2024
Interview with HUIR
Hello, thank you for the time you have dedicated today to Kainklangmusik. We are in Germany, and you?
Hello!
Thanks to you for this nice interview, we are in Barcelona but we feel a special connection with Germany, because of the way you work so efficiently and of course because we have a German label, COLD TRANSMISSION.
The most important question for you is of course first of all: How are you?
We are happy and very creative!
Happy for all the love we are receiving with our first EP and creative in creating new songs.
To begin with can you tell me something about yourself and your artistic development?
*Since we were kids we are musicians and we have had different projects but without any doubt HUIR is our present and future.
Since when do you really like music and is the current line-up?
We’ve seen about 100 gigs separately, we love music.
Our band is formed in June 2022
Is there a fundamental idea behind Huir?
Work, work, work and work and get the best out of us as musicians, have illusions and plans for the present and future.
And most of all, Enjoy the moment
How, where and when did you come to the foundation of Huir?
At a concert of a mutual friend we met, one phone call and the following month we were already composing.
What is a song for you?
A song of ours is like a child, we have the same love and dedication to it.
Is there a person who writes the songs or are the songs in common interaction?
The songs are created by both of us, that’s the magic of the band, the mixture of both of us.
What was the first big production or were there previous releases of yours?
Our first child/song was TRIUMPHAL
Do you yourself feel that the album with your own musical limits redefines and surpasses you?
We are very happy with the result, we have shown 4 parts of us, different stories and emotions, they are 4 totally different songs.
What was it like to collaborate with a label?
It’s the best thing that ever happened to us, working with COLD TRANSMISSION, they are helping us to grow, they do a very very professional job of promotion, communication accompanied by an excellent family treatment.
Is there a song on the album especially from you in the heart?
If yes, what and why?
All 4 are special for us, but undoubtedly TRIUMPHAL for being the first one we composed and in which we were able to express a great part of our emotions.
When you compose new songs, as it requires a certain inner state of mind or a special atmosphere?
For us it’s like going into a trance.
There is no exact moment or time, we spend many hours composing and trying out many ideas until all of a sudden something magical comes along.
To what extent are you satisfied with the results obtained so far and what would you change if you could go back in time?
We wouldn’t change anything at all.
Is there a standard for Huir’s music?
That excites us both
How would you describe your music that people have never heard before?
A mix of Darkwave & Synthpop, strength and melancholy.
What do you want to achieve in the near future (musically) with HUIR?
Keep composing and playing live as much as possible, we really want to play in Europe.
What difficulties do you as a band currently have the most to contend with?
It’s a luck to have this band, no difficulty at all, every day we grow a little bit more, as musicians, as people and as friends we are.
What are your plans for 2024?
We are composing our new Ep, we would like to play some gigs and we have some surprises…
What would you never do for money?
Neither love nor kill.
I thank you for the interview and wish you all the best for the future. It was really a pleasure for me:-)
written by C.T.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HUIRBand
Insta: HUIR (@huir_band) • Instagram-Fotos und -Videos
bandcamp: Music | HUIR (bandcamp.com)https://huirbanda.bandcamp.com/
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Interview – Now After Nothing
Hello. Thanks for doing this interview with Kainklangmusicmagazine.
KKM: Can you give us a bit of a background on Now After Nothing and how you came up with the name?
Thank you for having me! Now After Nothing is a darkwave/post-punk band from Atlanta, USA. To give you an idea of our sound, our biggest influences are bands like Placebo, Bauhaus, Sonic Youth, The Cure, and My Bloody Valentine. The name came about just from wanting to find something that rolled off the tongue and playing around with different words and phrases. At first, it didn’t really have any specific story or meaning, but I quickly realized that it actually had quite a lot of meaning behind it. Starting this band was a return to music for me, and more so a reclaiming of my identity, after a relatively difficult time in my life. The band name is actually quite apropos in that sense.
KKM: Your new Single is named “Sick Fix” (Spatial Remix). What can you tell us about it?
The Sick Fix Spatial Remix just came about when I realized that I was getting a little behind schedule on our first EP. I wanted to put something out to give our new friends and fans something different to hear during the wait. I always enjoy doing remixes, but never planned on remixing my own song. I had a lot of fun with it though, which is exactly what I needed at the time. It served as a small shift away from the EP and our live show so that I could start fresh again when it was done.
KKM: Are you involved with any other projects or remix work for other artists?
Currently, I’m not. I am going in 100% on finishing the EP, shooting/editing the video for the first single, and some really cool show announcements coming soon.
KKM: The musical landscape has changed dramatically from what it used to be. Bands are no longer simply doing the album tour arrangement. What is your idea to navigate through the changing times at the moment?
Yes, it’s definitely changed significantly since my first band was playing clubs in my late teens. But I am also at a point in my life where I really have no expectations for anything. I just hope to release songs as often as I can, play as many shows as I can and see where it takes me. Once the EP is out and we have our first official base of songs though, I think it will be much easier to release singles instead of taking so much time in between releases.
KKM: Aside from geography, what do you think separates Now After Nothing from other artists in the music world?
I think it’s just the blend of our specific influences that makes us a little different. Whenever I list the band’s influences, it’s definitely crossing into some different (though complimentary) genres. When I’m writing I don’t think about it much really – I just do what I do – but I don’t know that I’ve heard a lot of other bands that have that same unique mix that we do. Just like there are tons of other great bands out there that each have their own unique mix of influences.
KKM: Concerning influences… what would you say that the musical influence would be which might be the most surprising to listeners?
That’s a good question – I think it’s easy to hear the darker influences that stand out in our songs, but I am also influenced by bands like The Go-Go’s or Jellyfish, neither of which are dark bands in the least, but their songwriting was excellent. In the case of Jellyfish especially, their production and instrumentation was phenomenal. As a studio rat, I can usually get into anything with really solid production. Another band I really love is Curve who really dove head first into mixing alternative rock with electronica.
KKM: Where do you see social media strategy changing in 2024 for this music?
If only I had a clue – ha! Within the darkwave genre though I’ve been feeling a shift recently towards even more community building, which is really incredible. I hope that things continue to go in that direction, in which case I think you’ll see that more and more in social media and possibly new avenues with which to make that happen.
KKM: Let’s say that sometime in the far future, someone locates a recording of Now After Nothing. What do you want them to learn from your message?
Be it the present or future, I’ve only ever wanted to reach that people that can find some connection to the music. I don’t think it’s a message per se, but more about letting others know that they’re not alone – we feel your pain as well.
KKM: What’s a live Now After Nothing show like? Have you played outside of the U.S.? Or is this exclusively a studio project?
The band actually did start as a solo/studio project but pretty quickly knew in my heart that I had to get back out on stage again. The challenge was making all of those layers of sound from the studio come to life on stage but I think we have accomplished that and hopefully do it in an entertaining way. I recruited some of my best friends (that I’ve played with in various bands with on and off for years now) to help me make that vision come to life. Though we have not yet played outside of the U.S., I am going to be exploring opportunities and ways to make that happen in the coming year. I do have one possible European show in the works for later this year though – *fingers crossed* that it comes to fruition.
KKM: How do you balance time between your profession, your creative work and family?
Ha! Sometimes it feels like I do it “poorly” but it helps that I am a night owl in a house with early-risers. I’ve got a pretty good groove/schedule happening where I don’t really attempt to shift into creative mode until after 9pm or so when the house is quiet and I know I have a long stretch of time that I won’t be interrupted. I usually stay up until about 1am or 2am working on band stuff. I can then keep the daylight hours for work/family. Just having this mindset of a schedule helps to keep me sane – knowing that I have the nighttime hours free of distraction makes it so that I don’t feel creatively frustrated or grasping for time during the day.
KKM: How important is literature to you as an artist?
As an artist, not a whole lot to be honest. I enjoy books but I get more lyrical inspiration from the world around me than I get from other things like books or film, etc. If I can first create a mood with the music, the lyrics then fall into place usually based on some personal experience. I do sometimes create a little story or character in my head, but the inspiration is usually more broad than any specific piece of literature.
KKM: Favorite cities to visit or perform in?
I’m really excited to eventually bring Now After Nothing to New York City. I’ve played there with previous bands and really look forward to going back – hopefully in 2025. Other than that, some of my favorite cities around the world that I’d love to play someday include Tokyo, London, and Edinburgh. I’ve been really lucky to have done a good amount of traveling and these cities in particular do hold a special place in my heart.
KKM: What scares you?
Other than losing a family member or something like that, I think what scares me most, specific to me as an individual, would be losing a creative outlet. I went through a period before Now After Nothing where I didn’t have one and it was a really dark time for me.
KKM: Are there any locations on the globe where you would like to retire to & that you think would be inspiring as long as you live?
Yes, definitely. A few of my favorite places that I dream about retiring to are Japan, Ireland, New Zealand, and Iceland. I’ve been to each and I could see myself retiring in any of them someday. If I could feasibly move to Tokyo tomorrow though, I would!
KKM: Name a song that can make you cry. Have you ever cried after you created a song or during the process? If so, what song?
“Surgery” by Jack Off Jill is probably the most gut-wrenching song I’ve ever heard. Pure perfection on the doom-and-gloom scale. Jessicka’s vocal performance is just beyond incredible. The closest I’ve come in my own material is a song from the upcoming EP titled “Entangled”. I got a little choked up when I first completed and played back the demo for it. I was feeling really proud of it.
KKM: What was the last great record you heard?
Placebo’s Never Let Me Go. The music of Placebo just ‘gets’ me and this latest album, though not my favorite of theirs, is still a really, really good one. Metric’s Art of Doubt is a really great record too – I still listen to it in the car quite a bit.
KKM: Motto?
Unofficially, I try to keep a mindset of “it will happen when it happens”. I don’t mean this in the sense that I expect things will just be handed to me, but more in a sense of not rushing just to make something happen. I’d rather take a little more time on something to get it to where I really want it to be.
KKM: Any other thoughts you might have are now yours. Thanks for your time. We thank you for your music, inspiration and your time;-)
Thank you so much for the questions!!
I truly appreciate each and every person that reads this and maybe gives us a listen and follow on our socials.
Cheers!
written by C.T.
Links
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nowafternothing
Insta: https://www.instagram.com/nowafternothing
spotify: https://open.spotify.com/intl-de/artist/26KhwetisDzHdx22OLK6ZG
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Interview – Propter Hoc
KKM: Hello. We appreciate your time with Kainklangmusik today. We are based in Germany. Obviously Germany is well known for its different music scene and fans. Is that where your greatest response has been from perhaps?
Hi, thanks for the questions. The audience for my music seems to be scattered around the world, but yes Germany is somewhere I do get a higher number of listeners and encouraging comments, plus there’s a community around Cold Transmission that I’m now lucky enough to be a part of. It’s not surprising that there would be a cultural kinship, as Germany has long been associated with electronic music, and the lineage that I draw on is sometimes identified as beginning with Kraftwerk in Dusseldorf and Giorgio Moroder in Munich. At the same time, the gothic aesthetic owes a lot to German culture, from Goethe and Hegel through Kurt Weill or Expressionist cinema etc, so maybe there’s a subtle influence that comes across as familiar.
KKM: What’s the meaning behind your band name?
I tried a few names, I would search each one in Bandcamp and Spotify to see if anyone else was already using it, and Propter Hoc was the first one that wasn’t already there. I got the name from an essay by Martha Rosler, where she’s talking about the relationship between art and audience, between finance and culture, and what makes something ‘high art.’ She mentions that when Alfred Stieglitz was first being recognised as an Artist, rather than just a photographer, it was believed that “art had to be a propter hoc motive, not a belated discovery” for a photograph to be considered a work of art. I don’t know how much I agree with the sentiment, but it’s interesting to think about, with Duchamp coming along a few years later, and then the ‘death of the author’ and all that stuff I learned about in art school. I like the name as a reminder to myself to think about what I’m doing, that intentionality helps to create meaning. Music is about connection, and since I’m making mine in isolation I try to connect through a sense of a broader shared culture, even if that only exists in my head.
KKM: Where are you located and what are the vibes like musically there? Have the different places you’ve lived inspired you differently or brought unique challenges to you as an artist?
To be honest, I’m kind of in limbo, I don’t really feel like I’m located anywhere. I moved to Glasgow from London so I could have some time and space to work on a research project but then the pandemic happened and I kind of got stuck here, Edinburgh is the place that most feels like home but I can’t afford to live there, so I’m still trying to figure out where I should move to next. Where I live is quite far from the city centre, so I’m not really connected to any local music scene. I think most creative people have a similar issue where the places that have lots of possibilities and opportunities take a lot of work just to keep afloat in, but it’s hard to find or build a community in the places where you might actually have the time and resources to be creative. I worked for a long time in arts institutions where everyone I worked with was an artist, a writer, a musician, etc, and I always found inspiration in the conversations we would all have. There’s something special about going from having a chat with someone about a vague idea they’re thinking about, to seeing them develop it to the point where your next conversation is at a fancy event with free drinks and they’re presenting the finished result to a big audience. I think I enjoy seeing other people’s achievements more than I enjoy feeling like I’ve achieved something myself.
KKM: How did the creative process differ for this latest release than older ones? Can you talk about the current album and the next one?
The creative process doesn’t really change much, every song starts with a riff or a chord progression on a guitar and maybe a vague vocal melody, then I translate that into a synthesizer sequence and build a beat around it, gradually it will take shape from there. I always write the lyrics after everything else is finished so I’ll also be plotting out the melody in case I forget it. I have things set up at home so I can just try something if I get an idea, which is usually when I’m avoiding doing something else, I tend to feel most inspired to make music when it’s like, time to clean the bathroom or something.
Writing lyrics is always the most difficult, but also the most rewarding. I spend a lot of time reading and I’ll often jot down words or phrases that come to me, in the notes app on my phone. Something from there will usually be my starting point, but from that I’ll decide on a topic and research the lyrics like I’m researching an essay, then I’ll end up writing something completely unrelated, because it rhymes or fits the rhythm, and try to convince myself that it Means Something.
KKM: How do you balance time between your profession, your creative work and family?
I don’t really think about it anymore, I don’t usually have a deadline for making music, so I just fit it in around everything else. In London I had a full time job and rarely had time for much else, so I made a conscious decision to quit trying to have a career and to value time more than money. Now I live quite frugally and work as few hours as I can get by on, and that gives me the freedom to be creative without any pressure. I also had a solo exhibition as an artist in 2019 that was kind of a disaster and I realised that the idea of ‘success’ as I had pictured it, was not something I was actually that comfortable with, there’s a cliché that musicians often say: that they make music for themselves and if anyone else likes it it’s a bonus, but I think that’s genuinely something to aspire to.
KKM: How important is literature to you as an artist?
Well, literature is just important to me full stop. I learned to read very young, before I could even talk properly, so I’ve always lived in a world of books. I grew up before the internet took off, in a household with no money, and we didn’t have a television, so the local library was my main source of entertainment. Literature, as well as film, art, music etc, are a big part of how I make sense of being alive in the universe, so that informs how I go about finding inspiration, sometimes directly and consciously, sometimes indirectly and unconsciously.
KKM: Favorite cities to visit or perform in?
Since I’m from a fairly rural place where the weather changes every five minutes, usually for the worse, I’ve always had a romantic idea of the kind of city where you can sit outside a café and watch the world go by. I don’t have a favourite to visit but I prefer the kind of place where you can walk to most of it.
The way I make music is less like a physical expression and more like assembling an intricate puzzle, and I haven’t yet figured out how to translate that to a live performance, so I’ll have to get back to you when I’ve done that to know the best place to perform.
KKM: What scares you?
Indifference. In myself as much as in others. There are so many terrible things happening in the world that it often feels like the only sane thing to do is ignore it and try to just live your life. Yet it’s a tiny minority that are responsible for all of the toxicity out there, and I think if more people paid attention, they would be less likely to get away with it.
KKM: Are there any locations on the globe where you would like to retire to & that you think would be inspiring as long as you live?
I don’t know what makes a place inspiring other than the people who live there, but I do often go down to the Scottish Borders, where I grew up, so I can go for a walk in the woods or cycle along a trail by the river, so I may end up moving back there. However, I never want to feel stuck in one place so I would always want to live somewhere with a railway station nearby.
KKM: Name a song that can make you cry. Have you ever cried after you created a song or during the process? If so, what song?
I don’t know if a song has ever made me cry but when I want to wallow in self-pity I might listen to Billie Holliday, ‘I’m a Fool to Want You’ is pretty devastating. With my own music there have been times when I’ve gone to bed elated, thinking I’ve just made the greatest ever song in the entire history of recorded music, and then I’ve woken up the next day to discover that it was, in fact, absolute garbage. I may have shed a tear then.
KKM: What was the last great record you heard?
I think ‘greatness’ is overrated, it always ends up with some old white dude going on about Bob Dylan or whatever. My favourite listening experiences are usually discovering something new or hearing something familiar in a different or unexpected context. The most recent sequence of music that gave me that warm feeling was the soundtrack to the film ‘Perfect days,’ which I watched a couple of weeks ago.
KKM: Motto?
The first thing that comes to mind is that famous Samuel Beckett quote (from Worstward Ho): “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.”
KKM: What have you planned in the coming months for the band?
I’m currently recording some new songs, but I don’t know when I’ll be ready to release anything. I’m also thinking I should expand things a bit, so I might start writing a newsletter or something like that, and yeah, I should figure out a way to play live, but the only option I have right now is to sing to a backing track and maybe an audience would feel short-changed by that.
KKM: We thank you for your music, inspiration and your time;-)
Thank you for your interest, sites like yours are very important for independent artists, and I’m very grateful to everyone who listens to my music.
written by C.T.
Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Propter-Hoc/100076665708904/
Insta: Propter Hoc 🍉 (@propter.hoc) • Instagram-Fotos und -Videos
bandcamp: Music | Propter Hoc (bandcamp.com)
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Interview – the silence industry
KKM: Hello. We appreciate your time with Kainklangmusik today. We are based in Germany. Obviously Germany is well known for its different music scene and fans. Is that where your greatest response has been from perhaps?
Hello and thank you as well! Yes, I’d say that’s accurate. Germany has certainly been a place where tsi has made many connections with fans and people involved in the music scene. Something that’s great about communications technology is that it’s easier than ever to make connections across the world (like this interview!). Other places that come to mind are Portugal, France, Ireland, UK, Mexico, Indonesia, Italy, Greece and Brazil. Ha, most of these are places with their own traditions of melancholy and dark music come to think of it.
KKM: Can you talk about the latest release?
So, coming out, like, *right now* is the latest single titled “Headlong (general strike!”. This is the 4th in a series of what I’ve been calling “digital 7 inch” singles. The initial idea here was sorta to release songs individually as I was in the process of finishing them towards the goal of putting out something like a traditional full length or EP. This quickly expanded with the thought that “this sounds like a great excuse to play around with some weird stuff that wouldn’t necessarily make it to a traditional release as b-sides”.
So “Headlong…” is the latest of these. It consists of the title track, which is a bit of a thundering and slightly proggy influenced thing with maybe hints of homage to “the sound of the earth vomiting”, along with a noisy remix of a friend’s instrumental composition, a dark ambient noise piece and a tsi’ified version of the Internationale.
Previous to that was “the Crawling Eye” digital 7-inch, which included the title track, a found sound noise piece assembled from field recorded bits I recorded at work, a dark and stripped down version of “the Maw of Sleep” and an ambient piece.
KKM: The latest album includes only new material or also older ones which where hidden in a drawer?
So, the latest series of releases have all been *mostly* new material. The one exception to this was a new mix of the track “Anyways, I’m Running to You” on “Forward and/or Dust!” which originally appeared on “a Song for Bad Sectors”.
Everything else is new new, although there are some “self cover” b-sides of older material re imagined. I do have a couple of “hidden in a drawer” things that I will be working on in the future though!
KKM: Has the creative process changed at all during your time with the silnce industry?
Actually yes! Of course none of it has ever been absolutely set in stone, and it’s always been a thing that’s in the process of evolving but one very significant change to tsi’s creative process happened a few years back.
I used to write *on-the-workstation* a lot more. Of course this was almost always done with guitar or keyboard in one hand, but I used to lay-out and write tracks in the drum-sequencer quite a bit more. Then I had a hard-drive crash and lost all of the drum programs. Since by that point I already had the songs all written and structured in my head, I had to go back and re-sequence the drum programs. I found that I really enjoyed it! So I just kept doing things more in a similar vein.
The title “a Song for Bad Sectors” is sort-of a bit of an in-joke with myself about that, as that’s the album’s worth of material I was working on when I had the hard-drive crash. It set me back by almost a year on the timeline I had in my head for getting the stuff out, but tsi persevered!
Apart from that I’m definitely using the opportunities presented by the format of singles as an excuse to mess around and do weird stuff to be released as b-sides. This has been very creatively liberating.
KKM: Are you involved with any other projects? Are you involved as a remixer or in another related service?
I have at various points over the years, but haven’t had much time for this in the last while. Helped friends with mixing, played guitar on their records, but that’s going back quite a ways now. Currently helping a friend of mine learn some basics about audio production, but that’s sorta been it.
Would like to get back into that at some point though! Collaborations are fun!
KKM: Has there been any change in your use of digital analog instruments over the years?
Interesting question! Definitely yes. I used to use software amp-simulators and synthesizers a lot more. Over the years I’ve acquired a decent collection of preamps, stompboxes and a couple hardware keys/synths. None of these were very expensive.
I would say that all the guitar and bass sounds are done with most of the signal processing done in the analogue domain these days. It’s more fun for me this way, and helps me get sounds that are a bit more lo-fi and rough around the edges. I always want every note to be something that hits the listener in a way which is unique to tsi. Whether or not I’m successful in this is another question! But that’s the intent.
tsi still uses a fair bit of software synths, but more and more I’m using hardware, sampling things, and trying to find new and different ways of using software synths to a similar effect.
KKM: Concerning influences… what would you say that the musical influence would be which might be the most surprising to listeners?
Hmmm, that’s an interesting question as well. It’s hard to say what will surprise other people, maybe Hawkwind? Neil Young? Lee Scratch Perry? Those are 3 that come to mind as significant influences is some way that don’t really sound anything at all like tsi anyways.
KKM: What’s next for you in 2024 and 2025 ? What do you hope to accomplish?
I hope to get the last bits together for the currently-being-worked-on full length. This shouldn’t be too hard to get finished in 2024. Then I’m putting together a new workstation computer (which is all from used parts that were given to me. thanks friends!), and tsi will start working on more material. I don’t really know if tsi has goals to accomplish for the releases themselves. Aenaos has been great at getting the stuff out there, and I just hope it lands with people somewhere and that they are able to connect with it, which they have been and I’m really grateful for that!
So what’s next? I already have some song ideas and even some stuff written already for future releases so I’ll be just moving forward with that. I would like to continue to mess around with different release formats, and releases in different places. Part of that is really just coming into the idea that with digital releases there isn’t really anything tying music to a particular physical format’s length. “Album” “EP” “Single”… these are all essentially meaningless now, so I can see tsi putting out maybe 2 or 3 song releases, doing more long-form experiements and just continuing to push myself to try new things.
I am also hoping to experiment with doing some very limited physical release type thing as a sort of counter point to the above, I just haven’t quite decided on the details yet. I’m leaning towards a cassette thing, or maybe cd-r but I’m still undecided.
To the same effect I’m also really hoping I am able to get the time to put together something like a hand-made zine / lyric book to accompany the release of the current full-length that tsi is building towards. This would also be pretty limited.
Keep on thinking about doing something that’s an odd take on traditional merch. Like spray-stenciled upcycled t-shirts. I do mean to follow through on that one, but we’ll see. Time permitting and all.
KKM: How do you balance time between your profession, your creative work and family?
It’s always a challenge but I think the best art is always situated in the real world. I make time for music, with intention, but obviously paying the bills and taking care of family does always have to take priority. That’s just reality! But using time like coffee breaks to scrawl down some notes, the early hours of the morning and moments when everyone else is occupied can go a long way. I make every use of spare moments that I can.
KKM: How important is literature to you as an artist?
Huge. I’ve read an awful lot. A bit less lately than I’d like, but still…
I’ve been influenced an awful lot by 20th century sci-fi (both the more serious stuff and pure trash!), authors like Steinbeck, poets and visionaries like Neruda and Mayakovsky and plenty more. I think reading definitely influences how I structure my own thoughts artistically in general as well as how I use my own words.
KKM: Favorite cities to visit or perform in?
I don’t leave the place I live enough, but I’ve really enjoyed performing in Edmonton and pretty much anywhere in Texas for live-music vibes. Surprisingly in some ways I think.
I’ve always really enjoyed visiting Portland as well. Great alternative scene and lots of good food.
KKM: What scares you?
Ha! Lots. Like everyone else, being aware of ones’ own mortality is something we’re all dealing with on an ongoing basis.
Apart from that it’s probably pretty obvious to anyone who’s listened to tsi’s catalogue that loneliness, isolation, inequality, war and ecological collapse figure largely in my anxieties.
KKM: Are there any locations on the globe where you would like to retire to & that you think would be inspiring as long as you live?
As it stands right now, one day I’m currently planning on retiring to the Azores (Portugal). We’ll see if that plan changes but I think it’ll be pretty cool and inspiring. I can think of others though. Maybe Mexico. There’s also a martial arts school I would love to spend a couple months at eventually about 25k north of Beijing. Bucket list!
KKM: Name a song that can make you cry. Have you ever cried after you created a song or during the process? If so, what song?
“the same deep water as you” and “a letter to Elise” by the Cure have done that to me. Ha, “if you could read my mind” by Gordon Lightfoot comes to mind for some reason as well. Lots more. “Severance” by Dead Can Dance.
That’s happened a few times in the creative process as well to be sure. I’m not sure I can recall all of them but “on Feathered Wings”, “the Maw of Sleep” and “the Colour of Heaven” all come to mind.
KKM: What was the last great record you heard?
Oh jeez, that’s tough. I’ve been listening to a lot of newer stuff lately, but more and more people are doing singles and shorter releases, so it’s tough for me to say what the last great “record” was if we’re talking full lengths. “Maverick” by Aenaos labelmate (((S))) is pretty great.
I also really enjoyed a noise/experimental electronic full length record by Nonperson called “the night of the world”.
If we’re talking about any length, Darkness by Deliverance and Morose Museum by Lessons in Purgatory.
There’s great stuff coming out all the time these days. Hopefully some of that great stuff is from tsi. :)
KKM: Motto?
I’ve never really thought about it, whether I have a personal or artistic motto. Just do what feels right. Don’t think too hard about fitting into a box that already exists. Genres are for journalists to describe music after the fact, not guardrails for creativity. Be a good human. Don’t be afraid to be compassionate in this often brutal world. Love can be, and often is, subversive and dangerous. Break their haughty power!
KKM: We thank you for your music, inspiration and your time;-)
Thanks so much for the interview! It’s been a pleasure. :) <3
Thanks for reading and thanks for listening! More on the way as always. <3
G.
written by C.T.
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Interview – Black Angel
Where are you located and what are the vibes like musically there? Have the different places you’ve lived inspired you differently or brought unique challenges to you as an artist?
Black Angel are located in Los Angeles, I myself come from the UK, I am a English 80s UK kid for sure, it was my time there is a teenager that has definitely inspired me to create and continue with our Gothic rock band Black Angel. Living in Los Angeles it’s obviously a great multicultural society with a lot of live music so we don’t really find any challenges without living here, I guess the only challenge we face these days is trying to get some exposure Over the over populated music industry as it stands right now
How did the creative process differ for this latest release than older ones?
Unfortunately, to say the creative process didn’t differ at all, we tend to stick to a fairly staple procedure, I’ll start writing songs when I get the opportunity and musical imagination to make a start, that usually takes about three or four months as they develop the music, tracks yet either expand it or quite often deleted, once I have a 10 track album that I’m happy with. I’ll send it over to Corey and Maneesha for them to do their vocal magic, it comes back, lives with me for a bit to finish up production techniques, and once I’m happy with it, I put it on the shelf for a month, go away, do something else, come back, have a listen, make tweaks, and then it’s released.
Can you talk about the current single and the next one?
We just released three singles, killer, black, velvet, amphetamine, and the last dance, these are all of our new album. Lascivious switches out now and you can purchase from our website or off Bandcamp, it was great to be able to start releasing some songs off the album before we got it finished, it’s all about timing, release them too early and people forget about you, release them too late, and sometimes people can miss the bus
How do you balance time between your profession, your creative work and family?
Is the discipline in balancing a challenge? I’m in a lucky position, whereby I have the studio that we use a Black Angel Projects attached to my house, it’s not in the house, which is good, there’s a separate building, but it’s very close, and it means when I get inspired, I can just go do my thing and then easily get back to the family, it’s also a way where I’m not pressured to have to go and work, I can just go there. When I need to, it’s easier to balance, family and regular work. we both work in the film industry and that can be fairly volatile in terms of schedule so sometimes it’s hard to make time for live events or if we were to go on tour as for both of us or Phil ministry work has to come first, then family, or maybe both of those are the same and then music needs to come last, but hopefully we balance everything equally so we can get a good lifestyle
How important is literature to you as an artist?
For me, not so much, I’m definitely a music person, for the first two albums I collaborated with other songwriters to come up with the lyrics, on the third album I decided to do it myself and now we are on the sixth album I’m finding the process so much easier and more natural, I always use my wife as a sounding board for the lyrics on the tracks and she’s pretty much spot on every time when she can see that I really meant to say what I wanted to end when I was just writing lyrics because I needed to.
Favorite cities to visit or perform in?
That would be very nice to have a list, unfortunately, we’ve only played in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Portland, we would love to put together an American tour, and we are actively seeking out a tour company or promoter to help us to do that so if there are any out there that are reading this, please do not hesitate to get in touch if you might be interested :-)
What scares you?
I think as a band, and especially nowadays, you need to build a brand, that sounds very corporate, but it takes a hell of a lot of time and energy apart from making the music to actually get yourself. Heard these days, I did touch on earlier about how big and overpopulated the music industry is, well, it’s only getting more overpopulated as people release more and more music. Every day, some of this is essential and some of it maybe not so much, so trying to poke your head above, the absolutely enormous amount of independent music out there is getting harder and harder each day, so yes, we need to create a brand so I guess if anything scares me, it’s the fact that something might change and that all the work that we’ve done in order to get some exposure may have been in vain
Are there any locations on the globe where you would like to retire to & that you think would be inspiring as long as you live?
Oh, I’m definitely going to retire to Spain, I want to be near the UK I definitely won’t be retiring in Los Angeles, it is extremely extremely expensive, and in many cases is not a very nice place to live.
Name a song that can make you cry. Have you ever cried after you created a song or during the process? If so, what song?
That is a great question, I’d like to tell my wife that on every album I have created a song just for her, on the first couple of albums that was definitely true, but it was also more convenient, on our third album and Prince of Darkness, I wrote a song from the beginning for her, called my love, I definitely was in tears half the time I wrote it, I was definitely in tears, when I record of the demo, and in floods of tears when I played it for her for the first time, but it was definitely well received an anybody that has heard the song definitely feels the sentiment.
What was the last great record you heard?
That’s a tricky one, and definitely hard to single it out to one particular record, so I’m going to pick a couple, one would be Floodland by the sisters of Mercy, another would be juju by Siouxsie and the banshees and then I guess the album that I come back to over and over, and I just saw them play in Los Angeles last week, is the cult and their album love, I heard this album on cassette in 1984 and I still play the album regularly to this day
Motto?
I have it tattooed on my arm, ‘life is tough, be prepared’
What have you planned in the coming months for the band?
We just released lascivious, so we are just finishing up Publicity and getting to release the album on vinyl, then I’m going to start writing on our sixth studio album called Electric, and at the same time we are going to see if it is possible to come up with a North American or West Coast tour of America, we want to say thank you very much to all of the people that have listened to and bought all music, is extremely important to us and without them it’s very difficult to continue so I think thank you to those folks. Thank you very much for the great questions and thank you for listening.
written by W.Z.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blkangelmusic
Web: https://www.blackangelmusic.com/?fbclid=IwAR18YAJ-6joB7lT0yb_XVsG7x2ZKQrXeB_KQyHEg-7GO8E_otUZ_uIMYoLI
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Interview – Sonum Unum
What’s the meaning behind your band name?
Mike: It means One Sound in Latin.
Where are you from and what are the musical vibes like there?
Craig: We are both from Connecticut originally. Musically there is not a huge scene around here. New Haven and New London have some things going on but the Hartford area has been dismal to say the least for the last two decades or so. In 2019 I made it a point to venture up to western Massachusetts. The music scene is way more vibrant up there and is filled with diverse musicians of all sorts of genres.
What themes/stories run through your latest album?
Craig: A lot of the album touches on the human connection but also love and loss be it family friends or loved ones. I feel like my approach is similar to many other vocalists where the initial improvised melody comes first then I form the lyrics around that gibberish melody, trying to match the phrasing accordingly. In the end there is certainly meaningful results but much of what is heard is up to the listener to interpret what it means in their own human experience.
What was the last good book you read and how did it affect you?
Mike: Tao Te Ching. Taught me how to live with just enough effort without trying too hard.
Craig: The Art Of Not Giving A Fuck. The title says it all. Really it’s a wonderfully written self help guide about not sweating the things that we typically do everyday.
Which public figures do you most despise?
Craig : Politicians, News pundits, anyone not contributing to good for all mankind. Despise is a harsh word though. I just think those people have always been misguided.
Favorite cities to visit or perform in?
Craig: I’ve always had some great experiences in New York, Boston and Philadelphia. You can typically rely on a relatively built in audience in the major cities,
What artists do you think are overrated/underrated and why?
Craig: While I understand the accessibility and catchiness of mainstream pop music I would say the vast majority of anyone on the Billboard top 10 is super overrated.
Name a song that can make you cry?
Craig: “Vaka” by Sigur Ros or “Song To The Siren” by Tim Buckley
Mike: The Wind by Cat Stevens
What do you feel is the most emotional track you’ve ever written?
Mike: “Seasons”
Craig: Emotional is typically what I aim for when it comes to songwriting. I have a few other projects that definitely tug at the heartstrings.
Three records guaranteed to evoke emotion for you?
Craig: :Sigur Ros – (), Queensryche – Rage For Order, Voivod – Angel Rat
Where do you go to chill out?
Craig: Anywhere there is water
written by W.Z.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sonumunum
bandcamp: Musik | Sonum Unum https://sonumunum.bandcamp.com
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Interview – Still Patient?
Das Warten für die Fans von Still Patient? hat ein Ende!!! Bei „LOVE AND RITES OF RAGE“ – werdet Ihr in die Welt von Liebe, Schmerz und Melancholie gelockt. Dabei wird Euch der Sound kraftvoll mitreißend, aber auch ruhig und dunkel begegnen.
Ich freue mich ganz besonders, dass die Band sich Zeit genommen hat mir ein paar Fragen zu beantworten.
KKM: Hallo Ihr! Euer neues Album „LOVE AND RITES OF RAGE“ ist gerade erschienen. Erzählt uns doch kurz, wovon das Album handelt?
Andy Koa: Das Album beschäftigt sich im Großen und Ganzen mit dem für uns wichtigsten Gefühl und Sehnsucht: Der Liebe. Sie hat viele Facetten, von der Erfüllung über Sebis zur Zerstörung. Wir alle möchten Liebe spüren und wissen dennoch, wie sehr sie auch schmerzen kann. Die Songs wurden zum Teil in einer Zeit großer persönlicher Veränderungen geschrieben und sind zum Teil Momentaufnahmen der jeweiligen Stadien.
KKM: 2018 erschien Euer letztes Studioalbum „Zeitgeist Weltschmerz“. Eine lange Zeit. Was habt Ihr in dieser Zeit getan?
Beckes: In der Tat eine lange Zeit. Zunächst hatten wir nach der Veröffentlichung des Albums einige Konzerte, die uns zum einen auf Festivals wie z.B. das NCN in Deutzen, aber auch ins Ausland wie z.B. erstmals nach Griechenland und auch nach England geführt haben. Parallel dazu begannen wir auch schon an neuen Songs zu arbeiten, bevor wir, wie so viele andere Bands auch, durch Corona und den damit verbundenen Lockdown ausgebremst wurden. In dieser Zeit haben sich bei den einzelnen Bandmitgliedern so viele Ideen angesammelt, dass wir insgesamt 17 Songs fertigstellen konnten, von denen 4 Stücke vorab digital auf der EP LEITBILD ANGST veröffentlicht wurden, da sie stilistisch noch zu nah am ZEITGEIST-Album waren. Der Rest ist auf dem neuen Album zu finden.
Andy Koa: Nach jedem fertigen Album beginnt umgehend die Arbeit an neuen Songs und Ideen. Nach ZEITGEIST WELTSCHMERZ hatten wir zwar eine ungefähre Vorstellung davon, wie die nächsten Songs klingen sollten, aber so etwas lässt sich bei uns nicht wirklich planen. Wir entwickeln unsere Musik nicht am Reißbrett, sondern sie kommt unmittelbar aus uns heraus. So sind auch Stücke entstanden, die sich stilistisch etwas voneinander unterscheiden, zum einen eher in Richtung des Vorgängeralbums, zum anderen wollten wir wieder etwas mehr zu unseren musikalischen Ursprüngen zurückkehren. Deswegen die Aufteilung der Stücke auf die digitale EP und das neue Album.
KKM: Die verrückten Jahre 2021 und 2022 sind endlich vorbei. Wie habt ihr sie verbracht?
Andy Koa: Nach unserem letzten Konzertwochenende in England, kurz bevor alles dicht gemacht wurde, mussten wir uns erst einmal den Gegebenheiten anpassen. Gemeinsam an neuem Material zu arbeiten, war erst einmal nicht mehr möglich. Wir haben versucht, den Kontakt innerhalb der Band aufrechtzuerhalten und uns auf die vorhandenen Songs konzentriert. Im Nachhinein haben uns diese Jahre sehr geholfen, da wir uns mehr auf die Ausarbeitung unserer Musik konzentrieren konnten. Die Songs auf unserem neuen Album haben dadurch mehr Tiefe und Atmosphäre bekommen. Wir waren auch gezwungen, uns mehr mit uns selbst und unseren Themen des Lebens auseinandersetzen, was unseren Stücken sehr zugute kam.
Beckes: Musikalisch waren die letzten zwei Jahre vor allem mit der Fertigstellung des neuen Albums ausgefüllt. Die vielen Ideen zu sortieren, zu arrangieren und schließlich zu produzieren, hat viel Zeit in Anspruch genommen. Aber ich denke, es hat sich gelohnt. Privat bin ich dann auch noch umgezogen und habe im letzten Jahr noch einmal geheiratet.
KKM: Wie viel Arbeit hattet ihr an dem Album und hat euch jemand unterstützt?
Andy Koa: Jedes neue Album ist ein Kraftakt. Nicht nur das Schreiben der Songs, sondern auch das Realisieren der Ideen und Vorstellungen, wie es am Ende klingen soll. Das ist uns in der Vergangenheit nicht immer so gut gelungen. Gerade dieses Album war für uns extrem wichtig und wir wollten es so gut wie möglich hinbekommen. Das hat auch einen enormen Druck aufgebaut, aber letztendlich sind wir sehr stolz auf das Ergebnis.
Beckes: Das Album hat schon viel Zeit in Anspruch genommen, gerade weil so viel Input von allen zu verarbeiten war. Das Songwriting, die Arrangements und die Aufnahmen haben wir selbst gemacht. Für den Mix und das Mastering haben wir dann auf die Hilfe von Rolf Munkes in den Empire Studios in Bensheim zurückgegriffen. Er hat uns auch den einen oder anderen Arrangement-Tipp gegeben und ist im Laufe der Zeit zu einem guten Freund geworden.
KKM: Das ist ja nun bei weitem nicht euer erstes Album. Ist die Aufregung trotzdem immer noch groß?
Andy Koa: Natürlich ist die Aufregung noch da. Man will es ja ganz besonders richtig machen. Es ist immer wieder eine neue Herausforderung an sich selbst und an den Menschen, der das Ganze produziert. Die Zeit ist dabei immer der schwierigste Faktor, weil sie oft auf ein Minimum begrenzt ist. Man muss jede Sekunde nutzen, um das Ergebnis positiv zu beeinflussen. Wir haben großes Glück, endlich jemanden gefunden zu haben, der uns und unsere Musik versteht und weiß, wo wir hin wollen.
Beckes: Bei mir auf jeden Fall. Ich vergleiche das immer ein bisschen mit dem Vaterwerden, da war ich auch immer aufgeregt, sowohl während der Schwangerschaft als auch bei der Geburt meiner Kinder. Das legt man auch nicht ab, egal wie oft man Vater wird. Und jedes neue Album ist auch wie ein Kind für mich.
KKM: Welche Musik habt ihr im Schaffensprozess privat gehört und hat diese Musik das Album vielleicht auch ein Stück weit beeinflusst?
Andy Koa: Wir alle hören ein breites Spektrum an Musik, die uns sicherlich unterschwellig beeinflusst. Das war schon immer so. Ich persönlich habe früher sehr wenig Gothic-Rock gehört und war daher auch wenig davon beeinflusst. Aber wir waren uns alle einig, dass wir mit dem neuen Album stilistisch zurückgehen wollten, ohne dabei an Qualität einzubüßen. Das neue Album ist genau das, was wir in den 90ern gerne gemacht hätten, aber nicht geschafft haben.
Beckes: Ich höre nicht viel anderes als sonst auch. Mein Musikgeschmack geht von Darkwave über Indie, Punk, Metal bis hin zu ruhiger, sphärischer Musik. Von daher kann ich jetzt nicht sagen, dass ich besondere Einflüsse von außen hatte. Allerdings hatten wir uns vor Beginn des Songwritings überlegt, wieder etwas mehr “back to the roots” zu gehen, was uns anscheinend auch ganz gut gelungen ist.
KKM: Ist es euch schwerer gefallen, am neuen Album zu arbeiten? Hat es euch in eurer Kreativität beeinträchtigt?
Andy Koa: Man möchte natürlich frei und unbelastet an neuen Stücken arbeiten, was in den meisten Fällen nicht unbedingt möglich ist. Der Alltag, das Privatleben und vieles mehr beeinflussen und beeinträchtigen den kreativen Prozess immer, wenn auch nicht immer negativ. Schließlich schreiben wir Musik, die Gefühle und Bilder transportiert, die oft von Schmerz und Trauer geprägt sind. Widrige Umstände sind oft ein guter Ideenlieferant. Diesmal haben wir uns gezwungenermaßen mehr Zeit nehmen müssen, und somit auch mehr Einflüsse zugelassen, die unserer Kreativität förderlich waren.
Beckes: Ich persönlich hatte bei der Arbeit am neuen Album tatsächlich eine Phase, in der es nicht so gut lief und in der mir – zumindest gefühlt – nicht so viele gute Ideen kamen. Aber das ist im kreativen Prozess nicht unbedingt ungewöhnlich.
KKM: Was macht euch persönlich mehr Spaß, die Produktion oder die Live-Auftritte?
Andy Koa: Die Arbeit an den Songs zu Hause gehört zu meinem Alltag und ich möchte sie nicht missen. Man kann sich sehr gut darin verlieren. Live-Auftritte hingegen bieten uns die Möglichkeit, direkt mit Menschen in Kontakt zu treten, die von unserer Musik bereits berührt wurden oder uns zum ersten Mal erleben. Das ist immer sehr spannend, vor allem, wenn man die Möglichkeit hat, nach den Konzerten mit vielen Leuten ins Gespräch zu kommen. Das ist uns sehr wichtig und macht auch einen großen Teil unserer Motivation aus.
Beckes: Ich arbeite gerne an der Entstehung neuer Songs und finde es immer wieder spannend zu sehen, wie ein Song Gestalt annimmt. Aber für mich sind Live-Auftritte ganz klar der Favorit.
KKM: Habt ihr für 2023 / 2024 insgesamt eine Tour geplant?
Andy Koa: Es ist sehr schwierig geworden, mehrere Konzerte hintereinander zu organisieren. Die Corona-Jahre mit den vielen Absagen und mehrfachen Verschiebungen stecken der Konzertszene noch in den Knochen. Die meisten bevorzugen größere Festivals, weil sie sich dort mehr erhoffen und auch um Freunde wiederzutreffen. Auch wenn dort die ewig gleichen Headliner rotieren. Die kleinen Clubkonzerte mit ihren überschaubaren Besucherzahlen bleiben oft auf der Strecke. Das lohnt sich für viele Veranstalter nicht mehr und auch etablierte Konzertreihen verschwinden. Wir sind jedenfalls für beide Möglichkeiten offen. Wir werden aber im Rahmen des WGT 2024 im Hellraiser und auf dem Castle Rock in Mülheim a.d.R. spielen. Dann wird es noch eine Handvoll Clubkonzerte in der zweiten Jahreshälfte geben.
Beckes: Wenn die Fans und die Veranstalter das möglich machen, würde ich mich sehr freuen. :-)
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