‘Click Interview’ with [:SITD:]: ‘We Want To Be A Voice, A Scream Against Injustice’
[:SITD:] aka Shadows In The Dark has been set up in 1996 by German duo Carsten Jacek and Tom Lecszenski. They started to release their work on Accession Records and moved to Scanner/Dark Dimensions since the “Dunkleziffer”-album (2014). Scanner owner Frank D’Angelo joined the band on stage. [:SITD:] this year released their newest work “Trauma: Ritual”, which is an elaborated, powerful and melodic piece of modern electronics mixing elements of EBM, dark-electro and future-pop. Time for a chat with two kind members dealing with interesting topics!
You can order all [:SITD:] releases right here from this excellent mailorder.
(by Inferno Sound Diaries)
Q: What kind of album did you had in mind when starting the writing of “Trauma: Ritual” and what does the title stands for?
Tom: We have tried to create an album which works in the clubs and also at home. “TRAUMA: RITUAL” has become a very compact character. The sound is very intensive and has got a significant strength. We are very satisfied with the result.
Carsten: On “TRAUMA: RITUAL” we reflect on the most critical issues of our times: fanaticism, irrationality and protectionism. In times of general political disaffection it seems very important to us to strengthen democracy and make a clear statement. We should all be aware of how important democracy is. You can’t take things like being able to speak freely, to vote or have the right to demonstrate for granted. Let me explain this more fully: Many people see the world through very simplistic eyes, because that is what allows them to life this normal, like a so-called normal existence. This existence of congeniality, where there are no threats to life, everything is safe, everything’s nice, you’ve got the house, you’ve got the wife, you’ve got the car. It’s a blood façade. In actual fact we’re living in a nightmare world! Traumatic events happen every single day. But who cares? The world is in agony and we should ask ourselves: Is this the world we want to live in? This is what about “TRAUMA: RITUAL” is dealing with. We want to make people think, expose grievances and develop a sensibility for problems. We don’t have to understand why we are fighting a war in the year 2017, why humans commit the most atrocious crimes in the name of religion or profitability, and why the divide between rich and poor is getting wider and wider. We want to be a voice, a scream against injustice. This is our claim.
Q: Are there some specific elements in the composition- and production process you wanted to accentuate, maybe improve when compared to previous releases?
Tom: We wanted to make an album, sounding much harder and more direct compared to its predecessor. To achieve this specific, genuine immediacy and authenticity we focused on the bare essentials and removed needless dead freight. Furthermore, we upped the BPM count significantly. “CICATRIX” is a good example. It’s like a kick in the gut. But it was also important to us to create an album which is rich in variety. Songs like the catchy tune “PULS:SCHLAG” or the experimental techno track “POST-FACTUAL AGE” represent a different side of [:SITD:]. “TRAUMA: RITUAL” is our most sophisticated work to date and the next logical step in our evolution. Our current video single “GENESIS” provides a short insight into the album.
Q: After the “Dunkelziffer”-album you again released your new work “Trauma: Ritual” as a limited vinyl release as well. What means the vinyl format to you as artists?
Tom: We are children of the 80’s. We grew up with records and turntables. Therefore it’s a wonderful experience for us to release “TRAUMA: RITUAL” on vinyl again. We got approached by a lot of people that wanted a vinyl release. It is very limited edition so you will have to be quick to get one. Fundamentally it’s a question of faith. Some people prefer CD’s, others like vinyl-records or MP3’s. For us as artists it’s important to offer all these different formats. Really one is spoilt for choice, and that’s a good thing.
Q: How was the experience working with Dennis Schober (Solitary Experiments) on the opening song “Puls:Schlag” and what do you like in his work?
Tom: Dennis is a good-old friend of us. It was obvious to ask him, if he would join us. “PULS:SCHLAG” has an extraordinarily personal character. We were sure, that Dennis warm emotional voice is the additional component that we need for such a song. Everything fits together perfectly. It’s the first duet with a companioned artist on an official [:SITD:] release ever! And we are very happy with the final result.
Q: [:SITD:] is a band with a strong live reputation. What’s the importance of doing live performances and are you planning to bring new elements in the upcoming shows?
Carsten: We really love to play live! It’s incomparable to stand on stage and look how the audience reacts to our music. This always gives us the creeps, no matter if we play a big festival or in a small club. We guess that energy and spirit is the most important thing on an electro concert. It’s a wonderful feeling to share your emotions with the crowd, to give something and get something back. The “TRAUMA: RITUAL” tour with ES23 is finished and it was simply fantastic! We are planning to bring new elements in the upcoming shows, but it’s too early to talk about details. On December 23rd, 2017, we will perform our annual closure concert at the “Kulttempel” in Oberhausen / Germany. NOISUF-X and ES23 will join us as our special guests. We are really looking forward to present “TRAUMA: RITUAL” for the first time at home, the Ruhr-Area. That’s the reason why we call it “HEIMAT: RITUAL”. “Heimat” is the German expression for “home”.
Q: You last year celebrated the 20th anniversary of [:SITD:]. What have been the main facts in the band’s history and are there some items (like albums, songs…) you would have done a different way?
Carsten: Yes, the band was founded in 1996. Seriously time flies and it seems like yesterday as we’ve played in small youth-clubs. The main fact is that we are still alive. Now our fondest wish came true and we have the possibility to perform before a full audience and bring the most important thing into their focus: Our music. It’s a gift to have the possibility to visit a lot of countries, to see different cultures and to share our innermost hopes and dreams and even our deepest fears with the audience. We don’t have the intention to write the history of electronic music again, but we guess that [:SITD:] has built up an own identity and over the years we have created our own style.
[:SITD:] is 100% authentic! The music comes directly from the bottom of our hearts. We really love what we do! We always look ahead, we never look back. We can’t change the past, but we can shape the future. We are full of ideas and we will see what the future has in store for us. Thanks a lot for the interesting interview and of course many thanks to all readers and friends.
Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries
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