|
|
Alice | Tin.it | Foto album | Disco remoto | Community | |
|
KIRLIAN CAMERA Pop eclipse The new album of the band headed by Angelo Bergamini has intelligently lost the commercial influences that characterized their most recent mix: "Ocean". This record is the brave "Eclipse" that the band talk widely to us about. Rome. A couple of years ago we already talked about them for the release of "Ocean", an interesting single/mix in vinyl published by Virgin. An intriguing matching of dark sonority, electronic rhythms with a fascinating female voice. But Angelo Bergamini, that we could define the charismatic head (putting out nothing to the current Kirlian Camera members) of the band expressed his own perplexity about the production of the song (then given to Oderso Rubini) that pushed it a bit far away the original intentions. "And I must say that Angelo was right - Walter Mameli of Rose Rosse, a Bolognese label full of italian hopes, confides us - I listened the original version of "Ocean" and was extraordinarly beautiful, more than the track later released". It's a sunny summer afternoon: Rome is preparing to first holidays. When we meet the full band we must notice a little, apparent, contrast: Bergamini is in his usual dark look, sided by the new singer Bianca Hoffman, and by Graziano "Charly" Mallozzi in black too. The only one to dress jeans and square shirt is Mauro Montacchini, one of the first former of the band together with Angelo, returned only now after years of absence also to fill the role left by Mallozzi, electronic drummer, that prefered change his role with international producer: apart co-production of last album of Kirlian, "Eclipse", he managed recently "N.O.I.A." together with Jay Burnett. - I listened carefully to "Eclipse": I noticed some distance from the surely most enjoyable atmospheres of "Ocean" that sincerly I liked very much. This LP seems to me more difficult from commercial side. Why did you make a choice, we can say, brave? Bergamini - This partial direction change was due partially to the change of production, principally mine, helped by Charly and John Freyer, already known for their work with This Mortal Coil and Depeche Mode. We used a lot of technology, but the use of machines in theirselves, like the sequencers, is very limited. And then, for the first time, we wrote an album that reflect at 100 per cent our mood, both in lyrics than in music. Also the two covers, from "Epitaph" of King Crimson to "A Nothing Life" of Death In June (included as extra track only on tape) show very much the death argument more than we did in past. The constrast raises for a moment: Angelo, with his stately air, almost mediumistic, begins to talk about the death... outside the sun shines and the city becomes crazy in one of the many commercial street of Rome, totally unaware that before or after will must undergo the face on face with the extreme goodbye. Anyway there is not sadness in all this, maybe only a gloomy atmosphere... Who talks about the death is not very appreciated, maybe because he remembers us an avoidable step that anybody would like to postpone more possible. - Reviewing your LP I supposed the darkness that your music emanates is nothing but the dark just before the dawn light explosion. As per the title of the album, an eclipse, so a temporary phenomenon. - Exact, we like very much this. Otherwise we would have chosen another title. The eclipse can go away too... Really the eclipse has becoming a daily routine... Angelo becomes rather pessimistic, or maybe realistic, points of view question. "It's the sense of tragedy, not of paranoia, maybe sometimes a bit elated...". - Well, in fact your keyboards sometimes are a bit "de profundis"... - It's just in this way, a sweeter death invocation, when you are lost, i.e. in a summer evening, under very nice plants, and you feel near your some shadows, and you feel you are dying... I'm not depressed, or maybe I am a bit, but you feel that there is something so sweet and angelic, a so big love... Death like return of Great Light, back to Father... Angelo always amazes. He is able to talk about extreme sensations keeping an almost ataraxic attitude, without get agitated. Sometimes a bit of tireness transpares. Really the Kirlian Camera project was not born yesterday. - At the beginning I played in a heavy metal and progressive band, to make me know, then I supported some bands at the concerts, till the record of 1981 arrived, as Kirlian Camera. In '83 there was a little pause with Hypnosis, with them we sold about 1,200,000 copies and, being inexperienced concerning musical contracts, we took totally about 465000 liras! An authorized theft. Then there was "Ocean" that made talk a little more about us. But already before the mix "Blue room" was out (really interesting and nice). Kirlian Camera is the name of an electronic device that allows to photograph the electromagnetic halo around objects and living beings. The most extreme spiritualists prefered talk about soul, but when somebody noticed that this aura was also around the 100 liras coin the scientific world refused the interpretation. Really, and this demonstrates how much factiousness there is handling such topics, they were only energetic emanations: if someone wants to call them with different names... but all in all they exist. And the band itself seems to be surrounded by this aura. It has its own charm, because in an epoch of standardizement in the name of dominant taste it proceeds its path bravely, without hesitation. "Surely sometimes the situation is descouraging - Mameli still confides us - it's incredible to notice how today, diffently from '70s, when a band like Kirlian would have had many fans, the band is ignored after the listening of first two ruts because it is not of tendency: I mean it doesn't dance, it's not a sound aligned with commercial sounds. This is absurde concerning artistic, critic, custom point of view". We cannot say he is wrong: also Battiato, in a recent interview, said that we proceed for extremes, in musical fashion environment, without a logic or educative path. From unlimited engagement and darkest seriousness we finished in 24 hours no stop in disco and with the policy of redeeming... - And you Bianca, how did you replace Simona Buja, the previous singer? - I heard they were looking for a singer, but I was qualified in flute at Conservatory. I studied classic, and I love the pre-colombian culture that I unite to the interest for Buddhism. In my past there are also Pink Floyd and heavy metal bands. I'm less tired than Angelo, I cannot live with depressed mood the singing of the death. Rathen than I'm an enthusiastic. Our idea of death is very romantic, a embellishment of the death. The death is only a passage, the return to a fusion, not a definitive step... By Alessandro Staiti Dusk Memories #2, 01/1993 PRECISATIONS ON THE BLACK I had the luck to know, even through the cold phone cable, Angelo Bergamini of Kirlian Camera. A long chat and the words, trying to make alive to you too the great soul of Angelo, waiting to talk about their new mini CD Schmerz on the next number. Could you track shortly the story of Kirlian Camera project? We formed in 1980 and till today we put out 3 albums and some mini LPs, changing label continuosly, till to arrive to the actual situation, where we found a stability with our label, Heaven's Gate. To track all us line-ups could annoy the reader, so I save them... I'd like just to ask about these line-up changings, from the origins to today... Now we are stable, I hope. Apart myself, there are Emilia Lo Jacono, Simone Balestrazzi of T.A.C., that performs the drums and various noises and Paolo Sartori at viola. Where does your wish toplay music born and which aim has? I play music to survive, I'd be unable to live without. I wouldn't able to not play, not doing other apart this. Which are your inspirating sources, your muses? My influences are the most disparate, from Kraftwerk to Pink Floyd, i.e. I listen very pleasantly to Death in June, Current 93 and some post punk in Joy Division style. And now much house too... House...!? Beh, I can find pleasant the intelligency of Pet Shop Boys but, don't be afraid more than this, I listen to much music of end '800, first '900 too, like Mahler. In the Kirlian Camera identification there was also some problem of policy nature. How do you explain? And very big too. Concerning this I want to say that there was ever nobody of right-wing, I hope that this story will finish once forever. Personally I'm fascinate of center Europe culture and from some text could be inspired by writers that collaborated with fascists, but, in my opinion, this means absolutely nothing, if you are interested, I voted Pannella list... But it's uncontrovertible that some voices gave no help to you, like other bands with right-wing image, Death in June in primis. For me Douglas Pierce of Death in June, that I have a desultory epistling relation, is a wonderful person and all but Nazis. Of course if any people want to be interested in literature that sinks his roots in Europe, must face with some themes and could, in the end, love the sublimated aesthetics vision. Angelo, are you proud of Todesengel? It was a really effort. Think that we started to record it in 1989 and then, between a modify and another one, it was out only some time ago. Really I also had some problems to make it press till Emilia has arrived and produced. I am, however, satisfied because it sold and sells quite good also in foreign countries, especially in USA and Germany, where, it seems, we have a quite faithful audience. I think that before or after we re-print it... Why the covers in the album are from so different bands like Ultravox and Queen? Vienna is for me an important city, I visited it many times and always with Ultravox, and just their Vienna, as soundtrack. A song that expresses all the pain and beauty of the Austrian city. A track that however I totally changed, a sort of personal echo, while the Queen cover is born due the fact I liked very much the drums game in that song. This work is dedicated to somebody and in the dedication you talk about Psychiatrich Clinics... The work is dedicated to a person who died, I don't want reveal his identity, that was very closer to me. I can say that I have haunted for years these clinics and I saw some upsetting situations that I still carry on me. They are terrible things, I saw die some persons between enormous sufferings. The darkness that appears in your records, is it own, is it in your soul? No, absolutely not, mine is a Romanticism that pants toward a light and a joy really unmeasurable. This album for me is the pain sublimation, as almost all the things I did. Returning back to Death in June: could you make us light on Douglas Pierce? No, I can't, he would be angry! I can only say that he is a kindest and available person that lives sincerly for his art. Do you have something to say to the readers? Love you! (irony? N.O.R.) By Fabio De Santi Glasnost Wave Magazine, 09-10/1993 In the gothic scene where Italian bands had recently much success, Kirlian Camera is definitely the highlight. Long time existing project which never got attention from major labels - despite of all Angelo Bergamini, spiritual head of the band, has looking for the ways of his creative output. At the beginning of his artistic career, he was member of HIPNOSIS - their technoid-synthetic sounding dance-piece "Pulstar" became international Hit in 1983, and then was the album of mellow electronic ambient music in the vein of J.M.Jarre, aptly titled "Oxygene". Even then it was not easy to trace out the differences between innovative underground and commercial attitude. Some labels (ZYX, EMI, Virgin, to name a few) tried to promote them, but with almost unacceptable methods - that's why Bergamini founded his own label called Heaven's Gate in 1988 and started release KC-albums. After being labelled "gold", "Pulstar" was pressed in Germany in 250000 copies - "Heaven's Gate" produced new albums in quantity of 250 copies! Now they are all rarities. First CD "Todesengel. The Fall Of Life" was released in 1992, then mCD "Schmerz" appeared. 1993 began with small german tour (actually, first tour for 13 years). Angelo has special meaning about Germany: "I like German audience at my best, because I felt here understanding and support for the first time". His affinity to central Europa got reflection in many songtitles, also as in german language appeared in some lyrics: "Der tote Liebknecht", "Heldenplatz" or "U-Bahn V.2 Heiligenstadt" stands for weird, mystic attitude. With the dark soundclouds of "Vienna" (their coverversion of Ultravox' song), KC enter us in the deep, influental world of the dark matter, which is ready to explosion. Melancholic violin's lamentation appears from black holes of infinity, following by slow, pondering rhythms. From romantic gothic songs like "Endless Rain" with angelic Emilia Lo Jacono vocals to more obscure spheric robotic voices produced by Bergamini, KIRLIAN CAMERA celebrate ritual in which folk elements in World Serpent style are merged with avantgarde electronics. Various coverversions are present in their program, but there are no special relations between KC and those bands - only mail conversation between Bergamini and Douglas Pierce. "He is very sensitive man", Angelo says. Acoustic piece "Raindance" was made this way. "A Nothing Life", an album of Sixth Comm, is one of his favourite albums, as well as "Content With Blood". Stylistic similarities are visible if you take a look on wild magic shamandances which echoing in rhythms. Angelo points to his interest in celtic, irish, russian and finnish folk music, but can't give detailed answers concerning his fascination with rhythmic tradition that comes from european religions. Ten minutes long version of Queen's teenager hymn "We will rock you" is the best example of unbelievable strong rhythm technic. For him, music is requirement, the only thing which lead him through his life. When other people are feeling same, he is more than happy. Angelo has born 1958 in Parma, the city in the northern Italy. It wasn't easy to interview him, because of nervous touring atmosphere - he couldn't concentrate on questions, and his bandmates, Emilia Lo Jacono and Simon Balestrazzi tried to redirect some expressions which can hurt Angelo's soul. Angelo has mental illness, and he identifies himself with his own state of mind. Swinging words are painfully penetrating through his lips and slow fall from his mouth. Angelo: "Parma is explanation for our music. Pure suffering!" GLASNOST: "Are you suffering?" Angelo: "YES!" Very definitely and sure answer. Angelo: "We must live further and survive to reach the heaven. GLASNOST: "Do you really believe that you'll reach the heaven after your death if you'll be the good boy?" Angelo: "This is a secret! I believe that the better life exists, because this life, this reality is true hell!" GLASNOST: "What is main reason of your illness and your suffering?" Angelo: "Around 1975, I experienced a continuous shock and was loosing part of my memories. I often feel panic and fear since then, I spent much time in psychiatric clinic..." Here the interview breaks, Angelo goes deep to his mind, Emilia and Simon give a signal that I must change topic. It's very different to pull out some words from Angelo without being familiar with him before - the childlike gladness is mixed with unsettled interest. What you can think about man whose absolute faith in love and good gives them overwhelming hope to living for? Does he know about "black people" that is the most part of his audience in Germany, some of them are true satanists. Angelo: "It's important when people have a possibility to meet, to share their feelings. They become a chance to release evil from their souls, and the evil is like illness. But I think that I can help them very little." Angelo's soul suffering is real, and his audience has it only for a playground. Mit Liebe Und Tod #1, Summer 1994 INTERVIEW TO ANGELO BERGAMINI OF KIRLIAN CAMERA "... I really believe that the world is a hell, also considering what my eyes gave to monitor, I don't have illusions maybe only in hereafter. When a person dies is always a little nicer than alive, thinking as he suffered till that moment...". These were the words that Angelo Bergamini, clever leader of Kirlian Camera, had the bravery to diffuse through ether, during a phone interview on Padova's Radio Sherwood frequencies, one year and half ago during my program "Fuite!". Since then in me has remaing alive the interest to this personage and for his uneasily romantic music. For this and for a reason so obvious and sacrosanct that I will explain soon it was needed inaugurate this first number of our fanzine with a tribute-interviw to Kirlian: so, on April the 17th 1994 at Red'Ko of Reggio Emilia we are present for what that could be the last concert of K.C. in Italy. For the occasion I buy their last CD "Eklipse Zwei" and at the end of the concert, reached Angelo and Emilia, I claim dedication and autograph. "Mit Liebe und Tod - before to die": this is the dedication of Angelo, that two days after, on April the 19th, day of conceivement of this fanzine, I thought very suitable as name for the same. All in all just in the dualism chained by love and death I have founded since long time a good part of my artistic expressions, seeing two things as accursedly indivisible, once penetrated in the turbid folds of an ultra-sensible soul in a way to say little pulsing.... Thanks, Angelo. Angelo, a component that I retain very important concerning the message expressed through your music is given from the images that you project during live performances, images of war in Bosnia, full of crudeness. You said to retain the world a true hell: is this the reason of this choice, that, moreover, in the first time has given to us the effect of some kind of psychological violence...? The reason is that we wanted to make see pitilessly real images, without starved children with snot at nose, to move to pity.... Pictures of war, of deads, of killings, to give the sense of despair, not only ours. Boys, more or less young, in Germany more than here are used to see TV but not news, so they don't know anything about the world that surrounds them, they don't read newspapers. I believe to be not able to live in this way: if I continue in this way I suicide... Something must change, somebody to do something must be found, if not stop the war in Bosnia, at least sensitize people also through OUR VOICE, we are even disposed to fail if they will close our voice... Why should they do? You see, they asked us to do interviews for "regime" things like Videomusic: I am ready to read war communicates as Faust'ò already did in his time! Returning however to previous speech, I remember that in the beginning of '80s when I saw and listened to Pere Ubu, I feel very bad and I hated them because they hurted me. Today I found them more interesting than past, when I lived maybe more difficult experiences and I needed of a maybe more edulcorated romanticism; I believe to feel their more romantic effect because there is something positive behind, not only paranoia, there is the light... Maybe I tend to deny this, as many make me notice today. Would you want to say that there is no light anymore in your music, in your life? Don't you believe that generally this darkness is in some way wanted by mass-medias, by social education, that is transmit to us? Surely it's not really amusing to live with opened channels in all this situation because you risk to end at cemetary or madhouse or jail, if you have some sensibility. Or you can escape, or find a job, but you must dedicate heart and soul to that. But when you are old you can't stop, it's a question of love in what you really believe and then do. When you discover that there is somebody that phones you, writes to you, gives you some satisfaction... Even if they are so many, you become crazy to answer to all them! But it's better in this way. Now due the success we are having in Germany, we are forced to answer to much people. We saw you on Christmas at Dark Xmas Festival, we noticed that you are considered like various German bands. Do you believe that German audience is more able to put inside the musical message than Italian one and generally which are the differences between gothic scene in Germany and in Italy? Musically, of bands, there are not so many differences. We don't consider ourselves rigidly a gothic band, we have a more heterogeneous audience, such as other bands. There however is different, also because gothic was born pratically in Germany. In Italy all follow more the fashion, there was some year s ago the "dark" boom, maybe today no-one likes gothic! There are many that lost theirselves in the past spiral, many clone bands of Sisters here too, many others are not even reviewied by press. Journalists stopped to buy records, they listen to those who are sent to them, often they prefer don't talk about bands that they would talk with bad words. There is who "sells". Even if concerning Italian gothic the specialized press reviewed very well "Symphonia Sine Nomine of Ataraxia, and Energeia surely is not one of the indie-labels with much "powerness". What do you think? "Ataraxia" is a band that is well around in the scene, also thank to the various self-produced MC since a lot of time; it seems that all the work is good. I don't want to comment all that, but I can say that Ataraxia will do what interest to them, surely they are able to do. Personally I'm in contact with Giovanni, keyboarder, and I can say to be happy because often many bands create attritions, that from my side neither I look for nor I will try to alimentate. "Todesengel", your old CD, is dedicated to all that (including you) suffered in the psychiatric clinics or under the cruelty of "psychiatrist". Today I'm not under the effect of psychotrope drug, so I'm more subjected to panic and dissociation attacks. They prescribe them to me till 1975, I think to be accustomed and I cannot free myself from them, risking to getting really bad. We are care about the problems of psychiatric assistence that's a real disaster here... Do you think it is correct to ask for a stranger, surely human and professional, paying him, knowing to have a limited time, remarked by the clock, to be able to expose own problems, and that all these components together are able to help? There are people having mental diseases and discomforts since years , that were able to do self-analysis and mental war: the psychiatrist can help them as support. Others, if already of age, having to survive cannot absolutely be left to theirselves, because you risk to see them really break down, bleed, but unfortunatly this happens too. You must be not more responsible, self-sufficient, not knowing what you do, psychotic, violent and catatonic. It's more an indictment against the civil servant health services: they told me that here in Parma at the center of Mental Office they cannot keep me because I'm still self-autosufficient. But what do you expect, that I throw myself from the balcony? It's not possible to pay exaggerate money for the cures. The most of the suffering people has the fear to be interned without say a word: I know, I survive in the '70s for a breath. Better to be crazy at home, and then it depends who you stay with! I have Emilia, I have various friends, but I know a 40 years woman that is isolated from family and it's always more crazy, and think that also she had the chance to heal, as everyone: nobody is completely lost. I don't believe that psychiatry can really do miracles. The psychiatrists do their best. They have 200.000 liras every meeting and finally they give the addresses of others! If they passed the pills I could go in the jail... Angelo, what gives you the strength to live, your music, your art? Maybe crazy artists and musicians that live of own art exist, but I don't know them! I believe in the love at the first place, love for the beloved person, love for the Child Jesus... You said to have a "bad disease" to be a not catholic christian. Why bad disease? Are you practising christian? I don't go to Mass why there is not Jesus Christ anymore, in the sermons the priests talk about Forza Italia, do sermons against the communism, also during the funerals. The chatolics are the monsters, the satanists! Why did you choose to play not in Italy anymore? Do you feel not considered? It's not for personal reasons, but for us it's not possibile to spend one million and gain the same. In the gig we play for real, we are not in playback as many electronic bands and for this we need adequate technical means. The installations are always the worst here, we feel better in East Germany! Do you think that there is a different mentality concerning the idea of live concert, as here there is so scarce partecipation and sensibility? Beh, here we have enough audience comparing some time ago. Here there are chaotic clubs where the people come not to hear the concert and in the end whistle the bands. It's different there, this doesn't happen, straight away the boys buy records and gadgets and especially they come to hear, then eventually the go away; in Germany in an important live night there are more money, so everything is almost always more organized and satisfing for all. Surely we are better paid there. Here not even they do the contract! Which is the difference of planning and mentality between the musical press here and in Germany? In Italy everyone waits for big fashion coming from the pushing of the majors, and only then they are in agreement to support. No-one magazine is well-directioned, nobody work there for passion, not even Rockerilla support Rockerilla! Vienna, the passion for the Hapsburgness tradition, apart our success in Germany. Why in your opinion so much press distorted some your ideas and concepts, seeing you as "nazi"? There was in past the tendency of various bands, also metal to get "swastika" as this thing was functional to their success, where for us it was never in this way; we believed in decadentism, we eat Visconti, Fassbinder, Fleischmann, not fascist people! What does our last work "Eklipse Zwei" represents speaking in emotional words? It's the second part of a "humanized electronic" story about the lost of the space, the annulment of the mind, the commands that don't answer anymore... Generally however I expect that people will wake up before or after! As many know you work not only for Kirlian Camera, but also for other bands as Bel Am, T.A.C., Andromeda Complex, and all are better known in Germany. Did you ever think to move to Germany? They asked me for working in Discordia management, probably we will put the bases to do. We are forced to do to work more and better, without neglecting the contacts here however. I'm always interested in the collaborations, in productions, I hate fundamentally the "wars" among the bands. I don't bear who believe himself at the top and seems to seek his space trying to steal yours. I believe that for original and good bands there is always the space. I hope! The hope is also ours. In the waiting that the wished awakening would regard many persons among them could reign a sincere and brotherly communion of ideas and feelings. However always conscious of the evil around, ready to fight it in every its manifestation. |
|
|
Copyright on 2000-2004 - please ask for permission to copy this on your page |
|