Frakture – interview with Sergei Papail
http://www.myspace.com/fraktureband1
Nattsol: First of all, introduce yourself, please.
Sergei: My name is Sergei Papail, I’m now 50 years old. I’m the singer and bass player in a French cold new wave band named Frakture which was born in 1977. I’ve been bass player in the French band Marquis de Sade in 1979. I had a solo career between 1981 and 1983 under my name Sergei Papail. During this time I played with Pascal Trogoff who became next the French singer (girl) Sapho’s sax player, and with Frederic Renault (guitar player/Marquis de Sade/Les Nus) and Anzia (guitar/Marquis de Sade/Marc Seberg). My last gig with these musicians was the 1983’s Transmusicales.
I played so with the first (from the birth) Marc Seberg and we prepared with members of Frakture its first album in 1983.
Nattsol: Frakture began in 1977 and was one of the first French new-wave bands. So tell me about that time and the new wave atmosphere. What was actually that?
Sergei: Yes we were (with the first birth formation of Marquis de Sade named Gang Rennes – a French word play meaning « gangrene ») the first formation in Rennes, and as I know now one of the first in France. At that time, french bands oscillated between jazz/rock music with guitars, drums and bass demonstrations, and post Woodstock dusty and bad rock’ n roll. They had nothing to say, nothing to play interesting. No creative too.
At that time overseas in England we’ve heard about Sex Pistols band with its provocation and its destructives guitar riffs. The first time we listened to this band we had a lightning in our brains. We discovered that their music and their words were on another way to criticize the politics and a criminal world. They ejected too the Woodstock flower’s gun.
One day we were playing in a bar when members of Gang Rennes asked us to play on our guitars. TV Eyes from the Stooges I remember. It was a flash even if they didn’t play so good. From this moment we decided it will be our music and our philosophy to play guitar down on our knees! The public didn’t understand what happened, with this new energy and violence on stage. But they went to our gigs. Next other bands do the same later. We played 4 times at the famous Transmusicales.
Nattsol: How did the musicians of Frakture meet each other and how was the band formed?
Sergei: I began to play guitar and next bass when I was 14 years old. I met Pascal Perree (Frakture guitar player) who came to listen to my first band in a garage. He took my guitar and played. I was down. I didn’t know it was possible to play rock’n roll like that. We were used to play some Beatles hits (even if I already hated the Beatles…). I asked Pascal to play with us. At that moment we began to play another music even if it was not good. But we got out step by step to Ice candies and other girl sweets!
Nattsol: What were the first achievements of the band?
Sergei: When we recorded our first EP « Sans Visage/Nagasakind » in 1980. A great moment to see our single in the music shops (and girls around !!!…). It’s more common now.
Nattsol: As I know, you were the bass player in Marquis De Sade for six months in 1978 (right?). Tell me, how were you invited to the band and what were your achievements there?
Sergei: Yes it’s right. We are there in the heart of Frakture philosophy. Frank Darcel (Marquis de Sade/guitar) contacted me when the band threw away its bassman. It was the second bass player. Marquis de Sade wanted to have a bass player used to play a new philosophy music and able to go beyond strictly music. They were on a European philosophy artistic movement. A grey universe between Brecht, Conrad Veidt and expressionist art movement of the german 30’s.
That’s the reason why they asked me to play with Marquis and because I spoke German and sung in German. I was so very close to these German artistic movements. Some medias tell now, as well as Philippe Pascal (the singer), I’ve been the « architect » of Marquis de Sade philosophy. Perhaps. But without P. Pascal, Marquis de Sade would never become this particular band and this new form of music.
I left the band because Frakture was absolutely mine. However, I have good remembers about Marquis de Sade. We worked very hard. The music and the gigs were straight and black. Frakture too but with a highest degree of violence. Our words were more political. But I think it is the same music. I’ve had some regrets to have left Marquis but no more now.
Nattsol: So once again about your public. I’d love to know, has there been existed any movement? Or just some individuals and most of people visited your shows just because of curiosity?
Sergei: There was not really movement at that time. I think it appeared later but not really in France. In England yes. At first it was a curiosity. And later we got a real public. It became quite different with the Marquis de Sade and Frakture cold era. The French rock magazines helped in it. This more « intellectual » era attracted a new public, a real movement.
Nattsol: You already mentioned the reasons why you used German language. But were there some other artistic backgrounds? Your native ones, for example.
Sergei: Yes. We also sung in French. But we’ve always preferred German sounds. Independently of our text messages, we’ve always thought that words and language was inseparable of music. We’ve only « used » English in the last years of Frakture survive… Very closed to Dead Kennedys philosophy. We can’t do that otherwise… I’d never like singing in English. It has no sense for our music. Russian too would have been very closed to our music, but I don’t speak Russian.
Nattsol: What was the band on stage? Did you have some tours to other countries? And did you have any contacts with your foreign musical colleagues?
Sergei: We didn’t play on foreign stages. We cancelled a set in London at the famous Marquee, but I don’t remember why. We got some opportunities in Germany but Frakture split before. Frakture career was very short. We made a lot of concerts in France, alone and with Marquis de Sade, and few festivals. We had some contact with German bands. We had a contract proposition with a German label but the band split at this time.
Nattsol: So Frakture broke up in 1981. What were the reasons?
Sergei: It’s a brain storming… As mentioned before, we’ve tried to come back to our punk roots, but it was not convincing. At the same time, I began to have a solo project and in the same time I began to write songs with Anzia for Marc Seberg. That’s the two reasons. I preferred Frakture died in a Hiroshima death… It was not that.
Nattsol: Tell me more, please, about your solo project.
Sergei: At that time I needed more musical serenity. I needed a softer music. I wanted to be closed to German artistic movement, more musical as I’ve played with Marquis de Sade. I began to play with a saxophonist (who played later with Sapho). It was a kind of « German dandy » music. I was in love with Marlene Dietrich songs and the pre-world war two troubles. I had a lot of things to do and to say. The heart of expressionist and Marquis de Sade philosophy I’ve lost. I remembered the public love. It was mysterious, black and cold. I made a few performances (with members of Marquis de Sade and Les Nus), a single. It was never released because the French label Pathe wanted the songs in French. I played for the last time at the 83’s Transmusicales. And after I closed the door…
(A French label contacted me recently to release one of my recording concert in 1981. It will be associated with the actual French revival movement « les jeunes gens modernes » which is actually doing a film)
Nattsol: You mentioned that you played with Marc Seberg. Could you tell me about this band?
Sergei: I began to play with Anzia (Marc Seberg guitarist) while Philippe Pascal (singer Marquis de Sade) was about to stop with its band. He prepared a Marquis de Sade exit because Marquis de Sade began to « fly » too far away its roots. I wrote music with Anzia and P. Pascal went « in secret » working with us. At the beginning it was exciting. But not later. It was difficult to work with Anzia. Musical space misses me. After, we (Frakture’s guitarist and drummer) recorded the first pre-Marc Seberg LP. And we went away.
Nattsol: As the history shows, the 80’s was the new wave explosion in France. Many bands had appeared in Rennes, such as Ubik, Complot Bronswick and others, and in the whole France as well. So could you describe the situation of the movement in common and tell me about those bands. What were they? Were there relations among the bands? And was there any unity?
Sergei: These bands came later. I don’t remember exactly. All I can say is that we had good relations as with all new wave bands at this time. There was no competition. Every band had its identity. And there was respect between us.
Nattsol: I didn’t find any mentioning about your activity in the period of 1983-2004. Could you improve it?
Sergei: Nothing interesting. Except one contemporary music performance (Requiem) and a film music.
Nattsol: Could you tell me more details about your contribution to the film you have mentioned?
Sergei: I made the music for a film. I was contacted by the producer who wanted soft and cold sounds in cold wave/Marquis de Sade philosophy. I accepted. It was a strange experience playing music while looking rushes and attitudes of actors. It was great and at the final very interesting and different because I was used to play on stage and recording. The music was closed to jazz/cold wave/Sade feelings.
Nattsol: As I know, Frakture was resurrected in the XXI century. Tell me please, how did it happen, what’s the line-up and what music do you do now?
Sergei: A French label contacted us to perform our unissued songs. We accepted. We are now working on new titles. There are less « mathematic » and broken than before. But our philosophy is intact. Because the world had never changed. There is so much energy for some titles, and sad and dark sounds for others. I’ve a trip to Hiroshima last year. Perhaps that was important to play Frakture music again…
Nattsol: Do you keep in touch with some musicians you shared the stage with in the 70′s-80’s?
Sergei: Yes. We’re very closed. For example, Philippe Pascal, singer of Marquis de Sade accepted to sing a song on our next album. Great. Music family of that time is very closed.
Nattsol: So when we should wait the new band’s release, and what stuff will it consist of?
Sergei: The members of the band have a job and it is more difficult now to record in the best way. However we think that now is the good opportunity to give more of our history. Our next album will be quite new and as violent as the beginning. But more around words than sounds. Thanks for our beautiful world to give them that…
Nattsol: In your first answer you added the term ‘cold’ in the description of Frakture. But as I informed, this term hadn’t been used in the 70’s-80’s. So is that for you just fashionable word or something more?
Sergei: No we used this word at that time, as others like black, dark and so on.
Nattsol: Is there any possibility to see Frakture on stage again?
Sergei: Perhaps. When in St Petersburg?
Nattsol: What do you think about the contemporary new wave scene?
Sergei: I don’t listen to contemporary new wave excepted sometimes on Myspace. I’ve never listened to too much music… excepted Bach and Baroque that I love too much… Sorry. If you have something so interesting like them, tell me!!
Nattsol: The interview shows that you’re into Art very much. So could you tell me more detailed answer about your Art preferences (music, cinema, paintings, literature…)? What is it for you?
Sergei: Yes, Art has been essential for my conception of music. I’ve tried to do my best to get no more influences from other musics and so on. My first way of inspiration in music was (and is) Baroque and contemporary music (especially Bach, Rameau, Scarlatti…) It seems strange for a rock’, roll man but I think that music roots are there. Sounds are just sounds. No more. With that and concept (political for us) you can do what you want. Others members of Frakture were more influenced by bands like The Who, Rolling Stones… Not me. Sorry…
Nattsol: Well, on the other hand, the interview clearly shows that you’re quite close to politic. What is your political attitude?
Sergei: It’s difficult to say. My roots are with my grandfather who was active with the French 1936′s movement People front . It was just before the World war two. It was closed to pre-war Communist’s movement. Personally I am very impressed by Karl Marx and Rosa Luxemburg. But late, Communism gave a very sad history. However, I think it is the better way to save humanity. But not as it has been. Anarchy could be so a good way. But I think that peoples could’nt save themselves without communities against any forms of powers. Power killed (and kill) many peoples. In fact, we hate any forms of powers. They destroyed Indians in USA, Jewish in Europe, Russians in Siberia, Japanese in Hiroshima, and poor under the bridges…
Nattsol: Well, what would you like to add about yourself personally?
Sergei: No, nothing, except it is great to speak to russian people. A real pleasure. Thank you.
Nattsol: And your final words.
Sergei: Just a few words I talked at the beginning of the Marquis de Sade song « Conrad Veidt » : Todesangst und Todesraserei erf?llte die Stadt. So gehe an einem Kreuzweg und rufe in an dreimall. Conradt Veidt, Conradt Veidt, Conradt Veidt…
I’ve nothing to say more…
Questions: Pall ‘Nattsol’ Zarutskiy
‘Grave Jibes Fanzine’
