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edition April/May/June 2024
free ofcharge, not for sale
aboo
music & subcultmagazine
quarterly publishedmusic magazine
46
BESTIALMOUTHS - EMPUSAE
ELEKTRIKILL - DEMONWARP
GOETHES ERBEN - TVASHTAR
FADGADGET (FLASHBACK)
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aboo
contents
music &moviemagazine
01 GOETES ERBEN ©
04 Interview BESTIAL MOUTHS
06 Interview EMPUSAE
10
Interview ELEKTRIKILL
12 Interview DEMONWARP
14.
InterviewTVASHTAR
17. Reviews
18 Interview GOETHES ERBEN
23 Reviews
24 Flashback review FAG GADGET
31 Calendar
Want to support your sene & contribute to our magazine? English, Dutch, French, German …
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music &moviemagazine
ORGANISATION
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PHOTOGRAPHERS
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WRITERS
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Kurt INGELS
Xavier KRUTH
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- 3 -
colophon
WRITERS (continued)
Henk VEREECKEN
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www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be
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Negative Gain Productions recording artists have most
recently released a full remix LP called BACKBONE.
Not too manyremix albums maintain the diversity that
this particular one does. It exclusively includes tracks
from their most recent studio release, ROTT
(inmyskin). We're very grateful that vocalist and
founding member Lynette joined us for an
interview today.
Your latest release is called ‘BACKBONE’. It has some
intriguing artwork as does its predecessor. What’s the
concept behind it?
The art work for ROTT (inmyskin) (which stands for Road
Of Thousand Tears) is the next in its lineage from
INSHROUDDS (cocooned) to RESURRECTEDINBLACK
(alive and showing the scars of living) to now. The color
palettes are earth tones and darker to represent life and
the aging process. Covered in moss to show the length
of time but yet moss lives, breathes and continues.
Crowned in regular jewelry yet with an edge of
sharpness and danger. A reptile (a real live bearded
dragon) representing our animal instinct but weathered
skin and changing of colors. In a pile of soil to represent
being buried or being born.
With ‘BACKBONE’, were there factors more important
than a remixer's reputation or metrics that went into
your selection?
BACKBONE we asked upon what grabbed my soul and
those I felt so honored to take my babies into new forms.
Some approached us and knowing our music reached
them so dearly, how could I refuse?
Bestial Mouths has an incredibly unique sound.
Outside of the goth/industrial/darkwave arena which
you are most often associated with, what do you think
the most unique musical inspiration is for you?
I have never wanted to or tried to recreate a certain
sound. I take all I have listened to in the past and
present and let it flow through me and let it take its
form. I like to think of us as modern dark music. Life is
the most inspirational to me, from nature to animals to
random sounds or conversations or sculptures,
buildings, rocks.
Where does the name Bestial Mouths come from?
What’s the inspiration?
The name comes from my first band called African Greys.
It was in a song called ‘POOR POOR POOR’: “Bestial
mouths singing to drag in the winter”. I’ve always loved
that line, and it just seemed to fit.
www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be
- 4 -
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“tools of the trade” so to speak? How much is
hardware/physical instruments and how much is
based on softsynths and the like?
The very early stages of Bestial was all physical gear -
acoustic drums, bass, guitar and analog synth. As we
progressed (and as tech kept getting better) we
elevated the sound when recorded - things that actually
sound better to listen to. So today a lot of it is done in
the studio and then we recreate it for live.
What’s the biggest technical challenge that you’ve had
to overcome? That could be anything from a computer
crash, “learning curve” or anything like that. How did
you overcome it?
For me it’s having no classical training or background in
music. When I first started I learned one note bass or
guitar or synth lines. I just listened to singers and
sounds and recreated it. As time progressed I learned
more and more technical aspects, but to this day I truly
have no clue what notes, keys etc are. I just listen and
place it.
Let’s say you were stranded on some island
but you had the capability to put a flash drive
with three of your most important songs into
a sealed bottle and send it out to the world.
These are songs that mean the most to you
and best represent your legacy. What are they
and why did you choose them?
Three Bestial tracks? The latest is always what
stays with me so that would be the ROTT
(inmyskin) album.
Road Of Thousand Tears" - it is where I sing in
Spanish and English and tell my tale. I learned
this is my story and I must walk it. I also
conquer a fear, for though I’m Puerto Rican,
English is my language and I am often ashamed
I do not speak fluent Spanish.
"Slit Skin" - this song acknowledges the fact
that I can not bear children. On one hand I
never expected to want to have kids but being
left without the opportunity leaves you feeling
less. But it also plays on the fact that this is my
body, my life. A note to the world to shut up
about what YOU want from me and let me live.
I’m exhausted from all your pressures and at
capacity.
"Hex (I am the spell") - This one I feel proud to
take something so painful and feeling so lost
with no control back. To face a bully and try to
tell others to do the same. Continuing to live
www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be
my life and be the spell, now directed toward good for
me to prosper - because you are “just a laughing waste
of time - a parasite”.
Have you ever composed a song that was written from
such a painful perspective that you refused to
release it?
I believe most of my songs are this but that is how I heal
and hope to heal others.
We appreciate your time. Feel free to share anything
upcoming fans should know about.
We are all the sun.
Remember to adopt, don't shop - rescue animals are
the best.
And we put shows as they are confirmed on our website
bestialmouths.com and please say hello (it means so
much and keeps our hearts beating).
William ZIMMERMAN
bestialmouths.com
Photos © Adrian Stucker
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I link the strength I
have had to go up and
down the tens of
thousands of steps, to
confront the heat and
the hustle and bustle
of the crowds, more
and more directly with
the nature spirit
Ganriki.
Empusae has a new album out. And as usual, it’s a
masterpiece. ‘Pilgrimage to Ganriki’ tells the tale of a
journey to the Ganriki shrine in Japan. Ganriki is the
god of the eye in Shintoism, and mastermind Nicolas
Van Meirhaeghe visited the shrine because he has
been suffering from a rare eye disease for a number of
years: retinis pigmentosa. The visit touched him
deeply, and he felt it necessary to share these feelings
with us in musical form. But let’s listen to what the
master himself has to say about it.
Your new album ‘Pilgrimage to Ganriki’ is about a
pilgrimage to the Ganriki shrine – one of the Shinto
shrines in Kyoto, Japan – that you undertook. Maybe
you should start by explaining what that shrine
actually represents and why you wanted to visit it?
The Shinto shrine is part of the sacred mountain of Inari.
The mountain itself is a stronghold with many gods or
nature spirits – called Kami in Shinto – who descend
from the three peaks of the mountain.The Ganriki Shrine
is one of the shrines that you can find on the way to the
top of the mountain.
Not much is known about this shrine in question.
Shintoism does not contain official scriptures like other
religions. Ganriki could be translated as ‘god of the eye’
and is a magnet for Japanese people hoping for healing,
www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be
- 6 -
rehabilitation and health of the eyes. Even in Japan this
Kami is little known.
My partner Christel Morvan – also known as Nesisart –
discovered the scarce information about this on the
internet years ago. On our last visit to Japan, last spring,
we planned this visit without much belief that it would
be worth it. But with my current eye disease,we figured
we had nothing to lose. Mount Inari itself is a beautiful
place, well known for its ten thousand Toriis –
traditional Japanese gates that give access to a shrine
–and many shrines and temples.
The record tells the story of your journey. First and
foremost, let me express my great admiration for this
beautiful album. I hear a lot of oriental sounds and
instruments. How did you approach that? Are they
original instruments or have you worked with digital
sounds and samples? Did you have an idea of the
structure of the record before you started composing?
The sounds and instruments are both my own,
sometimes homemade, instruments, and virtual
instruments from Japan. I absolutely had to process this
intense experience into music. I have been guided by
my feelings and by what it has done to my mind. The
intention was not to create a finished product with a
narrative structure. It was mainly intended as a
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experience of the pilgrimage in a composition,as it were,
just as someone else would keep a diary, so as not to let
it be lost.
You speak of a ‘epiphany’ that you had when you had
travelled the road to the shrine. You do add that the
revelation is the result of the journey and not of the
god. How important was the spiritual and mystical
dimension of the trip for you?
It is very ambiguous for me, and I am still not sure
whether it is the journey itself, the emotions and
overcoming of all the obstacles I have encountered, that
has given me the epiphany, or the Kami itself. I honestly
think it's a combination of both.
I link the strength I have had to go up and down the tens
of thousands of steps, to confront the heat and the
hustle and bustle of the crowds, more and more directly
with this nature spirit. The moment of prayer at the
shrine touched me deeply and effectively changed
something. It resulted in a click in my head. It is an
inexpressible experience that is still evolving to this day
and from which I draw ceaselessly.
It is the most important – and only! – mystical experience
I have ever had.
In a previous interview – following your 2017
masterpiece ‘Lueur’ – you told us about your disease,
retinitis pigmentosa, which is slowly making you blind.
Were you able to visit the shrine despite your reduced
vision?
It was a serious challenge. I also wasn’t aware that it
would be so trying. Despite the guidance of Christel and
my white cane, going up and down stairs – especially
without a handrail and with many people in front of,
next to and behind me in two directions – remains
something very complicated. What started as a tourist
hike evolved into a hellish ordeal. But with every step
towards Ganriki-san, I felt more strength and selfconfidence,
much to the surprise of Christel, who could
not really understand what was happening to me. I
started to experience it as a pilgrimage and a challenge,
things that I previously avoided because they were too
confrontational.
How has your disease evolved since the release of
‘Lueur’? Does retinitis pigmentosa hinder your ability
to compose music or perform?
During the period of ‘Lueur’, my disability was mainly
night blindness and reduced contrast vision. Meanwhile,
these aspects have worsened and were supplemented by
new symptoms such as tunnel vision, loss of depth and
myopia. In the studio I remain inventive in order to be
able to compose with numerous adjustments. This gives
- 7 -
me new techniques for creating that I would otherwise
never have come up with.
Performing is more complicated. I used to play
percussion with various projects such as Ordo Rosarius
Equilibrio, Tzolk'in, Triarii and In Slaughter Natives.
Unfortunately, I had to stop these collaborations. As
Empusae, I have not completely given up yet, but it is
not easy to ask for the necessary conditions and
adjustments from concert organizations and venues. I
currently continue to look for ways to make it possible.
The biggest problem is not the moment of the
performance itself, but the hours and days before it, the
travelling, getting to and from the venue, and the hours
I have to spend in dark spaces in the presence of other
people. Social events are very difficult and
confrontational in these times.
I think ‘Lueur’ from 2017 was also the first album for
which your life partner Christel Morvan or Nesisart
had designed the cover. She has been making all the
artwork for your work since then. How does that work,
such a collaboration in a couple? Does Christel work
completely independently based on your music, or is
there a kind of dialogue in which you give her
instructions?
Christel has been creating artwork for Empusae since
the 2012 album ‘Symbiosis’. There is no fixed way of
working. Sometimes I give her an idea of what I had
thought of as a cover. Other times I give her carte
blanche and she lets herself be inspired by the music.
Other times she is inspired by the titles or concept of
the record,such as with ‘Lueur’ or ‘Pilgrimage to Ganriki’.
I am currently writing a new record based on images
she made around her own concept. Her images and my
music can no longer be separated. Both influence each
other around the Empusae project. She visualizes what
I write down in music and vice versa. She is my vision
and also represents my compositions.
On ‘Iter in Tenebris’ from 2019, Nesisart designed
works of art that can move through augmented
reality, if you view them with the right app on your
smartphone. How did you come up with that idea? Do
you feel like it helped sell the physical record on vinyl
and CD because people were interested in the art that
accompanied it?
Christel is very familiar with this technology and has
published several works in this style in books and at
exhibitions. She of course came up with the idea of
illustrating the demons and the cover of the record in
augmented reality.
The question remains whether it has contributed much
to sales. It is mainly the label that deals with this, but I
do know of many people who bought the CD and
www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be
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	EMPUSAE
limited edition vinyl just for that reason.The people who
saw the animation at the merch stand at performances
were usually very impressed and literally and
figuratively sold, as it were. (Laughs)
You presented ‘Iter in tenebris’ as a sequel to ‘Lueur’.
What did you mean by that? Will there be a further
sequel to these two albums?
‘Lueur’ was a way to deal with a diagnosis of retinitis
pigmentosa. ‘Iter in Tenebris’ had the same concept but
expanded the pantheon of demons to include three
other demons I had to contend with. Both records were
therapeutic. There are no plans to make it a trilogy,
because to my knowledge there are no other demons I
live with anymore. But, never say never... right?
I'm glad I was able to buy a CD of ‘Iter in tenebris’,
because I believe the album is almost sold out. I hear
that you are also having difficulty finding a label to
release your music, including the release of‘Pilgrimage
to Ganriki’. How do you view the decline of physical
discs?
I have no trouble finding a label at all. I was contacted
by the label Les Nouvelles Propagandes, and by another
label from the US to release ‘Pilgrimage to Ganriki’ on
CD. I originally wasn't going to even release that record
digitally, but I later decided to do so on Bandcamp. So, I
was even less looking for a label to physically release it.
But Jean-Yves was so impressed by my story in
combination with the music that he really wanted to
release it on his label.
www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be
- 8 -
You have often described Empusae as a ‘soundtrack
for the imagination’. Do you feel you still fit that
definition? Was that thought there from the
beginning, or did it come about gradually?
It is certainly the case for most records.With ‘Lueur’,‘Iter
in Tenebris’and ‘Pilgrimage to Ganriki’, there is of course
a more personal link. But I would still describe most
music the same way. There will even be music released
as a ‘real’ soundtrack for films and games in the future.
So that goes a step further than the ‘imaginary’.
Do you have any more plans for Empusae in the near
future?
There will be a lot of new work coming out this year
and next year. In addition to film music and music for
games, various collaborations will also be released on
CD. I can’t reveal anything about that yet. Everything
depends on the timelines of the labels involved. But
little by little, projects will be unveiled.
Xavier KRUTH
https://www.empusae.com/
https://www.facebook.com/empusaemusic/
https://www.instagram.com/e_m_p_u_s_a_e/
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www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be
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New Jersey-based electro-industrial project, Elektrikill
has been quickly earning a name for themseves with
the acclaimed debut album, Monsters. They've already
released the follow-up album, Propaganarchy! which
continues the band's quick progress. We're happy
they've agreed to do this interview for us.
Thanks for taking time to do this interview for us. You
just released a new album,‘Propaganarchy!”. What can
you tell us about this and the meaning behind the
title?
I wanted to go harder with this album than I did with
Monsters. I had been doing film scores for a while and
that influence really crept into the music on Monsters.
So, this album was a conscious decision to move away
from that sound to a more classic industrial sound with
a modern update. I really wanted to go much heavier
and more experimental. The title was inspired by the
cover art. I knew I wanted to do an album cover that was
an homage to the early Foetus album covers. The title,
which is an amalgam of the words “propaganda” and
“anarchy” is a call to fight disinformation.
www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be
- 10 -
The new album arrives rather quickly after the debut,
“Monsters”. What do you think you attribute that to?
Monsters took FOREVER to write and record. The main
reason for that is more than half of the album were
songs from my defunct industrial-metal band. So, I had
all these songs I’d written that I was used to hearing
with guitar parts that suddenly didn’t have any guitars
anymore. It took me a really long time to give them an
all-synth vibe that worked. With Propaganarchy!, these
were all brand- new songs that could just be what they
were going to be from the get-go. Once it was finished,
I really just wanted to get it out there. I wasn’t going to
wait until April to put it out so a full year had passed
between albums.
Is the new album based upon a central “story”? Or are
the songs smaller stories in and of themselves?
The album is more political than the last one but there
are really only three songs that have any kind of a
political lean to them-"Propaganarchy!","Moral Combat"
and "Execration". I don’t really write personal songs so
it’s rare that a song is directly about me. I like to write
songs that are stories."Wrong Again" is about the victim
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it."Hidden Drives" is about the nouveau riche. The song
topics are kind of all over the place.
You had a video recently that did really well within a
relatively short amount of time. Did you do any sort of
promotion or advertising that mayhave contributed to
the result?
I always blow up the Facebook industrial groups with a
link to my latest video but was honestly shocked when
I got 400 views overnight. Once that happened, I
invested a tiny – and I mean tiny – amount of money
into YouTube advertising that was supposed to
guarantee me another 500-750 views. I thought that if
I was lucky I’d end up with about 1,000 views on it. I
couldn’t believe it went viral like it did!
Did you record all of the songs that you wrote during
the current session or were there any left out?
That’s all of them. At first, "Mask" wasn’t really coming
out the way I wanted it to so that one almost got left off.
But I ended up giving it a secon chance and it’s probably
my favorite track on the album. "Wrong Again" was a
song that got left off of Monsters because I felt like the
album already had enough songs with that vibe. I’m glad
I did that because the version of "Wrong Again" on this
album turned out much better.
Are there any artists that you collaborate with or that
you’d like to?
On Monsters I sort of collaborated with Rocco Kult from
Cryoflesh because he played me a song he’d done and I
really loved the drums. I told him I was stealing the
drum track but I would give him co-writer credit. That
drum track led to "Everything Looks Better On Fire".
Rocco is in the video with me. I’d love to collaborate
with Ogre from Skinny Puppy but he doesn’t really
collab on outside projects. I’d love to do something with
Gary Numan too.
What’s your feeling regarding the use of AI in videos
these days. Has it already gotten out of control and
maybe reduced the organic element of creating
content?
It’s already out of control. I think it was a fun fad for
about a minute and then it started to get dangerous. AI
is already eating itself too – originally it based what it
was doing on things humans created. Now it’s basing
what it’s doing on things humans and other AI are
creating. That will hopefully be its downfall – its own
nability to distinguish between what’s real and what
isn’t.
- 11 -
William ZIMMERMAN
https://elektrikill.com
https://elektrikill.bandcamp.com
https://www.instagram.com/elektrikill.band
Photos © Eletrikill
What do you have planned for the coming months in
2024?
Later in the year, I’m planning to release a compilation
album of some of the music I’ve done for film and
television soundtracks over the years. It’s going to be
called, (Mysterious Music) (Camera Shutter Clicking). I’m
also already working on the follow-up to
Propaganarchy! which will be called The Scream. The
title song is already written and partially recorded. I’m
also going to be returning to live shows starting with
Wicked World’s Fair in February.
www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be
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DEMONWARP
Demonwarp is a somewhat mysterious project that
blends the styles of synthwave, darkwave, industrial
and much more. Don't bypass them just for their
aesthetics which bear similarities to that of synthave.
They are far more diverse. We're pleased they
responded to our email interview which we're excited
to share with you. Check it out here!
Hello and thanks for taking time out for our interview.
Could you give our readers a brief background on
Demonwarp and the meaning behind the name?
Thank you for the opportunity. Demonwarp is a passion
project that developed just a few years ago. The idea
really came from a story idea. In 2666 the world is torn
as portals from the rapture draw the hellish demons
into a world full of AI tech. The demons merged with AI
creating a power that can only be overcome by
becoming the greater demon. Each song tells the story
of the time before, during, or after this event. We all
have Demons inside and its how we handle the demons
on the inside and out. It is not just raw anger, but
capturing the frustrations of corrupt power that leads to
www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be
- 12 -
strife, that leads to a
dystopian path and when in
that future, what will we do
to merge with the demons
for power or succumb to their
will.
Extra Info - I was actually
deployed in a war zone and
using my spare time to work
on some house music
productions when the idea
came to me. House was my
first passion as a producer,
but the house music scene
had lost most of its appeal
with DJs filling the booths
and everyone forgot how to
dance and let go over the
years. So I turned back to my
first love, which was metal
and industrial music. I grew
up in the Dallas area going to
shows like Morbid Angel,
Deicide, Death (greatest
show ever, long live Chuck),
and searching with my
brother for black metal you
couldn’t find anywhere. Then
I discovered The Prodigy and
Music for the Jilted Generation,“Their Law.” I was blown
away, then I dug into KMFDM, Chemlab, Skinny Puppy
and was attracted to the metal combination with
electronic music. Fear Factory and Ministry really had
me hooked.
Your aesthetics are a little like synthwave but your
music is far more diverse. What influences do you have
musically and perhaps visually?
Yes I dig the synthwave toms and inspiration but really
pull from films and art like Hellraiser sampled in Lust,
Lies in Betrayal, Event Horizon, Aliens (great samples in
the battle scenes) and artists like H.R. Giger, Junji Ito,
Masamune Shirow and Hiroshi Sakurazaka “All You Need
is Kill.” I’m a Philosophy major so I like to read and
explore different dystopian, existential work and
horror art.
Have you ever done or had interest in doing any video
game or film scores?
Favorite games are Mass Effect Trilogy, Ghost of
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listening I’m here, lets do a new Policenauts or Snatcher
sequel. I”m no Le Castle Vania but that is a dream, either
one I would be game for.
What do you have planned for 2024?
Working on a live set with a combination of new and old
material and performing. Might start out half live and
half hybrid but I want to perform. I’m getting a special
mask built to really bring the vibe, looking for a guitarist
as well to give the audience an experience. I also did
some vocals for Revizia for a new take of Lawless off his
stellar album Chronicles that will be coming soon. Since
I usually release singles, I’m looking to combine my new
material, live developments and a few past tracks into an
album for digital and physical release.
What do you think is the mark of a good remix, both
from the perspective of the remixer and the artist?
Giving the listener a taste of the original and their new
artistic presentation. I’m always looking for remixers and
Paresis was the first I collaborated with, and he put
together a huge drum and bass influenced remix on Lust,
Lies in Betrayal. Also not every track is a masterpiece, so
sometimes the remix can capture those really unique
pieces and give them new life.
Are there any specific themes that you like to address in
your music?
Like the story above, I want to have emotions connected
to the narrative for each work, not just random grinds and
noises. Take my latest track Possess Me, it is about a
woman conjuring up a demon and the demon takes over
her body, but then realizes she is a powerful witch and
the witch is now in control of the demon’s powers so she
can use it for the future torn world. Jenna’s voice captured
the feminine beauty and power. Whether its anger,
frustration, or turmoil I want the listener to feel the
journey through the emotional state, never stuck always
acknowledging and moving forward.
Do you have to be in any kind of mood or environment
for your composition process?
I always start with an emotion maybe a single lyric line
or feel I want to capture.This really helps me decide how
hard or in your face the song will be, tempo, and beat
structure. Warlock from my first album came about after
watching the movie Warlock and I paused and replayed
- 13 -
this one line where he is talking to a Witch about power
and being rewarded and she states, “service is the
reward.” Then I wanted to capture this dystopian Warlock
that still did it for service of evil as the only reward.
Are there any sort of“rituals” that you do every time?
I try to make every session productive, whether its trying
something new with a machine and learning something
from a video, to exploring and warping sounds, to specific
mixing or song work. I always try to complete an idea
before I leave the room. Sometimes that idea is rubbish
but I move on to something I can be pleased with.
How did you take advantage as an artist, during the
covid lockdowns?
So there I was,war zone during the pandemic,working on
house music, and watching movies to pass the time and
my brother who plays in The Black Moriah was working
on his tour with Possessed. He also loaned his voice to
me when I got back on a few tracks. I knew electronic
music production and still listened to metal, especially
Satyricon throughout my deployment, so why not give
the combination a shot. I always listened to harder edge
electronic like Panacea and Chris Liberator and It really
turned into expressing my inner self that was buried
deep for a while and needed an avenue to vent.
Take us inside your studio and tell us more about the
hardware and software you use to create your work.
Digitakt, Virus B, also using the Osiris Virus emulations,
Apollo twin, Midi fighter twister for some added
automation help, Shure super 55 mic plugged into
Ableton with some Vital, Avenger, and Serum on top. Big
shout out to Goremall instruments and there Reaktor
plugins. I’m looking to expand my hardware and setup
preparing for my live set. I also like digging for samples
and trying to distort my own to really give a unique
horror type feel. I move about every 2 to 3 years so I keep
this part mobile.This is surrounded by mymodded arcade
machine, retro light guns, record and comic collection,
turntables and cdjs. Still need a cover for my Amazing
Fantasy #15 if you have one lying around.
Appreciate your interests and look forward to seeing all
the Demons in 2024.
William ZIMMERMAN
www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be
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On Saturday, March 23, there was a Dark Entries Night
with the Dutch-speaking night orchestra De Delvers,
and with the German post-punk group Tvashtar. The
latter are probably still unknown to most of you, and
so we thought it would be good to listen to singer and
bassist Sabine.
First of all, tell me how you came to form Tvashtar.
How did you meet and how did you decide to make
music together?
Juliane and I have been friends for quite some time.We
consider ourselves “late bloomers”, learning our
instruments at a point when we already had jobs and
families.We met up with Daniela Goll, our first drummer,
and played cover versions of songs we liked. It was
mostly art punk and indie rock like The Yeah Yeah Yeahs
and TV on the Radio.
We were annoyed that we couldn’t rent a rehearsal
room for more than a couple of hours, so we decided to
get one of our own. I think that was the point when we
thought that it was about time to try and make our own
music. Just like that! To our own surprise we were very
soft and slow at the beginning. ‘Drop my Gaze’ was one
of our first songs.
We never insisted on being
an all-female band.
If I understand it well, Tvashtar is known as the vedic
artisan god in Hinduism. Why did you choose this
name for your project?
Funnily enough we only learned about the origin of the
name after we chose it. We were thinking of Tvashtar,
the volcano on Jupiter’s moon Io.We liked the idea of a
massive eruption in outer space in complete silence.
That’s why our demo tape is called ‘io’, by the way.
Tvashtar comes from Hamburg, the same town that
saw the birth of Xmal Deutschland in the eighties, a
band that is famous for its post-punk music. Is there
something special about Hamburg that this form of
music gets created there?
Honestly I have absolutely no idea if Hamburg is a
special place for post-punk. I believe that post-punk
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- 14 -
music in all its facets is becoming more popular at the
moment.A lot of stuff sounds like the eighties, but there
are also some new approaches. I personally think that
there is amazing new music coming from France, Britain
and yes, Belgium! Like Structures, Glitch, Ghum, Dry
Cleaning and Whispering Sons.
Tvashtar is an all-girls band. I once interviewed
Bettina Köster from Malaria!, and she explained to me
that they thought it was an important aspect, as male
musicians always wanted to sound too loud during
rehearsals, but also because women had another
feeling for rhythm. Is it important for you to be an allgirls
band, and if so, what are the reasons?
Oh, we never insisted on being an all-female band! At
one point we had an additional male guitarist – Marco
Argento, who is also on the recording of ‘Drop my Gaze’
– and I think Juliane’s sound is way harder than his! In
fact we have a male drummer since last summer: Martin
Engelbach. There might be some truth in what Bettina
Köster said about the different feeling for rhythm, but
that doesn’t necessarily mean that all women groove
with each other. The Slits and The Raincoats said
something similar but then The Slits also had Budgie on
drums, right? The main thing is commitment I think …
and lots of humour! Our songs are sad enough.
You will play in the Kinky Star in Ghent on February23
with the Flemish band De Delvers. De Delvers sing in
their own mother tongue Dutch. There is some
discussion going on between bands who choose to
sing in their mother tongue and bands who choose to
sing in English. How do you look at this distinction?
I would not hesitate to write a song in German if the
right lyrics came to my mind. I get a lot of inspiration
from books. The novels I read are mostly written in
English, I play around with some expressions and
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www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be
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+TVASHTAR
phrases and develop them
further. So I am already
brainstorming in that language.
On the other hand when I start
with a bass riff for instance and
try to find a vocal line I
sometimes just sing gibberish
and that is – at least in my case
– usually closer to English.
That’s how the chant in ‘Batty’
originated for example.
The first release from Tavshtar
dates from 2018. It was a
single song: ‘Drop My Gaze’. It
is an enchanting song. Am I
mistaken if I say that there was
some long period of silence
after that? What was the
reason you only released this
song in the period from 2018
until 2021?
No, you are absolutely right.
There was a long time of
silence. An inconsistent line up
and life in general prevented us
from being an efficient band.
Juliane gave birth to her
daughter Caro, which of course is wonderful. Sabine
Zöllner – the singer and guitarist of the Hamburg punk
band Bullshit Boy – joined us on drums at the end of
2019. That was like a breath of fresh air and changed
our sound a lot.We began to play more forcefully.
You released your first ep ‘io’ in 2021, so in the middle
of the pandemic with its lockdowns and limitations of
concerts. Did you have the feeling that the pandemic
has hindered you in your progress as a band?
As I said, Sabine Zöllner joined us in December 2019
and soon after came Covid and several lockdowns as
everybody knows. But we were super excited and keen
on making music together and creating our sound,so we
didn’t mind the restrictions at all. At times we met in
sets of two in the rehearsal room and then recorded our
5 song EP all by ourselves.We only had one gig that year,
which was in open air, but otherwise it was a very
productive time despite the odds.
2023 saw two new releases by Tvashtar: the single
digital song ‘Raw’, and the double single on vinyl ‘Dear
www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be
- 16 -
Sappho/Batty’. How do you look back at these releases
and the response of the public?
We had some good reviews though we did not promote
the releases as much as we probably should have. We
are not on Spotify or any other platform apart from
Bandcamp.We pressed a rather small batch of 7” singles
and saw that our audience is really into physical
products. Vinyl but also cassette tapes.
What are your plans for the future?
As we were often asked when there will be an album, I
think we should start to put some money aside. But
mostly we want to play live!
Xavier KRUTH
https://www.tvashtar.de
https://tvashtar.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/tvashtarmusic
https://www.instagram.com/tvashtar_band
׉	 7cassandra://ED21edlTZbaVBtXN5hix2tdLqYFb-kPIBFqMbnv0vVM'`̶ f1,PD{׉ETHEN COMES SILENCE -Trickery (CD)
(Metropolis Records)
"Trickery," slated for release on April 5,2024,byMetropolis Records, is a pinnacle of postpunk
artistry within a contemporary framework. Then Comes Silence has always forged
a realm and vision steeped in their distinctive style, crafted by artists with unwavering
dedication. The album embodies resilience against inner turmoil—adversities that
propel them forward against all odds. Beyond its musical mastery, the album resonates
deeply with personal experiences, aesthetics, and the essence of musical virtuosity. It's a
celebration of friendship, belonging, and the profound connections between souls—a
reflection on life's essence, priorities, and conscious choices.Like opening a treasure
chest, the album reveals dazzling gems that dazzle the senses alongside more intricate,
understated pearls. Contributions from artists such as Dusty Gannon, Emma Nylén
(Emmon), Gözde Duzer (Aux Animaux) and Jörgen Wall add layers of depth, power, and
variety, enriching an already illustrious palette. It's a truly magnificent album. ... [KK]
DARK MINIMAL PROJECT - Remixes (CD/Vinyl/Digital)
(Infacted Recordings)
The duo Dark Minimal Project can be categorized under the synthwave and darkwave
drawers of the electronic side of the gothic scene. We are presented with 10 remixes by
bands of various kinds. The French friends of People Theatre provide a remix of Black
Light,Krieg-B (Dominique Lallemant -Kriegbereit-Cobalt 60 -K-Bereit) and Benoit Buyse
(Dreadpool) provide a beautifully danceable version of Boy Girl.And then there's Codenys
of Front 242 who makes a unique version of Perversion. The song exudes diversity and
subtlety. Ruined Conflict then goes to work on Ordinary Man, Dominatrix throws some
minimal wave over Infected By Love and the fellowcitizens XMouth Syndrome have used
their creativity to provide Someone Newwith their own jacket.And then one of the songs
that sticks the most.Fatherless Child (project by N.Lannoy from the French Dunkirk) does
his thing with Perversion. A great version that carries both EBM and futurepop, with a
pinch of modern electronic sounds as a bonus.…
[JB]
WHISPERING SONS -The Great Calm (CD/Vinyl/Digital)
(PIAS)
A rough, deeply threatening bass line welcomes you to this album, which opens with
Standstill.The guitars become a silent companion,drowned out by the ever-deep voice of
frontwoman Fenne Kuppens. Hope grows. So do the expectations, for the explosion that
would open the song. After more than 2 minutes, the song gets the typical post-punk
sound that characterizes the band… “The Great Calm” is a different album than all the
previous ones. The raw energy and emotion that are part of their own sound are less
present than on the previous albums. Where after “Several Others” I already felt that it
was becoming much tamer, on “The Great Calm” it is all even more flattened out.As if the
rebellious teenager who just did what he wanted, suddenly sees the light and starts
coloring inside the lines as a good citizen. Okay: it is a different path that is being taken.
It is not the path that still appeals to me. So, I hope that the band will look back one day
and think: maybe, just maybe,we should go back to the early days.
[JB]
YOUR ENEMY - Broken Toys (CD/Digital)
(Progress Productions)
Did anyone say dark EBM/Industrial can't be sexy and fierce!? Well, Your Enemy is living proof
that the combination works. From the very first notes, it is undeniably clear: this duo was born
for the genre. EBM all the way in opener Breathe. Aggressively stomping beats, an endlessly
repeating bassline and Viva's sexy vocals.Not oldschool per se,but haunting, solid, challenging,
sharp, and dark beats that any self-respecting EBM fan will get off on.Your Enemy doesn't stay
on the straight and narrow path of EBM. In 'I Am The Surprise', there is a layer of techno and
uptempo beats over the EBM framework that sounds more dance-like.An undercurrent of dance
sounds, and yet. It reminds me of what Stoppenberg does, but with vocals. What other gems
does this Broken Toys contain? Well, several... 'It's Gone' is an EBM track dressed in a sexy
negligee. Here too, a solid EBM sound with a touch of sexyness… Conclusion: a strong,
entertaining, enjoyable and especially varied album from a band that I feel will make a big
splash in the electro/EBM circuit.They have my blessing.Amen.
[JB]
Read the full reviews on http://www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be/en/reviews/
- 17 -
www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be
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Canwe talka little about the beginnings ofGoethes Erben?
You started as a duowith Peter Seipt in 1989. Howdid you
decide to make music?
Goethes Erben has been very creative in recent years, but
that is now coming to an end.The story has been told, says
mastermind Oswald Henke. It sometimes seemed that the
attention for their work in Belgium had faded away. The
band’s successful performance in Waregem in February
2024 made it clear that the group has not yet been
forgotten.We had a chatwithOswald Henke, and discussed
the entire career of Goethes Erben, from the early days in
the emerging German Gothic movement, to his
announcement of the end of the group.
You already had success in Belgium in the nineties. In a
way, I always thought the success of Goethes Erben in
Belgium was something strange, because you made very
experimental music, with long, complex lyrics in German.
Howdo you explain that that was possible?
I believe that not every word is important for the audience.
They will rather look to what emotion comes from the stage.
That is the great strength of Goethes Erben, and it also
worked in non-German-speaking countries. We played in
Mexico City, and the people were completely euphoric,
although I highly doubt they understood every word. And I
think it has been similar in Belgium. As an audience, you do
not understand every word, but you do have an impression
of the feelings that are unleashed on the audience from the
stage. I believe that's the secret.
I agree. I was there in the nineties, and you sold out large
halls like theVooruit.Those are great memories for me and
my friends. On February15 you played inWaregem. I don't
know if you are aware that Waregem played an important
role in the Belgian gothic scene. Do you have special
memories ofWaregem?
We have played there many times in the past. I think there
was a series of shows at The Steeple. Could that be? We
played there several times, but also at many festivals.
www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be
- 18 -
Peter was a colleague of mine. I then worked in the hospital
and trained as a nurse, just like him.We were both interested
inmusic.We startedmaking a very strange formofmusic,with
German spoken words and structures that were not exactly
made in the usual schemes of verse, chorus,verse,bridge and
chorus.The music was really incorporated into the text.There
was also the dramaturgy of the music. It was already clear
then that the German language was the focus. I am a German.
German is mymother tongue. I feel and think in German.That
is why I have always only written texts in German. From the
start,we were… I wanted to make something dark, because I
experienced the world as I show it in Goethes Erben…as not
very hopeful. Not completely without hope, but the hope is
often well hidden, and it is very dark. In the trilogy I wanted
to highlight the borderlands of life: death, the psyche,
dreams, nightmares... Hence ‘Das Sterben ist ästhetisch bunt’
(Dying is aesthetically colorful),‘Der Traum an die Erinnerung’
(The dream about thememory) and‘ToteAugen sehen Leben’
(Dead eyes see life).Those were the three border areas.
The musicwas verydark.Youwere part of the gothic scene,
but you made something different than The Sisters Of
Mercy or... well, one can still argue about Nick Cave. It was
something completely different from what existed before.
That's my view anyway.
Yes, we simply created our new thing. We didn't align
ourselves with other bands. We just wanted to make very
dark music. That is why I have chosen the most different
means of expression. We hadn't decided at all whether we
wanted to make electronic music, or something with electric
guitars, or with violins and cellos. We allowed everything
that expressed the mood we wanted to express.
In 1992 your debut album‘Das Sterben ist ästhetisch bunt’
was released, and it was…Well, I don't know, I wasn't there
at the time, but I think it was a success from the start,
wasn't it?
Yes, we were lucky that we struck the chord of the zeitgeist
from the beginning,in the then young goth scene.It should not
be underestimated that the wall had fallen in Germany. That
meant that Germany almost doubled in volume, and in fact
there was an enormous hunger for music and new impressions
in the new ‘Bundesländer’. Before that, it was very regulated.
Due to the SED dictatorship (Sozialistische Einheitspartei
Deutschland, the communist party that ruled in East Germany,
xk), people had no chance to listen to ‘dissenting’ or ‘critical’
music, or to visit concerts. As a result, we have experienced a
huge surge overnight, because the audience has suddenly
Photo © Luc Luyten / Who Cares
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www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be
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doubled.This new formofmusicwas absorbed like in a sponge.
As a result, groups such as Goethes Erben, but also Das Ich or
Lacrimosa, had a very appreciative audience.
I can certainly believe that. Another element is Bayreuth.
That's where you come from. You had the club Die Etage in
Bayreuth. Can you tell me more about that? You were a DJ
there, and that's where you recorded your first albums.
We recorded the first albums in the Etage Studios. We
recorded the very first one directly in the Etage, and the
others in the Etage Studios of Jochen Schoberth (the man
behind Artwork, who also played on the first records of
Goethes Erben, xk).The discotheque belonged to him then. I
was a DJ there on Saturday nights, and Mindy was at the box
office. (Mindy Kumbalek was a member of Goethes Erben
from 1992 to 2014, xk.)
Is this howyou met each other?
That's how I met Mindy. I was a DJ and she was a visitor. She
then lived near Würzburg, in Kitzingen. Her parents were
Americans who had arrived here in the flow of American
soldiers. They had nothing to do with the army, but those
large military bases were a bit of a city in themselves. Her
parents were in there. She was actually fromWisconsin. She
was completely gothic at the time, and came to the Etage.
That's how we got to know each other. I had turned away
from Peter at that time, because Peter didn’t like this music
too... Actually, the music wasn't the problem, it was the
people that scared him. He had nothing to do with the goth
scene at all, and then suddenly he only saw black. And the
goths were dressed and painted much more strikingly at the
time. He didn’t know how to handle that. That wasn't really
his world. He then went his own musical way. He has made
more commercial things. We didn't break up because of an
argument, but just because he wanted to. He didn’t know
how to handle that. Then there was no point in continuing.
Then I, Mindy, and Conny R. re-founded Goethes Erben as a
live band.We started performing in that line-up, and we also
performed together in Belgium.
That was in 1992, if I'm not mistaken...
Indeed,and because we couldn't afford a lighting technician,
we brought two hundred candles on candle stands, and that
gave a very special flair to the concerts.We destroyed every
stage with candle wax. (Laughs)
Das Ich and their keyboardist Bruno Kramm were also
present in Bayreuth. He helped you with the first
recordings.What was his role?
I played keyboards in another band at the time: Le Coup
www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be
- 20 -
Sauvage. They were under contract with Bruno Kramm. They
wrote ‘Nightmare Home’ and recorded it at his studio. I first
gave the demo recordings of‘Der Spiegel’to StefanAckermann
from Das Ich. It was something going against the grain, in
which language was the central focus, and they absolutely
loved that. They then played ‘Gottes Tod’. They had already
written that back then. Then Bruno Kramm asked if I would
like to release a cassette on his Danse Macabre label, and we
did so. Peter and I went there to record ‘Das Ende’, ‘Stumme
Zeugen’, ‘Der Weg’ and ‘Der Spiegel’, and that's how it
happened.
For ‘Leben im Niemandsland’, you collaborated with
Vladimir Ivanoff, who also played a role on the later ‘Blue
Album’. How did you decide to work with him, and how did
the work go?
We then played at Popkomm in Cologne. That was the
international marketplace for the music business in Germany
at the time. We played there together with Das Ich and
another band.Vladimir Ivanoff was there. He then had great
success with Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares. He was
nominated for a Grammy. He saw us there by chance and
thought that what we were doing there was fantastic. He
asked us if we didn’t want to work together. At first he
wanted to do this story of ‘Leben im Niemandsland’,
practically based on the pieces from the trilogy.He helped us
to arrange the pieces, for example with the violins.
After this live CD, we told him that we would like to make a
studio album together, and then we made something
completely different, namely the ‘Blue album’. That was the
complete opposite of‘Leben imNiemandsland’.There was no
warmth, no feelings, everything came from computers, was
ice cold, the voices… The highlight was then that we could
invite Gitane Demone as a guest singer. She sung the voice
of the mother for us.
The interesting thing was that Gitane Demone didn’t
understand German, and I had to keep explaining to her
what these words meant. She tried to put her feelings into
these words, but she didn’t quite know which word meant
what.That has given this album a very special charm.
On the record, you can't really hear that she barely
understood German. I listen to it regularly. But it was an
important record for you. You were a bit frustrated that it
didn't have the success you hoped for.
People were of course fixated on the way Goethes Erben
should sound because of the first albums – the trilogy, and
then the EP‘Die Brut’– and the ‘Blue Album’ was something
completely different. There were only three pieces on the
entire record: ‘Pascal’, ‘Blau’ and ‘Rebell’, and moreover ‘Blau’
was twenty minutes long, it was an epic. It was extremely
cold, and dark and distant in a completely different way. It
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understand it, also because the language had changed. It
wasn't that direct anymore.
Then came ‘Schach ist nicht das Leben’, which featured
more instruments. You had FM Einheit from Einstürzende
Neubauten acting as producer. I assume the Neubauten
were an important influence for you, right?
Let's put it this way: we don't sound like Einstürzende
Neubauten, but the Neubauten were one of the Germanspeaking
bands that I really liked at the time.‘Haus der Lüge’
is one of my favorite albums. I liked FM Einheit because he
was the drummer at the time. He had already left the band
by then, but I wanted to strengthen the rhythm section.That
was not something we had considered particularly
important in the previous years. FM Einheit was actually
interested in working with us because of the ‘Blue Album’.
I believe that ‘Schach ist nicht das Leben’sold well, but you
were still disappointed with the sales figures. You then
stated that this was due to illegal copying of CDs.
It went completely wild at that time. People copied the CD.
Although the popularity of Goethe's Erben increased during
that time,although there were more spectators, sales figures
continued to decline.That’s a difficult situation.We had put a
lot of money into it.‘Schach’was a very expensive record. FM
Einheit did cost us some money as a producer,and the studio
was expensive. It is of course a problem if the recordings
become more and more expensive, and ultimately fewer
people buy the product as a physical sound carrier.
You have always had the ambition tomakemusical theater.
This was fully achieved for the first time with ‘Kondition:
Macht!’ from 1998.
- 21 -
We have also succeeded in this to a certain extent with
‘Schach ist nicht das Leben’, but not as consistently as with
‘Kondition: Macht!’. ‘Kondition: Macht!’ was really written
strictly as musical theater, with a different role for the text,
and also a role for dance and dramaturgy.The musicians also
had roles. We performed it for the first time for three
evenings in a row in Berlin. That was a huge task. We
rehearsed and prepared for one year for something that was
then performed during three evenings.
I also remember the concert of‘Schach ist nicht das Leben’
in Belgium. That was in Mechelen, and it was very
theatrical.You gave jam to the people, therewas the crown
and the throne. So that was already staged as a musical
theater?
Absolutely. That was not a normal concert.And our concerts
today are still not normal. When we made this ‘dystopian
time journey’ in Waregem, through the history of Goethes
Erben, there was also a certain dramaturgy in the way we
presented it all. There was a ‘chest of memories’ on stage
from which I practically retrieved these memories.
You have played a lot of‘Nichts bleibt wie es war’. I believe
that was also your biggest commercial success. Did ‘Nichts
bleibt wie es war’also have a dominant theme?
With ‘Nichts bleibt wie es war’, Mindy and I decided to
include our side projects Still Silent and Erblast in the record.
The song ‘Nichts bleibt wie es war’ actually comes from Still
Silent. It was originally called ‘Shockwaved’. We made a
German version of that. ‘Was war bleibt’ was originally a
piece by Erblast,but we nowwanted to play it with the band.
We simply wanted to put that together.
‘Nichts bleibt wie es war’ was much more widely perceived
at the time through the collaboration with Peter Heppner on
www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be
Photo © Luc Luyten / Who Cares
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‘Glasgarten’. But in the end we also came to the constatation
that the mainstream didn't want us.We were invited to ‘Top
Of The Pops’ at the time, because ‘Glasgarten’was rising as a
German-language single in Germany at the time. We were
invited, but two days later it was canceled again, on the
grounds that we might polarize and people might leave.
That is very unfortunate.
That really annoyed me, and from then on the mainstream
press didn’t matter to me anymore.
I can believe that.This was followed by the next work, even
though there were still a few years in between:
‘Schattendenken’. That was a musical theater piece again.
That was very clearly a musical theater piece. ‘Schattendenken’
was also not released as such. The piece was over
two hours long.We released ‘Dazwischen’ based on some of
the pieces, but also on other pieces from this era. That was
the last collaboration with Mindy, because we were
frustrated after that and stopped. (Laughs)
Because of the disappointing reactions, or what?
Yes, that was it.We were disappointed that what we wanted
to create was not perceived or valued as we would have
liked. Then we said there was no point in continuing to
create that. If the interest of the audience is too small, one
should stop.
What did Mindy say when you first played pieces by
Goethes Erben with Henke, and then later performed
‘Henke spielt Goether Erben’, and finally when you started
again with Goethes Erben?
She had no problem with Henke at all. I also had contact
with her when we played ‘Henke spielt Goethes Erben’. We
both wanted to make a break then. I then asked Mindy when
this breakwould end.I had been offered to play‘Rückkehr ins
Niemandsland’ in Leipzig for the twenty-fifth anniversary,
with a very large budget, with two cellos, two violins, two
voices, two grand pianos, with orchestral percussion... I told
her that.Mindy didn’t want to participate at the time. I said I
wanted to do that. Then we agreed that if I did that, Mindy
wouldn't come back. That was my decision then. I said I
wanted to do that. I told her that if she didn't want to
participate, I didn’t believe she would come back two years
later.The idea then was to do a one-off anniversary concert,
and then nothing more. But I had so much fun with those
people at the time, and I also wanted to make
‘Menschenstille’, a large musical theater piece with a lot of
people and a large budget.
Then came the single with Sara Noxx. That was the first
publication ofGoethes Erben after the re-establishment, in
2015 I believe.Why did you want to make that single with
Sara Noxx?
She asked us that. She had requested a remix of Goethes
Erben for an earlier single,‘Weg zurück’.Tobi (Tobias Schäfer,
keyboardist of Henke and later Goethes Erben, xk) and I
made that.Then came the idea of this split single and a joint
tour.
‘Am Abgrund’ from 2018 contained a few pieces from the
musical theater piece, I believe.
‘AmAbgrund’was meant to be dramaturgical.At the time,like
with ‘X’,we played everything live in one piece, from the first
song to the last.There we worked with video projections for
the first time.There were three projectors with three screen
walls, which showed different images. It
was a very distant performance.There was
no form of communication with the
audience during these performances. It
was really encapsulated, as if the
audience were not there, which is
otherwise not the case with Goethes
Erben.And then came the pandemic…
……
(Read more on wwww.peek-a-boomagazine.be)
Xavier
KRUTH
www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be
Photo © Luc Luyten / Who Cares
׉	 7cassandra://T7X5qia6fw71Aov2DNzDGVREY9WBB1ikrh1XocZ08pA)`̶ f1,PD{	׉EdXTORT - Zwart (CD/ Vinyl / Digital)
(DA records)
Also known as the 'dark Michel Jarre', Xtort has been making his musical mark on the
dark scene for years.A true lover of a wide range of electronic music and a worshipper
of synths, his repertoire ranges from house and techno to industrial,minimal and Italo
disco. Xtort's love of analogue instruments is immediately evident in the first song,
When The Night Calls.Minimal synths to lick your fingers off. Not too artificial, not too
complicated, but straight on. And that is also the power of this song that warns about
the dangers of the night. One of the singles and the title track of this album,'Zwart', is
cut from the same cloth. The analogue machinery is supported by an acoustic guitar.
'There I stand, everything is gone, no more friends, everyone is gone...Only you, you are
still there. But you too know that I am poison to you... and everything turns black (...)'
Call it a ballad if you like. It spits black ink like an octopus that feels cornered. No Way
Out has a bit more tempo,but still bathes in the humus ofminimal…Xtort's third album,
third time a bullseye.Nothing more needs to be said about that.
[JB]
PROJECT PITCHFORK - Elysium (CD/ Vinyl / Digital)
(Trisol)
Founded in 1989 by Peter Spilles and Dirk Scheuber, Project Pitchfork, a stalwart of the
dark electronic scene, emerges from the shadows with their latest studio album,
"Elysium." While the band's signature sound of dark, electronic compositions remains,
there's a subtle evolution on "Elysium." Spilles' recognizable vocals are still a guiding
force... Catchy pop sensibilities shine through tracks like "Melancholia," "Learning To
Live," and "Memories," reminiscent of Project Pitchfork's 2013 hit "Rain" from "Black."
However, the band hasn't abandoned their club-friendly roots entirely.."Elysium" serves
as the final chapter in a trilogy that began with "Akkretion" and continued with
"Fragment." It's a cosmic electro symphony that translates the music of the stars into a
colossal,dark electronic cathedral.As a longtime fan, I can confidently say that "Elysium"
is another triumph for Project Pitchfork. Whether you call it dark (electro) pop or
electronic darkwave, this album is a masterfully crafted journey through sound,
brimming with bravado and finesse.Highly recommended!
[KI]
HYBRIDS - Mythopia, The Sequel (CD/ Digital)
In 2022, Hybryds released the beautiful 'Mythopia'. While Hybryds has always been
experimental, this was a fairly innovative album, exploring more dreamy sounds and
(3rioart)
atmospheres that took on almost fairy-tale dimensions with the vocals of two nymphs
– long-time singer Madeline Arndt, joined by the newer but equally remarkable
Katharina.Then in January 2024, the next album came out: 'Mythopia, the sequel'.A first
observation is that 'the sequel' does not consist at all of remixes of the original
'Mythopia', but of new material. Perhaps Magthea wanted to continue working under
this title because it so well reflects the atmosphere in which he is currently working
with Hybryds.A second observation is that 'the sequel'contains fairly hard drum sounds,
so more emphasis on the rhythms, than its predecessor.Let that be a return to the ritual
and tribal aspect that has characterised Hybryds'music for forty years now. Let me not
beat around the bush…Overall,'Mythopia, the sequel' is a worthy successor to the first
album, and a must-have for fans of Hybryds
[XK]
ATTRITION -The Black Maria (CD/Digital)
Active since 1980 and still going strong,this Attrition is not one to wear out,despite the
name. Attrition is the electro/industrial and much more project of and around the Brit
Martin Bowes who releases a new album on his own Two Gods label. I've lost count,but
there have been quite a few.On this "The BlackMaria"Martin Bowes is assisted bymany
guests who contribute vocally and instrumentally. Female voices (Emke van Black Nail
Cabaret, Elisa Day van Hetaira Decrépita and Yvette from the band Vaselyne, but also
the original Attrition singer Julia (who is back after 20 years) give this album a more
mystical,somewhat neo-classical and devotional touch. Attrition is still doing it in 2024
with a sound that is as unique and characteristic as it is different."The Black Maria" has
certainly won my attention and knows how to keep it.
[KI]
Read full reviews on http://www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be/en/reviews/
- 23 -
www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be
(Two Gods)
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(°8 September 1956 – † 3 April 2002)
This April it’s been already 22 years since Frank Tovey,
also known as Fad Gadget, passed away at the age of
45 (°8 September 1956 – † 3 April 2002). He was a
pioneer of both (electronic) New-wave and Industrial
music. As no other, and we even dare to say upon
today, he succeeded in fusing together darkish
electro-pop with industrial and noisy experiments.
”Back to Nature" the second release on Mute Records.
The single was recorded on a 8-track recorder and
released in 1979. After this successful single release,
the follow-up single Ricky’s Hand record was
recorded and released. Tovey also began recording a
full album, his iconic debut album Fireside Favorites
which was released by Mute in November 1980.
His sarcastic and darkly humorous view on life
reflected his lyrics that were mostly filled with biting
social commentary towards subjects such as
machinery, industrialization, consumerism, human
sexuality, mass media, religion, domestic violence and
dehumanization.
In 1978 Frank Tovey sent a demo tape of Back to
Nature to Daniel Miller, who had just released his
own, and thus first Mute label single, as The Normal.
Tovey signed as Fad Gadget to Daniel Miller's Mute
Records made him the first artist to sign to Mute and
www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be
- 24 -
In 1981 Tovey released another single “Make Room",
featuring the "Lady Shave" on the b-side, the latter
went on to become one of his most known and played
tracks. For Tovey the ideas and concepts behind his
live performances were just as important as his music.
His live appearances quickly became known for his
confrontational stage antics.
In total Frank Tovey recorded four albums under the
moniker Fad Gadget, four as Frank Tovey and two as
Frank Tovey & The Pyros. After the release and tour
from Frank Tovey & The Pyros album Worried Men In
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music scene for almost a decade.
In 2001 he started performing again as Fad Gadget
supporting label mates Depeche Mode on their world
tour. Fad Gadet was invited by Depeche Mode
themselves as they once supported Fad Gadget on
tour in 1980.
On April 3rd 2002, only a few days after he had
returned home from a Fad Gadget come-back tour
through Europe, Frank Tovey died due to a heart
failure. Apparently he was aware of the risks of a
heart failure that were already diagnosed when he
was a chid. This could explain why he called one of
the track on his Fireside Favorite debut album the
Arch Of The Aorta.
FLASHBACKCONCERTREVIEW***FLASHBACKCONCERTREVIEW***FLASHBACKCONCERTREVIEW
Fad Gadget’s First comeback live show since 1988!
Elektrofest 15/04/2001, Mean Fiddler, London
When I heard the first rumors about a possible
comeback by this pioneer of New-Wave in its purest
form, which flourished in the early eighties, I raised
my eyebrows for a moment. It was the same disbelief
that overwhelmed me about a year ago, when there
was a lot of speculation about a real Skinny Puppy
reunion. Although I must say that the disbelief
immediately gave way to a feeling of euphoria. How
many times had we already whined at some bar about
the ideal comeback from the whole wave thing of the
past twenty years? Each time, Frank Tovey's alter ego
Fad Gadget emerged as the most wanted come-back
artist. How did that proverb go again; a drunken
mouth speaks the truth? Little did we know! So, we
didn't hesitate and immediately ordered a ticket via
the information highway. The concert was announced
as a comeback performance by this artist, whose
name was at the top of an otherwise mundane list. A
poster that I will not elaborate on because 'it can also
be seen at the local tripe fair', except perhaps an
honorable mention for the industrial/technoterrorists
of Greenhaus who actually managed to
create and rape “Transmission” (Joy Division) with
their Underworld-is, without causing too much pain
(on the contrary: it was very pleasing). But now on to
what should be the event of 2001, at least for the first
generation New-wavers. A first glance at the stage
made clear driving force Frank Tovey had not come
alone.An electronic drum kit was set up in the centre,
flanked by a minimal keyboard installation, while a
guitar and bass guitar were positioned to the left and
right of the stage respectively (perhaps let's clarify for
the electro-heads: it looks like a phallic symbol with
a few strings attached) were waiting for their
manipulators. Fad Gadget live as a real band?
Something that could turn out to be either good or
bad, I thought. Because about eighteen years ago -
long before the days of minidiscs and DAT players -
this man himself was often seen alone on stage,
flanked by a cassette recorder (remember those?). To
what extent would these “new” musicians be able to
express this gentleman's classics? Or would they
mainly play new material? Has the man become an
old bald fart who can no longer pull a hair from his
head, let alone his scrotum? We would soon find out...
The lights went out, while the stage was filled with
- 25 -
www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be
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smoke … The tension was palpable! The venue was
well filled, although I had imagined it to be a bit more
crowded. Many “snoths” apparently did not feel the
need to fill the gap in their cultural background and
had already left the venue early, which of course
resulted in more breathing space and the second row
for the older “black coats” among us.As the musicians
took their positions, we stared at the microphone
stand as if some kind of angel was about to descend
from heaven.
Amplifiers and synthesizer hum swelled; the
drummer joined in... Immediately we knew this was
“State of the Nation” as the opening song; a good
harbinger, in my opinion. Neatly timed, Frank Tovey
stepped out of the wings to his microphone and let
his magical voice echo through the hall. Frank's
appearance and voice made is seem if time had stood
still all those years and had withstood the test of time
formidably. Dressed in a white doctor's coat and latex
gloves, he wriggled around his microphone stand a
bit awkwardly at first, but that would only last a while.
He had also taken the trouble to adapt his haircut to
the occasion: close-shaven and with a fringe around
his scalp, it looked as if he had undergone brain
surgery. The warm welcome and loud applause that
arose from the hall after their first song gave Mr. Fad
Gadget probably immediately that little bit of selfconfidence
that he seemed to lack during the first
minutes. We had not yet recovered from the
wonderful feeling of euphoria when we recognized
the first notes of “Ricky's hand”! This was going to be
a downright “best of” performance, that much was
clear.
Fad Gadget knew exactly what we came for...
AMBIANCE!!! In the distant past, this would have
been the time to hand in false teeth, glasses, and
other orthopaedic accessories at the cloakroom, so
one didn’t have to inspect the floor in vain after the
concert. Tonight, however, I think everyone was
watching this by everyone proclaimed long dead act
too fascinated.So, for most of us our physical exertion
was limited to the typical Mr. Oiso's Flat Eric (you
probably know it from “Flat beat”)-rhythmic head
shaking movement.
www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be
- 26 -
Fad Gadget himself, on the other hand, had taken
Professor Barnabas time machine (Ref. Suske &
Wiske)) and flashed himself back almost two decades.
Armed with a cordless drill machine, he stepped
forward and drilled through his left hand (glove),
causing 'blood' to flow and spill freely over his clean
white doctor's coat. He laconically announced for the
gullible among us: 'Sorry folks, tonight you're getting
the fake shit 'cause I spilled enough real blood in the
past for you motherfuckers!'. And we could live with
that, just like the fact that 'the fake shit' was spilled
all over us in the front rows while he emptied the
glove filled with red gunk above our heads, spinning
around on the drill. It really couldn't go wrong
anymore. Certainly not when songs like “Collapsing
new people” and “Luxury” (The latter was the only
post-Gadget Frank Tovey song) followed and blasted
from the speakers.
Both songs with which Fad Gadget and later Frank
Tovey scored high in both domestic and foreign music
charts. The man is also no stranger to irony, as it
turned out when he started playing “Fireside
favorites” when he said: “I know that you goths are
not into this stuff but I’m fucking gonna play it
anyway!”.We had a good laugh of course, others who
felt more addressed immediately forgave Frank after
this “swinging song”, when his group flattened the
audience with the dance floor hit “Love parasite”. This
would be the only song from the album “Under the
flag” they would perform tonight. In the meantime,
Frank Tovey was warmed-up, and so he was ready for
the next classic featuring his bare torso. No drill in his
hand now, but a spray can of shaving foam... Indeed,
“Lady Shave” was up!! Between the vocal parts, he
slowly covered his entire upper body and face with
this white sticky substance, and now the front rows
participated in the Fad Gadget feast. I guess this is
what happens when you really want to be in the front
row.
Slowly it became clear with this song that Frank was
increasingly reverting to his old Fad Gadget image
and habits: tufts of armpit and pubic hair, his own that
is, were torn out and eaten. Fad Gadget is back!!
׉	 7cassandra://79oYgr8QN52gyFjNyksZyoCW83Mi90huaBD_Ll_Vc00,9`̶ f1,PD{׉E @- 27 -
www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be
SHAVE IT!
SHAVE IT!
SHAVE IT!
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Then a song, that appeared to have been heavily
reworked by the band: cult hit “Coitus interruptus”,
which, if even possible, has been made even more
danceable than the original version. Stirred up by
the horny groans of this mildly self-inflictor, the
entire room was immediately in motion. But then
suddenly silence fell, the spotlights went out and
Fad Gadget disappeared from the stage like a thief
in the night. We were momentarily torn from our
dream, but it goes without saying that those
present had no intention of returning home
without any bis songs. 'We want more!!!' it sounds
in English, something we had almost forgotten
after hearing 'Zugabe' shouted unsolicited into my
ears hundreds of thousands of times while
attending concerts and festivals in Germany.And of
course,after a fewmoments they stepped back onto
the stage. Apparently, a real victory 'hug' had taken
place behind the scenes, because now all the other
group members showed traces of shaving foam and
blood on their bodies. Then Fad Gadget asked
which song we would like to hear, a persistent fan
from the front row immediately got it his way with
“Insecticide”. Frank wanted to try it but asked us not
to be too critical, as they had not really rehearsed
this song. As if we would ever dare to criticize the
great Fad Gadget, especially after being so spoiled
for the past hour. Even more, the version they
performed of “Insecticide” sounded so great
everybody was dancing again. I saw several people
jumping around with bloody red faces and foam on
the lips, I started to wonder if maybe it had
something to do with the then prevailing foot and
www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be
- 28 -
mouth disease epidemic in Great Britain.
Ultimately, Fad Gadget commanded us to live a
little closer to nature again and reminded us once
again where we, homo-sapiens, are coming from, by
climbing like a chimpanzee into the PA speakers to
the right of the stage and dangling several meters
above our heads, only to make some more of his
craziest faces. Unfortunately, “Back to Nature”
seemed to be the last song on their set list that
evening, but most of us were so satisfied that we
gave the man a well-deserved rest and decided to
return to our hotel, tired but oh so satisfied. As we
were leaving the venue we noticed some familiar
faces, including Mute Records label boss Danïel
Miller (who, by the way, was co-musician/composer
of the early Fad Gadget singles) and Depeche Mode
synth freak Andy Fletcher, which indicated this
reunion not only made our hearts beat faster, but
also the hearts of professional musicians and
heroes. Later on, in the London tube (metro) to our
hotel, we met some fellow countrymen who were
also covered in shaving foam and fake blood,which
provoked some strange looks from fellow
passengers. But it didn't bother us at all, because
we had a broad grin on our faces as our brains were
still filled with adrenaline and endorphins from this
great night.
Peter Mastbooms
All Photos © Peter Mastbooms
This review was originally published in
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www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be
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- 30 -
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Thorofon Fargo Monya Look Mum No Computer Heimstatt Yipotash Dj Music: Thedi Vs. Paradroid
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20.04 DARKEST NIGHT 2024 @ Gc Den Dries, Retie [BE] Akalotz, Nordarr, Container 90, Pantserfabriek En Diagnostic
Error. The 10th Anniversary Of Dark Balloon With Our Darkest Night 2024.
20.04 D:ZINE & DER KLINKE @ Owla, 8000 Brugge [BE] Afterparty Met Dj Fapnoir Doors 19.30
26.04 BUNKERLEUTE - DARK UNDERGROUND PARTY @Musicafé, Leuven [BE] Dj's The Darker Angel & Catacombkitten
27.04 BELGIAN BEATS WITH A SPLIT-SECOND, THE JUGGERNAUTS, STIN SCATZOR & PORNO KARAOKE @ The
Black Lab, Wasquehal [FR] Warm-up, Interlude & Closing Party With Dj Saïz (Belgian Ebm/new Beat Related Vinyls)
27.04 DONKERE TĲDEN ! @ Dvg Club, Kortrĳk [BE] Causenation , Black Snow In Summer , Enzo Kreft , Onrust
02.05 OUT OF LINE WEEKENDER 2024 - DAY 1 @Astra Kulturhaus, Berlin [DE] Oomph! Suicide Commando
Welle:erdball Ost+front Absolute Body Control Minuit Machine Erdling Rave The Reqviem Rue Oberkampf Rabia Sorda
Amduscia Hand Of Juno
03.05 OUT OF LINE WEEKENDER 2024 - DAY 2 @Astra Kulturhaus, Berlin [DE]
04.05 OUT OF LINE WEEKENDER 2024 - DAY 3 @Astra Kulturhaus, Berlin [DE]
04.05 NEW-WAVE-CLASSIX PARTY @ Vooruit (404), Gent [BE] Belgiums Finest Black Celebration With Djs Filip Delie.
10.05 TOPOGRAPHIES (US) @ Djingel Djangel, 2000 Antwerp [BE] American Postpunk Band With Gray Tolhurst
11.05 PORNO KARAOKE + NEWWAVE & EBM PARTY @ La Boule Du Centre, Gaurain-ramecroix [BE]
24.05 BODIES & BEATS XV FEAT. LESCURE 13, 31ST TILE & PORNO KARAOKE @ Fetish Café, 2000 Antwerp [BE]
Borg's B-day Feast Age Is Irrelevant Resistance Is Futile Featuring: Lescure 13 (ebm Side Project Of Johan Van Roy
(suicide Commando) And Stefan Bens (stin Scatzor)). + 31th Tile (the Electronic Answer To Human Discomfort And
Silliness) + Porno Karaoke (weird & Slick Pop-wave-noise-industrial Tribute Band).
25.05 MORTICIA GOTHIC PARTY @ Cerberus, Hengelo (ov.) [NL] Dj's Burb & Sl!m
08.06 DARKMAS FEST @ Haus Witten Germany, Witten [DE] Then Comes Silence, The Foreign Resort, Raskolnikov
08.06 XXX PARTY @ The Social Club, Leuven [BE] The Return Of The Xxx Parties Dark Wave - Electro - Techno - Industrial
Dj The Black Widow Guest Dj: The Darker Angel (bunkerleute)
08.06 ENZO KREFT LIVE OUTDOOR AND NEWWAVE NIGHT WITH FAPNOIR @ Het Nieuw Verleden, Beernem [BE]
15.06 SHADOWPLAY - ALTERNATIVE 80'S PARTY @Walhalla, Deventer [NL] Alternative 80's / New Wave With Dj Sl!m
21.06 LIVE AM SEE @ Hennesee Meschede, Meschede [DE] D.A.F. Charles De Goal, No More, Lowersynthdept., Dear
Wolf, Venin Carmin, Naked Lunch. Iris Paralysis, Saigon Blue Rain, Viperes Sucrees Salees.
29.06 PEKKERSFEESTEN @ De Leest, 8870 Izegem [BE] She Past Away , Agent Side Grinder , Velvet Mist , Erato ,
Dageist , The Cult By Pure Kult , Afterparty Fapnoir & The Master
27.07 AMPHI FESTIVAL XVIII - DAY 1 @ Tanzbrunnen, Köln [DE] Agent Side Grinder * Alienare *AProjection Blackbook *
Bloody DeadAnd Sexy * Diary Of Dreams Die Selektion * Eisbrecher * Front LineAssembly Hocico KÆlan Mikla * Manntra *
Minuit Machine * Neuroticfish * Ost+front Principe Valiente * Project Pitchfork * Schattenmann * Then Comes Silence * T.o.y.
28.07 AMPHI FESTIVAL XVIII - DAY 2 @ Tanzbrunnen, Köln [DE] And One Auger * Blutengel Dark * Deus Ex Lumina *
Es23 * Faderhead * Girls Under Glass * Goethes Erben * Heldmaschine * Henric De La Cour * Heppners Tanzzwang *
Kirlian Camera * Merciful Nuns * Ruined Conflict * Solar Fake * Soulbound * The Beauty Of Gemina * The Other * Ultra Sunn
04.08 THE SISTERS OF MERCY + FRONT 242 + LAMUERTE + VIVE LA FETE @ LOKERSE FEESTEN, Lokeren [BE]
08.08 CRASH COURSE IN SCIENCE + ULTRA SUNN + FRAGMENT + N.W. PARTY @ Fonnefeesten, 9160 Lokeren [BE]
09.08 CRASH COURSE IN SCIENCE + THE JUGGERNAUTS @ La Ruche Verrière, Lodelinsart [BE]
09.08 CRASH COURSE IN SCIENCE + THE JUGGERNAUTS @ Blue Shell, Köln [DE]
19.10 D:ZINE & LAVI EBBEL @ Harmonie, 9700 Oudenaarde [BE] Afterparty Met Dj Fapnoir ( Black Planet )
26.10 BODIES & BEATS XVI FEAT LEAETHER STRIP (DIRTY SLEAZY SET) @ Fetish Cafe, 2000 Antwerp [BE]
Leaether Strip Special Dirty, Kinky & Sleazy Set With Tracks Taken From His Entire Back-catalogue. + Dj Borg
27.10 BODIES & BEATS XVII FEAT. LEAETHER STRIP ( VINTAGE ZOTH OMMOG SET) @ Fetish Cafe, Antwerp [BE]
Leaether Strip Will Play A Very Special & Vintage Set With Tracks Taken From his The Legendary Zoth Ommog Years.
01.11 ALTERFEST @ La Ruche Verrière, Lodelinsart [BE] Clan Of Xymox, Kas Product, Reload, The Breath Of Life,
Ductape, Suir, Dear Deer, Kezdown, Dresscode, Awid Enid
16.11 BELGIAN ELECTROWAVE IS NOT DEAD III - 30 YEARS OF IC 434 @Wommel, Wommelgem [BE] 30 Years Of Ic
434 With Deleritas, Herrnia, Ic 434 And Aftershow By Euforic Existence And Dj Peter Melis & Dj Pk.
07.12 NEETWAVE 2024 @ Gc Den Dries, Retie [BE] Line-up TBC
20.12 BIMFEST - Day 1 @ De Casino, St-Niklaas [BE]- Line-up TBC
21.12 BIMFEST - Day 2 @ De Casino, St-Niklaas [BE]- Line-up TBC
22.04 INTERNATIONAL EBM DAY @ De Casino St-Niklaas, [BE] - Line-up TBC
>>>> IF YOUR EVENT IS NOT LISTED HERE YOU FAILED TO ADD IT (FOR FREE) TOO OUR ONLINE CALENDAR!<<<<
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www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be
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