Hekate Interview is up
1.In an age where Neofolk, Ethereal Symphonic and Heathen sounds are losing ground were does a band like Hekate get there refreshing style and sound?
Jörg?
At the risk of sounding arrogant now, i must tell you , it comes from within......We have some longterm inspiring idols of course, but mostly we listen to the music in our heads to find Hekates own style and sound.
2. To this listener and writer Hekate take elements from bands like Blood Axis, Puissance, Dead can dance, Of the wand and moon and Spiritual Front and really make it your own. Do you feel epic acoustic ballad are a lost art form?
Axel: I started with Hekate as an experimental atonal project in the early 90ies. I
first played at universities and art schools on exhibitions. Hekate connects various character properties, which we work out over the years. But the most important aspect is that Hekate belonged to many cultures, like the Romans, the Greek, Asia Minor…It symbolises the power of an archaic culture and stands for the old way. First we were an experimental group. We were influenced by industrial bands from the 80ies like Einstürzende Neubauten and SPK, but also dark wave bands like Joy Division, Devo, David Bowie, Klaus Nomi, Test Dept. But our influence goes from classical Folk to groups like Current 93, Death in June to our favourite Band Dead can Dance. We also like Moby, Massive Attack, Delirium and other Ambient Bands. During the last years we became interested in European history, old songs and legends. Furthermore we became more self-confident and found our own style. The main thing of the music are the percussions, connected with old instruments and melody lines and actually with modern clichés like electric ambient sounds. We approach the most of our songs from ideas we get from reading books, visiting European landscapes or by telling myths from friends. We choose most themes for songs by our instinct not for special reasons. I must tell you , the most bands like Puissance, Blood Axis I never listen but it could be interesting to hear what kind of music they do.
3. Love the mix of Male and Female voices with the bombastic percussion and delicate musical waves. How do you create such in the studio and is it hard to create in a live setting or do you not even try to recreate the albums live?
Jörg: Some of the new pieces were actually created in the rehearsal room and were performed live before we recorded them for the album. Hekate is always keen to perform the music in front of an audience, so this is something we work on a lot and the latest incarnation of Hekate musicanwise, has so many musical possibilitys . However a few of the new pieces might not be performed live because they feel like studiotracks to us.
4. Die Welt der dunklen Gärten seems to be well produced something seems to be missing in this scene a lot was that a major focus on the release?
Jörg: Thank you for the flowers......The production of the album was as much a major focus like the songwriting was and the final mix of the material was done by Patrick Damiani who understood the music instantly
what a major case of luck for us........but the production itself when it came to decicions was done by Hekate .
5.Tell us about the artwork for Die Welt der dunklen Gärten how does it interplay with the album themes and musical output?
Axel: That is an interesting question. First of all I really love “Fidus” , Fidus was a student of Karl Wilhelm Diefenbach. “Per aspera ad astra” was painted by the both of them. We live close to the birth place from Karl Wilhelm Diefenbach and in Hadamar is a small museum with many original paintings from Diefenbach. I saw the whole “Per aspera ad astra” (62m). The picture is so incredibly words cannot explain what I felt when I saw the painting. Yes I am very fascinated about the live and the person Karl Wilhelm Diefenbach, he was a truly searching person in his whole live. The images in my mind are really different, that has something to do about the story behind the CD. Sometimes I don´t like to listen my one music. The images and feelings will be to strong for me. But I will tell you the concept: First of all the meaning of “Garden” in the context of our CD is that the world of dark gardens is a place for our dreams, rush thoughts, unfulfilled wishes. A place between our real world and the world in our inner mind. The world when you start fall asleep, a metaphor for your own mind journey. I think that the “Garden” is a place that man creates. That means that the image of a garden does differ sufficiently from the model. Our great mother nature has nothing to do with our idea of Nature and Gardening. We need Nature. Nature doesn’t need us ever. It is a whole concept. It has something to do with my "tipping points" in our Live. The other “Hekate” releases live through their strong concepts but “Die Welt der dunklen Gärten” has much more a personal share. Farewell, sorrow, replacement and remembrance this will be the recurrent theme. And the painting of Karl Wilhelm Diefenbach “Per aspera ad astra” is a fragment to the hole concept.
6.Are the Members of Hekate fans of the modern digital age or as it gone to far now in 2011?
Dirk: The age of digital is blessing and curse at the same time. Without the possibilitys of the internet we wound not nearly reach as many people with our music. as we do now , not to mention this interview. But it is important to create a sanctuary far away from all the digital media to get in contact with nature and with oneself. So i recommend to take a rest from internet, tv, mobile and computers regulary.
7.Hekate reminds me a lot of what the heyday of CMI, Tesco and Cold Spring were all about . The Dark Ambient. Post Industrial and Neoclassic world had a moment in the late 90's early 00's were they seems unstoppable is this what your giving to the world once more?
Susi: We don’t want to "resurrect" this style of music, although we love it! No, here you can see typical influences.
Our intention is to tell stories, placed into atmospheric music.
8.What are the members of Hekate listening to as of late? What would be your playlist for June 2011 ? I always paints a doorway to the artist..
Dirk:I listen to a lot of ska and especially the old Ruds stuff. Other favours are Porcupine Tree, Incubus, Yann Tiersen.
Jörg:
new on my playlist is : Triangulation by Scuba (love it!!!) and everything from Shackleton
Axel: Popul Vuh “Letzte Tage, letzte Nächte”, AR&Machines „The green journey“ , Tangerin Dream „Stratosfear“
9. Will Hekate ever be coming to North America to perform are is the demand not there. You seem to be playing large events in Europe?
Dirk: It is not planned yet ,but everything can happen........it is of course very challenging for a so special band like Hekate to come to America and we would need quite a few gigs to make it happen , but you never know......In Europe we play smaller gigs in the moment , but after the release of „Welt der dunklen Gärten“ we hope to play some bigger festivals next year.
10. Myself being Asatru in belief do you feel the heathen elements and ways of religion are on the rise again or is it really a small pocket and I lost way of life.. Your music really touches that place in my beliefs and makes my rituals and rites all the more special and important..
Jörg:
At first it makes me very happy and also proud that our music is touching you in this way, because this is really intended . For me ,there is a strong spiritual element in the music of Hekate although the religious and philosophical believes of the 5 Hekate members differ from each other to some degree. But if we unite in music,a form of superordinated spirit takes place which i believe is like the true core or heart of spiritual work besides all the differences in the varyous religions.
11. Your website http://www.hekate.info/ seems to be on temp status for while is myspace and facebook more then enough to get to the digital world right now?
Achim:
The website of Hekate was published simultaneous to the album, but Facebook and Co. is still important to connect with our fans.
12. Thank you any closing thoughts place here..
Thank you so much for the interview Love and Light from Hekate.
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