGPbtYWwkIYx9ppbWhYp0foC_fCP04rLMFvK4GSZXKK6Gt428KAnvYkTzwPRRNFnuzmDAHBUtcxM/s2048/XMT47828-0-13+by+Xavier+Marquis.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4rane2dZaHiC8vybQw7XpWFaRoEHGo2yocCCG4QGo3qqeuf6zF7piXvP13yjyMHeuGPbtYWwkIYx9ppbWhYp0foC_fCP04rLMFvK4GSZXKK6Gt428KAnvYkTzwPRRNFnuzmDAHBUtcxM/s320/XMT47828-0-13+by+Xavier+Marquis.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">That's right. As nothing was happening in Lessines, we decided to organize our little festival ourselves. We obviously made the mistakes of beginners and had the foreseeable problems with SABAM (with m as mafia), the police, the municipality, etc. There have been 3 editions of this Summer End Festival, with bands such as Designed To Die, Heaven’s Above, Courtisan Holy or Nijinsky, if I remember correctly. A few people still approach me about it sometimes. </div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>The Ultimate Dreamers ended in 1990. What led to the end of the band? </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Like many other bands, we didn't split up. We should rather speak of a long pause than of an end. Laurent first left us to devote himself to other projects he was leading in parallel, notably with a noisy pop group (it was the beginning of the 90's) called Mosaic Eyes, which had some success. In the process, Bertrand decided to quit for family reasons. After testing a few substitutes without success, I got a little discouraged and focused on my studies. Joël continued with many very varied projects: bands, a label and even a wrestling career! </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Now you are releasing a compilation of The Ultimate Dreamers: ‘Live Happily While Waiting For Death’. If I understand correctly, you took the time during the lockdown to browse your archives for the last remnants of the group. Is it correct? <br /></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY_-drnwYEjDobH59IZzk1-rhyphenhyphen_S_DAW8Y-eibyU87mrYe2JWp1lMQCaTR74A4M-xkYxbOpZAbZodXNFpKKY4bfSBB5h8z0DdcqRKOF-w7IA3Oph1Odo1_o4xi5UwfWPF_VyaHy5Fz6W4/s2048/XMT47863-0-25+by+Xavier+Marquis.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY_-drnwYEjDobH59IZzk1-rhyphenhyphen_S_DAW8Y-eibyU87mrYe2JWp1lMQCaTR74A4M-xkYxbOpZAbZodXNFpKKY4bfSBB5h8z0DdcqRKOF-w7IA3Oph1Odo1_o4xi5UwfWPF_VyaHy5Fz6W4/s320/XMT47863-0-25+by+Xavier+Marquis.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It's almost that. In 1990, I made a little “best of” cassette that had been lying around among my CD's, near my Hi-Fi system. A few years ago, Dimitri (from Wool-E Discs) had learned that I was part of a band and asked me to listen, but I did not follow it up. During the corona crisis, so much happened that I finally decided to digitize the tape. I posted a few snippets on facebook, with amused and interested reactions as a result, and sent them to Dimitri. He quickly suggested that I should release an album, much to my surprise. I then searched to find the original recordings ... </div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>How many songs did you find during your research and how did you select which songs were suitable for release on the disc? </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I found 25 tapes that I quickly digitized and listened to. It was like a trip down memory lane. I didn't count the number of songs but there must have been between 50 and 100. I did a first sorting and then Dimitri and I made a finer selection with the intervention of Bertrand and Joël. Finally, we had the cassettes digitized in a studio, then restored and mastered the selected pieces. </p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uAg4-tPT6hY" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>In addition, you resuscitated the group. Two of the former band members join you with a newcomer to promote the record live. How did you manage to bring these people together? </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1_Co8M9c5nqrAY-7DHj6p5KE27MojI17LJ7YVMEjwQZ86JyvUdHR4gRHWdEpjzfYGM4mbLRKiv7ASMpaE4bw6FgLaeyFVcchmvHcu4Mdcxw6f6BgkdB6kDviTOWdkJWmkaA7X_Ata-hs/s2000/cover+vinyl.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="2000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1_Co8M9c5nqrAY-7DHj6p5KE27MojI17LJ7YVMEjwQZ86JyvUdHR4gRHWdEpjzfYGM4mbLRKiv7ASMpaE4bw6FgLaeyFVcchmvHcu4Mdcxw6f6BgkdB6kDviTOWdkJWmkaA7X_Ata-hs/s320/cover+vinyl.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Bertrand and I still saw each other regularly and I still had contact with Joël and Laurent. Initially, we discussed the record. Then the idea for a release concert came up. Finally, we quickly found the pleasure of playing together. After a few weeks, I contacted Sarah, whose keyboards I had really enjoyed in the Brussels post-punk band The Panties. She agreed to participate. We rehearsed together and the chemistry was there. The Ultimate Dreamers were back. </div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>The sound of the record is very 80's. Did you update some songs to give them a more modern sound live? </b>
</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Our current repertoire is made up of our old compositions. Some are present on the record, others not, because the sound was not good enough. By recreating these pieces, they naturally evolved with a more modern sound, without it being a real purpose. But it’s the reality and it’s pretty good. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Today, you are mostly known as the organizer of Fantastique.Nights concerts and Club New Wave parties. Was it a natural evolution to go from musician to concert organizer? </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">May be. Like I said before, I started organising concerts early on. I continued when I was a student in Mons and then in Brussels. After a few calmer years, I resumed around 2000 when I joined the team of the fanzine Khimaira and the webzine LeFantastique.net (hence the name Fantastique.Nights) as a columnist and then as music manager. Concerts have always fascinated me. The parties mainly have a financial interest, which makes it possible to continue to organize concerts. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQGhzy0QSIpiLGE3jIjZ-JIvJm4vlRiP1ctzhpMFzPZGvKUfkGg8tlryKTTDOpRcIFTv7p8xb1zITbGyshsPC6lpOez_o54-7UuE7q9nwp0XO4hO3KHc4DGrT8XFsAhjfXWZrtXpeEVPs/s800/n-02-10-2021-3310-double-release-show-the-ultimate-dreamers-partikul-dj-sets-afterparty-cali-club-drogenbos-brussels-3310-1-220725.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="577" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQGhzy0QSIpiLGE3jIjZ-JIvJm4vlRiP1ctzhpMFzPZGvKUfkGg8tlryKTTDOpRcIFTv7p8xb1zITbGyshsPC6lpOez_o54-7UuE7q9nwp0XO4hO3KHc4DGrT8XFsAhjfXWZrtXpeEVPs/s320/n-02-10-2021-3310-double-release-show-the-ultimate-dreamers-partikul-dj-sets-afterparty-cali-club-drogenbos-brussels-3310-1-220725.jpg" width="231" /></a></div><b><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>During the pandemic, you also became a public figure as a professor and director of the ULB's medical chemistry laboratory. How did you experience this? </b></div></b><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">We have all lived through an incredible period that has rocked the entire planet in many ways. As a health professional in academia, it has been very stressful at times but also very intense. At one point, faced with the repeated mistakes of certain ministers, I felt the need to react. I wrote an opinion piece in the newspaper Le Soir which made a lot of noise, especially on the French-speaking side, and I found myself projected onto the media scene. This is a situation that brings a lot of problems, ultimately. It’s not just Van Ranst who has attracted dangerous lunatics. Finding The Ultimate Dreamers allowed me to escape the stupidity of conspirators of all kinds (unfortunately quite numerous in the dark scene). </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>If we combine your experience as an organizer and your medical expertise, you must have an opinion on the resumption of concerts and nightlife while the virus is still active. Tell us about it! </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">As an organizer, I was very careful because the successive waves were predictable. Cancellations are demotivating and costly. Now, I am more confident because the general population has good protection thanks to the vaccination. But the crisis is not over. Too many people still refuse useful measures with often stupid arguments. We may still see small waves but nothing comparable to what we experienced in 2020. Temporarily, the Covid Safe Ticket or the COVID Certificate can still be very useful.
</p><p>
<a href="https://www.the-ultimate-dreamers.com/home" target="_blank">The Ultimate Dreamers</a></p>
<p>Band pictures by Xavier Marquis</p><p>Upcoming concerts:</p>
<ul>
<li>
2/10/2021: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/342987327537459" target="_blank">CaliClub, Drogenbos, release concert with Partikul</a></li>
<li>
9/10/2021: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/879140896374330" target="_blank">De Verlichte Geest, Roeselare, with The Mars Model and Subatomic Strangers</a></li>
<li>
27/11/2021: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/320131916489394/" target="_blank">Magasin 4, Bruxelles, Wool-E Fest with The Breath Of Life, Dole, Enzo Kreft, Herrnia and Disorientations</a></li>
<li>
11/12/2021: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/113349730879917" target="_blank">Rock Classic, Bruxelles, with Partikul</a></li>
<li>
15/01/2022: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/519001192758328" target="_blank">B52, Eernegem, with Faust Project et Partikul</a></li>
<li>
5/03/2022: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1839966476172618/" target="_blank">Magasin 4, Bruxelles, with The Legendary Pink Dots</a></li>
</ul>
<p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/R_njDf7edR4" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p>xheviourmachinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11836083167873978543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8537572467710265499.post-35173561498962010282021-09-27T01:47:00.009-07:002021-09-27T11:46:00.535-07:00The Ultimate Dreamers: Dimitri de Wool-E Discs avait appris que j’avais fait partie d’un groupe dans les années 80 et m’avait demandé à écouter<p style="text-align: justify;">Les années 80 n'ont pas encore dévoilés tous leurs secrets. Prenez The Ultimate Dreamers par exemple. Ils ont joué sur les scènes de Lessines et ses environs de 1986 à 1990, mais cela n'a jamais conduit à un disque. Jusqu'à maintenant. Après une plongée dans ses archives, le chanteur Frédéric Cotton - également connu pour les concerts Fantastique.Nights et les soirées Club New Wave à Bruxelles - a trouvé suffisamment de chansons pour sortir un disque, sorti sur Wool-E Discs et Dans Les Profondeurs . De plus, le groupe se reforme pour l'occasion et donnera plusieurs concerts dans les prochains mois, à commencer par la première au CaliClub de Drogenbos le 2 octobre.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW3HHmntcfwRJTeaKjg93v06w7a6NDVHCyp2mWbKfbUL_LMFkqsJqDnLJHJ0-lSJjw-ITazt6faq56jyAdDl4Ae4vEX-w3gLD8oVPoIyILq5eZZcKoHT1J48fwY0t6yp_jY9ztv9zL_t8/s2048/XMT47863-0-25+by+Xavier+Marquis.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW3HHmntcfwRJTeaKjg93v06w7a6NDVHCyp2mWbKfbUL_LMFkqsJqDnLJHJ0-lSJjw-ITazt6faq56jyAdDl4Ae4vEX-w3gLD8oVPoIyILq5eZZcKoHT1J48fwY0t6yp_jY9ztv9zL_t8/s320/XMT47863-0-25+by+Xavier+Marquis.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><b>Bonjour Frédéric. The Ultimate Dreamers sont issus de Lessines, la ville des surréalistes René Magritte et Louis Scutenaire. Peux-tu me décrire l’ambiance qui régnait à Lessines au milieu des années 80, et en particulier l’accès que vous aviez à la musique et surtout la new wave ?</b> </b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div style="text-align: justify;">Bonjour Xavier ! Lessines était une petite ville de province où il ne se passait pas grand-chose. Musicalement, c’était assez désertique et nous n’étions qu’un petit groupe d’amis à nous intéresser à la musique underground. Il n’y avait qu’un disquaire et bien qu’il fît ce qu’il pouvait, nous préférions aller à Bruxelles ou à Gand pour acheter des disques ou voir des concerts. Inévitablement, habillés en noir et avec un look bizarre, nous étions considérés comme des gens peu fréquentables par certains petits esprits locaux. Une histoire classique, je suppose. </div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>C’est donc dans ce contexte que The Ultimate Dreamers a vu le jour. Comment le groupe s’est formé ?
</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Nous étions encore à l’école secondaire quand nous avons créé le projet No Position, avec Joël à la batterie, Laurent à la basse et moi-même au synthé et au chant. Deux autres types jouaient également du synthé. Nous n’avons joué que deux concerts puis Joël, Laurent et moi, qui avions des goûts plus dark, avons pris la tangente pour créer The Ultimate Dreamers. </p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gX0IwCuhgRU" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Si j’ai bien compris, le groupe a commencé en tant que trio plutôt axé sur les synthétiseurs, puis a évolué en incluant plus de guitares. Peux-tu nous donner plus de détails sur cette évolution ? </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">En effet. Au départ, nous utilisions une boîte à rythme, des synthés mais aussi une basse très présente. C’était une formule qui offrait beaucoup de possibilités. Puis Laurent, qui était multiinstrumentiste, a repris la batterie et nous avons confié la basse à un nouveau venu: Bertrand. Un peu plus tard, je me suis mis à la guitare, ce qui nous a fait évoluer vers un son plus dur, un peu plus rock. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCvLDBnw9qx2Ii42Rf3o2G8gFi3gm_IPzn0q2O6a3c_Kb8GR5C4dWP4RLoZBWbKd1HUyMFbT9fbw3wX40yxTosBEsCzXg6_v_l0-15kBqbf475g-9HUxaQ1qTlEi7WCxq8H-lW4FM9MYU/s2048/XMT47828-0-13+by+Xavier+Marquis.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCvLDBnw9qx2Ii42Rf3o2G8gFi3gm_IPzn0q2O6a3c_Kb8GR5C4dWP4RLoZBWbKd1HUyMFbT9fbw3wX40yxTosBEsCzXg6_v_l0-15kBqbf475g-9HUxaQ1qTlEi7WCxq8H-lW4FM9MYU/s320/XMT47828-0-13+by+Xavier+Marquis.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>J’ai entendu que vous avez organisé votre propre festival underground à Lessines. Comment ça s’est passé ? </b></div></b><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">En effet. Comme il ne se passait rien à Lessines, nous avons décidé d’organiser nous-mêmes notre petit festival. Nous avons évidemment fait les erreurs de débutants et avons eu les ennuis prévisibles avec la SABAM (avec m comme mafia), la police, la commune, etc. Il y a eu 3 éditions de ce Summer End Festival, avec des groupes tels que Designed To Die, Heaven’s Above, Courtisan Holy ou Nijinsky, si je me souviens bien. Quelques personnes m’en parlent encore parfois. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>The Ultimate Dreamers s’est arrêté en 1990. Qu’est-ce qui a mené à la fin du groupe ? </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Comme d’autres groupes, nous n’avons pas splitté. Il faut plutôt parler de longue pause que de fin. Laurent nous a d’abord quittés pour se consacrer à d’autres projets qu’il menait en parallèle, notamment avec un groupe noisy pop (c’était le début des 90’s) appelé Mosaic Eyes et qui a eu un certain succès. Dans la foulée, Bertrand a décidé d’arrêter pour des raisons familiales. Après avoir testé quelques remplaçants sans succès, je me suis un peu découragé et je me suis concentré sur mes études. Joël a continué de son côté avec de nombreux projets très variés : des groupes, un label et même une carrière de catcheur !
</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Maintenant, vous sortez une compilation de The Ultimate Dreamers : ‘Live Happily While Waiting For Death’. Si j’ai bien compris, tu as pris le temps pendant le confinement pour parcourir tes archives à la recherche des derniers restants du groupe. Est-ce correct ? </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFVy0f2LBjT6rYGpwMv99V_RqljLa_O0hk_3KjI_PLpf0nBadHnFXK2vvQfzBKSLST2FrjvxLTgMS4yOkd2grzBzhzWtQ7Rt6DUQXw9xzWaDgPKLxX8U_JOmE-rPsEIbOTOGNp55R-NuU/s2048/XMT47808-0-9+by+Xavier+Marquis.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFVy0f2LBjT6rYGpwMv99V_RqljLa_O0hk_3KjI_PLpf0nBadHnFXK2vvQfzBKSLST2FrjvxLTgMS4yOkd2grzBzhzWtQ7Rt6DUQXw9xzWaDgPKLxX8U_JOmE-rPsEIbOTOGNp55R-NuU/s320/XMT47808-0-9+by+Xavier+Marquis.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">C’est presque ça. En 1990, je m’étais fait une petite cassette « best of » qui traînait depuis parmi mes CD’s, près de ma chaîne Hi-Fi. Il y a quelques années, Dimitri (de Wool-E Discs) avait appris que j’avais fait partie d’un groupe et m’avait demandé à écouter mais je n’avais pas donné suite. Pendant la crise sanitaire, il s’est passé tellement de choses que je me suis enfin décidé à digitaliser la cassette. J’ai mis quelques extraits sur Facebook, avec des réactions amusées et intéressées, et les ai envoyés à Dimitri. Il m’a très vite proposé de sortir un album, à ma grande surprise. J’ai alors fait des fouilles pour retrouver les enregistrements originaux… </div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Combien de morceaux as-tu trouvés pendant tes recherches et comment as-tu sélectionné les morceaux qui étaient aptes à sortir sur le disque ? </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">J’ai retrouvé 25 cassettes que j’ai rapidement digitalisées et écoutées. C’était comme un voyage dans le passé. Je n’ai pas compté le nombre de morceaux mais il doit y en avoir entre 50 et 100. J’ai fait un premier tri puis Dimitri et moi avons fait une sélection plus fine avec l’intervention de Bertrand et Joël. Enfin, on a fait digitaliser les cassettes dans un studio, puis restaurer et masteriser les morceaux retenus.
</p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uAg4-tPT6hY" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>De plus, tu as ressuscité le groupe. Deux des anciens membres du groupe te rejoignent avec une nouvelle-venue pour promouvoir le disque en live. Comment as-tu réussi à réunir ces personnes ?</b> </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Bertrand et moi nous voyions encore régulièrement et j’avais encore des contacts avec Joël et Laurent. Initialement, on a discuté du disque. Puis l’idée d’un concert de présentation est venue. Finalement, on a vite retrouvé le plaisir de jouer ensemble. Après quelques semaines, j’ai contacté Sarah dont j’avais beaucoup aimé le jeu aux claviers dans le groupe de post-punk bruxellois Les Panties. Elle a accroché. On a répété ensemble et l’alchimie était là. The Ultimate Dreamers étaient de retour. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Le son du disque est très années 80. Est-ce que vous avez remis à jour certains morceaux pour leur donner un son plus moderne en live ? </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEismYV78n1A0ox8hx1Sp-DJ6RwRll2OiOMbgAbQWcy10MMDatB56tqt-ZzPiPEA6LDj64fCmFe0D6OJp8BjxPB2TJSKUH3HOrpTvSNG0ybngQkg23m__5CAZKKXztyF-6u3-Ukx3JX8TQQ/s2000/cover+vinyl.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="2000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEismYV78n1A0ox8hx1Sp-DJ6RwRll2OiOMbgAbQWcy10MMDatB56tqt-ZzPiPEA6LDj64fCmFe0D6OJp8BjxPB2TJSKUH3HOrpTvSNG0ybngQkg23m__5CAZKKXztyF-6u3-Ukx3JX8TQQ/s320/cover+vinyl.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Notre répertoire actuel est composé de nos anciennes compositions, certaines présentes sur le disque, d’autres pas, car le son n’était pas suffisamment bon. En recréant ces morceaux, ils ont naturellement évolué avec un son plus moderne, sans que ce soit une réelle volonté. Mais c’est la réalité et c’est plutôt bien. </div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Aujourd’hui, on te connait surtout en tant qu’organisateur des concerts Fantastique.Nights et des soirées Club New Wave. Était-ce une évolution naturelle de passer de musicien à organisateur de concert ? </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Peut-être. Comme je l’ai dit précédemment, j’ai en fait commencé à organiser des concerts dès le début. J’ai continué quand j’étais étudiant à Mons puis à Bruxelles. Après quelques années calmes, j’ai repris vers 2000 quand j’ai intégré l’équipe du fanzine Khimaira et du webzine LeFantastique.net (d’où le nom de Fantastique.Nights) comme chroniqueur puis comme responsable musique. Les concerts m’ont toujours passionné. Les soirées ont surtout un intérêt financier qui permet de continuer à monter des concerts.
</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibQuTgti9gkiJLaDdyrtG5EenLNGlmFZns5yQ9DisEp8z6Hk9WM7Hk9_lp7hESueGV2Y-y58YKkrNuK1EjbPlfjz5Q1UAR9PBhO3M2995jBY3eNTGSYoA8tPuBTebsPwk1oRiRJ2bBqlM/s800/n-02-10-2021-3310-double-release-show-the-ultimate-dreamers-partikul-dj-sets-afterparty-cali-club-drogenbos-brussels-3310-1-220725.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="577" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibQuTgti9gkiJLaDdyrtG5EenLNGlmFZns5yQ9DisEp8z6Hk9WM7Hk9_lp7hESueGV2Y-y58YKkrNuK1EjbPlfjz5Q1UAR9PBhO3M2995jBY3eNTGSYoA8tPuBTebsPwk1oRiRJ2bBqlM/s320/n-02-10-2021-3310-double-release-show-the-ultimate-dreamers-partikul-dj-sets-afterparty-cali-club-drogenbos-brussels-3310-1-220725.jpg" width="231" /></a></div><b><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Pendant la pandémie, tu es aussi devenu un personnage public en tant que professeur et directeur du laboratoire de chimie médicale de l’ULB. Comment as-tu vécu cela ? </b></div></b><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Nous avons tous vécu une période incroyable qui a secoué toute la planète à bien des points de vue. En tant que professionnel de la santé en milieu universitaire, ça a été très stressant par moments mais aussi très intense. A un moment, face aux erreurs répétées de certains ministres, j’ai ressenti le besoin de réagir. J’ai écrit une carte blanche dans le journal Le Soir qui a fait beaucoup de bruit, surtout côté francophone et je me suis retrouvé projeté sur la scène médiatique. C’est une situation qui apporte beaucoup de problèmes, finalement. Il n’y a pas que Van Ranst qui a attiré des fous dangereux. Retrouver The Ultimate Dreamers m’a permis d’échapper à la bêtise des complotistes en tous genres (malheureusement assez nombreux dans la scène dark). </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Si on combine ton expérience en tant qu’organisateur et ton expertise en médecine, tu dois bien avoir un avis sur la reprise des concerts et de la vie nocturne alors que le virus est toujours actif. Raconte ! </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">En tant qu’organisateur, je me suis montré très prudent car les vagues successives étaient prévisibles. Les annulations sont démotivantes et coûteuses. A présent, je suis plus confiant car la population a globalement une bonne protection grâce à la vaccination. Mais la crise n’est pas terminée. Trop de gens refusent encore les mesures utiles avec des arguments souvent stupides. On risque encore de voir de petites vagues mais rien de comparable à ce qu’on a connu en 2020. Temporairement, le covid safe ticket ou le covid pass peuvent encore être très utiles.</p><p>
<a href="https://www.the-ultimate-dreamers.com/home" target="_blank">The Ultimate Dreamers</a></p>
<p>Photos du groupe par Xavier Marquis</p><p>Concerts futur:</p>
<ul>
<li>
2/10/2021: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/342987327537459" target="_blank">CaliClub, Drogenbos, première avec Partikul</a></li>
<li>
9/10/2021: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/879140896374330" target="_blank">De Verlichte Geest, Roeselare, avec The Mars Model et Subatomic Strangers</a></li>
<li>
27/11/2021: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/320131916489394/" target="_blank">Magasin 4, Bruxelles, Wool-E Fest avec The Breath Of Life, Dole, Enzo Kreft, Herrnia et Disorientations</a></li>
<li>
11/12/2021: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/113349730879917" target="_blank">Rock Classic, Bruxelles, avec Partikul</a></li>
<li>
15/01/2022: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/519001192758328" target="_blank">B52, Eernegem, avec Faust Project et Partikul</a></li>
<li>
5/03/2022: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1839966476172618/" target="_blank">Magasin 4, Bruxelles, avec The Legendary Pink Dots</a></li>
</ul>
<p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/R_njDf7edR4" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p>xheviourmachinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11836083167873978543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8537572467710265499.post-87678156057789359192021-09-24T02:12:00.008-07:002021-09-24T02:38:18.396-07:00Hante: I broke away from the pressure you have as an artist to appeal to a certain type of audience, to create dance floor hits.<p style="text-align: justify;">Minimal wave, or synth wave if you prefer, is doing well. Think of Zanias, Selofan, Kaelan Mikla, Lebanon Hanover, NNHMN... And let's not forget the two projects by Hélène De Thoury, both of which are among the best in this genre: the duo Minuit Machine and her solo project Hante. The first group has released two EPs during the lockdown, the solo project has just released a new record: ‘Morning Tsunami’. Hélène will also present that record live on October 2 in De Klinker in Aarschot, thanks to the organization Into The Dark. Reason enough to have a conversation with De Thoury. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipT47cFYrFHnrSzU1pbsYJI7aeigiS1FI5tt3EK5p0kB-qtZgx6nbmiim51KsrvcGlPnYpZoZlT3ofMfZdIcpBkdVZci7alxTQJyxaY5OMViHdZRuIF81xb7umOAUnZHq1DOHLNUaKvdA/s2048/%2540H%252BA_Hante+2021_9.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipT47cFYrFHnrSzU1pbsYJI7aeigiS1FI5tt3EK5p0kB-qtZgx6nbmiim51KsrvcGlPnYpZoZlT3ofMfZdIcpBkdVZci7alxTQJyxaY5OMViHdZRuIF81xb7umOAUnZHq1DOHLNUaKvdA/s320/%2540H%252BA_Hante+2021_9.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><b><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Hi Hélène. We are very impressed with your new Hante record: ‘Morning Tsunami’. You described this record as your ‘most accomplished and inspired work to date’. In what sense is this work an evolution from your previous records? </b></div></b><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div style="text-align: justify;">Hallo! First of all thank you very much! Something happened that I can't explain when I was composing ‘Morning Tsunami’. It was as if I was really one with the music, that it was an extension of me. I had never felt this way before. I think that with everything that has happened in the past year, some deeply hidden emotions have surfaced and triggered new feelings that I had to get out. There was also the desire not to make any concessions in terms of style, production, visuals. I broke away from the pressure you have as an artist to appeal to a certain type of audience, to create dance floor hits. I've also moved away from the classic stanza/chorus construction. Most songs are built up progressively and sometimes it takes a long time before they get going. I knew it could be a risk, that people would be less moved or would not find themselves in the songs. I tested new ways of working, using new plugins, new virtual synths. I renewed my range of sounds. In the end I was rewarded for taking this risk as the reception was extraordinary! </div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Can you tell us more about the title 'Morning Tsunami'? </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I was looking for a very personal title to accompany the album. I quickly thought of ‘Tsunami’ because it is a word that I find both very beautiful and which frightens me. It's a recurring nightmare I have. I am on a beach or in a city and a huge wave is coming in the distance. And there is no way to escape it. I've associated the word ‘morning’ with it because I often have these kind of nightmares when I return to sleep in the morning. It is a very special moment, between two worlds. This was already a very important theme on my album ‘Between Hope & Danger’: the search for those moments when it is possible to escape reality, which unfortunately always comes back to us. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>All lyrics on ‘Morning Tsunami’ are yours. Don’t you feel the need to approach other people to write lyrics anymore, like you did on 'FIERCE' or with your other band Minuit Machine? </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I would rather say the opposite, that sometimes I find it necessary to be able to write my own story, to express the emotions in words myself. And that's one of the reasons I created Hante. When I started composing ‘FIERCE’, it had been 2 years since Amandine and I stopped playing in Minuit Machine. I wanted to rediscover the creative inertia you have when you compose a song with several people. That's why I invited several artists to write and sing lyrics on the album. But now that we've restarted Minuit Machine, I'm happy to find this hidden, private garden of Hante and to be able to fully express myself through this project. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Zk0G24HAx20" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>I really like the way you sing in both French and English. Was it something that came naturally or was it a preconceived idea? How do you determine whether a text will be in French or in English? </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga5Zn4Eo4jnZcwDxra4NSsOzcseSyY5rZdkTAwAGdrhyphenhyphenzssaboijEHzQaq7DjZ-hks4oslyBxCdzCvR0jzWfbbCIlvNTpUuWIlI8AMi1ShOxtDLMtGG043Zkp7tFiydwPa0ngefW6trEM/s2048/%2540H%252BA_Hante+2021_11.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga5Zn4Eo4jnZcwDxra4NSsOzcseSyY5rZdkTAwAGdrhyphenhyphenzssaboijEHzQaq7DjZ-hks4oslyBxCdzCvR0jzWfbbCIlvNTpUuWIlI8AMi1ShOxtDLMtGG043Zkp7tFiydwPa0ngefW6trEM/s320/%2540H%252BA_Hante+2021_11.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Strangely enough, the lyrics come to me more easily in English. I have the impression that you can convey a very strong idea with just a few words in English. While that's more complicated in French, I think. But it remains my native language and I feel the need to include it in my musical project because I want it to match me 100%. Sometimes, when I have a first impression of a text in French, I seize the opportunity and explore it to the end. </div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>The album ‘Morning Tsunami’ was made in COVID times. Has the lockdown affected your work?</b> </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Of course! As I said, this period has stirred up a lot of emotions and that has inspired me enormously. The lockdown, the sense of helplessness, the sadness and fear that the world was plunged into… But it wasn't all negative, I have questioned myself thoroughly, like many people, and there is inevitably a before and an after in our personal developments. I also took a lot of time to be inspired, to listen to a lot of music and to discover projects that greatly influenced me in the making of the record, such as the album ‘Unreleased Tracks’ by Kas:st. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX1aYB6lFKOqr0tqLQYUAeXDRmCrvp5NvVkefUbmtV-_xQskrA129XoTCWn28CQ68Vvc9lQT_NJXO3q-1rcPJrKgCTT46O64yUFcU9lYimsdIMa2CbYYouAHPttsFqP_c9HqstZ9BMJhk/s2048/%2540H%252BA_Hante+2021_14.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX1aYB6lFKOqr0tqLQYUAeXDRmCrvp5NvVkefUbmtV-_xQskrA129XoTCWn28CQ68Vvc9lQT_NJXO3q-1rcPJrKgCTT46O64yUFcU9lYimsdIMa2CbYYouAHPttsFqP_c9HqstZ9BMJhk/s320/%2540H%252BA_Hante+2021_14.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><b><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>During the lockdown, you also released two EPs with Minuit Machine: ‘Don't Run From The Fire’ and ‘Basic Needs’. I have the feeling that many artists did not dare to release records during the lockdown. Why did you decide to release these records anyway? </b></div></b><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I would say there are two reasons for this. First of all, from a financial point of view, we just had to carry on. There was no question of letting the projects bleed to death. But besides that, I realized very quickly that people – contrary to what many artists thought – wanted to listen to new music and that they were willing to support artists even more than usual. It's obviously not that easy to promote an EP or an album without combining it with a tour. But whether it was for Minuit Machine or for Hante: we felt real enthusiasm with every release and that convinced us! </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/37ZH7J8e4JY" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Minuit Machine, in which you are accompanied by singer Amandine Stioui, has also become a cult group. Isn't it a bit schizophrenic to be active in two groups at the same time? </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">It's a little complicated sometimes, yes. But it is more a matter of organization. A calendar organization, of course, but also in your head, so as not to get everything mixed up and, above all, not to be influenced too much by one or the other project. I think I have managed to distinguish the two worlds. And also to accept that they can take different paths. It's not always easy, but I'm working on it! </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguAwnZc4lE9W-Q_DzczqEbSWbmfgyR0NKnRRdQtLk5gEGb6H_kT5Pvgttc8Im6H3es2Ns1UK_qoR9jBGYobcqUanN9DAlNzUrHtp1SpXMaWnMD6g1o__26xV1qNpgbprBE0VJuW-o9m8k/s2048/241914895_1236333126792802_4258586749917452779_n.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1432" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguAwnZc4lE9W-Q_DzczqEbSWbmfgyR0NKnRRdQtLk5gEGb6H_kT5Pvgttc8Im6H3es2Ns1UK_qoR9jBGYobcqUanN9DAlNzUrHtp1SpXMaWnMD6g1o__26xV1qNpgbprBE0VJuW-o9m8k/s320/241914895_1236333126792802_4258586749917452779_n.jpg" width="224" /></a></b></div><b><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>You also have your own label Synth Religion, which releases records by Hante and Minuit Machine, as well as other artists such as Fragrance, Marble Slave, The Colder Sea and Box and the Twin. I see that you actively participate in the records of these bands, you do the production or mastering, or you participate in the compositions. How do you select the groups you work with and what determines your level of involvement? </b></div></b><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Most of the artists I've released on the label are friends or people I've met along the way and with whom I get along on a personal, even more than a professional level. The only exception is The Colder Sea, who emailed me and I fell in love with their music! Unfortunately, we never met. The problem I have now is that I don't have much time left to work for other artists. And the more my projects grow, the less I can invest in the label. So now, production-wise, I'm focusing on my two personal projects. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>With all these activities, I believe you have to make a living from your music. Can you manage that? Also and especially in the difficult months we just went through? </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I can get by, yes, but with difficulty I must say. I am extremely lucky to have a community of enthusiasts who support me and who continued to buy merchandising when the concerts were all cancelled. As a result, I could continue to work, I even had to continue to produce. I hope it gets better with the return of the concerts! Because it's a vicious circle that you need: the more concerts you play, the more people notice you, the more people listen to you, the more merch you sell, the more you can play etc.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Hante: <a href="https://hante.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0b5394;">bandcamp</span></a> / <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hanteband" target="_blank">facebook</a></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1016460205430334" target="_blank">Hante will play on October 2 in De Klinker in Aarschot, Belgium</a></p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/koqiQTRc-3o" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>xheviourmachinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11836083167873978543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8537572467710265499.post-957100516817625272021-09-23T04:25:00.003-07:002021-09-23T04:39:24.229-07:00Hante: Je me suis détachée de la pression que l’on a en tant qu’artiste de plaire à un certain type de public, de créer des hits dancefloor.<div style="text-align: justify;">Le minimal wave, ou le minimal synth si vous préférez, fait fureur. Pensez à Zanias, Selofan, Kaelan Mikla, Lebanon Hanover, NNHMN... Et n'oublions pas les deux projets d'Hélène De Thoury, tous deux parmi les meilleurs du genre : le duo Minuit Machine et son projet solo Hante. Le premier groupe a sorti deux EPs pendant le confinement, le projet solo vient de sortir un nouveau disque : 'Morning Tsunami'. Hélène présentera également ce disque en live le 2 octobre à De Klinker à Aarschot, grâce à l'organisation Into The Dark. Raison suffisante pour avoir une conversation avec De Thoury. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Bonjour Hélène. Nous sommes fort impressionnés par ton nouveau disque de Hante : ‘Morning Tsunami’. Tu annonces ce disque comme ton disque ‘le plus accompli et inspiré à cette date’. En quel sens est-ce une évolution par rapport au reste de ton œuvre ? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJxV15rY5PT6RdIIMJSOtQg4U66aMeJhL_vKOrrsboBOh25p4MrHbCOOgfYjFrBALIBGNwNTlWaz1pohVJWa2aAYZeIqNmXKHbwhlbtYCSURyAwxrXLAfS4FgMG_H5EB04ibfn-LaVPQg/s2048/%2540H%252BA_Hante+2021_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJxV15rY5PT6RdIIMJSOtQg4U66aMeJhL_vKOrrsboBOh25p4MrHbCOOgfYjFrBALIBGNwNTlWaz1pohVJWa2aAYZeIqNmXKHbwhlbtYCSURyAwxrXLAfS4FgMG_H5EB04ibfn-LaVPQg/s320/%2540H%252BA_Hante+2021_4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Bonjour ! Tout d’abord merci beaucoup ! Il s’est passé quelque chose que je ne saurais expliquer lorsque j’ai composé « Morning Tsunami ». C’était comme si je ne faisais vraiment qu’un avec la musique, qu’elle était une extension de moi et je n’avais jamais ressenti ça à ce point. Je pense qu’avec tout ce qu’il s’est passé l’année dernière, cela a fait resurgir des émotions bien enfouies et créé des nouvelles sensations que j’ai eu besoin d’extérioriser. Il y avait aussi la volonté de ne faire aucun compromis quant au style, à la production, aux visuels. Je me suis détachée de la pression que l’on a en tant qu’artiste de plaire à un certain type de public, de créer des hits dancefloor. Je me suis aussi éloignée de la construction classique « couplets / refrains ». La plupart des tracks sont progressifs et mettent parfois du temps à démarrer. Je savais que cela pouvait être un risque et que les gens accrochent moins ou n’arrivent pas à rentrer dans les tracks. J’ai testé des nouvelles façons de travailler, en utilisant de nouveaux plugins, de nouveaux synthés virtuels. J’ai renouvelé ma gamme de sons. Au final j’ai été récompensée de cette prise de risque car l’accueil a été extraordinaire ! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Tu peux nous donner un mot d’explication quant au titre ‘Morning Tsunami’ ? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Je cherchais un titre très personnel pour accompagner l’album. J’ai assez rapidement pensé au Tsunami car c’est un mot que je trouve à la fois très beau et qui me terrorise. C’est un cauchemar récurrent que je fais. Je suis sur une plage ou dans une ville et une immense vague arrive au loin et il n’y a aucune possibilité d’y échapper. J’y ai associé le mot « Morning » car je fais souvent ce genre de cauchemars quand je me rendors le matin. C’est un moment très particulier, entre deux mondes. C’était déjà un thème très important dans mon album « Between Hope & Danger » : la recherche de ces moments où il est possible de fuir la réalité, qui malheureusement finit toujours par nous rattraper.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Zk0G24HAx20" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Tous les textes sur ‘Morning Tsunami’ sont de ta main. Tu ne ressens plus le besoin de faire appel à d’autres personnes pour l’écriture des textes, comme tu l’avais fait sur ‘Fierce’ ou bien avec ton autre groupe Minuit Machine ? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2k8_koPryQ4atFOGhLfdAJAMPDSO3VYxY6nc21qBnC0_wITHKAZWZNebA-_Eh0NzSquBgJlXcuB7RCTgELNsGqwKE1Sp2wx2QD4uNVZjHR5wRnVciRyM0FDJDqMmjPskBRXr76fBAZ4A/s2048/%2540H%252BA_Hante+2021_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2k8_koPryQ4atFOGhLfdAJAMPDSO3VYxY6nc21qBnC0_wITHKAZWZNebA-_Eh0NzSquBgJlXcuB7RCTgELNsGqwKE1Sp2wx2QD4uNVZjHR5wRnVciRyM0FDJDqMmjPskBRXr76fBAZ4A/s320/%2540H%252BA_Hante+2021_3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Je dirais plutôt l’inverse, que le besoin est parfois d’écrire ma propre histoire, de sortir les émotions par les mots aussi. Et c’est une des raisons pour lesquelles j’ai créé Hante. Lorsque j’ai commencé à composer « FIERCE », cela faisait déjà 2 ans qu’Amandine et moi avions arrêté Minuit Machine. J’avais envie de retrouver cette inertie créative que l’on a lorsque l’on est plusieurs à composer une chanson. C’est pourquoi j’avais invité plusieurs artistes à chanter et écrire des paroles sur l’album. Mais maintenant que l’on a recommencé Minuit Machine, je suis contente de retrouver ce jardin secret qu’est Hante et pourvoir m’exprimer pleinement à travers le projet. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>J’aime beaucoup le fait que tu chantes aussi bien en français qu’en anglais. Est-ce quelque chose qui est venu naturellement ou était-ce une idée préconçue ? Comment décides-tu si un texte sera en français ou en anglais ? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Les mots me viennent plus naturellement en anglais bizarrement. J’ai l’impression qu’avec peu de mots, on peut véhiculer une idée très forte. Là où en français, c’est plus compliqué je trouve. Mais cela reste ma langue natale et je ressens le besoin de l’inclure dans mon projet musical car je veux qu’il me ressemble à 100%. Parfois quand j’ai une première idée de paroles qui me vient en français, je saute sur l’occasion et je l’explore jusqu’au bout. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>L’album ‘Morning Tsunami’ a été créé en période COVID. Le confinement a-t-il influencé ton travail ? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG0lloiYZmGqnPPDYPzNh-v14U35LC5up4ibdEhSb9YNpAiqk9-Qt79mEgca3uG5NJLCZjHP_22wuOXOFIE8y4dGJ8UDc27RqBGInvuryiD0Yh9fYTaRYu0wnuQFdhxiQcO86QEewXXd0/s2048/%2540H%252BA_Hante+2021_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1517" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG0lloiYZmGqnPPDYPzNh-v14U35LC5up4ibdEhSb9YNpAiqk9-Qt79mEgca3uG5NJLCZjHP_22wuOXOFIE8y4dGJ8UDc27RqBGInvuryiD0Yh9fYTaRYu0wnuQFdhxiQcO86QEewXXd0/s320/%2540H%252BA_Hante+2021_2.jpg" width="237" /></a></div>Bien sûr ! Comme je disais, cette période a fait ressortir beaucoup d’émotions et cela m’a beaucoup inspiré. L’enfermement, le sentiment d’impuissance, la tristesse et la peur dans lequel le monde a été plongé. Mais cela n’a pas été que négatif, j’ai eu une grosse remise en question comme beaucoup de gens et il y a eu forcément un avant et un après dans nos développements personnels. J’ai aussi beaucoup pris le temps d’être inspirée, d’écouter beaucoup de musique et de découvrir des projets qui m’ont énormément influencé dans la composition de l’album comme l’album « Unreleased Tracks » de Kas:st. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Pendant le confinement, tu as aussi sorti deux EPs – ‘Don’t Run From The Fire’ et ‘Basic Needs’ – avec Minuit Machine. Je sens que beaucoup d’artistes n’osent pas sortir de disques pendant le confinement. Pourquoi as-tu décidé de tout de même sortir ces disques pendant cette période ? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Je dirais qu’il y a deux raisons à cela. Tout d’abord, financièrement parlant, il fallait continuer. Il n’était pas question de laisser mourir les projets. Mais en plus, je me suis rendue très rapidement compte, qu’au contraire les gens avaient besoin d’écouter de la nouvelle musique et qu’ils étaient prêts à soutenir les artistes encore plus qu’en temps normal. Alors bien sûr, ne pas pouvoir promouvoir un EP ou un album avec une tournée derrière, ça n’est pas aussi simple. Mais que ce soit pour Minuit Machine ou pour Hante, on a senti un vrai engouement à chaque sortie et ça nous a porté !</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/37ZH7J8e4JY" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Minuit Machine, dans lequel tu es accompagnée de la chanteuse Amandine Stioui, est aussi devenu un groupe culte. N’est-ce pas un peu schizophrène d’avoir deux groupes actifs en même temps ? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">C’est parfois un peu compliqué oui ! Mais c’est plus une question d’organisation. Evidemment une organisation de calendrier mais aussi dans la tête, pour ne pas tout confondre et surtout ne pas trop me laisser influencer par un projet ou par l’autre. Je pense être arrivée à bien différencier les univers. À accepter aussi qu’ils pouvaient prendre des chemins différents. C’est pas toujours facile mais j’y travaille ! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Tu as aussi ton propre label Synth Religion, qui sort les disques de Hante et Minuit Machine, mais aussi d’autres artistes comme Fragrance, Marble Slave, The Colder Sea et Box and the Twin. Je vois que tu participes activement aux disques de ces groupes, en faisant la production ou le mastering ou bien même en tant que compositrice. Comment sélectionnes-tu les groupes avec qui tu travailles et qu’est-ce qui définit ton degré d’implication ? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi13kpLHKClEe9CQ3yGg0E9ZM3XEBZYREjz1MzGZZQR2fwDXhYu3W6GTQ2v3-3VvwgLQHiDUKtQlwaU4B964jAsPzlEvpiyY7x5_TBnLjp2PhzCgWzpeogCzn9ieGUJkLtkyRehgGIYAw4/s2048/241914895_1236333126792802_4258586749917452779_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1432" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi13kpLHKClEe9CQ3yGg0E9ZM3XEBZYREjz1MzGZZQR2fwDXhYu3W6GTQ2v3-3VvwgLQHiDUKtQlwaU4B964jAsPzlEvpiyY7x5_TBnLjp2PhzCgWzpeogCzn9ieGUJkLtkyRehgGIYAw4/s320/241914895_1236333126792802_4258586749917452779_n.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>La plupart des artistes que j’ai sorti sur le label sont des amis ou des gens que j’ai rencontré sur la route et avec qui j’ai accroché sur le plan personnel au delà du professionnel. La seule exception est « The Colder Sea » qui m’ont envoyé un email et j’ai eu un coup de coeur musical ! On n’a jamais eu l’occasion de se rencontrer, malheureusement. Le problème que j’ai actuellement est que je n’ai plus trop le temps de travailler pour d’autres artistes. Et plus mes projets grossissent et moins je peux m’investir dans le label. Donc pour le moment, en ce qui concerne la production, je me focalise sur mes deux projets personnels. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Avec toutes ces activités, je suppose que tu dois vivre de ta musique. Y arrives-tu, surtout avec les mois pénibles que nous venons de passer en confinement ?</b> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">J’y arrive oui mais péniblement je dois dire ! J’ai extrêmement de chance d’avoir une communauté de passionnés qui me soutiennent et qui ont pris le relais via les ventes de merch quand les concerts ont tous été annulés. C’est pour cela que je ne pouvais pas arrêter de produire. J’espère qu’avec le retour des concerts, cela va aller de mieux en mieux ! Car c’est un cercle vertueux qui est nécessaire : plus tu fais de concerts, plus on te voit, plus on t’écoute, plus on achète ton merch, plus on te fait jouer etc.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Hante: <a href="https://hante.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">bandcamp</a> / <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hanteband" target="_blank">facebook</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1016460205430334" target="_blank">Samedi 2 octobre: Hante et We Are Ooh People, De Klinker, Aarschot, Belgique</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/koqiQTRc-3o" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>
xheviourmachinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11836083167873978543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8537572467710265499.post-40619472826851746012021-06-04T08:33:00.010-07:002021-06-24T05:01:47.916-07:00Laibach: We Forge The Future<div style="text-align: justify;"><br />Can art change the world? If you know the history of Laibach, then you also know that the answer to that question is 'yes'. Laibach undoubtedly had an important influence on the history of Yugoslavia and the Slovenian state in the 1980s. And this record - 'We Forge The Future', available on CD and vinyl - is proof of that.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On the disc, you will find a recording from 2018 that was intended to be a new performance of the controversial concert that Laibach gave on April 23, 1983 at the XII Music Biennale in Zagreb, the capital of the Croatian state. It was a turning point in Laibach's career, and the group would receive a lot of criticism as a result. But it was precisely this course of events that made Laibach legendary.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Yugoslavia</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Before we look at that performance, I would like to give some historical context. After all, Yugoslavia held a special place in the cold war. After a few years of conducting himself as a fine student of Stalin, the Yugoslav leader Tito broke with the Soviet Union in 1948, and with that, in fact, with all the other Eastern Bloc countries. Tito co-founded the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries, an association of countries that did not want to take sides between the two superpowers in the Cold War.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This led to a relatively more liberal policy in Yugoslavia, although the country remained a one-party dictatorship that sent dissidents to prison. Not only as a result of liberalism, but also because of economic necessity and the isolation the country was in, Yugoslavia was very open to Western European culture. Records of many Western rock groups were thus freely available, as were Western films and other cultural products.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Slovenia, the northernmost state of Yugoslavia, was even more liberal, partly because it was more prosperous economically and partly because it operated on the periphery of the Yugoslav federation, where more was possible. Thus, in 1969, Radio Študent was born, an independent radio station resulting from student protests at the University of Ljublijana a year before. Radio Študent operated under the wings of the ZSMS, the Union of Socialist Youth of Slovenia, affiliated with the ruling communist party.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Also affiliated with the ZSMS was the ŠKUC, a cultural organization founded in 1978 that, among other things, released the Sex Pistols record in Yugoslavia, and organized exhibitions and concerts by alternative artists. But all this also arose at a time of increased authoritarianism as a result of nationalist aspirations of young people in the federal states (especially after the Croatian Spring). The ZSMS increasingly became the mouthpiece of the disatisfied Slovenian youth.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This is the context in which Laibach came to the fore in 1980. Laibach's first event, a few months after its founding, was immediately banned after the group pasted lurid posters in their hometown Trbovlje. It took until 1982 before Laibach could perform for the first time in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. This too was not without a struggle, because the name Laibach was the German-language name of Ljubljana, a name that evoked memories of the Nazi occupation and the colonialism of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The performance 'Mi kujemo bodočnost' - We Forge The Future - took place in April 1983 in Zagreb, the capital of the Croatian state. Here too, Laibach already had a bad reputation. After a performance by Laibach at the 1982 Yu-Rock festival in Zagreb, the group was questioned by the military police for using real military smoke bombs as visual effect during the show, causing considerable difficulties for musicians and audience.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ten days after this concert, singer Tomaž Hostnik committed suicide by hanging himself on a kozolec, a kind of drying structure for hay that is sometimes seen as a national symbol of Slovenia. The group condemned the act and posthumously fired Hostnik from Laibach. Still, Laibach would regularly pay tribute to Hostnik in the future, as we'll see later.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Also in Zagreb, an exhibition of Laibach Kunst – Laibach's visual arm – was banned after a few days because of the shocking images. But the biggest scandal was the performance at the Zagreb Music Biennale. This festival was highly regarded because - as the conditions in Yugoslavia allowed - it invited both Western and Eastern musicians. The festival was mainly based on contemporary composers, but in 1983 the organizers decided to schedule two evenings with avant-garde rock groups.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Music Biennale</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">However great the freedoms in Yugoslavia were in comparison to other communist regimes, Laibach managed to cross the lines. The problem was not so much the inscrutable industrial music, and the uniforms and visual references to fascism might also have been possible. It was the projected videos that went too far.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As the festival represented high-quality culture, Laibach decided to turn it into a multimedia show with 10 different screens. On it, they showed their experimental film 'Morte ai s'ciavi' (Death to the slav[e]s). The group also showed the agitprop film 'Revolucija še traja' (The revolution is still going on), a documentary retracing the history of Yugoslavia since the Second World War, simultaneously with a porn video.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">When at a certain moment a speech by Tito coincided with images of a penis, the organizers broke loose, because the images were undoubtedly also seen by the police informants in the room. Since there are different versions on the internet about the events that night, we decided to ask for the experiences of someone who was definitely there that night, namely Laibach chief ideologist Ivan Novak:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;">‘The whole event for the Music Biennale with Laibach, Last Few Days and 23 Skidoo started at 24:00. Last Few Days was the first group to play, and it went through well. Laibach was second, around 2am, and we managed to play the show from beginning to end also. But because of our show, and especially the film projections, the police and later even the military arrived soon and they interrupted the concert of 23 Skidoo.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As far as I remember they were not even allowed to go on stage. We decided to go on nevertheless. The three bands took the stage and we would jam together as long as they didn’t pull us off by force, which eventually happened around 4 AM or even later, when the electricity was turned off and the audience had to leave the venue as well.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There were about 1000 people in the room, maybe more. I believe they were astonished from the whole show and to certain extend also entertained by the entire circus that happened when police arrived.’</div></blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Someone who wasn’t able to enjoy the show was organizer Igor Kuljerić. He is said to have suffered a nervous breakdown as a result of the performance and fled to the Croatian island of Silba to seek peace and avoid legal prosecution. Thanks to the intervention of a number of high-ranking party members – including Ivo Vuljević, then director of the Vatroslav Lisinski concert hall – the consequences for the festival were fortunately limited. Still, the Croatian government would protest to their Slovenian counterparts about the concert.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Panic in Slovenia</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Three weeks after the performance, Laibach published its manifesto - Action in the name of an idea - in Nova revija, a literary magazine from Slovenia (which had announced at its inception that its goal would not be action in the name of an idea). In reality, the text was already written in 1982 with the input of Tomaž Hostnik, among others.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A few quotes:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><ul><li>Laibach works as a team, according to the model of industrial production and totalitarianism, which means that it is not the individual who speaks, the organization does.</li><li>The name Laibach is a suggestion of the actual possibility of establishing a politicized ideological (regime) art because of the influence of politics and ideology.</li><li>All art is subject to political manipulation, except the art which speaks the language of this same manipulation.</li><li>Laibach practices provocation on the revolted state of the alienated consciousness (which must necessarily find itself an enemy) and unites warriors and opponents into an expression of a static totalitarian scream.</li></ul></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Laibach thus adopts the ideological goals of the Yugoslav regime, in what is sometimes referred to as 'over-identification' or 'over-affirmation'. Laibach poses as the biggest fans of the Yugoslav system, but in doing so also undermine the system, by letting their identification go together with a lot of references to Nazism and by pushing their totalitarianism to a point where it becomes absurd.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Television star Jure Pengov thought it was time to teach the band a lesson. He interviewed Laibach in his TV Tednik program, which was broadcasted immediately after the television news. In the interview, we can see Laibach in military uniforms, looking straight ahead, with totalitarian posters behind them (recorded in the ŠKUC gallery, the gathering place of underground Ljubljana that operated under the auspices of the communist youth league).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The interview refers to the scandalous performance in Zagreb, and to the reaction of the organizers who claim that Laibach promised to refrain from provocations and did not keep that promise. Apart from that, Laibach just continues to play its totalitarian parody:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><blockquote>‘Happiness consists in the complete suspension of one's own human identity, in consciously giving up one's personal taste, conviction, judgment, in voluntary depersonalization and the ability for self-sacrifice, identification with a higher, superior system - with the multitude, collective, ideology.’</blockquote></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Laibach also repeats the statement ‘Art is a sublime mission that requires fanaticism’ several times, including when they are reminded of the suicide of their former singer. This is a quote from Hitler that is included - of course without citing the source - in their discourse, just as Laibach often incorporates references to all kinds of political or artistic figures in its works.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">At the end of the interview, Jure Pengov, the interviewer, rhetorically asks whether someone will finally act against these dangerous ideas and expressions. The answer came quickly. On June 29, 1983, the municipality of Ljubljana announced a ban on the use of the name ‘Laibach’. Performing under this name is therefore no longer possible, and Laibach is de facto banned in Slovenia.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>We Forge The Future</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihcjieOj0CHlH9YrzU6m9tbah5wbVLIsz9pfHS0aM3N8qt7YEU2GdVJhSXVlZvfXsFd4HAtuH6EPISvLqLptL9pAMv1E_KG3tmsUJekpq4LINvpUvc0vbvLqoVoc3-wPKyEuHvc8G_iOg/s650/n-laibach-we-forge-the-future-live-at-reina-sofia-9095-426.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="650" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihcjieOj0CHlH9YrzU6m9tbah5wbVLIsz9pfHS0aM3N8qt7YEU2GdVJhSXVlZvfXsFd4HAtuH6EPISvLqLptL9pAMv1E_KG3tmsUJekpq4LINvpUvc0vbvLqoVoc3-wPKyEuHvc8G_iOg/s320/n-laibach-we-forge-the-future-live-at-reina-sofia-9095-426.jpeg" /></a></div>Now let's look at the new record. This is a new performance of the concert at the Zagreb Music Biennale in 1983. It was part of the exhibition ‘NSK. From Kapital To Capital’ about Laibach and the NSK (Neue Slovenische Kunst: an art movement that united Laibach with other art collectives and which again included a reference to fascism, namely to the Junge Slovenische Kunst under the Nazis) at the Reina Sofia Museum in Spain.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The exhibition was opened by the Spanish King Felipe VI and the ex-Communist Slovenian President Borut Pahor, a sign that Laibach is now recognized in the highest political circles. The booklet with the record also contains an interview with Ivo Josipović, ex-president of Croatia and assistant at the Biennale at the time (later also director). He emphasizes that Laibach's performance was 'not a great artistic achievement', although he does think it should be legal as an expression of artistic freedom.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">With a Laibach disc, the layout is always important. The cover shows the group in front of a painting that reminds one of Picasso's Guernica, the masterpiece referring to the bombing of a Spanish city during the Spanish Civil War and which is the main work of the Reina Sofia Museum. But anyone who studies the painting will notice that it is not the Guernica… Laibach has made a Slovenian Guernica, in which it incorporated drawings by Nikolaj Pirnat – a Slovenian partisan during the Second World War.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">By the way, on the cover of the booklet you will find Tito with his partisans, although the heads of the partisans were replaced by early members of Laibach like Tomaž Hostnik, Dejan Knez, Milan Fras ... The title is 'The Revolution Is Still Going On', which is of course a reference to the documentary that Laibach played at the Biennale. In the booklet you will find images from the film and from the simultaneously played porn film.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Musically the record most resembles the <a href="http://darkentriesenglish.blogspot.com/2020/03/laibach-laibach-revisited.html" target="_blank">'Revisited' box</a> that was released last year, and more specifically the third CD from that box: 'Underground'. That record was also a new performance of the concerts of the early days of Laibach concerts by some of the original members of the group. On 'We Forge The Future', you can hear the current band members, but the records are very similar in terms of sound and setlist.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Those who like to hear how the group sounded originally in these early years, can look for the record ‘Ljubljana-Zagreb–Beograd’. This now hard to find record contains performances from the time when Tomaž Hostnik still sang. I have to say that the sound on this old record is very different from the new ones: it is messier and rougher, but it is an important time document. Anyone who wants to go for a pleasant listening experience will prefer this 'We Forge The Future', which is simply recorded in better conditions and with better musicians.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Legalization</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">How did Laibach fare after the ban on their name? Initially, the group turned its attention to the international level. They did several European tours and even moved to London. But they would challenge the Slovenian government again by performing an anonymous concert in Ljubljana in late December 1984, exactly two years after Tomaž Hostnik's suicide. The poster only saw a black cross - the symbol of Laibach that the group members also wore on their bracelets - and the location of the concert.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In 1985 the same tactic was used to release Laibach's first album. Here too, we see only a black cross before which a body turns as if it were being crucified. In this way, the use of the name – which was prohibited – was avoided. The record was released by ŠKUC , the cultural youth organization associated with the communist youth league ZSMS. ŠKUC has actually supported Laibach from the very beginning.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The pressure to legalize Laibach increased. The ZSMS had strongly condemned Laibach's first prohibited action in 1980, but in the following years was heavily influenced by the emerging new social movements: punk, LGBT movement, environmental movement, peace movement ... In 1986, the ZSMS openly advocates legalizing Laibach.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In 1986 also, Laibach released its second album 'Nova Akropola' on the British Cherry Red Records, a sign that the band managed to score internationally. On February 17, 1987, Laibach is legalized and can finally perform openly again in Ljubljana, which is celebrated with a Yugoslav tour. A few days later, 'Opus Dei' is released on Mute in the UK and confirms the group's international breakthrough with hits such as 'Geburt Einer Nation' (a cover of Queen's 'One Vision') and 'Opus Dei' ('Life is Life' by Opus).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Yet Laibach still manages to torment the government. Every year in Yugoslavia, Youth Day was celebrated on the day of Tito's birthday. Every year a different republic was responsible for the event, which was preceded by a tour with a torch held by youngsters that ran through the different states of the federation and ended with a large-scale sporting event in Belgrade.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In 1987, Slovenia was responsible for the Youth Day, but the ZSMS had become very committed in its fight against Yugoslav centralism and lacking pluralism. It strongly criticized the Youth Day, even suggesting that the entire event should be abolished. It ordered a poster for the Youth Day from Novi kolektivizem (new collectivism), a designer collective associated with the Neue Slovenische Kunst, in which Laibach played a very active role.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The poster showed a muscular young man in front of a Yugoslav flag and with a number of other typical Yugoslav symbols. The image seemed to reflect the social realism that hard-line communists loved, and was thus approved by the central committee in Belgrade. But they soon found out… that the poster was a reworking of a 1936 Nazi poster by Richard Klein. The Nazi flag and symbols had been replaced by Yugoslav and communist symbols.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Of course, a huge scandal broke out, which shook the whole of Yugoslavia. Worst of all, the ZSMS just kept supporting Laibach. They even wanted to print the poster on the front page of their magazine Mladina, but that was forbidden by the government. So they put the poster on their fold-out center page and replaced the front page with an article about the poster scandal.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Independence</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mladina plays an important role in the Slovenian independence efforts. In 1988 there was a major lawsuit against the magazine for allegedly releasing military information. One of the defendants was Janez Janša. At Mladina, Janša specialized in the army, which was generally regarded as the enemy of Slovenian progressives (among other things because young people often had to do their military service in other republics and therefore in a different language).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Public opinion fully supported the defendants, forcing Slovenian President Milan Kučan to take the lead in the constituent republic's quest for independence. Janez Janša became increasingly anti-communist and has become the right-wing populist first minister of Slovenia today. (In 2012, Novi kolektivizem would also launch a poster campaign against austerity measures by the then Janša government.)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Laibach was of course there to worsen everything when they proclaimed on their ten-year anniversary in 1990: 'Ten years of Laibach, ten years of Slovenian independence'. It led some to blame Laibach when war broke out in 1991 after Slovenia's declaration of independence.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Laibach connoisseur Alexei Monroe argues for just the opposite. It was impossible for true radicals in Slovenia to be even more radical than Laibach, which mitigated their fanaticism. In that sense, Laibach would have ensured that the bloodshed was kept to a minimum.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Be that as it may, I hope to have shown with this article that Laibach had a real impact on the political developments in Slovenia in the 1980s. Conversely, I hope that it is clear that Laibach is a typical product of the Yugoslav system, and did not just arose in a vacuum. Art can indeed change the world, and Laibach is proof of it!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://darkentriesenglish.blogspot.com/2020/05/laibach.html" target="_blank">Many thanks to Ivan Novak for answering our questions</a> (click to read our interview with Ivan from 2020)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://sinnersday.com/" target="_blank">Laibach will play in Belgium at Sinner's Day on November 1, 2021 in Hangar 66 in Sint-Truiden</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EaJQTDph6jw" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /><div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xEj2YvDHJi0" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div></div>xheviourmachinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11836083167873978543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8537572467710265499.post-68835834233392120222021-05-28T06:24:00.005-07:002021-05-28T06:32:59.135-07:00The Imaginary Suitcase: For most of my life, I have behaved the way I thought they wanted me to behave. And this is a scam.<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div style="text-align: justify;">The Imaginary Suitcase - Laurent Leemans' solo project - has released another new epic: "The gods gave you victory today only to make your final defeat more bitter". That is a mouthful and also a very pessimistic quote (from a Roman general after a lost battle against the Celts), two characteristics that we can also apply to the new record. We invited Leemans to explain more about the record and every song on the record, and we weren't really surprised that he had a lot to say again ...</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>The gods gave you victory today only to make your final defeat more bitter</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEMVTPMVKC-bS6dhT0iSrXAoA9I8cvdH-69pYJw_rPSctyIpw9YAVNT_xfTdh5TiA3j-7hv5CDnTZ32lN3imhq_7N34mhJTp4o-a4HVYISdAdBk_pcmntUsbUy2nSDju2LP1A2-OAgnd4/s971/LaurentA.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="695" data-original-width="971" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEMVTPMVKC-bS6dhT0iSrXAoA9I8cvdH-69pYJw_rPSctyIpw9YAVNT_xfTdh5TiA3j-7hv5CDnTZ32lN3imhq_7N34mhJTp4o-a4HVYISdAdBk_pcmntUsbUy2nSDju2LP1A2-OAgnd4/s320/LaurentA.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I know, I know, for those who follow me from the beginning, three years to make an album is a geological era ... The answer to the questions why is usually in the songs, but in short we can say that 2018, 2019 and 2020 were years in which I came across many things that were difficult to manage, many events that forced me to question everything that had structured my life until this date. </div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Obviously, if you have to look for a common thread in this album, it’s this: at some point in your life, life shows you through A plus B that almost everything you learned, almost everything that seemed obvious to you, almost everything your parents, school, society, laws, your culture taught you is false, or at least not as clear, more ambiguous, double-edged than you thought. When that moment comes, you are faced with a choice: take this revelation head-on and reinvent yourself, and yes, it means going through tough times, experiencing discomfort, even pain, but you can hope to finally become a free person… or ignore it, carry on as before by lying to yourself, and keep some comfort there, but at the expense of your soul and your dignity. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">It won't surprise anyone if I say that I obsessively listened to 16 Horsepower and Wovenhand while making this album ... Even though I don't share the faith of David Eugene Edwards, I admire and respect him as a musician as well as a man, for his faith is anything but hypocritical, and he has nothing in common with these hypocritical bastards who open their mouths only to condemn, curse, insult, humiliate, and threaten in the name of Christ. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7cf3vrQnZlN766kmLJNSYmz46vyVaXHvZBZiWzW7Zx4ROvtpVBvEAOR0ZS7gk0c6PXhHX_LoDbi9wy8JSyRKYGpcprflWhsd5SLRJ0JzHE4aODprjmcSlpF4r2pUPzlYFBTM8DERLcIs/s1080/laurent1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="779" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7cf3vrQnZlN766kmLJNSYmz46vyVaXHvZBZiWzW7Zx4ROvtpVBvEAOR0ZS7gk0c6PXhHX_LoDbi9wy8JSyRKYGpcprflWhsd5SLRJ0JzHE4aODprjmcSlpF4r2pUPzlYFBTM8DERLcIs/s320/laurent1.png" width="320" /></a></div><b>1. Hey stranger</b><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">You meet your soul mate, and for the first time in your life you are sure that you have found the person you will grow old with, you have no doubt that she is the one who will prove this quote from Seneca: "a friend is a soul in two bodies". But soon the outside world decides it's not right, the voices of ancestors who lived in resentment and couldn't tolerate your escaping it begin to whisper in your ear. And you unconsciously begin to sabotage what is most precious, you defile yourself what you have promised to cherish yourself. Until the day when ... </p><iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=3968760248/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/track=757231647/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 120px; width: 100%;"><a href="https://theimaginarysuitcase.bandcamp.com/album/the-gods-gave-you-victory-today-only-to-make-your-final-defeat-more-bitter">The gods gave you victory today only to make your final defeat more bitter by The Imaginary Suitcase</a></iframe><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>2. My garden</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Watch out for dormant water, never forget that calm is just a break between two storms, never believe the secrets will never be revealed, and don't imagine getting out of it without bruises. </p><iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=3968760248/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/track=3606466575/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 120px; width: 100%;"><a href="https://theimaginarysuitcase.bandcamp.com/album/the-gods-gave-you-victory-today-only-to-make-your-final-defeat-more-bitter">The gods gave you victory today only to make your final defeat more bitter by The Imaginary Suitcase</a></iframe><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>3. Father</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">My father was an old-fashioned man, he conveyed to me the values of righteousness, fair work, and respect for all. I love my dad, and he was right. He just forgot to teach me that the rest of the world doesn't respect these values. He was a wonderful man, gifted in everything he did, but I lived in his shadow for too long, convinced that I would never reach half his level. </p><iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=3968760248/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/track=2388516925/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 120px; width: 100%;"><a href="https://theimaginarysuitcase.bandcamp.com/album/the-gods-gave-you-victory-today-only-to-make-your-final-defeat-more-bitter">The gods gave you victory today only to make your final defeat more bitter by The Imaginary Suitcase</a></iframe><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>4. Pigeons playing chess</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">A slightly lighter song. In French, we say that arguing with an idiot is like playing chess against a pigeon: regardless of your level, the pigeon will just knock over the pieces, shit on the chessboard, and prance proudly as if it won the game. I admit that I have spent a lot of time in sterile, dumb, senseless, impactless, clueless discussions on social networks. And even today it happens to me to relapse (lol). So, this is dedicated to all of Facebook's fighting cocks, as well as all the activists who are more in love with the fight than their cause. </p><iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=3968760248/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/track=226645860/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 120px; width: 100%;"><a href="https://theimaginarysuitcase.bandcamp.com/album/the-gods-gave-you-victory-today-only-to-make-your-final-defeat-more-bitter">The gods gave you victory today only to make your final defeat more bitter by The Imaginary Suitcase</a></iframe><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>5. Hope is a sick joke</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir1BFMEHGzergriKO2TPqB-lBBqZl67qmzCsTq37jccmn6XTXMjsyd9OSTk2z7fs0t6BkIzGrJSncBZKd6jg2rA6fB-H_8Llzbk_ghXi7nje_psVm29ybKAhlE-wO8ArX-YrgYuQF_t8o/s1080/laurent2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="774" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir1BFMEHGzergriKO2TPqB-lBBqZl67qmzCsTq37jccmn6XTXMjsyd9OSTk2z7fs0t6BkIzGrJSncBZKd6jg2rA6fB-H_8Llzbk_ghXi7nje_psVm29ybKAhlE-wO8ArX-YrgYuQF_t8o/s320/laurent2.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A song for men. Please admit it: It's been more or less 4,000 years since we've been the kings, the princes, the popes, the bankers, the bosses, the philosophers, the directors, the presidents, the generals, you name it. And what legacy do we leave behind? With what have we filled the history books? Wars, murder, famine, torture, mutilations, genocides, massacres, and monuments elevated to the vanity of those we have considered demigods. The word of the victims is being released everywhere and this is the best that could have happened to us. Since I have a very high idea of men, I believe we are and can be much better than what we have shown so far. But before that, we must first admit that our entire education is manipulative, unhealthy and is aimed at making us, not men, but good little soldiers ready to fight someone else's war. </div><p></p><iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=3968760248/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/track=4222155705/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 120px; width: 100%;"><a href="https://theimaginarysuitcase.bandcamp.com/album/the-gods-gave-you-victory-today-only-to-make-your-final-defeat-more-bitter">The gods gave you victory today only to make your final defeat more bitter by The Imaginary Suitcase</a></iframe><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>6. Complice</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I don't often write in French, even though it is my native language. But since this album is stripping like I've never done before, it seemed appropriate. For most of my life, I have behaved the way I thought they wanted me to behave. And this is a scam.</p><iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=3968760248/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/track=3297742481/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 120px; width: 100%;"><a href="https://theimaginarysuitcase.bandcamp.com/album/the-gods-gave-you-victory-today-only-to-make-your-final-defeat-more-bitter">The gods gave you victory today only to make your final defeat more bitter by The Imaginary Suitcase</a></iframe><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>7. OK Boomer</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOMdPnWuFkgTHc8cqdiDffPc5Qc1y2vATtJvMeQtprVdg6E414Aqyu-DuUDfSpi3KAIz3ZZUJl5j7010O4B3mMO9XpeKV0Ezhn_1Hmvlui05XjD7SvTqgbT19UvXF0hm7SxYv3p6R6zRo/s1064/Laurent3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="782" data-original-width="1064" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOMdPnWuFkgTHc8cqdiDffPc5Qc1y2vATtJvMeQtprVdg6E414Aqyu-DuUDfSpi3KAIz3ZZUJl5j7010O4B3mMO9XpeKV0Ezhn_1Hmvlui05XjD7SvTqgbT19UvXF0hm7SxYv3p6R6zRo/s320/Laurent3.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There is a generation that clings to its privileges with all its might, who would rather see the whole world burn instead of giving up a crumb of its comfort, its privileges, or question its ideology. This generation is losing ground and feels that its time is up. I like Millennials and GenZs. They will no longer be satisfied with a decent place in the system, but claim that the system is rotten and unrecoverable, and they no longer want it. The current backlash of sexism, racism, white supremacy and capitalism is scary as hell, but it is the Von Runstedt offensive of an old world dying out: a desperate attempt - I hope anyway - doomed to fail. </div><p></p><iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=3968760248/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/track=1309218790/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 120px; width: 100%;"><a href="https://theimaginarysuitcase.bandcamp.com/album/the-gods-gave-you-victory-today-only-to-make-your-final-defeat-more-bitter">The gods gave you victory today only to make your final defeat more bitter by The Imaginary Suitcase</a></iframe><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>8. The greatest love</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">All the songs on this album were composed in 2019 and 2020. Except this one, which dates back to 2015, when I had a really big, totally hopeless crush on a girl. I hadn't included it on the previous albums because I thought it was not in line with them in terms of sound. But here, on an album entirely devoted to torment, to loss, to the impossibility to love, if I hadn't recorded it, where? </p><iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=3968760248/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/track=1939726984/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 120px; width: 100%;"><a href="https://theimaginarysuitcase.bandcamp.com/album/the-gods-gave-you-victory-today-only-to-make-your-final-defeat-more-bitter">The gods gave you victory today only to make your final defeat more bitter by The Imaginary Suitcase</a></iframe><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>9. No questions asked</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">In relationships there is (too) often a dominant and a dominated one. And more often than you might think, the ostensibly dominated is actually the real master of the game. Skillfully used, the appearance of weakness can be the nuclear weapon of manipulation. </p><iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=3968760248/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/track=480532461/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 120px; width: 100%;"><a href="https://theimaginarysuitcase.bandcamp.com/album/the-gods-gave-you-victory-today-only-to-make-your-final-defeat-more-bitter">The gods gave you victory today only to make your final defeat more bitter by The Imaginary Suitcase</a></iframe><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>10. Coming home</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I come from a family where a merciless omerta reigned. It was impossible to talk about one’s emotions, fears and grief or to ask questions. We clenched our teeth and kept up appearances, even if it was Pompeii in our heart. I have never been able to express my emotions, except through the songs I listened to or composed, my only valve for a long time. I have a lot of work still to do with this family legacy, and I will be human, but also ruthless with them. 'Families, I hate you', said André Gide ... </p><iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=3968760248/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/track=1092114211/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 120px; width: 100%;"><a href="https://theimaginarysuitcase.bandcamp.com/album/the-gods-gave-you-victory-today-only-to-make-your-final-defeat-more-bitter">The gods gave you victory today only to make your final defeat more bitter by The Imaginary Suitcase</a></iframe><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>11. Anachie Gordon</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">A Scottish Traditional About Forced Marriage. Every year about 15 million girls get married against their will and, contrary to what one might think, this barbaric practice is not at all reserved for the Third World. This horror must stop. My oldest daughter Daria sings with me. She's fantastic, and she's going to be a great singer. I love her and I am so proud of her. </p><iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=3968760248/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/track=2382534360/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 120px; width: 100%;"><a href="https://theimaginarysuitcase.bandcamp.com/album/the-gods-gave-you-victory-today-only-to-make-your-final-defeat-more-bitter">The gods gave you victory today only to make your final defeat more bitter by The Imaginary Suitcase</a></iframe><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>12. The bungler</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The saboteur syndrome, I know it well. Too damn well. It has soiled all my pleasures, all my joys, it has managed to spoil almost all my projects, it whispered in my ear for 45 years that I was nothing, that I was useless, that I would not reach nowhere. But it is over. I'm smashing it’s face with a brick and it feels great. </p><iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=3968760248/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/track=2630354363/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 120px; width: 100%;"><a href="https://theimaginarysuitcase.bandcamp.com/album/the-gods-gave-you-victory-today-only-to-make-your-final-defeat-more-bitter">The gods gave you victory today only to make your final defeat more bitter by The Imaginary Suitcase</a></iframe><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>13. Sex & drugs & rock & roll</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">This may be true for famous musicians, but as for me, I have not known this situation where I only have to choose from clusters of girls who were ready to jump on me after a concert. Sadly enough. (lol). This is a satire that can be linked to this quote from Pete Townshend "I learned guitar because with a face like mine it was the only way to pick up girls". This widespread idea that artists are superior beings, made of a more precious metal, angers and revolts me. We artists are in no way superior to a baker, an accountant or an unemployed person. We're shit and angels just like everyone else, and when we're shit, the reverence, indulgence, and impunity we enjoy often makes us monstrous shit. </p><iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=3968760248/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/track=4106917663/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 120px; width: 100%;"><a href="https://theimaginarysuitcase.bandcamp.com/album/the-gods-gave-you-victory-today-only-to-make-your-final-defeat-more-bitter">The gods gave you victory today only to make your final defeat more bitter by The Imaginary Suitcase</a></iframe><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>14. Whiskey</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">This album is very dense, heavy, intense and I made no effort to make it comfortable to listen to. But I had remorse to leave you on a complete "low down bummer". So I wrote "whiskey" as a funny and slightly uplifting ending, nevertheless consistent with the rest of the album.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=3968760248/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/track=3496460290/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 120px; width: 100%;"><a href="https://theimaginarysuitcase.bandcamp.com/album/the-gods-gave-you-victory-today-only-to-make-your-final-defeat-more-bitter">The gods gave you victory today only to make your final defeat more bitter by The Imaginary Suitcase</a></iframe>xheviourmachinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11836083167873978543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8537572467710265499.post-59921782741363595052020-12-16T01:05:00.003-08:002020-12-16T01:14:50.835-08:00JOHN 3:16: I regularly come across animal remains at various stages of decomposition. That started to affect me, and that's where the concept of the record was born.<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBipzMBgxQOQpulXjj37US1ZKQnwflnQB3oo7rlbrOpcltEt61IC8695ipCIsfE92D5zkEA7kWJnLV2FpTKmxqWyzQsTSX5_9TMHqsKAs6OX38XNqqTxKtwaj2znzErGD3BjA9lvv0cUI/s960/John1.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBipzMBgxQOQpulXjj37US1ZKQnwflnQB3oo7rlbrOpcltEt61IC8695ipCIsfE92D5zkEA7kWJnLV2FpTKmxqWyzQsTSX5_9TMHqsKAs6OX38XNqqTxKtwaj2znzErGD3BjA9lvv0cUI/s320/John1.jpeg" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Music from the depths of hell, slowly rising in a lava flow with the intoxicating scent of steaming sulfur exuding from the cracks, gradually engulfing the earth, sowing death and destruction, leaving only jet-black cold ashes behind it ...' This is the way we started our review of 'Tempus Edax Rerum', the new record from JOHN 3:16.<span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">Since we were overwhelmed and intrigued by this rare knot of sounds, we decided to send some questions to mastermind Philippe Gerber.</span></div></span></div><span face="Verdana, Arial, "lucida grande", sans-serif, Helvetica" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; text-align: justify;"></span><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-family: arial;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">Hello Philippe.<span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">We are very impressed with your new record 'Tempus Edax Rerum'.<span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">Are you satisfied with this new work?</span></span></strong></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-family: arial;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">Hi Xavier.<span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">Thank you for your kind words.<span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">I am aware that it is a record that is difficult to approach.<span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">The songs are long and contain lots of unique sounds, which correspond to different music styles at the same time.<span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">I believe I'm satisfied, and that with some distance this will prove to be a sustainable work, because it is very personal.</span></span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-family: arial;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">We can see a connection between 'Visions of the Hereafter' in 2012 and 'Tempus Edax Rerum' in 2020, but we also see differences.<span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">How has your sound evolved since 2012?</span></span></strong></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-family: arial;">'Visions of the Hereafter' was also a very personal album. For this record, I started from a very specific theme - the concepts of Paradise, Hell and Purgatory in the monotheistic religions and their representation in the arts, especially in painting - and I had the global dynamics of the record already in my head. The titles of the opus and of the songs were also already fixed before I started working on the music. I have used the same approach for 'Tempus Edax Rerum'. I had the title in mind and the notion of a collection of movements that follow each other long before I recorded the very first note.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG6CgvyLzOTmgOHFUQh8Q_dkGHyknZw-pbdzbU-5s0YeUxD_wLYosbeqV7aydPHkQe1Uk_2hjPl3aN9ETSn6R4G9f5raDWY_JKn-YdC50JLdZm_UoHiRSmsT_yynoNzzzM12S4TC3stN4/s2048/john2.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1362" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG6CgvyLzOTmgOHFUQh8Q_dkGHyknZw-pbdzbU-5s0YeUxD_wLYosbeqV7aydPHkQe1Uk_2hjPl3aN9ETSn6R4G9f5raDWY_JKn-YdC50JLdZm_UoHiRSmsT_yynoNzzzM12S4TC3stN4/s320/john2.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: justify;">What is different, however, is the production. I do believe I have progressed in eight years, especially with regard to the sound of the drums. I have been working for Ruben Nava / Music Junkies in Los Angeles for three years as a composer of music for trailers, films, TV series, et cetera. Ruben is a music director with an incredible musical culture. He has helped me to get out of my comfort zone, especially with regard to anything rhythmic. Of course, that has reflected on my production work with JOHN 3:16. 'Visions of the Hereafter' presented very different rhythmic productions. There is more cohesion on 'Tempus Edax Rerum': the soundscapes of the keys merge with the sound of the guitars. It is sometimes impossible for the listener to perceive all the sounds. I've been lucky enough to work with Carolyn O'Neill, who put her voice and a number of instruments on a song. She also participated in the composing of 'Visions of the Hereafter'.</div></span><p></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"><span style="font-family: arial;">You present 'Tempus Edax Rerum' as the sequel to 'Visions of the Hereafter'. However, you have published a lot of work in the last eight years, between the two albums. Why is it a sequel to this 2012 record?</span></strong></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-family: arial;">'Tempus Edax Rerum' is officially the second album from JOHN 3:16. It is the coherent sequel to 'Visions of the Hereafter'. It is true that I have released a significant number of records: records in collaboration with Mark Harris and Anthony Donovan, a compilation of b-sides, EPs and singles (including '200 Million Horsemen' and 'Sodom & Gomorrah'), a live bootleg and I even had the chance to re-release 'Visions of the Hereafter' on cassette (with the first EP 'John 3:16' as a bonus) via Cruel Nature Recordings from England. I recently made a remix of NIN ('In This Twilight') together with the Belgian group Be The Hammer, with whom another collaboration project is ongoing. All these releases between 'Visions of the Hereafter' and 'Tempus Edax Rerum' helped me to forge the sound you hear now. I've taken the time to edit the sound of the guitars in the studio, I've gone to the trouble of playing some drum parts live, and I've even dusted off some of my analog keyboards. These eight years were essential to find a new direction and a fresh identity.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8dOzvNaDW1uf9zt2VB2-4QuQa6g4bcx8TG1xRfmV-Qi3NbRX6b1AZ8BhTeTchmNwktGhYCuDfRDm7KY-qCyt4MjmeHQDF0hrKCMoNpVqCZrjub_sG41L45cM8QzKplW9SyqCNrlo4jsM/s2048/john3.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1357" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8dOzvNaDW1uf9zt2VB2-4QuQa6g4bcx8TG1xRfmV-Qi3NbRX6b1AZ8BhTeTchmNwktGhYCuDfRDm7KY-qCyt4MjmeHQDF0hrKCMoNpVqCZrjub_sG41L45cM8QzKplW9SyqCNrlo4jsM/s320/john3.jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></div><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-family: arial;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">You made a special and limited version of the record in which you transformed your songs - five tracks on the digital release - into two pieces on cassette.<span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">What important decisions did you have to make to make that happen?</span></span></strong></div></strong><p></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-family: arial;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">I composed a set of 30 songs for 'Tempus Edax Rerum', resulting in over 10 hours of recordings.<span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">For the cassette version, I wanted to do something unique by adding two unreleased tracks hidden in two long tracks: 'Mors omnibus' and 'Mors vincit omnia'.<span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">It was not that difficult to do as 'Tempus Edax Rerum' is a set of coherent movements which production is homogeneous from the first to the last note.</span></span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"></p><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-family: arial;">The songs on your cassette are called 'Mors omnibus' (death to everything) and 'Mors vincit omnia' (death will overcome everything). Death seems to be a prominent theme on your new record. Why?</span></span></strong></div><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-weight: 700; text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-family: arial;">I've lived in Pennsylvania since 2013. I'm close to Philadelphia, but I'm in a part of Pennsylvania that's still pretty wild. This contact with nature - in a quiet place, in a sense - is necessary for me to compose. Part of where I live is lost in a forest where deer, fox, vultures, eagles and others apprehend each other on a daily basis. I regularly come across animal remains at various stages of decomposition. In a way, that started to touch me, and it is there that the concept of the record was born. The art used for the digital version and for the cassette is composed of photos I have taken over the years, which is a means for me to pay tribute to these graceful creatures.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"></strong></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOStIm2AN9ep83p1_SAJeK6m1bvoaoftC2d_TL3FPh6kuDPCPHIKOtHyTJgrodrq_oEBsO4I0UP9pwMFE__nCr3pCPzhy_vNMpM-lOl5bZA0Yrdb1InXU2GHWVByO_1HTqb3OYVi-CvoA/s2000/john4.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1325" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOStIm2AN9ep83p1_SAJeK6m1bvoaoftC2d_TL3FPh6kuDPCPHIKOtHyTJgrodrq_oEBsO4I0UP9pwMFE__nCr3pCPzhy_vNMpM-lOl5bZA0Yrdb1InXU2GHWVByO_1HTqb3OYVi-CvoA/s320/john4.jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></strong></div><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The religious references seem to have disappeared. In a previous interview, you told us that religion is the main theme of JOHN 3:16. Is this still the case?</span></strong></div></strong><p></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-family: arial;">'Tempus Edax Rerum' deals with a universal notion - that of a beginning and an end to everything - that is linked in a way to 'Visions of the Hereafter'. In Christianity, for example, the notion of immortality is not natural to humans. Even if one wants to believe in an afterlife, death is an indispensable step that one must accept in a serene way. In Hinduism, death is only suffering, and that justifies the various rebirths until one has reached one's true Self. So, to answer your question: yes, JOHN 3:16 is mainly inspired by religion in the broadest sense of the word. It is mainly occultism in religions that is the focus of attention.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><strong style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-family: arial;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">It took you eight years to make a sequel to 'Visions of the Hereafter'.<span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">When will the sequel come?</span></span></strong></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguk16wa2hT7xL7NefF-rcGBQA3p1IIe0bIwgM6vSWyPhiMGvC3RX9Q7P73O7F8DA6zvlbSpwJSV9QygIUD2PNH8QSB7WeI1fYNW0DY-Q-kxOd-FIkvjFP1pFa7OKcvcbCzRJaxKHOeVL0/s2048/john5.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1362" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguk16wa2hT7xL7NefF-rcGBQA3p1IIe0bIwgM6vSWyPhiMGvC3RX9Q7P73O7F8DA6zvlbSpwJSV9QygIUD2PNH8QSB7WeI1fYNW0DY-Q-kxOd-FIkvjFP1pFa7OKcvcbCzRJaxKHOeVL0/s320/john5.jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">I am working on the next full-length, called 'The Pact'.<span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">The theme is fixed.<span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">It will be based on the Faust myth, mainly influenced by Goethe's written tragedy.<span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">The record should be released in 2022 or 2023. The label has yet to be confirmed.<span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">The artwork is already finished.<span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">The Mexican artist Nestor Avalos has been responsible for that.<span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">He has worked with such bands as Moonspell, Mercyless, Iscariot and others.<span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">One song is already in the final mix phase.<span color="inherit" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;">I will put an extract on my page in 2021.</span></div></span><p></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;"><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-family: arial;"><a href="https://john316.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">JOHN 3:16</a></span></span></p><iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=2005772915/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/artwork=small/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 307px; width: 400px;"><a href="https://john316.bandcamp.com/album/tempus-edax-rerum-alrealon-musique">Tempus Edax Rerum (Alrealon Musique) by JOHN 3:16</a></iframe>xheviourmachinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11836083167873978543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8537572467710265499.post-52922374192598510482020-12-15T04:29:00.007-08:002020-12-16T01:12:12.901-08:00JOHN 3:16: Assez fréquemment, je tombe à la rencontre de cadavres d’animaux à différents stades de putréfaction. Cela a commencé à m’affecter, et c’est là qu’est né le concept de l’album. <div style="text-align: justify;">"De la musique venue des profondeurs de l'enfer, montant lentement dans une coulée de lave avec l'odeur enivrante du soufre fumant qui s'échappe des fissures, engloutissant progressivement la terre, semant la mort et la destruction, ne laissant derrière elle que des cendres froides d'un noir profond ... '' C’est comme ça que nous avons commencé notre critique de «Tempus Edax Rerum», le nouveau disque de JOHN 3:16. Et parce que nous étions étonnés - le tonnerre est l'un des sons qui semblent sortir de vos enceintes en écoutant le disque - et intrigués par ce broui de sons rare, nous avons décidé d'envoyer quelques questions à Philippe Gerber, l’auteur de l’œuvre. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-S0csjR26uBBAHYel-5xxq5mKXAPm2ldt6XPqvx3KvoejS3MDgWUZLN2FlmFSY_jyX_I82lRnUMcSRSwBxNrsS_QJy02mT1xEpSI4KiTGhtemMhgNfu9bOnT3XM6lYgO54mhEhSaKjXg/s960/John1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-S0csjR26uBBAHYel-5xxq5mKXAPm2ldt6XPqvx3KvoejS3MDgWUZLN2FlmFSY_jyX_I82lRnUMcSRSwBxNrsS_QJy02mT1xEpSI4KiTGhtemMhgNfu9bOnT3XM6lYgO54mhEhSaKjXg/s320/John1.jpeg" /></a></div><b>Bonjour Philippe. Nous sommes très impressionnés par ton nouveau disque 'Tempus Edax Rerum'. Es-tu satisfait par ta nouvelle œuvre ? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Bonjour Xavier, merci pour tes mots. Je me rends surtout compte que c’est un album qui n’est pas facile à approcher. Les titres sont longs et plein de sonorités particulières, et qui correspondent à plusieurs styles en même temps. Je pense que je suis satisfait, et qu’avec le recul, c'est une œuvre qui va durer, car elle est très personnelle. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Nous voyons une continuation entre 'Visions of the Hereafter' en 2012 et 'Tempus Edax Rerum' en 2020. Mais nous voyons aussi des différences. Comment ton son a-t-il évolué depuis 2012 ? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">‘Visions of The Hereafter’ est aussi un album très personnel. Pour ce dernier, je suis parti d’une thématique spécifique - les concepts de Paradis, Enfer et Purgatoire dans les religions monothéistes, la représentation de ces concepts dans l’art et en particulier la peinture - et j’avais déjà en tête la dynamique globale de l'album. Le nom de l’opus et les titres étaient également quelque chose qui avaient été définis avant même que je ne commence à travailler sur la musique. J’ai eu la même approche pour ‘Tempus Edax Rerum’. J’ai eu d’abord en tête le titre et la notion d’ensemble de mouvements qui se succèdent bien avant d’avoir enregistré la toute première note. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ce qui diffère par contre, c’est la production. Je pense avoir progressé en huit ans, surtout au niveau des sons de batterie. Depuis trois ans, je travaille pour Ruben Nava / Music Junkies basé à Los Angeles, en tant que compositeur pour musique de trailers, films, séries TV, etc. Ruben est un directeur musical qui a une culture musicale incroyable. Il m’a aidé à sortir de ma zone de confort, en particulier pour tout ce qui est rythmique. Ça a naturellement déteint sur mon travail de production dans le cadre de JOHN 3:16. ‘Visions of The Hereafter’ présentaient des morceaux aux productions rythmiques bien différentes. Il y a plus de cohésion sur ‘Tempus Edax Rerum’ : les nappes de claviers se mélangent aux sons de guitares. Il est parfois même impossible pour l’auditeur de discerner ces sons. J’ai eu la chance de pouvoir travailler avec Carolyn O’Neill (Rasplyn, Chicago) qui a posé sa voix et quelques instruments sur un titre. Elle avait également participé à la composition de ‘Visions of The Hereafter’. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_zfarBbBPPYvWRYDrjU7ZgO1QqnE9MUiox1wq4UUpTfgCWRIPj5zNGF_vE8AIQWh5KWyPMHBIx2Ym27uVd_x1kkpYd50Nmk3WgMkMKIdaZ3jcLW8NdPPG7uzzpkzhgWCOf9VvpIwaCe0/s2048/john2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1362" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_zfarBbBPPYvWRYDrjU7ZgO1QqnE9MUiox1wq4UUpTfgCWRIPj5zNGF_vE8AIQWh5KWyPMHBIx2Ym27uVd_x1kkpYd50Nmk3WgMkMKIdaZ3jcLW8NdPPG7uzzpkzhgWCOf9VvpIwaCe0/s320/john2.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>Tu présentes 'Tempus Edax Rerum' comme la suite de 'Visions of the Hereafter'. Pourtant, tu as beaucoup sorti en ces huit années. Pourquoi est-ce une continuation du disque de 2012 ? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">'Tempus Edax Rerum' est officiellement le second album de JOHN 3:16. C’est la suite cohérente de ‘Visions of The Hereafter. Il est vrai que j’ai sorti un nombre important d’albums (en collaboration avec Mark Harris et Anthony Donovan), un disque de B-sides, de EPs et singles (‘200 Million Horsemen’, ‘Sodom & Gomorrah’ entre autres), un bootleg live et j’ai même eu la chance de rééditer ‘Visions of The Hereafter’ (avec la premier EP ‘John 3:16’ en bonus) en version cassette via Cruel Nature Recordings (Angleterre). Récemment, j’ai produit un remix de NIN (In This Twilight) avec le groupe Belge Be The Hammer, avec lequel j’ai un projet de collaboration en cours. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Toutes ces sorties entre ‘Visions of The Hereafter’ et ‘Tempus Edax Rerum’ m’ont aidé à forger le son que tu peux entendre. J’ai pris le temps de travailler les sons de guitares en studio, j’ai fait l’effort de de jouer certaines parties de batterie en temps réel et j’ai même pris le temps de dépoussiérer certains de mes claviers analogues. Ces huit années ont été essentielles pour trouver une nouvelle direction et une identité neuve. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiLyxrTqxHh5dOUVg6hkJY8BSZkBNf67G2j7-cw20xBKBp3ZLGBM3HGHn9dflSKJdASmtSHn35uM90pExJEq6q36AsoCiFBUpnf7iTn5m7MbE5b3dM86N5xqDq1-JKZkbls0JEdvYu9d4/s2048/john3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1357" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiLyxrTqxHh5dOUVg6hkJY8BSZkBNf67G2j7-cw20xBKBp3ZLGBM3HGHn9dflSKJdASmtSHn35uM90pExJEq6q36AsoCiFBUpnf7iTn5m7MbE5b3dM86N5xqDq1-JKZkbls0JEdvYu9d4/s320/john3.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><b>Tu as fait une version spéciale et limitée sur cassette ou tu as reconstruit tes morceaux - cinq morceaux sur la version digitale - en deux morceaux sur la cassette. Quelles décisions importantes as-tu dû prendre pour rendre ça possible ? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">J’ai composé un ensemble de 30 titres pour ‘Tempus Edax Rerum’ - plus de 10 heures d’enregistrement. Pour la version cassette, je voulais présenter quelque chose d’unique en ajoutant deux titres inédits dissimulés dans deux longs titres 'Mors omnibus' et 'Mors vincit omnia'. Il m’a été facile de le faire, puisque ‘Tempus Edax Rerum’ est un ensemble de mouvements cohérents dont la production est homogène de la première à la dernière note. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Les morceaux sur la cassette s'appellent 'Mors omnibus' (mors à tout) et 'Mors vincit omnia' (la mort vainc tout le monde). La mort est un sujet prédominant sur ton nouveau disque, non. Pourquoi ? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Kt2qoTUKZTe3EiziVXEpbQ-G85CvjY9v7_proSnARGzL__VsMvzk0VEnCW93gIII1Oi7ftiaVazZWk3Z9GWuq7vM4msndXrvCqRcp4kt9jPMQ_TL_Cyeyx_9iGQrME9AKLSYsCIOOEw/s2000/john4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1325" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Kt2qoTUKZTe3EiziVXEpbQ-G85CvjY9v7_proSnARGzL__VsMvzk0VEnCW93gIII1Oi7ftiaVazZWk3Z9GWuq7vM4msndXrvCqRcp4kt9jPMQ_TL_Cyeyx_9iGQrME9AKLSYsCIOOEw/s320/john4.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>Je vis en Pennsylvanie depuis 2013. Je suis proche de Philadelphia, mais je suis dans une partie de la Pennsylvanie qui reste assez sauvage. Ce contact avec la nature - au calme en quelque sorte - m’est nécessaire pour composer. Une partie dans laquelle je vis est perdue dans une forêt ou cerfs, renards, vautours, aigles, etc. se côtoient au quotidien. Assez fréquemment, je tombe à la rencontre de cadavres d’animaux à différents stades de putréfaction. Cela a commencé à m’affecter en un sens, et c’est là qu’est né le concept de l’album. L’art utilisé pour la version digitale et pour la cassette est composé de photos que j’ai prises au cours des années, une manière pour moi de rendre hommage à ces gracieuses créatures.
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Par contre, les références religieuses ont semblé disparaître. Tu nous avais dit dans une interview précédente que la religion était un thème principal dans JOHN 3:16. Est-ce encore le cas ? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">‘Tempus Edax Rerum’ traite d’une notion universelle (celle d’un commencement et d’une fin à tout), qui est connectée en un sens à ‘Visions of The Hereafter’. En Christianisme par exemple, la notion d’immortalité n’est pas naturelle à l’Homme. Même s’il l'on veut croire à un après, la mort est une étape inéluctable qu’il faut accepter de manière sereine. En Hindouisme, la mort n’est que souffrance, et c’est ce qui justifie les renaissances multiples jusqu’à atteindre le Soi véritable. Donc pour répondre à ta question, oui, JOHN 3:16 est primordialement inspiré par la religion au sens large. C’est l’occultisme dans les religions qui est surtout le centre d’attention. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisVAKn7vvqvQe6YGvldJ_sIaqeLZ-PwQdj4Aw2S7kWXjuQ0s58vNlvgzCgXSOlfR0N08BFndU-Ks1gaeuTZ4W47h4-y6iYNWxKjnXyEf3o6qXFCj-92E5mi1VXnI6w3hyphenhyphenPe2rVvJVXp04/s2048/john5.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1362" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisVAKn7vvqvQe6YGvldJ_sIaqeLZ-PwQdj4Aw2S7kWXjuQ0s58vNlvgzCgXSOlfR0N08BFndU-Ks1gaeuTZ4W47h4-y6iYNWxKjnXyEf3o6qXFCj-92E5mi1VXnI6w3hyphenhyphenPe2rVvJVXp04/s320/john5.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>Tu as mis 8 ans à produire une suite à 'Visions of the Hereafter'. A quand la suite ? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Je suis en train de travailler sur le prochain long intitulé ‘The Pact’. La thématique est définie, ce sera basé sur le mythe de Faust, majoritairement sur la tragédie écrite par Goethe. L’album devrait sortir en 2022 ou en 2023, le label est encore à confirmer. L’artwork est déjà prêt, c’est l’artiste Mexican Nestor Avalos qui s’en est chargé. Il a travaillé avec des groupes tels que Moonspell, Mercyless, Iscariot, etc. Un titre est en cours de mixage final. Je posterai un extrait sur mes pages en 2021.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://john316.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">JOHN 3:16</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=2005772915/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/artwork=small/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 307px; width: 400px;"><a href="https://john316.bandcamp.com/album/tempus-edax-rerum-alrealon-musique">Tempus Edax Rerum (Alrealon Musique) by JOHN 3:16</a></iframe>xheviourmachinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11836083167873978543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8537572467710265499.post-5972194026385737802020-11-27T08:50:00.002-08:002020-11-27T08:51:41.883-08:00The Breath Of Life: No, I never considered quitting making music. Nor to taste good special beers.<div style="text-align: justify;">This year, The Breath Of Life is blowing out 35 candles. And they are releasing a new CD. 'Sparks Around Us' already contains 11 gems, and we can say that this tenth CD is a continuation of the previous albums, under which we do not count any slips or weaker albums. The album comes out at a surprising moment, in full lockdown. It didn't stop us from talking to The Breath Of Life about their career and their latest offspring. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>The Breath Of Life has been around for 35 years now. What made that longevity possible? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp0_c8_IQRkyOVOS4deqkERomfvAKIM9AHkZq7nZbmv4TeiAQXcQupmobUv-FsxJC_k0jvjEQLUfyqkR8x2huWSwKWPjxdqVItW9dR6mLoxx9938ujuIHTad1wj5qKoE77vJm1PvVVTyE/s600/n-the-breath-of-life-zangw-fest-waregem-16-08-2019-door-luc-luyten-2364-457.jpg" style="background-color: white; clear: right; float: right; font-family: Verdana, Arial, "lucida grande", sans-serif, Helvetica; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp0_c8_IQRkyOVOS4deqkERomfvAKIM9AHkZq7nZbmv4TeiAQXcQupmobUv-FsxJC_k0jvjEQLUfyqkR8x2huWSwKWPjxdqVItW9dR6mLoxx9938ujuIHTad1wj5qKoE77vJm1PvVVTyE/s320/n-the-breath-of-life-zangw-fest-waregem-16-08-2019-door-luc-luyten-2364-457.jpg" width="320" /></a>Phil (guitar): We've been meeting weekly at rehearsals for so many years that it's an integral part of our lives. Everything is of course a bit confused at the moment, but we hope to get back to it soon. And as long as the public seems to like our records, it is a sign that we are not finished yet. I also believe that the fact that we don't try to repeat ourselves from record to record gives us the opportunity to keep the fire and motivation to make new songs. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>During those long years, have you never thought of quitting? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Phil: I personally did take a few years' hiatus and came back for the previous record 'Under The Falling Stars'. I did not participate in two of the ten records. After 15 years in the band, I had the opportunity to take on nice challenges abroad with my work on the one hand and on the other hand a feeling of not knowing anymore in which direction the band should go at that moment, in 2000. But when I heard that Isabelle was starting to love nice beers, I couldn't resist returning to share them with her. My return was quite a challenge for both myself and the band, and I dare to think that it finally gave us a new impetus. We still play today with three of the four original members. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Isabelle (vocals): For me, rehearsing every week is a bit of a flight, a break that gives me energy and gives me the opportunity to connect with different emotions. I don't feel like I have reached the end of the journey, and as long as I continue to enjoy singing and composing, I will keep on enjoying these happy moments. No, I never considered quitting making music. Nor to taste good special beers. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>The Breath Of Life is one of those bands with a consistent quality. You have never made a bad CD. Are you very aware of the need for quality when working on a new record? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX7OaVP0MrPlyMaisww3A8Esqir2Hm7kCM1TbHKZ5OSVMYBUKFLc_9hTzp6xW20KiIKDs8imYyubAP4uDLQkZNVmwui_6IL7m4srDYVhFLrCxpJ8HGAU2M7ziFyApD_UCTctjdbZJcsuc/s600/n-the-breath-of-life-gitaarw-fest-waregem-16-08-2019-door-luc-luyten-2364-461.jpg" style="background-color: white; clear: left; float: left; font-family: Verdana, Arial, "lucida grande", sans-serif, Helvetica; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX7OaVP0MrPlyMaisww3A8Esqir2Hm7kCM1TbHKZ5OSVMYBUKFLc_9hTzp6xW20KiIKDs8imYyubAP4uDLQkZNVmwui_6IL7m4srDYVhFLrCxpJ8HGAU2M7ziFyApD_UCTctjdbZJcsuc/s320/n-the-breath-of-life-gitaarw-fest-waregem-16-08-2019-door-luc-luyten-2364-461.jpg" width="320" /></a>Phil: Thank you, thank you. This should be communicated to the whole world! The most important thing for us is to make records that are not a copy / paste of the previous record or records. Apart from that, everything happens quite naturally and we have followed the same approach since the early days. One of the musicians comes up with a basic idea that we all work on together during our rehearsals. In this way we make a rough structure of the songs. If it works out, I make arrangements at home with the computer, and we test it out in the next rehearsal. We may make changes from rehearsal to rehearsal. For the final recording we will record everything ourselves and Gilles Martin will contribute with the mixing and mastering. That then gives what you eventually hear. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>'Sparks Around Us' does indeed contain some blinding sparkles. The title is well chosen. How did you come to this title? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Isabelle: 'Sparks Around Us' represents a multitude of sparkles that I believe can heal us from our afflictions, bring well-being, energy, change… Little things that allow us to move on. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Isabelle, I have noticed that the characters in your lyrics are always feminine. Is that a premeditated choice, a conscious statement in a rock world that is still predominantly male, or is it more of a coincidence? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Isabelle: The heroines in my lyrics are mainly feminine because that's how I know them best. It's more natural and easier for me to talk about women's feelings and the world in which they live. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitKha7_llR_wEnXNn1zhlL2FcBTsc8JWbOiQk_uFRP73EhEPE62t3suYF5qqs4od9V8y1hYQFQO-AyQUShVx7X9FFgmVisSdMPxS8RPw2odztWqHfNucr6OnaYbPjoiPz3gKgztyofZNQ/s600/n-the-breath-of-life-vioolw-fest-waregem-16-08-2019-door-luc-luyten-2364-469.jpg" style="background-color: white; clear: right; float: right; font-family: Verdana, Arial, "lucida grande", sans-serif, Helvetica; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitKha7_llR_wEnXNn1zhlL2FcBTsc8JWbOiQk_uFRP73EhEPE62t3suYF5qqs4od9V8y1hYQFQO-AyQUShVx7X9FFgmVisSdMPxS8RPw2odztWqHfNucr6OnaYbPjoiPz3gKgztyofZNQ/s320/n-the-breath-of-life-vioolw-fest-waregem-16-08-2019-door-luc-luyten-2364-469.jpg" width="320" /></a><b>During our last interview, you told us that the song 'Black Out' on your previous CD 'Under The Falling Stars' referred to Malala Yousufzai, the Afghan girl who survived an attack by the Taliban. Are there any such references on the new record? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Isabelle: For the song 'My Run Away Call' I was inspired by the touching story of Sheikha Latifa, the princess from the United Arab Emirates who has been untraceable since she tried to flee her country from abuse and was deprived of her freedom. I wrote the song after seeing her video announcing her flight. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>The CD will be released in full corona lockdown. There are no concerts planned, and that also means that fewer records will be sold… Why have you decided to release the record now? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Phil: It is indeed not such an easy period, but you can also imagine that when everything goes back to normal, there will be lots of records coming out and you will drown in the mass. The songs were ready and we decided that not even covid would stop us. Of course we will feel this in the sales figures, because we sell a lot during concerts. And now we have nothing on our agenda until the Gibus in Paris in July 2021. We hope that the public will understand and will order the record through Wool-E Discs for the physical version, and through bandcamp for the digital version. I'd rather not talk about Spotify, which is important to be listened to, but which makes things very difficult financially for independent bands because they don't help them out of the costs. I think I can put it that way. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmXckYrg_pUv2YkzHm-4FLmnaClbUcqm8iTzqRVAXy6AKsCeDncG_uz60tJG7-2zFKeYZXrm37UPOWiNIxTbgWhu4rj21zGSx4GRX78qnBPpR2kYi43XAprG6bubsn0RiQ2ow_448FvAY/s600/n-the-breath-of-life-basw-fest-waregem-16-08-2019-door-luc-luyten-2364-459.jpg" style="background-color: white; clear: left; float: left; font-family: Verdana, Arial, "lucida grande", sans-serif, Helvetica; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmXckYrg_pUv2YkzHm-4FLmnaClbUcqm8iTzqRVAXy6AKsCeDncG_uz60tJG7-2zFKeYZXrm37UPOWiNIxTbgWhu4rj21zGSx4GRX78qnBPpR2kYi43XAprG6bubsn0RiQ2ow_448FvAY/s320/n-the-breath-of-life-basw-fest-waregem-16-08-2019-door-luc-luyten-2364-459.jpg" width="320" /></a><b> the other hand, you have used the lockdown to release some remarkable covers from the likes of David Bowie and The Sound. And you also gave an online concert in the lockdown. How do you evaluate these experiences? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Phil: It was very special because, for the covers, we had to do everything without meeting each other. It was done by communication between us via email and digital transfers. We are very happy with the result. The concert was proposed to us by a local DJ. We were a bit hesitant at first because playing without an audience seemed rather strange to us, but we still agreed. There were some difficulties with the organization, but we enjoyed playing together in person. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>I am a huge fan of Lacrimosa. You released your records on their Hall Of Sermon label for a few years. How have contacts been with Tilo Wolff and Anne Nurmi from Lacrimosa? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Phil: I believe that, as far as I know, the label is not that active anymore. I have not had contact with them for years. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Isabelle: I think it has been a big boost in visibility for the band, because we got the chance to play first and foremost in beautiful halls and at big festivals in Germany, and then also in Europe. In general, the collaboration went well. But it was and is always important for us to keep control over our music and our image. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqqgna5D_upx6PpTCXaoBefdM4xOZykgCDSBTDlDqjTq_q7i7FxRMw4BbDnPhSKzyyJhOT_rYczXsvcFMUX_EUI_qhRCP713YXuFOjHeO-dyk_n1tLzruN3_HZkjXMugQ0eGGmjb2lAmg/s600/n-the-breath-of-life-groepw-fest-waregem-16-08-2019-door-luc-luyten-2364-467.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqqgna5D_upx6PpTCXaoBefdM4xOZykgCDSBTDlDqjTq_q7i7FxRMw4BbDnPhSKzyyJhOT_rYczXsvcFMUX_EUI_qhRCP713YXuFOjHeO-dyk_n1tLzruN3_HZkjXMugQ0eGGmjb2lAmg/s320/n-the-breath-of-life-groepw-fest-waregem-16-08-2019-door-luc-luyten-2364-467.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The goth scene in Belgium has failed to rejuvenate. She still produces a lot of good music, but for the audience, you have to look in the higher age categories. Is this a problem for you? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Phil: I totally agree. For example, I went to see Whispering Sons in Charleroi before the whole covid thing. And although this band is quite young, there were only people of our age in the audience. It is indeed a small problem because if older people still buy records, they don't go to concerts that much, especially in clubs or smaller venues. I can't blame them. I go out less than when I was 25 myself. Fortunately for my physical health.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, "lucida grande", sans-serif, Helvetica; font-size: 13px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 20px;">The Breath Of Life: <a href="https://www.the-breath-of-life.com/" style="color: #af0100; font-weight: bold; padding: 3px 1px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">website</a> / <a href="https://thebreathoflife.bandcamp.com/" style="color: #af0100; font-weight: bold; padding: 3px 1px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">bandcamp</a></p><p style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, "lucida grande", sans-serif, Helvetica; font-size: 13px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 20px;">Pictures: Luc 'Who Cares' Luyten @ W-fest</p></div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YDBGNZt8_Xw" width="560"></iframe>xheviourmachinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11836083167873978543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8537572467710265499.post-8187034395652207242020-11-26T07:37:00.003-08:002020-11-26T07:38:50.117-08:00The Breath Of Life: Non, je n’ai jamais pensé à arrêter de faire de la musique. Ni de boire de bonnes bières spéciales.<div style="text-align: justify;">Cette année, The Breath Of Life souffle 35 bougies. Et ils sortent un nouveau CD. ‘Sparks Around Us’ contient 11 perles, et on peut dire que ce dixième CD est dans la continuité des albums précédents, dans lesquels on ne compte pas d’album mauvais ou plus faible. Il sort à un moment surprenant, à savoir en plein confinement. Cela ne nous a pas empêché de parler à The Breath Of Life de leur carrière et de leur dernier bijou. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>The Breath Of Life existe depuis 35 ans déjà. Qu'est-ce qui fait la longévité du groupe ?</b> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOAtny5-apt92B_r1_0SUZjmBlqWxa56KTXXvbCy8XvJ0oPwL98ZsdEstBiJa5W7Xj_TnEeZZ6UBAf7CHuqUB0RmDGsUS386rBBGpIotbRBo7rkuzhNX6MvT4WuYDeEtFsHQEF-O74qRg/s600/n-the-breath-of-life-zangw-fest-waregem-16-08-2019-door-luc-luyten-2364-457.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOAtny5-apt92B_r1_0SUZjmBlqWxa56KTXXvbCy8XvJ0oPwL98ZsdEstBiJa5W7Xj_TnEeZZ6UBAf7CHuqUB0RmDGsUS386rBBGpIotbRBo7rkuzhNX6MvT4WuYDeEtFsHQEF-O74qRg/s320/n-the-breath-of-life-zangw-fest-waregem-16-08-2019-door-luc-luyten-2364-457.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>PHIL : Nous nous retrouvons en répète toutes les semaines depuis tellement d'années que ça fait partie intégrante de notre vie. Tout s’est actuellement un peu perturbé mais nous espérons qu'on y retourne bientôt. Et tant que le publique semble apprécier nos albums c'est que nous ne sommes pas encore hors-jeux. Je pense aussi que fait que nous essayons de ne pas trop nous répéter d'albums en albums nous permet de garder la flamme et une motivation à faire de nouveaux morceaux. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Vous n'avez jamais pensé à arrêter pendant ces longues années ? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">PHIL : Personnellement j'ai quand même fait une pause de quelques années et je suis revenu pour l'album précédent ‘Under The Falling Stars’. Je n 'ai pas participé à 2 albums sur les 10. Après 15 ans dans le groupe j'avais d'un côté mon travail qui pouvait m'emmener à l'étranger pour de beaux défis et une impression de ne plus trop savoir où aller avec le groupe à ce moment-là en 2000. Puis quand j'ai appris qu'Isabelle s'était mise à apprécier les bonnes bières je n'ai pas pu résister à revenir pour en partager avec elle. Mon retour était pour le groupe et moi un challenge et au final cela nous a, je pense, donné un nouvel élan. Aujourd'hui nous sommes toujours trois sur les quatre de la formation originel du groupe.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">ISABELLE : Répéter chaque semaine est comme un moment d’évasion, une parenthèse hebdomadaire qui donne de l’énergie et qui me permet de me reconnecter à des émotions diverses. Je n’ai pas l’impression d’être arrivée au bout du voyage et, tant que je prends du plaisir à chanter et composer, je profite de ces bons moments. Non, je n’ai jamais pensé à arrêter de faire de la musique. Ni de boire de bonnes bières spéciales. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL4VCkPqeqV93VYjR4hvnT6gPkx7yvknXsX8lSKpSh2XqRQymwzpmSxlrIJhL-jNOOp4AVfbEASmbsI7JtzUwFEZaUMo4vNGaIXI5PGM6JX2kZDkWHtS5eQ5eZsoWfx4QqrTehirS5Shk/s600/n-the-breath-of-life-basw-fest-waregem-16-08-2019-door-luc-luyten-2364-459.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL4VCkPqeqV93VYjR4hvnT6gPkx7yvknXsX8lSKpSh2XqRQymwzpmSxlrIJhL-jNOOp4AVfbEASmbsI7JtzUwFEZaUMo4vNGaIXI5PGM6JX2kZDkWHtS5eQ5eZsoWfx4QqrTehirS5Shk/s320/n-the-breath-of-life-basw-fest-waregem-16-08-2019-door-luc-luyten-2364-459.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b>The Breath Of Life est l'un des groupes avec une qualité constante. Vous n'avez jamais produit de mauvais CD. Êtes-vous très conscient de cette nécessité de qualité quand vous travaillez à un nouvel album ? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">PHIL : Merci, merci. Faudrait le faire savoir à la terre entière. Le plus important est de ne pas faire des albums qui soient des copier/coller du ou des précédents. Pour le reste nous faisons les choses assez naturellement et travaillons de la même façon depuis les débuts. Un des musiciens apporte une idée de base sur laquelle nous travaillons tous ensemble en répétitions et nous structurons grossièrement les morceaux. Quand la mayonnaise semble prendre je fais les arrangements avec l’ordinateur chez moi et à la répète suivante on teste et on modifie si nécessaire de répétitions en répétitions. Pour l'enregistrement final nous faisons les prises de son nous-mêmes puis Gilles Martin apporte sa touche au mixage et au mastering. Et ça donne ce que vous pouvez entendre. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>'Sparks Around Us' contient en effet quelques étincelles éblouissantes. Le titre est donc bien choisi. Comment êtes-vous arrivés à ce titre ? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">ISABELLE : « Sparks around us » représente une multitude d’étincelles qui, selon moi, peuvent parfois, nous guérir de nos tourments, apporter du bien-être, de l’énergie, du changement. De petites choses qui nous permettent d’avancer. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Isabelle, j'ai remarqué que les personnages dans tes textes sont toujours féminins. Est-ce un choix prémédité, une prise de position dans un monde rock encore très masculin, ou tout juste une coïncidence ?</b> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">ISABELLE : Les héroïnes de mes textes sont principalement féminines car ce sont elles que je connais le mieux. Il est plus naturel et facile pour moi de parler des émotions de femmes et du monde dans lequel elles vivent. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW45mhRIOk_DKCUZPNL71hWGSx74ZKM_2DcmHzSs70HBPizM-nWnoqdwnHuenLS6TJHhGsq1xuwpuc1a8FsZNzTa97e81wBQdu_jRieovWPsiQZcjDPFYMtRPPCDYKQnwwlK6gods2xaw/s600/n-the-breath-of-life-gitaarw-fest-waregem-16-08-2019-door-luc-luyten-2364-461.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW45mhRIOk_DKCUZPNL71hWGSx74ZKM_2DcmHzSs70HBPizM-nWnoqdwnHuenLS6TJHhGsq1xuwpuc1a8FsZNzTa97e81wBQdu_jRieovWPsiQZcjDPFYMtRPPCDYKQnwwlK6gods2xaw/s320/n-the-breath-of-life-gitaarw-fest-waregem-16-08-2019-door-luc-luyten-2364-461.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b>Lors de notre dernier entretien, tu nous disais que le morceaux 'Black Out' sur votre dernier CD, 'Under the Falling Stars' référait à Malala Yousufzai, la fille Afghane qui a survécu à un attentat des Talibans. Y-a-t’il des références pareilles sur le nouvel album ? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">ISABELLE : Pour le morceau « My run away call », j’ai été inspirée par l’histoire troublante de Cheikha Latifa, la princesse émiratie introuvable après avoir tenté de fuir son pays pour maltraitance et au prix de la Liberté. J’ai écrit le morceau après avoir visionné sa vidéo annonçant son évasion. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Le CD sort en plein confinement corona. Pas de concerts prévus, ça signifie aussi moins de ventes d'albums... Pourquoi quand-même sortir le disque en cette période ? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">PHIL : Ce n'est effectivement pas une période facile mais on peut aussi penser que lorsque la situation va revenir à la normale, plein de disques vont sortir et on pouvait alors être noyé dans la masse. Les morceaux étaient prêts et nous avons décidés que même le covid19 ne nous arrêterait pas. Bien sûr les ventes vont s'en ressentir car nous vendons aussi pas mal lors des concerts. Et là nous n'avons rien avant le Gibus à Paris en juillet 2021. Nous espérons que le public sera compréhensif et achètera l'album via Wool-E discs pour les commandes physiques ou via Bandcamp pour le digital. Je ne parle pas de Spotify qui est nécessaire pour être écouté mais qui, financièrement, rend les choses très très difficiles pour les groupes indés étant donné qu'ils ne rétribuent pas les groupes. Je pense qu'on peut le dire ainsi. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Par contre, vous avez bien réussi à utiliser le confinement pour sortir quelques reprises remarquables de David Bowie ou de The Sound. Et puis vous avez fait un concert en ligne en plein confinement. Quelle évaluation faites-vous de ces expériences ? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLj7g4xITaFD5HRtRkJtUUvSqju4z7QvMP72NBWxx-0TKcbSGTSRH_mEDw6NWPBCHygxt_Q5NQR_79S2QGxfSgYwMYu09ZaIbfuu5plT3H_qimGjSMJ_Lnq8QmnDDkKOYlDTL6ZTmyiPk/s600/n-the-breath-of-life-vioolw-fest-waregem-16-08-2019-door-luc-luyten-2364-469.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLj7g4xITaFD5HRtRkJtUUvSqju4z7QvMP72NBWxx-0TKcbSGTSRH_mEDw6NWPBCHygxt_Q5NQR_79S2QGxfSgYwMYu09ZaIbfuu5plT3H_qimGjSMJ_Lnq8QmnDDkKOYlDTL6ZTmyiPk/s320/n-the-breath-of-life-vioolw-fest-waregem-16-08-2019-door-luc-luyten-2364-469.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>PHIL : C'était assez particulier car pour les reprises nous avons dû tout faire sans nous voir. Par e-mail et transferts interposés. Mais nous sommes très contents du résultat. Nous avons volontairement gardé un côté assez intimiste et pratiquement sans overdub. Le concert nous a été proposé par un dj local. Nous étions un peu hésitants au début car jouer sans public nous semblait plutôt étrange, mais nous avons finalement accepté. L'organisation a eu quelques ratés mais ça nous a fait plaisir de nous retrouver et de jouer ensemble pour du vrai. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Je suis un grand fan de Lacrimosa. Vous avez, pendant quelques années, sortis vos disques sur leur label Hall of Sermon. Comment se sont passés les contacts avec Tilo Wolff et Anne Nurmi de Lacrimosa ? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">PHIL : Je pense que, pour ce que j'en sait, le label n'est plus très actif. Personnellement je n'ai plus eu de contact depuis des années. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">ISABELLE : Je pense que ça a été un grand boost en termes de visibilité pour le groupe car nous avons eu l’occasion, dans un premier temps, de tourner en Allemagne dans de belles salles et festivals et, ensuite, en Europe. L’entente s’est globalement bien déroulée. Ce qui était et qui reste important pour nous est de garder le contrôle artistique sur notre musique et image. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigL3M75N34nc24_mb4b1X1E20tO357kMwIxk9frE72sTdpikJRtrfwtS4gksTuAKPsUGyYikvMY9PxKe69EngFT8uDzL61PeH3ek7xPDCi5kmaTDcwbmjgxbiE27WYelBdfLHmWy-IFEM/s600/n-the-breath-of-life-groepw-fest-waregem-16-08-2019-door-luc-luyten-2364-467.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigL3M75N34nc24_mb4b1X1E20tO357kMwIxk9frE72sTdpikJRtrfwtS4gksTuAKPsUGyYikvMY9PxKe69EngFT8uDzL61PeH3ek7xPDCi5kmaTDcwbmjgxbiE27WYelBdfLHmWy-IFEM/s320/n-the-breath-of-life-groepw-fest-waregem-16-08-2019-door-luc-luyten-2364-467.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>La scène goth en Belgique n'a pas réussi à se rajeunir. Elle produit encore toujours plein de bonne musique, mais le public est généralement à chercher dans les tranches d'âge supérieures. Est-ce un problème pour vous ? </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">PHIL : Je suis bien d'accord. Par exemple, pré-covid, je suis allé voir Whispering Sons en concert à Charleroi et, alors que le groupe est, lui, très jeune, il n'y avait que des personnes de notre âge dans le public. C'est effectivement un petit souci car si certaines personnes plus âgées achètent des albums, beaucoup moins vont encore à des concerts en tout cas dans des clubs ou des petites salles. Je ne peux pas les blâmer, je sors aussi moins que quand j'avais 25 ans. Heureusement pour ma santé physique.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, Arial, "lucida grande", sans-serif, Helvetica" style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, Arial, "lucida grande", sans-serif, Helvetica" style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">The Breath Of Life: </span><a href="https://www.the-breath-of-life.com/" style="color: #af0100; font-family: Verdana, Arial, "lucida grande", sans-serif, Helvetica; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; padding: 3px 1px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">site</a><span face="Verdana, Arial, "lucida grande", sans-serif, Helvetica" style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;"> </span><span face="Verdana, Arial, "lucida grande", sans-serif, Helvetica" style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">/</span><span face="Verdana, Arial, "lucida grande", sans-serif, Helvetica" style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;"> </span><a href="https://thebreathoflife.bandcamp.com/" style="color: #af0100; font-family: Verdana, Arial, "lucida grande", sans-serif, Helvetica; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; padding: 3px 1px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">bandcamp</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, "lucida grande", sans-serif, Helvetica; font-size: 13px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 20px;">Photos: Luc 'Who Cares' Luyten @ W-fest</p></div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YDBGNZt8_Xw" width="560"></iframe>xheviourmachinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11836083167873978543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8537572467710265499.post-55112152342183448152020-11-21T07:20:00.023-08:002020-11-23T11:06:11.853-08:00Placebo Effect - Shattered Souls (CD review)<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_PuFouGOCb3LvqdJNPXO59MrlFgtrFcc-Ei4go_YZ0mV0bD3aWMq0J4nf_gd_OusTz6QmsGAa4oF2m-vEHSTOewNma14nutmQ1eDVo_y9MIiMhTUkBuVgGN2B-0O9mfAoZrJKG5Ygxv3N/s200/Placebo+Effect+-+Shattered+Souls.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_PuFouGOCb3LvqdJNPXO59MrlFgtrFcc-Ei4go_YZ0mV0bD3aWMq0J4nf_gd_OusTz6QmsGAa4oF2m-vEHSTOewNma14nutmQ1eDVo_y9MIiMhTUkBuVgGN2B-0O9mfAoZrJKG5Ygxv3N/s0/Placebo+Effect+-+Shattered+Souls.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; text-align: justify;"><b>Genre: dark electro</b></span></p><p><b style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Label: none (self-released)</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; text-align: justify;"><b>Rating: 9/10</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">26 years. That is how long we had to wait for new work
from Placebo Effect, the legendary German dark electro band which was introduced
in 1990 by the equally legendary Danse Macabre label. <a name="_Hlk56845991">There
were only a few people who thought it would still happen and after band member Achim
Windel passed away in 2016, hardly anyone still believed in it. </a>But here we
are. It is 2020, a disastrous year beyond imagination and Placebo Effect (the
original line-up, but now a duo) has returned with a brand-new album.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Anyone who is passionate about old-school electro and
regularly attends gigs abroad knew that Axel Machens and Christoph Kunze were
preparing their comeback. I myself have seen Placebo Effect live 4 times since
2014 and I have also often encountered Axel as a visitor at gigs of other dark
electro artists. The PE shows are always a bit theatrical and creepy. The stage
is filled with props, which are handled quite roughly (the giant teddy bear is
notorious) and usually partly end up in the crowd. Depending on the venue, Axel
himself also regularly jumps into the crowd. The last time I saw the band (Madrid,
2019), the show was so wild he scared the shit out of the locals. In short, the
PE shows are always quite the experience.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The new tracks that have been presented live in the
past few years are finally available in a studio version. It concerns 'Crystal
White Snow', 'Slave' and 'Nothing To Cry'. In my opinion, these are the most
atypical tracks on the new album, since strictly speaking, they are not dark
electro. Granted, Placebo Effect has always flirted with other influences in
their music, but I think these tracks are fundamentally different from the rest
of the album. 'Crystal White Snow' sounds more "gothic" than electro in
the absence of a real (electro) beat, whereas 'Slave' and 'Nothing To Cry'
incorporate drums and guitars respectively. Personally, these tracks do not
really appeal to me, or better say: not as much as the others. However, from an
objective point of view, they are definitely well-made, so I can see why they
are almost always included in the band's set list.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The real dark electro tracks - if I may call them that
- are however in the majority, so the old-school rivetheads do not need to
worry. I expect that in particular 'Pain', 'Down On Your Knees' and 'Hard Work'
will be appreciated by the fans because of their energetic and rather aggressive
electro style (on a side note: 'Hard Work' is an old song that got an update; the
original was released on the cassette 'Gargoyles' in 1990). 'Feed Your
Creatures' is most likely a fan favorite as well, as it is reminiscent of Skinny
Puppy. In my opinion, 'Shattered Souls' and 'Evil Dead Trap' are the best dark
electro tracks, with 'Shattered Souls' being my personal favorite. In spite of
the minimal lyrics, it is a highly atmospheric song with hypnotic synths and creepy
vocal effects (the intro alone is breathtaking and will haunt you).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Finally, a few words about the (short) instrumentals
on this album. 'Shattered Souls' may be my favorite dark electro track, but I am
just as impressed by the rather "gothic" sounding instrumental
'D.E.S.T.R.U.C.T.I.O.N'. It is in compositions like these that the horror,
which is inherent to the music of Placebo Effect (just think of the intro of their hit 'Galleries Of Pain'), is being highlighted. If you ask me, this is
the perfect soundtrack for the ongoing apocalypse. If you are looking for even
more creepy stuff, I can recommend the instrumental 'V.O.I.C.E.S'. It does not
get any scarier than this.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">These guys were phenomenal in the early 90s; 30 years
later, they still are. Spend lockdown 2.0 in a meaningful manner and buy the
new Placebo Effect. You will be blown away.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span><span style="color: red; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">CD review: Marjolein Laenen</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span><span style="color: red; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://placeboeffect-official.bandcamp.com/album/shattered-souls" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/PlaceboEffect.official" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Facebook</span></a><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pgl2a_b3Bcg" width="320" youtube-src-id="pgl2a_b3Bcg"></iframe></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8537572467710265499.post-14526859744726458912020-06-14T06:43:00.000-07:002020-06-14T06:59:30.442-07:00Amorphous - Moth Metaphor (CD review)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfgB78vwzAR-jPaAmPQ3aAiI-5JKcb0-ZZ0rf13NqM0GYkxvBV_snyj-kZfSMk-7MQIDeeLoB3caNOI1Xb4plDgn-1DnLrs0ZKYP-dtTtKVah5t5kqcHFJ4Y-5zDdIEsTVdvN17R9DLQoh/s1600/Amorphous+-+Moth+Metaphor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfgB78vwzAR-jPaAmPQ3aAiI-5JKcb0-ZZ0rf13NqM0GYkxvBV_snyj-kZfSMk-7MQIDeeLoB3caNOI1Xb4plDgn-1DnLrs0ZKYP-dtTtKVah5t5kqcHFJ4Y-5zDdIEsTVdvN17R9DLQoh/s1600/Amorphous+-+Moth+Metaphor.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Genre: dark electro</b><br />
<b>Label: Razgrom Music</b><br />
<b>Rating: 8,5/10</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">After almost 3
months without any "offline" social music interaction, you would
almost forget: there is still such a thing as a dark electro scene. Small and
mostly centered in a handful of European countries, but it does exist. I cannot
put in words how much I miss traveling to Germany in particular to meet my
foreign friends and attend small-scale underground club shows with them. Sure,
you keep in touch through social media and some artists engage in live
streams, but it is not the same thing. Dark electro is so much more than just a
music style: it is a source of friendship across borders.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I have seen Gil Oliveira Santos 3
times in person so far. On 2 of these occasions, he was on stage himself; the last
time we were watching a Placebo Effect show together at a club in Madrid.
Actually, I had hoped to see him on stage on the third occasion as well, because
Amorphous is great live. One could witness that at his performances at Lauscher
vs Oldschool (Erfurt) in 2018 and Dark EBM Souls (Bratislava) in 2019. In the
90s, Gil was a member of the Brazilian dark electro band Morgue / Morgue
Mechanism, so he is definitely not a newcomer. No, he is someone who has heard
the call of dark electro after more than 15 years of absence and has returned as a solo
artist.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">'Moth Metaphor' is
the long-awaited fifth Amorphous album and the latest addition to a discography
that further consists of 'Behaviourism', 'Shapeshifting', 'Shapeless' and the
live recording of the Dark EBM Souls show. It is also the most distinct
"old-school" Amorphous release to date. Whereas 'Shapeshifting' still
contained a mix of dark electro, EBM, minimal synth and even techno, Gil goes full-on
dark electro this time. It is also striking that there is only 1 remix on 'Moth
Metaphor' (and only as a bonus track), knowing that 'Behaviourism' and
especially 'Shapeless' were mainly remix albums. This time, the emphasis is completely
on new work, which is something I can only applaud.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">It took me a while
before I could really appreciate the new album. 'Kingdom Of Darkness' and
'Unknown Things' immediately stood out for me and I still consider them to be the
best tracks. The catchy 'Unknown Things' is also one of my most favourite
Amorphous songs of all time. But I struggled a bit more</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">with the rest of
the album, especially with the more minimalistic tracks 'Blackout' and
'Episode' and also to a lesser extent 'Wasteland' and 'How It All Goes Down'.
In the meantime, I have changed my mind and I do think that 'Moth Metaphor' is generally
good, although I am still not a fan of 'Episode', which, with its guitar sound,
is too alternative to my liking. 'Secret Place', on the other hand, really appeals
to me, especially because of the piano and the compelling singing style, which
is something I also noticed in 'Kingdom Of Darkness'. 'Nonlinear Future' is
probably the most "trademark" Amorphous track and leans more towards the
style on 'Shapeshifting'. Finally, there are 2 tracks without Gil's vocals,
more specifically the instrumental 'The Mystery Man' (in which only samples can
be heard) and the bilingual spoken word track 'Our Deepest Fear'. The latter is
special, as the text is a poem by our very own Jacques Brel, which is read in
both its original French-language version and an English translation by the Canadian
actor Dennis O'Connor. I had to inquire about it, but Gil has found this rendition
on YouTube. So it is not his voice that you hear, although it could have been.
As far as I know, he speaks at least 3 languages (English, Portuguese and
Spanish).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">As the physical
release had been delayed due to the corona crisis and the fans had to wait a little
longer, Gil has decided to add 3 bonus tracks to the CD. 'Confinamiento' is a
Spanish-language song that I would describe as contemporary electro with techno
influences. No dark electro, but good nonetheless. 'Kingdom Of Darkness (Empire
Version)' is the only remix on this album and is not inferior to the original.
Both versions are great, with the remix sounding even darker and more ominous.
Finally, 'A New Morning' is a pure instrumental in the ambient style.
Personally, I do not like instrumentals and certainly not ambient, but that
does not mean it is not well-made.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">'Moth Metaphor' is
released on a Russian label, but you can also order the CD directly from the
artist (Gil lives in England). As always, it is recommended to check out
<a href="https://amorphousound.bandcamp.com/album/moth-metaphor" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/amorphous.sound/" target="_blank">Facebook</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: red;">CD review: Marjolein Laenen</span></span></div>
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<b></b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8537572467710265499.post-9922679342362174092020-05-05T23:31:00.000-07:002020-05-06T02:14:55.788-07:00Laibach: When they banned Laibach, we said 'great, let's move further'!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisE0KAVtOgv0a9hellfjeKZke_4Om32RNh5g6DIVgW6Fuw7oS5ySo3-p3rrID_wO9479W6wPhACsv_0QaNqC17B5fQ7hzAT6iT7pVWa-uagzAiU5JhTZYT_LtmfnuPlqPgLw_mWpg3BgQ/s1600/LAIBACH_Press_Photo_1983.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="201" data-original-width="170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisE0KAVtOgv0a9hellfjeKZke_4Om32RNh5g6DIVgW6Fuw7oS5ySo3-p3rrID_wO9479W6wPhACsv_0QaNqC17B5fQ7hzAT6iT7pVWa-uagzAiU5JhTZYT_LtmfnuPlqPgLw_mWpg3BgQ/s320/LAIBACH_Press_Photo_1983.jpg" width="270" /></a><span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-themecolor: text1;">Laibach recently released an extended box: ‘Laibach Revisited’. It is a
reissue of their anonymous first album of 1985, augmented with new recordings
of the songs and a number of essays about the role of Laibach in Yugoslavia and
the Slovenian Republic in the eighties. We were able to interview Laibach
several times in the past, but we thought it would be interesting to concentrate
solely on their work of the eighties in this interview. Head ideologue Ivan
Novak was so friendly to answer our questions.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-themecolor: text1;">When you
started the band in 1980, did you already have an elaborate idea of the concept
of the band? What were your aims back then?</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-themecolor: text1;">Laibach: We actually did have a general idea that we calibrated between
the years 1980 - 1982, when we finally conceptualise it with the 10 Items of
the Convent (sometimes also translated as the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">10 Items of the Covenant</i>).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our
aims were to create a group that would be more than just a plain rock band, a
group, bigger and independent from any genre, a group that would learn from
history and define the future. On the side we also wanted to create a movement
and a country, our own state - which we partially did. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-themecolor: text1;">Your first
show in 1980 in Trbovlje was prohibited, and for a while nothing was heard of
Laibach. In 1982, Laibach returned to the forefront with several concerts. What
made it possible that Laibach survived in these first years?</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-themecolor: text1;">The Yugoslav army. All of us went to the - then still compulsory - army service
between 1980 and 1981. As soon as the first members returned from it, the band
started with shows. Others joined as soon as they finished their service. The Yugoslav
Army gave us food, gave us boots and uniforms, some sense of resistance, and
plenty of ideas. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigNssuS71FVeFYBCbJ1BCYvrw9nCQCOrQBZoWpd1mfKPA53VO8bKyJBMsZkkreh5vS8z21l35iM_ZhYUpsh22OmeLvPVY6f4x81dkoU6sqXiXDSZY9KpwPOnynzCXhsVF5xziv089nHjg/s1600/Laibach_1983__photo_by_Dus%25C2%25A6i%25CC%2582an_Gerlica_1347371459_crop_550x487.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="487" data-original-width="550" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigNssuS71FVeFYBCbJ1BCYvrw9nCQCOrQBZoWpd1mfKPA53VO8bKyJBMsZkkreh5vS8z21l35iM_ZhYUpsh22OmeLvPVY6f4x81dkoU6sqXiXDSZY9KpwPOnynzCXhsVF5xziv089nHjg/s320/Laibach_1983__photo_by_Dus%25C2%25A6i%25CC%2582an_Gerlica_1347371459_crop_550x487.jpg" width="320" /></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-themecolor: text1;">The ‘Ten Items
Of The Convent’ were published in Nova revija in 1983. Nova revija was known as
a dissident cultural journal and later played a role in the rising national sentiment
in Slovenia. Was the text intended to be published by Nova revija? What
attracted you to this magazine?</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-themecolor: text1;">When Nova revija was established in 1982, the editorial board wrote a
program, a manifest, in which they stated that they would not act as an <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">‘action in the name of an Idea’</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have therefore immediately titled our
contribution exactly as an ‘Action in the name of an Idea’. The Nova revija
editorial board hesitated to publish our contribution, but philosopher Taras
Kermauner insisted that the article should be published no matter what and he proposed
to write a kind of editorial essay on Laibach along with our contribution.
Which he did, and to this day his text is still one of the most lucid
interpretations of Laibach. Soon after our manifest was released in Nova
revija, the authorities banned Laibach for several years, but Nova revija was
able to publish a more radical content from then on. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2P2oF9qYo4U" width="560"></iframe>
<br />
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<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-themecolor: text1;">In the text
‘The Terror Of History’, that is included in the ‘Laibach Revisited’-box, we
learn about the Nazi-punk scandal in Slovenia at the beginning of the 80s. What
was the scandal about? In what ways did the scandal and the repression
surrounding it affect Laibach?</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-themecolor: text1;">In short Nazi-punk scandal was an on-going series of events, connected
to the Slovenian punk and alternative or sub-cultural movement, of which
Laibach was important part of in the first half of the 80s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The authorities were trying to suppress the
whole scene, presenting and accusing it as a movement propagating Nazi ideas.
Some bands were dismantled, some people were jailed and Laibach was banned. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQD7gLZafHJZUjFTTePV5j4g9XAQVgl2IZwjdwVtmFwwXc83jcn65uqdmSq_pv2KAp7ocV2o5aCQwUvIAq2xvdpM5mqEMubdEFdIScyZJFn2Z11d1mZTCR4epCo6Ofng_jMwunNbFfABI/s1600/laibach+tv+tednik.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="480" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQD7gLZafHJZUjFTTePV5j4g9XAQVgl2IZwjdwVtmFwwXc83jcn65uqdmSq_pv2KAp7ocV2o5aCQwUvIAq2xvdpM5mqEMubdEFdIScyZJFn2Z11d1mZTCR4epCo6Ofng_jMwunNbFfABI/s320/laibach+tv+tednik.jpg" width="320" /></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-themecolor: text1;">The <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xz_PhMpFR9U" target="_blank">TV Tednik interview</a> – at the end of which the interviewer called for action against
Laibach – is very famous. Some say it was a trap, and I believe you went into
that trap well aware of the danger. Why did you agree to do the interview?</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-themecolor: text1;">We were offered the prime time on one of the two most watched TV
programmes in that time, so we decided to do it. We knew it was a trap. We
wanted to create a kind of ‘living theatre performance’ and at the same time <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">‘trapped the trapper’</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Which we did. The interview was then very
important for the general development of the critical scene in the whole
country. People like Slavoj Žižek and many other young intellectuals appeared
on the scene after this interview and started to roll the ball of social,
cultural and political changes. The interview was like a kind of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ignition coil</i> for artistic and political
ideas in the 80s. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-themecolor: text1;">When the city
of Ljubljana banned the name Laibach, how did you react?</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-themecolor: text1;">We said ‘great, let’s move further’. We immediately decided to get out
of Slovenia and start organising the ‘Occupied Europe Tour’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzxIFqCIsuB0JOo7dwGHOQQfPkigx5Bp77rQR6FfOhWS9cQmiBxDOhr5UN8_HamGpSlOkRlRnhVhH5mxNS1PormayD_6rCyhBNaI6SzkYVy_JCfnYlPdkw4vAJTQzXQZHMOtlR2rdBMHc/s1600/300px-04_laibach_novi_rock_1982.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzxIFqCIsuB0JOo7dwGHOQQfPkigx5Bp77rQR6FfOhWS9cQmiBxDOhr5UN8_HamGpSlOkRlRnhVhH5mxNS1PormayD_6rCyhBNaI6SzkYVy_JCfnYlPdkw4vAJTQzXQZHMOtlR2rdBMHc/s1600/300px-04_laibach_novi_rock_1982.jpg" /></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-themecolor: text1;">Was it easy to
continue touring Europe during the ban on the name Laibach? Did this have
repercussions at home?</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-themecolor: text1;">It was difficult to tour Europe, because we had no experience at all and
also hardly any money. And Europe then was still deeply in the Cold War, divided
by the wall. Plus it was very much a shitty place. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Back at home they were happy just to get rid
of us and they didn’t care what we were doing elsewhere. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-themecolor: text1;">Was the
creation of Neue Slowensische Kunst in 1984 a reaction to the ban on the name
Laibach? How was it possible to make such a move while you could not use your
name?</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-themecolor: text1;">Yes, it was greatly the result of the ban of Laibach. Neue Slowenische
Kunst was a movement of a several groups from different media that were
inspired by Laibach and when we decided to start working together, Laibach was
the central inspiration for the whole movement. The name was based on the
historical Slovenian avant-garde movement from the 1920s, presented in the German
magazine Der Sturm in 1929 under the name ‘Junge slowenische Kunst’. </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-themecolor: text1;">Although the
name was forbidden, Laibach played a concert in Ljubljana in 1984 and released
the first LP in 1985, only by advertising the famous black cross that was your
symbol. I guess this meant that Laibach was sufficiently known within the
public and the population to make it a success. How were the reactions?</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-themecolor: text1;">Yes, we did the anonymous concert, announced only with our symbol - the
black cross -, which was not forbidden. Therefore everything was basically legal.
And also our first album was released without our name, again only with the
black cross as the central image.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
was a nice prove about the power that the symbol can represent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The concert was totally sold out and
reactions were, of course, also very enthusiastic and positive. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPqhuiBd8GAsYPfS6DUuxhRBLEiOtIB71YYbydfUVARM9m2Vhi1hTm8FwoKXTdoBRzdgqSOKGC3zx6-fJM9Noc49G6tXONiycb-kGiOFCfJ2qmh7btRQ88qwbd01EI6kfcEgYGNf3GWjQ/s1600/laibachaffiche.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="480" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPqhuiBd8GAsYPfS6DUuxhRBLEiOtIB71YYbydfUVARM9m2Vhi1hTm8FwoKXTdoBRzdgqSOKGC3zx6-fJM9Noc49G6tXONiycb-kGiOFCfJ2qmh7btRQ88qwbd01EI6kfcEgYGNf3GWjQ/s320/laibachaffiche.jpg" width="320" /></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-themecolor: text1;">In 1987, you
asked for a removal of the ban on the name Laibach. Was it easy to achieve?</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-themecolor: text1;">We didn’t ask for removal of the ban ourselves; it was a public demand,
spread from the alternative circles. In fact the demand was in the end
concretised by </span><span class="tlid-translation"><span lang="EN" style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: text1;">the Union of Socialist Youth of Slovenia
(abbreviated ZSMS) that was a legal (pro-communist) political organization of
young people in Slovenia that operated from the post-war years until the 1990s.
</span></span><span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-themecolor: text1;"></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-themecolor: text1;">Also in 1987,
there was the poster scandal. A poster made by Novi kolektivizem – a design
studio connected to NSK – for the Youth Day and the birthday celebrations of
Tito turned out to be a reworking of an old Nazi poster. At first, the
authorities thought of suing Novi kolektivizem, but they later dropped the
charges. What happened?</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-themecolor: text1;">Novi kolektivizem (New Collectivism) is an NSK design group, created by
Laibach, Irwin and additional collaborators, practicing in their work a Laibachian
method, motives and aesthetics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
whole Youth Day poster scandal was described many times and <a href="https://www.rtvslo.si/news-in-english/slovenia-revealed/a-slovenian-poster-challenged-yugoslavia-s-communist-orthodoxy/326571" target="_blank">you can read it here</a>. </span><span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-themecolor: text1;"> There’s more
to it of course but it’s a long story. It is impossible to make it much shorter. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The whole scandal rapidly turned the course of
political events in 2<sup>nd</sup> half of the 80s in Yugoslavia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-themecolor: text1;">‘Opus Dei’,
your record from 1987, had a big international impact. But it also had its
controversies. If I’m not mistaken, there was court action in Germany because
of suspicions of Nazi sympathies. Can you tell us what happened?</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-themecolor: text1;">When Opus Dei was released, the German wing of Opus Dei, a controversial
militant catholic organisation, asked for the album to be forbidden and also
wanted to sue Laibach for using the name of their organisation as the title of
the album. They had several problems with the album, including the four axes
swastika, which we used on the inner sleeve. But this swastika was nothing else
than a quote from one of the biggest anti-Nazi artist and activist John
Heartfield, so they had to drop the charges on Nazism. And the name ‘Opus Dei’
we also used because the leading song on the album was a remake of a famous ‘Live
is Life’ song, written by Austrian group Opus. In the end album was still sold
in Germany, but under the counter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span> </div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Laibach: <a href="https://www.laibach.org/" target="_blank">website</a> / <a href="http://www.laibach.org/revisited/" target="_blank">order the 'Laibach Revisited' box</a><br />
<br /></div>
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