Dreamlike Horror
Interviewer: Jezús & Suzej
Answered by: Deadly Kristin
I wrote and suffered every single word on the album. Every word and verse was born from my own suffering
Deadly Kristin, broadly well-known for her work with Ancient, now she presents her project Dreamlike Horror, where she captures from a point of view more personal facets linked to their life in her early days, an introspective trip to a world with full fear, darkness and lost sensations.. here the interview:
Tell us, how did you introduce yourself in the dark / extreme music?
I began singing in death and black metal bands in my early 20's sometime in the middle of the 90's. I had discovered I was very good at extreme vocals and I was shocking people with my growls at metal parties etc. A lot of local bands wanted me, so I started singing for them. Late in 97 I met Aphazel of Ancient for the first time and sometime later I became his girfriend. In 1998 when he moved to Italy with me I also became the new female vocalist of Ancient. My role was not only female vocals but also growls and black metal vocals. We toured all over Europe and we released several records. The biggest performance we had was at the prestigious Wacken Festival in Germany in year 2000, which is the biggest and most famous metal festival in Europe.
Your new facet (Dreamlike Horror) is different to your participation with Ancient. Did you always plan to make more dark, emotional, gothic and atmospheric music? What can you tell us about your Noctem DK project (trance/goth electro)?
I created Dreamlike Horror because I needed more artistical space that i didnt have in Ancient. I had a lot of emotions inside me and I am a very artistical person so i always try to deal with my feelings and fears through lyrics and music. I felt the need for a horrorific atmospheric project, Aphazel was also into this idea so we created Dreamlike Horror as a side project of Ancient.
As far as electronic music is something I had never even dreamt of making, it is something very new to me. I
kind a got tired of listening ONLY to metal so I thought to experiment and challenge myself with other musical styles. Noctem Dk is a project that I have with Noctem who is a very talented swedish musician and a good friend. He also has a metal background and just like me he never made this kind of music before: but that is what it is interesting. We wanted to see how two metal heads like us would deal with electronic music...we decided to challenge ourselves daring to play with electronica and we made a few tracks. People who listened to them loved them! We are now working on our first album.
Uhmm really your debut album "Delightful Suicides" is flattering, a mixture of sweetness and horror! Are you satisfied with the results? What do you say of the work of Sleaszy Records with you?
Thank you, yes there is quite a crazy mixture of feelings and emotions in "Delightful Suicides". It perfectly reflects my insanity! Hahaha. I am never fully satisfied. I am not very pleased with the production, next time I hope we will go to a good studio and do things as best as we can.
The problem with this record is that it was composed and recorded in different studios and in different periods. Because of this we dont have the same quality of sound in all songs.
Sleaszy Rider records gave us a very good deal and they did a good job promoting and distributing us.
I can only talk well about Sleaszy Rider, we have a very open dialog and they are very flexible and ready to negotiate.
Your lyrics make allegory to dark sensations of suffering and pain. Can you extend the panorama about your early days that served as inspiration for your compositions? Would you say that your music and lyrics are a therapy to cure your fears and psychological crisis? Do you write 100% of the lyrics?
I wrote and suffered every single word on the album. Every word and verse was born from my own suffering and yes you can really say it was my valve to let off the steam of my depression that would have otherwise killed me. I have been having frequent depressions and existential crisis in my life. In those periods I always wrote my lyrics and my music. Sometimes I was feeling so lonely in this world, so sensitive and so unhappy and tormented I thought I could never be happy and could never relate to anyone. I used to hurt the people I loved, but not with intention. That thought was making me hate myself. I thought life was cruel and unfair and sometimes it was just too much...i was very unbalanced.
Is the music totally composite by Aphazel or you also contribute with your musical ideas?
The music was composed by both of us. Some songs were composed and played by me alone, some other songs just by him and some other by us both.
The concept of the project is mine and also the concept behind most of the old songs that Aphazel composed where under my direction.
I know that the music is your great passion, but tell me, do you imagine your life far from the music?
Yes I can imagine it. I would probably express myself with writing and philosophy...in fact that is also what I do.
Tell us about your other activities, your past job in TV, Italian language teacher, etc.
The job on Tv was the best job I ever had! I was working for a Tv station in Milano (Italy) called Rock Tv. I was interviewing rock and metal bands and inviting them to the studio. I got to meet many artists and saw many good concerts it was just great. Also I got to admit I am a bit of a exibitionist, I like to have a active role and being at the centre of attention so I was never shy and pretty comfortable in front of the camera. I still occasionally work for Rock Tv when I am in Italy.
At the moment I am teaching italian at a highschool in Sweden. I have been doing this the past 2 years and I really love it. I love teaching and think it is fun to work with young people. I expect very much from my students as I give a lot of myself when I explain things to them but I am not mean. We laugh a lot in the class, we joke a lot, I think they adore me. I really love them too, my kids are the kick that gets me through the day. Today I told them I may move and they were all very upset, i dont think theywould let me LOL.
You lived a time in USA, why did you decide to return to Europe, what don't you like of that country? Which is it the country that more you like it?
I hate USA. I had the worst experience there. I met the wrong people, some very violent people that really treated me bad and turned my life into a living nightmare. I am still traumatized from that experience. I hate everything of the
USA, people are so shallow and fake, food is disgusting, their goverment is a fucking lie.
I love Italy, Norway and England. England is maybe the country I love the most. Any country in Europe is better than Usa!
Are you a romantic person? Which is your love conception? Do you believe in the love without pain?
I am romance made flesh! Love is the most important thing in my life, my life wouldnt be worth living without love. I am constantely in love with someone, i am very romantic, very passionate and I give 100% of my heart and soul to the one I love. Despite that my love hurricanes come on very strong but burn as fast as they come. I wish I could have a relationship for more than 2 years, I seem to end every relationship I have after that period. Maybe because I need to be in love all the time and when I dont feel my heart rushing anymore I just give it up instead of trying to work on it. I am very immature as far as that. Love and pain come hand in hand. I both suffer and suffer very much when it comes to love.
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I know that you are writing a book about your own philosophical concepts about the life. Can you tell us the fundamental ideas of the book?
The book is kind of left aside for the moment as I have been so busy with other things in my life, especially with my job, love life, trips and music. I am also at a turning point of my life and I have been devellopping some of my theories I had already written about in my book.
The theories I talk about are my conception of the universe, of the after life, the relation between the subatomic world and the movements of the planets, I analyze human behaviours and also talk about my experiences with paranormal, ghosts etc.
"Damien" is the most aggressive song, more industrial until deathrock and slight black influences; tell me, How was this song born? Is truth that was written by Daemon Benton (Glen Benton's son)?
No, it was not Daemon Benton that wrote it, it is me that wrote this song for him. At the time he was only 9 years old and I was Glen Benton sort of girlfriend. We had some kind of long distance relationship, we were so much in love with each other.
That song was also inspired a little bit by the wonderful movie called " The Omen".
It was one of the first songs we wrote for Dreamlike Horror...to be honest as it is so different from the rest of the album I didnt want to include it but then we decided to do it anyway as a lot of people wanted to hear the old unreleased stuff. So there it is now.
For those that didn't still listen to Dream Like Horror, describe us musical and lyrically your stuff.
Musically I would say it is very atmospheric and bloodchilling in some parts, it is slow and dark music with strong gothic and neoclassical influences. Lyrically it is very dramatic and crazy, poetical at times,
The whole album is very depressive and just insane!
Tell us your future plans and last words...
Future plans are: prepare a live set for Dreamlike Horror so we can begin touring, record a new record, record the first album with Noctem Dk, finish the recording of the first album with Analogue Fakir ( a band i have in England, we play electronic music, drum b bass with dub islamic influences).
I am also starting a new record company in cooperation with Sleaszy Rider records but it is too early now to reveal any details! Stay tuned!
For updates: www.deadlykristin.com
Official
homepage: www.dreamlikehorror.com
E-mail: bloodsucker9@hotmail.com