Cyclic Law Artist TeHÔM Interview is up
1. So why was there over a decade between TeHÔM releases is the 1st question I have?
It was definitely a big break, primarily because Siniša ex-member was my best friend and when he died he left a great void in my life. For a long time I could not live with that. I was thinking still before 6-7 years ago to make a new album, but I still was not ready for it. Then I lifted just a MySpace page first and after that official website, later come facebook page, etc. First I renewed information about the project, started to remove dust from the name TeHÔM, made several music videos for songs from previous albums "Theriomorphic Spirits", someone I made and some with the help of friend Mirela. Then 2011 I finally start build some tracks.
2. When I listen to TeHÔM I hear Dark Electro/Ethno Rituals with a strong nature base in Dark Industrial genre. How would you describe the project?
I will describe the project into experimental ritual ambient and yeah with some help of ethno rhythms but more obscure and ofcourse dark ambient sound influenced.
New album and some of the songs are in the ritual atmospheres and deep floating rolling sound. I wanted to mix the album with ambient and ritual parts that people feel some kind of mantra and repetition. But for me in global still remain within the domain some kind of dark ambient genre with ritual influence.
3. How did you come to work with Cyclic Law and not continue with Twilight Command/ Tesco Org?
Actually, I first had in mind to continue with Twilight Command and Douglas P, because I met him at one DIJ concert here in Zagreb in November 2011 and hinted eventual continuation of TeHÔM work, he was a little bit surprised and told me to send him materials when and if be done. But when it came out the first song on the compilation UK label Kalpamantra Records and I began to announce on facebook that new album is in preparation. Then Frederic from Cyclic Law Records contact me and said he knows of TeHÔM and that he liked the new song and when I finish album if I want send him to hear and might him if I do not continue with Douglas. And then I decided when I finish an album that will send him first. And so it was.
I decided to change a little bit story behind TeHÔM and take direction in some other sphere than on the NER side label Twilight Commande made picture end of 90’s. For me it is good for continuation of project, do not get stuck somewhere like for example in neofolk, what TeHÔM never was. Just released the first two albums for the label representing mainly this kind of music, but there were also some other non-neofolk projects as Splinter Test (Genesis P-Orridge & Larry Thrasher), etc. TeHÔM always disclaims any kind of uniforms, symbol or ideology behind that, is not part of this and never before was. Music and the whole expression of the project mainly was never politically.
4. Is there a theme on Lacrimae Mundi or just a collection of dark hymns?
I think is more a collection of dark hymns!
5. How much does Faith and Belief play into the creation of songs with TeHÔM?
Maybe a little, but is not main thing in creation of TeHÔM tracks.
6. Your website www.tehom.org is rather impressive do you feel this with Social media ( You tube, Facebook, Twitter and G+) are the best ways to promote underground music these days?
Yes, all these Social medias are important for promotion today, but I’m an oldschool guy and want have official real website where is all on one place, and design in the way of project style. It seems to me still more professional than just a facebook page.
7. Cyclic Law with Malignant seem to be the last bastions for the Dark Industrial sounds as Cold Meat has really slowed down as well as Cold Spring in UK. , There are a few smaller labels out there but not like the 90's/ 00's. Why do you feel this music has gone so underground these days?
I think record companies are dying due to costs of publications. With the advent of mp3’s in a number of quite a changed situation, people are not buying more music as before, because everything is available on the net a few days immediately after the release, and because it is too much music on the market and people do not have money for all. And also maybe new generations are not so much inside of this more obscure music.
8. I would say you have much in common with In Slaughter Natives, Sephiroth and Inade in the way you sounds are created. How do the ideas come and how do you layer the tracks to sound like they do?
The last few years I had a lot of unusual situations in my life where a man asks yourself a lot of things, and it is partly emerged in the new songs. There were also some special mental state of mind when I was not always in a good opportunity to make music but these are perhaps the best moments of this album where now when I listen to it I hear a lot of those strange dark moments. Creating music is repetitive and time-consuming process, your head of all these sounds is slowly in a state of hypnosis, but I love this state. I used to listen to one and the same repetitive ritualistic ambient sound for hours until I come up with ideas for TeHÔM proposal for a song or part of a song. A creation or collecting of sounds or rhythms occur in all sorts of ways. For example I watch a movie and my brain works so that when I hear some good sound or rhythm immediately put it into the context of the song and remember where's and edit and change it to my taste for the style of music that I prefer and I do.
9. Would TeHÔM want to play live in 2014 if so what would a show be like?
Yeah, definitely want to TeHÔM playing audio-visual “live” happenings how it can be live at all. They called project to the famous Wroclaw Industrial Festival, there will be still artists like Lustmord, Troum, Ex.Order (Inade project), 6 Comm, Legendary Pink Dots,..
Want doin’ live shows because Siniša ex-member therefore untimely death never have time do any live so I'll do it for him to. Want people around experience some kind of TeHÔM audio-visual performance. I will use for these shows Ableton live, Akai APC40 controller, some midi keyboard, some effect pedals, metal objects, and maybe still something. Ofcourse backdrop videos will be included inside visuals. My friend Mirela helping me a lot around videos and this kind of presentation.
10. You have several videos to tracks off new release do you feel Video is the need frontier for experimental artists as your sounds play so well to the film format?
I think it is for experimental artists, that TeHOM also is, quite necessary video format for its expression and complete picture of what the writer wanted to say. And it is quite striking than only with sound. For me, video is always supposed to be present with TeHÔM music. That's why I initially started to work videos after the first video that made the Italian audio-video artist Svart1 for track "The Shadow Integration" from the 2nd album.
11. Will TeHÔM continue to create more albums or was this something that needed to be completed?
Yes, TeHÔM will definitey continue with the release of the albums, immediately after inspiration is in the head. Will not wait another 14 years for sure! Especially now when I see that people recognise the project from earlier years of existing with really good feedbacks and some new younger people also become fans of music TeHÔM making. All that’s good inspiration and platform for future albums and live performances.
12. What are you currently listening to and reading these day tell us a lot about where you mind is ?
To be honest I do not read so much lately. The last two years were difficult period of my life, perhaps worst of all, I'm in a transitional period and the change of life. All this was reflected also on the new album which I consider going with all of this. Music is other thing, listening a lots of ambient and experimental stuff from family label Cyclic Law, then Malignant Records, Lustmord always, last Vasilisk album, Aural Hypnox Records and projects, Loki Found releases, etc. Also some electronic sound like new Clock DVA usb stick album, is good comeback for Adi, with nice remixes from some interesting artists. Like I read new T.A.G.C. album is also in preparation and it is good news, I like many stuff from these 2 projects from long time ago.
13. Do you record or make art in any other projects or formats we did know about ?
I have one more project active from the middle of 90’s, there was also me and Siniša ex- TeHÔM member involved. Principia Audiomatica released 1 album 1995 for well known italian experimental-industrial-electronic label Minus Habens Records (it was after Implant Code project I have with other 2 guys and released mini CD for same label 1993). You can check more info at official website www.principia-audiomatica.com. It is more electronic-ambient sound. I also working on new materials for 2nd album. Will have also some remixes from few artists included.
14. What do you want people to get out of the 3 albums you've recorded?
I want people remember album(s) and some track inbetween thousends of others today. When hear it to repeat it in player or in mind. It’s quite dark music ofcourse, but that is just one facet to what is going on. Close your eyes, will find yourself becoming only an abstract construct burnished out of light and shadow. And that’s true, want people close eyes, relaxing, listening music and go to their best or worst pictures, feel something good or bad in their minds. Also maybe learn something from music and states of minds, making experience any kind of through listening that stuff.
15. Thank you for your time any closing thoughts here.
Thanks to you on questions and for the follow-up of the project since the days of Nero / Tesco Org labels and distribution in the late 90's early 00's.
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