Since you are the only member of RD so I�d like to ask you to tell me a bit about yourself. You know, tell me those basic things people tell about themselves at first meetings. Age, education, job, etc.

I don't believe it is important knowledge but anyway since you ask I'm26 years old and I've got a mechanical engineering education. I work as a designer with 3-D CAD applications at a company called Cenova which are dealing with innovations and manufacturing of products made in plastic mainly for medical use. I was born in the small town Boxholm but since some years back I have moved to Mjolby, which now will be the new headquarter for industrial music in Sweden as Cold Meat Industry now got their residence here.Well, my interest must be obvious, most of my free time I listening to other people's or create my own music. Sometimes I read, unfortunately I do not have so much time for that anymore. My mainly interests, except for music, are philosophy, psychology (especially CG Jung ), mythology, science, art ( Salvador Dali, Hieronymus Bosch ), photo and film (David Lynch, Andrey Tarkovsky).

As far as I know, RD isn�t the only musical project for you, so please tell me about other projects, even if they are not released yet. Add some info about labels that released stuff for people who will try to buy those recordings. (I know that it will be a really lengthy answer)

Well, first we have my power-noise-industrial project Stratvm Terror, which I got with my friend Tobias Larsson. We started in 1993 and has since then released 2 tapes and 2 CD's. The first tape was released by the italian label Old Europa Cafe in 1994, the second tape, "The only true septic whore", was released by Slaughter Productions, also an italian label, in 1996. Soon after Old Europa Cafe released the first CD "Pariah Demise" in a limited edition of 1000 copies. It seems like it will be re-pressed in spring 2000 in about 500 copies. In 1998 the US-label Malignant Records released the CD "Pain Implantations". Two more CD's are to be released early next year. One is a CD release of "The only true septic whore" tape" by Slaughter Prd. and the other is on Old Europa Cafe and will contain new studio and live material. This CD will probably be titled "Genetic Implosions". Also Cold Meat Industry has shown interest in releasing Startvm Terror so the next after that will perhaps be released by them. My next project Necrophorus started in 1991, is a more synthetic-ambient version of raison d'etre. Therehas been one CD and one 10" disc released so far. The CD, "Underneath the Spirit of Tranquility"was released in 1996 by the german label Cat's Heaven in 1996 and the 10", titled "Yoga" was released on my own label "Yantra atmospheres" in a limited edition of 315 copies in 1997. Next release will be titled "Drifting in Motion" (earlier titled "Tundra Stillness ) and released by the US-label Crowd Control Activities first thing after the millenium.There is also possible that some old material from 1991-96 will be released on CD in 2000. Still unknown what label but the tilte is "Gathering Composed Thoughts".The third project is Atomine Elektrine, my synthetic-electronic-chillout-space-ambient project.There is 3 CD's with this project, the first, "Elemental Severance", was released by Cold Meat in 1995, the second, "Archimetrical Universe" was released in 1998 on Yantra Atmospheresand there is also a CD-R, released in 1999, on Yantra titled "Atom Xtensions" that is limited to 100 copies. No future releases planned yet with Atomine Elektrine. Another project is Svasti-ayanam, or was. It was a temporary project I had in1993-94, howevera CD was released on Crowd Control in 1998 containing re-mixes of the old material.The music is a blend of tibetan-tribal-ethnic-industrial elements.Than there is also some other old projects, "Cataclyst" and "Grismannen", they were only temoporary projects. There is a CD-R released by Cataclyst on Yantra titled "Monuments of a Rubicund Age" with atmospheric industrial music from 1992. Grismannen only exists on some small inofficial tape and CD edition, but Old europa Cafe released a tape in 1996 titled "A Journey Through the Gainin Pain in the Brain Again and Again" which contains collected music from the small editions. It?s quiet silly and perverted music. Recently I decided to start another project, a power-electronics project. I will probably work on that in summer 2000. I have also done a collaboration with Deutsch Nepal.

Please tell some words about your project with Lina of DN.

This project is named Bocksholm and derives from the fact that we both are grown up in the same town ( Bocksholm is the old spelling of the town Boxholm ). An interesting thing here is that we have quiet much in common, except being from this town, both our names isPeter Andersson ( that's Lina's real name too ) and we both release music on Cold Meat industry.We thought we should dedicate this project to our home town so we made our songs mainly out fromsamples recorded in Boxholm. We are finished with the recordings for a release.The thought is to release a vinyl-LP version first and then a CD version, both hopefully within the nearest 6 months. Lina's Entartatee Musik will release the LP-version and Yantra will release the CD version.

8 years ago you�ve chosen a name Raison D�etre for your project. Why didyou decided to take this name and not to release your music under your own name, Peter Andersson, as many composers do (Eno, Glass, Jarre, etc)?

First of all because the name Peter Andersson is very common in Sweden, secondlyI didn't want the music to be connected to my real name, if I did I would be limited in doing different kinds of music/styles, that would confuse the listeners.So I searched after I name that seemed to be close to my thoughts. I can't really say why "raison d'etre" more than it sounded well according to my thoughts.

Your music isn�t commercial and a profitable one. I understand that 8 years ago when you just started to make music you wanted bring new ideas and you needed fame and name more then money. Today you are very well known and your music influenced a lot of young musicians but your music isn�t commercial one still. After such a long time in this business most (at least in metal music) underground musicians begin to release commercial music. Metallica is a very good example. So, you don�t want or can�t make music for money?

Money solves a lot of problems, but I money has not No. one priority in my life.There is a lot of things that I value more than money, love, freedom, individuality, ability to create etc. I do music that I want to do, if it's commercial or not I don't really care as long as I can do music that I want to. On the other hand if I could live on my music that would be great. So I'm just waiting for the time when CMI is going real commecial, that is when a hundreds of thousands will by my records. I have no plans to make commercial music and I think it's not possible for my brain cause it seems to be some barrier or protection against doing techno hits or whatever that could be commercial in today's music. The pop songs are often too happy and I can'tstand that.

Do you think that industrial/ noise/ dark ambient genres can be called music? They made of samples - the pieces of music made by others - so you just combine them in different way. Actually, it�s not my opinion and most older people and people who listen to pop, classical, metal music think that way.

Of course noise/industrial/dark ambient styles can be called music. Sampled musicdoes not mean that the pieces are made by other people. For my latest releases I have done almost all sounds by myself. I think sampling, if doing my own sounds, is much more varying and therefore more inspireing than other music. That's much better than usingsame old guitar with the same fuckin' sound in every fuckin' metal track. It's music as long as it is intended to be music no matter how it sounds.If no one likes it I don't care as long as I like it.

Most CMI bands use their music as a tool for projecting their ideology and philosophies to the listeners. Do you have any messages in your music? And do you think that it is fair to use music as propaganda?

I do music for my own purpose not for the listeners, so there is no message. Fair to use music as propaganda? What is fair and what is not? I really don't care what other people do and use in their music. Music is freedom.

In your opinion, why does Sweden have so many industrial/ ambient bands?

It seems to be a very big focus on swedish music in general the latest timeso I guess it's the same for the industrial scene. Swedish industrial musicis some kind of trademark and respectable worldwide. I think Cold Meat got agreat deal in all this.

You got involved into this scene more then 10 years ago when this kind of music wasn�t popular. Now more and more people begin to listen to/ play such music. Do you think that increasing in sales affected the scene in any way?

The more it sales the more people get involved. More groups are coming, and I think that's good. I like music so I like when young, new groups have succes.

You just released Collective archives, a double CD with old and unreleased tracks. Some may say that RD has no fresh ideas so you decided to fill that void with re-issuing older tracks in modern package. Why did you come out with that idea, it�s not common for underground. And how are responses from fans/ press?

"Collective archives" derives from the planned re-release of my first official tape "Apres nous le Deluge". This tape, from 1991-1992, was planned to be released on CD in 1996 but somehow it was always delayed. Meanwhile I collected the compositions that only had appeared on different compilations or/and tapes before, most material that was previously unreleased on CD. I thought it could be a good idea to have these compositions collected onto one CD, with CD quality, instead of different tapes/CD's. Anyway it makes life easier for those who want these material without have to buy these different compilation that is out of print for big money. As CMI wanted to release this collection as well we decided to make it a double CD set with both "Apres nous le deluge" and the collection and as bonus I added some unreleased material plus did some re-mixes of a selection of tracks from "Prospectus I"."The Collective Archives" is supposed to be a documentation of my first five years with raison d?etreand has nothing to do with fresh ideas or not. The reason for that I have been silent with raison d?etre for a long time is the lack of time. I have recently been busy with so many other projects, and since 1997 I also work as a designer / engineer. But I?m working on new material right now. About the responses of "Collective Archives" I recieve mainly good response, they think it?s beautiful together with the well suited paintings by Alexander Nemkovsky.

Do you like to listen to your own music? And what do you feel when you are listening to it?

I love to listen on my own music. When I listen I feel some strange subtile but warm feeling that bring me into a state of trance. No other music but my own can make this special feeling. I guess it?s about self-realization.

When do you plan to release you new album of RD? And what do you plan to bring on that album?

Well, as I told you earlier I?m working on my next album right now. However I willto a few more things before get into the serious parts of it. I have to work with the performances in Athens, Greece in October and I will re-mix some of my music for an italian art performance first. I can?t reveal any directions on my next albumyet but I hope it will be released before summer 2000.

I know that you also just released new album of Atomine Electrine. I got no chance to listen to it but I remember great track on �And Even Wolves�Tell about this release and differences since Elemental Severance.

The new album is titled "Archimetrical Universe" and was composed in 1996, unfortunately it took almost three years to release it. I guess it has not so muchin common with the first album. The new one is much more consistent and the sound is a mix of space ambient electronic chill-out trance tech. The first CD was more synthetic new-age fairy-tale inspired.

You started your own label Yantra Atmospheres. Is it dedicated to your own projects or you plan to release other bands. Tell about its releases and future plans for this label.

At least for start it?s a label for my own creations. The first release was a 10" with Necrophorus titled "Yoga". Then I released a raison d?etre CD-R titled "Lost Fragments" limited to 100 copies containing lost pieces from the period od "Prospectus I". After that I released the Atomine Elektrine "Archimetrical Universe" CD followed by limited edtion CD-R's with Atomine Elektrine, titled "Atom Xtension" with old and new material, and Cataclyst ( a temporary project from 1992 ), titled " Monuments from a RubicundAge". Next up will be the Bocksholm project on CD hopefully in early 2000 and after that I might release a limited edition 500x CD with Necrophorus titled "Gathering Composed Thoughts" which will contain early material from 1991-1992, and some pieces from 1995-1997.

Do you have favorite albums/ songs among your own creations?

Sure, but they are many. I like most of the things I have done, especially the latest releases of any project. "Pain Implantations" with Stratvm Terroris very strong and my favourite is the first track "Nerve Short Circuit" also Atomine Elektrine "Archimetrical Universe" is very strong the whole CD as well as my next Necrophorus CD titled "Tundra Stillness" ( out soon on Crowd Control). As for raison d?etre the favourite CD is "In sadness, silence and solitude"and favourite songs are many and amongst them are "Spiraal", "Ascent of theBlessed"and "The well of sadness" but there is much more.

Let�s imagine that someone haven�t heard any of raison d�etre albums.What is the best album to pick for him if he wants to introduce himself toyour music?

Well, recently I released the Collective Archives 2CD that is a collection and probably a good introduction. Else I would say "In sadness, silence andsolitude" is the best as I like that most of all my releases so far.

You pre-mastered the notorious DCD Esthetics of Cruelty. What do youthink about this work and about this power electronics/ noise direction in CMI policy?

Esthetics of Cruelty is a very good compilation that shows the potential of swedish noise and power electronics. Sweden has not been known as an noise and power electronic heaven, but now over one night, with this compilation, the bands are "known" in the rest of the world. There is a new young generationin Sweden that makes noise and power electronics, and I guess CMI will be a part of it and I think it will fits in the policy of CMI, after all the absolute first CMI releaseswas into this direction.

I know that you did some re-mixes for death metal band EXTOL. What doyou think about such works? And have you done more mixes?

I really don't want to do re-mixes, but I had to try it out anyway just for the experience. I don't like metal music at all so it was quiet an challenge to re-mix something I don't like into something I like. The re-mix I did of one of Extol's tracks sounds totally different to the original but everyone seems to be happy withit. It's the only re-mix for other groups I have done, and I'm not sure if I will do anymore such thing as I basically only work with my own material. Doing are-mixmeans dealing with other people's creations and that is not what my projects is about.

It�s a tradition for journalists to ask people for final message to the readers of their articles. So I will be no exemption. Your message for those who made themselves to read this interview till the very bottom�

Usually I don't have so much to say, so the people who made themselves to readthis interview till the very bottom has nothing to reach from this last question.

Contact addresses:

http://home9.swipnet.se/~w-90779
http://fly.to/raison.detre

E-mail: Peter Andersson