Ten Questions to ... Judi (Glasszone)

[NDLR Pour les lecteurs francais - l'interview se trouve en bas de la page, au-dessous de la version anglaise - merci!]

Glasszone have made a distinct impression on the « wave » scene over the past three years, with a series of impressive releases each offering the same high quality mix of shimmering coldwave guitars with a pulsing backbeat. 2019 album Garden of Glass raised the project’s profile further, with the driving guitar riff of Loving Destruct in particular drawing attention to the strong melodies and quality songwriting that have become the band’s hallmark.

Apart from the fact that they are based in Orleans in west central France, little was known about the band, whose physical and digital releases came packaged in stylish covers revealing little about the project, much in the style of early gothic legends such as Joy Division and The Sisters of Mercy, adding to the air of mystery.

With music very much in the French coldwave style, drenched in lightly distorted/reverb guitar layers and very broadly based on the highly original timbre of The Cure and And Also The Trees, both incredibly popular in France in the late 1980’s, the Glasszone sound with its low-key, non-descript vocals and drums is also reminiscent of some of the more blissed-out elements of shoegaze.

The summer of 2020 has seen the release of a new EP, Restless Nights, whose title track begins with a repeated bass note and builds up into a classic gothic rock riff which will be familiar to those who enjoy The Sisters of Mercy’s up-tempo hits like Lucretia, My Reflection or Train. Second track The Lighthouse is equally powerful although despite being half the pace, with beautiful yet powerful layers of reverberating guitar constructing a lush soundscape. The Last Time is arguably the strongest of the four, with a classic coldwave earworm of a syncopated chorus, with another strong melody bringing the excellent EP to a close on As Darkness Falls.

Eager to find out more about the past, present, future of Glasszone, I contacted them on Facebook and was delighted to find that Judi (who is the sole member of the studio band, although he has enlisted support for forthcoming live work) was only too happy to become the latest respondent in this « Ten Questions to… » feature. The interview was conducted in French, and so for the first time on the Goth/Post-Punk Revival blog we are able to offer a multi-lingual experience (with the original French version following the English translation below). My grateful thanks to Judi for his time and for his thoughtful answers.

Glasszone’s releases are available via Bandcamp and are very highly recommended.

Enjoy (ou bien, profitez-en) !

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1.       You have a very distinctive sound, with well-structured songs built around a unique coldwave guitar tone, a more shoegaze low-fi vocal and powerful basslines over a drum machine background, all done solo by yourself in the studio. Tell me about the Glasszone sound : what is your process for composing the songs? What comes to you first? And how do you get to your unique guitar timbre, in other words, what are your favourite guitar effects/pedals?

I don't have a particular songwriting method. An individual track can be created either from a bass line, a guitar riff or a rhythm. I build the rest up as I go along. As I compose, record and arrange everything myself, it is easier to structure and find the right sound for each song.

As far as the "Glasszone sound" is concerned, I have several models of guitar and a six-string bass that gives this very particular, very Cure-esque sound. I only use BOSS pedals: distortion, overdrive, flanger, chorus, phaser, delay / reverb on an old H/H transistor amp which has the distinction of having a very neutral and clear sound. This allows me to obtain the desired sound more easily without being too affected by the "grain£ of certain amps (like Marshall for example).

2.       Your music is often described as ‘coldwave’, undoubtedly in reference to the “greats” of the French scene of the 80s, like for example Jad Wio, Tanit or especially Mary Goes Round. Were you influenced by groups like these?

To tell the truth, I haven't listened to too much French coldwave except for Asylum Party and Corpus Delicti.

The major influences of Glasszone are especially The Cure and Christian Death, as well as the coldwave/post-punk/goth/batcave scene of the 80’s.

3.       You have just released a new EP, with a main track with a harder edged sound, which is simultaneously more oriented towards the dance floor whilst also having a « rockier » sound. Is this indicative of the future musical direction of Glasszone songs?

Yes, it’s true to say that the last EP seems more punchy, but it does not in any way reveal a new musical direction. The fact that these songs are concentrated on the same EP perhaps highlights this « rockier » side. In addition, songs like Loving Destruct and Skeletal Bodies are also very hard-edged. But no, I'm not going to harden the tone.

4.       You started a new project this year, Ex Visio, which played a more energetic style of music, more punk than post-punk, but you've just announced that you’re stopping it. Why will you no longer pursue this project? Will any elements of that project make their way into new Glasszone songs?

Those songs were composed and recorded very spontaneously. I preferred to release these songs under the name of Ex Visio because being more punk, they were not in the Glasszone style. I did not really try to push this project forward, it’s just a kind of hobby for me.

There are still some demos from this session that have not yet been used, so maybe they will come out one day.

5.       You have also recently started a new side project, Urban Ballet, this time a duo with a female Portuguese singer. Will these songs be released anytime soon?

I am actually currently working on two side projects: Zone 73 and Urban Ballet.

Zone 73 is a darkwave project composed of William (who is also Glasszone's bassist for the stage) and myself. For this project, William composes and performs all the songs, as I only have the role of additional musician and arranger. 

Urban Ballet is a Gothic rock project. For this project, Alexandrina writes the lyrics and I compose the music. She has a powerful voice which gives a certain charm to the compositions and brings a lot to them. The geographical distance and the coronavirus lockdown have meant that this project has taken a little longer.

For both projects, the plan is to release either an EP or an LP.

6.       You decided to sing in English for the Glasszone project, as is the case for your other projects. Why not sing in French?

The choice of whether to sing in English or not did not really arise. Even though I realized that my accent wasn’t perfect and that I wasn’t a great singer, it seemed obvious what to do. And I think the songs would be different with lyrics in French.

7.       What do you think of the post-punk scene in France right now, with Closed Mouth, Je T’Aime and Human among others?

There is a real post-punk scene, but unfortunately it’s still a little too underground. It's a shame, because we realise that there is still an audience out there interested in this type of music. It must be said that in France, there is a real lack of musical diversity.

8.       You have said that some Glasszone songs have roots in songs you first wrote in the 90s. Do you think you will revive more of those old songs in the future?

Some songs were written in the mid-90s and early 2000’s, mostly demos recorded on cassette. I also have riffs and unfinished demos lying dormant on my PC. I tend to record a lot. I sometimes listen back to them and work on them to make more finished songs. This is what happened for Pictures of the Past and Autumn Dusk for example.

9.       You did a somewhat surprising cover of an Ultravox song, Dancing With Tears In My Eyes, and also (less surprisingly) Crowds by Bauhaus. Do you plan to do more covers in the future?

I like doing covers, I think it's a good exercise in itself. And it also allows you to discover certain songs from a different angle.

For example, for the Ultravox cover, I used the rhythm of the original version on top of which I put guitars and a fairly punchy bass. I realised that this song was much more post-punk than it would originally appear.

I’m thinking of doing more covers, in fact I already have a few ideas…

10.   You’ve done some interviews with a French internet radio station (Radio Arverne) which has been a big supporter of Glasszone, and you will be playing ‘live’ for them next month (July 19th). Are you planning on doing any more stuff online during this lockdown period? And will there be a CD release for the new EP Restless Nights?

In fact, the radio show will be Glasszone's first live performance !

I also plan to do one or more concerts online, which could be interesting. Glasszone remains an invisible group for the moment and I think it's time to give it a real image.

A CD version of the new EP is planned as well as a release on different online platforms (deezer, spotify, Itunes ...).

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1.       Vous avez un son très distinctif, avec des chansons bien structurées autour d’un ton guitare coldwave unique, une voix plutôt shoegaze et une basse puissante sur un fond de boite à rythmes, et vous le faites tout seul en studio. Quel est votre processus pour composer les chansons ? Quels éléments arrivent en premier ? Et comment arrivez-vous à votre timbre guitare, c’est-à-dire quels sont vos effets/pédales de préférence ?

Je n’ai pas de méthode de composition particulière. Chaque titre peut être crée soit à partir d’une ligne de basse, soit un riff de guitare ou un rythme. Le reste est construit au fur et à mesure. Comme je compose, enregistre et arrange tout moi-même, cela est plus facile pour structurer et trouver le bon son pour chaque chanson.

Pour ce qui est du son Glasszone, je possède plusieurs modèles de guitare et une basse VI qui donne ce son particulier très curesque. Je n'utilise que des effets BOSS : disto, overdrive, flanger, chorus, phaser, delay/reverb sur un vieil ampli à transistor H/H qui a la particularité d’avoir un son très neutre et clair. Cela me permet d’obtenir plus facilement le son souhaité sans qu’il soit trop marqué par le grain de certains amplis (comme Marshall par exemple).

2.       On traite souvent votre musique de coldwave, sans doute en référence aux “grands” de la scène française des années 80, comme Jad Wio, Tanit ou surtout Mary Goes Round par exemple. Vous avez été influencé par ce genre de groupe ?

A vrai dire, je n’ai pas trop écouté de coldwave française hormis Asylum Party et Corpus Delicti.

Les influences majeures de Glasszone sont surtout The Cure et Christian Death, ainsi que la scène coldwave/postpunk/goth/batcave des années 80.

3.       Vous venez de sortir un nouvel EP, avec un morceau principal avec un son plus endurci, à la fois plus orienté vers la piste de danse mais un peu plus rock aussi. Ce sera le sens des futures chansons de Glasszone?

Oui c'est vrai que le dernier EP parait plus punchy, mais il ne révèle en rien une nouvelle orientation musicale. Le fait que ces titres soient concentrés sur le même EP fait peut-être ressortir ce côté plus rock. Par ailleurs, des titres comme Loving Destruct et Skeletal Bodies sont eux aussi très durs. Mais non, je ne vais pas durcir le ton pour autant.

4.       Vous avez entamé un nouveau projet cette année, Ex Visio, qui jouait une musique plus énergique, plus punk que post-punk, mais vous venez d’y renoncer. Pourquoi est-ce que vous ne poursuivrez plus ce projet ? Est-ce que vous en garde(re)z des éléments dans les nouvelles chansons de Glasszone ?

Les titres ont été composés et enregistrés de manière très spontanée. J'ai préféré sortir ces chansons sous le nom d'Ex Visio car étant plus punk, elles n’entraient pas dans le style de Glasszone. Je n'ai pas vraiment cherché à mettre ce projet plus en avant, cela reste pour moi une sorte de récréation.

Il reste encore quelques démos de cette session qui n’ont pas été exploitées, peut-être sortiront -elles un jour.

5.       Vous avez récemment commencé un nouveau projet à part, Urban Ballet, cette fois en duo avec une chanteuse portugaise. Est-ce que ces chansons verront le jour d’ici peu ?

Je travaille actuellement dans 2 projets : Zone 73 et Urban Ballet.

Zone 73 est un projet darkwave composé de William (qui est aussi le bassiste de Glasszone pour la scène) et de moi-même, pour ce projet, puisque je n'ai qu'un rôle de musicien additionnel et d'arrangeur. C'est William qui compose et interprète toutes les chansons,

Urban Ballet est un projet Gothic rock.

Pour ce projet, Alexandrina écrit les paroles et je compose les musiques. Elle a une voix puissante qui donne un certain charme aux compositions et leurs apporte beaucoup. La distance et le confinement fait que le projet prend un peu plus de temps.

Pour les 2 projets, il est prévu des sorties soit en EP ou LP.

6.       Vous avez décidé de chanter en anglais pour ce projet Glasszone, tout comme pour vos autres projets. Pourquoi pas chanter en français ?

Le choix du chant en anglais ne s’est pas posé. Même si j’ai conscience que mon accent n’est pas parfait et que je ne suis pas un grand chanteur, c’est paru comme une évidence. Et je pense que les chansons seraient différentes avec des textes en français.

7.       Que pensez-vous de la scène post-punk en France en ce moment, avec Closed Mouth, Je T’Aime et Human entre autres ?

Il y a une vraie scène post punk, malheureusement elle reste encore un peu trop underground. C'est dommage, car on se rend compte qu'il y a quand même un public derrière qui est demandeur. Il faut dire qu'en France, il y a un manque réel de diversité musicale.

8.       Vous avez dit que certaines chansons ont des racines dans des morceaux que vous aviez écrits d’abord aux années 90. Est-ce que vous pensez réanimer encore de ces chansons à l’avenir ?

Certains titres ont été écrits dans le milieu des années 90 et au début des années 2000, ce sont pour la plupart des démos enregistré sur K7. J’ai aussi des riffs, des démos non exploitées qui dorment dans mon PC. J’ai tendance a enregistré beaucoup. Il m’arrive de les réécouter et de les travailler pour en faire des morceaux plus aboutis. C’est ce qui s’est passé pour Pictures of the Past et Autumn Dusk par exemple.

9.       Vous avez fait une reprise un peu surprenante d’un titre d’Ultravox, Dancing With Tears In My Eyes, et aussi (moins surprenant) de Crowds de Bauhaus. Est-ce que vous entendez faire encore des reprises dans le futur ?

J’aime bien faire des covers, je trouve que c’est un bon exercice. Et puis, cela permet de faire découvrir certaines chansons sous un autre angle.

Par exemple, pour celle d’Ultravox, j’ai repris la rythmique de la version originale sur laquelle j’ai posé des guitares et une basse assez punchy. Je me suis rendu compte que ce titre était bien plus post punk qu’il ne pouvait paraitre.

Je pense faire encore des covers, j’ai déjà quelques idées…

10.   Vous avez déjà fait des interviews avec une radio internet (Radio Arverne) qui vous a soutenu, et vous allez jouer en live pour eux le mois prochain (le dix-neuf juillet). Projetez-vous de faire encore des trucs en ligne pendant cette période de confinement? Et y aura-t-il une sortie CD pour le nouveau EP Restless Nights? Merci!

D'ailleurs, ce sera le 1er live de Glasszone.

Je pense aussi faire un ou plusieurs concerts en ligne, cela pourrait être intéressant. Glasszone reste pour le moment un groupe invisible et je pense qu'il est temps de lui donner une vraie image.

Une édition cd est prévue ainsi qu’une sortie sur différentes plateformes (deezer, spotify, Itunes…).

Merci encore a Judi, et bonne continuation!

Ten Questions to ... Raven Said (Andy and Maria)

I first came across the band Raven Said with the release of their single Fields of Frost about a year ago, a very pleasing-on-the-ear slab of traditional gothic rock, with many of the elements that make a classic of the genre: a galloping introductory bass riff, inventive intertwining mournful guitar parts, an echoing (and slightly pitchy) vocal, atmospheric keyboards and, of course, a nagging hookline of a chorus. 

The husband and wife duo from Yekaterinburg (situated just east of the mighty Urals and Russia’s fourth largest city) had released their debut releases in 2017 with a slightly more synth-dominated sound, but they really moved into the upper echelons of the current traditional gothic rock revival with this year’s new album Beyond The Darkest Hour released through Secret Sin Records, fitting neatly into a distribution roster that includes Angels of Liberty, The Kentucky Vampires and Guillotine Dream. The new LP features ten tracks of melodic and dramatic yet subtle gothic rock which builds on the classic template of the first and second generation bands, creating a soothing yet slightly angular multi-layered minor chord guitar-dominated soundscape topped with poetic lyrics steeped in Poe (as the band’s name would suggest) and other masters of gothic literature.

Strong deathrock-tinged melodies like Bewitched, Lenore and She Comes To Me broaden the palette further, whilst more atmospheric up-tempo songs like Transparent Sorrow and Shadows on the Ceiling, Shadows on the Floor have an alternative dancefloor sheen, giving the whole album an accomplished and unashamedly romantic, almost Byronic feel, not unlike vintage second generations acts like Dronning Maud Land.

Listening to recent interviews with the band (on Obscura Undead for example), it becomes clear that Raven Said is no weekend passion: Andrey and Maria fully embrace the gothic lifestyle, and are as aware of the history of gothic literature, film and music as any of their Western contemporaries, all of which infuses their songs with a depth which some purveyors of the classic goth rock sound can lack. Their studious and painstaking approach to their music-making has resulted in an album of impressive quality, and their professionalism shines through in the finished product, the intricacy of the arrangements only becoming fully apparent after multiple playings.

When the band agreed to take part in this “Ten Questions to …” interview slot, I was confident that their answers would be considered, profound and thought-provoking, and so it proved. Many thanks to Andrey and Maria, who like so many artists have had the misfortune to release their best work to date during the current pandemic, but have made the most of the opportunity to spread the word via social media.

Beyond The Darkest Hour can be obtained via their Bandcamp page.

The new video to She Comes To Me will premiere here on YouTube on June 24th

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1.    Your first project as a duo was a kind of mediaeval-influenced neo-folk band, very different from Raven Said.    

Do you think that any musical elements of that project have carried through to Raven Said, and contribute to your unique sound?   

Аndy: I am sure that it is. Moreover, this influence is precisely secular early European music, music for dancing, music of minstrels and court musicians. Of course, in modern tradition it is quite difficult to understand how this music should be and how it was actually played. The different elements such as polyphony, diatonic scale, multi-part structure of the composition is often used by us (more often in interludes, drops). I would say that this happens almost spontaneously, Maria and I try to achieve very interesting results - for example, she often manages to create an additional voice melody in a fairly dense melodic-chord concept. The standards of medieval music were very flexible, the performers changed parts, something was forgotten, something adapted to a specific place and time ... Yes, there are really many different fundamentals in our music, we are often told about this, but this makes it unique. The bottom line is to have the inner harmony of all these things, then the listener also will have an internal interest - what will happen next? I myself love to listen the music in this vein.

Maria: I believe that we naturally put all our music experience in our songwriting. Probably, in this sense I am a very harmonic person. Atmospheric music could be very different, and the style differences that are so obvious at first are smoothed out when it comes the general idea of ​​the work. We assume that the "gothic" in this context is much closer to the original source.

2.   Even with the previous project, there was already a gothic visual element, as can be seen on YouTube. How important is the visual aspect to you?

А: The protagonist of our songs is always “romantic”, an exceptional character at an extraordinary moment. And our visual images are its continuation, the unity of form and content. As we have repeatedly said, our style is not “stage costumes”, it is we ourselves, and a certain eccentricity allows us to be open and understand our music better. Actually, most people on the planet are “visuals”; their memory and imagination are determined by visual images. So, our visual aesthetic is also an effective tool for presentation.

M: The visual aspect is very important for us because it is an external expression of ourselves. This “image” is part of our everyday life, our romantic, even aesthetic philosophy, at least, if we talk about me. We try to comprehensively present our work. It seems to me that performers often underrate the influence of band image on the general perception of their work. Many of them doesn't have harmony in this regard.

3.    Despite Transylvania being the home of Dracula and a lot of dramatic landscapes – like the “Devil’s Settlement” near your home city - Eastern Europe has not been traditionally associated with the darkwave or gothic scenes, with only the likes of Laibach and Borghesia making a big impression internationally. But now with yourselves and the likes of Molchat Doma and Icy Men, there seems to be growing interest in the region and the bands are doing well on the global darkwave scene. Do you feel part of a regional gothic renaissance or do you feel that you are working in isolation?

А: A tough question. As a result of historical, religious and political events of the 20th century, a very special picture of the world was formed, where the countries of Eastern Europe were partially “excluded” from the global system. And even after the displacement of communist regimes and the abolition of military-political alliances, a certain "isolation" remained. Currently, with the super-speed development of communications, almost every men of the planet are able to possess nearly any information. Of course, formally we belong to a local scene, but all our projects are very distant from any manifestations of “national ident”, from language to genre conjuncture environment. I am so glad that in the United States, and Western Europe, and whole the World, interest exists and is progressing in new modern East European musicians. There are a lot of talented people who have something to say and something to surprise you with.

М: Yes, in Russia and other countries of eastern Europe we have a “dark scene”, in one form or another. We are always glad to tour to other cities, to collaborate with musicians and DJs. Hopefully, over time the dark scene will grow, develop, resolve this “isolation”, our own difficulties and mistakes! And the listener's interest in it will also grow. As for Raven Said, we are often told that we are purists of old-fashioned, old-school goth rock, and in this sense, our sound is certainly European-oriented. But I think that interest in quality music has no national or temporal boundaries.

4.    You both speak excellent English and use the language for almost all of your output, whereas some other bands like She Past Away have opted to sing in their native tongue. Will you ever sing in Russian?

А: We are very honored! It's great to hear that from a native speaker! Be sure to pass this on to my English teacher at the university!! Actually, the answer to this question is a logical continuation of the previous one. Raven Said use English to expand the borders of audience. We don't want to limit ourselves only to Russian-speaking listeners. And if we can draw the attention of the world music business to the Russian scene - this is wonderful, totally... hopefully we are changing the situation for the better.

I grew up with foreign music (in Russia there were times when it was considered almost normal to deny its existence), and most of my favorite artists sing songs in English. At the same time, I adore, for example, Spanish-speaking bands, they are very bright, very exiting - Los Сarniceros Del Norte, Los Gorgonas ... Just awesome! By the way, She Past Away themselves speak excellent English, but their native Turkish is very beautiful.

M: Simply impossible to deny the fact that for rock music, English is an ideal forming element. Goth rock is a very lively and dynamic genre, and English poetry is also great for it. I adore the Russian language - the most beautiful and richest in semantic nuances, you can believe me as a professional linguist! But due to these same factors, it doesn't match every musical performance perfectly. And of course, I agree, it limits the understanding of a significant part of non-native speakers.

Although I have an idea that a lot of people do not particularly pay attention to the lyrics, perceiving the song as whole, and the vocals and phonetic features are just a harmonic tool. The example the bands that Andy mentioned just confirms this. By the way, in our dark folk project Salem Guest we sometimes use the Russian language.

More melancholic, lyrical material is quite suitable for that.

5.    Your name - Raven Said – is obviously a reference to Edgar Alan Poe, and your track Lenore (the name of the narrator’s muse) also references the famous poem (including the whispered lyric “never more”!). Does your interest in the gothic scene extend to literature and film, and does this have an influence on your lyrics in other songs?

А: Nope, I won’t open all the secrets associated with our Lenore! For there are too many special connotations! Unleash your imagination! Of course, the world of our inspirations is extremely diverse and far from being limited to a  “Gothic context” only. Personally, I love the books of R. Bradbury, A. Bierce, A. Sapkowski, R. Bloch ... Maria and I love old black and white horror films. And even sometimes we play the board game «Ancient Horror» or «Arkham Horror» according to H.P. Lovecraft! As a result, we create our weird images and stories. You hear it in our songs.

М: The romantic, melancholic type of personality forms the corresponding worldview. I really like poetry, especially symbolic, visionary, of a variety of poets - English, German, Irish, French, of course, Russian. For example - V. Blake, F.G. Lorca, W. Yates, F. Villon, S. Baudelaire, V. Gumilev ... I love medieval literature and music. I like to create storytelling compositions with many interpretations. “Gothic Theme” is our natural habitat!

6. The new album is a musical progression from your debut Seven Deadly Tapes with more sheen on the guitar and more understated keyboards, resulting in a fuller, more consistently classic 80’s goth sound. How much of that is down to the fact that you had the album professionally mastered in the US, or was there also a deliberate change in direction?

А: Yes, it’s easy to see that with Seven Deadly Tapes we have slightly different starting points and progressing. On the new album Beyond the Darkest Hour we changed the sound a little towards dynamics, it's more danceable. The result is a synthesis of old-school and modern goth rock - a labyrinth album that draws cold pulsating energy into a delicate twilight. Our master engineer from the United States, Mr. Brett Anderson, has done an excellent job. But still, Maria and I did all the production work. Mr. Anderson put the final touch here, giving the tracks a “commercial gloss”. As a result, the mixes are excellently heard on hi-end equipment, through airpods, perfectly broadcast on the radio and sound good in a music hall.

7. You have a song (Shadows on the Ceiling, Shadows on the Floor) on a new compilation album, Blood and Dust, which brings together bands with a kind of Fields of Nephilim western vibe. How did your involvement in this project come about?

А: I really love the Fields of the Nephilim and have always liked the image of Carl McCoy. It is a great honor and pleasure for us to participate in this compilation. The composition Shadows on the Ceiling, Shadows on the Floor very subtly conveys the excitement, anxiety of the character of this story. Just imagine how he stops for the night on his way. Desert, cold, strange sounds everywhere ... And thoughts about what awaits him tomorrow, and if he gets a tomorrow?

М: It was a very interesting project, already at the idea stage. Not just a compilation of gothic Americana or dark country songs, but rather an “alternative western soundtrack”. And I really love alternative westerns! The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is generally one of my favorite films. And the soundtrack for that was written by my favorite artist - Nick Cave. And our track Shadows on the Ceiling, Shadows on the Floor is ideally suited to the atmosphere of such a film. Exact about that vibe told us the promoter of the compilation when we applied for participation. And it’s very cool to be in such a great company!

8. You have attended big events like WGT as a spectator in the past and Raven Said played at the Lumous Festival in Tampere (Finland) last summer. Which other dark festivals would Raven Said like to play at one day?

А: Of course, we would like to play on Wave-Gotik-Treffen, this is our favorite Gothic festival. Also - Whitby Goth Weekend, Castle Party ... On another continent - Bats Day in the Fun Park, Eccentrik. Actually, we are open to any interesting offers. We like all events where the atmosphere of friendship and understanding prevails. Raven Said is an actively touring project, we adore the road, new cities, meeting people, new clubs and stages! And we are happy to be wherever people want to hear our music, and where you can have a good time. Just contact us!

9. When you play live, you’ve done covers of songs by bands like The Sisters of Mercy, Christian Death and The Cure, which can be found on YouTube. Were these your main influences, or were you more influenced by the second generation of bands?

А: And this is not a complete list of our cover songs. Work on it is always very interesting. Perhaps in the near future we will do some records. We are often told that the sound of Raven Said is very comparable with bright examples of the second-generation Goth Rock (or the second wave, as it is called in Europe). Nosferatu, Mephisto Walz, Rosetta Stone ... But the “first generation” of goth rock and proto-goth rock bands had a huge influence. Eclecticism, a melting pot of the new sound of that time period - avant-garde, punk rock, post-punk, psychedelia. Listening to the vinyl records of Bauhaus, The Mission, Siouxsie and the Banshees, you feel that boiling, rage, sexuality, primacy - the formation and birth of a new star from cosmic matter.

M: As I said earlier, in other interviews, creative musical experiments of the 70s had a fair influence on us. We really like this music, from David Bowie and Velvet Underground to Iggy Pop and The Cramps. For guitar music, it was a time of colossal creative experimentation.

10. Do you already have any songs written for the new album, and if so, what kind of direction are you heading in?

А: Of course we have! And I feel some good potential of these new tracks. I am sure this is quality music, and it will not leave indifferent our beloved listeners from the present and add new ones from the future! As for the direction, here, I think, the most important thing is to move forward and always try to do better. Nowadays, the rhythm of life has become just terrific, everything feels transparent and transient. Nevertheless, it is necessary to dream and to plan something else, more, impossible. Such a way of thinking really helps in achieving life goals, and as one of them is the creation of actual, high quality and interesting musical material.

I told you that the answers would be profound. Many thanks again to Raven Said for expounding in such detail their well-defined gothic and musical philosophy, one of the most rigorously academic it has been my pleasure to encounter over the past forty years. Stay goth!

Ten Questions to ... Kill Shelter

Scotland’s Kill Shelter made a huge impression on the darkwave scene with the debut single In Decay (featuring Ashe Ruppe of Delphine Coma and Karl Morten Dahl of Antipole) and the subsequent album Damage in 2018, which had the notable distinction of featuring a different guest vocalist from the darkwave/coldwave scene on every track. The high production values, strong melodies and differing styles made for a stunning set of collaborations which saw it garner many “best album of the year" accolades, and saw Scotland’s Pete Burns (the only member of Kill Shelter) in huge demand for mastering and remixing work over the past couple of years.

 The most recently released of these, the Kill Shelter remix of She Past Away’s Soluk, came out on the Turkish outfit’s remix album X a fortnight ago to rave reviews, but although Burns began work on the follow-up to Damage immediately after it was released eighteen months again, in the intervening time only one track, Buried Deep, has appeared, released late last year in a Darkitalia compliation. In a clear departure from his previous work, Burns took over vocal duties himself on the dark dancefloor filling track, a lugubrious baritone vocal reminding us that “all that glisters is not gold” over a bass-heavy pulsating beat.

Recent comments on social media hinted that Burns, who has also curated (with Christian Schaefer) the excellent Rule of Three blog which has promoted well over one hundred darkwave artists over the past five years, was making progress with a raft of current projects, so I suggested that it was high time that he appeared as the latest respondent to the “Ten Questions to…” feature on this blog.

To my delight he immediately agreed, and his fascinating answers provide not only a detailed explanation of his working methodology but also some hints about the future Kill Shelter releases currently in the pipeline.

The highly recommended Damage is still available either digitally (on this link) or on limited edition white vinyl from Manic Depression records (here).

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1. Your first Kill Shelter remix only dates back to December 2017. Were you involved in other musical projects before this one?

Kill Shelter: I’ve been a professional musician for quite some time and had music published by Universal and Sony BMG, written music for TV, Radio and Film as well as releasing material on various independent labels. Kill Shelter is a passion of mine, it’s very personal and its primary purpose is not commercial - it’s a channel and an expression and for that reason the music is uncompromised and rewarding in a very different way.


2. How difficult has it been to balance your paid work in digital media, your journalistic work on Rule of Three with Christian, and your work as an artist and remixer?

Kill Shelter:  I love being busy - I’m a workaholic and driven to the point of OCD. I’m really lucky to have the studio where I live so I can structure my day and divide my time according to demand whether that’s audio, tech, strategy or design. I chat to Christian most days and we share a lot of music but our schedules are pretty intense - he’s done incredibly well with his Wir Kellerkinder book and the Dark Stream Festival so we just make time for R3 when we can. I tend to do mixing and mastering earlier in the day when my ears are fresh and then split my time later over various projects depending on deadlines.


3. Since the release of the debut Kill Shelter album Damage, you’ve been busy with remixes and mastering of other artists’ projects. Do you find that just as enjoyable as creating your own project from scratch?

Kill Shelter:  I love working with other people I admire and respect, and remixing can be very satisfying from that perspective. When remixing I always treat the track like a collaboration and approach it from a production perspective not a straight ahead four-on-the-floor dance perspective. Mastering is a mix of technical precision and feel, so that’s a different discipline again. Original music is probably more satisfying long term and I’ve consciously reduced the amount of remixing I do to allow more time for the origination of new Kill Shelter material.

I’m mixing and co-producing the forthcoming Night Nail album and that’s been a brilliant experience. The guys have been great to work with and the album is shaping up to be a really classy affair. The quality of songwriting and musicianship really shines through I think. 

[You can hear the first fruits of this work here]


4. Are there any scene veterans or even more mainstream artists that you’d love to get the chance to remix in the future?

Kill Shelter: Have you been reading my emails? Definitely. I find other musicians' work can be really inspiring and that’s why I enjoy doing remixes so much. In a way it’s a chance to work with other musicians in a different form. I’ve been speaking to a major label since February 2018 about a potential remix and I’m still hopeful that the remix will happen. If it does it will definitely answer this question in full. In the “it will never happen” category put me down for Giving Ground by the Sisterhood and Ornaments of Gold by Siouxsie and the Banshees.


5. Do you generally work on a kind of quid pro quo basis, in other words out of mutual respect as much as moral obligation can we expect some of these artists to provide vocals on future Kill Shelter projects?

Kill Shelter: I think you make friends along the way and if schedules and interests align then sometimes the opportunity to work together turns up. I never expect anything back from the work I do. Working with other more talented people always inspires me and that’s enough of a return and reward for me.

 


6. Your most recently released and probably most high-profile remix, She Past Away’s Soluk on their new remix album X, has been very well received. Were you yourself happy with the end result, and did you get much feedback from Volkan?

Kill Shelter: I loved working on Soluk and it was an incredible opportunity to play a very small part in the history of such an iconic band’s history. Both Volkan and Doruk were incredibly complimentary and supportive of the remix and I was secretly delighted to find out it had made the cut for the vinyl release too. X is a great release and it was exciting to be part of it along with good friends and peers like Antipole, Bragolin and Ash Code as well as scene giants such as Front 242 and Clan of Xymox.

I’m very grateful to She Past Away for the opportunity and equally grateful for the warm reception to it. It’s a good feeling if you can move people even through a remix or interpretation of someone else’s work. Someone described it as “a disgrace to western music” - that’s got to be good, right?


7. On the online Darkitalia quarantine festival, you recently showcased a video for the track Buried Deep, which was released just before Christmas also by Darkitalia on their latest compilation, the only new Kill Shelter track since Damage. Why did you decide to release just the one track, and why with Darkitalia?

Kill Shelter: Darkitalia have supported Kill Shelter from the start and Maurizio and Martina do a lot of great work to support the scene. Their Sparkles in the Dark compilations have featured artists like Boy Harsher, The Soft Moon, She Past Away/Ash Code, Hapax, European Ghost and many more so I was keen to contribute to that legacy and flattered when they approached me. I had originally thought it would be a physical release. While that looks unlikely now, it was the primary reason I put out that version of the track early and the form I did.


 

8. On that track you provide the vocal yourself, with a suitably deep and dark tone. Do you intend to provide more of the vocal content yourself on future Kill Shelter releases?

Kill Shelter: The first three full length Kill Shelter releases will form a trilogy and they are mapped out in concept - work on the second and third albums is in progress. Outwith that, there’s a collaboration album that I’m very excited about which will have vocals by Kill Shelter. I also plan to do an EP with a different theme and approach but that will be between albums II and III.


9. When you were choosing the title for Buried Deep, did you have The Sisters of Mercy track Bury Me Deep in mind, or is the similarity entirely coincidental?

Kill Shelter: Influences trickle down whether consciously or subconsciously and I’m okay with that. That particular lyric was improvised in the studio and wasn’t part of the words I’d originally written for the track. The title was reversed engineered from that particular vocal line. I then had the dilemma of it being quite close to the Sisters’ track name but I decided to leave it as a subtle reference even although it was unintentional. Musical influence and derived inspiration are really important to the creative process - there’s no doubt about that. Musicians often talk about their influences and that’s a positive thing. The real issue for me is when the output itself isn’t original - when it’s blatant plagiarism or a direct copy then I think that’s a pretty poor place to be. I don’t want to be anyone else musically. I’d rather innovate than regurgitate given the choice but I don’t want to hide the musical influences that have shaped and inspired me over the years.


 

10. You recently said that you had enough work in progress to fill the next couple of full-length Kill Shelter releases. When might we expect to be able to buy the first of these? With Pedro announcing that Unknown Pleasures Records (UPR) sadly won’t be releasing anything else for the foreseeable future, do you have a new label lined up?

Kill Shelter:  I think the collaboration album is most likely to be the next release.  The follow up to Damage is a little more complex and the third in the trilogy even more so.

Yeah, I caught up with Pedro and it’s a real shame that UPR will come to a close - I love that label and its uncompromising attitude. I’ve already been approached by a few labels, which is both flattering and reassuring, but no one has heard the material yet so I’ll wait until I have the final product and work out what’s best for everyone involved.

Hopefully someone will love it.

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If the past is anything to go on, EVERYONE will love it. Thanks again to Pete for taking the time and trouble to respond to my questions.