Neogothic #5, 12/1995

Kirlian Camera the electronic feeling

We already talked about Kirlian Camera when we reviewed its last but one work "Schmerz" on issue 2 and when we talked to the last work "Eklipse Zwei" on issue 4. Today Kirlian Camera is preparing for a long world tour accompanied by the release of the re-printing of "Eclipse Das Schwarze Denkmal" composed in the far 1988. Just before they disapper around for the various world states, we succeeded to realize this interesting chat with one of the most important band of the Italian electro-dark-sperimental scene.

Which link do you have with the German movement "Bauhaus"?
Angelo: I don't remember anything of Bauhaus, as, however, I don't remember many other things, just to laugh... I dont remember often the notes of our tracks when playing live (and in studio). I have several holes in the memory, about Bauhaus, I remember only a great admiration, time ago. I'm sorry to be not exaustive.

Do you still believe that the world is a hell?
Angelo: I believe this always more. I have also the fear that this "hell" won't finish not even after the death. The pain is becoming always more unbereable. I'm surrounded by monsters, dements and deads. Objectively, we cannot say that the show offered by the life is a nice ice-cream in August. The atrocity, the endless vision of this one, cannot turn off the desire I have to fight it. In the wars, it's needed one or more "minds", here we are isolated. It must be not an excuse to get out from here. I don't believe a life like ours is saveble anymore. It's only terror, what I feel. I feel it deep, and it's suffocating me. It's not a moment, a "period": my memories begin in this way, of course it's even too much easy to speak about paranoia. For me it's easier to speak about a "decodification" of monstrosity, I mean, to know the horror that lives in the people. Continuosly.

Which relationship there is with your new label, "Discordia" and which relationship do you keep with your old label "Heaven's Gate"? Just to understand, are you still "indipendent" in your choices or somebody can influence you?
Angelo/Emilia: Discordia is the German label who took over us from Heaven's Gate, I mean from ourselves, for a three years contract. For the moment, the relationships are strangely better than at the beginning. This, usually, doesnt happen. Klaus Bader, the "head" of Discordia, not evenr asked us for listenening to a demo. When he bought us for the three years, he left everything in our hands. The only condition we have to respect it's concerning the dead-line of the "works". There is an incredible democracy, in Discordia. The last month we sent in Dusseldoft the Mephisto Walz too.. Previously, almost all Heaven's Gate (Andromeda Complex, Zentral Friedhof, Ordo Ecclesiae Mortis, T.A.C., Bel Am, White Legion, Limbo, etc.). Also Dive, works very well there. The worth also goes to Willi Stasch (Mental Measuretech/Entre), that is always "very reliable". He works with Discordia since the beginning. H.G., however, has been not sold, it's not the case. But, in the future, we will produce very less, limiting our activity to Kirlian Camera and side-projects, otherwise the work would impede us to play. Too much tiring. We are giving our bands to labels of their satisfaction: all in all, it was this the goal of H.G.... just to help a bit the new bands. Now, all of these musicians, can be self-sufficient. We gave them all the needed information, along the time.

Why did you release the reprinting of the CD "Eclipse Das Schwarze Denkmal" of 1988 for your label?
Angelo: because so much people asked for it. The same will happen for Schmerz, that finally, will be released in integral version, original.

Do you really want to do no gigs anymore in Italy? I ask for this because the concert at Macchia Nera in Pisa was very nice (according to us of Neogothic).
Angelo: it's true, I didn't want to play here anymore. Tired of all what didn't work. So, after 20 years of concerts (I began in '74) I took this decision... but... maybe just in Pisa and in Reggio Emilia, I understood that I was wrong. The people claimed for this decision. I didn't want to snob our Italian audience of course, I was only frustrated for the fact I couldn't make to see our concert in a normal way ever, with everything working. But, the people of the new fanzines, helped us very much, in Italy, and it's due to them, if now, we receive a little attention also here... so we will play in concerts organized by this "area". Now we wish only "our" audience, we have no interest to space in too many areas.
For the moment, we are sure to accept the proposal of the boys of Mit Liebe Und Tod and play in Ferrara. This fanzine, together with you of Neogothic, Dusk Memories, Ver Sacrum and others, helped us to feel "alive" also in Italy. We are not saying to "do the compliments to oneself" we are talking, with many efforts, to help everybody to live the music and the expressions that we love more. And here, in Italy, it never was easy to save from the various Freaks in the '70s style; the punk was full of people that cheated and waited just to put again Jimi Hendrix on the turntable. Not bad. But I would prefer to avoid this. Question of tastes. So now, the same people permits to say that the gothic, the cyber the the industrial are old things. It sounds grotesque.

In your opinion in Italy there are few concert for lack of money or lack of ideas?
Emilia/Angelo: there is lack of money, surely. So there is lack of people who wants to risk. Many are confused. For example, they say "today the grunge runs so I organize a nice grunge gig with new bands that want nothing" the result are six persons of audience. Often who wants to organize doesn't know the "musical zones", he is not aware, that could have more audience working in strict contact with really alternative areas. But we must be believable. The credibility is not so much present in the world of these idiots.

I knew that your world tour, what does it mean for you to measure with so many and variegated audicences? And how will you do to reconcile all your engagements with a so big absence?
Angelo: the engagements of H.G., as I told before, are reducing, due to the new direction "quieter". This will allow us more time for sound-checking. We gave the latest concerts without any sound-check; too much stressing, even if exciting, all in all. The Kirlian Camera tour has been posticiped of three months to give me the time to rest a bit after the problems of this summer. This tour will be not continuous, first of all, there will be long pauses. I still don't know if I will be in the good conditions to sing on my feet. Well, I will sing by sitting. We don't fear the various audiences; the organizers, especially in Germany, Belgium and Brasil are excellent, they are people of Discordia, that now work for this affiliate agency. For the moment I know that the Current 93 will work with us. Some problem could derive in the choice of the supporting band. I know that, the "supporter", is to be chose among Fortification 55, Second Decay and Andromeda Complex. It's useless to say that we would prefer this last name. For what concerns the audience, I beliebe it will be very nice, as usual, to stand together. Sometimes we are deadly tired, but your audience is always able to make you proceed further, again...

To be a so "famous" band as you in the Italian underground scene, do it give something good or only not paid engagements?
Angelo: it forces to have contacts with hasty people, sometimes. They don't know that it's possible to answer to a mail before months, sometimes. So, you force to find this time, even if not sleeping (and I'm not joking...). In Italy, what we do, we don't surely do to enrich!! To eat, we need the Germany or the other more interested countries. The contacts with the Italians exist just for pure pleasure, sympathy, identification.

Do you have something to add for Neogothic?
Angelo: yes, I would like to leave some things to all those who get contact with us. Please, be patient and, don't feel insulted if, sometimes, we cannot be present immediately. We cannot be anywhere. We always answered to everyone, this cannot be denied. To Neogothic, I say to resist, to always find the time to dedicate to what interests. In this sense, to not die.

Bulbo

English translation: Adalberto Orrigo - 15.12.2004