Interview with Secrets of the Moon 2007

By Bradley Smith and Alex Pichler

 

SOTM seems to have moved further onwards both in musical and programmatic terms.  Especially the song titles on the new album show that you guys are heading towards a more occult philosophy, leaving behind "primitive Satanic" BM values in favour of a more sophisticated concept.  Could you explain as what are the reasons behind this change?

 

It's not a change.  It's a natural development.  We have never been a primitive satan hailing band.  This is just our way to express things and to show a so called god the middle finger.

 

Also the musical improvements are quite obvious with a lot more technical input than ever before into the sound and song structures of all tracks on the new album.  Was this the logical "next step" after the last album "Carved in Stigmata Wounds" and "The Exhibitions" EP?  How do you yourself see the developments in the SOTM camp?

 

Everything we do comes natural.  We sit down before we start to compose a new album and make plans about what is next to come.  But if music flows, it flows.  This band is in its 12th year now so it's just natural that we also developed as musicians.  We take this band more serious than ever before because we reach satisfaction with it.

 

Previous to the new album release an exclusive advance listening session/party in some location in Vienna has been held (which I attended luckily), how did that happen? As far as I know this was a collaboration between your label Prophecy Prod./Lupus Lounge and Austria based label Ashen Prod. and the webzine of  www.blackmetal.at so please elaborate a bit on that matter.

 

I don't know how this collaboration came into existence.  I remember it was sort of a release party but I am not sure.  Well it's all about promoting the stuff so I think it's a good thing.  Unfortunately I couldn’t attend myself.

 

Just recently you toured Europe with Antaeus and Watain to promote your new album "Antithesis".  How satisfied have you been with the response of the crowd, was the material of the new album welcomed well?  Which was the best gig during the tour according sound and/or crowd response?  What did you think about the gig in Vienna, as I've already mentioned that exclusive listening session before?  General comments about the tour and on the fellow crusaders from France (Antaeus) and Sweden (Watain) plus support acts?

 

Vienna was an excellent one.  I was very skeptical when I entered the club.  The stage was very small and the sound was a catastrophe.  But there was a lot of energy when we played and that's what we appreciate a lot.  Still it was pure chaos but I like it this way.  The best shows on the tour were London and Bitterfeld (Ger) as far as I remember. The tour all in all was a very exhausting experience because we had to travel long distances which is not nice sometimes.  But it was very successful.  There's a great following which surprised us a lot. Antaeus are a great band to cooperate with.  We became a unity from day one.

 

What does the future hold for SOTM?  Which way will you guys be heading?  Is there a new album in the making?  How satisfied have you been with the work of the labels you've dealt with so far, especially Lupus Lounge/Prophecy Prod. handling the "Antithesis" release?

 

There is a lot to come.  We will tour throughout the upcoming year.  First time America it seems as "Antithesis" will be released over there in February.  Some festival shows are booked now and there's a lot more to come.  In the meantime we will also compose songs for the next record.  A video shoot is also planned for the beginning of 2007.  About Lupus Lounge: we are very satisfied with what they do for us.  They believe in the band and in "Antithesis".  Everyone just gives 100 percent.  It feels very good.

What do you think about the status of the current German "UGBM" scene?  Any favourites/associates you'd like to mention?  How about the recent announcements that "bigger" bands like Nocte Obducta calling it quits or Lunar Aurora seeming to take a long break?  Any thoughts on those matters?

 

No comment on this one.  I am not the right person to judge about it.

 

Musically SOTM present so many innovations and different themes and directions but you still manage to appeal to the strict sensibilities of the underground fans.  Why do you think you have managed to maintain a rapport with a scene that demands so much integrity from the bands?  Do you see SOTM bridging the gap and appealing to a wider and more mainstream audience?  What are your goals in that respect for SOTM?

 

I think everyone who knows what SOTM is about can comprehend our development. Comprehension doesn't mean that he or she has to like it.  New listeners are coming, others turn away.  It's a never ending circle.  We are thankful to every listener that we are able to reach.  It makes this band moving on.  Otherwise we would not be able to record new albums.  It's difficult for a German band to gain respect and to reach a wider audience.  But this audience should not be linked with a mainstream audience.  We are far away from that and will always be.

 

With your albums it seems to me that there is a thought out effort to present a true sense of Quality not just in the music but in the release as a whole.  I mean it is as if the artwork and packaging were basically as important as the actual music on the albums.  Do you view your releases in such a way or is the packaging a sort of afterthought? 

 

The packaging is the first impression that you get from a product.  So of course it has to appeal to the listener to become interested.  Music and packaging should go hand in hand.  There's nothing more important than that.  Fortunately I am able to do all the designs for SOTM myself to reach a 95% satisfaction.

 

SOTM have one of the most comprehensive and advanced Website designs of any band I have seen so far.  How does the aspect of the internet play into the world of SOTM as whole?  Do you feel it is essential these days for a band to use tools like the internet to propagate their art?

 

Absolutely!  The world wide wide web has become the most important media for underground acts.  So of course we use it to spread our name and the music we play.  We are one of the few bands left that grew through world wide tapetrading.  In the past we would have been eternally thankful to be able to use such a medium.  It's so much easier.

 

Since I feel a strong vein of mysticism flows through the veins of your music I wondered if you though that there was still Magic in the world or is it dead and everything merely is as it appears?

 

It's present.  And will forever be!

 

Back to playing live I have noticed you are planning some concerts in America.  What is the impetus for playing live in such a far away land and do you think the American audience will be receptive to your musical artistry?  How do you think their scene compares with the European one?

 

It's more like a challenge for us because we are unsure about what to expect.  Many American Bands came here to play their music in our countries and now it should be the opposite.  If we are able to reach a handful of new listeners the trip it would be worthwhile for us.  We hope for some deep "communications". 

 

Last Words of transcendence belong to you……

 

Thanks a lot for the interesting interview. (iam not too good in speaking in foreign tongues so I hope you understand all my answers)

 

/sG for SotM