GOTHIC This band's been around for what seems forever. Unfortunately for me, I only discovered them a couple of years ago. Their mix of death metal and industrial just blew me away the first time I heard them, and now, I anxiously await their new CD "Criminal Art Motivations". Interview with The Xela When was Gothic first formed? What is the current line-up? THE XELA(X): It was in 1992 near Paris, I was only 11 years old. We started with me The Xela (bass/vocals), Goth (guitars/vocals), Rony (drums) and Wolf (second guitars). Since 1996 we stayed a 3-member band by Xela, Goth and a new drummer in the name of Wax (Da Killer Beat Man). After our first release Rony mysteriously disappeared in the summer of 1994. Have any of you been involved in other bands before starting Gothic? X: Not for Xela or Goth, but Wax played in several bands, some pretty great and some shitty . Me and Goth formed Gothic very young so…. You have a new CD coming out soon called "Criminal Art Motivation". When exactly will it be released? X: I think before the summer of 1999. It's totally killer. A lot of surprises and originality. More brutal, more heavy, more intense than ever!!! I hope this third assassination will have the same success as our "BCFEA" and "Prelude To Killing" CD's, but no doubt…it's a bomb coming from European death crushing underground! Which, if any, label will it be released through? Or are you self-releasing it? Any plans to shop it around for a record deal? X: We had some propositions here and there. But FUCK!! We prefer to stay on our MAFIA UNDERGROUND label because it rules, you know, by small budget, we manage to promote Gothic very well. Far countries like Colombia, Equador or Portugal and Poland are licensing our music because it's more convenient for us. Working by great independent labels like that, we have sold over 4,000 copies of "Prelude To Killing". No complaints! At the moment, which label would you most like to be signed to? Why? X: No one, because a lot of labels suck….and you can't fuck with Gothic! 100% free and independent music only. Will Did. S be producing again on the new album? X: Yeah, and Didier Tilli too. We know them for years and years, and it totally rules between us. Don't change a great crew like that. Between both Didier and Gothic there is a real feeling and it gives us something more for a death metal band. I noticed a lot more of an industrial/electronic sound on "Prelude to Killing" compared to "BCFEA". How much of that was the influence of Did. S producing the album? Were you planning on going that way with your sound before you entered the studio? X: Not really, in fact for electro or industrial touches, we do it during the mix. In general all people from the crew give some ideas and we keep the great ones and kick out the bad ones. As far as Did S.' influence on us, I can't really talk about influence but more about feeling on us, to play brutal death metal is interesting but we want more….we want to bring a new touch for the movement. Death metal must grow up if it's too survive to 2000 years. You know I believe Gothic give more than energetic and intense brutal death metal. We include industrial/electro influences as well but heavy metal too, because it's our culture. Will the new album continue in the more electronic vein? X: NO!!! No more, no less, only some touches here and there, but you will find some bizarre aspects like techno beats, but not like shitty fashion techno metal beats….No! Only the Gothic style for the best of death metal future. Do you listen to more metal or to more industrial/electronic music in your spare time? X: Goth have industrial and techno music, for me I have reggae and rap. Wax has rap and trip hop too, but our preferred style is…death metal shit. Without any doubt. What else do you do in your spare time? X: Goth have to stay at home with her dog called Khoops ("Kheops"), Wax likes to go to parties and have fun with women…for me….I also like women but I like to listen to some cool music like blues, trip hop, reggae and all the best music with my homies, like all people in fact. No Satanic rituals at all. Ha ha ha! Do you work at another job besides playing in a band? X: Only me, I am in medicine. I worked in some psychiatric hospitals and that influenced me a lot. Living with schizos, psychos, it's….a bit interesting. For Wax, he has to deal a little to gain some money and do some business here and there. Paris has a high unemployment level and a lot of friends of mine do that. For Goth, she works sometimes but not regularly, Paris is pretty fucked up to have a nice life. You're also involved in a side-project called FAST FORWARD? Who else is involved with that project? What style of music do you play? X: Well, FAST FORWARD is a very special side project formed by Goth and D. (drummer of French indus gods Treponem Pal). I and Wax participate sometimes on some productions. You can expect a very brutal and sick mix between hardcore techno, industrial and brutal metal. For our upcoming CD we will put a special FAST FORWARD remix called "Death To The Core" and it's fucking hostile. Very proud of it!!! Any plans on releasing a CD for Fast Forward? When might it get released? X: Not seriously yet but for all sickos there is some vinyl Eps, tapes and some trax on compilation CDs. Check out "Tous Maudits" or "Les 1000 Merveilles du Monde". When was the "Pain Before Insane" demo released? X: It was released in 1993 in some dirty studios. Our first aim, it made us very successful in the Paris death metal area. Why did you decide to re-release it? X: It was a natural thing, because a lot of fans of "BCFEA" and "Prelude To Killing" wanted our "Pain Before Insane" and "Pleasures Of Brutality". It was impossible because we lost the master DAT tape, but for "Pain Before Insane", we really wanted to do a re-edition of it, you know. We did 4 great productions and no reasons to keep them from our fans. What do you try to get across to the listener through your music? X: We try to give intensity, brutality and all kinds of emotions we feel every day and every moment of our life. I really hope that listeners feel our emotions and spirits too. What kind of topics do you deal with in your lyrics? X: Solitude, sadness, criminality, madness, some political subjects like the Balkans, conflicts in Africa too. There is many, many stupid wars because of petrol and gold markets exploited by WASPs and Europeans. Our life in Paris gives us big hate, by lyrics we can vent our rage. Some friends of us did jail and stuff like that. I don't want it for my children, you know. We just want peace and the best for all people. Are all your lyrics in English? Any done in French? How do you choose which language to sing in? X: Yeah, we sing in English but in French sometimes too. It depends on the feeling, but I personally prefer to sing in English for brutal parts. More convenient. Any bands you'd like to recommend? X: From French underground? Yeah, give a fiuck to INHUMATE, BLACKHEADS, DEPRAVED, SCARVE, and tons more. With Gothic we are the Mafia Underground. What do you have available in the way of merchandise? X: Contact us for stickers, shirts, old productions, postal cards and other great stuff for cheap prices. We distribute all the Mafia Underground crew and Fast Forward as well…. What does the future hold for Gothic? X: The best, I hope for the new CD "Criminal Art Motivations". Any final words? X: Yeah, thanks to you Jim, a big love to all Canadian fans. All maniacs give a fuck to our last "Prelude To Killing" CD and write us! Peace on the Mother Earth… -Prelude To Killing CD $8 -BCFEA CD $6 -Pain Before Insane demo $7 -Fast Forward Ep $5 -Shirt (1 side, 2 colours) -Short Sleeve $10 -Long Sleeve $15 GOTHIC P.O. Box 60 9, rue A. Lahaye 93170 BAGNOLET FRANCE |