Interview withPeter Spilles (Imatem)
In 2007, Peter Spilles - mastermind of PROJECT PITCHFORK - gave birth to a new project called IMATEM and invited many well-known artists, amongst others Der Graf (Unheilig) or Anke Hachfeld (miLú), to intonate vocals and contribute lyrics to the song’s he’s written. Let’s see what he’s to say about the new album ‘Journey’…
Peter Spilles (PS): I’m fully using my available time. Furthermore I can’t get stopped through alleged obstacles in my creativity and aside form worrying about the release or the marketing I just create songs that’ll reach the interested listener sooner or later. To establish something you’ll need two things in my opinion: Good songs - and then persistence.
RoD: After the ‘Earth Song’ you’re again working with Sara Noxx. What do you like about her?
PS: Firstly there’s her kind side which I find extremely charming. She just is a creative and sympathetic artist and its fun to work with her. Furthermore she’s very fast in transforming her creative ideas which suits me with my high working tempo.
RoD: How’s your relation to Ronan Harris. What do you like about him musically and how is it to work with him?
PS: He’s one of the greatest and most famous electronic musicians in Europe and no one can argue about his world wide success with VNV NATION. Even so he stayed down on earth and is a very natural and honest guy. His voice is unique and distinctive. I’m very grateful he agreed to this collaboration despite his full schedule. Thanks to him, the song ‘Haven’ has become a great catchy tune.
RoD: Sven Friedrich is also no newbie in the independent music scene How did that connection come about and where do you see his strengths?
PS: At the Gothic Aid Festival in Hamburg, I just asked him if he’d be up for collaboration. Luckily, he reacted very positive and so there was no problem. His voice is just ingenious for this title and in combination with his lyrics for ‘Escape to Follow’; a song was created which is touching me very deep.
RoD: Would you tell us something about the other guests as well?
PS: We already talked about Sara, Ronan and Sven. I met Stefan (Absurd Minds) at the Dark Flower in Leipzig and we both got along very well with each other, that’s why I approached him for a collaboration with IMATEM. I met Nick on a LEGACY OF MUSIC gig in Hamburg. The concert itself was the triggering moment for his collaboration on this album as his voice and stage presence made him a top candidate for me right away. Jinxy is the other part of SANTA HATES YOU. That she would be a possibility was already clear for me during the recordings of ‘You’re on the naughty list’ as a like her crazy attitude and also appreciate her voice. Jan (Revolution) came to my attention through his brilliantly interpreted cover version of Project Pitchfork’s ‘I live your dream’. I met Jay in the frame of a remix for DEVIANT UK. He has a distinct voice as well and was very open for collaboration with IMATEM.
RoD: Where do you see the biggest differences between ‘Home’ and the new release. Are they of a deliberate nature or did they just happen?
PS: In art nothing “just” happens. I mean, the music always differs through the moment in which it was written. It’s like a diary of the soul and changes through my personal impressions and experiences. The new album ‘Journey’ is more energetic and more dynamic than the album ‘Home’. Interestingly this is already reflected through the individual album titles. Naturally there’s more movement in a journey.
RoD: Which was your biggest experiment this time?
PS: IMATEM is the experiment as the realization and conception of such an album with so many guest singers is hard work and bears logistic risks.
RoD: Where there any obstacles or did everything run smooth?
PS: There are always obstacles. But I was very good in avoiding those, that’s why a barely notice them.
RoD: Many musicians sold their hardware synths on EBay these days (had to sell them) Does your gear still exist or do you work solely with software now?
PS: Of course, but not exclusively. I’m keeping fetish-esque connections to some old machines and wouldn’t want to miss them regardless of their bad compatibility with today’s recording techniques. But also software synths have their charm and through their rapid access my already fast way of working reaches the speed of light :)
RoD: What is the concept, the golden thread this time?
PS: Journey, this is the title I gave to the guest musicians. Everything else regarding the vocals and the lyrics I left to my guests devices. Doesn’t mean there’s no golden thread. It’s just not obvious. Frankly I feel very honoured by the depth of the lyrics.
RoD: What are the criteria you’re choosing your guests with?
PS: First there’s the wish to work with a specific artist. Of course the criteria are of a personal nature. I have to like the voice and I need to be able to imagine an IMATEM song with it. If there happens to be time to personally contact the artist, then I’ll ask him or her if they’d be up to sing a song for IMATEM. Then I’m focussing on the voice and compose a demo song that has to be fitting for the individual artists to my feeling. Then the guest singer records the vocals on this demo song, sends me the recordings and I’m mixing the song. At the end something like an acceptance follows and a new IMATEM song is born.
RoD: Do you have some candidates you’d really like to record a track with?
PS: Of course I have. I could imagine an IMATEM song with the voice of: Steve Naghavi, Chibi (The Birthday Massacre), Alexander Veljanov and Emilie Autumn.
RoD: The funniest and the quaintest thing about the new record?
PS: The photo shooting with Silent View (http://www.silent-view.com/) was a funny thing due to my DJ job in the night before the shooting. Seldom I was so exhausted during a shooting and even more seldom were the results that satisfying, top class and worth watching in a fascinating way. The pics were also created in collaboration with Silent View I’d like to thank here once again for the last-minute and very professional effort.
RoD: As always with Prussia, there’ll be an internet code with witch you can download remixes, wallpapers etc. Is that the future?
PS: I’m not a psychic, but a few gifts for fans have never hurt :)
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