The Zeitgeist Home | Record Hunter| Zeitgeist ezine | Bitter Wind

Where Echoes End

Eddie Katz echoes@labyrinth.net.au

Hi everyone, this is an interview David and I did for Spin City in Belgium, I hope you enjoy it. If you need any more info regarding WEEnd please visit our Web at www.labyrinth.net.au/~echoes or contact me at echoes@labyrinth.net.au

Eddie

You and Paul were involved with Vauxdvihl who released an amazing progressive cd back in 94. Why did you decided to leave the band?

Eddie: I basically left "VAUXDVIHL" due to work commitments and on going arguments with other band members. It was a very tough situation. We were rehearsing in our drummer's garage without a singer and no prospect of finding one. We had no money, we received no assistance from anybody and I think all these pressures plus all the arguments about song writing and arrangements really took their toll. The fact that we were forced to compromise the recording of "To Dimension Logic" was another determinant. It also had something to do with immaturity and the fact that there were 4 very strong minded people in the band with different opinions about how things should be done. But that's all in the past now, onward and upward.

The difference between Vauxdvihl and Where Echoes End is enormous. How did it all started and how did you evolved toward the music you are playing now?

Eddie: It was a very natural progression for us, we just decided it was time do something unique, something without limitation. We never really planned our sound, it really just unfolded through experimentation. You are right, there is a huge difference between our two styles but there are a lot of similarities as well. Both bands write with passion and a strong sense of melody, we both write music that is dark and atmospheric and we both look to the future with the same desire to change and to evolve our sound. I think "Vauxdvihl" took a quantum leap forward with their second CD "Vog" (which Paul contributed to), and I'm sure their music will continue to grow and change. With the release of our second CD you can expect that kind of transformation from "Where Echoes End" as well.

Did you go directly from Vauxdvihl to Where Echoes End or did you do some other stuff between both bands?

Eddie: After leaving "Vauxdvihl" I gave up writing music to concentrate on achieving personal goals. At that stage I'd become fed up with the constant bickering and politics of playing music with "Vauxdvihl". A short time after that I became interested in computer and keyboards, which quickly led to what we are doing now in "Where Echoes End". My time with "Vauxdvihl was a learning experience to say the least but I'm glad that that stage of my life it over. These days it's such a pleasure to work in a band with people who are ego free.

Can you introduce Where Echoes End to our readers, what is the philosophy behind the music?

Eddie: We started as a two piece band with the intention of just being a studio project. After we finished recording "By the Pricking of my Thumb" we started writing new material. We decided that our new direction needed vocals and were lucky enough to find a fellow named David Hirsh who suited our music perfectly. Since then we enlisted the help of a drummer friend of our named Dean Vine. So as of 1999 "Where Echoes End" consists of David Hirsh Vocals and occasional acoustic guitar, Paul Read sequencing, electric and acoustic guitar and backing vocals, Eddie Katz sequencing and bass guitar and last but not least Dean Vine on drums.

The philosophy Paul and I adopted while writing our debut CD was "there were to be no limitations". That kind of philosophy remains to this day, it's just more tightly focused on writing great song that are a little more accessible to the listener.

David: My philosophies as a lyricist are always progressing and moving, and I'd hope to take the listener on MY search, so that they can take off in their own directions. I'm inspired by books, movies and stories that have behind them a feeling that they are the beginning of such a journey, rather than the end, and that's the philosophical tradition I want to follow on from. In short - I'd like people to live to the extremes of their potential.

How do you start working on a cd like 'By The Pricking Of My Thumb'?

Eddie: I had written a few songs when I started developing the conceptual theme which is based around Greed and Fear. From then on we concentrated solely on the musical side of things. We basically wrote from the heart without restraint. It all came together quite naturally, the hardest part was finding the appropriate samples to represent each particular song.

In the cd inlay there is something written with every song title, can you elaborate a bit about the lyrics and samples you used and what is the connection between both?

Eddie: As I mentioned before the CD is based on greed and fear with each song representing a particular human desire. Each individual person on earth is searching for something more, whether it be sex, pity, respect, power, knowledge, wealth or simply love, its one of our human frailties and it's one of the thing's we all have in common. "By the Pricking of my Thumb" uncovers all the negative aspect of human craving. We used a whole range of different samples to help us project our ideas and to help the listener understand the themes that had developed. We decided to break the CD in 5 components, the text in the booklet was written to highlight the events of each particular part and to emphasize the message of the individual songs.

When I listen to the cd I sometimes get this dark and anxious feeling about me.

Eddie: Yeah, we often got a dark and anxious feeling while recording the CD. Ha ha ha.

It is not a happy album. Why do you feel the urge to create these dark and moody musical landscapes?

Eddie: I'm not sure. I don't think it was something we set out to achieve, rather something that attracted us as the writing process progressed. It was just such a natural and artistic way of expressing an ideology. Our new material is not as depressing or atmospheric but we have maintained the dark emotional element. We've also taken a much more song-oriented approach to writing this time round. David: Because I had nothing to do with the "Pricking" CD, I feel I can objectively comment on it - although the music can be dark, I also find it a quite philosophically and intellectually rigorous record, that hits you hardest when you realize that you have to put your own beliefs and feelings up against what is being presented on the record, and at the same time you actually have to think about which opinions you want to take on board, or reject. Like life, it's a stream without a guide. If you haven't heard the record, you should take the chance and order it now, and find out for yourself what a beautiful work it is.

I was looking at your web site and noticed that you have a vocalist now. How will this voice be incorperated in your music?

David: "Where Echoes End" is a changing beast (but still undoubtedly a beast), and the new music is quite a move on from the last CD. Whereas on "Pricking", Paul and Eddie presented their ideas and musical vision through mostly samples and orchestrated music, our new songs do the same with lyrics and 'standard' rock instruments. There have be no restrictions whatsoever put on what I do within WEEnd, and the others have let my singing develop together with the songs, and the songs develop with my singing.

Eddie: Using vocals has forced us to leave much more space in the music. In the past we were always tempted to record another layer or add another melody. That sort of approach worked well for us on "By the Pricking . . . " but we've really made a conscious effort to write more openly.

And what happened to Stacy as I heard that he would be singing on your next recording?

Eddie: As you now Stacy sang on " To Dimension Logic" and we thought he did a fantastic job. He added a completely different feel to the CD that didn't exist earlier. He was also extremely professional in the studio while we recorded. Paul and I approached Stacy about singing for us and he seemed quite interested but when it came time to actually producing something, nothing really eventuated. I think he had other projects on the go and was spending considerable amounts of time on those. Stacy is a great singer but lack the dedication and motivation, which we required.

David: As a fellow singer, I hope Stacy finds a group as suited to him, as "Where Echoes End" is to me.

And why not both a male and female voice?

Eddie: We may use a female singer on one or two tracks as a backing texture. Its always nice to incorporate a females voice, its seems to add a touch of warmth and class to the material.

David: I've been thinking a great deal about singing with a woman as well, and if I could do it in an interesting way, i.e. as a duet in the tradition of something like Lee Hazelwood/Nancy Sinatra, or someone in that vein, I would grab onto the opportunity. I don't have any interest in having a woman sing with me when she's just there for occasional screeches or deep breathing. She would have to be committing herself to the music as much as I was.

I also read that Paul is in hospital now.

Eddie: He was actually just let out of hospital a week or two ago.

This must be a hold back for the work on the next album. How is he doing and when do you think he will be able again to work for the band again?

Eddie: Yeah, it been a major nightmare for the band and especially for Paul. We've basically been held hostage by a disease. Paul had a relapse of his leukemia and he's just starting to recover from his treatment. Its going to be some time before he's well enough to fully contribute to the band. Paul and I have started to get together to work on some music but we have to be extremely careful. His immune system was completely wiped out by the radio therapy and chemotherapy he had to endure, which makes him seriously susceptible to flues and things like that. While he was in hospital all we could do was keep him involved with proceedings and try to give him something to look forward to once he had recovered. David and I managed to keep the musical ball rolling by continually writing and rehearsing new songs. It's been a struggle but we've managed to keep our attitudes positive throughout this nightmare.

David: Paul is such an essential part of "Where Echoes End" that we see his recent time in hospital as something we as a band had to all get through, not taking away from the fact that Paul obviously was hit the hardest. We' ve all continued writing and keeping in touch, and whatever point in the next few months we can get together and play again, will see an explosion of activity, which is only natural when people have be kept apart from making music they love.

Where Echoes End isn't really making pop music. How are the reaction in general on the album? Is there like an Ambient scene in Australia?

Eddie: It's been a strange 12 months. We've been constantly sending CD's to magazines for review and the response has been extraordinary. Every review we've received has been extremely positive. Some of them have been embarrassingly good. If you care to check them out please visit our web site at www.labyrinth.net.au/~echoes We haven't been able to secure distribution as yet, that surprises me because the reviews have been great worldwide. If there are any distributors out there who are looking for something innovative, please contact me on echoes@labyrinth.net.au I think it's a hard CD to criticize because it's so artistic and brave in it's approach and given the chance I think "By the Pricking . . ." could eventually become a classic due to its underground review statis and overall uniqueness. We did receive one bad review, but if think the guy who review it didn't take the time to understand where we were coming from, he just couldn't comprehend it on any level, but that's fine you have to expect some criticism.

David: Whatever scenes exist in Australian music, "Where Echoes End" has managed to avoid them all. In an ideal world, the 'Pricking' CD would have sold 8 million copies, and most of what's on the charts would be unheard of. I would have no problems if the next "Where Echoes End" album was considered a pop(ular) album.

Do you also play live or is this just a studio project?

Eddie: It started out being a studio project. We hope to play live in support of our next CD. At this stage we will be playing gigs in Australia only, Melbourne in particular, but if there was a demand for us overseas, I' m sure we'd consider all our options. We're quite confident our new material will translate well to a live setting and we're really looking forward to the opportunity of take our music to another level.

The Zeitgeist Home | Record Hunter| Zeitgeist ezine | Bitter Wind

Date: 13 June 1999 11:33 AM