by on

Andy J. Davies and James P. Quinn are the men behind the British goth band, Sirens Of Light, a project that they had originally started in the early 2000’s, when they released the album Nullus Margis Gothica, in 2004. Sadly, the album didn’t really gain the attention it deserved at the time, sinking into obscurity. Fast forward to 2021, where the guys have resurrected not only Sirens Of Light, but also revisited their debut album, revamping it with the original recordings and renaming it Nullus Margis Gothica MMXXI. The album is a cornucopia of gothic rock, with its roots firmly planted in the 80s and 90s but with a modern edge. This is where I tell you that I was lucky enough to speak to Andy, who is not only the lead singer, but also had classical training, was a member of the popular punk glam Soho Roses and is the founder, and current owner of The Analogue Room and Damage Recordings, involved in recording and production. If you want to know what bands Andy would choose to headline a festival with…..then you better keep reading… though honestly, I would give him at least a three day run!

Welcome Andy J. Davies of Sirens Of Light, to the hallowed hall of Onyx, where even the shadows are inky pools where no light shall touch.

Andy, you were involved in the band Soho Roses and James, I believe was in Last Rites. Have you been involved in any other projects other than these?

I’ve been in many bands over the years and worked with loads in the studio as a producer. James and I have been in several bands together over the years, Bombchild, Gilla Bruja, and most recently Delany.

The band, Sirens Of Light came together in the early 2000s, in the UK. How did this come about and what roles do you play within the band?

I’d had the idea of doing a traditional Goth rock project for several years as I seemed to me at the time no one was really doing that kind of style . I was spending some time at my parents home and started working on a couple of tracks, Maria and Prayer. A short time later I asked James if he’d like to come do some, and that’s how it happened…

The band was situated in London, so what was the gothic scene like then as compared to now?

It was kind of dying off by then, that’s kinda why I liked the idea of doing a more traditional style….mostly, Goth seemed to have turned into metal by the late 90’s and I remembered how great it was back in the late 80’s and early 90’s and wanted to bring that style back into play.

In 2004, the album “Nullus Margis Gothica” was recorded and in 2005, it was released on Bad Head Records. In your bio, it says the album had limited release, so what happened?

We did a very short run of CDs of the original version of the album. At the time, we didn’t do any PR around it or promote it in any way as we both had other projects that we had to prioritise so, apart from that initial release, the album was left alone.

So, in 2021, the both of you are back together and release the single “Justine” which was your debut single. What happened at this point in time that made you decide to give Sirens Of Light another go and why did you pick “Justine” as your single?

Ever since we left the album years ago, we had both said we should really do something with it many times. I thought I had lost all of the original multitracks from 2004 but found them, completely by accident, in early 2021 on an old hard drive in a draw in my studio….finding the original recording gave us the opportunity to update the album to be more currently relevant and so it seemed the time was ripe to do it.

The end of 2022 sees the unveiling of “Nullus Margis Gothica MMXXI”, where a lot of the original recording was used? What changes or additions were made this time around?

The original recordings were mostly complete but there were a few parts missing here and there. These obviously had to be replaced anyway. The biggest update was with new vocals on most, but not all, tracks and making the sounds in general richer and more modern……all this was done with the intention of not loosing the original atmosphere of the album, but the original has a charm all of its own!

You have electronic musician, Kandinski Noir, as a guest vocalist on the track “Siren Of Light”. How do you know Noir and how did he end up on this track?

By chance Kandinski released a single called Justine around the same time we did. He messaged me on social media and we started chatting here and there. When reworking Siren of Light, the idea came up for a new chorus part and the idea of having it in German worked for the track. I asked him to translate for us into German and it seemed a natural and interesting idea to me to see how our voices and styles would stack up, so asked him to do a vocal on the pre chorus and chorus…worked out great!

The album was designed as thematic concept from the start. Can you please tell us more about this?

Well, we originally set out to make a Gothic rock album that reflected the roots of the genre and, as the record developed, that would take the listener on a sonic journey. The subject matter of the songs were all treated from the same emotive standpoint and the material and lyrical content is meant to be thought provoking and create an atmosphere. Conceptually speaking, it’s a reflection on some of the more interesting aspects of the human condition, the emotions we all feel, the experiences we have…some more unusual than others…the questions we all ask. There are various sub concepts within the record as well, but on the whole, the record is meant to resonate with listeners on their level…there’s a lot of layers in it!!’

What is it about the power of femininity that drew you in to explore it?

The power of the feminine has been ever present throughout history. I’ve always found it interesting and I think it is an important subject that deserves exploration.

Do you have a favourite track off the album?

That’s a difficult question to answer….I like them all for different reasons….If I had to pick one, Rearrange….always really liked the vibes it gives off!

There are definitely tell tale time signatures and riffs, that speak of your goth rock influences, but I also feel there are sounds within of glam rock and synthwave? What are your musical influences?

What I’m really influenced by is great songs, films, books, ideas and people from all eras. I love music that’s evocative and impactful so anything really, regardless of genre or era. If I had to pick one big influence, I guess it would have to be David Bowie, one of my favourite all time artists…timeless!

Who do you listen to now?

I listen to more or less anything that comes along that catches my attention…I’m very much a song and sound head so, if it catches my ear, I’ll listen and enjoy….I still listen to my favourite music from over the years but the catalogue seems to be constantly expanding!’

What are your thoughts about the state of the gothic music scene at present?

To me it seems that the scene has continued as it did coming into the early 2000’s…goth seems for the most part to have become metal or EDM, any bands doing a more traditional style are very few and far between or are the actual bands reforming and performing their back catalogue. There are a couple of exceptions but very few as far as I’m aware….I may be way wrong about this….

Has this new found fan base inspired you to think about a new album in the future?

Well yes, were planning a new album for later in the year and an ep sometime spring or early summer with a very limited vinyl release of MMXXI in spring as well.

Sirens Of Light are going to headline a one day festival and the best bit is that you get to choose the other acts and we can even time travel to a certain era to steal them away. Whom are you choosing and from which part of their career?

Wow…what a question…David Bowie – Aladdin Sane period, AC/DC – Powerage period, Sisters of Mercy any period, Leonard Cohen – I’m Your Man era, Hanoi Rocks – Saigon Shakes period, Hüsker Dü – Flip you Wig period, Pink Floyd from the 70’s, The Stranglers IV – ’77 to ’79, Sex Pistols – ’77, Iron Maiden – Di’Anno era, Blue Oyster Cult – Agents of Fortune, Fire of Unknown Origin era, The Cult – Love/Sonic Temple eras…….I could go in like this for hours…how many days is the festival???

Is there anything else in store for Sirens Of Light?

As I said before, we have the vinyl version of the album out in spring and a new e.p. to go with it, and a new album later in the year. I’m sure other things will come up as we go, there will be videos etc for example….watch this space!

Thank you sir for your time!

Nullus Margis Gothica MMXXI | Sirens Of Light (bandcamp.com)

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100071607476006&mibextid=ZbWKwL

Sirens Of Light

by on

40 Octaves Below is the industrial project for Canadian Drake Moore and the newest album is MetaVerUs, released in January of 2023. This is the third studio album from 40 Octaves Below and is packed with a whooping fifteen tracks. The theme that ties this together is that the global network of media are creating mass misinformation, which in turn creates mass hysteria and hysterical populations are easier to control, never thinking to question why their rights are dwindling. The music itself is intense, with driving rhythms that you can easily lose yourself in, and dance to. So, we thought we better talk to Drake about MetaVerUs, that is about everything versus us, the average humans, and ask him all the important questions about this album, his collaborators and why it took thirteen years for 40 Octaves Below to release the first album….

Welcome Drake Moore to the desolate isle that is Onyx.

Hi Onyx. Pleasure to connect.

Your first album, “Digital Fracture” came out in 2019, but on the Bandcamp blurb, you mention that it was 13 years in the making. Can you please explain what you meant by this and what the culmination was leading up to the first release for 40 Octaves Below?

It’s a long story that pre-dates the current technology that allows most people with a decent workstation and DAW to produce music. It began with Propellerheads’s Rebirth software and lead into Reason later which resulted in a very nasty little release entitled “Sick Machine” under the name “Gore-Tek”. The ability to evolve beyond this was hampered by perceptual roadblocks, denial and a steady downward spiral into addiction. A lot of music was produced in that period. Some half finished, a lot of it just not very good. It was an ongoing mess of consumption and composition. The trick was the trap of thinking the substances were providing an expansion of mind which would result in brilliant musical output. And we were very dedicated and productive with the amount of garbage produced. A new awakening and sobriety came around 2010. It took seven years of stone cold sober before we could begin composing again. Around the end of that seven year period, the move into physical hardware made all the difference and things were really flowing.

Are you a native of Vancouver, in British Columbia and how do you think this has influenced your musical sound as well as the way you view the world?

We are from the Toronto area originally and have been on the west coast (on and off) for over 20 years. The earth magnetics are different out here and it has an effect on the people. Time elapses and is perceived in a slower manner. It had that effect on us and was where the love affair with electronic sound began. In a creative sense and also through community gatherings like live shows and raves. Music was huge on the west coast in the 90’s. Compared to then, today is a bit of a dead scene for live music. It is a challenge to optimistically perceive the world post global tyranny which tends to overshadow. Screaming at the top of one’s lungs is a release but is hard to gauge the spread. Love seems like a good answer but most days we just want blood.

Is there much of an Industrial scene in Vancouver and how do you find yourself relating to the scene?

The industrial scene here is largely a small group of DJs who keep the dance going. It’s a goth, fetish, dance type thing with not much in terms of local industrial bands. We’ve been trying to crack into the local DJ sphere and have found little to no response. The DJs in Toronto like Dwight Hybrid, Live Evil, DI Auger, Anthony (H) and others have been very supportive and are all about elevating Canadian talent.

“MetaVersUs” is your 3rd studio album, which came out this year. Did you find this album easier to write than the previous two, especially with the world starting to emerge from the Covid cocoon?

Our eyes opened wide when the evidential truth of 9/11 hit home. That was a great veil un-lifting and like taking that dreaded “red” pill. Since then, we’re constantly looking over our shoulder and striving to keep our own mind free from the programming. “MetaVersUs” is a lot more blatant in its message but is still harping at the same themes from the previous two albums. At this point, it’s all been said ad nauseam. We perceive the logic in the evil. Logic however has failed us as has science. We are now staring into the face of madness and the new physics. The production was a little slower as we share a single vessel and are forever honing new knowledge into practice. What comes next will be of a new skin entirely.

I have to say the title is a rather clever. Was it always going to be “MetaVersUs”?

Since Meta’s inception (under any previous name), is has always been against the people.

There are 15 tracks in all, so was it a conscientious decision or did you just find that those tracks just worked together?

We work mostly with Elektron gear these days (a trio of the Analog Four, Octatrak and Analog Rhythm). The first two albums were eight core tracks and that was primarily because the Octatrak (which is used as the master sequencer) has the capacity for eight songs in a given project. In a live scenario, it seemed optimal to have the tracks within one project per grouping to address the time lag of load time in switching projects. In approaching “MetaVersUs”, we wanted to create something larger and ended up chaining arrangements together within the same song and later breaking things apart for production in the DAW. This was a strategy used to create some sense of continuity as well. The number of tracks in the end was not entirely planned. At least not consciously.

Do you have a favourite track or tracks, off the album that you are proud of?

Not sure that there is a favourite. Each track expresses a deep feeling. Although it may appear there is a lot of anger in the expression, it comes from a tremendous love and want for humanity to do better. “Echoes” features a selection of samples taken from YouTube posts by our very dear late friend Raven Rowanchilde (Love and the Muse). That track is special. Raven had a lot of wisdom to share with the world and we wanted to present a sample while honouring her. Our collaboration with our good friend DI Auger on the track “MthrFckr” was a collaboration first and was a lot of fun to work on. “What If” was a last minute track and also a collaboration with EKaterina from Passion For Hypnosis. Both DI Auger and Ekaterina are a pleasure to work with and those tracks are unique in their own ways.

This latest album is a commentary on the current state of the world. What were the major ideas and statements you are making in “MetaVersUs”?

Our largest point of vulnerability is the media and the palm sized super computers we are addicted to. Our movements are tracked and our minds manipulated. We are all vulnerable no matter how clever or cautious we think we are. Denial runs thick with addiction. Very little is what it appears coming through the screen. The screens and platforms do not connect us. They are used to disconnect and divide. Who is responsible? We guess that a very small number actually know where the top is. We don’t but it is real and it is happening. We must claim back our minds if we are to survive. We must not divide.

You are definitely making political statements in your music, so do you feel that music is an important platform to create awareness and start conversations?

There is so much division and suppression of truth. It is nearly impossible to convince a robot that it is a robot if that information is not part of its programming. Music is the only platform where we can communicate ideas currently without immediate censorship. That could change but here we are. Anyone who listens closely and disagrees can turn it off. Perhaps through that experience, we have planted a seed. In the end creating music is what is keeping us relatively sane.

Chris Lefort is a classically trained pianist and his project is the gothic/industrial Di Auger from Ontario. He has appeared on most releases, so can you tell us about his contribution to current album but also the relationship you have with Lefort?

We connected with Chris shortly after “Digital Fracture” was released. We immediately clicked and were invited to play a show in Toronto opening for Trick Casket, Phantom High and DI Auger. That was a good show and opened the door for some remix collaborations with new friends. Chris has done a number of remixes for us and they are always killer. It was his idea originally to collaborate on “MthrFckr” which was going to be a single. It ended up on “MetaVersUs” because we thought the subject matter in line with the overall theme. “MthrFckr” is going to be released as a single separately in a couple months with remixes by DI Auger, Anthony (H), Live Evil Productions and 40 Octaves Below. Chris is just an all round great person. He does a lot to support industrial music in and around Toronto. It is a pleasure to know him.

You had guest artists do remixes of your two previous albums, that became their own releases in album form, so is there a plan in the future to go this way with “MetaVersUs” as well?

Yes this is already in the works. A couple surprises in store with this one.

Drake, you also have another electro-industrial project called Mesmer’s Ghost, which seems to have kicked off around 2020, so can you tell us what compelled you to start this separate journey?

Mesmer’s Ghost is a collaboration project with our friend James Seaborne (Innanfrá). We connected with James shortly after “Digital Fracture” and James immediately wanted to collaborate on something. He had this “Mesmer’s Ghost” name concept tucked away for the right time and so we set out to create some tracks. James comes up with these weird little musical journeys which served as the tone for each composition. This was inspiring. James wanted to handle the vocal side of things and leave most of the arranging to us. It is a nice palate cleanser after coming out of the 40 Octaves Below noise tunnel.

How would you say the styles differ from 40 Octaves Below and Mesmer’s Ghost?

Mesmer’s Ghost goes into a little more experimental territory and later works more into the gothic realm. There’s less anger expressed in Mesmer’s Ghost composition and more moodiness. We are a good way into a third Mesmer’s Ghost release that should be ready later this year.

How do you decide which songs you write are for 40 Octaves Below or Mesmer’s Ghost?

Each Mesmer’s Ghost track starts with some derangement of James’s. Anywhere from there ends up ghosty. There’s very little overlap in terms of production. We’re either working on 40 Octaves Below or Mesmer’s Ghost so there is definitely a switch that goes off in the head.

Are there plans to do live shows for “MetaVersUs” and is playing live something you like to do?

We love live. What is most likely to happen (working on the concept currently) is more of a DJ performance. We want to present something that is less structured, more improvised and in response to the audience. The idea involves the construction of a massive library encapsulating all our projects. You will hear little bit of this and a little bit of that and it’s going to absolutely slam. The challenge has been how to vocalize whilst presenting something dynamic instrumentally as a single entity. As the music has become more involved and complex, the live version has honestly suffered. This new approach will address all that.

Who are the bands/acts that really got you into this style/scene?

Music exposure was so limited as a young person prior to the explosion of the internet.  It was all word of mouth or what one picked up randomly on college radio or television video shows that catered to the “unusual” like “City Limits” on Much Music in Canada.  Nine Inch Nails was a welcome punch in the face the first time we heard “Head Like a Hole”. Then there as the “Land of Rape and Honey” Ministry release.  Things were not quite the same after experiencing these artists.  Life seemed more exciting.  Here was something that felt so personal and invigorating.  It was just so exciting to drive around blasting this music that no one else seemed to understand and was just so goddamn good at the same time.  It was validating and left the feeling of not being so alone in a world so different and lack lustre.  Skinny Puppy also played a huge influencing role but was another world that would open up later on.

Now for the fun bit…. you are gearing up to put out the remix version of “MetaVersUs” and you can choose anyone you want to do the mixes, living or or dead, whom would you choose?

Oh shit. Straight off let’s say this list does not include any past remixers. We are blessed to have worked with them ALL and would love to work with them again. Future remixers include Skinny Puppy, Combichrist, Omniflux, Ladytron, Massive Attack, Jimi La Mort, Trent Reznor, Ken Marshall, Jimmy Urine, MXMS and Gothsicles to name a few. A couple of these mentioned are happening…

What is on the horizon for Drake Moore?

More music is certain. Industrial Trip Hop? If we are hit by technology crippling solar flares, tribal drum jams in the forest. Come find us…

Thank you Drake for giving us your time.

https://40octavesbelow.com/album/metaversus

https://www.facebook.com/40octavesbelow?mibextid=ZbWKwL

by on

The Derision Cult was the original working name for the solo project of Dave McAnally in 2014, which became pared down to just Derision Cult. Beginning of December 2022 saw the Glitch Mode Recordings release of the EP “Mercenary Notes Pt. 1“, a guitar laden, industrial powered ride with both political conviction and questioning the moral compass of big money corporations. McAnally has friends in many places it seems having some big name talents fleshing his music out with vocals/guitars, mixing, producing and mastering. What does this mean? Great production, thumping beats and a sound that could give Ministry a run for their money. So now you should read ahead and find who these big names are, what are the outside influences and did McAnally really use his wife as a taco consuming lab rat? Mmmmmm tacos…… and don’t worry, Dave ate tacos as well.

Welcome Dave back to Onyx, though now under the guise of your project, Derision Cult. 

Thanks!  Yeah between this and Sys Machine its been a busy couple of years! 

Originally titled The Derision Cult, you started this all around 2014. What originally inspired you on this solo musical career? 

Derision Cult really came a long ways since 2014 to this EP!  But it goes back further than that for me. It all started when I was in bands and working on different projects in the mid-90s. Then I took a bit of a break and ended up in Chicago for a while. I always knew I’d get back into making music, and I had a few false starts between 2004 and 2014. But in 2014, everything just fell into place and I knew it was time to start playing again. I was getting out of the triathlon and ironman scene, spending more time at home with my daughter, and just feeling like I had something to say through my art. Around that time, I was also seeing how corporate social responsibility was being twisted and used as a marketing tool by companies, and I felt like I could use my music to shed some light on that. And as I’ve been working on Derision Cult, I’ve really honed in on my message and vision for the project, especially with the release of Mercenary Notes. It’s all about using my art to make a statement about what I learned in my professional life which I feel follows in the footsteps of my musical heroes.

Previously, in an interview about your newer project, .SYSmachine, you hinted at the fact you were working on music for Derision Cult. Would this be the now released “Mercenary Notes Pt. 1”? 

Yeah, I hinted at it in that interview about .SYSmachine, but now I suppose I can officially confirm that Mercenary Notes Pt. 1 is the result of those early sessions with Sean Payne!  We started working on these tracks back in December and January, and it’s been an awesome experience collaborating with a producer for the first time on Derision Cult. Sean and I are planning to keep working together on all sorts of projects in the future.

The current single is “Deaf Blood”, so why was this chosen and what does it mean for you having the likes of Chris Connelly on vocals and Joy Thieves on remix duty?

“Deaf Blood” was the perfect choice for the current single because it really captures the essence of Derision Cult and what we’re all about. It’s got rock/metal sound with some Killing Joke vibes, and it was an absolute honor to work with Chris Connelly on vocals. I’ve been a fan of Chris’s work for a long time, and I was really blown away by the Joy Thieves’ album American Parasite and where it seemed like his headspace was on that. I thought Chris’s voice and lyrics would be perfect for being part of this particular story, and I was right. It was also a dream come true to have Reeves Gabrels from The Cure and David Bowie’s band playing lead guitar on the track. He’s been a huge influence on my playing since the 90s, and it was amazing to work with him and hear those leads up close like that!

For the remixes, we’ve got both Joy Thieves and Martin Atkins on board, and I’m really happy with how that came out.  Joy Thieves went for a dark and emotional vibe, while Martin Atkins turned it into a crazy rollercoaster ride. Plus, he recorded live drums on his infamous black Pearl kit, which is the same one he used on all those classic Nine Inch Nails, Ministry, Pigface, and Killing Joke albums.  It was really cool to have both Chris’s current drummer from Joy Thieves and a drummer from his past with Martin Atkins working on the remixes, and I think it adds an extra layer of depth to the single.

You also sold a cassette version of the “Deaf Blood” single, with the added extra of hot sauce…was it hot enough for the single, who came up with that idea and did you get to have some?

Releasing the “Deaf Blood” single on cassette was a total spur-of-the-moment decision, inspired by labels like Brutal Resonance who are putting out cassettes exclusively. It’s been a while since I sold a cassette, probably since 1997, so it was a lot of fun to put this one together. I’m really happy with how they turned out. As for the hot sauce, that was just a happy coincidence. When Chris sent over the lyrics with the title “Deaf Blood,” I immediately thought it would be a cool name for a hot sauce. As it turns out, my friend Chris Bengston owns a hot sauce company in Kansas City, so we started working on some recipes together. Chris would send some to me and Sean and then we’d test them out with our wives.  We tested out a bunch of different ones and ended up with a garlic-flavored sauce that has a medium heat level. I didn’t want to make something that was too hot because no one would actually enjoy it, but I liked the fact that we toasted the brown sugar, which gave the sauce a black color. It’s really goth, and it’s great on chicken and jerky-type meats. We sold out of the stock we had on Bandcamp, but it’s still available on Common Descent Provisions’ website. If we go through those and the response is good we’ll do another run. It was really cool to see people buying them as Christmas gifts and everything!

The first single off “Mercenary Notes PT.1”, is titled “Bastards Of The World”, which was written after a work-related promotion encounter. Can you tell us about it? 

“Bastards of the World” is all about how people’s good intentions can be turned against them. I’ve seen this happen in campaigns I’ve been a part of in the past, and it’s a tactic that works all too well. Just look at someone like Andrew Tate, who says outrageous and offensive things that enrage one group of people, but his actions make him extremely popular with another group.  

A few years back, I was approached by a gun manufacturer who wanted me to help them sell a training rifle that looked like an AR-15. But instead of marketing it as a safety gun, they wanted to target ads to gun control advocates and wind them up about the audacity of a company that would make an AR-15 specifically for kids. They had data showing that every time the Daily Show or other left-leaning media outlets talked about guns, there was an uptick in ammo and gun sales. So, it made more sense for them to piss off gun control advocates and bring the gun to market rather than positioning it as a safety tool. I decided not to take the project, and as far as I know, the gun never made it to market. However, it did inspire me to write “Bastards of the World.” There’s a sample in the song that says the key to business is tapping into the irrational organs, and unfortunately, that’s often the case.

It made me feel a little ill to my stomach to think that companies that make vast amounts of money selling items like this, use these horrible actions to increase their sales. How does all this affect you personally, especially as a parent? 

As a father, it’s scary to consider how my kids will grow up in a world that’s so different from the one I knew. They’ll be bombarded with messages, stories, and media that are crafted to manipulate their emotions and get certain reactions. When I was growing up, it was one thing to be told that using a certain brand of deodorant or drinking a certain beer would make you more appealing to the opposite sex. Now, my kids are going to come of age in a society where even the news is meant to make them feel a certain way, and the products they use will try to guilt them into thinking they’re immoral, racist, sexist, or misogynistic if they don’t buy them or trust their narrative. There’s a new level of anxiety and mistrust in society that kids who have grown up with the internet will have to face, and it’s crucial that they be savvy enough to recognize when and how their emotions are being exploited and distinguish between what’s rational and what’s not.

Sean Payne of Cyanotic not only appears on the EP but the label, Glitch Mode Recordings, is owned by Sean. how did you end up signing to Glitch Mode and we are gathering you and Sean are pretty tight friends?

I’ve been a fan of Cyanotic for a while, and when I was looking for production help for the new Derision Cult album, my friend Gabe Wilkinson introduced me to Sean. Since he lives in Chicago, it was easy for us to hang out and take our time working on the tracks. Sean is a great guy and we’ve become good friends. We hang out at the Glitch Mode headquarters and at shows at The Metro in Chicago. I also enjoy working with Brad Huston, the guitar player in Cyanotic, who engineered a lot of the EP. We have a lot of fun geeking out about guitar stuff.  With Sean,  I think our different approaches to writing music – I’m more focused on riffs and hooks and he’s more interested in vibes, feels, and grooves – really come together well on tracks like “Slaves Rebuild” on this EP. Overall, it’s been a great experience working with Sean and the team at Glitch Mode!

Payne and Connelly are not the only big name you have on “Mercenary Notes PT.1”. Can you please tell us about the others and what it has meant to you to both professionally and personally?

It’s been a real pleasure to work with some of my musical heroes on “Mercenary Notes PT.1.” Having the likes of Chris Connelly, Joy Thieves, Reeves Gabrels, and Martin Atkins contribute to the EP was a dream come true for me, both professionally and personally. It’s been amazing to see how their unique talents have shaped the sound of the record, and it’s been a pleasure getting to know them as people during the process. Working with Sean Payne as a producer has also been a fantastic experience, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with him and his label, Glitch Mode Recordings. And finally, it’s been a joy to work with Jim Marcus on the artwork for the EP. His understanding of my vision for the project and his ability to bring it to life visually has been a real highlight for me. Overall, “Mercenary Notes PT.1” has been an incredible journey, so I’m thrilled to share it with the world!

There is also slated, a second EP, “Mercenary Notes Pt. 2”, to be released this year, so are you able to spill the chilli beans on what and whom we can expect?

“Part 2 of ‘Mercenary Notes’ is on the way and we’re excited to bring some new surprises to the table! Originally, we started with a dozen tracks and decided to split them into EP’s for a more digestible listen. We’ve got a few potential collaborators in mind and we’re heading to Sean’s studio next week to pick up where we left off with them. The tracks on this EP are a continuation of the first, but with a more abstract and universal theme. We’re also incorporating more non-industrial elements, with one track taking on a bluesy feel inspired by musicians like Albert Collins and Buddy Guy. There are also hints of old-school outlaw country on some tracks, and we even broke out the telecasters on one. We’re still deciding on the final tracklist, but there’s one song that has an industrial twist on the style of Johnny Paycheck and Waylon Jennings. We’ll see if we can make it work!”

I often think artists and especially musicians, that are worth their salt, reflect the world as it is, not just the nice bits but the gritty humanitarian side as well. Do you feel this something you agree with that industrial music can be very political?

Definitely!  I think art should reflect the world around you and in many cases, that won’t be all sunshine and rainbows. Industrial music has always been political, and I think that’s because of its punk roots. The industrial scene in the 80s was especially political, and I think that’s a good thing. Politics in music can be controversial, but I think most artists who choose to express their views through their music are willing to accept that their listeners may not always agree with them.

For me, Derision Cult isn’t necessarily political in the traditional sense of being right or left or one political issue or another. It’s about thinking for yourself and being your own filter for what’s objective and what isn’t. Whether you’re a conservative or a liberal, my message remains the same: we all live in a world where our views can be manipulated and shaped by others if we let them.

Overall, the EP is powerful and driving but do you see a silver lining behind this rage?

“Mercenary,” the final track on the EP, serves as the culmination of all the rage and intensity that precedes it. It sort of summarizes the chaotic times we’re living in, where it seems like decades can happen in the span of just a few weeks. But I do see a silver lining behind all this rage. We have the opportunity to witness and be a part of a true renaissance period, one that has the potential to bring about incredible technological and scientific advancements. While it may be scary, it’s also incredibly exciting to think about the possibilities that lie ahead. The people that will  cure diseases like cancer, Alzheimer’s, and AIDS, and even terraform new planets are already among us. We’re no longer just created in the image of a higher power; we have the power to create our own gods.

Soooo, you have done the hot sauce, what would you really love to be able to offer fans next? Will it be the can of gothic black beans to go with the chilli sauce?

I have no idea how I’d pull it off but I think what I’d really love to offer fans next is something more immersive. Something that goes beyond just buying a CD or a shirt. Maybe something like a virtual reality experience that really puts you in the world of the music. That would be really cool and there’s a lot of directions that could go.  And as far as the can of gothic black beans, hahaha well I’ll have to give that some thought. Maybe we can collaborate with Common Descent  and come up with some sort of gothic chili recipe. That could be a fun project. But honestly, I’m always open to new ideas and exploring new ways to connect with fans and give them something unique and memorable. So who knows what the future holds!

Thank you for your time Dave!

Mercenary Notes Pt 1 | Derision Cult (bandcamp.com)

Derision Cult | Chicago IL | Facebook

by on

Joshua Murphy is an ex-pat Australian musician, now living in Berlin and his debut solo EP, Lowlands was released in December of 2022, on the aufnahme + wiedergabe label. Lowlands is a slice of Australiana story telling in the bleak and often unforgiving outback, where loneliness, distance, scorching heat and dead cold can easily affect the human psyche. It follows in the gritty southern gothic vein of Nick Cave, where good and evil court in the dust and sweat of yesteryear’s memories, which are long in small country towns. Murphy echoes a tradition of musicians where there is nothing that quite sounds like the Aussie post-punk scene from Cave, or the laconic late Roland S Howard, or the hauntingly beautiful songs of the late David McComb of The Triffids. We spoke to Murphy about the EP, what lead to the writing and was involved in the recording. I will just say that as an Australian, this land leaves an indelible mark under your skin.

You are a member of Crime And The City Solution but you have taken the time to write and record your debut solo material, in the form of “Lowlands”. What prompted you on this solo journey?

I started working on “Lowlands” alongside Producer Martin J. Fiedler in 2019. It was a sort of re-introduction to creation for me after a 5-year break. It was later that I met Simon and was asked to join Crime & The City Solution. Martin had started working with the band on their new record, and I was asked to add some guitars. Which later turned into playing some shows with the band and then joining, but joining Crime came as a result of making “Lowlands”, not the other way around.

Photo by Steve Gullick

Being the sole composer and decision maker, have you found it easier or harder?


There is something very freeing in having full creative control. I knew what kind of record I wanted to create, so having the autonomy to make decisions just meant that I could arrive where I already knew I wanted to go. It is important to say that I wasn’t alone in the process though, I had a great ally in Martin J. Fiedler, who produced, recorded and mixed “Lowlands”. Martin sat with me at the piano, in his home and listened to the sketches of songs as I was writing them, and always gently pointed me in the right direction when it was needed. He helped immensely to sculpt and realise this record. Though I wouldn’t have been able to make “Lowlands” in a band formation, its songs are singular, and deeply personal. I wouldn’t have been able to go there if the focus was one of creative exchange, this wasn’t about that.

“Lowlands” is a gritty a dark release, with many comparing it to the works of Nick Cave, where you can almost feel the dust on your tongue and it does have a lost in the open spaces of the Australian landscape quality. What compelled you to write “Lowlands”?

I’m happy if it makes you feel that. I wanted to write a record that forced, or helped, (depending on how you look at it), me to reflect and confront a lot of the things in myself. I wanted it to sound like my home of Australia, specifically the rural areas where I grew up, with that vastness that can make you feel both connected to something, and completely at its mercy. I was compelled to write a record that felt like me, both lyrically and musically.

Joshua, you make reference to ghosts or tormented spirits, which evokes images of violent and lawless times…. where did you draw the inspiration for the imagery?

“Littered with Ghosts” is about lies and the idea that living within your own fabricated reality gives birth to ghosts, manifestations of lies told, physical companions serving as constant reminders. Specifically relating to the lies we tell ourselves, which is possibly one of the most violent things we can do. To lie to ourselves, distorts everything we are, and everyone around us. The inspiration is drawn from my life, from mistakes made, and from wanting to free myself from the companions I gathered along the way.

There is something of the story teller in Joshua Murphy, so is this something you enjoy in music?

I’m a huge Country, early Blues and Folk music fan. I see these three genres as very similar, just presented by a different people, at a different time. They all speak of truth, they tell tales, there is an imagery and story to their songs, they are generally set over very simple chord progressions, and centred around a singular truth. Love, loss, regret, joy. That’s always been what songs are about for me, the centre, the tale, the music and melody are just there to relay that centre, that story, that truth told.


Do you have a favourite track off “Lowlands” and if so why?


That would be “The Fault Was Lain There Too”. I remember having the idea for the song, and the story that I wanted to tell, but I don’t remember working on it. Generally my songs go through 3 or 4 versions, a sketch, a draft, taking form slowly over time. “The Fault Was Lain There Too” was written in one sitting, recorded into my phone, put aside, and forgotten about. My friend Jesper Munk found it in my phone one night when we were showing each other song ideas. I had this song I was showing him, he kind of shrugged and started searching through my phone for other sketches, finding “The Fault Was Lain There Too”. I very clearly remember us sitting there, listening to it, and laughing about the fact that what we both believed to be my best work so far had been put aside and forgotten. I’m very thankful for that night.

As a multi-instrumentalist, what instruments were used to create “Lowlands”, especially some of the more jarring sounds that give a harsher effect?

I decided on a list of instruments before starting to record “Lowlands”, the idea being that limitations would help retain the narrative of the songs, and also create a narrative in the production of the record itself. Between Martin, Jonathan Dreyfus, and myself, we played all the instruments on “Lowlands”. The voice, piano, guitar, synthesiser, double bass, cello, voila and violin. Anything you hear on the record is made using these instruments, including the percussive sounds. Some of those harsher effects are synthesiser, or the sound of the instruments themselves being hit in a percussive manner.

There is a seductive beauty about dark places whether that is man-made, natural or in the minds and hearts of men. What draws you to the darkness?

I don’t really have a definitive answer to that. Musically I know that I like the sensuality of darker music, the chords and progressions used. I like the violence of the attack, and tension in the instruments played. The danger of the rhythms, the fact that everything sits on the back foot rhythmically, and when done correctly, I find it all to be, as you say, seductive. Although lyrically I’ve always been drawn to hopeful stories. The coupling of dark delivery and hope is something I find to be very human. That sentiment that even though we might be at the bottom, we are looking up. I believe people are hopeful, even if a little dark at times. “Lowlands” is a hopeful record.

For myself, Australian post-punk music has a certain sound or aesthetic you can hear that sets it apart. Do you think this is the case?

I do. I’ve thought about this a lot over the last years. My friend and Producer Martin always comments on the Australian touch, or sound. The chords we use, the way we approach songs. He describes it as uniquely Australian. Beautiful, yet violent, equally sad and hopeful. I’ve come to agree with him, I think it comes from the country itself. Australia is a very unforgiving place, both in the climate, and the people. It can be very harsh and desolate, isolating and lonely, it’s people can be quite rough and violent. On the other hand, It’s also visually stunning, it’s full of impossible landscapes, beautiful and endless. I think it’s the combination of this violent, rough isolation, and the most beautiful, peaceful and endless landscapes I’ve seen, that must take root in us somehow, and ultimately shape the way we play, and this Australian sound.

Photo by Steve Gullick

The German label, aufnahme + wiedergabe is heavily associated with the German post-punk, industrial and dark arts scenes. How did you end up signing and are you still pinching yourself being on their label?

Philipp Strobel (the head of the label) is my best friend. We’ve known each other for 10 years, and have spent a very large portion of that time together. While I was making “Lowlands”, we would sit together, speak about the record and listen to the demo’s, rough mixes and final mixes. The idea was never actually to release on a+w, I actively told him many times through the process, this is not for the label, I just need your opinion on something. It got to the point that he had to sit me down as the record was being finished and say to me. I know you don’t want to release on a+w, but I want to release the record. We both laughed a lot that day.

You have said that the beauty of music is the most important thing on this EP and that it can change for the live shows. Can you explain that a little more?

I think you may have misunderstood me here. What I actually said was that I think that the songs are the most important thing on the record. Everything begins and ends with the songs. Making everything else, whilst it should be beautiful, ultimately interchangeable. What I mean is that, the lines, the instruments, they should be beautiful, and they play a huge role in the delivery of the song in that specific recorded form, but the song exists with or without those elements. These elements can, and should be changed for live shows. I’ve done shows where the songs have been played on an electric guitar with a sampler and loop pedal, I’ve done shows alone with an acoustic guitar. I have played them many times alone on piano, at different tempos, in different keys. I love the music we created for the record, I’m proud of it, and I think it’s very beautiful, I enjoy listening to it very much. I don’t plan to be tied to it though, not in the same way I am tied to the songs. A song is a living thing that can change as we change, it would not serve the song to present it, night after night as some sort of
rehearsed theatre piece. A song is not that.

The EP is written from an Australian perspective but do you think in a way, living in Berlin inspired that Australian Identity?


That’s a really good question. I think it has. There are some things about yourself that you don’t see until you look at them from afar. This was certainly the case for me in relation to music and living overseas. That distance in living on the other side of the world for the last decade has shown me that I am fundamentally, whilst I don’t see myself as singularly Australian, I am, in fact an Australian Musician. The parts that come out of me musically, are, at their core, Australian. I’ve also realised that I like that part of myself. I am drawn to an Australian musical Identity.

You have made your life in Germany currently, but do you miss Australia and do you ever think of coming back?

I’ve lived in Germany since March 2013, I have loved my time there, but I don’t think I will stay there forever. I don’t know exactly where I will go next, but I don’t plan to go back to Australia. I loved living in Australia, but I’m not a nostalgic person, I don’t miss it, and I probably won’t miss Germany once I leave. I try to be very involved in what I’m doing, and where I am while it’s happening. Once it’s over I try not to reside there anymore.

Photo by Steve Gullick

What music/bands inspired you when you were younger and have your tastes changed since then?

Growing up I was a guitar player, I was obsessed with notes and that form of expression, it was all Jimi Hendrix, John Frusciante, Eddie Hazel, Omar Rodriquez Lopez. Then I started to move more towards early blues, which is guitar and song, or tale based, people like Howling Wolf, Elmore James, Lighting Hopkins. Around this time I also started to realise what a great lyricist Jimi Hendrix was, I read an article that Jimi always used to carry a book of Bob Dylan lyrics around with him, that took me down the road of Country and Folk music, and that’s when I first got obsessed with stories, what they could do to you, a song with a good story is like a book, it can be devastating, or comforting, and it’s full of imagery and worlds. People like Gillian Welch, Leonard Cohen, Paul Kelly, Nick Cave, P.J. Harvey. Finally it all came back around to people like Rowland S. Howard, who uses the guitar in the way that I love, but also tell stories and write songs, I don’t think too many people do that. That’s what I want to try and achieve, music and songs that are both parts beautiful.

Can we be expecting an album at some point?

For sure, I’m working on the next release already, I’m half way through writing the songs, I’ll keep writing for another half a year and then start recording. I’m planning to have it finished this year in order to release in 2024. That’s the plan, but I don’t want to rush things, it will take as long as it takes.

Soooo, this is the fun bit. You are asked to contribute a cover song for a compilation and you can have guest musicians on it. What song are you going to cover and which musicians are you going to include, remembering that we don’t mind a bit of necromancy here when it comes to music and are willing to dig up a few souls?

Dead Radio, featuring Rowland S. Howard!

Thank you Joshua for being a good sport and talking to us today.

Lowlands | Joshua Murphy | aufnahme + wiedergabe (bandcamp.com)

aufnahme + wiedergabe (aufnahmeundwiedergabe.de)

[aufnahme + wiedergabe] | Berlin | Facebook

by on

In 2009, Lisa Hammer released her first solo album, named Dakini, which in the Buddhist belief is a female spirit, be this a goddess or a demon. Before all this, Hammer had already made a name for herself as the lead singer for the deathrock/goth rock band Requiem In White and then the more medieval based Mors Syphilitica. Since then, she has thrown herself endlessly into many different projects such as writing, filming, acting and producing both television shows and movies, but the music has always been there as well.

French label, The Circle Music, has joined forces with Lisa to re-release Dakini this year, with beautiful coloured vinyls and also three extra bonus tracks. The album features Hammer’s heavenly operatic vocals, which can dissolve, almost, into chattering demonic verse, and that is the great thing about Dakini…it is not formulaic but rather a spiritual journey you are following, that experiments with sound and voice, in a difficult time. With this in mind, we have the opportunity to ask Lisa about what has lead her up to this point in time, this re-release and what is in the future of this goddess/demon, plus you really need to know which dead people we will exhuming just for the fun of it.

Photo by LiAnn Grahm

Lisa Hammer, welcome to the lands of Onyx that time forgot… which is really a house and the lands my rather overgrown garden of scary delights.

Hello!

Born in Salem, did you grow up there and do you think it had an influence on you artistically or was it more so your family?

Definitely both. I lived next door to Laurie Cabot, the famous Salem witch. It was the 1970’s so I remember seeing her walk around in her black cape with her big black hair. She often commented on my little lamb toy I pulled along. On certain nights I could see across the alley to her window, where there would be a red light illuminating a group of people in a magic circle. When I moved to another state I was convinced that I was also a witch. Musically, my family always had singalongs or “Hootenannies” and everyone played and sang beautifully, especially my mother Roberta Stockton. What a voice and boy could she play guitar! We took great pride in our harmonies and beautiful tones.

A woman of many talents, musician, actor, director and writer. Which of these first brought you into the gothic fold?

TV. It was the Addams Family, and film – my grandmother and I watched a lot of old silent films together, and that is where Siouxsie and Exene got their makeup from.. I identified with them at a very young age. But then as I got older it was music, but the term Gothic had not been invented yet. We were Deathrock or Deathpunk. My roots were in Punk music, mixed with Classical/Medieval and campy 60’s Pop/Mod.

Lisa, you have been in the alternative/gothic scene for a while and the front woman for the ethereal goth rock band, Mors Syphilitica and before that in Requiem In White. Requiem In White struck me as being influenced by Christian Death, while Mors Syphilitica was tapping into that blooming period of medieval/renaissance style music. What drove you to create these styles of music and do you feel it was a time of musical awakening, so to speak?

Yes, we all loved Christian Death and were so happy to open for them a few times. Requiem in White was considered Death Rock because of the hard guitars, we thought we were Black Sabbath with an opera singer, Black Sabbath being one of my favorite bands of all time. With Mors we wanted to explore as many alternative styles as we could, there are heavy rock songs, but also very lovely

Most of this was happening in New York, so what was it like living in that period of time and what was the scene like back then for you?

New York in the 90’s was so fun. There were so many music venues to play, you could draw a crowd any night of the week. Rent was cheap and time was unlimited. We played CBGB and The Limelight more times than I can remember. We all hung out a lot – no one really needed to work 80 hour weeks, we were free to create music, film, whatever we wanted. I remember one night at the Limelight very fondly. We were opening for Type-O Negative, at Peter Steele’s request. The club was so packed they had to lift me and carry me over the crowd to and from the stage! I remember looking up during our set and seeing Peter on the balcony with Kirk Hammett from Metallica watching us perform. The audience were writhing to our music, some were kissing, some crying, some lost in meditation. I will never forget that night.

In 2009, the first solo album, “Dakini” was released on the famous Projekt label and now in 2022, it is seeing a revamp in the form of beautiful vinyls and three previously unreleased tracks. What was the reasoning behind giving “Dakini” this new lease of life currently?

The Circle Music approached me about re-releasing Dakini, remastering it, and they asked for bonus tracks. I had recorded Alte Clamat Epicurus during the pandemic lockdown and thought it would make a great bonus track. That song is another one of the 12th century Carmina Burana Codec songs written by radical monks. I love vinyl and couldn’t resist the color vinyl!

When you brought forth this album, how important was it for you?

I recorded it and finished it while both my mother and my guitarist of Radiana/childhood friend Steven Deal were dying. The music is dedicated to them. I was too full of grief to fully enjoy or even promote the CD back in 2009. But now, years later, I feel like dedicating my music to them even more. I can see with more clarity and enjoy moments of celebration. It is hard to keep making music without them, but I have to push myself to do it. Especially after having cancer myself in 2016. Everything is harder now, but more urgent and important to me.

The production is flawless and the music certainly feels as fresh as when it was first recorded. Do you feel a certain amount of pride that it has weathered so well?

Yes, thank you. Every artist I know is full of doubt about their music. But the original recording by Dan Kohler (with Steven Deal on guitars) is already so lush, and the genius re-mastering by The Circle Music and the gorgeous artwork has renewed my pride. I credit the label with reviving my spirit of creation.

For me there seems to be influences such as Dead Can Dance and Autumn Tears through to Diamanda Galas, mixed with a spiritual searching, would you agree?

I have never heard Autumn Tears, never really got into Diamanda even though she is insanely talented, and I remember hearing Dead Can Dance’s first album being played at Newbury Comics in Boston, getting really mad because Requiem in White was exploring this neo-classical style and they beat us to it, lol. But eventually they won me over and I became a big fan. Dakini is a mix of my influences, it is a hybrid of classical, folk, world music, experimental and ambient.

How important is spirituality to you?

I am fascinated by spirituality, it is really fun to explore. But I don’t claim to know anything – how can we know until we die where we will go? Is it spiritual or is it science? Is my mom in another dimension or is she in heaven? It is mind-blowing to contemplate, I even get chills looking at photos of outer space, does our consciousness float around and get sucked into black holes then spit out again? I DO believe she is somewhere nearby, as my aunt is a spiritual medium and received messages from my mom that she would have had no knowledge of unless they were directly from her.

Why did you decide the 3 unreleased tracks should see the light of day?

They were requested by the label.

Who or what bands and musicians first got you into this dark and beautiful scene?

Black Sabbath, Klaus Nomi, Nina Hagen, Lene Lovich, Christian Death, The Sisters of Mercy, The Damned… Too many to list.

Who do you find yourself listening to now?

Still going strong with Black sabbath and the 60’s-70’s classic rock bands (Radiana even did a Kink’s cover song for WFMU and now for Wicked Opossum Records) All my old Punk favorites, Opera, Indian and Nepali Classical, lots of Shoegaze and Britpop, King Crimson (Just saw them perform last year!) all the Gen X indie rock from The Pixies to Stereolab…Black Metal, world music, ska, campy 60’s pop – whatever mood strikes me that day.

Your vocal talents on this album are powerful, beautiful and on occasion….terrifying. Is there one particular track that you are particularly proud of the vocals?

I had a lot of fun with Alte Clamat Epicurus. The singer is overindulging in wine and food and by the end of the song is completely debauched. I love the hymns, I love singing the Indian classical ragas (I studied with Michael Harrison who was a disciple of Pandit Pran Nath).

You have definitely made the arts your life in a way, pursuing many aspects such as creating the Blessed Elysium Motion Picture Company to produce German Expressionist styled films, writing movie scripts and even voice acting, with one of your most famous characters being Triana Orpheus on The Cartoon Network’s Venture Bros. Is there one of these things that adore over all else or do you need all of it?

I think right now I’m more obsessed with film-making, but I also really need the music. Voice acting/acting is not my favorite. I was just doing it because I was married to Doc Hammer. Now I make films and music with my husband Levi Wilson. We are working on several film and music projects all at the same time. We need to take a break but we can’t stop ourselves.

We have heard on the grape vine, which creates a fine wine, that a new Lisa Hammer album is in the works as well as another album for your other project, Radiana. Is this true and what can we expect?

You heard correctly. The Circle Music has asked me to record a follow-up album to Dakini for next year, which is 1/3 recorded, and they will be releasing all of the Requiem in White music on vinyl, possibly Mors Syphilitica as well.

I am also halfway done with the new Radiana album, which, without Steven Deal’s indie-pop sensibility, is going to be much darker and post-punk-shoegazey than our debut album. For both albums I will be working with musicians from Wheatus, Late Cambrian, Paul Ash will be appearing again (Unto Ashes), a tabla player from the Nepali group Sur Sudha, and my husband Levi.

If you could make a music video anywhere, where would it be and whom would you get to direct it (we don’t mind digging up famous corpses or going back in time)?

I insist we dig up Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dali and make them direct my music video, in the spirit of Un Chien Andalou.

What else is in the future for Lisa Hammer?

A TV series called Great Kills, where we portray documentary filmmakers who follow a hitman around Staten Island, NY as he does his jobs, callously ignoring the pleas of the victims – Streaming soon. Our film “Luke and Emma” which is in development, we have a short excerpt film in post production now and will submit to festivals. More and more music, and hopefully live shows in Europe, starting in Greece where our record label resides. So many projects, I hope we have time and energy to do them all.

Thank you Lisa for joining me in the garden of good and evil for this chat. Be careful of the ley lines on your way out! 

The ley lines should be careful of ME on THEIR way out 😂. And thank YOU for supporting indie music artists and keeping the dark passions alive.

(What is there not to love about this fierce demonic goddess?! ❤ )

LISA HAMMER DOT COM – Lisa Hammer Dot Com

https://www.facebook.com/TheLisaHammer

https://www.instagram.com/thelisahammer

by on

From whence Robin Hood made his name, we can find the Nottingham gothic group, In Isolation and to celebrate fifteen years of making music, under this moniker, they have compiled an album with twenty-eight of their songs. That is a lot of music! All four members of the group have been in notable goth bands in the 1990s, so introducing Ryan Swift (vocalist/guitars), John Berry (guitar), Mike Sinclair (bass) and Tony Ghost (drums/percussion). This bunch of likely lads have indeed also written music for/or had music chosen, for both movies and television, which isn’t a bad accomplishment for some Notts boys. Their music is beautiful and contemporary, with fingers trailing back into In Isolation’s gothic roots and I was able to ask a few pertinent questions of the band, with the wonderful Ryan (congrats on getting married!!), answering for the whole. What makes a band like In Isolation tick?…. apart from antioxidants, you will have to keep reading to find out all about everything.

Welcome to the crypt, British goth-meisters, In Isolation. There is tea and biccies, but don’t mind the spiders, they just get a little grumpy when ignored.

Thanks for the biscuits, we’ll have chocolate digestives (dark).

You are celebrating 15 years of being a band and releasing albums under the In Isolation name. Did you think the project would last as long as it has?

We had no idea what to expect when Ryan and John decided to combine their differing songwriting approaches, or what form the music would take. We would have hoped for more albums out after this long, but we do like to take our time to get things sounding right, and being self-funded always adds a frustrating edge to releases in terms of lead times, so we’ve probably done pretty well to get out a 28-track album this year!

The band is made up of Ryan (ex-Emma Conquest), John (ex-Die Laughing), Tony Ghost (ex-Every New Dead Ghost) and Mike (ex-Dick Venom & The Terrortones). You all really cut your teeth in the UK gothic scene in the 90s, when we were seeing the second wave. What was it like being in the scene at that point, especially in your home town of Nottingham?

It was pretty great. Nottingham was a good hub for all things goth, and even now after 30 years or so we’re seeing many of the same faces frequenting local goth nights (such as Spellbound and Nightmare). We always had touring 90s goth bands visiting the city, such as Rosetta Stone, The Marionettes, The Ancestry, Litany Of Fear, Autumn Of North and Space Rats (guess who’s been rifling through their demo collection) and you were always guaranteed a good night at The Old Angel, The Salutation Inn and Rock City. Way too much alcohol was consumed, but we could take the vicious Newcastle Brown hangovers in those days!

It seems Notts was a hot bed for young goth bands. Why do you think this was and what is the scene like now?

It just seemed that everyone in the Nottingham scene had an artistic soul, many in a musical sense, so new goth bands were being formed every other week. Nottingham is an incredibly creative city, I think that’s partly why many of us have hung around for so long. The scene hit a bit of a dry period in the late-Noughties and into the Teenies (or whatever those years were called), but out of nowhere around five years ago, the alternative club nights were swamped with young goths, and now the scene appears to be flourishing.

How did In Isolation come into being?

Ryan and John initially hooked up as two separate bands, one as a semi-continuation of Emma Conquest and the other to follow on from Die Laughing’s heritage. Neither successfully worked out, but the writing partnership between John and Ryan seemed to have potential, so a brand new project was started. It took a whole year to decide on a band name – originally ‘Isolation’ was the only name that could be agreed on, but after a quick check on the newfangled ‘internet’ thing we’d heard so much about, we realised that disappointingly there were five other bands with the same moniker, so we plumped for ‘In Isolation’.

The cohesive, wonderful sound of In Isolation speaks of a creative friendship between the band members. Am I correct in assuming this?

Thanks, you are correct. We rarely come to blows when writing and I think that we all act as mediators to achieve the best results. There is little ego involved in this band, which helps with the composition. Even though we give it our all at gigs, we always hope the quality and earworm-ery of our songs will help to entice our audiences in to balance off the lack of ego-driven performances.

You have put together an album of 28 tracks, titled ‘Albums | Singles | Soundtracks – an Anthology 2007 – 2022’. How did you go about sifting through all your music and coming up with these 28 tracks? What was your criteria?

If we’re honest, as we’ve not altogether been the most prolific of writers the compilation consists of pretty much our entire 15-year output; two albums-worth and an expanse of singles. We only excluded our early song demos (‘Primordial’, available from inisolation.bandcamp.com), a couple of prior ‘extra’ tracks, and the average single ‘High Art’ that was previously semi-released. We also omitted the excellent remixes which were produced by Matt Pop who has worked with a host of well-known bands; many who had hits in the 80s such as Erasure and Kim Wilde. We didn’t feel that Matt’s dancefloor-based hi-NRG remixes matched the tone of the Post-punk/New Wave/Darkwave tracks on the anthology, so our 4-track EP of Matt’s remixes is available as a standalone release.

The cover is photos of you guys, as youngsters. I must say my heart is with the child with the ice cream! Who is who?

John (guitarist) is the Mr Whippy fan! Ryan (vocals and guitar) is the seated 11-year old in the repulsive brown jumper, Tony (drums) is in his preferred position behind a drum kit and Mike (bass) is the one playing the guitar. It is a departure from our usual record covers, but it fits the brief and the archival nature of the shots meant we didn’t have to book a photographer!

Out of all those tracks, there is only one cover version, Bauhaus’ “She’s Into Parties”. How influential was Bauhaus for you?

Tony was the biggest fan of the original song, but we all acknowledge Bauhaus’ huge standing in the scene. We’ve covered a multitude of songs in a live capacity, such as ‘Love My Way’, ‘Just Like Heaven’, ‘Love Is A Wonderful Colour’, ‘51st State’ and ‘Treason’ – they always seem to come from the 80s, but we may surprise our audience at some point!

I am fairly impressed that you have had quite a few tracks included in movies and TV series. How did this come about and is it something you would like to pursue?

Our single ‘The Wrong Girl’ was chosen by the producers of ‘Zombie Hood’ (still streaming on Amazon Prime) as they were fans of the track and felt our appearance matched the feel of the movie (we still don’t know what they meant by that!) The director decided to cast us performing the track in the film and offered us a snippet of dialogue opposite some chap that was a Big Brother contestant. Hilarious! They cut out Ryan’s improvised line, ‘What is this place?’, which was a huge error of judgement as one of Hollywood’s best-kept scriptwriter secrets/superstitions is that a movie will definitely become successful if that particular line is included. Check out every movie you watch from now on – you’ll rarely not hear it somewhere along the way. 😀

The director of ’Seepers: A Love Story’ requested a song for their soundtrack because of our work on ‘Zombie Hood’ and a filmmaker in Canada used a couple of our tracks for his horror shorts as he was simply a fan of the band. We continue to keep a lookout for new films that might be interested in our stuff. As NASA’s newly-launched James Webb Space Telescope is using much of its time studying the TRAPPIST-1 solar system in the Aquarius constellation, we’re hoping that newfound information will inspire movies and TV shows to be created on the subject – this in turn may generate interest in our song ‘TRAPPIST-1: A Space Anthem’, particularly as NASA are already aware if it (“here at NASA we are thrilled by your anthem”), and because the astrophysicists who first discovered that the conditions are correct for water to exist on the TRAPPIST-1 planets have got behind the track on several occasions.

I know it is a bit like asking which is your favourite child but is there a particular track that stands out or is something close to your heart?

John has a fondness for ‘Infinite’ and ‘The Man Who Hides From Love’, but his favourite is ‘Berlin’, and Mike’s choice is ‘Parlance’. Ryan has an affinity for ‘Loving The Ghost’ and asserts that ‘Estrangement’ has appealing Smiths-y vibes as well as a nice string arrangement, although the track and music video that stands out to him most is ‘The Man Who Hides From Love’. Tony also votes for ‘Berlin’ and ‘The Man Who Hides From Love’. As a slushy footnote, ‘Infinite’ is close to Ryan’s heart as he wrote the lyrics about his then-partner whom he married in August of this year.

Looking back so far on your musical careers, do you feel this is the most productive and sustainable project you have been involved in?

Certainly, in as much as it brought back memories of our various projects, such as filming, directing and editing the video for our cover of ‘She’s In Parties’ and the time spent working with 15+ animators around the world on the music video for ‘The Man Who Hides From Love’. However, we’re currently working on the next album, so although we are proud of the current anthology, our creativity and energies are being focused on bringing to life a whole new chapter of recordings.

Has Covid had an impact on the band performing live and recording over the last few years?

Sadly, yes. We had to cancel a few shows, but on the bright side, we had time to reflect on what In Isolation was as an entity and, going forward, the type of songs we’d really like to listen to ourselves. Our writing skills have improved during that period, so we are having a good time coming up with new ideas for future output.

What acts/bands drew you into the gothic scene and influenced you to become musicians?

John was inspired by Punk bands of the late 70s, which ultimately led him down a slightly skewed path into goth, including his favourites The Cult. Tony has a fondness for Adam Ant and Japan which again paved a way into the darker side of 80s music. Mike has a synth-based background and is eclectic in his tastes, and Ryan is a fan of New Wave chart sounds of the 80s which pointed him to The Sisters Of Mercy and ultimately to 90s bands such as Rosetta Stone. We all had a drive to write and play music, and the dark/romantic/energetic aspects of goth suited our musical temperaments well.

What do you find yourself listening to these days?

A hugely mixed bag reaching back to the 60s. Movie soundtracks are inspirational, and although Top Of The Pops is no longer around to bring the country together with the best music available, there are a few good bands out there to be found such as CHVRCHES, Desperate Journalist, Drab Majesty and Zola Jesus.

If you could choose a movie to write songs for, what would it be about?

Maybe a dark-flavoured rom-com (not one of those really cheesy unfunny ones, of which there are so many). Something intelligent with clever humour and interesting plots and twists, utilising classic actors that recognise thoughtfully-written independent films, such as Tilda Swinton or Gary Oldman. We could bring contemporary dark tunes to the soundtrack as well as scoring the movie (we dabbled in orchestral arrangements for some of our more recent outpourings).

What is in the future for In Isolation?

Tony would like to tour the world, given half a chance, and we would certainly be keen to hop over to Europe to play the likes of the Wave-Gotik-Treffen festival. We are feeling pretty prolific at the moment in terms of songwriting, so we should have something exciting for your ears soon!

Thank you from the bottom of my dark little heart for your time ❤

And cheers, Adele, for letting In Isolation loose on Onyx Music Reviews!

Albums | Singles | Soundtracks – an Anthology 2007-2022 (28 tracks) | In Isolation (bandcamp.com)

In Isolation | Facebook

by on

One of this year’s best post-punk releases, has to have been Kill Shelter’s Asylum, out on Metropolis Records (US) and Manic Depression Records (EUR). Edinburgh based Pete Burns has crafted an extraordinary album with beautiful guitar riffs, wonderful melodies and amazing guest artists featuring on many of the tracks. Asylum has given birth to two great singles with Agent Side Grinder and Stefan Netschio of Beborn Beton, as well as tracks with the likes of Ronny Moorings (Clan Of Xymox), William Faith (Faith And The Muse, Bellwether Syndicate, Shadow Project), Antipole, Ash Code and Valentina Veil (VV & The Void).

For me, the most noteworthy thing is the message behind the music, a reminder that many souls out there are looking for safety, searching for solace and finding sanctuary anyway they can from terrible circumstances. Human trafficking, political/war/famine refugees and those caught in domestic violence are just some of the examples. Music can move you, show you heaven and hell, speak of love and loss but most importantly tell us stories that need to be heard. This interview with Pete was started just before the release of the album, in a series of emails. He is both gracious and articulate, unfortunately catching the dreaded plague (covid), which has hit Pete heavily at the end. I am grateful for his time and forging ahead, so this interview is about his influences, friendships, music and the beating heart of Asylum.

Pete Burns, mastermind behind the dark, post-punk act, Kill Shelter, welcome to the mourning grounds of Onyx, where we enjoy a cup of tea with our maudlin.  

Thanks so much for inviting me over.  And thanks for the very kind intro. I feel at home already…

I must admit that I am flummoxed as to what a superb musician and composer, as yourself was doing before Kill Shelter, plus you have a name that if you google, you end up with a certain other Pete Burns. So, what were you involved with before this project?

I started playing guitar when I was nine and I always wanted to make music… it’s been a big part of my life. I’ve written music for TV, Radio and Film and have been signed to various independent labels over the years in various guises but Kill Shelter feels very different to me.

I had thought about adopting a stage name but I never settled on something that I liked or felt comfortable with. Ironically, Burns isn’t my birth name but that’s a long story so let’s not get into that! Changing my name now would feel a little bit pretentious and I’m okay with the associated anonymity as long as people get to hear my music.

You are based in Edinburgh and there seems to be a strong dark alternative scene there. Do you find the history of this ancient fortress lends itself to influencing your music?

I do love Edinburgh, I find it a very inspiring city. We have lots of green spaces and incredible gothic architecture. It’s quite a cosmopolitan city (especially during the festival) and I like the diversity and energy that brings. I often think that I should make more of my connection to the city through the work that I produce but it would need to be done in a contemporary, non-cliched way.

What led you to creating Kill Shelter?

I reached a point where, musically, I just wanted to be myself. Kill Shelter didn’t start with wanting to make a specific type of music or fit a specific genre… it’s a product of me being true to myself. There are sounds and chord voicings that I naturally gravitate to and that’s where I feel most comfortable.

I also felt I had things I wanted to say. Music has always been a form of self-expression for me and I started Kill Shelter at a very dark time in my life. It was, in some ways, a way to process things. You can really hear that come to the fore in the lyrics of “In Decay” or in the lyrical content of “A Haunted Place”.

For me, music, like art, should have purpose. The name Kill Shelter itself was designed to be provocative. My work challenges human behaviour, morally and ethically, and I think it’s important to highlight difficult subjects like injustice, domestic abuse and inequality alongside more existential themes, like mortality and the human condition. I believe that art should, in some way, make people reconsider their thoughts, actions and beliefs.

I gather you don’t think of yourself as a singer, as you have so many guest musicians on your tracks. Your 2019 album, “Damage”, has a plethora of talent on it. How did you end up connecting with all these people?

Yes, you are right. Although I wrote and sang all the lyrics on the Kill Shelter & Antipole album “A Haunted Place”, I don’t think of myself as a natural singer. Some people live for it and I’m always listening for those stand-out vocalists who move me in some way or other. You can’t beat the intensity of an amazing vocalist. With “Damage”, I wanted to work with emerging artists who’d already made an impact on me. Each one of those contributors had created at least one track which I would happily include in my “all-time favourite songs” or “wish I’d written that” list.

Whilst working on “Damage”, although I had a fair few connections and friends in the emerging scene, some people had, unsurprisingly, never heard of me. I always write demos with specific people in mind, which is a very different process from just having a demo and thinking “who could I get to sing on this?”. I’ve been incredibly fortunate to work with some extremely talented people on the Kill Shelter releases and I really don’t take this for granted. I’ve also made some great friends along the way for which I’m eternally grateful.

I find it interesting that there has been such a resurgence in the post-punk scene, which is quite delightful for us that love this genre, that took flight from the late 70s/early 80s. Who or what, do you think is to thank for this breath of fresh air?

Well, they say if you keep a suit long enough it comes back into fashion (laughs). I also wonder whether the resurgence of so many genres and subgenres of music is linked to the accessibility of music and musicians. Community is so important when sustaining interest in what can quickly become a niche genre as people’s tastes and attitudes evolve. There have been waves of interest in post-punk over the years, with the last major underground wave starting to peak around 2018, following the 2011 revival when certain bands helped pave the way for others, notably The Soft Moon, She Past Away, Lebanon Hanover, Soft Kill, Drab Majesty, Trentemøller, Boy Harsher… the list goes on.

There was a lot of very good music being produced at that time and, I think, the diversity of influences helped broaden the sound and widen interest in the genre itself. I believe this, in turn, helped rekindle flames of interest in older listeners whilst providing something alternative for a younger Hip Hop-fuelled generation. Scenes can go stale very quickly so it’s important that new music feels fresh, inspiring and exciting, otherwise it just won’t sustain itself. There are mainstream and larger magazines that won’t touch post-punk bands anymore, regarding it as passé. However, some bands continue to have longevity, retaining a strong following through the peaks and troughs of the genre’s popularity and there will always be innovators who care about pushing boundaries despite listening numbers which may not seem significant in the grand scheme of things.

Recently, you released the brilliant single, “The Necklace”, with Agent Side Grinder, but this is not the first time you have recorded with the Swedes. Can you tell us about the track “The Necklace” but also your relationship with Agent Side Grinder?

Thank you. I’m really glad you liked it and thanks again for the review! I’m a big fan of ASG’s work and they’ve been brilliant to work with over the years. “Into the Wild” was my second remix and was a big deal for me. I love the original track. Similarly when they dropped “Doppelgänger” in 2018, I thought it was outstanding and was very keen to work with them more formally. I wrote the demo for them and chatted to Johan about a high level concept for the track aligning with the theme of Asylum (which remained undisclosed at that time). He wrote the lyrics then sent a draft with his guide vocal in place to give me a sense of it ahead of the studio recording. The vocals on the final track are a blend of Johan’s and Emanuel’s voices – which combine incredibly well. With the vocals in place, I restructured and re-arranged the track accordingly, checked they approved and, with everyone’s agreement, we had The Necklace.

Likewise, for the video, we discussed the approach and ASG enlisted the help of Jacob Frössén to shoot their scenes in Sweden. I filmed and edited the incidental footage, including shots of myself, here in Edinburgh and looked after editing and post-production. Again, we shared everything from the “work in progress” to the completed stage to incorporate everyone’s feedback. I know it’s a big ask to shoot footage for the video in addition to being involved on the track at a fundamental level, so it was massively appreciated and was a highly collaborative experience. They are an incredibly professional outfit to work with and I’m absolutely delighted with the result.

Pete, you mentioned that your latest album is based on the theme of ‘asylum’ which is indeed what it is also called. “The Necklace” is about domestic violence and finding an inner sanctuary.  Can you elaborate more on this theme and why you chose it?

When working on full length releases with multiple collaborators, I like to work with a strong narrative idea to help glue the various elements together. With these releases, I always have the title and concept in place ahead of recording. The word Asylum itself can be interpreted in various ways and it perfectly encapsulated a lot of the thoughts I was having at the time of writing. Domestic abuse has risen over 30% in the past two years and I find human injustice hard to ignore. These thoughts permeate my work. People will always interpret lyrics differently but there are underlying themes of human trafficking, domestic violence, seeking refuge, disillusionment, sanctuary and personal mental health on the new album. I find the abuse of any type of power abhorrent and there is a further subtext that runs through the lyrics on the album too.

Kill Shelter & Agent Side Grinder

Do you feel music is a type of asylum, so to speak?

Absolutely. Music is an escape for many people. It can transcend the everyday and provides a sanctuary and a personal place for people. It allows you to dream and experience different things, to explore your feelings, reflect and connect – it’s an immensely powerful thing. Making music has always been a cathartic process for me. When I start to write it’s always a direct reflection of how I’m feeling at that moment but it can help me process deeper stuff too. I have lots of cyclical thoughts when I write but that can also cause me to go to very dark places which can be hard to pull out of sometimes. Making music is a very emotional journey for me and I always put my heart and soul into my work. It would feel meaningless to me otherwise.

You seem very prolific. What do you think drives you to create?

It’s complicated. Sublimation is a big part of what I do. I take a lot of really negative, destructive thoughts and feelings and try to make something more positive and life- affirming with them. And hopefully the output is something that some people will relate to. “Euphoric melancholy” is a phrase that I’ve used before but I think that it’s so much more than that. The word prolific scares me as I always associate it with a  lack of quality or self control. I’m always busy and have a lot of creative projects on the go at once… that’s my idea of contentment and how I distract myself. If I’m not doing music then I might be designing or creating art in some form or finding some other outlet for self-expression. You might be quite shocked at just how many projects I’m working on, not including the numerous archived demos that I don’t think are very interesting. I also feel like I’m very rapidly running out of time and that’s a huge motivation for me to try and capture something or achieve some sort of unrecognised personal ambition before it’s too late.

The newest single is “In This Place” which features Stefan Netschio of Beborn Beton on vocals. It has this beautiful serpentine flow to it and Netschio’s vocals absolutely bring a dark quality to the track. Why did you choose this track as the next single?

Stefan has an incredible voice and he did a masterful job of capturing the essence and sentiment of the lyric for In This Place. The song deals with the inhumanity of human trafficking and we were keen to make sure that the subject matter was treated with respect and handled with dignity. I really love the track and, even though it’s not necessarily an obvious single, it does have a strong message and it’s indicative of the album as a whole. Stefan’s voice is incredible on it. It’s getting a lot of airplay at the moment and it is currently sitting at No 5 in the Deutsche Alternative Charts which is amazing. I think it’s fair to say that we were both shocked and delighted by that.

I had the pleasure of meeting Stefan recently. They say never meet your idols but in this case you won’t be disappointed. He’s a really smart, funny and talented person and we got on really well. We have plans to work together on a few things going forward so I’m really looking forward to that. He’s become a great friend.

Pete Burns & Stefan Netschio

William Faith is the featured vocalist on “Cover Me”. The track struck me as reminiscent of early Mission (UK) with wonderful flourishing guitar work and singing.  What was it like working with Faith and was The Mission a band you were drawn to? 

William was fantastic to work with and I feel really honoured and grateful that he gave his time to the project. His vocals really soar on “Cover Me” – it’s a very compelling performance and he interpreted the lyrics beautifully. I couldn’t believe it when I got the vocal tracks back. He’s another legend that I’ve been lucky enough to work with and it was another great experience for me.

Musically, there was no conscious decision to create pieces that sound like other bands but the early Mission (UK) is not a bad comparison! I think Wayne (Hussey) has done some great stuff over the years from his work with Dead or Alive and the Sisters and then onto the Mission (UK). He’s responsible for some very iconic pieces of music. I read his autobiography relatively recently and thoroughly enjoyed it. I think there was a decade between 1979 and 1989 that had some incredible music. I’m still exploring it and I’m enjoying rediscovering things that I’d forgotten about.

Pete, what was your childhood like? Was music ingrained into your DNA or were you the black sheep of the family?

I was probably a bit of both. I don’t think I was an easy child and I was definitely what you’d call an outsider. Growing up, all I wanted to do was play music – I wasn’t interested in being academic and I literally spent every hour I could either playing guitar or pursuing other creative outlets. My brother was a huge influence on me musically, he bought me my first guitar when I was nine and through him, I grew up listening to and being influenced by a lot of innovative and cutting edge music. My world was guitars, effects, drums machines, vinyl and cassettes. I’m not naturally musical, I don’t have perfect pitch and I’m not a great guitar player either but I love creating music. I’d say my passion and drive overcome my proficiency deficiencies.

It seems like the post-punk/industrial/goth scene is where musicians have a connection to everyone. Do you think of them as community and family in a way, especially with you having these amazing artists, you can call on?

The dawn of the internet changed so many things and even though it threw the music “industry” into a state of flux it has also brought a lot of people together and has allowed like-minded people to connect and for communities to form and flourish. I definitely feel connected to the scene for sure. There’s a lot of people who share that love and interest for dark alternative music and culture and there’s a lot of mutual respect and support which is great to see. There are some very toxic musical genres and associated cultures and clearly we’re not without our flaws, but overall I’d say there’s a lot of camaraderie which is very positive.

I’m really lucky to have made so many great friends in the scene and I don’t use that word lightly. I’m eternally grateful to have had the chance to meet and work with so many incredibly talented people that I genuinely admire and respect. I think that speaks volumes about the scene itself.

For the music nerds out there, do you have a favourite style/brand of guitar and synths you really love the sound of, and you use often?

I’m fortunate to have a lot of guitars, basses, drum machines and synths. I’ve collected them over the years and use a lot of them during the writing process. My go to instrument is my cherry red Parker Fly Classic which is a beautifully built studio guitar. They are unlike anything that was produced before or after. They’re not made anymore which is a great shame but I love the tone and feel of it. Definitely my guitar of choice.

I’ve also recently acquired a Yamaha SG (a classic post-punk guitar) and have started collecting vintage drum machines… as if I need another obsession. I use a lot of “in the box” equipment but I love the Model D, it’s an immediate and great sounding synth. I’ve got a virtual version of that which I’ve modded that I use a lot too. I’m also an effects junkie but that’s a whole other story…

What bands and musicians drew you into the post-punk/alt scene?

The late seventies especially were full of innovation and I think you can map my interest in post-punk and the art rock/alt scene by a series of albums from the seventies and eighties. In no particular order…

Systems of Romance – Ultravox
Fiction Tales – Modern Eon
Quiet Life / Gentlemen Take Polaroids – Japan
First and Last and Always – The Sisters of Mercy
JuJu / Peek-a-boo – Siouxsie and the Banshees
Music for the Masses/ Violator – Depeche Mode

I’d also call out Are Friends Electric by Gary Numan. This seemed like a monumental sea change single at the time and definitely fuelled my passion for electronica.

Of course there were other early stand out singles like A Forest by The Cure and Alice by the Sisters followed later by Spiritwalker and She Sells Sanctuary by The Cult that I still have a fondness for and that  remind me of that time.

Japan was my favourite band at the time and I was lucky enough to see them live a few times. They were fundamental in shaping the way I thought about music, sounds and songwriting.

You have been asked to pick your favourite songs to do a cover album of ten songs. What do you choose?

That is a very hard question and I’m not sure I could ever really do justice to someone else’s song, especially ten songs that I love. Instead, this is a list of “songs that I’d wish I’d written” but this is clearly just the tip of the iceberg…

I’m Undone – Nitzer Ebb
Ghosts – Japan
Fall in love with me – Japan
I dream of wires – Gary Numan (+ Robert Palmer version)
Ashes to Ashes – David Bowie
Waterfront – David Sylvian
Whirl – Soft Kill
Pharmacy – Ascetic
Better Learn How to Swim  – Ultrviolence
Europe After the Rain – John Foxx

These are all songs that have moved me in one way or another and that I never tire of listening to.

What is in the future for Pete Burns and Kill Shelter?

I’ll finish the third part of the multi-collaboration trilogy that I set out to do in 2018. That album will complete the set along with “Damage” and “Asylum”. 

I’m working with Antipole on a follow up to “A Haunted Place”. We have no hard deadline on that release and we plan to take our time. I have the title and working concept and we have a couple of rough demos already. I’m keen that we don’t do “A Haunted Place II” just because we can – I’m keen that it is a progression and something different from what we’ve done before.

I’ve been working on a non Kill Shelter project with Cliff Hewitt (Modern Eon, Apollo 440, Jean-Michel Jarre etc) which is starting to take shape. He’s amazing and I’m really excited about it but more on that next year!

I have a few EPs and tribute’s planned for various labels and I’m busy mixing and mastering other people’s work at my studio, The Shelter.

I’ve also started planning for playing live in 2023/24 and plans are afoot for that. 

I caught Covid really badly recently so it’s thrown out my schedule by a couple of months but I hope to get back in the driving seat soon. As well as the various works in progress that I’ve outlined, hopefully there will be some surprises coming down the line too…

Thank you for being a wonderful participant on this ghost plain of human existence ❤️

Asylum [European Version] | Kill Shelter (bandcamp.com)

Asylum [US Version] | Kill Shelter (bandcamp.com)

Kill Shelter | Facebook

Manic Depression Records & Events | Facebook

Metropolis Records | Facebook

by on

When the clock hits the witching hour, do you ever wonder if the spectres are having breakfast at the dinner table or the creaking walls and floors are in heavy conversation, ever-while the bats squeaking outside are just vampires waiting to be asked in? If so, then Daniel Ouellette might make perfect accompany music to your thoughts. His latest album El sal​ó​n (A Happy Home Is A Haunted Home!) summons your everyday and makes it a little more ghoulish. Of course the salon is a rather old fashioned and wonderful parlour, to have tea and simply talk. This is an interview with Daniel and what struck me the most is his love of conversation with those around him. To that end, the album has songs in English, Spanish, Portuguese and French, extending that idea of not limiting your ability to converse. With this in mind, please imbibe and sup the wondrous words of this conversation and don’t let the Mothra bite.

Welcome to the retro 80s room Daniel, where we use Japan’s David Sylvian’s vocals to clean the crystal, Duran Duran is life and the ghosts of yesterday haunt us with gay abandon.

Thank you so very much for having me! How nice to be around Japan, Duran2, and gay abandon!

You are a resident of Chesapeake Beach. Have you always been in this area and how do you think it has influenced you as a musician?

I am new to this area as of May 2021. I have lived in several places, but I am originally from Massachusetts. Honestly, I cannot say Chesapeake Beach has influenced me as a musician, however much of the oddness of growing up in New England has and there is that type of feel here in Maryland… The outdoors are vast and spooky and full of bats and birds and other winged creatures.

What is the post-punk scene like in Chesapeake Beach and surrounding areas?

Hmm… I am not sure if there is one here in Chesapeake Beach as I have been here for only a year. However, I am very excited to be playing my first performance of the year here at the grand opening of Dusk and Willow Designs in North Beach, MD which is a metaphysical boutique. It is quite beautiful and Jenny , who is the proprietor of the shop, is a very kind and wonderful soul to work with on this event which will be the weekend of the most wonderful Halloween. It will be October 29th. One can check for the details. However, perhaps we will bring a post-punk scene to the Chesapeake/North Beach area. Maryland has a lovely scene in Baltimore and around with so many grand promoters, musicians, DJs. I often feel like an outlier to most scenes which is not bad because I have been blessed by the wings of Mothra to have been part of everything and nothing. Heh. Very philosophical.  

Your solo project has been around since, about, 2018. What was Messer Ouellette doing previously musically and what is Shobijin (do not release the Mothra as the curtains could not take it)?

Before there was, Daniel Ouellette and the Shobijin, there was simply me solo and most of the time even when I performed with that name, I performed solo. The Shobijin was my backing band of singers and players who joined me on various performances and tours from 2010 to 2017. After that, I did a short project with a dear friend Deirdre McLaren called The Countess Zaleska, but unfortunately it was just a temporary project, but now I am mostly completely alone, but I work with a wonderful group of cohorts and conspirators like Jenny Rae Mettee of Fun Never Starts, Jason Mendelson, Elizabeth Lorrey, Don Zientara, Peter Linnane. Incidentally, the Shobijin are characters from Godzilla/Mothra films… which I see you’ve caught the wing of that reference.

Going to creep out on a limb here and say that you like to write music that you can have a jolly good giggle over…..

Why thank you for noticing! So very thoughtful and true. I love the idea of humor, horror, storytelling… making songs that can mean what I want them to, but can adapt meaning to anything for the listener… I like making songs that have a hint of wondering what is happening, but letting go and loving the experience. Some people don’t always get it and that’s ok with me. It wasn’t for them. Sometimes I am laughing the whole time inside whilst I perform or write… it is good. One should always laugh during the volcano explosion.

You released the album “El sal​ó​n” at the end of July, so how long did it take for you to complete the writing and recording?

I am not quite sure of the amount of for the writing part. It was very quick. I think it took 2 or 3 weeks of non-consecutive recording and writing. I tend to write the skeleton of the songs quite quickly. I had recorded it in September of 2021, but then some life issues happened. I was very close to leaving the planet, not by my choice, and had everything to set to be released for a posthumous release. Is there anything like an album from beyond the other side?

But I made the videos from January to March. I wrote the songs by writing the drum patterns and then recording vocals with no other instrumentation. Then I, Jenny, and Jason played the synths. I went back to touch up anything I felt like, but not much. Everything was done quickly. One song was re-record from my 2012 album The Enchantment, I made English lyrics unrelated to the original version in Spanish for the song “The Kitchen Witch…” I don’t like to translate, but I loved the sound of that song and felt like it needed a new version.

I envy people who speak more than one language and you sir speak French, Spanish and Portuguese on top of English. From what I understand, you have family members that speak Spanish but how did you end up learning the other two?

Oh no no, no one spoke Spanish in my family. I learned Spanish on my own from school, making loved ones, and living/studying in Spain. We spoke English in the house.

However, my mother’s side of the family is of Azorean Portuguese background and there were some relatives who spoke it from the extended part of our family. My father’s side is French Canadian and the same with his family.There were members along the extended part who spoke French. I learned Spanish after English, because I thought I would rebel against Portuguese and French, seeing Spain is in between France and Portugal. Heh!

I studied in Madrid for my MA. I have an M.A. in Spanish with concentration on…Drama. However, I learned French and Portuguese at school and through loved ones and travel like I did with Spanish. Sometimes, I feel shaky with all four languages, but it is like riding a unicorn when you get back to speaking a language that you do not speak all the time, it comes back, plus there is technology to help us. But many words are buried in my head.

You represent all these languages in the album and I was wondering if you see these as different parts of you, this being one reason to include them?

Yes, definitely! Language is for communicating and when we start to use any language it becomes part of us if we may have the chance to let it happen. It is gradual and takes time. When I write in a particular language it is because that song’s message and feeling requires the words, cadence, and nuance that the language contains. I have learned that after teaching, writing, and singing in multiple languages, that all language is personalized to who we are and how we express ourselves. There are grammar rules for formal writing, but for communication, especially in friendship, love, poetry, music, there should not be such rigid rules, I think. Language is constantly in flux for new expressions. We all sound how we sound because we are our sparkly selves with a need to be deliciously heard.

What I like about singing and writing in multiple languages is that it is a beautiful way to share with more listeners something that they may enjoy. It is a delightful form of connection. I am sure I sound funny in every language that I have learned to speak to someone else including in English.

As I had mentioned, I have never done any direct translations, however “Kitchen Witch” on the “El salón” does have a Spanish version called “Te odio” which is on the album “The Enchantment”. The lyrics are unrelated in theme… the recent English version is more about escape from some place and the Spanish version is about telling an ex-partner that you now hate them, and you hope they are some place crying.

Again, thank you for asking about the inspiration and artistic desire to write and sing in multiple languages. So often I have been scolded for “showing off” when I speak to someone in a language other than English and have even been criticized for the use of a language other than English in my music because the reviewer feels that it is a bit chichi if you will. It is sort of odd and a disappointing point of view to me that that is how one would look at being multi-lingual. I want to create a wonderful, supernaturally artistic, and divine ambiance of performing and singing to others about all the things one might need like vampires, ghosts, and jewelry.

The album has your tongue set firmly in cheek, as you describe everyday life but from the perspective of ghouls and legendary horror creatures of the night. How ever did you come up with this concept?

Like language, such things are what I feel a grand affinity for, the other worldly world of what may not necessarily have a definition. I like what I feel is an artistic freedom that imagination and storytelling of supernatural and other offbeat subjects that may be beyond what we only see with our eyes gives to performing and writing music. Ever since I have been writing songs, the idea of monsters, the Netherworld, cryptozoology, the spirit world, have been placed as signs and themes in my songs. So for this album I wanted to make the whole album and each song flutter around these ideas whilst making references to a haunted house in both positive, neutral, and negative manners.

Do you have have a favourite monster child off the album?

Not really. I feel like each monster needs each other. The English songs contain titles about the house and the Non-English songs contain the monsters. Hmm…But if I went on a program, I would sing “Duérmete (una noche lupina”, “O Lindo Sonâmbulo (Um Fantasma Na Minha Casa)”, and “Velvet Divan (Why Do You Always Have to Punch the Furniture?)… This is hard.. maybe I would just sing any of them.

Could you tell us about some of the people you collaborated with such as Pam Ant?

Oh Pam Ant!!! My heart dances just seeing her name! We are siblings from cosmic mothers! She is an amazing playwright, actress, and musician. She was a singer with the pop-punk band “The Toes” from Burlington, Vermont. She is a divine artist in the truest sense of the definition. We met when I was on tour in Vermont.

Jenny Rae Mettee is another supernatural sibling from another mother. She is an amazingly talent artist from Baltimore. She is a singer, songwriter, and video editor among other grand things. She heads the fabulous industrial synth band Fun Never Starts and plays bass with the equally smashing Nahja Mora. She has the same penchant for the macabre and monsters. We met through the internet by mutual friends. Check out her band Fun Never Starts.

Jason Mendelson is sweet, talented, superbly stupendous musician. He can play any instrument like the heavenly being he is. Talking and working with him is like a gift. We met whilst I was on tour in DC. He created an amazingly creative project a few years back called “MetroSongs” and as he says it was “a goal to increase awareness, appreciation, and support for public transit by writing, recording, and performing a collection of songs all about Washington’s Metro station locations, beginning in 2010 and completed in 2017.” It’s such a great project! Go check this and all his work out.

The 4th collaborator on this project was Bob Murphy who plays the synth on “The Kitchen Witch Who Stayed in the Living Room to Fold Laundry (Take me with you, Mothra!)” and he is a darling friend that I met through playing music with one of my previous cowriters and longest standing cosmic friend who is a great talent and support, Scott Harrison. Bob is a wonderfully delicious grand wit too. When he is able to come to performances, he always sweetly whispers in my ear…”Don’t f*** up!” and then he walks away. Those are the guest players on this project!

Elizabeth Lorrey and Peter Linnane deserve mention as they did the engineering, mastering, and mixing with me. Elizabeth always makes me feel confident and justified to do what it is I like to do, and Peter takes such care in making it feel the best quality it can be.

From time to time, my dear husband, Ron, guest stars on the accordion in recordings and he needs a big thank you and a vampire bite sized kiss! Hehe…

I hear not only the music, but I believe I can hear a lot of love for the written word. What genre of books or writers have grabbed your imagination?

I like that you have heard that love. I would like to think it a surprise, but Edgar Allan Poe and Washington Irving are two who speak to me. I love reading books of Buddhist philosophy, autobiographies of musicians, and variety of writers, poets, and playwrights like Miguel Cervantes, Maya Angelou, Federico García Lorca, Pío Baroja, Pedro Calderón de la Barca… I sometimes write songs that contain inspiration from a poem or novel, never am I as good, but like the way Kate Bush would do such things. There is no one genre that intrigues me to read or write from whence inspiration grows.

Why do you think you are so attracted to the old fashioned horror legends and stalwarts?

The sense of the other world, the supernatural that is or may be. I think of making music as expression of an escape. I find it far more interesting and natural to sing about a specter under the couch than to sing a love song or one of those “I did every thing right and you did everything wrong” break up songs.

Who would you say influenced you musically, early on in life?

It’s a rather eclectic and maybe surprising collection of artists. In no order of one being better than the other:

Very early on: Donna Summer, ABBA, Blondie

Early on: Eurythmics, The Pointer Sisters, Siouxsie and the Banshees/The Creatures, Grace Jones, Cyndi Lauper, Sade, Laurie Anderson, Kate Bush, Tina Turner, The Human League, B52s, Yoko Ono, Peter Gabriel, Thompson Twins, Whitney Houston, Bjork, Eartha Kitt, Marlene Dietrich, Duran Duran
Not as early on: Alaska + Dinarama/Los Pegamoides, Celine Dion, Big Country, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Miguel Bose, Isabel Pantoja, Ofra Haza, Desireless, Jacques Brel, Françoise Hardy, Mecano

Are there bands or solo artists that catch your ear now?

I have love Ida Maria, HK119 and Dua Lipa. I love to find music new and old that I may not have heard before too. As of recent, I have been enjoying playing classical music around the house.
A grand treat of touring and being in the music business is that in the past 20 years I have been exposed to so much music in the colleagues and contemporaries that I have done performances with: Fun Never Starts, Prima Primo, Winkie, C8bal, The Spearmint Sea, The Osyx, Kelly Spyglass, Nahja Mora, The Pilgrims of Yearning, Jason Medelson, Elizabeth Lorrey… There are so many more, but these are some recent acts that I know who end up in my mixtapes.

If you had a Ouija board, would you want predictive text on it and whom would you use it to talk to?

I think I would skip the predictive text! It likes to make up what it wishes! Wouldn’t that be a great little movie short? An impish ghost that takes over someone’s predictive text in their phone and causes funny little traumas and relationship woes for the phone user. I am sure this has happened in film.  

Now, “IF” I had a Ouija board? Hehe… it’s right over there! Hehe. I would love to talk to Ofra Haza and Juana la Loca.

Ofra Haza always seemed like a dear and would be nice to have a discussion about singing. Juana because I think her name needs to be cleared of “loca”. I don’t believe she was crazy, but a victim of men wanting to take her power for themselves.

So, when using a seers ball, what is next in the future of Daniel Ouellette?

There is a performance for October 29, 2022 in North Beach, MD for the grand opening of the Dusk + Willow Designs metaphysical shop. I am excited work with Jenny Jimenez. I will release a limited-edition compilation at the show of the songs from my last two digital releases, “Avemetatarsalia” and “El salón” as a physical printed work. It will be titled “A Corvid in the Living Room (Come on, Louise! I’ll Buy You a Drink”)”.

For 2023, I am planning to release a single in February or March and then, I think I will begin the recording of the full length follow up to “El salón”… It is already written and tentatively titled “Otherworld (When the Wolfbane Blooms)”…  

A tour would be nice. I would like to play places new and familiar. I once heard Siouxsie talk about how they like touring to places where the Banshees have never been and I like that. The unknown with a drum machines, a microphone, and a jingle bell.

Thank you for hanging in the Onyx lair!

The pleasure has been all mine and thank you for having me. May something grand and perhaps supernaturally wonderful happen to you!

El salón (A Happy Home is a Haunted Home) | Daniel Ouellette (bandcamp.com)

Daniel Ouellette

Daniel Ouellette | Facebook

by on

The name Mona Mur has been associated with the German industrial scene since the early 80s. September the 30th sees her new album, Snake Island released on the GIVE/TAKE label and Mur amping up the guitars with guest artists such as En Esch, former member of KMFDM and PIG. So, we asked a few questions about the new release.

Welcome to the dark heart of Onyx, Mona Mur, where we can commune with cups of hot beverage and ignore the lacy spiderwebs.

Cheers!

You are unleashing your new album, “Snake Island”. How long was this album in the making and what lead up to its creation?

I was interested in playing really heavy guitars and make this an album. My friend Goldkind supported this idea by sending me some exciting electronic textures he had created. They were just perfect to play guitars on. I added strings or synths where necessary to create harmony. Vocals were the last thing I did on the tracks. So, we were sending stuff back and forth. We are already a dream team, since our first mutual album, DELINQUENT from 2019. I know Goldkind since the 80s, he was one of the first punks in Hamburg, where we both are born. He was a frontman and trombone player in his own band, then quickly became an accomplished producer of some hits over here in Germany. We had lost track of each other, then got back together in 2017 to create DELINQUENT. He is a kindred spirit without any doubt.

Was covid something that instigated the making of the album or hindered it?

To be honest – I am spending a lot of time in my own recording studio KATANA which I built over many years, doing productions for myself, for other people and for films and games. Collaborating with other people certainly became more difficult. Yet, I am used to work online, in teams. So – I was able to adjust and not so much changed for me. Of course, almost all live concerts were cancelled – which is a drag. Still, I am happy as long as have my studio where I am in charge and can do what I want.

You have said that the title “Snake Island” was a tale you heard of. Could you please tell us a little more about this story and how it has influenced the creation of your latest work?

I came across a story about a small island off the Brazilian shores, where twenty-thousand snakes dwell— deadly poisonous vipers. They sleep nine months, then awaken only when a certain species of bird stops by to breed. So, the snakes eat them and survive. The snakes are everywhere.

They’ve killed two lighthouse keepers so that the lighthouse is abandoned now. I imagined myself living on that island, maybe even as one of the snakes. I found this a very strong and malicious metaphor , it helped shape the energy flow of the music I was about to create, or rather, the painting.

The masterful En Esch (ex KMFDM and Pigface) also features on the album. Can you tell us about your friendship with En Esch and how he came to be on the album?

En Esch is one of the greatest and most unique artists I ever had the pleasure to meet. I actually know his former band KMFDM since October 1985, when they opened for the MONA MUR Band in Hamburg. You can find some footage of this live concert as well as some funny backstage stuff on Youtube. Much later, in 2007, I met En Esch when he came back from the States to Berlin. We then put out two albumstogether as MONA MUR & EN ESCH. His musical skills in many realms are universal and comprehensive, his dedication is limitless. Although SNAKE ISLAND is a MONA MUR solo album, it is always great to have him contribute something – as the icing on the cake. Like his fiercely and immaculately played guitar take on the song RAKE.

Gary Schmalzl plays electric guitar for you. What is it like collaborating with Schmalzl?

Schmalzl graced me with the wicked solo on Ace of Spades. He is another beloved friend and absolutely outstanding guitar player who has been working with many great bands and artists, like Thurston Moore, Jingo de Lunch, Bela B. and more – and he is always up for playing with me. His tone is one of a kind, his technique unparalleled. You cannot ask many people to play an adequate ACE OF SPADES solo.

How important was it for you to have that heavy guitar sound?

As I said, I wanted to play a lot of the guitar myself this time, and my style is kind of slow, raw, huge, heavy, doomy. It was the driving motor for the whole album. It seems my lave stream of expression has found another outlet.

There is the cover of the Motorhead track “Ace Of Spades”, so was Lemmy Killmeister a musician you looked up to?


Hm, I not particularly looked up. But, I admire him, as probably the most uncompromising Rock n Roller ever. Actually, I fell in love with MOTORHEAD only recently. But ACE OF SPADES for me is an exceptional song, the pure raw energy, the lyrics, the attitude. There are awesome live videos on Youtube with all kinds of line ups, I love to watch this loud at night, when I relax from a long day in the studio. “THE PLEASURE IS TO PLAY, MAKES NO DIFFERENCE WHAT YOU SAY” is just a killer statement for me.

This new album is described as Mona Mur going back to her industrial roots and you were linked with Einstürzende Neubauten. How has industrial music influenced you musically and especially “Snake Island”?

When I started out in 1981, I was obsessed with listening to THROBBING GRISTLE and LAIBACH. Also, my close friends were FM Einheit, Alex Hacke and Mark Chung of “EINSTÜRZENDE NEUBAUTEN”. We hung out together, and one day I went with them to their rehearsal space in a tower in central Hamburg. I had been singing and playing instruments my entire life, since I was a small kid. I had a strong urge to create. I knew the time is right, to help shape this kind of music movement myself. The rest is history.

Jon Caffery does the wonderful mastering, known for his production work on music for such projects as Einstürzende Neubauten, Joy Division, Tubeway Army and Die Toten Hosen. What is your history with Caffery?

Jon Caffery is a long lost and found again friend. We had met in the 80s when he was in the studio with Neubauten and Abwärts and other collegues I was hanging out with. I had back then, with the MONA MUR Band, worked with Raymond „Nainz“ Watts as sound engineer. (actually, these recordings also come out soon, on Vinyl, in December). But for SNAKLE ISLAND: I only found out now, that Jon always had wished to work with me . So, luckily , this happens just now.A gift.

Do you have any favourite tracks off the album and if so why?


No, really, I love that the album has a flow of its own and you can listen through it from A to Z being really absorbed. This is what I want to achieve.

Vocally, I can hear a maturing of a singer. Do you feel you have changed vocally over the years?

Everything goes more effortless than ever, I just precisely do what I like. Very often, I use first take recordings, sometimes I even do not write down the Lyrics before recording. I am totally uninhibited, much in contrast to my early years.

Mona, you are heavily linked to the early industrial days with bands such as Einstürzende Neubauten. What was the scene like back then for yourself in West Berlin?

Actually, I am from Hamburg. So, I was in Hamburg AND Berlin, moving back and forth, crossing the Iron Curtain many times. The scene was small, exciting, elitist, excessive, loud, raw, original, intense, life was fast, the world was bleak, the big cities our play ground, no risk, no fun. I immediately loved it and became a driving force in it, as a fish in water. So much space was there to create real new, original art.

What do you think of the modern German industrial scene?

I have no idea whether there is such a thing in Germany. I rather see something like this happening in the US, like the revival of the Chicago scene around WAXTRAX ! and the Cold Waves Festival for instance, and I had a great time touring in the US and Canada between 2010 and 2015, playng WAXTRAX! Retrospectacle in Metro Chicago in 2011 as a guest of En Esch, Raymond Watts and Günter Schulz. Hope I can follow up on that. So, Germany, no idea. Also,, I do not think so much in “scenes” anyway.

Who were your musical influences when you were young?

Black Sabbath, Patty Smith, Throbbing Gristle, Laibach, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Lydia Lunch.

Are there any modern acts that you like to listen to or find inspiration in?

I love Fever Ray, Karin Dreijer being a stunning artist. I love IF I HAD A HEART which became title song in VIKINGS, so I had to watch 89 sequels of this.
I always play guitar to „RED TRAILS“ – her most beautiful and heartbreakingly painful song. If she ever needs a guitarist on stage, I ll be there. What else ? DIE ANTWOORT has some cool tracks. And HAFTBEFEHL, A Kurdish/german gangster rapper and in the same time melancholic music poet from Offenbach am Main, with a killer sound production.

Will you be doing a tour for the album?

I look into touring the US in 2023.

If you could choose any musician (dead or alive) to record with, who would that be and why did you choose them?

Play guitar for Karin Dreijer.

Thank you so very much for gifting us with your time!

My pleasure!

Snake Island | Mona Mur (bandcamp.com)

https://www.facebook.com/monamur.official

https://monamur.com/

https://www.givetake.life/

by on

History Of Guns (HOG) has been around in different incarnations since the mid 90s. A gothic/future industrial group, they caught the ear of goth guru, Mick Mercer in the early 2000s, and he named them as an act to watch. We last heard from them in 2011, and then they went on a hiatus. Come 2022, HOG have a core three members plus the drive to create under the moniker again, which brings us to the latest album, Forever Dying In Your Eyes. Del Alien (vocals) and Max Rael (keyboards, programming) are the two original members joined by Jamu Knight (guitar) and the new release is full of future punk angst, loathing and screw the world attitude. Max, never go the full Marillion, I think Jamu deserves extra cake/beer and if you want to know why, then here is an interview…….

Welcome to the portals of light and darkness which are situated in the Onyx lounge room for convenience. Not sure what exactly they do, but they make a great lighting effect for parties.

HOG: Thank you for having us! We love a good portal. We’ll try not to get distracted by them.

History Of Guns has been around in one form or another since 1996. How did it all kick off for you guys?

Max: Del and I were both recruited by a madman called Stagger Lee into a band called Pre-Hate Machine and History Of Guns kind of evolved out of that…

Del: History Of Guns was something I had been looking for, for years. It all started in a pub over a chat to a stranger about his painted Sisters of Mercy jacket. We got talking and a few weeks later he introduced me to Max in another pub. We then spent every weekend in the studio, often all day, and often all night. We have boxes and boxes of tapes from those days that would take years to get through.

What was it like for in those heady days of youth (and excess as the 90s seemed full of that), playing to large crowds and pulling the attention of one Mick Mercer?

Del: We had some amazing times, and you don’t just walk away from that… When we started gigging, that was bloody great for me, the adrenalin buzz, WOW, I was being me for the first time and have never remembered a gig, not because I was pissed or anything like that but because that moment in time seemed to separate itself from reality.

Max: It all seemed so limitless. Jamming, partying, clubbing. Looking back, we could’ve maybe tried to things a bit more seriously earlier on, but we were having such a great time just playing and staying up all night talking. Playing Whitby Gothic Weekend was a highlight and the Futurepunk events in Camden in London. We have a lot of love for Mick Mercer, he’s supported us right from the beginning.

Do you think there has been a change in the goth/industrial scene since then?

Max: That’s a tricky one, as there’ve been times when we’ve been more involved in the scene in the UK than others. It’s sad there’s less clubs around, but then we’re not as young as we were… being out late-night clubbing isn’t compatible with having a family. We used to go to every Whitby Gothic Weekend, and keep meaning to get back there, but it’s been a while. It’s great that Joel’s running the Goth City festival in Leeds. I’d love to go back to Wave Gotik Treffen again in Leipzig. I guess thinking globally, we’re even more out of touch than we are here in the UK so not best placed to comment.

Del and Max, you are founding members. What is it like for you both to have been involved in this project for this amount of time?

Max: We’ve been through so much together over the years, both in the band and in our personal lives. When we don’t see each other for a while, I have to remember that Del’s internet persona on Facebook is very different to the Del I know in real life. Like many long-running double-acts we love each other, but we argue and fall out a lot. Things can escalate really quickly. We’ve both made many mistakes over the years, and at some level blame each other for History Of Guns not having been more successful or making any money. Basically, I do all the work, and then Del criticizes it, and I don’t take criticism very well and get upset, and then Del calls me a snowflake, and I say he lacks empathy, and it goes from there… But then these days we make up pretty quickly. I think Jamu wondered what he’d gotten into when he first joined.

Newest member is guitarist Jamu. How was he lured…into the fold so to speak?

Jamu: Del knew I was a guitarist and by hook or by crook, we ended up trying to start a project called “Mystery of Graves”. After hearing the sort of stuff I could do he called Max, and he popped over with his ivories, and it kicked off from there really, but I was very, very drunk after that…

Del: It always happens in pubs and clubs, people find out you’re in a band and they tell you they can play. Well, I have often given people a chance and met some bloody laughable characters that probably in their mind could play, and Max and I have paid studio time and just looked at one another, no words needed! Jamu is a strong character, he’s likeable so I gave him a go and he blew my mind, so I rang Max and said you have to hear this, and so that was that sorted! I think if we get to spend more time in the studio he will let rip more. I think he holds back (don’t tell him I said that… Oh damn! Odds are he may read this interview!)

Daniel Vincent is a member of Decommissioned Forests with Max but also appears on the new album. Can you tell us about the these shadowy fellows in the background?

Max: Daniel Vincent is best known for The Resonance Association (which I’d heartily recommend to anyone who likes instrumental music that pushes genre boundaries). I’m lucky enough to have been friends with him for many years. He’s been into the guns world and jammed and collaborated with us before and just about survived, we’ve remixed each other, and Del guested on vocals on a TRA track some years back.

Also, we have Jason Knight who used to play guitar in Deathboy and was our live drummer for a bit, and then our long-term collaborator and my oldest friend, Gary Hughes, who has, I think, made an appearance on every album we’ve done. We’re very lucky to have Bob Barker back for the artwork. Bob, alongside the stunning photographer Scott Wylie, was responsible for the artwork for our third album, “Acedia” that I’m naked in, so we know we can trust him.

The new album is “Forever Dying In Your Eyes” and it has been 11 years since your last full release. How exciting was it to get the new album out and what prompted you to do so?

Jamu: The album “Forever” was, I thought, supposed to be an EP, but we just kept writing more stuff, it grew into what we have released. I personally am very proud of how it turned out.

Max: When I came back to music after taking a break to do a horribly demanding college course, I was going through phases of enjoying playing and writing but kept found myself questioning everything, and doubt is poison for trying to mix or finish anything. I kept questioning what was our motivation for releasing new music. There had to be a valid reason and I wasn’t sure what it was. It’s not like we’re doing it for the money, and posterity is just as vulgar as money. And if it’s for validation or hoping for good reviews to prop up a struggling ego or hoping for a little self-esteem boost then that’s all wrong. History Of Guns has always been a universe co-created by Del and I that we invite other musicians to join and then we create a world together. Sometimes that’s just for an afternoon jam session that never gets heard after the session, but sometimes we create a world and feel some kind of urge to communicate it outwards to see if it connects and lands with any listeners out there. It’s been a while, but, “Forever Dying in Your Eyes”, is our latest communication to the outside world.

Del: Bloody life gets in the way. What are we doing? Why have we stopped turning out music like we used to? Depression? Work? Relationships? Society in general? Who knows but they are all my enemy that stops me doing what I want to do.

Your last release was “Whatever You Do, Don’t Turn Up At Twelve” which came out in 2011. How do you think your sound has progressed between these two albums?

Max: The wheels were coming off after the collapse of the “Acedia” tour and the rest of the band quit. Looking back, we should have stopped and taken some time out, then maybe split the album 4 material into two separate EPs as we were very much disintegrating and falling apart as I was trying to finish it. I pushed on past breaking point to get the album done and decided to include our own collapse as a key theme of the album. At some level I knew it was destructive, there’s a lyric that goes, “these songs aren’t making you better, these songs are making you worse.” I couldn’t get sober vocal takes, so after many exasperated tries I decided to include the drunken takes as part of the disintegration, which in retrospect I don’t think I’d do again.

Our two most successful albums have been the first and third, “Flashes of Light” and “Acedia”, and although one is electronic, and the other is full 5-piece band, they’re both focused in one coherent style of music and self-contained, whereas albums two and four genre-hop and are pretty chaotic to listen to. For the new album, it was clear we should try and focus again. Ground ourselves with a solid foundation which could either be a final album, or a starting point for a new chapter. This was made a lot easier by having Jamu on board, it helped us form a solid sound and style which I was able to take into the sound design stage for the album. In keeping with the theme of communication, the vocals and lyrics are quite prominent in the sound design, to get that sense that the whole piece is intended as a communication.

“You Wanted To Live” was the first single off the album, which is a very heavy and dark affair. Tell us why you chose this as the kick off track for the world?

Max: “You Wanted to Live” seems to be doing really well out in the world and we’re proud of it. The origins of the song were created by Daniel Vincent for an idea he had for a possible The Resonance Association / History Of Guns collaboration eight or nine years ago, but Del and I were in a bad place (again!) and it took a long time for us to actually do any work on our side of it. Before Jamu joined, we had a session just the two of us in Bishops Stortford with a bottle of vodka and this was the only thing we had to work on, and that’s when Del improvised the main lyric, then we wrote the verses together.

There’s a nod to Wendy O. Williams’ suicide note in there. After the session we went back to Del’s house, and I remember the night ended in a very bleak and dark place, and we didn’t see each other for a while after that. The track became very important to us as we both went on to suffer through some very difficult times, and we’d play rough versions of this track to each other when we were particularly struggling, so the track became an anthem for us, a reason for carrying on. It had to be the first single we released if we ever managed to get back to releasing anything again.

Who came up with the video for “You Wanted to Live”?

Max: That would be our fabulous video director Video Rich from Round Window Media. He also did the follow-up video for “Running in Circles”.

Your second single, “Running In Circles”, has pretty raw vocals. There seems to be a lot of angst in the album?

Del: The reason for the vocal was it was taken from a live jam that was borne at that moment. It was not a good time for me and I wanted the vocals to reflect that man’s pain. Sometimes I listen to it and cringe and wish I re-did them in tune, but would that pain come across? Who knows?

I know Max is very influenced by Coil, but who, musically, have you found influenced you into creating History Of Guns in the first place?

Max: I only got into Coil after we’d already been doing History Of Guns for eight years or so! I think Del and I originally bonded over Killing Joke, Pistols, PIL etc. Stagger Lee was very into Nine Inch Nails and Pop Will Eat Itself and looking back now I can hear all these things in our sound. Going back to Del’s flat after those early rehearsals was the first time I’d properly heard Sisters of Mercy, Alien Sex Fiend, Bauhaus etc. There were also plenty of bands we didn’t agree on and would argue about.

Will HOG be playing live any time soon?

Jamu: I do love the live experience with the guys, and hope we get out there again on the back of this release.

Max: It’s a tricky one. As Jamu says, we’d like to. Ideally, we’d take out a full 5-piece band on tour but that’s a lot of rehearsal time when we don’t live that close and have to juggle jobs, families etc. I guess if the right offer comes along, we could hopefully look at getting a band together and doing a couple of dates.

Who is the motivational force in the band and is there the mopey goth type?

Max: I do everything, and Del complains about it… Jamu tries to keep the peace between us!

Do you guys enjoy the recording experience?

Jamu: The recording process was quite a challenge as bit were recorded all over the place, along with lockdowns, bankruptcy of various studios we went to, it was hard to get a lot done in one hit, but next effort I’m sure we’ll lock ourselves into a studio for a week, with more beer and cigarettes than would be deemed healthy and smash out another kick-ass sonic battering ram.

How do you go about writing these tracks for the album and is it easy or a labour of love?

Max: Most things come out of jamming, so writing is easy. Writing and playing are the fun parts that I absolutely love and the reason why I do music. Recording, mixing, releasing an album and doing all the promo involves a lot of work that I like a lot less, which is part of why it’s taken so long. We’re very fortunate to have Michel from UTM Music Group onboard this time around running the promo. We talk about maybe getting someone else to record and mix so I can just focus on the playing and writing, but then I’m a bit of a control freak and probably need to work a bit harder on letting go of some of the responsibility as it can get a bit overwhelming sometimes. It’s why being in Decommissioned Forests is such a joy for me, because Daniel (Vincent) is the producer, and I don’t have to stress over it.

How much of your own life experiences and moods inhabit these songs?

Del: For me personally, all of the songs I have written, are bits of my life. I try to play with words so it’s not too painfully obvious what the song is about. That’s for the listener to decide. We did a song called “Conspiracy Theory” that sadly did not make it to the album just before the PLANDEMIC started. I’m sure you can see why! The music to it is bloody good, so I’m re-writing the lyric to make it a lot broader because let’s face it, you can’t keep up with this shit show musically, so I think its best just to point at the obvious and let the listener decide.

Max: We’ve always been interested in exploring the human psyche and the human condition, starting with ourselves, and then seeing what’s relevant to others. For me, and Del would disagree with this, but I think in many ways the last track on the new album, “Eyelash”, is a culmination of everything we’ve tried to do up to this point. Part of Del’s genius is to open up and access a completely subconscious layer of his own psyche whilst we’re jamming and improvising, and sometimes quite extraordinary things come out. So again, I’ve kept the original vocal from the original jam because it’s completely open and honest and raw. When he sings, “I hate me” it feels to me like we’ve cut through all the nonsense and construction of self and personality and reached a very core, often hidden part of the self, which I think everyone has to a greater or lesser degree, that part that hates themselves… and finding that, and shining a light on it, for us, for everyone, is one of the reasons why I’m in this band and have released this album.

There’s a lot of talk in the press and society currently about these alleged “culture wars” we find ourselves in, and people questioning the toxicity of things and then seeking to censor or “cancel” things that might be difficult or don’t hold up to a new standard of ethics. But, and this is just my personal opinion, to me that’s going about it all backwards, and censorship is never the answer. The only way to get to a world with less hate and more kindness, empathy, and respect, is to understand that hate, and to stop running from it or trying to just shut it down; we need to allow ourselves to feel it, and only then can we start to heal it. Ultimately, a lot of hate for others stems from an initial hatred of the self.

If History Of Guns were to record an album of cover versions, what would you choose?!

Max: We always used to say in a snooty, pompous voice, “History Of Guns are not a covers band!” But then we did some covers so can’t really say that anymore. I’d like to anything bleak in a minor key perhaps that doesn’t come from the goth/industrial world… maybe “Chelsea Monday” by Marillion.

Jamu: I know Del doesn’t like covering other artists, and I’m not overly keen on covers myself, mainly because I can’t be arsed to work out how the songs go.

What is in the future for HoGs and you good gentlemen?

Max: We have an electronic album which is done musically but just needs a couple of vocal takes to finish called, “Half Light” which is kind of a sequel to our first album “Flashes of Light”. Then I think, if we continue, we’ll build on the writing relationship we’ve started with Jamu and really push things and see where that takes us next. We’ll improvise and jam and experiment and it’ll form into some kind of shape without us trying to consciously make anything preconceived. We’ll keep pushing ourselves to keep evolving and keep trying new things and go in new directions. We sometimes talk about doing a follow-up to our most successful album ‘Acedia’ to be called ‘Anhedonia’ but I’m not sure we, or anyone else, is ready for us to go back there just yet.

Thank you for joining us in our existential crisis, which we never rush because, honestly, how can you enjoy a crisis in a rush!

HOG: We are one big existential crisis, but if there’s one thing that anyone can say about us, it is that we are History Of Guns. Thank you very much for having us, it’s appreciated.

Forever Dying in Your Eyes | History Of Guns (bandcamp.com)

History of Guns | Facebook

UTM Music Group UTM Music Group | Public Relations Agency | Facebook