Bands & stars——Brighter Death Now

Interview with Roger Karmanik

Nicolas

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The first thing I'd like to ask you is about your art for "Obsessis". Your fans were for sure used to a darker, bloodier imagery. How do you think they received this one?
With pain and agony! At least I hope so, but I've heard that many also enjoyed the total break from the black/dark images and the standard use of estheticks in the industrial culture.

The cover art wasn't the only point on which "Obsessis" differs from your previous works. For example, it seems to me you've been influenced by power electronics for this album (for example on the vocals). Is it true?
Both yes and no. The use of vocal is the same way I did with some Lille Roger tracks 15 years ago, but of course I have to admit being influenced by the newer PE aswell. Still the average vocal tracks on Obsessis is not much different than I use to do. So not much of a deal! Maybe just a bit more straight forward.

Have you ever thought of printing your lyrics?
Well haven't I already? the title is there, and much more than that it isn't really. Sofar I've only used my voice as a compliment to the sounds. I don't believe in long texts for lyrics, at least not for me, it's more like poetry.

Do you think you'd still be able to write an album like "The slaughterhouse" or "Necrose Evangelicum"? What's the difference between Roger Karmanik 1989 and Roger Karmanik 2001.
It's 12 years difference! I have matured... come to conclusions. Accepted things as they are and the way I am.

"Innerwar" seems to me to be the album with which Brighter Death Now became more aggressive than dark. Why did you make this turn? What do you think of this album, seen from now?
I like it alot, it was based on ideas I collected through many years back. It was a mission I needed to complete, and I am pleased that I managed to get through with it. It was recorded in parallell with Necrose Evangelicum and Great Death 3, so I was working on 3 albums at the same time, which was a fantastic way to work.

Brighter Death Now has become an icon of this scene. What can you still achieve with this project?
Depends what I want to achieve and do I really want to achieve something? BDN is more a of a private nature,it's a way of dealing with private matters, or non private matters. BDN is the ultimate freedom. no boundaries. no obligations. just let go.

And are you satisfied with it as of today?
I will never get satisfied with what I do, I always think I could do better, and I think you never should get satified either at least not completely, you always have to strive forward, to look forward. What do we otherwise have left to accomplish?

That was my next question: what are your dreams regarding Brighter Death Now and Cold Meat Industry?
Dreams... that's funny you mention it. I was talking about this with a friend of mine yesterday. I was think of my dreams 15 years ago, and now looking back I have just about accomplished all what I dreamt about doing, but never really thought was possible. Then I start thinking 10 years ahead from now..... scary....

And what do you see?
What do I see? Me retired... a big wall around our garden, me walking around with a stick in one hand, a drink in the other, selling antiques via internet, releasing rare collector- items on CMI. Writing obscure books and poetry, recording minimalistic industrial music with BDN... relaxing, enjoying life.

I'd like to ask you how you came to listen to noise / industrial music. I think I read somewhere you were into punk before BDN and Lille Roger. But how did you get exposed to this kind of music?
I read a lot of fanzines and came across a swedish one that had a entire issue dedicated to Industrial Records, and just reading it gave me a hard on! I got sick on the usual punk stuff rather quickly and wanted something more, I also wrote poetry at early age and made photographic collages so the industrial was like putting it all together! So I started to make cut-ups and tape loops, pitched down Public Image Ltd 3 times and LOVED it! Bought some tapes of TG (Throbbing Gristle) and was totally sold! Everything matched perfectly into my own personality.

Do you think that noise or industrial music are the punks of the period, with their shock values and messages? Is it your aim with Brighter Death Now.
I believe some bands are. But not BDN! What people doesn't understand is, that I am not doing this for them, I am doing it for me, myself!!

Does this power electronics influence also play a role in the way your handling Cold Meat Industry right now? There has been for sure a change toward more noisy bands recently.
No. And that is just bullshit! The reason for the more "noisier" bands are the access. There hasn't been anything around worth releasing of more industrial bands here in Sweden than right now.
If it would have been 5 years ago or 10 years ago would not have matter. There is no influence. This is what I have been listening to for 15 years! I can't help that people finally get their sense together.
But wait and see! ) Soon you'll be picking me formoving over to only releasing dark-ambient music again!

What's next for Cold Meat Industry? What surprise do you have for us? When are you going to release something really metal, or really techno on this label?
Letum will be the next surprise, aswell as the new Desiderii Marginis of course, both absolutely amazingly brilliant albums!

I've always been amazed by how Cold Meat Industry combines bands that are aggressive and "shocking" (Brighter Death Now, MZ 412, IRM or even Ordo Equilibrio and Blood Axis) with some other which are far calmer, both in music and attitude (Arcana, Raison d'Etre, Sanctum) and still appears like a "family-label". What is the reason of this coherence, in your opinion?
in my opinion it is the persons behind the bands. I can not have assholes on my label. It doesn't work. We have to be able to have fun together, that is the utmost of importance! If we can't have fun, then what's the deal? money? Well there ain't that much money in this scene to make it possible.

Is there anything you wished you had not published on Cold Meat Industry? Or anything that wasn't on CMI and that you wished you had released yourself?
Well not really, even the bad ones served a kind of purpose I believe. I wish all Deutsch Nepal CDs were on Cold Meat.

Have you ever had any problems with censorship? Did any of your releases ever raised any protests?
No problem really, but protest yes, or to better say that it raised questions. like both Puissance CDs. The BDN MABD double LP, Proiekt Hat's first LP. But all was solved rather easily.

And yourself, have you / would you censor anything on Cold Meat Industry, either in music or in imagery?
No, not as long as I like it myself. Hell, I was the instigator to half of all the problems I got sofar so...

Would you mind telling about one of these problems?
Like the Puissance albums. I always do the covers from what I know about the people in the bands, these guys were heavily influnced by the third reich, so I made their covers in that way. Like "back in control". We had to make statements about our intentions behind it.

Can I ask you why, except for the first Atomine Elektrine CD, you have never put out any side-project of Raison d'Etre on Cold Meat Industry?
Better ask Raison, but I think that his side project are not as important as Raison itself. We are doind a compilation CD with all his different side projects that could be quite funny!

Can you give us some news of some of the "dinosaurs" of the label? For example, is there any real chance we're hear again of In Slaughter Natives, Mental Destruction, or Memorandum
Well I think we can forget about Memorandum and Mental Destruction, MD will do a 7" on Ant Zen but that was recorded ages ago!, For In Slaughter Natives I know he has a couple of new tracks almost finished.... So let's say we keep a half eye on him! I would love to do a CD-single with only a few new tracks but we'll see!

A question about a newcomer now. I loved Nod's tracks on "Esthetiks of Cruelty" and "Nihil". When can I expect an album from these guys?
Don't know, I have asked, but have no reply.

You started Cold Meat Industry 12 years ago. During that time, a lot of bands and labels have appeared and died. Who, in your opinion, has done or is doing a great job, and who'll be remembered?
Tesco - Cthulhu

What are the main changes in the way this scene is working since 1988? When you started, CDs were only beginning, but now we have Napster and MP3s. What's your reaction?
I have not yet made any thoughts or actions unto Napsters and such like, I believe that in these small genre of music these has no major impact as it is the complete product you really want to collect. It's similar with antiques. Either you have a cheap copy or you have the original thing.

What do you think of the limited edition craze? What's the reasons behind a limited edition release?
Well as a customer you have to ask yourself: is this really worth the money? and what do I get for it ? I believe you have to be carefull, don't judge the "book by the cover". It may be fanzy, but do you want to spend that kind of money for it? And ask why? Why ? why? why?

So, by releasing a limited edition, you're making sure only people who really want this music will get it?
No, only the people willing to pay for it will get it, I am very certain there would be plenty others that what the particular release.

How do you think the noise / industrial scene will evolve?
It will be a commercial explosion that will lead to nothing, and the interest will die.

And what will be the role of CMI in this explosion?
To maintain quality.

Let's talk a bit about design and artwork. Do you still do everything for the Cold Meat Industry releases?
Not all but the best ones.

In your opinion, what's the most important criteria for a good artwork? Could you give us one or two example of artwork (by you or by somebody else) that you really like?
The artwork has to go with the music and the musician, it's a joint adventure. I really like the artwork for CMI.27, 38, 44, 63, well, there are a whole lot of them!

What's the funniest thing that has ever been said about Cold Meat Industry or Brighter Death Now?
Can't remember, some of the funniest review whoever came from a female fanzine over BDN s Greatest Death.... But there has surely been a whole stack of funny and missunderstood interviews!

What's your favorite drink?
Anything with alchohol.

Nothing in particular?
No.

What to do the morning of a bad hangover?
I never get hang overs!

How do you do that?
I don't know... I am getting old and my body getting used to it...

From Recycle Your Ears

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