Exclusive interview with Albin Julius (Part 1): "Most people I think see music just as a lifestyle tool... for me it’s kind of a religion"

Interview (2015 06 23, 2015 07 11–13):

Why after so many years of fame of The Moon Lay Hidden Beneath a Cloud, do You use new name Der Blutharsch And The Infinite Church Of The Leading Hand, what does it mean?

We did use the name due for a obvious reason I will not explain.

There’s no need to explain anything to anyone. I think everyone should make up his own version about this.

What conceptions are behind Your journey into psychedelic neo-kraut world?

There are no conceptions. We just do music we want to do. That’s all. There’s no art conception or whatever. We are open to music in all its form and at the moment this is the music we want to do... But this can change very fast again.

We always kept ourselves open to any music!

Planning to come to Lithuania?

We are invited to a festival in Baltikum in 2016. Might be that we come over, as next year it’s our 20iest anniversary and at the moment we are talking about how we will celebrate it.

At the moment we have two options: a small tour and some gigs over the year... OR – we only play one gig in Austria. We will see...

Is there a lot of place for inventions into kraut/dada/psychedelic music? What bands are Your favourite from old krauters?

There is... I only mention two bands from these days I really LOVE and think they are one of a few bands doing something really on their own, which are Aluk Todolo from France and Pharaoh Overlord from Finland. I love them both. Also I like bands like Earth which are very deep!

From the old Krauters I like most of them, like very early Kraftwerk, Can, Amon Düül and all the others...

Once You told me that all music is sexy or non-sexy, and it doesn't depend on its style. Do You still think so? If yes, how do you define "sexiness" of the music? Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio (ORE) comes into my mind... Is it the thing what You mean?

Yes... Well... Actually I think Music is simply good or bad… And it depends always on the person who listen to it... Personal taste etc... You know what I mean.

Music for me has no borders in style – if you think in these box schemes you already think wrong... I discovered so much good and groovy music in between all styles and genres... So that’s why I only think in "good/bad" – and sometimes sexy.

Well… And honestly… I do not think ORE are sexy... If I am honest they are simply boring although they are nice people... But the music... and the videos and all these cheap clichés... Maybe good for little girls... Bit… come on....!

Austria, Italy and Germany seem to be a great hub of good music of various kinds (I exclude mainstream/pop now and try to concentrate more on experimental/Kraut/industrial/post-something/neofolk etc.). Isn't it so that the world is "occupied" by British/American music in all of its realms and does not understand that these countries have not only Falco, Toto Cutugno and Rammstein?

Well... Indeed... But that’s maybe not the worst thing. I think the best with good music sometimes is that it’s not popular. So it can exist and grow in its own beautiful little way without being destroyed by profit thinking... You can discover simply good music - IF you’re ready to discover it. Most people I think see music just as a lifestyle tool... for me it’s kind of a religion.... not in a spiritual way… or maybe – never really thought about it too much. But music can really twist you on... But also it’s good sometimes to discover that some of the popular music is good music as well, i. e. Falco. He did some really great music and was really big... That’s good to see... To know also good music can get popular. But that’s the exception most times. Isn’t it?

Baltic scene is well known to You, as You've been in Lithuania. How is it, to say frankly? What are the main things – good and bad in it? I can tell my opinion: no doom metal now (disappeared, as it was doomed), too much bad stoner/postrock/postmetal, no martial industrial except maybe one really not bad one although it's not martial industrial actually (McKaras), good neofolk (actually, we should call it Lithuanian neo/post-folk, as it is VERY Lithuanian and has nothing in common with Sonne Hagal, Death In June or Changes, except some copycats).

I was in Lithuania only one time unfortunately… But we are planning to come back soon… as I really like the Baltic area a lot. Nice place, good food, beautiful girls and nice people… mainly....:=)

But I think you name the situation right. Not only for the Baltikum but general in music I see a lot of bad bands in all genres... All these boring stoner bands... but well… then under all this gap you can discover really good bands… unique bands who do their own hot shit and do not follow a trend. I’ve discovered Pharaoh Overlord a few years ago… and for me it is one of the most important bands of today... simply phantastic… and music beyond every cliché and trend. Same goes for Uran... amazingly strange and powerful music! And as soon I discover such bands for me life is better as I know there are some people out there who do their thing and just don`t give a fuck about anything!

Austrian scene from the inside. I mean postindustrial etc. music. Wikipedia is almost empty. No books on my table. I know only several, but really good bands. What is Your opinion and what is the current situation of it?

There is some good music here... no doubt... but Austria is small so of course there are not too many bands... but just some really good and unique bands from here... Rokka Anal, Fuckhead, Amestigon, Abigor, Survival Depends on Us – dig them via YouTube and you will be surprised... and all these bands have their own and unique style. I think that’s the good thing with a small scene....... you can make your own music in a bulb...no one cares… so it can grow and turn into a cool bastard...and sometimes it happens.

But also Vienna is a great place... loads of concerts going on… so there’s a really cool small scene here...  but on the other hand it’s also cool to see that we have some bands getting quit famous outside the country... different styles... not my music – but well done… i.e. Attwenger or Bilderbuch – which turn out to be really big in Germany… and although it’s now my music… I have to admit they know how to do it good!

Have You ever played in punk rock band? All great musicians (especially from very serious bands) began from punk rock/post punk. If yes, what was it?

No, I never played in a punk rock band. Strange… as I used to hang out with loads of Punk people when young… and still I have a little bit of punk in my heart… it never goes away...but if you know how I looked like then...=)

But I did see loads of Punk bands when young… and still do sometimes… last  year mannaged to see GBH again......did see them when I was 17 in my hometonwn. Together woth Hüsker Dü and Dead Kennedies... What wild times we had then.

I was lucky to grow up in between Zurich and Munich, l’ve had a venue where at that time... mid 80ies most bands who toured stoped… so I was very privileged to see bands like Gun Club, The Fall, Savage Republic, Motörhead, Donovan and many MANY more then back in the old days.

To be continued