Featuring Aleksei and Alexander from Fort Spencer | Interview by Ruud Dreessen aka ebm-industrial.nl 08-02-2010
01- For the first question will be - Thanks Fort Spencer that you have found time to give answers to these questions,How are you doing?
Aleksei: Fine, thank you.
Alexander: I've got sick a few days ago, but except that - fine, thank you.
02-Hello Fort Spencer what noise do you make in Fort Spencer?
Aleksei: Whatever noise things make when we get our hands on them.
Alexander: Especially, those vintage electronics. For no real purpose, I just love them =)
03-How's the start of 2010 been for you thus far?
Aleksei: Hit and miss. Put out a release, did a show and now fell a bit stagnant. Have to come up with something constructive in the next few months. We'll be all right.
04-do you know the netherland?
Aleksei: Not enough, unfortunately. If I live long enough, I'll be sure to pay a visit.
Alexander: Well, I like couple of bands from the Netherlands, aside of that - very little. And yes, it would be nice to visit. With a gig, of course.
05-For a lot of people, this is probably going to be their first full introduction to Fort Spencerso how about you tell us a little bit about how you guys know each other and how the band came together?
Aleksei: Back in 2003 we were involved with a local metal scene, playing in bands. I discovered Industrial and experimental electronics and realized that I connect. Everything else sort of fell back a bit. I started listening to a lot of stuff and eventually messing around with synths and samples. Wormboy from W.O.M.B. gave me my first drum machine and later a bunch of people got involved. Jormi, Ragu, Elvira,
Alexander... Most of these people contributed at one point or another but Alexander stuck close. We first met when he replaced a drummer in one of the thrash metal bands I was doing vocals for. Got interested in previously un experianced music and asked if he could join my project. So we went on to discover our local Industrial scene. So far so good.
06- Do you follow the electronic music Industrial / Electro ,do you have any favourite bands?
Aleksei: Of course. I don't even know where to begin... No favorites but I absolutely love a lot of stuff. Impossible to choose between T.G., Dive, Wumpscut, Skinny Puppy, the Cold Meat stuff, and the list goes on.
Alexander: I'm not in Industrial music very much and mostly listen to Black metal or Black metal/Industrial crossovers, but sure, I can name a standout and it will be In Slaughter Natives. He's a god, really.
07-How is your relationship with other electronic bands?
Aleksei: We've been nice to everyone we met so far.W.O.M.B.crew is always great.Done some shows with them and happy to be a part of it.
08- Can you give us a brief run-through of Fort Spencer story so far?
Aleksei: Well I think it's pretty much done in question 5. We just go on. Did a number of internet releases, shows. Mixed up in BDSM performance. Pretty much F\S is what I am. The real story is in the music.
09- How did you start to make music and what is Gothic for you?
Aleksei: Music became the closest thing to a religious experience for me. I soon realized that it's the only thing I really want to do. Gothic? I assume you are not asking about architecture... It's aesthetics. A certain shade of things that one prefers. Method of presentation for some. One way or the other, it's aesthetics. Something with a hint of macabre and romantic- apply to anything you want.
Alexander: Music is my life, a way of self-representation and a way to communicate. Gothic... to me - it's dark aesthetics, always with a romantic touch.
10-What did you guys do for a living before Fort Spencer?
Aleksei: We don't earn a living with F\S. No one pays us. I held an office job for years. Unemployed at the moment. Alexander works in a computer store.
11- When did you form Fort Spencer? What inspired you to make music together?
Aleksei: I think we were pretty much formed in 2005. Found something very honest in this form of expression. I think it's the most important thing.
Alexander: A coincidence at first, honesty and understanding a couple months later and until nowadays and beyond.
12- What are your top ten favorite Industrial / Electro Club Songs of all time? Who are you influenced by? What would you consider your favorite cd's?
Aleksei: As mentioned before I can't pick any favorites. I'm hyped about a lot of works. We keep acquiring new influences all the time and not just from Industrial. The most recent push I got from Dirk Ivens and early Skinny Puppy. Many blasts before and many more to come, I hope.
Alexander: As I said, I don't listen to Industrial very much. As to my inspiration - it always comes from deep inside myself, but what makes it come out from the Abyss of inner thoughts and feelings is always a mystery until it shows up.
13- What are the future plans for Fort Spencer?
Aleksei: We want to go on. More records, more shows. I hope I can live on F\S alone one day. In any case I can do no other way.
14- Do you have a record label? Are you a member of any music organizations?
Aleksei: We did release our last compilation on Mental Excitement - an independent music label in Russia. Apart from that we are on our own.
15-What are you currently listening to on your MP3 player?
Aleksei: Skinny Puppy: "Smothered Hope" and "Assimilate". Over and over again. Can't stop.
Alexander: I prefer to listen to music at home. And no mp3's =) aside of that... Black metal. Lots and lots of Black metal. At the moment - Mutiilation - Sorrow Galaxies
16- By the way do you like my questions? tell me what you think about it! ;-)
Aleksei: Yes, thank you. We are grateful for the chance to answer.
Alexander: We don't have a lot of opportunities to get the people know about ourselves, yes. Thank you.
17- What is the main idea, the message you want to leave to people who listens to you? What is your motto?
Aleksei: Don't lie to yourself. Explore. Come to terms.
18- What's the name of your band? where did the name come from? or what's the story behind the band name?
Aleksei: It's from the movie "Ravenous". Means nothing really. I didn't want to put anything in the name. It's there because it has to be. I prefer F\S actually. It can mean whatever you want.
19-If people don't know what you and your music are about, how would you describe Fort Spencer?
Aleksei: It's honest, dark, sad perhaps. I don't really know. I live it and let others do the describing.
Alexander: An ever-changing mixture of sounds and noises, ever true to itself, ever honest. Either you like it or not.
20- or anything else you're working on? Dance Fiend: Tell us a few words about the concept of this?
Aleksei: We do a number of side projects. Just records. Lovecraft themed Dark Metal band "Chaos' Demise" and pirate themed dance music project "Hempen Jig".Dance Fiend" is about repossessing Religion in the proper sense of the word. About that experience you get on the dance floor. The raw bone idea of communion.
Alexander: I play drums in Melodic Black/Death metal band "Insanity Play" and write music and poetry on my own.
21- Some quick fire questions: gitar or synthesizer?
Aleksei: Synthesizer.
Alexander: Synthesizer to play, guitar to listen to.
22-band or solo
Aleksei: Band.
Alexander: Band.
23-How is the current promotional tour going for supporting this album?
Aleksei: "Kaite"? We don't tour. Can't afford it.
24- What do you think of a modern Gothic and about Industrial / Electro scene?
Aleksei: I think it's coming to a turning point. Something fresh and exiting has to happen very soon. It's still very good but I sense a bit of repetition here and there. Things went beyond post-industrial.
Alexander: Every scene must undergo drastic changes or die in vain of self-repetition. These two are no exception.
25- What's your favourite track of yours?
Aleksei: I love them all. Wouldn't have done them otherwise. It's what I felt at the time and have to appreciate these little status reports.
Alexander: Every track was favorite at some point, so I would say that none of them actually are. They're all really good to me, I personally really like each one, but none stands out.
26-What and who gets you excited about music today?
Aleksei: Lots of things. But I'm starting to look beyond Industrial. Excitement lies in unusual components. Raymond Watts did some very promising things with PIG. I want to learn more.
Alexander: Industrial/Black metal crossovers as The Axis of Perdition and The Wicked, as they bring freshness not only to the scenes they represent, but even to music as whole.
27-Our usual question - what is music for you?
Aleksei: Medium. Communication device.
Alexander: Music is my life, a way of self-representation and a way to communicate.
28- What was your best live experience so far?
Aleksei: We love playing live. The most recent gig was fantastic in many ways.
Alexander: Yeah, the last gig was great. Not as weird as some of the first, but really nice, yes.
29- Please list the name, age, school, and respective instrument of each band member
Aleksei: 24. Riga 22nd school. I do vocals and lyrics mostly. A bit of everything else.
Alexander: 23. Jurmala 2nd secondary school. Drums mostly, sometimes synthesizer, also programming and sound engineering.
30-What are your views on the current state of this Industrial / Electro scene in Letland.in terms of creativity and audiences? And the scene in other countries?
Aleksei: I know little about other countries. Here it's small but proud. Like everything else. Few people show up, it's not very popular, but great talents: Rosewater, Tankist, W.O.M.B. , Barodarho, Svampkoks just to name a few.
Alexander: I really don't have anything to add. Nearly any Industrial musician in Latvia has something, which makes his shows pleasant to watch.
31- you have very nice numbers` tell me about lyrical compositions what you can tell about the done work? How does your music creation process work? How do you create a song?
Aleksei: We usually throw bits and pieces of lyrics and music back and forth until something comes together. Then we pound on it until it fits. Most of the times I rant to the music off the top of my head. At some point it falls right for the record. I like to carry unfinished work around on my player to various locations to get some perspective. Sometimes I need a proper view to finish a track.
Alexander: The main idea of the track usually comes in one piece, then we record it and, if we're already satisfied with the result(that doesn't happen very often) - I do the engineering; if not - we add a couple of new layers to the track to make it more interesting, change some notes or beats and so on and so on. Nothing comes out without inspiration, of course.
32-What genre of music do you consider your work to be? Who are your major influences?
Aleksei: It floats around the Industrial specter. We love a lot of other things though and love to incorporate as much as we can. There are other styles, cinema, literature. Even pop culture comes in handy.
33-Since the music industry is more open now to purely electronic music has this made things easier for you?
Aleksei: Never cared. We're not in the market. Distribution and promotion at this point is always hard for us. Music industry is none of our business for now.
34-So what are their main influences as a band at the moment?
Aleksei: Right now we are looking at dance industrial. Something we never tried before. Experiencing lot's of techno and acid as well. We'll do something around that.
35-What is currently inspiring your material as an artist? tell me all about the Industrial / Electro scene of Letland?
Aleksei: Done that in 30. Too much to write really. There is one major Industrial club. Absolutely beautiful. Lots of artists, not too many people in the audience. It's peculiar. Concentration is low, dedication is high.
Alexander: Yes, not many people listen to such music, but their dedication is honest and that's what makes the scene alive. Of course, there are posers, pretenders and other not very likeable people in every scene, but what makes the Industrial scene unique - these numbers are quite less than in any other.
36-Do you think that people from the music press didn't expect you to grow up musically?
Aleksei: I think that people from the music press are largely unaware of our existence. On the other hand, no one expects the Spanish Inquisition.
37-what is the key to making music from Fort Spencer and what inspires you to keep growing as a musician?
Aleksei: I just have to do it. It's the only way I can really communicate and I'm a social animal. It's that or I die.
Alexander: It's all about communicating and self-expressing. I can think of other ways, but none of them makes my statements as clear.
38-How do you see the future of download / Copyright in area of goth-Industrial / Electro music ? What are the best ways to develop it in your mind ?
Aleksei: Oh it's quite exiting. New age in music industry. No way to stop it. I think we need to realize that recorded audio is no longer something people have to pay for. New product is on the way. It has to be multimedia. Albums will become a mixture of audio, interactive and visual material even more than before. Maybe something I cannot imagine right now. It's for the best.
Alexander: I think every musician shall realize selling music is not a viable way of distributing anymore. Even more, selling interferes with spreading the art. Does someone have to pay to see great artists' works? No. Sure, there is a small fee to any museum in possession of masterpiece, but it's absolutely free and legal to see any work of Bosch, for example, in the Internet. Why should music differ?
39-what was your childhood like?
Aleksei: I don't really know. I have good imagination and bad memory. Remember a lot of things that couldn't have happened. Not sure.
Alexander: I wouldn't say it was really my childhood. I was not the person I am now.
40-If there was one thing you want people to know about your band what would that be?
Aleksei: We are here if you need us.
41-Please let us know about your upcoming plans, some new releases you like to confirm here
Aleksei: We will have a new album by the end of 2010. See our online resources for updates. I guess we never made long term plans. Let's see what happens.
42-It has been a pleasure to interview you on your musical activity,Well,any last words to your ebm-industrial fans?
Aleksei: I'm not sure we have fans. If you exist, send us worm and fuzzy e-mails. We need love. Nude pictures are also welcome. We need distraction.
Alexander: Sure we do have fans! =) Just e-mail or write to us at myspace, any comment or message is appreciated.
43-and what is next on Letland agenda?
Aleksei: A show I hope. No bookings yet though.
44-How can fans-to-be gain access to your music? Do you have a website with sample songs or a demo CD?
Aleksei: Look for us on MySpace:
Latest album on Mental Excitement:
45-How has your music evolved since you first began playing music together?
Aleksei: It's getting more complex. There is always something new to learn about composition. And we love falling back on minimal energy so it has always gone back and forth. I like it this way. Brings perspective.
Alexander: Also, it's always nice to incorporate some things from other styles to make music more distinctive.
46-How is the new line-up working out?
Aleksei: It's the same core. Some people go, some people stay. The core remains. And it works.
47-And, finally, what does the next twelve months hold for the band?
Aleksei: Hopefully we'll live to report.
48-Any last words?
Aleksei: Intercourse.
Alexander: But don't make any more of those annoying pesky creatures also known as children.
49-Thank you for your time. Good luck
Aleksei: Thank you. It was our pleasure.
Alexander: Good luck to you too.
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