Interview Eldar – PromoFabrik

(April/2010)

 

1-Hello Merce, hello Marc, you have been around for a longer periond of time, but founded ELDAR in 2004. Initially you have been alone as solo project, Marc. What did change your mind to get Merce aboard?

 

Marc: It can be defined as an effect of creative growth, we are perfectly attuned, but each of us offers Eldar their own concerns and contribute their own concepts creatively, think Eldar's music has been enriched because of this.

Merce: We have similar musical influences and the two had worked together in the past in another musical project since disappeared, so it was easier to meet again musically.

 

2-Why did you choose to become musician and not like, e.g. Goya, to become a painter?

 

Marc: Well, actually, many years ago, my form of artistic expression was more directed painting or writing toward the music, making music was secondary, but gradually became my main mode of expression, but the different forms of artistic expression have never abandoned me, and I've always tried to integrate them into everything I do.

Mercé: I have always channeled my artistic interests, using various media: drawing, writing or in the form of musical expression. From a young age listening to music, do not understand a life without her, and this inspired me to introduce myself in this world and experience. Anyway I admire and respect any form of art is a concept that I think that humanizes and ennobles us as a species.

 

3-Why is Goya an important artist in your point of view to dedicate and entire album to him?

 

Marc & Merce: In all our albums have linked other arts with music. In "Amesha Spentas" we wanted to use the Goya painting to express different aspects of our thinking, we've always been attracted by their strength and symbolism, many of his paintings represent our way of seeing the world. In his art we see social concerns, philosophical and mystical at the same time are concepts that we can move to any point in history. We saw in the paintings of Goya's a constant struggle between opposites, which struck between the people of his era, a vision and Zoroastrian struggle, this is why the title of the album.

 

4-What was the concept behind his life-time work and what concept do you want to transport to the audience?

 

Marc & Merce: Music is a form of personal expression, but when filled with concepts and ideas goes beyond the music to become an artistic exhibition that seeks to cause a reaction in the listener, beyond the emotional. Our music is full of symbolism, which are hidden to the naked eye. Many times we can only perceive or feel the emotion of sounds, but behind them there is a whole world full of symbolic concepts and ideas. They make up our mind and thinking, and believe that maybe this might be interesting for others, it can also affect some people to reach the same conlcusiones us.

 

5-What does the band name mean?

 

Marc & Merce: Eldar means "epidemic" in ancient Iberian language of our land, the language of more than 2,500 years ago, according to some authors, since there is no formal agreement on the actual language translation Ibero. We believe that the concepts, when they are transmitted to the public, have an effect "epidemic" that we can not calculate their consequences to see the effects they have caused. But Eldar means very different things in many other places in the world.

 

6-How do you work together as a band?

 

Marc: We combine work and creative process, but each album is different. For us it is easy to convey the same concept, perhaps my work is more compositional, and Merce is more concerned with texts and other instruments, but the development of each song we do between them.

Merce: Normally work as a team, each of us brings their own ideas to seek a balance and an optimal result, we readily agree, and before we know clearly the result we want, according to the project in which we work, we propose the terms that will work.

 

7-I have read that you work with a lot of synths, sounds and materials for creating the music. How do you convert this into a live-setting?

 

Marc & Markets: The composition is quite different from live performances in the creative process because we both have to record all instruments, vocals, samples, etc ... but we live only two components, so the machines we have to help. Our audience is accustomed to these concerts, as bands of our genre usually have 1,2 or at most 3 components.

 

8-What do you think makes music superior or disadvantageous compared to other types of art?

 

Marc: Every artist feels more comfortable expressing their concepts and thoughts in a medium of art. My personality has led me to the music, but I've always tried to combine music with other art media, because I believe that somehow they are all linked. Artistic expression is something universal.

Merce: I do not think in those terms, it is usually always depend on the public, he finally made the success or acceptance of any type of art. Marc says well, any kind of art is universal and people from very different backgrounds can enjoy the same work in any kind of artistic expression.

 

9-What is our opinion on philosophies capability to influence society?

 

Marc: The sounds change our behaviors in the brain, the melodies are recorded in our mind, and spirit which caused these sounds and melodies suggest to the public. When the person changes, so do the people around you. This is why our name. But this will only get deeper into what we hear.

Merce: The lyrics are part of the set, sending a direct message and reflective, at that time the music gets to become a concept in the mind of the listener.

 

10-How do you want to change society? And do you think music is the perfect tool for it?

 

Marc & Merce: Currently we are in a selfish & consumerist society, we are at the beginning of the end of capitalism. Until people understand that everything we do as individuals, have an impact on whole society, we can not progress to more advanced social systems. Our planet is finite and really small, no owner, it belongs to everyone. Attempt to convey these concepts, wrapped with a spiritual and philosophical vision, which makes our whole message can act in the most hidden of the human soul, one that is linked to everything in this universe.

 

11-If you were God or similar being, what do you think you will change first?

 

Marc: Mainly exchange the concept of God that many people have, I think that would change many things in this world.

Merce: I think the philosophical concept of God is so large and diverse one at the same time, perhaps this is what each of us should understand first, in order to understand it and understand ourselves as human beings, positive impact on our environment.

 

12-Given you are falling from a skyscraper building, what do you reckon your last thoughts would be today?

 

Marc: I would try to feel peace in my heart.

Merce: You may get carried wherever he went, without resisting.

 

13-What is your affinity to latin language?

 

Marc: Every language has its own melody, and fits with certain sounds, surely at some point we will make a song in Spanish, so far we have made in Latin and Catalan, but most of our songs are in English, melodic language it goes perfectly our music, but we would like to open up these possibilities.

Merce: Personally I feel comfortable in my own language, which is Catalan, although I have great affinity with the other Latin languages, the English also better known internationally and we both fit. I love to dare the German language, but I fear that my pronunciation is still not the most correct.

 

14-How did you find out about that very underground and special genre of Dark Ambient and Martial Music? Why do you think this is the perfect style to present your messages?

 

Marc & Merce: We have always been very interested in experimental music, music that departed from convention by offering different sensations. The Dark Ambient and Martial genres are names to define certain styles within experimental music, we move among many styles, but mainly we consider an experimental electronic band, every concept can be represented in many musical forms. We believe the Martial Industrial is very open in order to create different sounds and melodies, also a good platform to show our personality.

 

15-How do you describe your musical style with three words?

 

Marc: critical, reflective, spiritual

Merce: strong, enveloping, experimental

 

16-Many of the bands of the genre Neofolk or Martial are said to be polically more right-winged. What is your opinion about this?

 

Marc & Merce: When we share something with our environment we are becoming a form of politics, politics is the science that uses human beings to live with his neighbor. It perceives everything that surrounds us is political, but there is a tendency to relate to politics and music genres. Not nor us, these genres are just a musical style, and also a certain aesthetic that share other musical genres, all styles of music is political, at very different levels, directly or indirectly, our message has never been a politician only philosophical and sociological, we serve strong sound and a certain aesthetic to give strength to our message.

 

17-Let’s talk about the re-release of „Amaterasu Shiroi“ eingehen. Why did you choose to rework it again?

 

Marc & Markets: In the beginning, do not think that Eldar had such an impact, and edit in different media all Demo albums of Eldar. These editions were sold out, we were not happy with the original sound of these demos, so we decided to re-record these songs and re-edit with higher quality and changing various aspects of its composition. They were also very limited editions, and there are many more people interested in having those songs.

 

18-What topics do you cover on the recording?

 

Marc & Merce: As with all our albums are many symbols and concepts we try to convey, "Amaterasu Shiroi" mainly is the encounter between Occidental and Asian philosophy, but there are many other cultural and historical concepts in this album. These philosophical trends were with force in the early twentieth century in our country to the Spanish civil war in which this philosophical process stopped. From all this talk this album.

 

19-What is the most dramatic difference to the original demo recordings?

 

Marc & Merce: Mainly production more professional, more clarity in the voices that we re-recorded in its entirety, a much more clear and strong, we have also changed some sounds and samples, also on this album we've added new songs and voices in previously instrumental songs. For us it is a completely new album.

 

20-What is the main influence for writing the songs for Eldar?

 

Marc & Merce: We base our creations in a special insight through contemplating the world around us, we try to explain what we see, think and feel. We are not aware of the musical influences, because we don‘t have in mind when we're writing, but we can‘t stop the music we listen and we've heard for years we influence, and the truth is that we hear lots of music and not close ourselves into any genre.

 

21-You will play live in Germany this year. Are you excited? What can you tell us about your stage performance there?

 

Marc: The concerts are an experience that we like, but in small quantities, we are very few concerts each year, prepare concerts takes a long time and can‘t devote as much time in our lives to this. Honestly when WGT organization contacted with us doubt our response, we believe that this type of music is more suitable for small spaces, but we concluded it would be a good experience take part in this important festival in these genres, for this reason we are excited at this concert.

Merce: Our staging is always very simple and sober, trying to make people listen to our music, you can listen with closed eyes, the expressiveness of our music is our performance, we do not want to dress up to act now. We agree that other artists resort to this but not our style.

 

22-Can you reveal more live-dates?

 

Marc & Merce: At the moment we can not confirm more dates, but we'll have a second performance this year. We just want to make two or three concerts a year at most.

 

23-Many thanks for answering our questions and we wish you much success for your further career! Any final message or thought you might want to share?

 

Marc & Merce: Thank everyone that has supported us and continue doing it, and especially those who have believed in our music as Roger, Manix, Harry and Ray. Thank’s for this good interview.