From what kind of musical background are you coming from and how did you land into this scene?

By mistake? Out of protest? I used to do techno music up until 2008. At one point, I just got bored with the scene, for many reasons, but one being that I found it’s really depressing, because it’s all about party, party, party. It got a bit uninteresting, is that normal?

So after one particular night I just got an old tape, I can’t remember if it was The Joy Division or The Sisters of Mercy on a cassette and I listened to that and I was like wow this is great!

Then we had a band called “Fleisch am Frühstück” (Meat for Breakfast), which was kind of a punk band and when this band ended I was left with lots of unfinished tracks, which then started turning into new wave things after I did an anti Nouvelle Vague cover version of Tanze Samba Mit Mir, as a protest against Nouvelle Vague, that is an awful French band which is destroying New Wave who used to turn them into elevator music.

Back then I think you were still living in Switzerland up until around 2007 I believe?

Up until 2011.

Were you pretty much alone to play this type of music on the local scene?

Ha ha, it’s about the same now isn’t? Yeah, completely!

There was another guy that had a night that was called Disorder, who was occasionally playing New Wave kind of stuff but it was more mainstream things but I didn’t even know there was a scene for that kind of music when I started.

It’s a MySpace thing. It’s completely a MySpace thing. I just did that track, this anti Nouvelle Vague track, then I did a few others and I just threw them on MySpace out of fun, and I started adding people as friends, who’s hairstyles and haircuts were like ha ha ha ha, then suddenly one guy contacted me and was like “hey, I really like your music do you want to play at my festival?”, and this was my first gig, and it turned out I played with, I remember, I was opening up for Neon and Absolute Body Control. This was this other band called Velvet Condom and may be something else that I forgot but yeah it was quite a start…

And this fest was in Switzerland?

No that was in Germany. I only played in Switzerland twice, at L’Usine and Le Cabinet, in Geneva. The other one in Lausanne was not really a gig because I kind of left mid way…

I think you are planning to self-release your upcoming EP, Moonlandings.

Yes I got it here for you but you said you didn’t want any vinyl…

What motivated you to do so?

I don’t know it just seemed like the logical thing to do, not that I don’t like labels but I just like having no process under control. I also saw this a little bit as a challenge, it’s like I’m gonna press all of this, I’m actually going to get rid of it or I’m gonna have to recycle it into roof tiles or fruit bowls, lamp shades or whatever.

I just got them here actually. They just arrived this morning!

Oh you actually got them already! Sorry I didn’t know they just arrived this morning. Nice!

The weird thing about it, is that the back label changes its colour depending on what light you’re on, because it was meant to be vaguely purple, but when I look at it at home it’s brown and now I look at it again and it’s purple. You know what I mean? It’s kind of pinkish now. It’s not meant to be pink. It should be purple but at home it’s brown so it was a bit disappointing and I’ve got 500 of them and there brown.

But you don’t want it do you?

Yes of course I do!

What is the meaning of the opening track title, 2m2?

It’s about living in the confines of your own safe-space and not getting over yourself and getting out there and trying new things.

OK but is it an abbreviation?

2 square meters.

Ah OK I get it now, thank you!

I was surprised to discover a slow track, Sad Song, when pretty much everything you did before is more upbeat. What gave you the blues to write this song?

It was just a very low evening. I kind of came home a bit drunk and I just sat in the studio and it just came out like that. It was a time I was listening a lot to a track by Molly Nelson, a song that won’t be played on the radio, which was going on in my head. It’s got a little bit of this vibe, it was very low dime this time of my life, so yeah, it’s about being pretty desperate but still showing to believe that that’s something beyond that point where you’re like, argh you know, you can’t think this can get much lower but there must be something else, but you’re not quite sure what. Yeah, there must be something and this is quite what it’s about.

When searching for Gertrud Stein online I came across the other Gertrude Stein (the one with the ‘e’) from the 19th century.

Yeah the one with the ‘e’, the fake one.

Were you influenced by this writer or she just happened to be a homonym?

No it’s actually a very funny story actually I was listening to an album by Jeff & Jane Hudson, the ones who do that song Los Alomos. They have an album on which they have a song that’s called Gertrud Stein, and I just though the name kicked ass, because living back in Switzerland Gertrud is about the most unpopular name that you can think of.

Everyone in Geneva hate anything German to start with, and Gertrud is like yeah, it’s like the most unsexy, unfashionable most horrible name that anyone can think of.

The same as Brutus for guys I would guess. Very good choice then!

Probably worst, and it’s only afterwards that I vaguely checked was she was writing and I quite liked it, I was kind of wondering if she was going to be some horrible writer, writing about horrible things, but no I can live with that.

You’ve being singing in German and English but you also speak a perfect French with this lovely Swiss accent. How come you never wrote any song in French?

I don’t know this just doesn’t work. No I’ve got the start of one line of lyrics in French, so I even surprised myself, to the melody of Victoria by The Fall. It’s in my head for 3 years and I was kind of wondering if I was finally going to sing something in French or not. May be, who knows?

I really like Plastic Spoon from your first album but I was always puzzled by the chorus line: “I’m making love with a plastic spoon”. Are you really so kinky?

It’s about the Drop Dead festival in Portugal where they had this band Kitchen & The Plastic Spoon, an 80’s band from Sweden. It’s a bit long ago now and I’m not quite sure if I remember this correctly but I think I had something going with on with one of the guys of Kitchen & The Plastic Spoon, and I think on a different night I may have something going on with another guy of Kitchen & The Plastic Spoon.

That’s where it’s coming from. Not with a plastic spoon. I’m not quite sure how practical that would be…

If aliens landed in front of you and, in exchange for anything you desire, offered you any position on their planet what would you want?

A Delorean, that one that travels in time as well!

But what if you wanted any position on their planet? What kind of job would you do for that on their planet?

I’d be quite happy in my Delorean I have to say. I’d travel back in the 80’s and I’d go see lot of bands I missed back in the day and that kind of stuff…

You have been very active in London organizing gigs and the Achtung Achtung events. What have been driving you to stay so active?

I’m radio-active. I can’t sit down. That’s the thing it’s pathological. Also nobody plays the music I like so somebody’s got to do it. That’s why the Achtung Achtung party is called the music nobody like, because nobody’s got a clue of the music I’m playing there.

What are your future projects and where do you see yourself in 20 years?

Oh my god this is like a job interview! Do you know how old I’m gonna be in 20 years? I’m probably gonna be in a wheelchair! Deaf for sure, I won’t be able to hear anything. That’s already a problem now.

I don’t know. I want to live in a castle in the woods in a big house with a recording studio that takes up the whole floor with lots of synths everywhere, you know, filled with gear and with a venue in the basement. In the summer I’d do a festival in the garden and there be like deers and pheasants. I’d be wild life meet minimal wave festival.

Would you come?

Of course! I hope I’ll live long enough to see that!

Do you have any gigs or tour coming up anytime soon?

There’s Nathan’s party on the 5th of January with QUAL, Synapscape and Thorofon. May be I’m gonna have a little record release party at the same time.

And then there will be the BIM Fest in Saint-Niklaas, Belgium.

To end up would you like to spread any word or add anything else?

I’m gonna add something in French. I already did that in another interview but I think it’s an important message to the world which says: “Le persil et la coriande ont beaux se ressembler, dans le Papet Veaudois la coriandre ça le fait moyen.”

Original audio recording

How did you guys met and started making music together?

Ben: We meet in Berlin in front of a club. He just came to me and asked me: “Do you play any instrument?” And so we decided to meet each other the next days. Frasco was jamming with a lot of different people. First project he formed was “Rotten Western Kulture” or RWK with our friend AC.

Even if your music really speak to me and I love the sound of Deutsch vocals in music, I must admit that I don’t understand much of your lyrics. Can you tell us about the most recurring themes and topics in your songs?

Ben: We also perform one of Frascos songs in Italian by the way! ;-D But… I cant tell you one straight answer. Its about different things… some are more “SciFi” or even with funny content. Some are more questioning things or pointing at things like the last 2 big nuclear catastrophes, one is even political or an other one is about what we’re afraid about what the future society could turn into… so really a lot of different topics or nonsense.

Your music obviously brings punk aesthetics and feelings. Were you both into the punk scene before getting into electronic music?

Ben: I never considered myself as punk or anything… I was always interested in subcultures and liked to get around and meet different people. And in my teenager years I started to hang out in locations or punk/metal/Oi!/Ska/Rockabilly…etc concerts and in every “scene” which represents some kind of attitude without just being a fashion-trend, I can found something interesting for me. I like the subculture all in all.

Frasco: What I believe is “There is not Authority but Yourself”, the DIY way of the things, and create instead of destroy. What I consider Punk isn’t necessarily a band with bunch of spikes on the leather jacket or vomiting on the stage.

A rebellion as something that want to change to a better stage, because ideals and burning energy for let the things happens, not wait that someone will build something for you. This is my way of be and been Punk. The rest do not impress me, since mostly is a matter of appearance.

About the music it can consider Punk the way to play and express myself for an urgency that is unstoppable, and actually “Lust” is one of my favorite words..

Which punk record have you been listening to the most in your life?

Ben: Gosh… there might be many… I like different kinds of “punk” music… even some minimalwave tracks can be “punk” in my kind of taste. since i am very interested in electronic instruments i started looking for synthpunk-elektropunk bands. In style of punkrock i am a big fan of Schleimkeim, Telekoma, GG Allin, Unicef, Demented Are Go and everything raw, rough… best with violent vocals!!

Frasco: Some of my all-time favorite are the first two album of the Italian band CCCP, My War from Black Flag, specially the guitar of Greg Ginn is pure raw expression; the firsts two album of the Wipers. Also the drumming of Penny Rimbaud from Crass is unbeatable…the early works of DAF since the end of the 80s… I heard the songs of Negazione on the Split Tape “Mucchio Selvaggio” 1000 times in the past… these are the names that I have in my mind at the moment.

I think Frasco had to move back in Italy a little while ago, so how do you still manage to collaborate together?

Frasco: Yes I am here in my hometown Florence after many years of traveling and satisfy my want of knowledge. Nowadays it is actually not so important where you live since you have many contacts and you can fly easily everywhere, with some organization.

We are still at work for our new album, that will need some more little time, and I invited him to record his voice here in Florence, at a Studio here next to Florence, where other guys from Berlin like Jemek Jemowit did his record.

We have also some gigs together on the Calendar, like the Young and Cold Festival the next September.

I don’t care about not have Gigs often now, is a deep exploring time, more intimate, and a big new wave will splash again soon..

I’ve heard that when you first started composing together a creative flow took place very naturally. Can you tell us how it happened and how are you usually working together?

Frasco: For my experience and for how I am, the better musical expression is always coming out from improvisation. This is a natural attitude, not a method that will work for everyone every time off course, but improvisation and experiencing with, is a fundamental way of expression and a invaluable pleasure.

RWK and our duo are consequently expression of energetic fun about playing, and everything we did until now is born thru the improvisation, when more when less.

There is of course timeless dedication for example I spent with sequencing and programming the drum machines, and sometimes, concentrate myself for hours on details bring me really far from spontaneous choices.. And when I hear again the first sketch of a song happens really often that: “Fuck!! I don´t like it like I liked it before!”

When thinking about all the gigs you played in the past, where did you have the most fun?

Ben: Definitely both gigs in Paris!! At the first show there, at a totally overcrowded club, the Bunkerbal Party, i got to close to the edge of the stage… some people in the first row ripped my shirt to shreds!

Then the second time at the “Zombie Academie” festival…also totally overcrowded place… crazy freaky people all over the place… really violent pogo dancing… they had to put 2 bouncers in front of the stage so that the people don’t enter the stage all the time!! when were over with our show and we wanted to leave…they grabbed me and forced me to a stage dive…back to stage and we hat to play “encore encore!” …some more songs for the crazy mob! ;D

Are you planning a new release anytime soon? Any other gig dates are confirmed yet?

Frasco: There is a plan for a new LP Album that will name “Schwere Schritte” (literally “Heavy Steps”), that will collect some singles that we already release, and brand new songs, that are in form of sketches now. The distance between us have delayed the process off course, and this new Chapter of my life changed really much about my way to think about music creations: the shape is not anymore the big pot Berlin that nowadays is a huge art-magnet, but a little big city that have one of the most important history in the world.

I am sure, when this point arrives, the new LP will be a welcome surprise for new coming ears and who slowly start to think that maybe nothing will happens anymore with this project.

There is the Gig at “Young and Cold Festival” in Augsburg (near Munich) that is a Festival that is getting bigger at every edition and is organized from friends of us. The lineup is very interesting and I really will like to go there even if I would not play.

Would you like to add anything else or spread any message?

Frasco: New Wave is not dead! Theres always the Newest!

With Popsimonova I take care of the mixing, occasionally write lyrics and/or develop some musical ideas. If we both feel that my participation as an author is significant for the song, then we sign it together so there’s no confusion. FFFC is a duo with my old friend Yas (Le Chocolat Noir), he made me discover so much great music throughout the years, still does. Then Sumerian Fleet, that’s Mr Pauli, Alden Tyrell and me, a long distance collaboration. I go to Holland once or twice a year to work on new stuff and it’s easy to overdub/record and exchange files these days so I can also do some work at my own studio, of course. Kali Jugend is the freshest project, I’d say the core of this one are Popsimonova, Petar Car (from noise band Smrt i Čekić) and me, but we also had some very important creative input from Mr Pauli, and the bassist from Croatian band Baden Baden, Goran Djurich. I’m also collaborating with an immensely talented singer Iva VIs. It’s a lot, but not overwhelming yet.

In addition to that I’m trying to make a living with mastering and mixing for other artists. I recently did mastering for new Legowelt album, Marquis Hawkes, Simoncino and some other Creme Organisation releases, so that’s the direction I’m trying to take. Touring is exhausting, studio work is easier, at least for me.

Are you now able to survive off this studio work? Do you feel like you can now focus and spend enough time in the studio?

Well I never made a cent from any of my releases, so I depend on mixing and mastering jobs and live shows. I can sustain myself, since I’m really not a big spender. There are dry periods without any income and it’s very hard to keep your concentration and composure when you don’t have enough money to pay your bills. But I can disconnect from reality when I have to work and just delay any anxious thoughts or emotional reactions for a while until the work is done. I’m not complaining, this is much better than a normal job, at least for me, that is. I spend quite a lot of time trying to get new jobs and gigs, and I’m really not very good at that, sometimes it’s very frustrating, I’d love to be able to replace those man hours with actual studio work. I’m determined to change this in the future by having someone else doing it for me.

You don’t seem to be an analog gear snob as your music often brings a refreshing mix of modern and vintage sounds. It is an artistic choice or you just happen to be creative with the tools at your hands?

Oh I don’t care about analog/digital that much. Whichever sounds good. The selection of gear in the studio is quite big, since we are 4 guys who put all their junk together in one big pool so I can pretty much choose the sound I want at the source. I prefer to spend a bit more time getting the right sound before recording than having to “fix it in the mix” so it often means trying out different machines, it’s all very inspiring and fun. The analog thing has a valid point, the philosophy of having a non quantised signal, but in practical terms it would mean that you’d have to avoid digitalisation at any stage and it’s just not possible for me right now. If I had extra money and time I would like to try it, I’m really curious about the effect. I do have some doubts about digitalisation, but I also have my doubts about using petrol and I still drive a car.. So at this point – whichever gets the job done is fine, you are right to use the word “tools”, that’s exactly what gear is for me.

Working on these projects in parallel obviously allowed you to explore different musical grounds, themes and ideas. But after these experiences, for which one of these projects did you feel the most enthusiasm, with the freedom to explore the territories that attract you the most?

Well I can certainly say that I’m a bit bored with the minimal synth trend and I guess I’ll be doing less of that stuff, there’s just too much emotionally distressed bands trying to sound like it’s 198X, all like “boo-hoo, I’m so sensitive, my drums are uncompressed, weltschmertz hits me hard, my songs consist of 2 chords and I use way too much reverb..” It’s been done 30 years ago, it was very cool, yes, let’s move on to new areas, please. I’d like to pursue some new territories, especially taking elements of funk, rock and blues and trying to fit some analogue synth noise with it. Sure, Suicide did it a long time ago, also Cabaret Voltaire and many others, but I find it sounds very powerful and different with modern production techniques. On the other hand I’m very interested to make some dirty and raw electro for the dancefloor. There’s a lot of stuff I only have as midi files in my MPC, for my Zarkoff live set. I should really sit down, sort it and record, I’ll try to do that during April.

Outside of music, where do you get the most inspiration from literature, the real life, or whatever else?

Well, I studied phonetics and Russian language/literature, so I was into literature a lot. Unfortunately not so much recently. It’s big and lasting influence of course, in terms of style and form, I do “borrow” motives and templates. And the topics spring up from phrases that spring up from music. So if I can analyze my own method I guess the process starts with a sound that inspires me. Somehow I feel that the sound contains a melody in itself, at least in my mind, sometimes a rythym. It’s not a preposterous concept since the harmonics can really correlate with notes in scales. So then this barebone rythmic/melodic loop usually develops a bit until it inspires some kind of vocal phrase, that brings up a certain feeling, topic and then usually some analysis takes place, I try to be critical and delete elements that aren’t functional or lead the song astray. Real life sounds usually don’t have this effect on me, listening to music inspires me to create more music. Monkey see, monkey do, in short.

How is the scene doing in Croatia? Is there a good community to organize gigs and parties? Any fanzines or radio shows supporting the local scene?

In spite of the many saying the opposite, I think it’s ok. There was a rough period from 2009-2013 (approximately) and now something’s happening again, good parties and concerts in Zagreb every weekend, a few new places opened up, a new vinyl store, some new labels, radio shows. Dark electro, EBM, minimal synth and wave stuff a bit less, but it’s there. House, electro and techno much more, but I’m not talking about commercial house and techno – there’s plenty of that stuff on the numerous seaside festivals. I mean underground, dirty and gritty sound, half legal places, good parties. I mean it’s not spectacular, but it’s ok, there are things to see and places to go. And I’d dare say we have some real talent here and I hope our artists will get more exposure internationally.

What can we expect from your projects in 2014?

2 LPs – new Sumerian Fleet on Dark Entries, and one with Popsimonova on J.A.M. Traxx. Also a release on Zagreb’s finest DIY label 0,5 – probably an EP. I hope to find a label that would be interested in Kali Jugend as well, but maybe it’s unrealistic to expect a release during 2014. On the other hand, the release for Kraftjerkz went very fast, it was only a few months from submitting the tracks to the actual release, so.. you never know.

Would you like to add anything else or spread any other words?

Oh I better not start preaching, it could go on for pages. Maybe I could write a book one day. “Prof. Zarkoff’s guide to human condition”, something like that.

Jonas: Well there have been a few developments only quite recently, unexpected, just prior to the show we did in Helsinki at Deadly Beat.

Dee: Owen left the band unexpectedly and for personal reasons and so myself and Jonas decided to honour the date in Finland and see how we stood with live as we have quite a few good commitments booked this year already. The show was well received and apart from the promoters I don’t think anybody could tell we were missing a member and had to scramble together a new show where half of the songs were written three days before.

Jonas: But be assured, whatever course it takes, myself and Dee and very much looking forward to the forth coming live dates and producing new material for the next series of vinyl releases. I see no reason why certain circumstances should affect our development and output as a band. I’ve been very encouraged by the quality of writing and the progression of new material.

Dee: That’s a point, a musician I talked to recently thought of me as just ‘the singer’, but I have learnt various instruments since an early age thanks to my conducter/horn soloist grandfather whom I owe a great debt to. I studied music exclusively at college and University. Just because I don’t want to play on stage doesn’t mean I couldn’t. Somehow I feel like it would take away something from the performance. I want to be free out there in the wilds.

Jonas: Regards how we met, it was basically through the cold/minimal/Industrial/80’s synth scene in and around East London, club nights like Divine Incest, Brave Exhibitions, Endurance, Reeperbahn. I guess we were brought together for a mutual love of this genre and the eventual desire to put a band together which was something that seemed to be lacking from the scene.

In which other music projects have been involved before and what drove you to form Noi Kabat?

Jonas: I’ve been playing in bands in various guises since I was about 15. A good way to learn is just join a band. Its different now with the introduction of digital technology and what you can achieve in home recording and performance with computers and audio software. At the time I was just starting to learn, it was more about getting hold of an instrument, drums or electric guitar or whatever and playing in rehearsal rooms, the physical element, not creating music on a computer. Noi Kabat is certainly the most enjoyable and creatively fulfilling project I’ve been involved in. Just prior to that I’d given up playing for 10 years or so, just to concentrate on my artistic career. I went back to full time study which culminated in a post graduate in printmaking at the Royal College of Art. It wasn’t until I met Dee and started playing in Noi that I realised how much I enjoyed playing music again.

It was only with this band that I started to explore the potential of electronic drums. Before that I’d always used acoustic. I bought myself a Simmons SDS 1000 on eBay and then run with it. I’ve since developed my set up, now using a Heart Dynamics Acupad kit with an MPC 1000 Sampler plus some Simmons add ons. I’m enjoying exploring the possibilities electronic drums can offer. There’s a huge amount of versatility they can give in terms of textural and melodic elements.

Dee: I had essentially been attempting to form bands for years until this happened. When you live in London though I think every drummer has about 5 bands on the go and can never give you the full attention you desire. Luckily I had been dj’ing and known Jonas when I must have found out he could drum so we had a session round mine I think guitar and a heavily circuit bent Yamaha DD-6 I have. This form actually started with me and Dorian Cox ex-Long Blondes and Owen was to produce it, for whatever reason though it ended up being us three. Would still have liked to hear what me and Dorian could have produced though. I’m sure it would have been extremely Pet Shop Boys pop.

What is the meaning of Noi Kabat and where does it come from?

Dee: Noi Kabat means nothing and everything at once. For me anyone can make their own judgements. It is interesting going on tour and asking each country how they relate to it, what words it is similar to in their own dialect, how they pronounce it etc.

I read you drew part of your inspiration from 70′s science fiction. Can you tell us about the authors and the works from this period that influenced you?

Jonas: I think the Science Fiction writing is something that is a particular interest of Dee. Although obviously I do enjoy similar literal genres which may go to feed the stylistic choices of the band, the atmosphere and feel. I’ve been influenced by a lot of Theosophical writing, by Rudolf Steiner, Ospensky, Gurdjieff. Also French literature from the 19th century, people like JK Huysmans, Théophile Gautier, Comte de Lautréamont and his Les Chants de Maldoror. So more phantasmagorical, magical than science fiction proper perhaps.

Dee: That’s interesting, I didn’t know you liked Maldoror. Well, I worked in bookshops for many years and my interest and specialties were always golden age of science fiction and slightly obscure gothic, decadent classic literature. I’m a big supporter of Dedalus Publishing for re-printing a lot of material that had become print on demand only in the UK. Right now I’ve just finished an old Penguin of Fred Hoyle’s The Black Cloud and I’m now on John Brunner’s The Stone That Never Came Down.

I think there is a certain element of escapism in both types of literature that I am fond of. The way it translates in lyrical form or even musical form is a sense of impending collapse always bubbling at the surface, the singer is not the saviour though a la Ziggy Stardust, more the fore warner of doom, minor chords a semi tone apart. offering no escape for humanity, just the personal escape from the reality in which we live. Everything should feel slightly confining and yet very distant with our music I feel. A claustrophobic horizon perhaps.

After a first self-released cassette in 2012, a CDr split with Soft Riot on 0.5 and your latest single on aufnahme + wiedergabe last year, you seem to follow a DIY approach. Is it something important for you?

Jonas: We are very pleased with the way Make Room has been presented as our first vinyl release and also very happy that Philip Strobel at [aufnahme + wiedergabe] had made this commitment to the band. Obviously the recording and production has been self initiated yes.

Dee: I’m all for doing things in this DIY way. it’s the way I have always done things from fanzines to clubs. And it is so accessible now to record well. I think the only difference that we have is that we have a live drummer where as most bands on the scene are a singer and synth player.

Jonas: We want to do things our way and work with people we respect and have a shared goal. It never feels difficult to write or work on new music. We’re just constrained by time, geography and money of course. When we are able to take time to rehearse and make music it comes very naturally.

Would you sign with a major label if you ever get the opportunity?

Jonas: It would be great to share the burden of financing shows, tours, recordings etc… through a label that has more resources for these things. It would free us up to concentrate on the music. It has to be the right people. Investment is good, but not at the cost of our freedom within that investment / commitment. I admire bands that have retained integrity throughout their career despite being tempted by commercial forces. ‘Bonne renommée vaut mieux que ceinture dorée‘. It’s all about integrity no matter how you achieve it.

Dee: I think signing for a major has it’s drawbacks for sure. I know a friend who signed for Fiction, so fame hungry and in that deal had all of their writing presence taken away from them. Ghost writers were brought in for them. Stupid deal to sign obviously. Labels like Mute or Rough Trade I think friends of ours have enjoyed and those would be the ultimate goal for me.

Are any of you also involved in other side projects today?

Regards personal projects, I’m quite involved in my career as a practicing artist and designer/print maker which does feed into the band obviously. I do most of the visual design for the band; sleeve artwork etc… But it is all done on consensus anyway which makes it collaborative.

Musically, I have been dabbling with making my own recordings. I recently bought myself an Arturia minilab midi controller which has a huge audio canvas, and is very practical, and a fretless bass. And yes I have been working on tracks. I see them feeding into what we’re doing with Noi Kabat anyway rather than anything separate.

What are your plans with Noi Kabat for this year? Can we expect a full-length release soon?

Jonas: I think another 7’’ release with some of the new material we’ve been working on and which will feature in the forthcoming live shows. And an LP/EP soon…that would be the obvious goal really. We have the material, it’s just committing some time to recording and producing it. We have a series of live shows spread over the year, so I’m really looking forward to that.

Dee: We have some nice shows booked already, in Entremuralhas in Portugal and a few others I can’t announce yet, but we want to be touring and doing some short weekends now that we can travel easier.

What is already planned for touring?

Jonas: Tour wise, as I touched on previously, our shows are kind of spread throughout the year rather than like before where we had a full programme of dates over 3 weeks or whatever. We play 3 shows in Brussels, Romance Moderne at Cafe Central, Paris, Disko Kaos at Le Klub and Rennes on the 20th Feburary, 21st and 22nd respectively. This is down to the fine efforts and organisation of Mateo at La Forme Lente. So special thanks to him. I enjoy playing anywhere, the people are always great and the hospitality amazing, everyone is so kind, but I’d really love to play in Japan, if there’s anyone out there who wants to bring us over, do get in touch, we would love to…

Dee: Agreed. Japan for sure I would love… Moscow, some South American countries I’ve heard are amazing, North America just for the experience and one night in Vancouver with Soft Riot would be a storm. We haven’t been outside of Europe yet but I’m looking forward to visiting a lot of it this year, hopefully Barcelona and Madrid, Italy also, Athens I’d like to. Sweden…

Noi Kabat website

Makina Boy (picture from Paul Langlade)

Here is the original French interview.

For how long have you been making music and with which kind of instrument did you first get in contact?

I’d say I always have played music. Actually, I began around the age of 11. My first instrument, the one I learned to play, was an electronic organ. A Farfisa, double keyboard + bass pedals.

During several years, I learned the basics of classical and jazz music. In an organ school, amongst gleaming and promising synthesizers (Jupiter 8, Juno, DX7), for which I still ignored the interest they will represent).

I remember I discovered at this time, through this instrument, essential / obvious “layers” of a composition: rhythms (pre-programmed in this case), bass (organ pedals) chords / arrangements (left hand), lead / melodies (right hand)…

Which artists have influenced your adolescence the most?

Without an hesitation, the one who impressed me the most, and in a durable way: David Bowie. “Station To Station” and the “Berliner Trilogy” (low / heroes / lodger) will remain forever etched in my memory.

Of course, many other revelations popped up in this period (especially via radio broadcasts, before starting to buy records): Roxy Music, Velvet Underground, Blondie, Talking Heads, Devo, Klaus Nomi, Kraftwerk, Moroder, The Cure, Siouxsie, PIL, Psychedelic Furs, Nina Hagen, Kate Bush, Shriekback, Simple Minds, Talk Talk, Tom Tom Club, Yello, YMO, and dozens of other…

I quote these rather well known names, who counted a lot for me, because back then, they could be heard on the radio (I do not know if the equivalent would still be possible).

The following of my approach with music(s) will then be based on “research” and exploration of more specific and less disseminated genres(Industrial Music, Italo-Disco, Ebm, New Wave, Cold Wave…)

But indeed, if I had to choose only one, it would probably be Bowie. He represented for me “The Artist” in all its dimensions: musical, visual, conceptual, evolutive…

Later I will be stuck with acts like Cabaret Voltaire, Neon Judgement, Severed Heads, Chris & Cosey, Death In June… to name a few.

I discovered you also have another project named AratkiLo. The Spell EP of Makina Girgir was published in 2007, the EP Gloomy Detail of AratkiLo was released in 2009. How did you decide go from one project to another? Are you planning to release more material under AratkiLo?

AratkiLo is actually my initial project. This identity became mature in 2002 – 2003. It’s a project devoted to produce dark music, nourished from industrial influences, kind of electroid stuff flirting with dark wave ideas.

The first track to be released was “Afraid Redux” on the “resistor unit 1″ compilation by Simulacron (a Kommando 6 sublabel actually) after some exciting exchanges with Dystronic and Beta Evers.

Then was the meeting with Mat (dj Technician) via Myspace and in “real life” at a CBS party in Rotterdam. Then began the production phase of the Technician Records’ inaugural project: the Gloomy Detail EP/TR001.

Finally, another track “Blood-Feud” was published in a compilation for the German electro label, SOM.

The transition from one project to another is born of a desire to change of atmosphere/mood, and especially to better express the synth and “wave” influences that have always been very significative to me, and that I wasn’t able yet to shape the way I wanted. “Specifications” are slightly different for the respective compositions. For example with the use of samples in AratkiLo, while there’s no room for them in Makina Girgir were all parts are usually written and performed.

AratkiLo is rather on standby these days, except of a recent remix I made for the Spanish artist Mynationshit, published recently on the Gradual Hate Records label. I have some “unreleased” tracks that should stay unreleased.

I read you have been involved as an editor in a web radio called Welt-am- Draht. Can you tell us about this project?

Actually, I’ve been collaborating with the German webradio WAD, almost since its debut, in the form of a monthly mix. I have been in contact with C-Kent (Kommando 6/We Rock Like Crazy / Das Drehmoment) through the rip-CBS forum (I-f’s webradio , currently IFM) in 2005.

At this time, C-Kent had posted an announcement(on this forum I was following), in search of “collaborators” for his show broadcasted, at the time, via its own URL.

The small radio is still alive, and is currently broadcasting weekly via IFM1.

Makina Boy & Makina Girl

From where comes the name Makina Girgir and what does it mean?

So Makina Girgir:

Origin: Ethiopia

(I must first say I’m an Ethiopian “pop” music fan for a very long time. I had the chance to go there and hear some local bands. Their music took birth before the Mengistu’s dictatorship. At that time the army praised the services of its fanfares to accompany the singers and make recordings. Then later these “brass fanfares” were replaced by .. synths… )

MAKiNA GiRGiR is the name of a street in the walled city of Harar, at the borders of Somalia, also known for receiving Rimbaud during his wanderings in the Africa’s Horn.

This street has tailors and scribes, with their respective machines, lined up in the street. The result is a rhythmic clatter which gave its name to the street (gir gir gir gir is like an onomatopoeia for the sounds of the mechanical machines)…

Where do you get all your inspiration from and what does motivate you to make music?

Inspiration: it comes of course from the daily life … the human soul .. its blackness, its misery, its wandering, life … and death … melancholy … with absolutely no pretention to do something “new”. I’m too much convinced and aware that everything has already been done. So I really like to do, build with my own influences, synthesize them , digest them, regurgitate them and make them mine.

Motivation: It’s something rather required actually.. I just can not imagine not making music. I’ll go on enjoying the total freedom of action without imperative for selling or producing. That’s the Ultimate freedom to me, the one that gives a room for the expression of mood, desire to create… without any constraint of time or period…

And of course I’m always motivated by the emotions, reactions, induced in this discreet but lively people/audience, who do not hesitate to give me their feelings and sensations.. what remains for me the most pleasant feedback.

After all these years, I think you have not played live yet. Could we hope to eventually see you on stage?

My work is essentially and definitively a studio work. Recording, constructions, structures, sequencing, mixing etc. … There’s no “transposition” scheduled for live, indeed.

It would be a lot of time, effort, energy, to achieve a similar setup on stage, to be able to “play” everything with only two of us on stage.. And I really don’t want to offer (and do not see any personal interest in) a “laptop liveset.”

Any upcoming projects for Makina Girgir?

There’s actually no accurate planning for projects. They often arise spontaneously thru a virtual meeting or not, obvious or not, but most often rewarding.

Current project: the release of our LP “Torment” on La Forme Lente (label which I fell in love with for a while now. The “meeting” with Gautier was done via its achievements and in particular the 12 “Circuit D ‘Actes 1 that was for me, at this time one of my favorites. After some discussions with Gautier, I was invited, to my greatest joy, to be involved in Circuit D’Actes 2).

This album contains 8 tracks, all composed between December 2011 and June 2012. It is somehow the following of the tracks released on the Circuit D’Actes 2 and displays a palette, I think fairly representative, of my influences .. from italo-disco to darkwave. It’s a really exciting project also bringing into play graphical representation, with a beautiful silkscreened cover, with an initial drawing by Giorgina Barina (http://www.giorgiabarinaillustratrice.com/)and now almost an LFL trademark.

Several tracks for different compilation projects are in the tube (Vocoder Tapes, The Scrap Mag, Treue Um Treue…). And also a couple of remixes are planned.

Finally on my own label side, Falco Invernale Records, the release of the concomitant FIR006, a 6 titles from the French-Belgian duo :CODES.

Before closing, would you like to add something or pass any message?

Thank you for this friendly, open and relaxed exchange.

Original French Interview

Makina Boy & Makina Girl

Depuis quand fais-tu de la musique et avec quel type d’instrument as-tu d’abord été en contact ?

Je fais de la musique, depuis toujours, j’ai envie de dire. J’ai débuté en fait vers l’age de 11 ans. Mon premier instrument, celui sur lequel j’ai appris a jouer, était un orgue électronique. Un Farfisa, double clavier + pédalier.

J’ai pris ensuite quelques années de cours en apprenant quelques standards de musique classique et jazz, dans une école d’orgue, au milieu de synthétiseurs rutilants et prometteurs (Jupiter 8, Juno, DX7), dont j’ignorais encore l’intérêt).

J’ai le souvenir d’avoir découvert a ce moment, par le biais de cet instrument, les essentielles/évidentes “layers/couches” d’une composition: rythme (préprogrammé en l’occurrence), basse (pédales de l’orgue), accords/arrangements (main gauche), lead/mélodies (main droite).

Quels sont les artistes qui ont le plus marqués ton adolescence ?

Sans hésitation, celui qui m’a le plus marqué l’adolescence, et de façon durable : David Bowie. “Station To Station”, et la “Trilogie Berlinoise” (low/heroes/lodger) restent gravés dans ma mémoire.

Il y a eu bien sur d’autres multiples révélations à cette période (et tout particulièrement via les ondes radio, avant de commencer à acheter des disques): Roxy Music, Velvet Underground, Blondie, Talking Heads, Devo, Klaus Nomi, Kraftwerk, Moroder, The Cure, Siouxsie, PIL, Psychedelic Furs, Nina Hagen, Kate Bush, Shriekback, Simple Minds, Talk Talk, Tom Tom Club, Yello, YMO, et des dizaines d’autres…

Je cite volontiers ces noms plutôt connus finalement, qui ont beaucoup comptés pour moi, et qui a cette époque pouvaient être entendus a la radio (je ne sais pas si l’équivalent est possible aujourd’hui).

La suite dans mon rapport avec la/les musique(s) sera plus basé sur la “recherche” et l’exploration de genres plus specifiques et moins diffusés (musique industrielle, italo, ebm, new wave, cold wave…)

Mais si je devais n’en retenir qu’un seul, ce serait sans doute Bowie. Il a incarné pour moi “l’Artiste” dans toute sa splendeur: musicale, visuelle, conceptuelle, évolutive…

Plus tard je serai définitivement envouté par des groupes comme Cabaret Voltaire, The Neon Judgement, Severed Heads, Chris & Cosey, Death In June.. juste pour en citer quelques uns.

J’ai découvert que tu as aussi un autre projet nommé AratkiLo. Le EP The Spell de Makina Girgir est paru en 2007, le EP Gloomy Detail de AratkiLo est sorti en 2009. Comment as-tu décidé de passer d’un projet à l’autre ? Prévois-tu encore sortir d’autre matériel avec AratkiLo ?

AratkiLo est en fait mon projet initial. Identité à peu près mature à compter de 2002-2003. Projet destiné à produire une musique sombre, nourrie d’influences industrielles et crépusculaires, electroïde, flirtant avec la dark wave.

Le premier track à sortir fut “Afraid Redux” sur la compilation “resistor unit 1″ de Simulacron (émanation de Kommando 6 en fait) au décours d’echanges passionant avec Dystronic et Beta Evers.

Puis ce fut la rencontre avec Mat (dj Technician) via Myspace puis à Rotterdam au cours d’une CBS party, et ensuite mise en place du projet inaugural de Technician Records avec le EP Gloomy Detail/TR001.

Enfin un autre track “Blood-Feud” est sorti sur une compilation du label electro allemand, SOM.

Le passage d’un projet a l’autre est né de l’envie de changement d’ambiance, et surtout de pouvoir exprimer, plus et mieux, mes influences synth et “wave” qui m’ont toujours été chères et que je n’avais pas encore réussi à mettre en forme comme je le souhaitais. Les “cahier des charges de composition” sont un peu différent, avec par exemple l’utilisation de samples au sein de AratkiLo, alors qu’ils n’ont pas de place dans Makina Girgir ou toutes les parties sont en général écrites et jouées.

Ce projet AratkiLo est plutôt en standby a ce jour, en dehors d’un récent remix pour l’artiste espagnol Mynationshit, paru il y a peu sur le label Gradual Hate Records. Je dispose de quelques “unreleased” tracks pour lesquels je n’ai fait aucune démarche particulière.”

J’ai lu que tu as déjà été impliqué comme éditeur avec une radio Web nommée Welt-am-Draht. Est-ce que tu peux nous parler de ce projet ?

En effet, je collabore a la webradio allemande WAD pratiquement depuis ses débuts , sous la forme d’un mix mensuel. J’ai été en contact avec C-Kent (Kommando 6/We Rock Like Crazy/Das Drehmoment) par le biais du forum de feu-CBS (webradio de I-f, actuellement IFM) courant 2005.

À cette époque, C-Kent avait posté une “annonce”, (sur ce forum dont j’étais assidu), à la recherche de “collaborateurs” pour son émission à l’époque diffusée via sa propre URL.

La petite webradio a tenu le coup, et est a l’heure actuelle diffusée hebdomadairement via IFM1.

D’où vient le nom Makina Girgir et que signifie t-il ?

Alors MAKiNA GiRGiR:

Origine: Éthiopie

(Pour resituer, je dois dire que je suis fan de musique “pop” éthiopienne depuis très longtemps. J’ai eu la chance de m’y rendre et de pouvoir entendre quelques “bands” locaux. Leur musique prend naissance avant la dictature de Mengistu. A cette époque l’armée louait les services de ses fanfares pour accompagner les chanteurs et faire des enregistrements. Puis plus tard ces “fanfares de cuivres” furent remplacées par des .. synthés..)

MAKiNA GiRGiR est le nom d’une rue dans la ville fortifiée de Harar aux confins de la Somalie, connue également pour avoir accueilli Rimbaud lors de ses errances dans la Corne de l’Afrique.

Dans cette rue se disposent les tailleurs et écrivains publics avec leurs machines respectives alignées dans la rue.. Il en résulte un cliquetis rythmique ayant donné son nom a cette rue(onomatopée gir gir gir gir du bruits des machines et de leur mécanique)…

Où puises-tu toute ton inspiration et qu’est ce qui te motive à faire de la musique ?

Inspiration: la vie courante… l’âme humaine.. sa noirceur, sa misère, son errance… la vie, la mort… la mélancolie… sans aucune prétention de faire du “nouveau”. J’ai la conscience trop aiguë que tout a déjà été fait. Donc j’aime réellement faire, construire, avec mes influences, en faire la synthèse, les digérer, les régurgiter, les faire miennes.

Motivation: plutôt nécessité en fait.. Je ne peux simplement pas imaginer ne pas faire de musique. Je continue d’apprécier la totale liberté d’action/de faire, sans impératif d’ordre commercial ou de rendement.. Ultime liberté qui laisse la place a l’expression de l’humeur, du désir de création… sans contrainte de temps ou de moment…

Et bien sur toujours motivé par l’émotion, les réactions, induites chez un public qui est discret, mais qui n’hésite pas a me faire part de ses sensations. Ce qui reste pour moi le feedback le plus agréable.

Après toutes ces années, je crois que tu n’as pas encore donné de concert live. Est-ce qu’on pourrait espérer te voir un jour sur scène ?

Alors mon travail est vraiment un travail de studio. Enregistrement, constructions, séquençage, mix, etc… Pas de “transposition” prévue pour le live, non en effet.

Ce serait beaucoup de temps, de travail, d’énergie, pour parvenir a obtenir un setup équivalent pour la scène, à reproduire les structures à deux sur scène etc.. Et je ne conçois pas et ne vois personnellement aucun intérêt a présenter un “laptop liveset”.

Quels sont tes projets à venir pour MAKiNA GiRGiR ?

Il n’y a pas de planning très précis des projets. Souvent ils se présentent spontanément au fil d’une rencontre virtuelle ou pas, évidente ou pas, mais le plus souvent enrichissante.

Projet en cours: la sortie de notre LP “Torment” sur La Forme Lente (label dont je suis tombé amoureux déjà depuis un moment. La “rencontre” avec Gautier s’est faite via ses réalisations et en particulier le 12″ Circuit D’Actes 1 qui a été pour moi a cette période un de mes disques de chevet. Après quelques échanges, Gautier m’a convié pour ma plus grande joie a participer a Circuit D’Actes 2).

Cet album comprend 8 morceaux, tous composés entre Décembre 2011 et Juin 2012. Il est en quelque sorte la suite des morceaux sortis sur Circuit D’Actes 2 et présente, je pense, une palette assez représentative de mes influences.. de l’italo-disco a la darkwave. Projet passionnant mettant également en jeu la représentation graphique, avec à la clé, une magnifique pochette sérigraphiée, dont le dessin original a été réalisé par l’illustratrice Giorgina Barina (http://www.giorgiabarinaillustratrice.com/) désormais quasi-marque de fabrique de LFL.

Plusieurs participations à des compilations sont prévues dans un proche avenir (Vocoder Tapes, The Scrap Mag, Treue Um Treue…)ainsi que des remixes.

Enfin du coté de mon label, Falco Invernale Records, la sortie concomitante de FIR006 avec un 6 titres du duo Franco-Belge :CODES.

Avant de terminer, aimerais-tu ajouter quelque chose ou passer un message quelconque ?

Merci à toi pour cet échange chaleureux, ouvert et détendu.

The content of your texts, your name Police des Moeurs, you can tell us more about your evocative universe?

I am fascinated by everything related to control, not in a strict police sense, but by everything guiding our habits in a way to adopt a so-called “normal” and “useful” behavior for the society. The Police des Moeurs, for myself, is the insidious one in our heads that is unconsciously driving us do not deviate from the norm, be it a social norm or a norm in a more marginal group.

This fascination is also expressed in our texts, along with other topics: nostalgia and the passage of time, the illusion of rebellion, loss of ideals, the absence of emotion.

How did you start composing / songwriting in duo?

In fact, to date, I wrote all the texts and composed all the music. But I do not like to sing and I do not sing very well. Anouk is a very good long time friend and we had worked together in another project. So I asked her to join for vocals.

After, Fred joined us to get ready for concerts. I wanted a geek that can deal with machines and stuff because I have less interest in this technical aspect. After a few concerts, Catherine joined the three of us. Eventually, the fact that I now work with other members will probably affects the way the songs are written.

What equipment are you using and how are you recording your music?

At first, I produced everything digitally with a computer for practical reasons. Many people into minimal synth believe that the interests of the analog is the process itself, very different from digital. I fully respect, but personally, I don’t care that much. I just want to record songs that I love and it was easier for me to do it digitally. It is the result more than the process that interests me.

That said, I started slowly to integrate more analog sounds into the recordings. We are in 2012 and I’m not a purist. I want the best of both worlds, but who knows, maybe one day we will record on tape with only analog equipment… or record stuff that is 100% digital. But for now, I like to mix both of these technologies.

But from the start, it was out of question for me to play live without using “real” sounds, that is to say analog. This is why for the live we use analog synths only.

Can you tell us about your support (fanzine, organization, label, radio, rooms etc..) in Canada?

I think interest in the music we make is much lower in Canada than in Europe. The vast majority of our records are sold in Europe. In Montreal, things seems to change rapidly, though. Some promoters are quite active, be it for booking touring bands or to promote small nights that play this kind of music. Some small labels seem to do great as well, such as Visage and Electric Voice. Obviously, there’s also many interesting artists : Automelodi, Spastic Joy, Femminielli, Chevalier Avant Garde, DKMD, artists on Visage like Brusque Twins, Tony Cops, Gold Zebra, some daker and post punk influenced punk bands such as Dekoder, Complications, etc. Ironically, most of them release stuff on labels based outside of Montreal.

Recognition is mainly for you now, it seems, from Europe… are you feeling inspired by some current or older European bands?

It’s obvious. In fact, the inspiration comes mainly from Europe because that’s where this kind of music was developed. I’m pretty old and I grew up in the ’80s. I come from the hardcore scene, but even then, I liked what I could hear in the genre and occasionally playing on the radio, in clubs or friends: OMD, New Order, Rational Youth, Visage. The Web then allowed me to know a lot of other such bands, but less known. This avalanche of  bands that I’ve discovered in the 2000′s gave me the impulsion to start PdM.

Currently, I listen to stuff like Xeno & Oaklander, Staccato du Mal, Automelodi, of course, and many other obscures and not so obscure artists. I also like minimal techno like Byetone and I am surprised it does not seem to be any links between minimal synth and minimal techno.  I like a bunch of other stuff too and my tastes are not limited to ”synth” music. I can’t see myself only listening to music in the same genre as Police des moeurs.

What do you think of the growing interest in “Synth” music in the world? Is this a motivation for you?

I suppose we taking advantage of it. I am glad that this kind of music is gaining popularity. It is not that there was no electronic music before, but I think people are looking to return to basic, something simple but melodic. I also think that some people have turned away from the false authenticity of whiny indie rock and they find feelings in synth music is in the that correspond more to their own.

I don’t remember where I read this, but someone was saying that the original synth music, the one that happens in the early 80′s, was some sort of aborted tendancy, meaning that because of the arrival of digital technology, it stopped abruptly. People were really prompt to sell their analog gear and to embrace the ”digital future” back then. But now that we had 30 years to put digital in perspective and that more and more people are rediscovering analog synths, maybe it’s time to start back and move forward. Sure there’s a part of nostalgia in what we do, but it should help us on a creative level and not keep us in conservatism.

Original French Interview

Le contenu de vos textes, votre nom Police des Moeurs, vous pouvez nous en dire plus à propos de votre univers évocateur ?

Je suis fasciné par ce qui touche le contrôle, pas dans un strict sens policier, mais par tout ce qui oriente nos habitudes de façon à ce que nous adoptions des comportements soi-disant ”normaux” et ”utiles” à la société. La police des moeurs, pour moi, c’est celle insidieuse qui se trouve dans nos têtes et qui nous pousse inconsciemment à ne pas dévier de la norme, que ce soit une norme sociale ou celle d’un groupe marginal.

Cette fascination s’exprime aussi dans les textes, en même temps que d’autres sujets : la nostalgie et le passage du temps, l’illusion de la rébellion, la perte des idéaux, l’absence d’émotion.

Comment avez-vous commencé à composer/écrire des chansons ?

En fait, à date, j’ai écrit tout les textes et composé toutes les musiques. Mais j’aime pas trop chanter et je ne chante pas très bien. Anouk est une très bonne amie de longue date et nous avions déjà collaboré ensemble dans un autre projet. Donc je lui ai demandé de venir faire des voix.

Ensuite, Fred s’est joint à nous en prévision des concerts. Je voulais un geek qui s’occupe des machines et de ces trucs car cet aspect plus technique m’intéresse moins. Finalement, après quelques concerts, Catherine s’est ajoutée à Police des Moeurs. Éventuellement, peut-être que le fait de travailler maintenant avec ces autres membres transformera la façon dont les chansons sont composées.

Quels matériels utilisez-vous et de quelle manière enregistrez-vous ?

Au départ, je faisais tout à l’ordinateur en numérique pour des questions pratiques. Beaucoup de gens dans le minimal synth jugent que l’intérêt de l’analogique est le processus lui-même, très différent de celui du numérique. Je respecte ça à fond, mais perso, ça ne m’intéresse pas tant que ça. Je veux juste enregistrer des chansons que j’aime et c’était plus facile pour moi de le faire en numérique. C’est le résultat plus que le processus qui m’intéresse.

Peu à peu, j’ai ajouté des sons analogiques dans les enregistrements. Nous sommes en 2012 et je ne suis pas un puriste. Je veux le meilleur des deux mondes, mais rien ne dit qu’un jour on enregistrera pas sur bobines avec du matériel 100% analogique… ou qu’on ne fera pas des trucs 100% numériques. Pour l’instant, J’aime bien mélanger les deux.

Ceci dit, il est hors de question pour moi de faire des concerts en n’utilisant pas les ”vrais” sons, c’est-à-dire l’analogique. C’est pour ça que pour le live, nous utilisons des synthés analogiques exclusivement.

Pouvez-vous nous parler de vos soutiens (fanzine, organisation, label, radio, Salles etc.) au Canada ?

Je crois que d’une façon globale, l’intérêt pour la musique que nous faisons est beaucoup moins grand au Canada qu’en Europe. En tout cas, la très vaste majorité de nos disques sont vendus en Europe. À Montréal, les choses se développent rapidement toutefois. Certains promoteurs sont assez actifs, que ce soit pour faire venir des groupes de l’extérieur ou pour mettre sur pied des petites soirées oû ce genre de musique est diffusée. Quelques labels fonctionnent bien aussi, comme Visage et Electric Voice. Évidemment, il y a plusieurs artistes intéressants : Automelodi, Spastic Joy, Femminielli, Chevalier Avant Garde, DKMD, les autres artistes sur Visage comme Brusque Twins. Tony Cops ou Gold Zebra, des groupes plus punks à tendance noire et post punk comme Dekoder ou Complications.

La reconnaissance vous vient principalement pour l’instant, semble-t-il, de l’Europe .. vous sentez-vous inspirés par certains groupes Européens actuels ou plus anciens ?

C’est évident. En fait, l’inspiration vient beaucoup d’Europe car c’est là que ce genre de musique s’est surtout développé. Je suis plutôt vieux et j’ai grandi dans les années ’80. Je viens de la scène hardcore, mais même à l’époque, j’aimais bien ce que je pouvais entendre dans le genre et qui jouait occasionnellement à la radio, dans les clubs ou chez des amis : OMD, New Order, Rational Youth, Visage. Le web m’a ensuite permis de connaitre un tas d’autres groupes du genre, mais moins connus. Cette avalanche de groupes que j’ai découvert dans les années 2000 m’a fourni l’impulsion pour débuter PdM.

J’écoute aussi des trucs plus actuels comme Xeno & Oaklander, Staccato du Mal, Automelodi, évidemment, et un tas d’autres trucs plus ou moins obscurs J’aime bien aussi le techno minimal comme Byetone et je m’étonne qu’il ne semble pas y avoir de passerelles entre le minimal synth et le techno minimal. Ceci dit, mes goûts sont très larges et je me vois mal écouter que des groupes qui font des trucs dans le genre de ce qu’on fait.

Que pensez-vous de l’intérêt croissant pour les musiques “Synth” de par le monde ? Est-ce un moteur pour vous ?

Je suppose qu’on en profite. Je suis content que ce genre de musique gagne en popularité. Ce n’est pas qu’il n’y avait pas de musique électronique avant, mais je crois que les gens cherchent à revenir à la base, à quelque chose de simple mais mélodique. Je pense aussi que certaines personnes se sont détournées de la fausse authenticité pleurnicharde de l’indie rock et trouve dans la musique synth des sentiments qui correspondent plus aux leurs.

Je ne sais plus oû j’avais lu ça, mais quelqu’un disait que la musique ”synth” originale, celle du tout début des années ’80, était une espèce de tendance avortée. Elle a pris fin abruptement en raison, notamment, de l’arrivée du numérique qui a fait en sorte que les musiciens ont largué leur matériel analogique. Or, maintenant que nous avons 30 ans de recul face au numérique et que nous redécouvrons l’analogique, peut-être est-ce le moment de reprendre là oû tout s’est arrêté et d’aller vers l’avant. Bien entendu, il y a une part de nostalgie dans la musique que nous faisons, mais celle-ci doit être un moteur créatif et ne pas nous figer dans un certain conservatisme.

The content of your texts, your name Police des Moeurs, you can tell us more about your evocative universe?

I am fascinated by everything related to control, not in a strict police sense, but by everything guiding our habits in a way to adopt a so-called “normal” and “useful” behavior for the society. The Police des Moeurs, for myself, is the insidious one in our heads that is unconsciously driving us do not deviate from the norm, be it a social norm or a norm in a more marginal group.

This fascination is also expressed in our texts, along with other topics: nostalgia and the passage of time, the illusion of rebellion, loss of ideals, the absence of emotion.

How did you start composing / songwriting in duo?

In fact, to date, I wrote all the texts and composed all the music. But I do not like to sing and I do not sing very well. Anouk is a very good long time friend and we had worked together in another project. So I asked her to join for vocals.

After, Fred joined us to get ready for concerts. I wanted a geek that can deal with machines and stuff because I have less interest in this technical aspect. After a few concerts, Catherine joined the three of us. Eventually, the fact that I now work with other members will probably affects the way the songs are written.

What equipment are you using and how are you recording your music?

At first, I produced everything digitally with a computer for practical reasons. Many people into minimal synth believe that the interests of the analog is the process itself, very different from digital. I fully respect, but personally, I don’t care that much. I just want to record songs that I love and it was easier for me to do it digitally. It is the result more than the process that interests me.

That said, I started slowly to integrate more analog sounds into the recordings. We are in 2012 and I’m not a purist. I want the best of both worlds, but who knows, maybe one day we will record on tape with only analog equipment... or record stuff that is 100% digital. But for now, I like to mix both of these technologies.

But from the start, it was out of question for me to play live without using “real” sounds, that is to say analog. This is why for the live we use analog synths only. Our basic synths are : Roland Juno 6, Alpha Juno and SH-2 and Moog Source, Prodigy and Minitaur (just replacing a SH-101 for bass).

Can you tell us about your support (fanzine, organization, label, radio, rooms etc..) in Canada?

I think interest in the music we make is much lower in Canada than in Europe. The vast majority of our records are sold in Europe. In Montreal, things seems to change rapidly, though. Some promoters are quite active, be it for booking touring bands or to promote small nights that play this kind of music. Some small labels seem to do great as well, such as Visage and Electric Voice. Obviously, there's also many interesting artists : Automelodi, Spastic Joy, Femminielli, Chevalier Avant Garde, DKMD, artists on Visage like Brusque Twins, Tony Cops, Gold Zebra, some daker and post punk influenced punk bands such as Dekoder, Complications, etc. Ironically, most of them release stuff on labels based outside of Montreal. 

Recognition is mainly for you now, it seems, from Europe… are you feeling inspired by some current or older European bands?

It’s obvious. In fact, the inspiration comes mainly from Europe because that’s where this kind of music was developed. I’m pretty old and I grew up in the ’80s. I come from the hardcore scene, but even then, I liked what I could hear in the genre and occasionally playing on the radio, in clubs or friends: OMD, New Order, Rational Youth, Visage. The Web then allowed me to know a lot of other such bands, but less known. This avalanche of  bands that I’ve discovered in the 2000′s gave me the impulsion to start PdM.

Currently, I listen to stuff like Xeno & Oaklander, Staccato du Mal, Automelodi, of course, and many other obscures and not so obscure artists. I also like minimal techno like Byetone and I am surprised it does not seem to be any links between minimal synth and minimal techno.  I like a bunch of other stuff too and my tastes are not limited to ''synth'' music. I can't see myself only listening to music in the same genre as Police des moeurs.

What do you think of the growing interest in music “Synth” in the world? Is this a motivation for you?

I suppose we taking advantage of it. I am glad that this kind of music is gaining popularity. It is not that there was no electronic music before, but I think people are looking to return to basic, something simple but melodic. I also think that some people have turned away from the false authenticity of whiny indie rock and they find feelings in synth music is in the that correspond more to their own.

I don't remember where I read this, but someone was saying that the original synth music, the one that happens in the early 80's, was some sort of aborted tendancy, meaning that because of the arrival of digital technology, it stopped abruptly. People were really prompt to sell their analog gear and to embrace the ''digital future'' back then. But now that we had 30 years to put digital in perspective and that more and more people are rediscovering analog synths, maybe it's time to start back and move forward. Sure there's a part of nostalgia in what we do, but it should help us on a creative level and not keep us in conservatism.

What is the significance of your name?

Our band name may make allusion to an angry man grinding throughout the power as a grinder would do.

What other projects have you been involved with and how did you meet the other members?

During the 90′s, I have been playing with my band Berliner 6 Bahn that had continuously changed of forms to experiment with new approaches. The best way to describe it would be some kind of circus and synthesis music. In the early 2000 years, i started to collaborate with my colleague Mattias Leidebjer AB from the independent label Lobotom Records. From 2000 to 2005, Lobotom really was at the heart of the Stockholm music scene.

In 2004, I started to think about starting up a new band, when I meet Johan Lange, during a recording session with the Thomas crew. I have been impressed by Johan’s talent, and Johan has been impressed with my instrument collection and this is how it started. We started to meet once a week and experiment until we could put together some song fragments. Only 6 months later, we got in contact with Kristoffer Grip when his girlfriend, that I already knew, convinced us that Christopher was the singer we were looking for.

During 2005 and mid 2006, we tried to find the sound we were looking for. In the summer of 2006, we had our sound set and we made a concert in Amsterdam at the Hex club were we meet Martijn (Enfant Terrible label) who asked us right after the concert if he could release a 7″ single with us!

By the end of 2007, Johan went in the U.S. for almost 19 months, this is when we were working on our recording techniques that we decided Henrik Sunbring and Alexander Blomqvist would join the band. Since everything was working good, we wanted Henrik and Alexander to become full time members, and when Johan got back from the U.S. we were 5 members instead of a trio.

After listening to the upcoming album teasers released by Enfant Terrible, when I compared it to first LP, I had the impression Henrik and Alexander brought a new dimension to the band. How do you explain this evolution towards a more upbeat and aggressive sound?

ASG is always doing this, even when we produced the album it was an objective to get our music more dynamic, our interaction is one of the principal pillar of our music. Now that Henrik and Alex are with us Johan and Henrik can focus on the hard and solid play to concentrate on the melodic layers while Alex is following their bass lead, and I play with my tape loops, pedals and other sound machines and Kristoffer are all in the show! All this probably means that we can now be more brutal than before. But there is the dynamic that we are which is our focus!

I know Kristoffer is writing the lyrics but how do you work out composing together? With so many machines, doesn’t it become hard to bring all the elements as a whole?

The most common way we are working is me and Johan meet together to experiment with a keyboard and tape loop and find the simple drum line that runs on a synthesizer sound. It could be Johan, which imagined a tune up during the week or else it can be me which thought about building something with a tape loop. Then are coming the other members into the song that is growing up while Johan is working on the arrangements.

Life In Advance started up when I made a tape loop from a keyboard envelope and then I wired the loop into the back of a tape echo when we had found something fatidic; a melancholic noise that reminds riding on the highway under the rain. Because the song was built around this sound.

A couple of the songs on the new LP were born during repetitions with the whole band. Then, it just happened for one song to get all the elements to come out just right. It happens sometimes. But there is always Johan who does the arrangement of the song.

Enfant Terrible just announced 2 Agent Side Grinder releases coming out together. How did you come out with 2 albums at the same time?

In 2008, as Johann lived in the U.S. Henrik and Alex joined the band so that we could continue to play live in 2008, I and Johan started a small experiment when Johan went in the U.S. so that Johann could be involved in ASG even though he was in the U.S..

In 1989, I read an article about how the band Klinic had worked togheter where Marc Verhagen said they were sending the tapes to each others, instead of meeting to make music together and I kept thinking about it to know if whether or not it would be possible because we wanted to see if it could work. I bought 2 Tascam portable studio of the same model, and I sent one in the U.S. and we started to send each others tapes between Sweden and the states by mail. I made a few sound collages and I sent the tape to Johan who added synth on top of it. Since, we got Henrik and Alex who finished the production. From this came out the name album (The Transatlantic Tape Project).

Martijn from Enfant Terrible thought it was a musical masterpiece and want to release these recordings on LP. Because we have worked this way these recordings are also available on cassette in the limited edition of 100 copies of the cassette Swedish company “Hästen Och Korset”.

Which artists do you think had inspired your music and your personal life the most since your childhood?

Now I will speak only for myself and what I had contributed to my part of ASG. Everyone in the group has such diverse musical influences that it’s easiest if I just talk about my influences.

I can not mention only an artist but I know very clearly how the chain of my musical inspirations have come up.

When I was 14-15 around 1988-89, I received a cassette with Front 242 Geography, I was blown away listening constantly to this cassette. It was the atmosphere of the music that caught me directly, I still think the album is a masterpiece. Then I bought DAF Alles Ist Gut and the disc made me sit and read in music dictionaries at the library (I was a geek) and where I found lot of information about the Berlin scene and began to gather at Mania D and other bands from the same crowd, etc. Then I went to Berlin in the early 90′s and I found the ABWÄRTS AMOK KOMA record. Since that time this has been one of my main influences, absolutely amazing disc atmosphere and excitement in the sound of music frustration, entirely.

I’ve heard about the Swedish electronic music scene that was already very active even in the 90′s before the new wave revival and the big electroclash hype phenomenon. Can you tell us a little about how the Swedish scene has been evolving in Stockholm for the past few years? Is it still has big as it used to be?

When I started my first band in the early 90′s we were playing some sort of Berlin 80′s total chaos electronic music and we were the only band in Stockholm, who were doing this kind of music. All of the other bands were busy trying to sound like Frontline Assembly and other bands that came there. Then a few years into the 90′s came the big synth pop wave and I had a really hard time with everything around it in Sweden, both the band formations and the audience I thought it was ridiculous and really not my thing. So we were a little bunch of people who kept alive a small electro-punk scene in Stockholm around 93 and 95. But since 2000 it happened that a whole new synth scene is going on in Stockholm, who came from more indie pop directions from 2000-2005 really a lot of interesting things happened in Stockholm.

The bars during gigs were crowded and there was definitely something cool that happened then. There were many concerts every week with many different bands.

Is there any other local artists from Sweden that you appreciate and would like to mention?

When I saw a band called Naked Ape playing in Stockholm a Wednesday evening in 2001 or 2002, all the pieces got together in my mind, they were really the answer to all my thoughts about music. On stage they had a dirty sound that was made with a sequencer, a synthesizer and a singer with sunglasses who screamed in Swedish.

Are you planning to cross the ocean to play gigs in the states or in Canada anytime soon?

If enough people want to organize concerts for us, so that it becomes financially possible for us to get over to the U.S. we would go. Actually, the biggest problem we are facing with lowest fees is that it makes a little less for everyone in the band.We hope this will become possible in the upcoming years.

Original Swedish Interview

Vad är innebörden av erat namn.

Man kan likna vårat band namn med en man som är fylld av en maskinell gnagande frustration som gnager sig genom allt likt en slipmaskin.

Vilka andra projekt har du varit inblandad i och hur träffade du dom andra medlemmarna?

Under hela 90talet spelade jag med mitt band Berliner 6 Bahn ett band som ständigt bytte skepnad och provade nya inriktningar. Vi gjorde någon form av syntetisk cirkus musik är nog bästa beskrivningen. I början på 2000 talet startade jag tillsammans med min kollega Mattias Leidebjer independent skivbolaget Lobotom Records AB från 2000-2005 var Lobotom verkligen i centrum av stockholms musik scen.

2004 började jag fundera på att starta ett nytt band, ungefär samtidigt träffade jag Johan Lange under en inspelnings session med bandet Tomas! Jag blev imponerad av Johans talang och Johan blev imponerad av min instrument samling det var så vi startade. Vi började ses en gång i veckan och sitta och laborera fram låt fragment. Först ett halvår senare kom vi i kontakt med Kristoffer Grip då hans dåvarande flickvän som jag kände sedan tidigare hade övertygat oss om att Kristoffer var sångaren vi sökte!

Sedan under hela 2005 och halva 2006 försökte vi hitta formen på det sound vi var ute efter. Sommaren 2006 hade vi hittat formen och spelade i Amsterdam på Martijns klubb Hex. Martijn frågade oss direkt efter spelningen om han kunde få ge ut en 7″ singel med oss!

I slutet på 2007 åkte Johan till USA i nästan 19 månaders tid , det var då vi bestämde oss för att våran inspelnings tekniker Henrik Sunbring och Alexander Blomqvist skulle bli live medlemmar i bandet. Sedan tycte vi alla att allt fungerade så bra att vi ville ha Henrik och Alexander som ordinarie medlemmar så när Johan kom tillbaka från USA så blev vi ett 5 mannaband istället för som tidigare en en trio.

Efter att ha lyssnat på ljudklippen som Enfant Terrible har släppt, När jag jämför dessa med den första skivan, får jag en känsla av att Henrik och Alexander tog in en ny dimension till bandet. hur förklarar du denna utveckling i riktning mot ett uptempo aggressivt sound?

För ASG har det hela tiden även på föra skivan varit ett mål att jobba mot att göra musiken mera dynamisk, vårat samspel är en av det viktigaste grundpelarna i våran musik. Nu när Henrik och Alex är med så kan Johan ha focus på att spela hårt och taktfast och Henrik kan lägga focus på sina melodier och ljudmattor och Alex håller uppe drivet med sin elbas och jag spelar med mina bandloopar och pedaler och mina andra olika ljud maskiner och Kristoffer håller i showen! Allt detta gör att vi nog nu låter mera brutalare nu än tidigare. Men det är dynamiken som vi är vårat focus!

Jag vet att Kristoffer skriver alla sång texter, men hur jobbar ni med komposition tillsammans ? Med så många maskiner, blir det inte svårt att få ihop alla instrument till en helhet?

Det vanligaste sättet vi jobbar på är att jag och johan träffas och laborerar med någon bandloop och piano och hittar på någon enkel trumtakt vrider fram ett ljud på en synth. Det kan vara Johan som har funderat ut en melodi under veckan eller så kan det vara jag som har funderat ut något att bygga en bandloop av. Sedan kommer dom andra in och då växer låten fram och Johan håller i själva arrangemanget av låten.

Life In Advance började med att jag gjorde en bandloop av ett anslag på piano sedan körde jag den loopen baklänges genom ett bandeko då hittade vi något ödesmättat vemodigt ljud som påminner om att åka på en motorväg i regn. Sedan byggdes låten upp runt det ljudet.

Ett par av låtarna på den nya LPn födes fram under repeditioner med hela bandet. Då råkar bara en låt bli till alla element bara stämmer. Det händer ibland. Men det är alltid Johan som står för arrangemanget av låten.

Enfant Terrible har just spridit nyheten att det släpps två LP skivor med Agent Side Grinder samtidigt. Hur kommer det sig att ni kommer ut med två album samtidigt?

Under 2008 så bodde Johan i USA det var då Henrik och Alex värvades till Gruppen så att vi skulle kunna fortsätta att spela live under 2008. Jag och Johan drog igång ett litet ljudexpriment då när Johan bode i USA så att Johan skulle vara delaktig i ASG trots att han var i USA.

1989 läste jag en artikel om hur gruppen Klinik arbetade , I artiklen berättade Mark Verhagen att dom endast skickade kassetter till varandra istället för att träffas och göra musik tillsammans jag har alltid tänk på det om det var möjligt eller inte därför ville vi testa och se ifall det var möjligt. Jag köpte två Tascam portastudios av samma modell och skickade den ena till USA sedan började vi att utväxla kassettband mellan Sverige och USA via vanlig post. Jag gjorde några ljud collage sedan skickade jag kassetten till Johan som lade på en synth. Sedan postade vi allt till Henrik och Alex som slutförde produktionen. Där av namnet på skivan.

Martijn på Enfant Terrible tyckte att det var ett musikaliskt mästerverk och vill släppa dessa inspelningar på LP. Just för att vi har jobbat med kasseter så finns dessa inspelningar även att köpa på kassett i den limiterade upplagan av 100 exemplar av det svenska kassett bolaget “Hästen Och Korset”.

Vilken artist tror du har inspirerat din musik och ditt liv mest sedan du var ung?

Nu talar jag bara om mig själv och vad som har bidragit till min del av ASG. Alla i gruppen har så skilda musikaliska influenser att det är enklast om jag bara berättar om mina influenser.

Jag har svårt att säga bara en artist men jag vet väldigt tydligt hur kedjan av mina musikaliska inspirationskällor har upp kommit.

När jag var 14-15 ca 1988-89 fick jag en kassett med Front 242 geography, jag blev helt tagen lyssnade konstant på denna kassett. Den var atmosfären i musiken som fångade mig direkt jag tycker fortfarande den skivan är ett mästerverk. Sedan köpte jag DAF Ales Is Gut och den skivan fick mig att sitta och läsa i Musik lexikonen i biblioteket ( jag var en Nörd ) och där hittade jag massa information om Berlin scenen och började samla på Mania D och andra band från samma bolag etc. Sedan åkte jag till berlin på tidigt 90tal och hittade på en skivmarknad ABWÄRTS AMOK KOMA den skivan
har sedan den stunden varit en av mina viktigaste influenser , Helt otrolig skiva stämningen och spänningen i musiken frustrationen i ljudet, allt.

Jag har hört talas om den svenska electroniska musik scenen som redan var aktiv på 90talet innan New Wave revival och den stora Electroclash hypen fenomenet. Kan du berätta lite hur dens svenska scenen har utvecklats i Stockholm de senaste åren. Är den lika stor som den har varit?

När jag på tidigt 90tal startade mitt första band som spelade en form av Berlin 80tal kaos elektronisk musik så var vi det ända bandet i Stockholm som höll på med denna typ av musik. Alla andra band var fullt upptagna med att försöka låta som Frontline asembly och andra band som var inne då. Sedan en bit in på 90talet kom den stora syntpop vågen och jag hade verkligen svårt med allt runt detta i Sverige både banden som bildades och publiken jag tyckte det var löjligt verkligen inte min grej. Så vi var ett litet gäng som fortsatte att hålla liv i en elektropunk scen i Stockholm runt 93-95. Men sedan år 2000 så hände det något det dök upp en helt ny syntscen i Stockholm som kom från mera indepop hållet från 2000-2005 hände det verkligen massor intressanta saker i Stockholm. Det började arrangeras spelningar på barer mindre ställen det var helt klart något coolt som hände då. Det var flera spelningar varje vecka med olika band.

Är det någon annan lokal artist från sverige som du ser upp till och vill nämna?

När jag såg ett band som heter Naked Ape spela på ett ställe i Stockholm en onsdagskväll 2001 eller 2002 så föll alla bitar på plats dom var verkligen svaret på alla mina tankar om musik. Det var live det var dåligt ljud det var en sequencer och en synt och en sångare med solglasögon som skrek på svenska.

Planerar ASG att korsa oceanen för att göra spelningar i USA eller Canada någon gång inom snar framtid?

Om tillräckligt många vill arrangera spelningar åt oss så att det blir en ekonomi som gör att vi kan åka över till USA så kommer vi att göra det. Just nu är vårat största problem att vi får för låga gager som gör att varje spelning vi gör går lite minus för alla i bandet. Vi hoppas att det ska bli en ändring på det de närmsta året.

You released the first Sickdoll 7″, Sohn Geht Ab! in 2006. Did you ever worked any other musical project in the past? When did you started composing music?

Yes that’s right, 2006, the first EP came out. Before that, a 7″ and two CD compilation samplers were released.

As a child, I learned a few years of electric organ at a music school. But then puberty hit me like an hammer, I worked a lot next to the school and bought myself an outrageously expensive electric guitar at that time. A Fender Squire Fat Strat protons in a fairly hot black paint and silver pearl. So I became one of the worst guitar player the world had ever heard and started with a few equally talented players in my school to form a grunge punk band.

We were so poor that it was stripping the walls with our sounds. But of course we did not realized it at the time, and found ourselves quite a toll. At some point, the whole thing got lost in the sand and we did split apart…

Then I had some large debts and I had to sell the hardly earned guitar for a mere pittance. From that day on, I vowed to NEVER AGAIN take a guitar in my hands (and the world was probably a little better off this way). But I did not say I would never do music again, in the attic I played the organ from time to time. Later on, I moved aimlessly out into the world with a thousand ideas in my head, any instrument, a lot of anger in the belly and a lot of potential in the ass.

So after a while, I started to write lyrics again and collected everything that was cheap to get. Joined medium shot guitar effects at cheap keyboards and such a trash. That saved me over the crazy times and brought me back to life. It became a passion. I then made some demos to survive has I had no job… Well then came a couple of live appearances. I collected a couple of synthesizers and other stuff. Eventually, I no longer wanted to play alone, but nobody wanted to join my moronic borderline project. Well understandable, but somehow tiring…

But at some point a guy told me that because he knows a guitarist … she would like to live an experience and wanted to get involved in a project. Well – we met and it went from Sickdoll to Sickdoll & The Nuclear Shades. Anyway, I wanted some change. At first I did not want Alex to integrate because of the coolness factor – that is the guitar, but I got with a guitar again because you can play something different and can create other sonorities. I just wanted more.

Now I want still more. I want to expand the project to create more bandwidth. Today nobody wants to play with us. But – who cares – the Katzenbölzer must go on…

How did you meet with Kaptain boredom and Bert to form GmbHoffnung?

I’ve known Captain Boredom for longer. I met him at a concert where I was really bad and Bert was also present. Then we thought it would be fun to try to play together, only with hardware. Only an old synth, a drum machine from the 60s (some say even 50′s) and Bert’s slippers of course, his futuristic sleeping bag all in wonder. Bert somehow seems even years ahead, and dominating the timeless, motionless moving into his slippers.

Did you have some unrealesed songs with GmbHoffnung other than the one that appeared on the Minimal Baby compilation of the SkullLine label?

Yes, we have a track – “backpacking” but we did not find it good enough to finish it completely. We are living far away and we aren’t seeing each others that often.

What is going on with GmbHoffnung at the moment? Is it still active and are you planning to release more material anytime soon?

Yes, we are planning to meet up soon again, to fill ourselves with beer and Pfeffi liquor and improvise new songs as far we are still able to do so. We also take care of our physical well-being – Captain Boredom told me “you cook as a mummy”.

For Sickdoll & The Nuclear Shades, I’ve heard (from my German connection) that your guitar player Alex is now studying in Scotland. Will you still manage to keep working on the projects and do some gigs while she is gone away?

Oh, that’s not an issue. First she was recently over my place in my music room and we have added the guitar over several days for about 6 songs. In Scotland, she moved into the neighborhood of a separate low-cost airline to be more flexible – and today is much cheaper to fly than drive train. So I see no problems with concerts.

By working together – yes, that is even better when we meet to record, but a remote cooperation during the Internet connectivity era is not a problem (even if it annoys). She brought her guitar and effect pedal with her.

Alexandra will indeed be back in a year on the German lands to our happiness. But only in fact, as she says, if she doesn’t find a rich Scotsman who a owns castle, with who she would have to get married.

Do you get a good support from the fans in Hannover? In which German city do you think the scene is bigger for the kind of music you are doing?

Ah! This is a very sensitive topic and I should say: if I say something wrong at this point, I totally don’t care.

First of all, I should say that I have to Hannover no reference. Even though I have been there for two years. It is only a half an hour of driving from where I came from. I am originally from Münsterland and somehow the Lower Saxony (except the northern Lower Saxony) and the Munster countries do not really want to get along.

I do not know how many listeners we have in Hannover, but I think the core of our audience came mostly from other Goodheart and even more from abroad to 60%. We already have some nice listeners from Hannover, but there it is rather as already mentioned not our territory.

There are some musicians scattered all over Germany fabricating into this type of music. As for the party people, I think the best place is Berlin. The beautiful thing is simply that over there I meet people from various cities and other countries who are not necessarily dependent on the discretion of a local elite.

You mentioned that you used to play guitar in a punk rock band in the past. Which punk bands do you think had the biggest influence in your life?

Argh argh! This is a story. My best childhood friend and I came from very religious families. Very early, we were strangely interested in something like this, even though we did not understand entirely.

When we used to play with Lego blocks, we then often heard The Ramones. That was about the limit for us, because for us, to listen to The Ramones then was totally forbidden. To disguise the songs, we had written ABBA on the tapes or we had recorded over old tapes. Until 2 years later, we didn’t know what is Punk – that was also banned.

So we cut ourselves as we were still little boys, strangely enough (for whatever reason) we took our sleeveless jackets and draw an emblem with a permanent marker on the back, with german studs into it and we stole from his father an expensive aftershave bottle and flipped it up over our head… It naturally adapted with our blond boy hairstyles divinely. Later, we got our ass spanked because of the aftershave bottle. It was fun anyways.

A bit later during my childhood, I then discovered the music of “Die Ärzte” when I was in another kid’s children bedroom… because even these cuddly German rock artists were absolutly forbidden in our parents houses. Then came up two bands from the German area, and then I was interested in grunge. During this period, when I was in fifth grade, it was totally hip. This was just the MTV generation.

Then I got into the strangest aberrations with music no one even speak about, again until much later and then I started again Punk, Gothic, EBM, New Wave, and rock n ‘roll and to hear such a rotten business. Since then bands like Dead Kennedys, Fehlfarben, Abwärts, Screamers, Spizz Energy, Grauzone, Bauhaus, etc. They were very important for me, until I eventually could no longer hear them. I have always been looking for new music in this area – particularly for bands, albums, but not much are well known. I desperately needed new input.

What is pisssing you off the most about the actual social and political situation in Germany and/or Europe right now?

That sounds like a question to Miss Universe.

So the first thing I do not like is our chancellor, I get cramps downright in the stomach when I hear her speaking on television. The have succeeded to be so popular because they NEVER say anything concrete.

She almost never fix anything down and she knows how to dance around the actual theme with a vague rethoric, which actually ends up into a void content.

She has also spoken out against blanket minimum wages. It truly pisses me off, because the people have from their shitty job the toughest and longest working hours. They should at least be able to live fairly decently. I worked in a company where the father of a family with 2 children, who worked 6 days a week, about 10 hours a day and could not even feed his family properly. He wrote anonymously to a newspaper and it was printed. The company, however, it found out and announced it. This is Germany.

The argument of our chancellor was that the jobs would not otherwise be viable for the company in Germany, where the minimum wage would be introduced in all walks of life in which they will not.

This means that it is a damn what happens to the workers … the main thing is they work – even if they have little life and no money. But the bill does not go on in many cases, I think … because I believe that guest workers, such as Romanians and Russians will make this job for the money and the German unemployment statistics will not benefit from the most good-looking democratic ideas.

What I do not understand is that our democracy is a lobbyist dictatorship, but democracy should continue to complain. In fact, citizenship in Germany has been disenfranchised for a long time. These policies is on us a business that has not much to do with reality. Politics quasi-exist alongside the reality… now and then we meet for tea so we can beat it up.

There is still much much more than that affecting me, such as temporary work and I could go on and on, but I would need to write a book and I’m getting too tired.

Who is your hero/heroine?

I have no hero and I do not need any. Of course one looks into his childhood heroes and role models, but that is it but a few years ago.

I think hero worship is irrelevant. There are many people who have done amazing things in my eyes, in different ways. But one should not ignore that even normal unknown people are/were just as loved and have been living like everyone else, with weaknesses and strengths.

The best-known historical figures and enjoying themselves, either at the suffering of others, to the destructive, in pronounced sexual preferences, drug excesses or any things else – even if they were casually known mainly for other achievements (or in many cases only for the acts to be regarded negatively).

Even Einstein was an absolute womanizer … Goethe a blind beggar – and they are still cute examples. Heroes do not exist – just as annoying self-proclaimed heroes.

But when I get to think of it, everyone is a hero to me directly says what he means, even if the other is uncomfortable (and I mean from the bottom up), which is far from trivial influences built his own world of thoughts. Each of the inappropriate at the time and even though it is detrimental to one’s own mouth to make is – this is a hero and anyone can be.

Which active bands out there in Germany do you enjoy the most?

Oh, that’s a really difficult question. Since I do a lot of music myself, I rather rarely look at the current music scene around me lately and I mostly listen to music from earlier times.

Unfortunately, there are not many active bands from Germany, I think well – that of which I know, but there are some. They are indeed mainly as small and isolated as me, and are rather unpopular.

I also know of many if not at that are still active. Yes we have noticed – I do not want to answer that question specifically. But this must be said – for my taste, it is not necessarily better with the music culture here in Germany (hey – at least I’m honest!).

When are you planning to release the next album of Sickdoll & the Nuclear Shades?

If everything works as planned, the album should be finished by late autumn or early December on our side. However, it is likely we probably won’t even deal with the pressure.

We hope to find a new record label, all optimistic with our new album, which will be willing to cooperate with us on fair terms. Well, it would then allow to offer our listeners the album by the end of the year, but that is still science fiction…

Deutsch Original Interview

2006 wurde das erste Sickdoll 7″, Sohn Geht Ab!, produziert (sage es mir mal, wenn es nicht stimmt!). Hast Du schon mal an einem anderen Projekt frueher teilgenommen? Wann hast Du angefangen, Musik zu komponieren?

Ahoi da draußen…
ja das ist richtig, 2006 kam die erste EP raus.. vorher war ich mit diesem Projekt bereits vertreten auf einem 7″ Sampler und zwei CD-Samplern…
Als Kind habe ich einige Jahre E-Orgel an einer Musikschule gelernt…
doch dann traf mich die Pubertät wie ein Hammer… ich arbeitete viel neben der Schule und kaufte mir eine für damalige Verhältnisse sündhaft teure E-Gitarre (Fender Squire FatStrat Protone in ziemlich heißer schwarzer Lackierung und silbernem Perlmutt..).
So wurde ich einer der schlechtesten Gitarristen die die Welt je hören mußte und gründete mit ein paar ebenso begabten Spielern meiner Schule eine GrungePunkband… wir waren so schlecht, dass man mit unseren Tönen die Wände abbeizen konnte.. aber das merkten wir zu dem Zeitpunkt natürlich nicht und fanden uns ganz schön toll.
Irgendwann verlief sich aber das Ganze im Sande und wir trennten uns…
Dann hatte ich irgendwann große Schulden und mußte die mühsam zusammengearbeitete Gitarre für einen Spottpreis verkaufen. Von dem Tag an schwor ich mir, NIE WIEDER eine Gitarre in die Hand zu nehmen… (und die Welt war bestimmt ein wenig besser geworden dadurch).
Doch ich sagte nicht ich würde nie wieder Musik machen… auf dem Dachboden spielte ich weiter Orgel von Zeit zu Zeit… später zog ich dann ziellos in die Welt hinaus.. mit tausend Ideen im Kopf, keinem Instrument und viel Wut im Bauch und einer Menge Potential im Hintern…
Also fing ich nach einer ganzen Weile an wieder Texte zu schreiben und alles zu sammeln was billig zu bekommen ist… halbtote Gitarreneffekte an billige Keyboards anzuschließen und so einen Trash.. das rettete mich über verrückte Zeiten hinweg und brachte Lebensqualität zurück… es wurde zur Passion…. ich vertickte Demos damals um zu überleben wenn ich keinen Job hatte…
Naja dann kamen ein paar Auftritte… ich sammelte ein paar Synthesizer… und anderes Zeug.
Irgendwann wollte ich nicht mehr alleine spielen… aber niemand wollte sich meinem grenzdebilen Endzeitprojekt anschließen. Naja verständlich, aber schon irgendwie ermüdend…

Doch irgendwann sagte mir ein Kamerad, dass er da eine Gitarristin kennt… sie hätte Liveerfahrung und will wieder in einem aktiven Projekt mitarbeiten.
Naja – wir trafen uns und so wurde dann aus SICKDOLL – SICKDOLL & The Nuclear Shades.
Ich wollte sowiso eine Veränderung… ich wollte Alex nicht integrieren um den Coolnessfaktor wegen – sprich der Gitarre, sondern weil man mit einer Gitarre wieder Anderes vermitteln kann und anders spielen kann und andere Sounds kreieren kann. Ich wollte einfach MEHR.
Jetzt will ich immernoch MEHR. Ich will das Projekt erweitern um mehr Bandbreite zu schaffen. Heute will auch niemand mit uns spielen.. aber – who cares – the Katzenbölzer must go on.

Wie trafen Sie sich mit der Kaptain boredom und Bert, um GmbHoffnung zu bilden?

Also den Käptn Langeweile kenne ich schon länger. Ich habe ihn auf einem Konzert kennengelernt auf dem ich richtig schlecht war. Bert war auch dabei. Dann haben wir uns gedacht mal einfach so versuchen was zusammen aufzunehmen… nur mit Hardware… nur alte Synth und eine Drummachine aus den 60ern (manche behaupten auch 50ern) und Berts Hausschuhe natürlich und sein futuristischer Schlafsack der alle in Staunen versetzte. Irgendwie scheint Bert uns schon Jahre voraus zu sein und beherrscht den zeitlosen, bewegungslosen Einzug in seine Hausschuhe.

Hatten Sie einige unrealeased Lieder mit GmbHoffnung anders als derjenige der erschien auf der Minimalen Baby-Kompilation des SkullLine-Label?

Ja wir haben einen Track – “Rucksacktourismus” aber wir fanden ihn nicht gut genug um ihn komplett fertig zu machen.
Wir leben halt weiter entfernt voneinander und können uns nicht so oft in natura sehen.

Was macht mit GmbHoffnung im Moment weiter? Ist das noch aktiv, und planen Sie, mehr Material jederzeit bald zu veröffentlichen?

Ja wir streben an uns bald mal wieder zu treffen, uns mit Bier und Pfeffi zu füllen und neues Liedgut zu improvisieren so weit man noch in der Lage dazu ist. Für das leibliche Wohl ist auch gesorgt – Käptn Langeweile sagte zu mir “du kochst wie ne Mutti”.

Für Sickdoll & The Nuclear Shades habe ich gehört (von meiner deutschen Verbindung), den Ihr Gitarre-Spieler Alex jetzt in Schottland studiert.

Werden Sie noch schaffen fortzusetzen, an den Projekten zu arbeiten und einige Rauhmaschinen zu tun, während sie weggegangen wird?
Oh das ist garkein Problem. Ersteinmal war sie noch vor kurzem bei mir zuhause in meinem Musikzimmer und wir haben über mehrere Tage noch die Gitarren für ca. 6 Lieder neu aufgenommen. In Schottland ist sie extra in die nähe einer Billigairline gezogen um flexibler zu sein – und heutzutage ist fliegen viel billiger als Zug fahren.
Von daher sehe ich keine Probleme mit Konzerten. Mit dem Zusammenarbeiten – ja das ist schon schöner wenn man sich trifft um aufzunehmen, aber eine Zusammenarbeit auf Distanz ist in Zeiten des Internetzes ja auch nicht so das Problem (auch wenn es nervt). Sie hat ja Gitarre und Effektgerät alles dann mit rübergenommen.
Alexandra wird ja in einem Jahr wieder in deutschen Landen sein zum Glück. Aber nur, wenn sie laut eigener Aussage keinen reichen Schotten mit dazugehöriger Burg findet den sie dann zum heiraten zwingt.

Bekommen Sie eine gute Unterstützung von den Anhängern in Hannover? In der welchen deutschen Stadt denken Sie, dass die Szene für die Art der Musik größer ist, die Sie tun?

Oh das ist ein ganz heikles Thema und ich möchte schonmal sagen: Falls ich an dieser Stelle etwas falsches sagen sollte… dann ist es mir vollkommen egal.
Ich sollte ersteinmal sagen, dass ich zu Hannover garkeinen Bezug habe… auch wenn ich jetzt seit zwei Jahren nur eine halbe Autobahnstunde davon entfernt lebe. Ich komme aus dem Münsterland ursprünglich und irgendwie sind die  Niedersachsen (außer die nördlichen Niedersachsen) und die Münsterländer nicht wirklich paarungswillig.
Ich weiß nicht wieviele Zuhörer wir in Hannover haben… aber ich denke der Kern unserer Zuhörerschaft kommt eher aus anderen Gefielden und auch eher aus dem Ausland zu 60%. Wir haben schon ein paar nette Zuhörer aus Hannover, aber dort ist es eher wie schon erwähnt nicht so unser Gebiet.
Es gibt einige Musiker verstreut über ganz Deutschland die solche Musik fabrizieren.
Was das Partyvolk angeht denke ich, ist man immernoch in Berlin am besten aufgehoben. Das schöne ist einfach dass sich dort ebend die Leute aus den verschiedensten Städten und teilweise Ländern treffen und man nicht unbedingt auf das Gutdünken einer lokalen Elite angewiesen ist.

Sie erwähnten, dass Sie pflegten, Gitarre in einem Punkrock-Band in der Vergangenheit zu spielen. Welche Punkrock-Bänder denken Sie, den größten Einfluss in Ihrem Leben hatten?

Arrr arrr das ist auch so eine Geschichte… mein bester Kindheitsfreund und ich kamen aus sehr religiösen Familien. Wir haben uns seltsamerweise schon recht früh für soetwas interessiert, auch wenn wir es absolut nicht verstanden haben.
Beim spielen mit Legosteinen haben wir dann immer Ramones gehört. Das war für uns der absolute Hammer, denn bei uns war das hören der Ramones damals total verboten. Zur Tarnung des Liedgutes haben wir ABBA auf die Kassetten geschrieben oder alte Hörspielkasstetten überspielt. ein zwei Jahre später wußten wir imme noch nicht was Punk ist – war ja auch verboten und so.
Also haben wir uns als immernoch kleine Jungs unsere Jeanswesten zerschnitten, seltsamerweise (warum auch immer) irgendwelche Wappen mit Edding hinten draufgemalt, Sicherheitsnadeln in die Jacke gehauen und uns von seinem Vater eine Flasche Rasierwasser geklaut und sie uns über den Kopf gekippt… unsere blonden Bübchenfrisuren passten natürlich göttlich dazu. Später haben wir wegen der Rasierwasserflasche den Arsch versolt bekommen. Lustig wars trotzdem.
Ein bisschen später gabs dann auch die Musik von “Die Ärzte” im Kinderzimmer durch einen anderen Kindheitsfreund… denn auch dieser Kuscheldeutschrock war bei uns durch unsere Elternhäuser verboten und somit ein absolutes MUSS – klar. Es kamen dann noch ein zwei Bands aus dem deutschen Bereich hinzu… und dann interessierte ich mich erstmal für Grunge.. war in der fünften Klasse total angesagt. Das war gerade die MTV Generation.  They are then mainly as shortened types and Typinnen like me, are rather unpopular.
Dann hatte ich noch die seltsamsten Musikverirrungen über die man ja nicht spricht und erst wieder viel später fing ich dann an wieder Punk, Gothic, EBM, NewWave, und rock n’ roll und so einen Kram zu hören. Da wurden dann Bands wie Dead Kennedys, Fehlfarben, Abwärts, Screamers, Spizz Energy, Grauzone,  Bauhaus etc. sehr wichtig für mich, bis ich die irgendwann nicht mehr so hören konnte und immer neue Musik gesucht habe aus den Bereichen – besonders die Bands die nicht so namenhaft und bekannt sind. Ich brauchte unbedingt neuen Input.

Was ärgert Sie meist über die wirkliche soziale und politische Situation in Deutschland und/oder Europa in diesem Augenblick?

Das klingt wie eine Frage bei der Wahl zur Miss Universum.
Also als erstes mag ich meine Kanzlerin nicht, ich bekomme regelrecht Magenkrämpfe wenn ich sie im Fernsehen sprechen höre. Sie hat es nur deshalb geschafft beim Volk so beliebt zu sein, weil sie NIE etwas Konkretes sagt.
Sie legt sich fast nie wirklich fest und versteht es wunderbar um das eigentliche Thema mit eher allgemein gehaltenen, inhaltlich leeren Äußerungen herum zu tanzen.
Außerdem hat sie sich gegen flächendeckende Mindestlöhne ausgesprochen. Das pisst mich RICHTIG an, denn die Leute aus den Brangen die ohnehin die härtesten Mistjobs und längsten Arbeitszeiten haben, sollten zumindest einigermaßen anständig leben können. Ich habe in einer Firma gearbeitet, in der ein Familienvater mit 2 Kindern, der 6 Tage die Woche ca 10 Stunden am Tag arbeitete und seine Familie nichtmal richtig ernähren konnte. Er schrieb anonym an eine Zeitung und es wurde gedruckt. Die Firma aber fand es raus und kündigte ihn. DAS ist Deutschland.
Das Argument unserer Kanzlerin war, dass die Arbeitsplätze sonst nicht tragbar wären für die Firmen in Deutschland wenn der Mindestlohn eingeführt würde in allen Brangen und das will sie nicht.
Das bedeutet also, dass es scheißegal ist wie es den Arbeitern geht… hauptsache sie arbeiten – auch wenn sie kaum Lebensqualität haben und kein Geld. Aber die Rechnung geht nicht auf in vielen Fällen denke ich… denn ich glaube dass dadurch immer mehr Gastarbeiter wie Rumänen und Russen diese Jobs machen werden für das Geld und die deutsche Arbeitslosenstatistik wohl nicht vom merklischem Gedankengut profitieren wird.
Was ich auch nicht verstehe ist, das unsere Demokratie eine Lobbyistische Diktatur ist, aber sich weiter Demokratie schimpfen darf. Der Bürger in Deutschland ist längst entmündigt.
Politik ist bei uns auch nurnoch ein Business und hat mit der Realität nicht mehr viel zu tun. Politik existiert quasi neben der Realität… ab und zu trifft man sich dann zum Tee und lässt sich verprügeln.
Da gibt es noch viel viel mehr was mich stöhrt (wie zum Beispiel Zeitarbeit und und und), aber das ist ein Buch dass zu schreiben ich müde bin.

Wer ist Ihr Held / Heldin?

Sickdoll – Ich habe keinen Held und brauche keinen. Natuürlich sucht man sich in der Kindheit seine Helden und Vorbilder, doch das ist dann doch schon einige Jahre her.
Ich finde Heldenverehrung nicht gerade sehr ansehenswert. Es gibt viele Menschen die in meinen Augen Erstaunliches vollbracht haben, auf unterschiedlichste Art und Weise… doch man sollte nicht außer Acht lassen, dass auch sie privat normale Menschen sind/waren, und genau so geliebt und gelebt haben wie alle anderen auch, mit Schwächen und Stärken. Die bekanntesten Persönlichkeiten der Geschichte labten sich entweder am Leid anderer, an der Zerstöhrung, an ausgeprägten sexuellen Vorlieben, Drogenexzessen oder sonst irgendwelchen Dingen – auch wenn sie nebenbei hauptsächlich für andere Erungenschaften bekannt waren… (oder in vielen Fällen auch nur für die negativ aufzufassenden Taten)
Selbst Einstein war ein absoluter Weiberheld… und Goethe ein Schnorrersack – und das sind ja noch niedliche Beispiele.
Helden gibt es nicht – und selbsternannte Helden nerven.
Doch wenn ich es mir recht überlege, ist jeder für mich ein Held der direkt sagt was er meint, auch wenn es anderen unbequem ist (und das meine ich von unten nach oben), der sich fern von trivialen Einflüssen seine eigene Gedankenwelt erbaut. Jeder der auch im unpassenden Zeitpunkt und auch wenn es zum eigenen Nachteil ist den Mund auf macht – das ist ein Held… und jeder kann es sein.

Welche aktive Bänder dort in Deutschland genießen Sie meist?

Oh das ist wirklich einmal eine schwierige Frage. Da ich selber viel Musik mache, beobachte ich das aktuelle Musikgeschehen um mich herum eher wenig in letzter Zeit und höre vorwiegend Musik aus früheren Zeiten.
Leider gibt es nicht sehr viele aktuelle Bands aus Deutschland die ich gut finde – also von denen die ich kenne, aber es gibt welche. Das sind dann hauptsächlich so verkautzte Typen und Typinnen wie ich, die eher unpopulär sind.
Von vielen weiß ich auch garnicht ob die noch aktiv sind. Ja man merkt schon – ich möchte diese Frage nicht konkret beantworten.
Aber so viel sei gesagt – für meinen Geschmack wird es nicht unbedingt besser mit der Musikkultur hier in Deutschland (hey – wenigstens bin ich ehrlich!).

Wann planen Sie, das folgende Album von Sickdoll & the Nuclear Shades zu veröffentlichen?

Wenn alles so funktioniert wie geplant, müßte das Album bis Ende Herbst oder Anfang Dezember fertig sein von unserer Seite aus. Allerdings können wir die Pressung wahrscheinlich nicht selbst bezahlen.
Wir hoffen dann also, dass wir im Bestfall mit dem neuen Album unter den optimistischen Achselhöhlen ein neues Label finden, dass bereit ist mit uns zu fairen Konditionen zusammenzuarbeiten. Schön wäre es dann, unseren Zuhörern das Album Bis Ende des Jahres anbieten zu können, doch das ist alles noch Science Fiction…

P.S.: Ringo müffelt

Sickdoll on MySpace

C’est particulier, parce qu’en ce moment même il y a des changements. La structure a été assez mobile. Le fait est que le concert qu’on donne le 12 la semaine prochaine est le dernier avec Patrick Gosselin que j’avais rencontré via Guillaume. Guillaume, je l’ai rencontré en mixant pour le premier album de Plaza Musique en 2006. Avec les membres de Plaza Musique s’est développé une amitié au travers la collaboration. Il y a donc un rapprochement qui s’est fait. Puis, durant l’été 2006, je me suis retrouvé dans une phase de réflexion par rapport à Echo Kitty (mon projet de l’époque). J’ai senti le besoin de repenser le concept et de repartir à neuf. Je commençais à collaborer avec Guillaume à ce moment là et Guillaume a accepté de venir jouer dans Automelodi, pour ce qui est de la batterie, des percussions et des synthés.

Mauricio était le guitariste au début d’Automelodi parce qu’il avait rejoint Echo Kitty sur la fin et c’était mon voisin d’en bas. Il était venu me voir dans l’escalier “Hey man I heard you are looking for a guitar player”. Ça a bien adonné et ça a bien connecté. Il a été notre premier guitariste, jusqu’à Novembre 2007, et ensuite il est parti faire des contrats à l’étranger. Par l’entremise de Guillaume j’avais connu Patrick Gosselin qui est aussi dans un groupe qui s’appelle Le Couleur qui est son projet principal. Donc Patrick a remplacé Mauricio de façon permanente à ce moment là.

Très récemment, Patrick s’est aperçu que ça débordait un petit peu dans sa vie et qu’il avait différentes priorités. Patrick va donc plus se concentrer sur Le Couleur. Ça coïncide aussi avec le retour de Mauricio qui était revenu de ses contrats. On s’apprête à faire le dernier concert avec Patrick au sein de Automelodi et ensuite ce sera le retour de Mauricio.

Est-ce que vous travaillez ensemble pour les compositions?

Notre structure est essentiellement celle d’un auteur compositeur entouré de collaborateurs créatifs. J’ai tendance à développer de façon assez rapprochée les paroles et la musique pour les apporter, par exemple, sous la forme d’un démo ayant une base mélodico-rythmique assez nette qui peut être présentée à d’autres collaborateurs. Ensuite, on développe par rapport à ça. Que ce soit avec Patrick, Guillaume ou Mauricio, il y a un travail créatif qui a été fait en studio.

Donc oui, jusqu’à un certain niveau nous travaillons ensemble, mais c’est plus au niveau des raffinements et des arrangements, ou au niveau de la performance des musiciens pour développer par exemple des mélodies de guitare… bref, pas nécessairement la structure de base de la chanson, mais tout de même une foule d’éléments et de détails qui, je l’espère, rendent le son d’Automelodi unique.

Depuis tes débuts, as-tu trouvé difficile d’évoluer sur la scène Montréalaise? C’est à dire, as-tu toujours eu un bon support des fans durant les concerts où il y a parfois eu des moments décourageants?

Oui, il y a eu des moments décourageants. Le fait est que lorsque j’ai commencé à jouer à Montréal à l’époque de Echo Kitty il y avait un côté presque “commando-suicide” à ce qu’on faisait. Je me souviens qu’il y avait vraiment très peu de groupes vers 2000-2001 qui montaient sur la scène avec des synthés pour faire autre chose que du techno à tendance post-house. Faire une musique avec des racines un peu rock (dans notre cas, plutôt post-punk) et mélanger ça avec de l’électronique, c’était très rare à l’époque et encore plus rare à voir sur une scène.

Ça a créé une dynamique un peu étrange mais ça a beaucoup attiré l’attention. Ça ne s’est pas passé dans des grandes salles mais il y avait vraiment une attention assez spéciale, assez surprenante, cela dit, maintenant que je vois ça un peu en rétrospective on était un peu un phénomène de cirque. C’est devenu frustrant à la longue. Durant les dernières années de Echo Kitty je réalisais que oui, certaines de nos pièces avaient une pointe d’humour mais qu’il y avait aussi des pièces plus sérieuses dans lesquelles je m’étais beaucoup impliqué au niveau émotionnel.

Oui on était conscient de notre côté burlesque et de la dimension de confrontation dans ce qu’on faisait mais à un certain point, il y a peut-être des gens qui ont un peu limité leur perception de Echo Kitty à ça. Vers la fin, je commençais à m’ennuyer du côté plus cérébral de ce que je faisais avant avec Arnaud Lazlaud, qui avait un côté pop aussi mais qui était peut-être plus introspectif et où le côté sombre était un peu moins voilé.

…Alors j’ai eu envie de quelque chose de plus équilibré… Vers 2006 j’ai vraiment senti le besoin de faire des changements et de repartir à neuf.

Pourquoi avoir passé du nom Arnaud Lazlaud à Echo Kitty pour finalement Automelodi?

C’est pour plusieurs raisons à la fois et c’est un peu étrange. Arnaud Lazlaud était un projet que j’avais entrepris avant de déménager de Québec à Montréal vers la fin des années 90. J’ai commencé à travailler sur ça vers 96-97 et les enregistrements sont sortis en 98, 99 et 2000. À l’époque, il n’y avait pas Myspace et au niveau de l’Internet c’était peu développé. Je ne voyais pas, dans ce qui se faisait musicalement au Québec, avec quoi, ou avec qui je pouvais établir des liens. Pas de label ou quoi ce soit. Aussi j’avais assez peu de collaborateurs et je me sentais plutôt isolé dans ce que je faisais.

Je me souviens qu’à l’époque j’avais envoyé quelques démos en Suède. C’est drôle parce qu’avec le temps il y a eu un effet boomerang. La réception avait été assez positive quand même, je me souviens que quelqu’un faisait des soirées là bas qui étaient assez ouvertes aux styles new-wave, post punk et électro-pop. Il y avait une grosse scène électro-pop en Suède dans les années 90, avant même que les gens se mettent à utiliser des termes comme electroclash. À Göteborg surtout, il y avait vraiment une grosse scène. Donc mon geste était un peu comme tirer une bouteille à la mer, mais ça avait tout de même bien été reçu. Par contre, au niveau local, je me retrouvais vraiment coincé dans un sous-sol à ne pas trop savoir comment présenter ma musique.

En déménageant à Montréal j’ai rencontré des nouvelles personnes, notamment Serge et Sabio, avec qui je me suis mis à produire sous le nom d’Echo Kitty. Un peu plus tôt à Québec j’avais rencontré Jeff et Hans qui ont formé Chernobyl Cha Cha et aussi déménagé à Montréal par la suite. On avait donné ensemble quelques concerts à la limite “stunt” et un peu conceptuels sous le nom de Echo Kitty. Ce nom était un peu un clin d’œil à la culture Japonaise Kawai. J’ai dû penser à Hello Kitty en regardant ma Space Echo (chambre d’écho à ruban) et ça a donné Echo Kitty. …Enfin, c’est le genre de nom qui était un peu comme un clin d’œil absurde et ça collait bien à notre aspect burlesque des débuts, mais à la fin ça n’était plus très représentatif.

Echo Kitty est donc né à un moment où je n’avais pas fait de scène depuis longtemps et où je ressentais le besoin de confronter le public d’une certaine manière. Avec Serge et Sabio, nous étions assez passionnés, non seulement de ce qui était post-punk, new-wave et électro-pop, mais aussi du glam à la David Bowie etc. On avait envie de monter sur scène et le côté provocateur nous amusait beaucoup là-dedans. Donc on s’est mis à monter des concerts à Montréal sous le nom de Echo Kitty.

En fait, nous sommes passés à deux doigts de continuer sous le nom d’Arnaud Lazlaud mais on voulait faire quelque chose d’un peu plus glam et extravagant au niveau de la scène. Étrangement, pour nous cette approche était presque un réflexe punk en réaction au contexte post-grunge fatigué et très “oatmeal” de l’époque. La fin des années 90 – début 2000, c’était très “brun-beige” à nos yeux …et puis au niveau de la musique électronique il y avait une certaine culture post-house dominante qui était devenue super embourgeoisée, avec des gens qui payaient hyper cher pour aller voir des shows de laptop donnés par des DJ qui se promenaient d’un ville à l’autre en jet privé. Ça n’avait plus du tout l’aspect underground et culturellement stimulant que ça avait pu avoir au début du mouvement rave de la fin des années 80, début 90. On avait donc vraiment envie de rentrer là dedans assez violemment, à notre façon.

D’où retiens-tu cet accent dans tes chansons? As-tu des origines étrangères, déjà vécu à l’étranger ou c’est plutôt pour la sonorité?

C’est drôle mais je n’aime pas définir ça comme l’accent précis d’une certaine région. Oui, on peut dire que mon français sonne plus européen ou “Radio-Canadien”. Je crois qu’à moins d’être né (ou avoir vécu longtemps) à un endroit précis on ne peut pas nécessairement prétendre avoir un accent vraiment représentatif de cet endroit. Bref, il n’est pas vraiment question pour moi d’imiter les Français (ou les Belges, ou les Suisses Romands, etc.)

C’est plutôt, en effet, un choix musical (et sonore). En fait, ça a commencé avec mon premier groupe, vers l’âge de 15 ans quand je me suis mis à chanter. Au début, quand tu chantes dans un micro pour la première fois, tu sens devant toi comme un “écran de Saran Wrap (pellicule plastique) psychologique”, qu’il faut arriver à percer…et puis au départ évidemment, ayant passé ma jeune adolescence à écouter Joy Division, The Cure et d’autres trucs dans le genre, c’est clair que j’avais beaucoup d’influences anglophones, alors j’ai d’abord chanté en anglais.

J’avais aussi des influences francophones comme les premiers albums des Rita Mitsouko… pas nécessairement des trucs très obscurs mais du moins des choses que j’écoutais à la fin des années 80 alors que je n’avais pas encore accès à une grande collection de disques. J’écoutais pas mal de groupes issus de cette vague new-wave française et qui avaient un peu flirté avec la pop. Il y a quand même des trucs qui ont bien vieilli là-dedans… Comme Alain Bashung, tiens, qui avait fait certains albums new-wave à la fois pop et sombres, avec beaucoup de sonorités électroniques. On parle très peu de cette époque de Bashung et c’est dommage. Il est plutôt généralement connu comme un chanteur pop-rock. Il est mort cette année, d’ailleurs (R.I.P.)

Enfin, je digresse un peu… je disais donc qu’en commençant à chanter, j’ai eu initialement le réflexe de chanter en anglais. Par contre, j’ai rapidement eu la sensation qu’il y avait quelque chose d’un peu absurde à devoir systématiquement traduire mes paroles et mes pensées. J’avais besoin d’être plus fidèle à mon écriture alors graduellement, je me suis mis à chanter en français. Évidemment, au début les paroles venaient carrément de mes premiers poèmes d’adolescent… J’avais 1-2 amis un peu nerds comme moi et on écrivait en s’inspirant de Beaudelaire, Voltaire et Rimbaud avec toute la prétention et la naïveté qu’on peut avoir à 14 ans. En même temps, je commençais aussi à m’intéresser à un style un peu plus “millésimé” de chanson française, comme Serge Gainsbourg , etc.

Donc, mon style vocal s’est développé assez spontanément, à la fois pour la sonorité et parce que ça fonctionnait mieux avec les vers que j’écrivais. Dès le premier jour où je me suis mis à chanter en français j’ai découvert que ça allait peut-être plus sonner comme Catherine Ringer au masculin que comme Hochelaga-Maisonneuve (quartier populaire de Montréal). Je ne crois pas non plus que ça soit une question de limiter un style de musique à certaines sonorités mais oui, à la limite on pourrait aussi demander pourquoi les chanteurs d’opéra apprennent presque systématiquement l’Italien ou l’Allemand. Chaque langue est en quelque sorte un instrument de musique et l’accent contribue fortement à définir la couleur sonore cet instrument. Il est donc clair pour moi que mon “accent” est essentiellement un choix musical. Ça ne veut pas dire que j’ai quelque chose contre ceux qui chantent en joual… il y en a qui le font très bien…j’ai juste choisi de mon côté d’utiliser un autre “instrument”, si je peux m’exprimer ainsi.

Est-ce que la musique occupe tout ton temps?

En ce moment, oui. C’est pas très lucratif (!). J’ai eu jusqu’à cet été quelques contrats de production, mais récemment il y a eu certains développements qui favorisent un projet d’album alors je tiens à me concentrer pour faire avancer ça le plus possible. Sinon, je travaille un peu comme DJ, notamment pour ce soir, mais ma priorité, du moins pour les mois qui viennent, c’est d’essayer d’accélérer le processus qui a été entrepris avec le EP afin d’en faire un album. Je me retrouve avec un bagage encore un peu flou de 10 à 15 chansons et j’essaie d’aller chercher ce qu’il y a de mieux là dedans.

Qu’elles sont tes influences musicales?

Il y en a trop!

Je crois que tu aimes beaucoup Elli et Jacno entre autre?

Une des raisons qui font que je suis autant attaché à ce groupe, c’est que je crois qu’ils représentent plus d’une facette de mes goûts musicaux. Pour moi, Elli et Jacno faisaient un lien intéressant entre une sorte de légèreté yéyé 60′s et une certaine énergie punk, new-wave, ou presque “proto-new wave”, parce qu’ils ont quand même été parmi les premiers en France dans leur genre. Il faut savoir qu’avant Elli et Jacno, ils avaient aussi été dans les Stinky Toys, un des premiers groupes punk parisiens, de la vague 75-76. Ils étaient déjà là, à Paris, à faire des covers un peu bordéliques des Stooges, avant même que Malcom McLaren ne décide d’organiser le “premier festival punk” au 100 Club à Londres (où les Stinky Toys étaient d’ailleurs invités).

Bref, il y a toute une espèce de genèse qui tourne autour de Jacno. J’aime aussi beaucoup son style mélodique, je trouve qu’il avait une façon géniale de faire beaucoup avec peu. Son minimalisme avait une puissance lyrique unique et intéressante.

Mais à part ça, qu’est-ce qui t’as aussi (sans nécessairement inspiré ta musique) inspiré dans la vie?

Bon, évidement, il y a les clichés habituels du gamin de la fin des années 80 qui achète des cassettes avec son argent de camelot. Joy Division, etc. …Je me souviens aussi que quand j’habitais encore à Québec j’avais passé des années à chercher le premier album de Suicide… quand je l’ai enfin trouvé ça a été un évènement national. À l’époque il n’y avait pas de réédition en CD alors il fallait chercher les rares vinyles d’époque. Mais ça, c’est qu’un exemple, il y en a tellement…

Deutsch-Amerikanische Freundschaft, m’avait beaucoup marqué aussi. Bien sûr, c’est un des groupes les plus connus de la vague Neue Deutsche Welle, mais c’est dans ce qui se trouvait de mieux chez les disquaires de ma ville natale. DAF ont été assez déterminants dans ma façon de voir le rapport avec les instruments électroniques. J’aimais leur côté un peu nu, je sentais une certaine énergie brute, une sorte de tension émanant de leurs pièces qui étaient presque toutes construites avec seulement la batterie, un synthé et la voix.

Il n’y a pas que ça mais c’est quelque chose qui m’a marqué.

As-tu un héros/héroïne?

J’admire plusieurs personnes à gauche et à droite mais j’ai du mal à polariser. Marcello Mastroianni [rires]. C’était un acteur Italien.

Quel sont tes projets futurs?

Je vois plutôt dans un futur rapproché… comme je me retrouve par défaut à être aussi le gérant d’Automelodi, je dois penser à trop de choses à la fois pour me permettre de lancer des idées super loin dans le futur, même si j’aimerais pouvoir le faire. Pour l’instant je vois plutôt les priorités, comme compléter l’album, par exemple.

Pour ce qui est de donner des concerts à l’étranger, ça a commencé un petit peu mais j’aimerais que ça puisse se développer plus. Évidemment à Montréal il y a quelques personnes qui aiment notre style musical, mais je suis conscient qu’Automelodi est tout de même quelque chose de spécialisé qui gagne à être exporté.

Je crois que tu n’as pas encore eu la chance de jouer en Europe?

Non, mais je reçois de plus en plus de courriels à ce sujet de la part d’amis européens. Cela dit, pour y arriver je vais avoir besoin d’un certain support logistique et financier. Ça n’est pas quelque chose qui se fait sur un coup de tête, à moins de se faire offrir des garanties énormes. Même au niveau local, j’ai des vieux amis qui me demandent pourquoi je ne vais pas jouer à Québec plus souvent… j’aimerais bien mais il nous faut une certaine garantie. Pour aller à Québec sans nous ruiner, il nous faut au moins 200$… Pour aller en Europe, ça prend les billets d’avions pour tout le monde, et il y a aussi l’hébergement, etc.

…Mais oui, ça me plairait. De plus en plus je crée des liens, je vois des endroits où le groupe pourrait jouer mais c’est de faire d’abord le “grand bond” vraiment, de foutre le groupe dans l’avion qui est stratégiquement lourd.

Aimerais-tu mentionner des artistes qui mériteraient plus d’attention sur la scène locale?

Fade to Grey… c’est tout neuf mais j’espère qu’on va avoir l’occasion de les voir et les entendre plus.

Il y a Le Couleur dont j’ai mixé et co-produit le premier EP avec Dominique de Plaza Musique.

Il y a aussi Postcards, je trouve qu’il n’y a jamais assez de gens à leurs concerts. Ils font dans un style post punk un peu désincarné avec la voix perdue loin dans le reverb et j’adore ça

Velvet Chrome… J’aime beaucoup Velvet Chrome. C’est dans un genre plus noise, plus expérimental…on pourrait dire dans un style post-Throbbing Gristle.

Il y a aussi Sick Friend, que je viens de découvrir et avec qui on doit faire un concert le 12 septembre. J’ai été assez positivement surpris par l’originalité de leurs sonorités en écoutant leurs pièces.