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Contents

I Eat your Make-up - Interview with Plag 4 Interview with Exces Nocturne - Interview with Corine 8 Interview with Scarlet and the Spooky Spiders 12 Complot (Bronswick) - Interview with Nikolai Ada 15 Danya Yushkov 20 Russian view of post-punk 23 Interview with The GraveyardZ 27

II Clair Obscur - Interview with Christophe Demarthe 30 Tragic Black, Corvid - Interview with vISION 34 Eric Ert Trochu 40 Interview with The Knutz 44 Coldwave - The never existed movement 48 The Strange Walls - Interview with Jon Vomit Worthley 52

III Interview with The Last Days of Jesus 57 Interview with Acid Bats 60 Interview with Bloody Dead Sexy 64 Emmanuel Manu Zorch Ninet 68 Interview with The Spiritual Bat 73 The Spiritual Bat - Through the Shadows review 76 Durnoe Vlijanie - Interview with Sasha Skvortsov 78 Chants of Maldoror - Interview with Loren 82 3 4

Plag. Interview with .com/eymu www.myspace

ided to record five songs in March Nattsol: I'll begin with rather typical question. Tell Plag: We dec ere meeting more and more demands. We me how did ‘Eat Your Make-Up’ begin to exist? What 2004 cos we w se it as an untitled cassette to pay homage was the original idea? Who you were influenced by? chose to relea ’s medium. We later re-released it in CD- And, of course, tell me the story of the name of the band. to the early 80 Plag: The idea of creating a band came first to Mac R. st album, you can find 3 of 5 titles of the Gregor (bass guitar). The first time I saw him was during In the fir as revised for the second album. Also, our a music meeting in ....Dijon.... and he immediately asked demo. Roger w s a kind of digest of the first two years of me to join as singer. J-F (guitar) and Thib (first drummer) debut album i f it’s filled with quite different songs, with were already part of the project. The band is officially works. Even i feelings and musical influences, this was born in January 2003 and we quickly got on as we had quite different oose to share with audience two years of the same musical tastes with bands such as Shadow Proj- the way we ch sition. The name « First Dinner » shows ect, Rudimentary peni or David Bowie. music compo tless state of mind in which we were My partner, Emilie, who is also part of « Somnilo- exactly the though t. ques », found the name Eat You Make Up as we were in- by recording i terested in John Waters’ early films. The band was Now tell me why there aren’t any concert looking for a name that would be reminiscent of self-de- Nattsol: band? I saw just very strange video of rision and of the way we wanted our music to develop videos of the ” and nothing else. None of amateur shots with sarcasm while keeping a glam imagery. “Vegan Hyena as well as professional ones…. e that you can find an extract of a gig Nattsol: Tell me more about your first demo and Plag: I believ in Marseille. But I think that it is the only first album. we performed 5

Rosa Crux », « Norma Loy », « available video on the web. However, there is a record- good bands such as « of course those I’ve quoted which ing of each of our concerts, but we’ve never decided to Jacquy Bitch »… and y as music enthusiasts. broadcast them, through lack of time or of means. The put themselves entirel Vegan Hyena video is part of a few video clips J-F and that style characteristics on your I made for fun. In this case, it’s made of extracts of video Nattsol: I noticed your style is ‘punk/new wave/pro- of parties with friends. myspace page tell that use I noticed that every band Concerning photographs, as Emilie and I studied gressive’. I wondered beca s its style ‘post-punk/gothic’, and photography in a Art school , we’ve never thought useful with related sound call s probably the only exception. So to ask anyone else to do it. “Eat Your Make-Up” i what are the reasons to be this exception? Just those you or there’re some others? Nattsol: ....France.... avant-garde post-punk scene characteristics are closer to our music sounds like old school always seemed to me one of the most individual and in- Plag: Of course, r wanted to retreat in any partic- dependent. And for now there’re plenty of absolutely in- deathrock but we neve n’t think our music really sounds dividual bands with dark and obscure sound. So how can ular style. And we do to compose in a dark way and to you characterize this scene? Do you have bands – friends gothic, even if we used in our songs. That’s finally quite there? mention bad feelings say we play some kind of « Plag: Yes, we used to play in pubs near our home- superficial to us, we could mixed with some dusty cosmetic town with my brother’s trash-metal band « Acetylène » international variety » k state of mind. which helped us a lot at the beginning. We also shared psycho-blues in a pun several gig with « Varsovie » with whom members we k a part in recent Christian Death quickly became friends. We wish we could play with « Nattsol: You too understand this show was impor- Castrati » for we’ve been friend with their guitar player 1334 show. As I could more about it. Can you call me Brïtz Mila… « Arwen »… ;))) for a long time. tant for you? Tell me ortance? And even if France remains a rather refractory other shows with huge imp ig ever… amazing… the evening country in post - punk styles and that it seems difficult Plag: The best g We are very proud of it and it’s to make live, the French stage is composed with very passed off so quickly. 6 brought a new nfluences and her own wishes, she ut it. Otherwise, I don’t re- own i still hard to tell you more abo nks to which I could develop in my one… They vocal dimension tha any amazing show, not especially me richer. member turn. Also, new compositions beca e. 04 and replaced were all uniqu Anthony integrated the band in 20 we had recorded the demo tape. been released Thib with whom Nattsol: After the first album had rather long period (I’m talking the band you kept silence for l: Are there some side-projects of at? Nattso about studio records). What was th mpose members? just decided to take the time to co omposing songs Plag: We Plag: Yes, I know that J-F started c . had fleshed the line up out. As d what new songs as ..La Isa. I wish he answered by his self. An the mix, the first last year, but ell as regarding composition, as ques… It’s a rather different w nted can I tell you about Somnilo raw and not very coherent. We wa I are painters album was very f working. Emilie, ..La Isa.. and e intention of creating an way o to work on this point, with th his project, we’re using music as ng and mix- above all. And in t , we had the opportunity of recordi ck to pictorial works unit. Also painting. Music can be a soundtra er several months. And even if we ing the new songs ov sa. bel, the reason why and vice ver have wasted time in searching a la ecided t such a long time is because we d t the new “Eat we stood silen Nattsol: So now let’s speak abou e. Should Be”. to take the tim Make-Up” album “Things As They Your - ew one… ;) Darker and uncompro he band just Plag: It’s the n tsol: As I noticed, ..La Isa.. joined t it has to be. Let’s see Nat mising. It’s our second album how the reasons to add female vocals? recently. What were think about it. ements in the band? what people Were there other changes or replac ived in the band, we were Plag: When ..La Isa.. arr ou have your favorite “Eat Your r a backing Nattsol: Do y ially looking for a female voice o not espec Make-Up” songs? that by having a try with her, she ave a his- singer. It happened No, not one particularly. They all h project. All over her Plag: quickly managed to merge into the 7

terest in my opinion. tory as well as their own in what’re you ow after the band broke up Nattsol: N e close to deathrock or you’r going to do? Will you stay er things? going to try yourself in oth is, for all of us, a major Plag: Of course, deathrock nity, with EYMU, to share influence. We had opportu ually discover different influences, to make us mut other er we make periment together. Whatev styles and to ex t- l still be influenced by pos in the future, our work wil y opinion..... punk styles. At least, it is m arutskiy Questions: Pall ‘Nattsol’ Z

“Grave Jibes Fanzine” 8 e n r u t c o n s e c x e / m o c . e c a p s y m . w w w

Interview with Corine (Exces Nocturne)

Nattsol: As I know, the band leased the ..12”.., Thierry left the This song eventually became “Il began to exist in 1984. And you band. disait”. And it’s one of my joined two years later. So what favourite! was ‘Exces Nocturne’ in that pe- Nattsol: Now tell me, how did riod? What were the band’s ori- you join the band? Nattsol: Next my question is gins? Corine: I t was more like a coïn- common for bands which Corine: It started when Rémy cidence, in fact... were/are close to coldwave. Tell (guitar player) was 16, with I was running a rock-bar, then, me about that coldwave era. Thierry, who played the drums. and Rémy used to come, and one What was that actually? Do you At that time, Rémy never imag- day, he told me they were look- think that it’s over? ined that Richard (Thierry’s ing for a new male singer. I don’t Corine: I’m surprised to see it’s younger brother) would become know why, but it just felt like not over : bands like « No Tears Excès Nocturne’s bass player…! “that’s your chance, go ahead!” » or « Guerre Froide » for exam- They used to rehearse a bit So I said “I know one” and when ple, are very successful today… everywhere, including Rémy’s he asked who, I just said “me”. and the fact that a label like In - Mum’s bedroom or in their living He looked surprised but then frastition is releasing all the old room… suggested an audition. I don’t re- stuff from bands from the 4 years later, they became a more member that he was particularly 80ies… it shows there is a real serious band: they met 2 other enthusiastic at the time, though interest today for what cold wave musicians (bass and keyboard) …:) So I auditioned one after- represents. and they found the name… the noon and I was scared to death Now, back then, it was different title for a porn movie …! cos they played one of their new : you see, without the internet, it Then I joined, the same day as songs and asked me to improvise was difficult to feel we were part Richard. And the keyboard on it. I ended up using a sentence of a « French cold wave move - left..... from one of Siouxsie’s songs and ment » : I didn’t feel there was And in the end, just before we re- singing it for a long long time! such a movement, then… which 9

he way I reacted s really weird, now ! feel I wouldn’t react t sound p, hopefully! I re- s into Bauhaus, the Cure (until then, but you grow u I wa gain in 2006 that it ography) personally, and I felt I was alised when we met a Porn nderstanding, it felt t of a whole new sound, but nothing was a complete misu par lear it up then… we ore, in fact. And it was hard to know if stupid we didn’t c m ortunity to talk about it people actually listened to our music ! never had the opp It’s easier today :) before… ad the reunion in ol: So you weren't in contact with Nattsol: …and you h Natts en? What the band 'coldwave' bands in 80's? 2006. How did it happ other g for that period ine: No, actually... we had a few members were doin Cor t exist?. nd/bands, but they split before they when the band didn’ frie s contacted by Alex anaged to do anything... Corine: Remy wa m tion label. The track « It seemed so hard to find new friends! from the Infrasti l’echo des lumieres » was selected, to be smission compila- sol: The band broke up in 1989. featured on the Tran Natt d the band’s agree- at were the reasons?. tion and Alex wante Wh auchemars blafards”, orine: Misunderstandings, ego prob- ment; and later, “C C on the RVB Transfert lems, side projects that were not so well our video, was ccepted… Maybe the end of a cycle and DVD..... a n from our region, Em- we didn’t manage it properly… Today, I So a coldwave fa 10 manuel, managed to get us in touch than singing. my life, more … cool :) but I’ve (I mean, Rémy and me) Emmanuel never been very keen on being on is running the Nattsol: Tell me more about your stage : I like being in the dark, in www.nordwaves.info site, dedi - videoclip "Cauchemars blafards". fact ! cated to ..Northern France.. cold Corine: We had recorded a demo But concerts today are more in - wave and is very influential in the tape (the first one) with a big na - tense, just because a lot of people world of French cold wave. (He has tional radio that used to run local have not seen us on stage in the also founded the Brouillard Défini - programs, and they had that big 80ies, so they are very happy to see tif label and they will release our 4 studio where they would record us now… (which always surprises track) So I knew it was not a hoax, demo tapes for local bands... free! me, but it’s great !!!) so we get a lot and I agreed to contact Rémy… After we recorded the demo, the of positive feedback. And then, I started looking for local branch for a national TV Richard’s contact, but although I channel (they shared Nattsol: Do you have bands – knew for sure he was a musician programs/ideas) offered to film a friends, or bands with which you and still living around ....Lille...., in video for us : they had this rock would like to share the stage? the North of France, it took me a program and they played our vidéo. Corine: I would love to share a very long time to find him. But That was like we were becoming stage (and a song why not!!) with then, he works under the name of famous… A little :) Castrati, a French band I love. I Doobig, and I didn’t know that, so We filmed it on the location of an think they belong to the same fam - ….... old coal mine that was being de - ily as Cinema Strange. Very good Richard had become a professional stroyed. band !! .... bass player and is touring with And I also love deVolanges, a Bel - Brisa Roché, and also plays with Nattsol: What live performances gian band who sound a bit like other bands. Rémy had started a of ‘Exces Nocturne’ actually are? Modern English/The Chameleons : family, and had given up playing in What has changed since 80’s? lovely guitar and sad voice. Very bands, and I had started a new job, Corine: Personally, I enjoy it more good too ! and turned to graphics arts rather today, just because I feel okay with And, if I may be very very preten - tious… Siouxsie, my all-time favourite :) Nattsol: Now let’s speak about your CD ’86-..06’.., released by In - frastition records in 2006. The stuff of the CD includes songs from your ‘Evacuation immediate’ (1985), ‘Exces Nocturne’ (1988) and ‘L’echo des lumieres’ (1989). Is that all the band’s stuff of 80’s or there’s something which wasn’t in - cluded in this compilation? Corine: There was older stuff, yes, and they’re not on the compilation, but those tracks were the very first tracks we composed when we all got together, and they were not so representative… they were on our first demo tape. And then, we couldn’t include our cover version of « Ziggy Stardust » because of copyright. But apart from that, I’d say it’s quite complete ! I was even sur - prised that very old tracks such as « ....Nikopol.... » and « trop belle » were on the compilation : the recordings were quite poor, ini - tially !! .... But I was happy cos I really like Nikopol :) Nattsol: Now let’s speak about two songs, dated 2006 – ‘Mots Dits’ and ‘Et du bleu’. In compar - ison with 80’s the sound really 11 changed. The music stays cold, Nattsol: You took a part in recent dark and mysterious, but it has tribute to Christian Death’s ‘Only other energy. And it stays the Theatre of Pain’ with the song ‘Exces Nocturne’ music as well. ‘Dream for mother’. Tell me more So what’re the reasons of those details about this tribute and about changes? 17 years of experience your cover version there. or something else? Corine: The project was launched Corine: You’re right, those two by Hélène, from AloneProd (label songs are quite different, for sev- of Jacquy Bitch).… we had to eral reasons : first, Mots Dits was choose a song and cover it, the composed on keyboard by Rémy track list would be the same as the at the time we were still playing original Christian Death album. .... together, and when he played it to I chose Dream for Mother … at the the band, we were not so keen, so time we had to choose, Remy was he kept it for later ; and then we on holiday and Richard on tour… split. but when I listened to this song, I Et du Bleu was also written on could hear their guitar and bass, so Keyboard by Rémy. So there was I felt this was the right one to pick. no other musician involved in the And then, Richard came with that creation of these songs, and they sort of jungle rhythm, and I loved are keyboard-based. how they play with sounds, and so it immediately. Remy sent his gui - And second reason, at the time, I on... tar tracks (he lives 1200km away, didn’t compose any lyrics or add So my favourite poet became in the South of France !) Then any vocal to them. I did that in Baudelaire, because he mixes Richard suggested that weird effect 2006. With other influences, of sounds, colours, perfumes... this is on the voice, and I loved it too, so course, and other things to speak my perception of the world too. that was it ! He’s very easy to work of, another spirit… That's why I chose "Correspon- with, he always comes up with bril - It was strange too, because I dance" as the basis of l'Echo des Lu- liant ideas ! didn’t think the band would play mieres. And I decided to read it again together, then. So it was like throughout the chorus. And when I Nattsol: So at the end of our inter - my last songs for Exces Nocturne, sing this song, obviously, I cant read view tell me something about your - and I had the feeling they had to the poem at the same time but, I can self... be powerful to me. With intense hear it sometimes :).... Corine: What could I say about lyrics, like everything I wanted to me, I mean, outside Exces Noc - say, in 2 songs. Nattsol: As I know, you’re going to turne… I spent hours on them :) release the new vinyl 4 track 12". I love autumn, because of the smell Tell me more details about it. And of earth lingering outside, the Nattsol: I also wanted to ask you about the music there… colours… I always wondered why about the texts. All of them are Corine: The idea of the vinyl was Baudelaire felt so anxious when au - written in French - why didn't you suggested by Brouillard Definitif, tumn came… I love it and love to ever wrote in english? And who the label run by Emmanuel. I was think, like in one of his poems : « you're influenced by as the text thrilled because a vinyl meant a large bientôt nous plongerons dans les writer? sleeve to design and that’s what I froides ténèbres »… But I also love Corine: You see, in fact I didn't love above all ! spring for the smell of flowers…I really know why I started to write Richard, the bass player had come up also love writing, but not writing in French... And it was quite with the idea to entirely remix our texts, not at all : I find that very dif - strange as I usually didn't like songs and he gave a new life to our ficult and painful. It often takes bands who sang in French! set for our concert in March 07 in ages before I find the right idea for Today, I think it was partly be- Lille, our hometown. .... a song… and I can be stuck on a cause I use English in my job, and I love what he did and then we de - word for days too...What I love is so it is more like a technical tool, cided to release 3 of our old tracks, calligraphy… beautiful letters… to me. completely re-recorded and remixed, (that's why I think your alphabet is And also because it has always with new arrangements. And one so beautiful!!) pens, nibs, ink…I been very important in my family new track called « Moi dans le si - always think the most thrilling mo - to speak French and respect this lence » ment in releasing a new record is… language (my grand parents were So there will be new versions of « le making the cover :) I write every - immigrants) soleil s’est noyé », « Mémoire », where : on my clothes, my bags, So I guess, inconsciously, writing and « La vie peut être cruelle ».... my walls… It feels like I was born in French was more "valuable" to The originality of this vinyl will be with a pen in my hand :).... me... the sleeve : the first hundred sleeves Thank you for the questions, and I And my dad loves Baudelaire and will be original items as I will redec- hope your fanzine will be very suc - Verlaine, and lots of French poets, orate each of them personally, so cessful :) he reads a lot and he made me dis- each will be a different and unique Questions: Pall ‘Nattsol’ Zarutskiy cover them very early, explaining sleeve. “Grave Jibes Fanzine” 12

www.myspace.com/scarletandthespookyspiders

Interview with Scarlet and the Spooky Spiders

Nattsol: So tell me how it all began? experiences. Lerch and Bollox are still run - Scarlet and the spooky spiders: Every - ning 2 side projects, one is a punk band thing started in November of 2003 after a named "PNC" and the second is a Rock - Cramps' show here in Italy from the idea 'N'Roll cover band who plays just for fun. born from Scarlet Spider's sick mind. We liked the feeling to re-create some good Nattsol: Did you have any replacements in rock'n'roll with creepy atmospheres and your line-up? some punk rhythms we wanted to use. We Scarlet and the spooky spiders: Yes, in - started to practice under the name of "Sun - deed! We could answer to this question in a glasses after dark", then after the arrival of "less diplomathic" way, but it's enough to the guitarist Lerch, the name was officially say we started with another drummer and changed into "Scarlet and the spooky spi - then, "luckily", a spider named Bollox get ders". into the spiral of the insane atmospheres of Anyway, the whole story is in one of our the band. This drove a lot of advantages in songs who tells how "Spooky Spider's terms of musical skills and from the human Gang" formed so when the new album will point of view. Enough said that today's be released, you all will know our real ori - members are the definitive and best ones! gins.. EhEhEhEh... Nattsol: For now can you say, have you re - Nattsol: Did you have any previous expe - alized all of your ideas in music you wanted rience, or may be there’re some current to? Just it usually happens that in the creat - side-projects? ing process some ideas go away and some Scarlet and the spooky spiders: We all new take the place. comes from previous (and various) musical Scarlet and the spooky spiders: The work 13 in the practice room can be highly produc - and our typical black humor. Just in exam - tive or can have high levels of "up'n'downs" ple, in the song "Zombie Werewolf" there's but until we'll be animated by the fun we the riff taken from "the ....Munsters...." have and the fun we give to the people, that theme. means we're following the right direction. Is not necessarily to punctualize that the Normally we have a live setlist which in - song "Garbageman" for us is more than a cludes 20 new songs added to the old ones simple cover version, it's a tribute to our of the minialbum, that's why we consider idols! ;-) ourselves more a live band than a studio band. We love to gracelessly dance, together Nattsol: And once again about your discog - with the people who comes at the shows, on raphy. There’s written in your profile that the cadenced rhythms of our horror tales. ‘The Spiders are about to get back to the studio to record a sequel of their first bite Nattsol: Mary0 of ‘The Last Days Of Jesus’ CD. New album will be available around recommended me your music. He said that April/May ..2006.’.., and there’s no any up - it sounds like the mix of ‘The Cramps’ and dated information. So and the label isn’t ‘The Damned’. What do you think about signed too…. this characteristic? And what else do you Scarlet and the spooky spiders: Ahahaha - prefer in music? hah, good question! Since now, we always Scarlet and the spooky spiders: Mary O self-produced our work, and this costs a lot. is not only a great friend and a beautiful per - We always used the money we get from the son, he's also an incredible artist and we all live shows for pay the recording studio and admire him a lot. We honestly have to admit the printing of the CDs. New album is ready that we're very happy about what he told since 2006 but, due to several appearances you about us. If a musician like him find in various compilations (New Dark Age, something of us that remind him to these Bats from Europe and Ghoulies Tunes, only two bands, it means we're working well, es - to mention some),we decided to postpone pecially because Damned and Cramps are a the release. Then some labels asked us to source of inspiration for us and are also send them some material because was inter - milestones of what we consider "punk". ested to work with us and now, we keep our Beside these two bands, everyone of us fingers crossed waiting for good news! ;-) have musical preferences, but in general, we find common points mentioning Ramones, Nattsol: Next question is about your audi - Misfits, Batmobile, Lords of the New tory. So how many people usually visit your Church, Bauhaus, David Bowie, Iggy Pop, shows? What are they? Tell me about the Christian Death and talkin' about contem - stage you’re in, in.Italy.. porary artists, the Hardcore Superstars :-P Scarlet and the spooky spiders: Ahaha - hah, it's difficult to say a real number,it de - Nattsol: So tell me more information about pends a lot by the venue's size... let's say your first mini CD. from 300/400 people to 800 all mixed from Scarlet and the spooky spiders: The Mini different cultures and scenes. Album has been recored the very fist period But in Italy, the Underground scene is quite we started playin', just to make some pro - small, it's hard to have normally the people's motion of the band and have the chance to amount average mentioned before, even if play around ..Europe.., and infact it hap - we have our best record of crowd in a show pened exactly that way. in the deep south of Italy. Anyway, in Lis - Concerning the lyrics, are tales and stories bona, there was a lot of italians on front of inspired by old horror comics, like "tales the stage who supported us and gave us the from the crypt" style, with some innovation energy to do, with no jokes, a superb show. 14

Nattsol: You took a part in many festivals. Scarlet and the spooky spiders: The Drop What of them were the most important for Dead Festival has been a great experience you? that gave us the chance to improve our - Scarlet and the spooky spiders: Every selves and live an experience in a new coun - Festival has his own importance. For us try we've never been before. We really hope doesn't matter to share the stage with impor - this initiative will go on for long time and tant and famous bands or have shows in big we hope to be again a part of it, if not as per - cities, even if we had that chance and we did formers, as audience. We also have to say it. An event, Festival or not, give us strong we met a lot of old friends and we did a lot feelings according to the human and musi - of new ones! cal relationships that born and grow inside the event itself. All these relationships can Nattsol: And the last question. Tell me be with musicians as well with the people about the plans of the ‘Scarlet and the from the crowd that stop us and offer a beer. spooky spiders’ for the nearest future. It's only rock'n'roll, isn't it? Scarlet and the spooky spiders: The plans For sure we've been very lucky on finding are simple: play, play, drink, play, play, a promoter and partners that are becomin' drink, meet more people at the shows, let part of the Spooky Family, same we can say people have fun, play and drink again and about people that was our fans and now are hopefully comin' to pay you a visit in Rus - mainly great friends. All in all we're a band sia! famous also for our after shows!!! Questions: Pall ‘Nattsol’ Zarutskiy. Nattsol: And of course I want to know “Grave Jibes Fanzine” some specialties about your show at ‘The Drop Dead Festival’. 15 k c i w s n o r b t o l p m o c / m o c . e c a p s y m . w w w

Interview with

Nattsol: I had many tries to know something about your line-up. But I didn’t find any informa - Nikolai tion. So tell me please about the replacements and the reformations in it. Who used to write music Ada and lyrics? Nikolaï Ada: From the beginning, COM - (Complot (Bronswick) ) PLOT is a variable geometry band, with a fixed base, but many musician crossed the history of the group and participated in its life (anneli Maria Dreker from Bel CANTO, Peter Principal from Tuxedomoon, Maitre Nono Manzanza Tsakala from Zaire… etc…) (Here is a link to the page of our site and some informations for all musicians who partici - pated in the COMPLOT (members 2008 are Nikolaï Ada/ERT/Peking O/Pierre Fablet/Paolo “c”» Uccello) http://www.iconaki.org/complotgeneal.htm ) Since 1988 I write texts, but there were on “L’image oubliée” : Arnaud LE Brusq, on “Ma - iakowsky”; “Darkroom‘s delights”: Patrick Chevalier, “Iconoclasmes” with the participation of several song writers: The Fanou Braz, Manu Norma Loy, Dominique Dalcan... etc ... 16

Nattsol: So you had (and still have as I know) the play based on the life of Ma - iakovskiy. What was it? Tell me more details. Did you have some other plays? Nikolaï Ada: I was in the 70s very touched by poetry and life of Maiakowsky artist in his time engaged in the revolution but also very critical and then it is also love the character that was Maiakowsky we hit. We wrote a song “who killed Maiakowsky” which raised the question of his death, Why did he kill himself? Too many questions about the Soviet system? or unhappy in love? In any case it was a great poet. He left us unforgettable works "”la flute des vertèbre” (The flute of vertebras) and many other beauti - ful poems.

Nattsol: That’s really interesting to know about that coldwave era. As I understand there was the huge influence by some post-punk and so-called ‘goth’ bands. Tell me more about it. What was it actually? And how did you start? What was the original idea of ‘Complot Bron - swick’? Nikolaï Ada: We met in 1980 (the Brusq Arnaud 1er singer, Yves André Lefeuvre (aka Peking O) drummer, Mauriice Chesneau (aka Paolo Uccello C) painter / graphic designer and I, Nikolai Ada to the guitar. We were influenced by groups as Can, ....Bowie...., Kraftwerk, the Sex Pistols or Eric Satie ... but also movies. The Italian cinema of Fellini, Russian Esenstein or cinéastes of the French New Wave: Godard etc... literary works: Lautréamont, Baudelaire, Maiakowski or more contemporary writers such as The French : Le Clézio ... painters like Pi - casso or Yves Klein and then ... “The case Bron - swick” an animated film Canadian handling mental image ... the 25th image “image sublim - inal” Television advertising to sell all the ”crap”... the question of manipulation of minds, by what authority they are always been at the center of our thoughts and inspirations ...

Nattsol: So tell me more about this film. Nikolaï Ada: I saw it in the early 80's. Some lady was complaining about buying dog food, despite the fact that she doesn't own one. It's a funny fake documentary about a conspir - acy involving TV sets and people being brain - washed into buying goods compulsively. ”The Bronswick Affair” is a lively spoof 17 of television journalism, exposing the excess of consumerism fostered by a steady stream of com - mercials...

Nattsol: The music of ‘CB’ was changing from album to album. And the changes were rather global. Even may be style changes. Some - times it’s difficult to imagine that such songs as ‘Little girl’, ‘Who killed Maiakovskiy’, ‘Born in a cage’, ‘Sparks’ and so on are the songs of one band. What was that? You were growing up in music or you just tried yourself in different things? 18

Nikolaï Ada: Since the beginning of the group 1996. What were the reasons? What were you doing we have the rule to avoid rigid rule, "it is not the after 1996? Were there some side projects of the function of the COMPLOT (conspiracy) to create band members? static universe" is one of our "slogan" preferred. Our Nikolaï Ada: We have never dissolved, it is a artistic evolution is a bit like the logic of life on Earth false information, we have composed for the theater through life by meeting people, situations which we until 1999: creating music for Coy "the space of a turn, even if we change remains a part of the origin moment", directed by Dominique Dolmieu ( Tasks of what we are, with our identity, dark the con, Paris in 1998 and 1999). Then we just Le World moves, we move ... but there is the made a haul and have everyone working on projects energy of "rock" and questions about the world around the group, me with a French choreographer around us. Bernardo Montet, then from 2000 with director Jean We could say that we have had our periods (a Beaucé for whom I created the sound of the universe little as Picasso, in all modesty) white, brown, again Cerisaie Anton Chekhov (2001), history of Mary ac - white and red today…Dream.. cording to a text of the photographer Brassai (2003) ”Red Dream” But we are always COMPLOT. and ..130 grams.. theatrical fantasy around the shuf - fleboard (2004), Iceman (creation in 2006). In 2004 Nattsol: You shorted the name of the band. I also participated in a coin Coy of "Wild Pansy" and Why did you do it? Because the style was changed? Annie Lucas for the creation of Land, text Paol Nikolaï Ada: In France people call us COM - Keineg , created in the theater of Cornwall in PLOT (conspiracy), it is easier to remember, and ..Quimper.. in ....Brittany..... I also "March Drive" a then the idea of conspiracy is to ask questions about group with ERT and a Moroccan singer (2000/2003) the handling of mind by some powers whatsoever, and we worked with "ARKAN" with ERT too, remained "the bronswick case " (bronswick af - fair) seemed simplistic. Nattsol: When was the ‘resurrection’ of ‘Com - plot’? What is it now? Nattsol: As I know, the band was dead after Nikolaï Ada: We found 2 years ago to create 19 the music show "ICEMAN" piece by Jean The bass player Pascal Humbert (Bass on Beaucé rise from the work of Eugene O Neil Darkroom's delights) he lives in the U.S. and he "ICEMAN COMETH 'Iceman proposes as make music with “sixteen horse power”. game situation, the expectation - and dangerous illusion - the savior (Messiah), the beautiful Nattsol: Tell me about shows of Complot. speaker whether political, religious, trade rep - What was that actually? resentative artiste or ... The subject was very in - Nikolaï Ada: We just resume beginning terested. concerts and it's really great. We should have a This work has helped to create the music concert series to February 2009 (Paris, Rennes., as we play together now Quimper ....St Petersburg ?Moscow ? Why The group is being formed to the scene of not?) For the release of new album ERT : Voice, Synthesizer, trumpet, Nikola Ada : voice, Guitar, Peking O : Battery, Pierre Fablet Nattsol: Do you think that coldwave era is : Guitar, Paolo Uccello C : graphics. over? Nikolaï Ada:I don t know? Everything is Nattsol: Do you keep in touch with past only eternal resumption, but in a different way, members of ‘CB’? Do you know what are they then let us recreate the life in music.... doing now? Nikolaï Ada: We are always in contact Questions: Pall ‘Nattsol’ Zarutskiy.... with some former members of the group , for “Grave Jibes Fanzine” example : Arnaud Le Brusq the first singer and now he writes books ... 20

.) s,.. sum pos g O hin atc e, W Vil t to lian (Va a Dany Yushkov

e lianttovil e small Russian .com/va ssums tory began in th myspace hingopo This s was www. om/watc re Danya Yushkov yspace.c ewalls called Perm whe www.m m/strang town moved to pace.co later his family ww.mys born. Some time w t my early childhood t-Petersburg. "I spen Sain dering around ains of the 80s, wan in the rem hanging k where I lived, exc Baskov pereulo ", - hange with friends ottles for pocket c b Petersburg Danya recalls. Just in Saint- Danya elf. During ock music for hims discovered r es in- ere he was sometim house parties wh - s, as well as his broth ed by his older friend vit P.D.(Koefitsient lived punk band "K. ers short the music eystveya)" he faced Polezdnogo D enta, Auktsion, Spinki M of such bands as , k, Gr. Ob., Televizor o, Objekt Nasmeshe Kin d the Banshees, auhaus, Siouxsie an Bowie, B day Party y Division, The Birth The Pogues, Jo , 11 eginning of the 90's and others. In the b 21

.) s,.. sum pos g O hin atc e, W Vil t to lian (Va a Dany

year old Danya moved to New York City. so he was looking for local bands which could There he met Steve Kurlat and, inspired by the play there. He found the band Strange Walls punk movement, they created their first band and met the band's leader Jon Vomit. They in 1997. "It wasn't really good music, it was rather quickly became friends because they terrible. We were just kids making noise." One found that they have many shared interests and time, Steve's friend Yuri Khorodzie visited ideas. Soon Danya visited a Strange Walls their rehearsal and decided to join them on show at CBGB's and stayed impressed by it. "I bass. He couldn't play at all, but as it usually felt that we were on the same page, in what we is, it didn't matter much for that period. How - were trying to do..." Jon, in turn, tried to be - ever a few years later, the band development come Valiant to Vile guitarist, but Yuri rejected reached a deadlock and the band broke up. his candidacy. However, Jon and Danya kept After that, Danya had been strongly fas - in touch, getting together on roof tops and cinated with the music of a more obscure and playing old acoustic Irish and Scottish folk darker sound, including bands such as Virgin songs. Later, Danya helped record Strange Prunes, Sex Gang Children, Legendary Pink Walls' latest album, The Robber, which fea - Dots, Tom Waits, Clan Of Xymox, etc. Infused tured his guitar work as well as vocals inter - with their works, he was looking for musicians spersed throughout. Even later on, he was to realize his new ideas. He got together one invited by Jon to play guitar in the Strange night with Steve and Yuri, since he had moved Walls' Halloween show. So, after that show he back into their neighborhood, and they sug - became the official band member. Unfortu - gested to him to play together again despite the nately, after putting so much effort into open - fact that they didn't have many common views ing a club to promote the post punk/gothic on music. "They wanted rock, I hated rock." movement, the idea stayed unrealized because Aside from the differences, the union was the owner of the building decided to refuse keeping itself alive for a rather long time. even after initial agreement. Shortly after reconnecting, the band which was During the summer of 2007 keyboardist now called Valiant to Vile recorded the songs Kira Hosbein attended a Valiant to Vile show "Veils Of Ashes," "All That Was Human," and, impressed by the music, decided to join "Knife," and "Carousel Days." them, since Danya originally recorded the key - During that time Danya was trying to board parts but was unable to play them live, open a post punk/goth club in an old church, being busy with the guitar and vocals. Kira re - 22 newed the old keyboard lines by adding her what Valiant to Vile will be in the future. I hope own diverse melodies that were not previously it won’t loose its individuality anyway. conceived by the band. The renewed line up In that quarrel period Kira suggested cre - quickly finished recording the album Ugly Lit - ating a separate more intimate project to real - tle Children. However the tension in the band ize all the songs created and rejected by the full was building up. Yuri and Steve absolutely did - band. Therefore, the project called Watching n't like the changes the band went through. Opossums, whose name is still a riddle to me, They often rejected a lot of the outlandish vo - began to exist during the summer 2008. Watch - cals or new ideas coming from Danya and Kira ing Opossums, which is the duet of Danya (vo - that would stray from sounds they were famil - cals, guitar, bass, drums) and Kira (keyboard, iar and comfortable with. Rupture was only a conventional and unconventional drums, vo - question of time. Soon the band came to such cals), rather quickly recorded new songs and frequent disagreement over this evolution that compiled a 12 track album out of these and progress was stunted. They thought that since some works created by Danya that predate they were unable to find compromises when it Valiant to Vile even. They are playing shows came to recent joint creations, making new currently. songs in the project would have to be put on It's really difficult to characterise the style hold. But just recently the band, now without of this project. The only thing I can say is that Yuri, put aside their musical differences and the music became more experimental in com - decided to continue a creative process together. parison with Valiant to Vile. The songs com - Steve, Danya and Kira recorded a new song, bine many different styles altogether or one called ‘Figment of Imagination’. After a few after another. Rather typical deathrock sound seconds of listening to this song, a listener can can be suddenly covered by a noise sound can - recognize Steve’s manner of playing. It’s prob - vas and then sail out of it again. In addition the ably one of the most recognizable things in music can become absolutely unnatural and Valiant to Vile. The next six minutes of the stay filled with emotions as well. Some songs song can really astonish. The sound became have typical folk motives. The song character more light and clear, Danya’s vocals seem is absolutely unpredictable too. It can be arti - more melodic… probably in these minutes the ficially positive in the diversicolored "Techni - band can be conceived as more mainstream color" or have dark depths swelling in "A than it actually is. But the next part of the song Lullaby For Heavy Dreamers". Unfortunately which begins after a few seconds of silence both albums (Valiant To Vile – Ugly Little breaks all doubts. This part is filled with en - Children, and Watching Opossums album) are ergy and that Valiant to Vile cynicism. It shows not printed yet. But they are going to be at the that this ‘lightness’ actually comes from the end of 2008. depths of feelings. Like that condition when a person is above his feelings and emotions. Pall 'Nattsol' Zarutskiy, When they become absolutely clear…. So it’s "Grave Jibes Fanzine" difficult to say, according just to one song, 23

Russian view of post-punk

The post-punk era in the USSR has come after the similar period of that music in England, but a few years later (England - the end of the 70s - the beginning of the 80s; the USSR – the middle - the end of the 80s). As the fact it wasn’t the original Russian phenomenon, it was the adopted European music. However, as well as Russian punk-rock (for example, Avtomaticheskie udovletvoriteli (1979) were almost like Sex Pistols at all), and Russian rock as a whole. Bands, such as The Cure, Joy Division, U2, Duran Duran, The Pogues rendered essential influence on the for -

Nautilus Pompilius 3 components: sound; lyrics; image. Now let’s consider these items more in de - tails. The characteristic sound field of the post- punk was used in the creativity by many Soviet groups of the 80s. From the collective unduly al - most forgotten today the Center up to such fa - Agatha Christie mous and loud names of the middle 80s, as Alisa (or rather prev. group Stil, album Nervnaya noch mation of the Soviet post-punk. – 1984), Nautilus Pompilius, Televizor So, let’s divide Russian post-punk into the (‘Shestvie Rib’ album, 1985). By the time of the Russian view of post-punk 24

edition of the album Nachalnik Kamchatki more than simply musical style. Acc. to inter - (1984), the music of KINO became well related view of magazine R.I.P. № 3 (October / Novem - to the sound of The Cure, and some song places ber 2005) with Alexander Skvortsov, the vocalist were rather similar (for example, the track ‘Eto of Durnoe vliyanie,: ne lubov’ from the same-called album and the " R.I.P. The post-punk is a certain style of song ‘Fire in Cairo’ from The Cure’s album life? Boys Don't Cry). By the way, music of this album as a whole is impregnated with minimal - ism of sound characteristics of the post-punk which gave a «dark» sound. The further sound - ing, KINO had been affected in many aspects by Russian view of post-punk The Cure, Duran Duran, and less by Joy Divi - sion. Above-mentioned Center is partly the unique phenomenon on the Russian scene (with new-wave collectives of the period of the begin - ning of the 80s Nikolay Kopernik and Ober - maneken). Experimental avant-garde music and the vocal sketches in the initial period, the post- punk and rock’n’roll sound of later creativity in aggregate with midpsychedelic lyrics and using of different vocalists in songs and the boundless talent of the main vocalist and the leader of the band Vasily Shumov didn’t let merge this com - mand with other bands. In the lyrics of that period the main themes Petlya Nesterova were household sketches, romantic and social Alexander: As against the punk, for me it is texts, avant-garde verses. an image of feeling, understanding of life. We The "Boom" of the post-punk fell on the sit, we talk... It is a punk. And if I come home second half - the end of 80s. Bukva O, Missiya and start to tell about it, having passed it all Anticiclon, Durnoe Vliyanie, Petlya Nesterova, «through myself», - then it already will be the Agatha Christie, Objekt Nasmeshek, Ma - post-punk." trosskaya Tishina… In my opinion, in this pe - More and more influence of the darkest Eu - riod appeared the brightest and most interesting ropean representatives of the post-punk was representatives of the russian post-punk, most gathering momentum. Durnoe Vliyanie searched "characteristic" for this style were created. for inspiration, listening to Joy Division, Sounding, lyrics, image merged so much, that Bauhaus, Nick Cave; Agatha Christie copied in the post-punk for musicians became something many details The Cure (but with more electronic sound), Petlya Nesterova was guided by mini - malism of the sounding of U2, Echo and The Bunnymen and The Cur е, later on Joy Division. " We had never pursuits of stamps, but at the same time we didn’t escape from them ", - said Ed Nesterenko the leader of Petlya Nes - terova speaking about the influence on the music by the European bands. There are decadent motives, the theme of death, a hopelessness, misunderstanding of themselves is frequently mentioned in the lyrics of this period even more often. There were texts about unaccepting of existing values; the desire to change the society took place too.

Durnoe Vlijanie Russian view of post-punk 25

Durnoe Vliyanie had the most hopelessness and «dark» texts. "Many texts were about death because this theme is close, intimate, there can’t be a deceit. It is difficult to tell lies, when there is your familiar, lying in a coffin. Only when you face it, you can understand the true values ", - said Alexander Skvortsov in one of interviews. The band Petlya Nesterova, which was formed on the ruins of other post-punk com - mand Kofe, was very similar with DV. Simple drums, a «front» bass and "dense" sound of elec - troguitars created, on the one side, not difficult in playing, but on other side - tremendous on in - fluence on the listener the dark sound environ - ment. It supplemented ideally suitable vocal of

Ivanov Daun western artists, partly confusion in the Soviet so - ciety of that period. There were groups which intentionally wrote "unconscious" associative texts, leaving main role to the music. There were Matrosskaya Tishina, Ivanov Daun and some other bands among them. Separately it is necessary to notice the band from Moscow NII KOSMETIKI. Performances were something more than a simply concert of a musical group. "Texts had bright and romantic mood with a shade of decadence. The visual line was based on the traditions of glam-rock. Con - certs of group became some kind of quintes - sence company when actors on a scene appeared more than musicians. Using skill of a mimicry and gesture, they improvised short gags on a background of sound lines created by group. It was Show. Having a sharp sexual orientation, has quickly won popularity at the Moscow pub - lic, and the group actively began to give concerts in the capital and situated near Moscow plat - forms." (A.Kushnir "100 magnitoalbomov Ed Nesterenko sovetskogo roka"). Edward Nesterenko: The post-punk of the 90s almost nothing differed from the post-punk of the end of the " … I hear a voice calling me. 80s. Most likely it is connected by that the new I don’t know, I’m alive or I’m already dead. names, appeared on a musical scene, which only I can’t anything, it is the end. seemed new. Actually groups arose on the ruins I can’t explain, I can’t find the words. " of the bands of the end of the last decade, which disorganized the post-punk. The amount of Such feature in the general mood of texts is young collectives decreased in comparison with caused partly by the influence of the lyrics of the the past decade. Russian view of post-punk 26

Perhaps, among the music of that period I all this cosmetic "art" was added by the unusual can notice the band from Saint-Petersburg, motley clothes. Very often groups wore circus called Ugendshtil. The choice of such unusual and theatrical suits which were got with the help name is nothing else but analogy to the choice of familiar. of the name of the cult post-punk band Bauhaus. On a decadent wave of the second half of "It’s influenced by some trivialities. My name is the 80s russian post-punk musicians more often German, when I was in the army, I served in began to flash black color of clothes (KINO, Germany, and my favorite band is BAUHAUS", Durnoe Vliyanie). "I remember how I was taken - the leader and the founder of the collective away by the cops on the Griboedova channel be - German Podstanitsky explained the choice of the cause I went in black clothes ". - recalled Igor name of the band. At the first time the sound had Mosin (the drummer and the co-founder of "the Bauhaus manner" too, but further it was Durnoe Vliyanie). Copying the European idols harder, and the band got some originality (the was observed. "…some cloths with Lurex, similar sounding collective Ivanov Daun painted forelocks, that was such an imitation of achieved little bit earlier). Music of the band rep - resents a powerful stream of energy, decadent texts were from time to time replaced almost not carrying in themselves sense and loadings by phrases (for example, a song Figure skaters (Fig - uristi in original), text of which consists only of one phrase " we’re the figure skaters on the pink ice", repeating some times in this song). Image of the post-punk musicians was the diverse. With the brightest clothes and make-up differed the band from Magadan Missiya Anti - ciklon, and NII KOSMETIKI from Moscow. "The leader of the band, Michael "Mefodii" Evseenkov (vocal, show) left on a scene in the bright make-up and motley clothes, there was sewed the big red hand on the fly front of his The Quinsy DURAN DURAN. We were the first neo-ro - mantics in St. Petersburg, nobody before dared do such imitation (KINO, maybe, in certain de - gree - then they were already enough brisk)", - said D. Nesterenko (in 86th he still was the member of the band Kofe). Though, for exam - ple, the musicians of the collective Matrosskaya Tishina acted in quite daily clothes without strongly pronounced image features. Now the post-punk music has lost the pop - ularity of the second half of the 80s - the begin - ning of the 90s, but it does not mean that the Russian post-punk died. And now there are such remarkable bands as QUINSY, the Vinujdenie Televizor Kolebaniya, K.O.C.T., inVerse, Letuchie trousers – with it he had on the spot struck all Obesyani, at last Agatha Christie. Still there are "decent" rock - fans". (A.Kushnir "100 magni - fans of this music and those who are ready to toalbomov sovetskogo roka", NII KOS - play it, those who don’t afraid to be misunder - METIKI). Members of the band Missiya stood and not claimed in Russia. Anticiklon often used a make-up in traditions of Kostya ''Osty'' glam-rock and "gloomy" club life of England, ‘Grave Jibes Fanzine’ 27 z d r a y e v a r g / m o c . e c a p s y m . w w w

Nattsol: First of all, tell me more details about the birth of TGZ: In first place, we only did some spontaneous samples ‘The GraveyardZ’. So now tell me about the reformations in our test site, because here the deathrock scene is not very in the line up. As I understand, it was the duet for the first spread as it is in the capital city of our country, where the time? genre is more known by the people, although there aren’t TGZ: The band was formed one year ago, in October 2007 bands lol. It was difficult to be able to obtain a place to play, and we were not a duo, we were 5. Everything began well, but thankfully the next week we are going to do it! :D In until for motives (mainly musicals) several went away of an exhibition of underground art. Later on, we expect to be the band, and we continue with the project as a duo. There able to play more often, including in ....Buenos Aires...., was a temporary bassist, but he did not last too much, the capital city. equally we manage more in this stage than in the previous one. The band grew much more as a duo, and it became Nattsol: I want to ask you about the manner of your play. more personalized and creative. Our musical beginnings As I understood, this thing makes the TGZ style more and first recordings were bad, but then, we could find our unique and original. But this manner, which makes your way. Now we feel much more comfortable, and though we sound more dirty and surrealistic, and breaks the rhythms are ..2 in.. the creative process, there are more people work - in really interesting way, looks like as you’re just studying ing with us. to play the music. So how did you ‘discover’ it? While you were studying to play, or any other way? Nattsol: You had several concerts. Tell me more about it. TGZ: Everything that we do is part of an evolution, the Did you take a part in some festivals, or it was solo con - things are arising, agreeable to our musical experiences. We certs? Tell me about the deathrock stage in Argentina. do not have a school formation, and we prefer not to call 28 ourselves musicians… we are just people who transmits this year of life. In the future we are planning to make a our feelings to the music trying to be original…that's why more extensive album with a different thematic, but we are sometimes things come out of the ordinary. not in a hurry, we're going to let it emerge from the experi - Nattsol: The next question is about The Gravecat. As I un - ence. derstood, it’s like the symbol of the band? TGZ: There are several symbols that identify us, and cer - Nattsol: While listening to your release, I noticed some tainly Gravecat is one of them. We love the cats, and we songs which presents ‘the soul’ of the project. And the love Gravecat. At this moment it must be playing with ‘Souvenirs’ seems to me the most important. (Not the best, branches in the yard. but the most important). The popular melody, the mechan - ical sound. While listening to it I imagined the music casket Nattsol: So now about your new album. First of all, tell me with dancing toy – ballerina in it. That strange unnatural the translation of the name. And tell me, do you have some machinery of life…. So do you have that ‘the most impor - common ideas of your texts? What are they about? tant’ songs? And what songs for your opinion are the best? TGZ: The album is called “Projections of a Macabre TGZ: All of them are important; they all represent some - Childhood”, and we both think about the lyrics in an equal thing in particular... “Souvenirs” is beautiful, and it is for way. The lyrics of this album treat principally topics as the us the soul of the disc led to the daily thing. "..La Pesadilla.. childhood and the fantasy; especially this fantasy that we de Amara (Amara’s Nightmare)" is also very important to lose when we grow... a fantasy which we should all live us, because I composed it in ....Buenos Aires.... with Uxor, again once. a very good friend, and it is for us the "opinion" outside the band. Nattsol: Why did you decide to release the online album? Do you have the plans to release the CD? Nattsol: And the last question. Tell me about the plans of TGZ: Mainly because we are in favor of free copying and the ‘TGZ’ for the nearest future. copyleft license, to our country there does not come any TGZ: To continue playing and fighting for the art freedom; disc of the bands that we like, and it is very difficult for us we hope to be able to know many places and take all kinds to get them... we do not want that the same thing happens of beers! However, the most important thing is to continue to other persons, beside being able to spread it in a more opening graves and leaving to go out to bat! ideal way non-profit-making in the middle. And as regards We send greetings to all that listen to us there… and those to the CD, we did some copies, and we sell them in fairs at who do not listen to us too lol. musical shows. The Russian cold must be beautiful …and Moscow! A city with so much history… Nattsol: The release of the first album is really important Thank you for the interview Nattsol! Бай! experience. Now looking back, what would you like to add or remove? Questions: Pall ‘Nattsol’ Zarutskiy. TGZ: As you say, this album was a very important experi - “Grave Jibes Fanzine” ence…and we feel it has synthesized all the experience of 29 30 http://www.clairobscur.net

Interview with Christophe Demarthe

Nattsol: T ell me, how did you begin? You were era? Now it’s really difficult to imagine what ‘on the wave’, or you didn’t depend on any? was that. Was it organized movement? Christophe: Like any young people who like Christophe: I n france it was not organized. This music, we had our groups. They were Joy Di- must be typically French, I mean our incapacity vision, DAF, The Cure, The Talking Heads, to create real networks, unlike the British people Tuxedo Moon... At that time we lived in Creil in for example who through the Cartel managed to the north of Paris, and the music that we loved federate the independent labels. In France every- was not played on the radio (this was just before one stupidly thinks that he is clever enough to the birth of the free independent radio channels make things by himself and better than his in France). So we naturally decided to write the neighbour. This is a pity because no network re- music which we wanted to listen to. It was not ally existed for this scene in the 80's. Even if our purpose to belong to a 'wave'. Simply the today foreign people speak about French cold bands we preferred mainly belonged to what was wave as a movement. The only thing which ex- called new wave at that time, and which would isted in the early 80's (and was partly linked to be called cold wave today. So yes, when people the victory of the left wing in 1981) was the cre- asked us what kind of music we were doing, we ation of informal places like squatts where more answered 'new wave'. post-punk bands could play and where the audi- ence could attend concerts for little money. Of Nattsol: Could you tell about that cold wave course there were also many small independent 31

photos (c) Carine Le Malet

labels which were created in the early 80's allow - were at the same time giving a live gig and ques - ing such bands as Clair Obscur and others to exist, tioning the conditions of this gig. but once again the pity is that all these indie labels Nattsol: Another question of this type. The name were never able to federate and create a genuine of your song ‘Blume’ strongly reminds me Kurt alternative to mass culture. Schwitters’s poem ‘Anna Blume’. So is that what I’m thinking about or it’s absolutely another thing? Nattsol: Your music always seemed to me more Christophe: It is absolutely another thing. The avant-garde than rock. Some of your songs like lyrics of 'Blume' speak about joy and flowers, and ‘Tristan Tzara’ prove my opinion. Also I can re - the music is very dark. 'Blume' is all about this member here that Clair Obscur was called ‘rock contrast. It is a good example of most of our songs Artaud’. So tell me about it. What cultural move - where words do not say what I mean. Most of the ments and art actors you were influenced by? time what I mean is to be understood not in the Christophe: Truely speaking we were barbarians. words but in the way I utter these words. So for Clair Obscur was called ‘rock Artaud’ by the jour - the listener the exercise (quite difficult) would be nalist Jean-Francois Bizot but we had not even to try to replace the words of the song by other read 'Le theatre et son double' at that time... How - words which can perhaps be guessed in the way ever we were very interested in discovering other words are expressed and also by the music. But artistic proposals in theatre, dance, cinema, visual perhaps it is rather an exercise for a psychologist arts, which nourished our music and our live per - more than for a music listener... And to complicate formances. 'Rock culture' was too narrow-minded things a little more, in some songs what I say is for us. We were not longing to belong to 'avant- what I mean... garde'. We were just interested in searching, ex - perimenting new tracks, new fields. Also what was Nattsol: I noticed that the music instruments in clear for us was that just being on stage with a gui - your songs are rather different. For example tar was not sufficient. I think that the originality of there’s absolutely amazing saxophone play in ‘Bad Clair Obscur in our live performances was that we Lover’, there’re lots of wonderful bass parts in 32 other songs. Others have only noisy ‘dirty- sounded’ guitar and so on. So it depends on line up or the songs tell what they need? Christophe: The songs tell what they need. For our new album (to be released in early 2009), I wanted a more physical atmosphere. So we de - cided to use 'rock' instruments and analogic ma - chines. The songs exist first. Then we invite musicians according to our needs.

Nattsol: Clair Obscur grew up not only in music but in performances too. Tell me about your per - formance experiments. And what are they now? Christophe: I have answered to this above. I cannot tell you about our next performance (in December in France near Paris / http://www. lesit - educube. com/site/breve. php?id=416) because our audience have to experience it first before we start to explain it.

Nattsol: Looking back, can you tell me what has changed in the band and what’s stayed? What makes Clair Obscur itself, of course, except the line-up. Christophe: Our music has partly changed, be - cause it has always been changing (right from the beginning of CO). Our shows are less spectacular (I mean there are less paraphernalia), because we have perhaps sufficiently worked with this notion of 'spectacular', and we are more interested today in working with the physical part of our music, which cannot be reduced. This is perhaps what makes Clair Obscur itself, the physical part of our music, whatever the music instruments which we use.

Nattsol: There was the period when Clair Obscur kept silence. What was that? Searching for new ways? And have you had any side-projects? Christophe: Our seven years of silence were caused by a disinterest of the French music pro - fession for our music. These years allowed me to create a solo project called Cocoon (). But be - cause I missed the physical experience of the stage, I decided to reform Clair Obscur in 2004 and was happy to see that our music did mean something for younger people.

Nattsol: What do you think, do you have the fol - lowers in music? And what bands do you think are related to Clair Obscur? 33 Christophe: Oh I do not know. Perhaps you can will express yourself in the most relevant way. tell me... Today the music of Pan Sonic for example is Nattsol: So Infrastition records re-released four much more interesting and relevant than the your albums – ‘Play’, ‘InOut’, ‘Antigone’ and music of many young 'cold wave' groups. ‘Live 84/86’. Sould we wait for other re-re - leases? Nattsol: So you had many shows. Tell me, Christophe: This is not impossible... which shows and where were the most important and interesting for you. And where do you want Nattsol: Tell me about your new album ‘We to play else? Gave a Party for the Gods and the Gods all Christophe: My answer will not be very intel - Came’. What will it be? lectual. I mean in our shows despite our relexion Christophe: I partly answered above. Our new for creating the conditions of a general atmos - album will be published in January 2009 by the phere and the possibility for our audience to ask French label Optical Sound (http://www.optical- themselves questions, in the end what worked or sound.com). not has always been a curious alchemy between It will be rock, dark and sexy... our public and us, on a special day, in a special venue. Why did it work on that particular day, Nattsol: For now what do you think, is cold in that particular venue, with that particular au - wave alive? Or it took it’s place in music history dience, I do not know the answer. This is perhaps and cold wave bands went out of the borderlines a kind of luck both for the public and for the of this style? artist. Christophe: Cold wave as it existed in the 80's Perhaps one of the most important and interest - is dead. Young bands who write cold wave ing shows for us was when we played at Festival music today only make copies. It is as if they des Musiques Mutantes in Paris in 1986, be - were making rockabilly music. There is no sense cause we had decided to take the risk to play in only trying to approach the sound of the 80's. with classical musicians in front of a rather punk What has more sense is the interest of today's audience (performing after Annie Anxiety and young musicians for the sounds of the 80's when The Ex) and the public decided to play the they attempt to create new sounds at the meeting game... and made an encore for us for at least ten point of these older sounds and the sounds which minutes after the end of our show. This is a appeared more recently in the (experimental) strong souvenir. electronic scene. Of course the interest for dark music belongs to all periods. But it is not by Questions: Pall ‘Nattsol’ Zarutskiy copying the sound of a certain period that you “Grave Jibes Fanzine” s e l l a S y r o j r a M

) c ( s o t o h p 34 http://www.tragicblack.com http://www.myspace.com/tragicblack http://www.myspace.com/corvidband

h wit view Inter vISION (Trag ic Black, Corvid)

Nattsol: Tragic Black began to exist 8 years ago. Tell me the history of its birth. vISION: I was a Senior in high school in 1999, was hang - ing out with some friends and was thinking “what is an obvi - ous goth word?” and the word Tragic came to mind. Then I was thinking about bands like Christian Death and Black Sab - bath that are strong names but also have polarity in their names (Christian, light and Death dark, Black dark and Sabbath light) you get the idea, but I didn’t want any “light,” only the dark. So naturally came up with Tragic Black. It was a nice idea that remained just that, an idea until Vyle and I had been hang - ing out a lot and I shared the idea with him & we formed the band. We mostly drank a lot and conceptualized for quite some time until a friend introduced us to Ashe, who we called “Noth - ing” based on some Poppy Z Brite’s “Lost Souls” inspiration. The thing was, we never played live before and since didn’t hear back from the band who offered 35

us our first gig (Redemption) He borrowed my “Shatter & Im - ground music, so we spent a lot until a week before, and we pale” cd and learned all of the of time and money recording, weren’t totally ready. So basi - keyboards on the album. I designing and producing our cally we had to hurry and prac - loved Xavier Haight’s high own CD’s. For me, I knew that ticed everyday until pitched vocals and dark socio- one day we would have a record Halloween/gig day. Tragic political lyrics. Besides Malign, label and wanted to create self- Black was to be a visual, ag - SPECIMEN, SEX GANG released CD’s, things that would gressive, in your face band so CHILDREN were also big in - become rare and out of print for we all put a lot into our look for spirations on the goth side at those who gave us the support the first show. Our first songs least. I was also really into we needed. I looked at my Ma - were; “Hannah”, “Sickly bands like AFI, Leather Strip lign CD and how much it meant Fiendish”, “Nevere”, “O’ come and Rudimentary Peni. As time to me, knowing that the record all ye Faithless” and the “Boys” went on and I became friends label it was released on had Bauhaus cover. It was a short with Stich, he introduced me to been out of print for almost ten but sweet show, and our friends a lot of amazing punk bands years, I felt lucky to have it and were pleasantly shocked by our who became a big inspiration, be a part of the time it was talent. That night we were ap - bands like; Aus Rotten & The available. So that’s something proached by Toni, who later Unseen. we wanted to do for our fans. It joined the band after a few was strange too, I wanted to months of decision making. Nattsol: Tell me more de - make a ultra-rare cd and call it tails about your self-released Vatican Demonica, so one day Nattsol: As I understood, CDs - Articulate Lacerations, we made a mp3.com exclusive your reference is Rozz Williams Vatican Demonica, The Sixx CD and titled it “Vatican De - (I can remember three your cov - Premonitions and the live album monica”, thing is, no member of ers of his songs), and also you Burnt Black (did I miss some - Tragic Black ever got one! So were influenced by Bauhaus (as thing?). it became so rare that not even you said, you made cover of vISION: Before we had we had a copy, due to the un - their ‘Boys’). So who else the pleasure to release albums timely closing down of you’re influenced by? under a record label, we were mp3.com. vISION: “MALIGN” was determined to get our music out a big inspiration for Vyle and I. to people into dark and under - Nattsol: Now about your 36

first ‘official’ CD ‘The Deca - the lies we were fed in public Decadent Requiem. dent Requiem’. In comparison school. Awakening to a spiri - with your self-released CDs this tual reality and feeling no need Nattsol: All your releases, work seems full and finished. to believe in any religious may be, except Articulate Lac - Think it was really great experi - dogma. Awakening to all sorts erations and Vatican Demonica, ence. So can you say that it was of forces in the world and dis - are very different. And your last the end of some creating pe - covering the cause and effect re - album ‘The Cold Caress’ proved riod? What actually did it ality of the world around us. It it one more time. So what’s ac - change in the band’s life? is also related to the element of tually that? Is it progress in vISION: T he Decadent Re - Fire, along with the first three music, or it foremost depends quiem contains the attitude of chakras on the human chakra on your perception of the what made us want to form the system (Red, Orange & Yel - world? band in the first place. It’s all low). Starting the fire on the vISION: We will keep about awakening. Awakening to path of Awakening which is The making CD’s related to different 37 el ements of the world and vISION: I’d say maybe a just let the words flow from human chakras. The Decadent little, but we don’t want to re - your fingertips and discover the Requiem was the Fire element lease a CD with the same sound meaning later. Also, writing in and red, orange and yellow and attitude twice. We have two that fashion enables the listener chakra CD, this is why the lyrics guitar players now (Stich & to hear it in a way that is per - and sound is so fiery. The Cold Hex), so it will be very guitar sonal to them as well. Caress was the water element driven. and the blue chakra CD, which Vyle is an amazing bass Nattsol: And once again is why we made it more fluid player and he’ll add a thick, about lyrics. I read the lyrics of and melodic like water. Next we earthly bass tone for the Earth your last album, and found them plan to create a Earth element cd accompanied by Seputus’s rather typical for ‘Tragic and Green chakra CD. The improved drumming. For me Black’, but they have plenty of sound there will be larger, like I’ll push myself to achieve the differences as well. So what do the world, and fleshier. The most dynamic vocals I’ve ever you think has changed? lyrics will be written differently, done before and also push the vISION: Instead of singing I’ve already started actually. In - rest of the band to play a bigger about the world around us and stead of me writing all the role singing back up vocals, so the way it could be, in The Cold lyrics, this time I’ve reached out again it will be something that Caress, we escape that world of to the whole band, including our the whole band feels even more religion, politics and etc and in - amazing graphic designer (Jor - connected to, which will hope - stead enter a world full of limit - dan Livingston) to give me fully sound transparent to the less possibilities. I just finished lyrics, ideas, and themes of listener so they feel more con - the book “In The Cold Caress” what we should sing about. The nected to what were singing that inspired the lyrics of “The idea is to write music we all feel about. Cold Caress” cd, and once it is connected to, band members finished being published, you’ll and fans alike, more so than Nattsol: In one interview be able to gain a new perspec - ever before, after all it will be you said that you were influ - tive on where the lyrics came the Earth CD and we are all a enced as the text writer by the from. part of the Earth. surrealist movement. Tell me more about it. Nattsol: Now the question Nattsol: What can we wait vISION: I like getting out about your promo videos. Your from future releases of ‘Tragic of the ordinary mindset, enter - website says that you have Black’? Will they follow the ing a more natural place where ‘Faith in Decay’ and ‘Surreal way of the musical evolution of pure fluid writing happens. It Catharsis’ videos, but it keeps ‘The Cold Caress’? feels very honest and artistic to silence about ‘Circuit 3’. So is 38 it the official video? Tell me thanks for the reminder. We line, and on top of a mountain more details about their cre - made all three videos with The overlooking the Salt Lake City ation. And all of them are from Rose Phantom. Surreal Cathar - Valley. Circuit 3 was done at a your first album. Will you make sis was filmed next to the Great few locations as well; behind a a promo of a song from ‘The Salt Lake at this abandoned venue in a dirty alley, the Lime Cold Caress’? building called “The Temple of Kilms, and Hex’s practice vISION: “Circuit 3” video the Birds”. Faith In Decay was space. We had a line up change is official, we just need to up - filmed at a few locations; my during the making of The Cold date our website with that, haus, the Cathedral de Made - Caress, when Hex left and Jesse

James joined. Then Stich joined be even related to ‘Tragic getting, but we love the SLC and since Hex wrote the guitars Black’? scene. on The Cold Caress with addi - vISION: Besides our re - tional recording performances lated projects (Corvid, Redemp - Nattsol: Now let’s talk by Jesse James, it didn’t accu - tion(bound), Disruptive about your new project rately reflect who wrote what Creatures, A Lilac), we are ‘Corvid’. Tell me the band’s for those songs, plus the addi - friends with and close to bands original idea. tion of Stich. Besides that, we such as; Bella Morte, Cinema vISION: Stich had extra wanted our next video to be a Strange, Frank The Baptist, time on his hands since Tragic step up from the videos we did Blood, Death In Dresden, Gorg - Black wasn’t as busy as we in the past and since we have onas, and don’t forget about all were in the past – he seeked to not yet had the chance to do a our local friends; create a new project. After higher quality video, we de - Redemption(bound), Domiana, looking around for a while he cided to wait until the next CD. Negative Charge, DieMonster - found an amazing Drummer Die, QstandsforQ, Cavedoll, (Seigh), but didn’t find others Nattsol: Which bands in Riverhead, Carphax Files, Sub - who shared his vision. So in your opinion are close, or may rosa, I’m sure there are I’m for - time Vyle & I eventually sug - 39 gested he do the new project CORVID instead, and I’m glad we have a few songs recorded with us, because we too, he did, because it’s great and already, but we have a few more needed/desired to be more ac - gives us a more diverse sound. things we want to do before we tive than Tragic Black has been release it online. for a while. Corvid is a differ - Nattsol: What are future ent band than Tragic Black, plans of ‘Corvid’ Nattsol: You call your even though we share a lot of vISION: We have three music ‘goth’ music. But for now the same members. We all have new songs and we will record in there’re plenty of absolutely dif - always loved rock n roll, punk, Mid November 2008, and every ferent ‘goths’ and ‘gothics’. So metal and other hard music, we time we create 3 songs we will what does this term mean in wanted to create some music record until we have enough your opinion? like that. So we began practic - material to play a live show and vISION: I think it’s a word ing and just after two weeks we aim to release a full length each “goth” or “gothic” gives went to Kitefishing Studio to album with a record label. So their own personal meaning to. record. After ten hours of that’s the plan, keep writing, It is an ever evolving scene of recording and two hours of mix - creating elements for the live people, art, fashion and music. ing and adding the finishing show and aim for a record deal. I think those who associate with touches we created “Ambers Ar - Then, after that we will begin to goth make it what they want it tery”. tour! to be for them.

Nattsol: So the band re - Nattsol: Apart from these Nattsol: And the final leased the demo ‘Ambers Ar - two projects – are you involved words are yours…. tery’. What’s the stuff there? in any other music action? vISION: Thanks so much vISION: Here are the vISION: Yes, we are all for the interview! You had some songs on it; “Ambers Arteries”, busy guys. Stich as I mentioned great questions, we really appre - “Saturated With Innocence” earlier has “A LILAC”. Our ciate your support and hope to and “Slop it to the Side”. “Sat - drummer Seputus also plays do this again in the future! urated With Innocence” was drums for “REDEMPTION”, I originally going to be a song for sing in a electronica/new Questions: Pall ‘Nattsol’ Stich’s solo project “A LILAC”, wave/minimal project called Zarutskiy but he decided to use it in “DISRUPTIVE CREATURES”, “Grave Jibes Fanzine” 40 u h c o r T ’ t r ‘E

ic r E

In 1982 the young music photographer Eric Trochu arrived to Rennes from Lorient (Brittany). Then, for some period he made photos of different bands in their rehearsals and performances. Some time later he met Patrick Chevalier, the singer of Warsaw Pact http://pagesperso-orange.fr/catert.trochu for that time, who invited him to one of http://www.myspace.com/ertjogleor their http://www.myspace.com/endofdata rehearsal. The band members gave him a mi- http://www.myspace.com/complotbronswick crophone and let him take a part in their http://www.myspace.com/jogleor music. After that rehearsal Eric becam http://www.myspace.com/toriikami e the http://www.myspace.com/connecticat second band’s vocalist, and decided to aban- http://www. myspace. com/pascallamour don photography for the music. Warsaw Pact http://www.myspace.com/fraktureband1 was inspired by Joy Division, Bauhaus, The http://www.myspace.com/rroseselavylelabel Stranglers, The Cure and other bands which played that new music. “The musical atmos- phere was very Joy Division (our reference), punk and coldwave”, - recalls Eric. Unfortu- 41

nately, for the two years of its existence, the band line up, but during 1984 two musicians from Or - gave just about ten performances (sharing the chestre Rouge, Pascal Des A (bass) and Pascal stage with such bands as Marquis de Sade, Les Normal (battery) took a part in the project too. Nus, Ubik, Sax Pustuls and others), and released Also since 1984 End of Data began to use the K7. The band broke up on the summer of plenty of choreographic elements in their shows. 1983 because the musicians hadn’t felt staying Since that time, the band had performances with the same musical direction any more, and every - the show of contemporary dance Quartz, and one had own ideas of creation the music. So the gave solo performances as well. But the most im - band members began to search for other ways: portant achievement of the band in 1984 was fin - the bass player formed Prima Linea, Patrick ishing their first LP ‘Sarah’. The LP’s stuff shows Chevalier joined Complot Bronswik as the that the band’s original idea was realized in the singer…. Eric was in search for his way too. He best way. Some of the songs, like ‘If I'm not a met AE, the guitar player of Geisha. They impro - killer’ or ‘Trottodaf’ are very dynamic with the vised together on the AE’s music for a concert; punk energy and cynicism. Some others, such as they repeated songs in the afternoon and played ‘Like a sucession 1’ or ‘Sarah’ are more calm, but the same evening. After that he made for him met filled with inside energy with soft and light vo - http://pagesperso-orange.fr/catert.trochu http://www.myspace.com/ertjogleor the Warsaw Pact ex-keyboardist Didier and they cals with a touch of romanticism, which can sud - http://www.myspace.com/endofdata had created End of Data on the 12th of June in denly become infernally deep and cold. Just one http://www.myspace.com/complotbronswick 1983. The original idea of the band, which was year later, the second band’s LP ‘Dans votre http://www.myspace.com/jogleor http://www.myspace.com/toriikami influenced by The Residents, Satie, Police, Can, monde’ was released. Actually, it’s difficult to http://www.myspace.com/connecticat Talking Heads and others, was creating electro say, had the music changed there, or not. The title http://www. myspace. com/pascallamour new wave music with punk spirit. “At the end of track ‘Dans votre monde’, which, against all tra - http://www.myspace.com/fraktureband1 http://www.myspace.com/rroseselavylelabel the period, a new music thanked to the electron - ditions, goes first, shows that it had changed. The ics, Bassline TB303, drumtracks TR303, TR909, music there became lighter and less ‘dirty’, so I synthesizers Juno 106, Sixtracks with the proto - can call it played in more new wave manner. But col MIDI, all this with the spirit and the energy while listening to the album the same question of the Punk”, says Eric. appears. The LP is filled with echoes of ‘Sarah’; Eric, AE and Didier were the constant band's some of the tracks can be called the straight fol - 42

lowers of some ‘Sarah’ songs. But once again, in Eric’s artistic activity. As he recalls to it, “It some time later the band members found them - was the time, when a one who did not know selves on different waves. They were tired fi - how to play the music could begin in a band nancially and psychologically, and did not with musicians of any musical level. People believe any more in the band. So the band broke were disenchanted with the system but had an up in 1986. After that AE joined ‘Charles de explosive vital energy. We could improvise the Goal’, and Eric was involved in more experi - same day or for the next day for performances mental music. The End of Data’s brake up was or shows, maintaining it is more difficult, him the end of very important and interesting period a more legal and technical constraints in the Eu - 43 ropean society. It is a paradox, more we have of was joining the legendary band from Rennes technical means and finances less we can make ‘Complot’ in 1995. In my opinion, his joining of spontaneous things.” broke plenty borderlines in Complot’s music and So 22 years have passed since End of Data discovered new horizons for this wonderful broke up. These 22 years were very strong pe - band. riod of Ert’s music activity. Foremost his proj - In June 2007 Ert joined one more legendary ects became the expressions of his influences in band Frakture as the keyboardist. This band electronic music. He expressed himself in plenty began to play in 1977, even before that era which of aspects, such as composing, VDJing, master - was called ‘coldwave era’ some time later. The ing, mixage and others. All Eric’s projects have renewed line-up finished and recorded six songs the same electro/experimental basis, but they all at the moment. are very different. It can be a step to ‘around Also Ert with his projects took a part in dif - dub’ music, as we can see in his Torii Kami (the ferent compilations, such as ‘Rrose Selavy’, the duo of Ert and the drummer Bertrand Henri), or one dedicated to the legendary art actor Marcel more calm and a bit meditative space music, as Duchamp, or ‘Cycles’. we can see it in ConnectiCat, the project of Ert I didn’t mention many Ert’s projects, such and his wife Cat (unfortunately, this project re - as Ana Ata Kik (Laurent Guillemot (DJ) & Ert), leased just one CD, called ‘Of Mice and Clones’, the solo project Illtronik, Kakashi (Ert & Eko and gave no concerts). Or it can be absolutely Sato), Poupia Colors (Laurent G.), Lamour, space experiment of Ert’s same-called main proj - Anissa & Mars Drive (Francois Posseme, Anissa ect, which was born in 1982. The single chapter Derkaoui...)…. In these projects Eric uses differ - of Ert’s music activity is his projects with ent instruments, and when common instruments Mourad Ait Abdelmalek, such as Jogleor (their are not enough for him, he creates new ones. It duo project), Arkan (Pascal Lamour, Mourad Ait also difficult to mention all the aspects of this Abdelmalek, Adamix & Ert). It’s really hard to wonderful artist’s activity, such as photography, make some style characteristics and, especially, works as producer, works for theater and many forecasts about the music of these projects. It can others. combine some echoes of the projects I men - Also I’m glad to say that Eric doesn’t feel tioned before, and also a listener can hear ab - himself tired of his activity and has the plan to solutely unexpected music influences, such as stop it in 2058 (at the age of 100). So in this case eastern or Celtic motives. What I can foremost I hope to be able to listen to plenty of Eric’s fu - underline in Ert’s musical projects, is his ab - ture projects. solutely amazing ability to work with pauses and musical speeds. Pall 'Nattsol' Zarutskiy The other important step in Eric’s activity 'Grave Jibes Fanzine' . 3 8

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http://www.myspace.com/theknutz

Nattsol: You began to exist in 2005. The band’s evolution for these three years really impresses. In your opinion, what has changed and what has stayed in the band since that time? Did you have previous music experience? The Knutz: At the beginning, we didn’t know exactly what kind of sound our band would play. De - spite the brothers Tiago (bass) and Daniel Abud (vocal/guitar) had already done the lyrics and the main melody of most of the songs before the band starts, each members had different ideas to compose, based on different music influences. Until the end of 2007, there was almost nothing defined about the way our work would be developed. However, during 2008, we finally discovered who we were and we created an original identity. The new album shows clearly our proposal, considering all the artistic conception of the band, and the directions it 45

will lead us to. And I think these were the most im - underground. The WoodGothic Festival, which re - portant changes since we started. united 13 bands from all over the country including What remains is the relationship the members us, was watched by just three hundred people in have with one another. And as the time passes, I re - each day, being two days of performing. alize that we become even more closers as friends Yes, there are great goth bands in Brazil as Ele - and musicians. gia, Plastique Noir, Scarlet Leaves, Escarlatina Ob - Yes, we had previous music experience. Actu - sessiva, Zigurate, Luiza Fria and many others. ally, the members met one another by studying at the same music school. Nattsol: The next question is about your first Demo CD, released in 2006. Tell me about it. Nattsol: Your music combines plenty of styles, The Knutz: This CD has 17 songs, including and stays original as well. So what did you want to 2 live tracks. Despite it didn’t correspond to all our express in the music when you began to play? Can expectations, it is still a good album. As Mick Mer - you say that you managed to express all that you cer said in the review he wrote about our Demo: wanted to? And how can you describe your style? ‘The majority of the record is great but there's a few The Knutz: As I said, when the band started, tracks they could have dropped, which weren't sharp each member had distinct ideas in relation to the enough towards the finish. They do slip on a couple other ones. On account of this, our Demo CD be - of live bonuses though, 'Where Are You Now' po - came a bit mixed and it didn’t correspond to our ex - litely controlled and gracefully contrite, 'The Hang - pectations as we thought it would. ing Man' wonderfully moody with guitar trickles However, with the new album, it was totally and inflamed drum pushes, the vocals gloomy and different. Everything was defined and everyone en - desperate and very touching. joyed the result. We did express all we wanted to. A very cool band, with masses of character and Our style is something among post-punk, punk, potential.’ death-rock, electronic music and Gothic rock. With this CD, we started to be recognized in the Brazilian Gothic scene, something really important Nattsol: Tell me about Brazilian post punk / to us. goth scene. What’s the public there? Are there some During our current shows, we still play some bands with a sound related to yours? songs from the Demo. The Knutz: The scene here is very small and For more information about our Demo CD, 46 read the review Mick Mercer wrote: party, dancing to some songs and arriving home in the http://mickmercer.livejournal.com/825283.html early hours of a rainy morning. It still counts on a Brazilian cover as bonus track Nattsol: Were your songs released somewhere else? Nattsol: Who is the song writer in the band? Do The Knutz: No. But fortunately, we could sell a you have a common idea of your texts? lot of copies at our shows as well as by mail. The Knutz: Daniel Abud (vocal/guitar) is the lyricist and all the members are composers. There isn’t Nattsol: Now I’d like to ask the question, which a pattern, but most of songs are about feelings and sit - is the most exciting for me. Tell me about your future uations lived by the lyricist. first ‘official’ album, which is suspected to be released at the end of 2008. Nattsol: So you shot the video clip on your The Knutz: This is a concept album. The art and “Ghost Dance Party”. I know “The Knutz” as the band the order of the songs are related to “Ghost Dance which will work with the stuff until it’ll be perfect. Party”, the theme song and the name of the album. Lis - And I was a bit surprised when I saw this video, be - tening to it is like listening to someone entering in a cause it doesn’t seem finished, so I thought that I 47 missed something important in it, may be, the main idea…. The Knutz: Actually, this video was made in a hurry because we didn’t have an official video and we needed one to include in a Crawling Tunes compila - tion. And unfortunately, we didn’t have money to make a brilliant video, so we did it by ourselves, in a very independent way and without costs. Even so, I think it’s a nice clip. However, during the last months we recorded two more videos (“Where are you now” and “The Hanging Man”) and, in spite of being independent ones too, we did it in a very professional way as we had a team of cinema students who supported us. They are almost finished, we are just concluding the edition.

Nattsol: You had many shows. Which of them were the most important? Did you have an experience of playing abroad? The Knutz: The most important show was the WoodGothic Festival, which reunited 13 important Brazilian Gothic bands in two days of performing. It was probably the biggest Brazilian Gothic event ever. We haven’t played abroad yet. But an invitation is always welcome =)

Nattsol: Can you call me the bands you’d like to share the stage with? The Knutz: The Cure, Cinema Strange, Deep - eche Mode, Los Carniceiros Del Norte, Bauhaus, Duran Duran, Echo and The Bunnymen, Siouxsie and The Banshees, Alien Sex Fiend, Specimen...

Nattsol: And your final words to all our readers. The Knutz: We would like to thank you for read - ing this interview ^^ Hope you have enjoyed it!

For more informations about the band, access: www.myspace.com/theknutz Our e-mail: [email protected]

Greetings from Brazil!!

Questions: Pall ‘Nattsol’ Zarutskiy “Grave Jibes Fanzine” 48

ave: Coldw

The never existed movement.

There is a country in Western Europe called Chronology: France. And in the late 70’s in this country (like in 1978 many other European capitalistic countries) new Marquis De Sade “Air-tight cell / Henry” 7” wave began to exist. 1979 Zed “Visions of Dune” LP ‘The elder brother’ (which was born in Britain) Marquis De Sade “Dantzig Twist” LP had a bit other backgrounds. That’s the reason why Marie et les Garçons “Re-bop / Attitudes” British public didn’t have much interest to the Maxi French modification of new wave (Nouvelle 1980 Vague). Also it would be important to notice that in Bernard Szajner “Some Deaths Take For - comparison with the British line, French new wave ever” LP was rather chaotic movement. During the whole pe - KaS Product “Play Loud” EP riod this article is about, the movement didn’t man - Marquis De Sade “Rythmiques” 7” age to become unified. Often, bands which were Frakture “Sans Visage” 7” formed ‘on the wave’, didn’t suspect about the ex - Visible “A Fine Aim In Life” 7” istence of many their colleagues. But, however, Elli & Jacno “Tout Va Sauter” LP after the end of this period, researchers and just fans Mathématiques Modernes “Disco-Rough” of the movement have become able to see ab - Maxi solutely unique phenomenon, which seemed like Taxi Girl “Mannequin” 7” the unified movement. And this phenomenon Guerre Froide “Cicatrice” K7 needed a name. So the term coldwave (or cold wave) seemed very apropos. This term wonderfully 1981 characterized the minimal and neutrally ‘cold’ Cerbere “Mangue Amère” 12” sound of this musical phenomenon. Charles De Goal “Algorythmes” LP Such bands as Metal Urbain, Taxi Girl и Mar - Guerre Froide “Guerre Froide” Maxi quis De Sade can be called the pioneers of the Mathématiques Modernes “Les Visiteurs French new wave movement (and the forerunners Du Soir” LP of coldwave as well). However, new French musi - 1982 cians went out the borderlines of this music. And Clair Obscur “La Cassette Noire” K7 even in 1980-1981 the term punk gothique (UK Orchestre Rouge “Yellow Laughter” LP Decay preferred to characterize their style so), pos - itive punk (Southern Death Cult), came to France. 49 DZ Lectric “Russo-American Songs” K7 Soon there were formed such bands as Charles De KaS Product “Try Out” LP Goal, Les Provisoires, Norma Loy, Mathema - Charles De Goal “Ici l’Ombre” Maxi tiques Modernes, Elli & Jacno and others. Listed Indochine “L'aventurier” LP bands can be referred to the first coldwave bands. Visible “Indicible Fréquence” 7” These bands began actively use keyboards in Der Knall “C-D-E / Pensée Hebdo - their music and do it in minor and depressive way. madaire” 7” In difference to Siouxsie And The Banshees, The Martin Dupont “Your Passion” 7” Cure and Bauhaus, French musicians didn’t avoid Les Provisoires “Quiet Room / Anne” 7” electronics. And if, for example, British musicians Hôtel du Nord “ Bienvenue” Maxi didn’t manage to develop their experiments of this kind, and returned to the guitar sound, French 1983 ones like Guerre Froide or Clair Obscur added KaS Product “By Pass” LP electronics to their work, which saved post-punk Tanit “Can An Actor Bleed?” Maxi sound as well. And new synth-pop bands (Tri - Leitmotiv “Philosophy” 7” somie 21, Visible) brought their contribution to Complot Bronswick “L'image Oubliée” what now is called gothic electro. Maxi Then there was the braking point in 1982- Movement “Perfect Day” 7” 1983 which was caused by the appearance on the Trisomie 21 “Le Repos Des Enfants coldwave screne such bands as Opera De Nuit, Heureux” LP Gestalt, Ausweis, Epitaphe, L'Enfance Eternelle, Dazibao “Les Tambours Lointains” EP Pavillon 7B, Odessa, Leitmotiv, End Of Data, Act “Ping-Pong” 7” Baroque Bordello, Tanit and, of course, one of the Norma Loy “Romance” 12” most important bands on this scene, – Complot Epitaphe “Syndrome” LP Bronswick. These bands had the obscure sound Les Maîtres “Les Maîtres” K7 like so-called ‘occult guitar’ (Odessa, Tanit), or D.Stop “Nouvelles Du Front” LP related to deathrock sound of Christian Death and Nuit Blanche “Nuit Blanche / Adolf Burning Image (Ausweis, Leitmotiv, End of 'umanchu” 7” Data). Clair Obscur “Santa Maria / Toundra” 7” There should also be mentioned the develop - Bernard Szajner “Brute Reason” LP ment of minimal synth and industrial, closely con - Die Bunker “Die Bunker” K7 nected with coldwave. (Pavillon 7B is the best Theatre “Ambiance Bar” 7” example here, other representatives are – KaS 1984 Product, Reseau d'Ombres, Opera Multi Steel, Les Provisoires “Loin De La Plage” LP Norma Loy, The Grief, Etant Donnes, Achwgha Baroque Bordello “Today” Maxi Ney Wodei, The (Hypothetical) Prophets, Bernard End of Data “Sahrah” LP Szajner, DZ Lectric). Ausweis “Ausweis” LP Also there should be noticed rather unusual Trisomie 21 “Passions Divisées” LP band Trop Tard, which mixed post-punk with Cérémonies “Le Goût Du Saké” 7” ‘dense’, around-drone elements. Clair Obscur “Dansez” Maxi The situation had changed in the second half Bernard Szajner “The Big Scare” Maxi of the 80s, and coldwave obtained other appear - Leitmotiv “Morne Libido” 7” ance (foremost it was connected with forming of Opéra Multi Steel “Rien” Maxi Little Nemo and Asylum Party on the one part and Tanit “To Alaska” LP Neva and Exces Nocturne on the other part). The Soma Holiday “Shake Your Molecules first type of bands began searching for the com - (The Neutron Dance)” Maxi mercial success, because musicians got bored Dick Tracy “Je Veux Voir La Mer” LP being ‘idols of garages and basements’. So it Grise Romance “Le Miroir” 7” caused the appearance of the coldwave branch, Martin Dupont “Just Because” LP called Touching Pop (the representatives are – Lit - DZ Lectric “Le Moine” K7 tle Nemo, Asylum Party, Neutral Project, Mary Complot Bronswick “Maïakovski” LP Goes Round, Babel 17, Club De Rome). These Masoch “Masoch” LP bands were influenced by ‘new romantics’ of the Dazibao “Dah Kin” 7” beg-mid of the 80s. For that period it was more 50 Brigade Internationale “Regard Extrême” actual than obscure avant-garde of ‘early goth K7 stuff’. Odessa “Attente” EP The second type, on the contrary, became Zéro Divide “Ciné Club” 7” more radical in the expression of their music and Les Fils De Joie “Tonton Macoute” 7” image. Here could be mentioned ‘Neva’ with their Persona Non Grata “Our Shade Of Sin” fiercest deathrock image. LP Also there should be noticed the appearance Réseau d'Ombres “Ireos” K7 of neoclassical elements in French coldwave in Hymn “Tired” Maxi 1987-88. Of course, the fashion (if it’s possible to Jad Wio “The Ballad Of Candy Valentine” say so about neoclassical music) had been run by Maxi Dead Can Dance, but the French band Collection d'Arnell~Andrea seems to me more interesting. 1985 They managed to mix coldwave and neoclassical Message “Dernière Nuit” 7” in good proportions, so they can be called the in - International Sin “Out” LP novators too. Evening Legions “Evening Legions” 12” In the beginning of 90’s the wave had lost its Excès Nocturne “Evacuation Immédiate” musical actuality and attraction. This was the end 7” of the important and very interesting space of Opéra De Nuit “Amour Noir” 12” time. As it’s mentioned before, nobody gave sep - Opéra Multi Steel “Cathédrale” LP arated characteristics for this style of music at that Après Guerre “Mise En Bière” 7” time. It means there is some kind of paradox, clas - Réseau d'Ombres “Sotcha” LP sical coldwave bands, per se, didn’t really know End Of Data “Dans Votre Monde” LP that they were creating the music of that style. The Pavillon 7B “Overdose” K7 development of the internet made possible the cre - Guerre Froide “Archives” K7 ation of some kind of general view which permit - Jad Wio “Colours In My Dream” Maxi ted to researchers to consider by-turn coldwave to Leitmotiv “Leitmotiv” Maxi the unified movement. If trace the history of the Les Amants De Lune “Blank / Life To Live” term further, it’s possible to state that it acquired 7” sufficient popularity. In the beginning of the XXI Fatidic Seconde “Métropolis” 7” new bands started to appear, which described their Echo Prism “Jade Flower” 7” sound as coldwave, Paris band No Tears seems the Baroque Bordello “Via” LP most remarkable of them. And at the same time The Bonaparte's “Shiny Battles” LP new labels, as Infrastition (http://www.infrasti - Trisomie 21 “Wait & Dance” Maxi tion.com/) and Brouillard Definitif (http://brouil - Clair Obscur “Smurf In The Gulag” 12” lard-definitif.fr/), specialized on a Guerre Froide, The Grief “The Grief” LP L'Enfance Eternelle, Сlair Obscur and others al - L'Enfance Éternelle “Sur La Terre Sacrée” bums’ reissue, began to appear. K7 Well, can we really say that the age of cold - Ruth “Polaroïd/Roman/Photo” LP wave is over? Of course that atmosphere of the spontaneous creation never will be repeated. But 1986 it’s impossible not to recognize the interest that Coldreams “Morning Rain / Eyes” 7” appears at the present for this movement which, Les Amants De Lune “Le Clown Triste / per se, didn’t really exist at any time before. And Une Fille Etrange” 7” at the same time the most part of bands which Complot Bronswick “Dark Room's De - were at the source of genre, like Clair Obscur or lights” LP Complot, for now get out faraway of the style’s Réseau d'Ombres “The Locket” K7 borders. In terms of this, though the end of this Opéra De Nuit “Sourire De l'Ombre” Maxi entire age looks undoubted, this age’s overwhelm - Trisomie 21 “Chapter IV” LP ing impact on the actual post-punk/new wave L'Enfance Éternelle “Le Jour Des Fous” scene is undoubted too. LP Pour l'Exemple “Pour l'Exemple” K7 Rommel Thérèse Racket “Survie” LP ‘Grave Gibes Fanzine’ 51

Closed Session “Song For Sale” K7 Die Bunker “Dreams Are Not Free” LP Trop Tard “Ils Etaient 9 Dans L'Obscurité” Asylum Party “Picture One” LP K7 Norma Loy “l'Homme à la Moto / Ghost Little Nemo & Rain Culture “La Cassette Parasites” 7” Froide” Split K7 Tuatha De Danann “Éclectique” K7 Clair Obscur “The Pilgrim's Progress” LP Neva “Individu” K7 Résistance “Between Two Lights” LP Bunker (Bunker Strasse) “Offensive” K7 1989 Seconde Chambre “Seconde Chambre” Excès Nocturne “L'écho des lumières” K7 Maxi Passions Mortelles “Sur La Croix” K7 1987 Asylum Party “Borderline” LP Little Nemo “Past And Future” K7 Collection d'Arnell~Andréa “Un Automne à Neva “Hallucination” 7” Loroy” LP Bunker (Bunker Strasse) “Untitled” K7 Bunker Strasse & Modèle Martial “Untitled” DZ Lectric “Be Eclectic!” LP K7 L’An III “Untitled” K7 Little Nemo “Sounds In The Attic” CD Excès Nocturne “Live” K7 Sombre Septembre “Le Nez Rouge” 7” Margaritas Ante Porcos “Restez Sur Le Mary Goes Round “70 Suns In The Sky” Quivive” K7 CD Trop Tard “Photodrame” K7 L’Avis G821 “Die Kaisergruft” K7 Clair Obscur “In Out” LP Neutral Project “Comme Un Oiseau De Dazibao “Les Musiques De La Honte” LP Proie...” K7 Pavillon 7B “Pavillon 7B” LP Vendredi “Le Ciel Attendra / Noémie” 7” Réseau d'Ombres “Axe” Maxi Neva “Fausse Conscience” K7 SS 20 “Vincent Goes To Tchernobyl” EP Mary Goes Round “Sunset” 12“ Club De Rome “Club De Rome” CD 1988 Les Enfants De l'Ombre “La Haine Rôde 1990 Et Nous Guette” Maxi Asylum Party “Mère” LP Pour l'Exemple “Pour l'Exemple” Maxi Pro Memoria “Elegeia” 12” Complot Bronswick “Iconoclasmes” LP Little Nemo “Turquoise Fields” CD Opéra De Nuit “Opéra De Nuit” LP Babel 17 “Celeano Fragments” LP Pro Memoria “Pro Memoria” K7 Collection d'Arnell~Andréa “Au Val Des Collection d'Arnell~Andréa “Autumn's Roses” LP Breath For Anton's Death” Maxi L'An III “Les Internés De La Raison” K7 Little Nemo “Private Life” LP Mary Goes Round “Highway Planet” CD Excès Nocturne “Excès Nocturne” K7 Sombre Septembre “Une Lune d’Hiver” 7” Anechoic Chamber “Untitled” LP Complot Bronswick “A Kind Of Blue” CD Gestalt “Le Sommeil Du Singe” LP Voyage De Noz “Opera“ LP Résistance “100 Lives” LP 52

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Nattsol: First of all, tell me, how and when you Nattsol: Tell me about the SW foundation. Was began to play the music. And how did you come to it your first project? the music that you do now? By the way, tell me the meaning of the band's Jon: Guess I started learning to play at around name. Ten years old, I had a teacher who was having me Jon: I started the band with some childhood play classic rock on guitar but I wasn't serious about friends, I don't know if that's the name we used but I music until around thirteen or fourteen when I was consider it all Strange Walls. introduced to early punk and indie music through A couple things that helped alot with the foun - college radio. dation were hearing the soundtrack for the film Liq - After that I didn't really care about anything else uid Sky, and Second Edition by Public Image LTD. and I still don't. Before that it hadn't occurred to me that electronics could be played badly... that a synthesizer could mess 53

up and go off-beat, or how beautiful that could sound. Nattsol: As I know, you also take a part in other That’s when I started recording with cheap electronics. projects, such as Post-Abortion-Stress, ElectraJet (did I didn't hook up with Dandrogynous and Danya until I miss something?). Tell me about it. later when I moved to New York City, Those guys had Jon: It's nice to stay busy with different projects, similar backgrounds and early inspirations. there's never enough. What you liked in your teens will usually effect I played guitar for a glam punk band called Split your playing for the rest of your life. Me Wide Open (now defunct) for a long time. Post The band name came partly from a fetish I had Abortion Stress is a very experimental/ Space music for strange architecture, I was reading HP Love Craft, project lead by my friend Pepper. Playing with them and also I was writing a lot about hallucinations and is fun & a bit of a challenge because it's the only time visions I was having while staring at the bedroom I get to improvise with music, besides when recording wall. soundtracks. 54

Occasionally I play some minimal Violin with the you could? rock band Electrajet. Jon: Starting with a concept; something will al - I tried and failed taking over on guitar for Danyas ways come from it, whether the product works with death rock band Valiant to Vile & theres an electro pop the original concept or not. project in the works with my friend Fearfull Christo - Once I spent a year in Isolation (terrible teens!) pher called Push Business. & began writing down all my dreams and recording People call me to sit in with their solo projects them as songs, and at that point I had the time and the sometime & Ill just grab a random instrument and run solace to let me record over two Cds worth. That be - to the bar where they're playing.. came a concept album called Disappear-Reappear. Strange Walls is my handicapped child & it's the After I became convinced that an unintentional only one I actually write music for. murder mystery was unfolding in the random lyrics, either from outside influences visiting me in my Nattsol: The next one is about your discography. dreams, or at least from an incredible subconscious in - Tell me about SW studio records. fluence. I decided that no one would ever have the pa - Jon: We’ve always recorded and packaged our tience to appreciate all this, combined with the fact Cds ourselves. that the very personal sounding songs from a bad part There must be a over a hundred little demos of my life began making me deeply cringe instead of recorded by now, alot of those are just masters sitting giving me the deep chills they originally did, had me on shelves getting dusty now.. decide to just take a few of the (near) listenable tracks Alot of times we'll just make a humble CD stack and present them under the name 'Dreams of dead of our latest work and send it out to anyone we think pets'. would be interested, then move on to the next concept. Now there are three or four of those songs we still I don't know if were still waiting or hoping to be try to do, and although the lyrics are nonsense out of picked up by a record label. context, I like to think they kept some mystery and in - tensity from where I was when they were written. Nattsol: So you said that after recording a CD In my first sessions with Dandrogynous he had you move on to other concept. the Idea to record an album called 'Grimmshow' where Could you call me some of SW concepts, which every song would be about characters in a different in your opinion you managed to express the best way Brothers Grimm story. A lot of those came out pretty 55 good, 'The robber bridegroom' never left our live ro - Those clever pentatonic melodys in Celt' folk I'll tation. always love and want to emulate or rip off. A little later Danya & I's concept to drink and Cathy recently did an interview on the radio and only listen to Irish music for awhile was interesting mentioned me, so Im happy to grab a chance to men - because we're not Irish. Unfortunately for me, the best tion her back. ones that Danya wrote ended up being used for his other project. Nattsol: Tell me about SW Live shows. What is I love writing soundtracks. That’s a good example the project on stage? What does it express? of having to work with someone else’s concept, I just Jon: Our shows used to be a little rougher when love doing that. we would just have the music recorded on DAT and At the moment were composing a song for a site sing along. called The Method Learned where all different types Now that we’re all playing our instruments live of artists interpret the writings of the poet from Detroit there's less room to fuck around. I haven’t cut myself Gregory James Wyrick: www. myspace. on stage for a long time, or had to set Dan on fire for com/themethodlearned falling asleep during a song. I won't show up at the venue drunk anymore. Nattsol: You mentioned your soundtracks. Tell Now I wait until we arrive at the venue to drink. We me more about it. used to have a performer/ glass eater on a bed of nails Jon: I started out doing sound for my own films but we couldn't keep audience members from laying which just served as something to present to other di - down on it which cheapened the effect. rectors to show them we were able. A couple of the first were film adaptations of HP Nattsol: And now about your public. What kind Lovecraft stories. Lovecraft is easy because he de - of people usually visit your shows? And how does scribes otherworldly music that his characters are public depend on performances? hearing with such genius in his writing. Jon: We usually draw a small crowd of individ - In NYC I did alot of work with a director I don't ualist artist types & true freaks. want to promote. We rarely see alot of sneering Victorian types, While looking for film makers to work with here maybe we make bad posing music. We don't see alot I ended up doing some sculpture for film, and zombie of true nerds either (though both would be welcome). prosthetics for one called Dead Roses. One thing we see alot of are the backs of the The last ones I've done have been for two off-off heads of people leaving. Broadway plays based on the Edgar Allan Poe stories The system of Dr. Tarr and Proffessir Fether and The Nattsol: Tell me about your show on the' Depro - Facts in the case of M. Valdemar, both directed by gramming Hour'. Candace Burridge and starring Dandrogynous. Jon: Deprogramming hour is a Manhattan cable http://www.myspace.com/systemofdrtarr tv show that I co-host. It’s a mainly political show Nattsol: Now I'd like to ask you about traditional where viewers call in. folk part of your songs. The time we played was a special show because Jon: Well that comes from my dad, I never lived it was Halloween with him but I'd spend a little time with him each sum - http://www.myspace.com/deprogramminghour mer & my brother and I would kind of roadie and do merchandice for his folk duo when they toured New Nattsol: Thanks, Jon. Now I'd like you to say a England.. The SW still sometimes butchers a tradi - few more words, anything you think is necessary. tional Celtic song I grew up hearing from his perform - Jon: Thanks Nat. I love to read your zine. ances called Blackleg Miner. When you fall keep your mouth closed so you Recently he (my father) had a sex change and don't break your teeth. (now I say she) continues to do music. Her legal name is Cathy Worthley. Questions: Pall ‘Nattsol’ Zarutskiy http://www.cathyworthley.com/ “Grave Jibes Fanzine” I think she was the first (over a decade ago)) to play me Shane McGowan & The Pogues. She defi - nitely introduced me to loads of Celtic music & Celtic /fusion like Steeleye Span, Christey Moore, et с... 56 57 s u s e j f o s y a d t k s s . a l s e u h s t / e j f m o o s c y . a e d c t a s p a l s e y h m t . . w w w w w w / / / / : : p p t t t t h h

Nattsol: As I know, you took a part in the foundation of the ‘goth’ scene in Slovakia. How did it grow up? Tell me more about your activity there. And how did you face ‘goth’ music? Mary0: Well, I don’t know what to say… I work for the scene here in Slvakia more than 15 years. In the beginning there were the par - ties, then the fanzine/magazine called Stigma, radio show in the local radio station, concerts and so on. It’s a long time and a lot of work was done inbetween. Nattsol: Tell me more about Batcave.sk. What is it actually? Mary0: Actually it’s more or less just the monthly party includ - ing Live acts. However, we’re working on new visual of the we - bzine at the moment. Well, it’s al - ways a question of time to work on the projects like tis. Especially when one has a family and regular job. Then the priorities change a bit… Nattsol: The next question is just to Mary0. Now, looking back to your past activity as the dj, or - ganizer and other, what were the o c j e r d n A n a f e t S y b n o o t r a C 58

most important moments? And were there some things that you’d like to change, or some curious sit - uations, may be? Mary0: Well, of course there's always the things to change in the past but you can't do it anyway. So, I rather look forward. I organized some really cool bands and knew really cool people in all those years. I don't wanna say which band was the best one or which people are more friendly or nice. It's because I don't wanna forget anyone. Well, I also played really cool places as a Dj, too. It’s always interesteing to play the different places in the world and see how people react the music I play. Nattsol: So The Last Days of Jesus began to exist in 1992. What was the original conception of the band? What did you want to ex - press for that time? Mary0: Hm, I can’t remember what was the original conception in that time. I know that I was talking something about the war, religions, stupidity, shortblindness and so on. It’s almost the same as today. Only the way of expression is different a bit. In those times I believed the man could be better and the way is to combine half to half the man’s and woman’s aspect. I’m afraid I lost some illusions in time… Nattsol: As I know, you began playing some metal stuff. Can you 59 describe the band’s musical evolu - sold out. Do you have a plan to re- other one is about the stupid so tion? release some of the old stuff? called revolutionaries making the Fessy: It was caused mainly Vajco: We planned to re-re - bombs in the streets and killing by our music influences in that lease album called “Songs from the people. There is a song about the time. We listened more Valor´s Psycho TV”, because this album feeling overused man of nowadays. Christian Death, Superheroines etc. hadn´t chance to be sent to abroad Nattsol: When should we wait But I think this was fine for our fu - listeners as other recordings be - for the next album? ture music skills, we were training cause of contract between us and Vajco: Next long play (LP) so much that time :) Actually we major label. album – at the moment no idea, started to play more punky from Nattsol: Now the question sorry. I hope we can do it. But EP album Alien Road. about two TLDOJ last works – album is already in our minds, we Mary0: I don’t think we ever ‘Alien Road’ and ‘Dead Machines will do something – maybe next played metal… It’s a bullshit!!! Revolution’. These releases seem year. We always experimented a lot. We related, but there’s the difference as Mary0: There is a plan to re - combined a lot of musical elements well. In your opinion – what has alize the new record in Spring of like gothic – electro – industrial – changed, and what has stayed? 2009. We already started the punk – ska - and metal at last as Vajco: Stayed: the band. recordings in the studio. well… But I don’t think anyone Changed: Recording process. Nattsol: Of course, there’s the could mark us as a metal band. No - “Dead Machines Revolution” was question about your Russian mini- body who ever heard our old stuff, recording longer than “Alien tour. :) Tell me your impressions I mean ;) Road”. We also composed and about the shows, public, beer and Nattsol: What were the break - recorded (both at the same time) for everything that you want. :) ing points in the band’s life? the first time a new song in studio Vajco: For me the most inter - Vajco: Russian tour. After – “Machine of Calm.” esting impression – it was really show in Voronezh I felt for a mo - Fessy: I suppose the sound of something very special. Public: ment like an Ice Hockey Star – DMR is quite better. There´s not so very open, very close to the band. when audience screamed Slo-va- many sound foots and also songs Beer: good taste, a lot of kinds of kia! (notice: We love ice don´t have so difficult structures in beer, at this point much more better hockey=we love Russia:o) comparison with Alien Road. than in Slovakia (really). Fessy: I think there were more Nattsol: The next one is about Fessy: Yes, our fans in Russia important points in our history. your texts. It seems to me that most were amazing! We enjoyed every First German tour with bands Mar - of them are about freedom and es - gig so much and we want return quee Moon and Forthcoming Fire cape from routine and ‘the life ma - back definitely! in 1995. We were young band with chinery’. So can you say what kind Mary0: Every gig was differ - no offcial CD and concerts in of freedom is it? Is that the real ent and special in some way. We re - Berlin or Dresden opened us the one? And can you call yourself ally enjoyed our time spend there doors towards main German labels. free? in Russia. We knew a lot of nice Very important moments were our Fessy: It´s a difficult question. people!!! Hope we could stay there first gigs at WGT and Bolkow fes - Your freedom ends where other´s longer and cross the country even tival as well. Maybe the last break - freedom begins. The problem is if more. ing point was the conclusion of this is not in the middle of that way. Nattsol: And your final contract with Strobelight records. Telling the truth mostly this is NOT words. Apart from your music ac - Mary0: There were some real. But sometimes if I´m far away tivity, or not. Just what you want to more breaking points in the band’s from people, on my bike in broad say. life I’m sure. One of them was con - country, I feel my self really free :) Vajco: See you in Russia ;o) tract with the EMI in 2001 for ex - Mary0: Believe me – if I Mary0: THANX for the ques - ample. Then there was the U.S. know the answer on your question tions and sorry for the delay! Hope tour as well… This was not so I’m the happiest man in the world! to cu soon! good experience but important any - Just the simple answers: No, unfor - way. tunately, I don’t think I’m free. Questions: Pall ‘Nattsol’ Every song is different. One is Zarutskiy Nattsol: So, except two last about everyday‘s rouitine at work, “Grave Jibes Fanzine” albums, all the band’s releases are some kind of machinery. Then an - 60

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t h 61 Bars-Ursula: Tell us, please, beginning points of most groups. sound, which we believe no one where and when your band was How did you manage to reach such could match, and of course, it was formed? How has the collective level on the demo-record? a great influence for us; that cover, structure been formed? What made Acid Bats: The work with the was a somewhat curious, since a you to play death-rock? And what demo was very hard, because we version that emerged from here to is the conception of the group? don’t have a good equipment, just Alaska this issue, and this version Acid Bats: Well, we started the a computer, a console, and all the is very inspiring us to create our band in October of 2007, since the energies to make this work, but at own version. But paralisis doesn’t beginning we three composed the the same time it was easy for us, have the unique influence for us, band, Edy bat at voice, Gregor at because we had many songs before we have more musical influences Bass and johnnywitch at guitar. All to concretize the band (acid bats), like, Madre del Vizio, Bauhaus, of us are originally of Mexico City, we played in other bands and we Christian Death (With Rozz more exactly from a part of the city had enough experience at the mo - Williams, of course), Mephisto which’s called Nezahualcoyotl into ment we made the demo, in addi - Walz, Corpus Delicti, Euroshima, the metropolitan zone of Mexico tion we really love the music, and Specimen, Toys Went Berzerk, City. Maybe is no important talk although curiously none of us is a etc… etc.. all the classical post about, but it is a marginalized area musician by profession, we always punk and deathrock bands. of Mexico, it’s very difficult to live want to make a good stuff, with here, maybe that’s one reason, why quality and good composition. Bars-Ursula: The most of your we make post punk deathrock songs are on the native language. music, we have very difficult lives, Bars-Ursula: Your EP «Ex - What themes are mentioned in your and we see the world with punk humation» appeared in 2008. When texts? Are you going to use Eng - eyes, with deathrockers eyes and and how the release was made? lish? with post punk eyes. What is the cardinal difference be - Acid Bats: We talk of many At the beginning, the idea was tween the demo - release and EP in subjects, for example in parasites play some kind of post punk, but no your opinion? we talk about the politic, the song one of us can deny the influence Acid Bats: We made the EP in begins with the sound of speech of that we have from the deathrock the mid of 2008, between June and Vicente Fox, the Mexican Presi - hehehe(laughter), but we don’t like August, we made the EP like the dent, who was in the midst of con - the etiquettes or being classified in Demo, with a computer and a con - stant scandals, and he was the most a kind of music, we just want to sole, in the house of Edy unpopular president that Mexico make music, to develop the darker hehehe(laughter), well, there’s not had before, all the song is the critic thoughts of our mind and to de - so much difference, we see the against the Mexican politic. In “Es - nounce the evils of society in a sub - same music quality, but the subject clavos” (Slaves) and “Mi ataud” tle way, we feel really connected changed. (My coffin) we talk about the self- one to one for give a message, not destruction of the human’s being, only for deathrockers, even to all Bars-Ursula: There is a cover in slavery the human is looking like individuals who seek an alternative on «Exhumation» of Paralisis Per - a slave of himself, like an animal thinking, we don’t close ourselves, manente’s «Quiero ser santa». dominated for thinks, that they can - to the deathrock, we all the days What has induced you to make a not see, and this is any destruction, want new concepts to make a good cover on this cult post-punk forma - the human been without feelings music and make a new good mes - tion? What other groups, besides without thinks, without brains. My sage. The proposal of the band mu - Paralisis Permanente have affected Coffin is about the global destruc - sically speaking lies in the sound on you? tion, the end of the days, we say, mix of the old guard with more cur - Acid Bats: Paralisis Perma - “talking with the death, about this rent sounds, created with the help nente is a cult band in all the world, decadent word, I can see we are of technology. On issues such as especially for the Latin-Americans, sentenced, at the horror, at the hor - my coffin or slaves these elements many people think that paralisis is ror” most of all talk and tell the re - can be strong in the sequences. the most important band of post alities of the world as internal punk of Spanish language, and problems in the minds of human Bars-Ursula: Your demo - there is the major influence for beings to political dissent, until the record contains qualitative and very many bands of Mexico, they had a metaphor. interesting stuff , what is rare in the single subject and a very unique And we have one song in Eng - 62

lish, it is called paranoia, it is in the fusion because it wants to be out of much unification, because the EP, and talks about an addiction, the commercial corners, some scene is not too big, or is censured. but we are thinking make more bands like Joy division, Bauhaus, There’s the small unification of the songs in other languages, for exam - or Siouxsie and the banshees, are of scene on a continental level, it can - ple we have a new song, which is the line of post punk music, how - not be looking at the simple eye, at called inquisition and the lyrics are ever they are in a more commercial least not at this time, but we hope in Italian, we are very versatile in line, we like too much this bands, to see a real unification of the scene the subject of the language texts, in but the most of the groups are in the future, and that the people the future we will make another wanted to be in underground scene, will know more than the television songs in English, German and maybe that’s a reason for not gives to them. some dialects from Mexico, like knowing about the Latin American the Nahuatl (Dialect of Aztec peo - bands. In other corner, another Bars-Ursula: So it has turned ple). problem exists, the poverty in out, that thanking to Hocico, the which the majority lives, we majority of admirers of dark music Bars-Ursula: There are a lot of haven’t many resources to make worldwide associates your country remarkable bands in Latin Amer - many things, as I said before, we with dark-electro. But there are you ica, but unfortunately badly known make our disc by ourselves, with a and Gorgonas in Mexico . What do in the world, playing a post- computer and a console, and the in - you think about Gorgonas? punk,death-rock. Besides such struments of course, but not every - Whether there is a competition be - music has been played on your one has the possibility to record in tween you or friendly mutual rela - continent since 80th years of the a special studio or make great pro - tions? Which band could you mark last century, we can remember such ductions for the records, here in within compatriots? cult Brazilian formations, as Mexico and many Latin American Acid Bats: Yes, that’s right. Muzak, Kafka. Are you upset with countries, the underground music is Unfortunately, Mexico is known such injustice? Do you feel unifica - considered a bad music, because, for Hocico and many people asso - tion with the whole Latino-Ameri - the government, the institutions, ciate Mexico more with the dark- can scene? and all the society havs a Conser - electro, we have not anything Acid Bats: Yes, we feel a little vative Thought, with many cus - against the dark-electro and the angry about the badly known, but toms from the catholic church, and synthetic music, in fact, we like too if you see in another corner, the un - another institutions like that. In fact many bands of that, but Mexico has derground music has not much dif - in Latin America, it hasn’t got many things, apart from the dark- 63 electro, and we are really sad, that record a new material in 2009, post punk and deathrock scene is maybe for May – June, we have losing for this musical genre. We enough new stuff for a new album, just hope that the scene will survive and of course we will announce on over time. the space of the band about it. As What about Gorgonas, they we said before, we will try new are a great value friends of us, we ways to talk to minds, for takeout have a great friendly relations and the things that we have in our we admire them for being pioneers minds, and put it in a song. People of deathrock in Mexico, we never can expect the best for the 2009, we considered our relations with Gorg - are really energized for make more onas as a competition, because they music, we have many things to say are a good persons, and make a re - to the world. ally big quality music. In fact, we played with them in the same set - Bars-Ursula: And your Final ting, and we have plans to play words again with them. Acid Bats: Finally we want to What about more bands, the thank all the public for support scene has many of them, but the from Europe and especially thanks bands that we can mark are: La Voz to Bars-Ursula for the interview. de Tus ausentes, Nietzsche’s Bitch, And we want to emphasize that the Cyteres, Orlok, Aves a Veces, etc.. music, especially Deathrock means etc… expression for all those who are not in conformity with the society that Bars-Ursula: Do beside musi - enslaves us every day. We must rid cians took part in Acid Bats? ourselves of slavery corporatism, Acid Bats: We only have two and have own minds, free of besides musicians, one is call Fer - garbage that we seek to introduce, nando (Grave) for put the se - these is the reason that we and quences in live, and Owald other musicians choose the music (Mishi(Cat in nahuatl)) in the key - to talk about the world. Cheers with boarding, they are good friends of love from Mexico to all Russia. us. But we didn’t have participation For all European community, of other musicians from other you can download our albums in: bands. http://zorch.free.fr/label/acid_ bats/index.html Bars-Ursula: What can we ex - pect from the band in 2009? When Questions: Vadim 'Bars-Ur - a new release will appear? sula' Barsov Acid Bats: We are planning to “Grave Jibes Fanzine” http://www.myspace.com/bloodydeadandsexy http://www.bloodydeadandsexy.de

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Iahn) xy (Rosa ad & Se Diegabrial: You’ve been making Iahn: There never was a real But I notice these comparisons oody, De w with Bl music together for a long time concept. Concepts are created by have dropped in the last years. Intervie (since 1997). How did the band rationality and Bloody Dead And People see us as that what we re - get together? Sexy songs are not made by the ally are: Bloody Dead And Sexy. Iahn: We started the band when head but by the heart. We do what Diegabrial: «Narcotic Room» we were kids. We didn’t have we feel to be right. Hmmm… (2005) seems to be the most lik - girlfriends so we had plenty of sometimes this might seem as a able album of BD&S. That’s the time. Enough time to sit in the concept. source of energy & unity of style basement and dreaming of be - in this album? coming rock stars. And for work - Diegabrial: Your 1st album Iahn: Three years after release of ing on songs, of course. “Bloody Rose” (2003) brought the album I still can say that I like you fame & garnered compar - the album. It’s a bit slower, more Diegabrial: We know you was isons to early Christian Death. polished than the first album. influenced by David Bowie, Iggy How do you evaluate constant “Paint It Red” lives from our Pop, Roxy Music, Black Sabbath, comparisons with Christian naivety, we were young and hun - Kiss. What about the other mem - Death? Is it smth pleasant or not? gry and had no clue how to use bers of BD&S? Iahn: When you are new to peo - the technique in the studio or Iahn: We all love handmade rock ple, they try to compare you with even the instruments we were music. The spririt of glam and something they know. And it’s playing. “Narcotic Room” was Rock’n’Roll. I think there is no funny, most of the bands you are different, a little bit more grown use to list a hundred names of compared to you have never ever up. bands who share this love. heard about. This is normal I think and I really don’t care, this Diegabrial: After your success - Diegabrial: It’s very interesting, is the affair of the people who ful cover the Aryan Aquarians what was the main conception of judge. And there are worse bands «My Secret Gardener» do you your band in the end of 90-s? to be compared to than early think to cover smth again & what Have it been changed for years? Christian Death. song would you choose? 66

our own We only wanted to create n’t want to cover anything. we started the band we did first gigs, you play some Iahn: When ne knows your songs at the just too simple: When noo ut this was never songs and sounds. It’s l like the Rolling Stones. B ence goes crazy and you fee on our the crowd knows, the audi know. We rivilege to work tunes loody Dead And Sexy, you d. We wanted to feel like B what we wante ere we are now. is was the right to get us wh own songs and I think th vering songs a bit. years we lost our fear of co ldn’t ou noticed, during the last t this is a pearl. We also cou But as y you mentioned and felt tha erful, totally unknown song ggy Pop. This is some I found this wond ast. Like “Bang Bang” by I avourite songs live in the p resist to play some of our f give something really kind of a homage. cover a hit and you have to ongs codex” working: don’t But there is still the “cover s 67 Iahn: When we started the band it’s done. death-rock? we didn’t want to cover anything. We played some of the new songs Iahn: Not really. The world be - We only wanted to create our live in the past month and I think came small in the last ten years. own songs and sounds. It’s just they are worthy to be on a Bloody Internet made the death-rock too simple: When noone knows Dead And Sexy album. community a big international your songs at the first gigs, you family. I don’t see many cultural play some tunes the crowd Diegabrial: For what experi - differences concerning death knows, the audience goes crazy ments in music are you ready? rock. and you feel like the Rolling What would you like to try? Stones. But this was never what Iahn: I’d like to play a show in a Diegabrial: As we know, we wanted. We wanted to feel kindergarten. Or in a rest home. Bloody, Dead & Sexy liked the like Bloody Dead And Sexy, you No, kindergarten! USA tour very much. But what is know. We rivilege to work on your favorite scene or club in Eu - our own songs and I think this Diegabrial: How do you think, rope? was the right to get us where we what band you can make a song Iahn: A difficult question. The are now. or even an album together with? world is full of wonderful places But as you noticed, during the Iahn: Believe it or not. I have a to play and wonderful people to last years we lost our fear of cov - list with people I want to make a play for. Sure, Germany made us ering songs a bit. song together. But I’m sorry, it big. The legendary “Zwischen - I found this wonderful, totally un - absolutely top secret. fall” in Bochum by example is a known song you mentioned and We worked with some people in club that helped us a lot. felt that this is a pearl. We also the past and enjoyed the process But really, I like to play every - couldn’t resist to play some of very much. And I’m sure we’ll do where. Every club is different, our favourite songs live in the this in the future again. every audience is different and past. Like “Bang Bang” by Iggy every show is different. Pop. This is some kind of a hom - Diegabrial: «Sex, drugs & age. gothic-rock». What is your opin - Diegabrial: Are there any plans But there is still the “cover songs ion about drugs ? of BDS members to make a sin - codex” working: don’t cover a hit Iahn: Door to paradise, door to gle projects? and you have to give something pain. It’s like fire, fun to play Iahn : I put everything I want to really new to the song. The song with but absolutely dangerous. express into Bloody Dead And must become your song in a way . So I have nothing new to say: Sexy. This is fine for me at the You can’t control them, they con - moment. In some way it seems Diegabrial: Your fans have been trol you. And they cause damage that Bloody Dead And Sexy is the waiting for your new, the 3rd to your brain. single project for everyone of us. album for several months. Is But did I mention that I like there anything new in your sound Diegabrial: There was the august suprises? So Never say never. or a new conception? May be you 2004 interview with Iahn, & dis - can open some secrets or sur - cussing your USA tour he told Diegabrial: Imagine, if it was prises for us about coming about USA president (ex-presi - possible to transfer into the past album? dent now). Can you say what you & to visit any place & concert, Iahn: After we took a long time are interested in politics? Can we what would you choose? to write the album, we are now consider you as a band with an Iahn: Sorry, the past is not inter - stepping into the recording active political view? esting for me anymore. I like process. And I really love the Iahn: No not really. We all have suprises. And surprises work bet - new songs, the new album (work - our opinions about what is going ter in the future. ing title “An Eye on You”) will on in the world. But I think I am be the right successor of the al - more interested in the depth of Diegabrial: No doubt, Bloody, bums we made before. But it’s mans soul which is the origin of Dead & Sexy is a rather success - too early to say too much about his deeds. ful band. You have fans in many the new work as it is useless to Diegabrial: In your own opinion, countries. Can you say now what say too much about music in gen - is there a large difference com - BD&S is the very that you’ve eral. Just listen to the songs when paring European & American wanted? 68 ctor /zorchfa ace.com om w.mysp factor.c ttp://ww w.zorch p h ttp://ww rchcam h com/zo yspace. z.com www.m .camp- http:// p://www tory htt orchfac e.com/z m myspac ords.co ://www. ctoryrec http zorchfa irlz ://www. metaryg http m/thece pace.co ww.mys http://w

Emmanuel ch’ Ninet ‘Manu/Zor

) Ninet had Emmanuel (Manu in his musical very winding way to play when he career. He began r old boy, and was just six yea he finished the played cello until he age of four- music school at t andoned music teen. Then he ab he was about first time. When ng inspirations twenty he had stro nch alternative of hard rock, Fre o he decided to rock, punk, etc, s He became the continue playing. ll musical band drummer of a sma ut after about of his friends. B ying drums and three years of pla ded to be out of guitar, Manu deci to his personal music, according 69 reasons in 1996. Zorch and added Factor. My first should be underlined that the In the beginning of XXI project Zorch Factor was born. music there came closer to post- century Emmanuel faced the At first it was really minimal, punk/gothic rock. post-punk/goth music. He was with a really poor sound qual - Both releases were recorded impressed by discovering the ity... I had no gear to record by Manu only at his home stu - movement, and, while looking properly... But I tried. And some dio, but when the ‘Sleeping Chil - for more information about it, he people were interested so I car - dren’ line up left Saphire alone, met many people through the in - ried on”, - Manu says. The first the musicians (Manu, Nico, ternet. One of his new acquain - Zorch Factor EP, called 'Voodoo Thoms and JP) tried to reform tances was Saphire, the founder Billy Man’, was released in Zorch Factor into the band. The of the band ‘Sleeping Children’; 2004. Actually it’s difficult to band gave some shows, and also they met each other in 2001. Fas - give some style characteristics to re-recorded the songs from ‘The cinated with that new for him this EP. Vocals on the most songs Last Shower’, called music, he decided to play once strongly remind some metal ‘Wish/Hate’ and ‘Shadow of uel again. “Going back into music stuff, even more than ‘goth’. The Life’, which were released only Emman on the net gave me the idea of music is hard and obscure. There on the ZF myspace page. But ’ Ninet playing again. And I went back should be underlined psy - some time later the musicians /Zorch to my now old guitar, learned my chobilly guitar additions which found themselves too busy in ‘Manu first synth drums software and seem very interesting there. Per - their activity (Nico and Thoms started recording horrible stuff. haps, the most interesting song play in ‘Violet Stigmata’), and As I was listening to a lot of post on this EP is ‘Beef Beat’, which Manu had some other ideas as punk, what I made started sound - goes straight after ‘Intro’. In this well. So he finished his activity ing post punk.”, - Manu recalls. song one can see these influ - in Zorch Factor, and started an - Some time later, in 2003, ences divided in two parts. The other project, called ‘Camp Z’ in Saphire offered Manu to join main one sounds more like post- the end of 2005. Just a few ‘Sleeping Children’ on drums, punk/psychobilly with clear months later, in April 2006, the and Manu accepted it. At the mo - vocal line, and the chorus part first self-titled album was re - ment of joining, ‘Sleeping Chil - sounds more aggressive like leased. The album begins with dren’ was Julien (vocals), Nico hard post-punk/metal with dis - the atmospheric intro, called (guitar), ThomS (bass) and torted vocals. This song is a sort ‘Credo FK’, where the obscure Saphire (keyboards). Julien and of preparing a listener to the music combines with the sam - Nico were the new members too. whole EP. Then just one year ple, which speaks in Russian This line up had existed since later the band released its first about the unity of the USSR on September, 2003 till March demo-album, called ‘The Last the ruins of the previous system. 2004. During this period the Shower’. This work seems more And once again, the next song band had several concerts in mature in comparison with the ‘Whats This World’ seems the France, Germany and Belgium, previous one. It contains also real introduction to the album. and also released the demo two re-recorded songs from The dark swelling voice repeats which has never been released. 'Voodoo Billy Man’, called ‘Sick there “Endless falling into the It’s the only record in the history Priest’ and ‘Voodoo Trance’. The Dark…”. Perhaps it’s the best of the band with a drummer. In best way to characterize the description of the whole release. March 2004 all the line up ex - album, most likely is to compare Then one can hear plenty of in - cept Saphire left the band ac - these versions of the songs. The fluences. It can be ‘dark electro’ cording to some musical vocals there are not so fierce, background of ‘Alice in Trance’, reasons. While Manu was taking and the music became more tem - post-punk sensitivity of ‘The a part in ‘Sleeping Children’, he pered as well. In this album Right To’, or even strange com - also run his solo project. “At the ‘Zorch Factor’ partly lost its binations of styles in same time I started doing stuff swelling atmosphere. It can be ‘W.Hell.Come’ with vocals a-la on my own I had joined Sleeping called the change to the better, James Hetfield (‘Metallica’). In Children on drums. But I wanted because the music got some light whole this release is a good one. to experiment singing, guitar, melancholic notes, which are ex - It exactly has hits, like etc. So I started recording, and pressed in the best way in the ‘D.Hell.Usion’, or above men - chose my nickname of the time song, called ‘Sad’. Also there tioned ‘The Right To’. But it 70 seems like Manu didn’t manage out in 2007. It’s the real pressed the useless of the life, which co combine all he project’s influ - CD, signed by the label “Manic goes to nowhere; or the cover ences into one style, and there’re Depression Records’, and it is version of the ‘Warsaw’/’Joy Di - also suddenly dropping musical very important achievement of vision’ song ‘(They) Walked in lines in several songs. Listen to the project. In my opinion, this Line’, which exactly shows the the music, just listen without di - album is the best Manu’s work. project’s post-punk back - viding it into different styles- In comparison with his previous grounds, but keeps the ‘Camp Z’ that’s all what I can recommend works, ‘Violent Memories’ style as well. And also I’ll make to a listener . seems unified and conceptual the accent on the re-recorded Then Manu began to think work. Manu changed his vocals version of ‘Whats This World’. about live performances. That’s manner to less brutal and more This version does express all the what he says about it: “At this melodic and ‘cold’. The music changes those are mentioned. time, I met Nico from band ’Joy had also changed to less ‘style- And it has a kind of paradox: the Disaster’, and Cyril from band divided’. But it does not mean second version became lighter, ‘Dorcel’, both living in Paris at that the songs are similar. The but didn’t loose its darkness. that time. They loved the music stuff has huge emotional differ - After the release, Manu had of ‘Camp Z’ and decided to help ences. Slow and moody ‘Primi - several shows with the line up of me to build a show together with tive Rebirth’ attracts the him (bass, vocals) and JP (gui - JP. So this first live line-up was attention, the contrast of the tar), and then he began to work made of Nico guitar, Cyril bass, music and the atmosphere of with the new stuff, which was re - JP second guitar and me singing. ‘Fight (Lethal Reaction)’. Some leased recently as the EP, called But this was clear between us more songs are wanted to to be ‘Our World to Come’. This 6 that ‘Camp Z’ would remain a underlined, like ‘Lonesome track EP is a step back and a step solo project, this was just a live Road to Nowhere’, which begins forward as well. Id line-up. We gave two est , it has some echoes of the first project’s album, but also it seems not even unified but monolith work. That’s why it’ - wouldn’t to be cor - rect to make an accent on single songs. And the un - usual thing is that the EP doesn’t have intro, stops to seem so if con - sider the first song, called ‘Enter Darkness’ to the intro to the whole work. All the songs are 100% hits. Probably, they can also be used for dance, shows with with nice acoustic intro with but it would be very dark and ob - this line-up”. After those gigs sampled backgrounds (sampled scure dance…. Manu began creation of the sec - intros are rather typical for the So, in this EP Manu man - ond project’s album. The album, album’s stuff), which slowly aged to combine by the incom - called ‘Violent Memories’ was grows into depressive song about prehensible way all his 71 influences into something, what ods). The band rather quickly it can be strongly recommend to could be called an obscure mix recorded the first demo at you. of classical post-punk and con - Manu’s home, and started doing Unfortunately, some time temporary post-industrial. gigs. ‘The Cemetary GirlZ’ later Manu

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sional, espe - i other projects, P cially if not ‘Camp Z’, the forget that fact label, and more that all the important I have recordings have a family, I have been done by children, a job, Manu at his and I am older home. Some than the others, ‘Camp Z’ songs so for me it is were also re - too complicated leased on differ - to tour, go play ent compilations, far away, etc”. like ‘The Sexy So at the mo - Zombies Part 1’, ment Manu ‘The Black plays with ‘The Lodge Volume GirlZ’ just 1’, ‘Poisoned when he can, Dead Frogs’, re - the band, in cent Xmas com - turn, has found pilation ‘Howly another guitar Night’ with unre - player Little leased ‘Camp Z’ Spigaou, and track, and some there’ll be both others. guitar players A few years in the future ago Manu met band’s debut Alien S Pagan album. through the inter - The other net, and when he could be called the bril - important part of Manu’s activ - got the information that Alien liant in contemporary ‘goth’ ity is the foundation of the net - was moving to Paris with a band music. The band’s style is char - label ‘Zorch Factory Records’, project (it was the time when acterized as Batcave/Coldwave, which was born in April, 2008. Manu just finished the second and it’s one of the best style “With the years, I started know - ‘Camp Z’ album), he proposed characteristics of this music. The ing more and more people, for to Alien S Pagan to join this music of the band has rather typ - real, and on the net, and a lot of band, called ‘The Cemetery ical minimalism of these styles, bands in particular. And I real - GirlZ’, as the guitar player and and its sound strongly reminds ized, lots of these bands had Alien accepted it. In ‘The the 80’s, but sounds contempo - demos, or free CDs. But it was Cemetary GirlZ’ Manu also met rary as well. It seems as the band not so easy to find them. So I de - another ex-Sleeping Children has developed its original influ - cided to federate all these bands member Romeo (they knew ences into their unique music and records through one single each other only through the in - with greatly supplemented website’, - Manu recalls. The ternet, because they took a part Alien’s vocals. So if you didn’t label rather quickly became suc - in the band in its different peri - hear ‘The Cemetary GirlZ’ yet, cessful, because many bands 72

ore than a tory. That's why m d in their partici- 80's, I were intereste fic period like the re plenty of speci ation in it. There we to movements like p such am really in ng bands involved, , art punk. I interesti post punk, no wave Disaster’, ‘The as ‘Sui- as ‘Joy lly like bands such Monozid’ and rea L’, Cemetary Girlz’, ‘ evo’, ‘DAF’, ‘PI ent, the cide’, ‘D y others. At the mom so many more. man x- ‘Wire’... And ousands of legal e more into label has th so stuff of today, ds with the Al hat clusive downloa nk. I like things t ds. The synth pu ement of the ban . I am not partic- agre s- break the rules f the label is propo fer to think next step o arly nostalgic; I pre Manu already ul ent ing real CDs too. post punk movem amp Z’, like the n doing it for his ‘C and start again. bega - did: let's rip it up its last EP as the lim e future is publishing he future is ours; th oo. T 0 in ited edition CD t make. This is year eresting what we Manu is really int e for me and all t music. Of cours artist. For the recen annot be and active scene today, it c ral gigs with the be- time he had seve music any more, emetary year 0 in mp Z’ and ‘The C y things have al- ‘Ca ith cause so man lso he’s working w e! Almost GirlZ’. A ready been don f (some of new k and the new stuf thing in rock, pun ded with a every - ongs will be recor usic has been ex s l be electronic m mmer). So it wil this is any- live dru plored. But I think fter the develop- ave in great to look a he main thing I h in the fu- way t ent of his projects writing music, do m icle mind when d perhaps the art wn, even if ture. An something of my o ished with Manu’s . should be fin nfluences are here’ uld say that the i words: ‘Well I wo o listen a lot to old skiy personally I d Pall 'Nattsol' Zarut 80's, but also 70's, ne" stuff, not only "Grave Jibes Fanzi ally attracts 90's... But what re original, that me is music that is o music his- brings a change int 73

Interview with ’ ‘The Spiritual Bat

SPIRITUAL BATS DISCOGRAPHY Nattsol: F irst of all, tell me Spiritual Bats (vinyl EP, 1993) about the foundation of ‘The Confession (CD, 1995) Sacrament (CD ep 1999) Spiritual Bat’. As I understood, it’s a kind of evolution of the THE SPIRITUAL BAT DISCOGRAPHY previous project ‘Spiritual Through The Shadows (CD, 2008) Bats’? Dario: Yes. The Spiritual www.myspace.com/thespiritualbat (Through The Shadows) Bat is a new project, conceived www.myspace.com/thespiritualbats (Sacrament) in 2004 in New York, but it is an www.myspace.com/spiritualbats (Confession) evolution from the "Spiritual BatS" project which I had founded in 1992 with Matteo. Then we decided to split…due 74

to different choices… ground and post-punk: recently our friend and sound Siouxsie and The Banshees, engineer Claudio passed away. Nattsol: What are the Joy Division, Christian Death, He had been trying to convince main differences between these Bauhaus, The Cure, but also me for years that a musician two projects? Why did you un - Dead Can Dance, Classical shouldn’t play only in his own derline their relations in this music, Pink Floyd, with refer - studio… The last time I saw way? ences to Shakespeare and him we even argued a bit about Dario: The main differ - Tolkien, and with a lot of im - it… That time he was really ence is that, although the agery that makes the music feel very emphatic about it…He music themes still come from like a sort of soundtrack. And kept on saying I just had to go me, now it’s just me and in the instrumental tracks it and do it. Now I know that I Rosetta, and the vocals are now leaves the listeners a space to have the duty to come out and hers. The line up on the CD is participate, to create their own play live for Claudio, and for different, too, but it was differ - lyrics, their own story, their those people who have written ent on each recording, anyway. own film. such touching words to me. I With the name we chose to un - Rosetta: Actually, I per - owe them. And this duty is be - derline the continuity in the sonally listened to completely ginning to turn into a pleas - evolution. In the song Through different music before meeting ure… The Shadows you can hear the Dario, from Opera to Jazz, to Anyway… in the few gigs passage from the old and the ethnic music from gamelan, to we had in the past there were new Bats. The original name ragas, African drumming and projections and art installa - was actually Matteo’s idea, Cuban santeria ritual music… I tions… Maybe we’ll still do back in 1992. In 2004, as I don’t know if any of that can be that …As far as who we would said, he and I took each his heard in what I do, but it cer - like to play with…of course own direction. For him the tainly is a part of me. I discov - with some bands who don’t Spiritual BatS and gothic were ered gothic music late, but I exist anymore, like Joy Divi - dead and buried. But I had don’t mind, because to me it’s sion, Siouxsie and the Ban - given my blood to this project, still fresh and I feel as if I were shees, Requiem In White… the music had come from my eighteen years old. But there are a lot of bands out most intimate feelings, and I there today we are sure it personally didn’t feel like Nattsol: Tell me, what is would be fun to share the stage t’ abandoning or burying it. It’s ‘The Spiritual Bat’ on stage? with, musicians who might iritual Ba like my child. Plus this name Which bands did you/would give us emotions. ‘The Sp reflects perfectly my personal you like to share the stage dimension of shadows. I my - with? Nattsol: Do you have a self didn’t feel so dead… so I Dario: I have never liked plan to involve some other mu - playfully changed the name to playing live much… music for sicians for your shows? the singular. me is a very intimate dimen - Dario: Oh, certainly… sion… So I didn’t even play in The only reason we are pre - Nattsol: What are the pro - many concerts as Spiritual senting ourselves as a duo is for ject’s musical references? And BatS (although I can say I had practical reasons, but our how can you characterize the the pleasure of sharing the dream is to have a full line up style of the project? stage with Rozz Williams). again. Alessio and Bruno are Dario: Well, that’s a diffi - With this new project we have two good friends of ours and cult question. We don’t really just started playing out, be - excellent musicians who worry about defining our cause something has changed played drums and flute respec - style… It has been described recently… I started getting tively on our last album, by other people as old-school very convincing letters from in - THROUGH THE SHADOWS yet modern goth, Elegant Dark, dividuals who expressed the … it was fun to finally work to - Batcave, Gothic rock, with in - desire of experiencing The gether… But they are also pro - fluences from the 80’s under - Spiritual Bat live … and then fessional musicians, it’s their 75 job… so we knew we couldn’t This album reflects our sour there was one part, he told me, expect their presence with us observation of historical that couldn’t be done… but “full time”… Hopefully they events, and something that is then I showed him how I had will be available again soon, intimate, an intertwining of developed my drum arrange - or we’ll have to find other mu - shadows and light, macrocosm ments by playing physically sicians who are as good…. and microcosm. It’s The Bat on the drums before program - alighting on the ruins of col - ming… because even though Nattsol: What are the lapsed symbols and broken my technique isn’t so good I band members apart from the oaths, to silently mourn the have some intuitions (maybe I project? loss… awakening to the sound have them and they seem in - Rosetta: I am an English an ancient voice claiming eter - teresting to me just because I conversation teacher (just by nal youth, but it has to march never liked studying tradi - chance) and Dario is a com - on, still in the maze of the tional exercises)… At that poser. Music is a primary nightmare, until it summons point he told me, “Cool, you need, what fills our life with the ritual, the painful solution, have taught me something dreams, our days with action, the light… new!”… And in few minutes our darkness with colour. It is he had learnt it… I was so the magic part of life, without Nattsol: You had the in - proud of myself… and he was which we would feel just as vited musicians there. Tell me so great, fast, respectful and pieces of meat walking around more about them. expressing his own personal - the planet doing things just be - Rosetta: It is an honour ity at the same time. cause everybody else is doing for us to have Bruno Lombardi them. Nevertheless ,there are on the Flute. He has worked Nattsol: Are there some things that must be done to with Morricone, with ideas which stayed for the fu - solve other primary needs in Pavarotti, he has played at La ture releases? What should we the physical world, which then Scala and around the world wait from them? ultimately allow us to make with most of the great direc - Dario: Hey, we can’t music. Time is never tors in classical music. But he predict the future…As soon as enough…And the things we is also the type of musician we find out we’ll let you like doing, like travelling, see - who likes experimenting with know! We are already work - ing our friends, going for a other dimensions… What can ing on the next album, but a lot walk, cross country skiing, un - we say… he is what we call a may happen between now and fortunately have to compete Maestro…He won a contest to the end… we don’t know what against our work and music. enter the National RAI Sym - to expect exactly, we’ll follow phonic Orchestra when he was our instinct. Nattsol: Now let’s speak eighteen…And yet he is not a about the new band’s album, snob, he just likes playing… Nattsol: And the last called ‘Through the Shadows’. Then we also have Alessio ‘free’ question. What would Tell me about it in your words. Santoni, an excellent drummer you like to add to our inter - What is it about? who can play any style… I ac - view? The Spiritual Bat: tually played electro-acoustic The Spiritual Bat: Through the Shadows is a rite drums myself in the previous Thank you so much for this of passage, the soundtrack of a line-up (Sacrament). But I space Nattsol! We’d love to change, the act of picking up needed somebody technically come and visit you guys in the pieces once again, meditat - better than me to play my own Russia… We hope soon we’ll ing, getting up and walking drum arrangements for be able to come over and meet and running again after a Through The Shadows, and you and the scene in person! paralysis… There is a song, Alessio was perfect, even “Twins” that was born while though he told me sometimes Questions: Pall ‘Nattsol’ breathing in the ashes of New my parts were kind of cere - Zarutskiy York in September 2001… bral! I have a funny episode: “Grave Jibes Fanzine” 76 The Spiritual Bat – Through the Shadows review

‘…in a limbo Between thinking and doing’. ‘New Dance’

‘Through the Shadows’ is the contrast of falling into the light debut album of ‘The Spiritual Bat’, which is beneath shadows can be the reformation of the cult Italian called one of the main themes of band ‘Spiritual Bats’. This album is the album, because it is the ‘inside’ conceptual, very professional and spiritual light. This ‘spiritual es - poetical work. So it probably cape’ is the only reason why this would be easier to dedicate a poem dynamic and energetic song can’t to it than write a review. be the 100% club hit in spite of its The album begins with the powerful synth background line, catchiest self-titled song ‘Through and very expressive vocals of the Shadows’. It’s a kind of key, Rosetta Garri. which opens the release. Short at - The next song is the instru - mospheric intro flows into dynamic mental work, called ‘Wandering on hit song about sacral cleansing and Cobble Hills’. A listener can notice reformation of feelings and emo - that half of the songs on this 12- tions due to escape of spirit. There track album are instrumentals. On are words in this song ‘I fall to the four of them (this one, ‘Prague’, ground, gasping for Air / Into the ‘Primordial Call’ and ‘Twins’) we Light, through the Shadows’. This can have a pleasure of listening to 77

Bruno Lombardi’s flute play. The times there can be some etnical touch of this master made these motives in it, or it can be done in compositions really unique. more post-punk manner. The ex - Moody flute touches plenty of pression can be underlined by musical stratas, for example, we tremble or breath as it can be can hear some folk motives on heard in ‘Silver Lakes’, or there ‘Prague’, but the music always can be very low vocals with too keeps the band’s and the post- clear pronounciation in the last punk spirit. song, called ‘Sogno Tribale’. In my opinion, the most in - As it was mentioned before, teresting instrumental composi - the certain theme of lyrics and the tion on the album is the one, album in common is Spirit. I dedicated to the 11th of Septem - think, it was expressed perfectly. ber, 2001 and called ‘Twins’. The The only minus I found is that the staccato guitar sounds, which songs seem a bit similar after the stays moody and melodical, com - first one. There’re no strong sur - bines with rich bass line, atmo - prises to a listener, by there’s the spreric flute and synths, and exciting atmosphere of falling amzing drum line of Alessio San - into this music. toni. A listener can also notice In conclusion I’d love to say pauses in the composition which that this work would be interest - marks out single instruments and ing for those who’re more in lets the character of the song get post-punk or gentle deathrock different shades. It’s rather hard and for those who’re more into to say, why flute hadn’t been used mystical and atmospheric so- in two other instrumental works called ‘gothic’ music as well. It’s – ‘In the Golden Cage’ and absolutely another music, but ‘Trance’, because there’re other ‘The Spiritual Bat’ is partly the accented instruments which play follower of the previous project. the flute’s role there. In any case, It’s hard to give some style char - it brings some difference, but in acteristics to it. May be, it could common all the instrumentals are be called ‘Gothic Post-Punk’ or similary worthed. Regarding to ‘Spiritual Batcave’. So, the spiri - the songs with vocals, the voice tual bat is released. Let’s wait and of Rosetta can be called not even see what will be in the future. an unstument of expression, but a sterling musical instrument. Her Pall ‘Nattsol’ Zarutskiy voice has rich diapason, and she Grave Jibes Fanzine perfectly works with it. Some - 78

Interview with Sasha Skvortsov (Durnoe Vlijanie)

Myspace fan page: http:/ /www.myspace.com/durnoevlijanie

Nattsol: How did you come into ciety by the way I dressed and cut «rock», I mean we didn't like the music? my hair. One of my class-mates chops. S.: I was listening to the music I said to me: «Look, I know a band. was into at the time (real loud too). They got a small rehearsal room. Nattsol: Could you call me the And I used to just yell along. Then They need a singer. Go see them, I band’s main musical references? I started doing lyrics in Russian to reckon you might be in». And I As I know, you had contacts with match the rythm. I thought this was was, mainly because they liked some of foreign genre colleagues. good stuff, worth performing. how I looked. And I had a notepad Tell me about it too. full of song lyrics. They liked the S.: I was heavily into Bauhaus. And Nattsol: Tell me more details about lyrics too. I think we were misfits, we all adored Joy Division and The your appearance in ‘Durnoe Vli - we kind of recognized each other. Cure. Of course we had never met janie’. What had unified the musi - Like: hey, this guy is one of us, these bands or any other band of cians for that time? dude! And we didn't like «Russian such calibre for that matter. And we S.: I was a student. I challenged so - Rock». In fact, we didn't like any did not know much about contem - 79 porary alternative music either. We We had enough good sense to in, was totally right man for the job, opened for Sonic Youth in Moscow record some of our faves in 1989. you know. I never liked the video and I didn't know their albums. It was done on a 4-track, one or two for «Now». Too much of that 4AD They gave me Daydream Nation on takes per song — two days, boom- rubbish, very nice, lots of pastels. tape. It blew my socks off. I re - boom, album done. A bit like The «24 hours» is a much better job, al - member after the gig a girl came to Stooges. We didn't think it was any though admittedly very Bauhausy talk. She was American. She said good at the time though. However in places. I don't care. I still think we would go down real well in the this was what became our first its good. US and that her boyfriend would album and the only «official» re - fix us up with gigs and shit. She lease with me on vocals. Nattsol: Tell me about your shows. said he sang for a famous punk A small label (Karma Mira) re - What corresponded the band on band. I remember asking what leased it on tape. I wrote about the stage? Which bands you shared the band. She said Poison Idea. And I'd history of the recording for the stage with were related to ‘DV’? never heard of them. What a inlay. Unfortunately the English Tell me also about your audithory. plonker! translation wasn't done by me. The S.: I think we looked sharp. bloke from the label had a go at it Dressed entirely in black. It took Nattsol: How did the band inter - but I don't think he quite nailed my me about six months to learn to pret its name? style. move on stage. Later I ditched S.: The drummer came up with the those hectic moves, became more name. We all thought it was funny. Nattsol: Now I’d love to ask about static (was saving my breath). Ironic. Like we single-handedly the band’s videos (as I know, it has Many bands were getting real gonna destroy whatever standards two – ’24 chasa’ and ‘Sejchas’). dressed up for the stage. We just there were on the scene. I don't Tell me, how did you manage to used to come out in our regular think there was any particular achieve such a professional result? cloths. I did have a very nice black «why» behind the name though. Can you tell, what are they about? jacket though and used it purely for People got used to it with time, like S.: We had a request from the TV performances. As far as other bands they got used to names like Butt - people for a video. Our mate An - go - we didn't care much for bands hole Surfers. drey Ventslova did the shooting. He we shared bill with (in other words used a 16 mm camera. The song we got along with everybody rea - Nattsol: The next question is about was «24 hours». They didn't like it sonably well). First band that we the band’s releases with your par - at the TV. For starters it was in were friends with were Petlya Nes - ticipation Enumerate them, please, black and white. The transfer on terova. Oh yeah, and Narodnoe and describe in your own words. video was poor, for the TV anyway. Opolchenie. I knew Brigadiy Po - How were they created? They gave us the budget to record driyad quite well, original line up I Myspace fan page: S.: There always were quite a sub - a song. We cut «Now». Our origi - mean. We had some pretty hard - http:/ /www.myspace.com/durnoevlijanie stantial amount of our gigs taped nal guitarist had dropped out by core fans. Some used to come out and then kicked about. They then because of personal reasons, with us when we played out of sounded real crap. I only liked two heavy stuff. We asked Igor «Dlin - town. That was cool. such tapes. One was a Moscow gig, niy» Borisov to give us a hand and the other was taped in St. Pete. I he did. He is an excellent guitarist, Nattsol: I’d love to pay a special think they were my late «perfor - but too soft really. Thats why that attention to your texts. Tell me mances» as in the early stages of take of «Now» sounds so subdued. more about them, and about the my «career» I could not sing for Our friend Aklya was directing the creation process. Foremost it would toffee. In 1987 we demoed some shooting. We did it in a flat in a be interesting to know more about songs at the rehearsals. The record - house that was going to be demol - the theme of look and pricked out ing sounded very raw but still was ished. Painted entire premises eyes. What meanings this visions damn sight better then those live white. Professional TV crew have? What are the other key bootlegs. We should have pressed worked on site, thats why the result themes of your lyrics? on and done a proper recording, to - is professional. By the way it's Edik S.: As I said, initially I used other tally DIY you know, but we were Nesterenko on video as our guitar people's music as backing tracks. like waiting... fuck knows what for. player. He played with us for a year Often it was Bauhaus. I guess some Some big shot producers I sup - afterwards, did the Germany tour imagery got into my lyrics. My pose... and the album too. He did really fit English, of course was next to non- 80 existent, all I could do is to snatch Nattsol: Why did you leave the terrific. Dan from The Stunning some words out of context... they band? Jivesweets sang for them at that do use the eyes thing often y'know? S.: I didn't. I was sacked. Or, at show. About three years after the And I loved the way their singer least, I guess it was mutual. I break up we talked. We all ex - delivered his lines, I wanted to wanted to be a Nick Cave, lads pressed regrets. copy his style desperately. Of wanted a good singer who don't course Mr. Murphy is far better give them that rock-star bullshit. Nattsol: Tell me more about your singer then I am (he is the best, al - Fair enough, I wasn't stable per - other projects? Do you have the in - ways will be) and Russian is en - former, fucked up now and then. formation about the acivity of the tirely different language - I recon Our last guitarist Oleg «Malyish» other band members? that's how copying mutated into could sing. They told me they want S.: I was in couple of German

original. Besides, when we started to try and do without me for a bands and in couple of bands in playing together, I mean the band, while. I was like: oh yeah? Fuck England. In 1994 me and my mate music was different, so the initial you then. I was convinced they Max had a band in St. Pete. It was material got to be bashed into would come crawling on their called 69RPM. We never played a whatever shape the music would knees after me. But they never have show nor recorded a song. Now we demand. As for the songs being done. They broke up instead. are together in a band again. Its about death and stuff... it just sort called Zadvorki. We play shows of felt natural. I sounded more con - Nattsol: What were you doing and we do record too. I also cur - vincing singing about dark matters, after it? Did you keep in touch with rently play with Messer Chups. less two-dimentional. There some other band members? New album is due January next irony in it of course, like some of S.: I was all set to become a solo year. Going on European tour with them are really over the top, but I recording artist, but realised soon them in March. guess it isn't easy to distinguish. how hard it is to find like-minded About the others I know very little. Anyway, people mostly took it at inividuals. I did see my ex-band - Our first guitarist Vadik Kudriavt - face value. mates perform as different group sev has stoped playing for good. (Bonzinski). I thought they were Igor Mosin,the drummer, presently, 81 is not doing anything music-wise good as is. Just go with the beat and neither. Dima Petrov, the bass bash your head against the wall. player is in this band called Grand - shattlebanda. Edik Nesterenko was Nattsol: How can you characterize popping up in different bands, but the things which did ‘Durnoe Vli - his own band Petlya Nesterova was janie’? pretty much defunct since about S.: We did what felt right. This stuff 2002 I think. Shame, he was very is from the heart, man. I am not talented. RIP. saying we didn't copy anything, of course we did, everybody does. But Nattsol: There were some rumors whatever we lifted we put through about the reunion of the band in the ourselves. We were creative fuck - beginning of the XXI century. If it ers. was true, why it didn’t happen? S.: The initiative came from Edik Nattsol: In your opinion, does the and myself. He was sober for a band have some followers? while and wanted to work. I had S.: I think many site the band as an written an album worth of songs influence (no pun intended). I don't and we called up the others. We had think there are any direct descen - about 1 ½ rehearsals. Mosin, the dents though, this stuff is too dis - drummer, didn't like the stuff, so tinctive. Its hard to copy. we called it off. Edik started drink - ing again. I wrote another bunch of Nattsol: What can you say about songs. And started Zadvorki. yourself apart from your music ac - tivity? Nattsol: The reunion happened S.: I live mainly in the UK. Am when you played 4 songs on Ed homeowner, husband and father of Nesterenko memorial show. How two. did you feel yourself on the stage, performing the old stuff after so Nattsol: And the last ‘free’ ques - meny years of its silence? tion. What would you like to add to S.: It felt good. Secure. Great mu - our interview? sicianship. I think we rocked. S.: Some folks are pissed off with us for not making it. I think three Nattsol: Is that possible to see the years for a band like this is actually band on stage again? a pretty damn good life span. And S.: I am all up for it. However, I can to those who are pissed off I would only speak for myself. like to say «You go and try to live hand to mouth for three years and Nattsol: Many people call ‘Durnoe stick to your believes and shit». Vlijanie’ the first post-punk band Besides, its not guaranteed that we from USSR, or even the Russian would have broken the camel's ‘gothfathers’. What do you think back if we'd only stuck to our guns about it? And what is ‘gothic’ for for another year. Sometimes these you? things take long fucking time. S.: Thats some pretty flattering shit. There are other people at the top Maybe we were first. I like goth- and you have to wait for them to rock, always have. With all the pos - die off. And for your new audience ing... And the clothes are nice. Its to grow — you wait for this too. apolitical too. I don't think rock - Well, I guess that be it, cheers! 'n'roll should be used as a sound - track to the world changing thing. Questions: Pall ‘Nattsol’ Zarutskiy Leave the world alone, its pretty “Grave Jibes Fanzine” 82

http://www.chantsofmaldoror.com http://www.myspace.com/chantsofmaldoror Side-projects: David: http://www.myspace.com/sexchairprovider Loren: http://www.myspace.com/peoplelikeadance Echo: http://www.myspace.com/gogodivasproductions

Nattsol: Let's begin with the pre- Chants of Maldoror period. As I know, two found- members came from the band, called ‘Mater Tenebrarum’. Tell me more about this band. Tell me, how the other members joined. Loren: Well, “M.T.” was a band in which David and Adolphe used to play a long time ago, before C.O.M., and as far as I know they never did a single concert and never recorded anything, even if I remember that there were plans for a demo cassette that never saw the light. We are all friends by years, and we knew each other long before being bandmates , so for us was absolutely natural play - ing together when M.T. dis - banded. It was very much like being in a band with your brothers Interview with Loren and sisters…

(Chants of Maldoror) Nattsol: The next question is about the band’s name. It was taken from Lautreamont’s ‘Les Chants de Maldoror’. Maldoror is very difficult character. I can re - main the quote from the book: ‘I dedicate my talent to the descrip - tion of those pleasures, which evil can give’. So was that your origi - nal conception? Which influences did you take from the book and from this character? Loren: When we started the band we were in search of a good name, something that gave immediately the idea of what the listener had to expect from us, and a friend came 83 out with the name of the book “Les Chants De Maldoror”… It was a sudden success for various issues, but we were particularly http://www.chantsofmaldoror.com fond of it mostly because of our http://www.myspace.com/chantsofmaldoror Surrealist and Dadaist likening Side-projects: David: http://www.myspace.com/sexchairprovider and tastes, a quality that lots of Loren: http://www.myspace.com/peoplelikeadance people have ever found in our Echo: http://www.myspace.com/gogodivasproductions music since the beginning. I think that “Les Chants De Mal - doror” is a unique book, but we never had direct influences from it in particular… it’s more in the general mood, in the “surreal” approach to music and musi - cianship…

Nattsol: Now tell me, how did the band begin? As your bio shows, the band’s development wasn’t too fast. The first ‘unof - ficial’ show (Dec 1995) had been played one year after the foundation (Dec 1994), the demo (June 1996) had been recorded one and a half years after it, and released only one year after the recording. And the first official show had been played even two years after the band’s foundation (Jan 1997). What were the reasons of these delays? Loren: We never liked to hurry! Seriously, the first show was ba - sically a fun show, done at a Next Year Eve private party with an audience made of friends, and we played 6 songs from our next-to-be recorded demotape. Then we finished the songs and put some money together (we were all students at that time) to start recording the demo, “Ritual Death” which was recorded be - tween June and July 1996 in a very “unusual” way (we all share good memories of that whacky sessions). Then, we just did rehearsals for a while, and wrote some new songs, in order to have a bit more stuff for a “true” concert, which was done 84

photo by Alessandro Chimera

in January 1997 in Rome. After that that Christian Death NEVER had: show we released the demotape. no electronic beats, no prominent keyboards and pianos and other Nattsol: The next question is about further elements from other kinds your musical references. As many of music (some of the very influen - aspects show (such as image, the tial bands on us were and still are manner of the vocals, and cover of early Pink Floyd and Velvet Under - ‘Spectre’), you were strongly influ - ground)… Few people has noticed enced by the works of Rozz that, because lots of them has no Williams. Tell me about his and musical culture and knows nothing other influences to your music. outside of those 3 or 4 easy names, Loren: Ok, none of us has never so even if someday we do a denied that, but I’d like to clarify “saltarello” or a “tarantella”, every - one thing… As I said before, when one’s gonna say that sounds like we started the band we were just a C.D. This is stupid, really. I don’t bunch of youngsters (I was 16) even think that our image as a band with barely an idea of what “play - has something in common with ing” was, so it’s normal that we Rozz or Christian Death in the last (just like everyone else) started im - 8 years… itating or paying our homage to something that we really liked, in Nattsol: Now I’d like to ask you this case was Rozz William’s about your first album ‘Thy Hurt - Christian Death… It’s normal and ing Heaven’. In comparison with I can accept it. But as the years your demo the sound had changed went on, we added some elements from more darkwave to more 85 deathrock. What caused this musi - knows, since his lyrics talk a lot fortune of having a talented direc - cal evolution, which, as I know, about his private life, but in a tor in the band, our keyboardist took a place in your demo too in “symbolic” way… Echo, so when it comes to some - comparison with the band’s origi - body’s mind to make a video for a nal sound? Nattsol: The next question is about certain song, we don’t need to ask Loren: I think that was a sort of your second CD, ‘Every Mask for a good producer and start im - natural evolution… none of us just Tells the Truth”. Once again, this mediately thinking about it, brain - came in the rehearsal room saying release doesn’t look like the previ - storming over script and scenes… “hey guys, we got to be a deathrock ous. What has changed in this re - No frills, no bills… Working on band”… I think that was just re - lease in your opinion? And what videos is very funny, with anyone lated to our increasing self-con - does in express? of us doing something, just like a sciousness as musicians, since at Loren: Well, “Every Mask…” was cinematographic troupe. “Some - that time we started listening hardly a big step further, maybe since times…” and “Wounded…” are to more rock-oriented stuff like when it came out we were really very different videos, the first more Bowie, Bolan and Sex Gang Chil - sick of being considered the next “poetic” and “symbolic”, the other dren as well. A funny thing is that Christian Death clone, since, as I is more of a kind that people is ex - today we fell the demo to be much said before, we never ever felt this pecting from a band, with instru - more “darker” than everything way. I believe that those songs re - ments and stuff… we’ve done further, and some of flect this deep will of change, both the songs that were in “Ritual musically and lyrically. For the first Nattsol: One more ‘single chap - Death” were recorded and re- time we recorded the album in a ter’. It’s about the video ‘Some - arranged for the cd… more “professional” way, spending times a Poison’. What is its story a long time in studio searching the about? Who’s that person, who’s Nattsol: The single chapter of my good sound of instruments and taking out ‘dried’ letters from his questions is the texts of your first voices, and trying different mixing mouth and collecting them in jars? album, which all seems to me the solutions, avoiding to be satisfied Who’s that overhearing person? strong poetry. ‘Thy Hurting at first step… It’s a very wide-rang - What’s written in that book? Etc… Heaven’ is filled with contrasts ing record, there are very danceable . (‘Lucifer-Christ’, ‘I’ve kissed you songs and very deep and introspec - Loren: It was our very first video or I’ve killed you?’, the blame and tive songs too, acoustic and piano experience, a sort of experiment, the innocence in ‘The Innocents’, suites and noisy parts, and the nice completely realized and developed and even the title of the album thing is that most people appreci - by ourselves (as I said before)… shows this contrast). So what was ated that, and we earned fans out - The basic idea of the video script its conception? And who is the text side of the gothic movement. If I was mine, and came out from my writer? can say a thing on a personal level, personal feeling of that song… in Loren: I suggested the album’s when I listen to “Thy Hurting fact, it has no relations with the title, but Adolphe, the singer, writes Heaven” I don’t like it anymore, It lyrics’ content. For personal rea - and wrote 100% of the lyrics… and just doesn’t represent me anymore, sons I relate “Sometimes…” to a it can’t be elseways, since he’s the but with “Every Mask” things are situation of extreme solitude: I tried one who talks and sings about different: I feel it distant and sur - to simplify this feeling by using those things, and you really can’t passed, but I still recognize myself brutally “meaningful” images in be honest if you don’t believe in into it, if you understand what I order to communicate an unreal sit - what you say. Anyway, you’re right mean… uation of isolation from the world; about the issue of contrasts: it’s ex - so my key of lecture is of total iso - actly what we meant at that time. A Nattsol: Now I’d love to ask you lation, in which nothing means great part of the record is focused about your promo videos – nothing and everything you do is on the contrast between something ‘Wounded Canvas’ and ‘Some - useless, except for yourself. Then I “good” that heals and helps but at times a Poison’. Tell me more de - suggested the figures of the one the same time is “evil” , and kills tails about these videos. who listens to nothing, and the one you and takes away life from you, Loren: We always loved cinema who rips up a book that nobody just like a form of extreme pay - and visual arts, and we’d like to ex - will ever read. Of course we devel - ment. But I’m sure that there are press ourselves a bit more with vi - oped the script and the images all hidden meanings that only Adolphe suals in the future. We got the together, as we usually do for 86 everything concerning the band, so you’re asking for some good bands, Nattsol:The band keeps silence the other guys created the figure of I just can do the name of Sex Chair since 2005. There’re no new tracks, the one who “spits” out words to be Provider, which is the other band of updated news and so on. What are closed in jars as no one will hear our bass player David. They just the reasons? When should we wait them, and of the girl that covers her finished recording a 5 songs ep and for a new band’s stuff? And what reflected image in the mirror for no it’s really nice… I’m also playing will it be? one to see… We did the full video in another band called People Like Loren: Well, we’ve done lots of in a very short time, and the result a Dance, in which I play guitar and promotional concerts in Italy and is a mix between german expres - occasionally bass too… it’s differ - Europe as well for “E.M.T.T.T.” sionism for the acting and subject ent from anything I’ve done before since the first months of 2006, and and an Italian ’60 horror movie for and features a female vocalist… did the last one in February 2007. the use of the colors and the “raw” From then on, we just buried our - directing style… Nattsol: What is Chants of Mal - selves alive in the rehearsal room doror on stage? And tell me also in order to compose and arrange Nattsol: While looking at your my - about the most important for you the new stuff and record some space prophile, I found some unex - shows. demos. Sometimes we like to man - pected for me influences like Loren: On stage we are a bit dif - age over a song continuously, until Marcel Duchamp and the French ferent from the record… some reaching a very different form from line of Dada/Surrealism. How does tracks assume a more “raw” and its birth, and this takes away a lot this experimental/avant-garde art aggressive feel, some just stay the of time in rehearsals and recordings influence on your music? same, but it depends on the overall too, so I can’t really say a certain Loren: Well, as I said a couple mood and the interaction with the date or anything else. Anyway, if times before in this interview, we crowd. We usually like to give a I’m not wrong, this summer we’ve all had a crush on Dadaism and complete idea of what the listeners put out a live recording of a newer early Surrealism… Our artistic are going to live with for the time song, “Young Recruits” on a USA background is very strong, if you of the show… nothing is left to the cd sampler… just think that everybody in the occasion, from the way we are band is involved in other forms of dressed to the way we move, and Nattsol: What is Chants of Mal - expression outside of music; I am a even the order of the songs is de - doror in 2009? painter and I’ve studied history of pending on that. Some people told Loren: We’re about to release our art, Echo is a film director, David us that they prefer us as a live band, first dvd, which will contain a com - is a graphic designer and does since we are a bit more “rock-ori - plete live performance of the 2006 paintings and engravings too, ented”, if these words are proper “E.M.T.T.T.” period, the two Adolphe is very talented in paint - for a band like us. I don’t know if videoclips, some special content ing, sculpting and graphic art… So, it’s the most important of our and a picture gallery. After that, you can understand that we’re shows, but I really enjoyed the one we’re thinking about a couple more deeply influenced by a long list of we did in Utrecht as opening act for funny things that are still in the de - painters and visual artists as well as Bauhaus… The place was very veloping stage, and will remain se - bands and musicians, and both nice and the acoustic was perfect… cret for a bit more… have a strong role in what C.O.M. very funny! Moreover, we got the are… chance to play for a crowd that was Nattsol: And your final words…. there for a bigger name and gain Loren: Thank you very much for Nattsol: Tell me about the stage their respect. Some of them had this interview, hope to have been you’re in Italy. Is it developed? Are never heard of us before, obviously, satisfying enough for both you and there some related to you bands? and the very pleasant thing is that the readers… Always keep your Loren: Sincerely, we don’t know we’ve received lots of emails and mind open and look at the truth… much about the Italian bands… we messages of compliments for don’t follow the scene and go to weeks after that! Questions: Pall ‘Nattsol’ Zarutskiy dark/goth concerts as well. If “Grave Jibes Fanzine” 87

Worked on issue: Pall 'Nattsol' Zarutskiy - interviews, reviews, author, director; Nikolay 'Tacitus' Polyakov - chief editor, technical director; Psycho Oboroten - authentic fanzine's covers author; Mila 'Mauzz (R)' Vassilieva - pdf's layout & artworks, graphic designer Vadim 'Bars-Ursula' Barsov - interview; Irina 'Diegabrial' Afonina - interview; Konstantine 'Osty' Chervyakov - author; Roman 'Rommel' Nikolenko - author.