Interview with Yasnaïa and Arne from Black Magazine on 26 06 97. 1)You are know as the mistress of HYBRYDS, but could you introduce yourself, tell us about your solo project and the meaning of your name. When I was 16 a friend of mine showed me there was other music than the mainstream.I decided to go to music school and choose the violin cello.In ‘91 I met Magthea and I learned about the possibilities of a recording studio,which was at that time a small one.A whole new world of sound creation became reality.I soon quit my classical music education. We started to work together and this ended up in the release;”music for rituals”.I choose the name Yasnaïa in’92 because it’s important to give yourselves meaning,to make an own decided connection to yourselves.I didn’t had any idea where to look until I passed a decoration-shop which was called Yasnaïa.The name attracted me and I went inside for info.They only could tell me it was a Russian word.Years later we came in contact with Russian musicians who told us it meant”clear,shiny, in female adjective. 2)Why did you gave birth to Yasnaïa? In my opinion some songs of Oniro sound very similar to the gorgeous stuff of the 7 “ Ein Phallischer Gott. where do you see the difference, where do you draw the border between Hybryds and Yasnaïa? It had to do with my own creativity,the development of my personality.When you make something on your own you have to take responsibility and you’ve got to believe in it.In the beginning I was worrying how to keep it all separated,but now I come to the conclusion there’s no need to draw a line,because it’s not possible.I made “Oniro” from the beginning until the end.But like Hybryds I also would like to collaborate.For life performance I’ll use also some stuff of Hybryds.We share the same musical ideas.The only difference is that I’m not able yet to make harsh,aggressive music(cfr. our cyberpunk project). 3)I think Oniro is the Greek God of sleep, Why did you choose this title ? Do you have a special relationship toward sleep and dreams ? I took Oniro from the Greek word “Oneiros”=dream.In my life dreams take a very important place,they have a great effect on how I feel during the day.To understand dreams and explain them in an honest way helps to understand more about yourself.I’m interested in books about dreams.In our society dreams are not taken seriously,spirituality in general is not accepted. 4) I have read that Magthea often create new Hybryds songs after smoking joints. How do you create your music, do you dream your music ? I wish I could dream my music!A immediate output from my brain to the mixing desk!I don’t feel myself as a musician,so that means I can’t create what’s in my head.I also like to be stoned when working in the studio but that’s not so important. 5) Did you wrote Oniro as an concept album, in my opinion one can structure Oniro into two halves, after the sixth song, it becomes more rhythmical and vivacious. do you agree ? The concept took shape together with the music.The fact dreams are so important in my life makes it clear this would reflect in the music, so the theme wasn’t far away.And indeed you can split the cd in 2 parts,from sleep to awakening. 6) I visited your concert in Leipzig and was enthusiastic about it, I think it was just not me dancing like in trance.How do you experience your concerts, what do you want to evoke in the people’s mind ? I only did 2 solo-gigs yet.I was very surprised seeing people dancing on my music.The 1st performance in Belgium was also much appreciated but they would never dance.In Leipzig there was a strong connection with the audience.I feel very vulnerable on stage and I beg the audience to travel together in my universe,if this succeeds the conjuration and the magic appears.To dress-up and to make up myself is also an important ritual before I go on stage,it’s a part of me that allows me to approach the audience. I’m always very tense and in general I can’t eat much and sleep little,this has the positive effect that I'm getting looser and feel trancy. 7) You do not use a real vocabulary, do you create your own language ? Yes I often create my own language.Because I’m uncertain,I need more courage to pronounce words than sounds,I guess I don’t like to define. Song- texts can easily become ridiculous.And everyone understands sounds. 8)Creating your own language means to be a very suggestive personality. How important is it to be suggestive ? do you often flee mentally from reality to create new songs ? All creative acts are suggestive whetter it’s painting , making music or anything. On the same moment I'm afraid of the power of creation.When you create you’re like a god and like many others I was also raised with the idea you are not allowed to feel like a god.I have been in trance more than once as well in our studio as on a concert.And this has nothing to do with smoking joints or whatever. 9)One song on Oniro is titled : Who am I, are you still searching for your personality ? Of course I'm still searching for myself.I still have to settle with my past, my education,all the things that drove me away from my real inner-self. My catholic education caused many problems with sexuality and with the confirmation of my existence. 10) Oniro was released by World Serpent , do you feel they did enough promotion ? Thanks to Moon Lay Hidden...I was able to release on W.S.and it seems that they don’t do any promotion at all.It’s a year by now the cd is released but who knows about it?Not everyone who knows Hybryds, knows Yasnaïa. 11)Yasnaïa and Hybryds use video on live gigs, in contrast with your video, Hybryds seems to shock people, although I do not understand why people are shocked, you only show ethnical rituals. Why do you use these images ? The video’s of HYBRYDS are made by Magthea.The meaning of the video is to show the connection with our primitive side,the power of ancient realities.If people are shocked by our visuals,it tells more about them than about the images.We have never showed negative acts of aggression,no dead bodies,executions, tortures,war etc.like so many cheap bands do.It’s so easy and pathetic to draw attention with negative images.When we performed in Weissenburg in a church some people were indignant at the brutality and sexuality of the rituals shown in this “holy” place.But what is more brutal :nailing a man to a cross and let him bleed to dead,or for example a man performing an ancient sun-dance.We show rituals where people choose for,it’s their tradition.It’s not about violence.In Praag many people went outside during the performance because it made them sick.The images of genitals is for many people still shocking.And that’s no surprise after more than 8000 years of monotheistic suppression. 12) There are often pierced genitals in Hybryds video, is it to intimate to tell about piercing from a female point of view ? How important is the sexuality for your music? Piercing is today fashion.So it’s important to give intrinsic value to it. Women are build on such a way they can not see their own genitals.In opposite to man they are raised with the idea that female genitals are much more dirty.But once a girl can also have pleasure with it,confusion and guilt are the result. So I think a genital piercing should confirm you are or want to be free from any sexual taboo. Sexuality and erotic are very important values for Hybryds and me. You hear and feel it in our music,and the visuals refer to this. 13) Why do you have such great interest in Asian and African rituals ? It’s by Magthea I discovered more about these worlds.I’m interested in it because out of respect for nature and our body .Trance,myths are important values in rituals and magic. I consider these as lost values, which we have to find again. We are not particular interested in Asian - African rituals, we are interested in all expressions of other cultures, to learn how they think, feel, live... so called “primitive cultures” have another view towards reality as we Western people . We just want to learn their values, adapt them for our western life and try to use this information in a positive way. 14) Was there a limited edition of your Oniro release ? I made a special handmade edition on 30 copies.I wanted to make some personal artwork.It were cardboard boxes covered with black velvet and a silver-like object sewed on it.In the box the cd with little ornaments.A bigger amount made by hand wasn’t possible.