"Maschinenfest 2007" - Black Mag translated.
EVA|3
Although the band's name seems to refer to a band of 3, EVA|3
mainly consists of 2 persons: EVA, whose every-day name is Paul,
responsible for the sound, and Riotmiloo a.k.a Emily who contributes
the lyrics and the vocals – and who raises a tornado of manic passion
on stage as could be experienced recently during the Machinenfest.
The first album “The Great Divide” was released just recently by
Fich-Art, a reason and good opportunity to take a closer look at
the band.
? Be careful, it's cold and really filthy in here...
Paul: and comfortably quiet...
? How come that ASCHE performed together with you?
Paul:
He co-founded and runs the label which has released our CD. It was his
doing that we got the gig at the Maschinenfestival, since he himself
did not perform that year but he was eager to appear on stage and
that's why he had asked us if he could be guest performer. What could
be more obvious than to perform together with him the song he had mixed
for our album?
Riotmiloo: Respectively the songs...
Emily: Correct, he mixed two songs and merged them
into one; “Crawling” and “Rejected By Both”
became “Crawling Rejection”.
?Being in 3 on stage you seemed like a classic band. How did it feel?
EVA: Easy-going. After he joined everything went smoothly. I was in mortal fear before that (laughs).
?I think your album enjoyably sounds like oldschool industrial. What are your musical roots?
Paul:
I am making music since I have been nine years old. Since then I have
started to play piano, then drums and then bass. I discovered
electronic music around 1996 – Skinny Puppy and the like... my first
Noise band was HYPNOSKULL and the stuff I made myself turned out
to be noise.
?What else is an inspiration for EVA|3?
Paul: You
already mentioned oldschool industrial. That raw energy it has!
THROBBING GRISTLE, of course; we actually started our set with a cover
of “Discipline”.
?A song whose original version is already quite powerful!
Paul:
It was great. P.A.L was standing right in front of the stage, raising his fist
?Are there any production methods you favour, analog/digital for example?
Paul: I like that dirty 80s sound, the sound of the productions of that time.
?The early phase of digital production, when samplers and sequencers had a minute memory?
Paul:Exactly, due to that the sounds got a dirty tone.
? It is also quite unusual to see a woman on stage, especially one having so much power? How has your collaboration come about?
Paul:
I knew her from another band, she was the singer, and I was searching
somebody who could contribute the vocals for a track on the album and
therefore I asked Emily if she would be available for a collaboration.
And she was!
Emily: I have been in different bands from punk to
experimental to indie and when Paul asked me, I agreed. Then there was
a gig together at London's “Slime Light” and here we are now.
?The lyrics for, can I
say homage to “Warm Leatherette”, were different from the
original ones. Have you written the text?
Emily:
Yes. It was our first collaboration. I did not realize he used that
structure in that song. Paul had the music and I wrote the “Sweet
Abuse” lyrics for it.
Paul: The song is a tribute to “Warm
Leatherette, an homage to the electronic music of the late 70s but thanks
to Emily's vocals and lyrics it became a totally new song. And that was
exactly what I wanted. When I heard the song, I though “That's it!”,
she absorbs the energy of the music and transfers it into a human
element.
Emily: “Sweet Abuse” is also a key to the rest: people
requested remixes from us and eventually there are about 17 or 18
remixes by different bands and persons; we intend to publish the remixes
on an internet page.
Paul: There will be everything, from pure
dance to electro clash and noise. The remix by Philipp Münch
(SYNAPSCAPE), also on the album, will soon feature on “Electronic
Manifesto 2”, a tribute compilation to the classics of 80s
minimal-electronic like DAF, GRAUZONE, NITZER EBB and so on.
?
The intensity of the show – is it spontaneous, or is the madness
presented suddenly from one second to the other your method to handle
stage fright?
Emily (laughs): Right, on stage I switch from 0 to
100. The stage fright I do not feel anymore then – actually I do not
notice anything anymore then; usually no earlier than some time after
the show I realize that I have lots of scratches, bumps and bruises.
?You consciously let yourself slip into that frenetic state?
Emily:
It just happens. While writing I try to seize the emotions Paul's music
is causing in me to get inspired, and on stage I do this with my whole
body.
? What are your lyrics about?
Emily: That depends on
the music and the emotions the music addresses within me. Concerning
“Little Inside, So Addicted”, for example, I improvised the text. The
idea was to put oneself into a state of mind that equals the on of a
kidnappee. I read a book about a kidnapping recently and wanted to
express that feelings of being caught and lonely. That is the
impression I have when hearing the music.
Paul: The track is the
result of a bad phase during which I did not feel well at all. The
screams you can hear are mine. To express feelings it is a noisy song.
The lyrics she brought on stage suits the atmosphere very well.
?
All in all, you have been accepted very enthusiastically. Which
impressions from the Machinenfestival will you take home with you?
Paul:
It is a great event, organized thoroughly. The audience was fantastic;
we expected less people and that their attitude would be colder. I've
already had some experiences, especially in England and especially being
the opening act ... and then we got that amazing reaction, such a warm
welcome! Everybody was cordial and friendly.
? Thanks a lot for your time and all the best for your trip home to London!
Interview by Alexander Nym translation by Spitfyr