1. First of all I'd like to ask you about the people who create music in HEKATE. Introduce yourself.

Axel:
At the moment Hekate consists of 7 members. You can say that Achim and I are the most responsible for the musical transposition. We collected some very good musicians since some years, who contributed to that what Hekate now is and waht it means for us.
- there is also Johannes Bernd who plays the drums and the guitar. Also he accompanies us on cello.
- Ingo Muller, who is part of Hekate since 1990.
- Susi, our vocalist, who also plays the piano.
- Mario Braun of Chorea minor accompanies us on the drums since 1999
- and last but not least Arne, who writes some songtexts und does the percussions .
As I founded Hekate in 1992 it was a compensation for my life that could be described as a life with a lot of work, disappointments and privations.
In my youth I had the possibility to learn the guitar in an association with a lot of young people from a german youth movement called "Nerother Wandervogel" . With them I made a lot of trips to foreign countries. At the age of 15 I started to work, some years from 5.30 in the morning to 20.30 in the evening. My family didn?t have much money. At the age of 19 I went to school again for 5 years to study pedagogics later.
Besides I worked as DJ in several clubs and I also worked in some factories. The music was the only thing that helped me to carry on. At that time I met Ingo. Beside our time at Hekate we joined a friensdship for a lot of years.

2. As far as I know the history of modern HEKATE has started in 1996. Previously you have played music with modern approach, and only in 1996 you have started to experiment with ancient music and traditions. Am I right? What has influenced your interest towards archaic cultures and their music?

Axel:
That?s an interesting question. Yes , we startetd in 1996 with ancient music and traditions. It was our interest in our own culture and our traditions, because we felt that in our own country most of the people forgot their own history. We saw they forgot their roots and that is the biggest reason they lost their pride. We live in a world of modern �bread and games" .
We don`t want the �circus maximus" in this world, but we have the �circus maximus" in the world now! Nobody can see it, but it is always in each country all over the world. We go our own way without any politic interest to change this situation, but with a lot of ideas to build a strong community of free people with their own culture and dreams. Yes, it is very important for ourselves to put our interest in archaic cultures and carry them forward by music. Yes,
I love nature. I can`t live in a big town. Near my home you can find a germanic ritual place. Behind it there are old trees. There are so many places that were holy and powerful for our ancestors. That?s one of the reasons why we want to translate this feeling in the hearts of our audience and I can influence it by putting these ideas in the music.

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3. It's hard to call your songs as authentic ancient stuff and at the same time they are totally different from mainstream folk popmusic. IMHO, your experiments lay somewhere between. how do you see the concept of HEKATE's music for yourselves? And is there any concept?

Axel:
Oh yes, there is a concept. Our idea is to put the old texts, myths and legends in the modern time. Our reason is to bring the music and the texts in a contrast of modern and past music. Sometimes we take textures from old books in a musical form. We have no notes or melodies. I think we make modern folk music with a touch of ambient and medieval sound. Most people have problems to understand that the concept is to extensive to be Neo- Folk and to unmodern to be mainstraem folk music.

4. Was it hard for you to get a deal with Well of Urd? And what do you think about your cooperation with this label? Frankly, it's well known among metalheads, but it's rather unknown and new for industrial/ folk scene. Everything goes fine?

Axel:
No, it wasn`t hard for us to go to "Well of Urd", because we met Andrea from Hagalaz Runedance and she told us of �Well of Urd" as an interesting label with some great ideas. Before we worked with �Well of Urd" we produced our LP �Hambach 1848" by our own label Taos- Records. After we produced Hambach some labels were interested in Hekate and in our work. But only Hammerheart Records was the label who can put all our interests- to produce �Tempeltanze" as a picture disc and the �Sonnentanz" in vinyl and a lot of more. I tell you, in Germany we like Tesco Records and their work. But in our country you can find so many labels with different interests and philosophies, but most of them are capitalists and they are only interested in money. They hide themselves behind incomprehensible
theories. It`s hard to see that good bands with great ideas are on these labels, but they get no chance there. These labels have no light , no visions , no interest in cultures and music. Their only interest is to win much money. Take some runes, something from evola and some artwork from the second world war and you can be a star at some of these labels. That`s not new, but effective. Igor, believe me, it?s better to be at metalheads who keep their words than by these firms.

5. I had a chance to listen to your Tempeltanze and Sonnentanz only. Are there any other releases available? If so could you tell me a bit about them?

Axel:
Yes, we produced a tape called Sanctuary with Chorea minor in 1994. It was very ambient with folk influence. 1996 we produced our first CD �The seventh sign", that was a very ambient concept album about the �Johannes Apocalypse". 1999 we released �Hambach 1848", our first folkloristic album about the German Revolution in 1848. It was a limited edition LP.(300) that was produced by the label Taos records.

6. What do you think about SONNENTANZ today? Do you consider it a
successful release?

Achim:
Yes, because it's very folksy and bombastic. It was very important for us to produce a release like this. It is a result of our different natures. At this time we wanted to try the mixture between old and modern elements. I like this result of atmosphere of �Sonnentanz".

7. I enjoy SONNENTANZ but it's not something I would worship to J At the same time Tempeltanze blew me away. Fantastic release! I was almost crying when friend of mine broke my CD. I believe that progression between both albums is huge. Do you agree? Why have you released a MCD and not a full-length album? Lack of material?

Achim:
"Tempeltanze" comes along with more individual tracks then �Sonnentanz". I think it ranges from gray wafts of mist to joyous dances. We released a MCD because we didn't have enough time to make a full length album. In spite of this we concentrated ourselves more on the already existing songs.

8. The MCD consists of melodic songs and pretty aggressive danceable tracks. The contrast between such tracks is noticeable. It sounds like the CD is written by two different bands. Will you continue to release eclectic music in future or you plan to choose one direction?

Achim:
Sometimes, the members of Hekate have different ideas to compose a song. But we prefer the mix between historic folk songs and modern electric music. I think, that is the charakter of Hekate. By the use of modern instruments songs get a new dynamic, perhaps a new charakter.

9. The song about Henry M. is among my favorite on the album. Who is this Henry? Or it's a secret?

ARNE:
Thank you! No, there's no secret about �this' Henry. The lyrics of �Henry M. - a wild dream' are my homage to one of the best authors the world of literature has ever seen: Henry Miller - a womanizer par excellence. Not too few of his contemporaries labeled him �the most obscene author ever'. Miller fascinates by painting colourful and joyous socio-historical images of his time. One can call him one of the few important chronists of the 1920s. He presents a lot of esprit and verve in a time, when people had not too much to laugh. Again and again I'm driven by Millers kind of presenting his �staff': Even if they had no money, they live the dolce vita, drink, laugh, screw and celebrate themselfs. I found a lot of wisdom and humour in his novels - especially in �Silent days in Clichy' and �Opus pistorum' - and I'm sure you'll, too. By the way: if there's one novel, where you may find one spark of pornography, then it's the opus pistorum �Opus pistorum'. But, it's Charles Bukowski, who explains best, what made Miller that brilliant: �He was great, when he was great, and vice versa'. One more �by the way': Concerning �Henry M. - a wild dream' we're very proud, that our friend and brother in arms and bottles of wine Matt Howden played the violine. He gave the song the certain nuance of the spirit of �folie verte' and dandyism, which was still missing when we recorded it.

10. Another my favorite is Ich Hab Die Nacht Getraumet. The song reminds my old Russian romances. The booklet states that it was written quite time ago. Why have you chosen that particular song? Any story behind that?

Susi:
The song "ich hab die Nacht getraumet" was written in the 18th century. It treats of a person who loses somebody; probably because of death, war or simply separation. The narrator has a melancholic, nearly threatening dream full of symbols. One of them is a rosemary-tree, which stands for eternity and fidelity. But the tree loses all its petals and green leaves. Another symbol is the jug with pearls and and red-coloured drops. These symbols represents sadness and loss. I think, this thema has great actuality in our hectic and superficial time.

11. When do you plan to release your new album? Any surprises?

Axel:
At the moment we are working an new album. The month of release is october 2002..

12. As a rule bands that sing in German and play folk/ military pop music are labeled as right-wing/ nazi. Have you ever had any problems with political correctness? Do you think that this witch-hunt for right-wing stuff in music will bring any results? I believe that all scandals around neofolk/ industrial music create aura of some kind "forbidden fruit". DER BLUTHARSCH is good example. The band got cult status just for it's image and now people agree to pay fantastic prices for their every rare vinyl.

ARNE:
Oh boy, you won't believe how much I'm bored by this topic! I'm bored of all those wannabe-conservatives, I'm bored of those Reich-searching �pure spirits' and I'm bored of going to concerts seeing all those mini-Himmlers marching up. I cannot stand them anymore, I just can laugh about them. And, I'm bored by those people, who think that they have to label every band �nazi', which sings in german or performs with drums on stage. But, I cannot laugh about them. There are too few, who are willing to have an objective look at you. If they want you to be nazi, you're. And, it's difficult to prove the opposite. The reason for this is the �nothing-can-be-which-should-not-be'-mentality on the one side and the behaviour of some bands and some of their fans on the other side. In the end I'm/we're no more interested in this discussion.
No, we don't have problems with �political correctness' - apart from the fact, that we've a problem with the name �pc' -, why should we? But, it's obvious that HEKATE sometimes is a thorn in the the fleshs of both sides - right and left - for different reasons. There are some, who try to piss us off because of �Hambach - 1848' without recognizing, that some of the chosen lyrics are more left-winged than they will ever get in their wet dreams. And there are some, who think it's a brilliant idea to send us a letter to our private adress, asking if we would sing in yiddish if the flag will be black-white-red again. It's quite entertaining if you do what you want to do. This �pc'-thing is a big circus and will change nothing apart from the fact that some of those �innovative' conservative role players try to be even harder.
Concerning DER BLUTHARSCH: I know Albin for that many years and therefore I cannot say anything about this �forbidden fruit image'. His way of presenting himself on stage is not my cup of tea and he shares opinions, which I don't; but: there's no need to: we shared some really nice moments, share some interests, such as �Wein, Weib und Gesang', have a lot of fun when we meet and he introduced me to frl. tost and j.j.j.weber of the one and only NOVY SVET - these are enough reasons for me to differ between his image and his inner values. But finally: I know what you want to lead to: too many people don't reflect, they just react.

13. Right-wing ideologies became popular not only among musicians but among normal" people as well. I've heard that German officials expect the biggest since WWII neo-nazi march on December 1. What do you think about roots of that rising of interest towards NS ideology? What if it's a natural reaction European Union and globalization?

ARNE:
Well..., there will be allways people, who will never understand.
The demonstration against the re-opening of the �crimes of the Wehrmacht'-exhibition indeed ended in the biggest nazi-march-up in Berlin since the Third Reich; 3300 of those people, who cannot stand the truth of history, and who talk about honour and pride without having but just one spark of honour and pride.
The increasing interest in neonacism has nothing to do with �globalization' and �EU'. It's sad: most of those NPD-toy torpedos and their friends use those words as headwords of their nailed up ideas; but: there are no explanations behind them. It's the same with these 17 years old anti-globalization-tourists, who travel from one demonstration to the next to get picked up by their parents in the evening. Most of them cannot give an explanation for their behaviour; both just fall back in their prefabricated patterns. The lions roar, but there's nothing behind.

15. You know Kadmon of ALLERSEELEN and even played with him live. He is extremely popular in our part of the world as well and we even had interviews with him twice. what do you think about him? Do you like his new music on Venezia? Any plans for cooperation in future?

ARNE:
It's true, we know him. A lot of people may call him a bad boy - something, which is understandable if you didn't met him. Really Gerhard is an uncomplicated guy with a great sense for humour and an outraging urge for knowledge, who never stands still.
I enjoyed �Venezia' quite much even if I enjoyed his CD before more because of the nice tango-rhythms. Gerhard understood to take out the political topics of his elderly, mostly instrumental tracks and replace them with the real important things of life; i.e. e.g. women and red wine on his future release �Abenteuerliches Herz'. Music shouldn't transport too much politics, Music should entertain, and this is something his last three records are able to for sure. When HEKATE performed in Vienna, he played some of his new tracks to me - they're great! Gerhard is a master-thief; he produces music perfectly by robbing and compiling music everywhere even if nearly nobody recognizes this.
To sum it up: Together with DERNIERE VOLONTE and ORDO ROSARIUS EQUILIBRIO ALLERSEELEN is the only band of this ourdays so called military-pop-movement, which is 1) great and 2) is great, because they play pop-music! Well, the real master is the military-pop-crooner Geoffrey D. ...
No, there are no plans for cooperations. But, if you're interested in listening to a really entertaining collaboration work of Gerhard, then you should get his latest release �canco de somni', which is a joint work together with the incredible catalan band DARKSHINESWAR.

Greatings to all the readers of Stigmata
Love and Light
Hekate