Interview with Castrati
http://www.myspace.com/castratimusic
http://www.youtube.com/user/Castratitheband
Nattsol: For a start, introduce yourselves, please, and mention your musical experiences before ‘Castrati’.
A: Nothing to looooose!! I play bass guitar, I’m one of the band’s foundator, I used to play in a metal band before (“brand new virgins “) but for fun … I was so innocent these times…. Now I’m mad. I like to listen to organ sounds and melodic basses but I like McDonalds and Alien sex fiend too.
B: Our musical project started in Lyon May 2007 .4 musicians (but most of all friends) decided to concretize their artistic ambitions by forming a band.Önuk played in a Jazz band ….Aleks slided alone some chords on violin and bass guitare … Divine played guitare in “ brand new vurgins “ …
Herman (who’s got some guitare knowledges) chose to start keyboards. .. Tess who sang and played guitare in “Orange Gaz” joined Castrati. in the middle of the year 2008.Sam ( “Le Parti” and “The Clean Cuts”) joined us at the end of 2008 …
I was born in Lyon in 79 and I always be rocked by my old sisters’ cold-wave and post punk vinyles:-). A big city is always bringing you many different access to musical and art cultures .Many shows at many times , always something to do,to see, to buy or read …
I worked with Alan Woxx and MacGregor( ex Eat Your Make Up ) by adding guitares on a special track called » Bloodrain (from hell to strobelights)» in 2004 on the Strobelight’s «New Dark Age Vol2″.It was my real first musical experience.
Ö: Yop, I’m önuk, I’m juste here to sing and scream. I played some years ago with classical or jazzy formations and I love to play with Barbie & Ken when I go to the beach.
P: Hey! I’m Pugsley. Call me simply God.
Nattsol: Now let’s talk more detailed about the band’s foundation. Tell me please, how the band started and what its original conception was.
B: At the beginning, the meaning was to play live during the “2007 summer music fest “. In France, each first summer’s day (June the 21th) , all musicians / bands got the possibility to play free in the streets / bars in order to provide their own directories. During this summer, Önuk used to work as a barman in the “ Bauhaus Bar ”, an eclectic undeground place where bands , painters, photographs could perform their arts in the center of the city .So, it seemed that Opportunity has simply forced the Castrati.’s fate .
Let’s talk about the name now: A night in the “Bauhaus Bar”, the original members watched Gérard Corbiau‘s Farinelli, making jokes about desperate psychological states the character endures from his childhood to his death.For more details, a friend talked about a kind of “castration complex“ alcoholic guys suffer when they drunk in pubs…The name of the foundation was found…
Ö: Some years ago, I just wanted to play or sing in a deathrock band, the first experience (with Borderlein) was not the good one. We had fun, but no ideas.
I tried to play the bass in this project, but Aleks fast replaced me. So I quit. Then, I just took a trip with Mr Presley on Venus, and I met a cat, called Pugsley… Very smart, this cat. He said to me: “hey, now your name is önuk. Go back on earth and try this new pub : the Bauhaus Bar”. After endless tearful good-byes, I went to this pub. Aleks was there. He told me that Broderlein and himself have left the project too, and that he wants to record some of his songs with us. Ok. Let’s rock, little guy.
Nattsol: As I know, there were several line-up changes. Tell me about the members, who’re not in the band any more. And I also would like to ask the members who were not in the band since the beginning to tell the story how did they joined the band.
B: I met Önuk after a Swann Danger Show in Lyon .He introduced some words about Castrati and the possibility to join the band in case Divine left the project by consecrating his own energy to his other formation ( Undercover Sluts ).It was fun because the day before,I received a Myspace invitation from Castrati. and I was surprised to know that a kind of deathrock band already played in the city I leave without hearing any words about them before.I remember me thinking : “ Wohw ! It sounds well … I hope I could see them “live” one day …” I ‘ve never thought that I ‘ll cross the mirror to play with them at the other side really promptly .
Ö: For me, music is just a friendship affair, when there are some tensions, there’s no good work, we’re not an experimented band like Cure or Bauhaus that can record and compose without talking… Every person I invited to play with Castrati is a person that I admire for the fire he got inside for music and arts. Each of them has something inside I really want to have too. But I can’t. So I need them. Pugsley, the cat, told me where I have to find them. I just follow its instructions.
Nattsol: Well, so the band was formed. What were the first steps? How did first shows go? Etc.
Ö: I just miss first steps. Now, my leg is broken, and my head hurts. I don’t remember first shows. I don’t remember any show. I think that I’m asleep on stage, and that Pugsley’s spirit possesses me.
B: We essentially played in Lyon first times .Booking a date and searching anotherone is taking too much time .Castrati ‘s got no manager so we took most shows anybody purposed to us .3 shows got all my attention.
1/ oct 2007 with “Faith and the Muse”:it was my second show with castrati..I’ve never expected to play with William Faith and Monica Richards one day.Even if short conversations we shared with them proved me that they are realy kind and true persons, I was pertrified and I played like a shit!Thanks god , they came back late from the restaurant ,missing our miserable set.I remember Monica saying on the scene just before starting “ I’m so sorry for the missing , could you send me some MP3?”…Since this moment, I decided to play my next shows in playback :-) !!!
2/ New year’s eve in Zürich 2007 .It was our first professional conditions (a big stage, our 1st contract, 450 kilometers in a van…), we met good persons and friends we haden’t see for a wild …More details about the end of this week-end are related in the last Mick Mercer’s book “Music to die for “( I spread a word for the promo of this fantastic Bible !!! :-) héhéhéééé).
3/ Febuary 2009 , La Mannekine II :A great place , great conditions, an amazing musical sub-genres staff .A perfect night!
The honour to share the Neva’s song “ Vision” on the same stage with 2 original members of “ Brotherhood of pagans “ and “Jacquy Bitch “ ( true people I appreciate so well too)…” I had a dream …” ( now I got to search for anotherone ! :-) )
P: And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the Feline dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: «We hold these truths to be self-evident, that the night, all Cat are equal and grey.»
Nattsol: Looking back to the beginning once again, what things were changed or developed, and what is kept since the beginning?
B: Since Sam joined us, we abandoned our beatbox and finally, this way forced us to leave the kind of “minimal-wave” we used to worked with.Tess brings more melodic organs parts and for us , it sounds well .
A band is a perpetual evolution … Even if we want to concerve imperatively some kinds of roots , things change irremediably .What Castrati. finally will be at the end of the year? I don’t know, we don’t know .Only time will tell …Or won’t …
P: I will always stay. That’s the only point to know about Castrati.
Nattsol: Castrati is considered foremost as the live band. So it’s really interesting to know something about your shows themselves. What is remarkable in them except the good music?
B: Our “Live band” label was given by critics after shows we performed .It ‘s paradoxal because we really hadn’t any demo or cd to broadcast before our first one “Let The Cat…”.I guess people made comparisons between what they could hear ( on myspace for example ) and what they could see during one of our shows.The fact is that we could make songs more powerful or give more feelings during a set because , inevitably , bodies are mooving,eyes are searching ,people’s got a visual with lights in front of them…But something is clear for us : We love performing live !!!Perhaps you will be able to develop this answer by yourself one day …
Ö: We’re a live band, because we don’t have the occasion to be a studio band. In two years, we just recorded something like ten songs, we don’t have time to go in studio. And we love the public emulation, the rush of adrenalin which comes from the fear. That’s just like to be on Venus with Pugsley : not the same way to breath, to move, and people don’t look at you for what you looks like, but for what you perform (I hope). For these reasons, we owe give to the public all that we have
A: It works well! We gain many experiences after each show and it’s a gas!!!
Nattsol: Now I’d love to ask you about the French scene. In your opinion, is it unified? What are your friends there (on stage and apart from it)? How did you meet them?
B: The French scene is totally dismembered … Unfortunately, I ‘m disgusted with some good bands I met in the past… A famous guy told me one day : “7 years that I played dark music !!!My music is precursory …Each new band is a copy from a copy from a copy …” He forgot to tell me that he added “electro sounds” in his last albums in order to be “ in “ ; being himself a copy from a copy from a copy …Everybody’s got his own influences …
I could tell you more about bands who refuse to play in a fest because they will not play at “the top of the bill” but I’m fed up with this state of mind.Music is Art !!! Art is made to be shared, not for including it in classified levels of idiot Megalomaniac popularities…
But sometimes, people cross your way in concerts,in audiences,in backstages,in your favorite record shops,in bars…. Those people have something to teach and have something to learn (the meaning of every conversations), they are true .I keep contact with people I like and so do they…
Ö: I don’t know if it’s really a French deathrock scene now. There’s some good bands in different cities that never meet themselves, that’s what I see. But I hope to think wrong…
A: Unfortunately, there’s no communication between bands playing in the underground scenes…What a pitty!
Nattsol: What other musicians on the native scene and apart from it you’d love to meet and play with?
B: Too many … But we could start with Andi Sex Gang ,Super Heroines,Dinah Cancer,Madre Del Vizio,Bloody Dead And Sexy,Deep Eynde,Chants of Maldoror …
Ö: What a question… Rozz?
Nattsol: The next question is a bit my personal one. I faced your music in the beginning of autumn ’08 (thanks to Corine of Exces Nocturne) and you were really unknown for many people. Now I see absolutely contrary thing. So I can’t ignore the question, how did you manage to achieve this success?
A: Honestly, We really don’t know because we got no time for promoting ourselves (even if , at the begining of the adventure, we wanted to became great , clever ,famous, amazing heros ,Sexual GODS!!!).
Ö: What? Now we have success? What a wonderful news! Where are my fans?
B: Corine… another lovely true person…
I’m not persuaded that Castrati.’s got succes … The band was formed 2 years ago .During these times we get only 13 live performances and recorded a 7 tracks EP.At our last show, most part of the audience didn’t know us .It was good because it permitted to us to test our potential …and read good critics after …Pfffiiiiuuuuuuuuu………..!
Nattsol: Now let’s talk about your debut EP ‘Let the Cat out of the [plastic] bag’. Tell me, please, how it was done, what are the songs, etc.
B: I let the pleasure to answer this question to my Önuk… :-)
P: fuck off.
Ö: Holy Shit… I’m not very good to this game…
Ok, it was recorded in two days by JF (Eat Your Make Up) for Lonely Beat Records. In the first time, Britz presented JF to us to record a demo cd, but at the first listening, we just decided to keep it like a mini-cd. It was recorded during in ’07 near Lyon. Every one of us had so much to do last year, that why we forgot to produce it.
And someday, on a beach following a red and purple lake, Britz told me :
“Hey, Alone Prod is interested by our LP!
-Oh, yes, I have forgotten this fact ! we could have a cd… Didn’t we produce it by ourselves?
-No, I don’t think so…
-Ok, let’s go with Alone Prod!”
Then we go back to our shiny dreams…
Every song was dictated by Pugsley. That’s just a biography. Not very well written.
B: What kind of weird things did U smoke just before writing that my dear Sweety-Honey ???
Ö: the last song “operating table” was recorded at home several months after the others. It’s about a dead friend of mine. She’s living on Venus now.
Nattsol: Can you tell me about the EP’s universe and introduce the characters of your songs, Pugsley, Mr. Quidja, Gregory… (are there others?).
B: I let the pleasure to answer this question to my Önuk too… :-) :-) :-) :-)
Ö: Pugsley is a vicious purple cat. Sweet fur, weird looking, purple eyes. He walks on two legs, like us. He’s God.
Mr Quidja is a poor alcoholic and his pet is Pugsley. He just think that Pugsley is a normal cat.
Gregory is a French figure of the ’90. A little boy founded dead in a plastic bag at the bottom of a river… The murderer, called the Crow, was never found. But I think that’s Pugsley.
Nattsol: As far as I’m concerned, you have much more stuff than those 7 EP songs. So why did you decide to record the EP instead of the entire album? And what are the songs which were not included in the EP?
B: There are principal 2 reasons:
1st: The line up changed and we hadn’t any real demo before .If we chose to record an entire Album, it implied that we completely crashed the beginning of the castrati’s story .So without begining, nothing would be possible .We desired to keep the first chapter of this story by recording our first steps.
2nd: As I said before, our band is in evolution.2 new members (but most of all friends) add us, writting the next chapter.All decisions are not already made now.Will we keep all the 13 songs we already got by replacing and modifying all instruments? I don’t think that’s the way we want to continue our evolution .We already left some songs of our directory apart. It’s time to go straight…
Nattsol: You use English for your lyrics. Why so? And are there plans to use your native language?
B: Önuk???ÖooonuuuuK??? :-)
Sometimes,we translate 80’s hits english songs …It’s much more than fun … The Anglican singing is more poetic …
Ö: Even If French is a beautiful language, I think it’s too “fleur bleue” as we say. To sentimental, poetic. That’s not my way. I have a poor English, but it’s enough when you’ve nothing to say. And I’ve nothing to say. If one day, I got something that I want French people to hear, maybe will I use my native language. But now, my lyrics are empty.
Nattsol: Now let’s move to more personal aspects. Tell me about yourselves apart from the band. (It can be anything you want – art preferences, favorite alcohol, any hobby or something else..).
A: I’m 23. I’m from Grenoble, 100 kilometers from Lyon. Besides bass, I play violin and guitar, and I like listening many kind of music, particularly deathrock and batcave. I don’t want to make music for job. I like to be happy, to drink beer and absinth. I never know what to say about myself…
B: Talking about myself is always hard to do. I guess that I’m like everybody, watching films sometimes, hearing music, drinking beers or cool water, searching original records in order to increase my personal collection or walking and breathing the air in a street… As most part of the people I got a day-time job ,internet, a girlfriend I love …Bhaaaaarghhh! What a miserable life!!! :-) …But for sure , I’m not to blame…
Ö: I’m just full of little hollow that needs to be filled. So I take everything I like to put it in. Not just music. All the quality arts.
Nattsol: The next question which I decided to make as the single one is about your musical preferences and tastes. Could you tell about it? And, as I know, you play The Exploited cover. What is it for you? Do you (/are you going to) play some other covers?
B: The video you’re talking about was filmed during a gig we performed in febuary .Aleks had technical problems with his bass guitare after one of our songs .We looked for something short and easy to play without a bass part, giving to Aleks few seconds to exchange the string he broked earlier.What could be more effective and full of strength than a punk song all Castrati. members love.
We Already played covers from Christian Death or The Cure or The Adolescents.We adore to finish a set by a cover.That’s showing our influences and a part of our work.
A: Each memeber‘s got his own diverse influences (even if the most part of influences we got are parts of coldwave, post punk, deathrock and batcave). I like to melt different genres, with a pinch of retro-sickness melody
Nattsol: What are the things you love and hate in people? And in Art? :-)
B: I like things that push me out of conscience, make me feel that psychological boundaries are unlimited or non-existant. I love surrealism and burlesque .
I simply like people I can put my trust in, shy or charismatic, alcoholic or straight, people who shoot the breez…
I hate vegetebales , liars and profeeters …
Ö: I just love people who know what they’re doing. I mean in Art. There’re too many careerists that never look back on their work. When I see that what I do is shit, I just say : that is shit. And I hide or destroy it. But in music, it’s hard to know when what you do is good or not. I’m not sure to love our cd, ‘cause we were young when it was recorded and my voice changes a lot since this time, (and it’s always hard to hear your own voice) but the musicians are good and our energy was sincere. So, it deserved to be spread.
Nattsol: Well, now when you have freshly released EP, what are the band’s plans for the future?
B: To continue to work, to have fun too, to play gigs in Europe and hope that it will go on well in the future. An album???
A: an Album!
Ö: An album, of course, and many gigs everywhere…
P: Conquer the world!
Nattsol: And, as it traditionally is, your final words.
B: Just hope U the best in Grotesque Sexuality!!! Glad to know you … Really … and… Hmmm……Thank you??? :-)
Ö: See you on Venus?
P: Meow.
Questions: Pall ‘Nattsol’ Zarutskiy
‘Grave Jibes Fanzine’
