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First,
please take a few minutes and tell to our readers about Puissance and
its history.
Line
up F. Soderlund and H. Moller.
Albums:
Let us Led CD/LP (Cold Meat Industry. CMI 42)'96
Totalitarian Hearts 7'EP (Cold Meat Industry. CMI 53)'97
Back In Control CD/LP (Cold Meat Industry. CMI 58)'97
The
Puissance era started with the release of two industrial tapes recorded
during 93 and 94, which led to the signing to the well-known Swedish
label Cold Meat Industry. The first appearance was on a double EP compilation
together with Arcana and other 2 bands and the music had now progressed
into a more majestic orchestral music. In the fall of '95, we were entering
the studio for the recording of our debut album, which was set for release
in '96. In May, CMI finally released this album entitled Let Us Led
in a luxury digipack. The result was an uncompromising layout and 8 dynamic
tracks of pure militarism and neo-classicism. Well constructed orchestrations
and military style soundscapes combined with the authoritarian vocals
of Soderlund." This release was more twisted and pressuring, but
much grandeur and far more powerful than the previously recordings. In
addition, we had incorporated more vocalparts in the tracks to increase
the possibility to propagate the apocalyptic ideology.
In April 1997, we were back with 2 new intense tracks, which resulted
in the 7'EP Totalitarian Hearts. The complex and unique industrial
music had again evolved to an even harsher militaristic sound, more heavier
than ever. The sound full-length album suitably entitled Back In Control,"
was recorded only some months later and were finally released in the
beginning of '98. An obvious development both as musicians, producers
and lyricwriters, the progress of our studio equipment's have been the
important components to make this album to one of the most complex and
varied one in this genre. The neo-classical tracks are complicated arranged
and even more solid than on previous works. The militaristic atmosphere
is more obvious and the intense battle drums are joined perfectly by
harmonic melodies and industrial soundscapes. The notorious vocals and
messages are still there on several tracks to convince the listener about
the predictable apocalypse. Cold Meat Industry has the honor to be the
label.
Let's
imagine that there are some people who do not know Puissance. Could U
describe your music to these people?
Neo-classical
apocalyptic art." Combine the mightiness of classical orchestras
with powerful militaristic marches and with an industrial-atmospheric
touch U are pretty close to our musical concept. I would probably describe
it as the ultimate music for the ultimate people telling the truth about
the inevitable ultimate war, the war against life itself.
I have
both of yours albums. I like them a lot. In my opinion, Let Us Led
is more aggressive, fast and epic. Back in Control got kinda calm and
less violent sound. It's like the first album shows us apocalypse and
Armageddon, the second one shows the earth after the world death, epilogue.
What's your opinion about connection between these two albums. Are U
satisfied by achieved result?
We felt
that we once again had to evolve and progress into what was to become
one of the brightest star on the industrial heaven. An obvious development
both as musicians, producers and lyricwriters, the progress of our studio
equipment's have been some of the reasons why we have evolved into this
new sound. The neo-classical tracks are complicated arranged and even
more solid than on previous works. The militaristic atmosphere is more
obvious and the intense battle drums are joined perfectly by harmonic
melodies and industrial soundscapes. The notorious vocals and speeches
are now more varied and inspiriting.
I know
that U and F. Soderlund have other projects among them Parnassus, Octinomos,
Valkyria, and State Research Bureau. Could U describe these projects,
their music and philosophy if any?
F. Soderlund
is a very productive and open-minded artist and works with music most
of his time. It should have been almost impossible to progress Puissance
to what it is without his musical ability as he is not restricted to
only one music form.
Here is what he is involved in:
Octinomos: Twisted and aggressive Black Metal, but yet very melodic.
The debut album was one of the first Black Metal albums to be released
in Sweden in the second generation of Black Metal. Releases: Debutalbum
On the Demiurge (Fullmoon Production). The second album Welcome to
my Planet is scheduled for release mid '98 (Secula Delenda).
Parnassus: Fast, atmospheric, symphonic Black Metal. Released Debutalbum
In Doloriam Gloria (Secula Delenda). Second album Let the stars fall
(Secula Delenda).
Valkyria: Apocalyptic medieval folk industrial. This is a project, which
started '95, and an album was recorded at the same time, which will be
released by the Cold Meat Industry side label Cruel Moon. A second album
is under recording and will be out on the UK label Tursa."
State Research Bureau: Noise Industrial terror. Consists of F. Soderlund
and Neil Sceeny from England. Some tracks have been recorded and they
plan to record the debut album later this year.
In addition, I have a kind of band, with Marten Bjorkman of the Swedish
Black Metal Band Algaion, called Arditi. It's based upon the concept
of the Italian Futurists who were active in the beginning of this century.
They were propagandizing for extreme violence and weapons etc they were
all longing for war and when finally the first World War took part all
the Italian futurists were placed in a division called Arditi. We try
to re-create this ideal through Arditi and dedicate our work to their
founder and leader F. T. Marinetti.
It's
said U and F. Soderlund were declared clinically insane. Is this a truth
or is it just a rumor to sell more copies? If it's truth are you really
insane or is it just a way the system treats it's opponents? For example,
in Soviet Union many people who fought against communists died in mental
institutions but they were normal people without any problems with health.
I believe
there have been some misunderstandings because I (H. Moller) has not
at all been declared insane or similar but I let F. Soderlund explain
this matter a bit further: - This is a very personal question and must
be answered with care. I personally consider myself perfectly sane in
every ways, but apparently, I have a schizoid personality disorder. In
short this means that I am ill in the head and don't like people in any
shape or form, which itself might be true, but something that I rather
find to be a sign of sanity. Since 3 years, I am retired from all kinds
of work mainly because I am considered as a great treat to my environment.
The
ideology of Puissance is very strange. You want to see our civilization
dead. Apocalypse. Why? What is so bad with this world?
I consider
our concept quite natural and it represents many self-thinking people's
inner thoughts and views, even if not many people dare to explain their
real opinions on this false society and world. We are forced by our conviction
that it is impossible that life on earth can change for the better. We
created Puissance because we wanted to convince people that their miserable
life is not worth anything at all. The human race can not act civilized,
it consists only of greedy animals that has no real objective in life
but to crave more and more from it's surroundings. The human race consists
merely of hypocritical liars, people will do anything to gain control
over others and through others fulfil their own dreams, but what none
of them understand is that our quest for self-fulfillment is destined
to be our own demise and as we feel that all the people on this disgusting
planet are so false, unreliable and hypocritical we want to see them
all terminated. If someone seriously even thinks about trying to save
this world, it must be considered as one of the most ultimate acts of
stupidity. However, there are actually people who believe that survival
is possible, but their only reason for believing this is usually that
we might be able to save the earth if we all work side by side and help
each other. We have only one thing to say to people like that: we will
not now, nor will we ever help U to save anything or anyone, we despise
all living creatures and we want U dead. We do not want to save U; we
want to destroy U.
In your
opinion, will we see the falling of our civilization or will it happen
much later?
It's of
course impossible to say exactly when this will happen and exactly what
will happen, but we have no hope whatsoever for this planet, and the
reason for that is this: the environment is practically unsavable, the
health of mother nature have deteriorated so much that almost every child
that is born becomes allergic to at least a few of our most common foods
or plants, and even if we stop all pollution, the environment would still
get worse and worse for at least thirty more years. That leads me to
believe that to hope for the recovery of our nature if futile. All great
civilizations (for example the Egyptians or the Incas) have destroyed
themselves in the end, and nothing has yet convinced me that we won't
do the same. On the contrary I'm pretty convinced that we will, and if
U just open your eyes and look around, U will find a lot of evidence,
for instance the pollution I believe I have already mentioned, but most
of all I feel that the human mind is far too self-centered to create
a civilization in which all people could coexist and live in peace. We
are all greedy and we all want to have control over our own lives, the
phenomenon that we have chosen to call civilized society is itself an
impossible concept.
As a
cover for Back in Control you used an eagle which looks very similar
to those fascists used to have and U say that there is no political motives
behind that. So, why did U use this cover? I believe that many people
will try to find a connection between Puissance and Nazi. U want troubles
with stupid people?
If people
want to categorize us as a political band well go ahead and do that,
but after have reading our lyrics, statements or interviews, this one
for example, I can assure they will not do that. The eagle is used by
all democratic countries today so if U draw parallels between an eagle
and fascism U can find evidence that makes every band or people being
fascists. For example, if they use a banner with their logo on it U can
draw parallel to the German NS regime that frequently used banners with
their symbols on. We use the mainly because it symbolizes John the biblical
evangelist, who is also the author of the book of revelations that deals
a lot with the coming of Apocalypse, in many ways very similar to ours.
As a
continuation of #8. What do U think about fascism and reconstruction
of the Third Reich?
A reconstruction
of a 60-year-old society is not realistic to talk about, but rather absurd
actually. We are living in 1998 and the world doesn't look like it did
in the beginning of this century and I think we made our point on how
we want "the perfect society"
Music
is an artform. Your music shows this world pretty dark. What other artforms
would describe world death as good as your music? What does influence
you for creating such music?
I believe
music is the perfect way to describe something. The listener gets moulded
into the music and the entire concept, if U have something unique and
interesting to come up with of course. I think Puissance has managed
to do that in a pretty good way and I think people find our music very
inspiriting and stimulating combined with the well-written explanatory
poems. Of course there are other forms like books, films, etc where
U also are able to catch the right feeling and be able to view the death
of the world.
We prefer to listen to music which has a certain emotional affect on
us and that means bands and artists who focus on creating their own unique
concept, atmosphere and character instead of follow and copy others music
and ideals, which is very common nowadays. That means everything from
classical music to Industrial/Experimental and Metal. I am also interested
into literature which are focusing on wars especially the 2 World Wars
as these are the most recent (except for the smaller and less important
ones the world has experienced after these) and consummated ones, but
older conflicts and wars, as well as history in general are of big interest
too.
Maybe
U have some news for our readers? It's really too soon to ask, but when
can we expect your next album?
Actually
it isn't too early to ask about further albums as we have been working
on our third album the last months and we hope this will be entering
the shops later this year. Also we are preparing for further liveshows
we will make this summer, if everything goes like planned, and as we
only have played once before (in Germany 1996) we hope we can accomplish
something exceptionally violent and extreme so let's see. Also we will
have new merchandise out soon (pins, T-shirts, etc) and Cold Meat Industry
will soon release Back in Control in a limited and numbered vinyl version
399 copies.
This
is the end not of the world but of this interview. End it in your way.
If U want
to contact us for interviews and merchandise (include a $(dollar)) write
to our official address:
Contact addresses:
Puissance
P. O. Box 399
581 04 Linkoping
Sweden
E-mail:
puissance@hotmail.com
www.puissance.org
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