歌曲 | Interview September 19th 2014 |
歌手 | Sopor Æternus & the Ensemble of Shadows |
专辑 | Interview September 19TH 2014 |
下载 | Image LRC TXT |
[00:00.000] | It's two o'clock in the morning. |
[00:02.273] | On the Friday the 19th september. |
[00:06.673] | Ah,2014. |
[00:08.839] | This is interview for the obskure magazine 23#. |
[00:14.651] | and the question by Mr.Tassy. |
[00:22.139] | Question number one: |
[00:26.550] | You explain on your official site that MITTERNACHT and POETICA work very well together and are "related". |
[00:34.602] | It reminds me of what you had said to me when POETICA was released, |
[00:39.002] | the fact that the album was your Poe, |
[00:41.664] | your connection to Poe. |
[00:44.604] | Is MITTERNACHT related to POETICA because it is particularly autobiographical? |
[00:51.466] | AVC:Yes, I think that Poetica and Mitternacht do belong together. |
[01:04.290] | Well, at least to a certain degree... |
[01:06.783] | and, yes, Mitternacht is autobiographical ... |
[01:13.521] | but then again, |
[01:14.663] | so are all my albums. |
[01:15.971] | I have always written only about myself, |
[01:20.838] | I have never done anything else. |
[01:23.632] | I mean, keep in mind that SOPOR is nothing but self-therapy. |
[01:27.755] | It has always been. Besides, |
[01:33.071] | what's the one thing that all aspiring writers are being told? |
[01:36.618] | To bloody stick to the things that you know ... |
[01:39.952] | and, well, in my case ... |
[01:43.481] | the only thing that I truly know and understand ... |
[01:47.175] | well, sort of, anyway ... is myself. So, yes, |
[01:52.116] | all my work is entirely autobiographical. |
[01:55.189] | Including Mitternacht. |
[02:00.061] | I think another reason why both albums kind of belong together ... |
[02:05.571] | or, well, maybe not belong together, |
[02:07.436] | but certainly work well together, |
[02:10.466] | is because one followed so closely after the other. |
[02:16.717] | I have said this before, |
[02:17.658] | but every album is not only a consequence of the one(s) that came before, |
[02:26.643] | but it's also a preparation of the one(s) to follow. |
[02:33.741] | The thing about Poetica was ... |
[02:40.092] | is ... that it ended on a very sad note, |
[02:45.177] | and I couldn't leave it like that. |
[02:51.812] | You know, depression may be kind of romantic at the age of 16 , |
[02:57.140] | in a twisted sort of way, |
[03:00.417] | but, believe me, |
[03:01.470] | it certainly isn't anymore when you have reached my age. |
[03:05.884] | To tell you the truth, |
[03:06.817] | I was terrified. I was really afraid. |
[03:09.995] | I could not leave it like this, |
[03:12.869] | I could not let this final note linger, |
[03:18.891] | echo for all eternity, |
[03:21.744] | without dissolving, re-channling it ... |
[03:29.325] | because I just couldn't go on like this anymore. |
[03:35.731] | I could not allow this to be, |
[03:39.327] | because I felt ... I feared ... |
[03:47.281] | that it would be the end of me. |
[03:49.835] | I had to find a solution. |
[03:51.897] | Quickly. |
[03:55.828] | Which might also explain why I was under such an enormous pressure ... and why, |
[04:05.004] | consequently, |
[04:07.425] | this album was (and still is) so very important to me. |
[04:15.458] | In fact, |
[04:17.659] | and that's perhaps a strange thing to say ... |
[04:20.526] | considering the contents of my past albums ... |
[04:26.104] | but I can't remember ever having felt such a feeling of urgency about an album. |
[04:33.139] | Or maybe I have and I just forgot about it, |
[04:35.027] | which I tend to do. So... |
[04:39.082] | I know I am repeating myself, |
[04:41.545] | but ... in my case ... |
[04:46.194] | there is no separation between life and art. |
[04:51.402] | And I believe this is true for every artist, |
[04:53.793] | or every true artist, |
[04:54.618] | regardless of talent and/or skill ... |
[04:57.320] | and, really, |
[04:58.162] | there shouldn't be a separation. |
[04:59.481] | How can there be? |
[05:01.383] | Life and art ARE one. |
[05:03.567] | They are the same thing. |
[05:05.928] | They influence each other, |
[05:07.276] | as they are forever intertwined ... |
[05:10.359] | because they are the same thing. |
[05:17.959] | So, as I tried to find a solution to my ... umm, |
[05:22.358] | situation ... |
[05:25.916] | I encountered something that caused me even greater pain. |
[05:30.163] | I mean, it was ridiculous. |
[05:32.157] | There I was hoping to change things for the better, |
[05:34.804] | but it only got worse. |
[05:40.089] | I hadn't felt so extremely miserable in a long time. |
[05:45.088] | There were days when I was crying on my way home ... |
[05:50.338] | in broad daylight ... |
[05:53.307] | and those were the good days. |
[05:54.853] | On others I couldn't even get out of bed. |
[06:02.168] | But ... |
[06:02.655] | ...it was all neccessary. |
[06:04.835] | Again, this may sound strange to some people, |
[06:10.976] | but ... I am eternally grateful for this. |
[06:15.007] | I learned things that I not only had never encountered before... |
[06:27.872] | but that I tought were impossible. |
[06:31.304] | Yes, it was painful ... |
[06:35.450] | but it was also very interesting ... |
[06:39.430] | and very educational. |
[06:43.392] | Question number two: |
[06:46.467] | Can you explain the fact that you needed to explore the question of loneliness and the need for companionship at this moment of your life? |
[06:58.838] | AVC:Umm ... no ... things just ... happened. |
[07:06.706] | It was meant to happen. |
[07:09.696] | It was simply time, |
[07:11.663] | I guess. |
[07:14.534] | A natural consequence of the things that had happened before. |
[07:19.902] | I don't wish to appear rude, |
[07:21.328] | but I really cannot be more specific. |
[07:24.885] | After all, the details are really nobody's business. |
[07:31.241] | It's just ... when I left the, |
[07:35.840] | umm, "other side" (to put it this way) to re-enter the ordinary world, |
[07:44.968] | which I had abandoned so many years ago, |
[07:48.645] | I was instantly reminded why I had left in the first place. |
[07:53.457] | I just didn't belong here, |
[07:56.373] | I had no part in this. |
[07:58.126] | No place in it. |
[08:02.555] | It's one thing to be alone on the other side, |
[08:05.591] | where there are creatures, |
[08:08.138] | things, you can surround yourself with ... |
[08:11.240] | or even create to a certain extend ... |
[08:14.969] | but being alone in the hostile ordinary world ... |
[08:19.077] | well, that is different, and I cannot recommend it. |
[08:23.999] | So, my first reaction was to turn around on the spot and go straight back into darkness, |
[08:30.525] | but ... I couldn't ... not this time ... |
[08:36.403] | because that wouldn't have solved anything. |
[08:39.442] | It would have meant stagnation, |
[08:42.329] | and, ultimately, death. |
[08:46.198] | So I kept on walking. |
[08:49.570] | And that was ... yes, |
[08:54.121] | almost two years ago now, |
[08:56.123] | and it's kind of ... |
[08:58.853] | I hate the word amazing, |
[09:01.192] | I really do ... |
[09:03.501] | but, looking at it now, |
[09:07.489] | that's really the best way to describe it ... umm, |
[09:11.303] | the things that happend in those two years, |
[09:15.919] | I honestly would never have guessed could happen. |
[09:18.922] | I really thought that they would never even be possible. |
[09:27.508] | number three: |
[09:30.849] | Where did the idea to record a cover version of ��La Prima Vez�� come from? |
[09:39.897] | AVC:Oh, the idea? |
[09:41.938] | Uff, I don't know. |
[09:43.391] | It just developped, |
[09:45.435] | as it is with art. |
[09:46.938] | You know, it grows. |
[09:52.045] | But what I can tell you where I encountered this song for the first time. |
[09:58.359] | I was watching Wim Wenders' dance-film PINA, |
[10:04.062] | and on the songtrack there is a version of that song by ... umm, |
[10:07.799] | gawd, what's his name ... Logan 5 ...? |
[10:14.326] | No, wait ... Owain Phyfe ... feifei? ... |
[10:24.826] | I don't know, whatever his name is pronounced. |
[10:30.468] | I had never heard it before, |
[10:32.314] | but I immediately liked it. |
[10:34.936] | It had a beautiful melody, |
[10:36.513] | and that's what drew me to it, |
[10:38.008] | that's what caught my attention ... |
[10:40.268] | and, as it is often the case with these things. |
[10:44.331] | Sometimes, you may not neccessarily know what it is at first, |
[10:50.675] | the thing that attracts your attention. |
[10:54.795] | Quite often it's entirely subconscious. |
[10:56.730] | But once you take a closer look at it, |
[10:59.385] | you see what connects you to it. |
[11:03.062] | You see the relevance it has for you. |
[11:06.813] | number four: |
[11:10.762] | I have to ask you the same question for "Bang Bang" |
[11:14.402] | why did you chose this song? |
[11:18.892] | AVC:To be perfectly honest ... |
[11:22.008] | I cannot remember. |
[11:24.255] | I really can't remember what gave the impulse ... |
[11:29.869] | and that is actually a good thing, |
[11:31.417] | because it means that the problem ... |
[11:33.741] | or inner conflict, |
[11:35.316] | if you wish ... has be solved ... |
[11:38.284] | - dissolved. |
[11:43.041] | It's a strange song to begin with. |
[11:45.354] | Silly even in the original. |
[11:47.419] | I mean, it was written by Sonny Bono ... |
[11:51.149] | but for whom exactly I don't even know. |
[11:53.972] | Either Nancy Sinatra or Cher. |
[11:57.417] | I don't know who came first. |
[12:01.612] | Iit doesn't really matter, |
[12:04.150] | anyway. Both versions are great. |
[12:05.740] | Actually, Cher has many great songs. |
[12:09.677] | I mean, "Gypsies, tramps & thieves" is fabulous ... |
[12:16.458] | but, of course, I cannot do that. |
[12:17.720] | I mean, |
[12:18.346] | for one the music sounds kind of like SOPOR anyway ... |
[12:23.314] | to a certain degree, |
[12:25.100] | so that would be pointless. |
[12:26.776] | And, let's face it, |
[12:29.641] | I wasn't born on the waggon of a travelling show. |
[12:34.115] | Thank goodness for that. |
[12:38.483] | But back to BANG BANG ... |
[12:41.121] | yes, it's a bit of a strange song ... |
[12:42.636] | and, in my case, |
[12:44.307] | it doesn't just refer to one particular thing or person, |
[12:48.987] | and even keeps changing perspective. |
[12:51.971] | It's more about a state of mind, |
[12:57.159] | if you wish. |
[12:59.601] | A neurotic notion ... a dependency ... |
[13:03.216] | the sort of thing I dealt with on the Triptychon of Ghosts. |
[13:09.033] | The interesting thing for me, |
[13:10.719] | however, was that initially I thought I would ... |
[13:14.086] | well, maybe not mock it, |
[13:15.664] | but be kind of ironic about it. |
[13:19.380] | Basically like I did it with Bonnie Tyler's "Holding out for a Hero". |
[13:25.869] | But when I was in the studio I couldn't do it like that. |
[13:31.564] | I had to do it seriously. |
[13:33.903] | It was the only way. |
[13:36.366] | And it makes sense, because there is no irony on the album at all. |
[13:40.994] | And that's actually a thing that Mitternacht has in common with Poetica. |
[13:46.816] | number five: |
[13:49.915] | Do you consider “Confessional” the heart of the album? |
[13:57.962] | We can understand the chorus, |
[13:59.933] | the mantra of the song, |
[14:01.275] | in a lot of different ways. |
[14:03.005] | Is that a form of supplication? |
[14:09.319] | AVC:Yes, |
[14:10.067] | it is the heart of the album ... |
[14:11.827] | and THANK YOU for recognising ... |
[14:15.134] | and yes, |
[14:16.568] | you may very well call it a prayer. |
[14:20.755] | number six: |
[14:24.258] | Is the album-title “Mitternacht” a reference to the heart of the night, |
[14:29.771] | the symbol of the moments when the feeling of loneliness is at its strongest? |
[14:37.426] | AVC:Yes. |
[14:39.566] | It's like a Dark Night of the Soul. |
[14:45.757] | number seven: |
[14:47.742] | When you sing ?Beautiful?, |
[14:49.797] | do you think about someone in particular? |
[14:53.970] | AVC:Sorry, but that I cannot tell you. |
[15:01.033] | But, it is more than meets the eye ... |
[15:05.024] | it's a little more complex than it might appear at first glance. |
[15:11.578] | It seems to be very simple ... |
[15:13.464] | and it is simply ... |
[15:15.523] | but it's not one-dimensional. |
[15:23.353] | number eight: |
[15:26.350] | You sing in a totally new way on certain songs like ? |
[15:32.949] | You cannot make him love you? for example. |
[15:36.221] | Could you tell me more about this experience of the voice recordings of MITTERNACHT? |
[15:46.296] | AVC:There is nothing to tell, really. |
[15:49.509] | Recording the vocals was the same as always. |
[15:53.377] | You're in the studio and then ... you do it. |
[15:58.372] | If it sounds different than how I usually sound (which I don't actually think it does) it because the song, |
[16:09.414] | the content, demanded it. |
[16:12.898] | number nine: |
[16:15.965] | Do you think that the "quiet" feeling of the album is due to the totally new way that you had to deal with your energy, |
[16:22.623] | as you explained on your homepage? |
[16:26.811] | AVC:No, it has nothing to do with that ... |
[16:29.170] | because I do not write the music in the studio. |
[16:31.900] | When I go the studio, |
[16:33.188] | as in when I rent studio time, |
[16:35.798] | it means that the music is already completed. |
[16:38.512] | Well, in theory anyway, |
[16:40.812] | because it obviously still needs to be recorded. |
[16:42.433] | But the writing is done. |
[16:46.422] | Though, admittedly, |
[16:47.516] | it's never written in stone, |
[16:50.265] | and there is always room for chance ... |
[16:54.918] | fate, you might call it. |
[16:59.197] | Sometimes things that suddenly fall into place. |
[17:03.707] | And then, |
[17:07.066] | yes, there are the vocals, of course. |
[17:08.721] | I never know in advance what is going to happen there, |
[17:11.833] | because ... as you know ... |
[17:14.394] | there are no rehearsals. |
[17:17.761] | Would you say...oh question number ten: |
[17:23.689] | Would you say that this album is "quiet", |
[17:26.115] | because you are in a quieter moment of your life? |
[17:31.860] | AVC:Perhaps, yes. |
[17:34.677] | number eleven: |
[17:36.968] | Music box and theremin have become an essential part of your music; |
[17:42.097] | how would you explain this? |
[17:44.031] | Now, I feel that those instruments are SOPOR AETERNUS�� |
[17:49.505] | AVC:Yes, indeed they are, |
[17:50.444] | aren't they?! |
[17:51.693] | I agree. |
[17:53.281] | I have talked about the theremin (or theremin inspired sound) before, |
[18:06.554] | as in it being this beautiful bridge between the "cold" synthesizers and the warm violins. |
[18:13.559] | And, yes, |
[18:14.897] | there is something quirky and childlike thing about the music-box ... |
[18:25.325] | and all those percussive pling-plong instruments that keep haunting my albums, |
[18:30.812] | like the toy piano, for example. |
[18:34.571] | ...... |
[18:53.509] | When the album was recorded, |
[18:56.036] | it slowly dawned on me that the damn toypiano is in every bloody song. |
[19:02.071] | Well, at least on the first half of the album. |
[19:04.665] | And, admittedly, |
[19:07.136] | I did worry for a second, |
[19:09.191] | thinking "have I perhaps overused this?". |
[19:13.795] | But ...well ... |
[19:14.959] | there was nothing to be done about it. |
[19:16.394] | That's just how it was, |
[19:20.457] | and how it has to be. But then again, |
[19:23.952] | I always worry. |
[19:25.527] | I can't help that. |
[19:29.190] | Twelve. |
[19:33.979] | Is the perspective of releasing MITTERNACHT harder than it was with the previous albums? |
[19:41.829] | You explained on your homepage that "it has to be done", |
[19:47.396] | but the sharing of this work seems particularly delicate for you - why? |
[19:55.182] | AVC:Because... |
[19:59.351] | Well, you have to understand that what you hear, |
[20:05.325] | when you listen to a SOPOR album, |
[20:08.440] | is not what I hear. |
[20:11.840] | Remember that the music is like a byproduct, |
[20:17.144] | a waste product, almost, |
[20:19.176] | of a psycho-spiritual process and of magical work. What you get is only the end-product. |
[20:30.156] | Meaning, when you listen to a SOPOR album, |
[20:33.619] | you only hear the "stories" ... |
[20:37.520] | whereas when I listen to it, |
[20:39.794] | I see and re-live all the events that have led to this album. |
[20:47.244] | So, what I am trying to say is, |
[20:49.959] | it may very well be that what you hear is just a nice collection of singles with lyrics that may not neccessarily make any sense ... |
[21:02.875] | whereas for me, |
[21:04.344] | who has all the keys to its (I almost said "symptoms")... |
[21:09.519] | to all its symbols, |
[21:13.031] | it's incredibly intimate and revealing. |
[21:18.912] | I feel naked and vulnerable. |
[21:26.511] | Why does it seem more delicate to me this time than with the previous albums? |
[21:34.497] | Well, |
[21:36.103] | probably because I actually was naked... |
[21:39.791] | and wounded. |
[00:00.000] | It' s two o' clock in the morning. |
[00:02.273] | On the Friday the 19th september. |
[00:06.673] | Ah, 2014. |
[00:08.839] | This is interview for the obskure magazine 23. |
[00:14.651] | and the question by Mr. Tassy. |
[00:22.139] | Question number one: |
[00:26.550] | You explain on your official site that MITTERNACHT and POETICA work very well together and are " related". |
[00:34.602] | It reminds me of what you had said to me when POETICA was released, |
[00:39.002] | the fact that the album was your Poe, |
[00:41.664] | your connection to Poe. |
[00:44.604] | Is MITTERNACHT related to POETICA because it is particularly autobiographical? |
[00:51.466] | AVC: Yes, I think that Poetica and Mitternacht do belong together. |
[01:04.290] | Well, at least to a certain degree... |
[01:06.783] | and, yes, Mitternacht is autobiographical ... |
[01:13.521] | but then again, |
[01:14.663] | so are all my albums. |
[01:15.971] | I have always written only about myself, |
[01:20.838] | I have never done anything else. |
[01:23.632] | I mean, keep in mind that SOPOR is nothing but selftherapy. |
[01:27.755] | It has always been. Besides, |
[01:33.071] | what' s the one thing that all aspiring writers are being told? |
[01:36.618] | To bloody stick to the things that you know ... |
[01:39.952] | and, well, in my case ... |
[01:43.481] | the only thing that I truly know and understand ... |
[01:47.175] | well, sort of, anyway ... is myself. So, yes, |
[01:52.116] | all my work is entirely autobiographical. |
[01:55.189] | Including Mitternacht. |
[02:00.061] | I think another reason why both albums kind of belong together ... |
[02:05.571] | or, well, maybe not belong together, |
[02:07.436] | but certainly work well together, |
[02:10.466] | is because one followed so closely after the other. |
[02:16.717] | I have said this before, |
[02:17.658] | but every album is not only a consequence of the one s that came before, |
[02:26.643] | but it' s also a preparation of the one s to follow. |
[02:33.741] | The thing about Poetica was ... |
[02:40.092] | is ... that it ended on a very sad note, |
[02:45.177] | and I couldn' t leave it like that. |
[02:51.812] | You know, depression may be kind of romantic at the age of 16 , |
[02:57.140] | in a twisted sort of way, |
[03:00.417] | but, believe me, |
[03:01.470] | it certainly isn' t anymore when you have reached my age. |
[03:05.884] | To tell you the truth, |
[03:06.817] | I was terrified. I was really afraid. |
[03:09.995] | I could not leave it like this, |
[03:12.869] | I could not let this final note linger, |
[03:18.891] | echo for all eternity, |
[03:21.744] | without dissolving, rechannling it ... |
[03:29.325] | because I just couldn' t go on like this anymore. |
[03:35.731] | I could not allow this to be, |
[03:39.327] | because I felt ... I feared ... |
[03:47.281] | that it would be the end of me. |
[03:49.835] | I had to find a solution. |
[03:51.897] | Quickly. |
[03:55.828] | Which might also explain why I was under such an enormous pressure ... and why, |
[04:05.004] | consequently, |
[04:07.425] | this album was and still is so very important to me. |
[04:15.458] | In fact, |
[04:17.659] | and that' s perhaps a strange thing to say ... |
[04:20.526] | considering the contents of my past albums ... |
[04:26.104] | but I can' t remember ever having felt such a feeling of urgency about an album. |
[04:33.139] | Or maybe I have and I just forgot about it, |
[04:35.027] | which I tend to do. So... |
[04:39.082] | I know I am repeating myself, |
[04:41.545] | but ... in my case ... |
[04:46.194] | there is no separation between life and art. |
[04:51.402] | And I believe this is true for every artist, |
[04:53.793] | or every true artist, |
[04:54.618] | regardless of talent and or skill ... |
[04:57.320] | and, really, |
[04:58.162] | there shouldn' t be a separation. |
[04:59.481] | How can there be? |
[05:01.383] | Life and art ARE one. |
[05:03.567] | They are the same thing. |
[05:05.928] | They influence each other, |
[05:07.276] | as they are forever intertwined ... |
[05:10.359] | because they are the same thing. |
[05:17.959] | So, as I tried to find a solution to my ... umm, |
[05:22.358] | situation ... |
[05:25.916] | I encountered something that caused me even greater pain. |
[05:30.163] | I mean, it was ridiculous. |
[05:32.157] | There I was hoping to change things for the better, |
[05:34.804] | but it only got worse. |
[05:40.089] | I hadn' t felt so extremely miserable in a long time. |
[05:45.088] | There were days when I was crying on my way home ... |
[05:50.338] | in broad daylight ... |
[05:53.307] | and those were the good days. |
[05:54.853] | On others I couldn' t even get out of bed. |
[06:02.168] | But ... |
[06:02.655] | ... it was all neccessary. |
[06:04.835] | Again, this may sound strange to some people, |
[06:10.976] | but ... I am eternally grateful for this. |
[06:15.007] | I learned things that I not only had never encountered before... |
[06:27.872] | but that I tought were impossible. |
[06:31.304] | Yes, it was painful ... |
[06:35.450] | but it was also very interesting ... |
[06:39.430] | and very educational. |
[06:43.392] | Question number two: |
[06:46.467] | Can you explain the fact that you needed to explore the question of loneliness and the need for companionship at this moment of your life? |
[06:58.838] | AVC: Umm ... no ... things just ... happened. |
[07:06.706] | It was meant to happen. |
[07:09.696] | It was simply time, |
[07:11.663] | I guess. |
[07:14.534] | A natural consequence of the things that had happened before. |
[07:19.902] | I don' t wish to appear rude, |
[07:21.328] | but I really cannot be more specific. |
[07:24.885] | After all, the details are really nobody' s business. |
[07:31.241] | It' s just ... when I left the, |
[07:35.840] | umm, " other side" to put it this way to reenter the ordinary world, |
[07:44.968] | which I had abandoned so many years ago, |
[07:48.645] | I was instantly reminded why I had left in the first place. |
[07:53.457] | I just didn' t belong here, |
[07:56.373] | I had no part in this. |
[07:58.126] | No place in it. |
[08:02.555] | It' s one thing to be alone on the other side, |
[08:05.591] | where there are creatures, |
[08:08.138] | things, you can surround yourself with ... |
[08:11.240] | or even create to a certain extend ... |
[08:14.969] | but being alone in the hostile ordinary world ... |
[08:19.077] | well, that is different, and I cannot recommend it. |
[08:23.999] | So, my first reaction was to turn around on the spot and go straight back into darkness, |
[08:30.525] | but ... I couldn' t ... not this time ... |
[08:36.403] | because that wouldn' t have solved anything. |
[08:39.442] | It would have meant stagnation, |
[08:42.329] | and, ultimately, death. |
[08:46.198] | So I kept on walking. |
[08:49.570] | And that was ... yes, |
[08:54.121] | almost two years ago now, |
[08:56.123] | and it' s kind of ... |
[08:58.853] | I hate the word amazing, |
[09:01.192] | I really do ... |
[09:03.501] | but, looking at it now, |
[09:07.489] | that' s really the best way to describe it ... umm, |
[09:11.303] | the things that happend in those two years, |
[09:15.919] | I honestly would never have guessed could happen. |
[09:18.922] | I really thought that they would never even be possible. |
[09:27.508] | number three: |
[09:30.849] | Where did the idea to record a cover version of La Prima Vez come from? |
[09:39.897] | AVC: Oh, the idea? |
[09:41.938] | Uff, I don' t know. |
[09:43.391] | It just developped, |
[09:45.435] | as it is with art. |
[09:46.938] | You know, it grows. |
[09:52.045] | But what I can tell you where I encountered this song for the first time. |
[09:58.359] | I was watching Wim Wenders' dancefilm PINA, |
[10:04.062] | and on the songtrack there is a version of that song by ... umm, |
[10:07.799] | gawd, what' s his name ... Logan 5 ...? |
[10:14.326] | No, wait ... Owain Phyfe ... feifei? ... |
[10:24.826] | I don' t know, whatever his name is pronounced. |
[10:30.468] | I had never heard it before, |
[10:32.314] | but I immediately liked it. |
[10:34.936] | It had a beautiful melody, |
[10:36.513] | and that' s what drew me to it, |
[10:38.008] | that' s what caught my attention ... |
[10:40.268] | and, as it is often the case with these things. |
[10:44.331] | Sometimes, you may not neccessarily know what it is at first, |
[10:50.675] | the thing that attracts your attention. |
[10:54.795] | Quite often it' s entirely subconscious. |
[10:56.730] | But once you take a closer look at it, |
[10:59.385] | you see what connects you to it. |
[11:03.062] | You see the relevance it has for you. |
[11:06.813] | number four: |
[11:10.762] | I have to ask you the same question for " Bang Bang" |
[11:14.402] | why did you chose this song? |
[11:18.892] | AVC: To be perfectly honest ... |
[11:22.008] | I cannot remember. |
[11:24.255] | I really can' t remember what gave the impulse ... |
[11:29.869] | and that is actually a good thing, |
[11:31.417] | because it means that the problem ... |
[11:33.741] | or inner conflict, |
[11:35.316] | if you wish ... has be solved ... |
[11:38.284] | dissolved. |
[11:43.041] | It' s a strange song to begin with. |
[11:45.354] | Silly even in the original. |
[11:47.419] | I mean, it was written by Sonny Bono ... |
[11:51.149] | but for whom exactly I don' t even know. |
[11:53.972] | Either Nancy Sinatra or Cher. |
[11:57.417] | I don' t know who came first. |
[12:01.612] | Iit doesn' t really matter, |
[12:04.150] | anyway. Both versions are great. |
[12:05.740] | Actually, Cher has many great songs. |
[12:09.677] | I mean, " Gypsies, tramps thieves" is fabulous ... |
[12:16.458] | but, of course, I cannot do that. |
[12:17.720] | I mean, |
[12:18.346] | for one the music sounds kind of like SOPOR anyway ... |
[12:23.314] | to a certain degree, |
[12:25.100] | so that would be pointless. |
[12:26.776] | And, let' s face it, |
[12:29.641] | I wasn' t born on the waggon of a travelling show. |
[12:34.115] | Thank goodness for that. |
[12:38.483] | But back to BANG BANG ... |
[12:41.121] | yes, it' s a bit of a strange song ... |
[12:42.636] | and, in my case, |
[12:44.307] | it doesn' t just refer to one particular thing or person, |
[12:48.987] | and even keeps changing perspective. |
[12:51.971] | It' s more about a state of mind, |
[12:57.159] | if you wish. |
[12:59.601] | A neurotic notion ... a dependency ... |
[13:03.216] | the sort of thing I dealt with on the Triptychon of Ghosts. |
[13:09.033] | The interesting thing for me, |
[13:10.719] | however, was that initially I thought I would ... |
[13:14.086] | well, maybe not mock it, |
[13:15.664] | but be kind of ironic about it. |
[13:19.380] | Basically like I did it with Bonnie Tyler' s " Holding out for a Hero". |
[13:25.869] | But when I was in the studio I couldn' t do it like that. |
[13:31.564] | I had to do it seriously. |
[13:33.903] | It was the only way. |
[13:36.366] | And it makes sense, because there is no irony on the album at all. |
[13:40.994] | And that' s actually a thing that Mitternacht has in common with Poetica. |
[13:46.816] | number five: |
[13:49.915] | Do you consider " Confessional" the heart of the album? |
[13:57.962] | We can understand the chorus, |
[13:59.933] | the mantra of the song, |
[14:01.275] | in a lot of different ways. |
[14:03.005] | Is that a form of supplication? |
[14:09.319] | AVC: Yes, |
[14:10.067] | it is the heart of the album ... |
[14:11.827] | and THANK YOU for recognising ... |
[14:15.134] | and yes, |
[14:16.568] | you may very well call it a prayer. |
[14:20.755] | number six: |
[14:24.258] | Is the albumtitle " Mitternacht" a reference to the heart of the night, |
[14:29.771] | the symbol of the moments when the feeling of loneliness is at its strongest? |
[14:37.426] | AVC: Yes. |
[14:39.566] | It' s like a Dark Night of the Soul. |
[14:45.757] | number seven: |
[14:47.742] | When you sing ? Beautiful?, |
[14:49.797] | do you think about someone in particular? |
[14:53.970] | AVC: Sorry, but that I cannot tell you. |
[15:01.033] | But, it is more than meets the eye ... |
[15:05.024] | it' s a little more complex than it might appear at first glance. |
[15:11.578] | It seems to be very simple ... |
[15:13.464] | and it is simply ... |
[15:15.523] | but it' s not onedimensional. |
[15:23.353] | number eight: |
[15:26.350] | You sing in a totally new way on certain songs like ? |
[15:32.949] | You cannot make him love you? for example. |
[15:36.221] | Could you tell me more about this experience of the voice recordings of MITTERNACHT? |
[15:46.296] | AVC: There is nothing to tell, really. |
[15:49.509] | Recording the vocals was the same as always. |
[15:53.377] | You' re in the studio and then ... you do it. |
[15:58.372] | If it sounds different than how I usually sound which I don' t actually think it does it because the song, |
[16:09.414] | the content, demanded it. |
[16:12.898] | number nine: |
[16:15.965] | Do you think that the " quiet" feeling of the album is due to the totally new way that you had to deal with your energy, |
[16:22.623] | as you explained on your homepage? |
[16:26.811] | AVC: No, it has nothing to do with that ... |
[16:29.170] | because I do not write the music in the studio. |
[16:31.900] | When I go the studio, |
[16:33.188] | as in when I rent studio time, |
[16:35.798] | it means that the music is already completed. |
[16:38.512] | Well, in theory anyway, |
[16:40.812] | because it obviously still needs to be recorded. |
[16:42.433] | But the writing is done. |
[16:46.422] | Though, admittedly, |
[16:47.516] | it' s never written in stone, |
[16:50.265] | and there is always room for chance ... |
[16:54.918] | fate, you might call it. |
[16:59.197] | Sometimes things that suddenly fall into place. |
[17:03.707] | And then, |
[17:07.066] | yes, there are the vocals, of course. |
[17:08.721] | I never know in advance what is going to happen there, |
[17:11.833] | because ... as you know ... |
[17:14.394] | there are no rehearsals. |
[17:17.761] | Would you say... oh question number ten: |
[17:23.689] | Would you say that this album is " quiet", |
[17:26.115] | because you are in a quieter moment of your life? |
[17:31.860] | AVC: Perhaps, yes. |
[17:34.677] | number eleven: |
[17:36.968] | Music box and theremin have become an essential part of your music |
[17:42.097] | how would you explain this? |
[17:44.031] | Now, I feel that those instruments are SOPOR AETERNUS |
[17:49.505] | AVC: Yes, indeed they are, |
[17:50.444] | aren' t they?! |
[17:51.693] | I agree. |
[17:53.281] | I have talked about the theremin or theremin inspired sound before, |
[18:06.554] | as in it being this beautiful bridge between the " cold" synthesizers and the warm violins. |
[18:13.559] | And, yes, |
[18:14.897] | there is something quirky and childlike thing about the musicbox ... |
[18:25.325] | and all those percussive plingplong instruments that keep haunting my albums, |
[18:30.812] | like the toy piano, for example. |
[18:34.571] | ...... |
[18:53.509] | When the album was recorded, |
[18:56.036] | it slowly dawned on me that the damn toypiano is in every bloody song. |
[19:02.071] | Well, at least on the first half of the album. |
[19:04.665] | And, admittedly, |
[19:07.136] | I did worry for a second, |
[19:09.191] | thinking " have I perhaps overused this?". |
[19:13.795] | But ... well ... |
[19:14.959] | there was nothing to be done about it. |
[19:16.394] | That' s just how it was, |
[19:20.457] | and how it has to be. But then again, |
[19:23.952] | I always worry. |
[19:25.527] | I can' t help that. |
[19:29.190] | Twelve. |
[19:33.979] | Is the perspective of releasing MITTERNACHT harder than it was with the previous albums? |
[19:41.829] | You explained on your homepage that " it has to be done", |
[19:47.396] | but the sharing of this work seems particularly delicate for you why? |
[19:55.182] | AVC: Because... |
[19:59.351] | Well, you have to understand that what you hear, |
[20:05.325] | when you listen to a SOPOR album, |
[20:08.440] | is not what I hear. |
[20:11.840] | Remember that the music is like a byproduct, |
[20:17.144] | a waste product, almost, |
[20:19.176] | of a psychospiritual process and of magical work. What you get is only the endproduct. |
[20:30.156] | Meaning, when you listen to a SOPOR album, |
[20:33.619] | you only hear the " stories" ... |
[20:37.520] | whereas when I listen to it, |
[20:39.794] | I see and relive all the events that have led to this album. |
[20:47.244] | So, what I am trying to say is, |
[20:49.959] | it may very well be that what you hear is just a nice collection of singles with lyrics that may not neccessarily make any sense ... |
[21:02.875] | whereas for me, |
[21:04.344] | who has all the keys to its I almost said " symptoms"... |
[21:09.519] | to all its symbols, |
[21:13.031] | it' s incredibly intimate and revealing. |
[21:18.912] | I feel naked and vulnerable. |
[21:26.511] | Why does it seem more delicate to me this time than with the previous albums? |
[21:34.497] | Well, |
[21:36.103] | probably because I actually was naked... |
[21:39.791] | and wounded. |
[00:00.000] | It' s two o' clock in the morning. |
[00:02.273] | On the Friday the 19th september. |
[00:06.673] | Ah, 2014. |
[00:08.839] | This is interview for the obskure magazine 23. |
[00:14.651] | and the question by Mr. Tassy. |
[00:22.139] | Question number one: |
[00:26.550] | You explain on your official site that MITTERNACHT and POETICA work very well together and are " related". |
[00:34.602] | It reminds me of what you had said to me when POETICA was released, |
[00:39.002] | the fact that the album was your Poe, |
[00:41.664] | your connection to Poe. |
[00:44.604] | Is MITTERNACHT related to POETICA because it is particularly autobiographical? |
[00:51.466] | AVC: Yes, I think that Poetica and Mitternacht do belong together. |
[01:04.290] | Well, at least to a certain degree... |
[01:06.783] | and, yes, Mitternacht is autobiographical ... |
[01:13.521] | but then again, |
[01:14.663] | so are all my albums. |
[01:15.971] | I have always written only about myself, |
[01:20.838] | I have never done anything else. |
[01:23.632] | I mean, keep in mind that SOPOR is nothing but selftherapy. |
[01:27.755] | It has always been. Besides, |
[01:33.071] | what' s the one thing that all aspiring writers are being told? |
[01:36.618] | To bloody stick to the things that you know ... |
[01:39.952] | and, well, in my case ... |
[01:43.481] | the only thing that I truly know and understand ... |
[01:47.175] | well, sort of, anyway ... is myself. So, yes, |
[01:52.116] | all my work is entirely autobiographical. |
[01:55.189] | Including Mitternacht. |
[02:00.061] | I think another reason why both albums kind of belong together ... |
[02:05.571] | or, well, maybe not belong together, |
[02:07.436] | but certainly work well together, |
[02:10.466] | is because one followed so closely after the other. |
[02:16.717] | I have said this before, |
[02:17.658] | but every album is not only a consequence of the one s that came before, |
[02:26.643] | but it' s also a preparation of the one s to follow. |
[02:33.741] | The thing about Poetica was ... |
[02:40.092] | is ... that it ended on a very sad note, |
[02:45.177] | and I couldn' t leave it like that. |
[02:51.812] | You know, depression may be kind of romantic at the age of 16 , |
[02:57.140] | in a twisted sort of way, |
[03:00.417] | but, believe me, |
[03:01.470] | it certainly isn' t anymore when you have reached my age. |
[03:05.884] | To tell you the truth, |
[03:06.817] | I was terrified. I was really afraid. |
[03:09.995] | I could not leave it like this, |
[03:12.869] | I could not let this final note linger, |
[03:18.891] | echo for all eternity, |
[03:21.744] | without dissolving, rechannling it ... |
[03:29.325] | because I just couldn' t go on like this anymore. |
[03:35.731] | I could not allow this to be, |
[03:39.327] | because I felt ... I feared ... |
[03:47.281] | that it would be the end of me. |
[03:49.835] | I had to find a solution. |
[03:51.897] | Quickly. |
[03:55.828] | Which might also explain why I was under such an enormous pressure ... and why, |
[04:05.004] | consequently, |
[04:07.425] | this album was and still is so very important to me. |
[04:15.458] | In fact, |
[04:17.659] | and that' s perhaps a strange thing to say ... |
[04:20.526] | considering the contents of my past albums ... |
[04:26.104] | but I can' t remember ever having felt such a feeling of urgency about an album. |
[04:33.139] | Or maybe I have and I just forgot about it, |
[04:35.027] | which I tend to do. So... |
[04:39.082] | I know I am repeating myself, |
[04:41.545] | but ... in my case ... |
[04:46.194] | there is no separation between life and art. |
[04:51.402] | And I believe this is true for every artist, |
[04:53.793] | or every true artist, |
[04:54.618] | regardless of talent and or skill ... |
[04:57.320] | and, really, |
[04:58.162] | there shouldn' t be a separation. |
[04:59.481] | How can there be? |
[05:01.383] | Life and art ARE one. |
[05:03.567] | They are the same thing. |
[05:05.928] | They influence each other, |
[05:07.276] | as they are forever intertwined ... |
[05:10.359] | because they are the same thing. |
[05:17.959] | So, as I tried to find a solution to my ... umm, |
[05:22.358] | situation ... |
[05:25.916] | I encountered something that caused me even greater pain. |
[05:30.163] | I mean, it was ridiculous. |
[05:32.157] | There I was hoping to change things for the better, |
[05:34.804] | but it only got worse. |
[05:40.089] | I hadn' t felt so extremely miserable in a long time. |
[05:45.088] | There were days when I was crying on my way home ... |
[05:50.338] | in broad daylight ... |
[05:53.307] | and those were the good days. |
[05:54.853] | On others I couldn' t even get out of bed. |
[06:02.168] | But ... |
[06:02.655] | ... it was all neccessary. |
[06:04.835] | Again, this may sound strange to some people, |
[06:10.976] | but ... I am eternally grateful for this. |
[06:15.007] | I learned things that I not only had never encountered before... |
[06:27.872] | but that I tought were impossible. |
[06:31.304] | Yes, it was painful ... |
[06:35.450] | but it was also very interesting ... |
[06:39.430] | and very educational. |
[06:43.392] | Question number two: |
[06:46.467] | Can you explain the fact that you needed to explore the question of loneliness and the need for companionship at this moment of your life? |
[06:58.838] | AVC: Umm ... no ... things just ... happened. |
[07:06.706] | It was meant to happen. |
[07:09.696] | It was simply time, |
[07:11.663] | I guess. |
[07:14.534] | A natural consequence of the things that had happened before. |
[07:19.902] | I don' t wish to appear rude, |
[07:21.328] | but I really cannot be more specific. |
[07:24.885] | After all, the details are really nobody' s business. |
[07:31.241] | It' s just ... when I left the, |
[07:35.840] | umm, " other side" to put it this way to reenter the ordinary world, |
[07:44.968] | which I had abandoned so many years ago, |
[07:48.645] | I was instantly reminded why I had left in the first place. |
[07:53.457] | I just didn' t belong here, |
[07:56.373] | I had no part in this. |
[07:58.126] | No place in it. |
[08:02.555] | It' s one thing to be alone on the other side, |
[08:05.591] | where there are creatures, |
[08:08.138] | things, you can surround yourself with ... |
[08:11.240] | or even create to a certain extend ... |
[08:14.969] | but being alone in the hostile ordinary world ... |
[08:19.077] | well, that is different, and I cannot recommend it. |
[08:23.999] | So, my first reaction was to turn around on the spot and go straight back into darkness, |
[08:30.525] | but ... I couldn' t ... not this time ... |
[08:36.403] | because that wouldn' t have solved anything. |
[08:39.442] | It would have meant stagnation, |
[08:42.329] | and, ultimately, death. |
[08:46.198] | So I kept on walking. |
[08:49.570] | And that was ... yes, |
[08:54.121] | almost two years ago now, |
[08:56.123] | and it' s kind of ... |
[08:58.853] | I hate the word amazing, |
[09:01.192] | I really do ... |
[09:03.501] | but, looking at it now, |
[09:07.489] | that' s really the best way to describe it ... umm, |
[09:11.303] | the things that happend in those two years, |
[09:15.919] | I honestly would never have guessed could happen. |
[09:18.922] | I really thought that they would never even be possible. |
[09:27.508] | number three: |
[09:30.849] | Where did the idea to record a cover version of La Prima Vez come from? |
[09:39.897] | AVC: Oh, the idea? |
[09:41.938] | Uff, I don' t know. |
[09:43.391] | It just developped, |
[09:45.435] | as it is with art. |
[09:46.938] | You know, it grows. |
[09:52.045] | But what I can tell you where I encountered this song for the first time. |
[09:58.359] | I was watching Wim Wenders' dancefilm PINA, |
[10:04.062] | and on the songtrack there is a version of that song by ... umm, |
[10:07.799] | gawd, what' s his name ... Logan 5 ...? |
[10:14.326] | No, wait ... Owain Phyfe ... feifei? ... |
[10:24.826] | I don' t know, whatever his name is pronounced. |
[10:30.468] | I had never heard it before, |
[10:32.314] | but I immediately liked it. |
[10:34.936] | It had a beautiful melody, |
[10:36.513] | and that' s what drew me to it, |
[10:38.008] | that' s what caught my attention ... |
[10:40.268] | and, as it is often the case with these things. |
[10:44.331] | Sometimes, you may not neccessarily know what it is at first, |
[10:50.675] | the thing that attracts your attention. |
[10:54.795] | Quite often it' s entirely subconscious. |
[10:56.730] | But once you take a closer look at it, |
[10:59.385] | you see what connects you to it. |
[11:03.062] | You see the relevance it has for you. |
[11:06.813] | number four: |
[11:10.762] | I have to ask you the same question for " Bang Bang" |
[11:14.402] | why did you chose this song? |
[11:18.892] | AVC: To be perfectly honest ... |
[11:22.008] | I cannot remember. |
[11:24.255] | I really can' t remember what gave the impulse ... |
[11:29.869] | and that is actually a good thing, |
[11:31.417] | because it means that the problem ... |
[11:33.741] | or inner conflict, |
[11:35.316] | if you wish ... has be solved ... |
[11:38.284] | dissolved. |
[11:43.041] | It' s a strange song to begin with. |
[11:45.354] | Silly even in the original. |
[11:47.419] | I mean, it was written by Sonny Bono ... |
[11:51.149] | but for whom exactly I don' t even know. |
[11:53.972] | Either Nancy Sinatra or Cher. |
[11:57.417] | I don' t know who came first. |
[12:01.612] | Iit doesn' t really matter, |
[12:04.150] | anyway. Both versions are great. |
[12:05.740] | Actually, Cher has many great songs. |
[12:09.677] | I mean, " Gypsies, tramps thieves" is fabulous ... |
[12:16.458] | but, of course, I cannot do that. |
[12:17.720] | I mean, |
[12:18.346] | for one the music sounds kind of like SOPOR anyway ... |
[12:23.314] | to a certain degree, |
[12:25.100] | so that would be pointless. |
[12:26.776] | And, let' s face it, |
[12:29.641] | I wasn' t born on the waggon of a travelling show. |
[12:34.115] | Thank goodness for that. |
[12:38.483] | But back to BANG BANG ... |
[12:41.121] | yes, it' s a bit of a strange song ... |
[12:42.636] | and, in my case, |
[12:44.307] | it doesn' t just refer to one particular thing or person, |
[12:48.987] | and even keeps changing perspective. |
[12:51.971] | It' s more about a state of mind, |
[12:57.159] | if you wish. |
[12:59.601] | A neurotic notion ... a dependency ... |
[13:03.216] | the sort of thing I dealt with on the Triptychon of Ghosts. |
[13:09.033] | The interesting thing for me, |
[13:10.719] | however, was that initially I thought I would ... |
[13:14.086] | well, maybe not mock it, |
[13:15.664] | but be kind of ironic about it. |
[13:19.380] | Basically like I did it with Bonnie Tyler' s " Holding out for a Hero". |
[13:25.869] | But when I was in the studio I couldn' t do it like that. |
[13:31.564] | I had to do it seriously. |
[13:33.903] | It was the only way. |
[13:36.366] | And it makes sense, because there is no irony on the album at all. |
[13:40.994] | And that' s actually a thing that Mitternacht has in common with Poetica. |
[13:46.816] | number five: |
[13:49.915] | Do you consider " Confessional" the heart of the album? |
[13:57.962] | We can understand the chorus, |
[13:59.933] | the mantra of the song, |
[14:01.275] | in a lot of different ways. |
[14:03.005] | Is that a form of supplication? |
[14:09.319] | AVC: Yes, |
[14:10.067] | it is the heart of the album ... |
[14:11.827] | and THANK YOU for recognising ... |
[14:15.134] | and yes, |
[14:16.568] | you may very well call it a prayer. |
[14:20.755] | number six: |
[14:24.258] | Is the albumtitle " Mitternacht" a reference to the heart of the night, |
[14:29.771] | the symbol of the moments when the feeling of loneliness is at its strongest? |
[14:37.426] | AVC: Yes. |
[14:39.566] | It' s like a Dark Night of the Soul. |
[14:45.757] | number seven: |
[14:47.742] | When you sing ? Beautiful?, |
[14:49.797] | do you think about someone in particular? |
[14:53.970] | AVC: Sorry, but that I cannot tell you. |
[15:01.033] | But, it is more than meets the eye ... |
[15:05.024] | it' s a little more complex than it might appear at first glance. |
[15:11.578] | It seems to be very simple ... |
[15:13.464] | and it is simply ... |
[15:15.523] | but it' s not onedimensional. |
[15:23.353] | number eight: |
[15:26.350] | You sing in a totally new way on certain songs like ? |
[15:32.949] | You cannot make him love you? for example. |
[15:36.221] | Could you tell me more about this experience of the voice recordings of MITTERNACHT? |
[15:46.296] | AVC: There is nothing to tell, really. |
[15:49.509] | Recording the vocals was the same as always. |
[15:53.377] | You' re in the studio and then ... you do it. |
[15:58.372] | If it sounds different than how I usually sound which I don' t actually think it does it because the song, |
[16:09.414] | the content, demanded it. |
[16:12.898] | number nine: |
[16:15.965] | Do you think that the " quiet" feeling of the album is due to the totally new way that you had to deal with your energy, |
[16:22.623] | as you explained on your homepage? |
[16:26.811] | AVC: No, it has nothing to do with that ... |
[16:29.170] | because I do not write the music in the studio. |
[16:31.900] | When I go the studio, |
[16:33.188] | as in when I rent studio time, |
[16:35.798] | it means that the music is already completed. |
[16:38.512] | Well, in theory anyway, |
[16:40.812] | because it obviously still needs to be recorded. |
[16:42.433] | But the writing is done. |
[16:46.422] | Though, admittedly, |
[16:47.516] | it' s never written in stone, |
[16:50.265] | and there is always room for chance ... |
[16:54.918] | fate, you might call it. |
[16:59.197] | Sometimes things that suddenly fall into place. |
[17:03.707] | And then, |
[17:07.066] | yes, there are the vocals, of course. |
[17:08.721] | I never know in advance what is going to happen there, |
[17:11.833] | because ... as you know ... |
[17:14.394] | there are no rehearsals. |
[17:17.761] | Would you say... oh question number ten: |
[17:23.689] | Would you say that this album is " quiet", |
[17:26.115] | because you are in a quieter moment of your life? |
[17:31.860] | AVC: Perhaps, yes. |
[17:34.677] | number eleven: |
[17:36.968] | Music box and theremin have become an essential part of your music |
[17:42.097] | how would you explain this? |
[17:44.031] | Now, I feel that those instruments are SOPOR AETERNUS |
[17:49.505] | AVC: Yes, indeed they are, |
[17:50.444] | aren' t they?! |
[17:51.693] | I agree. |
[17:53.281] | I have talked about the theremin or theremin inspired sound before, |
[18:06.554] | as in it being this beautiful bridge between the " cold" synthesizers and the warm violins. |
[18:13.559] | And, yes, |
[18:14.897] | there is something quirky and childlike thing about the musicbox ... |
[18:25.325] | and all those percussive plingplong instruments that keep haunting my albums, |
[18:30.812] | like the toy piano, for example. |
[18:34.571] | ...... |
[18:53.509] | When the album was recorded, |
[18:56.036] | it slowly dawned on me that the damn toypiano is in every bloody song. |
[19:02.071] | Well, at least on the first half of the album. |
[19:04.665] | And, admittedly, |
[19:07.136] | I did worry for a second, |
[19:09.191] | thinking " have I perhaps overused this?". |
[19:13.795] | But ... well ... |
[19:14.959] | there was nothing to be done about it. |
[19:16.394] | That' s just how it was, |
[19:20.457] | and how it has to be. But then again, |
[19:23.952] | I always worry. |
[19:25.527] | I can' t help that. |
[19:29.190] | Twelve. |
[19:33.979] | Is the perspective of releasing MITTERNACHT harder than it was with the previous albums? |
[19:41.829] | You explained on your homepage that " it has to be done", |
[19:47.396] | but the sharing of this work seems particularly delicate for you why? |
[19:55.182] | AVC: Because... |
[19:59.351] | Well, you have to understand that what you hear, |
[20:05.325] | when you listen to a SOPOR album, |
[20:08.440] | is not what I hear. |
[20:11.840] | Remember that the music is like a byproduct, |
[20:17.144] | a waste product, almost, |
[20:19.176] | of a psychospiritual process and of magical work. What you get is only the endproduct. |
[20:30.156] | Meaning, when you listen to a SOPOR album, |
[20:33.619] | you only hear the " stories" ... |
[20:37.520] | whereas when I listen to it, |
[20:39.794] | I see and relive all the events that have led to this album. |
[20:47.244] | So, what I am trying to say is, |
[20:49.959] | it may very well be that what you hear is just a nice collection of singles with lyrics that may not neccessarily make any sense ... |
[21:02.875] | whereas for me, |
[21:04.344] | who has all the keys to its I almost said " symptoms"... |
[21:09.519] | to all its symbols, |
[21:13.031] | it' s incredibly intimate and revealing. |
[21:18.912] | I feel naked and vulnerable. |
[21:26.511] | Why does it seem more delicate to me this time than with the previous albums? |
[21:34.497] | Well, |
[21:36.103] | probably because I actually was naked... |
[21:39.791] | and wounded. |
[00:00.000] | 现在是凌晨两点啦~ |
[00:02.273] | 9月19日星期五 |
[00:06.673] | 2014年 |
[00:08.839] | 这是obskure杂志的23号采访 |
[00:14.651] | 问题来自塔西先生,嘻嘻 |
[00:22.139] | 问题一: |
[00:26.550] | 您在您的官方主页里提到的《午夜》和《诗意》显得益彰甚至有某种“关联” |
[00:34.602] | 这让我想起了在《诗意》发布那会你跟我说的话 |
[00:39.002] | 这张专辑是你创作的爱伦坡 |
[00:41.664] | 也是对爱伦坡的致敬 |
[00:44.604] | 《午夜》之所以和《诗意》关系密切是因为它有独特的自传性质吗? |
[00:51.466] | 嗯,我认为《午夜》和《诗意》是一体的(下文的安娜均称AVC) |
[01:04.290] | 好吧,某种程度上来说 |
[01:06.783] | 嗯没错,《午夜》是我的自传 |
[01:13.521] | 但是话说回来 |
[01:14.663] | 我的所有专辑 |
[01:15.971] | 都是我的自我写照 |
[01:20.838] | 一直以来我的创作都是为自己,别无其他 |
[01:23.632] | 我是说,记住Sopor永远只是自我疗伤罢了 |
[01:27.755] | 另外 |
[01:33.071] | 那些有抱负的创作者被灌输的最重要的一点是什么? |
[01:36.618] | 就是去坚持那些......嗯,你了解的东西 |
[01:39.952] | 就我个人而言吧 |
[01:43.481] | 一直以来我真正明白和了解的 |
[01:47.175] | 不管怎么说吧,也确实是自己本身 |
[01:52.116] | 嗯所以,我的所有作品都是彻头彻尾的自传 |
[01:55.189] | 包括《午夜》 |
[02:00.061] | 另外我认为这两张专辑属于一体的另一个因素 |
[02:05.571] | 好吧,也不说一体 |
[02:07.436] | 就是映衬的如此密切 |
[02:10.466] | 是因为其中一个与另一个的产生非常贴切 |
[02:16.717] | 这个我虽然曾经说过 |
[02:17.658] | 不过每张专辑并不仅仅因前一张专辑产生 |
[02:26.643] | 可是前者可以作为一个前传去创作下一张 |
[02:33.741] | 《诗意》的问题呢 |
[02:40.092] | 它在一个非常悲伤的点落下休止 |
[02:45.177] | 我本不该那么做 |
[02:51.812] | 你懂的,在16岁的时候绝望可能会赐予浪漫色彩 |
[02:57.140] | 从某种扭曲审美来说是这样子叭 |
[03:00.417] | 不过相信我 |
[03:01.470] | 换我在那个年纪绝对不会有任何浪漫色彩 |
[03:05.884] | 实话说吧 |
[03:06.817] | 我很惶恐,很害怕 |
[03:09.995] | 我不能就此将其了解 |
[03:12.869] | 让那悲伤的音符久久徘徊 |
[03:18.891] | 永远回荡 |
[03:21.744] | 而非将其易除或者重新改写 |
[03:29.325] | 因为我觉得酱紫我发进行下去 |
[03:35.731] | 不能允许它的存在 |
[03:39.327] | 因为我,挺慌的 |
[03:47.281] | 这将会是我的创作终结 |
[03:49.835] | 必须找到一个解决方案 |
[03:51.897] | 尽快 |
[03:55.828] | 这解释了为什么我曾受到巨大压力 |
[04:05.004] | 这还解释了 |
[04:07.425] | 这张专辑曾(现在也是)变得对我至关重要 |
[04:15.458] | 事实上 |
[04:17.659] | 这事令我无法释怀 |
[04:20.526] | 鉴于我过去专辑的内容 |
[04:26.104] | 但我不曾记得我对之前的专辑有任何紧迫感 |
[04:33.139] | 也许我忘了 |
[04:35.027] | 这也正是我想做的 |
[04:39.082] | 哎呀!人家又在絮絮叨叨啦! |
[04:41.545] | 不过对我来说 |
[04:46.194] | 艺术与生活二者不可缺一 |
[04:51.402] | 我相信对于每个艺术家 |
[04:53.793] | 真正意义上的艺术家 |
[04:54.618] | 不考虑天赋和才华 |
[04:57.320] | 嗯都是这样子认为 |
[04:58.162] | 说真的,他们不可或缺 |
[04:59.481] | 怎么能够呀? |
[05:01.383] | 生活和艺术是一体哒!! |
[05:03.567] | 它们是相同的东西 |
[05:05.928] | 互相影响 |
[05:07.276] | 共同相连 |
[05:10.359] | 因为它们同根生 |
[05:17.959] | 所以呢,我正尝试去寻找 |
[05:22.358] | 我的处境emmm |
[05:25.916] | 解答的时候我遇到了更大的困境 |
[05:30.163] | 我觉得这简直真TM是异想天开!!! |
[05:32.157] | 我本想做出更好的改变 |
[05:34.804] | 结果适得其反 |
[05:40.089] | 很长时间我就没有感受到此般痛苦 |
[05:45.088] | 那段时间我都哭着回家 |
[05:50.338] | 就在这光天化日之下 |
[05:53.307] | 那些日子都还好啦 |
[05:54.853] | 坏点儿的话我连床都下不了 |
[06:02.168] | 不过 |
[06:02.655] | 有些日子还是有必要的 |
[06:04.835] | 重申一下,这可能对一些人来说很奇怪 |
[06:10.976] | 不过我永远对此心怀感激 |
[06:15.007] | 我学到的不仅是我之前未经历过的 |
[06:27.872] | 而且还是我认为不可能发生的 |
[06:31.304] | 诚然,那是痛苦的记忆 |
[06:35.450] | 不过也很有趣 |
[06:39.430] | 充满了教育意义 |
[06:43.392] | 问题二: |
[06:46.467] | 如何解释你当下的生活状况?在解决孑然一身的孤独和对伴侣的需求方面? |
[06:58.838] | 喵~并不,事情总是自然而然的发生了 |
[07:06.706] | 该来的总会来的 |
[07:09.696] | 这就是时间本质吧 |
[07:11.663] | 我猜。 |
[07:14.534] | 一连串自然事情的来龙去脉 |
[07:19.902] | 我并不想表现的无理 |
[07:21.328] | 但是我不能说太细 |
[07:24.885] | 毕竟很多细节无关他人之事 |
[07:31.241] | 只是,当我离开 |
[07:35.840] | 呃,“另一边”(姑且那么形容)的时候重新回到我摒弃多年的大众世界 |
[07:44.968] | 很多年前我就放弃了 |
[07:48.645] | 我只是无数次疑问自己为什么一开始要选择离开 |
[07:53.457] | 我只是不属于这里 |
[07:56.373] | 了无牵挂 |
[07:58.126] | 毫无一席之地 |
[08:02.555] | 反过来说只要在另一个世界 |
[08:05.591] | 那里有各种奇珍 |
[08:08.138] | 异宝环绕着你 |
[08:11.240] | 或者凭空创造一个 |
[08:14.969] | 但在这充满敌意的世界 |
[08:19.077] | 好吧这不一样,我不推崇这个 |
[08:23.999] | 所以我的第一反应还是继续回到黑暗里去 |
[08:30.525] | 但这次,这次我还做不到 |
[08:36.403] | 因为这暂时解决不了任何原因 |
[08:39.442] | 那将意味着停滞 |
[08:42.329] | 最终意味着死亡 |
[08:46.198] | 所以我不会放下脚步 |
[08:49.570] | 但那是,嗯 |
[08:54.121] | 差不多两年前吧 |
[08:56.123] | 就是有点.... |
[08:58.853] | 我有点厌恶“奇妙”这个词 |
[09:01.192] | 真的 |
[09:03.501] | 但现在回想起来 |
[09:07.489] | 这真的是描述它的最好方式,嗯 |
[09:11.303] | 两年前所发生的 |
[09:15.919] | 老实说吧,这事我还从没预料到 |
[09:18.922] | 我真以为他们不可能发生 |
[09:27.508] | 问题三: |
[09:30.849] | 录制《La Prima Vez》封面版的主意从何而来? |
[09:39.897] | 噢,主意? |
[09:41.938] | 呃呵,我不懂 |
[09:43.391] | 它只是刚开始发展起来吧 |
[09:45.435] | 就像艺术也是如此 |
[09:46.938] | 你知道的,它会茁壮成长 |
[09:52.045] | 但是我能告诉你我第一次听到这首歌是在哪里 |
[09:58.359] | 我在看维姆文德斯(1945年8月14日出生于德国杜塞尔多夫,导演、编剧、制作人)的舞蹈电影《PINA》的时候吧 |
[10:04.062] | 在歌轨上也有这么一首同名曲吧,嗯 |
[10:07.799] | 天哪,他叫啥名字来着...罗根5?哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈!!! |
[10:14.326] | 噢不还是叫,奥瓦恩菲菲??菲菲?嘻嘻 |
[10:24.826] | 呃我不懂,不管他叫啥名字 |
[10:30.468] | 我从未听过 |
[10:32.314] | 但是我一听就知道听对了 |
[10:34.936] | 它的旋律优美 |
[10:36.513] | 这也是吸引我的原因 |
[10:38.008] | 所以彻底引起了我的注意 |
[10:40.268] | 而且事情不都这样子吗 |
[10:44.331] | 有时候,你确认了一眼不知道它是个啥 |
[10:50.675] | 吸引你注意力的东西 |
[10:54.795] | 很多时候它完全靠潜意识 |
[10:56.730] | 但是你一仔细察言观色 |
[10:59.385] | 你就会看到你是怎么与它联系的 |
[11:03.062] | 你就会知道它对你有多重要 |
[11:06.813] | 问题四: |
[11:10.762] | 我还是要问你关于《Bang Bang》的问题 |
[11:14.402] | 你为何会选择这首歌? |
[11:18.892] | 实话说吧 |
[11:22.008] | 我记不得了 |
[11:24.255] | 我真记不得是什么冲动 |
[11:29.869] | 不过这也是一件好事 |
[11:31.417] | 不过这也意味着问题 |
[11:33.741] | 或者内心的矛盾 |
[11:35.316] | 如果你想,那么就解决了 |
[11:38.284] | 瓦解了 |
[11:43.041] | 一开始这首歌很奇怪 |
[11:45.354] | 即使原著里也有点傻 |
[11:47.419] | 我意思是,这是桑尼博诺写的 |
[11:51.149] | 到底为了谁我不知道 |
[11:53.972] | 不是南茜辛纳特拉就是雪儿(二者都是著名演员及歌手) |
[11:57.417] | 不知道首先是谁 |
[12:01.612] | 这不重要 |
[12:04.150] | 不管怎么说,两个版本都很棒 |
[12:05.740] | 事实上雪儿有着很多伟大歌曲 |
[12:09.677] | 我是觉得《吉普赛人流浪汉及小偷》太棒啦 |
[12:16.458] | 但是呢,当然我不能这么说 |
[12:17.720] | 我是说 |
[12:18.346] | 首先歌听起来比较像Sopor |
[12:23.314] | 某种程度上吧 |
[12:25.100] | 所以这毫无意义 |
[12:26.776] | 还是面对事实 |
[12:29.641] | 我不是在巡回表演的马车上诞生的 |
[12:34.115] | 可真是谢天谢地 |
[12:38.483] | 但是回到《Bang Bang》的问题 |
[12:41.121] | 嗯,这是一首奇怪的歌 |
[12:42.636] | 也就对我而言 |
[12:44.307] | 它不仅仅指某件事物或者人 |
[12:48.987] | 甚至不断改变观点 |
[12:51.971] | 更多的是一种精神状态的表现 |
[12:57.159] | 若你愿意 |
[12:59.601] | 一种神经质的想法,一种依赖 |
[13:03.216] | 我在Triptychon of Ghosts.略讲过一二吧 |
[13:09.033] | 对我来说有趣的是 |
[13:10.719] | 不过我一开始以为我会..... |
[13:14.086] | 呃,这也许不算嘲笑 |
[13:15.664] | 但是有点讽刺 |
[13:19.380] | 就像我与邦尼泰勒坚持“为英雄挺身而出”那样 |
[13:25.869] | 但是我在录音室期间我做不到 |
[13:31.564] | 我不得不认真做这事 |
[13:33.903] | 这事唯一的办法了 |
[13:36.366] | 这是有理有据的,因为这张专辑没有任何讽刺意味 |
[13:40.994] | 这实际上是《午夜》和《诗意》的共同点 |
[13:46.816] | 问题五: |
[13:49.915] | 你认为《忏悔》是专辑核心吗? |
[13:57.962] | 我们能理解合唱部分 |
[13:59.933] | 这首歌的咒语 |
[14:01.275] | 有不同的形式 |
[14:03.005] | 这也算是一种恳求吗? |
[14:09.319] | 嗯是的 |
[14:10.067] | 这正是专辑核心 |
[14:11.827] | 感谢你的观点 |
[14:15.134] | 嗯是的 |
[14:16.568] | 你可以称之为祈祷 |
[14:20.755] | 问题六: |
[14:24.258] | 专辑起名《午夜》指的是夜晚的实质吗 |
[14:29.771] | 孤独感飙升时刻的一种象征? |
[14:37.426] | 是哦 |
[14:39.566] | 就像是灵魂黑暗之夜 |
[14:45.757] | 问题七: |
[14:47.742] | 当你唱起《美丽》的时候 |
[14:49.797] | 你会特别考虑别人吗? |
[14:53.970] | 抱歉,我没法告诉你 |
[15:01.033] | 但这不仅是眼见为实 |
[15:05.024] | 这比乍看上去要复杂许多 |
[15:11.578] | 看起来虽简单 |
[15:13.464] | 但简单不是 |
[15:15.523] | 没有任何深度的 |
[15:23.353] | 问题八: |
[15:26.350] | 你会用一种全新的方式翻唱一首歌么? |
[15:32.949] | 比如《你不能让他爱你》? |
[15:36.221] | 你能告诉我更多关于《午夜》的录音经验吗? |
[15:46.296] | 这真没啥好说啊 |
[15:49.509] | 录音和往常一样 |
[15:53.377] | 你在录音室,然后,你去试试啊 |
[15:58.372] | 如果它听起来和我往常听得不一样(实际上我都不这么认为)因为这首歌 |
[16:09.414] | 内容上嘛,要求.... |
[16:12.898] | 问题九: |
[16:15.965] | 你认为这张专辑的“安静”是你必须养精蓄锐的新方式吗? |
[16:22.623] | 就像你在你主页解释那样? |
[16:26.811] | 不,这没啥关系 |
[16:29.170] | 因为我不是在录音室里写歌 |
[16:31.900] | 当我去录音室吧 |
[16:33.188] | 就像我租录音室那段时间 |
[16:35.798] | 就意味着音乐即将彻底完成了 |
[16:38.512] | 嗯,理论上说 |
[16:40.812] | 因为它显然还是要记下来 |
[16:42.433] | 因为写作已经收工了 |
[16:46.422] | 不过,无可否认 |
[16:47.516] | 从来不会依靠石头写作 |
[16:50.265] | 总是会有机会的余地吧 |
[16:54.918] | 命运,你可以这样称呼它 |
[16:59.197] | 有些事情会突然发生 |
[17:03.707] | 而后呢 |
[17:07.066] | 嗯,当然也有演唱 |
[17:08.721] | 你从不知道那里会发生什么 |
[17:11.833] | 因为啊....如你所知 |
[17:14.394] | 那里没人排练的 |
[17:17.761] | 你接下来会问.........噢,问题十: |
[17:23.689] | 你会说这张专辑很“安静”吗? |
[17:26.115] | 因为你正处于生命中最安静的时刻? |
[17:31.860] | 也许吧,嗯 |
[17:34.677] | 问题十一: |
[17:36.968] | 音乐盒已然成为你的音乐里的主要成分 |
[17:42.097] | 你会为何利用这个? |
[17:44.031] | 现在我觉得这些器乐演奏是永恒沉睡 |
[17:49.505] | 嗯,的确是 |
[17:50.444] | 不是吗????!!!!!!! |
[17:51.693] | 我同意 |
[17:53.281] | 我之前曾说过电子琴(或者激昂的电子琴) |
[18:06.554] | 因为它是这座美丽桥梁之间“冷”合成器的温暖小提琴 |
[18:13.559] | 嗯对 |
[18:14.897] | 音乐盒里有种古怪的孩子气 |
[18:25.325] | 还有些萦绕在我专辑里的敲击乐器 |
[18:30.812] | 比如玩具钢琴 |
[18:34.571] | (性感安娜在线娇喘) |
[18:53.509] | 当专辑尘埃落定了 |
[18:56.036] | 我渐渐意识到,没一首该死的歌里都有该死的玩具钢琴 |
[19:02.071] | 至少在专辑前半部分吧 |
[19:04.665] | 嗯,无可否认 |
[19:07.136] | 我确实有点担心了 |
[19:09.191] | 想着“我是不是把这个玩过分了”? |
[19:13.795] | 但,啊.. |
[19:14.959] | 这事也没啥的 |
[19:16.394] | 就酱紫叭 |
[19:20.457] | 以及它该是怎样,但话说噢 |
[19:23.952] | 我总是担心 |
[19:25.527] | 总是情不自禁 |
[19:29.190] | 问题十二 |
[19:33.979] | 发行《午夜》的前景比以前的专辑更难吗? |
[19:41.829] | 你在主页里说“必须做完” |
[19:47.396] | 但是这份工作对你来说很微妙噢,为什么? |
[19:55.182] | 因为, |
[19:59.351] | 好吧你得明白现在听到的 |
[20:05.325] | 当你在听我的专辑 |
[20:08.440] | 不是我所听到的那样 |
[20:11.840] | 记住,音乐就是个副产品 |
[20:17.144] | 一种消极产品,几乎把 |
[20:19.176] | 精神的过程和神奇的作品,你得到的只是最后的产品 |
[20:30.156] | 意思是当你听我的专辑 |
[20:33.619] | 你只听得出“故事” |
[20:37.520] | 换做我去听吧 |
[20:39.794] | 我看到并且重新度过了这张专辑的事情 |
[20:47.244] | 所以我想说 |
[20:49.959] | 可能你听到的是一首不错的曲子,歌词可能没有啥意义 |
[21:02.875] | 但对我来说 |
[21:04.344] | 谁拥有它的钥匙(差点说成病症了) |
[21:09.519] | 所有符号的钥匙 |
[21:13.031] | 这是令人难以置信的密切和启示 |
[21:18.912] | 我感受得出赤裸与脆弱 |
[21:26.511] | 为何这一次对我来说比以前的专辑更微妙? |
[21:34.497] | 嗯, |
[21:36.103] | 可能因为我当时不穿衣服 |
[21:39.791] | 受了伤 |