Interviews

1) Illian and Evhen, please introduce yourselves to our readers.
I: Hi, i'm the singer of CYANHIDE. This band exists for almost 10 years now (we started in 1995 if I remember), and several musicians have worked on this project (some came, some leaved). We have released 3 albums at this time, ('Early projects' in 1998, 'Cairns' in 2000 and 'Dancefloor' in 2003). We are now working on the fourth CD. The band was called 'Shroud of CYAN-HIDE' when we started, but we have simplfy things to 'CYANHIDE' after the first album, mainly because it was easier to remember.
E: I'm the guitarist of CYANHIDE. I start playing in this band at the very beginning, as a bassist. But, after a pause of several years (a personnal Death-Metal band), i came back to CYANHIDE, changing instrument.

2) How was the beginning of your collaboration? How did you get to know each other ?
I: Well, i put a small advert in a magazine (i don't remember which one), because i was looking for musicians to create a band, and he phoned me. We met at home (I remember he came too early and i was eating, so i told him to join me, and that's the way how all started (1995 ?)).
E: Yep ! We were playing with a drummer, several months, creating songs like this, together. At this time, we were too perfectionnists, and were loosing too much time changing songs, details, lyrics, etc..., so all was slow (we were turning and turning, again and again).
I: I don't remember all things happened exactly, but as we were playing together, we spaced out practices (we also had problems with the girl friend of the drummer). After a certain time (we were not playing together anymore), i decided to record something on my own, and write new songs. It was a challenge for me: knowing what i was able to do, knowing what i really wanted to do. I wrote 'Early projects', it was in 1998. Evhen was playing in another band (Death-Metal).

3) Did you play in bands before Cyanhide?
I: No, not really. In fact, all my previous musical experiences was an early form of CYANHIDE. There was other musicians (bassists, guitarists) I was trying to work with, but it was not easy (we were all beginners, and haden't necessarily all the same tastes). It was betwwen 1989 and 1993. i was playing keyboard, but my target was to be a singer (i needed music to do that, so i was learning piano).
E: I started as a bassist in a Thrash-Death-Metal band (1988). After that, i played as a bassist in 'Proton Burst' (1990-1991), then guitarist to several Death-Metal and Metal-Indus bands.

4) Where are your musical roots? Which bands and artists are your influences?
I: I was really influenced by "The Cure" and "Depeche Mode" in 1985. They have changed my life, because, they offered something really different for me. I was 15, and they were not really famous at this time in France. "New-wave" was starting. It was .. magic... it's difficult to say, there was an ambience, a cetain mood ... It's something that i slowly lost, year after year, and i now regret the way i was living things at this time. After that, i discovered EBM (Front 242), Electro (Skinny puppy) and some alternative bands that were not so far from punk. I was a studient.
E: I was listening to Heavy-Metal (ACDC, Accept..., Iron Maiden, Dio..) around 1983, and the revelation was the Thrash and Death Metal after that (Slayer, Metallica, Death, Napalm Death...).

5) Which is your favourite instrument? Which instruments do you use for composing?
I: i'll say guitar and microphone. Also keyboards, but the way i do that now, more looks like PC-programming than piano practice :)
E: Saturated Guitar/Bass.

6) What do you use at your studio? Which hardware and software do you use?
PC with good soundcards (MOTU) with 32 inputs and 10 outputs, a professionnal sampler (EMU E4X), effects (chameleon, Marshall JMP1, ADA Mp2, Digitech), valve preamps (from TL Audio), Beyerdynamics microphones and headphones, good monitors (Mackie HR824), ... Programming is made with Cakewalk SONAR (PC, not Mac !), with some plugins. For the lights, we use a software i've especially written in C++ for CYANHIDE. It is something unique i had to develop, cause i never found what i was looking for in that domain.

7) How do you usually work at a new song and how long does it take from the first idea to the finished track?
I: It depends. For instance, we work on a sound we like, then, we create one or several sequences using it. After that, we had drums, organize things, and add the voice at the end. This last point, sometimes forces us to change the structure of the title.
E: From the beginning to end, it can last a long time. One year for instance. We prefer let things follow their own way, instead of forcing things. I will add that we have to work besides CYANHIDE, and this slows us a lot.

8) What are the topics of your texts? Are they autobiografic?
We talk about 'Work' and the place of a human being in this society, we talk about war, propaganda, youth and its dreams, about life in general, about life in particular (individual drama). Sometinmes there are short stories, legends. As you see it's quite opened. But it's not autobiografic in the meaning 'i'm talking about myself', supposing i'm the center of the world. Often, it's critic, ironic, cynical too, but realist. Sometimes, it's like dreams.
but i prefer to let people having their own interpretation of things... Lyrics are in our booklets, to let everyone follow lyrics and music. They are melted, and support each other. Lyrics and not simply added to the music, they are deeply connected.

9) Why do you work without a label and distributor?
We'd like to have one, but we found none ! In France, they are deaf. It's enough to drive you to dispair. We had good contacts in Germany, but they wrote things in german, not in englsih, as we asked them, and it was impossible to know what was going on (we speak not a german word). So, things stayed like this. Most of all, we are looking for a label to distribute and promote us in Europe and USA (with 3 albums behind us, we suppose we know how to create our masters ourselves). Today, we fight alone.

10) What is more important to you: your cds or live performing?
I: We think both things are important. The studio is here to let us create songs, let's say, with our brains. Live performing let us express ourselves in a more physical way. These are the two aspects of our music : preparation + performance. I will add that playing a gig, is more funny that creating it. Because most of the work is already done when we're on stage (with good titles, a concert is easier). But of course, it's not so simple: you have to manage random problems (machine crashes, connectic problems, stress, time, ...), but that's the game...
E: I prefer live perfonrming, because it's more funny, as said.

11) What do you think about cd burning, mp3 and www and the possibilities which are connected with them?
Well, we belong to no label, and don't sell billions of CDs, so - following this point of view - there's no problem for us to let people download our MP3. Doing this allow more people to know us. We often ask ourselves: Why not letting people freely download our full albums on our Website ? The answer is not easy. Having MP3 at home is one thing, having the full CD in a better quality, with the booklet is another one. We'd like everyone to have our CD for nothing, but this would cost a lot of money. We're not rich (yet ?). Well, i'm against the penal pursuits made all over the world against the one who exchange MP3, it's a false problem: they would have never bought all the CDs thay have downloaded. And most of all, no-one can stop Evolution. Leaving it in another way can only fail. It's too late, all has gone too far, and the battle is already lost i think. The problem is that CDs are too expensive (In France, for instance). Here, we decided a long time ago to sell our CD at a low price (our CD: 10 € / usual prices: 18 €). But CD-time is over, it's DVD-time now, and people are ok to pay, but only for images. We have to adapt ourselves. I see the future like this: audio is free, and video is not. This will last 5 or 10 years. After, there will be another step, another evolution. And so on...

12) What is your opinion on the development of the music business?
I: Good question. We wonder. Maybe Major-time is over. They sell so many shits, that a lot of people is upset, and dislike the way things turn. They follow alternative ways (downloads). Major and labels has never known recession, like other industries, and today, they need to adapt themselves, or disappear. For us, I guess future belongs to concerts, we'll never be rich selling CDs. We'd like adding videos, but it's expensive. We're working on it...
E: The image given by the Major companies, concerning musicians (how it's easy to become a 'star'), kills the music as we know. People may see us as 'disposable handkerchief'.

13) Which actual music do you like and which do you not like at all?
I: Personnaly, i'm a bit lost in what i hear. It's always the same thing, again and again, and i don't follow them. I'm still listening to Skinny Puppy, Velvet Acid Christ, Haujobb, U2, DM... I'd like more creativity, yes that's it, that's what i miss, 'creativity'.
E: I mainly listen to old things. But i'll say Otep, Atrocity...

14) Of which bought cd are you ashamed?
I: There's a long time i didn't bought CD. Impossbile to answer. When i need something, i download it. If one day i find something i'll really like, i'll buy it. But... i find nothing, maybe because i don't spend enough time in searching.
E: I shortly listen to the lasts Samael, Ramsteinn, and it sounds like 'nothing new'. So i didn't buy them.

15) What is the "dark scene" in France like? Is it a big scene and are there media which support it?
Oh, the 'dark scene' is difficult in France. We're support by no-one. Big national magazine (Elegy, D-Side) only supports big signed bands (the ones that have a label, and pay ads), and act as followers. They seems to look what is written in Germany, and simply translate it. Elegy is dead today, but i'm not sad at all. They have never supports underground scene in the right way. They say a new 'Elegy' will rise in February 2004. If they change their staff, why not. If not, i see no interest in this. The main problem with these magazines, is that they are not professionnal at all. Open a 'Velvet' magazine, and you see it's completely different. Questions asked to the bands are not basic, it's really interesting, and you learn things, and enjoy reading it. It's not empty.
Back to the 'dark scene', it's hard to play gigs and i feel that now, people usually prefer big concerts, or big festivals, instead of small gigs. In France, most of all, it's a question of money and legal authorization (noise and neighbourhood).

16) What is important to you besides music?
I: I lived only for music for ten years. Now, I'd like to live other things besides music, and ask myself about having a family. Future will tell, because things never occur the way they were prepared. I can add, i'm fond of Martial art for many years now (Tae Kwow Do, Ju-JITSU). This gave me so many things, so many answers, and advice every one to take care of himself. I also read a lot (Fantasy, Science-Fiction), in fact, i'm fascinated by all where Imagination express itself. For instance, i loved 'The Lord Of Rings' (the movie i mean, and of course, the books)
E: I spend too much time in working, and that's getting on my nerves. I'm fond of Music and Videos (Van Helsing, Lord of the Ring, Hellboy, Resident Evil...)

17) Which five items would you take with you to a lonely island?
I: A girl (the question is... which one ?), a computer connected to Internet, a boat, my music stuff and ... my cat.
E: A girl, a girl, a girl, a girl, and a girl: That makes five girls ! :)

18) What are your plans for the future?
I: Working on videos, realize the fourth album and concerts...
E: Going to this lonely island :)

19) What else do you want to tell our readers at last?
I: Thanks for the interview and hi to all german people...
E: We'll enjoy playing concert in your country... Maybe in 2005 ?

Interview By Olaf Krautwurst