‘Click Interview’ with My Love Kills: ‘The EBM Formula Is More Open Than When You Make Synth-Pop’
MY LOVE KILLS is the sonic meeting between two artists from different countries, but still from different music universes. Swedish musician Fredrik Sigeback gained some recognition as member of the Electro-Pop band Erotic Elk while French artist ‘Vicomte Vampyre Arkames’ is the vocalist of the harsh Electro-Industrial group Ad:Inferna. This surprising duo released a first album “Glitch” is 2019 on, which they mixed elements of EBM and Electro-Pop. They this year are back on track unleashing their second opus, which is a double disc featuring a total amount of twenty songs (including a hidden track). “Imitatio Dei” has been again released by the Russian label ScentAir Records. The composition sounds as the imaginary hybrid between Skinny Puppy and Electro-Pop music. It’s a sophisticated and refreshing production I can only, but highly recommend.
(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)
Q: I didn’t exactly expect a band featuring members of EROTIC ELK and AD:INFERNA; I mean you’re not only living in different countries, but the bands you’re involved with are totally different in style and influences. So how did you get in touch and what brought you to set up this band?
Fredrik: When we made EROTIC ELK’S album “Solitary” VoA VoXyD from AD:INFERNA mixed and mastered the album. Later on Arkames contacted me and we wrote “Love Undone” I made a remix for one of their tracks that, when I listen to it now reminds a lot of the songs on “Glitch”.
Arkames : I remember the day I heard the remix Fredrik did for AD:INFERNA; it was emotional, a very good product with a little Miami Vice touch. I thought it was simply great. And when I decided a few years later to create a new band, I directly sent a message to Fredrik!
Q: What did you try to express by this band name and what can you express through MY LOVE KILLS you maybe can’t with EROTIC ELK and AD:INFERNA?
Fredrik: For me personally I wanted to do something more in EBM style. The EBM formula is more open than when you make Synth-Pop. But I didn´t know what the final product would sound like. But it´s a constant evolution.
Arkames : I wouldn’t talk about sorts of music because “Imitatio Dei” is so varied in my opinion. I’m looking for a trip and I follow the creations Fredrik is sending to me. To be a kind of painter who puts colors with voices, words and sounds.
Q: I can imagine you’re using the net to switch ideas and folders to compose your music, but what’s the input of each member and how did you produce the music and the vocals?
Fredrik: I usually start making some music demos and send to Arkames; he sends me something back that we 9 out of 10 times use. I have never met any person that I am so musically connected to. He gets the sense and feeling of the song directly. I produce the final product with input from Arkames.
Arkames: “Imitatio Dei” was an amazing experience. Sometimes, Fredrik sent me demos, like for “Dead Man Walking”. The music was so intense and I felt it deep inside of me: few hours later, he got a link with the vocal parts and the lyrics too.
Q: You’ve released two albums in two years so how do you look back to the evolution from the more Pop-orientated “Glitch” towards the new and darker sounding “Imitatio Dei”?
Fredrik: “Glitch” was something of a first try, a link between our first track “Love Undone” that we made in 2015. We wanted to evolve the sound and go a bit harsher and darker with the next album.
Q: “Imitatio Dei” has something reminding me to early Skinny Puppy, but with some refined Pop touch on top! Does this definition fit to what you tried to accomplish? Tell us a bit more about the influences (sound- and lyrical wise) and the production criteria for this album?
Fredrik: When writing and producing the first songs for the album I ended up with songs that were influenced by 80’s North-American EBM and especially Skinny Puppy from that era. We thought it sounded just right so we continued that way. Since I am musically a pop guy we somehow kept the classic verse/refrain receipt. Skinny Puppy’s albums “Cleanse Fold Manipulate” and “Mind TPI” are albums that has made a great impact on me and that formula they created on those albums are still up to date. We wanted to write 10-12 songs for the album, but ended up with 25+ songs. We just couldn’t stop, I have never been so productive. And Arkames delivered high class material all the way.
Arkames : I have many different influences, but Black-Metal is maybe the most pronounced. The dark part inside of me is always present in my lyrics since two decades. Sometimes, like in the song “La Voisin”, the Black-Metal vocals are identifiable. But I don’t want to resume my work on MY LOVE KILLS on one kind of voice, thus, I vary my way of singing as much as possible.
Q: Are (or were) there plans to bring MY LOVE KILLS on stage? And how do you see this essential aspect of playing live evolving while the world is going through this terrible pandemic? What are your further plans?
Fredrik: Our focus is to start writing new material quite soon. Playing live would be nice, whenever it is possible.
Arkames : Yes, Winter is the perfect time to open a new chapter of MY LIVE KILLS. I don’t know which orientation the new album will take, but something is FOR sure: fans won’t be disappointed.
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