Rosa Selvaggia #21-22, 12/2000
KIRLIAN CAMERA
We are back after two years from previous interview of R.S: (no IX) to talk to historical Italian band, of which
their new work "Still Air" has just out for E.N.D.E./SPV.
Before all I'd like to ask how Kirlian Camera career procedes. Do you have a new record projected? A tour?
AB - The new album is going to be released, titled STILL AIR, after one year from previous one release. Meanwhile
we changed label, leaving Triton for E.N.D.E./SPV. Always for them in november KALTE CONTAINER will be out that is
the first official book dedicated to KC, including a long exclusive interview to the band, biography, most of
unreleased photos and CD-album included containing various re-mix and our tracks versions performed by other
bands, like Zosma, Sixth Comm, Wumpscut, Collection D'Arnell-Andrea, Allerseelen, Leutha, Limbo, Naevus, T.A.C.,
Leisure Hive, Criminal Asylum, Manipulation, Andromeda Complex, John Murphy's Knifeladder, Die Larm, Andrew
King, etc... The alternative edition will be out in box with book, CD-album, mini-CD with 4 additional re-mix of
other bands, poster and t-shirt. But this is not a project to be considered as "ours", but a work created by others
and from us pleasantly recognized. Always in november it will be available our new single-CD partially taken
from the new album, that is titled ABSENTEE/BLUE ROOM: the double title has been chosen because that maxi-CD will
include also a new version of old song BLUE ROOM that was not included in the new album, but only at the end of
re-mix and covers of KALTE CONTAINER. This single will be out in Digipak-CD and it will contain the title-tracks,
and other unreleased material, even if it's always to be considered a work strictly connected to STILL AIR.
Meanwhile, Sixth Comm are working with our collaboration to an album dedicated to our tracks versions: the CD will
be out next year credited to 6 COMM/KIRLIAN CAMERA. The tour should reach various Countries, like France, Greek,
Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgio, Great Britain, Austria, Croatia, Serbia, Denmark, Canada, U.S.A., Brazil,
Argentina and four gigs in Italy could be confirmed too. It's clear that all these dates will be not consecutive,
but they will happen from november to next june. Unfortunatly I believe that some concerts could be deleted due
some tension against us that seems it doesn't want to stop.
How is your actual line-up settled? I know that you had line-up changing...
AB - Official line-up is now a trio that includes Emilia Lo Jacono, Elena Fossi and me, and we must add two strict
collaborators, I mean Andrea Savelli at bass, guitars and keyboards and Yvan Battaglia at mixer and electronics.
We continue collaboration relations also with Patrick Leagas (Sixth COmm/Death In June), Gianluca Becuzzi (Limbo/Pankow),
Nancy Appiah and Ivano Bizzi, but, I repeat, all in all we are three. Barbara Boffelli was out definitively.
"Unidentified Light" represented a change in the resonant research of Kirlian-world... I noticed an opening toward
trip-hop atmosphere, although crepusculars and still wrapped up in cleardark typical of your style... do you want to
proceed on this path or we must wait for other nice surprises?
AB - I believe that STILL AIR is far from atmospheres of previous work and quite enough from the others behind
in time. The new record is surely "darker" than previous one. The choice was not intentional, but natural. There
are moments, in the forthcoming album that I believe they are not comparable neither to various stereotypeds nor
influences of any kind coming from foreign countries... It's a work that "lives on its own", nice or bad that anyone tastes can
feel. The electronic use is massive, even if an acoustic guitar reappears in a track that from the rest seems a
slowly techno with colourings just "western". It's difficult this time explain what happened in composite and
recording phases. Surely, the partially trip-hop rhythmics you quoted were "out", behalf than rhythmic constructions
yes sometimes broken and re-elaborated, but a little bit fluider and "squared". I didn't use rhythmic samples.
I tried to ignore any "actual" or "retro" solution, following exclusively the need to be away from any rhythmic
and constituent form that could lead to others... Anyway, I don't find much to be inspired from, around. And then,
sometimes you need to close in yourself for a moment, to be not de-concentrated by what you want anyway to bring to
the light, to search a very direct connection with own uneasiness, that can't be neither reached not brought into focus
by gooses that flutter of something, due decanting ego or money need. It's a record sometime almost "gloomy"...
I noticed some kind of decadence in the artwork of your CDs. An unique art in the booklets, that has some homesick,
regret, absolute sadness feeling... anyway I don't think that define you "gothic" is the right adjective. Some time
ago you said that your music can be listened as a prayer, but sometimes it can amuse too, but what do you think about
the actual 'pain'? We are always in the research of certainty, solid bases on which lean, otherwise
we fall feeling ourselves lost... I find much anxiety, sometimes, in the words of your songs, anxiety and anger... do
you think that your music could be useful to represent your sensibility? I find that if an artist reaches this level
- to be understood with his art only too - a perfect communication level has been reached...
AB - The bonus you quote can have effectively those bases. It doesn't regard ostentation of anything, indeed, such
sensationthat arrives could just come from a signal that encloses anyway a "limit", and such limit that in the
last times denies pure emphasis - it could be decency - could evoke mostly something of dramatic that is
happening.
The 'gothic' scene, returning back to previous speech, in my opinion has no enthusiasm of time ago anymore and
put in his cauldron a thousand different things... in my opinion the dark speech assumes a wider meaning... what
do you think? Do you still follow any past band? Which music do you love to listen to actually?
AB - I believe it's not a negative thing to be opened to other genders from some kind of listener habituate to listen
to almost only a particular kind of sonority... I always wished this. On the contrary, the risk is to not
develop a speech even "of gender" and this means make it die, make it boring. A tendency must preserve itself and then
induce - also without undersell oneself - new listeners to be attracted to it.I believe that in the gothic and
industrial scene there was little interest to this orientation. I hope that the things will change, also because,
in fact, some new name is coming out, also in Italy. Sometimes the "historical" bands are not able to be interesting,
so I prefer look a bit over... However I don't listen much to past bands, except some name like Joy Division, Sound,
Silver Apples, Nico, Swans and other actually in activity like Laibach, Death In June, 6 Comm, Wendy Carlos and
Kraftwerk. Lately I listen as always much commercial music, principally techno, then a mixture of classic and
contemporary: Arvo Part, Max Bruch, Borodin, Michail Gnesin, Gyorgy Ligeti and Gustav Mahler. I like the work of
Nine Inch Nails for his precision.
Violet
English translation: Adalberto Orrigo