Archivo de la categoría: entrevistas

ENTREVISTA AL GRUPO MUSICAL FRANCÉS VIOLET STIGMATA (julio de 2004 / 17 de abril del año 2008 en Lux Atenea) (in English).

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Información Muy Importante / Very Important Information:
Esta entrevista ha sido escrita por un ser humano, no por una Inteligencia Artificial / This interview is a human writing, not an Artificial Intelligence writing

En el mes de julio del año 2004 tuve el placer de hablar con Violet Stygmata. Esta entrevista es un resumen de aquellos buenos momentos vividos con esta magnífica banda musical gótica francesa.

ENTREVISTA AL GRUPO MUSICAL FRANCES VIOLET STIGMATA

Lux_Atman: Violet, colour of reflexions; Stigmata, the Passion’s scar, what´s the history of your band name?

Violet Stigmata: Actually, there’s no relationship between religion and the name of Violet Stigmata, which comes from the colour that takes the skin when you have scars that you reopen and reopen again. Lyrics are very important to me, and they sound like open scars to me when I sing on stage.

Lux_Atman: France is Baudelaire, Balzac, Montaigne… Could you say me what is your favourite French poet or writer? Or, your favourite poet, or writer?

Violet Stigmata: The only writer who could make me read a lot is not French, it’s HP Lovecraft. Anyway I particulary like Lautréamont and Sade for what they represent. And I have to admit I’ve read «Les Fleurs du Mal» by Charles Baudelaire but I couldn’t do it until the end.

Lux_Atman: You are a French music band but your songs are written in English. In French language, why not? And why in English?

Violet Stigmata: English is a very «singable» language, isn’t it ? On the other hand you’re quite right, and we already have one song from the next album written in French. We’ll try to use several different languages indeed.

Lux_Atman: In the booklet of your album “Progénitures suite & fin”, I see three babies looking at. Babies, why?

Violet Stigmata: Our babies simply represent the second and last part of these songs which are in a certain way our little babies. They symbolize a finished part of our past. «Progéniture» means «spawn» in French. «Spawns, the Following and the End» could be the right translation for this title.

Lux_Atman: In my hands, a great gothic music album. New ideas for a new gothic rock. Your melodies, your guitars, your voices… every song is a new message, a new world, a new feeling… dark atmospheres, voices, ambients… Where are your inspirations for?

Violet Stigmata: Hmm… Inspiration comes from many different sources, but as long as I’m responsible for the lyrics, it used to come out from personal feelings and it’s a personal therapy for me. I think it’s a kind of privilege to be able express it in music and we’re very lucky. Violet Stigmata took me out from depression and death envy. Then our lyrics are not especially funny but we a whole lot better.

Lux_Atman: First step is writing the lyrics, next step to compose the music. Why?

Violet Stigmata: It is obvious that we build the concept first and only when we know what we’re gonna talk about, we can create the right music, so that even if you don’t understand the words, the atmosphere allows you to understand the meaning of the song. The word creates the sound.

Lux_Atman: Keyboards and electronics are very important in your songs. What’s your music look about? Why do you believe that this keyboards are very important for composing songs?

Violet Stigmata: Well, we love keyboards. They might be fundamental in some of our songs because they create a special feeling. We’ll keep on using it, but in the same time we want to insert new textures and new instruments in our future songs. We need to experiment unusual sounds now. Even if we have to leave the goth area. We would like to mix the biggest pan of emotions as possible, through classical and more experimental structures. We’ll see…

Lux_Atman: Sacral ambients in your album… Do you believe in God?

Violet Stigmata: Never.

Lux_Atman: It´s very difficult to select the only one song, but “Legacy” likes me so much. What´s your favourite song of Violet Stigmata? Why?

Violet Stigmata: It’s quite hard to choose! We have different reasons to prefer one song or the other; personally I like performing «Cold Stomach» but my favourite one must be «Cut The Flesh Wires» from «Décompositions & Reliques».

Lux_Atman: Violet Stigmata is a gothic music band. What´s the music bands, or gothic bands, with more influence in Violet Stigmata?

Violet Stigmata: We listen to very different stuff, from deathrock to ambient, from metal to old ebm, industrial projects, 60’s acid rock bands… We like bands like Neva, Clair Obscur, Kirlian Camera… We like original music, whatever the name is. We don’t care about what is goth or not; by the way, there is an excellent band in your country called «la Peste Negra».

Lux_Atman: Violet Stigmata is a music band but, what´s the big problem that you find day by day?

Violet Stigmata: We play music to have fun, but France is not the right place to do it ! And as we all have a job beside it, it’s hard to save time to struggle… And there would be lots of things to arrange, gig organisations, problems with labels, the need of money to do what we want on stage… Carpe diem…

Lux_Atman: You have played live and, what´s your unforgettable music experience lived? Do you prefer working in the studio, or playing live?

Violet Stigmata: Both aspects of music are interesting, but playing live is such a great moment. The only time you can mix hate, sadness and joy with a touch of decadence ! Our best memory must be the Invitation Festival at Gant (Belgium) close to Brussel. The best stage we ever saw, and a wonderful audience.

Lux_Atman: What does the future hold for Violet Stigmata?

Violet Stigmata: The new album we’re working on, and a stage concept, parallel to the album. We want to play more in foreign countries. Wait and see…

Lux_Atman: Thanks to Violet Stigmata for this interview, and I wish you a stroke of luck for your new album!!!

Reseña:
– VIOLET STIGMATA “PROGÉNITURES SUITE & FIN” (2003) (leer reseña)

Félix V. Díaz (Lux_Atman)
Lux Atenea
.

ENTREVISTA A ARKANE (ARKANUM X) (7 de julio del año 2011) (in English).

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Información Muy Importante / Very Important Information:
Esta entrevista ha sido escrita por un ser humano, no por una Inteligencia Artificial / This interview is a human writing, not an Artificial Intelligence writing

ENTREVISTA A ARKANE (ARKANUM X) (7 de julio del año 2011)

Lux_Atman: Thanks to ARKANUM X for this Lux Atenea interview.

Lux_Atman: Eroticism and the Reflexions, Ancient Ritualism and Dark Spirituality… what´s the music history of Arkane from 2000 to this year 2011?
Arkanum X: ARKANE commenced the musical procedure back in the year 2000 by the monicker xARKANEx, right after my departure from ancient folk project DAEMONIA NYMPHE, which I formed together with my brother Spyridon back In 1994. “Arcane Elitism” was released in 2002. It was a period of deep experimentation which resulted to changing the projects name to simply ARKANE in the year 2004. “Enraptured Serene Mesmerism” was the debut ARKANE album which got released in 2008.

Lux_Atman: I like so much your last release “ENRAPTURED SERENE MESMERISM” (2008), are you in love with the music now as you were 11 years ago?
Arkanum X: Mesmeric masquerade seduction shall see the light of release on the first day of 2012 January, according to the schedule. I have worked really hard on this album in order to accomplish perfection, stigmatized by a professional and more sophisticated musical and artistic concept, ARKANE manages to stimulate the mesmerizing aesthetics of seduction. The new material is a concept album, it is a musical and aesthetic concept based on the mesmerism of masquerade seduction in 9 parts.

All Musik Has A similar, Almost compulsive common song structure with intense atmosphere that delivers profound sentiments of seductive mesmerising Art, thus driving the listener to a mesmerising trance, ecstatic alluring seducement !!! Operatic haunted female voices blend with a mix of anatolian mysticism.

I highly regard this upcoming opus as my real debut album. This is what I am in love with.

Lux_Atman: You are a Greek artist but your songs are written in English. In Greek language, why not?
Arkanum X: English is an international lingua, therefore it´s used as a mean to spread the message of ARKANE worldwide. However If I ever felt like using Hellenic, I wouldn’t hesitate to either… but English titles and lyrics express me utterly for the moment. After all there are not much scripts to my musik up to now.

Lux_Atman: In my hands, two great albums: “ARKANE ELITISM” (2002) and “ENRAPTURED SERENE MESMERISM” (2008). When I bought your first album published by The Fossil Dungeon, “ARKANE ELITISM” (2002), I listened a new look for the neoclassical music and I think that “ARKANE ELITISM” was a music revolution. What´s the philosophy included in “ARKANE ELITISM”?
Arkanum X: Thank you very much for saying this.

I think Arcane Elitism was an album ahead of its time but as I mentioned earlier, for me it was just experimentation. My first steps on this genre… there was much variety on that album… from bombastic martial to ethereal… Major contribution played the fact that my brother Spyridon from DAEMONIA NYMPHE participated on it.

Lux_Atman: And, in “ENRAPTURED SERENE MESMERISM” (2008), again, I see new ideas for neoclassical music, for dark-ambient music… in an eclectic look in every song. What’s your inspiration for? Is “ENRAPTURED SERENE MESMERISM” a gnostic look to the meaning of the life?
Arkanum X: Enraptured was solely a neo-classical album… Just straight forward and direct. Much influenced by Dark Symphonic Soundtracks, it created a real mesmerising atmosphere.
No, it´s not a gnostic look to the meaning of life as it is an entrance to the seductive trance… allurement and profound seducement. Also it is the opening of what is yet to follow, and believe me, what is up next is the MESMERISING REVOLUTION OF SEDUCTION !!! A SEDUCTIVE APOCALYPSE !!

Lux_Atman: “ARKANE ELITISM” (2002), “ENRAPTURED SERENE MESMER-ISM” (2008), why do you need a long time to publish every new album? What do ARKANE hope to achieve with their music?
Arkanum X: Every ARKANE album is heavily based On PERFECTION and high levels of Spiritual Achievement… otherwise I wouldn’t have released it. That requires a great amount of time as being obvious. I prefer quality to quantity and that’s a reality. I have put up so much inspiration and energy on my upcoming opus. You will most definitely hear what ARKANE is all about. This is the real beginning. The new album shall achieve sentiments of seductive mesmerism. Like being trapped in a maze of seducement. You are ensnared and there is no other option than being MESMERISED !!!!

Lux_Atman: Who is the Death for you? What´s meaning to your all dark music that you are composing?
Arkanum X: ARKANE is not about Death. There is darkness indeed but no Death. My purpose of existence is exploring high divine levels of mesmerism. Elevation into higher spheres of seduction. A mesmerising climax to sentiments arcane.

Lux_Atman: Do you believe in God? Why?
Arkanum X: I believe in a higher form of Divine Existence. In the ancient times it was called polytheism. In our times its called GOD. I´m not deeply religious but I am certainly not a nihilist or atheist. I can be described as a religious agnostic although it might sound weird.

Lux_Atman: When you compose a new song, do you need a long time to change that idea to music sounds, or you can to do it quickly?
Arkanum X: Long time for sure. Each track changes and changes until it gets its final formation. All the new material have had constant changes until I got the final decision to terminate them at the point I was utterly satisfied by them.

Lux_Atman: What’s the most difficult song that you have created? And, what’s your personal favourite ARKANE track?
Arkanum X: All songs had similar difficulties in composing and recording them. From ENRAPTURED SERENE MESMERISM, I like “Nereida Tempt-ressa” and “Entrancing Of The Nereid”. The most.

Lux_Atman: All your songs like me so much, and I see that you self-published your last album. Do you prefer this publishing way, or stay in contact with music labels to publish your albums in the future?
Arkanum X: I prefer to self publish my albums. I intend to remain that way in the future.

Lux_Atman: Underground music scene has a global crisis of new ideas, concepts, styles… How do you see the music scene in Greece? And, in Europe?
Arkanum X: Yes indeed. Stagnation and lack of creativity dominates the scene in the recent years. There are not many bands that I find interesting enough to captivate me. However I think that the Hellenic scene plays the most important role in what I call Art. The best projects In Hellas happen to be the leading force of the global scene in my opinion. I mean look at SEPTIC FLESH – they are the best symphonic death metal band in the world right now. DAEMONIA NYMPHE is the best ethereal/folk. DIRTY GRANNY TALES, the best acoustic experimental theatrical. SIVA SIX, one of the best in electro industrial EBM and ARKANE and CHAOSTAR, maybe the best two neoclassical projects right now as well. So you name it, we got it.

In Europe there are very few bands that I like and can compete with the Hellenic bands I mentioned earlier.

Lux_Atman: How do you see the future of the underground music scene with Internet, illegal downloads, thinking globally unique…?
Arkanum X: There is no future… but ART will never cease to exist.

Lux_Atman: Talking about music, what’s the title of the album published recently that you enjoy to listening? And, the title of the album that you will listen ever?
Arkanum X: Those are the albums that changed my life:

1) Dead Can Dance -Within The Realm Of A Dying Sun (leer reseña)
2) Celtic Frost – Into The Pandemonium
3) Limbonic Art- Moon In The Scorpio
4) The Protagonist- A rebours
5) Arcturus- La Masquerade Infernale

I´m currently listening to the recordings of new ARKANE material exclusively.

Lux_Atman: Is there anyone you would like to collaborate with musically?
Arkanum X: Yes, many artists… among them Diamanda Galas, Mouldbreath of Dirty Granny Tales, Androniki Skoula of Chaostar… All Greeks 🙂

Lux_Atman: Do you like to read comics, books, novels, poems…?
Arkanum X: Comics no… neither novels or poems. I read travelling books, medical books and that short.

Lux_Atman: Are your songs, your poems written with music sounds?
Arkanum X: No, there are musik enriched with some mesmerising Propaganda.

Lux_Atman: You like to compose music but, do you like to create works in other artistic styles (painting, sculpture,…)?
Arkanum X: Nah… only composing musik and writing texts.

Lux_Atman: What does the future hold for ARKANE?
Arkanum X: The new album in 2012, plus 5 compilations… 3 from Germany, from France and one from Chile… The message of ARKANE is spread out globally.

Lux_Atman: Have you visited Spain?
Arkanum X: Yes, two times already. I really like Spanish cities. They are a wonder of architectural class. Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Zaragoza and Toledo I have visited. I can´t wait to be back in Spain soon.

Lux_Atman: A stroke of luck for your new album!!! Best wishes to you and ARKANE, and, in Spain, I hope to see you soon. This interview is closing. Would you like to say any words to?
Arkanum X: Thank you for this great interview… Hail to the Mesmeric Revolution!!!

¡¡¡Disfrútenlo!!!

Reseñas publicadas en Lux Atenea:
– XARKANEX (ARKANE) “ARKANE ELITISM” (2002) (leer reseña)
– ARKANE “ENRAPTURED SERENE MESMERISM” (2008) (leer reseña)
– ARKANE “MESMERIC MASQUERADE SEDUCTION” (2013) (leer reseña)

Félix V. Díaz (Lux_Atman)
Lux Atenea
.

ENTREVISTA a OLAF PARUSEL, líder del grupo musical sToa (enero de 2005 / 13 de abril del año 2008 en Lux Atenea) (in English).

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Esta entrevista ha sido escrita por un ser humano, no por una Inteligencia Artificial / This interview is a human writing, not an Artificial Intelligence writing

En la primera etapa de Lux Atenea en Blogger publiqué una serie de entrevistas cuyas preguntas marcaron un estilo a la hora de dar forma y sentido a una entrevista cultural, a su enfoque, y al trato ofrecido a una banda musical o a un artista. A posteriori, muchas de las preguntas que vertebraban estas entrevistas se convirtieron en la piedra angular de más de un entrevistador en otros medios, cambiando la escena existente en aquel momento a un poco más de calidad informativa y a un aumento en el nivel de interés que se ha hecho notar hasta nuestros días. Fue un antes y un después con preguntas que nunca se habían visto anteriormente en una entrevista musical.

A lo largo de décadas, mis relaciones con las bandas musicales y con los artistas, y las posteriores entrevistas ocasionales si así se dio el caso, son casi más un tema personal que un acto orientado a la información pública. Muchas palabras, muchos sentimientos, muchos momentos únicos e inolvidables se han quedado en el tintero porque son privados, pero esa atmósfera de conexión cultural, de identificación con la obra, de visión de la vida y de las experiencias, creo que se puede sentir en estas conversaciones. Tal vez fue sea esa la luz cultural que atrajo a muchos lectores de Lux Atenea a interesarse por las opiniones mostradas por estos grandes artistas, llevando incluso a algunos de estos magos del arte a compartir conmigo alguna de sus perspectivas y experiencias personales para que también las publicara.

En los meses de enero-febrero del año 2005, tras publicar el especial de la banda musical de culto sToa en la 16ª edición de Shadow´s Garden webzine, tuve el placer de entrevistar a Olaf Parusel, compositor y líder de esta mítica banda musical. Este es un extracto de la entrevista concedida en exclusiva por el fundador de esta legendaria banda musical neoclásica llamada sToa, cuyos álbumes continúo disfrutando año tras año con absoluta pasión en cada nueva audición.

ENTREVISTA a OLAF PARUSEL lider del grupo musical sToa

Lux_Atman : I like so much your new release “Zal”, are you in love with the music now as you were 14 years ago?

Olaf Parusel : Of course, I am still in love with music. There are always new and overwhelming pieces of music to find. Ok, my view on the music business is not as idealistic as it was 14 years before, but that´s a different playground.

Lux_Atman : What´s the music bands with more influence in you? what´s the new artist or music band that you enjoyed listening their CD or vinyl, recently? And, what is the older music band or artists that always you will listen?

Olaf Parusel : Hhmmmm, whom should i choose? I was influenced by many things and not only by music. For example, we had a warmup exercise in the chorus i was as a child. We formed harmonies on vocals and changed from one harmony and impression to the next just moving one note. That showed me that you can do big things with small steps. Actually I am listenening to David Darling, low, many soundtracks like the village score. Always, I will love is the music of Frederic Chopin, it touches me deep in my soul.

Lux_Atman : Why did you select the word sToa to your neoclassical music band?

Olaf Parusel : It comes from the stoic philosophy. I was at a point on my life to choose how I want to live. The philosophy of the sToa gave me a way to survive. And therefor I took the name for the project that is so important for me.

Lux_Atman : And, what´s meaning of this «T»?

Olaf Parusel : Oh, that was just the idea of the designer on our 1st and 2nd CD, and after a while more and more people wrote sToa in that way.

Lux_Atman : From your beginning, basicly you are working with women to sToa. What´s the reason, or it´s a casualty?

Olaf Parusel : Oh, I worked not only with women. At the first CD I sang myself, and I composed some pieces for a chorus which have been performed several times. Perhaps, I have other ideas in my mind to you can listen to on the next CD.

Lux_Atman : Songs like “[N]ever”, “Luvah” or “Chanson d´automn” like me so much. I´m never tired to listen them but, what´s the most difficult song that you have created? What’s your personal favourite track and why?

Olaf Parusel : The most difficult song is not released and I was working on it before sToa. I wanted to compose a song from the view of a murderer. That was hard for my ethical opinions but I wanted to scratch this border in my art. Always, I felt very bad writing music and lyrics for that, but it was an interesting experience to go to these dark places. I think everyone has this darkness inside. As an artist you can touch this without harm. My favourite track is “sTOa” from our first album urthona. That´s where everything begun.

Lux_Atman : When I bought your first CD published, “Urthona”, I listened a new looking for the neoclassical music. “Urthona” was a music revolution. What´s the philosophy included in “Urthona”?

Olaf Parusel : Oh, thank you. To be honest, I don´t feel it was something like a revolution. So many composers created so overwhelming music before, and compared to, I feel like nothing.

Lux_Atman : One year after, “Porta VIII” has light but this record is not a melancholic music work. It´s more spiritual and the inspiration was the fairy tale “Ariadne et Barbe Bleue”. Is “Porta VIII” a gnostic looking to the meaning of the life? When you discovered this fairy tale?

Olaf Parusel : Yes, this CD represents a part of my thoughts about live. You can not have all of everything, you have to decide and to follow some ways. And you should not wait to long otherways your life can end before you had the ability to live your real life.

Lux_Atman : Do you believe in God?

Olaf Parusel : I have a pantheistic view. There is no God looking on us. For me, everything is god. You can call it also nature, Allah, micro and macrokosmos.

Lux_Atman : Connie Levrow left sToa in 1997. From then, do you continue in contact?

Olaf Parusel : Yes, we are in contact. She is singing still but in a different style of music.

Lux_Atman : “Urthona” (1993), “Porta VIII” (1994), “Zal” (2002). Why this long time to publish your next music work?

Olaf Parusel : It was not on the time to release it earlier. In the meantime I studied musicology and philosophy. Then was the time for “Zal”.

Lux_Atman : Your songs is based in an elegant voice singing to oneself, moving on with an orchestral music. How do you do to create this songs, your fingers talk quickly or were created mixing musical ideas for a long time?

Olaf Parusel : I need a very long time. It is not really the composing that needs the time. It is more the choosing. I want to have some distance to the songs and, then, I decide if I will work on them longer or not. The effect is that only the essence will left for a release. Perhaps, 90-95 percent of the songs I am composing will get lost on the way.

Lux_Atman : The shadow of William Blake is present in all your work with sToa. Who is William Blake for you? What´s meaning to you all spiritual books wrote by Blake?

Olaf Parusel : I have a deep relation to his paintings. If I see them, feel that there is something in these pictures I feel too. The same effect is when I am listening to our music while looking on blake’s paintings. I can not describe in words what it is.

Lux_Atman : You have played in concerts and, what´s your unforgettable music experience lived? Do you prefer working in the studio, or playing live?

Olaf Parusel : I don´t like performing live. It is too stressful for my. After the show, I feel good but before it is terrible.

Lux_Atman : Have you visited Spain?

Olaf Parusel : I was two nights in Madrid on the flight to our mexican tour, and like many germans, I was in Mallorca to visit the cloister of Chopin, in Valdemossa.

Lux_Atman : Now, are you working in your next album? Is there anyone you would like to collaborate with musically?

Olaf Parusel : I work on a new album and I had some collaborations in the meantime too. There is one project together with Tim (Erblast) where we known and unknown songs. The concept there is to take all the tempo out of them, and make them slowly flowing and dark. I composed some music for a tv-documentation on the crusaders too.

Lux_Atman : Thank you very much! This interview it´s a dream made real to me. All the best wishes to you and sToa. In Spain, I hope to see you soon.

Olaf Parusel : Thanks again !

Reseñas publicadas en el especial dedicado a sToa, el Neoclasicismo de Culto:

– “Urthona” (1993) (leer reseña)
– “Porta VIII” (1994) (leer reseña)
– “Zal” (2002) (leer reseña)

Félix V. Díaz (Lux_Atman)
Lux Atenea
.