Interview with Culture Kultur
Reads: 3911 times
Artist:
Galleries:
- Wave Gotik Treffen 2006 - 2006-06-13 (Festivals)
CDs catalogue:
- Culture Kultür - Spirit CD
- Culture Kultür - Reborn CD
- Culture Kultür - Combat! MCD
- Culture Kultür - Revenge CD
- Culture Kultür - DNA Slaves MCD
- Culture Kultür - Reflex CD
- Culture Kultür - Manifesto EP
- Culture Kultür - Aftermath MCD
- Culture Kultür - Bump! CD
- Culture Kultür - Deafult MCD
- Culture Kultür - Rev.-Time EP
- Culture Kultür - Spike CDM
Hi Salva, thanks for taking some time to answer us a few questions about Culture Kultür and your upcoming album "Spirit".
5 years have passed since your last album "Reborn". Meanwhile there are surely a lot of people that don’t know you, but who would love to. And even if you are existing for a long time now, please introduce you and your band shortly.
Salva: Well, we are Culture Kultur, live in Spain and do an electronic mix of synthpop, EBM, and anything that comes into our mind.
What have you been up to in these 5 years?
Salva: Basically, dealing with life, with some illness (not me, the other band member, Josua) which happilly seems go dissapear and researching the songs included in our new album until a point satisfactory for both of us.
What is behind the album title "Spirit"?
Salva: If you look the dictionary you will see that there are a LOT of different meanings. It may be the soul, a ghost, an angel, a demon, God, an inspiring attitude, a sense of membership on a group... I thing that several of those meanings apply to the album’s songs. Moreover, probably is in this album when we have put our own spirits the most, as the lyrics are very personal.
All in all the new album sounds to our liking more club oriented then "Reborn". Do you share that opinion? If so, did you plan it that way right from the beginning?
Salva: From the begining we tried to create synth lead lines sharper than in previous works. Probably that makes them more club oriented but our aim was the sound and the definition of the songs, not their destiny. We hope that people enjoy dancing to them, though!
With "Love Will Tear Us Apart" you did a great cover of Joy Division’s classic. How did it come to your mind to make such a modern clubtrack out of this "oldschool" song?
Salva: After a specially long pause in our work, I thought that doing a cover would be a good way to get busy again. We thought about several possibilities; one of them was New Order’s ‘Blue Monday’ but that one was already heavily covered. With ‘Love will tear us apart’ we felt that a very different version from the original was possible, but keeping nevertheless its spirit. The result is very ‘us’ and means a tribute for that great band.
5 years have passed since your last album "Reborn". Meanwhile there are surely a lot of people that don’t know you, but who would love to. And even if you are existing for a long time now, please introduce you and your band shortly.
Salva: Well, we are Culture Kultur, live in Spain and do an electronic mix of synthpop, EBM, and anything that comes into our mind.
What have you been up to in these 5 years?
Salva: Basically, dealing with life, with some illness (not me, the other band member, Josua) which happilly seems go dissapear and researching the songs included in our new album until a point satisfactory for both of us.
What is behind the album title "Spirit"?
Salva: If you look the dictionary you will see that there are a LOT of different meanings. It may be the soul, a ghost, an angel, a demon, God, an inspiring attitude, a sense of membership on a group... I thing that several of those meanings apply to the album’s songs. Moreover, probably is in this album when we have put our own spirits the most, as the lyrics are very personal.
All in all the new album sounds to our liking more club oriented then "Reborn". Do you share that opinion? If so, did you plan it that way right from the beginning?
Salva: From the begining we tried to create synth lead lines sharper than in previous works. Probably that makes them more club oriented but our aim was the sound and the definition of the songs, not their destiny. We hope that people enjoy dancing to them, though!
With "Love Will Tear Us Apart" you did a great cover of Joy Division’s classic. How did it come to your mind to make such a modern clubtrack out of this "oldschool" song?
Salva: After a specially long pause in our work, I thought that doing a cover would be a good way to get busy again. We thought about several possibilities; one of them was New Order’s ‘Blue Monday’ but that one was already heavily covered. With ‘Love will tear us apart’ we felt that a very different version from the original was possible, but keeping nevertheless its spirit. The result is very ‘us’ and means a tribute for that great band.
In "Drum Machine" you sing "My Heart Is A Drum Machine". Could we see it in that way that your music is necessary to survive for you? Or is there another meaning behind it?
Salva: Yes, music is absolutely a must for us. Without it, life would be too grey and sad.
We noticed that the album begins with danceable clubtracks, passes over to midtempo tracks and finally ends with ballads. By what criteria did you manage the order of the songs?
Salva: We intended to create the right mood to listen the album. It starts with energy, then slows down to speed up again and finally ending with a couple of calm songs. It’s like a wave; we just felt the songs fit in that pattern.
After "Reborn" has entered the DAC at 3rd position, what are your expectations for "Spirit"?
Salva: Reaching number one!:) Seriously, we hope that it has at least the same impact. We thing that the songs deserve that. We put a lot of effort on each track and on us to improve as much as possible. But our main goal is to reach the listeners minds. If the feedback from them is right, our mission is accomplished.
Beside just a few other bands you are like a refreshing futurepop highlight in today’s hellectro dominated times. How do you see that?
Salva: Well, in Spain we say "in diversity lies the taste". There is a person, a moment, and a place for every kind of music.
Your lyrics are inspired by the reality of daily life. How much of yourselves are in your songs?
Salva: As I noted before, this is our most personal album. Yes, there is a lot of ourselves on it, but not all of them come from first hand experiences. Some of them are based on present world problems like Irak war (Sieged) or death penalty (Dead Second). Others are imagined histories (Unforgiven), so there is a wide range of inspiration in general.
There are not many bands of your genre in Spain. How would you describe the Spanish underground scene?
Salva: Under-underground!!:) Sadly, this scene in Spain is even out from the alternative music circuit. There is no much electronic background here...
Do you plan a tour to the new album?
Salva: Yes, we would like to do some gigs in Europe and America, but we want to check first how the album is received.
Your last words:
Salva: Greetings to all the people that follow us! If you have spirit, you are not alone...
Salva: Yes, music is absolutely a must for us. Without it, life would be too grey and sad.
We noticed that the album begins with danceable clubtracks, passes over to midtempo tracks and finally ends with ballads. By what criteria did you manage the order of the songs?
Salva: We intended to create the right mood to listen the album. It starts with energy, then slows down to speed up again and finally ending with a couple of calm songs. It’s like a wave; we just felt the songs fit in that pattern.
After "Reborn" has entered the DAC at 3rd position, what are your expectations for "Spirit"?
Salva: Reaching number one!:) Seriously, we hope that it has at least the same impact. We thing that the songs deserve that. We put a lot of effort on each track and on us to improve as much as possible. But our main goal is to reach the listeners minds. If the feedback from them is right, our mission is accomplished.
Beside just a few other bands you are like a refreshing futurepop highlight in today’s hellectro dominated times. How do you see that?
Salva: Well, in Spain we say "in diversity lies the taste". There is a person, a moment, and a place for every kind of music.
Your lyrics are inspired by the reality of daily life. How much of yourselves are in your songs?
Salva: As I noted before, this is our most personal album. Yes, there is a lot of ourselves on it, but not all of them come from first hand experiences. Some of them are based on present world problems like Irak war (Sieged) or death penalty (Dead Second). Others are imagined histories (Unforgiven), so there is a wide range of inspiration in general.
There are not many bands of your genre in Spain. How would you describe the Spanish underground scene?
Salva: Under-underground!!:) Sadly, this scene in Spain is even out from the alternative music circuit. There is no much electronic background here...
Do you plan a tour to the new album?
Salva: Yes, we would like to do some gigs in Europe and America, but we want to check first how the album is received.
Your last words:
Salva: Greetings to all the people that follow us! If you have spirit, you are not alone...
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Other articles:
- Culture Kultur - Spirit - 2011-04-04 (Music reviews)
- Wave Gotik Treffen 2006 - 2006-06-12 (Live reports)