The Lodge @ Sopor Aeternus Interview

Sopor Aeternus & The Ensemble of Shadows
an interview with Anna-Varney Cantodea

Would you mind telling what have you been doing in the last few months that deserves to be known? How are you feeling at the moment?
Thank you. I am fine at the moment... What I've been doing during the last few months? Basically nothing more than hiding from the sun and the heat, spending most of the day down in the vaults, cleaning bones, reading books... Well, you know, typical summer activities. But I hardly think you want to hear anything about this, do you?

How did you find the right persons to perform your music? Is this Ensemble of Shadows one big family for you (like close friends)? Tell me more about this relation between the music you compose and the people who help you performing it.
I think there is a little misunderstanding here, as it seems you are confusing The Ensemble of Shadows with the musicians I am recording with; those are two completely different "groups"... But that mistake seems to happen almost on a regular basis. The musicians are "just" some people I have gathered (or "found") for the studio/recording session (usually for one particular album); this might seem a little hard, but essentially it is true. I have no further contact with them than during the process of recording itself... And that is rather important to me, as my work requires a certain distance. For the most part, I send them the notation for the material to be recorded a couple of days before the actual session - so that they at least have a chance to take a look at it and perhaps go through it once or twice - but I do not give them any further information (well, maybe apart from the tempi). When we eventually meet in the studio (only one musician at a time), I give them the instructions on intonations, atmosphere, etc. (and correct them if necessary). Sometimes people are a little scared when they first come to the studio, because they do not know what to expect, but after only a few minutes, their fear dissolves and one can sense a certain "presence" in the room. After the session, most of them confess that they really enjoyed it a lot and that - despite the seemingly frightening darkness and "strangeness" of it all - it had been a very beautiful experience for them.
The Ensemble of Shadows, on the other hand, is entirely immaterial (very spiritual... and most of all very intimate); but that is all I am going to tell you about it.

You've recently released Dead Lovers' Sarabande (Face One); what is your opinion on this latest effort in comparison with the previous ones (a natural evolution or just different)? I've noticed that the use of classical instruments increased, so this factor was probably important to you, wasn't it?
I feel I am getting closer to the essence (step by step) - both musically and spiritually (if you know what I mean).
According to my feeling, Dead Lovers' Sarabande (Face One) still has some... weakness, here and there (one or two mistakes), but with Dead Lovers' Sarabande (Face Two), we have eventually received and recorded an album that I would even go and buy it myself (if I wasn't involved with Sopor Aeternus). That might seem very strange to you... it might sound like I would not really care about our previous albums, or that I am of the opinion that they are somewhat crap... or worthless, but nothing could be farther away from the truth. Todeswunsch - Sous le Soleil de Saturne, for example, is an album that I always liked very much... and still do, but the difference with Dead Lovers' Sarabande (Face Two) is that I can, for the very first time (!), sit down and listen through the entire album without going through all the pain again! It is almost as if it had been received by someone else instead of me...
Even though each single album is something complete within itself, it appears also - if you take a closer look - like a sequel to the previous one(s)... and this is not only because it follows chronologically, but also because it is based on them and my experiences... as my life (or shall I say, existence) continues... similar to a (constant) stocktaking. At least that's what I thought for a while, until I discovered that it actually goes a lot deeper than just that. In fact, each single album is a (spiritual) "preparation" to the ones that follow... which, in return, are impossible to imagine without this previous material as their basis. Discovering this, I recently understood why The Inexperienced Spiral Traveller album has been so very important. To my own shame, I have to admit that for a very long time, I felt that this particular album had been the worst thing I have ever recorded... honestly; I mean, the overall quality (for a semi-professional studio recording) isn't the best, my voice sounds just terrible, the artwork isn't exactly brilliant either... and so on and so on. Apart from the lyrics itselves, I really felt that this CD was a complete waste of time. But after I had recorded the Dead Lovers' Sarabande (Face One), it eventually dawned to me that I was taught an important lesson here...

If you had to point out something in which Sopor Aeternus differs from other bands, what would that be? In your opinion, what are the key elements that make Sopor Aeternus so original?
How am I supposed to answer this question? I have really no idea... However, each time I have a chance to listen to current compilation CDs or tapes, I find that, in comparison, the music... or rather the entire atmosphere of Sopor Aeternus is far more "fragile"... vulnerable, if you will.

Would you mind giving a more detailed analysis behind the meaning of Sopor Aeternus' symbol? From what I gather, there seems to be two numbers completing each other (a 4 and a 5); are these any specific numbers which fit within the concept of your music (I also found that this symbol holds traces of astrologic Saturn symbology)?
Sorry, but I am certainly not going into detail here. However, I think it is safe to say that the name of the symbol (our logo), is Jusa - at least that's how "we" call it. And even though it is not really composed of two numbers, 4 and 5 do represent it to a certain degree (confusing, I know, but that's all I can tell you, sorry).

Comment the terms:
- Suicide: escape from pain;
- Religion (is it really necessary?): yes, of course it is necessary. Please do not confuse religion ("re-ligio") with any institutionalisation like the (so-called) Christian Church - as those are merely instruments of power, submission and control (nothing more). "Re-ligio", on the other hand, is the realisation of our own spiritual connection with the entire universe... the demand to learn and therefore grow and develop - both emotionally and spiritually;
- Self-mutilation: Depends on the situation... but usually a visual manifestation of (an) inner pain;
- Poetry: essential to our existence (there lies enormous power in poetry...);
- Holocaust: horror beyond words;
- Blood and Sacrifice: depends on the situation...

What kinds of music do you listen to and what are your favourite artists, or composers? Do you spend much time listening to music? If so, in what way does it influence your life (if at all)?
Whenever I am asked this particular question, I find myself being a little insecure, as I certainly know what kind of answer is expected. But "artists", "composers" or even "genres" are not the criteria in which I define my musical favourites. "Truth" and "necessity" are the aspects that are important to me (this is my person definition of "avant-garde" art). I am not going to reveal what recordings exactly have touched my soul, because that would be far too intimate... and I also feel that uncovering those albums would be almost sacrilegious (if you know what I mean).
Music has such an importance in my life... I couldn't live without it; well, perhaps I "could", but I would not want to! As far as I remember, the motto of this year's Love Parade, in Berlin, has been "Music is the Key"... a leitmotif that holds some very important truth, my dear!In this commercial context it appears rather banal, but if you take a closer look at it, you'll experience that the potential of music is a very powerful one, indeed! Being non-material and purely vibrant, it is sometimes the only power that could break through even the "greyest", most "petrified" aura of a human creature... and touch the wounded that lies hidden in this dungeon within! Think about it...!

How's your everyday life? Do you follow any specific routine or daily rituals (perhaps some strange hobbies or habits you would like to share)?
Well, yes... there is a certain daily... routine, if you will. But what exactly do you mean when you say "strange"? The so-called strangeness of a person or a situation, is always defined by the perception (and attitudes) of the beholder...! So I guess that, in my case, it would be regarded as strange if I was collecting stamps or something of this kind...?

What is it that inspires you when composing new songs (it must be a truly inner voyage, in a spiritual sense)? Is there anybody in special you want to reach with your music?
Actually, this is a very difficult question... because does anybody really know where exactly the divine gift of inspiration comes from? On the other hand, it seems safe to say that "everything" (!) which we perceive with our senses - regardless of whether this happens consciously or not - has also an influence on our life... and therefore on our creative work as well, of course!
There is a special intention of working in secret behind all things - as nothing ever happens without a reason or motive. I believe that is so for all lyrics and music... in a certain moment and position within the continuum of space and time, a special melody or "music" is already assigned. The consequence of arising from this idea, is the circumstance of having no real choice regarding the selection, instrumentation and final sound of "our" music, since its appearence is automatically defined by our own individual way of being (consciousness) in the very moment of the invocation of the song. Indeed, the artist's interaction with her/his entire (spiritual) environment - and the lyrics that is the "name" of the song of poem - actually seems to create this definition.
If one keeps in mind that equal things always attract each other, allow me then to illustrate these thoughts by using the following model: try to imagine an empty room; at its centre, a peculiar source of light is sending out its rays. The source of light shall be the essence of the song upon which we have chosen to focus. Attracted by the characteristically pulsating rhythm of this light, the perhaps strange - yet still corresponding - entities, or energies (however one prefers to call them) enter the room as they follow our invitation, leaving their traces behind whilst moving through it. Those entities, or energies, are the exact equivalent to the instruments and voices of the song; in fact, they do represent them. If we take a closer look at the resulting scenario after a certain space of time (that is, the room), the traces that have been left behind and the source of light all together as a whole... then from this picture we may perceive a symbolic equivalent of the moment when music and lyrics unite. It is, of course, important to capture the very moment of the highest intensity, in order to be as close as possible to the true essence of the song and therefore also to the emotion one attempts to express in the first place.
Well, first of all, I am creating the music for myself, for a deeper understanding of my own spiritual path... my existence and the world in general. Having said this, I must also admit that as soon as an album is completed (and released) I do want people to buy (and like) it... and, hopefully, understand what I am trying to say (that is, to a certain degree... or, at least, be interested in it).

Dreams seem to be an important element in Sopor Aeternus' music: do they influence or help you in any way through your life and attitudes? Wouldn't you agree with Poe and say that life is "a dream within a dream"?
Yes, of course they do; I often refer to them as The Theatre of Seven Hells... and they are far more (to me) that just a source of inspiration. You are absolutely right... they do give me advice for my life (but please forgive me if I do not want to go into detail here).
"The creation" of our entire universe is the "dream" of a "being": a "creature" that some of us call God... and that "lives" in a "state" understood as the "negative existence". This is the one "big dream" we all share, in which we all live. But we also live our very own individual dreams as well, created by our ideas, attitudes, complexes, wishes, etc... and it is this perception that creates the individual dreams in which we live (Maya, the grand illusion... or the veil of Isis). I think one might describe it something like this: we all live on the same planet - but in different worlds (do you understand what I am trying to say?).

One thing I'm sure most people would agree with, is the artistic way you look on your photos - a friend of mine even says they are worth of being in an art gallery, due the intense emotions they bring to one's imagination. What do you feel or try to express when being photographed?
Thank you. You know, on the one hand it is almost a funny thing (well... at least from a certain perspective). Just yesterday, Alex of Apocalyptic Vision told me once more of some person that he met, who in all seriousness felt that "my look" would be totally disgusting... and that she would never want to have anything to do with (people like) me. She had never heard a single note of our music and even refused to listen, as she was 100% sure that it could only be sick and disturbing. However, when he finally convinced her to, at least, try it once - and gave her a copy of Dead Lovers' Sarabande - she was absolutely surprised how "very beautiful" (her own words) the music is (well, "perception").
Our visual performances (of which photo sessions are also an important aspect) are based on Ankoku Butoh (meaning "Dance of Darkness"), a Japanese dance form which, in retrospect, had its birth in the Kinjiki performance ("Forbidden Colours"), in May 1959. The short piece was based on Yukio Mishima's novel and was performed without music; its images, however, had a tremendous effect: a young boy (Yoshito Ohno) was dancing a scene of sodomy with a living chicken which he, getting closer to the orgasm, strangled between his thighs. Then out of the darkness of the stage, a man (Tatsumi Hijikata) followed by a boy, trying to win his favour. In the western world, Ankoku Butoh has often been interpreted as an artistic reaction, or attempt to come to terms with the atomic blasts of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (the dancers' white bodies, the agonisingly slow movements, the shaved heads, the bandy legs, the foetal positions, etc.). But it's a lot more than just that... it is, in fact, deeply spiritual - a philosophy and a way of life as well. It conforts us with the dark(er) side(s) of (human) nature... and if we only dare to take a look at it, it even reveals its hidden (as often denied) beauty. When I was first introduced to it in the early eighties, the main reason why I immediately fell in love with it, was the chance to eventually have found an adequate way to express the pain I was suffering from... and which, as I felt at the time, had never really been visible before (apart from the fact that I realised I was looking like an Ankoku Butoh figure anyway). Preparing for a performance always requires much energy from me, as it is nothing that you do in passing! I am not going to confine your imagination by defining what "I" was/am trying to express, even though I do, of course, have something very specific in mind when performing; but as I said before, "it is your own way of being that defines your perception... and it is this perception that defines the world in which you live." So whatever you see or sense within Sopor Aeternus' images, is fine with me... because it is obviously the right thing for you in that moment.

Are you satisfied with the overall support, promotion, album artworks and release dates that Apocalyptic Vision has been providing? How's their assistance to all this?
Apocalyptic Vision is a very small independent label. The positive aspect of all this, is that I have 100% control when it comes to the artwork of each CD, etc... which is, as you can probably imagine, the only possible way for me to work! After all, I am the only person who fully understands what stands behind Sopor Aeternus and its symbology and absolutely no one (!) is ever allowed to interfere, as the entire project is based on psycho-spiritual work... or spiritual "development"! Another aspect of being with an independent label is (of course) the "money thing"... or, to be more precise, the lack of money... which consequently means that sometimes our creations are confined, or limited by the amount of money we can afford to spend... but that's alright.

How do you view civilisation and how do you cope with the comercial-oriented society we live in?
I don't.

Tell me what persons or things create the following feelings and emotions on you:
- Guilt: myself;
- Stress: people;
- Love: I do not know;
- Happiness: I can't remember;
- Melancholy and Depression: everything;
- Misanthropy: myself;
- Hate: emotional inattentiveness;

What's your opinion on underground fanzines? Do you feel they help supporting you?
I do not get the chance very often to read any kind of magazines, because (admittedly) they usually do not contain much that interests me; most of them are a waste of paper... sounds unfair, but it's often the truth, unfortunately. Generally speaking, those magazines and fanzines do not have the potential to support bands and labels to a certain degree (perhaps even "push" them), but they do cover only a certain area... and therefore reach only a limited amount of people. In Germany, there are hardly any underground fanzines left... but I remember the early days, when we decided to release our material... and very often we heard (from other people who have tried it before) that it would be absolutely pointless to send a demo (or whatever) to this or that fanzine, because they wouldn't feature it anyway, due to the fact that editor doesn't "personally" know you! Well, excuse me, babe... but I think some people failed to understand the idea of a fanzine here! Nowadays we have stuff like the Orkus magazine, in Germany... and one of the things I like about it, is the fact that even an absolutely unknown newcomer band with nothing more than a cheesy tape to offer, can be found right beside a famous major band... getting the same amount of coverage - and that's what I call underground orientated!

Lyric-wise, I would say that Sopor Aeternus is very rich and full of beautiful moments of cold nature. On Dead Lovers' Sarabande, you express lots of love, as well as desperate, sad and insufferable feelings; in fact, the entire album seems like a mixture of sombre, dark visions upon certain affairs. Would you mind giving more insight on the lyrical concept (since it's partially written in German)?
I am certainly not going to explain the lyrics here... and I truly hope that this is not what you are asking of me! I never really understood what people like about Sopor Aeternus' music... what exactly they see in it... especially since at least 50% of the it is sung/written in German, a language which most of the international listeners do neither speak nor understand. Admittedly, I was even a little affraid that some parts of Dead Lovers' Sarabande (Face One) would be boring to some people, since the main weight and focus lie on the lyrics... I felt that the ability of getting into the music depended entirely on their understanding. You might wonder now, that if it is really "oh so important" for me that others understand it, why haven't I written them in English in the first place? Well, the answer is very simple: each song "works" only in a "certain language"! But I won't let you stand in the rain completely... the metaphorical language of Dead Lovers' Sarabande (Face One) deals with euthanasia, homo-erotic necrophilia, loss and the Jungian descent into one's own spiritual darkness.

I've also noticed the use of Saturn in your lyrics: what does it represent for you?
Forgive me... but that is too personal.

One of the tracks on the album is called The Sleeper, which was a poem originally written by the arch priest of gothic horror, Edgar Allan Poe. This isn't the first time you use his poems, so I assume you are a fan of his works?
I am not a fan of anyone or anything... however, Edgar Allan Poe is truly the arch priest of gothic horror!

"Death is certain, life is not": what's your view on this sentence? Do you think there's really such a thing as Existence? Do you believe in the theory of Reincarnation?
The way I perceive it, there is a lot of truth in this sentence. Indeed, we all die one fine day... that's inevitable: but how do we fill up the time span between the moment of our first and final breath? Do we "live"... or merely "exist"? The question is, what do we do with the time that it's given to us on this beautiful planet (and it truly is a beautiful planet)? Do we dare to use it... or are we simply wasting it in fear? The main difference between Life and Existence, is that Existence is about being passive... undead! Life, on the other hand, requires consciousness, courage and activity. It is our own decision... each time we are born again on this earth (I do not have to "believe" in reincarnation, because it is a fact, darling).

How would like to say goodbye to your earthly existence (describe the perfect atmosphere and your frame of mind at the moment)?
In perfect consciousness of the moment...

Earth, air, fire, water and spirit: what do these elements represent for you? Do you believe that the laws of Magic can alter one's own life?
These elements represent what they represent! I mean, you cannot choose their meaning. The laws of Magic are the laws of the cosmic universe... and understanding these - which can only happen step by step, I believe - does "automatically" alter one's life, yes; as soon as one discovers that everything is connected, then he or she can start seeing and treating things (and people) differently... more respectfully (well, hopefully).

If you had supernatural powers for just one day, what thing(s) would you change in yourself, or in the world in general?
I am perfectly aware of the enormous temptation that would go along with this gift. I do not know what I would exactly do... it's hypothetical, anyway.

www.soporaeternus.de

© 1999 Abyss

DISCLAIMER:
The Lodge doesn’t hold liability for third parties' viewpoints.
News, reviews and links are available as a consequence of the entities' support or promotional interest.
There are no set-up barriers concerning musical genres in this space: bigotry’s to be found elsewhere.