12 : JUNE : 08
ANGELSPIT Interview in Black: Australian Dark Culture
Interview Talie Helene

Angelspit is a provocative band name – and word – can you tell me, why Angelspit?

We stole it from a Sonic Youth lyric. Sonic Youth are a huge influence on us. We’re very inspired by punk/indie/grunge.

Can you tell me how you share the songwriting process? Do either of you have special backgrounds in music industry or other art disciplines?

We write pop songs, then we beat them with a stick until they are demented and psychotically dangerous. Then we starve them for a few days, sharpen their teeth and set them loose in a room full of people.

The new album Blood Death Ivory is due for imminent release – what makes this album special?

We wrote this album in Berlin. We have amassed an impressive studio set-up…but most of our studio remained in storage in Sydney. Instead of using our beautiful studio speakers with our super-fast computer, we used €20 PC speakers and a laptop that kept crashing.
Same applies to the photo shoot. On our previous CD “Krankhaus”, we had 20 people on the set, for Blood Death Ivory we had 3 (Destroyx, the photographer and me).
So the lesson for us was to make more with less. It was an awesome challenge and I honestly believe we have grown as artists. Many people say we have topped our last album…but the important thing is that we have made art to the best of our abilities without letting the limitations get in the way.

If you had to describe your sound to someone quite unfamiliar with electro and gothic subculture (and sub-genres), how would you describe it?

You neighbours will HATE you for playing it. Your Christians friends will say you are possessed, you parents will be extremely worried about you, and it will absolutely decimate your bass speakers.
We are inspired by many styles of music…from R’n’B to metal to punk to 80s synth pop to Euro techno.
Blood Death Ivory is an experiment in “Ballistic Electro Punk”. It’s about getting away from the formula of “Goth” and “Industrial” and getting back to the raw idea of punk music done with synthesizers.
There are big guitars in the album, and we’ve tried to make the synth match their fatness.

Your visuals are spectacular and surreal – how important is it to have visual impact?

Visuals and music have equal importance. Life inspires music. Music inspires images. Images inspire us.

You’ve toured internationally – and probably a lot of Australians are unaware of your profile internationally – can you tell me about the places you’ve played overseas? Highlights? Lowlights?

We did 12 East Coast USA gigs and 24 gigs in Europe. It rocked. A highlight was playing in an 1100 year old castle in Poland with Frontline Assembly, Mortis and about 5000 insane European Goths. A Lowlight was packing up after a gig at 2am in minus 20 degrees in upstate New York.
…and I’m not kidding, it was minus 20!!

What are the bands you know – and maybe have played gigs with – who you’d recommend to readers - & why? What are those bands like live, and if you’ve got any friendly stories feel free to share.

We did a few gigs with a Canadian band called Ayria (think Madonna meets Skinny Puppy), and an American band called Ego Likeness (think ethereal Goth with a lot of attitude). Awesome people, awesome music, awesome fun!
There’s also a Japanese Cyberpunk band called BAAL…they are ROCK IN CARNATE!

www.angelspit.net
www.myspace.com/krankhaus