Ten Questions to ... Ken Magerman (of Sounds and Shadows blog and the band Amaranth)

Over the past forty years, one of the very few universal truths which I have learned about a darkwave scene which is mired in cliché and prejudice is that along with black clothing and certain songs (Temple of Love, A Forest and Allegedly, Dancefloor Tragedy for example), goths love cats. From scene legends such as Andrew Eldritch to someone who once crimped their hair in 1984, those associated with the darker end of the post-punk scene have always had an affinity with felines, preferring them to canines and other potential domestic animals by an unfeasibly large ratio.

The close ties between cats and their owners, which seems to be more of a partnership of equals than the master/servant regime which humans impose on dogs, makes for an emotionally heightened relationship all of which makes a beloved feline’s disappearance, illness or passing all the more devastating. This explains why, when goth blogger Ken Magerman posted about the expensive surgery which his three year old cat Freyja would require to head off a particularly aggressive cancer, the close-knit darkwave community rallied round with offers of support, enabling him release this week a digital-only twenty-five track compilation album Tiny Gods Who Walk Beside Us to help to offset the cost of the life-saving surgical intervention.

As well as returning to the music scene as a performer himself in recent years (after a seventeen year hiatus) with his band Amaranth, Kalamazoo-based Magerman began a blog called Sounds and Shadows in which he shared his latest musical discoveries, quickly establishing himself (along with the likes of Obscura Undead, Dark Entries and El Garaje de Frank) as one of the most discerning observers of the current goth scene. His entertaining, enthusiastic and informative pieces helped to boost the profile of artists deserving of a wider audience, so much so that the eloquent Magerman branched out into podcasts with Sounds and Shadows towards the end of last year, producing highly-listenable extended interviews with some of the scenes biggest emerging stars, who talked about their inspiration, influences and aspirations.

The fundraising compilation Tiny Gods Who Walk Beside Us, like all the best examples of the genre, contains an eclectic mix covering the entire gamut of the darkwave genre, from full-on guitar-driven goth rock to skimpy dark electro beats, ranging from well-established names to new artists or projects. One of the joys of any compilation is to discover new sounds and bands to investigate further, and on this wide-ranging set there truly will be something for everyone.

Tiny Gods Who Walk Beside Us starts strongly with that rare beast, a remix which is significantly better than the original, with DJ Senseless adding a real dramatic tension to Lorelei Dreaming’s 2017 track Edge of the World, with the additional “strings” creating real impact. Magerman’s own band Amaranth contribute one of the album’s strongest tracks with For Freyja which begins with a low-fi mandolin and guitar introduction before erupting into a NIN-worthy heavy industrial chorus, with the blogger cathartically outing his feelings about his beloved pet in a raw but genuinely moving manner.

Other highlights for me on the album were the tracks from the bigger name artists on the compilation, Antipole, Crying Vessel, Kiss Of The Whip and Twin Tribes, who all provide ample evidence for their success on the scene, showing a clear sense of structure, melody, rhythm and atmospherics in their contributions.

I was also delighted to discover a new track from scene veterans Cliff and Ivy, Will To The Power, which is up to their usual slightly kooky deathrock standard and is the most overtly old school goth track on the album, although Machinery of Desire’s Forever Remain and Orcus Nullify’s March of the Lost should also appeal to fans of this sub-genre.

For those more inclined towards synthwave or dark EDM electro beats, there’s a cracking Silver Walks remix of Caustic’s F--- that Fascist Beat in vintage WaxTrax style, whilst Corlyx and Adoration Destroyed cater effectively to that market. On a more experimental level, I really enjoyed Vlimmer’s exclusive track Schnittstelle, and will certainly be checking out this Berlin-based artist more extensively in the future on the basis of this exquisite slice of unsettlingly cold dark pop.

At a cost of just ten US dollars for twenty-five tracks, purchasers of this wide-ranging compilation (obtainable by clicking here) are not only obtaining a primer on the current darkwave scene selected by one or its most respected observers, but are also contributing to the life-saving surgery of a much-loved fellow creature. I took the opportunity to interview Ken about how the compilation came about and how Freyja is now progressing, and I hope that you enjoy reading his answers as much as I did.

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1. You started your Sounds and Shadows blog as recently as 2018, just as the current goth/darkwave movement really began to reach a crescendo. What prompted you to start your own blog at that point?

Ken: I was starting up Amaranth again and finding bands in the post Facebook era. To be honest I had stopped searching for new music in goth/industrial for quite a while. All of a sudden I was plunged back into that world and excited how good the new bands I was finding were. As I looked around for more music, the blogs and review pages seemed to have changed too. The emphasis was on quick hit press releases. Drunk one night at 2 a.m. I got it in my head to write a review of Twin Tribes album Shadows. I woke up in the morning to find…a lot of spelling mistakes but also a lot of people who found value in it. It felt really cathartic that this drunken love letter to a band that had inspired me, had helped other people find them. So I kept going. Things kept growing. Soon I added in interviews, additional writers, and the podcast. It seemed that people were just as hungry as me for this dark music renaissance.

2. You then branched out into podcasts towards the end of last year, along with Collin from your band Amaranth, doing lengthy (and very informative and entertaining) interviews with artists about their influences and development, starting with Jason from the band ACTORS. Was that a natural development?

Ken: I was really enjoying some of the other podcasts I heard. I had access to artists. I had found such value in not just promoting my own band but sharing others I loved. I got the idea how I could give this experience to other musicians. So we created the format of having each artist pick 3 bands they are connected to and talking about them. Instead of your standard interview format, we got other bands talking about what they loved in their peers. I felt like this was more revealing than “Who were your influences?” Yes, we all loved Joy Division and the Sisters ;) The podcast has been wonderful and had great reception. Adding Katy on for another view-point has really helped too. I look forward to starting back up again soon.

3. Were you surprised by how friendly and relaxed members of fellow bands on the darkwave scene are? People outside of the scene would imagine that it’s all depression and moody posing..

Ken: I suppose I wasn’t too surprised. Since I am the singer of a goth band and one of the most happy go lucky people you could meet. I will say I think things are different now. In the 90s rather it was money, fame, what have you. Music was much more of a competition. Bands were not always going out of their way to help each other. I think now you really see this scene embracing the idea that a rising tide lifts all ships. The compilation Tiny Gods Who Walk Beside Us is a great example of just how generous and caring this community is today.

4. Sounds and Shadows is just releasing that compilation, its first, as a fundraiser for your cat Freyja’s surgery after she was diagnosed with cancer. Were you surprised that so many bands rallied round to contribute?

Ken: Surprised is a major understatement. I was floored by how many people stepped up for me and my family. It was a truly dark time for me, lots of uncertainty and I just didn’t know what to do. A lot of the bands here are people I had spoken to online, maybe played a show with, and met one time at their show. They really came out of the woodwork to tell me this webpage and I mattered to them. I balled my eyes out. I had forgotten just how powerful human kindness can be when you are in a fragile state. To think something as beautiful as this 25 song compilation full of collaboration and original art came out of that darkness really leaves me overwhelmed. I had hoped to maybe have 10 bands I was close with give a b side. Instead some of the best and brightest in goth/industrial offered up some of their best songs. I really believe this compilation is one of the most exciting records you can buy for $10 in 2020.

5. So many people who identify as “goth” (and even many linked to the scene but who claim not to be like Andrew Eldritch) seem to have a preference for felines as pets. Why do you think that is?

Ken: I think Goth music has always been deeply entwined with pageantry and romanticism. It celebrates the sleek and aloof. Never has a creature been fuller of pride and dramatic attitude than the cat. They are such incredibly intuitive and emotional animals. Plus the whole witchy vibe.

6. More of the bands featured on the compilation would fit broadly in the synthwave category than say goth rock. Is that a reflection of your own preference within the genre?

Ken: You know, when I started Sounds and Shadows it was never meant to be a “Goth” page. Yes that is a big part of the music I love. My style both listening and playing is pretty diverse. For this compilation we have pretty wide range in sounds. Industrial, Goth, Synthwave, Darkwave, Noise, and gothic rock. This compilation had less to do with a style of music and more to do with a combined love of cats and the relationships I had formed with these amazing artists. I love all of the subgenres and think they just make music more diverse and interesting. I think I’d be hard pressed to pick a favourite.

7. Your own band Amaranth feature on the compilation with a new song For Freyja that’s possibly the heaviest track on the album, with for me quite a NIN vibe. Was this just a way for you to cathartically channel some of the stress of what must have been a very difficult time for you?

Ken: Definitely. When we first heard the diagnosis for Freyja it was a really scary and uncertain time. I was talking with my partner Rachel and trying to make the best choices in a situation with no good choices. I was really worried for Rachel’s emotional state as well and trying not to pile on her stress with my own anxiety. So when we finally got in the studio to record the vocals of For Freyja I was a bit of a mess. I uncorked those emotions and just spewed forth everything I was feeling and afraid of. My voice broke a few times I screamed so hard. Collin had laid down that wonderful guitar/bass riff which really captured something inside me. After Derek (mandolin) Kam (drums) added those perfect brush strokes to round it out. Honestly, I think it is one of the best tracks we ever did.

8. So can we expect more from Amaranth soon?

Ken: Yes, we had big plans when both Freyja started her ordeal and when Covid 19 started effecting the world. We have a new album coming out with new songs, a cover of Peter Murphy’s I’ll Fall With Your Knife and several amazing remixes of our previous songs. We were really looking forward to extending the range of our gigs and working on doing festivals. So a lot of that was placed on hold. However, it will all be coming back soon and gave us more time to refine the new material we have.

9. I must also ask about one other thing which you’re well known for on social media, and that’s the photos of the incredible meals that you cook. Where did you learn to cook so well?

Ken: Well thank you! I love cooking. To me I think it is a lot of similar feelings and skill sets to making music. I guess I first learned from Amaranth’s first drummer Maus. He was a chef in a fine dining restaurant where I was a bartender and living with him taught me a lot. Other than that it is a lot of experimentation. Rachel and I watch a lot of online cooking shows and I get inspired and just want to try making things. Most of my life is flying by the seat of my pants and hoping I make it turn out in the end. I suppose my cooking is no different.

10. Back to the real star of the show, Freyja, who’s now had her (very expensive) surgery. How is she right now?

Ken: If you would have told me she would have been this much of her loving, purring, spunky, adorable self after having a leg and half of her hip removed I wouldn’t have believed you. The Doctors are confident that they got the cancer within margins. She is racing around, chasing her brother. She has a hard time jumping like she did, but she has made up for it climbing. Getting to observe her after the recovery time from surgery, I think the tumor, being so large was causing her a lot of pain. So with the leg gone I think she is more comfortable. I had a million scenarios going through my head when trying to decide what to do. Things turned out better than I could have hoped for. This has so much to do with the amazing people in my life who gave time, energy, and caring when I needed it most. My beautiful three year old cat is going to have her whole amazing life ahead of her.