This "interview" was conducted with mir Colon and K-head of Kifoth on 13-Aug-2010 Thanks mir Colon and K-head
1.
Hi mir Colon,we are happy to get the chance to ask you a few questions. For the first question will be thanks Mir Colon that you have found time to give answers to these questions, how are you doing?
mir Colon: Hi Ruud, our pleasure being interviewed by ebm-industrial.nl. To be honest, I am full of happyness I got confirmation KIFOTH will open Budapestian concert of Skinny Puppy.
2.
Hello Mir Colon what noise do you make in Kifoth?
mir Colon: :o) there is one of the dominating, the voice, scream.
3.
How's the start of 2010 been for you thus far?
mir Colon: The 2010 beginning was about waiting. Waiting to the new CD release. Later the first promo concert. You know, can’t wait to meet the nice people in the clubs.
K-head: 2010 was very successful as we released CD even with some delays and few good gigs. Unfortunatelly not too much in West side of EU , just local CZ/SK/HUN as new relase come after most of festivals closed booking L ..believe more in autumn as summer is already locked. Except to be support for Skinny puppy in Budapest.
4.
Do you know the netherland?
K-head: Honestly say , not so much personally as many flights via Amsterdam I had , but just one concert in Arnheim. So, I know very well Netherland as futball fan only J
mir Colon: Yes, I do. I remember Amsterdam, the metropolis, because I have visited it. I like your country, outland, hills but but gruff about the speed limit on the roads.
5.
For a lot of people, this is probably going to be their first full introduction to Kifoth so how about you tell us a little bit about how you guys know each other and how the band came together?
mir Colon: The birth of KIFOTH is spontaneous. Me and K-head were classmates. I would dare saying, there was different point of view of each other, back the time. Desire linked us together. Better say it was an inner pressure of realizing ourselves. There were many tries and misses as well. It seems this has made us more take of each other. And makes us more and more collaborate. Actually, this is the way we keep doing the music.
K-head: As mir said the moment of genesis was the self-realization. I’ve been trying to make music since 1988. There was the communism era, a difficult way to get the west part culture here. People made copies of copies of tapes recorded from records were smuggled in from west, but listening to it should kept hidden. I was fascinated with the synthesizers, a kind of music that wasn’t produced over our area. The synths were very expensive. Difficult to get them while being a student. But I made many projects with various friends before KIFOTH. It was just a funny jam session. So once I had made computerised music I gave it to mir, he started working on it. Basically, mir is the engine you can’t stop.
mir Colon: Well, I wasn’t much involved in the electro / industrial music in 1988. I did like the electro sound but K-head is the one that introduced me in the sound affects. I recognized thay thoughts could be supported nicely with the electronic body music, especially with the mixture of psychedelic elements. K-head makes it as well. The philosophical inspiration comes out from my surrounding simply. Principle of the lyrics is to show somebody’s point of view on specific situation or problems. We don’t bring up any solutions. Just presenting the situation, hoping the recipient could react. The way of responding is his competence only.
6.
When did you form Kifoth? What inspired you to make music together? Can you give us a brief run-through of Kifoth story so far? What's the story behind the band name?
K-head: It begun in 1993 ,even first CD was issued in 1999 ,becasue our first CD release in VUZ (1995) was not successfull as VUZ has hard times after sign of contract . Than we have spent painless years till sign for Out of line. Unfortunately after 2 releases we not fit to their portofolio and now we are under Vendetta music , even more popular for US I think and promotion as well. Of course we never stop play te concerts ,but hard to play without selling the release ,that’s in short .Now we are back ,very strong.
I started as I like EBM heroes from 90ties ,even during communism in Slovakia , was not this music available in East European countries ,as other western music . We try to somehow promote here with our ideas and our influences. We started on secondary schools as class mates and looks that we never finsih in the class unitl now.
mir Colon: KIFOTH is the abbreviation for “Kneel In Front of the Executioner”. But original idea is “Kneel In Front of the Hangman”. Meanwhile the philosophical state has been shaped up to the idea as “You are getting your head on to the vice”. Don’t care who the executioner is. The only important thing is to be aware what is going on. Perhaps I made it reproduced quite fatal but it could be completely different. We don’t demand repentance. We try to make your eyes opened by shocking you or if you want shooting you a big slap. The next step depends on you only.
7.
What is the main idea, the message you want to leave to people who listens to you? What is your motto?
mir Colon: As I said, we bring you back ti think about an event. Get it serously. Make you opinion, statement. Nevermind if bad or good. You are the waiting before your executioner.
8.
Do you follow the electronic music Industrial / Alternative / Electro , do you have any other favourite bands?
mir Colon: I like any kind of music but good, interesting, listenable mesterpiece as Black Eyed Peas, Madonna, Chemical Brothers but domestic bands as Horkize Slize or Richard Muller, too.
K-head: I stuck on my old schools idols and not so much time to look for new badns. So ,FLA, Skinny puppy will never die for me and I need to have all what comes out. As well out of Canada J , I still like so much Haujobb as well old nice Kalte farben was my idols. Not so much to listen other music , but my relax is Delerium ,Conjure one. Even from non electronic , still can’t forget for Nirvana even Metallica . Depeche mode forever.
9.
How is your relationship with other electronic bands?
mir Colon: Depending in which band do you mean. I am friend with Hocico, Culture Kultur, Kalte Farben, Terminal State, Akimbo, First Aid 4 Souls, Schloss Tegal, Einleitungszeit, Disharmony, Leaether Strip, Brain Leissure, Depressive Disorder, Vanessa, The Dark but many more. I like making relationship, having chat with interesting people. Majority of the electro music making people are interested in closely the same areas as I do.
10.
What are your top ten favorite Industrial / Alternative / Electro Club Songs of all time? Who are you influenced by?
mir Colon: The top song are the one I am influenced mostly. I have never listed the best songs I ever heard, but getting them out from my mind now: Skinny Puppy – Assimilate, One Time One Place, Testure, Worlock, Inquisition, Past Present, Magnifishit, Ugli; Leaether Strip – Atheistic Sermon; Klute – Desert Strom ... there are more and more very good songs. My CD collestion is about 200 pcs.
K-head: There are lot from each one of mentioned groups , but I don’t wan penalize any .So , I put my best for which I started to make music and style where to go.
1.Headhunter - 242
2.Warlock - SP
3. Mindphaser - FLA
4. World window- Haujobb
5. Flashback – Ministry
6. Wasted sky – Numb
7. Sacrilege - Mentallo and the fixer
8. I give to you – Nitzer Ebb
9. Strap me down – Leather strip
10. Bewglich animalich – Sielwolf
11.
What would you consider your favorite cd's?
K-head: Too dark park , Tactical neural implant , Viloator ...enough ?
mir Colon: Again 10? :o) Last Rights; The Greater Wrong Of The Right; Underneath The Laughter; Civization; Violence Corporation; The Infidel; The Dragon Experience; Effector; Blitz and more
12.
If people don't know what you and your music are about, how would you describe Kifoth?
mir Colon: I would tell him that KIFOTH is a duo from the central Europe, but the past comunism part. The band is one of the first EBM production releasing in Germany or USA, touring Germany, live performing on the biggest electro-industrial events. These days bring to you / him the new CD full of the best songs ever made by K-head and mir Colon. Just take it, play and enjoy. I believe you’l take one song as minimum. Let me know what it is.
K-head: I’m usually saying that we are doing underground music . Electronic with distorted vocals with the industrial touch.No easy to listen to anyone ,but quite melodic. That’s for people who are not aware about EBM. For EBM gigs try ,having to say something between Skinny puppy and FLA.
13.
"violence corporation" 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,"violence corporation" Tell us a few words about the concept of this?
mir Colon: The intention is to write down something like walking inside the labyrinth. There are many plates hung on the sidewalls. But just your mind can pick up some of them to put them in to one clear vision. Then you have to consume it before getting your opinion made.
There is a central theme on the album. It’s specified by the album name. It’s about dealing with violence. What is the source to be violating, intentionally hurting anybody. The album opens questions as who teaches us to be violence, why / how they’ve educated us. Is the reason of our violence a company, our habits or manners? The album "Violence Corporation" is about egoism, the feeling we’re special. About ruthlesness. It’s about how our holdings can change us essentially. How we have gotten blind suddenly, so far away from the rules of to be in a society, to be tolerant. This study is written through sensitive situation as our childrens deeds, our lovely home-animal bleeding under tyranny. Your brother is hanged to the radiator at his cabinet. The album mentions about the medial pressure, information manipulation. This time the media makes a general opinion. It criticizes the upbringing in a family. How the keeping for the personable growth (the son, the daughter) is neglected. vision.
K-head: I’m listening to a lot of music and different styles from current days and try to make new tracks, I’m trying to fit a kind of standard scheme of track what I like and maybe attract people who use to listen that kind of music before. For me it’s a natural scheme of making music, that’s typical KIFOTH or old school :-). Unfortunately or fortunately this scheme you will hear also in our future releases. It’s a guide line for me to make a track. Even in the future you will hear new beats / new sounds / different kinds of samples even noises, the scheme will be old school.Point of differentiation is the beats or basses. KIFOTH music is not on the end of evolution and I’m learning a lot from one release after another. I think that „Acerbity Torrent“ was a right mix, what you can expect in future from KIFOTH and „Violence Corporation“ is showing only one of the position, even we make so called old school ,I think that we will try to stay up to date and you will hear it in future. For me personally it’s more boring 4/4 future pop /aggrotechno or how to call that kind of power dancefloor. I try to make music more for people to listen to than to dance. And in case of real feeling of power atmosphere of our music, the visit of our performance is conditional.
14.
How is your relationship with the fans like? Is it nice to meet fans or have you also problems with intrusive hysterical female and male admirers?
K-head: I like relation with fans as their are real feedback , they saying what they feel even sometimes has inspiring ideas what to implement to our music/sound. Some of them we are inspiringto make video or some paintings what I like so much . I like to speak about music and art . Unfortunatelly or fortunatelly I has no experience with hysterical females as we are playing live on small/underground scene where in our countries are femails as minor listner L ,even we have no so sweet choruses and melodies , voice J.
mir Colon: The people’s reaction is very important. Even if it is negative, but that is the feedback. So I prefer to meet fans able having talk about what they are impressed over the night. To be honest, I never met any kind of fans getting me pissed off. ... knocking on the wood, luckily.
15.
How do you feel to hold the finished cd in your hands?
mir Colon: Pretty happy. The waiting to the day had taken much time. You know there was the crisis affecting the release date made postponed.
K-head: It’s very nice feeling . When I hold in my hands than I remind all the 3 years work backward. All moments during creation the tracks, the time spend around. The minds and ideas during the time of preparation. All work around . Making of track list , mixing ...listening , listening and listening. Not good think is that at the time whan you get your CD to your hands , all songs are already old for you, but good moment is when you start to play live and feel the energy of new tracks and also to see surprising people and fans how they are wondering for new tracks and like them. They listen brand new songs, but they feel that’s KIFOTH.
16.
How is the current promotional tour going for supporting this album?
mir Colon: Bad condition. The same way as actual Skinny Puppy’s European tour. We have toured around without the CD.
17.
What are the future plans for Kifoth?
mir Colon: I believe the next album will be compact, again. I see it like this, at the moment. And I’m contented. I’m talking about the theme. From sound point of view the vision is about to go back to the synths with a new sound of drums. Getting back to the theme. The lyrics are dealt about what is the company value of the basic sources and what the cost will be in the future. There’ll be talk about water, air, light, crude oil, communication, etc.
K-head: I like to play now , as I feel very good new album and also live set up is very good. All the gig hase very strong power and good performance. I think that people really like as I saw from last 5-6 concerts what we did in first half of this year. Than meantime maybe realase some remixes as we have already some from ohter our friends and groups and as well add some live records which is different than on album and can give feel of our live performance for people who never attend our concert.
18.
What do you think of a modern Gothic and about Industrial / Alternative / Electro scene?
mir Colon: No idea. To be honest I am not so much involved in to study the actual scene. I’ve got my job spending time a lot. Next is the KIFOTH life but a piece of the private one too. So, no more room for to be actual with the trend.
19.
What's your favourite track of yours?
mir Colon: Non objective answer is that my favourite song is EGOTISM. Unique atmosphere and construction of the song.
K-head: Strange is that favourite tracks of as I recognizing only after time. When release is fresh all of them are good ,but latter on you start to recognize . So , I can say shortly maybe 3-4 tracks per album as . Ebola - PBRTM / El chiquitins chou fou da lou/Euthanasia . Spectaclebreakers - Confession/In front of the gate/Painspeech/ . Fundamentum divisions – C&F / Query / Pandora’s clock/Letchery. Acerbity Torrent – Proper behaviour / Obsequious /Tyranny
20.
What and who gets you excited about music today?
mir Colon: I feel myself excited about what’s going on with Skinny Puppy. Such great comeback. But some trouble now. So I am excited about to watch to Skinny Puppy being release the new CD or don’t.
21.
Our usual question - what is music for you?
mir Colon: The music is an important part of my life. It creates my opinion, basically creates me.
K-head: It’s my hobby and relax. I feel free when I making the music and in the same time is my communication out of me. My feelings and my moods as I not speak so much.
22.
What was your best live experience so far?
mir Colon: I would thanks that all the shows, better say events are very good, unique. But the best are those we meet great people such as HOCICO, Culture Kulture, Morbid Fancy, people in Berlin, Budapest, Holland, Olomouc, Trnava, …
K-head: We had very goods gig on clubbing ,but for me the best experiences are festivals. As I have to say , best for me what I will not forget was WGT live performance. We were new at that time even we played there ,but it was very strong. Many people who interest in our music ,good atmosphere. Now I feel that we can made a bit more to make show as we are doing on our actual live performances.As I mentioned we were newcomer on that festival and streesed to do more. But I feel we can do much more in future as we are doing on fests now.Full of energy and with power full set up.
23.
What are your views on the current state of this Industrial / Alternative / Electro scene in Slowakije.in terms of creativity and audiences? And the scene in other countries?
mir Colon: On the subject of the Slovak industrial scene, be comparing the neighbouring countries, the Slovak scene is still one of the best. The time when CREWZINE covered the bands is the strongest period, I remember gladly. It was a famous time of bands as The Dark, Morbid Fancy, but not enough published over the Slovak border. Let’s continue with unique industrial band Einleitungszeit or KIFOTH signed for Out Of Line Records (Germany) but under Vendetta Music (USA) this time. Next we’ve got to known bands like Terminal State and Last Influence Of Brain
24.
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?
K-head: I was a beginner at 12 years old, solitary boy :-) with no friend making real music and I had no money. I found motivation in tapes of DM, F242, SP, Ministry or Jarre that I played a lot. Later I got a guitar, usage samples recorded on tapes, small child keyboard. My nature is more like non-commutative. Therefore I am self-educated since the very beginning. The first great turning point was when I got my first computer. So I used samples and composing on 4 lines. Let’s call this turning point as turning to digital era. Both demo tapes “Civilizative Collapse” and “Ebola” were made with a Amiga 500. Later on I made “Spectaclebreakers” on the PC. I used most of the complete sound of “Fundamentum Divisionis” from synths (very old but well done Poly 800 or CS1X). I would say this is the proper sound especially the harmony. Creating of synthesizer sounds is an arduous process that takes a lot of time, time that I don’t have. You know I’d like to make an individual sound all the time. We aren’t the professional musicians, we’ve got our daily job too. There are plenty of bands, thinking to be an EBM band, they bought the same equipment as their minion has used on the current album. They used to compose their songs with the same sounds which is “in”. I am different. Due to that, I am very busy, I have turned myself back to use the computer but keeping the KIFOTH sound different, no classic synths. Sound creating software has improved and has become more user-friendly. It means the sound creation is much easier now, user creativity could be low but the final sound quality can be a high level. There are plenty of programs presets which sound madly, far away from music, just sound. I have found new synths a month after the release of “Violence Corporation”. They sounds like I wish. So I am back with the synths. The new modules are more like computer sounds editing but the sound is more compact, dynamic, massive and harmonious. There is noise too, but it’s a harmonic one. I hope you can recognize it on the next CD. I am looking forward to squeeze out the machines (nor the software as the past two albums).
25.
What genre of music do you consider your work to be? Who are your major influences?
mir Colon: On top of what K-head said, my major influence represents Ogre, P.Spilles and Claus Larsen.
26.
Since the music industry is more open now to purely electronic music has this made things easier for you?
mir Colon: I believe the underground music is because there are no limitation. Please, ask the labels if there are any limits in case of music composing. We appreciate to be in relationship with American label the Vendetta Music …
27.
So what are their main influences as a band at the moment?
mir Colon: … get CD “Violence Corporation”or “Acerbity Torrent”. That is the prove we do the music in a various, unlimited way.
28.
What is currently inspiring your material as an artist?
mir Colon: This time … we are enjoying to the new CD release. You should know there holding the CD release parties in USA. May we be there the next time. The other side, I work on the fundamental concept of the new album. Studying themes, this time I am curious about exponentiating my mind, getting myself confident the thematic set is compact. Perhaps I can write down I am about to imagine how to live when there is no speech, no notebook, eye-to-eye communication missing, no water or no crude oil.
K-head: Previously I was inspired by sound of new releases and medias influences on me. Now I starting to be more inspired by cultural differences and historical events. It’s somthing what giving the message for many years and you can describe in any kind of music. Electronic or acustic. Need to create atmosphere to feel it . This is my key inspiration as of today.As well I’m big sci-fi fan. I’m making paintings and writtings ,so this inspire me as well.
29.
Do you think that people from the music press didn't expect you to grow up musically?
K-head: J ... it’s pretty depend on promotion.I think that people on internet ,by reviews already recognized our grow. But to be well reviewed in electro/goth press need also promotion to get review on biggerr space. Previously when we signed in Out of line ,they has good influnece in European magazines and we as group not care so much as we relay on label as tehy doing really perfect and professional work. The same we are doing now as we are no professional musicians and we have our ordinary work every day. Honestly say I personally not make so big pressure to pormote our music it depned really on people if they like as and invite as to play in there loaction. We has no manger to make bookings.
30.
what is the key to making music from Kifoth and what inspires you to keep growing as a musician?
K-head: I said previously, it is a hobby to me, but also it’s my way how to react on what happens around me, in this world. So, everytime if KIFOTH wants to say something to people, will say via music. I beleive we have so many thing s to say ...
31.
How do you see the future of download / Copyright in area of goth-Industrial / Alternative / Electro music ? What are the best ways to develop it in your mind ?
K-head: Current digital era definately harming the music and sepcially record labels by piracy . The promotion via internet becoming cheap and helping to newcomers to present. It’s all about idea how to attract. it’s no question of money how to approach final customer. It’s about idea how to do it best. On other hand it moving as back to orginal purpose of playing music and it’s playing live. Touring and playing was orignal tool for musician how to earn money for musician life.
mir Colon: We are realizing to continue with CD album releasing but digital singles and remixes releases. Hope people keep supporting the musicians. I am still proved about the CD sound quality. Therefore my CD collection counts more than 200pcs.
32.
If there was one thing you want people to know about your band what would that be?
K-head: We are here already 17 years J
mir Colon: Our homeland is Slovakia. Come to visit us there.
33.
Please let us know about your upcoming plans.
mir Colon: Well, because of summer time being, some holiday. Then get back in to studio recognizing the new equipment. Finalizing lyrics to make the theme finished.
34.
and what is next on Slowakije agenda?
mir Colon: Well, the elections are won by the right side party. We’re gonna continue with the economic reform. Hope the crises gone off already. So we can work on our privateness.
35.
How can fans-to-be gain access to your music? Do you have a website with sample songs or a demo CD?
36.
How has your music evolved since you first began playing music together?
mir Colon: Check out our discography as well as lyrics. Do you think we stand on the same stand all the time? :o)
37.
It has been a pleasure to interview you on your musical activity,Well,any last words to your ebm-industrial fans?
mir Colon: We hope to bring a new CD annually since our current release “Violence Corporation”. It means this year, the regular CD album releasing, next year a CD compilation of rares, remixes, etc. and so on. I can’t promise this because the music industry is under changes due to the internet, and the fenomenum of internet music-downloading especially. So I see the CD releasing future openned. However KIFOTH survives cause there is still a theme to conversate. We hope our fans will keep the ability to mobilize themself to be attending club events and to keep the will to support good music making.To you the readers, we appreciate you read this interview up until this line. We respect your interest and the support. We are open to communicate, be in individual contact via Myspace or Facebook. Looking forward to read your comment, criticism or being in discussion soon.
