|
Interview by DARKROOM magazine.
www.darkroom-magazine.it
All questions by Michele Viali.
DARKROOM Magazine : First of all, can you explain our readers the meaning of Bleiburg, and what's behind that important name?
BLEIBURG : The austrian town BLEIBURG near the austrian-slovenian border was the starting-point of the first genocide shortly after the end of WW2. Some hundred-thousand Croatian troops, civilains, children, ... went some days before the capitulation to Bleiburg to surrender themself to the British. Croatia was the last ally of the German Reich in theese days in Europe and had some strong divisions in the field. But to fight in Croatias territory without Germany and hold the country was impossible, because of the draw near of the Soviet army. So the Croatian gouvernment decide to surrender by the British. The British told that all the surrendered people will be sent to Italy like for example some chetnik-units. The British betrayal starts with putting theese people into trains but send not to Italy : in truth they was given to the hands of the jugo-serbian butchers which kills nearly 500.000 croatian people - 1/8 of the Croatian population of the Independent State Croatia.
With mostly Croats the Slovenian “White Guards”, Serbian troops which collaborate with the Germans, German Volksdeutsche, Serbian Chetniks, other non-German troop units in the German army, members of the German-Croatian infantry divisions, ... were killed too.
BLEIBURG means betrayal, suffer, pain, ... - for years.
DARKROOM Magazine : Some Bleiburg tracks have appeared in several Thaglasz releases, but only recently this became your main project. How is this project born and why did you choose to dedicate more efforts into it?
BLEIBURG : Because of the giving of THAGLASZ to a successor from Berlin I had more time for music. In a few years we recorded nearly 450 new songs. We had also some from our first gig in the mid of the 90´s in the archives too. After the deal with Cold Spring Records for 2CD “Pieces Of A Broken Dream” the Italian label Old Europa Cafe told me their interest to publish 7x2CD and 1x4CD as a limited edition. On this records you can also find the first BLEIBURG live gig (two songs of this gig was published on the first BLEIBURG 7” “Chess Board”).
DARKROOM Magazine : “Pieces Of A Broken Dream” and the previous double LP “Domobran” were composed by Bleiburg, but in collaboration with others artists (such as Von Thronstahl, Cawatana, Thorn Agram and many more). How did you choose those contributors and what kind of method you have followed to create your music with all those artists?
BLEIBURG : You know that the groups I collaborate with live all over the world. I create instrumental music and send it to the in collaboration interested groups. They have the possibility to fullfill my music with samples, voice, ... whatever - use the song compleately or only in parts. After they finish their work I get all back and sometimes I add also some more sounds. This is the only way for such collaborations.
Because I create music like Industrial, Dark-Electronics, Aggrepo, Experimental Music, Apocalyptic Sounds, Ambient and some more I am able to collaborate with a lot of groups. This is our concept.
DARKROOM Magazine : In 2006 you have published several albums under Bleiburg moniker: “Bleiburg”, “Where The Truth Lies”, “In Times Like These”, “Awake Before Dreaming”, “Corroded Mechanism”, “Falcon Of Zagreb”, “Ize Cheruvimy Tajno”, “Heoroes For Other Nations”, “Unreleased & Unloaded”, “History In Flames”.
Can you explain the Italian readers the differences among all those releases?
BLEIBURG : The 2CD´s “Where The Truth Lies” (contains the first cover song : Depeche Mode´s “Free”), “In Times Like These” & “Awake Before Dreaming” are a trilogy. The sounds are Dark-Electronic / Aggrepo / Industrial. 4CD “Corroded Mechanism” is my first concept-record. Mostly instrumental Morbid-Dark-Electronics. In “Ize Cheruvimy Tajno” I have collaborated with Lonsai Maikov. The music on this record is something between Neofolk / Experimental Music / Apocalyptic Sounds and Middle-Age Music. 2CD “Unreleased & Unloaded” is a split with the German group MDMA. The BLEIBURG sounds on this record are Dark-Electronics. The 2CD “Heroes For Other Nations” is full of Dark-(Power-)Electronics / Noise / Industrial sounds. 2CD “Falcon of Zagreb” contains the first concert, four songs with Amir Baghiri, a remix of This Morn´ Omina and two songs from a live improvisation in Kassel, Germany from summer 2000 (Experimantal Music, Apocalyptic Sounds, Ambient, Martial Industrial). 2CD “Bleiburg” contains Experimental Music / Apocalyptic sounds. All theese records were published via Old Europa Cafe (www.oldeuropacafe.com).
Last year we have also published via a small german label SkullLine (www.skullline.de) a box-set with 2CD, pin and T-Shirt “History In Flames”. This record content Dark-Electronis / Industrial / Neofolk.. The same label published some weeks ago CD “Occidentem Appello” with Experimental Music / Martial Industrial songs.
DARKROOM Magazine : Why did you decide to release 10 different CDs, each in very limited edition?
BLEIBURG : Because of the mass of BLEIBURG songs in different music styles. We don´t like to copy ourself from record to record. I mean that it is like by the old THAGLASZ issues : I love monumental issues in a low limitation.
DARKROOM Magazine : And why did you choose the digital format to Bleiburg, whereas Thaglasz releases were printed on vinyl?
BLEIBURG : This have no special reason. Up to now are labels only interested in digital BLEIBURG formats. Naturally when somebody asks me to contribute on a vinyl or MC record it will be also O.K. There are some ideas about publishing something on vinyl, but I will see what future brings.
DARKROOM Magazine : “Pieces of a broken dream” is produced by the English label Cold Spring. How is your collaboration with them born?
BLEIBURG : I know Justin of Cold Spring Records since my THAGLASZ days. As we finished “Pieces Of A Broken Dream” he was interested to publish it.
DARKROOM Magazine : Can you explain the meaning of “Pieces Of A Broken Dream”.
BLEIBURG : You will laugh :nI have thought about a record name in connection with the content of the record. I have listen for relaxing to some mp3 and in the text Erasure´s “The Circus” you will find the words “Pieces Of A Broken Dream”. The name of the records was found. I think that the record-name with content of the music and cover design was perfect choosen.
DARKROOM Magazine : What is the “Broken Dream” mentioned in the title?
BLEIBURG : Look at the cover of the record, you will see the map of the town Bleiburg and the Croatian coat of arms. All nearly 500.000 butchered Croatians had a “Broken Dream”.
We have all a “Broken Dream”. Bleiburg is everywhere. Everytime.
DARKROOM Magazine : In your opinion, which is the best way to approach and appreciate a long and complex work like POABD?
BLEIBURG : Really don´t know. Like on the THAGLASZ records I have choosen only songs I like and have collaborate with groups I like. Because of the different music-styles I think it is the best way to use the record as a sampler.
DARKROOM Magazine : How important is the martial aspect in your music?
BLEIBURG : I think important.
DARKROOM Magazine : The words WAR, DEATH, HEROES and GLORY are often cited and maybe they resume the essence of your last album's lyrics. What's your opinion?
BLEIBURG : This are strong words with power used for strong music with power.
DARKROOM Magazine : Was the recent Croatian war an inspiration for your music and lyrics?
BLEIBURG : Yes, in some songs.
DARKROOM Magazine : The Croatian phrase “ZA DOM SPREMN” appears in POABD as well as in your other releases. What is the meaning of that sentence and how important is that for you?
BLEIBURG : The translation is : “For home (fatherland) prepared”. Most think that the phrase was created in the Independet State Croatia during WW2, but this is not truth. In fact a croatian special-troop of the austro-hungarian army used it long years before the croatian Ustashe does it.
DARKROOM Magazine : There are many different styles in Bleiburg's POABD, we can say that each song has his own: from industrial to neofolk, and from dark ambient to noise. Which is your favorite style?
BLEIBURG : The reason is that I doesn´t limit myself in a music style. When I begin to record a song I couldn´t tell you at the end the style of the finished song. Like this it is naturally important my personal feeling. My favourite stlye changes with this. Actual I prefer personally Aggrepo Sounds like from Umo Detic, Konzept, Time Modem, Klangwerk, ... .
DARKROOM Magazine : Do you think there are valuable and innovative artists in that field?
BLEIBURG : Yes, especially theese which collaborate with me in 2CD+DVD â€Shadows Will Surviveâ€.
DARKROOM Magazine : What do you think about the decline of the European traditions?
BLEIBURG : Maybe the new members of the European Union will bring the old ones back the traditions. In theese post-communist countries people have learned to use their traditions to be alive and to stand against totalitary red governments. This is maybe a chance for Europe, who knows ?
DARKROOM Magazine : In the last 50 years there has been an invasion of the “American plastic culture” in our countries. What do you think about it?
BLEIBURG : I think theese are the right words : “American plastic occupation culture”.
DARKROOM Magazine : Do you think Europe will be an Islamic region in the nearest future?
BLEIBURG : Europe is an Islamic region : Bosnia, Albania, Macedonia, Bulgaria : Islamic countries or with high percent of Islamic population, since hundreds of years.
DARKROOM Magazine : I am a passionate and fanatic Thaglasz collector, the great label behind the Death in June Freundeskreis: the first and only DIJ fanzine. Want you please tell us the way you've created this fanzine, found the collaborators and information sources and, last but not least, something about your friendship with Douglas Pearce?
BLEIBURG : I have done some conctact-advertisements in different music-magazines and shortly after that enough people contact me to work with me in realization of a DIJ fanzine. I think that since the first record-issue the idea behind Thaglasz issues was, to publish also records for collectors. Soon the number of interested people grow. Naturally I have contact Douglas before for his O.K. for THGALASZ. Sice theese days our contact is some time of more intensity - sometimes less. For the forthcoming BLEIBURG 2CD+DVD “Shadows Will Survive” we have done together the first music-collaboration with the song “W. A. L.”. From this song you could find on the DVD remixes of 17 groups (Frostwinter, Bleiburg, Leaether Strip, Dead Partisan, MDMA, Tento11, Achim Windel (Placebo Effect), Kinder von Nos, Amir Baghiri & Bleiburg, Kammer Sieben, Code Voire, Dead Man´s Hill, Foresta Di Ferro, Spectre, Circus Joy, Ain Soph, Anxious Morbid Disorder).
DARKROOM Magazine : What brought you to get rid of the DIJ fanzine and the label Thaglasz?
BLEIBURG : The reason every fanzine has : to collect informations and publish them. Till theese times only a few informations about Douglas´ work was known - always from different sources, only something fom interviews, ... . Some informations could be found at this time on the web, but as we start it was not normal to use the web. So I decide to ask Douglas what he think about a fanzine. He agreed and soon the first THAGLASZ issue was created.
DARKROOM Magazine : Can we hope to see in future others Thaglasz releases and maybe new DIJ Freundeskreis issues?
BLEIBURG : I am since some years not more the owner of THAGLASZ. The label was given to a person in Berlin, because of my bad health. Up to now this person have done nothing. Some records are ready to be published, ... .
DARKROOM Magazine : Many unknown artists - and now well famous - had their songs on Thaglasz compilations at the beginning of their carreers (I' talking about bands such as Spiritual Front, Werkraum, Von Thronstahl, Ostara, Leger des Heils, A Challenge Of Honour and many others). Have you ever thought you were a talent scout, a discoverer of new grey area artists?
BLEIBURG : Yes, theese groups begun their carreers on THAGLASZ compilations. If you have to decide about songs of groups for the records you publish you are naturally a talent scout. I think had a “good nose” with this groups.
DARKROOM Magazine : Among all those bands you've discovered through Thaglasz compilations, which are the best, in your opinion?
BLEIBURG : I have choosen only groups I like for the records, so I think that every group was the best.
DARKROOM Magazine : Most Thaglasz compilations have been published in luxurious packages. Why have you preferred those expensive formats rather than the standard CDs?
BLEIBURG : The concept of THAGLASZ was to publish records not like other labels. Because of the limitation and high procuction-costs we was expensive by selling, but that was o.k. for our customers, because the limitation was truth. With this support by our customers we was able to realize some unusual records.
DARKROOM Magazine : I'm also curious to know how the idea of 10 LP format came up for the “Security of ignorance”compilation?
BLEIBURG : The gigs of the THAGLASZ festival in Kassel, Germany should be recorded. I had in plan to publish via Thaglasz a metal-box with vinyls of the live shows of all goups (Death In June, Kapo, Ostara, Forseti, Aurum Nostrum, Dies Natalis, Les Joyaux De La Princesse, Kirlian Camera). In fact I have realize the idea of the metal-box in the Thaglasz-issue 10LP box “Security Of Ignorance”.
DARKROOM Magazine : Every time a “brown area” band talks about Europe, 2nd World War and related subjects, they risk to be banned by the so-called Anti-fa, who easily accuse them of being nazis and fascists: have you ever been treated that way?
BLEIBURG : BLEIBURG not : we are only historically interested. Political statements are not part of our music. Naturally we also have themes from WW2, but also samples doing them as from this time. As I told you we are historically interested : every past second is history : you see we will have enough themes for the future ... .
DARKROOM Magazine : Can you tell us something about the boicotted concert in Kassel which you have organized some years ago?
BLEIBURG : I think Al Bundy have more luck than I in theese days. What happened ? Well, around 50 km far from Kassel is a small town called Göttingen. Göttingen is a stronghold of left students, anti-fa, ... . The day before the concert in Göttingen, was a brown demonstaration of german-national-elements in this town. Somewhere in the web was a site with content that theese different groups should also visit the concert in Kassel. I mean that the police thought I had something to do with this. This was the first problem.
The second one was that the club I had rent was insolvent : what they told me first at the night after the stress with police begun. The contract was doing with the owner of the club, but he haven´t told me about the insolvency. In fact the owner of the club hadn´t the right to give me the club for rent. The insolvency-manager was the only one with this rights. At this day after the police came to the club, the insolvency-manager was informed for the first time about the contract through the owner. At the end we had no legal contract and the insolvency-manager told : “No concert”.
This is in short the story of the occurrence in Kassel from July, 2000.
DARKROOM Magazine : Going back to your music, what are you next plans? Will there be other release, for a side-project maybe? Are you going to play live in order to promote the new album?
BLEIBURG : Some weeks ago we have finished a forthcoming 2CD called “Gods Of War”. After finishing all for 2CD+DVD “Shadows Will Survive” will start with the work on a live show. In the last time more and more questions about that and so we try to finish the preparations for the gigs till end of this summer.
Also 2CD “Musique Grotestque” is ready to be publihed.
|
