׉?4ׁB! בCט  u׉׉	 7cassandra://qFWR6-mYO4SsJO4R0iwiBxyW7ypm6BB_b_Rdf9rVE0g a0`׉	 7cassandra://it8qhiIg7RIRYMNX3BE5KqVNB7p6_JGRqIsRVA6TYYwN(`U׉	 7cassandra://3sPvLsxjKWU5V9Kb1dQK7QRvmHWJZaJpdBqauF9bOOgT`̶ ׉	 7cassandra://FefAgRsXMLE5iyMerEEhguhkKRg0p0MLEr1fe-_QvvI ^C͠b?#i^y4ט   u׈   frJ  ׈Eb?#i^y3׉E eek
edition April/May/June 2022
free ofcharge, not for sale
quarterly publishedmusic magazine
39
ADULT.
AHRAYEPH - ECHO ROAD
GOETHES ERBEN - IRDORATH
LACRIMOSA - MARROWVOLTAGE
PANICLIFT -THEREBELRIOT
׉	 7cassandra://3sPvLsxjKWU5V9Kb1dQK7QRvmHWJZaJpdBqauF9bOOgT`̶ b?#i^y3b?#i^y3בCט   u׉׉	 7cassandra://R4ZD7m8QC7EFCJZdnhRfrVpnKDJgSltwTLHhrU1J9-8 i`׉	 7cassandra://ETKYKUrTY9s0qN_jRclyhomH_MW4jGFSkjPSK-WmW4E`׉	 7cassandra://JcNGXh9svPNsRrX2SE3igSRwJ1p_Nxmw0n3IfdILxP0>`k ׉	 7cassandra://79pQe07ecf1VDtnKU0p1iIU14LNPG_-ht2psmMFl9cw pu(͠	b?#i^y4נb?#i^y41 E9ׁH !http://www.peek-a-boo-magazine.beׁׁЈנb?#i^y40 ia9ׁH #mailto:promo@peek-a-boo-magazine.beׁׁЈנb?#i^y4/ c9ׁH %mailto:contact@peek-a-boo-magazine.beׁׁЈנb?#i^y4. =tQ	9ׁHhttp://www.PortaNigra.euׁׁЈנb?#i^y4- =[D9ׁHhttp://www.infrarot.deׁׁЈנb?#i^y4, =BQ	9ׁHhttp://www.gothville.comׁׁЈנb?#i^y4+ =(T9ׁHhttp://www.darkentries.beׁׁЈנb?#i^y4* =X9ׁHhttp://www.bunkerleute.beׁׁЈנb?#i^y4) =W9ׁHhttp://www.darkballoon.beׁׁЈנb?#i^y4( =ЁP	9ׁHhttp://www.BodyBeats.beׁׁЈנb?#i^y4' ^̏	9ׁH %mailto:contact@peek-a-boo-magazine.beׁׁЈנb?#i^y4& b	9ׁHhttp://www.LeFantastique.netׁׁЈנb?#i^y4% Q	9ׁHhttp://www.PortaNigra.euׁׁЈנb?#i^y4$ P	9ׁHhttp://www.BodyBeats.beׁׁЈ׉E !www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be
- 2 -
׉	 7cassandra://JcNGXh9svPNsRrX2SE3igSRwJ1p_Nxmw0n3IfdILxP0>`k b?#i^y3׉Econtents
01 Cover ADULT. /
©ADULT.
04 Interview GOETHES ERBEN
06 Reviews
08 Interview NINO SABLE
11 Interview ECHO ROAD
12 Reviews
14 InterviewMARROWVOLTAGE
18 Interview ADULT.
22 Interview THE REBEL RIOT
24 Interview LACRIMOSA
26
28 Reviews
30 Interview IRDORATH
24 Interview PANIC LIFT
35 Calendar
Interview 25YEARS OF AHRAYEPH
colophon
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PHOTOGRAPHERS
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WRITERS
Jurgen BRAECKEVELT
Dimi BRANDS
Kevin BURKE
Peter DOLPHEN
Fred GADGET
Hamis HIREK
Kurt INGELS
Xavier KRUTH
Lena DAUTEL
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- 3 -
WRITERS (continued)
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b?#i^y3b?#i^y3בCט   u׉׉	 7cassandra://8fL3Pv-z_to49BqaYi_cdf5A1BJi-igEbxONncd0Tw8 	a`׉	 7cassandra://75-ZJrm39QF3LAlJnJy7BLaxuF2YSBzEy9ucknEPGvk Z`׉	 7cassandra://N2nZE17jNzmxTPLoqLHV9kMgQj13CuvDPPB2jVXcYH0Z`k ׉	 7cassandra://MbNXt2TSqaukfDehGya7nXAN2H0VSdxxRO8ZbZr-7Bk 	Q͠	b?#i^y4נb?#i^y4n E9ׁH !http://www.peek-a-boo-magazine.beׁׁЈנb?#i^y4m W}w9ׁH "http://wwww.peek-a-boo-magazine.beׁׁЈנb?#i^y4l I9ׁHhttp://well.AnׁׁЈנb?#i^y4k 2)9ׁHhttp://period.ThׁׁЈנb?#i^y4j 	:9ׁHhttp://album.CaׁׁЈנb?#i^y4i J̃9ׁHhttp://andbookburnings.ThׁׁЈנb?#i^y4h -t59ׁHhttp://indeed.ItׁׁЈנb?#i^y4g 9ׁHhttp://loss.ItׁׁЈנb?#i^y4f Á9ׁHhttp://this.ThׁׁЈנb?#i^y4e ̸=9ׁHhttp://ensemble.ThׁׁЈ׉EGOETHESERBEN
Oswald Henke is angry. Angry and disappointed. In the
pandemic, the cultural sector was used as a scapegoat.
Everything about culture had to be closed, while sporting
events and travellingwere allowed to continue.His income
was severely reduced for two years as a result.
Nevertheless, Goethes Erben released two beautiful
recordsduring thepandemic:'FlüchtigeKüsse'in2020and
'Elemente' in 2021. The live CD and DVD'Das gestohlene
Konzert' will soon be added. Enough reasons to listen to
UncleOswald oncemore.
In July2021 you released'Elemente'. It is not just a CDbut
a collection of singles about the four elements of nature:
air, earth, water and fire. There is also a CD with some
bonus tracks.What inspiredyou toworkwith this concept?
Oswald Henke : In times of pandemic, we had to adapt our
way of working.We haven't been able to rehearse much in
2020.We discussed a lot through Skype meetings or on the
phone because you couldn't get together,even as a band.So
I thought to myself: let's put together in one box everything
that Goethes Erben has produced as creative work and
content. Past, present and also future. For this reason the 7"
box'Elemente'has also been released as vinyl + CD + soap +
other extras. My creative work doesn't includes one single
thingbutmanysmall elements that then result ina complete
work.'Seelenbalsam' (the soap collection that Oswald Henke
helped create,xk) for example onlyexists because during the
pandemic I lost almost everyopportunitytomakemoneyand
then I implemented the idea of vegan cosmetics based on
pieces byGoethes Erben,Erblast or Artwork.We then created
it and offered it as a product.
The soap 'Rebel' – one of the designed soaps from the
'Seelenbalsam'collection–is the representativeof this in the
box. The music consists of the chamber ensemble and the
regular band and the box contains old and newpieces…you
will find all kinds of memories on the pins.All these things
recall what makes Goethes Erben so special. All elements
together result in my work. Even though Goethes Erben is
always an ensemble performance, I am the artistic director
and I try to collaborate with other creatives and thus set up
artisticprojects.I amnot afraid to trynewthings out andhave
also tried to overcome the limitations imposed by the
pandemic as part of the box concept.
On the release, Goethes Erben plays in two different
ensembles: as a rock band on 'Spiel mit mir' and as a
chamber ensemble on most of the other songs. The two
ensembles also lead to several live concerts, completely
independent of each other. How do you combine the two
versions ofyour project?
I am the crossroads and at some concerts of the chamber
ensemble,Markus Koestner of the regular band is also there
www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be
- 4 -
as a percussionist. They are simply two different live
ensembles rehearsing at different times and working
independently on new pieces. So it is not really a
combination.Rather:we can stageGoethes Erben indifferent
ways.Whether as a band,as a chambermusic ensemble or as
amusic theatre production.
'Elemente' also includes 'Ölberg' versions of several older
pieces performed by the chamber music ensemble. I love
them. They appear to be leftovers from the recordings of
your previous record,'FlüchtigeKüsse'.Whydidyou include
themon'Elemente'?
That's right, they were recorded in Ölberg church as part of
the recordings for 'Flüchtige Küsse'. For 'Elemente' these
pieces represent the past,which at best is an important part
of the present and should alsobe anoption for the future.We
keep changing the live versions to keep them in the present.
Arrangements can be made smaller or larger, or they can be
left as they are.That's the exciting thing.The only important
thing is that you don't destroy the"magic"of a piece.
In the song'Zeit zu gehen', but also in the CD booklet, you
criticize the measures surrounding the corona pandemic.
You even say that 'society has failed'. What made you so
angryabout themeasures?Whyhas societyfailed?
Politics and society have generally used the arts and the
cultural sector aswhippingboys in thepandemic.Inprinciple,
we as a band and I as a musician have not been able to give
concerts at any time since the outbreak of the pandemic in
Europe. We always had restrictions and conditions, while
people attended footballmatches in stadiums or travelledall
over the world to enjoy their holidays and then wondered
why the number of infections increased again after the
holidays.Culture was the first thing that kept getting turned
off and one of the last things allowed to be reactivated.
Thepandemicalsohadamajor impact on theartisticworld.
You complain that both record sales and concert ticket
sales have suffered greatly from the pandemic. What do
you thinkare the causes and solutions?
I have no idea. After two years of not being able to plan
anything, I decided to avoid a third year in this regard and
only plan and offer concerts byGoethes Erben in and around
Bayreuth. Only the festival in October (Autumn Moon in
Hamelin) is at a distance.All other concerts take place in our
neighbourhood. I also think it will take months if not years
after the pandemic to get people back to concerts.Some will
probably not come at all because after two years of
uncertainty and fear they are used to staying at home.
׉	 7cassandra://N2nZE17jNzmxTPLoqLHV9kMgQj13CuvDPPB2jVXcYH0Z`k b?#i^y3׉E 'Elemente' comes after 'Flüchtige Küsse', which was
released in 2020.We had seen concerts with the chamber
music ensemble before but this is a whole CD in this style.
And it is brilliant! I heard it should have been a live CD but
because of Corona it was recorded without an audience.
Whydid you decide to record a CDwith this ensemble and
whyshould it have been a live recording?
Goethes Erben has always been a strong live band and the
chamber music arrangements in particular work most
intensively when they are recorded live at the same time as
an ensemble.That's why I wanted to record 'Flüchtige Küsse'
like this.The titles'Ichmöchte fliegen','Zeit zugehen','Darfich
bitten' and 'Fern ab vom Licht' were not recorded live. This
has advantages in terms ofmixing but when you hear these
pieces live on the upcoming DVD and CD 'Das gestohlene
Konzert'youwill understandwhyI prefer live,also in terms of
recording the chamber ensemble. It's just livelier and more
intense.
Sebastian Boettcher's compositions for the chamber music
ensemble are very melodic. Your singing style, often
referred to as Sprechgesang, has evolved in that direction,
hasn't it?
Let's put it thisway:with the chamber ensemble I sometimes
hit the right notes. (laughs) Since the rehearsals here are
muchmore intensive and complex,I alsodared to expandmy
linguistic possibilities in a tonal way.
In your lyrics on'Flüchtige Küsse'we can read things like:
'We all seekgreat happiness and forget to be just satisfied'
and'Sometimes it's just about getting through life'.Howdo
you see things in this regard?
Exactly as it says in the text. Life is not always beautiful and
sometimes fate is unfair andmean.But life is also the option
on EVERYTHING, because if you don't live, you can't have
beautiful things, fall in love, dance, have adventures or have
happy moments. But a part of life is also experiencing grief
and loss.It is important that wemake something of our lives
and somehowtry tomake the world a little better.
It gets more political at the end of 'Flüchtige Küsse':
'Because we don't believe anything anymore; no longer
believing the facts' and 'arguing against ignorance is
meaningless as playing chess with pigeons and religion'.
Does the current affairs around corona and corona skeptics
also seep through in these texts?
'Ich bin der Zorn',indeed.It ismainly thanks to idiots and toxic
men likeTrump,Erdogan,Bolsonaro,Putin andOrban that the
world has become smaller and more intolerant in recent
years. Conspiracy theories are on the rise and I'm actually
- 5 -
waiting for the first pyres andbookburnings.Thedemocracies
must now assert themselves and also clearly say goodbye to
ruthless capitalism, in which only a small elite accumulate
more and more money while the rest of humanity dries up.
Whether financially,economically,socially or factually.
You also say that a new record is coming soon–the tenth
studio album.Canyou tell us something about it?
We presentedX live with 5 titles on theXTour 2021.We will
present the new album live on September 17 in Bayreuth.
However, the X album itself will not be released until the
spring of 2023,as we need this time to record the album in a
way that we are happywith during this pandemic period.The
pandemic has slowed things down and put a lot of things on
hold as well.An unwanted delay has disadvantages.But you
can alsomake this circumstance a possibility and that's what
we're trying to dowith the concept ofX.
(Read more on wwww.peek-a-boo-magazine.be)
Xavier KRUTH
Photos © Luc 'Who Cares' Luyten
www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be
b?#i^y3b?#i^y3בCט   u׉׉	 7cassandra://pC4MafLEa9gthEP3N80uxsIIpswVwZVs6sTAFyEQyws hF`׉	 7cassandra://g759KVLdF1n-SKZabodHo4Al_7N840AFlYf34aPd_tA`׉	 7cassandra://iRaWm9TUA7E-z6aizQb49LEVoOikdbN67gybhi1YNKUG`k ׉	 7cassandra://mlRvmOyJV7NhfN1zYbykBwvKdP-BpOgeD5lSOmE2oE0 $.8͠	b?#i^y4!נb?#i^y4= E9ׁH !http://www.peek-a-boo-magazine.beׁׁЈ׉EcADULT. - Becoming Undone (CD / Vinyl / Digital)
This eight-track masterpiece opens with 'Undoing / Undone' - an eclectic
amalgamation of Nicola's paranoid sounding and intoxicating vocal passages,
almost nervous-sounding sequencers and pounding analogue-sounding drum
machines. With lyrical choruses like "Our Compulsion is Our Destruction", the trend
of this album is firmly set and needs no further elaboration.
In short, this Becoming Undone has once again become a great and varied record
which fits perfectly into your ADULT. discography.Kuperus &Miller are clearly artists
in heart and soul and in more disciplines than just music. So don't expect them to
serve you a bite-sized chunk but instead, use your brain and imagination to make
this piece of art your own! Because
… Yes You can!
[FG]
THE BIRTHDAY MASSACRE - Fascination (CD / Vinyl / Digital)
Fascination is a quite captivating work, with the characteristic mix of razor-sharp
vocals, sweet electronics and guitars that can be heard frugally in the background
and then again prominently claim a leading role.An album that brings together the
best of the past 20 years of experience in nine songs. They delivered another nice
gift and it is a pleasure to unwrap this album Fascination song by song. You can
almost feel that the band is getting stronger than ever before. Accessible, solid and
intoxicating at the same time, their characteristic mix of blaring, heavily distorted
guitars, with sweet synth lines just works. I can't decide which song on Fascination
is the real absolute stunner track that will blow your mind. But this doesn't mean
that the album is mediocre! Quite the opposite! This is The Birthday Massacre
album! A monument and a working recipe that moves and fascinates.
Starting as Imagica, theymorphed in 2001 to The BirthdayMassacre.Meanwhile, the
dance must go on! And with this record it does!
(Metropolis Records)
[JB]
MICHAEL ZODOROZNY - Other Side (Vinyl / Digital)
Other Side is the first solo album of New York post-punk visionary and founding
member of Crash Course In Science, Michael Zodorozny. Being the “head and voice”
of the aforementioned cult band it comes as no surprise this piece of art sounds
very similar. All seven tracks on this album sound gloomy, dark, dystopian, vintage
but yet still fresh! No happy-joy-joy tunes but electro-industrial with an EBM-ish
feel. One of the characteristics of the sound of Michael’s works, is most definitely
the use of self-hacked and modified (toy) synthesizers. Instead of giving these selfmade
instruments futuristic concept names Michael calls them simply the orange
one or the grey one, for obvious reasons. All songs on this Other Side album fit
neatly in-between those classic new wave club hits, especially the feisty remix
from the track ‘Constant’ by no-one less than The Hacker closes this album in
perfect dark club style atmosphere! Michael Zodorozny has art running through his
veins and is also responsible for the artwork. It is so unique and enjoyable! Keep
going Michael!
(Electronic Emergencies)
[HH]
MATT HART - Decimate (Single (Digital))
Londoner MATT HART is into industrial. In 2005, he started writing his first music.
With careful steps, he started making music. As a DJ, he played in renowned music
clubs.The electronic instruments were in his hands, bass and guitar knew no secrets
as he played them with Concrete Lung.
Here is the second single, Decimate, which is a foretaste of the album Below The
Terra Part 1 that will be released in the spring of 2022.
Decimate is a dark electro/industrial song. Expect heavy darkbeats that pound away,
nice synths, a voice that sometimes is put through a vocoder and sometimes sounds
metal-like, supported by guitars that guarantee a heavy industrial twist.
Check it yourself!
(Self-released)
[JB]
www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be
- 6 -
Read full reviews on http://www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be/en/reviews/
(Dais Records))
׉	 7cassandra://iRaWm9TUA7E-z6aizQb49LEVoOikdbN67gybhi1YNKUG`k b?#i^y3׉E !- 7 -
www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be
b?#i^y3b?#i^y3בCט   u׉׉	 7cassandra://RUPieOoWT_WwGy3SzuTtN1oFh-5Z7crNCVadVs9J31c `׉	 7cassandra://6K7S-3U3yNsVeQf5lLXaxs82SASJIIKvIIa0WR6EJKwm`׉	 7cassandra://5cfYDHZmIN7JYlKfpO1ZGk0viCmGxwDieM74xKo2lWMJ`k ׉	 7cassandra://09gMIW6Zd8h2L6jB5yn_6XYd6JRfhBlT9lETq5NXj58 1͠	b?#i^y48נb?#i^y4c E9ׁH !http://www.peek-a-boo-magazine.beׁׁЈ׉ENINOSABLE
This ‘new’ project’s name is Nino Sable, which is also the
name of Dark-Goth-Metal band Aeon Sable’s singer. With
Aeon Sable Nino released seven albums but nowhe found
the time ripe to produce his first Nino Sable solo album!
Some ofusmight knowyou from the bandAeon Sablewith
whom you released about seven albums so far. Why starti
this solo project?
Before the pandemic I was mainly the singer of the gothic
rock band Aeon Sable. I sometimes wrote music, but my last
record (Melanculia -SeventhCircle) hadbeen released4years
ago and the project was discontinued.
With the pandemic, the studio closed its doors and I had to
manage my own affairs. Inspiration was everywhere, while
the pressure of state and society spat intomy face.I had a job
to do. I had to conserve this atmosphere - this Zeitgeist. I
bought a computer and some software and started
composing and recording. During the inferno of 2020 and
2021 I finally got access to the Artsphere and wrote around
30 tracks.Everything that had to be said,had to be felt…
If I’m not mistaken you did compose everything byyourself
on this debut album, music, lyrics … Is this by choice or
rather bycircumstance?
On the first pass, I wrote all the tracks on my own and as a
second step I gave these raw demos to my friend Lars
Kappeler (Sweet Ermengarde / OBB) in order to have them
arranged in a professional way.Lars did a huge update on the
tracks concerning production and also added some
characteristic goth vibes by including and changing some
instruments.
On the Nino Sable Bandcamp one can read it took you 15
years to release this debut album.Whydid it take that long?
Well,it isn’t like I have never released an albumbefore -but it
never happened under my own name. I just had (and
participated in) several projects. In 2021,as a matter of fact, I
decided to sail undermyown flag.Iwanted absolute freedom
in terms of creation.
But then, in2021,youmanaged to releaseanewsongeach
and everymonth? Was this planned like this? And didn’t it
put you in a stressful position to continue to deliver month
after month?
Delivering new creations wasn’t the stressful part,promoting
them was. On the one hand, continuous hard work was
necessary to be able to produce and promote at the same
time, but on the other hand, I gave my all to keep my friends
and fans entertainedduring those tough times.I didwhat had
to be done.
www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be
- 8 -
Can you elaborate the title ‘Sedate ⊚ Seduce’ to our
readers?
‘Sedate ⊚ Seduce’ is a hint to the duality that led me into
Artsphere.Sedation is the initial ritual,seduction the second,
while between both -art is born (symbolized by the⊚CD).If
you take a close lookat the CDdesign,you’ll see that‘sedate’
and‘seduce’turn around the‘⊚’.
Symbolism seems to have an important place in Aeon
Sable as well as in this project. Can you tell us why and
what some of the used symbols stand for?
What some people don’t knowis that I amamedia designer
and in that function, I designed sigils for each member of
Aeon Sable back in 2012. In Nino Sable I am using my old
sigil originally designed for my persona in Aeon Sable. It
stands for the“voiceofthe seventh sonofmoonand sun”and
inmy opinion,it perfectly fits my nowadays role.
Do you have plans ofperforming livewith this project and
howwill you approach this seeing you are, so far, the only
member?
We have a very motivated live crew and together we have
already performed live last year. The feedback from the
crowd was wonderful. So, yes. We will be performing Nino
Sable live out there in the future - as soon as stages were
available again for “small artists”.
Classifying your music as simply Goth-rock would maybe
be tooeasyand straight forwardbecause I thinkthealbum
has somuchmore tooffer sohowwouldyoudescribeyour
music?
I can’t. I am not a friend of boxed content.Of course there is
the spirit of goth in each track but you can find so much
more. This album also includes pop and psychedelic rock,
synth-wave,dark-wave,electronic,coldwave,post-punk.
And finally the inevitable sort of question a band /
musician creating“Goth-Rock”music can not escape from
… Please rank The Sister Of Mercy, The Mission and The
Fields ofTheNephilimtoyour personal taste and tell us IF
they had an impact on your music and why… If you ever
heard of themof course! :-)
I havebeenmostlyinspiredbyblackmetal inmyyouth.Later,
with Aeon Sable,Gothic-Rock came into my life and so I got
to know all the goth classics. Yes, of course the artists
mentioned above inspired me but – I have never idealized
any of them because there are also a lot of industrial,metal,
drone,ambient,synth (…) artists ★ inmy playlist.
www.ninosable.de
Fred GADGET
Fred
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www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be
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9ׁH  http://facebook.com/echoroadbandׁׁЈנb?#i^y4 09ׁHhttp://young.ThׁׁЈנb?#i^y4 U]9ׁHhttp://beverage.DeׁׁЈ׉ETECHO ROAD
Peek-a-Boo Magazine had the chance to talk to the NewJersey
based Rock band'Echo Road'.'Echo Road'are Michael
Febles,Mario Giordano, Luke Becker and Gabe Vega.
Howare you guys doing?
Hey Britta! Hope all is well in Germany, we’ve been doing
great and are excited to speak with you again!
You've recentlychanged your band name fromHidden Figures
to Echo Road.What happened?Why Echo Road?
As far as the name goes,we have been considering a change
for some time, but the final nail in the coffin was finding another
group with the same name.The process of generating a
new name was a long one but we eventually chose Echo
Road, after the street name where our vacation cabin is located.The
air there is quiet and the trees outline a quaint and
fantastical setting. It’s a pleasant and calming escape to nature,
so naturally it felt fitting as a new group title.Our name
may be different, but the lineup is as it was: Mario and
Michael on guitars and vocals,Gabe on bass, Luke on drums.
live sound into a studio recording as we possibly could.There
really aren’t overdubs in that song,even on the vocals,which
adds to the rawness of it.The lyrics are much more straightforward
in a bluesier style as we wanted to focus on the instrumental
elements more and give each member a time to
shine. There are quite a few blistering fills on the bass, plus
two guitar solos and a gigantic drum solo in the middle section.
Luke truly came into his element in this one.
You're planning an albumrelease thisMarch.What canyou
tell us about the release date and where can we listen to
your music?
'Out in the Open' releases on Friday,April 15,2022. It can be
listened to anywhere and everywhere; although it is recommended
to be heard with others at a more than sufficient
volume.
'There was no easy way or any shortcut to be taken in
terms of producing something truly representative of
the human experience.We simply had to ‘just do it'.'
You've recently released a newsingle. It's called'She is My
Songbird'.Tell us more about it!
‘She is My Songbird’ has been with us since fall of 2019, and
its release is a long time coming for us. It is one of our favorites
and has been played at just about every gig from its
inception. The song concept began as a meditation on romance,but
sort of evolved into something resembling a spiritual
awakening as a result of gratification in companionate
love. In the beginning of the song, the lyrics paint a dark,
misty biome with rocky hills and caverns, which was definitely
Tolkien-inspired. Even the image of the bird is taken
from elements of Kate Chopin’s The Awakening, which also
connects heavily with another track on our album, ‘A City in
the Sea’. It’s much more contained, though, and isn’t as radically
existentialist as ‘A City in the Sea’.‘She is My Songbird’ is
more focused on the element of love and gratification as a
means to genuine existence. On the musical side, the track
embodiesmore of our folk and 60s pop influencewith acoustic
guitars, organ, and layered harmonies. There was definitely
consideration of artists like George Harrison and Fleet
Foxes.With ‘Red Girl’, the idea was to embody as much of our
www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be
- 10 -
Can you describe the process of making a record from the
first ideas to recording it?
Our initial thoughts about creating the album were considered
in its title.There was no easy way or any shortcut to be
taken in terms of producing
something
truly representative
of the human experience.
We simply had
to ‘just do it’, even if it
took the three years
that it did. From the
ground up we built our studio, Bentley Sound, and just figured
out how to run it.At the start,days would go by and we
wouldn’t even have a clean mic sound.There were plenty of
all nighters, corrupted file mishaps, and you know, a global
pandemic, but we each kept each other moving.Most of the
songs were written throughout 2019, the exception being
‘Eternity’, which was written as far back as 2018. Out in the
Open has been a long time coming, and we’re most excited
to share it with our fans. And of course, we are extremely
grateful and fortunate to have such supportive friends like
Aidan Jude Polemeni ('Jude and the Strangers', Evandria
Recording) who offered his Evandria Studios for mixing and
mastering, Ralph Cheuveret and Daniel Tineo who donated
recording equipment and instruments, and Sumaiyah Siddiqui
and Sarah Greiner who both sang background vocals
on three tracks.
Doyouwrite all the songs yourself?Who's in charge?Or do
you all equallyparticipate in the various stages of creating
newmusic?
All of the songs were entirely self-written except for ‘Eter׉	 7cassandra://nGBnMT11i3MQeGW79UxeGFJMoyku9gcAq4TFdwdW_VMU`k b?#i^y3׉EPhoto © Echo Road
nity’ and ‘She is My Songbird’.The first one we wrote back in
2018 with Aidan Polemeni, as he was in the band at the
time. With ‘She is My Songbird’, Mario was stuck on how to
write the pre-chorus and then brought the tune into his music
teacher who ended up contributing to that section. It’s
quite a critical part for the build-up to the chorus.Each song
has its own story of creation, but Mario and Luke generally
write the lyrics with the music being composed by each at
different times.
You've recently played some gigs. Any future plans for
more shows? Maybe also a tour? Music videos?
We have a ton of shows planned through July as part of the
upcoming Only in Dreams Tour presented by Sovereign
Stage Productions, and we have some fantastic supporting
acts lined up like Jude and the Strangers, The Wednesdays,
Crooked Ways, Nick and the Leg Heavy Boys, and many others.
Our album release show is at the Maywood Knights of
Columbus on April 22, 2022 with 'Jude and the Strangers'
opening. Tickets are $15 and include complimentary food
and beverage.Definitelykeep an eye out on our YouTube this
spring as we will be discussing and breaking down a few of
our tracks in entirety.
Funniest moment you ever had at a gig?
The funniest moment we have had on stage was at a recent
- 11 -
gig where Mario decided to improvise the ‘Fresh Prince of
Bel-Air’ theme song over the beginning of Stevie Wonder’s
Superstition.
Name each other's biggest flaws…;)
For Mario, Michael, Gabe, and Luke, their respective weaknesses
are perfectionism, dying on hills, volume (he’s the
bassist), and vegetables.
Other plans,wishes, dreams?
Our focus is the album at the moment, but the year is still
young.There are some tentative plans for some other music
projects in the upcoming seasons.We have also been toying
with the idea of short films of late.
Some last words to our readers?
Dusk is Born to Die
Britta Tabrit
facebook.com/echoroadband
instagram.com/echoroadband/
YouTube: Echo Road -YouTube
www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be
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(Synth Religion)
Fragrance, the solo project of Matthieu Roche from Paris is back.After his great debut album
NowThat I'm Real from 2019,he returns with the follow-up album Salt Water.
His catchy,melancholic dream-pop-synth-sound, often supported by pounding bass thumps
and his sensual vocals... It's still all there. He is one of the musicians of Hélène De Thoury's
(aka Hante) Synth Religion label.
Fragrance balances on the edges between synth-wave,dream-pop,minimal and synth-wave.
For all I care, he can fall off that edge, because it doesn't matter a damn thing. He keeps
mesmerizing us,whatever he does.This SaltWater is a veryworthy successor to his debut.He
is in the purebred stable of the Synth Religion label, so let him work out his devils.This is a
top notch musician who has a lot to offer which he just proved here with verve.
[JB]
THE PULSEBEATS - LOOKIN’OUT (CD / Digital)
The newest release,Lookin’Out, is not a major step forward for The Pulsebeats, rather,
just a damn good record. The quartet does a brilliant job of not only uniting energy
with punk-rock (which can sometimes be a difficult task) but bringing a rockabilly feel
to the songs. Comparing life to a movie, The Pulsebeats bring a certain cinematic
element to their songwriting.Our life does not always resemble a movie. Either good
or bad. But if some artists tend to create the feeling of euphoria, The Pulsebeats are
like your good friends - they're around with a hand on your shoulder.They almost tell
you: Don’t worry, sit down, relax, enjoy the picture, no matter what happens the story
will end positively. Just like the quartet finishing the record with the closing track (
and the brilliant one! ) “Coma State”.
[DV]
ANALFABETISM - Rotvälta (CD / Digital)
Stockholm’s centipede Fredrik Djurfeldt is a musician of multiple talents.Besides being
the front man of EBM act Severe Illusion, and being part of the fantastic ALVAR, this
Swedish artist also has a much darker and more obscure side/project; Analfabetism.
With this alter ego he fully exposes and exploits the world's dark-ambient and noisey
soundscapes.This particular album he dedicated to Sten... Sten being Fredrik's cat that
has sadly passed away... On this album, Rotvälta (Swedish for a turned over tree root -
hence the cover artwork),Herr Djurfel, as he calls himself,used sounds which somehow
seemed to move Sten.So we can say, together, they created six lengthy dark and doomy
sound tapestry tracks, almost all exceeding an equal amount of minutes. Take your
favourite drink in hand, sit or lay down on your most comfortable couch, switch off the
light, turn on this album... and shiver! If you are a fan of dark, ominous, industrial
ambient soundscapes you should definitely check this out!
(Self-released)
[HH]
ARMAGEDDON DILDOS - Desctruction (EP (Digital)
‘Destruction’ is the second single / EP taken from German EBM bands’ album Dystopia
which was released in 2020 and features 6 previously unreleased songs and mixes.This
‘Destruction’ EP represents, once again, the album’s ambiguous sound hanging between
hard and aggressive Electro industrial andmoremelodic danceable 80s influences synth
music. Next to the album version this EP also features a “darkroom” mix, with different
vocals and a fully revamped instrumentations. Then Alfa-Matrix label mates Aiboforcen
and Alien Vampires have a go on, respectively,‘Ohne Dich’ and ‘Burn Baby Burn’ and turn
them into genuine dance floor fillers. Also Lights Of Euphoria did a great job giving
www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be
‘Dance On Dead Bodies’ a nice sort of Nitzer Ebb's ‘Lightning Man’ touch.The EP ends in
beauty with a rather mellowmelodic interpretation of‘Ohne Dich’byMessiaen Noir.One
might like the beauty, but we certainly adore the beast on this EP,‘Colder’!
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[HH]
Read full reviews on http://www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be/en/reviews/
(Alfa-Matrix)
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www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be
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There is always a strong, dominating motif behind any of
our songs. A feeling, a powerful association. For example,
the gravitational force of an abyss underneath you.
Can you please introduce yourself to our readers. Who are
you andwhat is your musical goal?
We are MarrowVoltage from the south of Germany. We are
aiming to produce cineastic worlds of sound as well as
complex clubtracks. We are 3 persons: Jos Svyati who plays
cello and loop-station, Som Bonito and myself (Dr. Wonka).
Som and I are responsible for synths and drums. We signed
with Young & Cold Records in 2019 and our debut albumwill
be out this summer.
How did you come up with the unconventional idea to
combine a cellowith synthesizers?
Jos and I have played cello and piano in a neo-classic band
(Diodati). In 2017 we realised that we wanted to make music
for a non-sitting audience, so we started to combine the
organic warmth of the cello with synthesizer sounds. In the
beginning we exclusively worked with hardware synths and
groove-boxes but we soon came to realise that this is quite
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- 14 -
overwhelming. At least, it gives no room for a spontaneous
performance
This is the point where Som comes into play. He helps us to
stay with the sonic complexity but also being able to really
make music. We want to have this playful approach to our
tracks, the composition, the audience and the atmosphere of
the evening. Still, we really want to play live as much as
possible.
Speaking ofyour live performances.What can your audience
expect fromyou?
A rich world of sound, inviting to mental movies and of course
to dance.We are dedicated to music with our hearts and souls.
We´ve been inmanymusical projects and have plenty of stage
experience.We try to put all of our personality and musicality
into our music.This is especially true when it comes to playing
live.
(Continues on p.16)
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If I'm correct you
started with producing
instrumental
music only, now
vocals can be heard
...how and why did this
change?
That´s right.To open oneself
and therefor becoming a
physical part of the music is
quite a challenge. Maybe
especially for electro-musicians
but we recognised that we can put
a critical element into our tracks
which would have not been possible
otherwise. Intensive feelings are
transported easily by vocals, spoken,
whispered, sung. Tracks become songs, to
achieve that you have to bare your soul.
What is your inspiration and aim in making
music?
There is always a strong, dominating motif behind
any of our songs. A feeling, a powerful association.
For example, the gravitational force of an abyss
underneath you. The movement of mighty and elegant
creatures in the sea.
This helps us to stay with the artistical aspect while
composing and producing. If one wants to enjoy the sound,
be attracted by nice or interesting melodies, or just move to
the beats, that´s strictly up to the listener.
What are you
working right now
and what can be
expected for the year
to come?
The work on our debutalbum
hasn´t all been that
easy. The LP/vinyl will be
available in about 3 months
from now. At the moment we
are working hard on getting our
live set together. When we are
finished with that of course we
want to play live as much as possible
Do you have a dream that you want to
fulfill with your music?
Well, yes! First of all, we hope to somehow
reach as many people with our music as
possible and get them to like it, of course.
Playing live is one of the best ways to do this.On
the other hand, our music has a strong cinematic
side already. If someone would ask us to make
music for a movie or a video game,we would be in.
We try to keep the context open in which our music
shall be performed.Making (live)music for silentmovies
could also be an interesting challenge.
Lena DAUTEL
facebook.com/MarrowVoltage
www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be
- 16 -
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Two years after their initial European tour should have
happened to support their album PERCEPTION IS/
AS/OF DECEPTION, ADULT. finally made it back to
Europe! During the global Covid pandemic the couple
haven't been hibernating but are presenting us yet
another brand new album BECOMING UNDONE! Those
lucky ones who were present at their fantastic concert
at Magasin 4 in 2018 know this event is not to be
missed! More than enough reasons to have a little
chat with the band!
Let's start with your name, why did you chose the
name ADULT. as a band name?
We wanted something generic in nature,something that
the music would fuse into the name, not that the name
would somehow try to describe the sound. We also
thought band names like Sonic Youth were problematic
as a band aged. Then we were playing one of our
favourite records - Soft Cell’s Non Stop Ecstatic Dancing
- and the image on the back gave us the idea.
Were you aware of the confusing and distracting
google results this name choice would lead too? Or
maybe that was your the intention, to create confusion
and thus gain attention?
We choose our band name in early 1998 with our first
12” going into production in early summer of 1998.
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- 18 -
Google launched 4th Sept 1998. So we are before
Google.
Your previous album was called PERCEPTION IS/
AS/OF DECEPTION while your brand new album title is
BECOMING UNDONE... can you elaborate a bit on those
titles/albums for our readers?
We are happy to talk about either album, though this
tour is for both albums since we weren’t able to tour on
Perception. PERCEPTION IS/AS/OF DECEPTION came
out 10 April 2020. And to elaborate on the title and
album PERCEPTION IS/AS/OF DECEPTION - that album
is largely based on seeing and not seeing. How we as
individuals and society chose what we want to see and
not see. The problematic aspects of social media on
culture. The cultural vandalism we are left with at the
end of the day from corporations and politicians.
Throughout your releases your "musical style"
sometimes shifted from a very minimal old school
electro approach, over to an almost the genuine "new
wave" sound of, for instance, the D.U.M.E EP and
Gimmie Trouble album, to the more clubby sounding
This Behavior... Is it your way to let's say "confuse the
cat" or have a bit of fun with the narrow-minded
electro heads? Any explanation of how these
seemingly musical changes sometimes occur?
׉	 7cassandra://YU46DJZ1Z25wl8DVjYmxG6C3ngrJXK6eD_WmN1a9f3EGZ`k b?#i^y4׉EkWe do enjoy messing with the genre algorithms but
that’s not why our sound changes so much. We just do
exactly what we want. We are not worried about
audience expectation and feel very lucky that our fans
have followed through so many changes.Yet, we do feel
at the end of the day everything we put out has an
ADULT. stamp on it.
You have already had a lot of collaborations with
various artists but who is still on your bucket list?
Yes, the 2017 collaborative album Detroit House Guests
on Mute was an amazing experience. Working with
Douglas J McCarthy from Nitzer Ebb, Michael Gira from
Swans, Shannon Funchess from Light Asylum, Robert
Aiki Aubrey Lowe aka Lichens, Austrian thereminist
Dorit Chrysler and multidisciplinary artist Lun*na
Menoh was an incredible experience! We are currently
working with Justin Pearson from the Locust and Luke
Henshaw. There are so many people we would love to
work with - too hard to answer…
How do you both generally go about creating a new
track?
We go in the studio and we try to get 2 layered lines
that interact together well. Something the sounds
unique. If we go in the studio with intention we almost
make a song that is opposite. We call that process the
slippery fish. We work to make the process always
different. Sometimes it’s 10 demos in 10 days,
sometimes it is working on the same song for days.
Which are you favourite all time instruments and
which is your most recent treasure?
Favourites:
Korg Mono/Poly
Sequential Circuits Pro One
Roland CR78
New: We just got our Moog Minimoog serviced and it
seriously sounds like a brand new synth!
Nowadays it seems to be rather cool to be an analogue
or even modular synth wizard and user and since you
both clearly like to use lots of (analogue) hardware,
including in your live set-up, I wonder how far you stay
away from software plug-ins and other digital
- 19 -
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(Continuation of p.19)
struggle of C-19 in the album, while at the same time
the album is not about Covid in any way.
Nowadays it seems to be rather cool to be an
analogue or even modular synth wizard and user and
since you both clearly like to use lots of (analogue)
hardware, including in your live set-up, I wonder how
far you stay away from software plug-ins and other
digital technology? Are you both sort of analogue
purists? :-)
We are not purists. We use a few plug ins in Logic like
compression, spreaders, etc. We have some digital
pedals. We’re really impressed with the Roland
boutiques. We have the actual Juno 106 and JU06 and
like them both for their unique qualities.
How did you "survive" the C-19 pandemic so far? Did it
have an influence on your creative outlet or
motivation?
It was a hard time for everyone I think. It was very hard
for us.We had a new album and a huge tour planned but
after about 8 months we finally started to feel creative
again (especially after the presidential election) and
decided to write a new album. I think you can hear the
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- 20 -
Today it seems like Europe is slowly going back to
normal but personally I have the feeling, and fear a bit,
"we" lost quite a number of people due to being now
glued to their comfy Saturday night soap / Netflix
couch... What would you like to say to them in order to
kick their lazy **s out of that sofa and to get them to
attend your current live show?
Having a shared experience is so important for the body
and mind. Coming together as a community of weirdos
and outsiders helps you have a little bit of hope in
culture and humankind. That you’re not alone, there’s
others out there like you. You don’t get this full
immersion at home alone. And we have worked and
risked so much to make this tour happen, so
pleeeeeease come get wild!!!
Fred Gadget
adultperiod.com
facebook.com/adultperiod
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- 21 -
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On1st February2021-exactlyoneyear ago-the armyinMyanmar
tookpower.The2020electionresults,inwhichtheNationalLeague
for DemocracyofNobel Prizewinner and democracy iconAung San
Suu Kyi again obtained an absolute majority,werewiped out. Since
then, there have been violent protests and the civil war has flared
up again in the country.
Myanmar also has a committed punk community.The Rebel Riot is
one of themost important bands and is at the forefront of the fight
against the coup.We had a conversationwith singer KyawKyaw.
On the first of February, it was one year ago that the military coup
tookplace.Back then, themilitarypromised to hand over the power
to a civilian government after one year but of course I don’t think
thiswill happen.What doyou thinkwill happen?
I thinkthings arewell out ofhand for them.The revolutionarymovement
is too strong.After the English colonisation,in 1948,we gained independence.In
1962 themilitary took the power.In 1988,we had a big revolution
but themilitary took power again.After the coup in 2021,things are
totally different than in the past.After one year,people are still fighting
and they keep on fighting.The military didn’t manage it well.People are
still protesting,keepingup theCivilDisobedienceMovement (CDM),they
are fighting with the armed force and so on.Artists and politicians are
still showing solidarity with the protest movement.After one year, the
people’s revolutionarymind and spirit are still big.
On the first ofFebruarylast year,you heard about the coup.Was it a
surprise for you or not?
Iwas surprised but I had also thought before that theywould take power.
I was informed but when I heard they took power for real, it was a surprise
and shock.But that drove us to do something against that coup.
Whatwas your first reactionwhenyou heard about the coup?
Iwalked aroundmytownship and checked howpeople felt.Alot ofpeople
were shocked and sad.I felt sad too.I didn’t knowwhat to do in the
futurewith thismilitarysystem.Iwas also verysad for the young people
and the next generation.These weremy first feelings after the coup.
Youwere one of the first to go out on the street to protest the coup,
which started a fewdays after the coup.Howdid that go?
It started on 5th February. I’m not an organiser. I just wanted to show
my solidarity with other people. I got a message that we should
demonstrate at 4 pm in this specific area. I went to support this crew
but the organiser didn’t come.We didn’t knowwhat to do.The media
were also waiting.Many other people were there.We were confused.
Should we start on our own or just leave? 4:30, nothing happened;
4:45, still nothing.When we left,my friend started showing three fingers
on the street (the three finger salute was inspired by the movie
‘The Hunger Games’ and became the symbol of the protests, xk), and
then everybody started showing three fingers. The media noticed it.
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- 22 -
We didn’t talk,we didn’t pull the banner,we just showed the threefinger
salute and walked on.A lot of people were happy and were
clapping for us.They were applauding from their flats and from the
buses.The media took pictures and made videos. I was so shocked
and scared.I didn’t knowwhat to do.After this,I deletedmy facebook
account and I hidmyself.
You had to hide? So,you cannotwalk freelyinYangon?
If they recognised me or other people in the newspaper, they would
arrest us for sure. But we were lucky because after we went to
demonstrate … the next day,a lot of people were on the streets.So,
our demonstration disappeared. On 6th February, a lot of people
were showing solidarityagainst the coup.That was good luck.Otherwise,I
would have been arrested.
Onemonth after themilitarycoup,you released the video for‘One
Day’. It was a song that you were already working on before the
coup. It was a great video, also with the three fingers salute that
you justmentioned.Whatwas the impact of that video?
This song was already made before the coup.We imagined … One
Day…a futurewithout anydiscrimination,wedon’twant anyoppression,
we don’t want any military, no corruption, no wars … because
our country has known so many civil wars.We have the longest civil
war in theworld!We have a lot of discrimination between Islamand
Buddhismandwe have had amilitary systemfor so long.From2010
to 2020,we had so-called ‘democracy’,but people didn’t really have
human rights andwere not free to speak.In the parliament,themilitarypower
was still there.They controlled it frombehind the scenes.
The release of the CD‘One Day’was delayed because peoplewere
afraidtoworkwithyou.Theprintersdidn’twant toworkonit.What
happened?
It was very difficult.We knew that it was risky when we released it. It’s
like walking on a string. I think: ‘they do their job,we do our job’.They
took the power and try tomanage it,and we wanted to release this CD.
It’s not just music,it is showing our attitude.They try to showhow they
control us,andwewant to showthat we are free.They’re trying to push
us downandwe are trying to standup.That’s howwe relate to this idea.
You sing about the protests in‘The Night Will Not Be Silenced’.At
first,the protestswere peaceful,asyou sing in the song.Itwas civil
disobedience, banging on pans and pots but there has been an
evolution towards a civil war. There has always been a civil war
since the independence ofMyanmar in1948but it has brokenout
in a much harder way. Howwas that evolution between peaceful
protest and armed protest?
95% of the population hate the military.We have been in a military
system for so long.Alot of families have peoplemissing or killed.So,
people deeply resent the military.When the military took the power
again, this anger was coming back but we never start the violence.
׉	 7cassandra://jvhviCn6ylQvb4Ofkz_WAeFQ_jtFBXzxpz7tYMHIyv8``k b?#i^y4׉EQThe peaceful protests were right but the military shot at us, in the
head,in thebody…so,the anger exploded andpeoplewanted to fight
back.Some people don’t believe in peaceful protest anymore.Because
even if we stay peaceful, they will never stay peaceful …That’s why a
lot of young people,teenage people,a lot ofmy friends,peoplewhose
familyor friends died…choose the armed resistance.
In a way, you already answered my question.A lot of young people
are leaving the city to fight with rebel groups, also ethnic rebel
groups or the People’s Defence Force. Is this a bigmovement?
Yes, it is a big movement. In the past, the Burmese army attacked the
Shan people, the Kachin people…Then the Shan and Kachin people
fought back.But with the PDF, the Burmese people are attacking the
Burmesearmy.TherearenowtwoBurmesearmies fightingeachother.
Another song on the album is ‘Genocide’. I think this is about the
ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya minority in 2016-2017. You said
already that muslims are still persecuted. How is the situation with
themnow?
When we wrote the ‘Genocide’ song in 2018, some people agreed that
this was a genocide but other people disagreed.The government, the
NLD (National League for Democracy, the party that was in power between
2015 and 2021, xk), the Tatmadaw … they don’t want to hear
about agenocide.Theytell us that therewas nogenocide.That’swhywe
made a song that was called ‘Genocide’, to stress that it was an actual
genocide.We don’t use theword‘Rohingya’butwewanted to stress that
a lot ofpeople in theRakhine statewere fleeing their houses and dying.
Everybody knows that wemean the Rohingya people,right.
Another song is‘Food Not Bombs’.We are aware of your Food Not
Bombs project in which you distribute food to people in need in
Yangon. I’ve understood from your facebook that you also have a
Food Not Bombs programme directed to the Rohingya people. Is
that correct?
Yes. But we are not in the refugee camps in Bangladesh. Some Rohingya
people are still in the Rakhine state (the part of Myanmar
where the Rohingya live,xk).We are supporting the Rohingya people
who stayed in the Rakhine state.
Yes but you live in Yangon. The Rakhine state is far away. So, the
FoodNot Bombs-projectmust be a big organisation…
No, it is not a big organisation.We have a lot of influence on young
people.Theylike Rebel Riot and it’s not onlyabout themusic.Theylike
our way of thinking,our way of living,they like our ideas…some fans
of Rebel Riot who live in Rakhine state wanted to start a Food Not
Bombs chapter in their own state because if you want to support our
band,you should not buythe CDormerchandising but you should just
showit through your attitude.That’s howthe chapter in Rakhine state
started.We don’t need to go there.We canmeet with a zoommeeting
and share our ideas and brainstorm.We are not only active in Rakhine
state.We have chapters in Dawei,Mandalay,Mon state,Bago… sometimes
I go and joinbut normallyI live in the city.We arenowalso starting
a new chapter in Kachin state. I don’t need to go. I just meet with
people on internet and sharemy ideas.
- 23 -
Let’s go back to the start of Rebel Riot.You started the band after
the Saffron Revolution in 2007. You already said that it was very
different from now but the Saffron Revolution was also a big
revolution against the military. What differences do you see
between nowand then?
Backthen,the buddhistmonkswere starting the revolution.We are a
traditional buddhist country, so everybody thought: ‘they can arrest
everybody but not the monks’. People didn’t expect the military to
turn on the monks.Usually, the people are afraid of the military but
now they thought that they were many and the monks supported
them.They thought the military could not kill or arrest a monk.They
have to respect the monks but they did not. They shot and killed
many people.So,people were very scared.A lot of people died.That
mademe think and I startedmakingmusic after that.
Let’s go back to the music. I like the way you mix the Burmese
languagewith English inyour songs.Whydoyou do that?You speak
Burmese but you also fit in somewords in English inmanysongs.
It’s our style since we created the band.As we write our music, the
choruses aremainlyEnglishwhile the verses are in theBurmese language.We
tried to translate it in Burmese but it didn’t workwell.Our
English is not so difficult.We use a type of English that everybody
understands.We also have international people who support us,and
they like it. But I cannot write a full song in English. I’m very bad at
singing in English but even if people don’t understand the whole
song,theyunderstand the chorus.TheBurmese language ismoredifficult
to translate andmore difficult to shout.
I have just one final question.You’re in a strugglewith themilitary,
there’s a civil war going on, there is still a civil disobedience
movement going on … Do you think the people can win this
struggle? Can the people defeat themilitary?
I don’t knowwhat will happen.I’m not a politician.But I strongly believe
that ifwe fight every day,we must win for sure.Also,we are already
winning. People keep fighting and are believing in it.And the
military, the Tatmadaw, are scared. Even if they have guns, they still
fear us.So,we have alreadywon.We’re doing what we believe in every
day.They are doing what they’re fearing every day.We have a lot
of artists defying the military. I cannot predict the future but if we
keep doingwhat we believe in,we will win one day.
(Read more on wwww.peek-a-boo-magazine.be)
Xavier KRUTH
therebelriot.bandcamp.com / facebook.com/therebelriot
www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be
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Lacrimosahasdeliveredanotherbeautifulalbumwith‘Leidenschaft’,
in their well known mix of gothic with symphonic orchestratedmetal.Wehad
thechance todiscuss the recordwith
mastermindTiloWolff,and theman appears tobe quitephilosophical
aswell as veryreligious.He denies that the record revolves
entirely around the corona pandemic - as we initially
thought - although he does address the subject. But let's just
listen towhat he has to say.
Dear Tilo. Congratulations on a new masterpiece. ‘Leidenschaft’
is, again, a great Lacrimosa album. When reading the
lyrics, I couldn't help but notice that the title is linkedwith the
corona pandemic. Is the subtitle ‘Eine Geschichte der entflammbaren
Seele’ (a story of an incendiary soul) also connected
to the pandemic? And does this make'Leidenschaft' a
concept album?
TILOWOLFF: First of all,thankyou for your nicewords about the
new album! I am happy when people like it,because I love this
album very much! And yes, somehow this is as much a concept
album as all other Lacrimosa albums because every album has
its inner core around which all songs are circling.The name of
each album sets the theme and each song takes on this theme
in its own way, explores and reflects on it.This is also the case
here again,even thoughwe didn’t divide the album into several
acts. But this album is all about ‘Leidenschaft’, which can’t be
translated one to one with the Englishword‘passion’because in
the German word the meaning of suffering is part of the interpretation
of the word.And this brings us to the subtitle because
to feel Leidenschaft is like burning from the inside! So this subtitle
is not so much connected to the pandemic but more to the
deeper meaning of the album title‘Leidenschaft’.It is impossible
to escape the topic of corona these days.
In‘Kulturasche’(CulturalAshes),you lament on thewayculture
hasbeen treated.Just at the timewhereweneeded it themost,
times of loneliness and fear, the culture sector was closed
down.Didyou suffer personallyfromthe cultural lockdown?
TILOWOLFF: Yes,you describe it right. It is a crying shame! And
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- 24 -
in that sense,I am suffering in this situation.I didn’t suffer mentally
in the lockdown but I see how people lost their jobs and
theatres, clubs and restaurants had to close and I noticed how
much the people would need culture and art in these bitter
times! So yes, this song is all about the way in which governments
areblind to theentirepicture in the fight against thevirus
–it is good and important to fight against it but this fight should
not turn against the people but it did.
The song ‘Augenschein’ (Eyeglance) also deals with the pandemic,
in particularwith the heated debates about the restrictions,
thevaccines,et cetera.You also sing‘Not everythingnew
is good for us /Not everything is progress’.What do youmean
bythis?
TILO WOLFF: This song is only partly about the pandemic.The
phraseyoupickedout is about thebeliefofeveryupcominggeneration,
that theywould know everything better. If we look back
into history, we clearly can see that this is not the case. Many
people only see their own state ofmind and their own personal
needs and are blind to the whole.For example,take the climate
crisis.People living in the countryside,taking care of sustainable
cultivation and the environment,are attacked as environmental
polluters when they drive to the citywith their SUVs,which they
need out in the countryside because of the lack of public transportation
and of proper roads out there. Just the same, which
topicwe pickout,toomanypeople think theyknowbestwithout
having inmind,that they don’t see the entire picture.
The song‘Die Liebenden’ (The Lovers) seems to bring salvation,
and goes back to a classic theme in the lyrics of Lacrimosa:
love. The pandemic has restricted our freedoms but
freedom can always be found in true love. Is this themessage
of the song? Canyou elaborate on that?
TILO WOLFF: This album is much less about the pandemic as
youmight think.I wrote this song before Covid started,but yes,I
think that freedom is to be found in love.This brings us back to
theprevious topicbecause I have the feeling that thepeopleunlearn
to be caring for each other. Everyone is busy with them׉	 7cassandra://HbNmyZepPAgPExhLH0JAyoVCbWCVAEdsLdU3KC23kPQ^B`k b?#i^y4׉Eeselves in striving to optimallyexpand one's own freedom,forgetting
that personal freedom only extends as far as the state of
mind of the other person. Jesus said it perfectly: “Treat others always
as you would like them to treat you” (Matthew 7:12).This
says it all,but well,every generation thinks they knowit better…
In the video for ‘Raubtier’ (Predator), you introduced two new
characters: Jean-Gustave de Geulasse and Lacristobal, both
playedbyyourself.Canyou tell usmore about these characters
andwhytheyentered theworld ofLacrimosa?
TILOWOLFF: Haha,yes,my new friends and enemies.Well, JeanGustave
of course ismyarch enemy,the onewho should have no
reason to be respected in our society, he stands for all those
selfish, self-centered people who make the life of others miserable.Well,and
Lacristobal is my alter ego,full of passion and desire,living
like a ghost inside ofme.
You also choose to playalmost all the instruments yourself on
‘Leidenschaft’. Only Anne Nurmi and drummer Michael Mohr
are present on most songs, with some appearances of JP
Genkel and of course the Lacrimosa SessionOrchestra.Whydo
you choose to playalmost everything yourself rather that askingmore
guestmusicians to playonyour album?
TILOWOLFF: That was on one hand due to the pandemic.Most
of the time, it was nearly impossible to plan recording sessions
because traveling was not so easy.On the other hand, it was the
most natural and direct way to capture all the emotions and all
the little details I had inmind.It’s the pure Lacrimosa way!
You chose to release‘Leidenschaft’on the dayofChristmas.We
know that you are a devoted Christian. Is this the reason that
you choseChristmas,or didother things alsoplaya role inyour
decision?
TILO WOLFF: Actually, the reason for this decision was, that this
album is something very special for me.To record this albumwas
an unbelievable journey,it was nervewracking,exhausting,intoxicating,uplifting
and sometimes devastating and therewere times
when I could hardlybelieve that I would ever be able to finish the
album.After it was completed I was so thankful and happy that it
felt like it become the most wonderful present. So, this was the
idea tobring it out at Christmas,apresent for all Lacrimosa lovers!
Speaking ofChristianity.You have said before that you are also
active in your own Christian community. I always wondered
how the other people in the community reacted towards this
extravagant gothic artist that you are...
TILOWOLFF: Well, they knowme and they take me as I am.This
is the Christianway,as one can read in the scriptures:“For not as
man judges–forman judges according to the eyes,but the LORD
judges according to the heart.” (1Sam 9:2) True believers are living
in the knowledge,that every person is a creation of God,and
that God loves everyone.So,who are we to judge others?
- 25 -
If I remember rightly, when you released the compilation
‘Zeitreise’ in 2019, you promised a new Lacrimosa album in
2020, obviously in light of the 30th anniversary of Lacrimosa.
You even included a song on‘Zeitreise’ that was supposed to be
on the new album. Can you tell us why the album was delayed
andwhy‘ImSchattender Sonne’is not featuredon‘Leidenschaft’?
Didyouwritemore songs that arenot featuredon‘Leidenschaft’?
TILOWOLFF: The delaywas due to the pandemic situation.I so
much wanted to have the new studio album out to celebrate
the 30th anniversary,but Covid got in the way.And yes, I wrote
some more songs and about “Im Schatten der Sonne” it turned
out that it was the perfect link between“Testimonium”and‘Leidenschaft’–just
last night I heard the song again and was convinced
again that thiswas the right decision,even though I love
this song,it was a pleasure listening to it again–though it does
not fit into the concept of‘Leidenschaft’asmuch as all the other
songs that found their way on to this album.
In 2020, you released the‘30th anniversary box’, a box with
three CDs and lots of other things like a calender, a flag, a
memorygame...Thisboxwas soldexclusivelythrough theHall
OfSermonwebshop.I love theCDs contained in thebox,especially
the ‘Live 2015’ CD. What was the idea behind the box
andwhymake it an exclusivityfor onlyyour handcore fans?
TILO WOLFF: After I realised that ‘Leidenschaft’ wouldn’t be
ready for the anniversary,I wanted to fulfill mypromise,in comingupwith
somethingnew,at least in this sense,and togive the
audience something special, to make the people happy in this
special year! This was the idea behind this box and therefore it
only come through our shop because it wasmeant to be for our
closest audience,those who are livingwith Lacrimosa.
Iwant to finishwith a question about an earlier album.‘Echos’
is a disc beloved by many of your fans, internationally. The
recordwas perhaps a verydifficult one again.This is the only
post-1993albumthatwas not followedupbya tour andonly
a limited number of songs can be played live, due to the importance
of the symphonic orchestra on ‘Echos’. What were
you aiming at with this album and what other important
things shouldwe knowabout this classic?
TILOWOLFF:One thing shouldbe known,that thepeopledidn’t
like the album at all when it was released.One bigmetal magazine
even told me that theywould no longer write about Lacrimosa,
because Lacrimosa has turned its back on metal with
this album.Yes, this albumwas not treated nicely either by the
Lacrimosa audience and also not by thosewho never liked Lacrimosa.
I was a little confused back then because I myself was
very happy with this album, I thought it was a masterpiece but
with this in mind I was quite alone back then.Well, I was surprised
to realise,that many years later some people popped up
telling me that this was their favourite album. I thought ‘where
are you now coming from and where have you been all these
years’.Yes,sometimes things are prettyweird.
Xavier KRUTH
www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be
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25 years, that's howlongAhráyeph has been around.Or rather: in
1996, the first demo of Crucifire, the predecessor of Ahráyeph,
was released. In 2021 the ‘XXV’-E.P. was released by Ahráyeph,
which had to celebrate a quarter of a century of music by Raf
Ahráyeph–RafJansen for the friends.We thought thiswas a great
opportunity to review the most important dates from this ‘proggoth’career
with Raf.We had manyquestions, and Raf has always
answered extensivelyand remarkablycandidly.So it turned out to
be a long, but very interesting interview.
1996: You record your first demo for Crucifire, a goth metal band
which is a precursor forAhráyeph.Tell me howthat came about?
At that time,I used to live in an old convent,which also housed university
students.Among others,Steven Zwaenepoel,now road manager
for dEUS, lived there. In 1995, Jo, Crucifire’s bassist to be, got a
room in Steven’s hallway for the duration of his nursing apprenticeship.We
kept in touch afterwards and because he had toldme of his
band,Sarcastic,I went to a rehearsal of theirs in the Spring of 1996.
They mostly played cover songs, like Therapy?’s ‘Teethgrinder’. I had
already laid the initial foundations for Crucifire with a first demo,
recorded on an analog four track back in 1995,andwas nowlooking
for a band. Jo, playing bass, and his buddies David and Peter were
competent musicians,so I proposed to segue their band into mine.
1996-1997: You start playing in the black metal band Ancient
Rites. Is that the reasonwhyCrucifire got sidetracked?
I have to adjust that timeline a bit: I’ve played in Ancient Rites for
about six months that first time, from September 1996 till March
1997,with a one-off stand in gig in May,when Erik couldn’t make it
to the concert.My addition to that band wasn’t the reason why Crucifire
got sidetracked, though, because the band kept existing, until
early1998.Acouple of the rehearsal demos we recorded during that
time, I later crafted into songs that appeared on the first few
Ahráyeph releases (e.g.,‘Cure/Divine/Madness’). No, the reason for
Crucifire’s slowdemise had more to do with the fact that first Jo and
then Geert quit, respectively due to studies and work commitments.
For a while, that dampened Peter and David’s enthusiasm, but one
by one they returned.
2001: Crucifire dies a quiet death, but around the turn of the centuryyou
reboot the project.You change the name toAhráyeph and
steer the ship towards gothic rock, without the metal influences.
What was your motivation to start over?
Well,itmay sound funny,but that first demo played a big part in that.
I met the drummer of a band that often had opened for Ancient
Rites.He was a fan of the songs on the demo and sang their praises
in the presence of friends ofmine,who onlyknewmyalt rockproject
Sole, so they became curious about what I had done prior to that.
However, I was too embarrassed about its bad quality to let them
listen to it.Eventually,though,it did happen and one of them,one of
the biggest fans ofThe Sisters OfMercy I’ve known,was of the opinion
that Crucifire was where my heart was at more than those alternative
songs.That made me think, and after a couple days of brainstorming,I
decided he was right and rebooted Crucifire.
www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be
- 26 -
2004-2007: You once again become amember ofAncient Rites.
You’ve contributed significantly to this band in this period, especially
as a song writer on the‘Rubicon’album. In 2007you leave
Ancient Rites to concentrate on Ahráyeph.What do you remember
about your time in the band?
Oh boy…You got a couple ofhours?Alot happened back then,both
good and bad.To keep it positive: we’ve played several great gigs.
There was the Revoltallo XIII festival in Vigo, Spain, where we
played on amountainwhich looked out over the baywhere the city
lay.Abeautiful spot,which had a restaurant nearbywhich was situated
under a large rock.Fascinating.The audience was truly amazing
that night.I had contracted a twenty-four-hour flu from the air
conditioning on the plane and played with a fever, but the audience
was so riled up they really pulled me through with their unbridled
enthusiasm.
2008: it’s finallyhere:‘Marooned on Samsara’,Ahráyeph’s debut.
I’ve come to understand it was a difficult undertaking, because
even though you had a band, you’ve recorded a lot of it byyourself.Howhappywere
youwith this album?
I was happy that the album was released and got the opportunity
to do so via D-Monic. Contrary to what you often hear, I’ve never
had any complaints about the label that released‘Samsara’.They’ve
always treated me fairly and stuck to the contract and the agreements
we made. It’s just unfortunate they weren’t able to provide
tour support because they weren’t big enough to do that. I’m sure
they would have if they could have. That could’ve made a difference.
2013:
You get the diagnosis of having Autism Spectrum Disorder.
On the one hand, you’re extremely intelligent, on the other
you have issues with things that are mere afterthoughts to the
average person.Doyou think this disorder had an impact onyour
workwithAhráyeph?
Without a shadowof a doubt.Everything I do,right or wrong,is being
determined by my disorder. It’s only when I got that diagnosis,
that I started to realise how deep the impact of it has been on everything
I’m doing and everything I’ve experienced.
Allowme to say that I think it important to be open aboutmyA.S.D.
Some people,even fellowmusicians,have tried to pressureme and
told me I shouldn’t,but especially in times like these and after everything
I’ve been through, it’s important to me to be able to be
who I am. And I’ve also always supported other people in their
quest to be who they are. I was bullied in high school, my family
looked down on me… I ended up with bouts of prolonged severe
depression and an extremely negative self-image because of that;
I constantlyhit the walls ofmyown boundaries,I was (and still am)
considered a weirdo because I react in a raw and unfiltered way to
everything,something I still often do because unfortunately,it’s beyond
my control. Ahráyeph is my self therapy.
2015: It takes seven years before there’s a follow up to
‘Marooned on Samsara’, a delay caused in part by a serious burn
out. Nevertheless, ‘AnimAElegy’ is a real gem. This time you
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׉Erecord everything yourself, except for guest musicians on drums
and keyboards.Are you still proud of this album?
Definitely.I have to correct you,though: Ness was not a guest musician,
but a band member in Ahráyeph’s last live line up. It’s too bad
she, too, had to give priority to her job, because she was without a
doubt theAhráyeph bandmember whomeant the most tome,both
on a personal and a musical level.I still miss working with her.
2016: You release the'Desert Songs'-E.P., building on the work of
Robin Proper-Sheppard -a man who you happen to knowpersonally-and
his band The God Machine. Can you elaborate on the inspiration
behind the ep?
I wouldn’t say I was building on Robin and his previous band’s work
necessarily with this E.P. The God Machine are, as you know, a big
influence of mine, but I’ve only borrowed that title, because when I
was writing the songs, they evoked a desert like atmosphere in me.
My mother, who is by no means a fan, observed a couple of times
that I ‘write cinematic music’and when it comes to ‘Desert Songs’ in
particular,I do agree with that assessment.While I was composing,I
kept envisioning scenes of big sand dunes, red evening skies with a
sun setting on a horizon trembling from the heat, caravans ploughing
through the sands, trying to reach an oasis and nightly desert
skies lit up by stars and planets.
2018: You release the ‘Heavy like the ancient sun’ album, an
homage to your deceased friend James Blaast!™.What was your
motivation behind that?
James was,without exaggeration,mybest friend.Our friendship was
completely mutual, something I can’t say of many other people. It’s
hard to explain why our friendship was so special… It just clicked
from the first moment we met.James wasn’t always the easiest person
to get along with. He was very outspoken and didn’t mince
words to the point where if his words had actually been meat, he
could provide the whole of Scotland with prime, unminced beef for
years.But contrary to where he’d stick to his guns with other people,
he’d alwaysmake the effort tomake amends and respectmyboundaries.
On the other hand, James was the most loyal friend a person
could’ve had. He never thought twice about giving me a Facetime
call and if I took too long to do so myself, I’d get a good natured
‘ERSE!’ in my mailbox, signalling it was high time for me to return
the favour. Those calls turned into one- or two-hour conversations,
sometimes twice that.
2018: You release a reworked version of‘Marooned on Samsara’
digitally. All songs were re-recorded. Were you that dissatisfied
with the original recordings?
I was,actually.In the interim,myknowledge ofmusic production had
improved exponentially, and I also had better tools to implement
them.I’mspeaking in particular of the speakers I was using,the right
studio speakers,which are different fromhi fi speakers,make a huge
difference. It’s something I learned empirically. All of a sudden, I
didn’t have toworkas hard to get a goodmix,because I had a clearer
sonic picture to work from.Additionally,the CD version of the album
was sold out and no longer available.This made me feel it was the
right time to re-record it and right a fewwrongs.On top of that,I had
a run in on Youtube with an American publishing company who, as
part of my deal with D-Monic, had gotten their hands on the rights
to my songs for the duration of the contract. I was warned I had no
- 27 -
right to publish my own songs on the platform. Even though the
rights reverted back to me after three years and I once again retained
full ownership to the songs,I felt it prudent to re-record the
album and re-register the songs, so I would keep the author- and
publishing rights, so things like that would never happen to me
again.
2020: You announce the‘Heaven No. 7’-E.P. as an inbetween release
tomake up for the longwait for the next album. I do like it,
andwas especiallyimpressed bythe profound lyrics.Can you tell
me howyou handlewriting lyrics forAhráyeph?
Ooff, that’s a question that often gets asked, just like ‘how do you
write your songs?’, and for which there is no simple answer, really.
As I’ve alreadymentioned,my lyrics deal with my own experiences
and observations. I would,however, like to write something from a
different perspective down the line,even something fictional and I
alreadyhave come upwith a fewideas,whichmayeven be used for
TransWorld Tribe,but inAhráyeph,I mainly am addressing my own
life and emotions, not least because, as I mentioned before,
Ahráyeph is my outlet and therapy.
2021: The ‘XXV’-E.P. is supposed to celebrate 25 years of
Ahráyeph. It contains three songs, a DepecheMode cover among
them.Howimportantwas it foryou to celebrate this symbolicanniversary?
Alittle,haha.Twenty-five
years is amilestone,and it doesn’t suck to
emphasise that,does it? It doesn’t really feel like twenty-five years
to me and to be honest,it’s not as if I’ve had it on mymind for this
entire year.It’s just that by the end of last Summer,I looked back on
my career and realised it’s been twenty-five years since Jo, Peter,
David, Raf, Geert and I got together in that rehearsal shack to become
a band and work on songs together.That made it easy for me
to couple the release of the ‘XXV’E.P.with it.Also gave me an easy
title,haha.
(Read more on wwww.peek-a-boo-magazine.be)
Xavier KRUTH
bandcamp: ahrayeph.be/music / facebook.com/ahrayephofficial
www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be
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(Dancedelic D)
A black void after the termination of The Neon Judgment? Forget it! Resting on his
laurels under a Spanish sun is just a little pastime for Dirk Da Davo who remains
pretty active under his solo name and produces some nice tracks at the appropriate
times. Only recently there was the single ‘King Of Fools’, which now has been
overtaken by ‘The Unreal’. Those who have paid close attention and who follow Da
Davo's YouTube TV channel know that his release is not exactly brand new as such.
After all, it was already unleashed on to the world last year,but received a significant
update in which some percussion was added. The great looking artwork by Jörge
Schanze that might remind us to a Joker is more of a coincidence.Or not … false and
fake can have many forms.
[DQ]
HYDROM LINE - Hydrom Line Edition 2021 (CD)
(Wool-E Discs)
Hydrom Line was a short-term side project of Liquid G.'s Peter Van Bogaert (synths,vocals)
with the help of Kandinsky (Bart Verlent, on guitar) and Sandra B. (Sandra Boschmans,
vocals on ‘Reflections’ and ‘Realities’). Only two Hydrom Line tapes were released at the
time: ‘Hydrom Line’ in 1991 and “Lost Experiments Of Satan's Pretty Place”, a split of
Hydrom Line with Liquid G. from 1992. Now 30 years later, the best material from those
two tapes has been re-recorded for “Hydrom Line Edition 2021” (10 tracks, 41 minutes
playing time).And one new track was also recorded, the tenth and final track "On Dope". If
Liquid G. stands for powerful, tight and in one way or another typically Belgian sounding
EBMand electro,this is also the case for this HydromLine.HydromLine reminds one of old
Klinik or even more of very old Suicide Commando…
[HV]
HOCICO - HyperViolent (CD/Digital/Vinyl)
(Out Of Line)
“Intro” is a quiet, smokey interlude setting the stage for the eerie sounds to come. “The
Garden” comes in with a simple, one-two, one-two, one-two, plodding beat, like a Raven
“tap tap tapping at mybedroomdoor.”Each drop,however,sustains the reverb and it bleeds
into the next, leaving no aural spaces open. The near ethereal vocals are reminiscent of
Switchblade Symphony and there’s an aching, pleading, but almost sarcastic tone. It’s as if
she knows that you know the game.But she also knows that you can’t resist her entreaties
to“come intomy garden.”You both know it’ll be wrong.But you’re going to go through with
it anyway. If there is a dance track on the album, it would be “Nightmares.”No heavy EBM
stomping, but it pulsates and throbs into a dream state, perfect for spinning and
gesticulating, physically expressing the pains of a nightmarish existence. The riffs burn
with angst as the synths flitter chromatically above the melody.
[CM]
www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be
DEAD MAN’S HILL - Inner Journeys … (CD)
Backfire sets things of with a blast as the opener. Great to hear how subtle every sound,
sample and noise finds its place in this slightly slower opener. The typical atmosphere of
earlier work is very recognisable.If you like dark,lingering electrowith a touch of industrial,
then Reinvention Of Pain is right up your street.With Echoes, DIVE comes to the rescue.A
lingering song in which the characteristic voice of Dirk Ivens brings some noisy accents.
Halfway through the album, the sound ebbs away to almost nothing, only to rise again in
its grandeur.Another of Jan's heroes,Cyan (The Eternal Afflict) joins the fray on Blame It On
The Moon. The song has more future-pop allure and is wonderfully danceable. Musically,
the whole thing hovers between the rough and gothic impact it once started with and
more contemporary electro. Where it has always been Jan's goal with Mildreda to make
atmospheric music with a dark edge,he has succeeded perfectly with this album.
- 28 -
(Noctivagant)
[JB]
Read full reviews on http://www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be/en/reviews/
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b?#i^y4b?#i^y4בCט   u׉׉	 7cassandra://W-1EtV5qAWkN8YAW7xt0sAHZr9uFAjyGtgN_tUtLtwc `׉	 7cassandra://Vf0jETATv9y5Qvf3XS1EKcl2rk_FyqLhiHGNX3ueTvo H`׉	 7cassandra://UgHNzBczMjhAo0MlPvmpHvUMX8yNo38CZGq47FER2tIV`k ׉	 7cassandra://f2c_NHdJ52IqmmBmkN3m9XZXJ-oN3rPCD1iMzkQLZIM ͠	b@#i^y4נb@8#i^y5' E9ׁH !http://www.peek-a-boo-magazine.beׁׁЈנb@8#i^y5& !ہ'9ׁHhttp://other.AnׁׁЈנb@8#i^y5% 59ׁHhttp://people.ThׁׁЈנb@8#i^y5$ a̱'9ׁHhttp://out.ThׁׁЈנb@8#i^y5# ̚.9ׁHhttp://question.AtׁׁЈ׉E IRDORATH
for several years: Vladimir on
bagpipes, and Nadezhda on
davul.They played at medieval
festivals, street fairs, holidays -
it was a good experience. But
it was time to move on, there
was an understanding that
they were ready for more.
The first to join the duo was
Anton Shnip, a talentedmusician
and sound producer, and it was
these three people who created
theproject and set its direction in
music. In 2012 Irdorath
presented the debut album ‘Ad
Astra’ and then the line-up of
musicians became wider and
changed periodically. Concert
activity in Europe began.
With the current war raging in Ukraine,we could almost
forget what is happening in Belarus, the northern
neighbour of Ukraine. Five musicians connected to the
Belarussian fantasy folk band Irdorath are currently in
jail. Their crime? They protested peacefully against the
election results of August 2020, which were broadly
claimed to be rigged.
The protests were answered by the regime of autocrat
Alexandr Lukashenko – who is in power since 1994 –
with merciless repression. We had the chance to talk to
Aliaksei Palauchenia, the drummer of Irdorath who also
spent 15 days in jail after the violent arrest of the band
members and their supporters at the birthday party of
singer Nadezjda Kalach.
Aliaksei Palauchenia: In connection with the events in
Ukraine, I am obliged to say on my own behalf and on
behalf of Irdorath that right now there is a monstrous war
going on in the countrywhere our friends and relatives live.
We beg to stop this crime against the people of Ukraine!
Thank you Aliaksei. Let’s focus on what’s happening in
Belarus. Howwas Irdorath formed and how did you join
the band?
Thank you for your interest in Belarus and Irdorath.
Irdorath was born in 2011, when Vladimir and Nadezhda
Kalach –the foundingmembers of Irdorath –moved from
Grodno to Minsk,where there were more opportunities to
implement the project and find musicians for cooperation.Until
that time, they had been playing together
www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be
I had heard about Irdorath many times, but I did not see
them at concerts until 2018. In December 2018 we
participated together in the Christmas festival in Minsk. I
came with my band Osimira and sawhow they performed.
It was a well-staged costume show with an explosive
program! It was immediately obvious that Irdorath had a
lot of experience on the European scene.Later I sawan ad
on social media that they were looking for a drummer
from Minsk. I live in another city 200 km away but still
decided to come to the casting.
Not everything worked out right away but in January
2019 I started coming everyweek for rehearsals,and after
a few months we played a big concert together in
Munich! During that year we travelled to many countries
for concerts.
Irdorath describes itself as a fantasy-folk band. The
songs are often based on traditional folk themes but the
songs also tackle fantasy themes and serious societal
criticism. Can you tell us more about the subjects of
Irdorath’s music?
The image of the musical heroes of Irdorath, as it were,
take us back to fairy tales and legends.We use the images
of mystical creatures to describe different human
qualities, not from the side of magic, but more often from
the side of real emotions and feelings, from joy and
admiration to hatred and deceit. Everything you hear in
music is a reflection of the modern world and what is
happening in it. Some of the material we have is from
Western European folklore but most songs are Belarusian
and author's songs. Irdorath has songs in different
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And, of course, there is enough instrumental music.
During the mass protests against the election results of
August 2020 and the police repression that followed,
musicians of Irdorath decided to participate and play
music during themarches.Whydid theydecided to do so?
Good question.At that time, it was not a question for us.
It seems to me that just everyone who felt that it was
time for a change came out.There were so many people
and it was natural. These were emphatically peaceful
processions. I think you have seen these shots - they can
be easily found on the internet. The musicians went out
and did what they do best - play for people, cheer them
up. For me, they are not guilty, neither are the several
thousand people who are now deprived of their liberty.
Were they aware that participating in the protests was
dangerous? Did they know that they faced the danger
of long prison sentences?
I still don’t understand and the whole world with us
doesn’t understand how participation in peaceful rallies
could be dangerous. No one thought about prison terms.
This could not be in the rule of law. Unfortunately, we
still see new details of detentions and arrests in the
news every day. We are waiting for the release of our
friends and colleagues.
At the end of 2020, several members of Irdorath lost
their jobs at the Viktoryia Children and Youth Centre
due to participating in yard concerts in Minsk. Can you
tell us more about this?
I can't answer you. But I really hope that people keep a
record of all employees dismissed for conscience reasons
since that moment. It's thousands and thousands of
people.These layoffs are ongoing.
You were present during that fateful night of 2 August
2021 when several members of Irdorath were
arrested. Can you tell us what happened?
It is very strange to detain musicians representing
Belarus in Europe like this. I will refrain from
commenting. I can only say that we planned to celebrate
Nadia's birthday and half of the guests met there for the
first time. Draw your own conclusions.
As a result, you and others were convicted to 15 days
in prison for disobeying the special forces that made
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the arrests. Meanwhile, 5 people received long prison
sentences: 2 years in custody for singers Vladimir and
Nadezjda Kalach, and 1 year and 6 months for their
fellow musicians Piatro Marchanka, Yuliya Marchanka
and Anton Shnip. Do we have any news of how they
experience the prison?
I can't speak for the guys, but from my experience I can
say that the first thing is shock. Shock is everything.
Emotional breakdown and depression. Imagine that they
were imprisoned without a court verdict for four months.
Four months of waiting... and what is it like for Vladimir
and Peter to know that their wives Nadezhda and Yulia
were in the same building and there was no opportunity
to see each other.And how does Anton feel? His bride is
waiting for him. There was hope for a different outcome
but this did not happen. Recently, Nadezhda and Yulia
were transferred to a colony in Gomel.
Where do you live right now? Can you still walk freely
in Belarus or is it dangerous for you too?
I left Belarus with one suitcase of things. Now I am
starting my life from scratch in another country. All over
again. It's not easy but it's quite possible. I believe that
we will definitely get together again and play at the best
festivals in the world!
I thank you for the interview. Now and during the entire
period in prison, my guys and their families really need
support and help. You can write a letter without a
political context or transfer money. All information can
be found by hashtag #freeirdorath
The five members of Irdorath are recognized as political
prisoners.You can write the at the following addresses:
Vladimir Kalach, Piatro Marchanka and Anton Shnip
SIZO-2, Gagarina st. 2,Vitsebsk, 210026, BELARUS
Nadezjda Kalach and Yuliya Marchanka
SIZO-3, Knizhnaya st. 1A, Gomel, 246003, BELARUS
You can donate for the prisoners of Irdorath through the
Belarussian Council for Culture.
You can find all the information on Irdorath and the
actions of solidarity with the prisoners under hashtag
#freeirdorath.
There is also a facebook group where all the information
is shared
Xavier Kruth
www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be
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נb@H#i^y5: .9ׁHhttp://-a-boo-magazine.beׁׁЈנb@H#i^y59 wW9ׁHhttp://paniclift.bandcamp.com/ׁׁЈנb@H#i^y58 P9ׁHhttp://facebook.com/panicliftׁׁЈנb@H#i^y57 Ymt9ׁH "http://wwww.peek-a-boo-magazine.beׁׁЈנb@H#i^y56 0'9ׁHhttp://down.AfׁׁЈנb@H#i^y55 #$9ׁHhttp://crew.ItׁׁЈנb@H#i^y54 	9ׁHhttp://to.NeׁׁЈנb@H#i^y53 |49ׁHhttp://Yes.ThׁׁЈנb@H#i^y52 \̽)9ׁHhttp://occupied.InׁׁЈנb@H#i^y51 :+9ׁHhttp://sets.FoׁׁЈנb@H#i^y50 )%9ׁHhttp://Toronto.AtׁׁЈנb@H#i^y5/ 9ׁHhttp://Blak.ItׁׁЈנb@H#i^y5. ԁ9ׁHhttp://out.InׁׁЈ׉EPANIC LIFT
Industrial band PANIC LIFT has become a staple in the scene
now with eleven singles, EPs and LPs under their belt. Their
latest release is an EP titled, Pieces. It's the second part in a
five-part EP series which includes a different physical product
James Francis is the main guy behind the project.We'd like to
thank him for his time in this interview.
Hello, can you give the readers a short background on Panic
Lift in case theymight not alreadybe familiar?
Hi! and thankyou!We are an industrial band fromNewJersey.We
got our start around 2006 signing with Noitekk Records in Europe,and
laterMetropolis Records in the United States.We’ve released
4 full length albums, toured nationally several times,and
have been luckyenough to play a fewlegendary festivals including
Wave Gotik Treffen, Kinetik Festival, Terminus Festival and
others. I write and record all the music for Panic Lift myself, but
when I play live, I bring along Dan Platt on keyboards, Ben
Tourkantonis and Cristian Carver rotating on drums, and Aedra
Burke (from FIRES) occasionally playing bass.
Your latest release is a cassette called, Split.This is a part of a
themed series.Why the decision to do that? Are the next editions
different formats?
Writing full length albums has always been tough forme.Alot of
times, I tend to go off on tangents on certain songs and the
styles of each song can be opposites at times. I’ve always found
myself having to adjust songs or add things into songs to make
them all fit together as a whole. I decided that if I didn’t release
albums, I could just write whatever I wanted, I could experiment
more,and I didn’t have to worry about changing or adding parts
just to create a cohesive 40 minute listening experience.
Beyond that, I also took into account the overall market right
now. I noticed over the last decade when seeing my royalty
states that I sold less and less CDs every time I put out a full
length, but at the same time my streaming revenue began to
skyrocket. I just don’t feel like the average listener consumes
albums like we all used to.
Lastly, I also looked at my engagement. I noticed a window of
about 2 months where traffic would increase to my social media
when I released something new. People wanted to hear
what I had to say about it, they were checking if I was touring,
watching videos.. then after that time, It would drop off almost
completely.I couldn’t imagine putting out 10 songs just for the
attention span of the listener to be that short.At the end of the
day, I am an artist, but I also have to promote myself and as a
business it didn’t seem wise to dump out all of my music at
once,just to end up having to beg for people’s attention after 2
months.
I decided on the EP structure because I knew I didn’t want to
just release singles. I also knew I wanted to include remixes. I
thought, why not do something thematically connected so I’m
able to experiment sonicallyall I want,but there is still this umbrella
over the whole project that will connect it at the end.
Yes the physical “component” will change with every release.
However, the fun part is, it doesn’t necessarilymean it will be a
media format like a cassette or compact disc. It may be something
completely different,but it will be ultra-limited,and specific
to the EP that goes along with it. Could be a t-shirt, shot
glass,whatever fun thing I can think up.
Do your individual releases revolve around certain themes?
Yes, the theme for “Split”was around the song “Tribute”which I
took literally. I felt both “Tribute” and “Nowhere Fast’ leaned
heavy on my musical influences specifically bands like Nine
Inch Nails, or X Marks The Pedwalk. So these songs were tributes
to those bands in a way.
The next EP that’s coming out in the fall is titled “Fragments”
and what connects those next 2 songs will the lyrical content.I
found that both these songs revolve around a difficult period in
my life last year when I was incredibly stressed, and I felt like
everything was falling apart around me.
Howhas your studio and production evolved over the years?
I found over the years that for me, less is more. I begun Panic
Lift using a ton of different software synths, hardware synths,
and about was very much about amassing lots of gear. I think
over the past decade I’ve gotten rid of a lot of stuff, and really
just focused on learning the few things I have inside and out.
This approach has really helped me learn how to create the
sounds I want, instead of spending all day looking for a sound.
I also found that instead of focusing on buying expensive mi׉	 7cassandra://LdOOPkL7MioY8fME8b94mHCDDSz731wv1v2r7uHEEsQV`k b?#i^y4׉Ecrophones, it really just focusses on warming up my voice and
learning better control. I think all the gear in the world is not a
replacement for having discipline with your craft.
Have your influences, both musical and not musical changed
much since the start of Panic Lift? We noticed that two of the
tracks on“Split”are said to be homages to the legends that inspired
you.
I try to always keep my ears to the ground and see what’s currently
popular.But I don’t think I listen to many newbands.I certainly
appreciate a good production,or a great voice but I think I
more or less stick to the same bands that influencedme starting
out.In that sense,I always want to seewhat tricks newbands are
using and incorporate that into what I do, but as far as being a
fan - I think I understand now why my parents listened only to
music from there generation. I find myself gravitating towards
records that were put out in the 90s or the 2000s. I don’t think
any new music is better or worse, but there is a comfort in the
music I grewup listening to that I prefer.
What makes a good remix? Who do you think are the most
skilled remixers today?
Maybe I ambiased,but I have been blessed with bands and producers
giving me absolutely fabulous remixes. I wish I knew
more producers outside of my colleagues but I’ve been so focused
on these EPsI haven’t listened to much else. I will say, for
the next EP there will be remixes from Assemblage 23, and
Kalcyfr.Obviously,Tom needs no introduction, he’s a legend and
his remixes are always amazing.I was introduced to Kalcyfr from
mybuddiesMechanicalVein andMoris Blak.It’s a great industrial
bass project and his production is some of the best newmaterial
I’ve heard. I’m happy to showcase him a bit on this release.
What’s the strangest or funniest accident that’s every happened
to you during a live show?
Too many to count. I don’t think a lot of my shows ever go
smoothly. I think the biggest mistake that ever happened during
a show,luckily no one ever noticed.We played a set at Aftermath
Festival in Toronto.At this point,we were on tour with Aesthetic
Perfection and Surgyn and we rolled into the festival for one
night to do our sets.For this tour,we had a dedicated sound engineer
so we left our backing tracks up at the board and he
would start them every night.
Somehow, instead of queuing up the set in playlist order, I must
have handed him the computer with files just playing in file alphabetical
order from the hard drive,which means on stage we
had no idea what song we’d be playing next. Luckily, I knew the
songs wouldn’t repeat which would have been completely embarrassing
but we got through the whole 40 minute set on our
toes! The best part is that complete show is on youtube! If you
look closely you can see us look at each other laughing in between
songs.
Has the pandemic influenced your music and lyrics, maybe
mental health? What’s some good that’s come out of it for
you?
It’s been rough.I had actuallynot planned on releasing anynew
Panic Lift for a very long time before that Pandemic started.
However, when we first had that ‘lockdown’ it really started to
affect my mental health in a bad way. I used to work on these
songs as an outlet to keepme occupied.In a way,the pandemic
is what forcedme to focus on Panic Lift again,I guess that’s the
strange messed up consolation prize in all this.
Do you think there is much need for bandmanagement or labels
these days or does it just depend on the needs of the
artist and the market?
This is a long and complex issue. But I feel,Yes.There is absolutely
a need for labels.I could not have gotten the eyes on me
that I have without being associated with a label. Signing to a
label,especiallyone that is credible in the scene gives a validity
to what you are doing. Many labels also have audiences that
are“built in”in a way,so people will buy your product since it is
associated with a label.
That is different than the actual physical mechanics of releasing
music.You can absolutely do that without a label.But then
you are just putting it out,and no one knows its there.
I’mblessed because I spent a decade ofmy career on verywellregarded
labels,andmy fanbase followedme to be an independent
artist.I don’t think I would have the following I dowithout
first having been associated with a label.
Other than the themed series,what doyou hope for Panic Lift
in the comingmonths?
We have 2 shows planned. Once in Salem MA, for the Darq
events on October 9th. I’ve been wanting to play Salem during
Halloween month for a very long time so it’s a show I couldn’t
sayno to.Next springwe return toDarkSideOfCon,to play that
festival.We’ve done it 3 times now and have a good relationshipwith
that crew.It’s always a lovelyexperience and I’mlooking
forward to see allmy friends after this long shut down.After
I’m done releasing this music, which in total will be 10 songs
and 10 remixes. I will probably take another break. It’s nice not
having anything planned, it makes it all the more exciting
when I get inspired to come back to it.
(Read more on wwww.peek-a-boo-magazine.be)
For more information:
facebook.com/paniclift / paniclift.bandcamp.com/
WilliamZIMMERMAN
-a-boo-magazine.be
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׉	 7cassandra://c4FW_SbqIqPTg1KNsYyCzrq_-I0sO8-k_oAIAPFgjzwZs`k b?#i^y4׉Ecalendar
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