Interview: Matt Gifford (ENCEPHALON)

   Straight from Ottawa, Canada, this wonderful band called Encephalon will bring you some great auditory experience with dynamic vocals and club-friendly beats. In collaboration with Artoffact Records, playdeadnation brough vocalist Matt Gifford over for a chat!

pdn: Greetings! First of all, I would like to ask you, how did you get the idea for this name?

Matt: Heya! Thanks for taking the time to talk – In the Sci/fi RPG (and anime) Xenosaga the “Encephalon” is an incredibly detailed virtual world similar to The Matrix  where people can enter and experience an entirely different dimension.   In medical science “Encephalon” is the technical term, for brain.  Both meanings apply to our music because we strive for intelligence in song writing and to have a sound that is otherworldly. 

pdn: How did you guys meet and started making music together? Was it difficult to get signed?

Matt: Sam and I have known each other since grade 2 and have been messing about with synths, drum machines, and guitar pedals and stuff for almost as long – Alis joined up a few years ago, after she continuously impressed me with her artistic abilities and musical talents.  Sam and I always had a lot of bands but never took anything too seriously due to the fact we were raised in such an isolated part of an already isolated country (Northern Ontario, Canada) and had no hopes or expectations…  Eventually we moved to a bigger city (Ottawa) where there was actually an industrial/goth scene for once and that’s when I started realizing that the music we had been making for years but not playing for anyone was actually on par with (or better than) most of the industrial bands who were touring around at the time.  Getting signed would have come quicker if I knew more about marketing myself – I always had sort of a punk rock attitude where I thought social media and all that comes with it makes everyone sound like a sell-out-poser-attention whore and that it should all be about the music.  I mean, it still should be about the music but if you don’t get in people faces then some other more obnoxious band will just steal your spotlight.

pdn: If you could pick anyone, what artist(s) would you like to share the stage with?

Matt: Hmmmm I want to say Faith No More, The Cure, or Skinny Puppy but then I think it would be so humbling I would shrivel up into a raisin. 

pdn: Who are some people, bands that have influenced your music and motivated you in your path?

Matt: Well the 3 bands I mentioned above obviously.  One of my greatest influences to both my musical tastes and fashion choices is my cousin Christian McFadden whose band Vegasphere was quite popular in Toronto in the 1990s.  They were a glammy/industrial/rock band with excellent vocals and song-writing.  Their first cd was one of my first industrial albums and it still holds a place in my heart with NIN, Ministry, and FLA.  Knowing that it was made by someone in my family always made me want to learn how to do the same thing. 

pdn: How would you describe your sound in a few of your own words?

Matt: Depends if im feeling specific or not: Industrial, EBM, and Synthpop are all ok for broad simplified terms.  Or Post-Industrial-Electro-Alternative-Futurepop works too.

pdn: When will we be able to hear the next material?

Matt: We will release some remixes and one off tracks on compilations this year while we write our follow up.  Possibly even an EP later in the year.  I definetly plan to have the next album done for 2013.

pdn: What are Encephalon's plans for the upcoming year, and even further if such? Regarding tours and such.

Matt: We are currently planning a spring tour of Canada with some other cool Canadian bands but nothing is confirmed yet.  We also just got word of a potential opening slot for a fall USA tour with a really awesome European band who has been a huge influence to us, but I don’t want to jinx it so Im not saying who!

pdn: Thank you for your time! Anything you would like to add for your fans, any final words?

Matt: Thanks for taking the time to read all this!  Stay tuned for more at www.encephalon.ca or like us on the facebook! 


*Purchase The Transhuman Condition here: http://www.stormingthebase.com/encephalon-the-transhuman-condition/

http://www.encephalon.ca

Interview: Dmitry Darling (Suicidal Romance/ Freakangel)

   
   Freakangel is an 'alternative electro core' band described as such by Dmitry Darling himself, who was kind enough to share his thoughts with playdeadnation. He is also the mastermind of the duo Suicidal Romance. Both bands were 'born and raised' in Tallin, Estonia, and for me personally it was love at first audition long ago, in both cases!

pdn: Hey Dmitry! First of all, please tell me, how did you decide to name the band 'Freakangel'?
Dmitry: Hey! Well... it was actually fr0zen who came up with the band name. It is a nice play of words. Like black and white. I mean... every one taught to think that angels are sweet or something that should bring light... and then freaks... well... we are freaks, so it's kinda make sense... I mean... we just wanted to show that not everything in this world is like people are taught to think.


pdn: You have been active in Suicidal Romance since before Freakangel. How did you get the idea of having another band?
Dmitry: I was really young, sweet and wanted to play music that was somehow suitable for my inner world. I'm still sweet, but well... times are changing and one day I understood that Suicidal Romance is not enough for me. One part of me woke up from the sleep and started to ask for a solution... there was a choice to start making SR in a different way or to leave it as it is and began a new band. Actually, starting from Shattered Heart Reflections You could already hear that Suicidal Romance is not what it was before... and with our next album that will be released in December via Infacted Recordings I will show once more that I am not that young free willing guy that I was in 4-5 years ago.


pdn: What were the bands, who were the people that influenced you in your evolution to be the musician you are today?
Dmitry: Well... like I said before in 4-5 years I have changed a lot. When I've found out about so called “dark scene” I have started from bands that I actually never liked and still do not like but they were like a fresh air for me after my “metal” past... I could talk longer about it, but the point it that right now I'm listening to everything! There are no actual borders for my music taste. But if to talk about people that have really influenced me then Marilyn Manson and Alice Cooper to name a few.


pdn: Who writes the lyrics (in both bands) and what inspires them?
Dmitry: Normally I write lyrics for both bands. But for example lyrics for “Shattered Heart Reflections” were done totally by Maarja Korstnik who left the band right before we have started recording our third album for Suicidal Romance. For Freakangel debut album we did lyrics both with fr0zen, but on our new tracks I am doing them by myself as I have something to say. About inspiration... well... that would sound pathetic, but living my life day by day and my own vision on things makes perfect inspiration for me.


pdn: We are looking forward for the new Suicidal Romance album that will be released at the end of this year! What can you tell us about it?
Dmitry: “Memories Behind Closed Curtains” will be a third album with Suicidal Romance. With this album I tried to take SR to a whole new level, so maybe that's why some old SR fans won't understand my new direction on this album, but well... it's worth a try! This album is based around “destructive emotions” theme and was influenced pretty much by modern metal bands like Motionless In White or Bring Me The Horizon...


pdn: What about Freakangel, what are the plans for the near future?
Dmitry: Right now I'm locked in the studio finishing final touches on our second album that will be released in the beginning of 2012. Also pretty soon You would be able to witness our first DVD release that will be dedicated to all our fans! Very limited thing! So be prepared when it will hit the sales!


pdn: Your quite instant success brought you tours to several countries and numerous
significant festivals in this scene. Which is the place you would wish to visit or re-visit and play at, what country and/or festival?
Dmitry: We would be really glad to visit Kinetik Festival in CA one day or Resistanz Festival in UK! Revisiting ALL festivals we have played at would be really sweet!

pdn: Which part do you prefer in band activity, studio works or live shows? I bet each of them can be tiresome in some way, but fun in a different way...
Dmitry: Well... I kinda prefer both. I really like writing music... I like the process and the feeling of the new ideas rising in my head. But to be true, I can't stand mixing my own music! So I think it kinda makes a huge plus into touring activities. What makes live shows a bigger point of interest of mine!


pdn: Thank you so much for your time! Any message you would like to add for your fans? :D
Dmitry: Thank You, too! See You all out on the road!


SUICIDAL ROMANCE - MEMORIES BEHIND CLOSED CURTAINS
release dates:
16.12.11 INFACTED (EU)
FREAKANGEL - THE FAULTS OF HUMANITY
release dates:
11.06.10 ALFA MATRIX (EU/US)
03.07.10 DEATHWATCH ASIA (JP)

http://www.suicidal-romance.com
http://www.myspace.com/suicidalromancemusic
http://vampirefreaks.com/u/suicidalromancemusic
http://www.infacted-recordings.com / label
http://www.pluswelt.com / booking agency

http://www.freakangel.org
http://www.myspace.com/freakangelmusic
http://vampirefreaks.com/u/freakangelmusicPublish Post
http://www.alfa-matrix.com / label

Interview: Chai Deveraux (Jesus on Extasy)

    Jesus On Extasy is a synth/ glam rock band from Essen, Germany. The mastermind behind it, Chai Deveraux has been kind to answer some questions for playdeadnation, here they are!


pdn: Greetings, Chai! Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions :) First of all, please tell me how you guys came up with the band name? Some particular story or inspiration behind it?

Chai: Oh there are thousands of stories. The truth is: Today there are wars, murders all over the world, done in the name of god, jesus or some other religious fugures which stand for truth and the good. When the resonsible claim that the wars would be declared in those names, it looks like f.e. Jesus is on a bad drug-trip. 
I mean, we got a lot of menaces from christian institutions, but if you look closer you see that we are the “good”, but christians that threaten us, aren´t very cool christians haha

pdn: There were quite a few line-up changes in the band along time, please tell me a bit about that.


Chai: Ok first of all, Dorian and me parted. It was not possible to work together anymore. Sometimes it´s better to go separat ways before someone dies :-)Serious, it was a good decision. The band situation nearly killed us. There was everything but music around us. Only anger and bad vibes. In the end i saw the band on a nother level. That was not possible with the old lineup. BJ left due to private stuff and Ophelia due to her job with Apoptygma Berzerk. Both BJ nd Ophelia are still close friends of mine. And this is more important than any business!


pdn: You've worked/ played with many other cool bands, which was your favourite collaboration so far?


Chai: Oh that´s hard to say... I loved the work with KMFDM and The Birthday Massacre. I love their music. KMFDM is such a great band. Old-School-Industrial Rock. And when they said, that Sascha wantes wo work with us is was kind of an honor. Our first shows with TBM are kind of a ground of our career. I still remember how Chibi wanted to foist bananas on me while telling me they would help against my nervous mood. 


pdn: You and Dorian Deveraux, your cousin, formed the band. How did you two get the idea of forming a band and adopting this style for it?


Chai: We both wanted to make music and infect the world. There was no “styling” no plan. We just did our thing. I still remember our first rehearsals and our first songwriting at my old studio in a basement, wet and hot. Haha  This was long time ago. Times have changed, so we have. But the core of JOE is still the same.


pdn: How did his departure from the band affect JoE?


Chai: It looks harder than it is. I always wrote a big part of the music for JOE. I think Dorians departure gave me some kinf of freedom. Finally. the last year was horrible for all of us. Now there was only one way left: straight ahead! Of course we loose some old fans, but now we see who was interested in the music or just in a figure of the band. 

pdn: Which are your favourite bands, and what bands have been maybe an influence on the initiation of your musical carreer? 

Chai: There are thounsands of elements that influenced me, but some bands are very important: KMFDM, Nine Inch Nails, The Gathering, Tiamat, Front Line Assembly. I don´t know if you can hear the influences, but they are inside of our music.

pdn: Some of the JoE songs are very melancholic, sometimes even sad, like Puppet for example. Who writes the lyrics? 

Chai: Dorian wrote the lyrics first, now Manja and me are the ones who write the lyrics. The new lyrics are much more melancholic. I love it.  

pdn: The band has members from several different countries from around the globe; have you ever considered playing in a language other than English?  

Chai: English is the language, most of the people all over the world understand. We want to transport our message as far as possible, this is not possible when you limit your lyrics to a couple of people 

pdn: I know you've just recently released an album called 'The Clock', which I am planning to review soon by the way. Any plans for the near future at the moment? Chai: We wanna rock more than ever. We wanna have shows all over the world! Of course i allready work on the next album. But i love to be on stage with my lovely band.  

pdn: Thank you again for this interview! Anything you would like to add to your constantly increasing number of fans? 

Chai: Don´t let people fuck your mind !

Chai Deveraux -Label Manager-
FARSCAPE RECORDS
http://www.farscape-records.com/