(CDOUGLAS P. / DEATH IN JUNE ontinuation p. 17) so I feel it’s all part of the continuing process and its natural development. Over the years your style has changed a lot. From the well-known neofolk to different variations of the style. More industrial, more atmospheric or even heavy. Do you follow a certain state, trying to capture your feelings in the moment and express them on tape – such a fixation of what you’re doing or it’s mostly experimentation? Death In June started out in the post-Punk movement as obviously all the original members were part of the Punk scene and it was obvious some of that would rub off on what we tried to do both musically and in our general approach to this new endeavour. That changed as the membership changed and I became in 1985 the only constant member being affected by whatever my mental state, external state and surroundings and events were. As I’ve previously said, almost everything after that is instinct or some sort of psychological hypnosis or trance I go into. Neo-folk came about by chance not design and the same thing applies to Industrial Folk etc. I was open and ready for different variations and to try different approaches and ways to articulate. Even with all the things you introduced to your listeners over these years, it seems that the atmosphere of your shows is still following its primary vibes. What makes live shows special to you: getting from studio-type-of-work or certain interaction/connection with the listener ? By the late 1990s I’d grown tired of trying to replicate studio sounds on stage and realized it didn’t really matter that much anyway because Death In June performances had become ever more ritual-like for both the group and the audience and had somehow turned into a ‘gathering’ of like souls. It felt more natural to strip the sound back, approach live performances in a more intimate way and concentrate on trying to evoke a ‘Kampfire Music’. Speaking about the 30th anniversary of Death In June, and the years of your creativity you used the metaphor of “a fight”. Just like Jack Kerouac with nauseating one and the feeling of sickness gets worse as I get older. It is definitely a struggle, a fight but Death In June’s success in its 39 year history definitely liberated me as a man so I guess that, so far at least, I’m winning that particular battle. When you work on the lyrics - is it a continuous process or are you looking for a certain state? Like a stream of consciousness. Words/lyrics are continuously coming to me, everywhere and anywhere but especially at night at home in Fort Nada when the countryside becomes quiet and a general stillness descends. But the fine tuning of those words into an actual song is a different, more complicated manner more akin to a long form of the ‘cut-up technique’ popularized by William Burroughs, David Bowie etc. I usually work alone when I’m doing that but I’ve recently been told by a close Croatian friend that he saw my face change and go into a trance-like state which worried him! “On The Road”. Do you see the process or creation music as a certain fight? With yourself, with different parts of your personality, for instance; with reality, with chord structure and melodies or for you, it’s something more liberating? The whole creative process for me is literally a www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be - 18 - Where does your inspiration usually come from? It can range from a chance or misunderstood hearing or emotional turmoil. The whole gamut of Life is always imposing itself on you and some of us take notice and (Continues p.20)
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