The Retrosic - “Beyond the borders of endzeit-electro�”

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01 Apr, 2007 [ Views: 47530 ]

Back in 2001 The Retrosic got out of anonymity by the release of their 1st full length album “Prophecy”. Being released on their own record company (Tribune Records) this album revealed a dark electronic approach featuring a few interesting sounds. One year later, things really start to move with the release of “Messa da Requiem”-ep. The “Ground zero”-song invaded many dancefloors and reached the best broadcasting playlists. The “God of Hell”-album released in 2004 meant the real break through for The Retrosic, which in a short lapse of time simply became an established and leading formation in the dark electronic scene. This 2nd album sounded like Alibaba’s cave revealing only the most impressive sonic treasures. At the end of 2006 The Retrosic now unleash his 3rd full length “Nightcrawler” arousing huge expectations by all fans. This new opus marks a progression in sound where mastermind Cyrus injected some refreshing ideas. At the point where they’ll maybe loose some fans The Retrosic prefers a new challenge instead of emulating “God of Hell”, which will for sure bring them new addicts. (By Stéphane Froidcoeur)

SL. More than 2 years after the successful “God of Hell” we now welcome your 3rd full length “Nightcrawler”. How was it working and composing this new album after the successful “God of Hell”?

C. Indeed, the situation after “God Of Hell” was different and it was the first time we realized that there was a broad audience waiting for a new Retrosic record. But finally The Retrosic is and will ever be our very own manifest. Copying “God Of Hell” would have been easy for us, but we are always searching for the next challenge.

SL. One of the main changes/evolution is the more progressive sound running through some of the songs so what does it say about your own influences for this album?

C. We always aimed beyond the borders of so called Endzeit-Electro, what nevertheless is the basis The Retrosic originally comes from. But if a song demands other instruments, grooves or vocals as being typical for this genre we are not afraid of using them. The idea of The Retrosic is bound on its philosophy and spirit, not on musical doctrines. For that reason it is not easy to name a specific band as influence for “Nightcrawler”. Some might hear tunes from Prodigy, others from Rob Dougan or Johnny Cash� Finally everything can be true, cause we like each of them.

SL. A song that caught my attention was “Bloodsport” for the complexity and efficiency in the sounds, like a kind of Front 242-song in a darker vein. How do you remember the writing of “Bloodsport” and what did you try to express here?

C. Indeed “Bloodsport” is much more characteristic for us, although it’s based on breaks, too. “Bloodsport” was written as a hymn for a kickboxer champ my cousin and band mate Ian knew personally through his job as a DJ on box-venues. Formally “Bloodsport” and the boxer, Nicolai, were chosen to be subject of our video. Unfortunately Nicolai disappeared one day ‘cause of troubles between two promoters. We have never seen him again.

SL. In times of dark-electronic supremacy, your album features a quite progressive dark electronic sound. How do you perceive this evolution - as composer and – in comparison with the dark electronic scene?

C. For me it’s important to enhance the sound of The Retrosic from one album to the next. Thereby the direction is given by the theme of an album. I think we have very creative bands in this scene, but sometimes I’m asking myself, why so many of them are only focused on ‘traditional’ sounds. I think I like Combichrist mostly for their courage to do something different - and it pays off for them. As I’ve said: If a song needs a certain tune I don’t care about, what genre a sound might comes from.

SL. “Nightcrawler” will be released in different versions, but it seems not as a ‘regular’-album. How comes and is this a way to differentiate The Retrosic from other formations (as you already released “God of Hell” in different versions)?

C. “Nightcrawler” comes as a Double-Digi-Pak with an album-CD and a video-DVD, which is included for free. So, there was no need to schedule also a ‘regular’ CD-only-jewel-case-edition. The video we’d shot for “Desperate Youth” is in HD format. To provide it in full resolution we had to release it on a separate DVD. But there is nothing more on this DVD but that video. For that reason you can say, it works as an extension of the “Nightcrawler” artwork.

(...)

To read the complete interview, be sure to buy Side-Line issue 57 !

Side-Line issue 57
The Retrosic CDs