Featuring thanks Frederic from Code Machine Interview by Ruud Dreessen aka ebm-industrial.nl 28 maart 2010 20:55
1.Thanks Frederic that you have found time to give answers to these questions,For the first question will be - do you know the netherland?
Yes I do. I have been to Amsterdam and its surroundings twice. The first time was in 1997 or something like that. I remember I was looking for an industrial club with some friends. I had found information about this club on a website but the address they had given was incorrect. The venue I turned up to was actually holding a gay lesbian communist party! We eventually found the party we were looking for. The second time was for a fetish party called Europerve.
2.Do you follow the electronic music scene, do you have any other favourite bands?
Yes of course. I'm a big fan of Nitzer Ebb for example. I really enjoyed the electro scene in the early 2000's. There were a lot of new bands around. I liked XPQ-21's work at the time of Destroy to Create and Belle Epoque. I also listen to Body Rox and stuff like that too. It's not exactly EBM but you can find a lot of similarities.
3.Greetings Frederic could you please shortly introduce our readers your music project Code Machine Please fill also a biographical resume about how,when and where...give us a more background information?
Greetings, we are Code Machine. We started playing music as a hobby around 1997 in Paris. But it really became a real project in 2000. After having experienced 2 major computer crashes and lost most of his creations, we haven't given up. We moved to London in mid 2001 to improve our English and after having adapted to the English weather, decided to work more seriously so as to release an album. Our first album No Time was born in 2004. Code Machine's music is a mix between EBM and synthpop, with a hint of techno. It's the expression of true personal feelings and a reflection about our society and the world we live in. Code Machine sincerely thinks that electro music is a committed music, which should convey strong messages. We have made 3 albums, one of which has not been released because we feel the sound quality is not good enough.
4.How did you start to make ,Electro , EBM and what is ,Electro, EBM for you?
I started around 1997 but I was more exploring technologies and sequencer keyboards at the time. For me, EBM is rhythmical committed and non politically correct music.
5.What and who are some of your influences in ,Electro, EBM?
Nitzer Ebb, Front 242, Covenant, VNV Nation and rhythmical noise music are my influences.
6. What are your top ten favorite ,Electro, EBM Club Songs of all time? Who are you influenced by? What would you consider your favorite cd's?
My top ten EBM Club Songs would be as follows (even if I don't listen to them regularly because I've heard them too many times in clubs):
1. Frontline Assembly: Plasticity
2. Nitzer Ebb: Join in the Chant or Let your body Learn (I'm undecided)
3. Front 242: Headhunter
4. Covenant: Speed
5. XPQ-21: Dancing Queen
6. VNV Nation: Chrome
7. Cubanate: Oxyacetylene
8. DAF/DOS: Wegen Dir
9. Seabound: Hooked
10. Empirion: Narcotic Influence
My favourite CD's would be probably those from which these tracks are extracted. I suppose I'm influenced by all those bands.
7.Do you have a favourite track and album?
My favourite album would be Body of Work by Nitzer Ebb. This album is the best as it contains all the best stuff by Nitzer Ebb. My favourite track is Warsaw Ghetto.
8.So tell me a bit more about yourself, such as musical?
I started as a bass player in a goth band in Rouen (Normandy) a long time ago. It was not really good; the band was not really serious. Then I tried to organised electro parties in France. I wasn't interested in making music at all; I just wanted to play it. I thought that there were so many good bands around that they no point in me trying to make music. But then I developed an interest for technology and hardware and acquired a computer, a sampler and a mixing table in 1997. I started to experiment in electronic music but it took me some time to realise something worth listening to.
9.By the way do you like my questions? tell me what you think about it! ;-)
Yes I definitely like your questions. You're doing a great job!
10. What is the main idea, the message you want to leave to people who listens to you? What is your motto?
Without trying to interfere with people's life and believes, I want to make them realise what is happening around us. I am always sad about the human condition, the way we are being treated by people who think they are the "elite" and the way we are treating the world (as in people and our planet) in return. I actually think that if human beings don't change, the human race will disappear. My main value is to respect others and the environment. This is the main message I am trying to pass along with my music. I don't really have a motto but I guess it could be "I'd rather be a good nobody than an evil somebody". Now guess where that comes from!
11. What’s the name of your band? What’s the origin of that name? Have you changed the band’s name before?
The name of the band is Code Machine. This is the French for Machine Code. As you probably know, it's a computer language that is directly understandable by a computer's CPU and it's the language into which all programs must be converted before they can be run. It's funny you're asking this question. I am thinking about changing the name of the band…
12. "NO TIME and HUMAN TRAGEDY" where did the concept come from? and whats planned now that your album is finished? or anything else you're working on? Tell me why this title,NO TIME and HUMAN TRAGEDY" Tell us a few words about the concept of this?
The concept behind NO TIME is that we are running out of time in life. Time goes by too fast, before we even realise it. It was my first album. I was turning 30. A third of my life was already behind me! HUMAN TRAGEDY is more about the damage that humans do to others and to their planet. This album is more old-school EBM than the other. Some tracks are quite pop but overall it's more EBM. My plan is now to finish my new album, maybe find a label and play some gigs
13. When's the new album coming out?
The new album is almost finished. I haven't got a release date as yet. But it will be 2010. I have an "old" album (completed after No Time) that I was never able to release due to mixing/mastering problems. So technically, the new album will be my 4th album.
14. How is the current promotional tour going for supporting this album?
I am not touring at the moment. I have moved town/countries twice in 2008, so it has taken me time to rebuild the studio, start making music again. I'm not very good at promoting my band so it's not always very easy to find some gigs. Hopefully 2010 will be a better year than 2009 in that respect.
15. What do you think of a modern ,Electro, EBM and about ,Electro, EBM scene?
The modern EBM and electro scene is similar to any other music scene. Some bands are better than others.
16. Our usual question - what is ,Electro , EBM for you?
Like I said earlier, for me, EBM is rhythmical committed and non politically correct music. The message it conveys is what makes the difference between alternative music and commercial music. Again, this is only my opinion. Some people might think otherwise.
17. What was your best live experience so far?
Our first gig in Rouen was our best live experience because we didn't expect anything and the audience was great. Around 100 people attended our gig in quite a small venue and were very receptive. We got a lot of positive feedback and sold a few CD's… That really encouraged us to carry on.
18. Please list the name, age, school, and respective instrument of each band member
I am Frederic and I'm 35. I do the programming, arranging, and the vocals.
Aurelia is 31 and helps me writing lyrics. She plays keyboards during live sessions.
19.What are your views on the current state of this ,Electro, EBMscene in Frankrijk.in terms of creativity and audiences? And the scene in other countries?
There are very good bands in France and quite a lot of opportunities to play gigs. The electro/EBM/Indus scene is quite important as well. Compared to the UK, where I currently live, it's a scene which is re-born. The scene is unfortunately dying in the UK. Until mid 2000's London used to be one of the best places to go for electro/EBM gigs and clubs. Those were always packed on week days and at the week-end. Nowadays clubs are pretty empty and gig opportunities quite rare.
20. 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?
I normally create the music first and then I write the lyrics. I have tried to start working with lyrics but failed to create the sounds and the structure.
21.What genre of music do you consider your work to be? Who are your major influences?
It's a very good question and it will be very difficult to answer. Code Machine is a mix between many genres. It's not possible to label CM.It's not 100% EBM or anything else. Some tracks sound more EBM, other more electro pop, or industrial.
22.Since the music industry is more open now to purely electronic music has this made things easier for you?
No, not at all. There has been a revival of rock 'n roll recently and quite a lot of my friends who were in the electro scene have moved to the rock/metal scene. Even if electro pop and techno have become more popular, the underground electro scene is more underground than ever. 20 or 30 years ago, you would have seen Nitzer Ebb video clips on TV for instance. It's very unlikely to happen these days.
23.So what are their main influences as a band at the moment?
I have many influences. I am inspired by various scenes, I don't limit myself to only one genre.
24.What is currently inspiring your material as an artist? tell me all about the ,Electro , EBM scene of Frankrijk?
Everything that surrounds me is a source of inspiration. I can't tell much about the electro/EBM scene in France as I relocated in the UK a year ago but from what I remember, it was very lively, much more than in the UK.
25.Do you think that people from the music press didn't expect you to grow up musically?
I've had good feedback from the press. They did think that Code Machine had potential to grow musically. It's more difficult with labels though. They expect a product that is ready to be sold and are not willing to invest into the band like it was the case before.
26.what is the key to making music from Code Machine and what inspires you to keep growing as a musician?
Making music is like a cure to me. When I play music I forget all my problems. I have hope that my messages will be heard. We are probably not the best band in the world, but we maybe manage to reach some people. That's what's important to us.
27. How do you see the future of download / Copyright in area of goth-,Electro, EBM music ? What are the best ways to develop it in your mind ?
Downloadable music is a great idea but it needs to be controlled. I've had my music downloaded and sold for nothing without my authorisation on some websites hosted in countries where copyright simply doesn't exist. I don't appreciate people making money with someone else's work without having been given the right to do so. We know someone who released a compilation of obscure rock/psychedelic bands without worrying about Copyright and who sold more albums than us. It's more and more difficult to have control over things like that. The other problem is that in the electro/EBM scene, people buy less and less music. Music has become a product of mass consumption and people wonder "why would I buy music when I can get it for free?" The structures and download platforms are already in place. They just need to host more bands from our scenes. Labels could also negotiate deals with those structures to help selling downloadable music.
28. If there was one thing you want people to know about your band what would that be?
We are not good at selling the band. We prefer when people discover us from their own initiative.
29.Please let us know about your upcoming plans, some new releases you like to confirm here
I have almost completed a new album. It will sound more industrial, less EBM. I will aim at releasing it in 2010.
30. It has been a pleasure to interview you on your musical activity,Well,any last words to your ebm-industrial fans?
To keep the scene alive, support the bands!
31.thanks for your time! great work on the albums and good luck with everything.any How can fans-to-be gain access to your music? Do you have a website with sample songs or a demo CD?
We're hoping to play some gigs soon. Of course we'll keep everybody posted through our website.
32.thanks for your time! great work on the albums and good luck with everything.any How can fans-to-be gain access to your music? Do you have a website with sample songs or a demo CD?
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