Many Australian musicians are amazingly talented, and Melbourne’s Body Maintenance, saw in April, the release of their debut album Beside You, with the vinyl LP out on DrunkenSailorRecords and cassette on UnwoundRecords. Now I am going to tell you that if you love post-punk music, and if you haven’t listened to BodyMaintenance, then maybe you aren’t as cool as you think you are.
The tendrils of “SilverYarns” wind around you and unleash the gorgeous guitars, that run and take flight. The vocals are within the mix and yet still ring clear, and you know that any song that mentions sinners and martyrs has got to be good. In fact it is an amazing start. It is a gothic gun duel at high noon in “Circles“, or at least the dark spaghetti western guitars say be there or be square. The synths swirl between and you wonder where the rattle snakes are hiding.
“TheSpiral” feels like the most glorious vortex, berating your ears with tribal beats, and that is at complete odds with the far more reticent and thoughtful “TimeEnough” that curls within your chest, like a hand gripping your heart. The bass guitar steadily pushes forward in “It’sTheatre“, and again those synths soar in your ears, which has a beautiful chorus and the guitar playing that could take your breath away.
The title track is the heavenly forlorn “BesideYou“, which is about dedication no matter where it leads, and it has the air of freefalling. “TheFools, TheFrauds” is verbose and has tinges of VirginPrunes. The rhythm section pulls this track tightly in, while the guitars fight to contain themselves, all the while caressed by the vocals. The vocals in “Ends” catches your ears as does the big guitar sound and before we know it, there is the last track, “ACompliment“, which wanders in the ether of ghost like memories, gently roaming the shadowy paths.
Damn… how do I summarise this album. It is like chills down the spine due to the familiarity of the style, as it reminds me of British post-punk bands from another era, especially PlayDead, DanseSociety, RedLorryYellowLorry and closer to home Ikon and TheChurch. Probably because it is very much guitar driven, with the use of reverb and pedals, and yet for me, it is the fact there is an air of magic in BodyMaintenance’s sound, so richly dark and so invitingly warm at the same time. I am sure their influences are far more modern, but my hot take is BesideYou is a brilliant post-punk album by BodyMaintenance and I can’t wait to see what they do next.
Should you go into the woods, you might not come out the same….or then again, maybe not at all. Californian deathrockers, BlackHeroinGallery have just released a promo video for the track “TakeThisRose“, which is off the album AFeastOfBats, that was unleashed in 2022.
“Death is seeking out her mark, trying to trick the carefree artist into taking her gift: a rose. She uses a surrogate in place of herself, who stalks the artist through the forest, trying to get him to take the rose, even using spells to will his compliance, or trick him with the poisoned rose in a gift box. Ultimately, she will take him to meet the ferryman.” – Eyajo Joseph
And indeed, the music video is like watching the black and white silent movies, with a goth rock soundtrack. There is also an air of the German Expressionist movement, which would eventually lend itself to the progression of American noir cinematography. The track, “TakeThisRose” is atmospheric and spiritually charged, as if the ghosts of the past are watching on, waiting for the inevitable fall of the unsuspecting soul, by the cold hand of Death herself.
Athenian post-punk project ReflectionBlack’s inception was in 2022, with the EP EnteringDreamtime. March of 2023, saw the debut album released on SwissDarkNights, titled ominously, LastStopToNowhere. ElisAlex is the man behind ReflectionBlack, who previously cut his musical teeth in the huge Greek black metal scene, with the bands Ravencult and Nigredo.
“With Last Stop To Nowhere I can say that I have made an album that I am truly happy with. One record, eight tracks, each one different from each other but still forming a very consistent big picture without any fillers. One should expect quite a few surprises in the album, from catchy riffs to heavily layered atmospheric synths and even guitar and saxophone solos. When it comes to the album’s lyrics, themes such as sleep, death, dreams and the occult are being explored extensively. In the end, most of the lyrical themes come down to a general context of mental and spiritual escapism with the questioning of current realities of all forms.” – Elis Alex
The first thing you notice in “Post Sleep Trauma” is the clinking sound like a hammer in a cavernous void, that is until there is a whirl of guitars to join the rhythm, along with bright synths. Alex’s vocals smoothly light up the track with their dark mourning of not wanting to see any dreams in his sleep.. The guitars chime and sparkle but there are “No Stars In The Sky” for this mesmerising and soaring apocalyptic piece, with the heavens being consumed by a black hole, but the chorus is far more riveting.
In amongst the gloom, true love always shines eternal, and this is the theme for “Under Your Shine” as it reverberates with the melting lyrics/vocals and consuming synths, entwined with the guitar. There is an 80s synthwave vibe to the title track “Last Stop To Nowhere“, bound on a ship going to a destination that is likely doomed. “Call My Name” is atmospheric and is filled with that beautiful echoing post-punk jangling guitar. The track soars with conviction and longing in Alex’s singing.
The entrancing “Let The Spirit“, delicately picks you up and bears you along on strong and gentle hands. The bursts of synths are truly magical and one could almost believe those spirits have been freed. When you sleep, there is a vividness not experienced in real life which is explored in the dreamhouse of the track “Yet Unseen Colours“, like a prayer for more than what reality can give. “Why Believe” is the final track, and what a track to finish with. Brooding, as if the angelic and devilish sit on each shoulder, pushing their agenda. Again there as the spiralling guitars that are forever drawing you in.
ElisAlex just has this voice to die for. Smooth, evocative and sensual. The music he creates takes the wonderful saturated guitar sound, made popular in the 80s with such bands as TheCure, MarchViolets and TheMission, and then it is mixed in with the modern synths, to give each track a wonderful dark velvet sumptuousness. All this is topped off by those vocals giving us some rather stunningly perfect tracks, as ReflectionBlack takes us to the LastStopToNowhere.
When you know singer/songwriter, MadilHardis has a new single, then there is only one thing to do… tell everyone. The German with the exquisite vocals, living in London, is about to release a new album called NaturalDarkness, and the track, “My Jolly Sailor Bold” is our first glimpse of what is come. This piece is originally a sea shanty sung somewhere between the 17 and 1800s by sailors, and if it sounds familiar to ye, well, you might not be wrong. It also featured on the movie Pirates of the Caribbean – On Stranger Tides.
There is such a warmth and sensuality dripping in sadness from her vocals alone, and then there are the added delicate gossamer synths that rise and fall gently, like the waves lapping onto the sand. Also, there is also a second version, a capella, which means for those unfamiliar with the term, sung without any instrumental accompaniment.
Even now, this is like an echo through time of great love followed by even greater, gut-wrenching loss. Whether you listen to either version, you can’t help be struck by both the divine beauty and terrible heartache invoked by the sentiment of the track and Hardis‘ poignant singing. Madil Hardis is a land bound siren calling for “My Jolly Sailor Boy”.
MurmursinSpace is the rough translation for the new EleventhFear EP, MurmelnimRaum. Out on NerisRecords, EleventhFear is the electro-goth child of Frenchman, LudovicDhenry. We last heard from this project in 2022 with the release of the first EP, Waldhexen.
“Drachenblut” or dragonblood, hears Dhenry hissing like the very mystical creature itself, over an amazing, minimalistic electronic dance piece, with grand swirls. The bass reverberates through your chest and the keyboard playing shines through the top of your head in “HexendesMeeres“. The music is about the watery wenches, the witches of the sea, whom want to steal away sailors and bathe in their blood. There is definitely a chill down the spine with the first serpentine words whispered on a seething tongue for “Wirwerdenleben“. Low fuzzing tones and vocals are offset by the angelic lighter keys, making the track feel expansive and cavernous all at the same time.
Dhenry’s persona is EleventhFear, and he pulls on those primaeval superstitions of what lays in the shadows, awaiting the unsuspecting victims, triggering the imagination. You can almost feel the dankness of the witches, or the greedy harbingers, rubbing together their hands, watching other’s untimely deaths, as they, themselves will never die. The music of Murmeln imRaum is evocative and darkly pleasing, so go check out EleventhFear.
July 13th marks the fourth single, called “WellOfWishes” from Naarm (Melbourne) based band SocietyOfBeggars, which is off the very soon to be released debut album Levitator. Members YianniMichalopoulos (vocals), DimitriosMichalopoulos (guitar), Tom ‘Dibi’ DiBiase (drums) with ZoëAlexa (bass) make up the band that has been playing and touring since 2016..
The bass and drums are the driving force, giving the track a heavy rock focus, while the guitars waver between galvanic and sinuous. The vocals both melodic and gravelly, tell the story of how you can’t spend your life wishing, otherwise you never act to create reality. The lyrics in particular, are beautifully crafted jewels.
There is a sweeping graceful vastness in what I would describe at a touch of 70s BlackSabbath, mixed with something that is so tangibly Australian rock. “WellOfWishes” is a precautionary tale of living for the moment instead inside one’s head, and giving one’s self to the darkness of the well. This latest single sees SocietyOfBeggars definitely rocking in style.
We are delighted to bring you a nice slice of post-punk gothy goodness in the form of a new single from New York’s’ BlackRoseBurning. GeorgeGrant (bass/vocals/keys), LuisInfantas (drums) and FrankMorin (guitars), are on the verge of dropping their brand new album Ad Astra, and “Sing To Me (E.L.E.)” is the first single, released on the 23rd of June.
There is such a burst of overwhelming joy from the first strains of music. Ringing guitar with not quite chip tune synth, court your ears. Grant’s vocals come across between an ode to that which is lost and the sadness of being emotionally tortured by said loss. It is a rollicking track, foot tappingly quirky and yet it still pulls at your heart strings.
For those that do not know what an E.L.E is, the clue is in the song itself, that it means Extinction Level Event, say like a meteor hitting the Earth. BlackRoseBurning are staying true to the mission statement, with their love of science fiction (as well as science fact!), fuelling the rocket engines of creativity and shooting them out into the stars, giving us aliens music to marvel at and enjoy… even if there ever is an E.LE., I would want BlackRoseBurning to “Sing To Me (E.L.E.)“.
Plasmata is a gothic project from the windy city of Chicago, with TrentJeffries as the man behind it all. It all began in 2012, with a full band, being courted by music labels and on the verge of a debut album…..that is until tragedy struck. Jeffries suffered an aneurysm, which then led to a stroke. He nearly didn’t survive the whole affair and had some major hurdles to get over in order to return to the music he loves so much. Luckily for us he did, because after the release of a few singles, came the powerful EP, PortraitsOfPain in 2021.
Throughout, you can hear his love of old monster and horror flicks, which he has also connected to his near death experience, such as not dying to rise another day and that nightmares lurk in the dark crevices of your mind awaiting to take your life at their whim. This journey has also forged some deep friendships and powerful musical collaborations. What is a glampire, do they drink your blood or raid your velvet coats and can they haunt your dreams? Well darlings, better start reading to find out……..
Dear Trent Jeffries, he who is Plasmata. Welcome to the hallowed ground of Onyx.
Trent, you live in Chicago, which seems a hotbed of gothic music. Have you always lived there and what is it like to be a part of this darkwave renaissance?
I’m a lifelong Chicagoan. The only other place I could imagine living is London. I really enjoy being part of the music scene here. The city is rich with genres and sub-genres of music, and bands from adjacent styles will often play shows together. The audiences are very open minded, which leads to some wide ranging and surprising bills. And I think that’s great.
You describe yourself as a glampire. Does it surprise you to find out many do not realise the gothic scene very much has its roots in 70s glam music?
It does. Even a cursory glance back at the glam movement will show the participant’s goals were in line with today’s scene. The theatricality, statement-making attire and the blurring or eliminating of the lines of convention. The Gothic community chooses to marry that aesthetic to the more macabre, dark side of life.
What does it mean to you being a glampire of Chicago?
The city of Chicago, especially its creative community, appreciate those who show who they are and fly their flag proudly and it is very freeing and rewarding. Its an amalgamation of all that I love, and all that I wish to convey visually. People are much more interested and attracted to roses than to crabgrass. If people take the time to come see you, then I feel you should bloody well give them something to see!
Plasmata isn’t a new band, with its inception in 2005.What was the concept behind the creation of the project?
Plasmata came about because I had music in my head, and lyrics, that I was not finding elsewhere. My love of horror movies definitely shaped my creativity, and the attraction/fear/repulsion of popular vampire lore led me to various avenues of exploration for expressing myself. Nosferatu was hideous, Louie and Lestat were golden gods, Count Dracula somewhere in between. Some people fear what they don’t understand, some are intrigued and some are drawn to it. I compose to play to the myths and also dispel them. Communally, we all experience similar things in life, so I also dive in personally to exorcise demons and hopefully relate to someone who’s going through similar things.
We come to 2012 and the band suddenly disappears from the scene. Since then we have discovered you had a major health issue, which actually involved an aneurysm. What happened?
Plasmata had an entire debut album recorded, and were being courted by a few record labels. In January of that year, I suffered a subarachnoid haemorrhage, which is a ruptured aneurysm that causes bleeding in the brain. That also triggered a haemorrhagic stroke. After 6 months ofrecovery and rehabilitation, I was released back into the world. The band members, understandably, had each gone elsewhere since the chances of me being able to function or create at even a fraction of what I was previously seemed remote at best.
That must have been a bloody scary time for you, but you managed to survive and even thrive. Are there any issues for you since this awful period in your life and how has it impacted on you creatively?
There are, although I’ve come to accept them. It was an episode I was not supposed to survive, therefore I move forward with purpose knowing I’ve beaten the odds. I’m playing with house money from here on out, so I strive for personal happiness which aligns very well with my passion to create. But in regards to the effects of the trauma; large parts of my memory are gone, I have vertigo issues, migraines, hand/eye coordination deficiencies. I have difficulty on stairs at times. My ability to play guitar vanished. I’ve become more impulsive, which as a glampire could be both a blessing and a curse.
2020 saw you return to releasing music. How good did this feel?
It took that long to regain enough ability to translate all that I had in my head to music. Initially, I was unsure if what I was creating was any good. Fortunately I was able to have my friend William Faith listen to some of the first songs I’d done and provide encouragement and understanding. Honestly I’m not certain the EP would have happened without him. The feeling of release, of validation, was overwhelming.
By 2021, we see you releasing your EP, “Portraits Of Pain”. The music is a mixture of gothic rock and industrial, but it is the imagery I would like to touch on. The EP feels painted, like a Victorian Hammer Horror set and indeed it would not feel odd to see Cushing, Lee or Price loom out of the darkness. Was this something you purposely did or did it just end up that way?
It was definitely an unconscious occurrence. Thank you very much for the compliment! William and I have a lot of similar musical and celluloid references and that probably had a lot to do with the way the songs were developed and executed. I cannot say enough about how he understood exactly what I was trying to accomplish, and the right brushes to use for the “painting”.
The EP was recorded at 13 Studio by the masterful William Faith. This seems to have become a firm friendship, with Faith mixing your single “Leviathan”. There is also your friendship with Michel Rowland (Disjecta Membra). How important are these relationships to you?
My friendship with Michel came about via a recommendation from William as to whom I should trust to handle my publicity. He’s become a dear friend and confidant, we get on famously, and I tell anyone who will listen that working with Michel has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made musically. Its a wonderful thing when you get to work closely with people who truly understand you as an artist and a person. I also treasure my friendship with William for similar reasons. He just gets me. Our friendship grew exponentially during the recording process. I would describe a particular sound I was looking for, and he would reference a band or particular song that was immediately spot on. Lots of time swapping stories and laughing at all that we’ve been able to experience. I admire and respect both of these gentlemen immensely.
The last single “You Call Him The Devil”, is originally the track “Ten Bells” off the EP, which also features Aly Jados, the lead singer of Blood People. The single version a re-working by Ben Christo (Sisters Of Mercy), so how did all this happen?
Ben and I met through a mutual friend several years ago. He was already playing in Sisters at that point, plus we were both endorsed by the same guitar company at the time. So lots of things to bond us. And I’ve been to London several times. I knew I wanted Ben to try his hand at remixing one of the tracks, so I sent him links to the EP. Well, being a Brit and having lived in London, He was eager to have a go at Ten Bells. He said he could give it a proper reworking since he was very familiar with the story of Jack. I gave him free reign to do what he liked with it, and was blown away with the results.
The track itself is about Jack the Ripper. How much are you into the Ripper lore?
Very much. And to my surprise (and extreme pleasure), William was very well versed on the story as well. That enabled us to really give it a raw, visceral feel. Aly’s vocal was the icing on the cake. I love her voice; its powerful, raspy, smoky, seductive and urgent all at the same time.
So far, do you have a favourite track you have released and if so why?
I was just talking to a friend recently who asked the same question. Its funny, but on different days any one of them could be a favorite. But If I had to choose one, it would be Death of Hope. That song was written in the absolute depths of despair, and is a challenge to perform live because I invariably float in that dark water as I deliver the lines. But every show I look forward to baring my soul and showing that its ok to be vulnerable. It has become a centerpiece of our live set, and is a powerful moment that we get to share with the audience.
Trent, you blew life into this project when the world seemed to be going to hell in a hand basket. Now with Covid no longer shutting down cities, are you planning on more live gigs, and is this something you enjoy?
Collectively, we live for the stage. The live band is a juggernaut. We have been playing a show every month since February and will continue to do so. We’ve been offered some touring opportunities which we will probably agree to, with sights set on a UK swing in the spring of ’24.
What are the musicians that first lured you into the grasp of gothic music?
Bauhaus for sure. The Sisters of Mercy, the Cure, and although they are probably not on a lot of “Goth” checklists, Black Sabbath. Also, horror movie soundtracks have shaped me musically.
What do you listen to now?
I am obsessed with Chelsea Wolfe. I’ve also been listening to Then Comes Silence, Gary Numan, Peter Murphy, Killing Joke.
You are putting together a compilation of your favourite darkwave tracks. Who is making the cut?
That’s a tough one. A lot of what I listen to has hints of what would be considered Darkwave. I suppose it would include Bootblacks, Actors, Clan of Xymox, Panterah, The Bellwether Syndicate, early VNV Nation, Wolfsheim
What is in the future for Plasmata?
We have new songs written, and I have about 8 or 9 other ones that are in progress. We will be recording a new single soon, with an accompanying video to be released at that time. More shows, photo shoots, interviews, dark mayhem.
Classical music is probably not something many think about, or they think that it is only the rock and roll life for them. However, it pervades our world, often taking us on adventures without our even knowing. Television shows, advertising, and importantly, movies often use classical music to sway our emotions. That is the power of this style of music. Secluded away in a Western Australian monastery, Father Robert Nixon, a Benedictine monk and a classically trained pianist, composes and plays his own pieces. Before joining the order, he hailed from the State of Queensland, played in goth bands, and was a concert artist of note.
The album Celestial Void, on the US label, MoonCoil Media, was recorded at the monastery. A beautiful neo-classical platter of piano filled tracks is what you will find within, harkening back to the period of the German piano masters. Thoughtful, expressive, and full of longing that life brings, there is always a darker side and more bewitching with each listen. So, there really isn’t a more interesting person to talk to. I think, than Fr Robert as we delve into the music that he creates, what fuelled his passion for the craft, and what Celestial Void means to him. Ps…. oh my goodness, the man plays Baroque harpsichord….a deep abiding love of this style I have. Fingers crossed for that album maybe one day, but in the meantime, read on.
Welcome Father Robert into the hallowed halls of Onyx.
Many thanks! It is wonderful to be here and share with you and your readers, Adele.
You are a member of the Ordo Sancti Benedicti, also known as the Order of Saint Benedict. What drew you to join a monastic life?
Solitude and the interior side of life have always been important to me, and monastic life is directed towards the cultivation of that. Also, I love old buildings, ancient libraries, etc., which are things we have here in abundance! Of course, monastic life is based on faith, and I was raised a Catholic, so I have the Catholic faith and culture ‘in my blood’- my tastes incline very much towards the Medieval Catholic traditions, which are preserved in monastic life. We are really directed towards helping people on their own individual spiritual journeys and discovering their own path to truth and peace.
You live at the New Norcia Monastery, which is situated in Western Australia. Do you enjoy the solitude or with the age of modern technology, do you find yourself very connected to the world?
We are a little isolated from the world, and deliberately so- although visitors and guests are always welcome here. Of course, it is impossible to do very much at all without the aid of technology, so we stay connected, to some extent. But things like Instagram and Twitter, which probably a lot of people take for granted, are not a part of our life.
Before becoming a man of the cloth, you had previously mentioned to me that you came from Brisbane and were well acquainted with the term ‘swampy’, which is what goths in Queensland were called originally. How were you involved in the music scene back then?
Yes, indeed! I am not sure if that term is particular to Queensland, or even if it is still in use…In fact, I am from the northern part of Queensland (Townsville). Sure, I’ve been involved in music since the late 80’s, and so the music of Sisters of Mercy, The Cult, Bauhaus, and The Cure influenced me from a pretty young age, as did bands of other styles, like The Misfits, Danzig, and Bathory and all the interesting stuff that began to emerge in the late 80’s. This was all a source of inspiration, feeding into the classical music I was studying.
I started playing music (learning classical piano) when I was about 9, and then got my first professional performing job as a pianist in a French restaurant when I was 16.
The Benedictine monks are world renown for their involvement in music, with it being incorporated into prayer and mass, as well as widely circulated recordings of Gregorian Chants often written by the monks themselves. Is this something that drew you to the Order and obviously brings you a lot of joy?
I love traditional Gregorian chant (if it is well sung), and one of my roles here is directing music for liturgy. The harmonies and melodic formations in Gregorian chant are often very similar to those found in the darker genres of music. And playing our wonderful pipe organ brings me great joy!
Where did you learn to play piano? Are you self-taught, or were you classically trained?
I had lessons in the usual way, but (unlike most music students) I loved practicing because it was like a refuge for me and a way to create and to express myself. I studied composition and performance at university after I left school and travelled a bit to do more studies. I specialized in harpsichord, especially French baroque music, which is something I love, but don’t have much opportunity to do these days… I was active as a concert pianist for a while (and still am, in a way), and teacher of music in secondary and tertiary institutions. But then I felt called to seek a kind of higher truth through becoming a monk– but (luckily for me) music has continued to be the cornerstone of my life.
You signed to the label Moon Coil Media in the USA, which is run by William Zimmerman. I actually knew he was in negotiations with you because he was just so excited (but I was sworn to secrecy). What has this relationship and friendship meant for you?
William Zimmerman of Moon Coil Media is a fantastic guy, and very understanding of different genres and music. A lot of people had been asking me to put out a CD of my compositions, but I was keen to reach an audience beyond the usual boundaries of who would usually listen to my music, so I knew I had to work with a label that crossed boundaries.
We now come to the album “Celestial Void”. Most of the tracks are original compositions, apart from one Chopin piece. Do you find it easy writing instrumental pieces, or is it a bit of an arduous process at times?
I find a great joy in writing music, and feel that I am not actually ‘writing’ at all, but just channelling the music, which is perpetually flowing through the universe and through the heart. What I love about composing instrumental music is that you can express your feelings and thoughts completely, without spelling them out in words. This means you can say literally anything, even things you would never dare to say in words, so composing instrumental music is very liberating.
Each track seems to paint a vista of emotions, varying from quiet contemplation through to wistful sorrow. Do you feel that the classical form of music has this power to tune into the human psyche, more so than other forms?
Definitely. All forms and genres of music tap into something in the human heart, but possibly classical music can do that most profoundly and universally. I try to achieve an idiom which is not bound by time, and doesn’t immediately identify itself with a particular point in history, either the present or the past.
All of the album was recorded by you in the monastery. Did you find this difficult to accomplish as far as getting the right sound?
Yes, getting the right sound was an immense challenge! In the venue I most like to play in (our church, which is 175 years old), there is an unbelievably rich reverb. Playing live, this is fantastic, but when recording, it can make everything sound like a blur.
The album was mastered by Sean Beasley and the beautiful artwork created by Greg Rolfe. You must have been pretty pleased with how it all came together…..
Yes, Sean is a genius as far as the sound is concerned and was unbelievably diligent – he is a real perfectionist and an artist in sound! And Greg’s artwork is stunningly beautiful.
Do you have any tracks that you particularly love?
I like very much ‘Ode to a Nightingale.’ It’s inspired by the words of a famous poem by Keats. Just as a nightingale is expressing or channeling something complex, deep and beautiful through its song (although there are no words), so I am trying to do in this piece, and my other music.
The Chopin piece you chose is known to be technically difficult to play due to being in C#. Did you see this as a challenge?
To be honest, not really. Because I spent so many years practicing piano for about 4-8 hours a day, it wasn’t too much of a challenge technically. Paradoxically, I’m more comfortable playing difficult pieces than easy ones…
When I listen to the album, I hear the influences of the German piano masters such as Liszt, Richard Strauss, and, of course, Chopin. Have they been large influences on your style?
For sure. I am totally immersed in the idiom of Chopin and Liszt, from performing them so much, so that they almost seem like old friends to me. There is something timeless about the music and literature of the 19th century, and also something which seems to be deeply relevant to our own times.
Father Robert, you are well versed in Latin, so I am curious as to reasoning behind the tracks with Latin titles and do you find the Latin far more descriptive?
Somehow, the titles seems to work best in Latin, which is a beautiful and rich language. One single word in Latin can have several meaning and connotations, and it has a beautiful sonority.
For you, what are some of the themes covered by “Celestial Void”?
The album “Celestial Void” focuses on the theme of the longing for the transcendent or what lies beyond us. As a Catholic priest, I would tend to call this a “longing for God,” but it’s a human reality which is the experienced by people who don’t like to use that language or don’t believe in God. Anyway, this “Celestial Void” is a void because it surpasses all characteristics and limitations and names. Of course, other themes represented in the album are love, pain, and solitude, which are eternal and universal themes.
In your youth, what bands drew you to getting into music?
I listened to a wide variety of stuff, but mostly tending towards a dark aesthetic. So, I loved the melody, emotion, and elegance of bands like Sisters of Mercy, the Cure, Lacrimosa, etc. but also loved the imagination and musical skill of Kreator, Merciful Fate, and so forth. In the early 90’s there was a whole spread of new sonorities and approaches (with Emperor, Burzum, and similar artists just appearing), which was when I became acquainted also with the more experimental forms of classical music (through people like Stockhausen and Boulez), as well the work of minimalist composers like Philip Glass. As I become older, the music I compose and perform has become simpler and gentler.
Are there any modern bands you listen to now?
There are such a multitude of creative artists that it is almost impossible to name them. But I will definitely be paying close attention to what comes forth through Moon Coil Media!
If you were allowed to go anywhere in the world in order to record, i.e. basilica, studio, or auditorium, where would you go?
I would love to record at the monastery at Subiaco, in Italy. That’s were the founder of our order of monks, St. Benedict, first fled from the world to live as hermit in a cave. Today, there’s an ancient monastery there, set on the slopes of a steep mountain. It would be a place alive with mystical energy!
What is next for Father Robert Nixon OSB?
I’m keen to continue to use music to express myself, and contribute to the unfolding of the beauty of creation- not so much to use it to push my own Catholic faith, but to explore the spiritual and inner dimension of life, which are the true essence of the human condition. I’ve often thought about collaborating with a singer and lyric writer, so that’s something I’m hoping to do one day!
Thanks ever so much for taking the time to talk to us.
Have you ever sat, watching the sky in the dark, taking in the celestial bodies, through the substratosphere? Los Angeles darkwave band, The Sea At Midnight, have released the single, “Atmosphere“.
The vocals are tantalising, peaking your interest with the delicate bass, reined in drums and tinkling guitar. There are swells where the music lets loose, floating in the confines of a vehicle, no longer under control, but rather left to the whim of chance.
The production and mixing is by Chris King, the mastering was done by Patrick Hills at Earthtone Recording Company, while lilting saxophone was provided by Tony Bevilacqua. When you hear such tracks, you can’t help but be taken back to the original spaceman, Bowie’s “Major Tom“. A tale of leaving the Earth and floating in the unknown and boundless expanse of the heavens. “Atmosphere” is a tasty post-punk treat from The Sea AtMidnight.
Onyx Music Reviews 