Hi…Uncle Acid…..Mr Acid….Bob? How should we refer to you for the purposes of this impersonal conversation?

Mr. Starrs would be nice!

Obviously Blood Lust was a huge success, both commercially and critically – did you feel any pressure going in to Mind Control and if so, how did you seek to overcome that? Was it necessary to even do so?

No. There was no pressure because we don’t seek out to impress anyone or live up to anyone else’s expectations. I’m not in a band to be hugely successful or to get praise from others. I do it because I want to record my music. If people like it then thats great obviously.

What was the impetus to follow this path of occult-laced rock?

I’m not sure it really is occult-laced. It’s more based on my appreciation of horror and B movies. People have been trying to put us into this occult rock box so that they have something to write about. Its nonsense.

The extreme mystery of the band and yourself whilst the hype was building around Blood Lust was often a reason for people to check out the music, are you worried now that you’re a little more out there in terms of being in the public eye (giving interviews such as these) that the people who built you up are now going to turn their backs?

It doesn’t bother me. It should only be about the music, but I know theres plenty of those underground hipsters that only listened to us because we were the new thing that no one else knew about. The kind of people that go on about how they were the first to hear about us and now it kills them inside that so many others are enjoying our music too.

In terms of the mystery, it was simply a case of me not wanting to ‘play the game’ and have pictures taken. I don’t see the importance of pictures. We wanted the focus to be on the music and the concepts rather than on the musicians behind it. Everything is based on image now days and it’s disgusting. We wanted to show that its not important. We got our music out there without any pictures or over the top self promotion. Our albums were selling out everywhere but magazines would not feature us, or review our music because we refused to provide promo shots. I couldn’t believe it. We ended up doing a couple of promo shots in the end because our label had been good to us and I felt we were making it too difficult for them to promote the album. If someone is good to me, its only right to be good to them back. So, sometimes you have to compromise on certain things to maintain the balance, but the general idea is still there; We have no image to offer you. Just music.

Photos: Luana Magalhães

And on the flipside of that, why do you think your music appeals to such a wide range of people – from those into dirty black metal to those who are still think the 70s are raging?

The music we write is basically pop songs with fuzzy guitars and lyrics about murder and madness. It’s catchy and it destroys your brain. It has melody and harmony and it’s both light and dark. It’s abraxas audio. People will always want to hear good melodies despite what the record companies and radio stations try to dump on to us.

The sound for Mind Control, whilst clearly being a work of Uncle Acid, still sounds very different to Blood Lust – did you make a conscious decision to move away from the 60s blood-soaked horror movie atmosphere into the realm of more psychedelic pastures? Or was the move a natural and organic progression?

I think it’s important to move on with every album. Musicians are suppose to be creative. All three of our albums sound different and are based on different concepts.

What inspires the music of Uncle Acid – from both a past and present perspective? Do you find that on that subject you’ve always taken your cues and nods from similar sources?

I’m inspired by everything I listen to I suppose. I hear bits and pieces of everything in the music, from the Everly Brothers to Electric Wizard!

For the tech nerds amongst the readers, how do you go about recreating a sound that most people would pay good money to eradicate from their recordings? I’ve seen it said that you use vintage equipment and techniques?

We play live. Everyone in the one room facing each other. Even when there was just two of us in a damp room recording Blood Lust, we did it the same way. You face each other and play until you get it right. You get the basics down raw and take it from there. We don’t apply gloss in the Slaughterhouse!

You’ve recently released another acclaimed record, sold out two nights in a row in London (unfortunately I missed both, for very good reasons, I swear) and played Roadburn – what next for Uncle Acid and the deadbeats?

More live shows and more music.

Thank you for checking out the questions, is there anything else you’d like to add?

Thanks very much!

The post CVLT Nation Interviews Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats appeared first on CVLT Nation.

LP – Thanks. I’m not sure where that exactly stems from — but probably just the love of a good rock song. And punk rock.

PC- For me it is the influence of punk and older hardcore, when I am writing lyrics I like to throw something out there that can stick and hopefully people will be able to relate too. Those kinds of songs were very important to me as kid growing up in the south. If you stood out, you would have to take a lot of shit and it was great to hear music that made me feel that other people felt the same as I did. So i think even as we have grown older and maybe our lyrical matter has matured, that influence is still there and I agree with Laura that I also love a great rock song.

What visual artist – be them painter, illustrator or filmmaker – has had the biggest impact on the band?

LP – I’m not sure that there is “the one” artist that wins over all others. And, I think that would also depend on who in the band you ask. It’s probably safe to say that David Argento, John Carpenter, David Lynch, and Ralph Bakshi have all impacted our band.

PC: Yeah I agree with Laura on all of those, also recently I have been a big fan of a lot of the newer independent film makers there have been some great movies coming out over the last handful of years and in particular I am a big fan of Gaspar Noe’ s work.

Photos: Wicked Ways Photography

Growing up, did your home life nurture your creativity?

LP – My mother nurtured my creative side for sure. She was the one that gave me a guitar and let me take art lessons. She was always my biggest supporter, no doubt.

PC- For the most part yes, My mother would always support my interests no matter how weird they seemed to her, which I am very grateful for. My dad was until my adolescence. He and I started to disagree on a lot of things. He unfortunately passed away when I was 19. He was more on the conservative side and would push me to do things I really wasn’t interested in, he would definitely question a lot of my interests and choices, but I was lucky in that I did know he cared about me and was just trying to look out for me.

Are there certain life lessons you learned as a young punk that still hold importance to you today?

LP – Absolutely. I think the DIY ethic has stuck with me the most and the fact that there are other like-minded people out there in this world. I learned that being myself and having my own voice is totally ok and that I don’t need the status quo to live a fulfilling life.

PC- The lessons learned from the DIY ethic have enabled Kylesa to last as long as we have being able to make the music we want. Even though our music doesn’t really fall into what a lot of people would consider punk ,what we have learned taught us to do as much as we can ourselves. That being said we have also undoubtedly had a lot of help from others over the years that has been a huge importance to us and a lot of those people have come from the punk scene or a similar diy ethic. Plus the fact that Laura and I have always been very hands on with most aspects of Kylesa, it has helped us to truly and honestly create the music we want. I think that definitely stems from us learning the punk rock way from our youth.

How important are visuals to Kylesa (ie for your merch or videos)?

LP – The visual aspect to Kylesa has always been important. If we are going to represent our band with something other than sound, then the visual aspect is next.

PC- The art on a record and the the other visuals are sometimes seen before your music is even heard, so I think it is very important to have something that represents the correct vibe of your music.

What places, known or unknown, do you want to take your fans when they blast Ultraviolet?

LP – I hope that they will be able to tread the cloudy waters between the conscious and unconscious states of mind. I want them to go to the intangible abyss of the unknown and known energy that exists between all of us. That, and empathy. I think people will be able to relate to a lot of the lyrics.

PC- I hope that there are some people that will invest some time with it especially on headphones. We specifically made it a bit shorter because we know everyone is very busy these days and many people don’t have the time and the attention span to really spend quality time listeing to an album. Even though it is a darker record it isn’t meant to be depressing. We all go through hard times and usually if you can make it through them, you become stronger and hopefully this album reflects that and I hope thats what others get from it. Music for me has always been a great tool to find the strength to get through bad times hopefully this album represents that in some way and if anyone can find use in Kylesa’s music for that then I would be stoked.

As a band, you seem very confident to take chances with the direction of your sound, and this is evident on Ultraviolet. Where do you think this creative strength comes from?

LP – Thanks. I think a lot of it comes from our original mission statement when we formed the band over ten years ago; that we were not going to pigeon-hole our sound by not taking creative chances or flirt with various styles of music. I think that years of experimenting and refining our craft has allowed us to take chances with better results, perhaps, than let’s say, when we first started.

PC- I think mainly just trusting our guts. I think it’s good to write what comes honest and not to force it.

What was the writing process like for Ultraviolet? What comes first, the lyrics or the music?

LP – I have had a journal of thoughts, dreams and lyrics for a while and I generally take from that when putting words to songs. But I have to say that for me, the music is composed first. When I started writing for this record, I just dove in. I had a few melodies and parts that I had written while living in NC and I took those ideas and turned them into songs. I jammed a lot and learned to love garageband.

PC- For me it just depends sometimes the lyrics come first and other times it’s the riff.

Has growing up in the south had a major influence on the way you hear music? Was southern rock played in your home growing up?

LP – Southern Rock was not played in my home growing up. Motown was though. And, it’s hard to answer that question because I’ve lived in the south my whole life, you know? I do think that your surroundings play into your over all outlook. Those surroundings can be physical, emotional, cultural, intellectual, etc. That said, I don’t think my outlook would change that much if I had grown up somewhere else. I’d still be me, but slightly different.

PC- It’s hard to say, I guess in some way it’s had to have had an influence but when I was younger I always envisioned my self moving away. Now that I have had the chance to live out of it and I have gotten to travel all over, I have grown to appreciate many things about the south.

Southern rock was never played in my home, I actually hated it for a long period of time. I always associated it as redneck music and when I was in my teenage years rednecks were definitely the enemy. I can still clearly remember being younger and having my skate ramps destroyed by Jocks blasting it from their trucks. It took someone from California to actually get me to appreciate it. I can remember the first time listening to Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Second Helping” and it sinking in. I was on tour with Damad and we picked it up at a gas station and listened to it over and over. From there I was able to get into other southern rock bands.

Why is rhythm such a big part of what Kylesa creates? Where did the concept of two drummers come from?

LP- Because we love it! I know that I’ve always been more interested in the overall groove or feel of the rhythm in a song than the vocals or lead instruments.

PC- Yeah it’s all about the head nod. The two drummers idea originally just came from wanting to be heavier but over time we have tried to expand on that some.

What has been the greatest gift so far that being a part of Kylesa has given you?

LP – Ultimate creative freedom perhaps. But traveling the world is way up there. And playing a real guitar and not air guitar all the time.

PC- Getting to do something fulfilling with my life.

Is anyone in the band a fan of dub? And if yes, who are some of your favorite dub producers and why?

LP – I’ve heard the best stuff initially through Phillip and then later a roommate of mine. Love that delay…

PC- I am a huge fan of Late 70′s and early 80′s dub. Scientist is hands down my favorite dub producer. I was actually just reading an interview with him not too long ago where he was saying that a lot of what he was doing was considered too weird with some of the other people in the reggae scene at the time. That is probably why I like his stuff the most because it stands out from the rest.

Why do you think our 22-month-old can’t stop dancing the minute we put your music on?

LP – A good beat will make your ass shake.

PC- Yep

The post Exclusive
CVLT Nation Interviews KYLESA appeared first on CVLT Nation.

Scarful has an aura around him. If you know him well enough you understand what I am talking about. It’s a thick, shiny cloud floating around him probably because his odd-shaped skull is filled with wisdom nectar. Even though he is usually a very peaceful creature, if the cloud is dark and stormy, you better stay away or you can get blasted by his thunder. His knowledge on occult arts and crafts is enormous and he is constantly experimenting with them in his studio in Tor Pignattara, in the suburb of Rome. Alessandro Maida, also known as Scarful has done with inks and drawings pretty much what Sasha Shulgin has done with psychedelics. Fertile as Gengis Kahn in conceiving artwork for record covers, posters, and fanzines, he is a Belzebub of cross-media collaborations. He wears black and has asthma like Darth Vader.

02

You are always busy doing all kind of things at the same time. What are you doing now?

Considering what’s going on with the Italian economy today, I am trying to do as much as I can to not go bankrupt or totally depressed. I’m working on the artwork for the roman rap duo, Gast & Chicoria. A couple of cover-arts for the hardcore band ANTIYOU, one of which is for a Maximum Rock’n’Roll. On long-term projects I am about to finish a series of etchings and mezzotint, two of the oldest techniques with a big span of experimentation. Also Rumore Nero is a project inspired by the contemporary time of my country, abstract shapes in black china on packaging paper. And I am still producing some small-scale sculptures using aluminum, with CNC and fusion.

03

04

CNC. Do you mean Numerical Control? Since you left full time jobs as creative/art director for advertising and fashion brands how much computer are you using these days?

Yeah, Computer Numerical Control. It can create incisions, sculptures, embossings and such with extremely high precision.

However, it is very important for me to start with an idea sketching out with traditional methods and tools like charcoal, china, pencil or whatever. I also always build models and prototypes with cardboard or wood to see shapes and what to fix. Computer is the tool to optimize my workflow, graphic design, or illustration but I always put manual skills into everything I do.

05

Right. I guess in your enormous inspiration bin, most of the items are from sans-computer arts. Would you name a few all-time favorites?

I began to love illustration looking at the covers of Metal Records, Joe Petagno’s work for Motorhead or Iron Maiden’s by Derek Riggs… those were my major influences growing up in the 80′s. I loved everything illustrated on Metal Records.

Then punk records…. Raymond Pettibon and Pushead’s artworks… everything from Winston Smith too.

Let’s say that Raymond Pettibon is still my favorite, absolutely a genius.

06

How and when did you jump from Pettibon to explore all kind of obscure and occult forms of art like.. I don’t know, like ancient Japanese book binding or Tibetan drumming using human tibias and skulls…..

My teenage distress mixed with an obsession with the macabre and influenced probably by the music I listen to got me very curious on the subject. Obviously Satan is a classic icon in Heavy Metal. Bands like Venom, Possessed, and Celtic Front were filled with pagan references, so everything related to the occult was an ingredient for my artwork. Could it be Tibetan or Crowleyan….

07

Last time I was in your studio you were meticulously feeding water and salt to a thick metal slab shaped like an old-school skateboard deck. Was that just to get that thing rusty where and how you wanted it or…. are you secretly working on the philosper’s stone alchemy? Are you trying to turn raw steel into gold?

HA HA ‘right. If I was born in the 1700′s I could have probably turned out as a deranged alchemist… You know, like the Conte Raimondo di Sangro… Although I am not a blue-blood and not even close to being rich so the only experiments I can actually afford are on scrap metal with salt and Rome’s water.

Ha! But… What if you somehow manage to turn rusty metal skateboards into solid gold, what would you do with it? Buy the revolution? A coup d’etat to extort the leadership of our tormented country? Damn I am sure the flag and the currency of the new-born nation is going to look pretty sick

With that cash power I’d fill the financial hole of Italy and design a new flag, vicious, with spikey geometries. I’d pay all the politicians to get out, is that corruption?

…and I’d find a nice place, actually many nice places, to settle down and create new ventures with friends and family.

08

What’s up with the Grim Reaper Tattoo? Isn’t that a new venture you are doing with friends and family?

Grim Reaper Tattoo is the new creature of two big Roman tattooers, Luca Mamone, who runs Santa Sangre Tattoo and Nello Rossini, who owns Battle Royal Tattoo and their assistant, Cuns. They both wanted to start a studio together, a special place where, beside tattoos, they could create and collaborate.

They’re my closest friends, my family. We even have a publishing house (Surith Press) for tattoo related-books together and they’ve been trying to make me grab a tattoo machine for years… I always loved tattoos, I tattooed myself the blue oyster cult logo on my hand when I was 13.

But I was too paranoid to permanently fucking up people’s skin. Then one day they ask me to join them in the new studio. Having 2 teachers like them is a unique privilege.

Finally a place where everything can happen: tattoo, paint, screen print, engraving…

Anyway I’m tattooing more and more these days… It will be my new adventure…

Amazing. You are going to be even busier. You better plan to come back and visit us to this side of the world before that starts.

Yes! I’d love to come back there and do things with you guys! We could do something darker than black. I just need a nod and a FCO-JFK flight ticket for 3! Can’t get there without Elisabetta and Leonardo Rodan, last time we were there he was only 8 months old!

09

02 Studio Scarful
03 Aluminum sculpture 1
04 Aluminum sculpture 2
05 Criminale Album Cover Art
06 Illustration Examples
07 Studio Detail
08 Sette
09 Explosion

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The Heavy Mental.vs.SCARFUL appeared first on CVLT Nation.

The post CVLT Nation
Artist to Artist Interviews
Sannhet Vs Krallice appeared first on CVLT Nation.

A thank you to both for doing such an insightful detailed interview.

And now for something completely similar… Let’s question and answer ourselves, because the answer is into us, and it’s often wrong. First of all, the usual ritual question: Who are you? You are number 6… Oh, ok, sorry, we’re digressing… Where are you going? What are you carrying? And what is your role in this world?

Pablo (Sangre de Muerdago): Hi there!! Thank you for the interview!!
Who am I… Difficult one….
I´m going nowhere… Just passing by… There´s no role, just fate.

Davide (Iconoclast Records): Well, I’m not a number, I’m a free man, what else? Being a ‘bit more serious, I started Iconoclast about 5 years ago, at that time I was younger and full of expectations, the grass was green and the sky blue… As label’s chief, I was more into crust punk and hardcore, and more focused on some interesting Italian bands (Post Fata Resurgo and Bhopal above all), with some exceptions (check out the Swedish band Fredag den 13:e). The turning point was undeniably the releasing of Sermon of Vengeance of Chicago’s blackened deathsters Black September. We’re based in Bologna, Agipunk was already a point of reference for every punk, crust, hardcore band -and follower too- so the choice was quite easy, and when Claudio jumped in we moved the label’s focus on more strictly metal territories. As what concern what I personally do… Let’s skip the question, I’m going forward, that’s what I would like, at least. What I’m carrying are some heavy distro boxes, and believe me, my back is fucked up… My role in this world is to bring anguish and despair brandishing my battle axe.

Claudio (Iconoclast Records): I’m slowly going nowhere, carrying big shit bags. I definitely don’t have any role in this world, what a loss…

Sangre de Muerdago, you guys come from the diy punk scene, why did you choose the acoustic side of the Force?

Pablo: That´s true… we´ve always had a taste for folk and acoustic music and all what it comes with it though, even way earlier than punk and metal…. growing up in Galicia in the late 70´s, 80´s, meant you were surrounded by folk music all the time, old melodies, old stories that remained from mouth to mouth, from singer to singer… since i´ve been playing in punk and metal bands many years ago, i´ve always been enjoying and listening to folk and acoustic music, since i can play guitar, i´ve always been writing acoustic stuff, and slowly slowly this way of expression was getting more and more attention, until now which is the main creative project for me, and also the most fulfilling and inspiring. Besides the whole “healing myself” process that this music and its words are taking me through… music is a gate to a magical world, and folk music has always meant and means to me something very deep and grounded, rooted to our earth since centuries and centuries, a way to express our deepest feelings through words and melodies.
and besides all that, there´s such a beautiful diy community out there playing any kind of music, diy punk is just a tiny part of it….

Iconoclast Records, you guys come from the diy punk scene, why did you choose the metal side of the Force?

Davide: Because I’m a Jedi, as my father was before me.
Fuck no, I guess I already answered to this question before… However, basically I found more intersting proposals in the metal underground than in the stagnant crust punk scene. Moreover I realized that the only crust and hardcore bands I was still listening to were systematically the ones from the past. So I just thought “Why should I waste my commitment in something I don’t care that much anymore?”. Always speaking about music, I mean.

Claudio: Simply because it’s what I listen to, but my attitude never changed, has perhaps evolved. There are interesting death/black/doom metal bands in the underground DIY scene, with a genuine approach. It means that it’s not all about rockstar wannabes.
I joined Iconoclast with the idea that metal and hc-punk (especially crust) have primordial connections. Bathory, Entombed, Napalm Death, Carcass, Bolt Thrower, etc…were influenced also by crustpunk bands, just as Discharge, English Dogs, DRI, Suicidal Tendencies, etc joined metal at some point. Therefore, it’s not strange if in 2013 a death metal band plays some gigs with a crust one, just as Bolt Thrower played gigs with Negazione and Deviated Instinct in the 80′s. Born too late, someone said.
By the way, there’s a lot of people involved in both punk/crust and metal bands just as punx which always listened to metal, and the opposite…
Rivalries between punk and metal are so ridiculous…

What inspires you above all?

Pablo: At this point, let´s say that it feels to me nearly impossible to be in this world and don´t feel inspired by anything… there are too many great things out there that leave on me such an impression…
Nature has been, is and will always be the main source for these beautiful feelings; its beauty, shape, mysteries, stories, legends…. and humanity on the other side, has been, is, and will be the main source for the opposite feelings, there are of course exceptions, but sadly we suffer a lack of these ones…
At the current state of things, it is a need to open doors to our sorrow and melancholy, and not lock them up behind a door inside ourselves, we should deal with it so after we do it we can laugh and smile at each other. Music allows me to say through strings and melodies what i can not say with words….

Davide: Iron Maiden.

Claudio: Darkness.

S.d.M., what is your idea of folk music? What do you think about this Neo-folk revival (politically and musically)? Any interesting band to suggest?

Pablo: I believe I pretty much explained this in the questian number 2. My idea of music in general is to express what comes from your heart, if your music is honest and pure, it will always fulfill yourself, and touch and inspire other people, in whatever shape it comes… it´s all up to which kind of feelings you want express in your music…
I can´t tell much about a neo-folk revival, i don´t really know about this because i´ve never heard of this revival… I`ve got to know this genre of music (or at list the word neo-folk) after Sangre de Muerdago was rolling, probably back in 2006-2007, and i still don´t know much about it. In it, i found some very inspiring and beautiful music and people, as in the case of Novemthree, In gowan Ring, Vradiazei, Árnica…. But again, i don´t know what you can call or not neo-folk cause i´m lost with that term, i`ve heard other stuff called like that, that had nothing to do with folk music, or at least with my idea of it…
A few times people have labeled us like that, but since our musical inspiration comes mainly from old folk/traditional music, people normally label us with other terms.

I.R., what is your idea of metal music? What do you think about this metal revival in the diy scene (politically and musically)? Any interesting band to suggest?

Davide: Let me quote Judas Priest, Let’s all join forces, Rule with iron hand, And prove to all the world, Metal rules the land, We’re heavy duty, So come on let’s tell the world, We are defenders of the faith. Actually, I have no idea and I don’t really care about what metal is, and neither what it should be. It’s just something I like, if done in some ways. Metal and punk have always been connected thinking of the ’80s. GBH and Discharge, both added metal in their music at certain point, Broken Bones and English Dogs represent the so-called metalpunk, Napalm Death have their roots in the diy hardcore punk scene, Amebix and Axegrinder have influences many metal bands, as well as Anti Cimex. Bathory were heavily influenced by the Swedish hardcore punk, as Quorthon said. Thrash metal bands like Nuclear Assault, Sacred Reich, Anthrax were directly related to the hardcore punk. D.R.I. and Suicidal Tendencies generated the word crossover… Underground and diy are the common base for punk and metal. Of course the political urgency was something different, but the rebel tendency is shared by any extreme music genre.
So, I think there’s not a real revival, because everything is revival now. It’s just a matter of where the trend is going this or that month, this Summer everybody listen to dark wave so let’s find every wave goth gig or party for the next few weekends, then all hail doom, so let’s go to see Saint Vitus and Pentagram and sew some cool obscure patch on our vests, but Winter is coming so it’s time to some black metal and bla bla bla, I could complain for hours about this and that…
About suggesting some band I should say Iron Maiden, haha!
Underground death metal is doubtless living its second youth: something really interesting is proposed by bands such as Morbus Chron, Usurpress, Bombs of Hades, Entrails, Miasmal (Sweden rules as usual), Cruciamentum, … The list might be too long. Check out the Italian scene, represented by Undead Creep, Profanal, Haemophagus above all. 
Speaking of black metal is harder, mostly because it’s quite easy to cross the path with nazi-friendly scum, you know… As well as they have stolen punk and hardcore, it’s hard to keep black metal free from those tendencies. Black metal isn’t a political genre by definition, but I’m not against, for example, the RABM. Bands like Iskra, Embers, Panopticon, Skagos, Alda are doing their job pretty well. I think that anarchy and a primordial approach to nature and life, some form of paganism might have something in common. What I often do not like about this new trend is the musical choice… I’m bored by the Cascadian scene and their way to imitate Wolves in the Throne Room (which are probably the only band in this “new vave” that I like).
Anyway, I listen to a lot of black metal, beside from the great names…
About Italy, check out my friend Graad, a blackened drone one man band from Bologna, and the “old school is da law” triad composed by Barbarian, Bunker 66 and Noia. Grim Monolith is a great and underrated black metal band from Sicily, Saturnine from Bologna are an interesting all female combo playing a sort of sludge doom with a crusty touch… Doomraiser from Rome are probably one my favorite Italian bands… However, I’m definitely forgetting someone important…

Claudio: Extreme metal has its roots in the underground. Death metal started out with the tape trading, Black metal started to keep the underground alive when Death metal sold its ass, even if in the end became worst. We all know the story… But there always been a strong connection between underground music and metal, so I can’t really think about a revival in the diy scene. What is changed is that now punx no longer have to be ashamed of listening it perhaps, haha!
Metal, like music in general, does not speak necessarily about politics but a big fuck off to every form of nazi-fascism.
Some bands to suggest….Sweden continues to pull out some great bands in Death Metal: Usurpress “Trenches of the netherworld” is definitely one of my favorite records of 2012, so I’m fuckin’ proud we released the vinyl version of this LP. Bombs of Hades, Morbus Chron, Tribulation and Internment are among my favorites too. Can’t forget to mention the mighty finnish doom/death Hooded Menace.
On the Black Metal side Extinction Algorithm from Romania is incredibly skilful in creating dark and melancholic atmospheres worthy of Transylvanian landscapes. My favorite so far. Moreover, I really enjoyed this band from the States you suggested me: False. They’re amazing!
In Italy, there are some great bands too: Eroded, Haemophagus, Assumption, Doomraiser, Abysmal Grief, Saturnine, Bunker 66, Grim Monolith, Profanal, Barbarian, Graad…
Obviously, I can’t forget the crust heroes Kontatto/Campus Sterminii!

…And what’s your idea of DIY in 2013? Is something actually feasible? Both in music and lifetime, we mean.

Pablo: Of course it is something feasible, since there are so many people out there doing it this way… our personal experience gave us many different experiences on this field of DIY, it´s been many years working this way, and it definitely has it´s peaks and its disappointments. DIY has been nearly a religion for us either in music or in life itself….
I don´t know if we belong to any “scene”, do we? We are just ot there expressing ourselves and roaming through the paths of life, enjoying to cross paths with such a variety of folks who inspire us and bring us beautiful moments in their company.

Davide: It’s a very complex matter, I’ll be damned for having written that, hahaha!
I always thought that “diy” was something sacred, some sort of better world possible… I’m still thinking in that way about my life, I would like to move away from the city, and far from the civilization as much as possible, become self-sufficient and stay out of the mechanism of production, since I’m disillusioned by the political struggle. This is something I tend to, but I do not know if I’ll be able to realize it.
In music, well, to be 100% diy you should build your own instruments, amps, studio recording, and press records at home… And then steal gasoline and not ask any money to play live. I believe we can keep handling our activities without any authority, hierarchy, intermediaries and profiteers, this is my idea of diy in this moment.

Claudio: Sometimes it’s feasible, sometimes not. For some people it’s feasible for others not. I would like to think it’s the best way to do it, but sadly, not always succeed. The basic concept of DIY stands behind the fact that does not make sense doing things in an approximate way, but with more dedication because when you do things alone you must commit yourself more if you want to succeed. But if works, should works better.
If DIY in lifestyle means moving to some mountain isolated from everyone, building materially things by myself, then I can tell you that I’m not really interested in living in this way, even if I deeply respect this choice, but it’s not mine. I spent 90% of my time behind music (bands, label, records, concerts…), so I try to apply it to my lifestyle, which to me does not mean physically build for example records by myself.
To me, it’s about taking control as much as possible of how today we can do in our lives. We should live following our own passions and fight to make it real rather than trying to change a world that has already written his path many years ago. Since my biggest passion in my life has always been music, I naturally put my energy on it, and so, music and lifetime become the same thing.
The point is that I can not even come close to live with this and sometime I need to find some shitty jobs… So, for some reasons I can’t say it’s actually feasible, maybe one day will be. You should question me again in some years…

S.d.M, do you think of yourselves as part of some kind of “scene”? You often play gigs along with metal and punk bands, do you still feel connected to this “underground”?

Pablo: I don´t know if we belong to any “scene”, do we? We are just ot there expressing ourselves and roaming through the paths of life, enjoying to cross paths with such a variety of folks who inspire us and bring us beautiful moments in their company.

I.R., do you think of yourselves as part of some kind of “scene”? Do you still feel connected to this “underground”?

Davide: Fuck the scene, that’s what I say, I love music at 360 degrees, and what I think on reaching the age of 32 is that I care about a few friends and my cats, period. Of course I’m still involved in organizing gigs, playing and producing music, releasing records and I’m still doing that 66,6% diy.
I no longer care that much about the fate of this world and the subversive potential of extreme music. Sorry for my cynicism.

Claudio: I obviously feel connected to the undeground… But the word “scene” sounds more like a convention.

Since we know each others since many years, and we have been on tour many times with several bands, let’s talk about touring. Weirdest situations, funny anecdotes, memorable moments…

Pablo: That´s a difficult one… so many things have happened on the road in the last 15 or 16 years….
You guys in Iconoclast got to know some of the folks which i shared bands with, so let your imagination do the rest… 
There were too many shows and crazy, funny or weird, good and bad situations…

Davide: My memories are distorted by years and years of vices, so I don’t remember anything… Haha!
Actually, the worst anecdotes are probably the ones about me, so I better keep those stories unwritten, don’t you think? I don’t wanna make fun of whom then can not defend itself, I could write an endless list of someone who puked or pissed in the van, or someone else who disappeared several times… Touring is something unpredictable and beyond any description… What I have to say is that I found some good friend and I made some enemies during my journeys around Europe…

Claudio: I spent a long time on tour with my bands and as a driver. Pissing in the van, shitting in the pants, drinkin piss and then puking, forgetting shoes, bags and instruments in venues, being payed with 2€ and burger king food, being woken up by molotov cocktails in the guest room while sleeping, sleeping beside some bandmate who was talking and snoring at the same time, basically creating a brand new language… These are the first things I remember…

In particular, since you (S.d.M.) don’t require necessarily to plug the instruments to play live, what is the most singular place where you played?

Pablo: We´ve been playing any kind of place, the reality of playing with electricity is such a wonderful thing! Just to mention places where electricity wasn´t available, we´ve played in the middle of the woods, gardens and bunch of shows around the fire, terraces, an old train wagon, old celtic houses… and i hope to play on a wooden boat and on a roof one day…

Could you make a comparison between touring Europe and the US?

Pablo: I´ve toured two times in th US, and many times in Europe… probably, and as many people know, the main difference, at least under my experience, is that in Europe, food, drinks and sleeping places are normally known to be provided… while in the US, you better ask for all this and make sure you´ll be provided or at least know that you should take care of yourselves… Of course this is just a generalisation, since we´ve experienced occasinally to be the other way around…
Besides that, probably the distances you have to drive are normally much longer in the US, not only touring though, but just moving around the country, especially if your tour is crossing the mid west… the first time i toured the US in 2008, there were whole weeks when we were basically just driving or playing….
We´ve definitely been equally welcomed, fed, had great warm audiences, and best times in both places!

Davide: The US are something that I’ve heard in some movie… Does this place really exist? I guess not…

Claudio: I can’t. I’ve never been in the States. I was really close to go on tour in 2010 with Giuda in our second and last US Tour. But I had some health issues just a couple of days before leaving and they went on tour with a last minute bass player. What a pity…

Do you have side projects beside playing in Sangre de Muerdago?

Pablo: Nothing serious or active going on at the moment…

Do you have musical projects beside running Iconoclast records?

Davide: Oh yeah, here’s the perfect question to publicize us!
I play bass and I scream in Bland Vargar, epic raw black metal band, and I sing in Ancient Cult, a brand new obscure ’70s inspired heavy rock act (http://www.facebook.com/longlivethecult)… And that’s it for now.
I always wanted to start a burning spirit japcore band, the idea was a work in progress never ended… Many more ideas are growing in my mind, we’ll see…
Moreover, Claudio and I (with the help of some friend) are the organizers of Into the Void fest (www.facebook.com/intothevoidfest), a diy metal fest now in its second edition and we’re part of a collective which set up shows in a place called Atlantide (which is under eviction, by the way).

Claudio: Sure!
Undead Creep: bass player. Old school death metal just like the early Stockholm bands. http://undeadcreep.bandcamp.com
Bland Vargar: guitar. Epic raw black metal. http://blandvargar.bandcamp.com
Moreover I have a brand new project with Davide, Marziona Kontatto and a longtime friend (Faniello!) totally devoted to the 70′s heavy rock music. Hail to the Ancient Cult!

S.d.M., some consideration we made while watching your show in Bologna: thinking that there might be a silent audience in the DIY scene is kinda like believing that there might be a better world?

Pablo: There are silent audiences, and there is a better world somewhere out there… Oh yeah…

I.R., why do you guys put out records?? What´s your goal? Is there any goal?? What do you guys think “Ok, i really would like to release this!”

Davide: Well, I put out records because I always wanted to be rich, and since I always took wrong decisions in my life, I keep follow this path! Hahaha! Oh, such a good comedian I could be…
I’m doing that basically because I like it, and I still feel to support some realities I really care about, and that’s how we choose the bands we want to collaborate with… I would like to create something like “the Iconoclast sound”, a point of reference for those who search the most obscure side of obscure music.

Claudio: First of all, I release bands I like, I release music I like. Sangre de Muerdago is a clear example. We really love your band. I don’t care if you’re not a metal project (you’re metal inside!).
Then, I like bands which work hard to promote their music, like you do. I disagree with those who think that the responsability is exclusively on the label if a record goes well or not if these people are all the time at home thinking that things comes from the sky without any commitment.
Passion is the foundations of why we do it. The main goal I have is to spread the records we release. I’m not very interested in accumulate vinyls in the hallway of my flat for years and years. The world is already polluted enough to have another 500 copies of a record that no one will listen to. It’s a very difficult goal nowadays.

Some very important questions we have forgotten before: Deep Purple or Led Zeppelin? Beatles or Rolling Stones? Burzum or Mayhem? Black metal or Death metal? Plato or Aristotle? Church or State? Cats or dogs? Sea or mountains? Riding a bike or walking? Whatever… An interesting experiment to answer seriously to a stupid question.

Pablo:
Deep Purple or Led Zeppelin?
They are both so great, but i have to say Led Zeppelin.
Beatles or Rolling Stones?
Who are these people??
Burzum or Mayhem?
Filosofem, Belus and De Mysteriis.
Black metal or Death metal?
Entombed, Dismember and Dissection.
Plato or Aristotle?
Master and student.
Church or State?
Argh….
Cats or dogs?
Both. I have a dog though, no cats at the moment….
Sea or mountains?
Where mountains die in the sea.
Riding a bike or walking?
Both, depending on the situation 

Davide:
1) Deep Purple are probably my favorite band ever alongside with Jethro Tull, but Led Zeppelin are the only biggest band from the 70s which had the decency to split up before writing some awful record, and if their Celebration Day concert in London in 2007 is considered one of the most important event of the twenty-first century, I guess their relevance to popular culture is absolute. Moreover I can’t forget that Deep Purple changed their sound after having listened to the Zeppelin.
I’m sure Claudio will answer Black Sabbath to this first question… I love them, of course, but you know, music is often a matter of feeling and personal taste… Before saying Pink Floyd, well, they were not human beings, they’re beyond any comparison and discussion. Anyway, these bands were formed by Gods, this is simple philosophical speculation. Go on.
2) Beatles were one of my father’s favorite band, so I listened a lot to them when I was young, but I have to say that I understood their importance only in recent times and well, they overcome the Stones for sure. Speaking about riffs, since I always loved blues, I often feel more excited when I listen to some Stones’ song…
3) Undeniably Burzum, even if De Misteriis… and Live in Leipzig are mandatory. Varg Vikernes is a distorted product of our ruinous society, and it’s hard to separate the music from the man, but even if I will never support his job buying records or merchandise, I can’t deny that his music has stongly influenced me.
4) I love both, but black metal better represents my more obscure and hidden feelings.
5) Aristotle! Mostly because I’ve never liked the Plato’s theory of some superior immutable world of Ideas of which the real world -and the arts- is a corrupted reproduction… I’m more into sophist philosophers like Gorgias.
6) Of course the Church, their secrets are safer, they had the Inquisition, they’re better dressed, they peacefully can rape children, they survived deleting many cultures. The State is destined to crumble one day, the Church will stay forever and after forever…
7) Cats for sure, no way! Cats are what I’d like to be, and think about why there are no police cats…
8) Mountains are where I was born and where I’ll be buried (or scattered to the wind).
9) Walking forever, hiking, climbing… The important thing is not the destination, it’s the walk (not really, actually…).

Claudio:
Deep Purple or Led Zeppelin? Impossible to choose. Purple and Zeppelin were absolutely incredible bands!
Beatles or Rolling Stones? Beatles.
Burzum or Mayhem? Ulver.
Black metal or Death metal? Both.
Plato or Aristotle? Neither.
Church or State? Neither.
Cats of dogs? I live with both, and I like it.
Sea or mountains? Sea. I’m from the SOUTH.
Riding a bike or walking? None of your business… 

Something usual, again: Future plans.

Pablo: Play music, move back to the mountains/country, have a garden again, keep studying the mysteries, keep learning from nature and about trees, edible wild plants, herbs… Basically get more and more self-sufficient. Die in the forest.

Davide: See Iron Maiden and Motörhead playing live this year!
Apart from that, I would like that Iconoclast, Into the Void fest and my bands grow into something always better… My final purpose, in the end, would be to find a house in the countryside, build my home studio recording, growing vegetables and prepare myself to the apocalypse.

Claudio: Bombs of Hades & Undead Creep split LP on Iconoclast coming soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Say bye to somebody and say fuck you to someone else.

Pablo: Thanx for the interview!!

Davide: I want to say bye to no one except you, Pablo, and fuck you to Claudio, whom I’m tolerating since 4 years in the same flat! Cheers bro!
I’d like to say fuck off to too many people, and goodbye to a very few I care about, so this is the end, my friend.

Claudio: Fuck you all!

CONTACTS:

Sangre de Muerdago
http://www.sangredemuerdago.bandcamp.com
http://www.facebook.com/thecrowcallstheravenblack

Iconoclast Records
http://www.iconoclastrecords.org
http://www.facebook.com/IconoclastRecords

The post CVLT Nation
Artist to Artist Interview Series:
Sangre de Muerdago vs Iconoclast appeared first on CVLT Nation.

Press release:

Oakland, CA-

On Thursday March 14, 2013 occupiers of properties in Oakland, California won the legal battle to maintain community space in the Alameda County Superior Court. Judge Victoria Kolakowski issued a judgment in favor of the defendants, occupiers of the properties known as the Hot Mess/RCA Compound, and against plaintiff Rockridge Properties, LLC. This community space includes housing, an urban farm project, and a social center. In a long fight for squatter’s rights this judgment is a welcome victory.

Oakland, which is known for one of the most resilient encampments of the Occupy movement, has also been home to numerous occupied spaces before and after the Occupy movement began.

In her ruling dismissing the lawsuit on March 14, 2013 Judge Victoria Kolakowski stated, “There is no authority for the proposition that the successor of an ownership interest also obtains the prior owner’s possessory rights retroactively.” (Rockridge Properties, LLC v. Carey et al., Alameda County Superior Court case number RG12638555)

Upon their victory co-defendant Steven DeCaprio, CEO and founder of the non-profit Land Action, stated, “This ruling gives hope that we will return to the principal that land should be used for the benefit of society and not merely as a commodity to be abused by banks and speculators.”

Since the subprime mortgage crisis in 2008, banks who received generous bailouts by the federal government have, for the most part, refused to provide any relief to home owners facing foreclosure.

Teri-Dawn Elkins, Development Director for Land Action states, “This victory for occupiers should put the banks on notice that it is in their best interests to renegotiate mortgages with home owners rather than later losing those foreclosed properties to adverse possessors such as the ones in the HM/RCA Compound.”

The post Developers Fuck Off!
Squatters’ Rights in Oakland appeared first on CVLT Nation.

Recently, I was able to ask Mr. Abscons about the mask, and, more importantly, his music. The following interview was conducted in May, 2013.

Oliver: Whenever I show others videos of you, or the covers of your LPs, the first thing anyone asks is — why the green goblin mask? (Is it a green goblin mask?) What is it, and what does it represent?

ART ABSCONs: There is great magic in masks. When you hide an individual’s face behind a mask, you deprive this person of everything that makes it unique; you dissolve its identity and replace it by something universal. That was the main idea when I decided that I needed a mask in order to impersonate the being who is responsible for the songs I receive for the purpose of ART ABSCONs. The ideas that inspire a true artist do not BELONG to the particular individual who receives them, but to a realm beyond the concept of individuality. There is no such thing as intellectual property in the realm of ideas, and I abhor so-called “artists” who think in terms of copyright, etc. These people are no real artists. Sometimes their work might be pleasing or even entertaining, but there is no truth in it. The origin of artistic inspiration is otherworldly, even divine, and contradicts self-serving notions of property and ownership. True artists are not proud of their so-called “imagination”; they do not “make things up.” They look and find, they listen and hear, and will reproduce scrupulously and truthfully what they perceive both in this and in the other world, that is all. Anyone who sees art as a means to self-aggrandisement and as a way to express his or her individuality is a pitiable idiot. This is why so many good artists (who do NOT wear a mask) constantly create alter egos (e.g. Ziggy Stardust, etc.) and will, consequently, often suffer severe split personality disorders. Such artists are somehow aware that they are not personally responsible for the things they create and, hence, are not the ones who deserve the praise they receive from the audience. This is why they need an alter ego that will enter the stage for them and that will take the credit for the fruits of their inspiration. By opting for a mask, I ruled all these problems out from the very beginning. It is Grandmaster Abscon, an otherworldly being belonging to the uncreated world of ideas, who both writes the songs and will take the credit for them. And, only by sacrificing my individuality on the Altar of Art am I granted its powers and its revelations while I am able to express their truths in the selfless manner they require.

Why the particular mask I use? Sheer coincidence. I found it by accident when I needed it. At first, it was that rubber goblin mask I found down by the Rhine River on the 1st of May 2008, when I went there with the intention of finding something magical; which I did, obviously. In the meantime, I have created a new mask which is based on the traits of the original rubber mask but corresponds more to the austere spirit of Art Abscon and can be worn more easily on stage.

Oliver: About your name, “ART ABSCONs” [sic] – is that your real name? Is it an anagram? What does this mean to you, and why did you choose it?

ART ABSCONs: In the beginning, I chose the word “Abscon” because it is the name of a village in Northern France from which one half of my family originates. When I found out that “abscons,” in French, means something like “not to be understood,” “cryptic,” etc., I was even more intrigued by that word; and when I discovered that the French term was derived from Latin, “absconditus” (meaning “hidden”, “concealed”), the first thing it made me think of was “Deus Absconditus”, i.e. the “Hidden”, or, the “Unknowable God”. The village in France was named “Abscondinium” when it was occupied by the Romans because it was not easily found. In my personal cosmogony, Abscondinium has become a synonym for the uncreated world of ideas. I use “Art Abscon” to refer to Art as a person and “ART ABSCONs” if I speak of the “art project” that sometimes involves more artists than just myself. I would, for example, say that the personnel in Gnomonclast belongs to ART ABSCONs. My real name is Michael.

Oliver: How long have you been making music under the moniker “Art Abscons” and is it your first musical project? If not, what other projects have you been involved with and what sort of music did you make with those acts?

ART ABSCONs: Oh yes, I have been involved in other bands and music projects since the age of thirteen or so; many things of minor interest and others which you might even have heard of over the years. But I would never give a single name away since I wish Art Abscon’s special status to remain intact.

Oliver: Do you feel comfortable being labeled a neofolk act? Is that the scene you think you feel most at home in? How would you describe your music to someone who’d never heard it before?

ART ABSCONs: Comfortable with that neofolk stigma? Yes and no. I am 38 now and was listening to Death in June, Current 93 and Sol Invictus at the age of sixteen, i.e. more than twenty years ago, at a time when records and concerts of these artists were really hard to find and when most of the people who refer to themselves as neofolkers today didn’t even know of their existence. It was rather peculiar to me to observe that the emergence of ART ABSCONs coincided with the recent growing interest in the neofolk phenomenon. However, if you were to ask me if I would label the music of ART ABSCONs as “neofolk” I would be quite at a loss. Yes, I use acoustic guitars and other folky instruments along with hundreds of samples; yes, my main attitude is “against the modern world”; yes, I have done some research on runes, the power of symbols, magic, paganism, the Third Reich, the Occult Roots of Nazism, the Apocalypse, Gnosticism, and what have you, but I do not think that either my message nor my music could be reduced to such a vague formula as “neofolk”. To be honest, I don’t even know what neofolk actually is–and neither does anyone else who uses that word; but I can say with certainty that quite a handful of artists whom I truly admire are labelled with this term.


If I would have to describe my music to someone who had never heard it before, I would say: “It sounds like a cross-section of time”.

Oliver: As opposed to some of the more militant-sounding acts in the neofolk and martial scenes, your music has a much more serene, even quite beautiful, almost “classical” sound to it. Is this just the way you write music, or did you want your music to strike an especially kind of peaceful note? WHat is it that you hope your music achieves as far as the impact it has on the listener?

ART ABSCONs: I do not need to hope for my music to have any desired effect. It is what it is, and, as such, it works as a mirror. Anything you might see in it is nothing but a reflection of the depths of your own inner self, of all the things you know, remember and anticipate and of which you don’t even know that you know them. Art Abscon’s music is taken out of a pool of universal, collective memories. Think of your consciousness as a tiny hole in time through which you perceive the present, a small spot moving along a linear stretch of time. That is all you are. I mean, who are you? Right now, at this precise moment, you are nothing but a tiny spot of consciousness trying to comprehend this sentence I am speaking. That is all. Not much, huh? But on a different level of your consciousness that lies before and after and all around this tiny hole travelling through time, you have your own personal memories and anticipations of experiences that make you unique. On a deeper level still, you have a cultural memory and destiny, the one you share, for example, with your fellow Americans or with fellow humans in general: cultural archetypes, etc. But there is a deeper memory level still. You may think of it as the realm which Plato calls “The World of Ideas”. This realm is the foundation and the origin of all that is, that was and that will ever be; a world that precedes creation; uncreated, and yet it is the source of all creation. This realm is completely detached from the concept of time and space as we know it, detached from any concept of individuality or cultural identity. Here, all is one. This is where Art Abscon’s songs come from. This is the realm of the “Hidden One”, the Kingdom of the “Unknowable”. Abscondinium.

Music is a highly efficient means to condense thousands of years and the deepest memories of millions of people into one single song that takes maybe three or four minutes. This song can be perceived by that tiny hole travelling through time, and while perceiving it, this tiny hole becomes aware of all its different levels of consciousness while time is being transcended. This is, basically, the reason why we all love music. And this is what I meant when I referred to my music as a “cross-section of time”. I don’t know why my music is more serene than other music that is less serene. I play and record it the way I find it.

Oliver: I’ve noticed you sing in German, French, and English – at least. How many languages do you know and how many different LPs or EPs do you have in these languages?

ART ABSCONs: Oh, come on, I hate that question! I do not know by heart which LPs or EPs I have made when and where. Not that they were so many, but I don’t really care. Once a label has received my master tracks for a release, I am already concerned with something completely different and have already forgotten what I did the day before. I am fascinated with languages, and there is quite a diversity spread over all ART ABSCONs releases: Spanish, Czech, Swedish are the first ones that come to my mind (all poems written and spoken by their authors: Patricia Fernández, Joseph Spinali and Carl Söderlund, for example). As for myself, apart from German, French is my second mother tongue, and I speak a little English. I usually sing in German because that is the language I speak in my dreams, but I think it was only on that “October 31st EP” that I sang in English for a change. Everywhere else, the English lyrics on my albums were written and performed by members of Gnomonclast.

Oliver: One of my favorite releases of yours is the limited edition “October 31st” EP, which has a very deathrock influence to it. The first track, “Samhain,” sounds like something Christian Death could have done, and the last track on the EP is a cover of a song by The Damned. Was deathrock a style of music you feel has influenced you, or goth in general? Have you been in bands like that before? Please explain the type of influence that style of music has had on you.

ART ABSCONs: I think this was the only release on which I had the opportunity to embrace my own personal taste in music; all other releases were written and recorded according to Abscon’s wishes (which do not always correspond with my own taste). If I may speak for myself (Michael), yes, apart from bands like Einstürzende Neubauten, SPK, Throbbing Gristle, Coil, etc. I grew up with The Damned, Rozz William’s Christian Death, Virgin Prunes, Bauhaus, Alien Sex Fiend, The Misfits, Andy Sex Gang, etc. And whenever I was not listening to Extreme Noise Terror, Napalm Death or Sore Throat, I was dreaming away to Françoise Hardy’s fragile ditties or indulging in Lee Hazlewood’s or Serge Gainsbourg’s psychedelic sort of Easy Listening. And, as you will already have guessed, I am very much into classical music. Well, I guess there is not much coherence in my musical taste, and, to make a long story short, I do not believe that any particular style of music has had any significant impact on the music of ART ABSCONs. I have played in all sorts of bands ranging from grindcore, industrial, psychedelia, new wave, folk, gothic to electro pop while I was member of a church choir.

Oliver: You mentioned recently that you live in the old Bauhaus school of design building! How did this come about, and what is it like to live there? Are the buildings apartments now? This seems pretty incredible — and cool – to me. Do you make your music there as well?

ART ABSCONs: It seems I made that remark while I was drunk! Usually, I avoid making references concerning the place where I live. Since Art Abscon, properly speaking, has little to do with this world, and while I assume that it is of little importance and interest where Michael is lodged or what dayjob he has, I usually maintain silence about such things as dwelling places, etc. Nevertheless, I could talk for hours about how it feels to be actually living inside a work of art! My apartment is part of a residential area concept that was designed and built in 1927/28 on the basis of Bauhaus principles. What I love about Bauhaus architecture is that its minimalistic and neutral compositions leave infinite space for the mind to unfold. It is utterly stunning to observe how much variety resides in simple geometric forms as the perspective changes; or the light. And then, it is as if you could still feel the spirit of the Bauhaus movement breathing through these buildings, the spirit between the two great wars. They are utterly timeless. And yes, I record there. I will show you some photographs, if you like. Sometimes, the view from my living room windows reminds me of a de Chirico painting and, at other times, I feel as if I was observing a set from a Tati movie, especially late in the evening.

Oliver: Is there a certain worldview or philosophy that motivates your songwriting? For example, pre-Christian paganism, or Romanticism, or something else? If there is an overarching philosophy to the music of Art Abscons, what would it be?

ART ABSCONs: I would refer to myself as a “universal mystic”. Surely, I am fascinated with pagan myths and have indeed been an ardent student of romantic literature and philosophy, but I am also aware that each mystical, philosophical or religious system is “a priori” erroneous and incomplete as it approaches the final truths. The only truth I will be able to fathom resides hidden in my own spirit and cannot be taught through any prefabricated system. It is for this reason that I have come to accept the term “Gnosis” as umbrella term for my worldview and various interests.

Oliver: There are some videos on Youtube of you performing in Austria with a very ritualistic looking stage act. What rites are going on in your stage act, and/or what is the ritualistic aspect of your stage act meant to symbolize?

ART ABSCONs: Basically, each ART ABSCONs show is supposed to be a ritual through which the extra-temporal spirit of Art Abscon will be housed in flesh and bone for a brief span of time, i.e. inside my body. For this purpose, we have, for example, adopted elements from the Eucharist like spreading altar bread and wine containing stimulating ingredients among the stage crew and even the audience. These elements of the ritual are performed in mocking rejection of the established churches and, at the same time, in sincere celebration of the Knosstic Church of Deus Absconditus. For these reasons, most of the ART ABSCONs shows in the past took place secretly among a small circle of initiates while, till now, there were only three shows that were open to the public. The few snippets on Youtube give a very bad impression of what an ART ABSCONs show is like. People would only think of using their camcorders or mobile phones when we were performing like an ordinary band. The rest of the time, it seems, they were so entranced by what was happening on stage that they would never have thought of using a camera or the like. For example, none of my various stage deaths were ever filmed nor photographed. Likewise, the stage collaborations with Gnomonclast, of which I am particularly proud, were never filmed nor properly photographed. But I like the thought that the best moments were never recorded and will, therefore, never be found on the internet. They will remain the exclusive memory of the few who were really there.

For the time being, I am developing an entirely new stage concept.

Oliver: A few times I have called you “the Mortiis of neofolk” because early on he wore the troll mask and sang about old Scandinavian folklore-type themes. Are you familiar with him (especially his early stuff) and do you see this connection? Is there anything to this similarity, thematically or otherwise? Your thoughts!

ART ABSCONs: To be honest, I had never heard of that artist before. When you mentioned it for the first time, I checked up on him and was surprised how interesting that old chap is! That being said, it is possible that I am behind that project as well, isn’t it?

Oliver: Okay, a favorite question of mine to ask bands: If you were stranded on a desert island with a working CD or record player, what 5 LPs would you take with you and why? These would be 5 LPs, and the only 5, that you would have to listen to for the rest of your life.

ART ABSCONs: Oh, what a wicked question! Maybe I wouldn’t take any music at all with me because it would depress me to have such a limited record collection at my disposal. But well, just in case, let’s see… First of all, I would take Gnomonclast’s “Gather Together” and see if I could somehow smuggle in the CD of “Tempus Null” by hiding it somewhere inside the sleeve of the other album. If the Island Guards would find it, I would tell them that it wasn’t on purpose and hope they would forgive me. Secondly… hm… I think an album I never get tired of is “Rose Clouds of Holocaust”. But then again I might trade if off against Nature & Organisation’s “Beauty Reaps the Blood of Solitude”. Yes, I think I would opt for the latter. Then, I would need something for my more frivolous moods, something like Plastic Bertrand’s “AN1″. I never get tired of that as well. And then, something classical. If pianos were forbidden on that island as well, I would take a compilation of Eric Satie’s piano pieces with me. If there was a piano on which I could play them myself, I would take something else. Schubert or Beethoven probably. Then I would need something psychedelic from the sixties. Perhaps “The Piper at the Gates of Dawn”. Do I really have to go there? I don’t want to!

Oliver: What are some of your favorite newer neofolk (or any) bands out there nowadays that you think are noteworthy, and why? I’m a fan of Osewoudt, Solblot, Of the Wand and the Moon, and of course the older bands like Death in June and Sol Invictus. What about you?

ART ABSCONs:Oh yes, indeed, I like Osewoudt very much as well. Apart from that, I recently discovered Kinit Her and their side-project Wreathes which left me utterly awestruck. I also recommend Mani Deum from Greece and L’Horrible Passion from Spain and I’m also a great Cult of Youth fan. But the greatest revelation in neofolk to me was, is and will always be Gnomonclast. And, of course, I was very much into Luftwaffe until they recently disbanded.

Oliver: Do you play out at shows very much? Have you ever been asked to play any of the larger festivals over there, like Runes and Men? Is there a reason you play out only rarely…?

ART ABSCONs: Well, as I said earlier, hitherto, ART ABSCONs shows were of a rather exclusive, even secret character, and for good reason; with the exception of the New Year’s Eve festival “Rauhnacht” in Leipzig, along with such illustrious acts as Dernière Volonté, and a brief guest appearance at the WGT; both of which I regretted somehow. For the time being, I am rather undecided if ART ABSCONs was really meant for the big stage. Moreover, I am quite put off by today’s conventions of concert organisation. Whereas most concert organisers and labels do their job to earn themselves a living or at least to earn themselves some extra money, they assume that artists do it merely for fun and are therefore even willing to pay for the pleasure of appearing on stage because while there is no pay at all, in most cases, not even travel costs will be covered by the organisers. Honestly, I am far from being in it for the money, but it takes much time, effort and even a lot of money to organise a good stage performance, and I do not understand why the artist should pay more for the show than the people in the audience while concert organisers are filling their pockets and expect you to kiss their feet because they gave you the opportunity to perform on their stage. I remember a time when completely unknown amateur bands would get travel costs, accommodation AND a share of the admission or at least free beer; that wasn’t much, but the money could at least be used to buy new guitar strings or the like. Today, it seems, that art has no value at all; except for the one that ends up in the pockets of those who sell it. And that is hardly ever the artist. Just imagine, for the CD version of “Der verborgene Gott”, for example, I got 30 free copies I gave away as gifts and EUR 12,95 in royalties (I forget the exact amount, it might also have been EUR 12,96)–for an album that took one and a half years in the making, that includes collaborations with my American friends and for which I had paid the entire music production costs. It is quite expensive to be a performing artist nowadays. Of course I would love to perform at larger festivals as well (who would not?), but only if the pleasure of being half an hour on stage would not ruin me for the rest of my life because the organiser thinks that collecting stage admission from the artists was a great idea as well, and that isn’t unlikely. Now, considering my impertinence, I am sure no-one will ask me anyway. But, as a wise man once told me: “Nobody pays you to be a gentleman”. And as long as things are the way they are, ART ABSCONs will keep playing shows in the dark to a small circle of initiates only.

From everything I said, I would like to exclude the people who organised our show in Prague. These people were so excessively generous that I will be grateful for the rest of my life for the fantastic time they showed us. Also Kirill from Russian Label Fronte Nordico is quite a gentleman.

Oliver: What are the biggest influences on your songwriting? These can be poets, philosophers, writers, and/or other musicians, classical or in the modern era? Who are they, and why?

ART ABSCONs: There are quite a few artists and philosophers whose works inspire me. They are not many and yet too many to be named without giving you the impression I was boasting with my erudition. The greatest influence on my work was and is my correspondence and my collaboration with N2 ItinitI. He is the poet, philosopher, writer and musician who inspires me most.

Oliver: I noticed you did some vocals on a track with Ousewoudt — or, at least on Youtube, the track is labeled as featuring vocals from “Mr. and Mrs. Abscons.” Was working with Osewoudt fulfilling, and have you worked with any other neofolk acts? Who?

ART ABSCONs: Oh yes indeed! Osewoudt are fantastic people and great musicians! Our collaboration was the result of a merry meeting in early 2011. It was one of the happiest moments in all my life.

Oliver: About the “Mrs. Abscons” mentioned on the Osewoudt track – how long have you been married? Is your wife a partner in your artistic exploits otherwise? What is your history of collaborating with her in their or other projects, and what has that work been like?

ART ABSCONs: Nay, I am not married! Nor will I ever be! She is a friend I love dearly, and it was the only time she spoke on a recording.

Oliver: Ever thought about playing America? As I mentioned to Thomas Bojden of Die Weisse Rose, we don’t have Runes and Men, but we have Stella Natura, which for some reason feels like it would be a good fit for you, to me. Any desire to play in the USA?

ART ABSCONs: Well, as I already said, at the moment I am developing a new stage concept I would like to test on innocent people. Why not on Americans?! Of course I would love to! If concert promoters in the States are like they are over here, I will already start putting money aside and maybe rob a bank or two! That was an attempt at humour. Har har har.

Oliver: Is there an official Art Abscons webpage? Where should folks go if they want to find out more info or buy your records, etc.?

ART ABSCONs: Sure, the official place to visit is www.artabscons.de and some of my albums can be downloaded at http://artabscons.bandcamp.com/.

Oliver: Is there anything you’d like to add that you feel like I didn’t touch upon, that is worth mentioning? Any new releases soon? Anything you’d like to say about the current state of neofolk/martial scenes…?

ART ABSCONs: The CD versions of “Les Sentiers Éternels” and “Am Himmel mit Feuer” just being released, there are still a couple of things ahead. First of all, a nice little curiosity titled “Vita Abscondi” will soon be released by Brave Mysteries. I am very glad and honoured that Nathaniel Ritter has offered me this opportunity since over the last one and a half years, his project Kinit Her has been the only contemporary music to really make an impression on me. I am glad to live in a time in which such records as theirs are released. Then, I have resumed my collaboration with Gnomonclast. We are working on a joint GNONOMCLAST/ART ABSCONs album while the Americans will also contribute to my next album “The Separate Republic” and a shorter vinyl release that will be titled “Takaram Attava. Five Ways of Invoking the Hidden One” that will also involve Carl Söderlund and someone from England who sent me a broken pot.

Oliver: Thanks so much for your time and I apologize that it’s taken me this long to get to you re: an interview. Thanks!

ART ABSCONs: Oh please don’t apologise! It was a great pleasure and an even greater honour for me!

You can buy and download ART ABSCONs’ music at: http://artabscons.bandcamp.com/ & http://www.artabscons.de

The post An Exclusive Interview with
Neofolk Musician ART ABSCONS
by Oliver Sheppard appeared first on CVLT Nation.

The festivities surrounding the release of the album turned out the way we wanted them to. We had a sold out show and I guess you can say that we arranged the entire night by ourselves. We only played songs from the new album since it was the release show, and that all felt really good. Yes, we are of course very pleased with the way the album turned out.

I’m curious about the genesis of this new record, as it seems like a giant leap in every way from your previous work. I only discovered recently that there was a big delay between the recording and release of “The Horror”, so I’m curious first of all: did the work start on the writing of “Formulas” before “the Horror” was released? And did the time between the recording of the first album and it finally seeing the light of day allow you time to reflect on how you wanted to progress as a band?

The first conscious decision to start writing on a new album came after the release if I’m not mistaken, around three months after the release. Some of the riffs actually date back as far as 8 years. I don’t recall us actively discussing how to progress, it all happened when we were not together really. We didn’t rehearse for quite a long time due to various things and once we started doing it again we were somewhere else. No one objected and no one really said anything about it. To say a cliché; it was all very natural. We all knew that we were going somewhere else, and I guess we are still on the move.

How do you feel about “The Horror” now looking back on it?

It reflects us perfectly as the band we were back in 2007 when we recorded it. It had a big impact on a lot of people and in Sweden it had a hype that extended outside of the underground metal scene. Could we do another album like that today? No, it’s behind us.

So, to the new album. I was intrigued by this quote on the inner booklet: “Music from the depths of the soul, Music from the other”. This sums up this new set of songs perfectly I think. What is the intention behind this new, more atmospheric approach in your sound? What do you hope to inspire in those listening to the record?

I’m not sure we had an intention to invoke anything at all within the listeners when we were creating it, we just did it. But we wanted to achieve something for ourselves I guess, and that in turn could generate the same feeling in whoever is listening to it. What I’m saying is that we didn’t think at all about what people would and could feel about the music but we consciously made the song structures more “atmospheric” rather than just aggressive as we sort of used to. Why? That’s just where we are at the moment, we don’t force these decisions out and we close to never fight over such things; we let them happen. What I can say to anyone listening to the album is to listen to it more than a couple of times, I think it takes more. Take it or leave it, you know. I don’t really want to lead anyone in any direction either, we already did that with the layout and the lyrics.

The very essence of the new album – the music, the art, the lyrics..to me it seems to be one of creating a very macabre, almost vintage kind of feeling of horror. The front cover in particular is very reminiscent of an old book cover or movie poster, I see references to Goethe and DeQuincy, and there’s even quite a cinematic feel to some of the music at times. Lyrically, did you feel that it was important to try and tell a story with each song on this album? What, if any film makers/writers or non-musical influences effected the creation of the new album?

No, there are no stories like that in the lyrics and they are not inspired by movies. The Goethe reference in the song Rånda fit the lyrics (written by our friend Konstantin) and the De Quincey title is an interpretation and adaptation to the album. But that aura is within the album for sure. That “gothic” aura and that Nosferatu aura will always be there in some way I guess. Most of the lyrics on this album focus on spiritual death and rebirth and about certain supernatural elements in both myth and reality. Initiation of any kind is something that’s lacking in our society and if it exists in some way it’s often quite distorted and shallow. I think that’s a mistake even when it’s not of a spiritual nature.

The other thing I found interesting, is there seems to be a kind of “Eastern” influence in some of the new stuff; both in some of the melodies at work, and in some of the lyrics – I see a reference to the god Rudra in “When The Sky Is Black With Devils”. Is there anything specific in that culture that drew you to it? (or am I imagining this whole influence completely! I suppose) Do you feel that perhaps in Western culture, our attitude towards death is less of a spiritual persuasion?

There is an Easter influence in both the lyrics and in the way the music is being presented. There are Western spiritual traditions that in some ways could equal that of the Eastern, or Indian, but it isn’t really as out and about I guess. Some even argue that our physiology is better suited for our “own” Western traditions. And yes, our attitude towards Death is entirely different. We’re just matter, right? I feel more and more drawn to certain parts of Indian philosophy, a lot due to its completeness and variety. Any one that has been digging just a little bit will most likely see more references to it. That this particular reference is to Rudra is no coincidence, but as with most of the lyrical content it’s a metaphor describing something else.

Related to the last question…How important is the visual aspect, the creation of imagery to you as a band? And how do you feel art of the kind you make relates to the “other” of which you speak?

That’s important for any band I guess. It’s how we present the non-musical sides of the band and it reflects the way we see the music. It isn’t as important as the music I think, nothing is. What I say in this interview really means nothing when it all comes down to it. The music is the band and everything else is just how we present what we feel the music is in images and words. So, The Other is more concerned with the music.

Where do you feel your place in the death metal scene is nowadays? Or is that something you guys even think about now? Do you feel perhaps that death metal has become dumbed down a little in recent times?

We don’t think about it. We’re not “above” it, but we take a different path. I think Death Metal became dumbed down over 20 years ago, and I have never really listened to those bands that didn’t do their own thing. Morbid Angel is one of the bands that did their own thing and succeeded in doing so. I also listened to Kaamos the other day, and even though that came much later it has something fresh to it! We really don’t care anymore, and it gets more and more obvious to us every day that we don’t. We are just the musical band Tribulation now, really.

Back to earth now – you’re about to hit the road with an excellent line up: Ketzer, Alchemyst and Venenum for a European/UK tour. Firstly, will you solely play the new album or will there be older material in the set? And secondly what are your expectations for the tour?

We will play old songs as well. I’m guessing that most of the people coming hasn’t even heard the new album and if these people pay money to see us play we’re going to play at least some old songs. I have no expectations at all except that I hope it all turns out well.

The last time I saw you live was here in Dublin with Negative Plane. How was that tour for you? It seems to me like that band and yourselves have a very similar approach to feeling and atmosphere in music, would that be fair to say?

That was a great tour, mostly due to Negative Plane and everyone else on the tour being great guys. We did really small shows but they all turned out well I think. We didn’t expect anything else in the middle of the summer. I don’t know how their approach to their own music is, but I guess you can compare us in some ways. They are doing their own thing and they are doing it well, we are as well.

Okay, last question for now, thanks so much for answering: There is a quote in Swedish on the album: “Vara lyrors strangar aro stamda, For att motaga de andra valsigneser”. Can you maybe tell us what this means and how it related to the album as a whole?

The original quote that is also in the album is from one of Sweden’s best and most well-known authors Selma Lagerlöf, she’s on our 20 kronor bill actually. It’s a continuation of that quote by the band, referring to the creative process while writing the album.

The post CVLT Nation
The Formulas of Death
TRIBULATION Interview appeared first on CVLT Nation.

To the unknowledgeable, explain who Gehenna is and what fuels its negative existence?

Gehenna was a desolate valley outside of Jerusalem that was used as a trash dump and eventually it became a place where the city exiled their diseased, their poor, their criminals and their blasphemers. The valley became a lawless parish and holy ground for ritual spells against society performed by the excommunicated. That in turn is what GEHENNA as an entity represent. We’re the ones who’ve been disregarded who’ve learned to embrace our painful existence by singing songs of the damned and accepting our place on the outside of society. GEHENNA is the love of hatred and the discipline of lawlessness that lets life carry us into the grave. True Trill Death!!!

The band is playing many shows throughout the summer, including prominent festivals like Maryland Deathfest and Chaos in Tejas. Which of these shows do you anticipate as the highlight of these shows?

The greatest reward of making music, art, skateboarding or whatever is exorcising the demons inside by letting it out on the world. There are a lot of things we’re looking forward to being out on the road but most of all it’s about us just hearing the sounds we love and getting new dirt under our heels. I love the lawlessness of desert and getting back in touch with some of our closest underworld connections in Phoenix and what’s not to like about places like Chicago or New York? But I really, really like the idea of being in New Orleans quite a bit to spend a little time in the swamp learning some voudon rituals. The Big Easy is a real interesting town.

There has been mention around the Web that you will play new material at these shows. What can we expect? What specifically influenced this new material and forced it into being?

We’re really excited to flood ears with some ugly sounds from the new records. “Deathkamp Of The Skull” LP, “First Blood Part II” 7 inch and “Drug Maniacs” 7 inch have been buzzing around in our heads for a few years now. Like all GEHENNA releases we make them for ourselves. So they’ll come out when we’re done listening to them and we’re satisfied with the sounds. The new songs are about love and hate, pain and joy, feast and famine. Life and Death. “Deathkamp Of The Skull” is a journey into the prison of the mind that is ruled by the heart and crushes the body. “First Blood Part II” is the relentless warfare to break the chains of society. “Drug Maniacs” is about the escape from pain fear of life by embracing the eternity of death. None of these records will be out for the tour. You’ll have to wait until we’re done listening to them for ourselves first.

Back in January Gehenna played with Integrity, Catharsis, Left for Dead and several other sensational bands at the A389 IX Anniversary show. How was this show and working Dom and A389?

Dom is a great friend and a real brother. He’s released a lot of great records and put together some great stuff for us in the past. I don’t know if he’ll release other GEHENNA stuff in the future as I think we’re headed in different directions. While I think A389 is a great label and Dom is a great guy we’re not interested in staying put in one area. I like idea of trying something new and relieving Dom of the stress of handling us. We’re not in a band in the typical sense. We’re not regular musicians so it’s hard to deal with us. We don’t meet any deadlines but our own. We don’t have managers or a street team or anything like that. We have 20 years of underground activity that has lead us no where. But to be perfectly blunt about it I don’t want to go anywhere. I don’t care about the rules of the music industry. We’re criminals with guitars who chant ancient lines of praise to our dead friends and live our lives of excess in poverty, not musicians.

Gehenna has a penchant for violence and it is no secret that the band encourages fans to get bloodier at shows. In all the band’s years, what was the craziest, most disgusting result of this Gehenna trademark?

The danger of rock and roll is that it is uncontrollable. We only encourage people to dance, scream, thrash, stagedive, sing and live free. We want people enjoy themselves not stand around looking at each other for acceptance. Waiting for other people to start moving is the same as standing in line for the gas chamber. What is the point? The world will end and we will all die so we might as well be free to explode. If there are 1000 people in a room or 10 people in a room you should live your life like it will end… because it will end. We will all die. I don’t want to hurt anyone or anything. I want to save the world by giving them the guidance to walk towards their deaths enjoying every minute of their lives. Standing at a merch table trying to get limited records to flip on ebay, or checking online message boards to see if a band is cool or not is fucking poser shit. Just flip out and have fun.

Are there any releases, music, film, book or otherwise, that has come out in recent years you’d recommend to Gehenna’s listeners?

Listen to KOOL G RAP.

In the coming months what can we expect from Gehenna?

More shows, 3 or 4 records, a DVD, smoking blunts, shit talk, lots of mixtapes and eating approximately 300 pounds of potato tacos.

Any final words for our readers?

True Trill Death!!!

The post True Trill Death!!!
CVLT Nation Interviews
The Infamous Gehenna appeared first on CVLT Nation.

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Aleister Crowley-Thelemic Magick-Luciferianism appeared first on CVLT Nation.