The Breath Of Life: No, I never considered quitting making music. Nor to taste good special beers.

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. 

The Breath Of Life has been around for 35 years now. What made that longevity possible? 

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. 

During those long years, have you never thought of quitting? 

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. 

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. 

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? 

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. 

'Sparks Around Us' does indeed contain some blinding sparkles. The title is well chosen. How did you come to this title? 

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. 

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? 

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. 

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? 

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. 

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? 

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. 

 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? 

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. 

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? 

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. 

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. 

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? 

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.

The Breath Of Life: website / bandcamp

Pictures: Luc 'Who Cares' Luyten @ W-fest

The Breath Of Life: Non, je n’ai jamais pensé à arrêter de faire de la musique. Ni de boire de bonnes bières spéciales.

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. 

The Breath Of Life existe depuis 35 ans déjà. Qu'est-ce qui fait la longévité du groupe ? 

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. 

Vous n'avez jamais pensé à arrêter pendant ces longues années ? 

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.

 

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. 

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 ? 

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. 

'Sparks Around Us' contient en effet quelques étincelles éblouissantes. Le titre est donc bien choisi. Comment êtes-vous arrivés à ce titre ? 

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. 

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 ? 

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. 

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 ? 

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. 

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 ? 

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. 

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 ? 

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. 

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 ? 

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. 

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. 

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 ? 

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.

The Breath Of Life: site / bandcamp

Photos: Luc 'Who Cares' Luyten @ W-fest

Placebo Effect - Shattered Souls (CD review)

 

Genre: dark electro

Label: none (self-released)

Rating: 9/10

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. 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. 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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

CD review: Marjolein Laenen

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Amorphous - Moth Metaphor (CD review)

Genre: dark electro
Label: Razgrom Music
Rating: 8,5/10

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.

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.

'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.

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 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).

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.

'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 Bandcamp and Facebook.

CD review: Marjolein Laenen

Laibach: When they banned Laibach, we said 'great, let's move further'!

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.

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?

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 10 Items of the Covenant).  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.   

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?

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.

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?

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 ‘action in the name of an Idea’.  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.

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?

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.  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.

The TV Tednik interview – 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?

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 ‘trapped the trapper’.  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 ignition coil for artistic and political ideas in the 80s.

When the city of Ljubljana banned the name Laibach, how did you react?

We said ‘great, let’s move further’. We immediately decided to get out of Slovenia and start organising the ‘Occupied Europe Tour’. 

Was it easy to continue touring Europe during the ban on the name Laibach? Did this have repercussions at home?

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.  Back at home they were happy just to get rid of us and they didn’t care what we were doing elsewhere.

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?

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’.

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?

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.  This was a nice prove about the power that the symbol can represent.  The concert was totally sold out and reactions were, of course, also very enthusiastic and positive.

In 1987, you asked for a removal of the ban on the name Laibach. Was it easy to achieve?

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 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.

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?

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.  The whole Youth Day poster scandal was described many times and you can read it here.  There’s more to it of course but it’s a long story. It is impossible to make it much shorter.  The whole scandal rapidly turned the course of political events in 2^nd half of the 80s in Yugoslavia.   

‘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?

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.        

Laibach: website / order the 'Laibach Revisited' box

Jihad - Retrospekt (CD review)

Genre: dark electro

Label: none (self-released)

Rating: 8,5/10

In late 2015, I reviewed the live album 'Live In Bratislava 28.02.2015 - Dark EBM Souls' of the American dark electro act Jihad. It concerned the live recording of a very good performance which I had attended earlier that year at an old-school electro festival in Slovakia. Jihad, which has been the solo project of James Mendez for a considerable amount of time, has an interesting history that I had also covered back then. I am not going to repeat it here, but I gladly refer you to my review, where you will find the relevant background information. The crowd at Dark EBM Souls had the privilege to witness 2 exclusive tracks, '(I Can't) Let Go' and 'Visions', which have finally gotten a studio release after more than 5 years, along with 8 other new tracks. The result is 'Retrospekt', the first real album of Jihad in almost 25 years.

This release had been shaped over a very long period of time and this is something you can hear. There is a clear distinction between the classic 90s dark electro sound in the "older" tracks 'The Prophecy' and 'Degree Of (Im)Morality' and the more mellow and contemporary sound in the "newer" tracks. The aforementioned "older" songs are the highlight of the album and I am sure that I am not the only one who sees it this way. I was already familiar with 'The Prophecy' from 'EAR Mixtape Volume 1', a digital compilation by Electro Aggression Records which I reviewed in 2013. This track was thoroughly reworked and the final version on 'Retrospekt' is even better than its predecessor in my opinion. On a side note, the artwork on the album sleeve somewhat reminds me of the 'Terminator' theme of this song. 'Degree Of (Im)Morality', in its turn, contains certain references to Christianity and is a lovely and highly melodic dark electro song. I hope that James will play it live someday, but I think there is a bigger chance that 'The Prophecy' will be included in the setlist of his future shows. Not that you will hear me complain.

Regarding the "newer" tracks, my preference goes to '(I Can't) Let Go'. It was my favorite during the DEBMS show in 2015 and I am happy that this beautiful, emotional song is available in a studio version at last. Even though it is the longest track on the album with its duration of more than 8 minutes, it does not get boring for a second. Both 'Matter Of Perspective' and 'Twin Stranger' have an unmistakable 80s vibe, which is not that strange when you know that James is a 80s kid who has a preference for the pop music of that decade (I know he is a big fan of Tears for Fears and Duran Duran). The latter track, which deals with doppelgangers, has a cool dynamic with respect to composition and lyrics. Another song with an intriguing text (partly in dialogue form) is 'The Patron God Of Embalmers', for which James has found inspiration in the ancient Egyptian religion and more specifically the symbolism regarding Anubis, the lord of the underworld.

The only tracks that do not appeal to me as much are the rather monotonous 'We Believe' and the instrumental 'Origins' (I am not too fond of instrumentals in general). But let it be clear: this album is really well-made and absolutely worth listening to. As it is not a classic dark electro record in the strict sense of the word, I am curious to see how it will be received by the old-school electro crowd. But being a member of the so-called European dark electro family myself (it is a small but fanatic club), I do not think that James needs to worry.

Whoever is interested can purchase the album on Bandcamp (digital version) or contact Martin Sane of Fïx8:Sëd8, who is in charge of the physical distribution in Europe.

CD review: Marjolein Laenen

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Exponentia / Zauber / Résonance magnétique: Je n'ai pas plaisir à sortir à l'extérieur, dans le monde dit ‘réel’.

Ludovic Dhenry est quelqu’un de très occupé. Il vient de sortir le cinquième disque de son projet néoclassique Exponentia. Le premier en quatre ans, mais cela dépend aussi du fait qu'il a aussi un projet électro avec Zauber, et fait de l’industriel ambiant avec Résonance Magnétique. Nous pensions qu'il était temps de mettre de l’ordre dans tout ça ...

Nous avons beaucoup aimé le dernier disque d’Exponentia. C’est le premier disque en quatre ans, et c’est un EP qui ne contient que 5 morceaux. Pourquoi si peu après si longtemps ?

Cela est dû au fait que j'ai travaillé sur d'autres projets musicaux, durant cette période j'ai réalisé un album de Zauber, puis un autre de Résonance magnétique. Avant de commencer la composition de mon 11e album, j'ai eu envie de travailler sur un format différent. Un album est structuré d'une certaine manière, le format EP implique de penser différemment cette structure. Quelque chose de plus condensé. J'ai pensé cette structure avec 2 titres instrumentaux, comme pour ‘ouvrir’ et ‘fermer’ une parenthèse contenant 3 titres très calmes, très mélancoliques. Un nouvel album d'Exponentia est prévu pour cette année.

Y a-t-il une thématique sur le disque ‘Du wirst sein’ ?

Mes textes sont toujours des petites histoires sombres se déroulant dans un monde imaginaire, Fantasy. Dans lequel on peut rencontrer des créatures, des anges, des vampires, des sorcières, des dragons... C'est un monde magique, les arbres saignent, les morts ressuscitent parfois... J'aime la Fantasy en romans, films et jeux video, avec Exponentia, j'apporte cette partie de moi dans ma musique. Quand je compose de la musique, j'ai toujours dans mon esprit ce monde imaginaire.

La thématique de ce EP est la mort et la tristesse que cela implique.  Ceci est souligné par la musique lente et calme du disque. Avec une touche de frénésie sur le titre finale ‘Le navire des âmes’, exprimant dans mon imaginaire le voyage des morts vers un autre monde, comme une touche d'espoir pour d'éventuelles retrouvailles. Avec ce titre, les âmes partent et le disque s'achève.

Les guitares qui étaient proéminentes sur ‘Abend’ ont disparues. Pourquoi ?

Concernant l'instrumentation, de par son style musical, Exponentia n'est pas figé avec une règle stricte comme pour d'autres styles musicaux où la guitare est indispensable, comme pour le rock par exemple. Je peux donc utiliser un large spectre d'instruments, en changeant selon les albums. Je pense beaucoup aux synthétiseurs pour le futur, mais aussi aux guitares... Ce qui est le point central, et qui donc ne changera pas, sont les instruments de musique classique.

Parlons un peu de tes autres projets. Zauber a sorti un magnifique disque en 2017 : ‘Weg der Seelen’. Zauber était ton premier groupe. Qu’est-ce qui t’a amené à t’accrocher à ce projet ?

Merci pour le compliment. J'ai toujours aimé l'electro goth, avec des groupes comme Seelenkrank, Die Form, Ghosting et d'autres.  J'ai parfois envie de composer ce style de chansons qui ne fonctionneraient pas dans un album d'Exponentia. Alors je compose pour Zauber.

Je trouve aussi que le son de Zauber est devenu plus symphonique par rapport à ces débuts. Est-ce l’influence d’Exponentia sur ton projet electro ?

Je pense que oui. On ressent quelque chose comme ça à l'écoute, dans la manière d'amener les choses, les arrangements. La musique classique a pris beaucoup d'importance en moi. Chacun évolue et je pense qu'inévitablement cela doit se ressentir dans Zauber.

En 2019, tu sortais l’album ‘Sign’ de Résonance Magnétique. Quelle est ta motivation pour faire cette musique électronique purement instrumentale ?

J'ai ressenti le besoin de créer des ambiances, des atmosphères, pour une musique qui s'écoute en fond sonore. Des chansons avec des arrangements symphoniques, un chant, des couplets... n'auraient pas pu créer cette atmosphère ambiante, cette présence dans votre maison qui s'installe au fur et à mesure que les titres s'enchaînent.

Sur ‘Sign’ comme sur son prédécesseur ‘Revoke’, j’ai remarqué une véritable évolution au cours du disque, comme si tu voulais nous faire voyager d’une atmosphère à une autre pendant l’écoute de l’album. C’était une idée préconçue ?

Oui et non. Ou plutôt Non pour ‘Revoke’ et oui pour ‘Sign’. Lors de la composition de ‘Revoke’, ce n'était pas préconçu, mais c'est devenu inévitable au fur et à mesure que j'avançais dans les démos. Je voulais composer un disque indus rythmique très sombre mais aussi ambiant. Pour que tout s'enchaîne de façon naturelle, les sonorités et l'ambiance ressentie ont été créées comme étant commune aux titres, ce qui a favorisé l'unité de l'album. A la fin, la tracklist a été pensée pour que l'enchaînement des titres rythmiques et des titres ambiant soit cohérent. Pour l'album ‘Sign’, mon expérience passée a permis à que tout soit pensé d'avance.

Certains de tes disques sortent en CD, d’autres seulement en format digital. Quelle est ta politique en ce qui concerne les formats ?

Dans un monde idéal, je sortirais tous mes albums en CD. Malheureusement, nous vivons dans un monde où le marché du disque n'est plus ce qu'il était. Actuellement ce n'est plus possible pour moi.

Dans une interview, tu racontes que tu sortais souvent en Belgique. Je suppose que c’était du temps du Steeple à Waregem, une salle qui a malheureusement disparue depuis de années. Quels souvenirs as-tu de cette place mythique ?

Oui, c'était du temps du Steeple à Waregem. Ce que je peux dire de ce lieu mythique c'est que c'était pour moi les meilleurs soirées goth ! C'était comme une seconde maison, on se sentait chez soi là-bas.

Je pense que les souvenirs que j'ai de ces soirées s'entendent dans ma musique,

étant donné que l'ambiance qui y régnait et les groupes de musique qui étaient diffusés m'ont influencé, indéniablement.  A l'époque, je composais des démo mais je n'avais jamais sorti d'album. Je me souviens que la démo du titre Zauber ‘Euphoria’ passait régulièrement là bas. C'était pour moi une satisfaction d'entendre ma chanson parmi les groupes de musiques cultes que j'aime.

Selon la même interview, tu vivrais comme un reclus en composant ta musique. Comment fais-tu ? Je suppose que tu ne peux pas vivre de ta musique ?

Effectivement je ne vis pas de ma musique car sans distributeur, c'est forcément difficile d'être connu de la scène gothique de nos jours. D'ailleurs, je remercie vivement Dark Entries, webzine qui a le mérite de tenir et couvrir cette scène alternative et qui s'intéresse à mes projets depuis mes débuts.

Je vis avec une personne qui me laisse vivre ma passion pour la musique gothique et nous nous suffisons avec des besoins modestes. Je n'ai pas plaisir à sortir à l'extérieur, dans le monde dit ‘réel’. J’aurais l'impression d'y perdre mon temps, ce serait une contrainte. J'ai très peu de contact avec des personnes, ce n'est pas dans ma nature,  je ne m'y sens pas à l'aise. Ma plus grande satisfaction de vie est d'être dans mon home-studio pour écrire de la musique, et même si je ne suis pas reconnu, j'en composerai toujours, je ne pourrais pas arrêter ce processus créatif qui doit sortir de moi.

Quels sont tes projets pour l’avenir ?

Je compte me consacrer exclusivement à Exponentia, en y incluant l'ambiance des mes autres projets, parfois sous forme de paysages sonores ambiants sur certains titres, peut être aussi sous forme de remix electro. L'écriture du prochain album vient de commencer, on verra où cela va m'emporter.

Y a-t-il une chance qu’on te voie encore jouer en live avec un de tes projects ?

Non, je ne pense pas.

Exponentia: bandcamp / facebook

Zauber: bandcamp / facebook

Résonance magnétique: bandcamp / facebook