nie wiem, czy to legalne, żeby to tu zamieszczać, ale ktoś wstawił ten tekst na niemieckie forum, a wiem, że nie wszyscy mają na nie dostęp. niewiele tu nowości, ale to dość ciekawy wywiad.
GAUNT: How did your childhood years / adolescence lead you toward becoming a musician/artist?
AVC: Over the years I have come to the conclusion that I was born with the soul of an artist. Unfortunately, that doesn't guarantee anything … least of all talent. It just means that you have the soul of an artist. Nothing more. In other words: you are most likely to be completely useless.
How did I end up creating art? I can't quite remember. It doesn't really matter, anyway. Destiny, I'd say. It was meant to happen … - for whatever reason.
SOPOR AETERNUS & The Ensemble Of Shadows (and therefore myself) is encoded in the numbers 2-11-13-4. All multi-layered, cross-referenced and generally complex. I am not going to explain it to you (or anyone else), but when I think about your question, I have this childhood-memory playing before my inner eye … from when I was about 10 years old.
I was walking to the new school with a boy from my class, and after we had just exited the subway, he asked me: "What do you think we will look like when we'll be older?"
My immediate reaction was of one of utter frustration, because I had never been able to predict my own future. In fact, I am annoyingly short-sighted, which is a rather obvious physical manifestation of this inability. Anyway, I answered that I had no idea, all the while feeling strangely confined by this … foggy veil … that I suddenly sensed behind and to the right of me. It was like something was deliberately blocking (or directing) my vision. Then I saw this image in my mind (slightly to the left of me) of two underground-railway-tracks … one leading north, the other south … with a station on either side. On the left (and otherwise empty) platform there was a thin man in a grey suit and briefcase (looking much like an accounting clerk or civil servant), descending the stairs towards the subway, heading south for the inner-city. On the right platform, with the trains going north, an ageless creature (of undefinable gender), all dressed in black with a beautiful, kind of pennate black mohawk ascended from the underpass…
Because this inner scene played slightly to the left of me, when eventually the train rolled in, it completely blocked sight of the left platform, thus erasing it from the image. I can't remember whether the black-clad creature got on the north-bound train or not, but I suppose(d) it must have, because it was suddenly gone. Anyway, when the train left towards the mountains, I saw the illuminated number written on the rear end of the coach … - and it read: U2. (If you're thinking Bono Vox now, you can fu*k right off!)
As I said, I was only 10 years old … and this vision left me totally confused. I knew right away that I was shown this to make a choice, and yet I was still confused. Though everything inside me called out to this strange, ageless creature … it all just seemed way too impossible to ever come true.
Neverless, soon after this everything went seriously downhill ...
GAUNT: Being depressed, do you find it difficult to get motivation to write new music?
AVC: Being depressive means that EVERYTHING becomes an ordeal. Sometimes I can't even find the strength (or motivation) to get out of bed … or to do anything but stare at the wall or whatever happens to be in front of me. Suddenly it's five hours later and I am still staring at the same point with petrified features and a blank expression.
Music(k) is the only thing in this world that I like … and that makes it even worse, because at this point in time, it is absolutely impossible to write any new music … or to create anything new for that matter … - and I am not even referring to a metaphysical concept, like Steiner's Akasha-chronicle for example. You know, the idea that everything already exists in that great book of life, and that essentially all you have to do is to find, or rather remember it. No, it's all a lot simpler than that … and consequently far more depressing. The truth is: EVERYTHING HAS BEEN DONE ALREADY. Period. There is nothing new to be created. Every song has been sung, every tune and/or poem has been written. I mean, you can isolate yourself from everything, and still your creations wouldn't be new. Sure, they might be new and original to you … at first … but, so what ?Once you leave your cave, you inevitably discover that what you do has already been done to death by millions of others, and you can only accept that what you create is basically worth … shit. In fact, everything is shit. There is no point to this existence to begin with.
So, what is there to do? Well, really … all you can do is to try your best to ignore the facts. Just do what you like, cherish the fleeting pleasures, the brief moments of illusive lightheartedness that creating your art might give you. In the end, it's all senseless anyway.
GAUNT: Is it easier for you to start or finish an album?
AVC: It is both difficult, but for different reasons. To begin a new album is like staring into a void. All fathomless, shapeless, hopeless. Thankfully, I know from experience now that sooner or later there is … an answer. You wouldn't understand it, if you've never felt it. It's like … suddenly I know … and I mean KNOW for sure … that what I am about to create is going to be good. You feel that a magic(k)al link has been established … and that your work will be effective … and true. I mean, I may not even have a single note written … but still I know that it'll be good.
Once everything has been written and arranged, I rent the studio to record the album … and that's when it all gets difficult again. Because, in my head, the album is already long finished. It's done. So having to actually record it is so bloody damn frustrating … not to mention stressful. I often wish I could just snap my fingers and … voila.
When I finally get the finished audio-master, I can eventually listen to it on headphones all by myself … and thus travel to all the places and incidents again … though this time without having to concentrate, which is very nice. That is, until the old depression kicks in … and everything becomes worthless and shit again.
GAUNT: Since your music is written for you - a healing process, is it important to record almost all material that you write or do you often have pieces that do not make it to a release for one reason or another?
AVC: No, that's slightly different. By the time an album is finished, only the important material, the essence, is left anyway. That's what I take to the studio to record.
GAUNT: During the recording process you have to work with a number of guest musicians, how are your ideas/ song material conveyed to them?
AVC: The music is always prepared for them, printed sheets of music, which is something I absolutely abhor … - probably because I'm not very good at it … and because it's so damn boring. I can't be bothered to write down every tiny little thing, so I just correct the players directly in the studio, whenever they don't interpret the music correctly.
GAUNT: Are there difficulties working with others even if it is only during recording since Sopor Aeternus is such a personal project?
AVC: It's stressful, yes, but luckily there usually is only one musician in the studio at the time (unless I am working with a choir, of course), and they always tend to leave the moment their job is done, which is fine with me, because I can't tolerate their vibration when they just hang around doing nothing.
Having other people play my music is … strange, to say the least … and I always have the painful feeling that I should apologize to the musicians. In fact, I feel totally embarrassed every single time. It's only when I see them close their eyes and actually sway to the music while playing that I eventually calm down. It always takes me by surprise when I am being told how beautiful they think my music is.
GAUNT: You have remained on the Apocalyptic Vision record label (a subdivision of Trisol) since "Ich Töte Mich..." was released in 1994. There were times when other bands were on this label, but now it seems to be solely for Sopor Aeternus & The Ensemble Of Shadows. Could you help explain this?
AVC: Because SOPOR is unique.
GAUNT: Your early work can be found on various compilation cassette tapes - In Voluptate Mors, Cascades, This Mourning Sacrilege and Fade into the Blue. I have read rumors of another cassette with a Sopor Aeternus track that supported acts against animal exploitation...Is this rumor true? Are there any other missing pieces to the old Sopor discography puzzle?
AVC: No, not that I know of. I seem to remember though that some French guys wanted to do a compilation cassette against animal torture, but I don't think that ever happened. At least I didn't have any material to send.
GAUNT: Over the years we have seen the works of Edgar Allen Poe take new life in your music, I believe I have even seen the comment that if Poe were around today then surely he would be a part of Sopor Aeternus. Are there any other particular pieces of his that you would love to use in your work?
AVC: I would like to walk through the House of Usher again at some point. But the story is a true masterpiece, and I am not sure that I'd be able to do it justice.
GAUNT: Years ago you mentioned possibly re-recording "Voyager -The Jugglers of Jusa" and after hearing how amazing the re-working of "Es Reiten Die Toten So Schnell" was in a professional studio I cannot help but imagine "Voyager" from time to time.... Is this still a possibility in the horizon or have you moved further away from this idea?
AVC: No, I don't want to re-record "Voyager". I just pretend it never happened.
"The Inexperienced Spiral Traveller", however ... ah, well ... that one maybe ... - or at least parts of it. We'll see.
GAUNT: Since the release of La Chambre d’Echo in 2004 you seem to have reintroduced more synthesizers into your music – something that can be found on very earlier releases as well... What was your motivation for taking this direction?
AVC: I like electronic music. I always have. It's an Aquarian thing, I suppose. Technology and all that. Plus, it can be beautifully bleak. The perfect soundtrack for … well … cities in general, I guess … industrial ruins … or space odysseys. It perfectly suits the desolation that is this earthy existence.
But I am not an electronic musician, I merely use electronic elements that I combine with "classical"/acoustic instruments. It's this particular combination that I find very … adequate … in order to express myself. You know, the bridge between old & new, acoustic & electronic, left & right, male & female … - this sort of thing.
GAUNT: For the EP release, "A Strange Thing 2 Say", you chose to allow the fans to request their own personal dedications for you to hand write on the cover which added a special touch to this edition. Are there any memorable requests that you can recall?
AVC: Yes, well ... the entire experience was kind of memorable. I mean, I knew in advance that it would be bad, but some of the requests were far worse than I feared. I certainly won't do that again. Not in the near future anyway.
GAUNT: The first video for the trilogy "A Strange Thing 2 Say" was filmed in The U.S. - Montana to be exact, Did you run into any difficulties / uncooperative people during the filming process given the unique nature of your art?
AVC: No, not at all. The carousel-people were slightly concerned that their precious ponies might come to harm, but that was it. Having to get a passport in the first place, however, proved to be far more stressful than anything else.
GAUNT: How was your visit to the U.S.?
AVC: Surprisingly pleasant.
GAUNT: The album "Have You Seen This Ghost" which is the second part of A Triptychon of Ghosts was released in late April of this year, were the pieces for this album written together with the other parts of the trilogy?
AVC: Yes.
GAUNT: With the final part of A Triptychon of Ghosts, “Children of the Corn”, completed and being released in November, is there a sense of relief/ accomplishment that it is over?
AVC: A sense of accomplishment? No, I have never felt that. However, I am glad that it is over, if only because this entire sexorcism did turn out to be more unpleasant (and degrading) than I had anticipated. Now that I am back to my usual, if not to say cold self … it doesn't even come as a surprise that it coincides with the arrival of autumn … the cold season … and the coming of winter.
