Proud goth, ex DJ and music reviewer

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The end of last year saw the Athenian’s, Siva Six, release DeathCult, their fifth studio album, which came out on the label, Alfa Matrix. There were two years poured into the creation of this stunning album and the tracks are amalgamations of synths and beats with classical elements, all tied up with Z’s guttural vocals. It is a truly beautiful opus on the dark delights that await those that pass the veil. The lovely Z spoke to us about DeathCult and what makes Siva Six tick.

Welcome to the downward spiral that is Onyx! Please ignore the harpies, as they are grumpy because we put them on a diet.

You released your first album, Rise New Flesh, back in 2005. Did you ever think Siva six would still be releasing albums in 2022?

Z– Hell no… we thought we could have a good ride for approximately 10 years but as always, making plans is a part of reality. The other parts are a complicated equation, nevertheless I feel proud of what we have achieved so far. I assure you, it was not easy starting an Industrial/Dark Electro band in 00’s in Athens /GR

Can you tell as how the band started back then in Athens?

Z– We where just a couple of youngsters full of dreams and love for music, we had a hunger for life, to explore, to create, to do it our way. We started very young, we should have been around 15 years old when we had our first gig, trying to play some hardcore/punk/metal stuff. As soon as we got into Goth and EBM a whole new great world appeared and we wanted to be part of it. Since then we spent countless hours on the project and with faith, love and will, we made it happen.

You guys are also involved in the Greek metal scene as well, so when the band first started, what was the industrial/metal scene like back then and do you think it has changed?

Z– Along the way and more precisely, during our demo days, we were offered to play keyboards in 2 of the biggest Greek bands, me with SepticFlesh and Noid with Rotting Christ. Although our skills were not that great, I guess they loved our looks lol…Seth from SepticFlesh, once said that you guys look like pinheads son’s…,as for the Industrial /Metal scene, it was great back then, everyone wanted a piece of it in their music. Rob Zombie, Manson, NIN, Rammstein, that was the heydays of that scene and sure we were enjoyed it as well. Yes, its not a trend anymore, you hardly hear the good stuff with the exception of 3Teeth and a few more I guess…

Photo – VAIA

November 2021 saw you release your fifth studio album, DeathCult. It took 2 years for you to give life to brilliant album, so what took so long?

Z– Thank you for the compliment! I have been hearing it a lot about “DeathCult” and honestly puts a smile on my face. It always takes too much time to do an album that I am happy with. It takes me more than a month to do the pre-production for 1 track. I was into some deep personal shit, living in Leipzig at the time and it was hard for me to focus. We changed producer and that was not an easy one to deal with, especially when you work with a certain producer for 15 years

The 2 year wait was well worth it. You said in an interview that you enjoyed the work of Erik Saite. What was it about Gnossienne No 1 that inspired you to incorporating it into the mesmerising track Ghost Dance?

Z– I love Satie’s work, its utterly unique. His works are simply haunting, so..all in all, I was obsessed with his track, “Gnossienne No1”. I wanted to do a cover of it and here you go…. It was the hardest track to deal with and it took me 2 and half months to finish the pre-production. From a point and on, I started to be delusional, thinking that Satie is punishing me because he was still not happy with my outcome. I was desperate hearing it over and over again and for many hours per day. I was stuck, hearing his piano theme in a loop, it was killing me mentally until I found a way out and finished the song. Totally happy with the final result and hopefully with Satie’s blessings. Definitely a track that has a great feedback and brought many on our ship

The album is all about death, from serial killers to the after life. Can you tell us more about this?

Z– Death and Life, that’s the total balance and opposition at the same time, although both part of the whole that is existence. In this album I chose to focus on Death, it felt more like kin at the time… so I dove into its ocean, tried to understand a bit more. I twisted the angle. I watched and I asked to learn more. I think I did. Death is vital. Death is a path. Death is the transition. Death makes life unique. Death is all around us. Our societies, since day one, worshiped Death, not in a good way….its easy to understand that if you look carefully. Which is the god we mostly obey to?…it’s Death. We hate, we take advantage of others, we step on our friends, lovers, colleagues, we will do anything it takes to fulfill our desires and twisted plans. We think we control our lives but we are mostly nothing more than just the pathetic servants of Death’s lowest quality…the vain and ignorant, close minded tourists of life’s miracle.

What is it about the grotesque and macabre that inspires you and your music?

Z– More or less that’s what has always attracted me in music, The grotesque and the Macabre. My music heroes were drug addicts, alcoholics, outcasts and dangerous, damned and the tracks that I was turned on, listened to, were always the one’s that made me feel otherworldly. I cannot really put it in a frame, as a music and lyric creator, its just a feeling and when I hear it, it rings in me, I know that I am where I want to be.

You recorded the album with Dinos Prassas, also known as Psychon, who mixed and mastered DeathCult. Can you tell us about working with Psychon and what he brings to the Siva Six albums?

Z– Psychon has also done the production on this album besides Mix/Mastering. We have known each other since the early 00’s. We met at the rehearsal studio that Siva Six and his band was rehearsing at the time. He is a great guy, very talented, easy going and skillful sound design wise. Meanwhile, the timing to do another album with our ex producer was not a good one, so I talked with Psychon. I asked him to do a couple of demos and when I heard with what he had come up with, I heard the ringing in my ears….Psychon brings all of his positive and artistic aura in our music, working along side with his big orchestras, guitars, basses and the rest of the weird stuff he is into. We love his work and final touch he did in “DeathCult”.

George Klontzas of Teknovore spoke to me about how much admiration he has for Siva Six and was super proud of the cover you guys did together of Save Me God. This seems like a close friendship.

Z– Its an honor and I am glad to hear George’s feelings about us! We have met a couple of times in Athens & Edinburgh. I don’t really get excited by collaboration offers, my time is limited but when he offered to me the singing position in his Dark Soho cover, which is one of my all time favorite bands, I immediately accepted! I am happy and proud at the same time for the final outcome.

Photo – VAIA

Which song do you think you are going to really enjoy playing live?

Z– I will totally enjoy to play live again dear, since it has been 2 years and a half since our last gig, so all in all at this time, what really matters to me is to get back on the stage which I feel the urge to do so but “Ghost Dance” is the one I really can’t wait to experience on stage.

Talking of live music, how has covid affected the band as far as touring and are there any plans to do so soon?

Z– Some gigs in Germany & Greece were cancelled or postponed, we had no gigs for the last 2 and a half years. Lets face it…it’s a disaster. A ray of light has come in at the moment, so we will take the chance to do 4 live shows in Greece and hopefully our agent will sort out some gigs in Europe but its way too much complicated at the moment, since the line up bills and tours are full with the 2020 schedules. It’s sad but at least, since we get this feedback on a daily basis, that “DeathCult” is our best album so far but unfortunately the doors are not opened as wide as it would probably be pre-covid era.

You have toured with some legendary acts, so who was the most fun?

Z– We have shared the stage with some really great bands indeed. Tuske Ludder are great and funny people. We have became good friends with Hein from Theatre of Tragedy. Type o Negative were such a good people and Clan of Xymox are very cool and funny, I love Ronnie and we used to hang out a lot.

What music and bands got you into the EBM/industrial scene?

Z– I think it was mostly Ministry in the very early 90’s, Aphex Twin, Front 242, Einsturzende Neubauten but at the time the whole scene was on a launch and so many new bands were going out with a bang!

Who really gets you excited now about music?

Z– Without a doubt NIN and Trend Reznor projects, Chealsea Wolfe, 3TEETH, Wulfband, Perdubator, Soundtracks

Right at this moment in time, you have the ability to teleport to a beautiful sunny beach with blue waters or a gloomy cemetery full of mausoleums and famous artists……. where do you choose to go and why?

Z– If the cemetery would be the resurrection spot of a few of my favorite artists…. I would definitely wanted to be around and chat with them…. if not I would rather enjoy the sea thinking of them.

What is in the future for Siva Six?

Z– Our contract with Alfa Matrix is over and we have started some demo’s but as usual, it will take time to finish the pre-production. To be totally honest with you….I have no idea. There is too much mental strain all around us and the times we live in seem relentless. Hardships and setbacks are on the daily menu on everyone’s table. We will do some shows hopefully…and we will take it as it comes, you know..thinking a lot about the future does not really make sense, good things or bad things will happen or they will not.

Thank you for the dance while Chaos has her way with the world and thank you for your exquisite music!

Z– It was my pleasure and honour dear Adele ! Thank you.

DeathCult | SIVA SIX | Alfa Matrix (bandcamp.com)

SIVA SIX (OFFICIAL) | Facebook

SIVA SIX – Official Website – News

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Berlin based, Paradox Obscur, are soon to drop a new album, MORPHOGENESIS, on May, 6th but the first single has been lifted, called “Animal Reactor“, out on Metropolis Records. A video directed by Sheng-Yang Su in what looks to be in one take, has been unleashed, which to my mind is very much in Paradox Obscur’s style.

From the very beginning this grabs your attention and you feel it in the pit of your chest. There is a brilliant array of electronic sounds that assault your senses and make you want to move your body. Fingers of synths drag across your senses in a scintillating fashion.

The duo from Paradox Obscur, Toxic Razor and Kriistal Ann, pride themselves on playing everything in real-time, which means no sequencers and the like. A cross of synth pop and dark electronic music which culminates in an absolutely delightfully danceable track . Bring on the album!

Morphogenesis | Paradox Obscur (bandcamp.com)

Paradox Obscur | Facebook

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BlazerJacket were releasing a single on the 25th of February and never thought they would be releasing “Get Out” featuring Dirty Bird 13, while their home country, Ukraine, was facing invasion from Russian forces. The irony now is that a song which was about leaving abusive relationships is now a call to remove the invaders and free their home. We were lucky enough to be put in contact with Denis and Hybri Mod, who answered our questions. Those questions where it doesn’t say who answered, are a combined answer that they both agreed on in unison. If you haven’t checked out their thumping industrial track, this is our suggestion that you should.

Welcome to Onyx, where the streets have no names…..um because we removed them all.

You are based in Ukraine, so how are things for you both currently?

Denis: I am in Kyiv, trying to lead a normal life, only with the addition of two options – “try to survive” and “fight”. Of course, life has changed a lot … Daily rocket and artillery shelling of cities, constant air raids, daily evidence of attacks by Russian soldiers, murders of children, rape of women… It makes me very nervous and I struggle every day. And in all these conditions, you need to find additional sources of income, because things in online commerce, in which I work, are not going very well at the moment for obvious reasons. But I am in Kyiv, trying to lead a normal life… which will never be the same again

Hybri Mod: I am in the west of Ukraine right now. There are almost no explosions here, it’s relatively calm, definitely compared to what is happening in southern and eastern parts of the country.

Can you tell us the premise behind the two brothers the band portrays?

In 2020, we released an album that tells the listener a story of two brothers from a distant galaxy who protect the Earth from the most dangerous creature in the world. You can find out more by reading the album description on the Bandcamp and listening to the tracks in the correct order. We tried to convey the atmosphere not only through music and arrangements, but also through dialogues between the tracks. Also, since the release of this album, we have strictly adhered to our images on stage.

You recently released the single Get Out which is about domestic violence. What inspired you to write this track? Also you released this single as your country was at the beginning of being invaded by Russia. Do you find the timing ironic and has the song taken on a new meaning for you?

Denis: These two questions are directly related, so I will answer two of them at once.

Personally, I have put a similar meaning into this song before. Before writing this song, I had a very big fight and stopped all communication with a former friend. The reason was the bullying of the Ukrainian nation and pro-Russian sentiments. For me, this is a particularly sore subject since I was forced to leave my hometown due to the occupation by pro-Russian terrorists and Russian special forces in 2014. Therefore, the phrase “Get out” is addressed to all abusers, whether they are “friends” or Russian occupiers.

Hybri Mod: At the time of the process of creating a track, I treated it simply as nostalgia for the 00s of the industrial/dark scene, the bands to which I often listened in those years.

If first, I put one meaning into “Get Out” lyrics, then on the day of the release, I revised the message of the music and dedicated it to against Russian aggression represented by Putin.

Can you tell us about your association with Dirty Bird 13 and how they became involved?

Denis: Yes. I am Dirty Bird 13 🙂

I started the project with my classmate as a duo in 2009, but after 2013 I did it alone, gave it very little time, and a couple of years ago I played my last gig with Dirty Bird 13. So technically I’m “dirty bird 13” at the moment.

Yes, it’s strange to release a collaborative track with myself but let me explain.

I started writing the track itself back in 2012 in Horlivka (Territory in the east of Ukraine, which since 2014 has been under the occupation of Russia). After a long time, sorting through information from old media, I found the draft of this track and decided to finish it together with Hybri Mod. We managed to create something completely new for the BlazerJacket.

Since the track is a bit different from our usual sound, we thought it would be fair to credit “Dirty Bird 13” as a co-writer.

Hybri Mod: I was just a fan of Dirty Bird 13 before I met Denis. It’s always been a great interest for me to participate in the creation of a collaborative music. And although it happened within the whole BlazerJacket band, I’m very glad that my old dream came true officially.

You are heavily connected to Comic Con Ukraine, so can you tell us about this?

We have been residents of the Comic Con music scene since the very first festival in 2019. We maintain good relations with the organizers and other residents of this festival and are always happy to entertain visitors with our shows and performances.

Is this a part of your creative outlet?

Since our lyrical characters in BlazerJacket are mystical aliens from a science fiction novel, we think we are directly related to the “Comic Con” culture.

If you could be any comic or anime character right now, who would you be and what would you do with your superpowers?

Denis: I want to be an “iron man” to end this war as soon as possible.

Hybri Mod: I don’t know exactly who I would like to be, but definitely with an unkillable skill 🙂 It would be possible to single-handedly change the system in which we all live and build something new, where life and human rights are above the interests of global corporations.

I realise it is hard to talk about the future currently but what are you looking forward to in the long term?

We were planning to speed up the release of our tracks and videos. But now we do not know what will happen after another air raid. Let’s see what happens, but we are not going to give up our music.

Music | BlazerJacket (bandcamp.com)

BlazerJacket | Facebook

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It has been a little while since we heard a brand new Christian Death album, but all that changed with the May 6th release of Evil Becomes Rule, on the French record label, Season Of Mist. Valor and Maitri gave you a taste by dropping the first single “Blood Moon“ and it was a taste of something very warm and familiar. Most of the new album is like that, like the smell of heady incense that takes back to another time and place. Indeed, Evil Becomes Rule is very reminiscent of the mystical, swirling late 80s Christian Death vibe. Valor Kand was gracious in answering a few questions for me and I found I had made a faux pas. I had not realised that they had toured Australia in around 2008….and sadly my only defense is that I was spawning at the time. However, no time for regrets, as time and tide wait for no man, and there is only Christian Death.

Welcome to the darkside of the moon where Onyx has the occasional beach holiday!

Your last new studio album, The Root Of All Evilution came out in 2015. Is it a good feeling to have Evil Becomes Rule finished and what prompted you to create the album?

“The Root of All Evilution” is the story of “EVIL on Earth” from the time of and as mentioned in the Emerald Tablets and as referred to in the Book of Enoch (one of the sacred books NOT included in the Bible, by decree of the newly formed Roman Church’s Council Of Nicea in 325AD) then up to the present time. “Evil Becomes Rule” on the other hand, is the story of Evil on Earth from the present and on into the future.

It is seven years between studio albums. Was it an unconcious thing or planned to have that break?

“The Root of All Evilution” was actually released in the latter part of 2015 as I remember. We had a late start on getting to work on “Evil Becomes Rule”, actually 3 years later, in the latter part of 2018, due to touring and other commitments, however, we did not get to finish most of the tracks until a year later. At the end of 2019 we were still laying the final tracks a month later, then the Plandemic hit. Then all our plans fell apart, touring, the record release, etc. It was not until The Spring of 2021,another year and a half later, that we and the label were in a position to roll out new plans. But then we were confronted by massive delays with the pressing plants of vinyl’s and CDs around the world. First we were told September 2021, then December and then finally January 2022 before manufacture could begin, ultimately leading to a Spring 2022 release.

So please tell us what is “Evil Becomes Rule” is…… or rather what it means to you.

Originally we were calling and announcing the album with the title “Evil Become You” a double entendre. Albeit how Evil on Earth has consumed “YOU” the individual and that also how the elite wear their Evil proudly like a fashion statement and how very becoming they feel they look.

Although the album lyrics actually predicted the world of plight we now exist in, we were caught by surprise at how soon it happened. So, as our story had then morphed into the past tense and the rule of law in the world had also morphed into MORE rules, we then morphed the title into Evil Becomes Rule.

Who played on this album?

Myself (Valor) Male vocals and multiple instruments

Maitri Female vocals bass guitar

PAO (of the band Kaonashi) ON drums

Guest guitar: Chuck “Chains” Lenihan (of the bands CarnivoreAD, Genitorturers, and The Crum Suckers)

Guest male vocals: KWA B (a West African artist)

You have already announced a US tour for the album. Will you be extending this to other countries as well?

Other than the Spring 2022 USA tour, we also have a European tour in August/ September 2022 then we directly jump back to a USA & Canada September/October 2022

Last year was pretty big for you guys as well, what with collaborating with the label Season Of Mist and releasing the four volumes called The Dark Age Renaissance Collection. What prompted you to collate the Christian Death albums?

Our catalogue has been spread out over dozens of labels, around the world, over the years. We decided it was time to consolidate, re-group, re-master and re-package it all into one label “SOM”, one of the few a labels we have come to trust and love.

Christian Death have a huge fan base across the globe that just seems to keep growing. Do you find that both amazing and humbling at the same time?

I have been both amazed and humbled since the very first album and the very first tour.

Valor, you were born in Australia. Have you ever thought about bringing the band out to play to the tropical goth?

In 2008 or maybe 2009 we played shows in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, as well as New Zealand. We had a great time, thoroughly enjoyed the shows and the people. We sat with kangaroos and were offered roo tail meat. We hung out at the home of and spent time with a poisonous snake handler/reptile keeper and drunk tea with several deadly Aussie poisonous species within feet of us, free roaming. We took pictures with Koalas. We got high with fans back stage in Melbourne and I filmed exotic birds in Brisbane, we also did other fun but unspeakable things.

You did an unplugged version of David Bowie’s Quicksand from Hunky Dory in honour of his passing.

Yes we did but it was not unplugged, it is a full on studio recording. It was fun and as of today we finished the video for that song which you can find here:

What impact did Bowie have on you?

I always admired how everything David Bowie did was different from the next thing he did, always something new. That is the legacy I have inherited from him.

I always ask, who were your musical heroes and bands that made you decide to get into music scene?

Having been born into a family of musicians, grandparents down to parents and other family members, I started playing multiple instruments at the age of 4 or 5. Family members were and still are my heroes.

I like too many artists to mention and despise even more.

Who or what inspires you or you enjoy listening to?

Usually, I do not listen to anything in particular, except in passing, or as it passes by my ears. The entire world is my inspiration, mentally, physically and spiritually. So when I need to hear something, I create it.

So if you were able to look into the murky depths of a crystal ball, what would you see in the future of Christian Death? Eight balls are also acceptable but not runes because that’s cheating.

Firstly, as I understand it, soothsaying with runes is non practical, as it is told in the ancient European traditions; the future can take many paths thus any prediction can be only relative to the path. Secondly, I hardly think many people are able to draw an image of events to come, other than those who manipulate and steer the world at large where they want us to go and d,o or those who see behind the veil, past the smoke and mirrors and the gifts of bread and circus

Thank you for your time and thank you for the music.

Thank you for your time

CHRISTIAN DEATH OFFICIAL | Facebook

Season of Mist Records – Metal Label (season-of-mist.com)

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Schatten Muse is the bastard child of German and Greek origin and they bring to you their album Vergänglichkeit (translation Transience), which was released 28th of March, 2022. Simon Shelmerdine is a founding member of the Greek project Dark Awake and is Schatten while Sylvia Fürst is the Muse.

Just about the whole album is in German (funny that) and with that in mind, with me not having much of a grasp of the language means not delving too deeply. This is more an overview of what is on offer but being death art, the word tod or death comes up…..a lot. That has to very much on target.

The bells toll in “Zurück“, with emotions growing with the rising synths and rhythm changes. “Enditchkeit” has the dramatic organ. The cover of Goethes Erben’s “Das Schwarze Wesen” is quite delightful in it’s simplicity and I had not realised that it was the 30th anniversary for this track. “Leere” is ominously dark and forbiddingly cold in its classical repose, while “Scherbenwelt” is a whirl of electronics with the vocals echoing through it. Do yourself a favour and check out the track, “Shadowsphere“. It is in English and is a Sopor Aeternus cover in the medieval style that they are so very famous for and it is brilliantly executed..

Done in the style of Neue Deutsche Todeskunst or New German Death Art which became popular starting in the later half 1980s, it spawned such bands as Goethes Erben, Sangius et Cinis and Illuminate but also the mistress of darkness, Anna Varney and her most beloved, Sopor Aeternus. The use of classical/medieval musical styles, with prose from doomed romantic poets and citing the works of critcal thinkers of the human condition, such as Freud, Nietzsche and Lung, all poured into this musical form. Schatten Muse have taken this all on board and created their own Death Art, both beautiful and terrifying, a true gothic experience where all are ruled by death and we can become unhinged by that that very premise alone. All is found and lost, in an album that will show you the love of the divine dance of wonderful madness.

Schatten Muse (bandcamp.com)

Schatten Muse | Facebook

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Eric Oberto hit the industrial/electro scene recently with two singles, with one spawning a remix release. Add to that, the fact that both were picked and used for both a horror TV series and horror movie, which Oberto also had roles in. Eric is no stranger to the music world either. In the early 90s, he was a member of the very successful industrial group Tungsten Coil. As you can imagine, the singles are dark and filled with gritty electronics, so with that in mind, we bunkered down for a nice chat, a cup of tea and waited to see if our time had come.

Welcome to the secret panic room here at Onyx Eric, where we like to rock ourselves to sleep after a day of dealing with the bright outside world. Do you like our fairy lights with nightmarish decor?

Thanks for having me! The fairy lights are a nice touch, and the nightmarish décor reminds me of my lair. It’s important to have the comforts of home when doing an interview. I must say that I do try to avoid the bright outside world as much as possible- that’s where you run into all those damn humans! LOL!

You have had synesthesia all your life, a condition that causes people to see music as colors. How has this impacted on your creating music? Does it enhance, impede or both?

Yes, it’s had a major impact on my music and life in general. First, I need to explain the degree of my synesthesia. For many people it’s an association of colors to characters, like if they hear the number 9- they see the color green (or something like that). My particular case is considered extreme; I see sound as moving three-dimensional colors, shapes, and patterns as I hear it (in real-time). It’s like having a second vision that’s going on in my mind simultaneously with the vision I process through my eyes. It’s a lot of input to handle at once!

Synesthesia is what really made it possible for me to write music. I don’t really understand music theory, the math of music, or anything like that. I paint animated musical pictures/films with the vibrant color-drenched pallet of mentally generated insanity. I know that’s a mouthful, but that basically how it works. It definitely enhances my music-making process.

As far as impeding goes, that falls onto the rest of my life. It has made traditional classroom style learning almost impossible for me. I also have dyslexia, and when you combine those two conditions together it’s almost impossible to concentrate long enough to input (and retain) information. Reading, taking tests, studying- all of it is a challenge for me. The reason that music works for me is because that kind of data input seems to take over my brain and it blocks out all the outside distractions. It’s as if the music and synesthesia combine into one euphoric experience that instantly becomes more important than anything else in that moment.

You have been in industrial bands since you were 16 years old, which lead to you being in Tungsten Coil, your first successful band. Can you tell us about your time with Tungsten Coil and how it affected your music?

Those were crazy times for sure! I was 18 when Tungsten Coil was formed, which was right after my first band- Reign of the Coven had broken up. It’s also at the tail end of my fight with cancer (synovial chondrosarcoma), which almost cost me my left leg and nearly my life. When you combined those elements together it created the perfect storm of drive and determination, maybe even obsession. I was an angry young man with nothing to lose! So, Tungsten Coil really became the vehicle to drive my message of “FUCK YOU” to the world. My future was uncertain, so I knew I needed to make my mark as loud and as fast as possible. I teamed up with John Miller and Tungsten Coil was born- Detroit style!

We took an aggressive approach by playing a bunch of shows right out of the gate, which included partaking in some big festivals and showcases (which included two major events @ at Club X in the historic State Theatre (now Fillmore Theatre) – Xtasy ’94 & The Nocturnal Fest, by Nigel Productions. Our efforts shook up the Detroit Industrial/Goth music scene and gained us a solid fanbase! The following year we made a surprise move to the live music capital of America- aka Austin, Texas. By 1996, we played our first Texas show at the infamous heavy metal club- The Back Room. This show put Tungsten Coil on the Austin, Texas music scene map overnight and launched us into the spotlight. Tungsten Coil became a staple of the Austin Industrial/Goth music scene. We showcased multiple years at the famous South by Southwest (SXSW) Music Festival. We gained a strong regional following through a relentless touring schedule over the years.

Tungsten Coil was featured in numerous music compilations, released multiple EPs, and two full-length albums- REACTIVE and ALPHA & OMEGA. Along the way we were nominated for and won multiple awards, including an AUSTIN MUSIC AWARD for BEST INDUSTRIAL BAND! Our final performance was a SXSW showcase at Elysium in 2008, where we shared the stage with Goth legend- Peter Murphy of Bauhaus. It’s a shame that Tungsten Coil’s heyday was before the current social media frenzy, because a lot of those great memories were never captured on film. Which also might not be a bad thing too, because of all the crazy/excess partying we did! We were just as hardcore off stage as we were on stage! My adopted saying was: “Born in sin, come on in!”, big props to Andre Linoge (my favorite villain!) from Stephen King’s- Storm of the Century. Anyway, it’s probably a good thing that some of those incriminating memories, stay memories! LOL!

You gave away music for a while to *checks notes* eventually create your own financial management company….. that seems awfully different to writing music. Did you enjoy the financial hustle?

It was a completely different life, and one I had never considered prior to living it. Yes, I did enjoy it! It was exactly the kind of life change that I needed at that time. I was 100% the underdog- I barely graduated high school, only went to a semester of collage, and had absolutely no experience in the financial industry. However, I did have a ton of common-sense life skills and business savvy because of my tenure in the music business. Money always made sense to me and once I understood the lay of the land, there was no stopping me. I really enjoyed the challenge of overcoming all the odds that were against me, it was a rush! I also liked being one of the good guys in an industry full of dishonest greedy pricks! I’m happy to report that during my career (which lasted over a decade), I never had one filed complaint of any kind! That’s rare in the financial industry!

I had my own financial management firm with a beautiful office in a high rise, and an awesome city view. I had the cars, the house, the suits, the money, and all that stuff. But after a while I lost my affinity for the business. I remember exactly when those feelings hit me. One day I’m looking out of my office window at a storm rolling in over the Dallas skyline, and I realized that I wasn’t happy anymore. I had already achieved all the goals I had set my sights on, and I had nothing left to prove to myself. I knew that I had to find my way back to music and find it fast! So, I sold the company to my business partner and never looked back.

You had the onset of Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss which affected your synesthesia. How have you overcome this obstacle?

In 2021, I finally found a path to create music using my one good ear and filled in the gaps of the broken ear by making use of several modern computer software tools. These tools allow me to visually identify frequencies that I can no longer hear, and I’m now able to visually see the stereo field where sounds reside in it. I also discovered a device that allows me to independently EQ the left and right sides of my headphones. This device gives me the ability to boost all the lost hearing frequencies in the right ear; to fill in the missing gaps. The right ear is broken, completely distorted, and plagued with massive tinnitus. However, by amplifying all the frequencies independently, it tricks my brain into thinking that the correct hearing information is being received (even though it isn’t). The end-result is that it allows my synesthesia to kick back in somewhat, and I use my previous songwriting experiences to fill in the gaps. These amazing tools didn’t make me whole again, but they do provide a new path forward to pursue my musical dreams. Now, against different odds and obstacles, I’m writing the best music of my career (at least I think so). This hearing loss handicap has pushed me to continually prove to myself that I can create art no matter what obstacles get in my way!

Has this changed the way to listen to music, the way you compose or even the style of music?

Everything has changed! It’s been hard for me because I blindly relied on my ears for so much. One of my favorite things to do before I went deaf was to sit in the dark and listen to music with headphones on; the images that my synesthesia created were more exciting to me than any film I’d ever seen! Unfortunately, that wonderful experience is no longer a part of my life (so depressing). I can’t process the info in the same way anymore and my heart is breaking as I’m answering this question. Sigh… Let’s move on…

Your first solo single was the atmospheric Darkness Never Lies, which is also featured in the movie Amityville Cult. What is the premise behind this track and how does it feel having it in a movie?

It’s about the inner voice inside each of us, the voice of truth that attempts to thwart the lies we tell ourselves and others. Fear is the basic emotion that gives birth to lies. It’s about people going through their lives and telling people what they want to hear to avoid confrontation. Not taking risks for fear of failure, injury, or death, and not going against the grain for fear of rejection (you get the point). In daylight (or while living life), so many people just go through the motions, find meaningless distractions, and convince themselves that they are really living. However, at the end of life, in their final darkness, all lies will become final regrets- Darkness Never Lies!

It’s an awesome feeling to have a song in a film, especially when you get the entire credit scroll! People’s perception/treatment of musicians and bands can be a strange thing. You tell someone that you have a new song or album and the say “cool man”. You tell them that you have a song in an internationally distributed film that’s also available in Walmart, then they say “congratulations, I’m so proud of you”! Weird, right?

Eric, you are also a cast member in that same movie, and I read you are writing scripts and looking to produce/direct. Why have you decided to pursue these artistic directions?

An absolute yes! Now that I’ve proven to myself that I can compose music again, I’m climbing every Mt. Everest I can get my boots on! I’ve always wanted to do some acting and I love movies. So when that opportunity came up I jumped on it. Now I’ve thrown my hat into the ring in several aspects of the film industry and I’m loving it! I even started my own production company- Tungsten Coil Productions. I’m just about finished with the script for my upcoming film- Sleep. I’m so excited about this film, it’s a crazy mindbender of a trip! I’ve got my work cut out for me on this project though, I’m playing three roles, directing, producing, editing, and composing the score. We are hoping to start filming in the fall.

Erik Gustafson of Adoration Destroyed did an up-tempo remix of Darkness Never Dies. What was it like hearing your work through someone else’s ears so to speak?

It was awesome! Erik and I go way back; we played a bunch of shows together back in my Tungsten Coil days. He was in Terminal 46 and Lust Murder Box. I already knew firsthand what Erik brought to the table, so I had total confidence in his abilities. It was fun going through the process with him and I mastered the song with my producer- John Robert Craig. I’m very proud of the final outcome, it’s a banger for sure!

Closer Than Ever Before is your latest single release and again it is going to feature in a movie. I feel the theme for the track is about aging and getting closer to the end of expiration. Can you tell me about this track?

Yes, I’m stoked to have this song in the upcoming theatrical release film- Malibu Horror Story! It’s a badass horror film and it’s truly an honor to get placement for the entire credit scroll again. I love this film so much that I jumped on board the project as an executive producer as well.

Yes, you’re on the right track with your interpretation of the song. I’ve always been focused time passing by and running out ever since I had cancer as a kid. Facing your mortality as a kid will do that to you, and now being in your forties and starting over in the entertainment industry will make you hyper-focused on what time you have remaining as well. The message I wanted to convey in that song was this: Every second of every day, we’re closer to death. What are you doing with the time you are given and are you living your life to the fullest?

Are there plans for an album?

Right now I’m focusing on singles; it just makes sense to me at this point in time. The music industry today doesn’t appear to have the attention span for an entire album. Hell, it’s hard to get people to listen to an entire song without them being distracted by their fucking phones!

I do want to release some albums on vinyl after I build up my catalog with some more songs. I want to put out a series of vinyl with a few songs and a bunch of remixes on each release. Maybe a full album in the future, you never know.

If you were in a horror movie, what character would you want to be? The screaming victim but ultimate hero, the wise elder who knows the backstory but now is earmarked to die, or the evil stabby killer?

That’s easy, The Evil Stabby Killer!

What is next for Eric Oberto?

Right now I’m going to continue to release new songs and music videos every few months. I’m also going to keep pushing my way into the film industry in the forms I mentioned before. Finally, I’m going to focus on doing music for video games. I’ve got a few other tricks up my sleeve, but that’s enough of a workload for now!

Thank you for joining me in the room where no cursed things happened ever…. I think 🙂

Thank you for having me, I had a bloody terror of a time! As a final parting thought, I do think some things may have been cursed in this room. Just saying…

Dammit Janet! Breakout the sage!

Music | ERIC OBERTO (bandcamp.com)

ERIC OBERTO | Facebook

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If you are lucky to be acquainted with Alexander Leonard Donat, you would know that he has to be one of the most busy people in the alternative scene. He works full time, family and on top of that, works on multiple music projects, both solo and with others. This interview was originally written for the Vlimmer album Nebenkörper, Alexander has released in this time, an album with the Fir Cone Children and another solo project ASSASSUN with the album Sunset Skull, which we will discuss in another review (and there was the sound of your reviewer banging their head on the computer because Donat can put out albums faster than she can review them).

Alexander Leonard Donat, welcome to Onyx for this interview about your project, Vlimmer.

You have been releasing music under the moniker, Vlimmer since 2015. How did this project come about?

In 2015 I was in a state of disappointment in respect of the music I had made and how it was received. I guess, you shouldn’t expect anything from the music listeners out there, especially not that they feel the same as you. Seven years ago I released an indie rock album called “Jagmoor Cynewulf” which, for me, was the perfect blend of alternative and pop music. Really, I would have sold my soul for this album, and after four or five years in the making, a lot of time on the road, playing the songs live, and more than a couple of thousands of Euros invested I thought this is either it or I’ll stop making music. It wasn’t it, yet, luckily, I didn’t stop, I’d rather develop a “Ah, fuck it” attitude and go back to the original question: “What kind of music do I really want to create?” I didn’t really have to think about it for too long, the answer was: a bleak version of shoegaze, not the dreamy head-in-the-clouds kind. Dark and hopeless instead. Without any audience I could just concentrate on creating music, and the songs kept pouring out of me – they still do! – it was absolutely revitalizing. Since 2015 Vlimmer has been undergoing several changes in style, and now it isn’t much of a shoegaze-influenced project anymore. Trusting the music reviews, I do something in the darkwave, industrial, goth, post-punk fields. In retrospect, Vlimmer was born out of frustration, and now it’s become one of the most important things in my life.

Before your debut album Nebenkörper was released in 2021, you had released a lot of EPs. What inspired you to produce a full album?

When the songs I wrote kept on coming, I quickly realized an album wouldn’t be enough, and a double album wasn’t an option. Who listens to a 20 track album these days, anyways? With a handful of exceptions maybe, not me. The concept of a series of 5-track EPs sounded perfect to me. Why five, you may ask? The above mentioned “Jagmoor Cynewulf” album was accompanied by an 18-chapter book, an existential narrative, and I simply used the words I’d already written, and – it was more of a coincidence – it turned out one chapter was good for five tracks. It also set the goal: releasing 18 EPs. When I released the first two parts in November 2015 I had already written songs for three more EPs. A couple of months before the final part I, of course, thought about what I’d do after that. There actually was only one option: recording the debut album. I loved the idea of working on that very format after having released 25 EPs in total. Working on an album felt entirely different, you can do so much more than with a 5-tracker. Also, creating an album’s tracklist is one of the most exciting things for me, it’s like a big puzzle. Looking for the perfect position of all the pieces is the part I enjoy the most. I believe that the right tracklist can create something that is bigger than its individual parts. For “Nebenkörper” I had recorded some 20 songs and the process of choosing which ones to put on the album was fun.  

Did you find the format of an album gave you more scope to play with as far as choosing different styles?

It seems even if I try to create something coherent sound-wise, I end up with a product that reviewers see as diverse with no clear genre tags. Still, I’m very satisfied with how I managed to bring my initial “Nebenkörper” idea to life: recording an album with a focus on a brutal, post-apocalyptic, industrial sound outfit, tribal drumming, faster songs – in contrast to the dreamy and often catchy 80s wave pop/post-punk which I had more and more focused on. If it weren’t for my wife, “Meter” which is the album’s most popular song, wouldn’t have landed on the album as it actually seemed too pop-oriented. Luckily, I trusted her and made my peace with it. “Meter” very much belongs to “Nebenkörper”.   

Did you find writing and recording a full album more of a challenge?

No, not at all. Having recorded some 20+ albums with my other projects I am used to either format, albums, EPs, singles… Okay, one exception, so far there’s no double album, ha!

Are there themes that inspire you when you write?

Vlimmer songs are almost always about the human being and their position in society. Living among other people is a constant challenge for everyone, this has even become clearer since the pandemic started. Creating music helps me not to lose my mind in today’s mad world. In general, I am a lucky and happy man, I can’t complain at all, but still, no one is free of the everyday struggles that unexpectedly await you around the corner. Putting negative experience straight into my music helps me getting rid of them.

The latest single Erdgeruch/Space Dementia, sees you using more clean vocal techniques rather than distorted via electronics. Why did you decide to try this style of singing?

That must have happened automatically, as the song is super catchy, even my little kids sing the “Erdgeruch” chorus. Additionally, the arrangement is rather sparse compared to the full in-your-face “Nebenkörper” mix which, in parts, drowned out the vocals. Originally, it was recorded in the same album sessions, but even now that it has had a lot of airplay, I think it would not have fit on “Nebenkörper”. However, I consider putting it on the second album which I will release later this year.

How would you say that Vlimmer has changed since the first release in 2015?

The first 30 or so songs were all based on recurring drum loops which I created with a guitar delay pedal and wouldn’t change at all during a song’s progression. It therefore even had a motoric krautrock feel to it. I also, purposely, didn’t use any hi-hats or cymbals as to achieve a more layered sound result that was intended to wash over the listener without any distracting sounds. When I began including hi-hats it really was a big deal for me as it meant I was ready to write proper songs again which included a verse-chorus structure and more prominent vocals. Suddenly – but indeed accidentally – I had found myself in the goth and post-punk scene which was and still is very supportive.

I have noticed you seem to be involved in a few projects. Can you tell us about these?

In a way, Vlimmer is my main project as it’s the closest to what I like about music. But it wouldn’t work if I hadn’t more projects that balance everything out. Fir Cone Children is my dream punk thing, a mix of punk and shoegaze, here I focus on the experience my daughters make, mostly writing lyrics from their perspectives. In the beginning it was all about naïvety, fun, discovering things, playing, running about, but hey, the older you get, the more you adjust to the world around you, therefore it contains melancholy and occasional desperation, too. In general, I see Vlimmer and Fir Cone Children as a dark/light dichotomy which is necessary for me to keep it all in order. Additionally, Feverdreamt is experimental oriental/electronic music with its own invented language. My latest incarnation is ASSASSUN, a purely electronic creation in the darkwave/synth punk sector. Other projects of mine even include a second member: WHOLE is a mix of indie rock and electronica based in Berlin, Distance Dealer is a pan-Atlantic synth/goth project with my friend Thiago from Brazil.

Do you enjoy the collaborative process as much as being able to do your own thing? Is there a completely different dynamic?

There’s an absolutely different dynamic, yeah, and I fully enjoy it as it allows me to have others decide stuff for me, ha! Don’t get me wrong, I love having full control over projects, songs and their mixes, artwork et cetera, yet it can be a kind of relief to go with what your musical partner has in mind if you know you can trust them. It’s lovely having the chance to do both, though, with a preference, maybe, on doing my own thing because it speeds up everything immensely and allows me to be the productive person I naturally am.

What bands or type of music first caught your attention when you were younger?

I was born into a musical family which was all into classical music. The first bands that made me want to be in a band were alternative rock bands like Deftones, At The Drive-In, Linkin Park, Tool, Jimmy Eat World and Sigur Rós.

What acts and music do you find yourself drawn to now?

That’s a tough one because there are so many. I have my favorite bands, and they usually mix genres because that’s something I enjoy rather than listening to bands that set themselves clear “scene boundaries”. When bands incorporate a certain atmospheric, layered and melancholic or dark sound component, they are most likely to get my attention, no matter if it’s black metal, indie pop or hip-hop. While I enjoy a truckload of genres and styles, I think often it’s a certain indie rock element that has me put on a band’s record on my record player. My favorite bands and artists are No Age, British Sea Power, HEALTH, Radiohead, Flying Saucer Attack, Hood, Trail of Dead, The Hirsch Effekt, Converge, Deftones, My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, The Icarus Line, Xasthur, Motorpsycho, Diiv, Deafheaven, Deerhunter, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Daniel Menché, Sufjan Stevens, Touché Amoré, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Low, Liturgy, Algiers, Aphex Twin, Torres, Bosse-De-Nage, Sonic Youth, ANONHI, Tim Hecker, Nine Inch Nails, Black Country New Road, and I definitely missed some more …

With covid still very much controlling what we do, are there any plans to do anything live with Vlimmer?

As much as I’d want to perform live with Vlimmer there are no current plans of doing so. The song arrangements would require a proper band, and it would need an insane amount of time to find band members, learn and practice the songs, and do the booking. It would also mean less time for writing new songs which is the most fun part of making music.

You also run the label Blackjack Illuminist Records. How do also manage to fit this in and what is it like to run your own label?

Running a record label and making music are my favorite things to do, although I’m super happy with my daytime job as a teacher in an elementary school in Neukölln, Berlin. The latter pays the rent and I don’t need to generate any income with my music which gives me enormous freedom. I probably manage to do both because I need less sleep than the average person and I have an unstoppable urge to be creative. I guess the limited time we have on earth also is a major motivation, I want to at least try to leave behind something that stays when I’m gone. Not that it changes anything when I’m dead, but the feeling calms me in a way, it gives me a purpose which is something we all seek, right?

So with your debut album under your belt, what is in the future for Vlimmer and Alexander Leonard Donat?

I’m finishing up the second Vlimmer full length, “Menschenleere”. It’s different compared to “Nebenkörper”, catchier, less aggressive and menacing – yet with the unmistakably claustrophobic Vlimmer vibe.

Thank you for talking to us!

Music | Blackjack Illuminist Records (bandcamp.com)

Vlimmer | Facebook

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Michigan based Lazer Station, released the album Skies Of Rust on the 25th of March, 2022 which is out on the Brutal Resonance record label. According to what is on Bandcamp, ‘all songs written, performed, produced, mixed, and mastered by Lazer Station in The Void’. Where is this Void and how do we get there plus most importantly, if you are in this Void, can anyone hear you scream?

The beginning of the title track, “Skies Of Rust“, is like floating on synths before the guitars pull you back, to something that seems a little more serious, though, it does still doesn’t feel bound to the earth. “Corruption Of Society” kicks in and now we are going somewhere, with that flow of electronics that passes though from ear to ears and makes you bob your head in time to the music. Such an 80s tone to “Watching The End” which features UFO Witness…. a bit like the original Terminator soundtrack, where not all is well in the world. There is the desolation and urgency of “Jackals” that leads into the guitar distortion of “Circuits Of Life“, that ebbs and flows.

The techno influenced “Technocracy” seems above everything and so clean, while “Population” is a track that is tenuous, with the impression it is slipping away. A seething undercurrent of guitar is the base for “No Respect For The Deadly“, “State Of The Art” which features UFO Witness again, forges ahead in a futuristic manner and the oddly named, “Skulljacker” definitely is a track to get the blood moving. The last two tracks are bonuses with the first being “No Hope” which does have a certain desperation to it as it valiantly goes on and the original mix of “Skies Of Rust” that is more like a dream, waiting to take flight and that guitar kicks in much later.

For those not offay with Lazer Station, they are a purely instrumental project in the cyber industrial genre and they use electronic music to invoke science fiction story lines. They give the synopsis for Skies Of Rust as basically a world where greed and corruption has poisoned the planet, killing off swathes of the population and those that are left are huddled in cities, awaiting what might be their doom. A sci-fi story for now, that may become fact in the future. Even if you don’t know the premise, there is nothing stopping you from simply listening and absorbing the flow of music, admiring the musicianship and enjoying it.

Skies of Rust | Lazer Station | Brutal Resonance Records (bandcamp.com)

Brutal Resonance | Facebook

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Those who like their industrial, dance music, will be familiar with the name Simon Carter for his solo work and also his collaborations with Studio X. He has since left the label, Alfa Matrix and joined forces with German chanteuse, Fabsi, to create Simon Carter and Fabsi. Their first album, The Bitches Potion, was self released on March 20th, 2022.

This album has everything going for it. The single “Hex Hex (Wir Sind Die Hexen)” is dance floor candy, even at seven minutes long. In fact, most of the tracks average out at six minutes each. The single, “Beautiful Destruction” is a great track and “Pink Queen” is absolutely bombastic with its deep, pulsing techno rhythm. The amazing and creepy, “Nanobots (Are You My Mummy?)” is a little gem of industrial techno, only to followed up by the thumping “This Is Only A Test“. That is only a selection of the eleven original tracks and all could be played at a club easily.

As a lucky bonus, you get seven remixes, including the likes of Matt Hart, Moaan Exis, Teknovore and Ruinizer (Jay Ruin). The Teknovore remix of “Hex Hex (Wir Sind Die Hexen)” is brilliantly smooth and menacing at the same time, while the Moaan Exis remix of “The Witching Hour” has a wonderful, crunchy texture to it. “We Are The Witches” is given a nice helping of heavy electronics by Matt Hart, who touches them up in all the right ways and the Ruinizer version of “Pink Queen” feels like a free fall of deranged rhythmic delights. The other mixes are done by Carter, under the guise of his other projects and they are just as note worthy as the guests. For goodness sake, checkout the Narconic version of “Hex Hex” as you really need to hear it

The Bitch’s Potion will beguile you as it traverses and incorporates so many styles of dance music. Techno, industrial, rhythmic noise and trance, whilst the vocals of Fabsi entrance you. This is one magical elixir that one must imbibe to get the full heady and intoxicating taste. Talking of mystical things, Simon and Fabsi were generous in giving us some of their time to talk to us about their supernatural musical powers!

Welcome to the darkside of Onyx. where we have a no gremlins past the front door policy. So please empty your pockets of all little munchkins but feline familiars are most welcome and will get complimentary tickles.

How did Simon and Fabsi meet and become the fabulous Simon Carter & Fabsi?

Simon: It was during the beginning of Corona and we met in a few Twitch streams, we found our music tastes had a lot in common. The very first collaboration came about when Fabsi left me a rude late night voice mail and I used that as a sample at the end of a joke/comedy track called “Oh Yeah”. It wasn’t long before we thought we should try and do something a bit more serious together! The ‘Simon Carter’ bandcamp page was never meant to be serious, it was my playground for silly tracks and deliberately horrible artwork! Whilst I’d never take myself too seriously… Since (and including) the “Beautiful Destruction” EP I am taking the tracks with Fabsi more seriously and hopefully that shines through in the quality of the music and can also be heard in the later releases on that bandcamp page.

Fabsi: We played some online games together and he kept recording bits of me and made silly little songs. So we thought let’s do something proper and I recorded the vocal for “Beautiful Destruction” with my iPhone and he challenged himself to make as many different versions as possible with spawned the “Beautiful Destruction” EP. That worked out so well that I bought a proper mic and we decided to try and make a full Album together.

Congrats are in order. The album is pretty mammoth, so how long did it take to create?

Simon: I think it took around 12 months to complete, the lockdowns due to Covid allowed me a lot more studio time than I’m used to and as is often the case when a project is new and exciting I had a lot of motivation and inspiration for it from the get-go.

Fabsi: We started straight after releasing the “Beautiful Destruction” EP, which was released exactly 1 year (to the day!) before the “Bitches Potion”.

Has covid interrupted your ability to play and record or did it allow you more time to do things?

Simon: I think we can say that Covid helped launch this project! A glimmer of something good in an otherwise sad and unfortunate time for the world.

Fabsi: Was not a problem from my side as I was recording from Germany. I had time for a new project because I couldn’t go out much here due to the restrictions.

There is a witch house and witch theme throughout, why did you go with beings of the magical arts?

Simon: We can blame Fabsi for that theme, I’m fairly certain she is a witch… but it’s a great theme and a fantastic concept which I’ve really enjoyed embracing, her witchyness is a huge part of this project.

Fabsi: The witchy idea came from me. I get a monthly witchy subscription box and I was so inspired by that and I still am. So there is more to come. We both love watching series and my favorites are those with magical or supernatural backgrounds/topic. I’m also a big Harry Potter fan!

The single Hex Hex (Wir Sind Die Hexen) is this huge, trance.techno track that feels like it is looping over and over again, with Fabsi’s vocals in German over the top. Is it about spells and you must be pretty pleased the way it turned out?

Simon: I’m super pleased with this track, it was one of the first to be finished and I knew we had something special, I knew it was a bit of a banger and I think Fabsi sounds best in her native German. Even though it’s a long track, I just knew this is the one for the music video. It’s interesting you should mention Trance as I do have a bit of a background in that scene from my Narconic project but this new techno sound is something I’ve only recently started to explore.

Fabsi: It’s mostly a translation from another track on this album “We Are The Witches” and as German is my native language It was a lot easier for me to record that vocal than some of the others.

Where did you film the video as it looks like it is in the middle of nowhere?

Fabsi: The video is filmed near Frankfurt (Germany) next to a forest. It’s a 2 hour drive away from where I live.

Is someone a big Dr Who nerd? Nano Bots (Are You My Mummy) has to about the episodes where it is WW2 and there is a child walking around in a gas mask asking Are you my mummy. (And now he’s stuck in my brain again)

Fabsi: Maybe it’s me. That’s my favourite Dr. Who episode, with captain Jack Harkness and Rose, they are a perfect combo. During corona, I was reminded of those children with the gasmasks.

Simon: When Fabsi shared this idea and I hunted the sample down (in fact we watched the episode together!) I initially thought there’s no way this will work in a track, no matter what genre I try. I’m pleased to say my initial thoughts were wrong and it’s turned out to be one of the most popular tracks on the album.

Time to fess up. Three of the remixes are done by Simon projects aren’t they?

Simon: Aha yes! I think you’re the first person to realise this! Sometimes I want a break from the hard pounding techno beats and rhythms so I mess about with the vocals and often produce something entirely different, when that happens (and we deem it good enough!) I put one of my other projects down as the remixer.

The other four remixes have been done by other great musicians Matt Hatt, Tecknovore, Ruinizer and Moaan Exis. How did you get these guys onboard?

Simon: Myself and George (Teknovore) go waaaay back so that was a no brainer for me. Since he departed PES0.1 and started Teknovore I knew he was developing a really unique and special sound and I wanted him and only him to remix what I believed to be the best track on the album Hex Hex (Wir Sind Die Hexen). Matt Hart & Ruinizer are fellow Brits who were returning remix favours for me, whilst Moaan Exis was someone I approached after hearing some of their tracks and thinking they could come up with something juicy for us.

I have been watching a lot of the European and British electro/industrial scene people and you guys are so supportive of each other both in terms of helping each other out and morally there for each other. Does if feel that way to you?

Simon: We do like to put on a united front! The world has changed so drastically since Corona and that has affected the scene greatly too. Surprisingly my biggest support still comes from Australia, Canada, the US and Mexico but since this release I have been receiving a bit more interest from Europe including my homeland, the UK. It’s a small scene and I’m very much inclined to support and help out as much as possible where I can.

Fabsi: We both have our qualities and they match perfectly together. We can help each other out and support each other where necessary. It’s crazy that other people can see that and mention that about us. You really need someone you can trust 100% that has your back for doing such a project.

Simon, you are well known for your musical creations with Australians, Studio X and you were both on Alfa Matrix but recently you seem to have struck out on your own, so can you tell us a little about this?

Simon: That’s right, myself and Studio-X released 3 albums, 6 EP’s and 1 single, all on the Belgian record label Alfa Matrix and we both had respective solo projects on that label too. Those were crazy days when I think we both had more time and the creativity was just flowing like a river. We’re still good friends and who knows if they’ll be more in that direction in the future, I am certainly one to never say never. The record label discussion is an interesting one. Since releasing this album a few offers have come in for this project. I’ve never touted this, Narconic or my Humans Can’t Reboot projects to a record label. I know a record label would give us greater exposure but the world is a very different, constantly evolving place these days and I feel happy in the knowledge that I have 100% control in regards to every specific aspect of these projects, their distribution and their futures.

Have you played live yet under the guise of this project or is this going to be something you consider taking live, into the future?

Simon: We have definitely spoken about this, I think it’s fair to say I am more keen on this idea than Fabsi! I’m currently in the process of re-decorating and moving but once that’s done then who knows.

Fabsi: We haven’t played live yet or planned any concerts. But you never know what the future brings.

What music got you into the scene?

Simon: I’ve always had such an eclectic taste in music but I do recall how I first came to find out about the scene. As a youngster I was really into my cheesy harder dance music and especially the vocal tracks. I’d often go to school with my walkman playing such tracks. I heard some tracks from Force & Styles with a male vocalist (MC Junior) and it blew me away. I’d literally only ever heard female vocalists in electronic music prior to that so I did my research and I found bands like VNV Nation, Neuroticfish, Covenant etc. Ok the music was considerably slower but it was amazing to hear electronic dance music with male vocals and passion! I was hooked form then on and dived deeper and deeper into the scene and all the different offshoot genres the scene has to offer.

Fabsi: In My Teenage years I was listening to a lot of Emo and Metal, but my first gothic or industrial song was “Combichrist – Electrohead“ in about 2008 and from then on I was dragged further into the gothic music and style. I’m always open to other genres too, like Hardstyle or Trance.

Who or what do you listen to now?

Simon: A lot of scene music and I like to see what’s hot, what’s the current flavour of the month and lately I’ve been listening to a lot of Sierra, Minuit Machine, Mark Dekoda and Tecknovore to get my techno fix and then I’ll mix it up with something like a bit of Empathy Test because Isaac’s voice is fantastic and they make some really nice synthpop.

Fabsi: My favourite band is “The Birthday Massacre” and I could listen 24/7 to their music. But of course I do not, so the rest of the time I listen a lot to Simon’s music and I like to listen to female voices in the gothic scene. My favourite Podcast I listen weekly to is “Communion After Dark”.

We are trying to decide if you are a witch or a normal person by throwing you in the lake because witches float but someone says ducks also float. What do you do?

Simon: Entirely depends on if I’m wearing my armbands (water-wings) or not!

Fabsi: So no-one would think I am a witch I would turn myself into a duck!

When you look into the magic looking glass, what do you see for the future of Simon Carter & Fabsi?

Simon: a big black void of witchy goodness! I’ve really enjoyed this theme and project and would definitely like to continue with this sound in the future.

Fabsi: I see Simon and me doing a stream together on twitch, when I can visit the UK and hopefully a lot more magical tunes to create and release.

Thank you for joining our timey whimmey magical mystery tour and that enchanting things await you. Not cave fairies though as they little terrors.

The Bitches Potion | Simon Carter and Fabsi | Simon Carter (bandcamp.com)

Simon Carter / Humans Can’t Reboot / Narconic / SD-Krtr | Facebook

Fabsi | Facebook

MATT HART | Facebook Music | MATT HART (bandcamp.com)

Ruinizer | Facebook Music | RUINIZER (bandcamp.com)

MOAAN EXIS | Facebook Music | MOAAN EXIS (bandcamp.com)

Teknovore | Facebook The Theseus Paradox | Teknovore | Infacted Recordings (bandcamp.com)

by on

March might be the month for the elfin kind and the 30th saw the release of the single, “Elfenarzt“, by a French, gothic/industrial project, Eleventh Fear. Ludovic Dhenry is the man behind Eleventh Fear and is also responsible for the acts Résonance Magnétique, Exponentia and Zauber, which may explain why the last release for this project was an album called Spirit, out in 2010. Though we are in luck as a second album has been toted as coming our way this year!

For a French project, the lyrics are in German and hissed at you, all the while the heavenly electronics waver above. There are beats within rhythms and a brilliant use of noise to build up the atmosphere, Sadly, there is no Youtube video for us to put up, as this is a cracking tune. Dark and foreboding and yet so club friendly, so in other words, watch this space, for Eleventh Fear are threatening us with a rather good time, me thinks if “Elfenarzt” is anything to go by.

Elfenarzt | Eleventh Fear (bandcamp.com)

Eleventh Fear | Facebook