Asylum Party: Cult band of the French Coldwave

More and more people are into Coldwave music, but there is a cult band which we should know before talk about this genre: Asylum Party. The band was formed in 1985 in Corbevoie (Hauts-de-Seine, located 8.2 km from the center of Paris) by the two founders Philippe Planchon (vocals/guitar) and Thierry Sobézyk (vocals/bass), and after Pascale Macé (keyboards). 

Asylum Party was one of the triads of the French Coldwave of the 80s alongside bands like Little Nemo and Mary Goes Round who shared the same director of their videoclips: Fabrice Brovelli. For instance, Brovelli filmed in 1989 the videoclip "Misfortunes?" by Asylum Party, "New Flood" by Little Nemo and "Mary's Garden" by Mary Goes Round.  

DESTROYING A FALSE MYTH

First, long time people have believed that Philippe Planchon was the only singer of Asylum Party, and this theory could have been in our current era, because through the videos "Julia" and "Misfortunes" we could suppose that there was one singer, but the truth is that Thierry Sobézyk also sang. On the other hand, if you noticed on the video "Julia", there is a keyboardist who smokes a cigarette, he is Olivier Champeau who was a past member of Little Nemo. 

Thierry Sobézyk singing and playing the bass.

JULIA

This song had not an official video, but the broadcast on FR3 was very important to obtain more attention. "Julia" was a song inspired by the dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four published in 1949 by the English writer George Orwell. In fact, the lyrics is like a micro-story ("I love Winston/said Julia/and I'm falling down/said Julia [...]") and the atmosphere is gelid with the dark melodies of the bass accompanied by the acoustic guitar. It can be easily regarded as a hymn for band fans.

Performance in "Décibels" on FR3, France.

As part of the Nouvelle Vague in France, Asylum Party just realeased three albums: "Picture One" (1988), "Borderline" (1989) and "Mère" (1990). They disbanded in 1990. However, despite the ephemeral period of the band, nowadays we can abstract ourselves in these poetic lyrics full of melancholic rhythms with sad and existential thoughts. Some people compare them to the songwriter Ian Curtis (Joy Division), but make differences is very subjective. While Joy Division had songs just in English, Asylum Party had not only songs in English, because they did have also songs in their native language: French. Songs in French such as "La Tourmente", "La Nuit", "Sur La Route", "Pas Très Loin", "Un Sang D'Hier", "La Rivière", "L'Ennui" and "Le Voyage Immobile".

Asylum Party - "La Nuit"

Asylum Pary has not been a pre-elaborated band, their essence is obscure, I could consider more dark than other current gothic rock bands (if I would compare them) and contemporary bands such as She Past Away, Lebanon Hanover, Ciudad Lineal and so on were influenced by Asylum Party.

BONUS TRACK

Not all the members of Asylum Party left the music, for instance Philippe Planchon has a Coldwave project called Irrelevant Coda. It's a band from the 2000s, but with the feeling of the 80s that reminds a little bit to Asylum Party. 

Irrelevant Coda - "Easy" (2010)

"In raining bullets on those silent faces, already turned away from this world, you think you are disfiguring the face of our truth."

Albert Camus

Witching Hour UK (Trad Goth)

When I use to listen to Witching Hour UK I keep in touch with an atmosphere of mystery and also all the background turns dark, because if there is any idea about an obscure music, that's what we could perceive when hear their songs. 

First point, the band formed back in 1991 in London amongst other bands such as Nosferatu (UK), The House of Usher (Germany), The Servants of Mephistofelis (Greece) and so on. Basically, bands influenced by classic horror movies and horror writings, it was the gothic rock in the early 90s. However, Witching Hour UK went further... the band made some official videos ("She's Alive", "Slave to the Night" and "Your Cries") where they look an outfit very sinister wearing a pale makeup, black eyeliner, black lips, purple and black velvets and the ankh as necklace used by Trevor Barnes (vocals/guitar). It is important to note what they express on their videos, it reminds me the short movie named "The Grid" (1980) where Peter Murphy standed out the German Expressionism of the 20s. 

According to some songs, Witching Hour UK were admirers of Edgar Allan Poe, I mean, it is not difficult to understand what their lyrics mean and their connection with the darkside. By the way, do not forget that when you watch their videos, the environment is ethereal, the specter of the cemetery is inevitable, the presence of desolate forest is the essence of solitude in the darkness of nature.

I would like to mention how interesting is when a Gothic Rock band makes the connection with the mystical side of a culture like Egypt, because the ankh is part of this culture. It is instructive to recall how important is nowadays the ankh in the goth subculture. Despite their best contributions,Witching Hour UK has always been an underrated band, but essential to Goth. 

"We are so lonely in life that we must ask ourselves if the loneliness of dying is not a symbol of our human existence."

Emil Cioran

Equinoxious (Mexican Minimal Synth/Synthwave)

Rarely the music causes us reminiscent of senses through its sounds. Equinoxious is the project of Mexican young named Rogelio Serrano who has allowed us to know a little more about his beginnings, influences and expectations in his career. Undoubtedly, this is a very promising project.

1. When we first listen to the music of Equinoxious, thought comes from somewhere in Europe, but then discovered that is from Mexico. Without question, it’s not as common to listen to this kind of music in Latin America despite it’s speaking of a revival of Minimal, Synthwave. What do you think about it?

Perhaps due to the instrumentation that I’ve used, many current electronic projects that have tried to interpret old genres in a faithful way have forgotten an important point and this is the technical part, for example I can know with relative accuracy when subjects used a classic drum machine as the Kr-55 Korg, Roland Tr 606, Cr78, 707, 808, Oberheim DMX among others, because of my interest and fondness of the sound of each drum machine or synthesizer. Having the knowledge and use certain instruments used on each electronic’s disc and in this case Synthwave, Minimal Synth allows you to interpret and sounding much like an album that was recorded thirty years ago.

Of course, thirty years ago most groups sounded like each other, because they acquired the instruments that were for sale at that time and the sound market was not as wide before the invention of samplers, now where virtual era prevails, there’s an endless of sounds and emulations market, it’s difficult to know which is used in each piece. Currently I work with a KR-55 and a Korg M20, instruments used in numerous albums of New Wave, Synth Pop, Minimal Synth of the early eighties.

In Mexico there have been very good projects of the underground as Syntoma (1981), El Escuadrón del Ritmo and Size, to name a few, only that they didn’t follow the line of the Wave and continued their work on the experimental side creating projects of this type, for example Decibel.

Robota, mid-2000s to here, was one of my favorite underground groups, a more experimental-industrial sound using an arsenal of analog synthesizers, only released two albums and disappeared.

Nowadays there is an endless of electronics projects ranging from Synth Pop, EBM, Industrial, but they lack of soul from my humble point of view, this is due to abuse of computers and synthesizers emulations live.

I think that a small group of youth between 23 and 26 years geeks love analog synthesizers were influenced by their parents or friends who did live in the era of the eighties, some of these people played other genres for example in my case played Psychedelic Rock-krautrock, I met friends who hit it hard and had been years in the world of synthesizers in Mexico, and I was influenced by it and my dad gave me the taste for electronics from the Berlin School of electronic music, you know: Klaus Schulze, Tangerine Dream, and all those dark wave bands like The Cure I heard younger.

So this group of young people decided to play Minimal Synth in the best way and don’t take it lightly and very D.I.Y., there continue working used: drum machines, analog synths, voices drowned in reverberation, and continually they edit in a record label an LP or cassette.

Werner Karloff, Rhyhthmus 23, Neue Strassen and Equinoxious started making minimal synth, we work together in some projects but each one followed their projects in the same year, I don’t know if this is the new wave of Minimal Synth in Mexico.

Mecanica is a record label and a record store of the scene in Mexico founded by Cesar Moscoso. There is material of Equinoxious edited under his label like other artists like Alles, Selofan, among others.

In South America are my good friends Dante and Fernando. Dante is very involved in the world of synthesizers there in Peru, since his project El Hangar de los Mecánicos to Varsovia, also Tony Terán of Antidolby and Fernando of Cärclash Ferdinand.

2. How did arise Equinoxious?

One day I set out to elaborate electronic derived from my past and current influences, I took a synthesizer and started recording, in this way it all started.

3. Tell us what bands are you listening actually and what have been your biggest influences.

Currently I listen to much the early work of Sean McBride (Martial Canterel, Xeno and Oaklander).

My influences are varied: Kraftwerk, Jean Michel Jarre, Tangerine Dream, Vangelis, John Foxx, The Human League, Yellow Magic Orchestra, The Moog Cookbook, Aphex Twin, Neu! Agitation Free, Can, Depeche Mode, Das Ding, Moderne, Andie Oppenheimer, The Cure, Fad Gadget, Trisomie 21, Clan of Xymox, Ausgang Verboten, Snowy Red, El Aviador Dro and many many more.

4. We listen to several songs with names linked to astronomy and physics, is there an interest in these issues?

It’s more focused on my taste of science fiction, actually I’ve seen several films and cartoons of the period of 1975- 1979 where the sound design for the special effects were built based on pure analog synthesis, also by the Soviet constructivist art applied in the space race, that inspires me.

5. We have knowledge that you've recorded some songs with various musicians, including international, tell us with whom and how is being the experience.

Anna Fiodorovna, from Russia living in Mexico for a long time, collaborated on my first EP Astros Prometidos.

Alejandra Escamilla - Pan de Muertos, a friend from here in Mexico, we recorded a single El Jardín.

Anna Michailidou, Kriistal Ann from Greece, collaborated on my LP Cosmódromo.

Rhythmus 23- brief group formed with Werner Karloff and Anna Fiodorovna.

The experience has been rewarding with each project, each one corresponds a challenge.

6. Are you currently working on new material?

Yes, my intention was to launch a small EP this year, but it became an album and now I'm in the process of recording it.

I’m also working on a new project with Jorge Cardiel of Ruinas Para Una Era Futura and Dali Lanzeta of Rise 1945.

7. While it’s true, Equinoxious is a recent project of this decade; however, what do you expect in the short and long term?

Continue editing material until die, toured Europe and perhaps form a new group.

8. A word with which you can define the music of Equinoxious.

Retrovanguard.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/equinoxious

Bandcamp: https://equinoxious.bandcamp.com/

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/equinoxious

Jester La Juste (Colombian Deathrock/Post Punk)

Last week I had an interview with Santiago who is the singer of the Colombian Deathrock band called Jester La Juste. Here you can know more about this marvelous band.

1. It's a pleasure Santiago, tell us how and when did the music of Jester La Juste emerged?

Hello! Well, beforehand, it's a pleasure to know that there's an interest in “Jester La Juste”.

If we hold ourselves to our strict script and personal belief – talking about the band – it could be said that Jester has existed for millennia. Music has always been around and takes form or it's channeled depending on the era and those who inhabitate it. Once upon a time “Shade” and “Deiphil Dar” without knowing, agreed to a date along ago, but, not knowing precisely at what moment (chuckles) and

suddenly we met, we swore to make something that the world wouldn't stand, something that was a mockery to the damn lack of sensitivity that we live around and also swore to make only 13 songs -Superstitious missing their promise?- Nowadays we have been together almost four years, with so many composed stuff that hasn't seen the light yet and we feel an immense necessity to give birth to.

We've been low-income people, but millionaires in creativity and we began getting together in “Delphil's” house, playing with acoustic guitars and a melodic one, supported by drums composed in guitar Pro and above all, with the goal of making something ours.

2. How would you define the music of Jester La Juste?

To define is something that I've always considered as cruel as i also consider it powerful, is the essence of creating. Mainly, the one who has the baton in the music of Jester La Juste is “Deiphil Dar” to whom I consider a genius not compatible with this context, the lyrics and the conceptual creation of this universe of  “dreams and ethereal realities” falls more directly over me.

Our music is influenced by the Baroque, Romanticism, Deathrock, Post-Punk. I would say that we are always trying to tell a story involving different tones of voices which make allusion to different characters and varieties of musical motives, there's always versatility in it.

3. What are your main musical influences?

Bach, Wagner, Sati, Debussy, Joy Division, Cinema Strange and Deadfly Ensemble, Rozz Williams... the 8 bits music... also a lot of the New wave stuff, Lacrimosa in their very beginning... Jmm! I would say that we'd spend some time trying to find the rabbit in the hole.

4. What usually inspires you in the composition of your songs?

Well, when we started our first EP, it was called “Carcajada Anacrónica”, it was a cover letter where we declared to be buffoons coming out of emptiness, with no land nor time, to this land of men with lead eyelids, we also get in touch with romanticism in the figure of the Pagliacci with the song “Luna Nueva” and the abrupt degeneration of the Pagliacci to Buffoon in “Jester Canticum”. This work is very intimate, it has manifestations of very strong feelings and that, maybe, very few would get to comprehend. Later came “De Ensoñaciones y Realidades Etéreas” a piece of work that hasn't seen the light completely, because we haven't had enough resources to release it and distribute it although it's already recorded and from there, we have released the EP “Tras Bambalinas”.

The main inspiration has always been to create a world with fantasy and anachronisms, allegories and mockeries elaborated regarding capitalism and appearance, the mis-sold story always told by the victorious, the creation of idols and dimensional travels to acquire conscience... the optics of a buffoon about the world he has to walk every day.

Curiously between “Deiphil” and “Shade” there's a link, almost to the edge of telepathy! In which if he shows me a melody and I tell him a story, we don't argue much, it's like if we would have created a song in a single mind.

5. I confess that i love the song “Tras Las Bambalinas” tell us a little bit more about the lyrics.

“Tras Las Bambalinas” is a strong song.

It's the sequel of another song that appears in the EP called “Baile Nuclear” where we talk about the social breakdown that has generated the use of GMOs and the monopolization of nature and medicines by the hands of Zionists – Jewish business groups sponsored by families like the Rockefeller and Rothschild (there's more of this, but it's not necessary to talk about it) in short, Tras Bambalinas is the narration of a fight between a mouse (which could be any of us) and the world of the alienated; everything happens under a sky pierced by fallout and watching always how they steal from the world what by natural right belongs to men as a free being! There appears the “man with the cracked mask” our loyal recreation of the typical miser and petty man with a big nose, that goes around privatizing everything and creating an empire of slavery by lying.

The interlude of the song is an extract of  “Do androids dream of electric sheep?” the novel by Philip k Dick, icon of cyberpunk, just after the interlude, the mouse gets affected by radiation and becomes a giant, devastating everything in his path and directing his fury to the “Man with the cracked mask” just like we all should do, ripping the veil of the media, going further than the left or right wing, fascism or communism and understanding that who rules the world has been the sponsor of all this from over the past 60 years. We live in a world where we look for water in Mars and people die of thirst around the corner, where we prefer to devour a corpse from the supermarket, knowing that the mind allows us to develop other methods of nourishment, where engines friendly with the environment have existed for over the past 30 years, but we keep nourishing from the blood of Horus! Where it's more acceptable to see men with rifles than with hats or makeup.

I suggest that to keep going with the thread you should listen to the songs like this: Baile Nuclear, Tras Bambalinas, Voragine.

P.S. No truth is perpetual more than the fact that we will all die in our material forms.

6. I was first introduced to you in the recital you gave last year in the “Nirvana Retro Bar” in Lima (Peru) and the performance was magnificent. What projects do you have for this year?

It was beautiful to be able to play in a place so far from our home. It meant to work in the streets running away from cops or boring people, in search of some change to manage to ride the bus or eat something and feel that in another country they have an “underground” scene so full of union.

We practically left our home with the desire of making music and trusting that we would be well treated and so it was! For this year our goal is to manage to grow our crowd in our city generating a different cultural space, release our album “De Ensoñaciones y Realidades Etéreas” and if everything goes well: Travel. The ensemble we have gives us a lot of trust in this moments and I feel that we haven't done anything yet. (chuckles)

7. It's been a pleasure to talk to you, anything else you'd like to add?

Thanks a lot! To add... hmm, people should look more at the sky, breath more consciously and revolt until death.

Contact: https://www.facebook.com/cortedebufones?fref=ts

L'Ordre d'Héloïse (French Coldwave)

I recently had the opportunity to talk with Alain, member, along with Jérôme, Coldwave band L'Ordre d'Héloïse, and here you can see an interesting interview full of musical influences, projects and history of the band from Lille (France).

1. We know all started back in 1992, tell us how was the beginning of L'Ordre d'Héloïse?

I met Frédéric in front of our school, my look left no doubt about the fact that I loved The Cure! He was a fan also. He left the band in which he played to join my group "Black Scream". After some time  we decided to play our own music instead of covers... The group has been renamed "L'ordre d'Héloïse". Frédéric task was mainly  the composition, I took care of the texts. Gradually, however, the duties have been divided equally. Frederic had the gift to  make my lyrics become totally his, sing them and composing music for them  as if it they had been written by him... We were tied above all by a deep friendship , and music was our common passion.

2. There was emblematic bands like The Cure or Depeche Mode as influence in your music... How has been influenced L'Ordre d'Héloïse the music of the 80s?

The Cure mainly... I was 16 when "Disintegration" has been released ! I already loved The Cure at the time...  But when I heard this album, I knew that my life was going to change! I started  to play music at that time... Guitar, Bass, Keyboards... Even a bit of drums now !

Other bands have also influenced us: The Chameleons UK, Dead Can Dance, Joy Division or Cranes (I'm totally a fan of Alison Shaw's voice).

More generally, I think that all the “cold” music of that era influences us, we draw something, in the emotions that come out... Emotions that we try to put into our music.

3. How has evolved your music over time?

I think our music has evolved with us in many parameters.  First of all we are ageing, so we gain maturity in the lyrics. The same can be told about technical skills. And our collection of  instrument get richer,  and this is an opportunity to find new sounds.

Our personal life changes also... The story of the group is marked by the death of Frédéric last year... It deeply affected me, because he was first of all a close friend, we were almost a family. It is obvious that musical perspectives change under these conditions. We are primarily story tellers, when life got darker, this fall inevitably down on the color of the stories...

4. Nowadays there is a resurgence of Cold Wave, what do you think of it?

I am pleased that the emotional music regains space in the current music. But that does not change a lot for us. We make coldwave since we know three chords alignments... Because it is our native language, our DNA.

5. Recently you have released the album "Après le chaos"...

Yes, and we will try look for a label to distribute this album ! After the death of Frédéric, it was vital for me to write new songs, some of them are an evident  tribute to the great musician and friend that he has been for me. Jérôme joined me playing  guitar (also the bass on some tracks), our line-up does not allow us to think about making concerts and then for having played live when I was younger, I know that would require a great commitment and work and honestly, our personal lives do not allow us to do it. That said, what really  matters to us is above all to tell stories.

6. What projects does L'Ordre d'Héloïse have in mind for this 2015?

We are already working on the album that will follow "Après le chaos". It should be called "A la folie".  We also plan to  have some collaborations with female singers for songs written specifically, I want to send a message to  all the female singers  who can sing in French, don't hesitate to contact us if you are interested!

We will try to continue to promote "L'ordre d'Héloïse" to get more known, because we just made the first steps on this... I'd like to use the opportunity of that interwiew to share some links:

Officiel  site: http://lordredheloise.free.fr/

Bandcamp : https://lordredheloise.bandcamp.com/

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/lordredheloise?fref=ts

Soundcloud : https://soundcloud.com/lordre-dh-lo-se

Reverbnation : http://www.reverbnation.com/lordredh%C3%A9lo%C3%AFse?profile_view_source=header_icon_nav