Peter Van Bogaert set up Liquid G in 1986! Inspired by the early ‘Belgian EBM…
Peter Van Bogaert set up Liquid G in 1986!
Inspired by the early ‘Belgian EBM school’ he started to self-release his music
on the good-old cassette format (Liquid Products). His sound always remained
characterized by darkness. During the years Peter got involved with numerous
other (side) projects such as Liquid Trauma, Hydrom Line, SubsecTion 1,
Maxx:Impact, Trauma Sutra ao. But Peter always went on with Liquid G releasing
new work (also on labels such as EK Product and Dark Entries Records). He this
year released the album “Barbed Wire Scrap”, still available as a very limited
cassette, featuring ‘revisited’ familiar songs next to previously unreleased
tracks. I consider this work as his most accomplished production to date and
asked a few questions to this Belgian electronic ‘dino’.
Q: You set up Liquid G. in 1986! What did
you keep in mind from the early days of Liquid G. and what do you see as the
main changes/evolutions between making music in the 80s and today?
Peter: There is a great difference between
1986 and now. Back in the days I didn’t had a lot of money, so I had to make my
music with limited resources. Sometimes I had to loan some synths from friends
to make my music. These days I have enough resources to choose from, both
digital and analogue synths. But sometimes I go back to the early days and work
minimalistic with only a few little synths like Korg Monotribe and Monotrons.
That also feels so good!
Q: You this year released the album
“Barbed Wire Scrap”, which is a fine selection of previously unreleased
material and alternative versions. Tell us a bit more about the idea of this
album and the selection of the songs?
Peter: Well, the last year(s) I spent more
time creating sounds om my synths and used them for Liquid Trauma. So I thought
maybe it’s time to release some Liquid G. material that I made and never used.
When I looked at the tracks, I find out that there were more than enough to
have a new release.
Q: I sincerely think this album is your
most accomplished work to date. The songs are more elaborated than ever before
while I also get the impression you used some extra (maybe new?) equipment to
achieve this album so what is it all about?
Peter: Some of the tracks I reworked and
remixed, with some new equipment. When we were working on Hydrom Line songs, I
asked Bart Verlent to play guitar on some tracks from Liquid G., that also make
some different sound on those songs like “Rock N Roll Suicide Star” and “Fed
Up!”.
Q: You released numerous albums on
cassette format featuring different split-releases, but also a tape called
“Musical Art Conjunct Of Sound” (1989) together with Vomito Negro! How do you
remember this experience and did you ever got the idea to re-release this tape
again on CD format? I think it’s something rare and precious, isn’t it!?
Peter: In that period of 1989, Vomito
Negro and I worked with a DAW software on Atari called MACS, a very unstable
program. I asked Vomito Negro if I could have some old midi tracks they never
used. That’s how I created those songs and called the release “M(usical) A(rt)
C(onjuct) of S(ound)” or “MACS”. But now to re-release those tracks, I don’t
find them good enough, also the recording sound is very poor and I can’t rework
them. But yeah, who knows, maybe someday..
Q: Nearly all of your work is
self-released, but you also released two albums on EK Product and even a vinyl
on Dark Entries Records. What do you see as the pros and cons working with
labels and working the good-old ‘DIY’-way (especially today)?
Peter: I liked working together with
labels, but when I have more than enough tracks to bring out a new release, I
can’t wait until a label decides to bring out the work in a couple of
years. I know sometimes labels have too many bands on their label. And the sale
of CD’s isn’t very OK at this moment, you only sell stuff when it’s something
special or very limited. That’s why I only made a few tapes from “Barbed Wire
Scrap”.
Q: There’s one thing I’ve never understood
with Liquid G.. Like several ‘great’ names from the Belgian EBM/dark-electro
scene you started making music in the 80s and shared similar influences, but
Liquid G. always remained pure underground. Why did all these other bands you’ve
been in touch with (The Klinik, Insekt, Vomito Negro…) became recognized all
over the world while you remained one of Belgium’s finest hidden secrets? What
does it say about promotion, distribution, labels, image etc?
Peter: I always stayed low profile, didn’t
do live performances in the early years, only some special guest performance
with Vomito Negro. But I didn’t care, for me it was and still is a hobby. But
I’m glad that the name Liquid G. is still known in some foreign countries. For
next releases from Liquid G., Liquid Trauma and Hydrom Line, I normally will
work together with Wool-E-Discs. If another label is interested to bring out
some (old) material, they are always welcome.
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