Alzbeth, what happened with THE MOON LAY HIDDEN BENEATH A CLOUD?

In April 98 I finally left the common flat, after a long disastrous period of fights and threatening. I wanted to leave the door open to arrange a way of �communication" after the break, but Albin locked it with a big key of lies and slander.

...and what are your relations with Albin now like for?

You can imagine - I haven't seen him since - and I don't miss his presence at all, to be honest... I think he's changed a lot, People tell me about his �deeds" and now and then I ask myself - is that the person you were with for 10 years?

So, no chance of renewal of the band left?�

I don't see any reason why I should go back to the cage.

Why? Please explain. What you feel about the years in TMLHBAC now?

The break-up itself was turbulent and harmful, but it was the only way for me to escape from a very restricting partner; according to this some of my feelings about the musical past we share are bitter as well, it was far too much compromising and narrowing to me, but other moments were great, so I don't feel negative in general about the common musical period. Nevertheless, Albin's behaviour against me privately and in public after I left him was rather mean and so there are some huge stains on the past. But I'm very happy now, I feel a strengthening lightness in my private life I didn't have before and - what's most important - I have the freedom to do whatever I want in my music. Albin tried to get more and more influence on our music and image, he tried to raise the fascistic and militaristic part of us and leave the spiritual, medieval part aside; that was always too banal to me. Now we can both grow our own plants. All in all I had some great time through the band - I met many people, got friends and had great times - I wouldn't want to miss that!

I hardly can say which part I enjoyed more in your old works, where they're balanced perfectly. Pure aggression and deep meditation came together and it was really strange and magnetizing. I can suppose your plants is more of spiritual and medieval origin...

Not at all - I have many "spirits" inside me - I can be very martial and also aggressive sometimes , and I liked to do the aggressive parts, especially on stage. I meant rather the general image of TMLHBC that got narrower and narrower; I think you can see it now with Der Blutharsch - that's what Albin wanted and that's what was too "banal" or restricted to me in the musical and image way. I want to express myself in further leading ways - but you'll hear what I meant when it's out.

OK. Let's come back to "medieval". Where do you think such interest to the Middle Ages growths from?

To be honest we were interested in the medieval period back in the late 80ies, nobody knew about it that time, and then it grew, suddenly everybody was into it (that was annoying) and you could buy your own "medieval-kit" in "medieval-markets" and so on - money is everywhere, that's also one of the reasons that turned my interest off; Before I was running around in self-sewn medival clothes at home (Switzerland) and enjoyed some "rituals" like they did back then; we even built our own medieval instruments of wood; I read a lot about it as I could absolutely not imagine what life must have FELT like for those people, everything's so different to us today (imagine - no advertisement-posters on the walls, no loud TV just the sound of wind and nature, like on an other planet. Also the threads of life were thrilling somehow - death was everywhere, society was organised totally despotic and the single being had nothing to do about it, to dive into this "everyday-life" is very interesting to me. But these interests and how they grew are also mentioned in the Book of Lyrics to the detail, I could write much more about it and this would lead too far. My emotional interest in the medieval period comes from the music they did and the spiritualism and philosophical view of the world that time. That still moves me, and thus I won't cease to include it to my music whenever I think it feels good.

What are you occupied with at the moment?

I've written the Book of Lyrics - that was a hard job, but now it's finished and will come out great. I'm also working on my new project, I'll do the music all alone - maybe some folks support me acoustically but the music and vocals will be pure �Alzbethian".

And when we shall listen to you again?

Sure - I'm trying to issue something before the millennium, but as the whole concept is very important to me I won't talk about it before it's audible. There are also some compilations I'm working on.

Your global plans - artistic, personal?

Artistic. My music (I don't like the word �project" - it's much too technical, there's no feeling in that word). I want to explore my inner strength and let it out as it is, unrestricted, pure and original. Private: Finish University and besides that I want to issue another book in English and German about a composer, I'm negotiating with publishers right now.

Aha!? Which University and what's the composer's name?

You want to know everything, he? I study Psychology, but the name of the composer needs to be secret still as I'm still negotiating with editors and also the management of the composer, so I won't (and can't) tell this in public, I think you understand.

Is your future speciality connected with your art? Or is it more of pragmatic intention?..

What? Don't understand. If you mean whether I'd put more power in music or jobs - no question - music is life to me and I'll do everything to give the best I can to grow that - so no job-career and some side hobby as musician.

Well, a question on your label Arthur's Round Tables? His future fate?

ART was a thing between Albin and me - first I'm sticking to my word and thus would never continue with that label - and second I'm also superstitious enough to create a new spirit that fits me better and carries my personal anima to further aims. A label name or a band name is like a heraldic symbol, it should fit you perfectly and cover all your ideas and dreams you want to complete; this I found now.

Do you keep your eyes on music-scene in Wiena and around the world?

Sometimes - but I don't go to places - only metal concerts. I like the good old BM bands from Scan � if they're on stage you can see them WORK, that's great. I keep myself away from the scene here as everybody is chatting about everybody - that's a waste of time and money, I rather stay at home and listen to some good stuff or do my own music.

Is it possible that nothing interesting appears in the world � ideas, trends, bands, labels?�

As mentioned above - some of the bands grew and do some really good stuff nowadays - even if it's not the BM anymore. Interesting is allways some CMI projects, Staalplaat sometimes but also projects like Les Jumeaux or Shinjuku Thief are a joy to listen to and then I always have my good old classical music. I detest this upcoming mix of gothic, metal and neo-folk - I think it's a torture for ears and heart. People have no more ideas I guess.

Your strongest impression from arts last time?

The best was the eclipse on August 11th - that was total art by nature.

Alzbeth, in times of TMLHBAC you have shown big interest to Balkans. What do you think about latest events in this part of Europe?

The erroneously called "Yugoslavia" is a mix of many peoples, it worked better during the Habsburg monarchy, but the dividing after WWII done by the British was fatal. The Brits did that more often, as we see in "Israel" in 1948. Tito managed somehow to gather his "children" under a common flag, but inside they never wanted to co-operate. If you know the Serbs and the Croats - they'll never like each other, even worse with the Albanians. The western ignorance - even nowadays - will cause big problems down there, the NATO attack was just a test on weapons and thus a business for the industry to the disadvantage of the Serbs. I got the impression that the US want to weaken Europe a bit - as they're not REALLY interested in improving the situation, and such scenarios are best to run the European community down - nobody in Europe was tough enough to stand up against the continuous bombing of Serbia. What did it bring in the end? Milosevic is still there and we � Europe - have to pay a lot to reconstruct Serbia. This reminds me a bit of the Saddam-struggle; they test their weapons on him, too, but without any result - if they would really want to get rid of him, they could easily send the secret service down there and have him killed). But they need Saddam as a devil in person who helps them hide the inner problems of the US government from the US citizens. Don't forget Russia in this game: They're weak somehow nowadays and with bombing their partner Serbia, the US humiliated Russia.

Well, we shall remember this one day. BTW, I have heard about your Slavic roots - could you comment this?

My Grandfather's family originate from Belo-Russia, but that's long time ago. People say one can see it still in our faces (my mother and me have high �cheek-bones" and so had my Grandpa - I've dedicated the Book of Lyrics to him, he was a great guy. I'm also very �Russian" when I'm having excessive feasts, I go really mad on Vodka - but not aggressive. Somehow I feel a certain empathy towards the �Russian soul" - if that can be assumed. I love the morbidity and melancholy and, also apathy - even though I'm not apathetic at all, of the Russian people and countryside; I know this is a romantic view of a hard life.

As the conversation of itself came to this topic, please let us know which is your favourite sort of Vodka and your favourite recipe of it's use?

Very easy: Stolija.... Don't know the exact name, but it's in smaller bottles, quite expensive here and has a red-black-golden etiquette. I like it best in a frozen, tight high glass with ice-crystals at the outside) and nothing added - then you smell and taste the GOOD Vodka, I hate drinks with juice or so, also with Whiskey (another passion - Single Malt from Scotland - if you have a good quality drink there's no need to add anything.

It's our famous Vodka �Stolichnaja��

Exactly!

�and not �Absolut� or �Finlandia�...

What??? Come on!!!!! I'm Austrian, not German or English! (we have some living culture here...)

Thanks, Alzbeth. It was really nice to talk with you. We all hope to see you in "historic Motherland" one day...

Ha-ha! So do I! My kisses for Minsk, and wish �Music Magazine� readers take good care of old Mother Russia. She seems ill�