The Hypothesis: "Let us suppose for a moment that the world is not quite as it seems. Let us suppose that all of society is surreptitiously controlled, that all modern wars, diseases and famines are manufactured to happen, and that the true meaning of our life here on earth is hidden from us by the 'illuminated' elite and their tentacles of media, banking, religion, politics, miseducation and centuries of lies. Let us suppose that there are fundamentalist, paranoid and merciless governments that would willingly attack their own people under the guise of terrorist attacks (employing the 'Hegelian Dialectic': Thesis-Antithesis-Synthesis, or Problem-Reaction-Solution). Through mass-media manipulation and censorship, these conspirators are then able to convince the rest of the world that we need to follow their utopian vision and establish a 'new world order'... Let us then imagine how the realisation of this hypothetical truth would affect us mentally, emotionally and spiritually?"
Hello, James! As I know, you finished work on "Conspiritus" in April. Now, after that terrible attack on London, the album's concept seems to be prophetic in some aspects. What do you think about that? What did you feel right after the attack took place?
Hi — firstly, thanks for taking the time to listen to "Conspiritus" properly. My initial thoughts on the "terrorist" attacks in London were of compassion for the poor bastards caught up in it. It's a sad day when bombs go off in the capital of your country (which I visit frequently and use the London Underground every other week). I am someone who looks at these things sitting on the fence — I like to look at different possibilities. There are lots of suspicious and virtually unreported things surrounding this particular criminal act — especially the fact that there was a consultancy agency run by a former minister which was running a demonstration on how to deal with attacks at the same locations at the same time the bombs actually went off (quite similar to the American intelligence agencies running a drill where two commercial planes were hijacked and flown into two skyscrapers on the morning of September 11th, 2001). Also, there are some photographs used as evidence in the prosecution of the suspects that seem to have been digitally altered. There are more examples, but I don't think I want to give any opinions on these events as they are too close to the actual event — look into it yourself and come to your own conclusions. If, however, we were talking about anomalies surrounding the attacks of 9/11 on New York, I could talk with you for hours — as there is more information available now.
As I understand, "Conspiritus" is a word derived from "conspiracy" and "spirit." What does it mean?
"Conspiritus" is the spirit of conspiracy. If we do not recognise the conspiracy as real, we are (in the view of the conspiracy theorists/researchers) actually contributing to its power. In my opinion, if you do not believe a global conspiracy exists, it's either because you have a preconditioned idea and you have not looked into it yourself, or because you are unwilling to challenge conventional thinking.
You have uploaded the track "It's Not Reality" on your website. And the first thing that springs to mind — there are no screaming vocals at all. Does it mean that death-black metal elements have been finally dropped?
"It's Not Reality" is an example of how the music of Ewigkeit has progressed and is progressing. Musically it could have easily been on either of the previous two albums — the main change is the vocals, which I eventually had the courage to do properly. Also, as I was writing an album about something that is personally important to me, I want people to know what I am saying — a luxury which barking down a microphone like a wild animal does not afford the listener. I don't see any point in putting on a silly voice, and I'll leave that to bands who have nothing in particular to say with their lyrics and/or music.
John Fryer has handled the producer duties this time. Before this, he worked only with commercially successful projects, didn't he? What influence did he have on the final result?
John Fryer has worked with a wide range of artists, from Cradle Of Filth, Fear Factory and Paradise Lost through to bands like Depeche Mode and This Mortal Coil. The music was arranged and written by me and was mixed by him. So, if you are asking whether his involvement on "Conspiritus" affected the music, then the answer is no. He mixed the album because Earache Records felt that he was the right producer for it, and he did a great job!
I see a laser beam striking a pyramid on the cover artwork of "Conspiritus." How does it fit the album's concept?
The laser beam being fired from "outer space" — that could mean from a government "Star Wars" satellite, or it could mean from "the heavens." It is striking the pyramid structure, which (if you look carefully) is actually a modern office-style building (about two miles high). It represents capitalism, the international conspiracy and the New World Order — it also carries the meaning of a society where the majority is controlled by a tiny minority (like a pyramid structure) — it also has the eye at the top, representing the Eye of God, which is a Masonic symbol used on the one-dollar bill of the United States. There is also a riot happening in the street in front of a building resembling the Capitol Hill building of the United States. The detail may get lost as it is quite small, but in a larger version you can clearly see the protestors fighting with armed riot police. It is a scene of civil unrest, and the power structure of society is being attacked from above and below — as above, so below.
I know you were filming a video for "It's Not Reality." What will it be like? Is there a chance of seeing it on MTV?
I don't really know about this video yet — I have some ideas, but we will see if they can be used. As for MTV, I very much doubt it — but hey, truth is stranger than fiction, so you never know.
You have played a few gigs supporting your previous release, "Radio Ixtlan." Do you intend to play live to support "Conspiritus"?
Not in the traditional sense of playing gigs. I just don't see the point in playing what is essentially sequenced music with a traditional band. Ewigkeit is not a traditional band, so if I can get a set together of material from "Conspiritus," then it will probably be in a non-traditional format. I did a few live gigs to see how playing live would work out, but the band just wasn't committed enough to take it to a professional level (probably because they didn't write the music). It was stressful.
"Radio Ixtlan" was based on Castaneda's "Journey To Ixtlan." What is more important for you in Castaneda's works — his visions or his methods? Nowadays reading Castaneda is in vogue. Could you give an opinion on other "vogue" literature like Coelho and Murakami?
I came across Castaneda during a period of my life when I was smoking a lot of grass. It was great stuff, and it really puts the use of drugs into an almost religious context — which is traditionally where they were used. As for Castaneda being "en vogue," I wasn't aware of that at all. I'm sorry to say that I know of neither Coelho nor Murakami — would you care to suggest any material to read?
On your blog page you define Ewigkeit's music using three words: metal, progressive, ambient. Do you find this definition perfect, or was it chosen due to the limitations of the blog engine? Could you, instead of words, describe your music with three sounds?
The "blog engines" do not cater for descriptions of music like Ewigkeit! I put the nearest thing to what I thought would describe EWIGKEIT. I don't like to put myself or what I do into a box, and I think it's sad when you have to.
Three sounds that can describe EWIGKEIT? Hmm... the sound of contemplation, the sound of a tree falling in the distant woods, and the sound of silence (hello darkness my old friend... etc., etc...). I guess that's a "no" then...
What is "heavy" music for you? I mean, most people call "heavy" anything played on two distorted guitars, which I think is extremely wrong. For me, some of Bjork's albums sound heavier than, for example, traditional power metal...
I think the traditional '60s view of something being heavy was that of something which had great significance or was philosophically deep. Although I'm not a '60s hippy, that kind of sums up for me a certain amount of what makes something "heavy." Although I think shit-loads of distortion and low-end on the bass guitar and pounding drums also help describe it. Heavy music for me would ideally be a mixture of the primordial, mindless noise of a bunch of apes playing basic rock and the thought-provoking choral music of someone like Gorecki... ;-)
In one of your past interviews, you said that you downloaded some Red Army military marches. What do you know about russia and russian culture?
I don't know much (if anything) about russian culture. I know three words (Niet, Da and Spasibo — which will help you in any language). Save for that, I have met a few russians (who were all extremely more educated than most English people I meet), and I know a little of the history of russia. I have been to Prague (unfortunately the closest to russia I could afford) and to Eastern Germany (which were both part of the USSR — but you know that already), and I like the film Rasputin (which has little or nothing to do with this question...).
Something you ever wanted to say but no one asked you about...
If I were to answer this, I may be here all day — and you may decide you hate me!
Thank you!
Spasibo!
Special thanks to Bylkin Maxim (Soyuz Music) for arranging this interview.
Band's official site: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/deathtomusic/ewignews.htm