׉?4ׁB!בCטu׉׉ 7cassandra://8oGjBM4LWWL8uXF1Xubtln06E4jJZEdTYQxeFI7xlSM"`׉ 7cassandra://qM7EgTYgcEcD9F7lgFfWMF2Rpf9xiKcXKatE2xF96Bcg`U׉ 7cassandra://VCFPpHErK2IrJkFvGOw9xS0ykGulcpyrQJZB6IFqvVE' `̶׉ 7cassandra://486xP-BMKscdQrqfxGh3DIBCg_lBgPckp2LtefohJ2c1z͠b&IO#rטu׈frJ׈Eb&IO#r׉Eedition April/May/June 2020 free of charge, not for sale quarterly published music magazine 37 NZ EMPUSAE SIGNAL AOUT ’42 MORE EPHEMEROL PREEMPTIVE STRIKE 0.1 COMMON EIDER, KING EIDER DOUGLAS P. / DEATH IN JUNE ׉ 7cassandra://VCFPpHErK2IrJkFvGOw9xS0ykGulcpyrQJZB6IFqvVE' `̶b&IO#rāb&IO#rÁבCטu׉׉ 7cassandra://KWAgAqSMeoACrVI7RiK5wCCf64pf6s33cbSh4rIUnoQ`׉ 7cassandra://eNoQkZWVSNO9C84PLmFvCWPVoEF8I7HaYsLMYi8rTRsi`U׉ 7cassandra://o912vcsf4VQpmLK3C1rdJvqn4F-1fcvNKd1AyYUs3mc'`̶׉ 7cassandra://8H8RnSvRya7CpkEDyLYdN04HXc1VoW5pxY9fDpdXNjIt ͠b&IO#rטu׉׉ 7cassandra://z8NrBRBjKGQIh1_zOubIyK7O7r9_4So3bsOgFb98WREE`׉ 7cassandra://en5aqGnyLaK4xn5NHmazuxOznDun3YboCE6YR5ImOUEs`U׉ 7cassandra://My4pyjgPJ77cKsfrZ4F50qdk6N02CUZT2Nfl_a8xc5Y"P`̶׉ 7cassandra://VODvDCs_Cl3pmOqy-Pzd8Ua_8d6KdKHQn14BVamp7wkva͠b&IO#rנb&IO#rE9ׁH!http://www.peek-a-boo-magazine.beׁ ׁ Јנb&IO#rhc9ׁH#mailto:promo@peek-a-boo-magazine.beׁ ׁ Јנb&IO#re9ׁH%mailto:contact@peek-a-boo-magazine.beׁ ׁ Јנb&IO#r=mD9ׁHhttp://www.infrarot.deׁ ׁ Јנb&IO#r=TQ 9ׁHhttp://www.gothville.comׁ ׁ Јנb&IO#r=;T9ׁHhttp://www.darkentries.beׁ ׁ Јנb&IO#r="W9ׁHhttp://www.darkballoon.beׁ ׁ Јנb&IO#r= W9ׁHhttp://www.Bunkerleute.beׁ ׁ Јנb&IO#r R 9ׁHhttp://www.PortaNigra.beׁ ׁ Јנb&IO#r b 9ׁHhttp://www.LeFantastique.netׁ ׁ Јנb&IO#r wP 9ׁHhttp://www.BodyBeats.beׁ ׁ Ј׉E!www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be - 2 - ׉ 7cassandra://o912vcsf4VQpmLK3C1rdJvqn4F-1fcvNKd1AyYUs3mc'`̶b&IO#r׉E7contents 01 04 06 08 12 14 Cover photo MORE EPHEMEROL © Nedda Afsari Interview PREEMPTIVE STRIKE 0.1 CD reviews Interview COMMON EIDER, KING EIDER Interview MORE EPHEMEROL CD reviews 16 Interview DEATH IN JUNE 19 CD reviews 21 22 26 28 30 CD reviews Interview EMPUSAE Interview NZ Interview Signal Aout ‘42 Calendar colophon ORGANISATION BODYBEATS PRODUCTIONS Evi TERSAGO www.BodyBeats.be (Distribution Antwerp) LE FANTASIQUE Frédéric COTTON www.LeFantastique.net (Distribution Brussels) PORTA NIGRA www.PortaNigra.be (Distribution Aarschot) Peek-a-Boo Magazine is a 100% non-profit magazine and is realized 100% by motivated volunteers who sacrifice their pressious free time to support their beloved music & scene. Are you passionated by music too? Do you also want to support your scene? Peek-a-Boo is always looking for new partners, distibuters, writers, editors and translators. Tempted? Send us an e-mail now! EDITORS / TRANSLATORS Leanne AITKEN Kevin BURKE Tine SWAENEPOEL F.X. REIMERINGER Gea STAPELVOORT Hamis HIREK William ZIMMERMAN PHOTOGRAPHERS Elke BREDENBRUCH Benny SERNEELS Luc LUYTEN Xavier MARQUIS LAYOUT Fred GADGET Veerle DE BLOCK WRITERS Jurgen BRAECKEVELT Dimi BRANDS Kevin BURKE Stef COLDHEART Fred GADGET - 3 - WRITERS (continued) Hamis HARIK Xavier KRUTH Marjolein LAENEN Ash MCAULIFFE Sabine MOORHEM Paul PLEDGER Tom PLOVIE Steven REDANT Aldo QUAGLIOTTI Dan VOLOHOV William ZIMMERMAN PARTNERS & DISTRIBUTERS BUNKERLEUTE (Leuven) www.Bunkerleute.be DARK BALLOON (Retie) www.darkballoon.be DARK ENTRIES (St-Niklaas/Gent) www.darkentries.be GOTHVILLE (Hasselt) www.gothville.com INFRAROT (Germany) www.infrarot.de WEBSITE Ward DE PRINS (RIP) Peek-A-Boo Magazine • Heilig Geesthoek 87A, 2070 Zwijndrecht, (B) • Contact: contact@peek-a-boo-magazine.be / Promo: promo@peek-a-boo-magazine.be www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be ׉ 7cassandra://My4pyjgPJ77cKsfrZ4F50qdk6N02CUZT2Nfl_a8xc5Y"P`̶b&IO#rƁb&IO#rŁבCטu׉׉ 7cassandra://Z1MWgB8qq_aQHtDwjyvf4xdfHEs1h5cqrep3ZcUpEpQ *`׉ 7cassandra://uHjmAM-W5BDOkUDa22fc9gyL9sAET3MAASWYIWhWuIQ˕`U׉ 7cassandra://tRCzYsIVd9jVG-9UoYWlCu1o__PQR0N-JnymPdJSeHc6`̶׉ 7cassandra://9uy9zxymylR0q3XATOQiLclUQaotBKYA6ArivmtAK7k5͠b&IO#rטu׉׉ 7cassandra://aNYjL3zPhS6ctVvbmxLZtkGdjWYeqe4XjMIff9J3boQ `׉ 7cassandra://Fm0KDqbNcrbm2FNtKjFmFxgugtMatDS6LJZgz9LaH3MͲ`U׉ 7cassandra://cUNDryBzRMC0jByw2SeSfWVHU2bidLrJvDgu-0_HcrM1\`̶׉ 7cassandra://Ey_eVNRsyTQOX8Wstd6mGt2SMsZwvjRei8E4VINQQuI G n͠b&IO#rנb&IO#rE9ׁH!http://www.peek-a-boo-magazine.beׁ ׁ Јנb&IO#rVnw 9ׁH!http://www.preemptivestrike01.comׁ ׁ Јנb&IO#rAb̌ 9ׁH&http://preemptivestrike01.bandcamp.comׁ ׁ Ј׉EPREEMPTIVE STRIKE 0.1 “Progeny Of The Technovore” is the seventh opus released by the Greek formation PreEmptive Strike 0.1. Hailing from the beautiful island Crete, singer Dimitrios Argyrakis aka ‘JIM the Blaster’ and George Klontzas set up the band in 2002. Four albums were released by Infacted Recordings while the last three ones got released by Digital World Audio. The new work featuring live member Yiannis Chatzakis is mixing power with elevating choruses. The album takes no break revealing an extremely powerful composition, which I consider as their most accomplished production to date. The sad news is that after the release of the album George Klontzas left the band. But the good news is that PreEmptive Strike 0.1 moves on as a duo. We had a chat with JIM and Yiannis about the new album, the live shows and the future of the band. “Progeny Of The Technovore” is the seventh full length album of PreEmptive Strike 0.1. and I think it also is the best one you’ve ever made! What have been the main ideas and influences to compose this album and what can you tell us about this intriguing album title? JIM: Thank you very much! I agree that “Progeny Of The Technovore” possibly is our strongest work to date and together with “T.A.L.O.S” my favorite albums in the band’s history! About the sound, the main idea was to combine trance, EBM and dark-electro with the general purpose to create something clubby, danceable and fresh at the same time! Lyrical-wise (at least the lyrics I wrote for a few songs) the influences are once again the sci/fi B-movies from the 50’s and for the first time, 2 songs were based upon 2 classic movies of Hammer films! George wrote some lyrics as well, based on more contemporary sci/fi themes. Now about the title, well to be honest it’s just a pun that brings to mind at once sci/fi themes! It seems that you wanted ‘to incorporate a style intrinsically connected in its origins to EBM yet seldom rewired into it: Goa-Trance’. I think that needs a few more details and where do you place this new opus among all the other ones, which were often inspired by the Greek mythology and featuring traditional folk instruments? JIM: I agree for 100% with you; it is a combination of goa-trance influences, but the origins are into EBM and dark-electro! Now in comparison to our older albums, it’s really different than “T.A.L.O.S” and especially “EPOS V”. We generally never release the same sounding www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be - 4 - album, every new album should be different from the previous one! I think that the fans like this strategy. They never know what to expect from us! YIANNIS: We grew up during the period when goatrance was at its peak meaning mid-late 90’s. I consider it as one of the most danceable styles in electronic music, inspiring and full of energy. I believe it fits perfectly to the basic style of PES0.1 It seems that after the release of the album, George Klontzas has left the band. That’s for sure a milestone in the band’s history so what will be the impact on further releases, live shows and PreEmptive Strike 0.1 properly speaking? JIM: Yes it is true. George Klontzas left the band after the release of the last album. It was his own decision as our relationship was getting worse. I have to admit that he is a great and talented musician and I wish him the best for the future, BUT since the beginning we had completely different priorities both in life and in the band. My first priority was to play live with the band as much as possible instead of just staying in my house writing music to escape from my ordinary life… I found no motivation writing new albums again and again without promoting it properly. You can’t run a band from your living room, the scene demands your physical presence apart from gigs also to events, parties, festivals and the band demands rehearsals and time sacrifices especially when you shoot a video clip, but George never understood all these ‘principles’. ׉ 7cassandra://tRCzYsIVd9jVG-9UoYWlCu1o__PQR0N-JnymPdJSeHc6`̶b&IO#r׉Ean electromagnetic force that threatens to devour everything! It could be really a plot for a sci-fi B-movie from the 50s/60s so here’s the connection with the lyrical themes! The video clip for the song “Constriction Process” was also my idea. It’s based on the 1957’s sci/fi film ‘’The Incredible Shrinking Man’’ so the clip features plans of the film mixed with us performing this song live. The lyrics of the song (that I wrote as well) appears to the screen. The plot is based on a man that after his exposure to a combination of radiation and insecticide became to shrink day by day until he became an insignificant form of life… So since he left we behave as a real band and we arranged live dates, made a new video clip, designed a professional T-shirt and sent our promo wherever was possible (DJs, radios and magazines). The results are speaking by themselves and currently our popularity and fame are at the highest level since 2009! For the live shows I’m together with Yiannis so there’s no problem at all. Regarding the future we will participate to numerous compilations and do collaborations/remixes with other bands and then releasing new videos from the last album. There’ll be possibly a new single and after that playing live again and again! We will release new music when we feel the need to do it and not because we should do. A new era is ahead of us and my main goal is ‘to make PreEmptive Strike 0.1 great again’!! An important aspect of the band is the artwork, which often has something pretty sci/fi like. Tell us a bit more about artwork and the link with lyrical themes? Can you also give us more details about the clip “Constriction Process”? JIM: Yes artwork is very important to us since the beginning. I would like to be honest telling you that the artwork of our previous albums didn’t look perfect. Vlad McNeally is doing the artwork since 2017 and I’ve to say his work reflects with perfection what we’ve in mind! The concept behind the artwork of “Progeny Of The Technovore” was my idea and takes place in a steam power factory from the beginning of the 20th Century. There, the workers by accident have created - 5 - I noticed your last EP “Harbinger”, which has been released last year, featured 3 new songs, which aren’t featured on the new album. Tell us a bit more about these ‘exclusive’ songs? Weren’t they good enough to get featured on an album? JIM: These songs are what they actually are: 3 exclusive songs just for the EP “Harbinger”. If you want your releases to be more attractive to the audience you should give them a good reason to buy the product. Why filling an EP with tons of remixes, which in the end doesn’t offer anything special to your release? So it worked and both vinyl edits (the grey- and black one) have been sold-out. It won’t be fair enough for these songs to get featured to the new CD as well. There’s also Degenerated Sequences, which is a side-project from Yiannis Chatzakis. I remember Degenerated Sequences’ self-titled debut album released on Advoxya Records, but how’s the project actually doing and what might we expect on stage? Yiannis: There has been some new Degenerated Sequences stuff since a long time. It’s my personal project and to me it works a different way compared to PreEmptive Strike 0.1 which is a band. Since the self-titled debut album I have never stopped creating music and programming synths. Some of that stuff fits to Degenerated Sequences and thus a new 5-track E.P has been released. I hope that the people will like it and there’ll be more things to come up in the future! preemptivestrike01.bandcamp.com www.preemptivestrike01.com Stef COLDHEART All artwork & photos © PreEmtive Strike 0.1 www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be ׉ 7cassandra://cUNDryBzRMC0jByw2SeSfWVHU2bidLrJvDgu-0_HcrM1\`̶b&IO#rȁb&IO#rǁבCטu׉׉ 7cassandra://EY2SJwqUFJ4nprQX1Bb-NIxLGEO9ZH5crbYmUCa-JLg`׉ 7cassandra://2heq_jxmkX82uBtTd9-44EPLPlV1MT-CIQtc9DObO9wͲv`U׉ 7cassandra://8K3rdJo8y0eQArSh4yiGfrM7PwJYzKY10nL7ubR_Xlk/`̶׉ 7cassandra://cN14wbVqnRrueGoTA1jrqBORzfiOj_bOOlwT1ic_E5Ez$͠b&IO#rטu׉׉ 7cassandra://AF8HxFAaqX8-pXycNavnvjTYJAW_sZydDNKJHe3LRjIc`׉ 7cassandra://vWHaKpPejU38lYspLxbjJz5Z7Mz0bNy95eaC9GNdb_E`U׉ 7cassandra://sWGU-9xWpBt0jncw_s-Xs-9xuPaWuXw7_DKv812wZuU,`̶׉ 7cassandra://ZalBbA9kfoMh55hO1qGf2I5CZcqPsZO0nxaY9M7MIQw͆͠b&IO#rנb&IO#rE9ׁH!http://www.peek-a-boo-magazine.beׁ ׁ Ј׉ETHE MARS MODEL - FrancoBelga (CD/Vinyl) Founded at the beginning of 2019 by some individuals who have a musical past in a variety of styles. For instance singer Hans Verbeke who we already know from his work in the Belgian / West-Flemish hardcore scene with his band Liar. But don’t expect hardcore, metal, speed or grind-core on this release. Because here this fivemember band is showing off darker-tinted riffs, refined electronics and keys, fairly aggressive drumming and a no-nonsense message. From Gothic-Rock to Post-Punk. Curious? Well, take my advice, listen and be surprised, cherish the impressions and let them sink in. Nothing more, nothing less. This is their first EP FrancoBelga, which contains four tracks. What lays hidden in these songs? Sturdy guitars, vocals interspersed with some more desperate cries from deep down. The songs are firm with a greasy edge. Wild and restless, swirling in contemporary society, where we are connected more than ever, and yet more isolated than ever ... [JB] HARRY CLOUD - The Pig And The Machine (CD/Vinyl/Digital) (Wool-E Discs) (Whiteworm Records) The thing I didn’t expect from Harry Cloud – is being so flexible in respect to forms of self-expression. It’s probably the first thing you should know before listening to “The Pig And The Machine” – nothing is obvious. Even though some things would seem obvious to you – like the introduction to the opening “Fantasia”, it doesn’t mean that Cloud would keep on going through the same paths. He needs just a few seconds to transform himself into the ghost of Tom Waits badtriping in Lynch’s Red Room. And then – change the background. You’d hear the tonalities of rebellious youth in his vocals through “Momo Island” and “School”. Harry Cloud is a good actor. He could make you think that he’s a lonely teenager or a tough-tattooed guy singing in front of dozens of fans singing his live-track “Brain” while his vocal chords are bleeding. Or sludge-kind-of-guy writing hard riffs and singing through distorted microphone about sweet dreams. That’s probably the best thing about “The Pig Machine” – his artistic volatility makes Cloud a very special artist ... [DV] NEGANT - Schwarz (Digital) Negant is the project involving a number of ‘big’ names from the Danish electro music scene: Jens B. Petersen (ex-Neotek, ManMindMachine), Tommy B-Kuhlmann (In Absentia, ManMindMachine) and John R. Mirland (Am Tierpark, Mirland / Larsen, Mirland, M73). Negant treats us these days with a nice hot Glühwine, which we can enjoy while listening ti their new single ‘Schwarz’. And It can’t get more oldschool EBM than this. Short synth sounds, monotonous drums that sound bone dry but still so strong. For this single they opted for German as language, giving it an extra aggressive tone: “Schwarzes Bier, Schwarzer Gürtel, Schwarze Stiefel, Schwarzes Leben, Schwarze Seele … Und schwarze Süchte, Schwarzer Sex, in schwarzer Kammer, Full Kraft voraus, Kein Blick zurück, Wir sind die schwarze Armee! Full Kraft voraus” We feel the need for beer or rather for a couple of bottles of Glühwine? In that way we can go on for hours with this sort of EBM violence! [JB] (Læbel Music) 6TH CROWD - Самозванцы (Samozvantsiy) (Digital) Usually I don’t bother reviewing a single track digital single for various reasons. (Self Released) Firstly, I think it is just a little too easy to launch just one (killer) track in the world and, secondly, one could no longer see the wood for the trees due to the overwhelming (mediocre) single track releases. But sometimes one gets so overwhelmed by a song, you simply cannot stop yourself sharing this gem with the world. Apparently 6TH CROWD is the solo project of Dari Maksymova, an electronic producer and singer based in Kyiv, Ukraine. Best known as front-woman, synth and bass player of postpunk band On The Wane. Inspired by both instrumental and electronic music, 6TH CROWD combines grooves from rave dance floors, melancholic storytelling from 80’s alternative rock and melodic pop vocals. With this debut single Samozvantsiy, which can loosely be translated as pretenders or fakers, they bring to mind such artists as The Chemical Brothers, Boy Harsher and maybe even Front 242. [HH] www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be - 6 - ׉ 7cassandra://8K3rdJo8y0eQArSh4yiGfrM7PwJYzKY10nL7ubR_Xlk/`̶b&IO#r׉E!- 7 - www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be ׉ 7cassandra://sWGU-9xWpBt0jncw_s-Xs-9xuPaWuXw7_DKv812wZuU,`̶b&IO#rʁb&IO#rɁבCטu׉׉ 7cassandra://ibVy_DxJUrTW_0jizX2ktOkcKMGgmuqyGfljqyLR6i8Kg`׉ 7cassandra://rCf6qAyR7vhyntxjDG2dEgrGJlTZJEaKalm5zbPhOc8͔5`U׉ 7cassandra://xXDqZGi1RQnPoSKZjIsaEQk3eLwej2v67ZeGO6MP0vw*`̶׉ 7cassandra://uB4L_nmFPJPEuOJVy2r_p2SUo5cp_MVszAPWvf95UYoJ͠b&IO#rטu׉׉ 7cassandra://prurjoE9kz8XA1mC04G2D-rX3xXEhmIRiB_nm05H5j4`׉ 7cassandra://yQaNbarZNxzMf3wkfE4-1bi61fAAUZtxg3MYmrBV5Z85J`U׉ 7cassandra://FGIkeqqcm0BTqIp_-EkldZwp6hR2skjsNVoI7b7P10o`̶׉ 7cassandra://tVlVDjkVt-FPxgame9FjnhG05aWXuuNUUVMPv63o1w4>͠b&IO#rנb&IO#r E9ׁH!http://www.peek-a-boo-magazine.beׁ ׁ Ј׉ECOMMON EIDER, KING EIDER Common Eider, King Either is a collective of musicians who’re involved with music and art. San Francisco (California, USA) is the operating basis of this collective who already welcomed multiple members from different projects. The project has been releasing music since 2007 and has worked together with prominent dark-ambient/industrial/experimental labels such as Cold Spring, Cyclic Law, Consouling Sounds, Black Horizons ao. The newest album entitled “Egrégore” released by Cold Spring is a particular concept together with French artist Yan Arexis (Stille Volk, La Breiche, Coume Ouarnède ao). The work features four songs inspired by the spirits of the Pyrenees present during those Dark Moon rituals. The result is a fascinating travel throughout imaginary landscapes accompanied by dark-ambient, ritual and experimental music. I talked about it all with Rob Fisk aka B.S.s. Common Eider, King Eider once started as a collective featuring members from different projects. Numerous productions have been released over the years, but who’s involved today and how do you see the evolution of the project? www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be - 8 - Today Common Eider, King Eider’s core members are B.S.s. and Andee Connors. Common Eider, King Eider is expressed as this duo, as a solo endeavor by B.S.s., and in collaborative efforts with other contributors/ collaborators interested in the intersection between art/ music/ ritual. You’ve been clearly inspired and driven by a strong humanistic vision and want to be an ‘opposition against the Trump Administration’! How does that work when being involved with music and arts? We think it is a natural state to work within. Art should inspire revolution, or it is not fulfilling its potential. That revolution can happen on a personal level, or wider community level. If art or music doesn’t challenge my thinking or perspective, it is just distraction or background noise. There is already enough of that in the world. A huge amount of artists are clearly opposed to the Trump Administration, but do you think it can make things change? And what does the election of Trump reveal about the USA and the world we’re living in? ׉ 7cassandra://xXDqZGi1RQnPoSKZjIsaEQk3eLwej2v67ZeGO6MP0vw*`̶b&IO#r׉E!- 9 - www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be ׉ 7cassandra://FGIkeqqcm0BTqIp_-EkldZwp6hR2skjsNVoI7b7P10o`̶b&IO#ŕb&IO#rˁבCטu׉׉ 7cassandra://33spkd-QVEOL6YYYod1iKky7H707tnXsdKeH9EjOj8wS`׉ 7cassandra://1IdapXSSDTkjEWENlj7RTfs4JQWeNMVLUEWSYiHI4Og͛(`U׉ 7cassandra://4jJinntO-VfNfMi5VYf9l56pR2cATI_43D-1HdWMCDU,`̶׉ 7cassandra://cc5IzHv4NmBiw0wRVmD7SmCmPMPE9eIXpbaOlvE_efE ͠b&IO#rטu׉׉ 7cassandra://Nijkui64ZxdoXWAOAGeY5Vp8oOFF7XQekbxz-FYXp7M`׉ 7cassandra://npw55W-lfF91H5u4tneAxtPUjBLSSx_lufdNt-lQQFg͛`U׉ 7cassandra://oYt0zDhp19PU-ssOxMZZ_qN1VIWN-ukc_qlZkCE3_TY8&`̶׉ 7cassandra://P53ARtvr1YAuYp59DYj2u53timtjSuANtiwCXVyuHkAͤ͠b&IO#rנb&IO#rE9ׁH!http://www.peek-a-boo-magazine.beׁ ׁ Ј׉E W(Continuation p.8) It doesn’t matter if you are an artist against Trump or a plumber against Trump... being publicly against Trump and open to having productive discussions with people is helpful. I think the state of the US and of the larger world has been unraveling and unsustainable for so many years. The dreams of Capitalism are being revealed as smoke and mirrors... Trump works by telling people that all the riches one doesn’t have.... all the troubles of the world.... all the wealth unobtainable to them... is the fault of the ‘other’. The immigrant taking your job. The transgender person taking away what the definition of family is. ‘The left’ taking away your guns and rights. Other religions breaking down the moral fabric of Christianity. It is all based on fear and othering... Division. Scarcity. Entitlement. Maybe these three words are leverage points to counter energetically. Over now to your newest work, “Egrégore”, which is a particular conceptual album inspired by the Pyrenees. How did this concept come alive and how did you proceed to realize this work? What have been the different stages in the writing/recording process? This project was born out of a deep friendship with Arexis, and a love for his music. He is so active... “L’Homme Sauvage”-festival, Stille Volk, and his amazing solo project Coume Oaurnede. I visited him for a week in the Pyrenees, talking, sharing food with his family... was lovely! After midnight we would set an intention for ritual, and start recording. The recordings are live, with live mixing... we went back and just added a couple of overdubs to enhance a theme or note weight, or vocal weight, but for the most part it is live. www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be - 10 - I experienced “Egrégore” as dark- and ritual like work, but it also reflects a very intimate atmosphere and a kind of ode to nature. Does it feel like an experience, which has a kind of impact on you and how did you feel after the recording? It is extremely intimate work. Both of us humbly regard nature with humility and awe. Both of us come from an animist perspective. After recording each night, we were exhausted, happy... bonds with the earth, with each other strengthened. I think it’s interesting to see what nature can do with people and the real impact of it all. I noticed some people are progressively getting closer again with nature while on the other hand others have never been that destructive and hostile against Mother Earth. What does it evoke to you and how do you see things evolving? Capitalism, Christianity, and patriarchy promote division not only between humanity and nature, but a division between spirit and body. As more people move towards reconciling this split from nature and reconnecting with these lost spirits feelings and words, profound healing will take place... Healing our relationship with the land, and healing the relationship internally between mind and body. That will be how cycles of destruction both internally and on the land itself will be broken. www.facebook.com/CommonEiderKingEiderCaribouPeople commoneiderkingeider.bandcamp.com Stef COLDHEART ׉ 7cassandra://4jJinntO-VfNfMi5VYf9l56pR2cATI_43D-1HdWMCDU,`̶b&IO#r׉E"- 11 - www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be ׉ 7cassandra://oYt0zDhp19PU-ssOxMZZ_qN1VIWN-ukc_qlZkCE3_TY8&`̶b&IO#r΁b&IO#ŕבCטu׉׉ 7cassandra://OdcoSTW3XXlGBkga3UxSTuAfROH-C_l7CcnpQCMbJ2A1`׉ 7cassandra://kG96RZOL6wKd1a0cR9QJNEGmFBoqDVYks5Gf3y1vrr4͊`U׉ 7cassandra://NNmaYSjGbo-Bs-pU0cCJPUq81b_LtWaSCMR7u0CGbcQ(`̶׉ 7cassandra://Hy2Sq-pG6HqW2MwF28Y-pRh7VN_wV7tL27NJgatqs58t͠b&IO#rטu׉׉ 7cassandra://v-1VApe9TkmCwEM_mnbcnn1a0a4yto3YJ9VL_Lp3idQM`׉ 7cassandra://y-1iqIY5nCsCjzx6LNDh5u65yvHhXIFhVWcov_duwMY͙A`U׉ 7cassandra://p_dA-RtYzuxa5cQghZNCs17Gm9bhk2IUbRcNBr3PgSc,`̶׉ 7cassandra://WvctKMn7gOdCulznkhi-0kZ_LbDeB4jkB2DG25--yCk Ԙ͠b&IO#rנb&IO#r E9ׁH!http://www.peek-a-boo-magazine.beׁ ׁ Јנb&IO#r@q̍ 9ׁH%http://www.facebook.com/MoreEphemerolׁ ׁ Ј׉E RMORE EPHEMEROL Los Angeles synth act More Ephemerol consists of members Sea Fjerstad and Tamara Sky. Though the project has one previously released LP, Fractal Bath, featuring an array of experimental compositions by Sea, the new material ditches all digital instruments and adds the voice and presence of Sky to the equation, establishing More Ephemerol as a strictly analog synth duo, delivering a newly focused sound inspired by the likes of proto-new wave/minimal wave favorites such as Experimental Products, The Modern Mannequins, Turquoise Days, Oppenheimer Analysis, and early Human League. We’d like to thank More Ephemerol for their time for the interview. For the unfamiliar readers, can you tell us a little bit about the history of More Ephemerol and the meaning behind the name? Around 2007 I began toying with synth-centric compositions and chose the name More Ephemerol for my works. Ephemerol is the fictional drug which plays an important role in David Cronenberg’s 1980 film, Scanners. In the most specific sense, the name More Ephemerol means “more to attain less”, considering the drug is primarily used as a suppressant to suppress the psychic abilities of individuals. Though the name feels like some sort of glimmering juxtaposition, it’s about finding balance. In a broader sense, the name focuses on drugs as a wider concept. The purpose of drugs are to www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be - 12 - stimulate us, and for so many of us, whether it’s through drugs or through other sources, the mission to stay stimulated or find greater forms of stimulation is one that will last us a lifetime. More Ephemerol represents that mission & that desire. The new video, “Obituary Templates” has a very 80’s appearance to it. Were there any particular videos in the 80’s that sparked your inspiration or that you found to be particularly unique? There’s no specific video that inspired this. However, it is unabashedly a nod to the styles and aesthetics of several groups from the beginnings of new wave. A couple of acts I haven’t mentioned prior to this that seem relevant would be Gary Numan and Rational Youth. And, I feel like it goes without saying, but the legendary music videos of both Eurythmics and The Human League will always be an inspiration. Can you tell us a bit about the making of the video? There’s not much to it. It was a really quick production. We had the smallest crew possible - just us, a camera man, and a P.A. I wanted to do something minimal. We’re just introducing our new band to the world. Right now, it’s “Hello. Hi. This is the band & this is what we intend to do”. ׉ 7cassandra://NNmaYSjGbo-Bs-pU0cCJPUq81b_LtWaSCMR7u0CGbcQ(`̶b&IO#r׉E9There’s actually a fairly deep meaning behind the song. Can you discuss that a bit? “Obituary Templates” is a song in tribute to loved ones who have passed. The lyrics discuss how no words alone could ever be enough to encapsulate an individual’s entire existence when that individual was such a quintessential part of shaping your world. When my father died about a year ago, my sister and I were asked to write the obituary - it’s a really surreal thing to have to do, to decide, “ok, these words are worthy”. Your press release notes that your new material ditches all digital instruments and “adds the voice and presence of Sky to the equation.” Can you expand on that? This is referencing Tamara Sky, who is currently a member of the band. She used to throw these Lil Death parties in L.A, which I’d attend frequently. It didn’t take me long to realize that her and I had a strikingly similar taste in synth music, wave, techno, and the likes. I’ve referred to her as “my favorite DJ” for years now. When I expressed an interest in expanding my project, she expressed an interest in being a part of it, and I knew she’d understand precisely what would be unfolding here. There was no question in my mind. Other than ditching the digital instruments, how do you feel on a personal level that the new material is different from that which is on the previous album, Fractal Bath? Fractal Bath is basically a collection of early experiments. It wasn’t made to fit into any particular genre, nor was it made for any specific audience. In fact, most of the songs featured on it weren’t even made with an LP in mind, nor were they made with live performance in mind. The new material is being approached entirely differently: These new songs belong together, they’re all from the same litter. These are songs that I would want to go see a band perform live. They’re being composed with a very specific energy, a very focused energy - a singular energy that I look forward to channeling and sharing. Some might think that your music is inspired by 80’s new wave. But it goes deeper than that. You note that “proto-new wave favorites” like Experimental Products, The Modern Mannequins, Turquoise Days, and Oppenheimer Analysis were influences. What was it about these artists in particular and not so much the traditional 80’s new wave artists that inspired you? These bands had an unmatched punk sort of energy to them that seemed to dwindle once new wave blew up and started getting bigger budgets, glossier production, and radio attention. These bands represented the perfect middle-ground between a purist minimal wave sound and full-on new wave. The pop sensibility and synth- 13 - centric instrumentation of new wave was there early on, but the gritty production and often ungraceful vocal performances give them their unique blend. The synth leads pierced and shredded, like guitar solos - they were louder than everything else. These bands weaved in and out of minor and major scales like composition had no rules, and in their own bizarre planes of neutralism they managed to conjure up a very special romanticism that I’ve not found or felt in any other sub-genre pockets. What do you do to stay mentally healthy in such a chaotic city like Los Angeles? This. What plans do you have in the forthcoming months in 2020? Perhaps exactly what you would expect. We plan to start performing live in early 2020, and of course, we aim to do a new LP as soon as possible. A tour would be a dream. www.facebook.com/MoreEphemerol William ZIMMERMAN Photos © Nedda Afsari www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be ׉ 7cassandra://p_dA-RtYzuxa5cQghZNCs17Gm9bhk2IUbRcNBr3PgSc,`̶b&IO#rЁb&IO#rρבCטu׉׉ 7cassandra://kXRimVEQcahY80Zmm1VrBnoKUz4h-jBVRlOopTxCwqY`׉ 7cassandra://7qn3okkWRQKJ56lcGXBa7M7NDNWKkLXimICSt62LqBgͫD`U׉ 7cassandra://Ixr6cFljFNFJaCW2Mv-N3jFCOEIiHDmpiDUNAaeYSnw.`̶׉ 7cassandra://dYVtQ0gU5DflDXgQSqKiRRB1it4eeuBibnBS1SauXskv,͠b&IO#rטu׉׉ 7cassandra://5C1i6e_atlIz8yHSgFOAet-iklJTjhybedfH1ZsiSqI&?`׉ 7cassandra://H-65xriiNwLNNi4rPStVXblKuc47OT7q9kQ45MJ0i_wvs`U׉ 7cassandra://ErsrQGxaea-sO0pc9tp04ZorxFNOfRwGkC4la-Zor_Y.N`̶׉ 7cassandra://4uon4Iiu2K63CtglCDtbLrdjF1l03KkQerNWMT-ZlQEzj͠b&IO#rנb&IO#r"E9ׁH!http://www.peek-a-boo-magazine.beׁ ׁ Ј׉EMORE EPHEMEROL - Obituary Templates (Digital single) (Blank City Records) Los Angeles synth act More Ephemerol consists of members Sea Fjerstad and Tamara Sky. Founder and synth freak Chad Fjerstad has already previously released a tape album, Fractal Bath, under the More Ephemerol moniker, featuring an array of experimental compositions by Sea,. The new material however ditches all digital instruments and adds the voice and presence of Sky to the equation, establishing More Ephemerol as a strictly analog synth duo, delivering a newly focused sound inspired by the likes of proto-new wave/minimal wave favorites such as Experimental Products, The Modern Mannequins, Turquoise Days, Oppenheimer Analysis and early Human League. The song feels familiar but gets a fresh sound polish due Matia Simovich of INHALT mixing/producing work. [JB] OCTOLAB - Mystery Park (CD/Digital) The woozy second time is always, for an artist, the equivalent of the casting out nines procedure in math: expectations are there in spades and artistic freedom equally wants to have all the super powers in its crate. Octolab must have known that with this Mystery Park, their second adventure made of bouncy electronic and churning rhythms and their creation, scheduled to be donated to the world from the 20th of march, reflects considerable amount of self-doubts and will to drastically change direction. The new work by Arielle Andersson and Fredrik Lundvall Kindsäter entrusts its overture to Out in the cold, with its arithmetic beats falling over an overheard zigzag of sounds layers, filtered by an ethnic use of English. The atmosphere is far from being haughty despite of its metal bones and harsh spectrum of sounds, which is definitely pleasant ... [AQ] REALITY’S DISPEAR - Melancholic Disposition (CD/Digital) Reality’s Despair is one of those bands that keep the Belgian EBM tradition alive. With yet another gem, called Melancholic Disposition, this Antwerp Dark-Electro / EBM project is launching once again some very danceable, black-lacquered beats. After their previous album, released in the spring of 2019, this Melancholic Disposition flashes us back to the old 90s dark electro echoes in all its glory. Opener ‘Bootes Void’, for example, is a top notch stomper track. Deep dark beats with a melody nicely woven through and vocals like being ripped apart by barbed wire. In fact, the same could be said about all song on this release. They all have immensely strong foundations, while very tense beats and firm bass lines hit you in the face time and time again. And yet this album still sounds extremely varied and this variety can also be very entertaining. who, along with his cousin, has wrecked stages all over the world. Reality’s Despair is back to claim their place out there. Another powerful, Dark-Electro / EBM release to be remembered! [JB] (Self-Released) CHRISTIAN WOLZ - La Fore (Digital) (Self-Released) Christian Wolz. He is a German vocal artist who was introduced to me by Ward De Prins, founder of Peek-A-Boo magazine and dear friend. Ward and I both had a fascination for the human voice, and its potential. Exactly two years ago I read a commemoration text at Ward’s funeral. Since 2018 my birthday will always be connected to him. Christian composed a song in his honour. It was played at the funeral: a meaningful tribute to someone who had a passion for alternative music. No coincidence to be found in the title of Wolz’ new album: “La Fore – (goodbye / dead)”... The music and vocal art of Christian Wolz is not accessible for everyone. It requires focus and an open mind. His work remains unique. My genuine respect for the true authentic way in which this Berlin based artist remains faithful to his musical muses. Ward would certainly agree! “Man is light and darkness”: darkness for the loss of Ward, light for the fascinating and intriguing music that brought us together. [TP] www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be - 14 - ׉ 7cassandra://Ixr6cFljFNFJaCW2Mv-N3jFCOEIiHDmpiDUNAaeYSnw.`̶b&IO#r׉E"- 15 - www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be ׉ 7cassandra://ErsrQGxaea-sO0pc9tp04ZorxFNOfRwGkC4la-Zor_Y.N`̶b&IO#rҁb&IO#rсבCטu׉׉ 7cassandra://C-wWE9wX2pM7uCrsUGnd2oh0nYTGJycd86UN0Wpy6bY*`׉ 7cassandra://nBhupzSV3d91ZSkKrS8aocV2yYZpekOqTeY5KvqtRQMͫ`U׉ 7cassandra://gB965pR8rFVXtSTwoi5YvC6dG6PoJoVIy3xyEFPok2U3`̶׉ 7cassandra://5myPMZHLh6KTh3exZ4u3G4EMA15Y_jAHNWweG4mjAhc {*͠b&IO#r$טu׉׉ 7cassandra://hZ2wcB45XoCXmKCMHMFu9Xx4QPlXxmMvZ-mZUq98xREo`׉ 7cassandra://ziDy8NU2tdxz0W5KK3hrxv8kN843kaD59dXI4fAx1MQ͎=`U׉ 7cassandra://hTfURX3U-ROiJrqQH7d_GnO--JxtAZbS4XxNOaHSywk* `̶׉ 7cassandra://CZgSXRBwOvtVKhR9C8mRIhY57S_ZEF3TI5SLJsyBiOQ,͠b&IO#r&נb&IO#r)E9ׁH!http://www.peek-a-boo-magazine.beׁ ׁ Ј׉E DOUGLAS P. Unlike any other artists of the British esoteric underground, Death In June has never seemed to be obvious. Since the very beginning of their career it was always quite hard to imagine the next work of Douglas P. What it would be like? Among all the people in the world, only one can answer this question. He’s currently residing in Australia and continues his musical path. He’s started his career as a member of punk-band – Crisis. We all know him as a person under well-known ethnic-like mask. Within Death In June, Douglas expanded the boarders of folk music creating what we all know as “neofolk” – the mixture of symbolism and surrealism, experiments and abstraction enhanced by the almost-hypnotic voice of the only one constant in Death In June. This January, Death In June released the new 7’inch compilation – ‘The Wall Of Sacrifice’, through French label - Steelwork Machine. In this interview we spoke with Douglas P, about recent album of Death in June – “ESSENCE!” and the ideas of Douglas on the new record, about sources of inspiration and creativity over the years, about punk-rock and evolution through the years. It looks like that for each record you choose another, opposite direction. Once you said that in the discography of Death In June, there are no similar records. I can’t but agree with it! So speaking in terms of your recent LP - “ESSENCE!”, what helped you to define the methods of work on this record? My initial approach to what became ‘ESSENCE!’ was to somehow reflect upon both my Life in my 60s, which have been particularly unhappy years for me and very reminiscent of my early 30s, and a summarization of where I thought Death In June had travelled to musically and culturally. I decided to look back at how far the journey of Death In June and myself had been. Or, so I thought that was what I was doing. In a way I thought I was looking in the rear view mirror but very soon after its release on 30th November, 2018 it morphed into what was to come and where I was driving to. It became for me a very predictive album. Depressingly so unfortunately. Do you always have an idea about how your next album should sound like, or when you start working on songs, these are just images that are coming slowly together Yes, I do usually have a rough idea or concept of how the album should sound but I’ve learnt to watch out and listen to its natural dynamics and musical declarations, accidental or otherwise. ‘ESSENCE!” doesn’t sound much www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be - 16 - ׉ 7cassandra://gB965pR8rFVXtSTwoi5YvC6dG6PoJoVIy3xyEFPok2U3`̶b&IO#r׉EDEATH IN JUNE like how I originally thought it would as I quickly abandoned sounds and instrumentation in the studio that were not of ‘The Now’ and felt hackneyed and old fashioned. It’s difficult to define how I do that but it simply declares itself and you have to have ears that listen out for that. Within your lyrics you’re mostly focusing on things happening inside the human mind. Can you say that these things attract you more than creating a concept album with characters/storylines and a certain plot I don’t think I’m capable of writing a concept album with fictitious characters involved. It’s simply not part of my psyche or what ultimately interests me. I’m too introspective and analytical for that. My Life’s been a serious affair and continues to be. I can’t escape that. It’s my Destiny, my Wyrd. After the release of ‘Peaceful Snow’, people had doubts about the directions in which you would move. For a number of times you said that it was a very interesting experience and Miro Snedjr added very interesting things to your music. What do you feel every time, getting to some new point of this journey ? Bewilderment, bemusement and excitement as I feel I’ve successfully managed to direct musical changes over the years regardless of whoever I’m working with. Certainly Miro Snejdr, Herr Lounge Corps Himself, brought something very special to the Death In June table on several levels. Along with this, your cooperation with Miro started with his variations of your songs, that caught your attention. As a person who always looks forward, what do you feel going back to the past and looking at some things from a different perspective? The one main thing I’ve noticed for some years is when I’m singing an old song the original meaning for many of them for me has changed. They seem to be in constant flux. I think I’m looking back at the past but it’s the present that ends up distorting the view. How much have your artistic goals and objectives changed since “The Snow Bunker Tapes (2013)”? I don’t know if they have actually changed. I act on automatic about almost everything I do artistically - 17 - (Continues p. 18) www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be ׉ 7cassandra://hTfURX3U-ROiJrqQH7d_GnO--JxtAZbS4XxNOaHSywk* `̶b&IO#rԁb&IO#rӁבCטu׉׉ 7cassandra://4UpDxF2IYOejRd3suXoHntRfLGswSGSei925W_5Qlyo\`׉ 7cassandra://xTThAKN4KlJJdcFYCJZoacvPf08X6mXpxOiuLP8XKM8ͦz`U׉ 7cassandra://PenSGiP4DAt2bvfx4WHzaak1NjCgmM1HBZcogXBjQIE.+`̶׉ 7cassandra://tPqs3Us9i7WmtWKK-v6PjMXSrXy_o1YSabYkh7fAPa0 +͠b&IO#r+טu׉׉ 7cassandra://2az2kHjUr9XNCDFWflx9gCVTinmGGtOnya7GL4255RA`׉ 7cassandra://y5gfT2EaPZ-t7V8MuQ7tpZc0o4THskxn-mYClcesrT4ͱ`U׉ 7cassandra://5_cw6pzEoYuH9dKmwkkNyimBcOiG78-7tp0mmTuL0U8.`̶׉ 7cassandra://JB-wxVxV5EtTj_LAAbXDm77Nca_T6k3zPK_jBzIKErYqR ͠b&IO#r,נb&IO#r0E9ׁH!http://www.peek-a-boo-magazine.beׁ ׁ Ј׉E)(CDOUGLAS P. / DEATH IN JUNE ontinuation p. 17) so I feel it’s all part of the continuing process and its natural development. Over the years your style has changed a lot. From the well-known neofolk to different variations of the style. More industrial, more atmospheric or even heavy. Do you follow a certain state, trying to capture your feelings in the moment and express them on tape – such a fixation of what you’re doing or it’s mostly experimentation? Death In June started out in the post-Punk movement as obviously all the original members were part of the Punk scene and it was obvious some of that would rub off on what we tried to do both musically and in our general approach to this new endeavour. That changed as the membership changed and I became in 1985 the only constant member being affected by whatever my mental state, external state and surroundings and events were. As I’ve previously said, almost everything after that is instinct or some sort of psychological hypnosis or trance I go into. Neo-folk came about by chance not design and the same thing applies to Industrial Folk etc. I was open and ready for different variations and to try different approaches and ways to articulate. Even with all the things you introduced to your listeners over these years, it seems that the atmosphere of your shows is still following its primary vibes. What makes live shows special to you: getting from studio-type-of-work or certain interaction/connection with the listener ? By the late 1990s I’d grown tired of trying to replicate studio sounds on stage and realized it didn’t really matter that much anyway because Death In June performances had become ever more ritual-like for both the group and the audience and had somehow turned into a ‘gathering’ of like souls. It felt more natural to strip the sound back, approach live performances in a more intimate way and concentrate on trying to evoke a ‘Kampfire Music’. Speaking about the 30th anniversary of Death In June, and the years of your creativity you used the metaphor of “a fight”. Just like Jack Kerouac with nauseating one and the feeling of sickness gets worse as I get older. It is definitely a struggle, a fight but Death In June’s success in its 39 year history definitely liberated me as a man so I guess that, so far at least, I’m winning that particular battle. When you work on the lyrics - is it a continuous process or are you looking for a certain state? Like a stream of consciousness. Words/lyrics are continuously coming to me, everywhere and anywhere but especially at night at home in Fort Nada when the countryside becomes quiet and a general stillness descends. But the fine tuning of those words into an actual song is a different, more complicated manner more akin to a long form of the ‘cut-up technique’ popularized by William Burroughs, David Bowie etc. I usually work alone when I’m doing that but I’ve recently been told by a close Croatian friend that he saw my face change and go into a trance-like state which worried him! “On The Road”. Do you see the process or creation music as a certain fight? With yourself, with different parts of your personality, for instance; with reality, with chord structure and melodies or for you, it’s something more liberating? The whole creative process for me is literally a www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be - 18 - Where does your inspiration usually come from? It can range from a chance or misunderstood hearing or emotional turmoil. The whole gamut of Life is always imposing itself on you and some of us take notice and (Continues p.20) ׉ 7cassandra://PenSGiP4DAt2bvfx4WHzaak1NjCgmM1HBZcogXBjQIE.+`̶b&IO#r׉EPOUPPEE FABRIKK - Armèn (CD /Digital/Vynil) (Alfa Matrix) Poupéé Fabrikk, the Swedish old school EBM machine that roar intrepidly with their Elektronisk Kroppmusik. They are often compared to pioneers such as DAF and Nitzer Ebb. They make it clear that gems don’t always have to be finely cut or polished to be able to shine. No, it’s clear they may also be raw and straight from the heart. Their minimalistic approach proves minimal is maximal. Their previous release, The Dirt, dates back to 2013 and was more like a retrospective upon which old demos had some plastic surgery and the necessary Botox for tighter skin or sound. So this means Armèn is their first real fully fledged studio album since the 90s. What has changed? At the base not much, it’s still uncompromising hard and sturdy old school EBM. Not lacking the necessary dose of aggression, for ten whole songs. Henrik Björkk’s impressive vocals, devastating bass lines and hard as steel indestructible pounding beats. Are they taking it to the next level? Most certainly! Harder than ever before straight in your face, sparing nothing. Stomping electronics that give one several ear-gasms ... [JB] FEU FOLLET - Le Champ Des Morts (CDr/Cassette) (Blackjack Illuminist Records) Alban Blaising’ s dramatic alter ego Feu Follet’s Le champ des morts was released in 2019 but keeps its fascination in solid health. The project is a ten track journey into the Nancy based artist’s vividly incandescent imagination, an island covered in umbratile wanderings and momentous u-turns. When you don’t happen to have plenty of information on an artist, the closest you can get to his inner, biographical world will always come from his uttermost fears and pleasures, grouped in an artistic project. That’s the Genesis of every passport and should be what we stick to when looking for gossipy traces of the artist we are devoting our ears to. Far from global stardom and close to the niche environment of cassette supporters, the record starts with a title track, a song that titillates Depeche Mode’s moods, tackling an atmosphere of pieces that highlight his mastery with long strides of sythethizers. It boasts a jaunty crescendo, in the lights of electronic heartbeats fitting for Lust For Youth and Cold Cave’s aficionados ... [ AQ] HYSTERY - Deuil (Cassette/Digital) With this new EP French Synth-punk band Hystérie present their first EP called Deuil (which is French for mourning) on Area Z after two releases on Parisian label ‘Le Turc Mécanique’. This EP contains five powerful tracks with dark melachonic synth lines, heavy guitars and punky angry vocals, completed with samples and nostalgic guitar melodies. The reason I chose this release out of hundred others is their unique sound, although I have to amid I’m usually not attracted to French sung songs, except maybe ’Je t’aime’ or ‘Joe Le taxi maybe’ … Anyway, before I wonder off too far … I would describe their style thus as Cold-wave-Industrial, reminiscent to the sound of Belgian bands like Red Zebra, The Neon Judgement and maybe even the more industrial Stin Scatzor. One can clearly feel the anger, dispair and dissatisfaction when listening to the songs. Not only the punky style vocals but also the global atmosphere that the songs, one by one, tend to breath ... Give this a listen and you might want to order this tape before it sells out! [HH] (Area Z) STEREOSEAT - Heavenly Creatures (CD/Vynil) (Lacienda Records) What do Belgian bands Kenji Minogue, Vive La Fête, Absynthe Minded and Pink Room have in common? Not a lot at first sight. Unless… It all started in Ghent (B) back in 2013, as a studio project by songwriter Tom Van Dorpe (Chrome Yellow) and sound wizard/engineer Sergej Van Bouwel (Absynthe Minded). They pulled out all the stops and lifted their live performances to another level, together with guitarist David Van Glabeke (Kenji Minogue) and drummer David Van Belleghem (Delavega). Over the years they became a scouring yet atmospheric rock band. Their style changed in 2018 with the arrival of second keyboard player Maarten De Meyer (Vive La Fête) and drummer Jelle Lefebvre (Pink Room, Celestial Wolves). Guitars are tuned as if they were synths, synths as if they are guitars. Twisted as hell. Stereoseat proves guitar music is not only relevant in 2020 but can still be innovative too. Stereoseat has lots of potential. Stereoseat has balls. Stereoseat makes good solid music. Heavenly Creatures is definitely a energetic album with its own sound ... [JB] - 19 - www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be ׉ 7cassandra://5_cw6pzEoYuH9dKmwkkNyimBcOiG78-7tp0mmTuL0U8.`̶b&IO#rցb&IO#rՁבCטu׉׉ 7cassandra://6FsxQsZMQXwFJr_1qQ6rlcpA_yKdnShiAyyJyiQmG68H'`׉ 7cassandra://UJYPTJMa0BdG-RBLfxaDu6qv7GZl_gJMlMRjbdzcEwEz`U׉ 7cassandra://gPBHQo_iO0QStRZAC7yWqB_a8dwzimEBl5u1l2WLUEI%p`̶׉ 7cassandra://iolQamnHaqNFLGYPPgXtV-D8F132bh1ohgwWL6ij5zovR͠b&IO#r3טu׉׉ 7cassandra://ppMAeHdpqOyqNCPPG5q4WHmu-DOe6WyPH3pKUO9ei6I`׉ 7cassandra://Cuptxx9YJuc1JhtR4fhteOq8RxoJlYkgWgVMg4JdW8EͲ`U׉ 7cassandra://VdXzKJ3ytZFAeLSS-mnjWdCfU3BOz9BSQKBcMQHNmSI/`̶׉ 7cassandra://w25X4OUvk5NJ0B00ChGL34emnxl3lGxWY2yOogxkWqks(͠b&IO#r4נb&IO#r<E9ׁH!http://www.peek-a-boo-magazine.beׁ ׁ Ј׉E(CDOUGLAS P. / DEATH IN JUNE ontinuation p. 18) choose to try and articulate that. Who knows what the consequences would be if I didn’t have this outlet? I have a theory that after the punk rock boom of the 70s, almost every style of music took something from punk-rock. Not even musically, but esthetically. So in connection with your early years in Crisis – back in those days, did you feel like a rebel? And do you also feel it now? I tend to agree with you about how culturally important Punk really was but I don’t think anyone that was initially involved in Punk saw themselves as a “rebel” per se. They were really being everything that they were really supposed to be, acting upon instinct and this moment in time was their preparation meets opportunity moment. I grabbed hold of that once in a Lifetime chance with both hands and the results show I did the right thing 43 years later. If it hadn’t have been for Punk Rock and the doors it kicked open I doubt I would have become involved successfully in music. There is little point in conjecture about what the alternatives would have been. www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be - 20 - How do you see the next Death In June record? I see it as a dilemma! I have enough finely tuned new lyrics written to make a full album, I have several choices for album title, I have a new album sleeve in mind and I’ve several new promo photos for it but I have absolutely zero idea of what it will sound like musically. I’ve never had this problem before where I hear zero music in my head. I’ve tried picking up the guitar to see if anything comes out but in truth I haven’t played a coherent note on the guitar or keyboard since I finished recording ‘ESSENCE!’ in August 2018. 2019 has seen me empty of sound and 2020 continues likewise. I had a dream recently where I was pushing large square knobs on a console and synthesizer and factory-like noises were coming out but it made no sense and I couldn’t remember anything after I awoke. I have no idea if there will be another Death In June album but with the 40th Anniversary of the group in 2021 there is some impetus for there to be one. www.deathinjune.net Dan VOLOHOV All photos © Death In June ׉ 7cassandra://gPBHQo_iO0QStRZAC7yWqB_a8dwzimEBl5u1l2WLUEI%p`̶b&IO#r׉E\DDDJMX - Oceaned (Digital) (Dancedelic D) DDDJMX is the recent ambitious project of friends Dirk Da Davo (aka DDD from The Neon Judgement, Neon Electronics,...) and Jean-Marie Aerts (aka JMX from TC Matic and producer for Luc Van Acker, Urban Dance Squad and many more). After the release of the promising 2019 EP ‘Attack Dogs Achieve’ and singles ‘Pray for rain’ and ‘All Is Said’ earlier this year, they are now back with their first full length album Oceaned. After a first glance it’s clear the album has all the ingredients one could expect from this brain collision. DDD’s typical mechanic drum programming, pulsating riffs and mantric vocals can be heard in tracks like ‘We’re Slipping and Sliding’, ‘Go Ahead’ and ‘Bring it on’ while JMX guitars and bass grooves and production work makes them whole. Also the typical western feel that one also could find on the later The Neon Judgement albums is seeping through once in a while. Don’t expect to find an 2020 version of The Neon Judgment club hits like ‘Fashion Party’ or ‘TV Treated’ on this album, but ten mature songs and an album from two masterminds that could warp some of us back to the age of for instance ‘Blood and Thunder’. [HH] MONO INC. - The Book Of Fire (CD/Digital/Vynil) The Book Of Fire is the brand new album by Goth-rockers Mono Inc., founded in 2000, and it’s the successor of their previous album Welcome To Hell, released in 2018. Driven rock, nice riffs and the angelic passages of vocalist/drummer Katha Mia are again the main ingredients. And they taste excellent! The whole thing is spiced up with contributions by Tilo Wolff (Lacrimosa) and Teufel (Tanzwut). One of the amusing things about Mono Inc. is that their very solid rock, with a Metal edge, is so enthralling. Their compositions are very sturdy, lived through and somehow sound so sweet ... It sounds great and it is great! It tells us once again what Mono Inc. has delivered: Another great and intense album, stuffed with goth rocking guitars. An album that can certainly be added to many, already well-stocked, record collections in thousands of living rooms. (SPV) [JB] MANNEQUIN - From A Distance (Cassette/Digital) Mannequin is a Californian Dark-Wave duo that have just released their first full album ‘From a Distance’ on the Sentimental label, run by (among others) Fenne Kuppens of Belgian band Whispering Sons. Mannequin previously released their EP ‘Nocere’ (2019) and today they present us their 8-song debut album. Their sound throws us back to the eighties and tends to sound like bands such as Das Kabinette and Iron Curtain. Strong bass lines, melodic synths and dark vocals. ‘Modern Light’ opens the album quietly and spherically. The bass line is blissful in its simplicity, the vocals deep but rocking. Slightly stronger in terms of tempo and with great drums, the track ‘Cities’ takes over. Here too, simplicity is the force ... Whatever the feeling about this debut, despite the fairly calm songs it remains a very danceable album. With ‘From A Distance’ Mannequin delivers a very nice fully-fledged debut long player. Although it is not the most innovative sound, the songs still invite you to listen. Maybe the album could have been an little more varied, but that is a just very personal opinion. (Sentimental) [JB] She Hates Emotions - Melancholic Maniac (Digital) (Out Of Line) She Hates Emotions is the surprise new side project by BlutEngel, Chris Pohl. This guy must have a drip firmly planted into the veins of a muse with how prolific a songwriter he is and each and every time he strikes gold. His propensity towards writing melodic masterpieces is nothing short of awe-inspiring and here he presents his first release “See the Light” with its mesmeric, oscillating synth riff enchanting and its seductively ariose chrous enthralling, all married together beautifully by Pohls dazzling vocals. His influences on this track are evident (Depeche Mode, Erasure, Human League) and this song is a genuine pleasure to listen to especially in the context of the 80’s legends he clearly loves because the song, I must stress, is not merely a pastiche. It sounds incredibly modern in its respectful retrospection. It has been expertly crafted and whets the appetite of our anticipation of the release of the debut album “Melancholic Maniac” on May 15th 2020. [AM] - 21 - www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be ׉ 7cassandra://VdXzKJ3ytZFAeLSS-mnjWdCfU3BOz9BSQKBcMQHNmSI/`̶b&IO#r؁b&IO#rׁבCטu׉׉ 7cassandra://t1d23H5qlSVmK2jiHhJ-ry2FhZQxzcEo56a7o-vK3Zk``׉ 7cassandra://tDjxFy16LL65k3bAXD2M4837jyJ7oV9cr6tqYcNEylgd`U׉ 7cassandra://AeyO-z-zIhPkxnYnLDVims0pDyQmONl9H9u_q1gpT64)`̶׉ 7cassandra://wNURTkiEdIpFovsTfSCw4biYszuzsrFWHzoHMaUr1-Aw͠b&IO#r6טu׉׉ 7cassandra://aOIV6_Ry4P31jrS7xqjVj0aGVdpv9kf8aI66Gk6p-kQ`׉ 7cassandra://rLYQT0qCa7dDBfEjd6AIAwrDgv7cDe_hG8zpf6lQa_Ye`U׉ 7cassandra://x9dD6TidkERieAOopYr8Yh457iCafTff8Qg0yZLrsF0)A`̶׉ 7cassandra://PNfUfewdDHkK2_Q5E7MiF1mGeLp-u71r6ibNnc5490gx ͠b&IO#r7נb&IO#r;.9ׁHhttp://-a-boo-magazine.beׁ ׁ Ј׉Eww ׉ 7cassandra://AeyO-z-zIhPkxnYnLDVims0pDyQmONl9H9u_q1gpT64)`̶b&IO#r׉E-a-boo-magazine.be ׉ 7cassandra://x9dD6TidkERieAOopYr8Yh457iCafTff8Qg0yZLrsF0)A`̶b&IO#rځb&IO#rفבCטu׉׉ 7cassandra://V2k6W0Vg9cn5uST7JBX0VoFHFsI5Qa_5-f6Ww1nuo_8Y`׉ 7cassandra://YuSEQUg217KBhpi6xFab-NINm6sVfek-kEL8he0k5Zkɕ`U׉ 7cassandra://vsYRcHJlW1DP3xne5qYerMl38xfx-X326H8dEVxDvig4`̶׉ 7cassandra://FiTfFS4lIJcn4VL_dltvFcp4KTqJaw6gZhhgut1fsr8[aj͠b&IO#r@טu׉׉ 7cassandra://3SUnj3VCeY_RttVV4fmuYEHA4nab5reFf-csJEr3z1QEY`׉ 7cassandra://cWhu70C01Dyru1dxIOzAuQqRbJU6wcvZsmoe_rzNz6Qͳ`U׉ 7cassandra://uIQD9DG0jUySfyJkixI322ESOz_ZdLuj6xQhAXJ3MLY/`̶׉ 7cassandra://BsIuyIJ1XqgTvnYf3RmyHeeRNHyi1MiT7zGodnF6eT0 [͠b&IO#rCנb&IO#rJE9ׁH!http://www.peek-a-boo-magazine.beׁ ׁ Јנb&IO#rITz 9ׁH!http://www.peek-a-boo-magazine.beׁ ׁ Јנb&IO#rHAǒ 9ׁH$http://www.facebook.com/empusaemusicׁ ׁ Јנb&IO#rG20 9ׁHhttp://animation.Itׁ ׁ Ј׉EfEMPUSAE Also in 2019 we could be proud of our Belgian compatriots. One of those releases that stood out last year was Iter In Tenebris from Empusae aka Nicolas Van Meirhaege. An artist who invariably guarantees to keep on releasing topshelf quality albums, the latter was part of the prestigious Consouling In Residence concept. First of all I would like to congratulate you on Iter In Tenebris, which has once again become a wonderful total spectacle. The album was released shortly after Lueur and whenever I think you can’t outdo yourself anymore, you prove me the opposite. In my review I wrote you take the dark ambient genre to a higher level, and I still mean every word of that. Now confess, what’s that secret recipe that you seem to have a patent on? Thank you for these words. I can only say that my last two albums are the result of the pact with my demons. We don’t have to look any further than this, I think. Iter In Tenebris was released as part of the Consouling in Residence project, which you are part of together with Monnik and dustbug. An ambitious project that asks itself how a record label can adapt to the rapidly changing music landscape. Just giving ready-made answers to this is impossible, but what are your ideas as a musician, and how do you experience the Consouling concept? What Consouling Sounds has set up and has in store for the future is the logical consequence of how a label should evolve. They are incredibly resourceful, ambitious and passionate. I am proud to be part of that. We have been given carte blanche to work out our concept (Augmented Reality artwork) and be ourselves completely, with some adjustments where necessary. It is very pleasant to work with such human and professional people at the same time. Hats off for what they have done because the Consouling in Residence project is much more than just releasing 3 releases. Each release has its own limited edition concept, which required a lot of thinking and research. Many internal meetings, also with other artists / partners with whom we have worked … Setting up a series of performances (new events will be added at different locations next year)… and lots of PR and promotion. All this combined with many other events (24 hours of deep listening, etc) and releases from other artists and managing a store and webshop. It was quite chaotic at times and we have all learned a lot about how to do it even better in the future (this is just the beginning). www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be - 24 - On Iter In Tenebris you deal with demons, let’s dig a little deeper into this. The first demon is Shabriri. In the Jewish culture the devil of blindness. A logical choice after fate hit you hard with this handicap some years ago. Your life suddenly took a dramatic turn due to your loss of sight. Meanwhile you moved on, how did you deal with it in the meantime, and what is your thought on the future? It’s very difficult to deal with, to be honest. My vision has deteriorated quite a bit in recent months. It is not easy to get used to it as the condition gets worse over time. So I can hardly imagine a future, since I don’t know how quickly I will go blind, how long I will be able to do certain things. I had to quit my job recently. But one thing I know for sure, I never stop composing. I do not know how I will proceed within the future, but I will never stop. But you probably hear it in my answer; I have music as an outlet and salvation. Empusae has become more therapeutic than ever and actually vital. The second demon you tackle is called Purah, and some research taught us that he is one of the many fallen angels, the angel of oblivion. He would also have to do something with stirring up the dead. As an good angel he can clear your head in a positive way, but as a demon he creates hopelessness with this quality,feelings of loss and loneliness manifest themselves. Can we connect this Purah seamlessly with Shabriri? In the sense that the deterioration of vision also fuels the fear that oblivion will also be fueled? Actually, I didn’t really want to elaborate on the demons in question. Iter in Tenebris is, as I said, very therapeutic and very personal. It was not my intention to literally convey a personal story. My demons and how I deal with them are not really relevant to the listener. What it means to me and what it does to me, however, can be filled in individually by each listener. For me, every demon has a personal link and every piece of music has a way to deal with it. I invite everyone to fill in that link themselves. Of course, I can’t really avoid it if I want to talk about the record, so let’s say the relationship with this demon is indeed about my fears, both related to my coming blindness and other fear, apart from that. As for demon Iso, we found no information about this one. Therefore, please clarify this entity, what relationship does it have with the other devils at Iter In Tenebris? ׉ 7cassandra://vsYRcHJlW1DP3xne5qYerMl38xfx-X326H8dEVxDvig4`̶b&IO#r׉E%The title refers to the Japanese Isogashi. My relationship with Isogashi is very personal again, sorry if I have to disappoint you. But again, I invite everyone to discover a personal link with the demon while looking it up. Aesma is the fourth and last demon, in Zoroastrianism the devil of wrath. Again a quality that we effortlessly connect to the first devil, which also completes the circle. How do you deal with feelings of anger? Aesma is indeed a demon I have been confronted with not so long ago. It has to do with the negative feelings associated with my disability. The fact that it is incurable. How I and my environment, people around me and society deal with this in themselves. But this is yet another demon that can be interpreted widely and is different for everyone. However, I am convinced that these four entities harass everyone among us and haunt us, no matter what culture you are. Jewish tradition seems to be an important inspiration for Iter In Tenebris, how did you come across it? Coincidentally. I have been inspired by different mythologies. The demons were already there. I only looked up which name I could best give them. Which demons from other stories still appeal to your imagination and would you still like to introduce them to the Empusae world? At the moment I have enough work with these four. Both Lueur and Iter in Tenebris were very targeted therapy for me. What I currently compose has a different angle. However, it has the same effect on me, to my pleasant surprise. I’m done with it now, with those demons. The pact that I made with them will last for a while, so I can focus on other things. But those things also come from the dark, elusive depth. Things you shouldn’t mention if you want to keep your mind and spirit. Thanks for the interview Nicolas, and we wish you a lot of strength in your tough battle with these demons. Allright. Thanks. Sorry for not answering some questions as you might have expected. I struggle a bit with the fact that my current work is sometimes very personal, hence my sometimes evasive answers. All understanding for that, and as you say your music appeals to the imagination in such a way - 25 - that it is possible for the listener to give it his own interpretation. We also consulted Nicolas’ life partner Christel, who is also active in Empusae for the visual aspect. Since this interaction is essential in the Empusae story, we found it only logical. Christel: (enthusiastic) Cool that you think of me too! This is my first interview ever! A bit strange though, because we think your share in Empusae is inextricably linked to the whole, which is why we would like to elaborate on this. Well, first of all thank you for that! Not only did Nicolas exceed the already very high standards that he had previously set at Empusae, it seems you also did a great job with the stunning visual interpretation on Iter In Tenebris. For instance by using the augmented reality technique. How did you get the idea to use this technique? I had been thinking about creating some AR illustrations for Empusae for a while... I had previously experimented with this technology together with EyeJack (the company that created the app that we also use for the album) and I really enjoyed it a lot because it combines my two favorite ways of expression: illustration and animation.It also brings a new level of “immersion”. I wanted to give people the opportunity to listen to the album and watch the animation at the same time. I wanted the demons to come to life, and for people to be able to touch them. For me, the goal in illustrating an album has always been to enhance the mood and emotions of the music, as an accompaniment, and I think with this technique we can sublimate the music like never before. Finally, regarding the Iter In Tenebris concept, which female demon do you most identify with? With none and with all of them, they are all part of me! And I have many more demons to share... Bring them on! www.facebook.com/empusaemusic Dimi BRANDS Photos © Luc Luyten Complete interview on www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be ׉ 7cassandra://uIQD9DG0jUySfyJkixI322ESOz_ZdLuj6xQhAXJ3MLY/`̶b&IO#r܁b&IO#rہבCטu׉׉ 7cassandra://2BaqB0R0BLfRfrswmuHNaJUkfQ7ex8Hw4yAa4IqaMJ0G`׉ 7cassandra://xsoFmV0mVXjQQx8c_P4v4Hfm5UDouKYxDx_2BmvLsk8͕`U׉ 7cassandra://XedHlA5uplcEEU0HgPQnkFE9RJsKaz5LSTjsar-qrxI,`̶׉ 7cassandra://OURvTrLg4X1HWJMCFbBg3CYrD6ndClqgjkTHvKTc20I ~LZ͠b&IO#rNטu׉׉ 7cassandra://KAMZsgccDxjmgoyZhV4FeKbFLb5JRrk7JAjuXR_nkzE C`׉ 7cassandra://ztP_p3Ko7-yjM-CwuTKA8v_wcjQFwl8m2_UiErS8nA0`U׉ 7cassandra://Xq4BfCWZtvCyi9uVgvqB4C7FE5Z2KfNC9rn-vQvDWBA3 `̶׉ 7cassandra://vpOWY-UwQvDNa8mHv-pleQgUeQjp6mAte7QPzHrj2vk'͠b&IO#rPנb&IO#rYE9ׁH!http://www.peek-a-boo-magazine.beׁ ׁ Јנb&IO#rX@{̎ 9ׁH%http://www.facebook.com/NZ.propagandaׁ ׁ Јנb&IO#rWQU' 9ׁHhttp://Emmo.bizׁ ׁ Јנb&IO#rV&' 9ׁHhttp://Emmo.bizׁ ׁ Јנb&IO#rUZ' 9ׁHhttp://Emmo.bizׁ ׁ Јנb&IO#rTɁ( 9ׁHhttp://Emmo.bizׁ ׁ Ј׉E mNZ I discovered the Austrian NZ-duo a few years ago. The band got signed on the now defunct Emmo.biz Records and released the impressive EP-trilogy “Aggressions”, “Raw And Pure” and “Against You”. Daniel and Jürgen are dealing with old-school EBM, which is reminding some of the Masters in the genre. NZ last year joined hands together with Infacted Recordings and unleashed the album “One Of Us”. This work features reworked songs from the EP’s plus a small amount of new tracks. “One Of Us” is without a shadow of a doubt one of the best EBM albums from the past year while NZ is for sure one of the most talented projects in their music genre. I’d a chat with both protagonists. First things first, how did you guys meet and tell us a bit more about your music background, the way you got contaminated by the EBM virus, the name NZ and Nitzer Ebb, which appears to be an important source of inspiration? We know each other for a long time and of course electronic based music was and is our common passion. We met as teenagers at the most famous underground club in town. We were not really friends from the beginning. But electronic music brought us together when we realized we like the same things. This aspect was definitely the reason for the start of our friendship and our project NZ. It was this development from music consumers through music presenters to music creators. We didn’t live in the same area, but we both started DJ’ing and organizing parties apart from each other. We wanted to present to the people that kind of electronic music we liked. And of course we started to know us better after a while. www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be - 26 - Sometime in the 90’s we decided to start making music by our own and of course at this time Nitzer Ebb was an inspiration as other bands like DAF or Laibach. We had a very experimental approach using some old analogue vintage synthesizers and samplers. It was indeed a really good time to explore and discover everything around our own demands without having plans to publish or release something. It was just for fun and just for us. Yes, the name… We guess for a band it’s always difficult to find a name that fits. And it really took us quite a long time until we found ours. The search for the band name started before we even knew we would release something. And the name changed during this period a few times. Finally it was a coincidence. When Daniel went to the school of arts and crafts he created a logo as a design study based on a local newspaper called “Neue Zeit”. After years he found this NZ-logo again and with its simplicity, minimalism, reduction and deconstruction it seemed to be a good visual example for the style of our music. So we tried to find a fitting name with an “N” and a “Z”. But all the names we tried to create felt a bit artificial and factitious. At least it was Jürgen’s suggestion to keep it simple and just to take the “NZ” as the name. And that made absolutely sense with its simplicity, minimalism and reduction -so the name NZ was born. We had a lot of inspiration during our search for the right sound of our music. But finally in best case you produce the music you like if you take it serious. For us Nitzer Ebb was always more than just a band. We see Nitzer Ebb as a specific style of music with its minimalistic, but strong and aggressive sound and this is the music we like. ׉ 7cassandra://XedHlA5uplcEEU0HgPQnkFE9RJsKaz5LSTjsar-qrxI,`̶b&IO#r׉E%In a massive interview about EBM I now made a few years ago you claimed EBM to you is ‘attitude and passion’. Can you give us a bit more details and especially about the ‘attitude’? Do you see it a different way today? No, nothing changed since we answered your question. It’s a special kind of powerful and energetic electronic dance music, which needs to be done with ‘attitude and passion’. If we link these words to NZ and our own standards we always try to do it with attitude and passion to get the results we want to achieve. I think we are our own main critics with a high effort to fulfill our own demands. That’s our attitude! Things went really fast for NZ. You released 3 official EP’s from 2014 till 2015 on Emmo.biz featuring a total amount of 14 songs. The EP’s got released next as a collector’s box CD edition in 2015, but we next had to wait till 2019 to get you back with new work. How do you look back at your early work and what explains this silence till the “One Of Us”-album? We look back at this early work in a very positive way, because all things worked very well for us after releasing our EPs. But the release of our “Raw And Pure – Aggressions – Against You!”-trilogy was just the first step we did; followed by a lot of things we worked on since 2015. After getting booked to play live at bigger festivals like “WGT” and “Bodyfest” we needed to work on and prepare our live performance. Additionally we did some quite nice remix works for great bands like Die Krupps, Nitzer Ebb, Sarah Noxx, Orange Sector, Alien Vampires, Amnistia and Trilogy. In 2017 the end of our former label Emmo.biz caused also a longer break in our planned timetable to release “One Of Us” by the need to search for a new label. So there was less silence than people may expect. I heard from Orange Sector they put you in touch with Infacted Recordings. How did it really happen and tell us something more about your ‘relation/friendship’ with Orange Sector? And is there something like an EBM community? What are your experiences thus far? As a part of the scene and playing live on stage at some festivals it’s pretty normal to get in touch with other bands. Already from our beginning at Emmo.biz Records, Martin from Orange Sector liked our music and at the “E-Only”-festival in Leipzig in 2017 we had the possibility to meet him in person. At this time we already knew that Emmo.biz would stop its activities and so we had to find another label. So what’s easier than talking to other bands and asking them about their own experiences? At the end of 2018 we met Martin again and he told us only good things about Torben Schmidt’s label Infacted Recordings. And yes, it was Martin who put us in touch with Torben. We - 27 - are really grateful therefore. And now we are a part of Infacted Recordings beside Orange Sector and a lot of other fantastic bands and artists. In general it’s always good to get in touch with other bands and artists within and outside the scene. We made a lot of great friendships over the past years. We are grateful therefore too. You clearly pay some importance to the artwork of your releases, which reveal some uniformity and artistic sobriety. Here again it’s easy to make a link with early Nitzer Ebb artwork while the colors you’re using might remind some historic propaganda. What can you tell us about the artwork and its meaning? If people think we just wanted to remind some historic propaganda with the chosen colors, they are on a totally wrong way. The whole story started we wanted to get the artwork fitting to our music; minimalist, reduced and simplified as possible just like our songs. ‘What you see is what you get’ was the intension. First we thought about just using black and white but then there was something missing. It wasn’t intense and strong enough, as we wanted. So the color red was the perfect addition. To use it as a signal color. Red means danger and red is an aggressive and powerful opposite to black and white. The combination of these three colors fits that perfectly to our concept to release three EP’s by varying these colors. We didn’t want to use any additional symbols or something else. So we put the colors and ‘NZ’ in the focus of our artwork. Yes, it’s easy to make the link to Nitzer Ebb’s imagery –and that’s okay. Influences? Yes, of course! What you see is what you get. Perfect! But in our opinion that’s much too easy considering the whole artworkconcept we did for the three EP’s and the album. Our second choice was orange, but do you think we could do that? (lol) Maybe it’s not the best property within the scene to compare everything new with something old and characterize it just by that. It’s lousy and boring to discuss about that. It makes people blind for new things. They should be more open-minded regarding new bands who created something with ‘attitude and passion’. It’s not needed to compare everything, but it’s needed to listen to. In general there should be more curiosity and respect, especially between people who like the same things or same music. We do what we like and we will not change that. Thank you for this interview! And cheers to all of our fans out there! You are ‘One Of Us’! www.facebook.com/NZ.propaganda Stef COLDHEART Photos © Benny Serneels www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be ׉ 7cassandra://Xq4BfCWZtvCyi9uVgvqB4C7FE5Z2KfNC9rn-vQvDWBA3 `̶b&IO#rށb&IO#r݁בCטu׉׉ 7cassandra://-pvgzIr4AxVjgr_Qk7L5j1rkp0EvfHui0iIFMryjZq4 `׉ 7cassandra://NgIcqTWqSr6NOIWTYbAWVfCqjvHmKMfzcDeUilNMIn4Ͱ`U׉ 7cassandra://0fnTTCi6BVnEt5Om57BuuGjwQHfZXROzwVNrzw73_hc.`̶׉ 7cassandra://LQVj1YulD2NEAr7Cd9im4NzaVkJvXaJQKJfsJc4o2Uo ͠b&IO#r^טu׉׉ 7cassandra://n9JESfiBHQRETgIwfcb4vsIIQ3XKZ2ry9e_HxXKejLkN`׉ 7cassandra://Mm85wiml9204Q4lctJom1Dm_M5Z5-90aAmmIfhzgm8wͭv`U׉ 7cassandra://197RHKzMvcji6vgQHWM9mauG7YeJSiVRCecJEkIyyXA.`̶׉ 7cassandra://Aa5BVOLgQVK78zluxAHuO_i1l2FjJ8oW9z0kKrdTZ9w ͠b&IO#rdנb&IO#rqE9ׁH!http://www.peek-a-boo-magazine.beׁ ׁ Јנb&IO#rpQT| 9ׁH#http://www.signalaout42.wixsite.comׁ ׁ Ј׉ESIGNAL AOUT ‘42 For hundreds and thousands of electro-industrial fans, Jacky Meurisse became a real cult figure. After starting cult project Signal Aout 42 back in the ‘80s, Meurisse, formed his own unique style that led to the formation of what we know as the Belgian scene. Even though there are already a few decades of the band’s history SA42 are true to themselves. They continue playing and releasing records adding new elements to their well-known sound. We spoke with founder and vocalist of SA42 - Jacky Meurisse, who told us about his years of experience, the early years of his career, recent Signal Aout 42 albums, his solo-career and future plans. Quite often, people notice that SA42 started from your improvisation with your classmates. What role does the improvisational component play for you in the process of the creation of the music ? Indeed, SA42 started with school friends and we played improvisation but it didn’t last very long. After the improvisation, I went into experimentation. At the very beginning of electronic music in ‘80s, all the paths were still to be explored and there was therefore a lot of experimentation, which gives an innovative side to it. SA42 was lucky to be born during this period. Everything was permitted, the public was waiting for new sounds, and I did it. Today I still allow myself to take risks with my compositions but after so many years of experience I trust my instincts rather than improvisation. At that point, you found your listeners due to your amazing shows – you were using chainsaws and other more or less typical for industrial music instruments. How did you get the idea of doing this ? My friends and I were absolutely not musicians! We were very young (16) and wanted to make noise on stage. The only way to do it was with simple means. Make as much noise as possible with impressive looks. We were very dumb at the time. But surprisingly, it was so surprising, that it really pleased the audience (laughs)! How do you remember your first musical experiences ? Strangely, I’ve never really been a big music fan. What I like is sounds and atmospheres. Composing is secondary for me. Music, dancing or not, must be a source of energy and must provoke strong feelings. Personally, I don’t know why but I am attracted by dark, stranges and violent atmospheres. The first artists I listened to were bands like Fad Gadget, Killing joke, Sex Pistols, Cabaret Voltaire, DAF… these bands are still today my source of www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be - 28 - inspiration. Some film music also inspired me a lot...my greatest regret is not being able to illustrate my titles with video clips. Belgium has always been associated with industrial and electronic musical climate, why ? I don’t think it’s only the Belgians who make industrial music...if there’s an answer, maybe we should look for the surrealist side that’s so characteristic of our little country. For the electro-side, I think it’s precisely the new sounds generated by these new instruments, the synthesizers, that inspired the Belgians in their quest for originality. It’s true that there’s a particular Belgian spirit. It’s probably the fact that we’re a very small country influenced by very different cultures: British, French, German and Dutch. Maybe we have to prove ourselves or maybe we have an heritage from these four differents influences but is certain that Belgians are not so afraid to become ridiculous and maybe we dare to do more than our neighbours. Just remember the new beat (laughs)! What do you think about the current state of things with the electro-industrial European musical scene ? As I said earlier, I don’t listen so much to music so I don’t really know what’s going on right now. Of course, I’m not deaf and I hear very good new sounds but I can’t give you bands names because I don’t know them. Which is a real shame these days, that radio stations and co are always playing the same songs and the same artists. It’s like the media / promoters are afraid to play something new !? Luckily there are still some specialised media / promoters who take the risks to get new sounds ! I know a lot of people who’ve never heard “underground” music... and when...by chance...they hear it and love it... ׉ 7cassandra://0fnTTCi6BVnEt5Om57BuuGjwQHfZXROzwVNrzw73_hc.`̶b&IO#r׉Eit means that there is still a lot to be discovered by the public in electro music. Unlike British industrial bands – Throbbing Gristle, who followed an experience of krautrock bands or Cabaret Voltaire who mixed industrial music with bluesy chords (“I want you”), Signal Aout 42 created a new musical standard – different from these bands. And I guess if we’d speak about “Girls of Vlaanderen” or “Pleasure And Crime”, I may call it “a certain standard” you established but what defined the direction you, as artists, were moving in at that period of your career ? I never asked myself that question. I’ve always done what I could do most easily. Making music has always been a way for me to express myself. I worked on instinct and with the means at my disposal. In the beginning there were a lot of imperfections, there always are, but I try to improve every time...(laughs). I was especially lucky in the beginning to have been loved by the public and to have had several small successes. I still don’t understand why I’m so lucky!? Music has always brought me a lot of satisfaction, I’ve never had a bad experience...it’s magical ! Maybe it’s because I make music with my heart and don’t think about what’s gonna happen. Quite often I ask musicians about the changes in their method of work. How much did your approach change after the coming and development of computers and such software as Pro-Tools ? Well at the beginning (more than 30 years ago) making music was quite expensive!!! You needed a drum machine, synths, effects, a mixing desk, a multi-track and a lot of space! Then came the computers with the VST plug-ins. It made life easier, I could make music in the - 29 - kitchen (laughs)! I’ve never been able to do without a synth... the pleasure of manipulating buttons and seeing the little leads flashing is an incomparable pleasure. Even if it’s expensive and takes up a lot of space. From my personal perspective, it seems that “Insurrection” was not as aggressive and was more gloomy than “Inspiration”. When you usually work on something, what helps you to define the direction you’ll move in with the next record/single/song ? My instinct. As an example for “Inspiration” I thought it was going to be the last album. I thought it was time for me to pay tribute to the artists who had inspired me all these years, so I made some tracks with small references to these artists. For “Insurrection” it’s my state of mind at the end of the year 2018 caused by the world situation that inspired me, it must be admitted that the world atmosphere was (and still is) not very peaceful. For me, “Insurrection” is a bit “the album of anger” and is for me the vision I have of the future if we don’t take the right decisions now. I try to create atmospheres in combination with the titles. I try to create atmospheres in combination with the themes. Commenting on your solo-record - “Crystal Blackout”, you noted that there were a number of things you wanted to try, different from the classical SA 42 stuff. But didn’t you think about making an experimental album, rather than putting it out as a solo-work ? Or did it all come together very naturally ? “Crystal” was like a recreation for me, I had fun by shaking up the codes. I mixed sounds of different styles, it was a lot of fun. So, it’s quite natural that I composed this album. I like to mix styles, it can give surprising results. Moreover this album was very well received by the critics, it was released on a small Spanish label “Musex Industries”. How do you see your next work ? I guess you’d continue your experiments with SA42… That’s exactly the direction I’m taking! I’m still at the beginning but the main lines are already there! But you’ll have to be patient because I work very “slowly”... I work very fast for 10 days, I’m on standby for 6 months and then I go back on full speed for 5 days and so on... until I’m satisfied with the result. I thought, once again, that Insurrection would be my last album, it seems not... (laughs). www.signalaout42.wixsite.com 20.02.21 Belgian EBM day @ De Casino, St-Niklaas, B With Signal Aout 42, Dive, Parade Ground, Lecsure13 & Wülf7 Dan VOLOHOV Photo © Benny Serneels www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be ׉ 7cassandra://197RHKzMvcji6vgQHWM9mauG7YeJSiVRCecJEkIyyXA.`̶b&IO#rb&IO#r߁בCטu׉׉ 7cassandra://BattkLIF0iGHG3ysiPuxySa9lMg0hrto7t2C-Hk5lwo`׉ 7cassandra://BVMCnH1L9WwBTMXS7ZoMdtEnm3VnAeFgc8AOKLX20e8}`U׉ 7cassandra://rhiz4L7CB6uyDu2xkRa-ZHOCHMLtEGk-C9P7vx3RVJU.`̶׉ 7cassandra://fesLADOMWds661dRJyKAviPgqrOkwU1H960aTsuQ6L4͋͠b&IO#rgטu׉׉ 7cassandra://m0ep5ogVQxJzS1yts_Y3gRZQZ-tOwEfAdFSKFA5KSW0`׉ 7cassandra://Mlb-gsfwnJYUFVYBXMTBb1xnqXDvFYoPE1kIC4ypA6Q͘`U׉ 7cassandra://ChnVnQDyqhX1jSACB9ylpmxJ0CE7BOUdLm4TBdgXJA8*d`̶׉ 7cassandra://2jLlbRX1DhcgPOFnUHKU-RCcYiAhtdJlxSdKV29vkGEaPj͠b&IO#riנb&IO#roE9ׁH!http://www.peek-a-boo-magazine.beׁ ׁ Јנb&IO#rn̍9ׁH"http://WWW.PEEK-A-BOO-MAGAZINE.BE/ׁ ׁ Ј׉E"www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be - 30 - ׉ 7cassandra://rhiz4L7CB6uyDu2xkRa-ZHOCHMLtEGk-C9P7vx3RVJU.`̶b&IO#r׉E calendar 13.06 BUNKERLEUTE - 20 YEARS OF DARK UNDERGROUND PARTIES @ Musicafé, Leuven [BE] 13.06 RITUAL HOWLS, BOX AND THE TWINS, ULTRA SUNN + AFTERPARTY @ Motown, Brussels [BE] Ritual Howls (us - Post-punk), Box And The Twins (de - Cold Wave), Ultra Sunn (be - Post-punk) + Afterparty 20.06 E-TROPOLIS FESTIVAL - NEW DATE !!! @ Turbinenhalle, Oberhausen [DE] Front 242 Covenant Hocico Diorama Solitary Experiments Grendel Eisfabrik Ruined Conflict WinterkÄlte Torul Xotox Absurd Minds Fix8:sed8 Zweite Jugend 25.07 AMPHI FESTIVAL XVI - Day 1 @ Amphi Eventpark / Tanzbrunnen, Köln [DE] Vnv Nation, Eisbreche, The Birthday Massacre, Diary Of Dreams, Suicide Commando, She Past Away, In Strict Confidence, Rome, Heldmaschine, Sono, Minuit Machine, Scarlet Dorn, Wisborg, Chemical Sweet Kid, Johnny Deathshadow, Schwarzschild, Bragolin And Alienare. 26.07 AMPHI FESTIVAL XVI - Day 2 @ Amphi Eventpark / Tanzbrunnen, Köln [DE] Vnv Nation, Eisbreche, The Birthday Massacre, Diary Of Dreams, Suicide Commando, She Past Away, In Strict Confidence, Rome, Heldmaschine, Sono, Minuit Machine, Scarlet Dorn, Wisborg, Chemical Sweet Kid, Johnny Deathshadow, Schwarzschild, Bragolin And Alienare. 31.07 THE IMAGINARY SUITCASE @ Le Petit Rustique, Matagne-la-petite [BE] 20.08 M’ERA LUNA 2020 @ Flugplatz Hildesheim-drispenstedt, Hildesheim [DE] Nitzer Ebb - Schandmaul - The Lord Of The Lost Ensemble - Megaherz - Faderhead - Diorama - ... 28.08 PROJECT PITCHFORK @ De Casino, St-niklaas [BE] Project Pitchfork 2020 Belgian Exclusive Club Show! + Afterparty Beats & Waves With Dj Borg 05.09 BLACK PLANET’S NEW WAVE 100 @ B52, Eernegem [BE] 19.09 LIEGE NEW WAVE FESTIVAL 2020 @ Centre Culturel D’engis, Hermalle-sous-huy 4480 [BE] Liege New Wave Festival 2020 With Dr Diablo And The Rodent Show (ex Alien Sex Fiend), Selofan,star Industry,larva,lizard Smile, Deleritas 03.10 THE BLACK PLANET NEW WAVE BOAT PARTY 2 @ Lichtschip Mayflower, Brugge [BE] Dj’s Fapnoir , Maxalto , … 03.10 BUNKERLEUTE - 20TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERTS @ Jeugdhuis Sojo, Kessel-lo [BE] Bands To Be Announced, More Info Soon! 09.10 PORTA NIGRA - A BODY MOVING PASSAGE @ De Klinker, Aarschot [BE] Funker Vogt Fïx8:sëd8 + More Tbc 10.10 FRONT 242 @ Het Depot, Leuven [BE] Support Act To Be Announced Later. Afterparty With Malcolm Nix. 16.10 MOTOR!K , BLACK SNOW IN SUMMER @ B52, Eernegem 8480 [BE] 17.10 BELGIAN ELECTROWAVE IS NOT DEAD ! @ Wommel, 2160 Wommelgem [BE] Black Snow In Summer , Wülf 7 , Causenation , Enzo Kreft + Afterparty With Dj Baxter And Dj Pk 24.10 NEETWAVE 2020 @ Jk2470, Retie [BE] 14.11 MINIMAL SYNTH NIGHT 4 @ Wommel, Wommelgem [BE] To Be Announced 20.11 PORTA NIGRA - AUTUMN PASSAGE1 @ De Klinker, Aarschot [BE] Dive, Winterkälte, Iszoloscope, Der Blaue Reiter, The Protagonist 21.11 PORTA NIGRA - AUTUMN PASSAGE 2 @ Stadsfeestzaal, Aarschot [BE] Covenant (vintage Set), Blutengel, The Juggernauts, Jadu, Hydrom Line + More Tbc 18.12 BIMFEST - Day 1 @ De Casino, St-Niklaas, B - Line-up TBA 19.12 BIMFEST - Day 1 @ De Casino, St-Niklaas, B - Line-up TBA 20.02 Not Just another EBM DAY 2020 @ De Casino, St-Niklaas, B Signal Aout ‘42, Dive, Lescure 13, Parade Ground, Wulf7 + afterparty with DJ BORG If your event not listed here it means you forgot to add it FOR FREE to our online calendar! WWW.PEEK-A-BOO-MAGAZINE.BE/ - 31 - www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be ׉ 7cassandra://ChnVnQDyqhX1jSACB9ylpmxJ0CE7BOUdLm4TBdgXJA8*d`̶b&IO#rb&IO#rבCטu׉׉ 7cassandra://m6yqnSuD_cgVLeXJKTG9lf50X3at_9sZv4UG-3Az23I`׉ 7cassandra://KDfc6nk-w090zKxs2PRJ3T-ixQcCUWiXRI7BmeT88_ME'`U׉ 7cassandra://xazmfDO74WCP4Hu9c3fVQ7GVwlHHIF9cUm3IGS9uS7Q`̶׉ 7cassandra://C0V5BHEB-QaYkyhNtifvqt82Mw12gVJzmi_i4jDAmsgT͠b&IO#rl׉E׉ 7cassandra://xazmfDO74WCP4Hu9c3fVQ7GVwlHHIF9cUm3IGS9uS7Q`̶b&IO#r׈Eb&IO#rb&IO#r,Peek-a-Boo magazine # 37;Independent music & subculture magazine Apr /May / Jun 2020b&IfrJL