Equitant interview
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- Hello, Equitant. Some people might know you for your involvement in Absu also. How was this band representing you at that time?
After a line up change in the band we went though several name changes: Azathoth, Eternus and Necrotic. The name later changed to ABSU in 1991 with the first release called “Return of the Ancients”. Again, this was yet another Rehearsal/Demo release, since we had no money to enter a real studio at the time. I was 20 years old and the other guys; Shaftiel and Danny were 18 years old. We had no real jobs, not enough to pay for a good professional studio.
We were then offered a deal with Gothic Records (from
From there we recorded our first full-length album “Barathrum”. And released it on Gothic Records once again. We then signed to Osmose Productions and re-released the “Barathrum” album. In the fallowing years we recorded a few more albums for Osmose Productions. “The Sun of Tiphareth”, “The Third Storm of Cythraul” and “In The Eyes of Ioldanach” and “Tara”
- I’ve read there were some conditions to be fulfilled in order to join the band. One was referring to the bloodline [Scotch, Irish or Germanic]. What’s your bloodline? How well/deep do you know your genealogical tree?
There were no real conditions; Proscriptor might have said this in a statement or interview. But we didn’t care where someone was from, or what he or she was. We were all of Germanic, Irish, and Scottish descent. So, this was one reason why we took on the Celtic myths in the lyrical content. It was something that was close to us, more close to us than the ancient myths of
I myself am German and Scotch-Irish. My father traced the American bloodline back to 1690 something. His side was German, and my name has origins in
My mothers name is Scotch-Irish. With Germanic/English bloodlines too. Not too much is known about when/where they came to
- The music you are making now is so different from Absu. Would you say that one is easier to make than the other? Don’t you miss your guitar & bass and the metal arena?
The style of music I am doing now is mainly Electronic music, the projects: Equimanthorn, Starchaser Network and Equitant. This is far different from the days when I was writing Metal music. The ways of writing are much more different, and its mostly doing a click of the mouse, rather than playing something real with your hands. I use VST virtual synthesizers most of the time, various samples and drum machines.
I would say this style is much harder to write, it takes much more time to compose, get the right sound and edit it all together. Plus, I am doing this all alone, so I have not other input from other members. Some times when I write this music I arrange it almost how an old ABSU song would be arranged.
I do miss the old days of playing Guitar and Bass at times. I just did this for so many years; I was just burnt out on the music. I needed something fresh and new. So this is why I turned to doing electronic music. Maybe one day I will get back to playing Guitar and Bass, but for now its synthesizers and computers.
- Has your perception on the metal scene changed [and what is it?]? What do you think of it and the Satanism involved in it? Is Satanism a strong/real movement/community?
Today I really don’t listen or follow new Metal. I will always get the latest Darkthrone, Enslaved, Mayhem or Aura Noir CD. As for other new acts, I just don’t fallow it any longer. I still listen to all the old legends, like Kreator, Celtic Frost, Bathory, Slayer, Tormentor, Mayhem etc.. I will always be a fan of this style of music, its what I grew up on and such a big part of my life.
These days I listen to Electro, EBM, Techno and Experimental music. Artists like, David Carretta, Anthony Rother, Terrence Fixmer, The Hacker etc.. The French have a very good electronic scene; I am truly fascinated by it. I also like older stuff like Kraftwerk, Depeche Mode and Klaus Schultz.
As for Satanism, I have never fallowed this path. I do like any old lyrics that deal with this. Mercyful Fate, Slayer, Venom etc.. I think it is a strong and real movement in the Black Metal scene, though some use it mainly for image, while others are serious and real about it. True Black Metal music must have some lyrics about Satan; it’s a must in this form of music!
- What’s your opinion about occultism and Masonery’s role in day-to-day life or its impact on others? Do you happen to have any favorite among
- Could you tell us about the current bands/projects that you are involved in at the moment?
My current and main projects are Equitant and Equimanthorn. Proscriptor and I also had a side project called Starchaser Network. This was very sleazy Rock/Electro/New wave music. We released one album on Proscriptor’s Tarot Productions a while back. I think the album shocks most people; it is nothing you would expect to hear coming from us. It was something we wanted to do, something different and fun.
The 2nd project is Equimanthorn, a project that was formed in 1992 by the members of Absu. It was something for us to do on the side, something other than metal. The music back then was all improvised; we did it on the spot. The recordings consisted of any thing we could get our hands on, old synthesizers, glass bottles, wood, percussion and our voices. We just turned out all the lights, lit candles and hit record. What ever happened, happened on the recordings. No edits at all..
The 3rd and 4th albums were all written and planed out nothing was improvised. So, this is how the remaining recordings will be. Equimanthorn past and present has had members of Absu, Equitant, Zemial, Eldar, Melechesh and The Soil Bleeds Black. The current line up is:
Equitant:
Unseen Voices, Synthesizers (Moog and Arp 2600), Effects, Percussives and Lyrical Magic(k).
Ekimmu Abstractum:
Narrations, Alto Recorder, Wooden Flute, Samples, Entities, Chimes, Sixfold Bow and Synthesizer.
Dalkhu Zilittu:
Synthesizers, Sourcing, Pitch Shifting, Effects and Lyrical Incantations.
Vorskaath:
Voices, Chorus and Narratives, Electric guitar, Synthesizers, FX, African Iron drum,
Dawn Desiree:
Unseen Voices.
Weibes Blut:
Unseen Voices.
Devamitra:
Voices from the Underworld, Synthesizers, Sampling, Effects, Bows, Sigils, Bones, Triangle, Indian Tamboura, Tin Whistle and Ritual Percussives.
Zyklon:
Synthesizers and Effects.
Proscriptor will not be on the new album, as his duties with Absu are 100% these days. Maybe on down the road Proscriptor will re-join Equimanthorn for another release. We will see!
As for my project Equitant, I have had a number of releases since 2001. I am writing what I call Electro/Techno. My first two official CD releases were released on Proscriptor’s Tarot Productions in 2006, “Zeit” and “Konstruckteur”.
As of now I release any Equitant music on my own Black Montanas Net Label, strictly digital downloads only. I also have 2 new releases coming out on The Fossil Dungeon. “Re-Konstruction” and “Elemente Remixes”. These two are artists remixing a few tracks from the “Zeit” and “Konstruckteur” albums, as well as a few remixes by myself of my own tracks. This again will be a digital release only through The Fossil Dungeon.
- How is the creative process taking place in the case of Equitant? What does your music stand for?
- How is it to work with Proscriptor on other projects except Absu? How do you get along?
Proscriptor and I get along very well when it comes to writing, we both have things in common as to what we want or need from a song or image.
I would not want to write with any one else, we just merge very well in that field. Maybe its cause we have known each other for so many years, most the time we are both thinking the same exact thing on a musical part or a piece of artwork.
It has been a pleasure working with him for so many years, maybe one day we will work together again.
- There is a fictional story that you wrote about Agurak. Are there more of such stories? What can you tell us about your writing activities? What else is Agurak?
The story of Agurak is a fictional story I wrote in 1992. It is along the same lines as a story that HR Tolkien would write. The story is about a battle between good and evil, male and female relationships and the depressions of war. It was written for my first 2 demos “The Circle of Agurak” and “The Great Lands of Mins Ithil”. Most of the story was just spoken word (vocals by Shaftiel and myself) with ambient synths and various percussion as a base for the song. I don’t think the story is anywhere online these days, it was so long ago and my ways of writing these days do not deal with such subjects any longer. Agurak is a place of Darkness then Light..a far off land in another time. These days my recording studio is now named Agurak, as well as my Equitant official website, www.agurakelectro.com. It’s just a way to remember the old days, the beginning of Equitant.
- Where do you find your inspiration? What books do you read and would recommend? Is music of any help when writing?
- You are also a painter. A vast artist. Some of your works are for Absu, a dark and secret vision. Do you draw strongly influenced by music?
I have only done 5 or 6 paintings over the years; one was for the band DIVINE EVE, a t-shirt design. The other works were done with pen and pencil. All the Absu works were done so long ago, today I do digital artwork. From Equitant to making cover art for artists on my label, or designing a few logos for selected people. Once again I just don’t have time for artwork like I did in the past, it takes a large amount of time do draw like this.
For Absu I would listen to our music as I made the artwork, it helped a lot on the feel and direction the art would take. If the artwork were for a shirt design for a song or the album, I would listen to the whole album as I drew the image. It would help get a better feel for what the art had to convey. Other than that, it was all in my head as far as a theme and mood.
You can view old and new Equitant art here: myspace.com/equitantart
- You created Black
After the first issue was released, we made the decision to discontinue the idea of a magazine, due to endless effort and time it takes to keep such a publication going. The magazine then transformed into a distribution company for my early releases from 1992 into early 2003.
The first wave of the “re-born” BLACK MONTANAS includes some of the best in the art of Electro, Techno, EBM and Experimental. Equitant, Starchaser Network, Adolf Filter, Scorpio, Future, Dr. Siak, Uniflux, Crotaphytus, Raw Mechanics, Franck Kartell, Katelectro, The Breakwaters, Jonathann Cast, Dr. Lovelock, Elite!, Korporation, Maybe Mental, Mysterium, Valerio Orlandini, Tesla Monophonic, Eldar and Trifid Nebula.
It is strictly a digital net label. All of the releases will be available from all major digital distribution websites like: Itunes, Emusic, AOL Music, Napster, Beatport, MSN Music, Sony Connect, Snocap, Yahoo Music and Rhapsody to name a few.
- Do you think people understand your music, your path, yourself, even Absu? What would you add and unveil further more? Something that we should think of, a new vision maybe, a break out of the ordinary common sense of society?
I hope they do! ABSU has, over the years, been very misunderstood by selected people, from the lyrics to our image and even the sound. Most seem to hold Absu high in the Metal underground with a very large fan base from around the world. So, what we did (and what Absu is still doing to this day) is giving people an extreme form of Mythological Occult Metal. Raw and endless!
As for my solo efforts in the electronic world, some may not understand it; more have understood it than I thought would. Old Absu fans have told me they really love what I am doing now, so this means a lot to me. It’s important to have an open mind in music. The members of Absu have always been influenced by a wide variety of music, so our paths were never 100% metal, all the time. Things would get very boring if that were the case. A new vision would be to like what you like, not cause it’s a trend or your best friend likes it. If you like Pat Benatar or Willie Nelson, let it be known!
- Have you had concerts with your new bands as well? What is the difference between them and an Absu concert? I mean, how are the people feeling, manifesting, thinking… What are your dearest memories of the two different experiences? And how nervous, or not, are you on stage?
With Absu I have many fond memories of playing live, every show had something new and exiting or something going wrong with the sound or equipment. I think the shows in 95-97 (
- What would you like to say to your readers and fans in the end? I must thank you for your time and thoughts.
Thank you for the interview Sehmetia, it has been a while since I have done one, so thanks! Many thanks to all Absu, Equimanthorn and Equitant fans out there. Be on the look out for the new Absu album in 2008, as well as a new Equimanthorn album and numerous Equitant releases planned.
My regards, Equitant
http://www.myspace.com/equitantmusik
http://www.myspace.com/equimanthornmusik
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