Rockezine.com interview with God`s Bow on Sep 27, 2002

God`s Bow

with Krzysztof Pieczarka and Agnieszka Kornet on Sep 27, 2002

It’s remarkable what a visit to a foreign festival can accomplish. The Castle Party this year opened a mostly unknown market for us westerners. See it as a first attempt to open more boundaries (hello European Union) and as a step to a better mutual understanding. Music has always been an important art form to unite people. God’s Bow is – again – a Polish band that shows there is a healthy scene in the alterative music in Poland. Krzysztof and Agnieszka found some time to answer the following questions…
		Can you tell us something more about your history? What’s Beyond The Suns is your second album, isn’t it? Is SidjaGG still a member of the band? Krzysztof: God’s Bow was created in 1997 in Szczecin (Poland) as a side-project of the band PCM. PCM played harder electro music – industrial. Together with SidjaGG we have also written some „softer“ songs, that were quite different from what PCM was playing and on one of the rehearsals we have suggested Agnieszka to try to sing some of them. It happened to be a great idea, because we were delighted by what Agnieszka presented. Later that year we were invited to take part on the Castle Party Festival, only a few months had passed after we began. We had only five songs ready. But we got a big (and nice) surprise, as we got rewarded and signed a contract with Black Flames Records. Later we recorded our first album Twilight and played more concerts, among e.g. Psyche, Clan of Xymox, Attrition, Garden of Delight and Inkubus Sukkubus. The songs from our debut were released on many western samplers, e.g. German Hyperium New Classics vol.1 (“Cleopatra”) among Ophelia´s Dream or Love Is Colder Than Death; what‘s more “My Fault” was included in US sampler Goth Tales vol. 1 – Nightfalls, English New Alternatives 4 among Attrition or Swan Death, and in 2000 on Japanese sampler Subhuman; the songs of God´s Bow are also to be found on Angel Child vol.4 (Sweden) and on the latest German samplers: Cantara III and Angel’s Delight 3 with L´áme Immortelle, Mila Mar, In The Nursery and Delerium. Our music was welcomed very positively and we were really happy with that... We have also recorded versions of Depeche Mode songs (“The Things You Said”) as well as The Cure‘s (“Plainsong”), but without SidjaGG who decided to leave music. Before recording our second album we had contact with the German band Endraum. In the studio of this band What’s Beyond The Suns was recorded under the guidance of Roman Rütten. Our cooperation was very successful and we understand each other perfectly (also privately). The result was that we have recorded also the remix of Endraum‘s songs “Pale Blue The Silence“, that was included on their latest album Herzklang Spiegelt Am Stressenrand, and Roman produced a remix of the song “Beyond the Suns“ from our latest album. Lately we also performed on Eurorock Indoor Festival in Belgium (on Preselection contest) and were rewarded with a main prize.
		Have to admit that I had some trouble reviewing your album, especially songs like ‘Clear’ and ‘Beyond The Suns’ sound a bit overdone.
		The voice of Agnieszka sounds a bit out of tune in those songs and the music is too far in the background… How do you feel about this comment? Krzysztof: Some time after recording our album I also came to the conclusion that the vocals could be a little bit quieter, compared to the music, but this is only my vision. Roman Rütten from Endraum – who as a professional definitely knows what he’s doing because he has been creating electro music for many years – had another vision and we accepted it. All in all, we are very satisfied with the final result and with our cooperation with Roman. Agnieszka is really very emotional in her singing but I don’t see anything improper in her vocals. I am not the only one who thinks so because we get many opinions of people that Agnieszka’s vocals on What’s… is exceptional. So I have no problem with your comment, you think that the voice of Agnieszka sounds a bit out of tune in those songs but I think that you simply don’t like the music where vocals are a little bit more complicated... Yes, I can say that Agnieszka’s singing is very complicated but well thought of. The melodies Agnieszka sings match the music. Although I can’t say they’re simple. The process of making our music is quite long and we are trying to consider everything. I have no doubts about Agnieszka’s vocals (even with such complicated music). I am delighted by what she does and I have heard many opinions about her “great” singing – I feel fed up with them (smile). Even Roman Rütten didn’t catch any false tones and he is a professional…I am happy that he produced our album because this is why the sound of it has a real high quality. Agnieszka has been working for many years on her singing and that’s why there are many opinions that her voice sounds so well (it is mostly compared to Lisa Gerard from Dead Can Dance, or Anneli Drecker from Bel Canto). Many people regard the voice of Agnieszka as a main merit of God’s Bow.
...Agnieszka’s singing is very complicated but well thought of...		From Tired on the music (production) and Agnieszka seem to have grown. It’s a bit like a mixture of Delerium and Dead Can Dance. How would you describe your music? What are your influences? Krzysztof: We often have a problem with categorizing ourselves, we are just creating... But since we all taught to introduce ourselves, I think we are playing electro dark wave with some influences of ambient and ethno. Our music is purely electro but we add to it a lot of ethno rhythms that remind us of the spirituality and the depth of human nature. We want to present our view on electro music, that is completely different from the common view, that electro is something mechanical and technical. For us this is the music in its full sense... Filled with emotions and human sensibility. Agnieszka: I would describe what we do as electro-ethno-gothic-dark-wave. Each of these genres can be noticed in our music and I think this is easy to see.
		Do you agree that you use some Eastern influences as well (especially when you listen to songs like ‘Tired’ and the beautiful ‘Interstellar Absolution’)? Krzysztof: We also like these two songs and I am very happy that you like them too... We listen a lot to different music. Next to electro music we listen to classical, hard rock, world music and sometimes we also like meditation music. Of course there is a big influence of other bands on our art. They helped us to find our own path, but the music that inspired us was very different and electro was only one of the genres, so in our music characteristic features of many styles can be heard. As a result we have developed our own style. Personally I like to listen to scores (Peter Gabriel, Vangelis). The bands that impress me are very numerous, among others: Dead Can Dance, Depeche Mode, Front Line Assembly, The Cure, Deine Lakaien, Endraum, Future Sound Of London, Skinny Puppy, Michael Nyman... really there is too many of them to name all... Agnieszka: As Krzysiek was saying we like many different genres of music that inspire us. As for me, I am very much impressed by the latest album of Deine Lakaien, White Lies – it is very bizarre... The most wonderful is that even after listening to it many times I always discover something new in this album... There is always something fascinating and charming in it.
		You played on different festivals this year (the Castle Party and Eurorock). Which festival did you like most? Why? Agnieszka: This year we have played many concerts and we find it really great. We have performed on three huge festivals (Eurorock Preselections, Castle Party, Eurorock Summer Festival), and there are three more waiting for us, not mentioning single concerts. Compared to previous years, this one is the best as far as a number of concerts is concerned, there are a lot of miraculous things we could only dream of last year. But I can’t point out a festival that was “the best”. Each performance and each place is new for us and brings us new impressions. But I must say that I remember most Eurorock Preselections – where the jury appreciated our music and gave us the first prize.
		And you’ve got even bigger things to come… I saw some shows in the USA/Canada as well. How did this happen? Krzysztof: As Agnieszka said before we played many concerts this year. Immediately and surprisingly the interest in our band has grown… Soon we will play (among others) on Herbstnächte Festival in Germany and Dark Nation Day Festival in Austria. We are also invited to play in autumn as a support for some regular concerts from The Crüxshadows and Deine Lakaien during their tours which is a great honour for us… About the concerts in USA – Radek Kasprzak, our promotion manager made a contact with organizers. And it seems they are interested in our concerts... This is a really happy year...(smile)
		Do you feel that you are standing before an international breakthrough with the band? Or should something more happen? Agnieszka: Frankly speaking I haven’t thought about it much. Perhaps it’s because from the very beginning of God’s Bow I have thought mostly about Western publicity, not only our Polish one. It was obvious for me that in the West we can get more fans. The western market is simply very open to electro (and all alternative) music. There are many people who visit the concerts – this market is ‘alive’. From the beginning our songs were included on Western samplers, Western magazines and e-zines were writing about us; so I never observed a breakthrough on the international market. What more can happen? I think a lot. More concerts (this tendency is very visible this year), new contacts, new co-operands… In our case all things that happen to us tend to grow, which is very nice and we are happy about it. And I hope it will bring us to the top.
I would describe what we do as electro-ethno-gothic-dark-wave.		Do you actually live from your music? Agnieszka: Not at this moment. And I think that there‘s a long way for us to live in 100% from our music. Krzysztof: We don’t live from music. Music is our passion, way for living and for defining ourselves. However making the music doesn’t bring us any profits. In Poland it is very hard to earn money this way, so both of us, apart from music, have to work.
		How do you see the Polish market for gothic/electro/wave music if you compare it to other countries? Krzysztof: The Polish alternative scene is not well developed yet and dark wave bands are still deep underground. However, there is much happening in Poland in alternative music. There are more and more club events and concerts of alternative music (electro, dark wave, industrial, etc.). There is an increasing number of alternative bands that now has the possibilities to show their music to an audience because there are a lot of bigger and smaller festivals with independent music. One of the examples for higher interests in such music is the Castle Party Festival – on its first editions not more than 500 people participated, now it is over 4000.
		What can we expect from GOD’S BOW in the future? When can we expect a new album? Agnieszka: We have some ideas for the next album and we have started to write some new songs. I think a lot about lyrics and themes of this album and we have a main idea what message it will have – we are considering various ideas in order to choose what is the closest to our feelings. We don’t want to tell everything about it, I can only say that we will focus on humanity. We want to stop a Man for a moment to make him look at himself and the world from a different point of view. To give him more time to make a decision in which way to go and if this decision will be good. We want to show closer what the feelings are of a human being and what his reactions are. I really can’t say more, we have to surprise you (smile). About our style – there will be no serious changes – we will be faithful to electro sounds. We want the album to be released next year. Maybe in autumn 2003.
In Poland it is very hard to earn money this way.		What would you recommend to any Polish band that wants to go international? Agnieszka: Most of all a lot of faith is needed – in yourselves and in your possibilities. You also shouldn’t give up even if there is some failure. You don’t get the biggest things at once – most of the people have to work for it for years. But you have to believe that YOU will be successful – if you create a success in your mind it can come true. Of course I also recommend learning foreign languages – it makes life so much easier…
		Something you always wanted to say, but were never asked… Krzysztof: Nothing special comes to my mind, but we would like to greet all Rockezine - readers and wish you a good reception of our latest album. We hope that you like the songs on this record and that they will let you to experience something extraordinary... We also invite you to visit our webpage: http://godsbow.rockmetal.art.pl, where you can listen to the pieces of our songs (from both albums) and find the latest news about God’s Bow.
(Beautevil )