pab - special edition - black easter festival 2016

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music magazine

peekaboo

special edition March 2016free of charge, not for sale

MILA MARSHE PAST AWAYIN THE NURSERYSONJA KRAUSHOFERLEBANON HANOVER + ATTRITION ROSARUBEA + JO QUAIL + HEKATEWHISPERING SONS + ELVYA DULCIMEREVI VINE + SAIGON BLUE RAIN + ORGANIC

BodyBeats Productions is a Belgian promo-

tor & event organisation, providing finger

licking alternative and underground music

since 2005. They are mostly known from the

yearly BIMfest in Antwerp & many club con-

certs in & around Antwerp.

www.bodybeats.be

Peek-a-boo is a Belgian alternative & under-

ground music & movie magazine. The

main purpose was to create a new kind of

magazine, free of charge, with information

around upcoming events, music & movie

reviews, interviews & photoshoots.

www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be

Dark Entries is an independent Belgian,

Dutch music webzine with a focus on dark

sounds.

They provide information around upco-

ming events, music reviews, interviews &

photoshoots.

www.darkentries.be

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ORGANISATIONBODYBEATS Productions

www.bodybeats.be

Dimitri CAUVEREN

Wool-E Shop

Dries HAESELDONCKX

Bunkerleute

Frédéric COTTON

Le Fantastique

PARTNERSDark Entries team

www.darkentries.be

Gothville team

www.gothville.com

EDITORSDidier BECU

William LIENARD

WRITERSBenny CALUWE

Britta PIRKKO

Didier BECU

Dimi BRANDS

Erik VAN DAMME

Fred GADGET

Jurgen BRAECKEVELT

Jurgen VANVLASSELAER

Kevin HEWICK

Luki PUKI

Mark VAN MULLEM

Manu L DASH

WRITERS (continued)

Pascal VERLOOVE

Paul PLEDGER

Peter HESELMANS

Ron SCHOONWATER

Ruben SAEY

Ward DE PRINS

Wim GUILLEMYN

William LIENARD

Xavier KRUTH

PHOTOGRAPHERSBenny SERNEELS

Marquis(pi)X

MAGAZINE & WEBSITEWard DE PRINS

04 Time table Saturday 26.03

06 Interview ELVYA DULCIMER

08 Interview WHISPERING SONS

10 Interview ATTRITION

12 Interview HEKATE

14 Interview ROSARUBEA

16 Inteview MILA MAR

18 Interview IN THE NURSERY

20 Time table Sunday 27.03

22 Interview ORGANIC

24 Interview SAIGON BLUE RAIN

26 Interview JO QUAIL

28 Interview EVI VINE

30 Interview LEBANON HANOVER

32 Interview SONJA KRAUSHOFER

34 Interview SHE PAST AWAY

contentsmusic magazine

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Peek-A-Boo Magazine • Citadellaan 70, bus 2 • BE-9000 Ghent • [email protected] & [email protected]

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SATURDAY 26.03


IN THE NURSERY

00:05

ROSARUBEA

20:35MILA MAR

22:15

HEKATE

19:20

ATTRITION

18:05

WHISPERING SONS

16:55

ELVYA DULCIMER

16:00


ELVYA DULCIMERHello Elvya. Can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers? Hello there! I’m Elvya, a full time fairy, an artist and a musician. A few months ago I released my debut album (Untold Stories), featuring a lot of guest musicians such as Arjen Lucassen (Ayreon), Fieke van den Hurk (Cesair) and Ivar de Graaf (ex-Within Temptation, Kingfisher Sky). It is my goal to make people happy with my music and to make them aware of the fact that our nature is in danger. I attempt to open the eyes of the listeners for the problems that are caused by humans on this planet. At this moment I’m working hard to gather a live band. It is a project first, and hopefully later it’ll become a permanent team.

Sometimes you perform as Elvya Dulcimer and that has everything to do with the hammered dulcimer. How did you discover this instrument, and what made you decide to use this as your trademark?Years ago, I discovered a short movie on YouTube while I was searching for new music. It happened to be a movie with a hammered dulcimer. I was immediately sold, and I ran to my parents to show them the film, and I asked if I could buy one. My parents shared that feeling, and they decided that I could buy the instrument. A few weeks later, I finally had my own hammered dulcimer. I learned everything myself. The obsession was so big that I decided to make my it my stage name. It’s my dream to introduce this wonderful instrument to modern people.

Your music is also medieval, so I think we are talking to a woman who is fascinated by fantasy, right?Oh, certainly! Fantasy is my world and I hope to make it my profession. What people usually do not know is that I am also a graphic artist. I develop artwork design as you can see on my CD and I write stories. At the moment,I am working on my first children’s book that takes place in a fantasy world. I also like to visit fantasy fairs. I like to be on stage, but I’m happy if I just can attend the festivals. It’s like going to a family party. You meet your friends and you can talk to them. The relaxed atmosphere at such a festival is delicious. People will judge you less, and how you look is unimportant. The inside is more important. Something the world can learn a lot from!

Two years ago, you took part in the preselections of the Eurovision Song Contest. Can you tell something about

that, and were you not afraid to step into the media circus?One evening I watched TV and suddenly I saw an advert in which they were looking for candidates for Eurosong. I thought: why not? I send them an audition. I really didn’t expect a response, but to my surprise I was selected for the first round, and so I made round after round, until I finally was part of the TV finale. I was too alternative for the jury, but it was a great time and I made great connections. In all honesty, I didn’t think I was ready for it back then. Eventually, Lordi was not exactly mainstream and they conquered Europe. Never say never...

Last year you released your first album Untold Series. Everything I read about it, was extremely positive. Yes, the reviews and feedback on my debut album were great. That’s great for everyone who gave his/her heart and soul, and it certainly gave me a boost. Of course, now the next challenge is to perform live as powerful as on the CD.

When will your next album be out, and do you have any idea how it will sound?Preparations for the second album already are in full swing. The songs ready exist in a raw version and they’re ready for the studio. The only problem is the money, because releasing an album cost thousands of euros, and at this moment, I still have to pay some debts for Untold Stories. So, I hope the recording will start as soon as possible. And how will it sound? Well, I already can promise you that it will be a very diverse album. I always try to be objective, and at least there has to be one song for everyone. A song of which you can say: that is written for me!

You played with many renowned names on stage. How did you get in touch with people like Liv Kristine?I met lots of people via others. Some I contacted myself or they contacted me. With Leaves’ Eyes I got in touch via their former guitarist, who I knew via someone else. At one point they contacted me because they wanted to have a dulcimer on their album. Since then, I play on their CD’s, and hopefully live soon.

What can we expect at Black Easter 2016?Some songs with a dulcimer and also some tracks from Untold Stories. Because playing live is new for me, and as all my musician friends live very far away, I probably will


work with a backing track. But who knows, if I’m lucky, I might have one or more guest musicians with me (laughs).

Are there any artists you want to see yourself?I am very curious to see the gig by Jo Quail. Cello always has been an instrument I like to listen to. Her alternative style is definitely something I look forward to.

What’s your favorite record of all time and why?What a difficult question. There are so many and it always changes, but I do think Mother Earth by Within Temptation is a good choice. My parents introduced it to me when we were on holiday in Switzerland. I remember that we drove on a mountain pass and it was snowing. I was just 10 years old ,I think. Ice Queen came out of the speakers of our car and we all sang along when we drove off the mountain pass at five kilometers per hour. That was an adventure! And the beauty of it all? Ivar, the drummer of the album.... is now the drummer on Untold Stories!

Elvya, you have the last word.The last word? Thank you! I think I want to conclude with these wise words: to all who read this interview and listen to my music: congratulations. To all those who have not read this interview and didn’t listen to my music (yet): congratulations too! I hope to see you all on Black Easter!

Didier BECU- 7 - www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be

WHISPERING SONS

Cold wave is back! Perhaps it is because of the new Cold War. Anyway, the list of great cold wave bands is becoming endless and of course the Belgian Whispering Sons is part of it. The band performs at Black Easter, and we had a nice chat with the band. We never manipulate answers, but some parts already are dated as at the moment we had our chat, we didn’t know yet that the band should be selected for the final of Rock Rally, the biggest rock contest in Belgium.


Not long ago, I interviewed you, and everything has fallen into a huge momentum. How do you experience this, I mean I guess you are proud, but I guess there’s fear as well, not?We are incredibly happy with how it is going since Endless Party was released. We never dare to dream this. And yes, somewhere it is frightening because of some expectations people have about us; for the next release or for live shows. That surely goes with pressure. But all in all, we are sober about it and we just like to keep up our feet on the ground.

One of those factors is undoubtedly your tape Endless Party. It sounds very raw and full of emotion, just like music should be. How did you come to this sound, because there is a difference with your previously demo (which is brilliant by the way!) and Endless Party.Our first demo was recorded one year before Endless Party and we probably have grown as musicians. Individually and as a group we discovered what we like in terms of sound and feelings, and that became Endless Party.

The sound on Endless Party, is this the final Whispering Sonssound or is it possible that we hear something completely different on your next project?It will never be something completely different (funk? country?), but I believe that standing still automatically means going backwards. We always will try to add new elements and ideas to each release.

Whispering Sons is also an excellent live band. There is not only Fenne’s voice, but you just are who you are. I have the impression that you grow with every show, right?To be honest, before Endless Party we didn’t have a lot of live experience, but that is changing now. Just as you need time to find an identity in the music you play, it takes a while before you evelop yourself on stage. But with every gig it seems to go better!

Fenne is undoubtedly your greatest asset. Not only her unique voice, but it seems like she wants to redeem herself of all demons. You go very far, Fenne.I am still scared of it myself. On stage, I really can’t control myself. It may sound ridiculous, but the music and the lyrics evoke so many things, and that’s something I experience on stage only. So yes, those demons always come up!

You’re in the middle of the Rock Rally contest and soon

we know more. I think I can say that you have a very unique sound in Belgium. How do other musicians react, as you can say you’re an outsider in Belgian music.Ooh. Some like it, others don’t. It depends on your personal taste, right? We just try to do our own thing.

Let’s talk about Belgium. One of you has a connection with The Happier Hunting Ground. A brilliant band that only a handful of people know. That happens more over here. Belgium is so small, and yet there are so many brilliant bands. Sometimes I think the average Belgian should be more proud of the music scene over here…Since we play in a band ourselves, we learned a lot about both the old Belgian ‘classics’ and new bands, not only the ‘dark’ scene. In general, we learned a lot about the state of the Belgian music scene. And actually, despite misleading broadcast schedules of some Belgian radio stations, to me Belgium seems to have a very healthy music scene in which many musicians dare to experiment and do their own thing, and they often are rewarded by a loyal fan base. So yes, Belgians can be proud.

I never asked so far, how did you get that name?In the beginning, when we were a nameless collective of friends that was looking for a unique sound, we covered the song Whispering Sons by the Danish band Moral. Then Fenne joined, and everything changed. Perhaps that was the moment that we realized: OK, this feels good, let’s write our own music. The band’s name is a sort of homage to Moral, especially to that moment.

Your music is melancholic and a bit sad, even though you can dance to Whispering Sons and forget everything!Melancholy and sadness is definitely in our music, especially in the older songs. Today we seek more a kind of anger. Faster drum rhythms and tight guitar lines make it danceable of course.

The coming weeks you will play intensively. You also will be on Black Easter. For people who do not know you, what can they expect and why should they see Whispering Sons?If you want to see a young blonde woman who exorcises her demons on a stage, accompanied by a dark and often danceable soundtrack made by passionate musicians.

Their first vinyl release is out on Minimal Maximal including a free CD and to be ordered at [email protected] Didier BECU


ATTRITION

Dear Martin. We don’t have that many occasions to interview a legend like you, so if you don’t mind, we travel back in time and say some things about the past, present and future. But let’s start in 1979. I know the answer as I did it myself, but you ran a fanzine that was made with a Xerox machine. Why did you do that and was it the fanzine world that dragged you to the underground?Well, I had already been dragged into the underground by 1979… Punk had done that two years earlier, and the whole “anyone can do it” attitude inspired me and I needed to express myself, but as a total non musician, I still felt I wasn’t ready for that step (maybe I was waiting for synthesisers to become more affordable) and as a visual artist (I had spent time at the local art college after school) fanzines appealed to me, they went hand in hand with the explosion of bands and labels at that time.I started my own fanzine Alternative Sounds in early 1979 and ran it for 18 issues over the next 2 years. It was an incredible baptism of fire and got me started networking

in the music industry. I met people running their own fanzines around the country and abroad and labels and band, it was an exciting time, I met people then that I still know and sometimes work with today in music. I put out cassette releases and compiled a vinyl album of Coventry bands for Cherry Red records in 1980, then appeared on the Coventry edition of the BBC Something Else youth TV series (more famous for the Manchester edition which featured an early Joy Division performance). Eventually I knew I had to start that band. I still knew little about music (I’d dropped the subject at school!), but with the advent of industrial sounds, I didn’t really care anymore; I just knew I had something to say to the world….

It was at that time you started Attrition. Answering the question today is kind of easy as there are so many industrial bands, but when you started, you were sort of unique. What exactly inspired you, and even if punk was over, wasn’t Attrition punk too if you see punk as an attitude?


I was and am inspired by the culture of punk rock, certainly emotionally and spiritually if that’s the word (I’m still proud to be a part of the Crass Bullshit detector compilation series with one of our early tracks). In terms of style, I took more from post-punk and the early experimental electronics of bands like Cabaret Voltaire and Human League, even going back to bands like the Velvet Underground and Kraftwerk and early Eno-esque Roxy Music. I never thought of us as particularly unique, we were part of a new movement to be sure, and perhaps we did have more of a sound of our own than I ever imagined at the time. We certainly had to ignore the cries at shows that we should get a bloody guitar (laughs)!

Sorry to ask another punk question. But in 2016 punk seems to have failed completely. I mean today nothing is allowed, everything has to be categorized in boxes…I even do think people were more open minded in 1977, before punk. What’s your opinion about that, and what does punk mean to you?Don’t ever be sorry to ask a punk question. It’s still the music I listen to most of all. It’s a good point you are making, but people were not at all open minded in 1977, it was tough and dangerous to be a punk rocker back then. I was lucky, I could run fast. But yes, I do agree that we have been surrounded by boxes, something beloved by politicians and computers alike. We all need box cutters sometimes!

Most people will label you as an 80s band, simply because you were so influential then. However, I think you always evolved, and every new album felt like another challenge as I’m sure no one really can describe the music by Attrition as it’s so varied. This variety, is that because you have so many ideas, or is it a matter that you wanted every record to be different?Thank you. Well, we started in 1980 and so were definitely born in the 80s, and gone through many personal changes, but I have always been here, and always want to try new things, so yes, some albums are very much songs and some are soundtracks, sometimes to films and always to emotions. I do still have that feeling, after 35 years, that I have only just started to get somewhere and have so much to do! I think that’s a good place to be.

One of your best current works is Millions Of The Mouthless Dead about the First World War. I understood your grandfather was involved, but why did you make

an album about this issue? Because of the 100th anniversary or because we’re living in times that people tend to forget there was one?My grandad was in the West Yorkshire regiment in World War 1 and wounded in Ypres in 1917. I always wanted to write something about this. The stories he told me when I was a small boy had a profound effect on me. The name Attrition even comes from the description of the First World War as a war of attrition. It really took me so long to be able to tackle the subject, and I think the anniversary just made it essential to do this now. I worked with Anni Hogan on the album and brought in guest speakers to read the French and German poems (among them Mr. Wolfgang Flur, ex-Kraftwerk).

I thought it was kind of ironic. You are not the sole band that made something about the remembrance of the First World War, there was Einsturzende Neubauten too and every TV channel had its own series. But at the same time that we were remembering the cruelties, the world was almost facing another world war during the Ukraine crisis.The First World War was the “war to end wars”, which was a wishful thinking, I think people were so shocked at the enormity of the loss of life, they were looking for some meaning, something positive, but it was a terrible waste of life. And now we have our own wars, changed in character often to smaller wars and terrorist wars, as the big armies got so over powerful. That was the only way they could continue without mass destruction, it’s so bloody sad.

In fact, many fans do wonder if you will perform some songs from Millions of the Mouthless Dead on Black Easter.We had planned a full live performance of Millions of the Mouthless Dead at some point, a special performance, possibly a one off in 2017, the hundredth anniversary of my grandfather falling at Ypres, but for now, I am possibly including the title track in the more “regular” live set.

Any artists you like to see yourself?Well, I know In The Nursery of course, we have played many shows with them over the years, and it will be good to see them again, and a lot of the other bands are actually new to me, so I am looking forward to discovering them, we have planned to stay for the whole festival for that reason!

Didier BECU- 11 -www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be

HEKATE

Hekate was born in 1993. In the early years, you worked a lot with Chorea Minor. The music consisted mainly of electronics and percussion. You have made two releases together: Sanctuary in 1993 and The Seventh Sign in 1995. After that, the group fell apart. What happened in those early years?Our first years were very exciting. We were all children from the 80s who evolved from the dark wave of the 80s to the emerging goth scene. There was a small club in our hometown Koblenz. Alongside hits from usual groups like The Cure, Joy Division and Depeche Mode, the DJ also played very obscure things. There, we learned about the music of Current 93, Death In June, Coil, Delerium and Dead Can Dance. That was a revelation to us. We were not musicians, but the idea was born to do something in that style. I bought old military kettle drums at an antique market and our keyboardist bought the legendary K2000 synthesizer, used by Douglas P. on his But What Ends When

The Symbol Used Shatters album.Mario called himself Chorea Minor and he told me that he could never be a part of Hekate, as he wanted to devote himself more to ambient music in the future. We started with the Sanctuary tape and played in several art exhibitions, including A.R. Penck, who noticed us. Chorea Minor then came up with the idea of treating the Christian faith. Thus The Seventh Sign was born, the first Hekate and Chorea Minor split-CD. That topic led me to a rejection of the dogmatic Christian faith and eventually to the end of the collaboration. I already knew Achim and Susi. Susi was our singer on The Seventh Sign. Achim came in after the production of the CD, and it became a hitherto continual bond of friendship and trust. We also have a friendly relationship with Chorea Minor. At the WGT 2012 in Leipzig, we played the song Endless Life from the Sanctuary tape together, which was a lot of fun.

In 1998, your first album was released: Hambach 1848, especially for the commemoration of the failed German revolution of 1848, 150 years ago. What was your motivation to work on this theme?Hambach 1848 was for us really a statement about the democratic movement in Germany. I grew up with those


songs in the youth movement and I have often heard them at home with my parents. The album definitely was a deep reflection on the theme, and for me it dealt with identity and culture.

Unfortunately, some people - even in academic circles - accused you of far-right ideas back then. That’s odd, since the songs on Hambach 1848 were songs of a democratic movement. How did you feel about this accusation?It was a terrible time. There was a lecture by a professor at the Koblenz university on the new right movement in Germany. He thougth we were young graduates who sought to disseminate nationalist and new right-wing ideas among the people. Moreover, he said that we would eventually occupy high academic posts in the future and spread our ideas even better in Germany. I am currently working with underage unaccompanied refugees in schools and teaching the German language to children. That accusation was absurd and deceptive. The criticism came from a man of the 68-movement and who had the age of our parents. They heard the same songs in their youth, and suddenly there is a band with a lot of drums and black clothes that plays them too. That was provocative and repellent to those people who were alternative hippies in their youth. In their eyes, it could only be right-wing. It has taken years of effort to show that we were just musicians, artists and individuals who wish to entertain people in the first place. Art can be provocative, and that’s a good thing.

After Goddess (2004) and the celebration of ten years of Hekate, we didn’t hear from you for a long time. Only in 2011 did you come back with Die Welt der dunklen Gärten, an excellent CD that saw you move further into the neoclassical direction, while the musical variety that worked so well on Goddess remained. Did you need much time to make the album the way you wanted?Yes, it was a long time. I was busy with myself and had to process several things that happened to me. A long-term relationship broke up and my parents died. In this era, I played with many musician friends. I accompanied Ordo Rosario Equilibrio and played a few concerts with my solo project Cascadeur. Susi left Hekate after Goddess, and returned after a few years for Die Welt der dunklen Gärten, actually at its inception. For me, Hekate felt incomplete without Susi. When the CD came out, I really had the best group composition to date with Jörg Schwickerath, Dirk Diederich, Achim Weiler and Susi Grosche.

What can we expect at Black Easter? A best of show? Will you play new songs?Indeed, we are working on a new CD. We play 50 minutes and will try to play three new songs from the future album. The new work will deal with the subject of symbolism. In parallel, we are also working on a Sonnentanz EP which should represent a cross section of our work. But we will of course also perform songs like Seelenreise and Morituri te salutant, and a song from the Sanctuary tape. We are very much looking forward to the concert in Belgium and hope to play in the Netherlands again this year too. Both countries are very important to us. We love the hospitality and the public in your countries.

Xavier KRUTH- 13 - www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be

RosaRubea is a multimedial project which involves music, poetry and visual art. Cyou, tell us something about this process?Daniela: RosaRubea wants to share art in its widest sense: as a work of heart. When we create, we enter a sacred territory, which we want to keep sacred while we present it on stage, just as a ritual. That is why we try to reproduce the magic, immediacy, unexpected of creation, with all the emotions it conveys, through music, words, visuals and acting. Art gets to the core of life.That also explains why, in the process of creating, sometimes visual artists and painters collaborate with the band. In the past that was with the painter Massimo Bertocchi who conceived the covers of our previous albums, and now it happens with the photographer Luca Baldi, the author of all the pictures of Chrysalide. Besides, we start working with interesting personalities on our next video.The cover of Chrysalide is really beautiful, it looks as though you transcended from your body. Does this image reflect itself in the lyrics also? Are you transcending in these too?Daniela: Thank you. Chrysalide means rebirth through metamorphosis. That is why we wanted to celebrate this, starting from the cover: the chrysalis, wrapped in its veil is lying at the foot of the altar, while the butterfly is ascending onto it. The lyrics, as the music, express each a different nuance of the metamorphosis, pain, love, endurance, loss, rebirth, passion, hope.It seems that Italian dark folk bands like to include other genres in their music, more than bands from European countries. Just like IANVA and Roma Amor, Rosa Rubea is more than strictly dark folk. It’s easy to categorize RosaRubea in the dark folk corner, especially with you, Daniela, as singer and former singer of Camerata. I don’t like to label music, but it’s handy for people who don’t know the music. So, how would you like to describe Rosa Rubea’s style?Daniela: I understand the need to find and give hints and references for orientation. However, as RosaRubea, we

want to feel free from any label and simply convey our feelings and emotions through music and share them with free listeners. We want our music to be as a breath, as life itself; I like to think of RosaRubea’s music as a music of metamorphic desire, red and alive, a spiraling crescendo of passion which is marked by experimenting with singing and both classical instruments and electronics: a music which breaks the limits and travels towards the unknown.You’ve played at The Villa Festival, with RosaRubea and also with Cropcircle, how did the people react to the new material?Daniela: I am happy to say that the people showed a deep involvement during RosaRubea’s performance. We were thrilled ourselves and felt the vibrating atmosphere. The warm audience was captivated by the new material, and that was a great reward for us. We really enjoyed playing at the Villa Festival once again. As for Cropcircle, I participated on their new CD Soundtrack For An Unquiet Night, on the song Preludio - Atlantide. I recorded with them the soundtrack for my poems De l’Amor sospeso e de l’Amor rubeo, it also was an enthralling experience, much appreciated by the audience, and a pleasure for me to share the stage with Cecco and Stefania Domiziana.You are playing at the Black Easter festival in Antwerp in 2016. What can we expect, and are you thrilled to come to Belgium? By the way, is this the first time you perform in Belgium?Daniela: We look forward to playing at the Black Easter Festival. It is our first time in Belgium, neither have I ever played there with Camerata Mediolanense, so it is going to be a thorough novelty that we will experience with deep involvement and care. All pictures I saw of you have a very sensual nature. It seems they want to paint the picture of Daniela as a seductress, which they manage to do very well. Is


ROSARUBEA

Daniela in ordinary life also a vamp, or is it just an image you or the photographer want to create?

Daniela: Ask my lovers! Anyway, the public image is always limited. Honni soit qui mal y pense! Camerata was and still is a very influential and much loved band. Their success is mostly due to your

vocal work with the band. But your ways split, what was the reason? Daniela: Singing and performing with

Camerata Mediolanense has always been an intense and fertile experience, as long as it lasted - almost twenty years! Our ways split, as sometimes happens in life, and a new life is born. RosaRubea is also a very poetic name, it is the Latin for “Red Rose”. Is this to show the romantic side of the project? How important is love in Daniela’s life?Daniela: “RosaRubea” is the alchemical “Rubedo”, the ultimate phase of the Opus Magnum or Opus Chemicum, announcing the transmutation of vile metal into gold. So the name does not hint at a romantic side of the group, but points at the alchemical path of purification. Love is at the core of this purification, so it is fundamental in all its nuances.RosaRubea is truly your project, I think, while in Camerata you were more a band member, am I right? With Rosa Rubea, do you have a complete control, and how does it feel to be the front woman?Daniela: RosaRubea was founded around 2009 by Pino Carafa, an electronic music composer who later quit the band. As it has always been an open project, other talented musicians joined: Zeno Gabaglio, Marco Bosio, Michele

Fiore, Yann Turrini, Ermanno Fabbri. It is true that in RosaRubea I am the author of the concept and in it I have put my heart and soul since the beginning. The synergies with the other musicians are fundamental though. In Camerata Mediolanense, I was an interpreter, although I had contributed in choosing some repertoire, including covers and some of the arrangements with the other band members. To be the frontwoman is a good thing if you are inclined to it: I feel good!Camerata’s inspiration comes from history and mythology. Where do you find inspiration for RosaRubea?Daniela: Inspiration comes from life itself. RosaRubea’s work is a work-in-progress: it hints at the metamorphosis life encourages us to face. In this respect, there is both an autobiographical side and an archetypical side; the process of birth-death-rebirth is reflected in RosaRubea’s music in its infinite nuances and implications: an unborn child, the hope of youth, widowhood, passionate love, the eternity of after-death experience, the marriage of the fire and the rose, self-sacrifice, the sublimity of love.On the Tre Ert Tre on CD-R, you have covered Lather by Jefferson Airplane and Dancing Barefoot by Patti Smith), are these two important artists for you? Which other artists influenced you as a singer, and which artists and bands do you like listening to?Daniela: There are songs or singers you love since the very beginning: love at first sight is a matter of fact. That was the case with Patti Smith and Grace Slick, two voices with such a different character, but both intense and unique, just like that of Nico, another singer whom I liked to cover. Yes, I have always loved their authenticity, both as artists and as women. The voices of the Italian singers Antonella Ruggiero or Patti Pravo in her best years also touch my soul, just as that of Kate Bush; and as for opera, I love the French Véronique Gens, for instance, and Sandrine Piau, and the Greek Theresa Stratas. These are just a few examples. The sources of inspiration are manifold. Dimi BRANDS photo © LUCA BALDI


MILA MARFor the readers who are not so familiar with your music, can you introduce them to Jo Quail ?I’m a cellist and composer and I write and perform instrumental music. I use looping to perform live and my music loosely fits into coFor a lot of people it was a surprise that you reunited in 2015. Why did you decide to start again?We all longed for our sound. We knew that we can create a certain energy together. We share a lot, many hours of music, joy, fighting, pain, reconciliation… just life. You can hear that in our music. Our sound represents all these hours which we experienced together.

How are the reactions so far? Have you already played some live shows like on WGT?Thanks to the audiences, our first shows have been very energetic experiences with some great feedback. When you feel the power on stage and at that moment you’re focused (energy, passion) then everything is right. It’s pretty amazing that after 11 years we can still gather so many fans around us.

What are your plans with Mila Mar? Will there be a new album?

We might record and release some new songs, we might travel the world… Right now, everything seems possible. But we don’t consider producing an album in the classical sense. We are independent, we don’t work with a management or a distributor. When we think about releasing new music, we think about a live recording with our fans somewhere in a cave or on a mountain somewhere in the world. We recorded one new song and produced a live video last year. The song is called Haime and will be online soon!

What was the reason that you ended Mila Mar back in 2005?We found peace and don’t want to talk about the past anymore. We are looking forward and we are curious about the future.

What does the resurrection of Mila Mar means for Milù? I noticed you’re still performing live as Milù.. Yes, Milù will always be a part of me. A couple of months ago, I did a vocal performance „Leben gegen die Nacht ohne Wunder“ in a theatre. Just me, my looper, some poems and a beautiful video installation. I will continue on this path… longing speaks with many tongues.


It has been 8 years since you released a new album as Milù. Is it difficult to release new material or have you been busy with a lot of other (important) things?Honestly, I’ve never been a huge fan of working in the studio. I love to perform on stage. I love to feel the direct connection to the audience. Right now, I’m really into playing shows and perform in front of an audience.

What can people expect from your show at the Black Easter festival ?We experiment a lot. We have new songs and we try to catch the mood and the energy of our songs in a new way.

We are free, so everything seems possible!

Who or what influences you to play your music? I can imagine there’s more than one music style that influenced you? Nature influences me a lot. But also artists like Frida Kahlo or Patti Smith with their poetry and their melodies. I cry when I listen to the Hungarian Dances by Brahms or when my son sings Where Did You Sleep Last Night by Nirvana. My journeys also influenced me a lot, India, Norway, Africa … you can hear that cultural mix in our music.

You are able to sing ’childish’ and mature within a breath. What do you do to maintain your voice?I am synaesthete. Sounds create colors and colors create sounds. I’ve always sensed music this way. I sing every day for several hours and I love to wander between the different moods. I use the different vocal timbres and colors to express the pictures I carry inside of me.

Something you always wanted to say, but never was asked…Yes, I want world peace. - hooray for love!!

Ron SCHOONWATER


IN THE NURSERYThis year In The Nursery celebrates its 35th anniversary. We had a conversation with founders Nigel and Klive Humberstone.


I remember very well that your first recordings were quite industrial. Were you ever part of the Sheffield scene as this was the city for industrial music!Nigel: This subject reared its head recently with the release of the documentary Industrial Soundtrack For An Urban Decay which we were interviewed for. Many bands and artists (including ourselves, Cabaret Voltaire and Hula) never considered ourselves as producing industrial music. The term was a convenient label and not much more. Obviously we were (and, in many ways, still are) part of the Sheffield music scene but not part of ‘ a scene’.Klive: History, like journalism, has a tendency to ‘pigeonhole’ for convenience. We formed the band in Sheffield, which is historically known for its steel making and rich industrial past. We had contemporaries in Sheffield with bands like Cabaret Voltaire, Hula and Clock DVA, and articles in the music newspapers and fanzines placed us all together into the same category. The Industrial tag is not something we have chosen to describe what we do.About Sheffield. Do you have any idea why this city has such an industrial boom?Nigel: I am also co-founder and music director for Sensoria Music & Film Festival and we recently conducted research for a report about the Sheffield music sector. It was intended as a snapshot, listing the number of bands, composers, studios etc. in the region, but it also gave an interesting insight through a number of interviews with key players. It confirmed that there is something unique about Sheffield musicians, be it defiance in the face of conformity or a shear stubbornness to create something different. There’s definitely something in the DNA of the city, but an element that’s hard to put a finger on. Long may it continue that way! When Dolores joined the band, a new In The Nursery-sound was born. Was Dolores the reason or was it something else?Klive: We originally asked Dolores to sing/speak some French passages on the track Elegy during a recording session in the late 80s. We tended to use the voice as another instrument in our music and the inclusion of different languages suited the moods and atmospheres. Dolores has been in the live band ever since and has contributed her vocals to many In The Nursery tracks over the years.Your sound is so unique that people use the term In The Nursery sound, but what inspires you?Nigel: It is always difficult to analyze exactly what has influenced us over the years because it’s not always

evident. But elements of film and classical music have inspired us throughout our career.In a way, I always thought In The Nursery sounds tragic and heroic. How would you describe it yourself?Nigel: That’s a pretty good description. Another adjective would have to be melancholic - sadness is a strong emotion and something our music is always associated with, in a positive way.In the old days I used to describe your music as a soundtrack for non-existing movies, but that has changed now. I guess this is just a dream that came true, not?Nigel: We described Stormhorse as a soundtrack to an imaginary film which was very apt and we have since been fortunate to work on scores for An Ambush of Ghosts plus the many silent film projects - but the aspiration is still there to compose a full soundtrack for a feature film. So the dream is still there.In recent years, you make the soundtrack for silent movies. How does that happen? Do you decide yourself which one you’ll do or are you asked by others?Nigel: The Optical Music Series in 1996 with our score for The Cabinet Of Dr Caligari which we chose and released totally independently. Since then we’ve developed the series with a mix of commissions from the likes of film institutes and festivals (Man With A Movie Camera, Hindle Wakes and Electric Edwardians) combined with films chosen purely because they inspire us creatively (A Page Of Madness, The Passion Of Joan Of Arc, Asphalt and The Fall Of The House Of Usher).And if you write such a soundtrack, is it the In The Nursery interpretation or are you making compositions of which you think the directors would like them that way?Nigel: Our Optical Music scores are definitely our interpretation.Klive: We have been choosing the scores to silent films ourselves. The way we approach the composition is completely open and free from constrictions. Our own choices, our own mistakes and freedom to experiment.You will play at the Black Easter festival in Antwerp. What can we expect?Nigel: 2016 is a milestone year for In The Nursery as it represents the 35th anniversary of our debut concert in 1981. As such we’ll be presenting a special show at Black Easter that covers different aspects of our back catalogue and hopefully hint at new ventures we are planning.Thank you very much and we’re looking forward to see you at Black Easter in Antwerp.

Didier BECU- 19 - www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be

SUNDAY 27.03


SHE PAST AWAY

00:15

LEBANON HANOVER

21:05SONJA KRAUSHOFER

22:35

EVI VINE

19:40

JO QUAIL

18:15

SAIGON BLUE RAIN

17:05

ORGANIC

16:00


ORGANIC

Didier BECU photo © Marquis(pi)X


Hello, the first question is quite simple: introduce Organic to those who never heard of the band! We are a Belgian electronic rock trio. Our music style varies between post-punk, new wave and psyche. Of course we try to make music that is appreciated by the audience, but at the same time we make music that pleases us as well.

Organic was founded five years ago. Can you summarize this period, especially the highlights!The seeds of Organic were sown during an accidental meeting in a cultural center, having sandwiches afterwards for dinner. At the time we were all playing in different bands. While playing alone on stage with the Graceland project, Joris spontaneously jumped onto the stage to support me with some great bass lines on some of the tracks. It really sounded great as a support to the things I performed. So afterwards we got the idea of setting up a new band together.Joris and I worked in the studio on some tracks as some kind of a sound lab experiment. This all swiftly resulted in 12 recorded tracks which we released as a debut album called Under Your Carbon Constellation on the Swedish label CCP. Soon after, drummer Olivier Justin joined the band during the creation of this first album and it became obvious that Organic would be a powerful trio.

Both Joris and Raphaël are involved in other bands, but as far as I know all these bands are still around, not?Joris is not against the idea of setting up another group or to revive Yel (his previous band), but it is not on the agenda. I am no longer working on Graceland, but I continue in studio with my side project Kinex Kinex. Playing live is not a priority with that project. Olivier is playing with another band called Cloé du Trèfle.

About your sound, I definitely do hear postpunk, but very raw postpunk like in the old Factory-days. Can you agree with that?I do agree that some of our tracks have some kind of resemblance to some of the music of the early Factory-days, however, that may be an unconscious coincidence. We may be influenced on a certain level by this music, but we just want to produce what we want to hear. And the sound you hear, is the sound we like. When we’re composing, it’s all happening in a natural way. We’re mixing all our inspirations together and this leads to the production of our music. And if there is a slight resemblance to Factory music sometimes, so be it, but our approach is sincere and direct, without any planning in advance.

One of your first concerts was with Graham Coxon of Blur. I guess that must have been something special. Did you talk with him about Organic? I always thought Coxon was very interested in new sounds.Graham was very friendly; he congratulated us afterwards for our support. Unfortunately he was in a hurry and we could not have a beer with him after the performance.

You have two albums out. What’s the difference between both of them and do you think that you have developed the Organic sound you had in mind or is it something that will evolve with every album?I think we now have a specific sound which is much appreciated by the audience. Especially during our last shows we noticed many people were dancing. Our goal was to make people happy and make them smile. So, I think at this moment the sound is pretty good, however there’s always a possibility of evolving in the future. And although the lyrics of our songs often are quite sad or depressed, the tempo of the tracks is fast which makes the music still danceable. And we definitely want to shake brains with our music.

Your second album has been distributed both by Manic Depression and Swiss Dark Nights. They happen to be the best labels for post-punk and goth punk. I guess they opened quite some doors?I agree, there’s indeed some kind of credibility and also recognition when your album is distributed by such labels. So when you send queries for shows to festivals or venues as a new band, there’s suddenly a lot more credibility when you’re on a label like Manic Depresion or Swiss Dark Nights. So, yes it definitely opens doors.

Organic is especially known in Brussels and Wallonia. In Flanders, you’re still unknown. Can you reveal your plan how you will conquer that part of the country?We have contacted a lovely person who’s going to try to get us booked in some of the venues in the north of our country. She’s also involved with some other Belgian and British bands. She recently started her own project which is called luminousdash.com

With whom wouldn’t you mind to be alone in an elevator for 8 hours and what would you do then?Being stuck in an elevator with Mark Hollis (Talk Talk’s singer) would be much appreciated! I mean… why on earth did a great composer like him suddenly disappear from the music industry? I would really try to convince him to get back on stage.


Hello. Can you introduce Saigon Blue Rain to our readers ?Ophelia: Hello, so Franck and I (founding members of the band) like to say that Saigon Blue Rain is a gothic band with hints of color and light in a global dark universe. We started the project at the end of 2012 quite unexpectedly after we composed and wrote a song to the memory of my grandparents who died a few days before. We thought that it was a good cold wave/dream pop track, so we composed a few other things in the wake and that’s how our first EP Stupid Bitch Reject was born. Later, our sound turned more ethereal, we’ve been more precise about what we wanted to create, then we released our first album What I Don’t See at the end of 2014. We’ve done a few gigs to introduce our universe and promote our work. And now, here we are with our second album Noire Psyché, which will be out in a few days.

You started as Stupid Bitch Project. Why did you change the name? How did you come up with Saigon Blue Rain and has it any meaning?Ophelia: At the very beginning of the project, we were searching a name for the band and we thought that Stupid Bitch Reject sounded catchy and punk. Our musical influences are varied and before starting to compose the tracks of our EP, we really didn’t know what musical direction to take, the first tracks we composed were more nervous. But a few tracks later, we finally found our style and it was evident that we had to change the name of the band.Franck: To us, the three letters SBR are like a magical combination that brought us luck from the beginning. We wanted to keep them for superstitious reasons.

Saigon Blue Rain is a French band. There are many good French bands around like Soror Dolorosa, that give the dark scene some new breath. How is the scene in France nowadays ?Indeed, the French dark scene is rich nowadays with band that are unfortunately (we have to say it) underrated. Here in France, and particularly in Paris, most of the promoters of gothic nights don’t care about new bands. Always the same old bands over and over again (however, we don’t deny the quality), but we think that it’s time to let new bands prove that they can bring a new breath to this ageing scene.

Maybe it’s typical Belgian, but over here it’s quite hard to attract a young audience for goth or dark wave music. How is the situation in France?It’s certainly not typical for Belgium. In France, we see the same phenomenon. However, the reasons are certainly

different from country to country. In France, it brings us back to what we were talking about in the previous question. The dark scene is stuck in the past and there’s no chance to attract a younger audience if those people that hold the reins don’t allow younger people to be part of it.

Many people categorize you as dark wave (or sometimes even goth), but on our pages, a reporter suggested both Zola Jesus and Bat For Lashes. Can you see the link?Well, we know Zola Jesus (we’re listening to one of her songs right now to make the comparison). On the other hand, we know Bat For Lashes, we like a lot her music and she certainly is one of our many sources of inspiration. This reporter is not wrong in his analysis.

Soon a new album will be released (Noire Psyché). Can you tell us something about it and can it be compared with your first one?Noire Psyché has been more intensive, it needed more work to make it what we wanted it to be. Musically and technically it is richer, so it was also more complicated to make it sound as we wanted. It’s also more introspective and personal. What I Don’t See was an ode to the immaterial, but Noire Psyché is kind of its opposite, an exposure of our feelings, of our souls and also of our bodies.

In the autumn you will tour with The Beauty Of Gemina. How did that happen? I guess Michael Sele loves your music?Yes, The Beauty of Gemina is a band that we’ve listened to for at least 6 years, before the existence of SBR, so you can imagine that it’s a bit like a dream coming true. We’ve been invited to play in London by promoter Stephen Kennedy from The Velvet Sheep who also works with Michael Sele. Following this amazing gig, we were proposed to support The Beauty Of Gemina on the Minor Sun-tour. It’s gonna be a blast !

You soon play at Black Easter. What can we expect of Saigon Blue Rain?An invitation to the dream, that’s what we want to offer the audience each time we are on stage. If people who come to listen to us have the feeling to drop out of reality, then they caught the meaning of our musical universe.

Are there any bands you want to see yourself?We’ll be particularly delighted to see Evi Vine and She Past Away. Didier BECU photo © Marquis(pi)X


SAIGON BLUE RAIN- 25 - www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be

JO QUAILLast year, Matt Howden of Sieben introduced me to the music of cellist Jo Quail. I was astonished by the beautiful compositions created by this lovely lady. Since she will be performing at the Black Easter festival in Antwerp, I thought this was the perfect opportunity to interview her and talk about her music, inspiration, collaborations and so much more...


For the readers who are not so familiar with your music, can you introduce them to Jo Quail ?I’m a cellist and composer and I write and perform instrumental music. I use looping to perform live and my music loosely fits into contemporary classical and post-rock genres. If that’s not too vague! It’s at times introspective, heavy, ambient, meditative, atonal or harmonically simple, depends on how I’m feeling or what I’m writing at the time.In your biography I read that you are influenced by classical music (Bach, Debussy, Pärt, Bartok) as well as some modern artists like Jane’s Addiction or Nine Inch Nails. How broad is the spectrum? Where are the boundaries?Whatever I hear, experience, feel, this directly inspires and influences the music I write. There might be aspects of a particular artist that I admire, and I try to figure out what exactly moves me, is it the production, the harmonic progression, the instrumentation, the vibe of the piece, and I will immerse myself in this aspect and then see how i t translates in to what I create. If there is a song

or a piece I especially love, I will stop listening to it when I feel I am beginning a writing phase, as I try to take the energy if you like of what moved me at that period of time, and

then work with that as I create something new. I find I listen to artists and composers incessantly

for short-ish periods of time, and they can range from ‘classical’ to very apparently unrelated genres,

yet to me all music is related.You had a classical training. How did you start

experimenting with looping technology?I was introduced to looping through musical colleagues some 10 or so years ago when I first started playing with bands, and I dallied with it in a light-hearted fashion for quite a few years. It didn’t really come into its own for me until 2010, when I released my first solo album and began to play solo concerts. However my loop station (BOSS RC300 – completely brilliant by the way!) is only ever a compositional tool for me, not an effects unit. It must serve me, not the other way around, and this boundary I set myself both limits and immensely increases musical possibility. Music must have compositional integrity for me, not simply a loop for the sake of it, and there must be development and shape within a piece, whether rhythmically, harmonically or texturally, so that’s the practical starting point when I write, regardless of the inspirational starting point.You never felt the urge to add vocals or spoken word lyrics to them?

Whilst most of my music is instrumental, I very much enjoy working with vocalists when the moment is right. On my first album From The Sea I was very privileged to work with the poet Mohan Rana, who recited in Hindi a poem of his The Colour of Water. I heard this voice, this extraordinary timbre and tone, and it moved me greatly, though I had no idea what the poem was about (my Hindi is not great…!). I set this spoken word to music, without fully knowing the English translation, and the result was extraordinary and synchronistic! Some songs remind me of similar techniques by classical composers like Bella Bartok and Arvo Pärt. So I guess you like a classical approach, as well as an experimental one ?Yes, I do. They are one and the same to me, everyone at some stage was labeled ‘experimental’ or some other term common to the era, and that’s where evolution arises. Bartok and Part are enormous influences for me, both in very different ways, so thank you for the comparison, I am honoured! I love the vast array of sonic effects available on a ‘normal’ cello, and I try to incorporate these into my electric cello repertoire too, there’s a big slab of this type of work on my new album actually.Some of your compositions are based on the marvelous nature in Australia, like the brilliant South West Night of the album Caldera. So I guess you like to visit these places regularly...I do indeed! I am very fortunate to be able to travel with my music, and I see some extraordinary sites (natural and otherwise) on occasion. Especially so in Australia, where the distances are so vast and the landscape changes almost beyond recognition from region to region. I’ve been moved to tears by the awe-inspiring natural beauty in this rich, diverse and spectacular country. However, equally important to me is the raw and unbridled power of the English coastlines, drenched in myth, shrouded often in mystery, and always such a vibrating source of energy to me.Soon, you will be playing in Belgium at the Black Easter festival? What can people except?I’m so thrilled to be playing Black Easter! It’s been on my radar for some time and I’m so happy to have been invited to play. Thank you for having me! I’d really like to play the whole of Five Incantations, but I think most likely I’ll be playing a couple from this album and my older favourites (for me!) like Adder Stone and Laurus. Expect electric cello and you won’t be disappointed! Ward DE PRINS photo © Simon Kallas


EVI VINE

The first encounter I had with you, was your marvelous contribution to the Joy Divison tribute album, A Change Of Speed - A Change Of Style. A tempting, somewhat eerie version of Dead Souls. I immediately wanted to find out more about you. What does Joy Divison mean to you? And how do you look back on the participation in this album?Dead Souls was on our wish list to cover. So, when approached to contribute a track, we were delighted (and surprised) that the track was still available. Joy Divisions’ music is as integral to my life as anything else.

Noticing that a talented artist like you isn’t signed to a label, was another surprise to me. Was it necessity

to release your albums yourself or was it a deliberate choice to opt for the DIY ethics?A mixture of both. We felt we had to go alone until we got a relationship with the right label, which we would love.

Your voice is a superb asset. On top of that, you are a multi-instrumentalist. Did you start lessons at a young age? What was your first instrument?I had guitar lessons when I was 8. just learnt rudiments for a few years and then through circumstances moved to piano and then lost interest. So, I have picked up the guitar again a few years ago, as a self-taught musician, as is Steven, which has benefits and pitfalls to different creative processes.

Folktronica artist Evi Vine will perform at Black Easter Festival in Antwerp on Sunday 27th March. Evi is blessed with a wonderful voice. She plays dark intimate folk. She makes dreamful, fragile and atmospheric music that reminds me of Elizabeth Fraser. Her latest album Give Your Heart Away To The Hawks scored well on these pages. Give your heart to Evi Vine! Discover her music that comes straight from the heart.


At Peek-A-Boo we have a series of articles, called “The ten albums that changed my life”. Wayne Hussey didn’t suggest classical albums. Instead, he chose more recent albums. He called your debut album … And So The Morning Comes a thing of rare beauty. I suppose it must be an honor to be supported by Wayne Hussey.Yes, the Mission’s music changed my life too. So, we were blown away when we heard the review of our material and obviously we’re thrilled to support him on his solo tour.

This tour will start in Liege (Belgium). How did this tour come into being?We contacted Wayne’s management directly to thank him for the review and things went from there really. We had a few shows booked already ands we were delighted when the timing was right and we could do the shows....it’s a real honor.

Prior to this tour, you’ll perform at Black Easter Festival. What can we expect? How many musicians will mount the stage next to you and will your partner in crime Steven Hillbe there?At the moment, we’re really lucky to bring the whole band, which is Hunter Barr on synth/programming, who has been pushing the live sound further, and is such a dream to work with, and our new drummer ‘GB’ on drums. Having live drums makes all the difference when playing live.

Jo Quail played cello on your debut album …And So The Morning Comes. The gifted cellist is also booked for Black Easter. Tell our readers why they should check her out.Unfortunately, our recording session with Jo for the album was cut short due to a blizzard, but we really were delighted that she could record most of what we had arranged. She is a very gifted artist. And one of a handful female artists who are changing the way we are listening to music.

On your website, I saw that Matt Howden (aka Sieben who played at Black Easter last year) collaborated with you as well? Did he appear on a record or was/is he a guest musician on live shows?We saw Matt play numerous times and we are always blown away by his performance. We shared a stage, but not at the same time, that’s for the future. We were so lucky that he had the time to record some beautiful violins for Welcome The Dream Led Masses, which he sent through an echo plate and it fitted perfectly with the end of the track. Mixing that with Phill Brown was a highlight of the sessions.

I read you wrote Give Your Heart To The Hawks in the woods surrounding Berlin. It remembers me of Zola Jesus (an artist whom I see some similarities with) who moved to the desolate rural region of Wisconsin to write her Taiga album. Was it important for Give Your Heart To The Hawks to change environment? Couldn’t you have written the same album in London? Did the forest have an impact on your song writing?The themes of the album run through our lives whether we’re in the city or the forest, and sometimes you need to escape the sirens/asphalt to tie your’sel back to the earth, You need open fires, woodlands and stars. CCTV, camera, the ever watching eye, the album is very much about surveillance.

Richard Farmby of Mogwai wrote the soundtrack of horror series Les Revenants, and he coproduced your latest album Give Your Heart To The Hawks. How was it to work with him?Real fun and inspiring! He has an army of vintage and weird synths, drum machines and poly synths, and the creativity to be able to use them wisely. He very much helped us finish 2 tracks that we were struggling with, and that was priceless. We wanted to work with him once more, but time was limited. It would be a dream at some stage to start and finish the whole process with him.

You and Steven are mentioned as mountaineers. Your song Hands Are Tied has become the soundtrack to a video about The Dark Mountain Project. Could you explain our readers what this Dark Mountain Project is about?Uncivilisation: The Dark Mountain Manifesto was the starting point for the whole Dark Mountain Project. It aims at the myths of civilisation - the myth of progress, the myth of human separation from nature - and the way they shield us from recognizing the depth of the mess in which we find ourselves. It also is a call to a deeper cultural engagement with the ecological, economic and social crises of our time. How good or bad a job we make of navigating the end of the world as we know it, will depend not the least on the stories we tell ourselves.

Thanks for your cooperation Evi. Any last words? A message for your fans maybe?We are so thankful to you and everyone who supports us, that’s important for an independent artist.

Benny CALUWE


At the ReWind Easter festival in 2013 you played one of your first performances on a big stage. It was clear you didn’t feel comfortable there although it was a good gig and you made a good impression. Do you still feel the same kind of stress when you enter the stage now?William: We were new to festivals, that is true. Being the delicate creatures that we usually are at festivals, some bands may feel pushed and hurried by a tightly timed line-up. This is kind of how we felt, this was new to us. Now we fully understand those kinds of situations.

On stage Lebanon Hanover is a very static band with quite minimalistic music. Is this music made for a particular audience or is it an expression of your moods or feelings? William: We never sat down and wrote music for an audience. Moods and feelings are the foundations of Lebanon Hanover. If an audience wants to connect with what we are doing, then it has to be involved in our moods and feelings.

The style of the music is cold wave and minimal wave. Is that a reaction to the rat race of the 21st century? A sort of escape to a more calm comfort zone?Larissa: It definitely is some sort of escape from the high pitched digital music tunes. I can’t listen to anything like that. Vaguely, it’s around 1982 when music has been written that inspired and grabbed me, more than anything before or after. It’s this feeling we want to revive.

When I listen to Lebanon Hanover, I always think of lonely places or wide desolate landscapes. Those places are hard to find these days. Is that the mood you try to create?William: This is the general vision we get, in a way we also grew up in wide open places and have submerged ourselves in such lands, we also happen to like empty lands. It is also part of our look on life sometimes. So it tends to come out in the music.

With five albums (including the tape : La Fête Triste), the band is very productive, it looks like everything comes nice and smoothly. Where do you get all that inspiration from?Larissa: There was a time when we lived in Northern England in complete isolation with rain every day, you just had to do something. The band already exists for five years, so I think four albums is not that much.

My personal opinion on the last album is that it moves to dark wave. There are more instruments, even trumpets (The Moor) and there’s a higher tempo than on the first albums. Is there a special reason or is that a normal evolution?William: It could be the vibe we were feeling. We like to take things further, develop music in different ways. So you could say it is a type of natural evolution. We don’t want to do the same thing over and over…

Sometimes Larissa does the singing, and then it’s William. How do you decide who is going to do the vocal parts? When you write a song, do you know who’s going to do it?Larissa: We both spend a lot of time writing in our journals. When one feels the urge to put something important in a text, then we quickly talk and decide who is going to sing it. We exclusively write the texts for ourselves.

Sometimes they are sung in English, sometimes in German. Is that to express a certain feeling?Larissa: It is quiet insane how some words just sound so beautiful in German like Galgen or Abgrund. Mainly our songs are in English, so we have a universal code, but as I am an aesthete and a big fan of wordplay, I sometimes choose for the German language.

On 27th of March you will play at the Black Easter Festival in Antwerp. Are you looking forward to play in Belgium again? Do you have a special connection with Belgium?Larissa: Belgium has something very somber and I especially look forward to see my favorite Belgian city, which is Antwerp.

Are there any bands at Black Easter Festival you’d like to see?Larissa: Definitely! Whispering Sons and She Past Away. I love them.

Is there something you like to say to the readers of Peek-A-Boo-Magazine and the visitors of Black Easter l? What can they expect from the Lebanon Hanover gig?William: It could be that we have some surprises! Besides this, let us leap into the abyss together.

Ruben SAEY photo © Marquis(pi)X


LEBANON HANOVER


Hi, Sonja, thanks for taking the time to answer some questions. Last year, you performed at the Black Easter Festival as well. You joined Goethes Erben on stage. How did you experience the festival in general and that concert in particular?I really enjoyed the atmosphere of the festival. It was great to see that the audience paid attention for each band, the line-up was just special and refreshingly different from other festivals. The show of „Grausame Töchter“ was a blast, I liked it very much! Glad to see them there. The highlight of the day was the concert with Goethes Erben, that`s for sure. I felt very comfortable on stage, although it was a very long day... not only for us, but also for the crowd, they celebrated till the end. Good (laughs).

Will you remain a Goethes Erben member in the future? Are you still involved in Henke?I was never involved in the band Henke, only did the duet with Oswald and accompanied the tours with Coma Divine. In the autumn Goethes Erben will perform some shows in Germany and yes, I will be part of it again. Already looking foward to it. I hope we`ll have the chance to play in Belgium again soon.

Soon you will perform at Black Easter Festival again. With how many will you be on stage? Will Martin Hoefert, the cellist who was also involved in Persephone and Coma Divine, be there too?Yes, he will. And actually Martin was not only involved in the bands, he`s the main songwriter (laughs). At Black Easter Festival we`ll have 5 musicicans: Martin Höfert (cello), charming Sue Ferrers (violin), pianist André Wahl ,who is responsible for the arrangements of this very project, Lukas Materzok actor and writer - his surreal, romantic texts will form the framework of our performance, and last but not least my humble self.

Personally I’m fond of older L’ Âme Immortelle songs such as Bitterkeit and Life Will Never Be The Same Again. Does the set list focus on L’Ame Immortelle songs? Or do you have any surprises up your sleeve?

Our set list won`t focus on L’Ame Immortelle songs, but it`ll definitely include some. We will play songs of all my bands, of course also tunes of Persephone and Coma Divine, all songs will be acoustic. Probably also some unreleased tracks.

This year, L’Ame Immortelle exists 20 year. Is there anything planned to celebrate this? A new compilation album maybe?How could you know? (laughs) Yes, there will be an album called Unsterblich, which will contain a great mixture of our best songs, but we`ve rearranged the songs and

recorded them recently, so they all sound more up to date. Actually, our new live arrangements inspired us to do so. The limited version of the release will also contain a second CD with the original tracks of the songs and an extensive booklet with many pictures and all the lyrics.

Lately, Ashley Dayour is very active with Whispers In The Shadow, The Devil & The Universe and Near Earth Orbit. Do you still have plans together concerning your mutual project Coma Divine?Not for the moment.

Next to being a musician, you are also an actress and a director in the theatre. Can you use your experience as a musician in theatre or vice versa?Yes, of course. I think you can`t really do the one without

SONJA KRAUSHOFER


the other... singing is always acting, telling a story and carrying emotions.

So as mentioned before, you have been active for 20 years now in music. What were your personal highlights and what was the most disappointing occasion in that period?Wow, that`s hard to tell... hmm, the main highlight is that I`m still there! 20 years is quite a long time, but it seems like yesterday when I entered the rehearsal room of L’Ame Immortelle for the first time. It`s still exciting! I`m happy and proud that Thomas Rainer and I made it through all the years. I`m very thankful that I have the chance to be a singer... and do just what I really love to do. That`s a gift, I appreciate this a lot.Disappointing occasions... yes there were a few, of course... and some of them did hurt, but in the end it all turned out well so far... so let`s concentrate on future glories instead.

What are the plans for 2016? And what do you wish to achieve in the future?I guess, health is the most important thing to wish for... well, and maybe happiness. 2016 is full of various plans for all bands and projects, so it won`t be boring. I`ll be on tour with L’Ame Immortelle soon, in autumn we`ll play two shows in Russia and of course we can`t wait for the release of Unsterblich. Martin and I will take care of new Persephone songs and there will be more Sonja Kraushofer shows as well.

Any last words? A message for the fans maybe?I just can`t tell how excited I am to play at the Black Easter Festival soon. Playing songs of all my bands means a lot to me, especially to share the stage with such excellent musicians! See you there! Stay tuned!

Thanks! See you in Antwerp!

Benny CALUWE


SHE PAST AWAY


For those who are unfamiliar with the band, tell us about the history of the band, and your influences through the years. Did you play in other bands before?We are active since 2009. We got involved in a variety of styles from extreme metal to post-punk to electronic. I got into dark wave in the late 90s. It took ten years to come up with She Past Away, due to the rarity of people into this style.

Which bands and artists influenced you?We are into 70s and 80s new wave. Too many bands to mention really. The mechanized, desperate, dark sound of that era is the main influence.

You sing in Turkish, could you bring the same music/atmosphere in English?We never tried it. Writing and singing in our mother language gives us more freedom. Maybe in the future we will try, we will see!

You guys come from Turkey. Is there a gothic scene over there?There is not a dark wave and gothic scene in Turkey. Heavy metal, post-rock and experimental music are the main genres in the underground.

Which other bands in Turkey should we definitely discover?I can suggest Kim Ki O, Ugly Shadows, Rhythm 0 and Reptilians From Andromeda.

Most of us don’t understand the lyrics, can you tell us what you mainly sing about?

I write lyrics about the negative side of our lives.

It can be many things: loneliness,

feeling empty, the negative impacts of religions or the daily trauma.

What inspires you to write songs?Writing and composing is a meditative process.

The music you play has an 80’s sound, and it reminds me of dark wave and cold wave. Any reason? Is it intentional?This is purely because we listen to that kind of music. The 80s is an ocean, an era in which music was progressive and intimate.

Is the second album (Narin Yalnızlık) more mature than the first one (Belirdi Gece), you think?That’s a natural process. Maybe we are growing up. Some songs of Berlirdi Gece were composed ten years ago, so in fact it is a collection of songs from the previous 10 years. Narin Yalnızlık reflects more what we are now.

You were on a tour for a long time after the release of Belirdi Gece. You also were on tour after the release of the second album. What is the biggest challenge to play live?Not many things changed. We play longer now, but during festivals, you have a limited time. It is harder to choose what to add to the playlist and what not.

What do you prefer: a gig in a small venue or a bigger festival? And why?It depends. Smaller clubs feel better due to the intimacy with the audience.

You played in Belgium some times (Café Bizarre in Dentergem and Botanique in Brussels), what’s your idea about the audience in Belgium? Is it different than in other countries?We also played in Eernegem at the B52. It was rather enjoyable. We like to play in Belgium. It is the home country of legends like Front 242 and Siglo XX. The audience knows what’s going on in music and the average age is higher. It is a pleasure to play for a more experienced audience.

Are there any dreams you want to realize in the near future?We are recording some new songs and we are working on a new video and the tours as usual.

Jurgen BRAECKEVELT photo © Marquis(pi)X


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pab - special edition - black easter festival 2016

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