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Stark:
Why have you decided to form STORM OF CAPRICORN ? |
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Serge:
"I had been working for a long time on my other project, Neon Rain,
which is more industrial and noisier and I really wanted to
explore other sounds as I had many sketches of more melodic songs
that would hardly fit into Neon Rain’s compositions." |
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I really like the name of your project.
But why "STORM OF CAPRICORN"? What's the meaning of this phrase?
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"You will feel pretty disappointed by my answer, my zodiac sign is
Capricorn… this is the only meaning to the name." |
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I know that you have also project called NEON RAIN, but, to be
honest, I've never heard its music. Could you tell me something
about main differences between NR and SOC? Which project is more
important to you? |
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"Neon Rain is more industrial, in the noisy way, than Storm of
Capricorn. Sometimes near from power electronics, other times near
from rhythmic industrial, that kind of mix.
I’ve left this project quite dormant to benefit Storm Of
Capricorn, but I’m now working on the recording of the next album
which will be very different from the first one, still industrial
but with new influences, more analog instruments for example. This
album will be released through my label, Steelwork Maschine, by
the end of the year 2006." |
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Before "Retours des tranchees" you have taken part in few splits
and compilations.
Which one is your favourite and why? |
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"It’s rather hard to chose as the 3 latest ones are quite different
from one another. It was really pleasant to try something
different with
"JAMA",
different from
"Retours
des tranchées".
For the split with Cawatana, I took some material I had rejected
for Retours des tranchées, so it’s quite similar in sounds and
composition. And with the songs for Letters from the front,
I did try a folk approach this time and I’m very satisfied with
the result. So my answer is that the split with Cawatana, the one
with Paranoia Inducta and the
"Letters
from the front"
compilation are my favourites." |
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Let's talk about "Retours des tranchees". Could you tell me about
the concept of this album? |
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"The aim of the disc was to deal with war from an almost civilian
point of view, very human. There was no intention of gloryfying
warfare. Especially that one where mud was as deadly as the
enemy. That was a really dirty war.
We gathered enough documents from that era to begin composing,
testimonies, essays, poems by the soldiers.
All this to pay tribute to our elders, the winners as well as the
defeated, who suffered from that conflict." |
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I think that yours and Celine's vocals on "Retours des tranchees"
are simply amazing. How often do you practice? Maybe you're taking
lessons or something? |
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"It’s very kind of you, really, but I think one can hear that we
don’t take any vocal training lessons. It’s very spontaneous, I
write the music, we both work the vocals and the lyrics, then we
go ahead.. We’re getting better with time obviously, but there’s
much work to be done yet." |
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With every another listening I find new elements on "Retours des
tranchees", and if I'd write a review today, my note would be
higher. Do you realize that this album works this way? That this
is not that kind of music which is easy to listen, but also easy
to forget 10 seconds after pressing "Stop" button? |
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"I’m very honored to hear that, because I do appreciate the kind of
albums that don’t give all their secrets at first. And knowing
that our album can work that way with some people is truly an
honor. Maybe this is due to the fact that we tried constantly to
break the rhythms in the vocals. Or maybe because of the way I’m
composing, I’ve listened much (far too much) to Philip Glass’s
works, so that specific way of composing with repetitive sequences
that improve progressively adds to the effect." |
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I have found many comparisions of SOC to DERNIERE VOLONTE in the
Internet. Personally I can't agree with them, but what is
your opinion about it? |
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"It really bothers me a lot, not that I don’t like Dernière
Volonté, but because I think we have very little in common, except
that we belong to the same musical scene and that we’re singing
using french language (at least for a few songs with SOC).
I’m a real Dernière Volonté fan, I think they are a very good band
that combines smartly some kind of 80s pop music with martial and
dark-folk sounds. It’s very interesting and they managed to create
their own sound. But as I said, I can’t find any similarities in
our ways of dealing with the genre, I’d say we even have a very
distinct way to compose. This comparison reveals an awful lack of
interest for what’s going on around the dark-folk wonderland.
When I listen to Retours des tranchées I hear some details
that remind me more of In The Nursery or Collection
d’Arnell-Andrea. As an example, I would have prefered people
noticing the small reference to Noir Désir (one of the most famous
french rock band) on “Veuves de guerre” with its final vocal
sequence, rather than getting focused once more on the fact that
we are a french dark-folk martial band singing in french language
like Dernière Volonté." |
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"Jama" is different than "Retours...". It's more "ambient" I'd
say. Is this that kind of music we may expect on your future
releases? |
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"The best you can expect from us is not to expect anything about
sound, I experiment everything I want, when I want and the way I
want. And what I don’t want is to be trapped into some kind of
genre and not to be able to get out of it.
However, the ambient side of Storm Of Capricorn is not a new
thing, before Jama the Secret to share ep was deeply embedded into
ambient and industrial soundscapes." |
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What about the split CAWATANA / STORM OF CAPRICORN.
Is there any special concept standing behind this release?
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"There is not particular concept, Gabriel from Twilight gave us no
directions so we were free to do whatever we wanted, we just tried
to pursue the feeling of the tracks from Retours des tranchées,
Hopes die in winter and Songs from the bunker, without
having war as the main theme, more vaguely something about
feelings and images that were already in our previous releases." |
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I consider "Where oak lives" as the best song Storm Of Capricorn
created so far. Is there any interested story connected with this
song, with it's genesis? Or is it another "regular" SOC
composition? |
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"This title came very naturally, though it was planned for
something else. Beast of Prey had contacted me for a appearance on
a forthcoming compilation. It took me about one hour to compose
the music and write the lyrics. In one hour I had all the
arrangements and orchestral works in my head and written down, I
had the rhythmic sections and the vocals which I wanted to sound
melodic and pop. It’s quite rare for me so I stress on that ! When
I heard the first mixes, I realized that it would fit more into
the spirit of the other tracks I had already done for the split
with Cawatana. So I chose to keep Where oak lives, and
wrote an acoustic song for the Beast of Prey compilation." |
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I really like your version of Kate Bush "Cloudbusting". Celine has
done great job there. Does this song have any special meaning to
you or to Celine?
(I
mean the original version of course) |
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"That cover is Céline’s choice. She’s a Kate Bush huge fan and she
had wanted for a long time to do that cover. The split was the
opportunity to give it a try, Cloudbusting being of of her
favourite it didn’t take much time for us to make our mind." |
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How do you like Cawatana's part of this release? |
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"When I got the record I was quite surprised to hear that the
Cawatana’s songs were not that different from ours, though we had
never been in contact until now.
I like the various atmospheres they put all along their section
very much, I already liked their first album I had bought last
year." |
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What are your main influences during creating your music? |
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"This a tough question, I’m not aware of what is influencing me
when I’m creating, all the more as sometimes the process can be
very long. The main subject I chose for the record is the first
thing to inspire me, for Retours des Tranchées old
realistic songs of the beginning of the century helped me to go
through with the lyrics. Musically speaking, I’m influenced by
anything I happen to listen to no matter if it’s industrial, pop
or metal, it shapes the whole idea and guides me through the
process." |
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What is your opinion about French
industrial/martial/ambient scene? |
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"What scene ? You mean the 50 people of the audience who make it
happen or the handful of bands and labels that struggle to exist?" |
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You have cooperated with Polish labels such as Bunkier
Productions, Beast Of Prey. What do you think about them and about
Polish scene generally?
. |
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"I’m satisfied with all collaborations, especially with the polish
ones. The Bunkier staff put huge faith in me at the time of
Songs from the bunker, I had only done a Current 93 cover and
a demo. My relationships with Beast Of Prey are really great, I
love the way they work and their vision of music. Their
productions are always stunning and it’s very gratifying for me to
release my songs on that label." |
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Last five CD's that you've bought are...? What is the best album
you've heard so far in 2006? |
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JANITOR
- "Qoumran
4-ever"
KNIFELADDER
- "The
Spectacle"
DER
BLUTHARSCH
- "When
Did Wonderland End?"
A CHALLENGE
OF HONOUR
- "Seven
Samurai"
CELTIC FROST - "Monotheist" |
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What is your opinion about Mp3 format? |
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"I’ve become aware that I scarcely listen to the mp3s I have, which
is not the case with original albums which music and lyrics I know
by heart. About downloading, though in France buying records seems
more and more old-fashioned, I do think that everyone should take
their responsabilities. When people allow themselves to criticize
a scene, to claim that they are part of it, then the only thing to
do is to support that scene by buying records and attending gigs." |
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I've read that you're planning split album (with GEROSTENKORP)
called "Io Non Ho Paura" dedicated to Dario Argento. What can we
expect? Maybe something in Goblin style? |
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"Our main goal was in the contrary not to go into the Goblins
style. I was a huge fan of their sound for many years, but I must
admit I’m kind of bored now because most of recent horror-movies
soundtracks are much more better than the ones released in the
70s. Even if they lack efficiency, they are more relevant than a
disco-opera-rock style of mix.
I don’t reject what I loved, but in no way the music for this
split will be in the Goblins style, though some sort of themes may
emerge. There will be a more dark-ambient feeling to it." |
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I am a movie-maniac, so I just have to ask you few questions about
cinema. Dario Argento is one of my favourite directors, and
"Suspiria" one of the best films I've ever seen. Which movie
of this italian genius you admire the most? |
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"I worship
"Profondo Rosso",
"Suspiria"
and
"Inferno", they are my favourite Argento movies. I’m a
bit fussed with his movies since Opera in 1988. Since then
each of his movie have gone deeper and deeper into mediocrity, and
the latest one I saw,
"The card player",
is as smart as a
"Derrick"
episode. I was stunned by the first scene in Non ho
sonno, I then realized Argento had always been on the verge of
kitsch, mixing the baroque and the ridiculous but had
enough talent not to cross the line, which he has unfortunately
done for some times now.
But I’m still a great fan of his first movies and his gialli." |
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What are your favourite movies or directors? |
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"I like many different things. Mafia movies like the Godfather
trilogy, Goodfellas, Cronenberg’s work like Rage,
Shivers, Chromosome 3, Videodrome and The
Naked lunch. The Zombie trilogie by Romero, the Argento movies
I told you about. I also like movies like The Wicker Man,
Punishment Park, Freaks, Night of the hunter, Metropolis,
M, Cross of Iron by Sam Peckinpah, Honeymoon Killers, Kubrick’s
films, Deliverance, Die Blechtrommel, which stunned me
for life. One upon a time in America by Sergio Leone, which
directing I love, especially the introductory sequence. Recently,
I loved 28 days after, the new Cronenberg History of
violence, Lord of the Rings, the Dawn of the
dead
remake, which is really worthwhile and more interesting than it
seems and which tells us as much about today’s world as the
original film about the coming of consumerism in the end of the
70s.
In the end I enjoy a lot many films from the 70s and 80s, in the
horror genre. Some funny ones I liked, Shaun of the dead
or H2G2, and also some weird oldies like Bruno Mattei’s
movies." |
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Personally, I really don't like today's French movies, but there
are few older positions which are absolutely magnificent ("La
salaire de la peur", "Les yeux sans visage", "Ascenseur pour
l'échafaud"). What do you think about French cinema? Do you find
it more interesting or inspiring than American? |
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"French cinema has this awful tendency to despise the cinema of
« genre ». So we are afflicted with tons of tasteless comedies or
psychodramas that tell about a man and a woman and bla bla bla.
As a result, when a french director is lucky enough to make a
“genre” movie rather convincing (Alexandre Aja), he rapidly leaves
the country. Just to have a measure of the gap between so-called
“relevant” art and popular art, one has just have to look at the
shows of the Oscars and the Césars (the french equivalent). Though
many american films can be discussed upon, the Oscars show is able
to reward movies like Lord of the rings or Silence of
the lambs, which would be impossible through the Césars show.
In France, popular cinema or entertainment are not seen as art.
Art is not a mean of entertainment, its duty is to make people
think (or bore them), so everybody congratulate each other on
everybody’s movies, movies that are each time a little crapier,
and entertainment is despised." |
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Are there any other forms of art that inspire you?
Literature, painting? |
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"Literature essentially, Huysmans’s writings, Philip K. Dick’s,
Lovecraft’s for the oldies. But the author I love above all is
Ellroy, I like every one of his books, they are close to what I
call perfection." |
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What is your opinion about combining music and politics? |
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"I don’t have any problem with bands that convey political issues
through their music. The only thing that bothers me is that most
of the time it ends in cheap analysis, it’s meaningless, has no
impact or whatever, it’s demagogy for left-wing anarchists or
neo-nazis. So it’s really useless except maybe for the artists to
shape themselves a fame with no imagination and some ideas picked
up from the gutter.
It’s as relevant as marketing studies for teens music, flattering
the audience in the good direction, no risks taken, it’s business
but it fits perfectly into the show-business world." |
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In your opinion, what is the most shameful
moment in history of France? |
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"The repression and massacre of the algerians demonstrators in 1961
by the police, under Maurice Papon’s command or the repressions
of “La Commune”, when people only wanted to express themselves
and only got as an answer the shouting of guns, all these moments
are for me the least glorious times in France history. More
recently, knowing that some ministers who were responsible for
contaminated blood business (a gloomy and disgusting deal about
blood transfusion and AIDS tracking-tests) are still able to
express themselves in the name of the people makes me want to
throw up.." |
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I've been several times in your country and I really loved it. But
I'm sure I haven't seen everything that is worth seeing. Could you
recommend some beautiful, interesting or mysterious places in
France ( not as known as Eiffel Tower or Louvre)? |
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"I think all the gallo-roman vestiges and medieval castles are
worthy to check out, also the Brittany coast is fine to have some
rest in a beautiful place instead of the Normandy coast, with
their bunkers, Brittany & Normandy, and a lot of towns on the West
and South West coast of France were very marked by the WWII. More
interesting, the town Oradour-sur-glane near fromLimoges, if you
come in France you have to visit it.
We live in the South West of France near from Cognac and Bordeaux,
if you like fine wines, gastronomy and rural way of life, well,
this is the place you need to go." |
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What's your plans for the future? |
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"Our main project is to be ready to perform on stage, we miss that
terribly but we don’t want to offer a half-done show, we would
like to propose something coherent, musically and visually
speaking." |
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Any last words? |
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"Usual things, a big thank you for your
interest, we would also like to thank all the people who trust us
when they bought Retours des tranchées.
Thank you." |
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[ Stark ]
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