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Written by Sameerah
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Monday, 21 February 2005 23:04 |
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For those of us lucky enough to be in Southern California during the 80's, we were able to witness the birth of the LA underground. That moment in time when Goth and Punk were at their zenith when you could see bands like TSOL and Circle Jerks playing backyard parties and clubs all over LA. For the rest of us who were either too young to be there or transplants, we can only image what it must have been like to live in a time where all these bands lived and played together exchanging music and ideas. To witness the evolution of some of the most powerful music on the planet must have been amazing. The Deep Eynde is one of those bands who grew up during those heady days, living and working with some of the best. They maybe best known for their live performances, which are wild with intense energy that may best, are described as musical performance art. Through the years they have developed their own unique style that combines the best of Dark Punk and Rock-A-Billy. Not long ago I had the chance to sit down with The Deep Eyndes Fate Fatal to trace the evolution of The Deep Eynde and see what lies in their future.
For those of us lucky enough to be in Southern California during the 80's, we were able to witness the birth of the LA underground. That moment in time when Goth and Punk were at their zenith when you could see bands like TSOL and Circle Jerks playing backyard parties and clubs all over LA. For the rest of us who were either too young to be there or transplants, we can only image what it must have been like to live in a time where all these bands lived and played together exchanging music and ideas. To witness the evolution of some of the most powerful music on the planet must have been amazing. The Deep Eynde is one of those bands who grew up during those heady days, living and working with some of the best. They maybe best known for their live performances, which are wild with intense energy that may best, are described as musical performance art. Through the years they have developed their own unique style that combines the best of Dark Punk and Rock-A-Billy. Not long ago I had the chance to sit down with The Deep Eyndes Fate Fatal to trace the evolution of The Deep Eynde and see what lies in their future.
Ecto: How did The Deep Eynde come about?
Fate: We all were in high school, then at one point we found our selves one by one dropping out. I ended up moving in with the band Naked Aggression, and 5 years later, we really learned from them about getting our shit together. I think our tenacity in keeping this band still together was from being around bands that would stay with us, but mostly living with Naked Aggression. We had so many bands stay at our house, it was non-stop every weekend. c.
When our band started out, we were fuckin insane, we were this crazy dark insane circus that was ignited by bands like Naked Aggression, Babyland and other local bands. We were lighting the drums on fire, and one time we almost burned a club in Pomona down during the show, we were more of a performance art show than music. I came up with ideas for shows using insects, it was total madness. We played the El Rey, Hollywood Moguls, and were getting really wrapped up in the gothic scene, which was really fun, but my side project was darker, and less aesthetic. I really didn't feel then that I need to explain my freedom of expression to anyone, that I was becoming bored, and that I needed to be put in some sort of danger again.
Ecto: When you first started you were a Goth oriented band, how did the evolution into a dark punk band come about?
Fate: Much of it has to do with living with Naked Aggression, and other punk bands. I was the total freak in black, always creeping around. All the punks would laugh at me, or find humor in what I was doing. I think they thought it wasn't as hardcore, that is until some of them who actually came to our show. I think just growing up in LA and being so influenced by the bands that created a whole foundation of what our music is today. I was just a kid in the 80's when the music scene exploded in LAâ?¦where bands like X, TSOL & Circle Jerks were playing all the time...and everyone knew them, or hung out with them.
Back then; the group of people that I hung around were a mix of Goths, punks, mods, and others from miscellaneous scenes. Back then we all hung around each other, and were inspired by each other's music, which now I think is a little different. Now there seems to be more of a divided line between scenes. I think with that, there is a lot of crossover influence. A perfect example of this would be a bar that we all used to hang out at called The Cricket Bar in Hollywood. This bar had to be the most fucked up in Los Angeles, but we all used to hang out thereâ?¦there was a mix of bands playing, from punk, gothic, death rock, ska, etc. It would be like, there's biker people to the left, and punks to the right, it was a pretty crazy place. I think that was the first show that I played, and if you could imagine that the audience wasn't the most friendliest. All I remember is being spit on countess times, and at one time I was almost ready to puke. This had to be around 1989, where we had this really crazy dark/pyseudo death rock set. The punk band after us had a guy who would only perform with a license plate from a car.
Ecto: You're known mostly for you live shows. Describe The Deep Eynde live for those who haven't seen you yet.
Fate: Over the years, we have found ourselves playing more and more shows that were punk orientated. We have since been on bills with bands such as TSOL, which stripped us down to a performance that was more high energy than theatrical, which again was had really been different than what I was normally used to.
In the past, our shows were pretty damn crazyâ?¦we were lighting things on fire, I was spewing blood all over the place, it was out of control. One of the things that made me get away from that was the fact that our music was good, and I really didn't need to do overshadow that by doing doing over-the-top stage antics. Our shows have since become less theatrical but definitely higher energy. The audience definitely moves a lot more than they used to.
At the beginning, my performance was way less musical and more theatrical. Between the other bands I had, industrial manic band KITTENS FOR CHRISTIAN, and of course THE DEEY EYNDE, we were fucking insane. We were lighting the drums on fire, and one time we almost burned a club in Pomona down during the show, we were more of a performance art show than music. I came up with ideas for shows using insects, it was total madness. One time we played at this loft owned by the singer of Phantom Limbs when he used to live in North Hollywood. I don't know what the fuck I was on, but I ended up taking a shit right on stageâ?¦he was totally pissed. But that was along time ago; so don't expect that any shows. So we had these totally crazy shows, then when the recording of City Lights came about, our producer really had to cut back the insanity...literally cut it back like weeds, then searched out the main meat of the songs.
Ecto: You're music blends lost of different styles. You're not just Goth or New Wave, where do you draw your influence?
Fate: I was heavily influenced by Siouxsie & The Banshees, and I think my first album totally reflects that. There is something about the sound that she had that really hit home to me. Over the years, I really had to let go of that, because I needed to search of my own sound, so I began to experiment with different styles. The Misfits, Damned, TSOL, Stranglers. And I can honestly say that I have found my place. You can ask me what kind of music I have in my CD player now, and I could tell you that it is the most random collection.
Ecto: How do your songs come about? Do you all participate in the song writing process?
Fate: The best way songs come about is working not with the whole band, but with just one personâ?¦really isolating the sound, and getting a mood going. Its really funny to hear me sing when first start writing a new song. I will start making up words, my own words, my own words. Kind of like how those old blues guyz did in the old days. And I found this is the way that I have always done itâ?¦all my songs were written like that. Then from these humms and made up words, I fit words that can match them, that sound like them. And let me tell you that takes some timeâ?¦.but it is important to make whatever the word is, as close as the made-up word I originally made. It is sort of a "collective chaos" way of writing. I try and do my best to keep the chatter down, people always have something to say during the creation process, and the best thing to do for everyone is to shut the fuck up. There is nothing more annoying than someone trying their best to show the rest of the band an idea, when at the same time some wise-ass starts to figure it out at the same time by playing notes. I have had this problem so many times with bands in the past. Luckily now, we have learned that the best way to create a new song is only with two people
As far as a theme, have always had an interest in horror. I think for most boys growing up, they had a problem hiding their pornography. I had more problems hiding my Fangoria Comic book. I have always been obsessed with horror, and at first it was most of the Halloween silliness, but death is around us, and it is just as natural as life. I really never took interest too much in the Faces of Death series, it just seems like they try too hard to scare people. I think for most people in the world, horror is something that they really distance themselves from, while I embrace it. It is therapy for me, as I saw my mom basically rot to death from cancer, the whole horror culture pokes fun at this whole thing that is supposed to be so taboo in American culture.
Ecto: What artists inspired you to want to play music?
Siouxsie Sioux, Dave Vanian, Peter Murphy & Stiv Bators.
Ecto: How was recording Shadowland different from your previous albums?
Fate: Shadowland reflects a harsher sound that I had been exposed to growing up within the underground scene here in Southern California, I mean you really cant get around it out hereâ?¦and at the same time there wasn't as much division as there is nowâ?¦. There are so many genres of "punk"; political punk, horror punk, crusty punk, power punk..etc. That didn't exist really when I startedâ?¦all I knew was that I liked the Damned, and that was it. I never thought of them a gothic band. People really determine the band by what the singer is wearing. Dave Vanien is one of my biggest inspirations.
Being so immersed in the dark underground scene over the years, I really needed an outlet to scream my head off once again, especially with the state of our country, the war, the president. So with this album I decided to pull a few old recordings we have been doing live that were written before "suicide drive" and work an album around that style. The result is a post-punk sounding sing-along album totally inspired by the bands that influenced me to do musicâ?¦TSOL, The Damned, Misfits, etc. People have been comparing this album from everything from Bad Religion to Lords of the New Church, which makes me pretty happy. Over the years I have tackled different sounds, but it's these songs on this album that is definitely the most fun to do live.
Ecto: Are you planning any tours in support of Shadowland?
We are going to Europe this spring to support Mad Sin & U.S. Bombs, and we will be touring the U.S. this fall.
Ecto: Do you have any big plans for 2005?
I think the main goal is to get back on the road where we belong. There will be a video issue of "devilchild", online in the next few months. We just got finished filming an exorcism scene for it, pretty funny.
Ecto:Youre a So Cal band, how are you received when you play other cities?
It really depends on where we play, but for the most part, we are able to fit into anywhere the kids aren't supposed to be. We really like to play, and we don't want to ignore a place that we feel that we would be good at. I think that's a problem with some bands that are too insecure to play outside their scene.
Ecto: Anything else you want to share with the readers?
Check out our CD "shadowland" available at www.disasterecords.com and stores everywhere. Disaster Records has been releasing so many cool bands including The Insaints, and soon this wicked band called Civit.
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 21 June 2005 22:06 )
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