Brainterviews
INTERVIEW WITH
SEBASTIAN ELLIOTT OF BRAINDANCE
NAD BRZEGAMI CZASU WEBZINE, POLAND
WINTER, 2002
1) Hello! How does Braindance feel after the release of their newest child "Redemption"?
quite exhausted, thanks.
2) How many cds have you spread so far? Are people interested in your music a lot?
We’ve spread over 10 billion cd’s, but I’m not sure anyone is interested yet.
3) It seems that interest of Braindance is huge in metal communities, isn't it? But your music isn't connected with this genre. What do you think, what is in your music that metal people are under the impression when they listen to Braindance? (I am not the exception, he, he)
when we first started producing music, we never really knew what it was that we were doing in the sense of categorization. when vora and i first met, i hadn’t even listened to contemporary music for four or five years, and didn’t exactly know what genre i would have liked to be associated with. i had been completely removed from current musical trends, listening to absolutely no music whatsoever for 3 1/2 years, most likely due to my heavy involvement in music as a youngster and my strong desire to forget (or run from) the misery of that period. it was only after receiving press and response from both the goth/industrial/darkwave community and the progressive community, that we came to be familiar with terms such as gothic, darkwave, ambient, industrial, progressive, death, black, doom metal, etc. in fact, i’m still not clear (and have yet to receive a satisfactory explanation) on what those terms and their respective boundaries are. perhaps if i had been clear on those terms and how they are supposed to be communicated musically, we’d be doing something completely different than braindance, something completely identifiable (and non-threatening by industry standards). i’m a fan of all of the sub-genres that make up braindance — goth, industrial, progressive, darkwave, classical, progressive trance, and, of course, metal — generally, anything with dense programming, multi-layered composition, distinct melody and/or of a darker nature. I think that most metal purists would embrace braindance much like a starving bear would embrace a shrimp enchilada.
4) Quite, as we talk about genre, I would like to know the definition of your music straight from the man who makes it.
in 1992, it was termed, ‘progressive new age gothic metal fusion,’ although I think progressive darkwave describes it most accurately today, which can be loosely interpreted as ‘small purple gnomes with lobster forks on the hungry, hungry hunt’.
5) Where do you take inspirations to create music from?
Skewed perception blended with misery — then again, it’s all one and the same, then, isn’t it?
6) As I look at the title songs and lyrics I suppose that "Redemption" is a concept-album. Am I right? What is it about?
the latin phrase preceding the title track of redemption essentially means, "as above, so below," and can be interpreted as ‘what comes around, goes around,’ or karmic intervention, a central theme within the album, although i believe in a good measure of ambiguity when writing lyrics. naturally, the themes have specific meanings for me, but i try not to assign definitive conceptual values to phrases, because i think listening should be somewhat interactive. insofar as everyone’s experiences are different, so should their interpretations be. whereas i might see despair and desolation, someone else might see pierogies.
7) And how the cover artwork is connected with the music?
The cover art from the first three releases, especially the last two, tell a story of sorts, that is also, open for interpretation. Other than that, we’re big science fiction, comic, and fantasy adventure fans, and I wanted that to be reflected in both the music and the packaging.
8) You are self-produced band. Is it because nobody was interested in releasing your stuff or you wanted to take everything in your hands?
from the start, we felt we owed to ourselves to become recording artists - i don’t believe in granting people the right to decide when my career starts. As mentioned, we’ve had limited dealings with limited companies with limited integrity and limited dealings with limited companies with limited funds, but nothing substantial. i would be lying if i told you that i didn’t want large quantities of people to hear our music. But no matter how many fans, dj’s and journalists champion the project, labels have generally ignored us. what we do frightens labels and frightens persons who are responsible for financial return within those labels. independent labels as well as majors have risk to contend with. in order for a label to dump a heap of cash on you, they’ve got to be sure that your music has succeeded in other realms — their competitor must have had one of you, and have done rather well with them. independent labels, for the most part, cater to one form of music, or one specific genre or sub-genre and generally operate no differently — as a business. because what we do crosses a few different sub-genres, there is no ‘niche’ for us, even in the independent (‘underground’) world, which prides itself on promoting new, exciting, underground music.
9) I've noticed that you like to depict iron spiders with chains on your artworks. Is it something like your "trade mark"?
our logo is a large bowl of borscht surrounded by rye toast crackers. I don’t know anything about chained iron spiders.
10) Braindance are only two people. How do you share the instruments? Who is the main composer?
Insofar as composition is concerned, vora usually comes to me with the framework of a song. At that point, the two of us make efforts to clarify the integral structure and develop the essential direction of the song. Vora is generally responsible for arrangement, and my main concern as a songwriter in this project is with vocal melody, lyrics, and song structure. On redemption, andy bunk played bass, robynne Naylor, keyboards, with Vora producing, programming, and playing keyboards and guitar.
11) I can't omit this case I and I must ask about your image. I think it's very gothic.
I think it’s very silly.
12) All the songs on "Redemption" are interrupted by some insertions taken from TV, movies, radio, etc... Even the track "Reduction" is built only on these things. Do they play an important role or they are simply such "decorations"?
yes.
13) Are you planning to promote "Redemption" on live gigs?
currently, we’re preparing for live perfomance with new bassist david z, drummer jofu, and keyboardist constantin v.
14) Recently, I listen to Braindance when I drive in my car. It's ideal for it!!!! Haven't you tried?
In the center of the metropolis known as new york, there is very little need for a car, however, I’ve been known to irresponsibly brainpoison others on extensive cross-country excursions.
Thanx a lot for your time. Hope we will hear the successor of "Redemption" as soon as possible because I can listen to such music till the end of time!!!
That’s quite some time, brother...
Thank you.