Into The Darkness #3, 08/1997

The interview was conduced with Angelo Bergamini in February of 1997.

Let's start with a question you answered many times: on which basis did you choose the name of the band?
I was looking for a name not subjected to fashions and able to resist along the time with no connection to a precise period. But it had also to like me, to mean something, so a friend suggested me something around the Kirlian Camera, that's a controversial system invented by two Russian scientists, used to "photograph" the energy that surrounds them that we can give different interpretations; some tried to demonstrate it was the soul. I don't have the needed knowledge to have an opinion about, however it seemed nice to me to adopt the name of that device for a band.

Have you ever interested to topics such as esoterism and occultism?
Yes, I was interested to various themes concerning esoteric and religious matters, especially many years ago, but maybe I was not enough motivated to penetrate deeply. I lived for a while in quite disquieting climates with some friends and I had the sensation we were going to a collettive hysteria; we were loosing the control of ourselves and this made fear, apart bringing very little of the light we looked for so much. Maybe too much little experience and too much agitated souls, nervous which were ours. Now when it happens I read something, but I'm often sceptic. We can believe in the supernatural by default, or believe in it because somebody can expose valid theories or maybe because he can prove something. However, the theme I'm interested more is what regards Jesus Chrst, his possible presence on the earth, his teachings. As you see no ghosts, but maybe something more abnormal...

Could you talk about your last cd "Pictures From Eternity"?
The last album presents tracks partially more listenable, also melodic. It was my need after "Solaris" and his lifeless chill; I didn't want that the band would get crystallized in the electronic partially minimal and with some quotations, I prefered to show another face equally desperate. Sometimes, when I write songs, I'm also more depressed than usual and everything became easier. Lyrics and melodies are less complicated, at least in the first phase. When you are sick sometimes you don't want to create too much researched architectures, but you reach the essence of your pain discharging more. Maybe "Pictures..." is less analytical because extremely passionful. There are little evident references, as usual, but, globally, it's like an opened heart. The lyrics are direct and simple, lived. Even the musical textures seem more direct than they really are. I love very much this record, more than others released previously.

How was the tour in Germany/Austria to support the new cd? Are there other tours in scheduling?
The tour has been still once stimulating, surely the most funny I remember, as the relationship with the audience now is very nice; there is heat, notwithstanding the particular music... Also this time all the played tracks had different arrangements from the originals already released on the record, and I think this is important. The audience can recognize a song, but it understands that there was at least an attempt to avoid the obviousness. We have really satisfying reactions from the people come to hear us. Our "Eternity tour 1996/97" proceeds, in a "broken" way. We will be around soon, in Europe and I think also elsewhere.

Which are the future projects of K.C.?
Our new album is in working and will be released on the next 16th of August, that's after one year from the previous (but in Italy it arrived with some delay). They are tracks already released in past, from 1981 to 1996 but totally re-written and re-arranged for a strings orchestra, chorus, solos and some rare traditional percussion. To work with orchestras and professional chorus help very much in the arrangements, even if it could be a bit stressing. I was not used to this, but I believe that in the end, if it proceeds in this way, we will have our best record, I hope. It's the closure of a cycle started at the end of the '70s and we wished to present the songs we prefer today in a form more suitable, definitive. No electronic instruments were used. There are several persons involved, between orchestras and chorus, moreover we will have the presence of a friend, Patrick O'Kill (ex Death In June, Sixth Comm) as solo voice in a track; the orchestra director should be Alessandro Nidi (already collaborator of Battiato). It's a project intended like a little friends party and for the few followed us during the time. I really hope that they will appreciate this... The others would not appreciate in any case. We were never nice to everyone, I know. Meanwhile, we finished a soundtrack for a Mediaset/Fininvest movie, that will be out soon in cinemas and tvs, and I believe also in Vhs. The soundstracks often help us economically and, even if they don't reflect our true musical direction at 100%, can be stimulating. There are other things that will involve us in a short time, including another collaboration with Andromeda Complex (an ideal soundtrack for a new comics character created by Baldazzini) but they are still in development.

You were often at the center of polemics for presumed political ideas, do you want to say something about?
It's difficult to say something with no misunderstandings. I believe it's better that the usual "judges" continue in their work. They are bored people, mainly coming from bourgeois class; the snobbery is the only thing they have. They get fun. We have very different roots, our problem is not to have too much money and free time. We play honestly, without too many compromises, and it's difficult, believe me. After the accusations against us regarding nazi-fascist tendencies the members of the band stated to be interested to opposite themes, of communist kind, I will state nothing.

In the single "your face in the sun" I noticed the presence of the fourth member: is it a sporadic collaboration or integral part of the band?
She is a friend we wanted to insert in a temporary line-up.

Before arriving to a stable line-up with Emilia Lo Jacono and Simone Balestrazzi you collaborated with many other persons. Are you satisfied of the current line-up?
The current line-up doesn't include Simone anymore, it wouldn't be possible anymore for futile reasons. His place has been now replaced by Ivano Bizzi, keyboardist coming from very abnormal areas. He often collaborated with pop music artists (Riccardo Fogli, Gianni and Marcella Bella!!!) and more "similar" (Andromeda Complex, T.A.C., Parts, etc.), apart being produced in the '70s by PFM. That record was not released, and he started to be a session man, the sound engineer. He has much experience of concerts and especially he has no blikers. I believe he is relaxed with us, there is much friendship. Meanwhile he is working on his solo album, electronic stuff, between dark ambient and early Tangerine Dream; usual climates for him because he is an older "electronic". Simone will go away for a while, there was no quarrel.

Lately you made the soundtrack for the movie "Cosa c'entra con l'amore". I think it's interesting for a band as yours to produce the musical comment for a movie, do you agree with this opinion?
Many dream to comment the pictures, me too, but now that we work often in this area we cannot deny some unsatisfaction. The producers sometimes have no minimal cultural knownledge, that's an obstacle: it seems to speak with mice! Instead Emilia seems to be able to analyse better the problems derived by some confusion and to solve them, so she helps us very much, arranging and producing everything: I would get crazy!

Do you believe in the principle of the cycleness? I mean do you believe that the end is also a beginning or only dramatically the end?
I believe in everything and in nothing. Jokes apart, after this original phrase, I can say that recently I have a bit of fear of a temporary end... because I fear the after. Look at the after-death: and if there was really a hereafter but full of pain and terror? And if the souls of those idiots I knew here would they be still present there without any evolution? Sometimes I hope that the nothingness could come to give us some rest, but I don't believe it will be in this way. "Cycleness" could be a fearful concept. I prefer to believe in the will to do qualitatively important changes. Madness and cycleness sound friends to me, and the madness is something I must stay more possible far away.

Ordo Ecclesiae Mortis: this name made me think about some kind of music, instead in the first cd with material of '85-'86 I found something different from what I expected, but interesting the same. Could you give me some explanations about this side-project and about its future evolution?
Ordo Ecclesiae Mortis really had a follower, a couple of years ago, but once again we did nothing. Gianluca Becuzzi (Limbo/Pankow) already composed and recorded fourteen tracks where I had to play with instruments and voices, but the label involved for this project didn't respect the agreements and I refused to deliver the definitive master. What a pity, Gianluca works very good with the electronic music. A track appeared in the last work of the Kirlian Camera but I don't know if the others, unreleased, will ever see the light. Regarding the fact that O.E.M. sounded different from what a similar name could make to suppose, I understand, because it's a rather general opinion; in the times of the first recordings we could think to something similar to Current 93 than a cauldron of electronic, cabaret and dark rock, so somebody remained a little interdict and many years have passed before to accept that conscious confusion. There will be a follow but this monicker has been currently completed also for contractual reasons. Another one will be used but the general sound will be very different.

How do you see the current Italian scene?
I appreciate everybody, so nobody gets angry! I know too much people now, it's impossible to quote everybody. Globally the qualitative level is not high; many proposals and little musical knowledge or simply creativeness. It would be not a great problem because everyone has the right to play music as prefers but then unfortunatly it is hit who can't find its space in a saturated and demoralizing market, apart exceptions. I don't see the solution, nobody wants to reduce the continuous proposals flow that are often released. A true problem is the poor technical equipment the discs are recorded with; they sound too much bad. The boys have often little money to spend and the huge offer causes confusion reflected in the portfolio. Many read the specialized magazines, they believe to find something interesting in the delirium of a critic, they go into the shop and paid a lot the object that later find disappointing in the 90% of the cases. They will end to get bored. Then they say to be aesthetes, conceptuals or provocative collagers. But... how many snob aesthetes in the world! The same happens in foreign countries. Moreover when they sell two copies they believe to be Michael Jackson, they don't answer to the mails of the two related fans. There is also who more is ugly and more is considered artist. Power of the esoterism!!

The interview ends here, do you want to add something?
No, nothing to add. Only greetings.

E. Dellanotte

English translation: Adalberto Orrigo - 15.12.2004