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peek edition January/February/March 2024 free ofcharge, not for sale aboo music & subcultmagazine quarterly publishedmusic magazine 45 CAT RAPES DOG SPIKE HELLIS - N.E.L. & J.P. THE ESSENCE - HAMMERSHØI BORIS GREBENSHIKOV - 2 FORKS WISPHERS INTHE SHADOW

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peek aboo contents music &moviemagazine 01 CAT RAPES DOG © SofiaMartinsson 04 Interview SPIKE HELLIS 05 Reviews 08 InterviewTHE ESSENCE 12 InterviewWHISPERS INTHE SHADOW 16 Interview CAT RAPES DOG 19 Reviews 20 Interview BORIS GREBENSHIKOV 22 Interview 2 FORKS 24 Interview HAMMERSHOI 26 Reviews 28 Interview N.E.L. & J.P. 31 Calendar Want to support your sene & contribute to our magazine? English, Dutch, French, German … It’s all good! Come and join us and send an to e-mail [email protected] peek aboo music &moviemagazine ORGANISATION BODYBEATS PRODUCTIONS Marleen MASTBOOMS www.BodyBeats.be PORTA NIGRA Peter Verreycken www.PortaNigra.eu LE FANTASTIQUE Frédéric COTTON www.LeFantastique.net YOUR ORGANISATION HERE? Join us & support (y)our scene! WE NEEDYOU! Peek-a-Boo is always looking for new partners, distributors, writers, editors and translators. [email protected] LAYOUT Fred GADGET Veerle DE BLOCK EDITORS / TRANSLATORS Leanne AITKEN Kevin BURKE Michael BOGHE Tine SWAENEPOEL Gea STAPELVOORT PHOTOGRAPHERS Elke BREDENBRUCH Luc LUYTEN Yvo Moeys WRITERS Jurgen BRAECKEVELT Dimi BRANDS Jan DENO Peter DOLPHEN Fred GADGET Hamis HIREK Kurt INGELS Xavier KRUTH Lena DAUTEL Tom PLOVIE Dany QUETIN Britta TABRIT - 3 - colophon WRITERS (continued) Henk VEREECKEN Dan VOLOHOV Chris WHEATLEY William ZIMMERMAN François ZAPPA PARTNERS & DISTRIBUTION BODYBEATS PROD. (Antwerp) www.BodyBeats.be DARK BALLOON (Retie) www.darkballoon.be BUNKERLEUTE (Leuven) www.bunkerleute.be DARK ENTRIESMAGAZINE (B) www.darkentries.be GOTHVILLE (Hasselt) www.gothville.com INFRAROT (Germany) www.infrarot.de PORTA NIGRA (Aarschot) www.PortaNigra.eu WEBSITE Ward DE PRINS (RIP) Peek-A-Boo Magazine • Heilig Geesthoek 87A • BE-2070 • Zwijndrecht • Contact: [email protected] / Promo: [email protected] www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be

SPIKE HELLIS have a need to rehearse because there weren’t any shows anyway. We set up a recording studio and began slowly collecting ideas. Instead of picking a direction for the album,we kind of let it take us to where we needed to go. Each song is very different but in the end that’s what makes it cohesive. It was complete for over a year before we released it. The waiting was due to slow turnaround from pressing plants and waiting for live events to come back. Has Spike Hellis'music and performance evolved since you started gigging? We haven’t changed our approach at all from the first show we played. We’re still touring our first album because we are very proud of it. We want more people to hear it first before we move on from it. Spike Hellis seems to be a new fast rising star in the Electro-Industrial universe and will play their first Belgian show at the renowned International EBM Day festival at De Casino in St-Niklaas (B) on February 24th 2024. So, reason enough to ask these pleasant Americans some questions. How did Spike Hellis come together as a band and what inspired you both to start an industrial band? We met in the Los Angeles electronic music scene in 2017 but didn’t start making music together until late 2019. Our rehearsal space was deep in the warehouse district near Skid Row and our sound was shaped by that environment. Can you share some of the key musical influences that have shaped the sound and style of Spike Hellis? We often are labeled as an industrial/EBM group but we think our sound is more akin to 80s hip hop, freestyle and techno.Of course we like NIN,Nitzer Ebb and Skinny Puppy but we primarily apply those vocal stylings to our brand of pop. What is the typical creative process like when creating new music for Spike Hellis? How do you collaborate and generate ideas? Our EP was written in our first few sessions.We weren’t questioning ourselves and kept things very minimal.Our space was very small but our sound system was very loud.We didn’t need a lot of layers for things to feel and sound complete. When the pandemic hit us we didn’t www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be I remember a quite punky after show gig in a record store somewhere in LA. How do you approach live performances and what elements do you focus on to create a compelling stage presence for your audience? There is no shortage of “Darkwave” duos in Los Angeles. In order to separate ourselves we knew we’d have to bring a different energy than a lot of our peers.When we started, our aim was to play late night warehouse parties, not stages. Our vertical rig came from the necessity of being mobile and compact.Lainey is usually standing on something so she can operate the top shelf when she’s not working the crowd. Our performances are very personal. We play every show like no one has ever heard of us—we have to be able to pull energy out of thin air. Can you delve into the themes and messages behind your lyrics? How do you come up with the concepts for your songs? Our lyrics are hardly cryptic.We write directly about our firsthand life experiences. This is our outlet and how we keep ourselves healthy. As an industrial band, what challenges have you faced in the music industry and how have you navigated them? There’s a lot of challenges being in any band. The success we’ve found is manifested in the work itself, that being our music and shows.We don’t have a record label, we don’t have management. We don’t have a publicist, we hardly post on social media and we don’t particularly like being interviewed either. By design, a lot of industry heads are there to take money from you. - 4 -

CHRYPTOCHROMA- Omnious Clouds (CD) (Self-Released) Jan Vinoelst has been working with synths in all kinds of projects and bands for some time. Even before the 1990s, he was already active in bands such as Cluster M13 and Messier 39. The man from Sint-Niklaas is now releasing a strongly analogue synth based record with his oneman project Cryptochroma.The record was baptized Ominous Clouds.Throwback’; a firm dose of wave with menacing basslines and dark synths sounds of the 1980s.Very powerful indeed! The ingredients are known…Analog synths, with sounds to die for.The“fun”melodies are backed by equally old-school analog drum machines.We can't really call it minimal as such, as sometimes the pounding beats are just a little too danceable and too heavy. But who’s complaining? ‘Fifth Wave’ is such a danceable mash-up,driven by dark beats.Darkly threatening.Also vocally,because Jan's voice blends perfectly in this musical cocktail…. Jan's (and mine) preference for analogue machinery and the pull back to the darkminimal,which is still very danceable at times is very appreciated! Thank you Jan! We want more! [JB] SPARKS -The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte (CD/ Vinyl / Digital) (Island Records) Brothers Ron (°1945) and Russell (°1948) Mael of The Sparks are almost 80 but since their formation in 1966 (until 1971 they were called Halfnelson) they have continued to amaze with strong albums in a mix of glam rock, art rock and (later) new wave. Remember their biggest hit "This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us" from 1974, which is stuck in the collective memory. It's now 50 years later and the brothers from Los Angeles are still doing it! What really appeals to me about Sparks is that they don't just rehash their illustrious past (they could get away with it perfectly) but that they still evolve musically and remain innovative. For example, the new album “The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte” (14 tracks, 47 minutes playing time) is undeniably influenced by 'minimal' and we do not so much mean minimal wave but the minimal music of Philip Glass, Michael Nyman and the like. Ron Mael is responsible for all keyboards on the album, little brother Russell Mael for all vocals and they are supported by four guest musicians on guitar, bass and drums… [HV] STAATSEINDE - De Nieuwe Golf (Vynil / Digital) Staatseinde, the interstellar cosmonauts, now reduced to a duo, create a theatrical mix of pulsating electro with nostalgic hopebringing synth melodies. All performed absolutely live with synthesizers,a sequencer and stimulating vocals.Their new release (Wave Tension Records) “De Nieuwe Golf” (=“The New Wave”) is characterised by dystopian prospects and hopeful sounds, which confirms Staatseinde's name as the founder of the “Neue Niederländische Welle”, or the New Dutch Wave.it. So thanks for that! The song speaks about those who cannot keep up with the speed of our modern society. Bassline, bone dry rhythms and bleeping analogue synths as an extra ingredient. Staats Einde, or you like them…or you don’t.They are incomprehensible at times and that means that these Dutch boys always remain surprising. Not in as such in terms of musical style, because that remains rather consistent. But more the lashes and the variety they manage to produce within their the own sound they have established.This album is also one that I fall in love with,more and more after every listen., there is no escape! [JB] DARKVOLT - Electric Angel (Digital) New and Belgian, that's how we can announce this DarkVolt, a solo project presenting their first single "Electric Angel" (in five different versions) as a digital-only release for now. This song has some history, as "Electric Angel" was also the very first song to emerge from Frederik Strobbe's machinery and has undergone numerous changes since. Similarly, the man behind DarkVolt has evolved, delving into producing more techno and dance music but... In 2023, he returned to an old love with a new twist, focusing more on industrial and EBM-leaning tracks. For this purpose, Dresscode Black has been founded as a sub-label of Detroit Berlin."Electric Angel" is a dark electro track with dance aspirations, repetitive in the club version but also more trippy/trancy in its 'angels on acid remix' and hallucinogenic in the 'rogue mix'… (Dresscode Black) .[KI] Read full reviews on http://www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be/en/reviews/ - 5 - www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be

SPIKEHELLIS We are self-sustaining by doing almost everything ourselves. People both like and dislike us based on our attitude. We are humbled and thankful for the opportunities we’ve had but we come to your city to do a job, not make friends and take pictures.The fans we do have are very loyal because they understand us. Do you have any personal favourite tracks that you've created, and if so, what makes them stand out for you? We play a few songs live that we’ve recorded but never released. They haven’t really fit on anything we’ve put out yet but the energy is there on stage. Have there been any notable collaborations with other artists or bands, and (how) have these collaborations influenced your music? Quite a few musicians we’ve looked up to are actually now our peers or friends. Instead of them influencing us, it has given us the confidence to continue to carve out our own path and draw inspiration from within. Soon you will be performing at the International EBM Day festival in St-Niklaas, Belgium. To what extent do you feel involved in the EBM scene and do you have any related icons in that scene? EBM is a cornerstone of dark electronic music and a crucial part of Spike but we want to see the genre www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be - 6 - pushed further into places we haven’t seen yet, rather than mimic what we’ve heard for decades.We are drawn to primitive and minimal body music even though it might not be apparent from listening to us. What can fans expect from Spike Hellis in the near future? Are there any upcoming projects, albums or tours you're excited about? We don’t really know what to expect ourselves. At this point, we have an EU tour, then a Latin America tour in the spring on the books. We’ve declined any bookings for the rest of the year in order to start working on LP 2. We’re unsure how fast we will get it done but are in no hurry. Ok, thanks for this interview and we are looking forward to see perform on International EBM Day! https://spikehellis.com Fred GADGET SPIKE HELLIS performs at the International EBM Day on 24 February 2024, St. Niklaas, Belgium, together with CATRAPES DOG,MILDREDA,HUMAN STEEL&ZYNIK 14. More info on www.bodybeats.be

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THE ESSENCE The Essence may be a well-kept secret among wave fans in Belgium, but in Spain, France and the rest of Southern Europe, they caused a sensation in the eighties with hits as ‘A Mirage’ and ‘Only For You’. Connoisseurs know that the gentlemen from Rotterdam released a number of excellent albums in the eighties and nineties. They continue to perform to this day, and even hope to release new work in 2024. We recently saw them perform at the Liège NewWave festival, and subsequently had a conversation with singer-guitarist Hans Diener. Photo © Luc Luyten / Who Cares Hello Hans. Thank you for this opportunity to interview you. I recently saw The Essence perform in Liège, and I was surprised that this was your first performance ever in Belgium. The Essence may be an important new wave group in other countries in Europe, but in Belgium I would rather describe you as ‘cult’. Do you agree, and how do you explain this? I agree with you, Xavier. Both the Netherlands and Belgium have never been a priority for our English record company at the time, in terms of marketing and promotion. It eventually grew that way. However, we are changing this, as you can see. You actually found a label that was willing to support you and release your records, but under the name The Essence. In 1985 the debut album ‘Purity’ was released. How did that happen? After we got a contract, I changed the name Movement to The Essence, because the first name was too close to the New Order record title. We went to London and recorded our first album ‘Purity’ there. ‘Endless Lakes’ was the first single from there, and later we released ‘The Cat’ as the second single. I wanted to write a song that was more poppy, with a flamenco riff. The result, 'A Mirage', became a huge hit. The story of The Essence begins in the early 1980s. If I remember correctly, the first mention of a band was in 1983, although it was still called ‘Movement’ at the time, which I suspect is a nod to New Order. Can you tell us how the group came about? How did the desire to make your own music arise, and how did you meet the other band members? The band started because I was looking for some bootlegs of The Cure, which is how I met with Jerry, the first bass player. This resulted in me playing with Jerry and Ol, the first drummer.We played some covers for a few weeks and did a few gigs, until I wasn't interested in playing covers anymore. I then wrote and recorded several songs myself. These demos were sent to various labels in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, after which serious interest arose from the UK label Midnight Music. www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be - 8 - The follow-up album 'A Monument Of Trust' from 1987 was your real breakthrough. ‘A Mirage’ even became a world hit. How was that possible? After ‘Purity’ was released, I continued writing, also using synths. I wanted to write a song that sounded a bit more pop and with a kind of flamenco riff. ‘A Mirage’ became the single from the second album and was a huge hit, especially in Southern European countries. It became a big hit in Spain, among others. I can imagine that such a big hit also brings challenges for a band. You were a small group from the Netherlands, and then suddenly you are stars. People are also asked to perform internationally, which is not always easy. How did you approach that? When ‘A Mirage’ became a hit, it was inevitable that we had to go on tour. Meanwhile, Jerry and Ol had left the band, and I temporarily used another bassist, Akki, and drummer, Jack. Our light engineer Menno then temporarily took care of the synths. Your third album ‘Ecstasy’ contained another big hit: ‘Only For You’. This time, France in particular was crazy about the song, where‘AMirage’was succesful in Spain

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THE ESSENCE in the first place. The Essence was very popular in the south of Europe at that time: Spain, France, Italy, Switzerland... Is this pure luck, or was there a strategy behind it? There was absolutely no strategy behind it. All I wanted as a songwriter was to write a diversity of songs and not stick to one format. On our albums, you could hear everything from dreamy ballads to pop songs and even quite rock-like songs.That probably made us interesting for different cultures. Both ‘A Monument Of Trust’ and ‘Ecstacy’ are quite reminiscent of The Cure, who were of course very popular in the eighties. I don't want to minimise the authenticity of the songs, and I also know that you share a spirit of the times and a certain feeling with The Cure, but I also wonder if there was ever pressure, for example from the record label, to write songs that sounded like The Cure? There has never been pressure from our label. At that time, I listened to a lot of bands like The Cure and Joy Division. But perhaps I listened to U2 and David Bowie the most, and I also loved Kraftwerk. I also didn't hesitate to like some of the music from the charts. I have always had an open mind for music. Despite the great success of‘A Monument OfTrust’ and ‘Ecstacy’, your fourth album has become a dark and more difficult to access concept album: ‘Nothing Lasts Forever’. Can you tell us more about the concept of the record and how you wrote it? Actually, I wrote ‘Nothing Lasts Forever’ as a form of exorcism after the relationship with my then girlfriend broke down. It worked well for me, especially because it is still one of my favorite albums. www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be - 10 - Until the early nineties, you, Hans, were the only songwriter in the group. That changed with the arrival of Mark Tan during the recording of ‘Nothing Lasts Forever’. The next album ‘Glow’ from 1995 – of which you released the early recordings after the bankruptcy of the record label as ‘Afterglow’ in 2015 – was an exercise in writing as a band, with creative input from all musicians. Were you satisfied with the result? When Mark joined the band as a keyboard player, I got more of an urge to write together. This usually happened during rehearsals, where we took a riff and some vocals from me as a guideline to transform it into a song. I was very happy with this fact. It also brings more solidarity to the band. Although the band has had many line-up changes, the brothers Mark and George Tan have been accompanying you on bass and drums respectively since the early 1990s. I can testify that you make a wonderful live band together. Howdo you explain that this line-up has lasted so long? Actually, I see The Essence as Hans, Mark and George. The initial members and some temporary musicians did not leave as much of a mark on the band as Mark and George did. To this day, I still feel this way. If I remember correctly, you haven't published anynew work since 1996. During the performance at the Liège NewWave Festival you presented‘Pearl Song’as a new song, but the song has actually been around for years now. Do you have plans to release any new albums, and if so, what can we know about them yet? Do you have any other plans for the future? In fact,we have almost finished the next EP, as far as you can still speak of such a thing in this streaming era. Due to Covid, we had to stand still for two years, but now we are slowly continuing with recording and especially mixing the EP. I expect this to see the light in 2024. As you have noticed, we have also expressed our intention to tour again, because we still think that is a great thing to do. Our performance in Liége was our first concert in Belgium, but certainly not the last. Xavier KRUTH http://www.theessence.be/ Photo © Luc Luyten / Who Cares

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WHISPERS IN THE SHADOW Whispers In The Shadow has made another excellent album with ‘Ghosts’, one full of tormented guitars, dark synths and distinctively harder than usual. A ‘combination of psychedlic post-rock with gothic bombast’, colleague Kurt called it in his review. We thought the CD was so intriguing that we went to frontman Ashley Dayour with a number of questions. Hi Ashley. Congratulations on your new album ‘Ghosts’. I think it is an outstanding work, maybe even your best work to date. You have announced it as the heaviest sounding Whisper In The Shadow album ever, but I beg to disagree. I think it is more psychedelic than ever, reminding me of the ‘goth floyd’ moniker you earned in the past. What are your thoughts on that? Thanks a lot for the kind words. It seems we hit a nail with this album. People really seem to appreciate what we created. I’m not sure if it is our best. After 11 albums, it’s impossible to say which one is the best, at least for me.They differ a lot and are hard to compare anyway. But it might be among the better albums indeed, yes. Certainly, the most interesting in terms of sound and atmosphere. That fills me with a certain satisfaction especially this late in our career.People calling the latest album the best is not something you hear very often, when a band is around for 27 years. But I have to disagree with your main point. ‘Ghosts’ certainly is our heaviest album to date because which one of the other albums is heavier than it? About the psychedelic atmosphere, you are not wrong. Almost all the music I ever created has a certain psychedelic undertone. Sometimes more sometimes less. But I try to explore different kinds of psychedelics. That ‘goth floyd’ tag came around the time of our fourth Album ‘Permanent Illusion’, and it was very fitting at the time but I don’t hear a lot of Floyd in Ghosts to be honest. But it’s fine, there are worse things in life than being called the Pink Floyd of gothic rock. I can certainly live with that. Guitars have always been prominent in your work. But here, the guitars sound deeper and more tormented, a bit grungier, than in the past. The keyboards by your co-producer Martin ‘Acid’Gutmann add a sinister touch. Was there a conscious decision to focus on this sound for the album? www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be - 12 - Yes, it was a conscious decision pretty much from the start. The guitars are down tuned to drop C to make it sound deeper and heavier and we used some pretty rough sounding distortion pedals which were the key to these kind of guitar tones. Combined with this ‘dark wave’ meets ‘hauntology’ synth sounds it creates the sound design of the new album. It took some time and experimentation until we found the right balance though. But I think it works pretty well. ‘Ghosts’ is the first new album after the ‘Gilding The Lily’ compilation that provided us with an overview of your entire career, lasting for over 25 years. How do you start composing again after such a milestone? Simple, I sit down and start to write until I have ideas that sound and feel good enough to develop them further. The hardest part is always to have an overall idea where to go and to find out what sounds, effects etc. are needed to get there. The actual writing is not the hardest part because once the gates are open and the vision is set, the ideas usually come floating in. To open these gates is sometimes hard, especially after all this time. But again, in the end I just have to sit down and write until it works. It is as simple as that. I know there are writers who need to be in a certain mood or even need to have the right environment. Fortunately, I don’t need all that to be creative. It makes it all easier.The only thing I need is a vision and a plan of how to fulfill it. Should we talk about the lyrics? They seem to be particularly deep, even by your standards. I noticed many references to ghosts, which makes me think that it is about several types of illusions that people use to be able to live, or illusions that they struggle with. Is there an overarching theme again, as on many of your earlier records? Thanks again. The album is not a concept album as such. There is no story but of course there are main themes. Thematically, ‘Ghosts’ is a journey into the Abyss, a trip through human and inhuman abysses. A communion with shadows and spirits. Both social and personal. Demons such as addiction (‘A Haunting’), paranoia (‘Ghost Loop Remedy’), self-righteous ignorance (‘Totems Of Decline’) and chauvinism (‘Harpies’) are summoned. At the end there is the journey into and through the Abyss (‘Majesty&Torment’), the confrontation with fear

of fear and finally the realization that the ghosts are a part of oneself (‘Poltergeist’), one's own ego, which has to be destroyed in order to overcome it all. You have said repeatedly that ‘Ghosts’ is the darkest and most personal record you have ever made. The lyrics are very dark indeed. How much of it is based on personal experiences? And how do you research the themes you want to write about? I have to set things straight. I did not say it is the darkest, I said it’s the darkest in a while and might be among our darkest records. But then again, which one is the darkest? I really don’t know. For some this one might be the darkest indeed. Yes, indeed there are some personal experiences which had some influence on some of the lyrics. But I will keep all that under the shroud so to speak. People can make up their own minds about the lyrics and go on their own journey. Inspiration can come from everything: a movie, something someone said, something I read in a newspaper, something I experienced, a book, everything. It is part of my job to go through this world with open eyes and an open mind to recognize inspiration when it shouts at me. And research? Well, like everyone else researches these days, I turn on the computer and go online. This way I will find out which books to read etc. ‘Majesty & Torment’ lasts for almost for 13 minutes. If I’m correct, that’s the longest song you have ever composed. It consists of several segments and also contains spoken word samples. Can you explain what the intention was of all these elements? Yes, it is a monster of a song and I’m very happy with that one. We call it the Opera for a reason. Actually, it is not our longest track.‘Down By The Sea’ from ‘Into The Arms Of Chaos’ from 2008 was a bit longer, 15 minutes I think. But the longest was ‘Permanent Illusions Part 1-3’. We divided that song into 3 separate tracks on the CD but it - 13 - is one song of more than 20 minutes. ‘Majesty & Torment’ really just happened and turned into the monster it is now. We started somewhere and ended up with this weird Opera. I can’t really describe how it happened though, it just grew and grew. Certainly, it took the longest to write and a lot of effort went into it. It is a journey into the Abyss and beyond. I really appreciate the artwork for ‘Ghosts’. It has a distinctive feel that fits perfectly with the music.What can you tell us about the artist who did the artwork and the way he worked on the sleeve and booklet? It is created by Billy Phobia, a graphic designer based in Madrid. He already did the last couple of album covers www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be

WHISPERS INTHE SHADOW way or another. for us. He also designed stuff for my other band The Devil &The Universe. It’s safe to say this time he created his best artwork for us so far. I’m very happy with the result. It fits the music perfectly. He resorted to the magical technique of automatic drawing and was inspired by the spirits of the actual music, which made their way right into the artwork. He created the artwork while listening to the songs.The sound guided his hand, so to speak. You have now been making music for 27 years. When you look at the road you have travelled from the early beginnings up to this excellent new album ‘Ghosts’, what are your reflections? I’m still amazed about how lucky we were at the beginning. The band was not even in business for one year and we already had a proper record deal. They even let us record the kind of music we wanted.Back in the day when studio time was necessary and you had to book a recording studio with a lot of money, that wasn’t common practice. Just to make it clear how long ago it is: we still recorded on analog. No computers. It was all pre-pro tools times. It’s unbelievable that we got away with it though. I still like our debut album ‘Laudanum’ (1996) a lot. There are songs from it we perform live to this very day. But of course, there were difficult times as well, especially the period from 2003 until 2008 when we didn’t release a new album for years. It just wasn’t the right time for us, for several reasons. But we soldiered on and prevailed. I’m very happy that we are still able to create and perform. And I’m very thankful to everyone who listens to our music,some for as long as these 27 odd years. I do not take that for granted.Music wise we came a long way and we had quite a few lineup and sound changes. I’m thankful to everyone who contributed to the saga in one www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be - 14 - When the retrospective ‘Gilding The Lily’ album appeared, you said the work of Whispers In The Shadow could be divided into four phases: the Cure phase, the psychedelic and experimental phase, the alchemic phase and then the new turn you took since ‘The Urgency Of Now’. Still, it is not evident for me what would bind ‘The Urgency Of Now’, ‘Yesterday Is Forever’ and ‘Ghosts’ together. Do you have a clue? You know, I have to confess I actually do not. What I meant is there the first three phases are clear but you are not wrong when you say the last 3 albums are so different to one another that you could even say each album is actually a phase in itself. But that would be a bit too self-indulgent even for me.So, let’s call it the ‘we really don’t give a fuck anymore and do as we please’ phase? I think with these three albums we found our own identity and we clearly showed that there are a lot of things this band is able to pull off. Maybe that is the main motivator to go on anyway, I don’t know. I supposeWhispers In The Shadow is your main project these days but I can’t help asking a question about your other great project: The Devil & The Universe. What is the actuality about the trancerock goats? The Devil & The Universe is actually growing bigger and bigger yes. But neither Whispers In The Shadow nor The Devil & The Universe are my‘main’ Project.There is room for both being my‘main’ projects because they are so different from one another. Even my stage persona is very different, I’m not the same person when performing with The Devil & The Universe or Whispers In The Shadow. With The Devil & The Universe,we will go on a UK tour in November and we started working on a new album which will see the light of day sometime in 2024. But that’s about all I want to say about that now. Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions. Any last words? Thanks for the support over the years! It is indeed very much appreciated! Always a pleasure and I dare say, until next time. Xavier KRUTH https://www.whispersintheshadow.com/ https://whispersintheshadow.bandcamp.com/

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CAT RAPES DOG For the few (outsiders) whom might not yet heard of you, how did Cat Rapes Dog come together as a band, and what motivated the choice of such a unique and provocative name? It was a long process before the band formed with the current lineup. It started as a duo with Joel as the lead vocalist, Annelie joined two years later. After another two years Jonas joined, then Joel left the band and was replaced by John. The name is just an absurd combination of words suggested by Joel and we couldn’t think of a better name so we were stuck with that. Your music often blends electro, industrial, and EBM elements. How do you approach combining these genres, and what do you think sets Cat Rapes Dog apart in the electro-industrial scene? We have always been listening to a variety of genres and you will be influenced by what you listen to, of course. We never had any plan or strategy, we just followed our whims. And we never really took the band seriously, it was just to have a bit of fun. Can you provide insights into your creative process when developing new music for Cat Rapes Dog? How do you collaborate within the band to bring your ideas to life? Often we have like tons of ideas that we need to choose from and sort of boil down to a song.We’re still working on how to collaborate, we’re mostly concerned with pointing out all the bad aspects of an idea that someone else presents. We should fight more and let the winner decide. Or maybe act like the adults we are and support each other? Let’s see where the process will end up. 'We will try to put as much energy as possible into our performance. There will be no power ballads!' Over the years, Cat Rapes Dog's sound has evolved. Can you discuss the progression of your musical style and the influences that have played a role in shaping it? In the beginning we were fascinated by the possibilities using sequencers and samplers, it was like taking a shortcut from years of learning to play a ’real’ instrument. If we would have been skilled musicians from the start, we likely would have sounded like The Cult or similar. We never made a conscious decision to start off as an EBM act, it just happened to sound like that. Later on we tried to bring in influences from other genres like house, techno and metal. But it seems no matter what we’re influenced by, it always comes out as typical CRD.We sort of invented our sound early on and I think you can tell if it’s us or another band. I think this is due to a lucky combination of personalities and skills. www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be - 16 - Your lyrics often explore thought-provoking and sometimes controversial themes. How do you approach lyricism, and what messages or concepts do you aim to convey through your songs? Mostly, our lyrics are just weird nonsense. Already from the start we wanted to have lyrics that would make people react and think ”Did they really sing that?” Not because of any ideological conviction, it was just that we didn’t want to be predictable. The 90s was the irony decade and we embraced that to 100%. We also liked to explore where the boundary was between ”yes, still funny” and ”no, that’s just gross”. Sometimes we crossed that border. Being a Scandinavian, do you think there's a distinct Scandinavian influence in your music or creative process? How has your cultural background shaped your artistic identity? In all good songs, there’s always a touch of melancholy. In Scandinavia, we like to add more than just a touch. Maybe it’s the long, dark winter that affects our minds. Another thing is that all kids in Sweden used to learn how to play the recorder flute in elementary school.This is not an easy instrument to play, but it became a stepping stone for a lot of people to learn the instrument they wanted to play, like the guitar or the piano. Whatever the reason, Sweden has, compared to the size of its population, a big music industry that has produced a lot of successful bands. Not only within the electro, punk and metal scenes but also in the mainstream dance/pop and Eurovision genres. The successes of Abba, Roxette and Ace of Base made it natural for us to believe we could take our music outside Sweden.

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CATRAPESDOG What challenges have you faced as a band in the electro/industrial scene, and how have you overcome them? The EBM scene is sometimes quite narrow-minded. When Annelie had joined the band, the audience made her feel that girls were not welcome on stage. That changed, and now she’s the person we can’t perform without. Another thing is this phobia against guitars. I get it if you’re young and just want to listen to a very particular genre, but as you get older your musical horizon should widen. Annelie was both a girl AND played guitar, so imagine the obstacles she had to overcome. Soon you will be performing at the International EBM day festival in St-Niklaas, Belgium. To what extent do you feel involved in the EBM scene and do you have any related icons in that scene? We toured a lot back in the 90s and then the EBM scene felt like a family. We still enjoy attending Front 242 concerts and we love to meet the nice people in Die Krupps and Covenant. Among the newer bands, we like Aux Animaux and Rein. Looking back at your career, what do you consider the legacy of Cat Rapes Dog, and what can fans expect in terms of future releases or projects? The legacy is our sound and the irony that seeped through everything we did. We do plan to release new songs, but it seems to take a very long time. Now we’re old and wise enough to realize that we shouldn’t try to be anything else than what we are. And most important, what can we expect at the International EBM day from CRD? We will try to put as much energy as possible into our performance. There will be no power ballads! Hamis HIREK https://catrapesdogtheband.bandcamp.com/ https://www.facebook.com/CRD666/ CAT RAPES DOG will perform an exclusive headline show at INTERNATIONAL EBM DAY at De Casino in St-Niklaas, Belgium on Saturday Februay 24th 2024! www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be Tickets & more info on www.bodybeats.be - 18 -

KRAMM - Die Schöpfung und andere Kurzgeschichten (CD/Digital) (Danse Macabre) Most of you will know the name if I put Bruno in front of it. Indeed, Bruno Kramm occasionally colors outside the box, and that has now resulted in the album “Die Schöpfung und Meer Kurzgeschichten”. This album actually consists of three chapters if you like: there is “Die Schöpfung,” which is actually only one song, “Seven Nightmares FromARandom Forest,”good for 7songs,and“Eight Oscillations FromThe Latent Space,” good for, right,8 tracks.Don't compare this with old or newDas Ich stuff because Kramm does something completely different on his own here.Here, he puts short stories onto a soundtrack…Musically, these stories are supported by a cutting modular cacophony and synthetic sound carpets that accentuate the atmosphere of each song. So don't expect "musical" songs, but rather dark, menacing short stories, modern dark fairy tales for a doomed generation, so to speak…Wonder and a lot of words and sounds are given that, as it were, suck you into the music and the words.You dream the images yourself... [KI] LUCIFER’S AID - Destruction (CD/Digital) (Progress Production) Lucifer’s Aid, the solo dark/harsh electro project of the Swedish artist Carl Nilsson, has released its fifth studio album "Destruction" on Progress Productions. With its unique sound, inspired by the hard EBM, industrial, and dark wave scene, this is his darkest and most uncomplicated release to date, consisting of 10 tracks.Mr. Nilsson is no stranger to the scene. He has been an electro icon for many years, participating in diverse projects. His music flirts with EBM, harsh and dark electro, and at times, incorporates industrial elements. You can sometimes hear echoes of Dive/The Klinik, as well as Front Line Assembly in his music. Yet, it remains 'relatively' accessible, in the sense that it does not venture into the extreme fringes of the genre, which is adored by some and reviled by others. Is this a groundbreaking album? Not entirely. Is it one that belongs in the collections of genre enthusiasts? Certainly, as it’s is not run-of-the-mill release like some other bands …Technically well-constructed. Just shy of being groundbreaking. [JB] GRAUSAME TOCHTER - BDSM for Satisfaction (CD/Digital) (Dark Dimensions) I probably don't have to introduce this perverse daughter to you, this “BDSM for Satisfaction” is the 7th album of the eccentric diva Aranea Peel, who has never made a secret of her (sexual) preferences. In the meantime, the lady has been around for almost 15 years and musically she follows her own electronic, theatrical course. This is no different on this richly filled “BDSM for Satisfaction”. Fetishism as a theme but also existential fear, escapism in BDSM, sex and drugs, not without some humor and cynicism because that is also Grausame Töchter. Last year you were introduced to the compilation “Werkschau”by this wild lady,which collected the best of the first six albums. But now it’s time again for a completely new chapter of electro stimuli embellished with influences from cabaret, pop, techno, industrial and more. It was never different, although I would like to say that this “BDSM for Satisfaction” is perhaps the richest disc in influences ever brought out of the play cellar by Aranea Peel and her kindred spirits. [KI] CELLDÖD - Pandoras Ask (CD/Digital) (Electronic Emergencies) Celldöd, the emperor of Swedish EBM, returns on the Electronic Emergencies label with "Pandoras Ask". A very captivating EP with four tracks. When Pandora opens her box, she completely loses control. Because you get all the plagues of electronic music thrown in your face raw. Maximally aggressive industrial beats, heavy synth parts, dark beats that could function as a hairdryer if you hold your head in front of your subwoofer. Nordic EBM to savor. With a nod here and there to some acid vibes and a techno dip at times. It doesn't matter, it remains EBM through and through."Nytt Namn" is so repetitive that it just continues to play in your electro-brain after listening to it.The same goes for "Ge Upp",with a grotesquely stripping bassline. Polish your boots, tie them tightly, and go all out. "Pandoras Ask" is delivered in a limited edition of 300 hand-numbered copies, with artwork by Anders Karlsson himself. Mastered by Ruud Lekx. [JB] Read the full reviews on http://www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be/en/reviews/ - 19 - www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be

BORIS GREBENSHIKOV Boris Grebenshikov may be unknown to many Western Europeans, but in Russia and the surrounding area he is a legendary rock star.When the first Russian rock bands emerged in the early 1980s, Boris and his band Åquarium were immediately one of the most popular formations, and he has continued to build on that success bywriting a lot of excellent music over the years. However, since he strongly condemned the current war in Ukraine, he cannot return to Russia,which is whyhe is now on a tour in Western Europe. We had the privilege of asking him a few questions. Dear Boris, thank you for this opportunity to interview you. You are about to embark on a European tour in the west playing symphonic versions of your work in Vienna, Paris, Zurich, Berlin, Prague, and even in the Belgian Hasselt.What is the purpose of this new tour? To let this music live. To share it with people, so it might help them be. Can we go back in history? We know that you and your band Åquarium have a long history. The band was founded in 1972, but it really became successful in the eighties. I am especially curious about the Leningrad Rock Club, of which you were one of the founders in 1981. Can you tell me how the club was founded? Throughout the seventies, there were about seventeen attempts to organize a rock-club: a place,where we could play our music without being stopped by the police.All of these attempts failed, as they were refused by the authorities. I even took part in one of the attempts. So when the Rock Club came and we heard it was finally possible, everyone flocked there. We were never friends It is still a matter of discussion how big the influence of the secret police KGB was in the Leningrad Rock Club. You were present at the time and had contacts with all the actors, including KGB officers. Can you tell us what their role was? It is said that the KGB gave a green light to the creation of the Leningrad Rock Club, so they could have all the usual suspects in one place. They foolhardy tried to keep everyone under control, but it proved impossible. Music became uncontrollable. So when you look at what happened at the end of the eighties, it definitely shows that art is stronger than politics. Åquarium, and the whole Russian rock scene, rose to phenomenal success during the perestroika time. For sure, we know that censorship ended and that you were finally able to earn a real living with making music. How did you experience the perestroika years? It was fun. At the end of the eighties, we had to play stadiums, because otherwise we’d have to play eight to ten concerts in every city.Thank God in 1991 we broke up the band, and started to play smaller places under BG Band alias. Then in 1992 the band became Åquarium again.As for money,we just had enough to go on.And that was fun, too. www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be - 20 -

www.darkentries.be You were even more successful in the nineties, with albums as the ‘Russian album’ and ‘Navigator’. Why do you think such albums were that successful, and are still considered classics of Russian rockmusic? Because people longed to hear something that was true to their nature, and ‘Russian Album’ and ‘Navigator’ were precisely that.Somebody called‘Navigator’the‘Sgt.Pepper of the Russian countryside’. I don’t know how statistically successful they really were, but people still hold them dear.As for me, I did not do it consciously –at these times it was all I wanted to write. However, after the success of ‘Snow Lion’ in 1996, you chose to make more experimental music.You integrated electronic music, world music and various sorts of influences in a series ofveryeclectic albums.What drove you towards this eclecticism? We were always like that. Åquarium is really an incarnation of Herman Hesse’s ‘The Glass Bead Game’. it’s just that in the eighties, we didn’t have a technichal possibility of doing this. with the Kremlin. When Russia declared its ‘special military operation’ against Ukraine in 2022, you were one of the first personalities to denounce the war. You fled the country and even declared that your life was at risk in Russia. Can you tell us more about the reasons that drove you to leave Russia? Actually the word ‘fled’ does not apply. I moved to London in 2019,way before the war. I prefer to work there.And for two years I lived in London and played concerts in Russia. I moved to London for a very simple reason - it’s easier to get to the studio in Richmond from Chelsea than from St. Petersburg. It was all about music.We were never friends with the Kremlin. You were declared a ‘foreign agent’ by the Russian government, as were many musicians including Zemfira, Noize MC and your good friend Andrei Makarevich from Mashina Vremeni. How come Russia treats its musical heroes so badly? Is rock music dangerous to the current people in power in Russia? Truth is always an eyesore to those in power. But we were never pals with the Kremlin. Xavier KRUTH All photo’s © Boris Gebenshikov De Nederlandstalige versie van dit interview vindt u op - 21 - www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be

2 FORKS Daniel C (aka "Danny 2 Forks") is the drummer for the legendary goth rock band, The Wake. 'Quanticode' is the newalbum released under his own project, 2 Forks. It paints a fascinating story about the hunt for a seriel killer. We're grateful for Daniel's time in talking about the album and as well as other things going on in the world of 2 Forks. Thanks for taking time out today and we hope for a great 2024 for you. What has 2 Forks got planned? I’m still getting the word out about the 2 Forks project and the album ‘Quanticode’ I’m working to get more eyeballs on the 3 videos that have been released. 2 Forks is currently filming another video, our 4th ‘studio’ video and recording tracks for a new audio release. Singles will release in the spring and there will be additional follow-up live shows on the heels of a fun debut show this past November. You’ve also worked for a number of years for TheWake. How do you balance your time between them and 2 Forks since they’ve become more active in recent years? The Wake is my true calling and passion and my ‘main’ gig. The Wake works extremely deliberately and plots and plans masterfully like a championship chess player. 2 Forks is more of a white water rafting ride. Fast, rough and bumpy and you’re never sure which end is up. That said, I work very cleanly and people are usually surprised by that.The Wake is a part of my personality. 2 Forks is a part of my personality. It is no wonder that I wrote an album that has a multiple personality serial killer in it, right? In reality, The Wake and 2 Forks do not play many live shows. They are fairly exclusive events so there is not really much chance for conflict, at present. I am blessed to be able to work on art, whether it be music, video, digital imagery or lighting just about every day. So for me the balance is pretty easy. I’m just doing music every single day. With The Wake, I get to focus on drums only. It’s a focus on my body, on my strength and stamina.Very tribal.With 2 Forks, I play‘everything’and write lyrics and sing – so it is a totally different release. I’m more of a thinker and get total control over the mixing and production,which is something I really love to do. It’s the most fun of the entire songwriting process, for me. As Danny 2 Forks, I’m able to bounce around between playing drums, playing keyboards and singing. So I feel like I’ve found a really good balance. www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be - 22 - ‘Quanticode’ is the name of the new album and it’s noted that it thematically has to do with hunting a serial killer. Is that correct? Does this stem from a true crime interest or was there any special research done prior to you starting on the album? Thematically, many of the songs go into what the serial killer might be thinking or is thinking when I take on that persona in the song. But not just thinking but also feeling too. I tried to make the story-telling more real and get into the mindset. I’ve been interested in the subject since I was a very young person, having read Vincent Bugliosi’s ‘Helter Skelter’ when I was about 10 years old. When I was growing up, I found newspaper clippings of the announcements from when I was born. And the front page of that newspaper was all about the Manson Family murders. I was looking for my birth announcement my parents placed but all I could focus on were all the headlines about these murders. And it started a curiosity that lasted.To get into the mind of the protagonist serial killer in my songs, I read several papers by an esteemed professor on the topic. The music is written first. The lyrics are thematically fit to the felling of the music. And the words become the next chapter in the story that is ‘Quanticode’. And the story is a story – but also a fly on the wall snapshot of a

total psychotic killer in the midst of a mental breakdown so severe that multiple personalities, hallucinations, and fugue states are the daily grind. I think because I do have a true crime interest, I did more research than normal including interviewing active members of law enforcement, retired agents and academics. Did you have any tracks written during this album cycle that perhaps didn’t make the cut for whatever reason? If so, why not? There were a few things that got started and never finished and a few things that didn’t seem to have room for vocals.But there was not much that we produced that got scrapped. I work collaboratively and spontaneously. It is supposed to be fun. And for me, it is. I think if something doesn’t make the cut it is because I don’t like the beat or I just cannot pick out a melody I want to sing over it. There’s not too much music that moves past the initial poking around phase if I’m not immediately grooving to it. I refuse to ‘fix’ or ‘force’ things. It is so obvious to me when it’s on. Do you think the next album will be a continuation of Quanticode or have you thought about any themes you want to cover? “Quanticode” is a true concept album. As a new lyricist, I used the theme as a crutch. I’m not ashamed to admit it. I have a creative writing background and it was easier for me to approach the album the same way I would approach a short story. After a few months, I had an outline. The songs are ‘chapters’ in a greater story. The serial killer has multiple personalities, which allowed me the freedom to explore telling the story and relating the feelings of the subject matter from different perspectives. That’s why there are some songs that are more dance oriented, while others have a more dance ‘rock’ feeling. They are told from a different character’s perspective. The “Quanticode” subject got a good look – I’ve moved on. The story was a good one and the videos to back it up are really fun – and there are more videos to come. So I don’t think the next album will be a continuation of ‘Quanticode’. The future release pattern will be singles and remixes. I’m not sure that there will be a cohesive theme for the next release but the songs have a more cohesive feel. No split personalities, you see? The music and my process have been refined over the past few years as Danny 2 Forks and I think I really have a ‘sound’ that is recognizable as 2 Forks. There is one line in the song,“Take It” that really sticks out.. "You are never getting back, the light you’ll never see."What is this referring to? The double negative in that line is very interesting. So that line is sung from the killer’s perspective. The killer is taunting. By this part in the story, the victim is in - 23 - really bad shape, time has gone by, and the killer is toying with their prey. And the killer wants the victim to be 100% certain that they understand that they will never get back to the life they once had. They are likely going to die, but if by some chance they don’t die, if they survive by some stroke of fate, the victim’s life is forever altered and ‘you are never getting back’ to the life you had. So either you won’t get back because you are murdered or because the world as you know it is so changed you can’t get back. As far as ‘the light you’ll never see’, that’s a reference to an actual real historical killer that literally blindfolded his captives for years and hung them on the wall of his house like trophy taxidermy. He fed them, kept them alive and did things that scary movies are made about. It was wrong, really wrong. And he kept them in the dark all the time. And this really happened, right here in Cleveland. But in the end, those captives did escape and saw the light both literally and figuratively. They never did ‘go back’ however.They are forever changed by the experience. So that line came from me trying to ‘think’ about what a killer might ‘feel’ and what that killer might ‘say’ to their prey. There are a lot of facets to the lyrics and it’s just a silly rock beat song. What is a musical influence for you that perhaps many people in the goth / industrial community might find most surprising? Well, really, I think it is hard to surprise the goth / industrial crowd. I liked things you could dance to.While I was an early ‘new wave’, punk, goth and industrial adopter, I also liked disco and other more traditional dance club music from ethnic dance music to EDM. As a drummer, I’m always so into the beat. I refuse to be a wallflower and paint myself into a corner. But I’m born and bred on 80s Industrial and goth. Let’s saymanyyears from now, someone finds a 2 Forks album in the attic of an old home and something to play it on. What would you want this person to know about your legacy after listening to your record? I thinkmany years from now,people will be surprised we, as a society, were capable enough of murder and despicable acts of depravity that an entire album could be written about how it makes one feel. Like when one sees images of ancient hieroglyphic drawings now, and you wonder,what were these gods and what was all this stuff about the afterlife? It seems so fantastic. I’m presuming in the future that serial killing will be viewed as fantastic and unbelievable as pulling our brains out through our noses and mummifying our bodies for use in the afterlife. William ZIMMERMAN https://2forksmusic.com www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be

HAMMERSHOI © thypa_photographie Fromalmost everybad thing you end up getting something good, and so, thanks to the first lockdown, the EBM/ minimal synth duo Hammershøi was born. The French band, which publishes on the prestigious label Swiss Dark Nights, shows us their problems and experiences as a couple in danceable tracks with the power of Electronic BodyMusic and the sensuality of the best minimal synth. The name of the duo is a reference to the painter Vilhelm Hammershøi, right? Is there any special aspect of his work that you also try to capture with your music? You are right ! We absolutely admire this painter and want to pay homage to him by bearing his name. This painter has enormous talent and he manages to make us feel a lot of feelings and emotions, in a fair and strong way. We try, through our music,to express these feelings and perhaps,we hope, to touch the people who listen to us. Ben was in different bands before Hammershøi, can you please tell us more about this? I was in fact a singer in several groups. Always musical groups using electronic instruments. For several years I was notably a singer and composer in a Synth Punk group called Perm.36. The only similarity between this group and Hammershøi is the exclusive use of a drum machine and singing in French. www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be - 24 - The two of you started the band during the first lockdown. I guess it had at least one positive consequence. Howwas it? Howdo you decide to create a band during that time? It was a bit by chance, to occupy our days, that we started making music together.We liked the exercise and the result and continued. From there was born the first album, entirely made in our kitchen. As a result, we experienced the first confinement quite well. What were your first inspirations? In an interviewyou said that German synth-pop band Nacht Analyse was an influence. Honestly, I did not know that band, can you please tell us more about them? You said that you have more influences fromGerman bands, right? We were very inspired by German electronic music mainly. Indeed, we designed our first album by listening a lot to Nacht Analyse. This is a wonderful musical project that unfortunately no longer exists. Their album is very rich and presents many influences also with very powerful singing. We are indeed very influenced by German groups. Maybe because we don’t understand anything about the lyrics! And in Germany too there are a lot of great things happening at the moment: go listen to Mängelexemplar,Oberst Panizza, Tilly Electronics, Infant Sanchos and the work of all these incredible guys: Carlos Grabstein and Miseria Records,Young & Cold,Kernkrach…

Being French, which French influences do you have? Coldwave maybe? I believe that the French groups that please us and inspire us the most are those who play minimal wave and who sing in French. Cold wave too of course! French works well with these musical genres. It’s not like rock’n roll in French! it sucks, no ? Are you interested in this new way of understanding EBM of bands like Leroy Se Meurt or Maman Küsters? Yes absolutely! Leroy Se Meurt, we played with them on stage.They are very talented and have a very edgy approach that works perfectly. They are also very friendly and approachable.Maman Küsters, I think they don’t do a lot live. But I remember that during the making of our first album,we listened a lot to their song “Liebe Hat Keine Preis”, remixed by Years of Denial.This track is fucking killer! There are a lot of things going on at the moment in France in any case! In some songs, the influences fromthe 80s is quite evident, like in Ich Hatte einen Freund. What do you like from that decade? We love this decade’s ability to provide many bands who made hits with very few instruments and super minimalist lyrics! Let people know, it’s super difficult to make a simple song that works ! How was the recording of the first album? I guess that all the processwas done at home as it was released during the first times of the pandemic. We made the entire first album in our kitchen where we spent all our days.Of course, the album is very DIY.We called on Daniel Hallhuber from Young and Cold for mixing and mastering. In an interview you said that Cathédrales described the history of your union and it was an album about introspection. Can you please tell us more about this? Indeed, our texts speak about us and therefore necessarily about our relationship.We approach significant stages in our history such as our meeting but also more complicated moments involving darker emotions. Writing allows for introspection since it requires returning to feelings,emotions or the past in order to put it into words. Being a couple, is it easy for you to speak about your problems or situations in the lyrics? Yes, it’s quite simple in the sense that we choose the words. We can choose to be transparent or, on the contrary, to make a less explicit text, allowing everyone to make their own interpretation. Life’s difficulties are a wonderful source of inspiration. I find it much more complicated to write the positive. (continues on p. 26) © thypa_photographie - 25 - www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be

HAMMERSHOI We love both.Our voices fit into these registers naturally. We have two distinct comfort zones that complement each other quite well! Why did you make a cover of Visage’s “Fade to Grey”, does this song have any special meaning for you? There’s no particular reason,just that we like this song! What I can just see is that even if it doesn’t have specific feelings for us, this Visage song is timeless and pleases everyone, right? You can listen to it with your grandmother or your children I think. It’s minimal wave for the general public. What gear have you used for the albums? © thypa_photographie (continuation of p. 25) How do you think that the duo has evolved musically with their sophomore album? Already, it’s obvious that we’ve made progress! I think we mostly knew where we wanted to go! Which wasn’t always the case with the first one.We also thought of this album as a whole with a single subject: us. It’s very egocentric but it was also a way of exorcising what we had experienced as humans.We thought a lot about rhythm and continuity.The first song,“I see you” talks about our meeting and the last offers an opening to the future. Between these two songs,melancholy, storms, happy mornings… Ben’s voice gives to the songs a more EBM sound meanwhile Anne gives a more synth/minimal vibe. Is it something natural or is it linked to your musical tastes? www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be - 26 - For the albums we used a Roland SE-02 for all the basslines and a groove box Roland MC-505 for all the drums. We used a lot of synthesizers around this basic configuration. I’m not going to list them all but the most important thing to know is that we never use a computer in the design of themusic.We are from a school that programs each button movement step by step. It’s long but it’s our method. What are the plans of the band for the future? We have a lot of projects coming up. Already, for Ombra Festival,we produced an EPwith our Italian friends fromZUG (Zona Utopica Garantita).We are really proud of this project! It was hard but the result is a very interesting mix of our musical approaches. They play on Sundays, go see them, it’s always a show on stage! Then we have to finish an album, more minimalist. We already have a lot of songs and it won’t be much longer. Finally,many collaborations will arrive very soon. https://hammershoiband.bandcamp.com François ZAPPA Published with kind permission of www.elgarajedefrank.es

YELWORC -The Ghosts I Called (Digital) (Metropolis Records) The last period has been a bit turbulent, for example last year vinyl releases appeared in very limited editions and now there is this “The Ghosts I Called” that mainly wants to serve an American market, it seems, and for the time being (?) only digitally is available. The songs presented here date back to 2013 and are mainly instrumentals laced with menacing, esoteric and occult samples. So it never becomes really danceable, rather 'atmospheric' and pitch black, sometimes even a bit tending towards ambient bits of sadness or menace. Less energy and no more haphazard “Blood In Face” but sometimes even a bit subdued and almost sacral, then dark and menacing like the gaping mouth of a demon. This release deserves a mention, because with the right attitude, songs like “Mute Voices”, “The Way The World Ends”, the most danceable “The Inner Dialogue”, “Hypnotic Mile ” or “Babylon's Code” get the fear out of you. YelworC no longer screams but is still just as intense and dark, even with age. MERCIFUL NUNS - Oneironauts (CD/Digital) [KI] (Solar Lodge/Alive!) “Oneironauts” as the opening song is divided into 4 parts, and in “The Gate” it blows us icily and enthusiastically towards 'hypnos' (sleep) where “The Watcher” (part 2) welcomes us in our dream with pounding guitars,'let us dream' while those guitars fly around like hypnotic 'saphlets'with occasional atmospheric rest points to fall deeper into the dream, 'keep dreaming'... and so on to the third part, to the pineal gland, the third eye of clear insight to travel into “The Innerverse”...'a place where spirits and the mind collide' on the backbone of a thumping and rumbling bassline. Finally, “Rise And Fall Of Kvltan” is the final destination rock from the depths of our sleep, hard and passionate… This “Oneironauts” is (again) a feat, a story, an escape and a search for what Artaud Seth calls the origin of all religion,this time by searching within ourselves for our third eye,our own light and our own God. [KI] ANTLER RECORDS - Early Years Vol 1 (Vinyl) (Antler Records) “Antler Records - Early Years Vol 1” features 12 songs of premature Belgian new wave, post-punk, cold wave, from the absolute early years of the label. The compilation opens with cult figures Luc Van Acker and Didi De Paris with their version of the “Lord's Prayer”, followed by the biting “Obsession” from the newly emerging Siglo XX. Punk for dark days, just like “Misery” by Suspects, a post-punk new wave anthem from the fertile Flemish farmland. Neue Sachlickeit is the only formation that gets two songs, the single “Ice / Painless Rage” from 1981, which gives a sound with a somewhat funky approach to the fresh newwave wind of the 80s. ... This first volume, "Early Years," from the Antler label, once again shows how creative, idiosyncratic, and passionate music was handled at the beginning of the 80s, inspired by the 'do it yourself'mentality of punk.Music was fun, but also a connection—a view of the world and'the human condition'.This vinyl compilation is a piece of Belgianmusic history, a reflection of the times, a hint of nostalgia, but also a wake-up call because as the old sang, so do the young ones. Charming, retro, and vintage, containing the seeds of a new modernity.Diverse and layered, yet always captured in the same atmosphere. [KI] KIRLIAN CAMERA - Radio Signals For The Dying (CD/Vinyl/Digital) (Dependent) A voice beautifully wrapped in idiosyncratic pop tunes such as the sensual “Stella Ominis”, “Goetter Geht Weg”, the beautiful “CRUD (Corpse Recovery Unit D)” or the dreamy future pop anthem “The Great Unknown”. Electronically controlled avant-garde pop that borrows from techno and light experiment.However, the beginning of“Radio Signals For The Dying” is rather dark with the deep “Il Tempo Profondo” (can be found later in a more accessible 'radio signals' version), while “Madre Nera” breathes neoclassical, something that also applies for the semiacoustic footnote “Deleted Msg” or “Esilio”.On songs like “Genocide Litanies”,“Luminous Shade”, “Homicide Aristocracy” or “We Have To Amputate” the more experimental and avant-garde side of Kirlian Camera emerges, to a greater or lesser extent.“Winter” is a cover ode to The Sound frontman Adrian Borland as only Kirlian Camera can deliver. There is no shortage of diversity, just to say the least. Great work but did I expect anything different? [KI] Read the full reviews on http://www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be/en/reviews/ - 27 - www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be

N.E.LENJ.P We can truly speak of a sensation. Just about everyone seems enthusiastic about N.E.L & J.P, the new project by Nel Mertens and Jean Paul De Brabander, combining sharply written punk poetry in Dutch with industrial electronics. N.E.L & J.P did it and they are asked to perform just about everywhere. We asked them too. On 23rd December, we will invite the duo to the first new style Dark Entries Night,whichwill still take place for free in the Kinky Star in Ghent. We checked whether the two can still keep their feet on the ground with the success. Hello N.E.L& J.P. As you know, we at Peek-a-boo are very enthusiastic about your debut EP ‘Honger’ (Hunger). Are you satisfied yourself and did you expect this positive reception? Nel : I couldn't estimate it at all... I certainly didn't expect the positive reactions – from our first single ‘Zelfbeeld van denaldie’ (Self esteem of the Aldi) –and especially the many performances that immediately followed. JP immediately suspected that it would ‘catch on’. With his musical experience,he knows whether somethingwill ‘get caught’by an audience or not but it was still exciting to wait and see whether our work would be picked up. And of course I am very happywith the result.It goes without saying that JPand I will only release things that we are both excited about. Sven, the frontman of This Can Hurt, contacted me at some point. They had almost finished their semi-acoustic EP ‘A Deeper Shade Of Blue’, with an instrumental track as the closing track,with which theywanted to do something with poetry.Amutual friend told them that –in addition tomusic reviews – I also wrote poetry and that's how they came to me. I wrote a lyric for their track and we recorded it. JP : We liked that so much that I suggested we work on a few more songs together.We were off! In just a few weeks we had recorded a few songs. Then the Ghent new wave band Fragments asked us to play the supporting act on their EP release.We are quite impulsive and like to say'yes' to everything, so that was quickly arranged. On the bill, we were announced as ‘punk poetry in dream rooms’.Nel writes punky poems. But the songs we made together didn't sound punky yet! Slight panic. We threw everything in the trash bin and wrote new songs and new lyrics in six weeks. It was just fitting to be able to open for Fragments with an electropunk set in a sold-out Trefpunt! JP, as mentioned, you have caused a stir in the past with This Can Hurt, the sound of which you describe as If we dream together, maybe the world will wake up. JP : I ampersonally very satisfied with the EP.It gives a good idea of what we are doing and of the possibilities in terms of sound, lyrics, etc. It really is a bit of a journey of discovery for us and we are only at the beginning. (laughs) How people will receive your music is really difficult to estimate in advance and something I don't want to deal with at all while writing. I think the healthiest starting point is always: try out musically things that give you goosebumps, and lyrically express things that are important to you.And then you will see whether there is an audience for that.But I really enjoy that our music is so well received. If I understand correctly, your collaboration resulted from a one-off collaboration between Nel and JP’s group, This Can Hurt. Can you tell us exactly how that worked? Nel : I already knew the gentlemen of This Can Hurt a bit from concerts and interviews I did with them. But I actually had the least contact with JP. www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be - 28 - ‘industrial postwave’. Do you have any other projects? Aren't you afraid that the success of N.E.L& J.Pwill cast a shadow on your work at This Can Hurt? JP : I have just finished Villa Voortman’s double album, which will be presented at the Handelsbeurs in Ghent on 15th December. 28 tracks on a double vinyl, ranging from drum 'n bass and punk to cabaret... In short: a particularly eclectic soup. (laughs) With Nel, I am working on the pre-production of our debut album, scheduled for the spring... and with This Can Hurt I am reworking a lot of songs that are planned for the third album... So my hands and agenda are full! Since there is so much difference in style and working method, it is not really a problem to have everything coexist. It’s just those agendas… There is awhole storybehind the title ofyour EP:‘Honger’ (Hunger). Can we knowmore about that? Nel : You can actually recognize hunger as a common thread through all the tracks on the EP. Everything but the most concrete, literal meaning of the word, as the basic need for food. Rather, it concerns what is referred to in today's society as ‘basic needs’... and that is sometimes positive when it comes to hunger in the sense of ‘yearning’. So we have the desire, the hunger for real contact in ‘Huidhonger’ (Skin Hunger). Because if we dream together, maybe the world will wake up. Or the beautiful admission of fragility, missing an old love, the beautiful memory of it, the secret longing for a reunion, in ‘Ik beken’ (I Confess). But sometimes – or usually – that ‘modern hunger’ is also negative, when it comes to the constant urge for more. ‘Traan’ (Tear) is about wanting to emphasize difficult emotions even more than they really are. In life, really

difficult is it to set music to someone else's poems? JP : As Nel just said, the first six to seven tracks we worked on almost all ended up in the trash bin... Actually, it's a bit of creating a musical seat or framework within which Nel works with her vocals and lyrics. I still remember quite well the moment of ‘Yes, I know what I want to write for her!’. The Eureka moment… Since then it has been extremely easy to determine which ideas will work. Nel, we know you as a busy bee. You’re a school director, mother, music journalist, poet and now also a singer. Is it possible to combine everything? Nel : Yes! Fortunately, I am someone who needs very little sleep.All these things ensure that I can use the difficult things often happen, and relationships do not turn out as we expected. But what is ‘difficult’ for one person is not for another. Sometimes it is necessary to put personal misery into perspective...The most discussed text is that of ‘Zelfbeeld van denaldie’ (Selfesteem of the Aldi). Because it is perhaps very simple and very recognizable, about the urge to overconsume as compensation for personal emptiness. ‘Hamartia’ is also about negative hunger, about rulers with gigantic egos and an even greater drive for power, and the influence they have on societies. And the hope that we will continue to defend ourselves against it and keep choosing for our lives. Nel, you address a whole range of important themes in your texts: emotional vulnerability, love, eroticism, but also broader social views. It sometimes seems as if you write your lyrics on a kind of high. Is that right? How do you get to work, and where do you get inspiration from? Nel : Well, actually that doesn't happen on a high at all! (laughs) I have little books with a pen everywhere. In every room in the house, in my handbag,book bag, in the toilet, in my desk at work... Beautiful words and thoughts often ‘pass’ through my head, inspired by daily situations that I experience, which I write down somewhere. During a ‘free’ moment, usually somewhere at night, I collect all those writings in a notebook and cluster them a bit. By theme or coherence.They then turn that into a text. I really schedule writing time at night. When the world sleeps, there is enough peace in my world to write lyrics. These are therefore mainly created through free association. Fragments that belong together, words that sound beautiful together, passages in which the rhythm naturally fits... I mold them into a text.As long as it doesn't rhyme. I don't like rhyming. JP, I assume that Nel's poems are the starting point for the compositions. Or do you sometimes use music that was composed separately from the text? How easy or how - 29 - time I have when the rest of the world is sleeping meaningfully and creatively.That wasn't always the case and I seemed to fall into more negative thoughts and behaviour. Naturally, all this requires tight planning and a dose of energy because they are also intense activities.But they also give me so much energy! And standing on a stage turns out to be – in addition to my daily dance session with my son – one of the onlyways for me to suddenly completely let go of the‘energy drains’and the‘frills of the day’.They are the ideal counterpart to the hustle and stress that sometimes comes with my job. The concerts follow each other in quick succession. We were veryhappyto be able to get you for the first newstyle Dark Entries Night on 23rd December but we see that you are announcing new performances at a steady pace. I was able to admire you live once and I thought it was a very nice performance. How do you view your live concerts? What do you pay attention to during a performance? Nel : I think the atmosphere in the room is very important. And good sound.My goal is to get rid of my book as quickly as possible. In principle, those lyrics are in my head but in my black book on stage, in addition to the lyrics, there is also a rhythmic score. I'm still so unsure`. I’m afraid that I might go wrong somewhere. Most of all, I want that thing off the stage because I feel a much nicer dynamic and interaction with the audience when I can look at them. You promise a full album in 2024. That's going fast, especially when we consider that ‘Honger’ (Hunger) was only released at the end of 2023. How is work progressing on the full album? JP : We're currently finishing the three final songs –maybe a fourth – and then it's basically ready to send to the pressing plant. Xavier KRUTH https://neljp.bandcamp.com/ www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be

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peek aboo calendar music &moviemagazine 12.01 RADIO CLASH (TRIBUTE TO THE CLASH) @ Djingel Djangel, 2000 Antwerp [BE] 13.01 MIXED VISIONS' 20TH ELECTRO INDUSTRIAL TOP 100 @Aalmoezenier, Antwerpen [BE] 19.01 THE OBSCURE (THE CURE TRIBUTE) @ Djingel Djangel, 2000 Antwerp [BE] 20.01 DIG DOWN (TRIBUTE TO MUSE) @ Barock, Brugge Sint Michiels [BE] 25.01 THE SISTERS OF MERCY @ Vier Nul Vier / Vooruit, Ghent [BE] 27.01 MORTICIA GOTHIC PARTY @ Cerberus, Hengelo (ov) [NL] Dj's Burb & Sl!m 30.01 THE SISTERS OF MERCY + THE VIRGINMARYS @ Trix, 2140 Antwerpen [BE] 03.02 MOTOR!K + VOETVOLK / LISBETH GRUWEZ @ De Warande Turnhout, Turnhout [BE] 03.02 SHADOWPLAY - ALTERNATIVE 80'S/NEWWAVE PARTY @Walhalla, Deventer [NL] Dj Sl!m 06.02 DEPECHE MODE MEMENTO MORI TOUR @ Sportpaleis, Antwerp [BE] 09.02 GRAUZONE FESTIVAL - DAY 1 @ Paard, 2512 Ga Den Haag [NL] Drab Majesty, Buzz Kull, Sdh, Powerplant, Genral Dynamics, She Past Away, Harsh Symmetry, Cold Cave, Cruush, Bestial Mouths, S.a.t.i.n., Skemer, The Underground Youth, Skelesys, Föllakzoid, Twin Tribes, Dorpsstraat 3, Spike Hellis, Curses, Lathe Of Heaven, The Soft Moon, Nuha Ruby Ra, Melenas, Gloria De Oliveira, Maria Uzor, Jennifer Touch, Benjamin Herman, Nostalgia Blitz, Kim Peers, … 10.02 GRAUZONE FESTIVAL - DAY 2 @ Paard, 2512 Ga Den Haag [NL] 10.02 F R A G M E N T, THE ULTIMATE DREAMERS @ L'os à Moelle, Brussels [BE] 11.02 GRAUZONE FESTIVAL - DAY 3 @ Paard, 2512 Ga Den Haag [NL] 17.02 NEW-WAVE-CLASSIX PARTY @ Vooruit (404), Gent [BE] Belgiums Finest Black Celebration With Djs Filip Delie (resident) And Guests . 24.02 INTERNATIONAL EBM DAY 2024 @ De Casino, 9100 St- Niklaas [BE] Cat Rapes Dog (se/no) Spike Hellis (usa) Mildreda (b) Human Steel (d) Zynik 14 (b). More Info & Tickets www.bodybeats.be 01.03 PORTA NIGRA - DAY 1 - FRONT 242, NITZER EBB, THE JUGGERNAUTS & MIRREXX @ Stadsfeestzaal, Aarschot Dj Between Bands: The Black Widow Afterparty With Dj BORG 02.03 PORTA NIGRA - DAY 2 - VNV NATION, KOSHEEN, THE OBSCURE & THE ARCH @ Stadsfeestzaal, Aarschot [BE] Dj Between Bands: The Black Widow New Wave Club Class-x Party Met Dj Wildhoney 02.03 E-TROPOLIS FESTIVAL @ Turbinenhalle, Oberhausen [DE] Suicide Commando, Nachtmahr, Kite, Frozen Plasma, Empathy Test, Rroyce And Accessory And Many More … 09.03 DER TAG DER BEFREIUNG IST NAH!!! (23): 33 YEARS OF LOKI-FOUND @ Urban Spree, 10245 Berlin [DE] Celebrating 33 Years Of Loki-found Live: Bad Sector, Circular, Fjernlys, Inade, Phelios & S.e.t.i. 09.03 NEWWAVE PROJECT BEERNEM@ De Kleine Beer, Beernem [BE] Erato, Not Mandatory, Causenation, Dj Fapnoir 24.03 BODIES & BEATS XIV WITH RUE OBERKAMPF + DARK MINIMAL PROJECT @ Fetish Café, Antwerpen [BE] 05.04 ELEKTROANSCHLAG 2024 @ Tenne / Brewery Altenburg, Altenburg [DE] 2-days-festival Axiome(be) Fargo(d) Frett(pl) Hartbrand(d) Heimstatt Yipotash(d) Hypnoskull(be) Iron Sight(dk) Jose Macabra(uk) Look Mum No Computer(uk) Meta Meat(f) Monya(d) Pale(se) Sans-fin(d) Stasis Device Vs.oko(d) Subheim (gr) Sutcliffe No More 19.04 PSYCHE + NO MORE + DARK MINIMAL PROJECT @ Studio D'enregistrement Canal 10, Hautrage [BE] 20.04 DARKEST NIGHT 2024 @ Gc Den Dries, Retie [BE] Akalotz, Nordarr, Container 90, Pantserfabriek, Diagnostic Error 20.04 D:ZINE & DER KLINKE @ Owla, 8000 Brugge [BE] Afterparty Met Dj Fapnoir Doors 19.30 27.04 BELGIAN BEATS WITH A SPLIT-SECOND, THE JUGGERNAUTS, STIN SCATZOR & PORNO KARAOKE @ The Black Lab, Wasquehal [FR] + Warm-up, Interlude & Closing Party With Dj Saïz (only Belgian Ebm/new Beat) 27.04 DONKERE TIJDEN ! @ Dvg Club, Kortrijk [BE] Causenation , Black Snow In Summer , Enzo Kreft , Onrust 04.05 NEW-WAVE-CLASSIX PARTY @ Vooruit (404), Gent [BE] Belgiums Finest Black Celebration With Djs Filip Delie (resident) And Guests Tbc 10.05 TOPOGRAPHIES (US) @ Djingel Djangel, 2000 Antwerp [BE] American Postpunk Band With Gray Tolhurst (yes, Son Of...) In Their Midst. Their New Album 'interior Spring' Is Expected Early 2024 On Dark Entries. 11.05 PORNO KARAOKE + NEWWAVE / EBM PARTY @ La Boule Du Centre, 7 rue Louvière, Gaurain-Ramecroix [BE] 08.06 ENZO KREFT LIVE OUTDOOR + NEWWAVE NIGHT @ Het Nieuw Verleden, Beernem [BE] Afterparty DJ Fapnoir 29.06 PEKKERSFEESTEN @ De Leest, 8870 Izegem [BE] She Past Away , Agent Side Grinder , Velvet Mist , Erato , Dageist , The Cult By Pure Kult , Afterparty Fapnoir & The Master 27.07 AMPHI FESTIVAL XVIII - DAY 1 @Amphi Eventpark / Tanzbrunnen, Köln [DE] And One Project Pitchfork * Blutengel * Front Line Assembly * Solar Fake * Hocico * Kirlian Camera * Neuroticfish * Heldmaschine * Ost+front * Schattenmann * The Beauty Of Gemina * Then Comes Silence * Agent Side Grinder * Minuit Machine * Girls Under Glass * Merciful Nuns * Principe Valiente * A Projection * Henric De La Cour * T.o.y. * Ultra Sunn * Dark * Manntra * Die Selektion * Soulbound * Alienare * Bloody Dead And Sexy * Auger * Blackbook + Viele Weitere Bands … 28.07 AMPHI FESTIVAL XVIII - DAY 2 @Amphi Eventpark / Tanzbrunnen, Köln [DE] 19.10 D:ZINE & LAVI EBBEL @ Harmonie, 9700 Oudenaarde [BE] Afterparty Met Dj Fapnoir ( Black Planet ) 19.10 NEETWAVE 2024 @ Gc Den Dries, Retie [BE] Line-up Tbc 16.11 BELGIAN ELECTROWAVE IS NOT DEAD III - 30 YEARS OF IC 434 @Wommel, Wommelgem [BE] + Deleritas, Herrnia And Aftershow By Euforic Existence And Dj Peter Melis & Dj PK >>>> IF YOUR EVENT IS NOT LISTED HERE, YOU FAILED TO ADD IT TO OUR FREE ONLINE CALENDAR <<<< - 31 - www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be

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