The following interview was conducted by Julie Garside ("Jules") of TDG Promotions, and originally appeared in Delerium Tremens Magazine, August 1999.
Synthetic
Synthetic are a Brighton based band formed in 1998 and made up originally of Timothy C. (vocals and programming) and Sarn Vinyl (keyboards and programming). They were later joined by Paul Five (guitar) from "mutant techno project" Serosun.com. Their music and imagery represents a fusion of Goth vocals and style with the best and most innovative aspects of the industrial scene. Imagine you are at a rave, the crowd has its hands in the air but its feet tied together and is teetering on 6 inch stilettos…..that's PVC stilettos of course…..
The interview was conducted with Tim and Sarn only as Paul was in Ibiza at the time of this interview.
Jules: Why "Synthetic"?
Tim: "Synthetic" conjures up a number of ideas that we're interested in. Fabrication - the artificial - is a key element of goth and cyber culture - makeup, hair dye, hair extensions, modern fabrics. Also, our music is very hi-tech - at the outset our music was 100% synthetic in that it was all electronic, except the vocals. More recently we've added a guitarist.
Sarn: Yeah, we mostly use synthesisers, so "Synthetic" seemed very appropriate. The name ties together our music and image - I wear a lot of PVC!
Tim: Also there's the sci-fi angle - you know, "synthetics" being another name for androids and replicants. We're kinda into sci-fi.
Jules: Who are your main influences?
Sarn: There are so many it's difficult to pinpoint a few. I like the power and originality of The KLF and Nine Inch Nails. I listen to a lot of EBM, especially Covenant and Project Pitchfork. Obviously goth bands too - that goes without saying - I love Suspiria.
Tim: In terms of vocal style and melody, influences probably include Joy Division, Swans, Young Gods and Death in June - but influences are subconciouss, so it's a hard question to answer. I can't point to any direct lyrical influences - I sing about things that are important to me personally. In terms of the sounds and music I think dance music, especially The Prodigy, have been influential. If our guitarist was here he'd mention Underworld, Killing Joke and Iggy Pop. He's heavily into the dance thing - in fact he's over in Ibiza at the moment.
Jules: How would you describe your music?
Tim: We use Nineties dance rhythms and combine them with overdriven guitarwork and "traditional" song structues. We put a real emphasis on songwriting. The lyrics and vocal melody are at the heart of our songs. In that respect we don't make what I would call "dance music" - but it's music that you can dance to. I find most dance music a bit hollow.
Sarn: Our music is very much song based, but with modern sounds and rhythms. Like an updated version of classic goth - goth version 2! Some people would call it darkwave, we prefer "cyber-goth".
Jules: How's work on the new LP going?
Sarn: It's a massive project. It's our first album and there are 14 tracks which is quite ambitious. All the songs are written and we've completed 90% of the programming, but we haven't actually started recording yet!
Tim: Yeah - the songwritting and programming are the really time consuming jobs, and they're pretty much done. Working out guitar parts can take a long time too - we've sorted out guitar for nine songs so far. We're hoping that we'll be able to record the tracks quite quickly having done so much groundwork. We'll be recording throughout July, for a late-August release.
Jules: On the 21st August, you will be supporting Andi Sex Gang at the Camden Underworld. How do you feel about playing with a Gothic legend?
Sarn: We're really looking forward to it. Things seem to be moving forward very quickly. We missed Andi Sex Gang's performance at Leipzig, drinking champagne with Rose McDowall - so this gives us another chance to see what he's up to!
Tim: It was quite a suprise. We came home from Germany and there was this letter from Uncle Nemesis on our doormat offering us the gig. We hadn't even sent him a demo! - he'd seen us play with The Narcisssus Pool. I'm looking forward to playing The Camden Underworld, having been to so many gigs there.
Jules: Who do you admire on the scene at the moment?
Tim: The Chaos Engine are excellent - we're delighted to be playing with them again in August. I also have a lot of repect for Rosetta Stone and Inertia. Garbage are cool.
Sarn: European bands too - like Covenant, Wumpscut, Apoptygma Bezerk and Project Pitchfork. Gitane Demone and Diamanda Galas are amazing.
Tim: And Rose McDowall - I love her voice - she's in a band with Robert Lee called Sorrow - really evocative music.
Sarn: And Xena Warrior Princess, Lara Croft....
Jules: In the past you have played gigs with the likes of The Narcissus Pool, Passion Play and The Chaos Engine. Do you see yourselves as part of that "techno-goth" (for want of a better phrase) scene?
Sarn: I think the three bands you mentioned are all very different from one another. Passion Play have quite a traditional goth sound, whereas The Chaos Engine are industro-EBM. I guess we are part of that scene - afterall, we play with those sort of bands - and our music has been described as "techno-goth".
Tim: We're very happy being part of that scene. But I think "techno-goth" implies too strong an association with techno dance music. Techno is one element of our music - often a key emement - but we use other rhythms too - like rock, industrial, big beat and hip hop - so I prefer "cyber-goth" or "electro-goth", because they're more ambiguous terms. Our music ranges from really full-on to very introspective.
Sarn: Hi-tech rather than techno.
Jules: Continuing the theme of the last question, do you think that Goth as a genre will develop in a more dance orientated direction in the future? If so, will this mean, particularly with regard to your own music, that to be labelled part of the "Goth" scene, with all that it implies, will become overly restrictive?
Tim: We make the music we want to make, so it's not really an issue. We are a goth band so we're very comfortable with being seen as part of the goth scene. I expect more goth bands will demonstate dance influences over the next few years.
Sarn: In terms of creativity, being part of the scene isn't restrictive at all - goth / EBM / darkwave provides a very wide spectrum - besides, we're free to do music outside of that range if we want to. In terms of popularity it's obviously not the biggest scene in the UK right now, but we would rather play to a relatively small goth audience than to a huge non-goth crowd. Of course, it would be better to play to a huge goth crowd....
Jules: When we talked at Damage Live, you mentioned that you had been to Leipzig. Do you think that the success of these types of festivals (including Infest and Whitby) suggests that alternative music is increasing in popularity?
Sarn: I guess you're talking about dark alternative music. Yes - I think it's grown in popularity enormously over the last five years. The goth scene went through quite a barren period in the late Eighties / early Nineties and things have definitely picked up. I love Whitby, and it's great that it's become so popular. Leipzig was amazing too - goth is on a much bigger scale in central Europe than in the UK, and it's getting even bigger.
Tim: Yeah, the UK scene has improved immeasurably over the last decade. It's gone underground and developed it's own independent media network - websites, newsgroups, fanzines, flyers. It's impossible to predict how much bigger the scene will get, or whether it will break into the mainstream again. It would be great to see new UK goth bands filling major venues and getting into the independent charts.
Jules: Is there anything you want to plug?
Sarn: Well, obviously the album. It's a full length (probably 14 track) CD album, provisionally called "MIDI Slave". Target release date is 21st August - so it will be available at our gig with Andi Sex Gang (Saturday 21st August, Camden Underworld, London). Arrive early if you want to see us - we're on stage at 7.15pm.
Tim: I'm really pleased with the way the album is developing - it's going to be very fresh and very dark - what Sarn calls a "glossy, matt-black sound". Check out our web site too (www.i.am/synth) - I'm about to post up an in-depth article about the evolution of the UK goth scene during the Nineties. And we'll soon be adding an extensive photo gallery of Nineties goths! Do you mind if I plug another fanzine? - if you're not already getting Kaleidoscope, check it out (it even comes with a free compilation CD!)
Sarn: And go to the next Damage Live all-dayer in Birmigham, where we hope to be playing!
Jules: What are your philosophies of life? (In less than 50 words and with no mention of Jean Paul Sartre)
Sarn: Keep busy - do as much as possible - stay out late, but sleep when you need to. Dress up - be who you want to be!
Tim: Pursue your interests. Identify your priorites and remain committed to them - money is no substitute for fulfilment. Embrace technology - it's the new magick - and respect the natural world. There's no necessary conflict between technology and nature. Avoid debt. Ignore fashion.
This next interview was conducted by Lucy Guest of GPI, and will appear in the New Year 2000 edition of Kaleidoscope Magazine.
Synthetic
Neo-gothic revolutionaries
www.i.am/synth
Darkwave doomravers Synthetic have made quite an impression on the UK scene over the last year, having played gigs with the likes of Andi Sex Gang, Mesh, The Narcissus Pool, The Chaos Engine and Passion Play. Nemesis Promotions called them "a bizarre cross between Strawberry Switchblade, Necromantik and a counjuring trick". With the release of their eagerly awaited first album set for November, we thought it was about time we caught up with them and found out why they've pulled Replicant Rabbit out of the hat . . . .
Lucy: What's Synthetic all about?
Tim: As a band I think we're very forward looking. Elements of our music are very contemporary. But we are very much a band, and that in itself is kind of traditional - we're not a studio project or DJ act.
Sarn: Futuristic, but without discarding the past. We use modern technology to reinterperet established musical forms.
Tim: "Synthetic" refers to our fascination with the artifical. A central theme of goth / cyber culture is adornment - self fabrication. In time people will alter their bodies radically by artificial means - eventually there will be artificial people - synthetics. But these concepts are in the background - lyrically our songs tend to be preoccupied by relationships with a metaphysical entity - usually referred to as "She" or "Her". Very few of our songs deal with relationships between people.
Sarn: Yes, we're interested in archtypes, aesthetic symbols. There's a constancy about these forms which is akin to divinity. We tend to focus on dark imagery - particularly the "dark goddess" archetype - and explore the relationship between the self and the symbol. The end result is usually songs about obsession.
Lucy: When was Synthetic formed ?
Tim: We started writing material in May/June '98. At that stage is was just me and Sarn. We played our first gig about four months later. Paul joined the band as a guest guitarist around March '99 - our first show with him was in May with Passion Play.
Sarn: All three of us were previously in a band called May Blood, which was very "World Serpent" but with goth production. May Blood was itself an offshooot of CCH which has existed in various forms since 1990.
Lucy: Is Synthetic a goth band?
Tim: Yes. Electro-goth. We're very song based - I don't think we could be called techno or industrial. I tend to define goth quite broadly - including bands like Joy Division and The Young Gods - in some ways Synthetic are in the same "goth-but-not-goth" arena. Goth music is usually built around the traditional concept of a song (with a verse-chorus structure) and usually has introspective lyrics. We share those characteristics. Our main departure from classic goth is in the sounds and rhythms that we use, both of which are comparitively cutting edge.
Sarn: There's a dark aspect to our sound - most goths would call our music goth. I'm not sure about people outside the scene - they might be suprised that goth has evolved in such a hi-tech direction. The word "goth" probably wouldn't occur to them. The addition of Paul on guitar has to some extent shifted the balance of our sound away from electronic sounds - but his heavily distored guitar sound, and his very tight, controlled style of playing, mean that the two components mesh together really well. It's often hard to tell which sound is guitar and which is synths. In this respect we've been compared to Garbage.
Tim: Goth culture is far less issolated than it was in the early years of the decade - goth, darkwave, EBM and indusrial are becomming so entwined. We are somewhere in that darktech morass.
Sarn: Yeah - deep in the darkbeat jungle (laughing).
Lucy: You've recently supported Andi Sex Gang in London. What are your thoughts about the early goth bands' place in the current scene?
Tim: We really enjoyed that gig. Andi's a real professional. It's great to see the first wave of goth bands playing. In the last year I've seen Bauhaus, Sex Gang and The Creatures, which is crazy if you think about it. The Sisters are in a slightly different position - they never really went away. I think The Sisters have been the most influential band on the scene, but now people are looking to the future. I think goth is on the brink of something really exciting.
Sarn: The early bands established an enduring style, but I think the mould is finally being broken by new influences. The future of goth is bright - a flickering neon sign saying "Synthetic"!
Tim: I enjoy bands like Type-O-Negative and even Marylin Manson - the gothrock crossover - but I think electronic and dance influences are the most important right now. It's a real shame that Rosetta Stone were given such a hard time with their hi-tech material - The Tyranny of Inaction was an excellent album.
Lucy: How do you like to work?
Tim: We sort out the foundations of a song on a hardware sequencer. Then I write the vocal melody and the lyrics. At that stage we come up with an arrangement and add some additional keyboard parts. Next Paul and I get together to work out the guitar. That's as far as it goes for live material. In the studio we then record everything onto a Powermac using Emagic's Logic Audio. This allows us to add additional sounds, samples and vocals, and to fine tune the effects and EQ. We master straight to CD, keeping everything in the digital domain.
Sarn: We're constantly reviewing the way we work. Logic Audio presents so many possibilities - we haven't really had time to explore using it as a sequencer yet. Digital song editing could be very exciting to - using it as a sort of mega-sampler. We work fairly quickly - and Tim's a very prolific songwriter - but time is our main limitation.
Lucy: The goth visual aesthetic is obviously important to you. How do you see it developing?
Tim: The Nineties have seen goth style adopt more fetish and cyber influences - I think this trend will continue. There is an ongoing transition from historical goth (Pre-Raphielite and Victorian) to futuristic goth (Cyber and sci-fi). Velvet and Lace giving way to rubber and plastic. But I don't think the traditional 80s goth look will ever disappear. Goths have been cultural exiles for a number of years but I think that will gradually change. I expect the scene to grow significantly, and the more adventurous fringes of mainstream to adopt elements of neo-goth style. As this happens the distinction between scene and non-scene will to some extent break down.
Sarn: It would be great to see more people really dressed up. Goths look fabulous - I love tight clothes, shiny fabrics and high heels. Also frivolous accessories like gloves and fans. I love the artifical - make up, false lashes and hair extensions. These goth trademarks might become more widespread. I know a lot of people are attracted to them - but they don't dare wear them because of media or peer pressure. Style police on every corner! Ignore them all - be yourself!
Lucy: I noticed on your website that you think highly of Lara Croft and Xena Warrior Princess. Comments?
Sarn: They're both great! You couldn't ask for better heroines. They look fabulous and kick arse! Submit to the new millenium of female domination! (laughing)
Tim: They're important cultural icons - a female lead in the biggest computer adventure game ever, and a female lead in the most popular action-fantasy TV programme. And they both look very capable as well as very feminine. Culturally important stuff. Role models for the next generation. I think that people who critisise Lara or Xena for being too voyeristic are missing the point. Escapist TV should have a voyeristic element - sex and violence are at the core of the fantasy and adventure genres, simple as that. Being allowed to dress up and look glamourous is an important element of self expression - a right that goths have claimed, but society in general frowns upon. It's the same with guys having long hair and wearing makeup.
Sarn: I love Queen Amidala too! She looks so dignified and sophisticated. There's obviously a strong Tibetan influence - I'm very interested in cultural costume and ceremony . We stayed in Dharma Masala in northern India, where the Dali Lama lives - it was amazing. But you don't have to wear long regal gowns to look as dignified as Amidala - more revealing attire can command just as much respect. Like the evil queen in Red Sonja! I think the classic dominatrix-look connects with something deep within the human psyche - something from our pre-history.
Tim: How people dress is very important - a key element of self expression, like freedom of speech. People tend to underestimate it. They want you to underestimate it. Uniforms are a means of control. Short hair, jacket, tie - it can be a way of saying "we own you". The fashion industry has always been very effective in hijacking self expression - turning autonomy into compliance. I'm not talking about some paranoid conspiracy theory - I'm talking about advertising, mass media and free market economics. Too much power over communication in too few hands, with self interest the only motivating force. This theme is at the heart of many of our songs - the alienation of the true self and the exile of our true cultural symbols.
Sarn: Yeah, our themes tend to be rather serious, and some people seem suprised when they find out we're into Tomb Raider and Star Wars - but really there's no contradiction. Science fiction and fantasy are the genres at the outer edges of the imagination and their appeal is deep and complex. Lara Croft and Darth Vader are contemporary cultural and technological landmarks, at the same time representing themes close to our hearts since the dawn of time. They're every bit as valid as the work of say H.P Lovecraft or H.R. Giger - who I also love. The significance of ritual has been obscured in modern western society - I love Dorris Lessing's exploration of "the necessity" in Shikasta.
Lucy: Turning back to the band, what are Synthetic's immediate plans ?
Tim: We've just played the Damage Live all-dayer in Birmingham, alongside Mesh, Saints of Eden, Rome Burns and Killing Miranda - we really enjoyed the gig and have already dicussed playing for Three Drunken Goths again. We we're presently recording a CD album for release asap - hopefully in late October.
Sarn: The gig stack is mounting up. We're playing with The Marionettes in October (London), and hopefully supporting Gitane Demone in November (Brighton or Portsmouth). We're also in the process of arranging gigs in Manchester, Leeds, Nottingham and Oxford. The Chaos Engine have asked us to play at their Christmas Extravaganza, which I'm really looking forward to. The album is taking a little longer than we expected, but it'll be well worth the wait! It should be available by the time this interview is printed in Kaleidoscope 7.
Lucy: Any thoughts on the new millenium ?
Tim: It would be nice if people would start resisting the temptation to include the word "millenium" in lyrics and song/album titles! But I think the next century will be amazing. Computers will become wildly powerful - graphics indistinguishable from reality - there will be digital mega-stars. Everything will be available on-line for next to nothing. The entertainment/media/communications industry will probably rule the world. The ageing process will be slowed considerably - for those who can afford it. A good century for the super-rich.
Sarn: I don't know where I'll be on 31st December. Probably drinking Red at Slimelight dancing to "Nineties" by Star Industry! Or maybe on Brighton beach watching the fireworks - drinking Red.
