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http://www.urchicago.com/listingsen...S%3A+NITZER+EBB
| quote: | REVOLUTIONS: NITZER EBB
After a decade-long hiatus, the industrial pioneers are finally ready to "Join in the Chant" again
It's hard to imagine a band description like "impassioned techno rage" or "proto-techno industrial legacy" not piquing the interest of any off-the-beaten-path music seeker. Nitzer Ebb, one of the original groups that honed the sound eventually dubbed "industrial," have been showered with intense and dramatic praise since their inception more than twenty years ago in 1982. Since early industrial is so often associated with Germany, many fans think that U.K.-born Vaughn "Bon" Harris and Douglas McCarthy came from the same scene as bands like Die Krupps. Yet Nitzer Ebb singularly spread what was then known as "hard beat/electronic body music" across British dancefloors for years before joining forces with Germany's politicized, working class-oriented industrial collective. After five albums and garnering a worldwide cult-like fan base, internal strife forced the band to go on an extended hiatus. Now -- to the delight of techno-loving, fist-pumping chanters the world over -- Harris and McCarthy have rejoined forces for their first tour in 11 years. UR caught up with Harris during the Japan leg. words: Clara Rose Thornton
UR Chicago: How does it feel to be back on stage?
Vaughn "Bon" Harris: Generally very good. It's gratifying to be in demand after so much time, and we both love to perform. It's especially good to be in front of a new generation of audience (members) at the festivals and so on. Some people never thought they would see us play; it feels great to be able to deliver that.
Comment on the evolution and proliferation of industrial music, the genre you've been credited with helping create.
The main difference I see now is that there was much more cross-fertilization of musical influence when we began. We were influenced by funk, punk, rockabilly, reggae, big-band swing and electronic-type music. I think music has become much more genre-focused, mainly because of commercial interest from the industry to ease marketing. Consequently, I think music within the genres can be a bit inward-looking, and diversification and growth sometimes suffer as a result. I feel that's the case with a lot of newer "industrial" music. I see a lot of repetition of themes and ideas. I think the bands are all listening to each other, rather than taking a broader approach.
You headlined the annual Detroit Electronic Music Festival this summer, a fest stereotyped as catering to house or breakbeat "club kid" crowds. Did you find a warm reception to your music there?
Yes. Obviously, some people are just there to get zoned out and dance to whatever comes their way. Yet, for the most part, there was an awareness and appreciation for us as a band.
What are your thoughts on modern house DJs remixing your classics and turning them into something new for a younger generation to digest -- such as Richie Hawtin reworking "Let Your Body Learn" on his 1999 Decks, EFX & 909 album?
Richie Hawtin is a good example of an artist trying to further his craft. I think he can justifiably take something and make it new, or make it his own in some way. There are other good new talents developing; we'll wait and see. I try not to think in divisions, other than great music and not-so-great music.
What were the circumstances in England at the time of Nitzer Ebb's forming -- socially, politically and personally -- that compelled the angry response heard in early tracks like "Warsaw Ghetto," "Murderous" and "Join in the Chant"?
We were from a small town, a commuter suburb of London. England was suffering under years of Thatcher's conservative government. High unemployment, reduced social services and an alliance with Reagan produced a frightening and depressing atmosphere. We were teenagers and as disgruntled as a lot of other people in England at that time. The band grew out of that environment.
Did the band make any conscious decisions to steer its music toward the lyrical, more poetically astute direction it went over the years, or was it a natural course?
I think any band will evolve over time. We started from very simple beginnings, so the obvious challenge was to see if we could become more structured and complex. We were interested in expanding the sound as far as we could, and still retaining the essence of the Ebb foundation. We were very rhythmically based initially, so melody became more of an interest as well.
With widespread turbulence and political corruption currently at play, will Nitzer Ebb continue to produce the hard-edged, anarchist-tinged art it's known for?
I think there will always be an edge to what we do. We thrive in these types of situations. We are confronted with many thought-provoking situations right now, and we've always tended to be somewhat confrontational and thought-provoking in our music. Right now there is plenty of fuel for the fire. We are not ready to roll over just yet.
Nitzer Ebb play House of Blues (329 N. Dearborn, 312/923-2000) September 25 |
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