ORKUS
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1. Are you satisfied with your latest record, Killing Ages”?
Yes, I think that I’m quite satisfied. One always tries to go a few steps further on each album and to evolve as a musician. I believe that this has happened on ‘Killing Ages’.
2. What is the meaning of the album title "Killing Ages"?Life has always been hard and unfair for most people from the dawn of time. It’s the same now days but more in a different way. I believe that people are lonelier and more isolated today in their own way trapped inside negative thoughts and situations. People don’t share their inner world although they may seem to be having fun in a club next to you. What can I say, life stinks sometimes and maybe this is what makes it so attractive. We must all be strong! The album ‘Killing Ages’ is about this life and directed to a certain group of people who are not your average human beings. People who are in search of something more than meets the eye.
3. Please tell us something about the concept, or your ideas/stories to the new albumEach song on this album has its meaning and story behind it. Each song is a combination of feelings, notes and words. One may be based on something personal, on a friend or even on a film. In a certain way I feel like an observer. I think that altogether on a whole this album is harmonically complete without it being repetitive and this makes me quite happy.
4. Are there any songs you like most, or which have a special meaning to you?I usually don’t write songs without a particular reason and due to this fact I cannot choose a favourite. Each one has its own story and was written because this story had to be told. Each song has a special meaning to me and I could go on about each and every one but we would be here all day long…
5. The orchestral version of highway 666 is very interesting. Why do you make an orchestral version of this song?
This was something that happened at the spur of the moment. I am very fond of Jan and having played together many times I think he is one of the coolest guys I have ever met from the scene. Some ideas were born from the original mix. Listening to the sounds and details hundreds of times before the final mix I thought it would be a great idea to do an orchestral version as well. Jan has a great epic voice that I believe is perfect for the atmosphere of such songs.
6. In which way differs Killing Ages from your last Cds?’Killing Ages’ is definitely more complete and mature. The fact that I feel this way about this album is on its own an achievement considering that it isn’t too far away musically from our previous album.
7. Please tell us something about the song "The Christmas Song".First of all I would like to say that I don’t believe in organized religion. I believe that we all have an inner strength hidden inside us in our own way. Still, I totally respect all religions as long as they don’t insult my intelligence, personality and try to force their influence upon me. Sometimes extreme religious groups do this and it can be very annoying.’ The Christmas Song’ refers to the hypocrites of the world who in my case happen to be named Christians. If I lived in another country with another religion I would still feel the same way. I hate seeing so much misery and loneliness around me and at Christmas time being bombarded with the joy and spirit of the festive season. While some people are living on the streets cold and hungry the so called good Christians sit around a big table and eat ‘till they drop indifferently.
8. How would you describe your music and which kind of styles and influences does every band member bring to the table?I don’t really like to describe our music anymore as this is something that I stopped doing a very long time ago. I don’t think that labels and limits are useful for any of us. There is just good and not so good music! What can I say, our music is a mixture of dark, melancholy, dynamic and emotional rock (you asked for it.). My influences come from almost all the phases from the 60’s up until today. To be more precise of course: punk, metal, classic rock, gothic and Goth metal. From what I know the other guys in the band John and Elias are more into dark wave and gothic and Dimitri and Andy are more into gothic and metal and in general all forms of hard rock.
9.How do you create new songs? Who in your band writes the lyrics and how important are the lyrics for you? Do you think it is necessary to have political messages in the lyrics or is it more important to entertain the people?
I write the lyrics as well as the music in the band and I only do so when I have the inner need to do so. Out of bad habit even when I have the urge to express myself through a song I don’t do so if I am not certain that it will be released. This is probably a wrong concept of mine but I feel that a good song may be forgotten if it is never released and this brings me down. I believe that whatever one feels should be expressed either it is about love, a social message or anything that burns inside you. I don’t believe in just entertainment without any meaning, feelings and thought. We should feel, ache, laugh and try and take what we can from life i.e.: pain, joy sadness and pity and not just be like zombies.
10. Have you ever written and recorded a song in your native language?Yes, I recorded a demo around ten years ago more for experimental reasons. I never came close to doing anything with it. Greek is a wonderfully rich language to write in and I love expressing myself writing in it. If one knows it well and how to use it correctly it can be very uplifting. I have never felt this with music though as my influences have always been English songs. I feel more comfortable writing and singing songs in English rather than in Greek. I feel like the entire concept of expression changes and this makes me feel rather awkward.
11. Why do you called yourself The Illusion Fades? Is there a scecial sense behind this? And how did the bandmembers got to know each other?
Around 1990 we were looking for a name for the band and from what I recall after many names that came to our attention our first bassist John Noussias thought of this name. I found that it sounded so beautiful both in words and meaning that we stuck with it. Ion our keyboard player has been with the band since almost the beginning of the ‘Illusion Fades’. We have known each other for many years as we used to hang out at the same rock clubs. Dimitri our guitarist was a dj at a rock club where we met at a period of time that I was in search of Goth/rock/metal guitarist. Elias our drummer I have known for a very long time from events and Goth/rock clubs. He is a very devoted fan of gothic rock and dark wave. Andy our bassist is our newest and youngest member. With each passing day he has earned our respect and appreciation with his dedication to the band. I wonder if this is the case with us too?
12. Could you imagine a live without music? Do you always want to become a musician?Life without music is difficult, if not impossible. Music is the soundtrack of life. Even when I’m not listening or writing music I think about even in everyday simple things. From a very early age I had a very close relationship with music as a listener. It awakened emotions that I had never felt before so I think that it was just a matter of time or luck before I got involved in music. I am totally self-taught as I’m not a fan of studying at all. I can’t imagine myself doing something else so I guess I have always wanted to be a musician.
13. With whom do you want to work with (singer, musician or producer) and why?I most definitely would like to work with a well-known producer in the near future and this is because up until today I have been producing our music along with our sound engineer for the final result of an album. Although this is something that I enjoy of course as it is a very creative process it can also be very tiring at times. It would be nice to know that someone that you can trust completely can take your work further without you having that responsibility to bear as well. There are so many musicians that I would like to work with (I love many styles of music) that it would be unfair to just name a few.
14. After the release of your album, do you plan any gigs, as well in Germany?Our goal is to be able to get some gigs together in Germany soon. We love the devotion of the audience and the interest that the people show in our style of music. This is something that goes way back. We have some gigs lined up here in Athens for the time being. We love to travel overseas and to meet new cities and people from different countries so we hope to do so very soon.
15. Do you have any time for sightseeing while you are on tour?The truth is when you are on tour it is difficult to wake up early and go sightseeing. You can’t relax and enjoy the sights as you have a busy schedule. If you like the entire atmosphere of touring and all that goes with it you don’t really mind. You are on another trip on tour altogether. Of course there are some exceptions where you may steal some moments for yourself during the day but usually you must be dedicated to giving your best performance.
16. What was the funniest or most interesting gift you got from a fan?I can’t really remember something in particular as I don’t get many gifts from fans. I hope that this changes after this question.
17. Next year will be your 20th anniversary. Please tell us some funny and interesting stories of your band history.This may sound scary, but I feel that we are beginning now. It is funny just how quickly time goes by. Memories likes like scenes from a film remain like a dream.. Lots of interesting and funny things have happened to the band over the years. In 1995 on our way for a gig in a city outside of Athens I saw some posters with our name written ‘Veilusion Fades’. Another time in between a song a drunk Dutch middle-aged man came onto the stage and offered me a glass of whisky saying ‘play rock n’ roll’. Other things have also happened over the years
that I can’t recall right now from the past.Things is much calmer now.
18. What is the main reason to buy your new album?If someone wants to listen to something that matches with their own stories and feelings. If someone is interested in listening to loud sounds along with melody. If someone wants to escape from the monotony of everyday life then this is the album for you. Happy Listening.
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GOTHIC MAGAZINE
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1- Let’s start with a vacation-information: How is the weather in Greece these days?
As I’m writing to you now it is very cold for the usual Greek standards, around 4 degrees. I see from your question that Greece is known as a country for holidays and relaxation (this is perfectly natural to a certain point). I can tell you that in this day and age things are far from this picture. You can understand that this is not only because of the economic crisis around Europe. Of course you are all more than welcome here as when we go out clubbing we try and enjoy ourselves as much as possible with the help of many drinks…….
2- A Greece Gothic-Rock-Band… that sounds for the average German dark-music fan kind of unusual but interesting. Could you please describe a little what the dark and heavy scene in your country looks like?
From the end of the 60’s and early 70’s Greece had a large number of rock bands that are still around even today with a huge following. What I’m trying to say here is despite the classic picture that most Greek immigrants have given not everyone here is like that.(I’m not accusing anyone in any way and I don’t want to sound prejudged). Most immigrants are from small towns and villages and with them have brought their traditional culture wherever they go. Most people see this side of our country only. Unfortunately, from what I see even today a lot of the young generation of Greeks who live overseas listen to a lot of the junk that we have to put up with here.
In big cities around Greece there was always a thirst and passion for electric sounds. During the 80’s an underground scene of punk and new/ dark wave bands emerged and after 20 odd years or so a few of them are back. Of course metal has always been Greece’s strongest point in music overseas. A few gothic bands from the 80’s and 90’s were very creative a decade ago but they never got the credit they deserved in my opinion. During the past few years a lot of new Goth/rock/metal bands have emerged making the scene come alive again.
3- Where in Greece are the scene-centres? Which places would you recommend to foreign visitors?
I don’t know how this may sound to you (it sounds rather strange to me) there are a lot of clubs here in Athens for visitors to have a few drinks and listen to dark music. I don’t want this to sound like an advertisement but as I live in Athens I will give you a few names hoping I don’t forget any. “Dada, Underworld, Dark Sun, Second Skin and Rebound” A few that play metal and rock are “Revenge of Rock, Tithora, Jasmin, Poquito and Texas”
I just named a few that came to my mind right now and am pretty sure that I have forgotten a few.
4- Is it difficult for you to “survive” with your kind of music in your home-country?
I don’t want to lie to make the band sound like we are huge here and we earn a living through our music. The truth is it is impossible to survive here if you don’t have another job for a source of income. The guys and myself in the band do this because we are a bunch of crazy dudes who love music. There is no better satisfaction for me to feel the magic that unfolds through our music. This is a very difficult and rare emotion to describe and sometimes although we are a group of people this can become very personal.
5- When anyone who doesn’t know you hears you playing first, he probably would think of a more likely northern Dark-Rock-Band. Whom you are influenced by?
We have been listening to music from our youth and all of us have gone through many phases and of course have many influences. Personally, in the past I was hooked on classic gothic forms of music but as the years went by I started listening to heavier stuff like gothic metal and other styles of music too. I like to be open to all forms of music and whatever I believe is worth listening to. In my opinion music shouldn’t be categorized and should give people the freedom to listen to whatever makes them more fulfilled. Of course we all have personal favorites. During the past few years I have gone back to a lot of bands I listened to when I was a teenager including a many huge classic bands. How can one ignore masterpieces no matter what period of time they are from?
6- The band was founded in 1990, what means you are no freshmen anymore. How changed your style from the early days to now?
This is something that just happened, as I mentioned before, from what we have been listening to during the past few years. The Illusion Fades have never released an album because it should sound a certain way or because someone made us do it to sell more. The changes that have come about are always from within through our soul and knowledge. Of course many other bands that have been around for years we have many changes in our sound from our first album which is perfectly natural and healthy.
7- What themes do you inspire in text-writing in general and did especially when you wrote the songs for the new album?
Of course I am influenced by personal feelings that affect me both indirectly and directly on a philosophical level. I have always been interested in films. A film can always be a huge source of inspiration which on our new album is the case for a song. This has also happened on albums in the past. This is probably why I have always been interested in writing music for soundtracks but unfortunately this hasn’t happened yet.
8- Is there a song on the new album that has some special meaning to you?
Sorry if this sounds cliché but in all of our songs there are thorns that touch me deeply. I can’t say that I can separate one song to be special to me. There is one event that occurred on the night of Christmas with a middle-aged woman who forced her way into my car drunk because she had no-where to go. This made me think that “The Christmas Song” may have been prophetic. I wonder if this track had been written after this event would it have been different.
9- On the album you have some guests participating. Who will be to hear and how came these crossovers alive?
I have known Jan Kenneth Barkved from Elusive for quite a long time as we have played together 3 times. He is one of the coolest guys I have ever met. From what I recall after our last live gig together and after many many… beers one of us suggested we do a song together (I think it was Jan).That’s how “Highway 666” came about. There is another duet with a black metal female singer Tristessa from Astarte which I find very interesting and I think it was worth it.
10-You played at the WGT last year. Will there be more gigs in Germany this year?
10. We hope so as we love to come into contact with German fans as they are a dedicated audience. We find that we have a lot in common in music and a way of life. We would love to play WGT again as we have the best of memories both from the festival and the people.
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ZILLO
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1) Killing Ages“ is your 6th full-length album. How would you personally describe
I would say that the evolution we have made from our debut album is great.
Both the direction of the music and the personality of the composer have been
affected with the passing of time, in a positive way of course.
2) As I understand it, is „Killing Ages“ your first official release (in
Germany) through a label. What do you hope for and expect regarding this?
I truly believe that this cd has something really to say and will receive the
attention that it deserves by a certain group of people. It is a true cd that wasn’t
just made out of plain routine and I believe that the german audience will
appreciate and understand it. From what you can gather I am very fond of this
audience and am very happy that ‘Killing Ages’ will be released through a german
label.
3) Would you please allow us a view behind the lyrical themes of „Killing
Ages“?
The lyrical themes from this album are pictures accompanied by sounds from
parts of life. They talk about love and love in vein, loneliness and hypocrisy, lost
hopes and dreams and demons that chase restless minds.
4) One of your songs (a quite energetic one) is called the „Christmas Song“. Can you please tell us a few words about the content of that track? What
does Christmas mean to you?
When I was a child Christmas meant a lot to me just like it does to most people. Growing up it was just a holiday and an excuse to get drunk with a few friends. Today I honestly don’t know if it means something to me, just sadness and disappointment. All this hypocritical atmosphere can be very annoying. The opportunity for the so called Christians of the world to have fun as much as they can while other people are left without a plate of food or a friend is just so sad and unfair. The ‘Christmas Song is about all of this hypocrisy.
5) One of my fave tracks is „Highway 666“. How did this title come up?
When I was writing this song at the same time I was imagining it as a picture, as a video clip. Because I knew that it would be a duet with Jan I had a vision of an old car on a dark night driving recklessly on a narrow road towards a fire. I imagine that it is something like our life that is supposed to be heading towards hell although we are already there. This is why this road is called ‘Highway 666’.
6)How did it come up you worked with Jan Barkved and Tristessa and how did you experience these cooperations?
I have known Jan for quite a long time and we came up with the idea to do a song
together as we thought it would be fun and a great experience of course. I think
that the result of this collaboration speaks for itself. I have known Tristessa for a
shorter time but she is so sweet and open with her collaborations that I thought
that this would be a great change for the band. I am very happy that they are both
on our new cd as both songs were a wonderful experience.
7)For your last album you did a video clip („Dead White Snow“). Any plans
to do one or your new alsbum as well? Which track would/do you have in
mind for this?
We would love to do a video clip for our new album but unfortunately we
didn’t meet our deadline so we had to put this idea on hold for the time being. We
have been negotiating with a well-known greek underground photographer-
director for some sort of collaboration so hopefully things will move on very soon.
As for the song we are thinking of doing a video clip for the “13th Day” is most
probably going to be the one.
8) In 2007 you played your live debut in Germany at the WGT. How did
you experience this?
Our experience playing at WGT in 2007 was wonderful and even though we were
a support band the people there showed us a great interest, something that touched
us deeply. Agra was a great stage and we really enjoyed our stay in Leipzig very
much. We would love to do it again.
9) What’s on your schedule for the near future? Any plans to tour in
Germany?
Any cooperations with other bands coming up?
We don’t have any tours or festivals overseas planned just yet but we are working on it as we enjoy doing this very much. Some shows in Athens will take place for the time being. At the moment there are no collaborations with other bands but on our next album there may be. It is always beautiful working with people you feel comfortable with. It keeps you healthy. We want to keep doing as many things as we can possible and take advantage of time. Personally, I don’t know if I could live without music as I think it’s what keeps me alive. We hope to play in Germany again very soon.
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SONIC SEDUCER
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1. Why do you think, is there such a big Gothic/Underground-scene in Greece for the last 25 years?
I really don’t know why. From the 80’s here a big underground movement began because there was a need for many people to express themselves through this music. You know Greece has been stereotyped as a country of sunshine and all that goes with holidays and relaxation but things are not always what they seem. There are many tortured existences who feel different, feel like they don’t belong. I believe that in the past there was more faith and devotion towards the scene. Nowadays, just like all over the world, everything is more superficial than back then. Things were more pure then. What I’m trying to say here is that today it’s more to do with the image than to do with the soul.
2. In Turkye for example, even in istanbul, there is not that much Gothic happening. Seems, the Goth movement hast to do something with religion … Are you christian?
Just like all greeks I was raised as a Christian but from a certain age I realized through personal inner quests that nothing is certain. There are so many religions and dogmas. I cannot place something so big within me in boxes as I prefer to stay in the doubt of freedom. I am not an antichrist but I certainly cannot call myself a Christian especially when I see so many negative things around me and so many hypocrites.
3. By the way why on my table there is right now lying a brandnew Gothic/Coldwave-LP by THE HANDS OF CAIN. Do you know them? They are from Greece as well; recorded songs from 1983-1985. Any other greek band you like to introduce?
No, I don’t know this band but as you mention these times I must let you know that there were many bands back then. Some of these bands even today are still quite popular within the underground scene. Bands from this period of time that I like are Flowers Of Romance, Genia Tou Chaos, Villa 21 just to mention a few. As for new greek bands there are many great ones around but unfortunately they fall into the trap of sounding like some other band, usually a big band. I believe that you should have an updated sound but with your own talent and rules.
4. What is your opinion about the Riots that were happening in greece a few weeks ago?
This is a very confusing and difficult story. It has to do with the police and with the wrong way that they deal with things, unemployment and in general the economic crisis and bad situations that exist. From what I hear and read a lot of things are happening around Europe lately as well. It is only inevitable that when people build up negative thoughts and feelings that they will react violently some time or other. I’m afraid that these people fall into the trap of these bad situations and are taken advantage of. This for me is the worst thing of all.
5. You are working with Illusion Fades for nealy 20 years now. Are you happy with your carreer in the musicbiz? Which were the worst mistakes you made?
What can I say, all I know is that I have made a few albums that I don’t feel bad about, a few collaborations that I’m happy with and a few great gigs over the years. In a nutshell that’s about it. I don’t know about a career but in simple words I definitely have the need for creation. As far as the mistakes I have made over these past 20 years with The Illusion Fades I’m not too sure that they could have been avoided. How can I see something that I began out of impulse and not just routine as a mistake? I always did what I liked, felt and what expressed me above all. If this is a mistake then ok.
6. Any plans for the 20th birthday next year?
6. We hope to be strong both in mind and soul and be able to create more music for the band. We also wish to play some gigs overseas (hopefully go on a tour).You know, my life in general more or less is a mess, but with The Illusion Fades I feel that we are now at a good beginning.
7. There was a big break in the years between 1997-2002 with Illusion Fades. Did you stop the band?
This period of time was a difficult time as I had some problems with our record label then so I decided to give the band a break for a while. I wanted some time for things to calm down. This break didn’t last very long as I couldn’t bear to be without music for too long. I made my own label and through this label I released the one and only cd “In Black”
8. Again, there was a longer break between “Psychoburn” and „Killing Ages“. Why? What did you do in those years?
Yes, there was a long break between these two albums and the reason for this is because the recording of “Killing Ages” took a rather long time. I had already signed a contract with a relatively well-known underground greek label at the time but Pandaimonium showed an interest in the band so I decided to get into contact with this label and negotiate some sort of collaboration. From what you can gather this took some time to sort out and programme so the release of this CD was delayed a little. I think it is worth the wait though.
9. Years ago you have been on tour with THE GUN CLUB… How did this work? They’re not really a Gothband… But, wonderful Patricia Morrison played bass, wasn’t she?
I think that around that time “The Gun Club” were not exactly at the highlight of their career. From what I recall even amongst themselves their communication was not the best. Of course there were some great musicians playing in the band then but unfortunately Patricia Morrison was not one of them. She had already left the band and in her place was a sensual Japanese bassist.
10. Anyway you played with STAR INDUSTRY, THE DAMNED and LONDON AFTER MIDNIGHT. I am really keen to hear some stories about those concerts. Anything to mention? Any gossip, scandals?
Playing with these bands was a great experience on its own but with “The Damned” it was something special. During sound check the wonderful Captain Sensible came up to us and introduced himself, he personally thanked us and then started chatting away. Dave Vanian was much more quiet saying a few but meaningful things. I also recall being on the side of the stage and during the encore Captain gave me his guitar as he wanted to throw up. Apparently, he had eaten some greek cakes (I didn’t quite understand exactly what though) with ouzo. We loved him all. With “Star Industry” we had some vague memories as I had already played with them once in Luxemburg when I was singing with another band for a while.
Unfortunately with “London After Midnight” we didn’t have the opportunity to say much but it was a great gig.
11. You played on WGT in 2007. How did you manage to get there? It is quit difficult for small bands to play there nowadays, I think. Did you enjoy this Wave-Gotik-Treffen? Have you been there before?
With WGT I merely sent our participation and we were invited to go play there, that’s about it. The people and audience there showed a true interest which is what matters most. It was a wonderful experience as the entire city lives and breathes around this festival for a few days. No, I hadn’t been there before but I would love to go again for sure. That city has something captivating and from what I remember it was very hot. Even hotter than Athens.
12. Something about the bonustracks on „Killing Ages“. I really like them – Not the usual crap you find at the end of some CDs… What is the concept behind this bonus-section? Why did you do a new version of “Light My Fire” from the album “In Black”? By the way, do you like The Doors?
Thank you very much for your good words. “Light my fire” from “In Black” (I believe that this is one of our best albums) is a special song to us and we wanted it to have a second life. It was also something that our fans had requested some time ago so we thought it would be a good idea for a new version. I’ve never been a big fan of “The Doors” but during the past few years I enjoy some of their songs very much.
13. For me it seems, that there isn’t enough money nowadays, because those bonustracks would have been a nice single. Did you ever think about some EBM/Industrial-Remixes of your stuff? Maybe it would work in the clubs … You are working as DJ Killing Ages, right? Anything to mention about that??
Yes, I agree that these bonus tracks would make a great single. On the other hand though we would like to give as much of “The Illusion Fades” as we can on one CD. As far as EBM/Industrial-Remixes are concerned this isn’t a bad idea for the future. As you can see we have already done this on a bonus track from “Killing Ages” and I find it very entertaining. I have worked as a DJ in the past for a short time but mainly for my personal satisfaction. I believe that a DJ has the role of an educator, he must surprise and attract the listener with something new and exciting. He shouldn’t be like a tape with the same things over and over again. This is the main reason why I probably didn’t follow this career.