After playing to a sold out crowd at Foufounnes Electric in Montreal, Samael came to
the Reverb in Toronto on September 4th. While the soundcheck was about to begin I went
out with Xy for an interview at the Munster Hall pub, where many a drunken Englishman
were having a wonderful time while we had our discussion.
Chris: On Eternal, you used a lot of live drums, as well as the drum machine and
programming.
Xy: Thing that will happen is we still used the drum machine, we also used the Indian
drums too and also the cymbals, playing on top, that was the first time we did that, but I
think it really helped to get a warmer sound. It's something more real and more human
too. We try to have something to make it human, natural, and to make it fun…
Technology and the other thing.
Chris: The duality of Samael is constantly being put to the fore: the human and the
electric, that there are two sides to the band.
Xy: That is something we try to mix, you know, I think it is very interesting, I like to
have something that is a bit futuristic, but I still want to have things to play. I wouldn't do
anything like having playback and putting the vocals through (a sampler or DAT), that
would make no sense to me, yeah, I like the mix.
Chris: You've said that for the live shows there will be no live percussion, instead leaving
that to the drum machine, what sparked this decision?
(Note: As it turns out, there was some live percussion, in the form of live cymbals and sample pads)
Xy: There is only so much I can do, we had no keyboard player back in 94, 95, and it just
didn't work. We had to find somebody for the new album, which was kind of radio ready,
and there's only so much possible that I can mind. With the time, I think it's a good one
(the decision to use the drum machine for the live shows) because it really opened some
doors for us. In my view we can do some things we cannot do with a normal set up and
we tend to try to be different from most other bands.
Chris: That is one thing about Eternal (and the use of the drum machine), is that it is
a real departure from the traditional style.
Xy: Well we try to, I think again that so many bands goal is to be different, so maybe for
us to have a different set up is really a good start to be different and look different, and as
I mentioned earlier it has really opened doors for us.
Chris: Speaking of being different, has Samael ever worn corpsepaint?
Xy: Oh, no, when you are coming out for a tour, people want to see something different,
they don't have enough show to display, you can't just play, they need something more.
That's why I always have the fire things (fire jugglers and dancers) and try to bring our
lights in here, have a different light show and stuff.
Family and Friends
Chris: You've said that while you are recording you are almost isolated, for the most part,
from your family and your friends, is touring worse in this isolation?
Xy: Well, for the new album, we recorded it in Switzerland, in the Mountain Studios, so
it was nice to work in a different studio, and it was really close by where we live. So
weekends and stuff we went back home and you know it's easier then because you stop
the mix and come back in a few days and start again, it was really relaxed recording.
Then on tour, it's different, you know; we have people from Switzerland, and it's nice
after tour to come back, but it's nice sometimes to leave. Bother sides, I mean you
should leave to appreciate to come back.
Other Music
Chris: You've said that everyone brings in different things to Samael, that you all listen to
different things. What are some of the things that you enjoy listening to?
Xy: Sometimes I like it when it's loud, whatever kind of music it is, I like some Pink
Floyd which is nice, sometimes classical music and some more electronic. I like things as
well in my face, and from there it could be really anything; I don't really care what the
band name is. I don't really like every music, but there's a lot of music I don't mind.
Previous Tours
Chris: On your previous tours, has anything really unusual ever happened, or have things
generally gone pretty smoothly?
Xy: Nothing really weird you know, just regular things you know [Some drunken
Englishman shouts in the background, it sounds like something about a big salad…]
*laugh* Just those things you know. I mean, nothing really major, showing up in the
wrong club; like they're expecting a jazz band and you come in.
[The drunken Englishmen begin singing something about tiddley winks and we listen amusedly]
Chris: Which has been your most memorable concert, the one that you liked the best?
Xy: Probably back in Eastern Europe, we did play then, there was still the Wall and
everything there, it was really cut off from the rest of Europe and there we did get some
amazing reactions.
[The singing gets even louder and we laugh as it fades off again]
Chris: You did the producing on the last two Rotting Christ Albums (A Dead Poem and
Sleep of the Angels), how did you find the switch in roles, from musician to producer?
Xy: I think it was a really nice experience for me as well, you know, something new and
kind of a challenge.
Chris: It shows through the development in their sound.
Xy: Yeah, it was a nice co-operation.
Chris: There has been a lot of talk that Century Media pressures its artists to change, have
you experienced this?
Xy: Well, maybe they try with some bands, but they don't really try anything with us.
The Underground and Fans
Chris: You've said that you don't really care if people especially like the new album, if it
is popular.
Xy: You know, the purpose of a band is to share music and I will never say that we try to
keep small or underground, we have ideas as well that we could pull them, we could
bring those ideas to light and life and therefor I don't mind if we try to reach more people.
Which is good, just you get more pressure on you. But if you do something you like, it's fun.
Spirituality and the Universe
Chris: You seem fascinated by the universe, almost to the point where you make it the
focus of your spirituality.
Xy: I think everybody has a kind of quest, you know, searching for things and I think,
well, for living, that at the end everything is connected in a way, and that we are
connected to the universe in a way and all these things, you know, that we join at one
point.
Chris: Has that been influenced by Eastern philosophies at all?
Xy: No, I mean anything, I've been reading different things, a lot of books you know, and
I think really there's just good ideas everywhere. You have one book, maybe you find one
idea you like, and one maybe where it's the whole book that you like. And maybe
sometimes you read something you're not too interested in, just, even if you don't really
agree with something, sometimes you still have to know that something. I get the ideas
from everywhere, you know, from different religions and different philosophies.
Chris: In the black metal scene there is an outright hatred of Christianity, what are
your personal views towards it?
Xy: Well, I'm still against it anyway, but I just have to believe that, you know, if you just
ignore something then you don't be a part of it, if you fight against it… If you're going to
do something different, in the opposite of that, if you do something different and ignore
the rest, and do your own thing and don't lose time trying to destroy something, which is
gonna, for me, get destroyed by itself. There's too many contradictions in the writings to
make something solid, and for me Christianity is becoming a sect by now, just the biggest
one and the oldest one and you just have feuding sects and they're just one of them.
Well the point at the end, I guess some people need something to sit on, you know, to
feel attached to something, and it's sad that a lot of people have to go to that because that
is maybe, you know… I don't believe in organised religion anyway, I usually try to get
attached to other people, you know, that's it, make good friends and stay with that.
[I apologise to him for being unable to provide him with the promised beer, the drunken
Englishmen successfully blocking us from the bar, and we walk to the Reverb, chatting a bit
more. When we get back to the Reverb for the soundcheck, someone is playing show
tunes on the keyboard, I managed to pick out a Gershwin tune and a couple of numbers
from Cats.]
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