NE - I've just finished a new album, it's out on Geist Records.
FRS - Whats the link between DHR & Geist?
NE - Theres no real musical link, it's another label that Alec (Empire)
founded 3 years ago. The first release was a 3 CD set of music he released
originally on Mille Plateaux. So Geist is an experimental electronic label,
not the typical DHR beats - my record was 'Poison Lips' as She Satellites,
rather than as Nic Endo. We've been very busy touring as ATR, so as soon as
we get back to Berlin I'm hoping to do more material for Geist & DHR
Limited.
FRS - So is the solo material purely instrumental? I've heard a fair amount
of material on DHR, but there is so much of it, and a lot of the smaller
projects don't seem to get any press or reviews.
NE - Yeah, the first solo record I did was 'White Heat' EP, which is
basically a pure Japanese noise record - so I don't really expect Tower
Records to stock it.
FRS - Are there a lot of Japanese artists making that kind of music?
NE - Oh yes, but really only in Japan, and there are a few people in
America, but I personally like the Japanese stuff more - Merzbow, Masona,
Violent Unsung Asia, but I think in the DHR scene I'm the only person, who's
put out a pure noise recording. I find it easier to express emotions through
music, rather than vocals, I'm more speaking through machines - noise could
be my mouthpiece.
FRS - Is there a live scene in Japan surrounding this kind of sound - I've
been to a few experimental / film events in the UK where people are playing
it, but it seems to be quite a different audience to the indie / punk crowd
you would get at an ATR show.
NE - I'm not really sure about Japan; very occasionally in Berlin you will
get a tour by some Japanese acts, like Merzbow for example. Its still a lot
of avant-garde people you get at these kind of shows - people into Throbbing
Gristle / Cabaret Voltaire / Stockhausen for example, but my personal
opinion is that these people are more into theorising & analysing all the
time, whereas for me there is nothing to analyse, its just pure energy &
emotion. Especially when I make sound at an ATR show - its a mixture of DHR
beats and noise music - which makes the experimental stuff more accessible
to people.
FRS - So what you do live with ATR is completely improvised - no MIDI or
sequencers?
NE - Yeah its very flexible, the beats are pre-recorded & I add the samples
& sounds live over it - our shows are never predictable, it always changes,
depending on the audience, or our mood. I was never really influenced by
industrial or avant-garde music, prior to joining ATR - it was having access
to the equipment which enabled me to experiment, and try things out.
FRS - Do you operate as a collective then?
NE - Yeah, ATR is our band, so obviously at the moment it plays a big role,
but all of us have solo projects. We also do graphic stuff as well - Alec &
myself design all the sleeves and we do the fanzine, designing the web
pages, so its not only music, we take responsibility for our image as well.
I think it is very important - we define our own style. We draw on things
like Japanese advertising, and street hoardings for example - its very 'in
your face'.
FRS - Is the intention to take your ideas / message beyond the music sphere
to a wider audience?
NE - Yeah, we want to use all the channels available to us, which means
television, radio, MTV, the Internet, but there a lot of people who don't
have access to the Internet - I would rather see some of the Internet geeks
get out and go to some shows etc. instead of sitting in front of a screen
and thinking that they know the world. We also retain complete artistic
control over what music we release, what we look like etc. which is very
important to us - we refuse to compromise.
FRS - The nearest parallels I can see in terms of collective labels are
perhaps people like Crass or On-U Sound, who also had radical or left - wing
agendas, though obviously that was some time ago.
NE - Yeah, but I mean where are they now. I mean for us we feel they got
absorbed by the mainstream - there is nothing left from their actions now.
Perhaps because they refused for example to do interviews with someone
mainstream like MTV. I mean we're doing this kind of thing because we're
aware that we're living in this capitalist society and that channels like
MTV are directed by all these big industries & companies, run by 50 year old
men who want to sell products. We know that a lot of people listen to it,
and can't believe that they are all stupid and satisfied with Britney Spears
- its just that they have no other choice because they don't see anything
else.
FRS - I think one thing you do have to your advantage now, is perhaps that
when people like Crass were around, the UK government for example was a lot
more oppressive than the one we have now, and they would probably have found
it more difficult to play gigs or gain access to the media, than DHR do.
NE - Perhaps, but I don't think things have changed that much. In Germany
its getting worse and worse - in Europe for example they won't play our
video 'Revolution Action' because they say it's too violent or sexist, or
whatever. In Berlin, the Bonn government is relocating all of its operations
there - it means they destroy all the houses, make everything new, they
destroy all the clubs, the scene. And I think its the same all over the
world - where ever you have capitalist society.
FRS - But, in order to do what you're doing, things have to work financially
for your band & label.
NE - I wouldn't deny that we are getting money from being a band and touring
etc. but the money we get is divided again amongst the other bands on DHR.
Lolita Storm are a new band who we are supporting - if they were involved in
another label, the label would probably want to change them etc. whereas
with us they can develop. There is also DHR Fatale which Hanin (ATR) founded
which we feel is more of a movement than another label. Its a platform for
girls making electronic music, to have mutual support, working together,
because there are too few women involved in making this kind of music. The
music industry is so male dominated and many obstacles are put in the way of
girls making their own stuff. We encourage people to get in touch with us -
the DHR Fatal logo can be used by people on their own records if they
support the idea of it.
FRS - So is it a sound, an attitude or both that you look for in other
musicians?
NE - It's the whole lifestyle, the attitude. You couldn't do this music if
you didn't have the attitude or experiences that we've all had, living here
with politics that affects every aspect of our lives, so this is our
motivation. I don't think we have any choice but to express ourselves in
this way & to reach as many people as we can. Also to motivate people for
political actions.
FRS - I think alternative music can be a way into to different ways of
thinking or lifestyle. At the same time a lot of people would go to an
extreme / political concert but have no interest in the political side of it
at all.
NE - Of course there are people who just want to dance at ATR gigs & want us
to leave out the politics. But then others get into to the beats, because
its something new, but later they get into the lyrics & find out what we
want to say. I also think that our music can work without the lyrics, but we
keep the words very simple, so hopefully people don't misunderstand it. If
people want to know about things in more depth they can check out our
magazine, or the website.
FRS - And finally, is the experimental / extreme stuff normally recorded
when you're angry?
NE - No obviously its a vent out for me, but that was never the case - more
when I felt really good!
I think the problem with a lot of the techno geeks is that people are really
into this effects thing & really complex filters etc. but I'm not really
into that. When I work it has to really straight & direct - the easiest way
to make the sounds.
CLIVE SUBCULTURE
