AngelTheoryInterviewBeat

1. what are your thoughts on EBM as a genre? how about futurepop?

EBM as a genre to me is the basis of the every style we have in the dark electronic scene at this point, and that includes future pop.
Back when EBM first surfaced, there were few bands adopting the style of aggressive bass lines and vocals, with thumping drums. Now we have more bands than ever, taking this initial style into new areas like future pop, IDM, Industrial. Like any other style of music, it has to evolve or it will just run itself into the ground. Just look how rock has progressed from its first recordings with Elvis, to the many sub genres it has now.

2. how do you feel about EBM being linked so closely to the Goth scene?

The Goth scene has such an open view of dark music, than literally everything that is slightly a darker shade than pop, gets put in this basket. So it would be inevitable that EBM would carry the Goth label. I don’t consider myself Goth, as being Goth is more than just wearing black. Otherwise the link was inevitable I’d say.

3. what are your thoughts on the Goth scene and your relationship to it?

I very rarely goto clubs, so I can’t really comment on the scene itself. Goths themselves though, are amongst some of the nicest people you’ll meet, and have always been supportive with my live shows and sales. They are literally keeping most the dark electronic music scene afloat, so my relationship with the Goth scene is fairly close I’d say.

4. musically, what are your main influences both past and present?

I started listening to music as young as I can remember, and have always been obsessed with it; different styles and different ideas on song writing. Main influences from my past would be artists such as David Bowie, Kraftwerk, David Sylvian, Laurie Anderson, Depeche Mode, 70’s & 80’s pop the stuff I grew up with. While I still pull out these artists once in a while, these days I’m listening more dark electronic music than ever, Haujobb, Suicide Commando, Interlace, VNV Nation. I still leave room though for bands like Radiohead, Fear Factory and Nine-Inch Nails.

5. your lyrics are very emotional and clearly reflect part of your Private self - do you find it hard to write when you are happy?!

YES and NO !
What usually happens when I write is, Ill just have the inspiration to write some music, and this can happen at any time regardless of my mood. After the music is done, I then look at vocals. Here is where I make the human connection. That connection has to be real, otherwise people will not relate to what is being said. So I write from personal experience and hope this makes the connection I’m trying to achieve. Here I’m showing the “contradictory” aspects of what Angel theory is about. Combining the emotional with the mechanical, the harsh beats with beds of atmosphere, light and dark.

6. do you get inspired by other things - films, books, TV, current events?

Actually hardly ever…well none that I’m aware of. More than anything perhaps with movies, I’m influenced by their atmosphere. Look at a film like “Blade Runner”, there’s a very real sense of being, that really has you in the movie, almost like it envelops you. I like to achieve that with my music.

7. how does it feel to see certain types of electronic music so embraced by the Australian mainstream, but others - such as ebm - so ignored? what do you think needs to happen to change things?

Yeah that is a strange situation But I don’t think its really about it’s electronic nature, that is the issue, I think it has more to do with it’s dark nature. We all shy from what is feared, and I believe that also stretches out to the music we listen to. You can tell a lot about a person by the music they listen to. Whether the music is background, disposable, so something to really sink into. But having said that, not all EBM is about Death, (in fact not a great deal is), or being fearful. There are some incredible artists out there doing things way beyond the common consensus. My music can be dark, but it also has great crossover appeal with the main music market. Unfortunately that’s a hard nut to crack. But maybe that’s because the right kind of packaging hasn’t yet been put together.

What needs to change? Well, let me tell you short story, which I believe sums it up. I approached a very well known live venue in Prahran to see if I could get a gig there. I gave them copies of my releases, a short bio explaining the band’s history, which included the European tour and chart successes in three countries. A couple of weeks had passed and I heard nothing. I mentioned to a fellow “goth” muso mate, about wanting to play at the said venue, to which he replied, “when we tried to get a gig there, we were told, “We don’t want that Goth shit here”. Never got a call back either. Which just surprised me more than anything, that regardless of how successful I have been in Europe recently, I wasn’t given the chance to play outside the regular Goth clubs so I can widen my audience here in Australia.

What people don’t realize is that the EBM scene is huge in Europe. To the point where its in the Top 40 Alternative Charts. EBM sitting along side Radiohead, Placebo etc.
The USA where I’m headed to do some shows in April also has a thriving dark electronic scene. I think if it’s to be given a chance to grow here in Australia too, its awareness somehow has to be filtered into the mainstream.
But that too takes money, and small dark electronic labels just don’t have that kind of money about these days.

8.who would your dream song writing partner be? Which song do you wish you wrote?

Song writing partner in this genre would be “Daniel Meyer”, no competition there as far as I’m concerned.
Music in general; Neil Finn. The man is gifted.
A song that I wished I wrote though would be “Norwegian Wood” - The Beatles, and Bowie’s “Heroes”.

9. Covers - you've done the Bowie cover, why that particular song? What other songs would you like to cover?

I chose “fashion” because I had always loved the song, and felt it would make a great EBM track…it has that thumping kick going through it. I pulled the song apart, left bits out and made it into an Angel Theory track. I was very happy with it, so was the label, so we released it as a bonus track on the “Transmission EP”.
As far as other tracks go, I have a couple floating in my head at the moment, but what I find is I imagine them as Angel theory tracks and I think.. “Nah .. That will never work!