CORPUSDELICTI underground scene, I remember a fest in St. Niklaas where the stage was built with beers boxes. Mad. [Chris]: Of course, the tour in the USA organized by William Faith in 1994 from Los Angeles to New York remains a great memory, especially if one remembers how easy it was to go play there at that time!! [Sebastien]: Yes,USA, that was crazy…I was 20 years old, incredible. One of the greatest one for me was the one we did in 1995 at The Marquee in London. Such iconic venue. [Chris]: The great classics like Bauhaus, Siouxsie & the Banshees, The Cure, Stranglers, New Order… But before I really liked the punk from '77, early ska and reggae. Turning to your second album, Sylphes, which followed the path you began with Twilight and features gems such as ‘Patient’ and ‘Noxious (The Demon’s Game)’, can you tell us about the creative process behind this album?Were there new directions, ideas, or challenges that shaped its sound in 1994? Any special memories you’d like to share? [Chris]: I think we knew each other better back then,and above all we never set any limits when it came to creation. Of course, we had our influences, but they specifically told us not to copy them but to use them to create what we wanted. [Sebastien]: For me, that’s my favorite period.There was such amazing energy in the band —we were confident after Twilight and ready to explore new territory. I have a very vivid memory of creating Saraband during rehearsal: Chris came up with his bass part, Jérôme immediately added that strange, sinuous guitar, and Roma brought in that bouncy, distinctive drum rhythm. The melody came to me easily, and after a few tries we were really excited. But I kept saying to them: “It’s very pop, isn’t it??” I felt like we were almost doing Blur … Well, looking back, it wasn’t really that at all. Recently, you performed at incredible venues such as La Maroquinerie in Paris,The Forge in London, Madrid, Ittre in our very own Belgium, and Mexico City (with a 3-hour fan signing session), bringing your music to devoted fans around the world. But looking back at the numerous shows you played in the 90s, are there particular moments from that era that still stand out to you today? [Franck]: It was hard times (haha) lots of driving, really www.peek-a-boo-magazine.be - 22 - Gothic rock is a genre that emerged in the late 1970s and early 1980s, defined by its dark atmospheres, melodic intensity, and often introspective lyrics. While some bands embraced being labeled as such, others preferred not to be. How do you, as Corpus Delicti, relate to the Goth label? What does it mean to you, both as a band and as individual musicians? [Chris]: I believe that we sometimes struggle with this label, because this term has become a bit diluted over time; we put anything and everything under this term, especially the non-specialized media but unfortunately not only them. It encompasses metal bands or shock rock groups with which we do not really have a connection, and sometimes we don't want to be associated with them or be stuck in clichés. So I would say that Corpus Delicti is gothic, is new wave, is postpunk, is rock; it is whatever you want it to be. [Franck]: I love dark, cinematic, dreamy, ethereal , or sharp atmospheres and introspective lyrics.So we might be Goths I suppose. Personally It’s just about art, I don’t think to be a dark person, I love the sea, the sun, the heat, but I love cold music. The 1995 album Obsessions, a record that many fans still consider a high point in your discography, was the last studio album you released before your flame dimmed in 1997. Not counting the excellent live album From Dust To Light released in 2024, it’s been over 30 years since a full studio album.What reignited that flame and brought you back together in 2022, and how does it feel to be releasing a brand new album very soon after all this time? [Franck]: We’ve been back in 2022 because of the fans … only for them. We decided to do it and have a maximum of fun, but being 100% involved. We had to be true, not faking.We met many fans around the world, and it always been intense, touching. After 2 years of touring, it became quite obvious to record some new material. When we realized we still have our signature it became really exciting to make a new album.
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