Zizo, Belgian gay magazine ---> Français

Zizo, Belgian gay magazine ---> Français
''Je suis une fille du cinquième sexe''

Sopor Aeternus and the Enemble of Shadows

Des figues cultes, nous en connaissons tous. Existent-ils également dans la scène gothique ? Oui, en prenant pour exemple l'Allemand de Sopor Aeternus (“le Sommeil Eternel“) et l'Ensemble des Ombres. Le noyau du groupe est le chanteur Anna-Varney Cantodea. L'Ensemble est représenté par les entités spirituelles qui donnent l'inspiration pour la musique magnifique et en même temps morbide qu'ils font. Une rencontre avec une âme tourmentée.
Tom Plovie

Sur la plupart des photos d'Anna-Varney que l'on peut trouver sur internet, nous voyons un excentrique torturé plein de piercings, ongles longs, un visage blanc et une aprence androgyne. Parfois, nous voyons un visage et un corps d'homme souvent avec les parties génitales camouflées. Dans les ½uvres récentes, de nouveau, l'artiste a l'air plus féminin.

Le décor est fait de catacombes et de pierres tombales, cercueils, chandeliers et poussière, des intérieurs pompeux. Cet artwork visuel, créé par Anna-Varney lui-même est délibérément choisi et nourris le mystère entourant l'excentrique musicien. Même après une carrière de presque vingt ans, il n'y a jamais eu de performance live ou d'apparition publique. Une stratégie marketing du label Apocalyptic Vision ?

Nous ne donnerons pas de réponse claire, mais la musique et les interviews données par Anna-Varney le long de ces années peuvent donner une idée sur cette figure intrigante.

'' Fille du cinquième sexe''
Il y a un élément transsexuel à trouver dans Sopor. La recherche pour son identité sexuelle est constante sans son travail. C'est souvent une source de douleur qu'il essaie de traiter avec la musique. Dans la chanson ''Drama of Geschlechtlösigkeit'' il chante ''Je ne suis pas un homme, je ne suis pas non plus une femme, perdu quelque part entre les deux, je ne sais pas d'où je viens, ne sais pas ce que je suis.''

Bien que l'aversion pour sa masculinité physique soit très présente, ses croyances spirituelles l'empêchent de considérer un changement opérationnel. Il se réfère à la tradition des Indiens de navajo dans laquelle quatre sexes sont connus : L'homme, la femme, l'homme/femme et la femme/homme. Anna-Varney se voit comme ''une fille du cinquième sexe. En ajoutant ce mystérieux cinquième sexe, il enveloppe sa vraie identité dans d'autres nuages. Quand il a été questionné à propos de son sexe, il a répondu : ''je suis simplement Anna-Varney, aussi connu comme ''elle avec le S entre guillements'' (en anglais (S)he car SHE= elle ; He= il) A la question ''Etes vous un homme ou une femme ?'' la réponse était : ''oui bien sur !''

Darkwave néo classique

A quelle musique devons nous nous attendre venant du talentueux Sopor ? Bien que le gothique décrit indéniablement le tout, cela reste un terme général pour une variété de styles. Le label spécifique pour la musique de Sopor Aeternus est darkwave néo classique. Cee style est caractérisé par des paroles sombres et mélancoliques, souvent accompagnées d'un style orchestral.
Les éléments du monde de l'opéra – l'utilisation de ch½urs par exemple – ne sont pas bannis. Avec Sopor, nous avons des éléments baroques et de la poésie sombre, mais aussi des influences éléctroniques.

Les paroles sont alternées entre l'Anglais et l'Allemand. La voix versatile d'Anna-Varney peut nous faire entendre des sanglots, un vibrato maussade mais sais aussi être brisante et frappante comme furieusement digérée par la douleur. Et aucune importance comme les scènes apparaissent poussiéreuses, le plus frappant est la musique ou l'amour avec lequel elle est composée.

Que les chansons sonnent un peu classiques, est du fait des instruments choisis et des arrangements complexes. Les instruments à cordes sont souvent présents. Ils sont supportés par une flopée de percussions et souvent inondées d'un enchantement de cloches. Des cloches mortelles si vous voulez.

Fesses et faucheuse

De retour aux thèmes de la musique de Sopor. Le fait qu'Anna-Varney soit un homme est clair mais malgré cela, sa relation avec les hommes est difficile. Des titres avec des noms enjoués, tels que : 'certains hommes sont comme le chocolat' et 'une petite barre de savon' (dans lequel il voudrait être un morceau de savon afin qu'il puisse glisser sur les fesses de tout le monde), sont trompeurs dans ce sens. La quête pour l'amour est comme celle du genre, pas facile. Dans l'album ''Sanatorium Altrosa'' (2008) la chanson '' Consider this: the true meaning of Love'' est le point principal. C'est l'appel pour un amour sans inconditionnel. Sopor s'adresse a un garçon et demande : ''Aurais tu la force d'être là pour moi jusqu'à la fin ? Aurais-tu le courage de vivre pour moi ? Me défendra-tu contre le monde, combattre les médecins qui se prennent pour Dieu ?'' Les questions sont encadrées par un bombardement classique et propulsées par un tambour militaire palpitant.

S'il ne peut trouver l'amour parmi les vivants, Sopor ne s'éloigne pas de la nécrophilie gay érotique. Dans la chanson ''Collision'' nous sommes dans les rêves les plus sombres d'une âme torturée. ''Penchant mon visage contre son flanc, je place ma main doucement sur son ventre, je ne peux croire que j'ai à nouveau considéré cela, je dois à présent refuser de partager mon lit avec la carcasse d'un homme !''

Sopor Aeternus connaît aussi ses classiques dans le genre gothique. Il adore, parmi d'autres, la poésie sombre d'Edgar Allan Poe. Des poèmes tels que 'Le Ver Conquérant', 'Eldorado' et 'Le dormeur' sont mis en musique. L'utilisation du clavecin dans ce dernier nommé, accompagné d'un minimum de percussions et de quelques cordes, l'honore.

En outre, Sopor fait des reprises telles que ''Modela Est'', la version en latin du classique de Kraftwerk ''das modell''. Ainsi que ''Bitter Sweet'' de Roxy Music qui est très original.

Artwork

Il y a un troisième élément dans le travail de Sopor Aeternus. Il mixe la musique, la poésie et un aspect visuel en un cocktail personnel. Le visuel est surtout évident dans l'enregistrement de ses albums. Presque chaque enregistrement est un petit chef d'½uvre et est enregistré en une édition limitée. Le CD est habituellement accompagné d'une boîte pleine d'accessoires uniques, incluant des photos signées, des badges, tee shirts, des livrets de paroles méticuleusement détaillés etc. Des nouvelles photos et des vidéos trailers sur youtube stimulent la curiosité. Il y a trois ans, le premier DVD est apparu avec quelques clips vidéo à montrer. Il y a beaucoup de franchise qui se remarque. Espérant que cela dure.

Tout cela est trop sombre, trop mélancolique, trop dépressif pour être découvert ? 'Il y a de la beauté dans l'obscurité''. Sopor Aeternus est la preuve vivante de cela.

Traduction par moi: pas de copier/coller sans lien SVP

# Posté le lundi 06 juillet 2009 03:58

Infos / Questions

Infos / Questions
Vous ne savez pas ou acheter une édition particulière ?
Vous voulez savoir quelque chose ?

Merci de me demander ici
j'essayerais de vous répondre

(Merci d'éviter les questions sur la vie privée d'Anna-Varney auxquelles je ne pourrais répondre.)

# Posté le lundi 10 novembre 2008 13:01

Ich Töte Mich...

Ich Töte Mich...
_________

Le tite complet de l'album est: Ich Töte mich jedesmal aufs neue, doch ich bin unsterblich, und ich erstehe wieder aufs in einer vision des untergangs.


Tracklist:

1 - Travel on Breath
2 - Falling Into Different Flesh
3 - Birth-fiendish Figuration
4 - Tanz der Grausamkeit
5 - Im Garten des Nichts <3
6 - Time Stands Still <3
7 - Do You Know My Name?

Pistes bonus (1999)

8 - Penance and Pain <3
9 - Holy Water Moonlight
10 - Beautiful Thorn
11 - The Feast of Blood <3
12 - Dark Delight
13 - Baptisma
14 - Birth-fiendish Figuration <3

_________

C'est le premier album de Sopor Aeternus qui est sorti après une trilogie de démos
dont "Es Reiten die Toten so Schnell".
Il est sorti en 1994 et était initiallement disponible en une édition limitée
à 1000 exemplaires contenant un poster.

En 1999, Ich Töte Mich... est ré-édité avec un artwork différent
et sept titres bonus, incluant deux démos.
Toutes les chansons bonus, ont plus tard été ré-enregistrées
pour l'album "Es Reiten Die Toten So Schnell" en 2003.

En 2004, l'album est encore réédité avec un artwork totalement changé.

_________

Note personnelle: 19/20

# Posté le lundi 06 octobre 2008 12:57

Modifié le lundi 22 décembre 2008 12:11

Interview novembre 1992 (English)

Interview novembre 1992 (English)
Interview of VARNEY (november 92)

Varney, you declare that SOPOR AETERNUS is something you had to do. can you, please, give us further details concerning that affirmation? What are your aims?
It all started some incarnations ago and became more and more unbearable with every life I had to suffer (actually I should say "manage") and with every death - or to be accurate the circumstances which led to them - I didn't really get along with. Spiritual decisions I made after leaving my body... All these karmic burdens came together and create this enormous cross I had to carry. At least, I thought I had to suffer, but in fact there was no need for it. The only one who decided this tragedy was I, myself. The resulting consequences were more than 20 years of extreme depression, 9 years of despair and loneliness and the last 2 years, each single second of it, was rule to 89% by SATURN, which means that I spend 24 hours a day in almost total darkness (in any possible sense of the word.)

I became weak, sick, was losing my eyesight and got very very close to cancer. I didn't leave the house - expect for about once a month - neither able nor willing to move or speak... Sleep became my only "joy", even though I was tortured by violent and ugly nightmares. I literally became a living dead, a marionette of my own "moods".

It went so far that in the end - the last 1 1/2 years - my soul became the despiced prisoner of my destructive inner hell, hanging an a spiritual pendulum, which was swinging around tree black extremes: Pain, stronger Pain and in between nothing but EMPTYNESS (which probably was the worst of all).
It's like being crucified within the ultimate blackness, nothing to surround you, expect for undying and evil sun in front of you, constantly reminding that it is YOU, who has to suffer for eternity and tree days with no sleep or dream to seek refuge by.

In these years I caught a glimpse of damnation... I was lost in a strange half-world, torn between good and evil, light and dark... But nothing can exist without its "counterpart", its reflection. So even when I turned my back against the light to become a discipline, a "Child of SATURNE", there still remained a spark of "life" somewhere within my spirit. (Fortunately I must say now...)

But to get back to your question, of course it was something I had to do. you have to understand, you can only express what you are already carrying inside of you (express = press-it-out). Somehow my lyrics were (and I guess still are to some degree) the only way to communicate, a cry for help. Unnecessary to emphasize that no-one heard or understood it.... Then one day "SOPOR AETERNUS" was formed (for quite obvious reason), a title that contains the whole cosmic spectrum of life and death - which in fact is one and the same!

SOPOR AETERNUS appears with a trilogy as first project. What does this choice mean? Is there a particular meaning for it? Is it in connection with the symbolical 3 (as means Heaven or God in tarot cards for instance...)?
Of course, everything we are doing is based on more than just one intention, idea or however you prefer to call it. "BLUT DER SCHWARZEN ROSE" for one was created as a trilogy, because there are three "worlds" of existence - at least from the earth-bound's point of view:
1/ The world of the living
2/ The World of the dead
3/ The realm of the Undead

(apart from that, the number 3 is - as you've mentioned quite correctly - the number of divine creation. The sum of "1", the thought, the spiritual and male principle of the spreading light, and "2", the female, receiving and material part, the first visible dimension.)

The same "mystic of numbers" goes for our choice to use a C-60 tape with each side containing the same material. A combination of artistical and practical reasons ; a symbolisation of eternity and its damnation (continous repetition) ; the "2" in its evil but also receiving aspect, plus the face that you don't have to turn your tape listen to the full material...

No instruments are needed for SOPOR AETERNUS music, because it begins in your dreams. There's a theory asserting that artists get their inspiration in the Astral while they are sleeping (because when asleep our soul fly to the Astral). What's your views about this?
Yes, that's absolutely true. Dream are rightly the mirrors of our soul. I call them "The Theatre of seven Hells". They are very important for our spiritual development. They reflect our hidden problems and fears in the best possible and most objective way, even offer a solution. Unfortunately, the symbols they are using are sometimes quite difficult to understand and their habbit of desolving after our awaking (unless you train to remember) brought them the false reputation of being senceless and unimportant (german: "Traume sind Schaume"). But that's wrong. Even for "average" people dreams are the key to their true self, to the divinity within us. To discover "us" is the reason for our incarnation.

While we're asleep, our "Soul" can leave our body to wander to higher spheres, the "Astral-sphere". But it gets more and more difficult to separate when you grow older, except of course if you've already reach a very high level of spirituality in your current incarnation. Babies, for example, have the tendancy to "step out" everytime they fall asleep. The same goes for people who are under sedation during a clinical operation. They "fly" above the whole scene, carefully observing what the doctors are doing with their body... I remember this situation myself and it had quite a tragic effect on my life... But that's a different point. In the nighttime or whenever our bodies are asleep our right brain-hemisphere, suppressed by the logical left one throughout the day, untiringly clears off the day's events and the unconscious and hidden conflicts. Sometimes inspiring, sometimes prophetic or warning or just beautiful. A private movie this Theatre of seven Hells.

Can you sum me up your work with HOLGER, about creation of music, lyrics, entire tracks...?
Holger was a great help by accompanying me when I had to leave the house, and assisting me when we were recording "Es reiten die Toten so schnell...".
In fact, we only came together in order to make music. But in the end, I saw him only every other month. But, can not blame in any way, so now I can understand this reaction.
What the music concerns and especially the lyrics, for they are entirely based on my personal experiences, dreams, etc.. But always with the beautiful and loving help of the spirits - The Ensemble of Shadows...

As I am very curious about The Ensemble of Shadows, I would like you to give me further details about them: how many are they? How do they come out and why? Is it a way for them to be heard from incarnate people or to express themselves? What are they searching for?
I am afraid, I cannot tell how many "beings" are involved in the "Ensemble" because I don't know their number myself, at least not at this particular moment... I am also not sure about who they are but their intentions are quite obvious: They are trying to help everyone (they probably might be "MUSIC - DEVAS").

How did you notice their presence first and how did you know what you was expected to do?
I first noticed their presence when I - subconsciously - decided to dedicate myself to music... (that's how I remember it now). My mind was filled with with beautiful and rythmical melodies, strangely orchestrated, reduced to the sheer basic-lines and I couldn't get it out of my head... This usually happened when I was trying to sleep, rolling from one side to the other, really awfully tried, but they just wouldn't let go of me until I got up and wrote the notes down.
But then, instead of finding the "promised" rest, I became tortured by this feeling, this need to share this beautiful gift I received with the whole world, or at least, everyone who was willing to listen.
Unfortunately, unemployed as I was - and still am - there was no way to get it on tape, entirely I mean. So, along with that present I received another pain...

SOPOR AETERNUS is particularly interested in the "damned" fate, but in my opinion not all souls are damned, only souls of people who have commited suicide for instance are damned, and these souls wander somewhere between Earth and Hereafter waiting for their rescue at the time they should have died if they hadn't commited suicide.
When you suffer from heavy depressions for years, you become very sensitive when it comes to things like damnation, injustice, the fate of others so-called "outsiders", lost and alone, hated and despiced by everyone, with only the "Garden of Nothing" to run to. A kind of Heaven for the damned, a perverted Nirvana, but the only place of refuge.
Though these beings or entities had been hunted or tortured they don't feel hater or the desire for vengeance. So SATURN becomes their ultimate lord, semi-enlighted creatures in the realm of... But I'm straying from the point. Of course, you're right. Not everyone is a "damned soul", oh Lord, ha...
I hope I did not give you that impression! You also won't be eternally damned for committing one single suicide, although it gets very close to it and is quite a bad thing to do. you see, souls of people who have ended their lives by their own hands put a gigantic weight (karmic faults) on their shoulders and they can not reincarnated until the same constellations or circumstances of the zodiac reappears as they were when they died. This usually means a time of ca. 24000 years (earth years) they have to spend within the Bardo-sphere or maybe on earth. These souls suffer from an enormous cosmic pressure they are under and now they are trying everything to pay off or desolve the load they carry by helping other people - living people -, who might also try to commit suicide, not to make the same mistake. I have been "rescued" myself about three times by some "spirits" when I was very close to the voluntary death... (thank you thousand times...)
So please, take this advice: LIVE AS LONG AS YOU CAN AND DEDICATE EVERY SECOND OF YOUR LIFE TO THE LOVE OF GOD!!! (I am talking about the real God everybody is connected with. The divinity that dwells within us and the whole universe...).

Why do you depict the after death's life as an ocean of pain?
Oh, I've never said anything like this! Why should I? Death is such a beautiful thing, it means coming home finally, the place where we all truly belong to!!! II am not all afraid to die, in fact, no one must feel any kind of fear in facing death. There is absolutely no reason. When our time has come, we should embrace "Him" with an open and loving heart.
We all have lived myriads of lives before and of course also died the equivalently. There is no difference between Life and Death, on is the gateway towards the other. The only difference might be that dying is much easier than living!!!

Don't you think the entities you communicate with may deceive you about the exact nature of Hereafter as it may occur when people do spiritism (indeed, the only souls who are able to communicate with human beings are the ones who are still tied to Earth, and so their level of spirituality is quit low and so they can deceive humans because in the Hereafter everyone keeps his own spiritual level, I mean that's not because you die that you become better!!)? What do you think about that?
Coming to spiritism now, I must say, this is quite an insecure territory. "Normal" people can only contract (or attract) these so-called "earth-bound" entities and most of them are - as you said - not very intelligent. They also like to play tricks and are really devoted liars.
But fortunately there are also very highly developped mediums who are in the possesssion of great powers. They can reach the "dead" even in the spheres far, far away, at least if the dead are willing to communicate, which is not often the case, because understandably it is not pleasure to return, even for a short time, to the lowest of all spheres... OURS!

Did the Ensemble of Shadows modify your views upon reincarnation, Karma (and so about life and death), Hereafter, God etc.. or did it strengthen your believes?
No, the Ensemble of Shadows did not alter my believes. Their presence only reinforced me in my "devotion" (even though it run through changes...) activating my inner guidance.
Starting about the age of 10 years, I was very frightened by the idea of reincarnation, which meant from my former point of view, an unbearable amount of pain. The thought of suffering the same life over and over again was more than my childish mind could endure. So I decided not to believes in it..., but you can not deny or suppress the truth!!!

The actual upheaval happened about two or three months ago. The pressures of the cosmic laws become stronger and stronger and forced me to make a decision: either for life or for a painful existence in a sanatorium for the mentally illness. I chose life!
Right now I am trying to balance my Karma and press ahead with my self-knowledge..., after so many years I finally accepted the divine spark that dwells within everyone(even me).

In the track called "SISTER OF SELF-DESTRUCTION", you mention "the lord of the dark side" shapeless who is waiting on the other side. Is it another name for Prince of darkness?
Yes, it is...

What's you opinion abut Good and Evil, "Hell" and "Heaven"? Don't you think the Earth is that hell described by the Christians?
The human world ist the realm of polarity, pendulum that constantly swings from one extreme to the other... Nothing can exist without the other part, its opposite half, like the reflection in a mirror (but which one is the illusion... ?). But, as long as we remain prisoner of polarity, we won't be able to develop any further. This principle of "either-or" has to be overcome and must be transformed into the divine "as-well-as". We have to unite the opposites whitin us and see that not everything we carry is good but also bad things are a part of our character. These expelled conflicts and problems (our shadows) must be recognized and draged into the light. When we have learned to accept ourselves, then and only then we will be able to feel the true love and our planet will be free again...! There is only one "Heaven", it is the ultimate and eternal feeling of happyness no word canever described. It is the highest destination we are supposed to reach, the final deliverance of our "soul" from our body, NIRVANA, for those who have reached this highest level of purity so that another incarnation will be unnecessary...
"Hell", on the other hand knows many faces, all created by ourselves, born from the non-cognition, our arrest in MAYA, the great illusion. But, if you have once seen the light, there don't be no more hell for you, ever...
Concerning Christianity... Well, let me quote and recall one of the great masters: "It's good to be born into a confession, but very stupid to die with the same".

VARNEY, your body seems to be a jail for mind, ex: "paralysed by flesh and bones". But if souls had decided by their own to fall and to have a jail of flesh in order to be able to rise back after having known pain and evil?
What can you say about this?

Yes, you are absolutely right. We all have to incarnate again and again in order to discover ourselves, the godness within us, our connection with the whole universe... But, we have no choice, we must return to earth to get the experiences that are necessary for our spiritual development. Of course, the BARDo.state is so full of happyness and warmth than even the thought of leaving it is quite an unpleasant one, but the diving "helpers", our guardians and companions finally convince us to incarnate once again. We can see our entire future life and even though it ill be painfull, sad and lonely, we accept pure purpose and return. Unfortunately from the very moment of our birth our conscious memory of the Bardo-sphere vanishes (which on the other hand is very important, how else could we learn?) and we forget the sense of our current life.
There are some souls that desesperately refuse to incarnate, or leave the Bardo at all. Bt their comes a time when the cosmic pressure will grow too strong that no other choice than incarnation is left.
Equivalently difficult this new life will be for them, because one of the lagitimacies goes: action = reaction.
The human body is always the material expression of our soul, depending on our last incarnation and the only way to gather experiences. Because each feeling of pain is bound to a body.

Don't you meet any problems in your everyday's life because of your look?
Because of your "unconformity" (i.e. your long nails), I think it strengthens your stifling sensation to prison of flesh, doesn't it?

Yes I had a huge amount of problems, even though I left the house only once a month and it surely reinforced my agony. I mean you go out and everybody hates you just because of the way you look...

Everything that you perceive, things that bother you concerning other people are in fact your own displace conflicts, but you can not notice them in yourself. So you project them out, and they confront you in the shape of your environment. Those who are filled with peace and equanimity (not to be confused with indifference) will replay with LOVE even when they are surrounded by hate...
So I no longer get angry or depressed when people laughing at me or spitt at my feet when I am passing them.

What's your opinion about the society you are living in?
I think they just need a little more time in order to complete their development and discover the light (centuries maybe...).

By now there are some burstings of hate and violence, while wars are breaking out in countries which were preciously considered as peaceful countries (but (Evil always comes back ever and ever...). Mankind has to leave the age of Pisces to enter the age of Aquarius (which should lead to wisdom and peace...), do you think that the current worlwide situation has something to do with the fact that times are changing? (I mean it has been said that in order to know the eternal wisdom, humanity has to fall and die to rise again in a new age?).
Naturally everything is connected with the rythm of the universe, submissed by the circles of life and death, the dance of the cosmos...
In the Astrology, URANUS is always associated with changes and revolution, independence, impatience and new inventions,. Even though the astrologists are not sure about the exact beginning of the Aquarius-age, some say 1948 and the others 2740, it effects are considerable these days.
I think we have to trust that mankind is going to learn from their mistakes to prepare the path, the Golden Age, the "AUREUM SAECULUM"!

In my opinion, some of your lyrics allude to vampires. i.e.: "Whit the dawn we went away", what's your opinion about that subject?
We recorded "ES REITEN DIE TOTEN SO SCHNELL..." to express the deep bounds towards..., well, just read the dedication: "to our be suffer their immortal lives in eternal darkness." The lyrics of the Undead-Trilogy allude to vampires only at first sight for they are a symbol of tragedy, damnation and all of that. Please, remember what I said earlier about that expression...

What do you think about the current german scene, which seems to be very prolific and energetic (seen from France, it looks like a reservoir of creativity!)?
Creativity is to be found everywhere, everyone is full of ideas, in the whole world, not only in Germany. Unfortunately, most of them don't dare to work on them or cannot get the adequate equipment or the money (which is our problem...). People get very insecure when facing those professionnaly looking CD's and other productions mad with high technical standards, so they just drop their dreams and plans. In the beginning we did not want to offer "es reiten die Toten so schnell...) to a larger audience, after all it was only a demo, produced entirely without money or studio technics. But then we decided to issue in despite this lack of quality (in some places), hoping that it might encourage all those insecure folks out there to create something on their own.

According to yourself where's your place in that underground scene and what are our relationship like with other bands?
A few words about DAS ICH/GOETHES ERBEN/RELATIVES MENSCHSEIN/PROJECT PITCHFORK, to quote of them?
Somehow I don't feel that we belong to any kind of scene and the opinion of others concerning our look or music is completely unimportant to us.
But, of course, it fills our hearts with warmth and joy when receiving loving compliments! I personaly don't like to be called german because I just don't feel like it. I am a person from the planet Earth with current residence in Germany. That's all..

I'm afraid I cannot say anything to the bands listed... It's not exactly the music I like to listen to. Since I would never dare to upset anyone with my meaningless opinion, I prefer to remain silent in love.

But now back to SOPOR AETENUS and particularly to your lyrics tied to the pain of desincarnates... Except that them, what do you feel concerned with in society, in humans' condition for instance?
I have found my peace of mind since I have looked through MAYA the great illusion, but of course I'm still a little sad when I see how people treat each other and this planet, our Mother. But I know that one day - many incarnations will come and go - mankind will discover the truth. Trust in it and help them on their way, so they might reach destination a bit sooner...

Do you feel like writing some lyrics which should denounce the sereval atrocities and abominations for which humans are guilty and victims in the same time? you could then warn those who might get damned, couldn't you?
Most people don't know the meaning of the word KARMA (or they don't believe in it), if they did, there definitely wouldn't be any atrocity at all, as it's always the "malefactor" who changes the balance, that has to correct this karmic injustice at the latest in his next life, which is based on his currents deeds.

Concerning damnation, yes we've thought about that risk, as most of our lyrics are extremely selfdestructive. So out next releases (i.e. "Times heals nothing") will carry some kind of warning along with more positive vibrations n order to compense the extremes.

The song "DARK DELIGHT" is dedicated to a VICTOR BERTRAND. But who's that mysterious person and why did you dedicate him that track?
Sergeant Victor Bertrand was one of the most famous necrophilicas of the 19th century and received great recognition under the name of "LE VAMPIRE" or "PHANTOM OF MONTPARNASSE". In the very beginning of the year 1849 he appeared for the first time on the cemetary of Pere Lachaise where lost of well known painters, composer and poets found their final rest. The graveyard keeper witnessed fearfully a shadow-like creature flitting at midnight hour over the tombs, always managing to get ride of his followers (despite high walls and locked gates). Graves were discovered that he been desecrated in the most horrible way. Corpses had been pulled out of their coffins and the bodies were mutilated. The phantom went on his activities... The public became pretty upset as the dismembered remains of a 7 years old girl were found an some churchyard in a suburb of Paris. They had been buried just the day before. The events came to an end as the police waylayed the phantom one night on the crematary of Montparnasse (at the time the incidents had increased) and wounded him with a bullet. They found a piece of a military uniform and followed the bloodtrace... In the course of the night pioners of the 74th regiment (which was stationed in Paris at that time) reported that one of the sergaents returned seriously wounded to the barracks. During the trailer Victor Bertrand explained he couldn't barely remember his crimes as he always felt into a strange trace every-time the "Dark Delights" started to possess him... Since Bertrand did not murder his "victims", he was sentenced to one year in prison and finally disappeared from the face of the earth.
I think that dedication doesn't need any explanation, does it?

VARNEY, you wrote me that interview would be the last forever, why?
It this time was still a "disciple of SATURN".

I read in a zine that you didn't want to do concerts. Can you tell me more about that fact?
When we were first approached to do a concerts, even the imagination lay may beyond my strength and the sheer thought of crowded audience, the presence of human beings drove me very close to vomit. Apart from that, we still need many guest musicians and dancers, if we ever do the live performances. But I don't think so. maybe one day... Right mow we prefer our video works.

You seem to be very interested in video and you use it in a quite unusual way (dances, perfumes etc.). Do yoz aim at leading people who watch your work to a modified state of consciousness?
We want them to discover beauty, the hidden beauty that dwells within them, waiting to be embraced. The dances we perform are called "Dances of Darkness" and show that beauty is to be found everywhere, even in the decomposing remains of a dead animal... I don't dare to hope our work will lead the viewers to a mind-expansion, but maybe it can prepare the ground.

Do you want them to open their minds to other perceptions scarcely used and to teach them how to use their imagination with anything-else than music? Could you speak more precisely about your first video? What does its strange name mean?
"EHJEH ASCHER EHJEH" means "I am who I am" ( a form God choes to reveal himself to Moses at the burning bush). It was our first and only video. But, it has never been released, we destroyed it because it wasn't exactly as it was supposed to... Right now we're brooding over a new one, which needs a little more time... Again, of course, we will use special fragrances, to create an atmosphere and mood we want the viewers to be in...

VARNEY, on photos you always appears with a hang-dog look (I mean you look on the soil), why?
Sorry...

What are your long run projects? How do you see the future of SOPOR AETERNUS and the Ensemble of Shadows?
Of course we have some planes, but as our Third Eye is still sleeping we'll have to wait to see what the future might bring.

With all our Love,
SOPOR AETERNUS
(..may the shadows guard your paths...)

# Posté le jeudi 20 novembre 2008 15:07

Modifié le mercredi 04 février 2009 14:13

Birth Fiendish Figuration

Birth Fiendish Figuration
Birth - Fiendish Figuration
Naissance – Figuration Démoniaque

Exposed with hands as empty, as the opposite space,
Exposé avec des mains aussi vides que l'espace opposé,
Crawlingly we move to where the final station lies.
En rempant nous allons là où repose la station finale.
To whom is the debt that we are forced to pay,
A qui est la dette que nous sommes forcés à payer,
Real faces dare to appear only, when we turn away.
Les visages réels osent seulement apparaître, quand nous nous en allons.

Truth reveals itself... reveal yourself!
La vérité se révèle... révèle toi !
A face ordained to serve the hypocrites,
Un visage à qui on a ordonné de servir les hypocrites,
We know the masks, the artificial smiles...
Nous connaissons les masques, les sourires artificiels...
Mind's black eyes should break the lies.
Les yeux noirs de l'esprit devraient déchirer les mensonges.

Distorted pictures are all trans/parent to us,
Les images distordues sont entièrement transparentes pour nous,
Phantasmagoria, such a useful weapon;
Fantasmagorie, telle une arme utile ;
Ineffectual against us...
Sans effets contre nous...
Enemies with the knowledge of truth.
Ennemies avec la connaissance de la vérité.
Truth makes me sick... what a wretched play.
La vérité me rend malade... quel jeu minable.

Paralysed by flesh and bone...
Paralisés par la chair et les os...
Condemned to vegetate,
Comdannés à végéter,
Condemned to stay alone.
Comdanés à rester seuls.

Helplessly we are escaping, we're clinging to...
Désespérément nous fuyons, nous nous accrochons...
Stranded at the shores ... oh, beloved infamous side.
Bloqués au sol... oh, côté infâme adoré.
Our distress in perfection, trials and tribulations...
Notre détresse dans la perfection, soucis et malheurs...
Preferring our pain, we'll stay and die.
Préférant notre douleur, nous allons rester et mourir.

# Posté le dimanche 18 janvier 2009 14:54

Modifié le lundi 29 juin 2009 13:12