Exclusive Interviews: Vendetta Music

Interview with yelworC

May 5th, 2004

Q1: Hello Peter. It's good to have you back! After a decade-long absence, YelworC is set to re-conquer the underground clubs with the release of "Trinity". According to the press release, "Trinity" is the start of a trilogy & I’ve heard that you're working on the upcoming album "Icolation". Could you tell us more about the trilogy?

PETER: Trinity is the first album of a three-album-project, the `Trinity-Trilogy`. The concept-album Trinity describes a journey through hell in many different ways, different levels, and different states of sin and punishment, inspired by Dante's "Divine Comedy" with it's three chapters: Hell, Purgatory and Paradise. All over the centuries till today this classic work of the famous Italian middle-age-author inspired a lot of artists, painters, musicians, theatres and movies. Now I'm working on the second album "Icolation", which represents a journey through the Purgatory. I started working on the album Trinity back in 1993.The first sources were some jokes about the different associations of the term trinity`: a unholy Trinity an inversion of the common term, a persiflage on the norms of the occidental thinking, especially on the trinity of monopolized knowledge, state power and money. Trinity is a journey through the other world that shows a grim reflection of our `modern life`, a world full of tormenting by demons and devils and of yearning by lost souls. Trinity is like a game that bends and distorts the coordinates of our `way of life` and our know-how. The characters act with exaggerations and harshness without recoiling from dubiousness and provocation. A feverish world inhabited by mythological figures, whining and hatching out madness. Dante's ideas of hell are mixed together with demonic figures from the world of Aleister Crowley.

This enfant terrible was and is a great aspirator for yelworC. His strange and provoking personality and works help me to develop the dark and apocalyptic moods in yelworC music-- But I'm not a blind follower of Crowley's ideas, although the questions that he brings up are still extremely inspiring. When I'm composing I like to let me lead out of the bonds of logic and time.YelworC`s descent into hell is painted by martial symphonic soundwalls and wide open atmospheric sounds capes. The harsh beats with terrifying breaks and the insistent and evocative vocals may lead the listener into a nightmarish world of fear and lust.YelworC`s fantasy is always connected to archetypical roots and same time has a futuristic approach. The dark lyrics tell about blaspheme deities and demonic characters, but within the bloody hell-scenarios there hides a kind of Utopia, in which the antagonism of Good and Evil do cancel each other out and built up a new level of thinking, a new basis of society. - In this sense Trinity is the symbol and the signal of a change of times.

Q2: YelworC has been a source of influence for many dark elektro acts. What are you favorite elektro bands &which styles of music did you listen to growing up?

PETER: It's not easy to answer this question. I don't listen to many records. Most time I listen to movie soundtracks and stuff when I buy a CD, I listen to it for long time. I’m currently hooked to the new Laibach album "WAT" and an old CD from In Slaughter Natives. And I still love my old records from 80ies and early 90ies:Skinny Puppy, Numb, Test Department, Cabaret Voltaire, Executive Slacks, Nitzer Ebb, Chrome, Damon Edge and Hunting Lodge. And last not least Carl Orff's `Carmina Burana`.

Q3: Is there any special synthesizer or software program that you consider to be the best to work with?

PETER: I work mainly on "old fashioned" equipment. With old fashioned I mean just a lot of keyboards and some samplers as well as my guitar and my beloved old Atari. In addition, I use many external fx-boards and PC-Plug-Ins on a few occasions. Mostly I use the "modern" PC-equipment finally at last, to put the finishing touch to the tracks. To compose exclusively at PC for my feeling is too cold and too dull. I need to be in touch with the instruments.

Q4: What do you think of the future pop scene and do you see things ever changing to pure harsh elektro instead of poppy bands getting all the attention?

PETER: If future pop represents the future, then: good night! But I don't think this will happen. Easy listening and harsh dark elektro will go hand in hand. I have nothing against poppy all-day-music, if it doesn't furthermore spread like a sleep-virus. I think the problem of the big success of future pop lies on the fact that people are longing for good sound-quality and easy rhythms. The marketing strategy of the music industry re-produces constantly the same recipes for success. The behavior of the harsh elektro-bands sometimes is too self-centered, they strive for money and fame in a self-destructive way. So the level of composing and arranging is mostly lower than the commercially oriented music style. Although there are bands enough that present ambitious and authentic elektro style. Elektro in its beginning had the mood and the energy of revolting. Nowadays the most elektro bands repeat the old dispensing in a conformist attitude. I don't see so much courage for risks and experiments as in the 90ies. But this depends on the labels and distributors too, because most times they promote the safest horse and mostly don't support risky projects.

Q5: You've had many problems with Celtic Circle Productions (CCP) in the mid 90's.Was that the main reason behind your long absence & were you hesitant to contact other elektro labels?

PETER: The problems with CCP were one of the reasons for yelworc's long absence from the music scene. I didn't get any money from the label so they breached the contract. My then partner Dominic Van Reich had money from his family so that wasn't an issue for him. Both Alfred (owner of Celtic Circle Productions) & Dominic tried to knock me out. I hired a lawyer to cancel my contract with CCP as well as my partnership with Dominic and that cost me a fortune. It took me a while to buy expensive new studio equipments & in 1995 I decided to start my own label, Baal records. I had finished the second version of Trinity (the first version was destroyed in a fire arson in 1994!!) and I wanted to release it under a distribution contract with Discordia Records but Discordia went bankrupt & the same thing happened with Semaphore Distribution Company the following year. I was devastated & I couldn't trust labels & distribution companies anymore.

Q6: Tell us about the split of yelworC. What led to the break up with Dominic Van Reich? Are you still in touch & would you work together in the future?

PETER: Dominic van Reich tried to knock me out, and so I had to do the same in self-defense. The reason of our squabbles was money, money, money I couldn't buy so many instruments like he did, because the death of my mother and my studies. D.V.R did see his egoistic plans destroyed and left the band, spreading lies about me and yelworC. He did his own project and later he left the dark scene & made disco-techno music! Together in the future? I don't think so. I'm a burnt child in many ways; I will open yelworC only to completely trustworthy &creative individuals.

Q7: The 8 YelworC tapes are long out of print and almost impossible to find. Some of the tracks were featured on "Collection 1988-94" DCD. Would you re-release the remaining tracks on CD in the future?

PETER: Maybe, but the old material would need a totally re-mastering, because there are a lot of drop-outs in these old tapes. I have so many new ideas that go first. If I have time enough I will check the old material. As I said, I’m concentrating now on the album `Icolation`, hope it will be released in late 2004.The next album will be the chapter 3 of the Trinity-Trilogy, Dante's Paradise. If yelworC will reach `Heaven` by that third concept-album, it will be in the lap of god or in the lap of demons and devils.

Q8: How did you get in touch with Minuswelt & Metropolis & are you satisfied with the sales and promotion so far?

PETER: I met Dennis Ostermann, frontman of In Strict Confidence in 1994 (they had only a tape production at that time) & we planned to work together. Dennis was my live partner at a small yelworC tour in 1995, but we lost contact over the years. We met again after he built up his own label Minuswelt & a cooperation started between Minuswelt &Baal records. The contact with Metropolis was made a few years ago through an American fan but I was personally not satisfied with the second version of Trinity so all fans & supporters had to wait till I finished the third & final version. The sales in Europe and North America are not high but I’m content with the promotion of the new album by Minuswelt & Metropolis. They’re both doing a great job & I trust their work ethics.

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

PETER: Yes, I would like to see North America, this huge continent fascinates me alot. yelworC has got some interesting offerings from US-booking managements, but right now I cannot promise to do a US-tour soon. I don't have live-partners who have time enough for big journeys. And first I'll watch the success of the Trinity album in USA. YelworC will perform it live on stage as soon as I’m certain that people like it.

Q10: Any last words or comments for your fans?

PETER: Thanks to all the fans for waiting so long and for writing me so persistently! "Essence awake!"