"No more words, only flesh". Please explain this slogan.

It is a little provocation and something that could happen sometimes. Your body gaining power, winning over ratio. It describes a moment of absolute lust and body electricity. The moment of total awareness of your outer shell. In love and in hate, in living and dying. This sentence explains how I felt when we recorded 'Cuori di Petrolio' with NOVY SVET. I had the feeling that my past seems to had speed up and occupied my whole present life. All there was, was a complete depression. A depression of my flesh that was close to win over my soul and my mind. It was like the heaven was more far away from the ground of this planet as it ever was before.

As far as I understand Spanish and Italian, your 'Cuori di Petrolio' album is inspired by a theatre piece. What is it about?

'Cuori di Petrolio' was inspired by a theatre play we have seen in Como during an exhibition Frl. Tost and NOVY SVET took part in. It is a very strange, poetic play. A love story that ends in obsession and destroying madness.

Please give me some idea about the exhibition you mentioned. Was the participation connected with your musical activities or it was a part of other job?

The exhibition I mentioned was called 'Giovanni con prospettive' and took place in an old monastery in Como in September and October 1999. The aim of this event was to promote the work of young European artists and one of the organizers turned out to be a big NOVY SVET fan, so we decided to present an amalgam of our musical output and Frl. Tost's personal visual works. There were several work-groups of paintings, etchings, graphics and a short-film shown - each circle accompanied by one exclusive song by NOVY SVET. Some of the tracks have already been released as parts of our CDs ('Priem: Ostranenie' on 'Faccia a Faccia' and 'Le Zen Vienne' on 'Cuori di Petrolio' for example)�

What about those bikers, whose photos decorate the booklet? Are you attracted by such hedonistic way of life - macho-behavior, fast wheels, a lot of alcohol, wild girls, etc?...

Yes, definitely, yes.

It's rather unusual - you are an Austrian but sing Spanish more often than any other language and I never heard you singing German. Also the name of your band is of Slavic origin and sounds pretty intelligible for us... Have you any special premises for such poly-linguistic exercises?

Well, there is no special reason why to use this or that language. It just happens. Many of the newer NOVY SVET tracks completely mix up different languages. We are not interested in communicating through a song. We never wanted to spread a message among the people as we are doing this just for ourselves. Of course there is a 'message', if you want to call it like that, and many people seem to understand it as we can see from all the letters we receive. NOVY SVET's music is inter-cultural and the same goes for the lyrics. We have found our own way of making music and we have found our own method of using language. It is a kind of Esperanto.

By the way, which way we should interpret NOVY SVET name better - a New Light or a New World (which also is an old name for American continent...)? Is not it a little bit pretentious in both aspects? Sound like a sect's name...

Whose artist's or band's names are not pretentious? Madonna, DEATH IN JUNE, NOIR DESIR, JOY DIVISION, blablabla... Well, in fact our name comes from a small road in Praha which was of course named after the discovery of America. well, we use the name in another way, so both of your translations are okay with us. It is just to give the people the chance to ask for our records in the shops.

Can you cite some names which you personally could demand in a record-story first of all?

Do you mean which records I would hunt for? I guess that's what you are asking about... Well, I am always looking for some records released through discos ESPLENDOR GEOMETRICO, early Italian experimental music (right now especially 'Andrew Woodhouse' by ROSEMARY'S BABY), weird stuff overall - like what we release through our own label The Nekofutschata Musick Cabaret. I have never been a real fan of any group with the exception of NOIR DESIR and AIN SOPH. I have everything both groups have ever released... Well, in fact I don't think that it makes sense to collect something. It is something for nostalgic with some Freudian neurosis - but I am definitely not aware of it. I collect too many things...

�and if this is not a secret - what is your most essential collection of?

Hahaha, I am collecting memories. My past seems to sum up and gets bigger and bigger behind me with each day. Not the best collection to live a happy life. I never was a real 'collector' of things. I am not very keen on having hundreds of objects between me and my life but anyway, sometimes you get obsessed by an object, a musical group for example (or nude magazines or uniforms or stamps or whatever). For me this was AIN SOPH (see above) and I have been collecting their releases for some years - all editions, each vinyl colour. Totally mad and they are always laughing about me when we talk about my love for their music. Well, at least I am not the only one. Even if Frl. Tost collects nothing at all she has this little fetish for all kind of catholic Madonna-kitsch�She's a Madonna light that has come to safe me.

"A song about Death" and "A song about Love"... Is the presence of these songs in one album accidental or you can suggest a theory or idea binding these things together?

Two songs on one album. How could it be a coincidence? Love and death are the main topics of NOVY SVET if you want a very pragmatic reduction of our work. Both songs were written at the same time and in fact deal with the same feelings. That's it. I don't want to give any explanations full of banality.

Also what about "Le Zen Vienne"? I guess Zen is for the Buddhism branch, but will not be surprised if this is just another word in Spanish... Are you sharing any distinctive philosophy or Weltanschauung?

In fact I was interested in Zen for some time. That's all. It is NOVY SVET -Esperanto again and I think people understand it quite clearly. Buddhism is a very interesting religion if you get through all the Hollywood scum and hype surrounding it. The essence is interesting not that I would honor it as a form of religious organization. But Zen does not make up my own Weltanschauung nor that of any other one who ever took part in the group NOVY SVET. NOVY SVET is a very personal mission. It has nothing to do with trends or movements and also all the people who are involved in it put many different personal approaches into the music. I am very much against putting all to a certain minimum. If someone has an ideology to believe in and a philosophy he/she admires, that's okay with us but I personally don't want to have to do anything with people like that.

After these words, one can come to a conclusion, that NOVY SVET's music arises out from emotions and personal feelings just. And, while ideals can last for long time and can be fixed and transmitted between people easily, emotions have a habit to appear and disappear spontaneously, out of a person's control. If not to enter into solipsism, all what is personal is transitory... But, is there something for you that could be related to so-called "eternal values"?

A difficult question that is hard to reply to in English. I would not say that NOVY SVET consists of a bunch of people who have no ideals. It is rather the opposite. But our ideals are big, maybe too big to make them become true. NOVY SVET is a big utopia. It lives because of our ideals and the impossibility to let them become reality.
I personally believe in a certain thing that lies beyond moral. In German it is called 'Sittlichkeit'. There was a big discussion about moral and 'Sittlichkeit' within the classic German literature that could possibly explain what I mean. For me all that has eternal value is hidden among all the dirt in our society today. I mean true belief in its purest form.

It seems I understand what you mean. In Russian we have two words of close meanings both of which are "morals" if to translate them into English, but one (of the common Latin origin) is rather for "rules and norms of social discipline" while another ("nravstvennost") suggests more abstract appreciation of human behavior on the basis of ideas of "good" and "evil". But, well, as regards the literature - to which extent it is a source of inspiration for NOVY SVET?

I think the Russian words come very close to what I tried to explain. Literature has for sure always been an inspiration to us up to a certain extend, especially for me as I am writing the lyrics. now I don't read that much prose as I have to deal with mostly scientific and art-theoretical / philosophical topics but fortunately they are always in my realm of interest and I am sure that they constantly flow into NOVY SVET.

Another one title disposed me to a philosophic mode of thinking is "Punished with longing". Does it concern some particular situation only, or you consider longing as punishment in general? It's not an idle curiosity as I really believe that the longing - in this or that form - is the main driving force for every artist... The art itself is the longing...

I very much agree with you in this point. I think most of the things that make sense and which are important in a personal or even wider frame are coming out of longing, or generally speaking: they come out of any extreme situations. In a certain way longing is always a punishment but also a chance to get clear with yourself. I was full of longing for many, many years but now all this longing is gone and what is left is frustration.
'Punished with Longing' was based on having a very strong longing for a certain person, to feel this universal love for an object. But this object seems not to care about you, seems not even to see you, seems to make out of all you are a terrible joke. I would like to take all my love and exchange it with hate suddenly. What a punishment! Hahaha, it is like a little boy who does not get the sweets he wants...

The frustration is not a big support for an artist to create something, except epitaphs maybe... What does give you the strength to continue a work in music-studio another day on?

Hahaha, after each and every record I say this was the last one and suddenly it happens again. The group and me have no influence on this. It simply happens or not. I would not have a problem if we would not record a song for some years...

�And which occupation you could find for yourself then? On the whole, who are you and Frl. Tost if to forget - for a moment, of course! - about NOVY SVET and everything related with the band?

You have to know that we never wanted to be full-time professional musicians - and with the music we do we will never be. So, we have a 'normal' life besides NOVY SVET. We attend university / the art academy and work to earn money for our lives. The financial side of NOVY SVET does definitely not interest us, not does the art-side, nor does any glory or star-cult. Of course all members of NOVY SVET and all the people who have ever recoded with us have some private musical projects. In fact we make music all the time�even on the other side of our little lives.

Does NOVY SVET perform live?

Generally speaking: yes. So far we have only performed at a private party and I think we will do some more little shows at private occasions in the future. We also plan to do one big, public concert once and I guess this will take place in Italy. We had and have some very interesting offers but it is me who does not want to play live in different places out of different reasons. I have a very bad feeling when I think about standing in front of our listener's faces and to see that they are very far from what I have expected them to be.

And you do not like to see other people on stage too?...

Really, I do not enjoy concerts too much. There are very few shows that I liked - I am bored by most of them.

Somewhere I read an announce of NOVY SVET's sister-album to ALLERSEELEN's "Venezia". If it's not just idle rumor - what is it? And have you heard Kadmon's new work already? How do you find it?

Initially our new album should have been called 'Venezia' and it should have been a collaboration with ALLERSEELEN. We started recording together in February 2.000 and all went very fine but then things changed... We got to the decision that each band should do an album of their own which were thought to be released the same day on the same label. Obviously this did not happen and all I can say is that it was not our fault. Our relation to Kadmon broke up due to reasons that came all out of him, not out of us. I still think back to him as a very interesting and inspiring person but on a personal level I have nothing more for him than....(fill in whatever you want). I don't want to tell more about this topic. Anyway, we have finished our version of 'Venezia' at Casa Schauer (Cannaregio, Venice) - in exactly the same place where we started the recordings - in February of this year - at exactly the same day we have begun. Then we have put all together in a big black cupboard and locked it. Our new album will be called 'Chappaqua' and will hit the shops around may 23rd. Could be that 'Venezia' will never be released.... I have not listened to ALLERSEELEN's album of the same name yet and in fact I really don't give a shit about it at the moment.

Don't you pity to sink your 'Venezia' into oblivion? So much work nearly for nothing�

Well, the damage is done and I am happy with the recordings. It is enough to have them for myself. Of course it was much work but it was not like a struggle. Everything flew out of us and I really believe that it was a wonderful project and we had a real great time whilst recording all the songs. I am thankful now� If someone asks me about this album today I reply: 'Venezia' will never be released' but in the end the band has to decide all together and also Albin Julius seems to be very keen on releasing this album. We will see�

Well, "Chappaqua" is announced by WKN/Hau Ruck! already, though they gave no hints what the album is like to. Could you introduce it a bit, it's conception and music itself?

'Chappaqua' again is a new step for NOVY SVET and therefore it can hardly be compared to what we have done before. Regarding the music this new album is very direct and very energetic - at the same time it contains some of our most chaotic and experimental moments but also the most poppy side of NOVY SVET. Raffaele Cerroni, a friend of us who took also part in the recording sessions said that we have managed to completely destroy the 'song' with it's own means. A quite funny and appropriate sentence. It is strange but I have to say that nearly all tracks are based on guitar, even the most experimental - in fact 'Chappaqua' is our most acoustic recording. For the first time you could also say that there is a big topic that goes like a red line through all the songs: drugs and addiction but it is hard to explain the lyrics as they were partly written in a trance-like state of mind�The most important inspiration for making this album in only two months was Pier Paolo Pasolini to whom it is also dedicated.

Hmmm� Drugs, addiction and trance-like state of mind� A question on the spur of the moment - what do you think about psychoactive matters and their role in creative process as regards the art? Any personal impressions?�

A question which is difficult to respond to. It all depends on how you use or abuse drugs. I think that it can lead to interesting results to record under the influence of different drugs but in most cases that's nothing you can release or even listen to. The next day you just don't understand what it is all about. It is the same when you are very tired and think a song you've just finished is fabulous but the next day in the morning you think it is a complete mess. It can be a good point to start at if you think back what you have experienced when you were taking drugs but I find it nearly impossible to re-call certain moods and to put them into music that reaches the intensity of the experience itself. That's a kind of problem and we tried to get over this obstacle with 'Chappaqua' which is like a walk between the conscious and the subconscious, between a high quality of composition and simply cacophony� In a special way it is timeless and far away from all that is existing right now. I already have a bit of space between me and the music and I really wonder some times what the hell I am singing in this or that song. I really can not recall what happened. it is like if there is another group playing and another man singing. Very strange� To come back to drugs: the drugs themselves are not good or bad it all depends on the person that uses them. I think it is ridiculous so forbid some substances. People can decide on their own what's good and what's bad for them.

Have you already ideas and outlines for a new NOVY SVET album, after "Chappaqua"?

No, nothing at all. I don't even know if there will be a new record after 'Chappaqua'� But that's what I always say� We would definitely love to collaborate with other people for a new recording. This could be MUSHROOM'S PATIENCE and/or SPIRITUAL FRONT.

Your another and - as it seems - well-turned collaboration is the one with Italian CIRCUS JOY. I was surprised when heard your first split-7": different bands playing different music, but the common mood and impression is as if it was the same people... How did the collaboration start and at which level is it today?

The collaboration started because the guys of CIRCUS JOY are very close friends of us. We just did the split-7" because we really wanted to do something together. Right now we are recording stuff for a new 10" which in fact should already long be out. There is just one song that has to be finished... I really hope this records will be out soon. It is totally mad and I think we will lose some more fans with this. It is a mixture of punk, jazz, low-fi-trash-rock, industrial and a thousand other things. It is nothing that makes any sense really. It is the pure essence of a bunch of mad people who are having a lot of fun together. Please, do not misunderstand me. It is not a joke-project. It is just something easy going. We do not think about every step we take. It is completely anarchic and not focused on any audience - it is a little wonder that any label is willing to release it. Hahaha.

What do you think about idea of a collaboration with Albin Julius/DER BLUTHARSCH?

People know that Albin is a close friend of mine for many years now. He has always supported NOVY SVET and invested a lot of money and efforts into our little project. I will never forget what he has done for us. Also I regard Albin as a very talented man with a golden ear for arrangements and atmospheres. He's done some excellent music and although he now is very successful he stayed true to himself and uses his good name to give new projects a chance to get where he is now. In this sense we have always collaborated with Albin and I am sure that we will stay with Hau Ruck! for ever - at least as long as NOVY SVET exists or till he tells us to get lost. Most of today's groups don't understand that it is important to be on a good label and to have respect for all the other groups that are on the same roster. It is like playing football for Real Madrid - it is simply impossible to go to Barcelona afterwards. If you do this people know that you are a liar, a traitor and just into it for the money.
I certainly feel a kind of tenderness for Albin and his music and I am always honored if NOVY SVET and/or me are invited to work with him, like it was with the split-7" through WKN or the new DER BLUTHARSCH studio-album on which I be also singing in one track. Of course Albin's music and NOVY SVET are very different but this does not matter. We live in different worlds but still have enough understanding for each other. I hope it will go on like this forever�

You've mentioned your own label, The Nekofutschata Musick Cabaret. What it is for? How many releases there were and what all they about?

A difficult question as I could tell you whole stories about each and every band that we have released. They are all something very special and we would not have released them if we were not of the opinion that they did some of the most important recordings for us personally, maybe for whole musical scenes.
To start with the easiest. THE NEKOFUTSCHATA MUSICK CABARET has so far released three limited edition 12" and the first/only CD is planned for May: TEATRO SATANICO CHARLES MANSON, a famous and scandalous Italian group that has also partly influenced our own song 'Operazinone Runa' opened TNMC with a kind of 'best of'-LP that compiled some of their best tracks they have done in their long career (Neko 1). It is very mad, dark music with an even madder voice telling, screaming, shouting the weirdest lyrics ever heard�Neko 2 was 'La Cote d'Azur' by XX CENTURY ZORRO who were one of the most important Italian groups of the early eighties. It is impossible to describe their music in any way. It is a bruitish mix of cut-ups, easy listening songs, punk, 20ties chansons, experiments and everything else you can imagine� This was a beautiful picture-disc that made you feel like sitting in Monaco with a glass of champagne in one hand and Brigit Bardot - 40 years younger than now - in the other, whilst the guy on the table next to you slaughters the waiter. Something like that. Right now there has been a new release by GRUPPO FOLK URBANO SPERIMENTALE DIVISIONISTA called 'Tetra 1983' (Neko 4). A very, very strange group from Rome using only acoustic instruments to play their version of folk. They managed to create their own style of folklore which sounds very futuristic and revolutionary. This group has also always been of high importance to NOVY SVET and was definitely an inspiration for us through the years. Well, to sum it up: most people say that all our releases are unlistenable - that's why we only produce very limited editions. Something for the real guerilla urbaine! The CD will be 'Cocktail Frizzante Multigusto' by Marcello Fraioli. This is special as it is produced together with about 20 other labels. It's a big joint-venture of bad taste and possible more fun and less experiment than the three other records we have done (Neko 3).

Is not it that kind of tekno/trance Marcello did under SEX VOTO name, by the way?

Hahaha, yes it is. Marcello is mad for VELVET UNDERGROUND and Techno, Trance, etc, etc�I don't think the SEX VOTO recordings can make it up to the quality of AIN SOPH (even if it is another style) but parts of it are interesting.

Having own experience of asking and answering interviews, do you think something essential should be added to our conversation about NOVY SVET and related still?

In fact I am missing one question. That one about futurism. But I am happy that I do not have to answer this as we have all been asked about this topic for so many times� There are many things I really would like to talk about. For example, Hau Ruck!, a new Austrian label called GHOST ORCHID which is simply excellent and much, much more but I think it is enough for your readers - for sure they are happy that we are close to an end now�

Finally, the question I owe to ask as this year is 10th since USSR disintegration. What do you think about the date and the event itself?

I think nothing at all about it. Your people have gone from one system of total illusion to another. You have entered the wonderful western simulation now. Welcome and happy suffering!