Possibly the best Soilwork album to date, all thanks to the recording talent of Devin (Strapping Young Lad) Townsend. This Swedish band started out in 1995 under the name “Inferior Breed”, producing an album similar to the likes of Pantera and Machine Head. Currently, they have a new keyboardist, Sven Karlson, who is a little more diverse in his playing and effects, than the previous keyboard player. At the same time, the rest of
the band remains as technically proficient as ever. This album is only recommended to people who can deal with a high level of intensity. No wimps allowed. – Brooke Chaisson
Author: admin
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Soilwork – Natural Born Chaos
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The Cruxshadows – Tears
It took me about five seconds to fall in love with this CD.
Here’s the break down for you
Track One: Tears
I really enjoyed the synth work on this, and the voice of Rouge is very pleasant. As well, the chorus is very uplifting. You’ll love it right off the bat (if at all) and it will continue to grow on you with every listen. Very goth-electro, very cool
Track Two: Tears (Apoptygma Berzerk re-mix)
There are still vomit stains on my carpet from when I heard samples of APB’s Harmonizer. Lucky for The Cruxshadows, APB pulled off a decent remix of Tears. It has the typical progressive layered build up for the first two minutes and the super synthy overdose we have come to expect from APB, but I didn’t add any more stains to my
carpet, so it must have been good.Track Three: Within
My personal favorite. As with the original version of Tears,
the beat is catchy and Rouge’s voice is soft and follows the
synth in perfect sync. This is a fantastic choice for DJ’s –
easily danceable. By now on the CD I notice that the lyrics
on this CD are very spiritual and very metaphorical, more so
than most lyrics I pay attention to. The violins in this track are a nice touch, they follow you throughout the song but just under the level of being noticed, at least at firstTrack Four: Tears (Robbie Tronco/Knobhead remix)
This begins with violins, the violins stop and synth replaces it. Then the violins decide to play along, and somehow the total effect gives a very Egyptian feel. This is my favorite remix of Tears – I’ve always been a sucker
for a violin.Track Five: Jabberwocky
Jabberwocky, which means basically gibberish, starts out with some thunder and a narrative from our man Rouge, and some creepy gothy sounds. I didn’t enjoy this track a lot, but still enjoyed it, I suppose I am a bit partial to Tears on this CD, but that’s just me. If anything this track is creative, but also very short, just under three minutes.
Track Six: Tears (Fictional remix)
Rouges vocals are teched in this track, some will like it, some wont. The synth beat gives off the same aura that APB’s remix did – good, but generic.
Track Seven: Heaven’s Gaze (acoustic tears edit)
I am indifferent to this, it’s definitely different from all the
others, mainly for it’s lack of synth. It’s goth, its got
pianos, and hard to hate. Wait, I changed my mind, the
chorus just came on, I like it! Yes, because of the violins.
Bonus CD Video Track: Tears Recorded Live (Artifact
Tour 2001 , Philadelphia, PA)
This was fun to watch, Rouge’s vocals were pretty good, and he wears one of those head set deals, which allows him to roam about on stage, and even off stage, he actually walked into the audience during the song, I found that very cool. -
Lycia – Interview
Interview with Tara VanFlower By Azriel J. Knight in 2002
One of the big questions that I have is how is the band name supposed to be pronounced? I have heard Lycia, LIE-ceea, Ly-shia. While we are on the topic, what does Lycia Mean?
We pronounce it “LIE SEE UH” but I think the proper
pronunciation is “LIE CHEE UH”. Mike picked the name
Lycia because he was studying Mediterranean culture and
liked the “LOOK AND FEEL” of the word ~e has a degree
in geography).Before we talk about the new album, could you tell us a little background on what Lycia is all about, the sound and the message. This is mainly for those who have yet to hear your music.
We really don’t have any particular “message” to our music. We just write about what we’re going through, our perceptions at any given time. The environment around us is always a large influence on what we create. I think that’s evident with albums like “Cold” and “A Day In The Stark Corner” in particular. The new album is very much in the same vein ……. very, very soaked with our emotions and with our environment.
Tell me about some of your thoughts when you first heard Lycia before you were a member.
Well, I fell in love with Lycia from the first second I heard it. I popped the tape into my cheapo boombox and my jaw dropped …. then Mike’s voice kicked in and I knew I had to know him. I actually wrote Projekt to get his address and remarkably Sam wrote me back and gave it to me. (Sam just recently sent that letter to us in a frame! I have no idea how he still had it!) The music Mike creates never ceases to move me on a very emotional level I still can’t listen to “Stark Corner” without crying. There’s just something about his work that reaches somewhere deep inside ….. and I think it’s something intangible …. and something he would deny.What has been the most successful release? Tell us about that.
Well, I guess that would depends on your definition on success. I think we’re probably most satisfied with the current release. Most of the albums have weird stuff associated with them for us – which makes them somewhat frustrating. The current release feels very comfortable to us …. and artistically very satisfying. In
terms of sales, Ionia is the most successful to date, followed by EstrellaUtilizing one of your side projects, “Estraya” you and Mike did a fund raiser for the September 11th tragedy, how did that go?
We ended up having to cancel our set at the last moment. Mike was having some health problems, which caused us to cancel. The event itself was loads of fun! I really enjoyed hanging out with “Fans” and seeing other bands play. I believed they raised a good amount of money. Also, thanks to Angie for the absolutely gorgeous hand printed cookies and fuzzy spider pen! Mmmm!!!!!!
Okay, finally onto the new album. Give us some background on what it’s all about.
Well, as is the case with all our releases, “Tripping Back
into the Broken Days” chronicles a moment in time for us. Mike nearly died a few years back and this threw us into a huge vacuum of sadness and fear and confusion. Mike was so sick at one point that I would sleep with one hand on his stomach making sure he was still breathing. He had dropped to 112Ibs and his body had begun shutting itself down. Coming through that period and into another period of transition really put us into an emotional loop. “Tripping” really sort of chronicles the time before and the few months after our move from Ohio to Arizona and the miles in between; as well as the emotions associated with all we had been through and where we’re heading. The album has a very natural and emotional feel to it. I think the people who understand the history of Lycia and us personally will really connect with this release and really understand who we are as people. The album has a very rustic sort of “American” feel to it. It reminds me of driving through the grasslands of
Oklahoma……and the hills of West Virginia. I can’t really explain what it feels like to me…..but it gives me the same feelings that
some of Steve Roach’s music gives me – where the atmospheres are so vivid you can physically see them…….and the mood
to me is reminiscent of some of the really old traditional blueqrass music . Just a very earthy, natural, emottonally draining, yet simp1e and beautful in its sadness.
I was under the impression Lycia had closed up for good, was that true at the time it was rumored?
It was absolutely true. We had no intentions of ever working on music again. Mike wouldn’t even talk about music for nearly a year. As I said earlier, he was very sick. We had also really gotten
frustrated with the whole “music game”….and we were no longer even able to attempt “the game” with his illness and having to work full time for health insurance and to pay our bills..
Mike slowly starting picking up the acoustic guitar and playing for fun….then he started writing songs. After we moved to Arizona he couldn’t find work anywhere. He was home everyday waiting for the phone to ring and it was really becoming scary. Basically he decided to record as a way from keeping himself spiraling dangerously deep into depression. He didn’t even
tell me he was recording until the album was almost half finished.
What differences on Tripping Back Into the Broken Days will the fans notice from previous releases? What is the meaning behind the album title?Well, I think “Tripping” still feels very much like Lycia – but I definitely think there’s almost more of an emotional story to this release. We purposely left the vocals a lot drier than on past
releases so that the words could be heard and felt. I think Mike could tell you more about what the title means to him as he named the release ….for me it just represents that no matter how far you come through something traumatic….you can always fall right back into it….and there’s always something around the next corner. For us that’s been the case. As soon as you get through one devastating event there’s another right around the corner. I know some people probably hear our music and think “Man, these people just need to get over it”….but the fact is, if I sat here and told you everything that’s happened to us in the past six years you’d wonder how we’re still standing. We don’t write sad lyrics to feel sorry for ourselves we’re writing about very real and honest emotions…hmm…at least we are honest with ourselves. Writing about these things is in a sense a form of therapy or something. We would like nothing more than to be happy and ride off into the sunset…..unfortunately we haven’t been that lucky yet. We’re always hopeful though…..
Tell us about some of your favorite tracks and the meaning behind those songs.I’ll just speak for my songs. Blue Heron
was inspired by this one day when we first moved to Arizona. We had virtually no money and we basically just went to parks and sat by the water for entertainment. Well, on this particular day
we watched this blue heron standing on the water’s edge hunting for fish. Because things were so different at the time, it caused a lot of tension… and a lot of real panic. I think the song just sort of represents things I was feeling inside….and on that
day it just really overwhelmed me. Another track is Give Up The Ghost. The idea of this song was inspired by the house on the cover of the album. That house was a mile up the street from where we lived in Ohio and had been abandoned my entire life (who knows how much longer). We went out there to take the photos and I got this idea of this lost, dead girl sitting inside the
house wondering where everyone had gone. There was still old furniture in the house and I just got the idea of her sitting in the chair waiting for someone to come home…..waiting for someone
to come and get her. It also has more relevance to my actual life. Asleep in the River has a lot of different meanings to it. I grew up on the Cuyahoga River, so that obviously inspired me. There’s
also this vague “rebirth” theme to it.. Cat and Dog also has more than one meaning to it, the real obvious, simple explanation would be that it’s a love song between a cat and a dog. The rest of the meaning has to do with me watching Mike fall apart – and in my heart hoping and dreaming to see him happy and healthy. It’s Okay To Be Small is about Mike nearly dying watching him waste away… and me telling him it’s okay to be afraid sometimes……and that he doesn’t always have to be the
strong one. I’d like to mention one of his tracks Vacant Winter Day… It’s one of the most beautifully sad songs I have ever heard …… -
Lacuna Coil – Unleashed Memories
This is the fourth and latest release from this Italian
sextet, consisting of fifteen tracks, including five bonus
tracks from their Halflife EP.
Overall, this band is about as progressive as Nightwish
of Finland, but not as intense. At the same time, they’re
not as lame and boring as The Gathering either.
Lyrically, the album can range from being well put
together, to semi-intelligent, to exceptionally dull.
According to Century Media Record’s bio of the band,
they have an ability “To lure the listener into a
thunderously dark and passionate landscape of
soulfulness.” It’s a cheesy phrase, but I’ll actually admit
that a number of tracks, (i.e.: Tracks 1, 4, and 10) have
done so for me, while some others were just typical
boring goth-metal. – Brooke Chaisson -
Fracture – Killernet
My first introduction to Fracture was their single Terror Eyes
featured on Off Seat’s [CLASS IX] compilation. Now, Terror
Eyes took me somewhat by surprise. The track takes about
half the song to build up to full momentum and new and
modified layers are constantly being initiated. My surprise?
It worked beautifully. Despite its sluggishly progressive
timeline, there is nothing sluggish about the material and its
toothiness remains a constant throughout.
So, on to hazarding the originating album. Killernet does not
seem to disappoint. It is a curiously diverse album in that
Fracture did not attempt to duplicate the sound of Terror
Eyes in any other track. I could rant for hours regarding the
hideous redundancy that occurs in so many projects –
sometimes it works, sometimes not. The absence of
redundancy in this project, however, has proven to be a
brilliant stroke. The unvarying quality throughout is welcome
as a constant and I am pleased to find that each track did
offer a comparable level of sophistication and layered
exploration.
Let me explain a little by what I mean when I refer to this
album as being ‘diverse’. Fortunately enough, the vocals
(male) also go in stride with each track’s mood – usually
under a consistent distortion: not too hot, not too cold – just
right.
Soak this album up. Their only other release, Hell is a real
pain to get a hold of. Hell is actually a concoction derived
from Killernet so don’t be too disappointed if it is nowhere to
be found. As for new upcoming material, who knows. But if
this is the only real album Fracture releases, better leave it
at that rather than with a follow up that may never exceed
the expectations put fourth by Killernet – Sarah Cassady -
Econocon – Business Solutions For The Active Terrorist
Straight from the boys of MZ.412 comes Econocon.
Don’t expect the MZ.412 flavour in its purest form, no,
no. Expect harsh electric power noise and harsh vocals
to match. Some interesting material here … not all of it
portrayed with the greatest of tact but definitely some
high points (thank you Old Europa Cafe!). The lack of
tact comes in when the noise element actually becomes
unbearable according to your eardrums and not
necessarily to your taste. Other than that, the material is
arranged in a most reasonable manner and almost
comes across as ‘coordinated experimental’ at times.
There is some variation in tempo, sound, and even style.
And I don’t lie when I say that the vocals are well-suited-very in-your-face with lyrics that give the bird by
themselves. Honestly, I cannot think of another noise
project that melds the vocals so well! If you want to take
a chance, and feel kind of angsty, Econocon seems to
be a good direction to head in. – Sarah Cassady -
Per Somnia – Interview
Interview with Julie and Ross of Per Somnia
Interview By: Azriel J. Knight
Azriel: What does “Per Somnia” mean and why did you choose that for a band name?
Ross: Per Somnia is a Latin phrase, which translates to “in a dream”. I initially wanted the music to have a dreamlike quality to it, and some of the songs on the first CD even have lyrics directly dealing with dreams. Names can often sound more interesting in a language other than English, so Per Somnia was chosen.Azriel: There is a very beautiful relaxing feels to your music that I have only found in a few other bands, how do create this amazing sound?
Ross: I suppose it’s just natural. We’re both pretty relaxed people in general. A lot of the musical style of Per Somnia is a continuation of my work as Sunless, where the music was mostly very gloomy. Take gloomy to a slightly happier level and you get relaxing.
Julie: I’ve had a lot of vocal training since I was in grade school. Usually the goal for a traditional choral voice is rich and smooth. At this point in my life I don’t think I could have an angry or growling singing voice even if I tried really hard. Most of my contribution to this type of sound is due to the fact that I can’t sing any other way.
Azriel: Tell me about the Drifting video, what are your plans with it?
Ross: The “Drifting” video was done so that I could see what kind of video I could make with basically no training or equipment. We borrowed an old VHS style camcorder and made a primitive blue screen from a blue blanket, and then shot the footage. I edited it on my PC and was somewhat happy with the result. Recently I created a new version of the video, incorporating more footage. It will be up on our website soon.
Azriel: How have programs like mp3.com and Napster affected your career as a musician?
Ross: I think mp3.com is wonderful. It has really revolutionized the marketing and distribution of independent music. We’ve had people from all across the world buy our CD’s through mp3.com, I don’t think there’s any way that would’ve happened without them. Napster doesn’t really have much bearing on most independent musicians, especially when you’re giving your songs away on mp3.com anyway.
Julie: Napster hasn’t had much of an effect on us. We’ve done a few searches for our name just to see if anyone is sharing our MP3’s and only found a few people. It seems that more people are interested in trading major label songs. Putting songs on MP3.com was probably one of the best choices we’ve made as a band. We’ve gotten fan mail from people who could have never heard our music otherwise. It’s usually hard to get exposure outside of a local area without having good connections.
Azriel: It could just be me and it probably is, but there is an element of sex appeal in some of your songs like Opiate X and Drifting, was this done on purpose?
Ross: Actually, I hadn’t thought that there was any sex appeal in those songs. If there is though, that’s fine by me. Sex appeal gets people’s attention. 🙂
Azriel: Tell me about your involvement with Sunless.
Ross: Sunless is a solo project of mine, and it was my first real musical project…very gloomy and dark gothic stuff. The music of both Sunless and Per Somnia is my way of getting out whatever emotions I’m feeling at the time. The same goes for my third project, The Endparty. Sunless is the negative extreme, Endparty is the positive, and Per Somnia is somewhere in the middle. Since Sunless is a solo project, it has never played any live shows…which hinders a band’s progress, I think. Right now, new Sunless songs are pretty sporadic since I’m putting most of my efforts into Per Somnia.
Azriel: What sort of places do you play live? Where would you like to play in the future?
Julie: We’ve played mostly in local clubs. Two of the shows played were part of larger events. The first had three bands and about seven DJ’s in several rooms. The second was an underground art and music festival. We would like to play some shows outside of Arizona in the future. Somewhere in California wold most likely be the first place we would go.
Azriel: What is the future plans for Per Somnia?
Ross: to continue making music and gaining listeners. And to tour and play for all of the people who’ve emailed us and said “will you ever be doing a show where I live?”
Azriel: Thanks very much for this opportunity to interview you 🙂
Ross: Thank you!
Interview Originally Published in December 2000
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Tapping the Vein – Interview
Interview with Heather, Eric, Joe, and Mark of . . .
Tapping the VeinInterview By: Azriel J. Knight
Azriel: Okay lets start with something that has been bugging me, what is the story behind the band name?
Eric: I have always been a Clive Barker fan. I was working with someone who was a very big comic book fan and he asked me if I had ever seen the series “Tapping the Vein”. It is a series that Clive Barker presented in order to showcase the talents of new comic book artists. Before I even saw the series, I thought it was great name and it represents what we “try” to do.
Azriel: How old were you when you discovered you had singing talent?
Heather: Well, I had a solo in the 9th grade and that went pretty well. Another day, I was leaning my ear up against my speaker and singing along to something. My brother was walking by and knocked on my door to tell me it sounded good. Considering we were teenagers, close in age and barely speaking to each other, I took it as a huge compliment.
Azriel: My friend October was the one who introduced my to your band, maybe as a payback to her I can get you to say a little something for her?
Heather: Hi, October! Thank you so much for telling Azriel about us. I really appreciate that. And I LOVE your name. Great month, too…
Azriel: The design on your website is amazing , did you have any say in how it would look?
Heather: We had a lot to say about what we wanted but the design and basic concept was done by our friends at Bowhaus design. ( www.bowhausdesign.com ). Eric had them check out a couple of sites that he had seen and liked. We had a few meetings to discuss what they wanted to do and what we were looking for. After the initial layout, I started to get involved as far as what “wasn’t” working as far as we were concerned. Just little things here and there. Colors, easier navigation, photos, back ground. So, I guess the answer is “yes”, we had a lot to say about the final result. It was stressful getting it exactly the way we wanted before it went live but I e-mailed back and forth with them until everything was right. I think that they really did an excellent job. We will be making some changes soon once the full length is finished.
Azriel: What are your future touring plans? Canada? Europe? The Moon?? 🙂
Heather: Hmmm, Well, we get this question a lot from people that write to us. When I write back I tell them the truth. That we hope to be out this year. I don’t know where we will go or how far but we have a lot more resources than this time last year. We will have distribution and tour support through the label. It is an absolute priority as far as we, and probably any band, are concerned. The biggest problem, of course, is the money. But we’ll find a way.
Azriel: How do you see the band progressing in future albums?
Eric: I don’t know how I see it progressing right now. I can’t even tell you because it is a natural progression. We always just write what we feel. I experiment with new sounds all of the time. It’s not like we will put out a jazz album or anything but as long as we grow as writers that’s all I really care about.
Mark: As we’ve matured as a band we have become more compatible as writers. We know each other’s personal writing style. In that way, I guess we will continue to progress. We also learn more and more each time we record. We always end up saying “well, that’s pretty good but next time…”
Azriel: How do fans react to your live shows?
Mark: The fans are very attentive and extremely appreciative. There never seems to be anyone standing around talking. All eyes are on us. That just makes the performance all the more enjoyable for us.
Joe: Yes, we get an excellent response. Never bad. The people are always willing to come up before and after the shows to talk with us and tell us how much they enjoy seeing us play. They say that the shows keep getting better and better.
Azriel: What is YOUR favourite band and why?
Eric: There are so many… Depeche Mode, NIN, Tool. The reason is the same for all three. Brilliant song writing and a high level of creativity.
Mark: I really don’t have a favorite band but right now I really like A Perfect Circle, Rammstein and Tool.
Heather: I’m not really a “favorite band” kind of person. I kind of just obsess on songs for awhile then move on. But right now I LOVE Linkin Park. My friend, Dana, and I put on the album and sing, play air guitar and basically just jump around like idiots while we get ready to go out.
Joe: I think my favorite band is The Cure because of the dynamics that they put into their music and moods that creates.
Azriel: When people ask you what you do for a living, how do you respond?
Heather: Well, I usually say “I’m a singer but I have a day job.”
Eric: I tell them my day job because that is what I do “for a living”.
Mark: I tell them I’m a student.Joe: I say that I am a prosthetic technician. Then I have to explain that it means I make artificial limbs. I once had given a friend about 10 “used” limbs which she passed on to Marilyn Manson. They turned up in a magazine spread with him.
Azriel: What sort of tips would you give someone starting their own band?
Heather: Do what YOU feel not what you think everybody wants to hear.
Azriel: If I have missed anything please take the time now to let me and everyone reading this know about it
Heather: I think you covered just about everything. Can I have some plugs? I guess I can plug the web site www.tappingthevein.com and plug the upcoming full length with Nuclear Blast. We are in the finishing stages.
Azriel: Thanks very much for the interview, I wish you all the best
Heather: thanks, a lot. We really appreciate your support and the exposure. Bye Bye for now!
Originally Published March 2001
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Mephisto Walz – Interview with Bari-Bari
By: Azriel J. Knight
Azriel: What does the name “Mephisto Walz” mean and why did you choose that name??
Bari-Bari: We chose that name while forming in Germany. It was Johanne’s idea from reading Goethe in school. I later got familiar with the work and the different translations. There was also a classical piece by that name and a cheap book and movie (with Alan Arka?).
Azriel: You have been in the music industry for a very long time (not to make you sound old or anything 🙂 ) Tell me about some of the most important lessons you have learned as an artist, as a person and anything else you would like to add.
Bari-Bari: As an artist: get good, trust what you do and then let the audience find you. Don’t try to guess what they want, it just won’t work.
Azriel: Tell me about the Immersion Album, please 🙂
Bari-Bari: It is my favorite release because it covers a lot of new territory. I wish my studio was in a little better shape when we recorded it and mixed it but most of it I am quite happy with. A got to play bongo parts and do Pink Floyd thingies and Chris got to sing songs about fish and snakes.
Azriel: Do your parents still bug you to cut your hair? I mean, I am 20 years old and they are still telling me it’s just a phase, so please tell me at some point they give up and accept it 🙂
Bari-Bari: Give it four to five more years… I think they will be out of their phase by then.
Azriel: How has the general popularity of Mephisto Walz been since the Immersion album came out? Did the Gothic Diva’s compilation CD help?
Bari-Bari: Well, it didn’t make much of a splash. I don’t think it was known very widely that it was out I will promote it more by releasing in Germany and posting more up to mp3.com. As to “Gothic Diva’s” I was in the record store down the block, checking through the gothic/industrial aisle when I saw this release right out in front. So I said to myself “well, if anyone would put out a CD with that name they should have at least asked us to be on it”. I was a bit miffed. Then I turned it over and went “Aaaahh!”. Another release with unlicensed Mephisto Walz material on it! This one has gone a bit too far and action will probably have to be taken. Yuk! But all labels have to do is be honest in their dealings with bands.
Azriel: How do you come up with the music that you do? I mean it sounds general but where do you get the ideas for how they are going to sound? Is it already in your head, or is it like writing a poem where you write the first few lines then the rest comes naturally?
Bari-Bari: The sound isn’t anywhere that I know of. It just comes out of my hands and part of my brain is a spectator. The spectator decides whether to continue or jump to force a new thought process. Kind of fun, really. It is the most enjoyable part of making music. The moment of creation…
Azriel: What do you do when you have a difference of opinion with Christianna (vocals) ?
Bari-Bari: We usually don’t have a problem. But the easiest way is to just move on to something else and try again when your frame of mind is changed.
Azriel: What made you decide to separate from the rest of the band and just have the 2 of you? How do you think this will affect things like touring?
Bari-Bari: Not too interested in touring anymore. Don’t know why, but it is not as fun as it used to be. Also, not having a playing band made it hard for Johanne and David. So we agreed that everyone would go their own ways. Also, none of us except Chris and I lived in the same cities so it was rough on everyone.
Azriel: What are some of your favorite bands and why?
Bari-Bari: Lots of different things right now. Classical, Irish, Ofra Haza, lots of new bands, The Coors, Radiohead, Enya, Japan, Smiths, Laura Nyro. Not very gothic really.
Azriel: Do you get a lot of e-mails from fans? What do they usually say?
Bari-Bari: Some are quite interesting, some quite personal as to how our music has helped them in some way.
Azriel: Who was your biggest influence throughout your music career? It doesn’t have to be an artist; it could simply be a person.
Bari-Bari: Strangely enough, U2 helped change my guitar style drastically and showed me how less can be more.
Azriel: How do you feel your music has evolved over the years, and where do you think it’s headed?
Bari-Bari: I think we have one more “Immersion” in us and some other things as well. I am relocating back to Southern California and setting up our studio there. Also, several new projects are being worked on, one of which is much slower and open with multiple vocalists and writers. June is when I hope to have that done.
Originally Published December 2000
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Theatre of Tragedy Interview
Interview with Hein Frode Hansen of Theatre of Tragedy: 2001
In promotion of their new album, Musique
Azriel: I noticed your album is already being spread around the Napster universe, how do you feel about that??
Hein: The new one really? I only found some odd tracks. I have nothing against Napster for exploring and checking out new releases and new bands, but to download a whole album and burn it or spread it further on the net is plain unnecessary. in order to make good music and do great live shows the underground artists need the fee earnings they get. Without it they cannot make music that the listener want and hence the listener fools themselves…. but if Metallica loses a few cents I don’t care.
Azriel: Nicely said. I’ll admit I have pretty much all the tracks from the new one, but I live in North America, and when it finally comes out here, I’ll have a copy. So explain to me (and I know you have probably been asked a million times) why the change?
Hein: Bands change. It’s a fact of life and we as people had to reinvent our own concept in order to survive as a band. So it would be Musique or no Theatre of Tragedy whatsoever. Without change and progress society would be quite boring in my opinion. No mobiles, no Internet, no CD’s, no nothing. And to combine organic sounds with electronics felt natural for us as we listen to such different kinds of stuff.
Azriel: I have listened to the album carefully, and find that it still does hold the ToT flavour, and I was expecting to be disappointed, but I am impressed. Tell me about the Image video
Hein: Thanks for still being able to hear what we tried to accomplish. Reinventing the ToT sound in a 2000 kind of way. Escape our own limitations created by us. Image video is a sexy dirty, rocky and posing video. Liv as the clean and angelic front singer, and the models and the male band members as fucked up dirty and kinky. Real MTV kinda groove but in a much dirtier and sexier way. If people wanna see it, it is on streaming on www.nuclearblast.de and on our www.theatreoftragedy.com
Azriel: Yeah, I really like that video, Liv is looking good these days. Who’s idea was it for that type of feel for the video??
Hein: Well we got a bunch of concepts from different directors and we liked the simplicity of this one. NO typical Goth or metal video. Only a kick ass rock and roll one.
Azriel: What would you say you miss the most, if anything about the old look/sound of ToT?
Hein: Our old bass player Eirik. He left last year. He was tired of being in a band and wanted a regular job. He was really funny and like the clown in the band. Apart from that I look to the future and try and focus on that. I regret nothing, but progress is a good thing.
Azriel: I noticed when looking through your tour dates, you haven’t been out here in North America, has ToT ever considered the possibility?
Hein: Well there is some serious talk right now to do some US shows in December this year around X-mas and between X-mas and New Years Eve. So far no date are confirmed, but as soon as we have them they will be posted on our homepage. Sign up for our update mail and you will get notified.
Azriel: I noticed you guys have a link to a Yahoo! Club, do you visit the site often?
Hein: we have a link to a Yahoo! Club??????? I don’t even know what it is……..
Azriel: LOL, the link is on your web page.:) The Musique album has a general theme, defiantly technology, and I am feeling hints of 80’s techno, but I could be just a dumb shit on that, tell me more on what the album represents
Hein: The album has really nothing to do with techno, but rather takes a look on the impact and effect technology and machinery has played on mankind over the last centuries. For good and worse. Does mankind control technology or do technology control mankind? The lyrics, music, cover, homepage and band photos are each a part in a bigger scheme. The red line between the different elements.
Azriel: Can you elaborate on that a little . . . or a lot 🙂
Hein: Well I thought I just did:-) Well the thing about mankind being closer to machine/robot something’s in the higher pace of society. Routines are taking over our lives, due to technology. On the other hand it offers new ways of communication as phones, internet, planes, etc. which brings the world and people closer together. As well as making fascinating sounds/noises/feedback and fucked up stuff for our music. It has negative effect as well as positive effect on mankind in my opinion. Like the equilibrium of the year 2000.
Interview Originally Published in October 2000
