Exclusive Interviews: Vendetta Music

Interview with Dirk Ivens

Sept. 25, 2004

Q1: Hello Dirk, thanks for the interview! You've been touring with Marc Verhaeghen for the first time since 1990.Can you tell us more about The Klinik reunion?

Well, Marc and myself met again after many years at the WGT 2003 in Leipzig where I was playing as Dive and he as Klinik in the same hall. Marc asked me if we could do something special together that evening to please the people but I told him that we were not prepared for this and that a Belgian organizer was very interested to have The Klinik as headliner on his BIM festival. I wanted to go for a complete gig and he liked the idea also. The concert in Belgium was really great and this year we also played at the WGT 2004.

Q2: After a long hiatus, Vomito Negro released a new album in 2002 & old-school elektro fans were thrilled when The Klinik played live along with Insekt & Snowy Red (both bands are working on new material). Would you work with Marc Verhaeghen again or do you prefer to concentrate on Dive & Sonar?

We talked about this but it was very clear that we both wanted to concentrate on our own projects. I mean, it was very very nice to play the old tracks again and to see how people got hypnotized but we are 15 years older and we both have our own lives. There's a new Dive album "Behind the Sun" and I'm on the road again.

Q3: In your past interviews, you've always avoided talking about the break-up with Marc in 1990 but now that you're touring together, could you tell us what led to the split of The Klinik?

We released a lot of records but at one point we felt that we wanted to do our own thing. People were always looking for gossip and so on but there's nothing more to tell really. The fact that we did these two shows proves that we still get along.

Q4: After a long legal battle with Antler Subway, you've acquired the rights to re-release the old Klinik cd's. The highly sought-after Klinik Box was released a few months ago. Can you tell us more about the re-issues on Hands records? When are they coming out &will they include bonus tracks?

The complete back catalogue is coming out; it's just a matter of time. No bonus tracks included because we wanted to keep the original recordings, only new artwork. I don't like re-releases which you have to buy again because of a few extra tracks, we're not into the money, we just want to have the records available again for people who like our music.

Q5: The Klinik has been a source of influence for many electro-industrial acts. What are your favorite elektro bands and which style of music did you listen growing up?

My biggest influence was the band "Suicide" from New York but I have a very big taste of music except for Rap, Hip-hop and Jazz, which I really don't like. Music is a very personal thing; I find a lot of bands o.k., but my favorite music was the electro and wave made in the 80's.

Q6: What do you think of the future pop scene? The new crowd loves it but most old schools fans think it's too poppy. Do you see things ever changing to pure harsh elektro instead of future pop bands getting all the attention?

Some bands and tracks I like, others I don't. It's normal that there's a new scene now and I wonder what the next thing will be. Pure harsh music will never be popular because it's (intended) for a certain kind of people. On one hand that's alright, on the other it has it's limits. As long as we can do what we want and perform our music for a crowd I'm a happy man.

Q7: Are you in touch with the current dark elektro bands Hocico, Wumpscut, Suicide Commando, YelworC to name a few &would you work with them in the future?

I know a lot of bands and most of them are friends. In Europe there are a lot of good festivals and we meet each other from time to time. I don't see myself working with them in the near future but who knows? For my new Dive album I worked together with Rafael M. Espinosa, the man behind the GEISTFORM project, he's a very talented person with very good and fresh ideas

Q8: Is there any special synthesizer or software program that you consider to the best to work with?

I really can't work with computers, so I work with very old machines. I prefer to play with analogue synths and with noises I record with a microphone. You would be surprised how little equipment I have but I always say, if it's not in the mind you can have all the machines you want, it's the result that counts.

Q9: Are you planning a tour with Marc for North America anytime soon?

No, like I said these two gigs where special and it's not our intention to start all over again. Hands will release very soon the recordings of the gig we did at the WGT as a live cd, so please check it out.

Q10: Any last words or comments for your fans?

Visit my sites at www.dirkivens.com or www.daft-records.com and check out my latest releases. Hopefully we have the chance to meet at one gig somewhere. And many greetings to you-all !!!!!