Interview with 'Pro-Jekt' 28 Dec 2009.
Firstly please tell us how Pro-Jekt came to be, and what were the band outlooks at the time, and how was the scene?
Its early roots go back as far as 1999. It started as a group of local guys who knew each other socially and from past musical ventures. The previous year we had visited the Whitby Goth festival, and in a fit of drunken absurdity decided we could do better than some of the bands on stage if we got together as a band! ( strange, that several years later we actually finally played on the same stage! ) .Bravado aside, we slowly formed a writing partnership that ‘shoe-horned in’ metal, electronica and early Goth elements into a loose writing formula. The band found a name, and in 2000 we found a singer and decided to take our musical bile ‘live’. We slowly built up a loyal fan base around Derby and Notts, and by the summer of 2001 we had drawn on the interest of cult underground label ‘Nightbreed Recordings’ Getting signed to a label, suddenly being propelled from the corner of the pub into the UK Goth scene changed things for us forever. From becoming what we thought would be short and enjoyable venture we suddenly had to notch up our ambitions and our ‘product’. The Goth scene at the time was still very good with a lot of heart and with most other bands really trying to push the genre further. We played all over the UK and a few shows in Europe – our memories of this time are really good and made all the hard work behind the scenes justified. Our outlook was very simple – the next gig needs to be better than the last one - our next song needs to be better than the last one. Everything mattered to us – and I think the scene warmed to our workman like attitude. We were never ‘darlings ‘ of the scene and didn’t always hang out in the core of the scene, but I think it was the respect for us as live act that kept us part of the fabric of the Goth and metal genre fans and promoters in the early part of the decade.
What would you say were you major influences, and do you follow particular lyrical themes?
Probably, far too many influences across the band to mention. Probably the obvious ones we have been compared to: such as The Sisters, Depeche Mode, Rammstien, Paradise Lost and Gary Numan. Lyrically, we are a little dark. It’s usually about the fragility of our lives and relationships and some of the insecurities that are borne out of these.
I noticed you played at Bloodstock, how did this go down, as Bloodstock is for mainly Metal music?
We have played Bloodstock a couple of times. I think this shows the flexibility of the band and the large catalogue of songs we can pull from to make a set applicable and appreciated to the metal fans. Even without a drummer we have been successful at these gigs. With the right choice of songs and our usual powerful live presence it works surprising easily for us – we never get phased crossing in and out of audience types.
Apart from the mighty Bloodstock, can you tell us of any wild tales on your journeys?
Our favourite journeys are usually from Finland or Holland. These places really know how to look after a band, both in hospitality and the sheer professionalism of the venue with sound and organisation. As for ‘wild’ – our support to Mortiis in the UK tour in 2004 was a bit wild in places. Other than that we where once chased by a police fire arms squad including helicopter support. However, that’s a whole long story in itself! (perhaps another time)
What made you choose a slightly different music, style on the New LP, was it because of the New line-up, or a tactical move to break stigma?
Stigma....ah yes the ‘G’ word. No, not at all really – the songs just naturally got wrote in the usual way before we had the new line up. So it was the exactly the same members who put tighter our 2nd album “Defiance”. I think the changes are in the fact that it’s a bit more aggressive as an album (due to our own lives being quiet challenging through this period. Hence the album title) – also I think Ade Fenton’s production has added a slightly colder, harder feel – very much in the spirit of NIN.
How has the musical approach changed over the three LP's, any major differences?, Can we expect to see any shows shortly?
The approach and the core writers remain unchanged both musically and lyrically – so even with a line up change with guitar and bass the material still has complete continuity. However, with the new guys we are hoping for something slightly extra on our current fourth album preparations. Live we are looking at pulling in lots of shows for 2010 after our ‘light’ 2009 whilst we had to bed in the new line up.
Being such a blend of Genres, who do actually wish to mainly attract?
Everyone and anyone – I think we cross over so many lines we can’t and shouldn’t dictate who we attract. The day’s people stop coming through doors or not buying your CD, then and only then you have to worry...
Firstly please tell us how Pro-Jekt came to be, and what were the band outlooks at the time, and how was the scene?
Its early roots go back as far as 1999. It started as a group of local guys who knew each other socially and from past musical ventures. The previous year we had visited the Whitby Goth festival, and in a fit of drunken absurdity decided we could do better than some of the bands on stage if we got together as a band! ( strange, that several years later we actually finally played on the same stage! ) .Bravado aside, we slowly formed a writing partnership that ‘shoe-horned in’ metal, electronica and early Goth elements into a loose writing formula. The band found a name, and in 2000 we found a singer and decided to take our musical bile ‘live’. We slowly built up a loyal fan base around Derby and Notts, and by the summer of 2001 we had drawn on the interest of cult underground label ‘Nightbreed Recordings’ Getting signed to a label, suddenly being propelled from the corner of the pub into the UK Goth scene changed things for us forever. From becoming what we thought would be short and enjoyable venture we suddenly had to notch up our ambitions and our ‘product’. The Goth scene at the time was still very good with a lot of heart and with most other bands really trying to push the genre further. We played all over the UK and a few shows in Europe – our memories of this time are really good and made all the hard work behind the scenes justified. Our outlook was very simple – the next gig needs to be better than the last one - our next song needs to be better than the last one. Everything mattered to us – and I think the scene warmed to our workman like attitude. We were never ‘darlings ‘ of the scene and didn’t always hang out in the core of the scene, but I think it was the respect for us as live act that kept us part of the fabric of the Goth and metal genre fans and promoters in the early part of the decade.
What would you say were you major influences, and do you follow particular lyrical themes?
Probably, far too many influences across the band to mention. Probably the obvious ones we have been compared to: such as The Sisters, Depeche Mode, Rammstien, Paradise Lost and Gary Numan. Lyrically, we are a little dark. It’s usually about the fragility of our lives and relationships and some of the insecurities that are borne out of these.
I noticed you played at Bloodstock, how did this go down, as Bloodstock is for mainly Metal music?
We have played Bloodstock a couple of times. I think this shows the flexibility of the band and the large catalogue of songs we can pull from to make a set applicable and appreciated to the metal fans. Even without a drummer we have been successful at these gigs. With the right choice of songs and our usual powerful live presence it works surprising easily for us – we never get phased crossing in and out of audience types.
Apart from the mighty Bloodstock, can you tell us of any wild tales on your journeys?
Our favourite journeys are usually from Finland or Holland. These places really know how to look after a band, both in hospitality and the sheer professionalism of the venue with sound and organisation. As for ‘wild’ – our support to Mortiis in the UK tour in 2004 was a bit wild in places. Other than that we where once chased by a police fire arms squad including helicopter support. However, that’s a whole long story in itself! (perhaps another time)
What made you choose a slightly different music, style on the New LP, was it because of the New line-up, or a tactical move to break stigma?
Stigma....ah yes the ‘G’ word. No, not at all really – the songs just naturally got wrote in the usual way before we had the new line up. So it was the exactly the same members who put tighter our 2nd album “Defiance”. I think the changes are in the fact that it’s a bit more aggressive as an album (due to our own lives being quiet challenging through this period. Hence the album title) – also I think Ade Fenton’s production has added a slightly colder, harder feel – very much in the spirit of NIN.
How has the musical approach changed over the three LP's, any major differences?, Can we expect to see any shows shortly?
The approach and the core writers remain unchanged both musically and lyrically – so even with a line up change with guitar and bass the material still has complete continuity. However, with the new guys we are hoping for something slightly extra on our current fourth album preparations. Live we are looking at pulling in lots of shows for 2010 after our ‘light’ 2009 whilst we had to bed in the new line up.
Being such a blend of Genres, who do actually wish to mainly attract?
Everyone and anyone – I think we cross over so many lines we can’t and shouldn’t dictate who we attract. The day’s people stop coming through doors or not buying your CD, then and only then you have to worry...
