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Electropunk scum band Katscan take on the new world order
Reported by HarderFaster Editorial
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Submitted 26-07-06 21:42
Today is a very sad day for the music industry, for it’s the last day the Beeb are recording Top of the Pops. Seriously. In a time when even musical institutions many of us regarded sacred while growing up are no longer safe and, it could well be argued, ‘pop’ music is even more inane than ever, how the h*ll does any band trying to do something a bit more alternative survive? Meet Katscan, an ‘electropunk scum’ (their words!) band with industrial, goth and metal influences who are taking on the new world order in their own surgically obsessed way.
Aptly described in the recent June issue of Metal Hammer magazine as “Ministry on acid”, Katscan consist of: Martin Katsan, who sings vocals as well as writing all lyrics and music; Ed Oxime, who was in an electronic band called Nekromantic with Martin before they formed Katscan and is responsible for the live synths and samples; and Phil Able, a name familiar to many HarderFaster readers as a successful electro, house, trance and hard house dj, as well as having been the face behind Cyberdog for many years, who since late October 2005 has played live percussion for the band. I met up with Martin and Phil one sunny summer Camden evening to learn more about Katscan over a couple of pints.
Martin Katscan
I know Phil’s been djing for many years and Martin, you were a singer songwriter in UK electrogoth pioneers Nekromantic. For those that don’t know you, how did you all get into music? Could each of you tell me when you started playing music and how your music has evolved over the years.
Martin: Well, personally I’ve been in bands since school. Originally I was into punk and goth. Through my band splitting, I met a guy who did electronic music, Ed. Our guitarist had left so we were forced to do things electronically, so we found out how. That was Nekromantik, the preband that was the beginning of Katscan. Basically it’s the easiest way to get an idea down in the quickest fashion and use it.
Ed Oxime
You’ve clearly learnt a lot about software then?
Martin: Yes, pretty much anyone with a computer can make music — which is a good and a bad thing! It’s liberating at the same time too. A lot of software is just a collection of loops. You can listen to chart songs and recognise the loops.
So you can never listen to pop again?
Martin: I can’t help it! It’s an English institution, like Top of the Pops!
But that’s gone now . . .
Martin: You get a ghetto of music but it’s handy to take ideas from! Anyway, I was into alternative music at school, so when rave was massive, I didn’t want to be a part of it, so it was later on I discovered hard beats. But because at school everyone else was into rave, I was into heavy metal and punk!
Phil Able
What about you Phil? When did you first get into making music?
Phil: I started off in metal bands when I was 17–25. From metal I got into more alternative acts, like Ministry, and bands like Nine Inch Nails were taking off. I was still into Bauhaus and Christian Death. I started going to raves because they were the only thing still going when rock clubs and gigs finished at 11–1, so if I wanted to stay up partying the only thing to do was warehouse squat parties . . . and it was all down hill from there! I got into wanting to dj though hearing other people play. It was easy — not easy money — I wish! The rest of it is probably on HarderFaster I think! I’ve done loads of dj gigs . . .
And your style has changed over the years?
Phil: Hell yeah! Like so many other djs I didn’t know what I liked. I would come out of the record shop with some house, some belgium techno and I didn’t know what I wanted to play. I played hard house for many years and would never knock it, but I’m now a lot more groove orientated — I prefer electro or techno. I’ve never poo’d what I’ve done in the past though cos that’s what’s got me where I am now.
And then there’s the Cyberdog connection . . .
Phil: Musically there was also the Cyberdog connection but even then I was trying to incorporate other styles of music into what was in the shop. I knew a lot of music was out there that people wanted to hear, so I opened it out to include alternative labels.
How did you meet? And how long have you been together?
Martin: It was definitely the Cyberdog connection there. My girlfriend lived at Cyberdog — well she worked there! So she introduced me to Phil who was also working there. I’d mentioned my idea ages ago, as Phil wanted to do live music as well as djing, then he got back in contact. At that time we were a two piece, with Ed. The initial idea was for Phil to play the guitar . . .
Phil: It’s coming! I’ve just got to finish learning to play the drums first!
Martin: We were keen to get electronic percussion on stage first, as it adds a dynamic aspect to a gig, beyond the usual guitar and synth. Our first gig was in October in Derby shire at a goth fetish festival. It was a traditional gothic audience, with lots of lace [pvc!]. The gig went well and the event itself was interesting!
So do you have still day jobs?
Martin: Unfortunately! I’m a web designer, as everyone who makes this kind of music is! Well everyone in the industrial scene seems to work with computers!
Well it’s creative too!
Martin: But obviously when you get to a certain age, unless you’re very lucky it’s very difficult to make a living through music, so you try to find something that’s creative on all levels. I do a lot of corporate work . . .
That explains why you have such a good web site!
Martin: Well that’s why I started web design, so I’d have a way to make money for my music.
You’re known for your incredibly high energy live sets. When was the first Katscan live gig? Has it changed in the time you’ve been together? Do you rehearse much or does it come together on the night?
Martin: It definitely has changed. Something like percussion is very dynamic. It’s very much a new thing that knows no bounds. We gel much more as a live act.
Phil: Yeah, we’ve been in the band such a short space of time, each gig is better than the last. Each band goes through stages off good gigs and bad gigs, but we’re still at the stage where we’re playing better each time.
Martin: We don’t practice as much as we should! Because we’re an electronic band, it’s very easy to be lazy when it comes to rehearsals!
Phil: When it comes to rehearsals, I get bits and tighten them up. Because we’re electronic we don’t tend to wander off as instrumental bands do!
Martin: It’s important as a band for us to practice more, as it really helps us gel together as a band.
Phil: And then it’s more fun!
Please define the Katscan sound for those of you who don’t know it. What the hell is electrogoth synth punk?
Martin: On the most basic level, it’s angry electronic music. We’ve very much a punk attitude, but use electronics to make music. Basically, we agree that it’s electronic music as we don’t want to whittle it down to just one kind of electronic music. It varies widely between tracks, which is a good and a bad thing. If you can break it down, you could get to punk, heavy metal, industrial . . . but it all comes together with dance styles.
Phil: No cheese! We’re not just throwing down guitar rifts over dance tracks. There’s so much more that can be done with it! Of course that has its place, but you only need so many remixes of ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’!
Who are your biggest influences? And given your varied music backgrounds, how do you feel these converge to make something new in the Katscan sound?
Martin: They’re so varied! I’ll try and grab one from each genre.
1) Electro/industrial: A mix of Skinny Puppy and Nitzer Ebb. They were the first bands to make electronic body music, or EBM, the first originators of it.
So do you play EBM then?
Martin: There’s definitely some in our sound. Most of our contemporaries do a modern version of EBM. It’s hard generic dance music, very heavy electro.
2) Lyrically, the old punk bands, like the Dead Kennedys, X-Ray Spex.
3) Gothic, but less than we used to be. Bauhaus, Alien Sex Fiend, Electronic youth bands.
We didn’t know it at the time, we all came together as an electro band, but we were all into the same metal bands and obviously hoped to be in metal bands. It’s probably we why we have our slightly tongue in cheek ‘angry’ attitude. This is the key that separates us from the other bands we play with, we can keep it tongue and cheek and have a good laugh!
So you were all into Black Sabbath as kids then?
Phil: Big time! And we still are! Every heavy band in the world is a product of Black Sabbath! It’s the truth!
You run your own label, Beat Surgery Records in what has to be a very interesting time to run a record label. How have you dealt with recent trends in the industry, such as digital downloads? Do Beat Surgery Records actually make many records?
Martin: Some people think they can compete, but it’s pointless to pretend it’s not happening. If you’re not selling a download, people will sell it anyway. A lot of people still like hard physical cds. Let’s face it, it’s not a label that’s going to be signing people in the near future, but a means of putting out our music. So yes we make Katscan CDs at the moment, but rather than putting out a branded cd, it looks like a demo. It’s nice to have an umbrella label.
Phil: It sounds too good to be a demo!
So you won’t be signing any other bands in the future then?
Martin: It’s not a priority but who knows in the future?
Phil: Some remixes are evident though.
Martin: With the remix album, we fancied seeing what people would make of it. They’ve breathed fresh life into it.
Were you happy with the results of the remix album and did you get anything you didn’t like?
Martin: A couple didn’t make it. We were more impressed with someone who can take a few key elements and make something new, versus sample trickery with a vocal line or who’s swapped the kick drums to 909 and is lucky they’ve had a good ring to it!
The PR for your new album, ‘Weapons of Crass Dysfunction’, says: “The New World Order, bottom-feeders and cyber whores all get it in the neck to a soundtrack of nasty, dirty beats, synths and samples.” What is it about the New World Order that makes you so angry?
Martin: I should first point out that was someone’s review, not what we said! The NWO term is bandied around a lot these days. But the fact is that ten years ago people were earning and owning lots of things, while now fewer people are owning it all, for example, look at Time Warner, who now owns AOL etc. It’s a dangerous time. There’s a few very rich people pulling the strings. The music scene is a good example. There’s a big difference between a band who releases their own stuff versus those now because companies aren’t not taking any risks it’s so much more difficult for someone to get to that stage in the industry. By NWO — media in general. Which I suppose we’re part of!!
Phil: So we hate ourselves?! What’s that insinuating about our motivation?
Cyber whores get it in the neck, yet you have a pretty impressive space at Myspace http://www.myspace.com/katscan. Does this not make you cyber whores too?
Martin: We’re referring to it in the traditional sense of the word ‘cyber’, but now it’s a large underground scene, ‘the cyber scene’, from the likes of Cyberdog.
Phil, is this your fault?
Phil: I tried to educate them musically!
Martin: The reviewer was referring to the UK scene, labels, wear and cool look, not the music. It’s getting the same in Europe.
Phil: Well they don’t have the clothes in Europe.
What are your views on Myspace and their copyright policies?
Martin: When you do the type of music that’s dependent on electronic sampling, at some point border it will border on copyright infringement. I’m not going to worry if people download it for free! It’s part of the punk attitude. It’s unrealistic that no-one’s going to do it for free!
As part of the research for this interview, I listened to ‘Latest Developments in the Field of Beat Surgery’. Listening to tracks like ‘Another Day, Another Lie’ I think I’m most reminded of Peter Murphy and Bauhaus. Is it fair to say Bauhaus are a formative influence?
Martin: Vocals and performance-wise, Peter Murphy is a big influence, so by the domino effect, so’s Bowie. He’s got that very authoritative tone! I never wanted to be in one of those bands where they sing with an American accent! It separates us from a lot of the bands we play with. We go about things the British way. It’s what we prefer, we’re not big nationalists, but it’s about not being scared to sound like you’re from Britain.
Phil: How ridiculous are those American punk bands that try and sound like they’re English?!
What was the inspiration behind ‘The Ballad of Dim Javidson’? The melody starts out so still and mellow, and sounds like it’s got Japanese influences, then full-on angry punk-like vocals kick in . . .
It starts off sounding like a la-di-da woman on plonk, then there’s the crescendo
aspect! It’s a perverted ambient track. The quiet bit is what you feel before you see Jim Davidson on TV, so it starts of mellow then gets angry, with convictions for wife beating and drink driving mentioned in the lyrics!
One of your latest tracks, ‘A Time for Hate’ ends with a sample of Bill Hicks’ rant about “sucking satan’s cock”. Can we assume you’re big Bill Hicks fans? Please tell us a bit more about the track.
Martin: Definitely! If ever there was a rock n roll comedy, it was Bill Hicks. He had a very serious message but he was never boring.
Phil: He never resorted to just abuse. It’s always based on something factual.
Martin: I feel a real kinship, partly cos he puts himself down as much as I do. Cynically he’s a very big influence, as much as Bauhaus! The actual words are from the old biblical proverb, “A Time for Love, A Time for Hate.” We’re not preaching hate. On the one hand, it’s back to the media, where everyone pretends they love each other but turn a blind eye to Bush, war, chips in arms . . . not that I’m paranoid or anything! It’s about looking at the world through rose-tinted glasses but so long as you’ve got your labels on, it doesn’t matter.
What was the inspiration behind ‘Zombie Machine’? Have you ever seen any ghouls or creatures of the night?
Martin: It’s another metaphor on two levels. 1) You’re presented with the aesthetic of the movie, ‘Zombie’ but 2), the fact TV turns people into zombies. We’re much more comfortable with metaphors than factual lyrics, as it gives a to more room to be creative. As for your metaphor, yes, we play to them most weeks!
What advice would you give anyone trying to break into the music scene right now?
In the simplest terms, try and culture some kind of individuality, rather than replicating your favourite band. We’ve taken our influences and tried and create something interesting and fresh. It’s so obvious when you look at those who’ve been doing it a few years, it’s an obvious part of being successful. All the bands who’ve influenced us have done it in their own way. But then you get people like Aphex Twin who haven’t been influenced at all!
Is ‘Feed and Breed’ a play on man being a hunter gatherer? Are you rejecting traditional notions of masculinity here or do you think life is all about eating and f*cking?
Martin: It’s bandying with the British chav mentality. People are content to feed and breed, feeding on drugs then spend the week in a job they hate, having kids and . . .
Phil: . . . giving people like us a hard time in the process!
Martin: And being content with that kind of existence.
Phil: They’re both integral parts of what you need to exist but . . .
Martin: . . . we’re not Moby! We’re not pretending you can exist on beans and yoghurt alone . . .
Phil: . . . and lurve!
Martin: But there’s a lot more to being active in life than your animal instincts.
Phil: It’s not about having them, but being diplomatic and respectful about them.
Martin, you write all the vocals and perform them. How do they come to you? Do you have a track that you’re the most proud of writing?
Martin: Well there’s two things: I’m either working on something musically and the rhythm/feeling suggests ideas, or at least triggers them. The other way is when something has pissed me off or interested you in some way, and rather than going up the street and shooting someone and getting in a mental asylum. I always think about what I’d do if I wasn’t doing music . . . I saw an Ozzie Ozborne interview that asked the same thing
Phil: Like when my Dad tried to take my music away . . .
And what does he think now?
Phil: He died two years ago . . .
Oops!
[laughter]
What projects and forthcoming gigs would you like to plug?
On August 12 we’ve got the Alternation Festival @ Hobbit’s Nightclub in Weston Super Mare, then our next big gig in London is at Electrowerkz (Slimelight) on September 22 with In Strict Confidence.
For more info on our latest releases and forthcoming gigs please check out our website on www.katscan.net and our MySpace site at http://www.myspace.com/katscan
Thanks guys, it’s been a pleasure. Enjoy the Alternation Festival and hope to see ya at Electrowekz!
All photos courtesy of Katscan. Not to be reproduced without permission.
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The views and opinions expressed in this review are strictly those of the author only for which HarderFaster will not be held responsible or liable.
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