Interview с Antimatter : DARKSIDE.ru

Duncan, were you thinking about the departure from Antimatter for a long time? Was it a hard decision, was there a little hesitation about this? Would you feel something missing without Antimatter?

Duncan: I had been thinking many things for a while, about everything, not just about music or which name I would go under etc. It just came to a point where I was putting everything in, and getting very little out. We (Antimatter) were very unlucky with everything we tried to do. Something was always against us. I needed a big change in life, so I did it, and in a lot of ways it has paid off. I just want to improve every single aspect, and if something isn't working and I can't fix it, then its time to move on. I don’t feel anything missing as I’m proud of what me and Mick achieved. We made some great albums and they are documented now, for as long as people are interested in music. No regrets about that.

Mick, was Duncan’s departure shocking for you or you were quite ready for this happen sooner or later? Did you feel frustrated or disappointed about this?

Mick: Yeah, of course, I'm sure it's always frustrating when your co-pilot of sorts decides to leave. Nowadays I am fully adjusted to how things are running, although it's a bit stressful when a lot of things need to be arranged at the same time and there’s only me to do it, its like trying to keep hold of 10 branches at once.

At which point are you now with the “Leaving Eden” album? Is it already recorded and mixed, what else must be done?

Mick: At the moment the album is written and I'm just waiting for some arrangements to be finalized so I can go into the studio and start recording.

How big is Duncan’s involvement in the new album, if there is any?

Mick: Duncan has no involvement in the next album, he left Antimatter last year.

Could you tell us a bit about the musicians who will take any part in making “Leaving Eden”? In which songs are we to hear female vocals and who will do it? Is the female vocals predominating in the new songs?

Mick: I'm toying with

the idea of asking Michelle Richfield to guest on a track at the moment, but any female vocals would appear only as a backing to my voice which will be dominant throughout. As for your question about musicians featuring, Danny Cavanagh and Rachel Brewster (played violin for “Planetary Confinement” (2005)) are confirmed to appear. Danny will contribute lead guitar parts and piano.

Why don’t you work with Michelle Richfield and Hayley Windsor anymore? Their contribution to “Savoir” and “Lights Out” was so significant.

Mick: The girls are indicative of a certain era of Antimatter, that era is no longer with us. Yeah, I agree, their contributions to the first two albums were priceless.

Could you compare “Leaving Eden” to the other Antimatter albums soundwise and lyricwise?

Mick: Yeah, sure, all the previous ones and then again none of them. It is an album in its own right but also sits well with the other three. I'm walking the line between the overtly emotional stuff a la “Planetary Confinement”, and the more rockier material I was into on “Lights Out”.

Is there any hope you will play live in support of “Leaving Eden”?

Mick: I announced last week that after the recording I am putting a live lineup together, so it is safe to assume I will tour the next album, although when and where I can't say at this time.

Do you feel free on stage? What atmosphere do you prefer mostly?

Mick: I'm not really sure what I prefer on stage. As for feeling free, that would depend on the audience, if they're acting like bastards then I don't feel free, no.

Have you already made a substantial decision to continue as Antimatter? Or will your decision depend on how “Leaving Eden” will do?

Mick: I made a substantial decision to record “Leaving Eden” and see what happened. Now I have made the decision to tour the albums after the recording is finished. I have made no long-term plans, I am just finishing each short term plan and then seeing what my options/needs are.

How did you get acquainted

with Duncan? What were you doing before joining Antimatter? How was your musical career going?

Mick: Before joining Antimatter I was writing songs by myself and playing with a few friends. I had already written “Saviour”, “Angelic” and “Over Your Shoulder” from our first album before Duncan approached me to do Antimatter with him. I met Duncan back in my school days.

What is Mick Moss outside Antimatter? Do you have any priorities in your life except music, what are they?

Mick: Bizarrely enough, at the moment when I'm not doing Antimatter music, I'm doing soundtrack music for an online television station. I guess I can't get away from it.

Duncan, and you are now to pursue your new project Ion. What is music of Ion, does it have any parallels to Antimatter or Anathema? Who else except you are in Ion?

Duncan: Ion is basically my own thing. I’m collaborating with people from all around the world. The music is somewhere between Dead Can Dance, Pink Floyd, Clannad, Antimatter (so I’m told) and I’m trying out different instrumentation than I’ve used before. On the album I have harp, mandoline, percussion, viola, banjo, flutes. I guess the parallel with Antimatter/Anathema is that I’m writing the songs. The difference is that I have a more positive outlook, lyrically. Musically there are still very dark moments.

What are the plans for Ion for the nearest future?

Duncan: I’m working on finishing the album this month. It will be released after summer, then I’m making plans to tour to promote it. I have a new singer, Emily Saaen, who is actually from Russia. I hope to take her on tour with us. I’ve had offers from Eastern Europe and South America already, so I’m trying to plan a scedule.

Could you also tell us about your role in Breaklose and Deathcap?

Duncan: Deathcap is just a project that I'll do in my own time. At the moment the Ion stuff is my priority. One day I'll actually get the Deathcap stuff finished! Breaklose are a French band who asked me to play on their album. Their music was so impressive that I signed them to my lab

el.

How are things with your label Strangelight? What kind of bands are signed or can sign Strangelight?

Duncan: At the moment I’m waiting for the Leafblade album to be finished. Leafblade is a project involving Danny from Anathema. Celtic/medieval folk stuff, that often drifts into experimental momments. Great band. I’m just interested in music that I like basically. One day when I have more time and finance, I will put more effort into the label and eventually employ people to run it as a full time business.

Could you recall your you time after leaving Anathema - what did you feel then? Are you quite satisfied with how your life/career was going after Anathema?

Duncan: I learned a lot about how superficial music scenes are, and how most people involved in the business are parasites. Including the musicians themselves. I try to work with the right people now. I formed my own label to try to get away from one problem, and that opened up a new world of problems - trying to retrieve money from distributors etc. It’s a necessary evil to deal with the things I dislike about the music business, unless you do a world tour every year and take thousands of CDs on the road with you. As for my life, leaving Anathema lifted an immense weight from my shoulders. I felt fresh again, but as I said earlier, a whole new world of problems opened up. That’s life, we have to adjust to situations good and bad.

The first demo of Antimatter was recorded in 1999 also with the assistance of Danny North. What was his part then? Could Danny become a part of Antimatter?

Duncan: Danny North kindly recorded a song for me on his digital recorder.

Did Michelle Richfield record vocals for that demo or she recorded later for the album?

Duncan: Michelle actually sang on most of the demos.

How did your collaboration with Hayley and Brian of DFA/Mirazma happen?

Duncan: I’ve known Brian for years. He was instrumental in getting Antimatter off the ground. He let me use his home studio to do programming, and let use use his equi

pment while recording the album. It wouldn’t have happened without him and Les Smith. Hayley was singing with DFA at the time and I asked her if she was interested in singing a few tracks on the album. She was very enthusiastic, and no problem at all.

Duncan, could you tell about the musicians who helped recording "Planetary Confinement". The first one is Amelie Festa.

Duncan: I met Amelie through the Breaklose guys. We went through the songs in a few hours and she sang them. Lovely girl, lovely voice. I’d like to do some more with her in the future.

The next one is Alex Mazarguil (whose part was quite various).

Duncan: Alex engineered a lot of the parts for me. He’s the singer in Breaklose. He also played percussion on “Line Of Fire”.

Now what about Mehdi Messouci from Breaklose?

Duncan: Mehdi played the electric piano on the album. I’ve known him for years and met many many times. He toured with us in Greece and Turkey.

We see the grey skies and barb wire on the cover of “Planetary Confinement”. What’s the idea behind the cover?

Mick: It's there to reflect the title of the album. So if we're referring to the idea of this planet as a prison, then on the cover we're seperated from the skies by barbed wire. It's pretty self-explanatory.

What is the aim audience for Antimatter, which audience receives you most positively?

Duncan: A mixture of people like the albums we did. At gigs it was mostly Anathema fans, but I dont thinnk we had enough promotion for the albums to be able to judge which type of audience we would have got.

Mick: The audiences are mainly people from one kind of alternative scene or another. Theres certainly been no Michael Jackson or T-Shirts worn at our gigs.

Where are you paid more attention from metal, gothic or electro magazines/webzines?

Duncan: Mostly metal and gothic, but thats down to the labels who were promoting us.

What is the Liverpool musical scene at present? How do you see your place there?

Duncan: I'm not there. I left Liverpool when I was 19.

Mick: I don't really see a place there for us. Really, I'm trying not to think about it that way. If I think about gigging in the future I envision it abroad rather than here, although I could do a few warm up gigs around town.

Special thanks to Alexei “KIDd” Kuzovlev (Irond) for arranging this interview.

Anna Babicheva
May 6-12, 2006
20 июл 2006 the End

Antimatter

Music As Feeling