Almost exactly two years ago I returned back in Berlin from my first trip and tour in Japan. This extreme yet invigorating two week action followed close on the heels of a previous month long Euro tour, and right before my firs trip to Colombia and Mexico for more gigs. At around this point I decided that having an apartment of my own was basically a waste of rent money and almost a joke, since I was spending a maximum of one week in my apartment a month. I packed up, moved to the artist community K:ITA in Friedrichshain, where I had a music studio and huge (unheated) room of my own to do as I please. Upon returning from Colombia, I decided to take the invitation to spend time on the WITTR farm in Olympia seriously and once again packed up everything of mine - excluding my DJ set and some clothes - setting out for an indefinite period of time.

The pseudo liberation of Olympia did not really gel with my usual state of being. The unshaven women and their tendency for dancing to 80's hits grated on my nerves. Of course I didn't travel there for a social life, otherwise I would have stayed in Berlin. I was there for the land, the incomparable nature of the North West. I even partook in my first ever camping experience at Mutant Fest, where I met a bunch of new friends/fiends and some old friends. Good times were had, I watched the process of the Wolves recording their last LP, got some music recorded, worked as a merch girl, toured California, and even tried my apocalyptic hands at gardening - much to some friend's dismay.

Four months in to my sabattical I moved my minimal set-up to Portland, where I made many aquaintances and even some real allies. During this time my artistic relationship with Seraph and Splendor blossomed, even though they were based in Seattle. My leather banner came into being under the intense workings of these two fine oracles. Those two months were filled with approx 15 metal shows, endless nights of total inebriation, debauch and ridiculous situations. I recorded a 15 minute piece which stills stands as one of my favorite piece I have ever recorded, and gathered much inspiration from all the sleepless nights. Once again my plan to rest and recover never seemed to fall into place however, I didn't give a fuck and just rode the waves of annihilation...

2009 brought more Euro travels, a wonderful 3 weeks in Vienna, and a couple dire months in the bitter cold winter of Berlin. Due to not having my own place for so long - I found it hard to center myself on recording or working and at times let this apathy get the best of me. My unforgettable stay in Bergen pulled me out of this mindset. I was able to start working on the new Zhark site, take care of the Hymen records debacle, write lyrics for the new Belphegor, write some new tunes of my own, and in my free time take in some hiking around a few of the seven hills that crest the sea on the West Coast of Norway. These two months really motivated me to get new works under way, and remain a turning point in my creativity and drive to get back into all of the facets of creation to which I am devoted. Whether painting, writing, or making music - my fire was lit once again.

From there a quick two month stay once again on the West Coast was needed to remind me of how much I do not really want to live in America, no matter how great some of my friends may be out there. Before my trip I was torn as to where to settle - a cross continental relocation starting to seem ridiculous when in all actuality Berlin is one of the best cities in the world for artists and musicians. I started my new band with Seraph, did Mutant Fest again, pissed off psuedo-witches by writing and screaming for Belphegor, and gathered the rest of my belongings to finally "come home" - get a "home" and settle in somewhere in Berlin... that is, after I completed the most intense live experience of my life at the Circus in Linz which had been booked four and a half years in advance.

Successfully completing the three day event in Linz, I returned to the German capital and immediately scored my own apartment from a good friend who wanted to go on the road for awhile. The planets aligned to grant me my own space and abode to get the new site in place, plan some up coming travels and rest - alone - in peace finally. Thanks to Akeem's help, the Zhark site was launched on time as well. Since September I have had some great gigs in France, Sweden, New York, Switzerland and Berlin. The Zhark International showcase went off like an atom bomb! Thanks to everyone who made it out to support our work and visions, your energy is as important as ours!

At the moment I will FINALLY take some time to finish off my next LP, work on more video experiments, get the next records properly distributed and stay on course with several collaborations. Bong-Ra invited me to record vocals on a couple tracks of the new White Darkness. If you are not familiar, this is the project the started the Roadburn Records label of with their debut release two years ago. Michael Ford of Black Funeral has now asked me to contribute some vocals on the next LP, and I have some other collabs to execute for my next LP which I would like to be finished by next February. So to sum it up, this life of extreme music and living has not treated me too bad, of course it takes its toll in one way or another. I feel like I can never get as much done as I would like, but I have tried as hard as I can. Without having a real employer to tell me what to do or when to do it, I can slip into phases of inactivity as far as music making goes - or I can over do it when it comes to playing out and partying. There is a fine balance which has been made much easier to deal with now that I have an apartment in a city with many friends and follow artists. Stay tuned for the new releases, projects and shows in the coming months - 2010 promises to unleash a lot more sonic mayhem!

Cheers and thanks to all of you for your support!

RHK

Thanks to Martin Schippan...



Hecate in Berlin (A Review)

On Wednesday the 25thand on Friday the 27th November the three- headed project HECATE played in the bar Knochenbox (Berlin - Friedrichshain) as well as in the other bar Raum18 (Berlin – Neukölln). This horde teams straightforward instruments with the crying voice of the breakcore artist Hecate with the intention to effect an shadowy atmosphere. So the acoustical aspect of the performance stands at the eye level with the sinister countenance of the vocal countess.
In the first location she stands with her two colleagues on stage and afflicts the room with a gloomy and tearing apart mood. She let awake the destructive impulses of the audience. The core of her performance is that she tackles the people with their own subconsciousness. You can search the reason for this confrontation in the content of the singing because she includes magickal and chaotical themes in her texts. So she has a satanic aura.
Most of the guests are only able to see a shadowed goddess in latex who cries in the room. So a drunken a hopped up guy who could not die die disturbs the performance dancing spastically. This was the sole problem of the situation. Despite of the presence of fucking idiots it was a successful evening. Hecate could express all her passion.

On the other evening she stands in front of a higher clientele. She does not appear as the standing aloof oracle but as an amazon who walks through the public. So she creates a circle around her in order to shelter herself and to shout at each person who was able to visit her. She wearied other clothes with the intention to give the situation a new nuance. Closing your eyes you are able to identify the destructive energy of music. You can describe it as as dionysian effect but you will be not able to express the music and crying in your own words. You can only experience the music. But on the other hand you are able to tell about the performance because Hecate is able to break out the mood in a new direction. She and her music are interweaved. If I had to express my personal view I would say that I prefer her second appearance. I am of this opinion because Hecate stands in a better relationship to the clientele. Moving in the circle she is more able to improve and unfold her grace and dignity. So with the best regards I wish the band and Hecate the success which they earn.

Here is a Hymn to Hecate that was written by my servant here in Berlin, an ode to the Goddess in all her heinous and splendid ways....
Once again - I am happy to be back in Berlin!




Hymn to Mistress Hecate

O Mistress, cruel Goddess
Of my Holy Graal.
I am praising you
In the secret of secrecy
In your name Hecate
The three-headed Woman
Of my sinister sense
I confess myself
Being your Servant
A bounded Slave
Of your horde
You whip me with Serpents
The welts on my neck
Showing no mercy
When you scowl at my face
With a sinister eye.
You handcuff my senses
While cursing my pride.
I work for you hardly
When I lay in your chains
So I worship you
With a passionate heart
As your Servant
But I enjoy all the time
Being under your control.

AgapeXI

SEPTEMBER 11th, 2009

Zhark International will be relaunched in the next few days, bringing back one of our favorite motifs in a whole new setting.  The new site will feature our first ever download compilation which was collected in honor of Zhark's XIII year anniversary.  The webshop will be updated regularly with all artist news and dates, free download features and more of our discography uploaded to the Mp3 store. 
Thankyou once again for your continued support!

Here is the upcoming compilation info...


Tracklisting

Bong-Ra - Fornication of the Horned
Valav - Svetpera
Dimentia - Tentacle Dreams
Uterozzzaaa -  Bad Messiah
NFX - Bones Decay
Bulkrate - Aiwass
Tomoroh Hidari - And the Moon Sends Out Her Skullkrushrays
Ratbag vs Hecate - Trial
Cannibal Brothers - Exzema
S/M - Codeine
Melanchoholics - Opium Beach Party
Nommo Ogo - Wereeel
Kanoptic Descent - Hymn of Ayin



H

Treachery LTD ed. SILVER vinyl out in October!

The relaunch of the Zhark site comes along with a special offering of the most malefic kind.  Starting things out right will be a special LTD ed of 250 silver 12" copies of the debut EP release of TREACHERY, which came out on CD last year on Czar of Crickets.
There will another 300 pressed on black vinyl for the unlucky ones who do not get these copies first!

OUR SPECIAL OFFER....!

Pre-Order now and get the silver, numbered LTD version in a high grade B/W cover at the low cost of 11 euros+shipping
We will include stickers and LTD liner notes in these versions.

email -

zharkint@gmail.com

or

christoph@zhark.org

for payment and shipping inquiries!



""More horror-drenched than any Hollywood scream flick could possibly imagine, Treachery's self-titled debut excretes primeval ferocity and calculated skill, suturing together blasts of musical extremity and vicious
attitude." - Exclaim Magazine

"Black metal has a strong connection to both the ambience and drone genres as it is basically just a step or two away from them, and they all draw heavily on atmosphere over technical skill. The self-titled first release from Treachery dabbles a little with all three types of sound, switching back and forth between them and frequently blending them together into something altogether different. While the length of the album is lamentably short, the music contained in the small run time is worth a listen for anyone who enjoys black metal that goes in distinctive or unusual directions." - Metal Underground

I Walpurgis Rites
II Hail The New Flesh
III The Crosses Made Of Bone
IV Reichswehr In Blood
V Der Geistertreiber
VI Veneratio Diaboli - I Am Sin
VII Destroyer Hekate
VIII Enthralled Toxic Sabbath
IX Hexenwahn - Totenkult

Hail Demons!


After my public display of disapproval at the way I was being treated by Hymen records, I successfully and immediately received the detailed statements and payment for all of your downloads.  Thanks for the support as always....

NEW MP3 SHOP COMING SOON

I have registered an account and am now in the process of ripping and uploading the entire catalog of Zhark International as well as my ENTIRE HECATE catalog - including all of my past and present side projects, remixes and exclusive tracks you will find no where else.

This is a time intensive process and will take the next few weeks to get up to
its optimum, but I will be posting the info and links soon as there is enough material up to open the shop.

NEW WEB SITE IN THE WORKS

Zhark International is undergoing a massive overhaul, as I work alongside
the designers at http://Scalp.de - who are responsible for the sites of Queens of the Stone Age, Scooter, Jay-Z, Bon Jovi and many others...haha... yes it is ironic but also a real pleasure to work with them.

STAY TUNED FOR THE RELEASE OF ALL THESE EXCITING CHANGES
WHICH WILL BE HITTING THE WEB IN THE COMING WEEKS.

Once again,
your enthusiasm, dedication and support has been integral to
my continued work and inspiration!

ciao!

Rachael/Hecate

Hails!

Thank you to everyone who has paid to download my releases from I-Tunes in the past year or so....  Unfortunately I have been unable to collect any money from the owner of Ant-Zen/Hymen since they have been uploaded.  I have not received one payment as of yet, although Hymen is collecting my money, and have forced him to cancel my agreement with I-Tunes and told him to pay me immediately.  I-Tunes has said it would take from 2 weeks to 3 months to remove the songs. 

Please stop downloading from them -
I will have a new webshop up and running in the next weeks and will notify all of you about this as soon as music is readily available and with direct payment to me,
not an untrustworthy record label.

Thanks for the continued support,

Rachael

Hails...


I finally came across the two videos I made while I was going to
a Digital Media school in Vancouver during 97-98...

This first one I ever made had a pretty silly intro, but the vid is cool,
it was for the first ever release of the all female label I started in 98.
This side project did not last more than 2 tracks, but it is still an alright track and I was almost killed by a train while shooting the video...




The next one "THE SHOCKING TRUTH" was my final project which featured my audio teacher as the High Priest (an actual practicing Thelemite in real life), William Gibson is in there somewhere when he came to the school to be interviewed for the sci-fi channel, and of course myself and some other freaks...




enjoy!

ciao!

H

This last trip to the West Coast of America presented me with a boundless array of creative and intensely esoterically inclined artists and freaks, who not only supported me but also served as true inspiration to my work and life.

One of my many infernally blessed friendships was struck-up online at first by two sincerely dedicated artisans who dwell in Seattle, which is about an hour from the farm where I was based over the summer.
Seraph and Splendor invited me to talk about a possible collaboration where they could create something for my stage set.  We quickly came to the decision that the best thing to make would be a banner, but of course this would be no ordinary piece.  When they were going through the list of materials they could make it from
and the word "Leather" was mentioned, the choice was not difficult to
make.  No words could describe how many times I was left speechless in
the entire process of this banner coming into being.



Before we all headed to see 1349 and Carcass in Seattle, they invited us to come and check out the final draft of the design, and showed me the entire cowhide and stingray leather they scored for its creation.  Once again I was dazed, almost dizzy from seeing how well Splendor had integrated the elements from my Hecate tattoo with the Star of Babalon.  Just seeing the paper draft was enough to make me
shudder.  From there we went on to enjoy the first of many Metal gigs
we have/will attend together....




On Halloween night the two demons graced my Portland abode with the final pièce de résistance.  No photos can transmit the overpowering smell of
fresh leather in such vast quanities... Nor can they transport the feel
or the physical strength of this masterpiece - which was once described
as "an esoteric relic from the future".....








I have not been playing many shows in Europe with it,  only 4 so far since the parties here are usually in places too fucked up and I do not want it trashed within a short time....  Plus the weight of vinyl, merch, my other leather (haha) and the additional banner has made packing for short term euro flights a bit of a quandry.




Obviously I have done one photo shoot with it, where Brian Eugene Snipes
and Myrk supplied a perfect attitude towards working with this symbolism. 





To Seraph and Splendor, no thanks can be enough, and unfortunately no words as well. I cherish both of you and all of your exquisite genius. 

Hails to you - Eternal!

By the way - I miss you all quite a bit and look forward to returning to the Northwest, where many more adventures and creations await!

Rachael


Here is some more information taken from their site - where they expand on what the impassioned process was like for themselves ....

"