The God Machine - Sunday Velvet

(every dutch article was translated into an approximative english version. thanks to cardhu who gave me the tip: http://babelfish.altavista.com) help !!!

- the god machine / real time promotions - melody maker, november 2, 1991

"we haven't been comfortable for years. there's such uncertainty in our lives that we had to put everything into this one record because, after all, we've given up everything to be in this band."
austin, the god machine's drummer, is not talking lightly. on a rainy night in king's cross, he and his fellow californian exiles jimmy (bass) and robyn (sic.) (vocals / guitar) talk nervously about their future, and why their new "purity" ep may also be their last.
"life can change overnight", says robyn ominously, "so we're just being realistic. we don't have some big juicy label that's supporting us and helping us live. hopefully, we'll get through a whole lot more, but all the time and energy that went into this was looking as if it could be the only recording we ever made. we have to get everything right, because this could be it."
the god machine's words are as wilfully enigmatic as their music. this darkly intense trio have been building up a sizable london following since hitting camden with 50 pounds to their name last year, largely because they play the kind of shows that spin the mind off its hinges. in the way the loop used repetition to hypnotise, tgm draw you into a throbbing, pulsing tunnel of sound that can spin you in any direction your imagination chooses to take.
"i think we're very intense individuals", nods austin, "and it comes across in the music as a lifetime's worth of intensity."
"it's confrontational", adds robyn. "we confront you with things that people maybe aren't used to being confronted with so maybe the emotion in the music is more extreme than the context of the music itself."
fear not though, readers, tgm are not the kind of people who want to bash you over the head with their tales of woe. rather, they just open up - from the churning slipways of "home" to the whispering solitude of "blind man" - and invite you in.
"i like music that gives you space to move through it on your own", robyn expounds, "rather than the music that says, 'follow me, i'll take you there'. that's what we try to do - let our music come to it's own conclusions. when we're playing live", he goes on, "i'm off somewhere else. and what's coming through my fingers is a representation of that. and when you get the people out there into that, you can feel the connection."
"we have this song called 'the desert song' that is really rhythmic, and it requires a lot of communication between us and the audience", offers austin.
"if you get it right you get really high."
"it's a circle", says robyn. "everybody's in it."
"that", adds austin, with the flicker of a smile, "is the god part of our music."
slipping between worlds of metallic power and sonic grace, the god machine themselves are at a loss as to where their music comes from.
"we can't say what influences our music", robyn admits. "we sit up talking about it till two o'clock in the morning and we still don't know !" austin laughs. "it just comes. you should see us when we try to write music."
but all who have witnessed this machine in action have come away drunk on it's axle grease.
"i think it's because it's true", robyn muses. "we don't try to get anything across. we let the music speak for itself. we put it out, and if you accept it, then the circle is complete. when music is really straight and incisive it just tells you everything at once ; and if you can't get into that, it'll never have any meaning for you. but if those areas of emotion aren't shaded in, so people can put their own feelings into it, it's always going to effect you differently. the music might be really sad but there might be something in it lyrically that makes you think that maybe there's a little hope at the end of it. the things that aren't said usually mean more than the things that are."
the most to hope for from this band is that their spectacular debut will not really be tgm's only vinyl testament.
"what the record is saying", robyn intones, "is that nobody's made us but ourselves. it's not exactly a fuck you energy, but it is in a way. we take everything in life fuckin' serious. we can't make wrong moves. we're constantly taking chances."
"and we've been hit in the face by reality more times than you can count !" austin chuckles.
"but", robyn raises an eyebrow, "it's better to die on your feet than live on your knees."

"purity" is out on october 28 on eve records. the god machine play london borderline november 12, tauton de style 16, trowbridge psychik pig 19, blackpool frim fram 23, salisbury art centre 28 and stoke wheatsheaf december 4.

- cathi unsworth (transcribed by edward frew)

- the god machine - rock power, issue 8, january 1992

Currently churning the chunder on the London scum circuit are the God Machine, three hirsute youths from California finding a receptive Brit audience for their dark, looped out groove manoeuvres. OK, so San Diego might be their hometown, but pinpointing exactly where Robin (guitar & vocals) Austin (drums) and Jimmy (bass) are coming from is less clear cut. Don't ask them, either, as these intense but affable space cadets seem to be independent bearers of some outside muse, claiming never to remember anything about any of their gigs. The same cannot be said of audiences recently, though, some of whom have been seen breaking down in the face of this super-heavy, ultra-emotional sonic barrage. Some baffled souls have suggested Loop as a reference point, others Black Sabbath and Jane's Addiction, while the God Machine just shrug their shoulders. You can get the gist by checking out their debut EP `Purity'out now on Eve, which the band have speculated might also be their last record, so much raw energy and feeling was invested in its three songs. Let's hope they get it together long enough to lay down a version of the live stunna `I don't give a fuck about how you feel'. Laugh?

- incomplete

- the god machine / on feature - new musical express (nme), 4th january 1992

having inadvertently predicted the rise of shoe-gazing last year by tipping MOOSE and SLOWDIVE, your uncommonly psychic on team are back, red-faced, with more predictions for the forthcoming 12 months - the tips that make the bookmakers quiver ! remember, in the past two years we've brought you EMF, CARTER, BLUR, TEENAGE FANCLUB, RIDE, THE CHARLATANS, NED'S ATOMIC DUSTBIN and, erm, the MANIC STREET PREACHERS (among others).
now, after the usual head-scratching and arguing, here's the 20 hopefuls for '92 based on the results of our annual arm-wrestling tournament.
muscle-builders: IESTYN GEORGE, STEVE LAMACQ, GINA MORRIS, JOHN MULVEY and SIMON WILLIAMS.

... CAPTAIN AMERICA... DAISY CHAINSAW...

--- --- --- THE GOD MACHINE --- --- ---

the god machine have a malevolent significance - this californian trio will steal your conscious state and thrust you into a forsaken bleakness. on a similar ear-bleeding mission as the SWANS but with a penchant for melodies, these devilishly sinister, hellish angels are an intimidating prospect for 1992. witness their allegiance to all things LOUD and watch them terrorise pathetic wimps back to their bedrooms for good.

... THE ROCKINGBIRDS... MEDICINE... SUPERCHUNK... SWEET JESUS...

- the god machine / long deities journey into night - melody maker, may 30 1992

Not enough bands make full use of the potential of volume. That's what EVERETT TRUE reckons and he should know. In his latest quest for the ultimate rock sound, he comes up against the Camden (via San Diego) band, THE GOD MACHINE, and discovers that life can indeed be intense, frightening and fulfilling. Pics: STEVE GULLICK

Dungeness, 15 miles down the coast from Folkestone, is perhaps the strangest place I've ever been to in Britain. Its desolation is surreal. Like a shanty town from Mexico or the border, it's starkly unreal - a grey, intensely forbidding nuclear power station looms eerily in the distance, and nothing more.
The fields are fields of pebbles. The vegetation is limited to a strange, green/blue broccoli-type plant which sprouts up every few feet. A couple of nuclear lighthouses litter the beach, a few tired fishermen wander around down by the greenish-brown sea, throwing back the odd fish they discover when it's too blistered. There's a pub, The Smugglers Freehouse, but it's closed, quiet next to burnt-out husks of cars and odd flashes of temporary habitation.
Among this surreal gloom we wander, the band and the press, watching the ground warily for signs of radioactivity, making subdued conversation about decaying Bulgarian power plants and jokes about genetic engineering.
“Look at that pig turned into a dog over there!” someone yells.
The press agent and the journalist visit the local information centre, full of flashing lights and hi-tech homilies. The little old lady behind the counter reacts as if we're the first people she's seen in three years, trying to arrange an on-the-spot tour for us. We decline.
Eventually, the unreality of our surroundings get to us, and we leave in our rented van, repairing to further up the road, to a cafe where we nervously enquire as to whether the fish are fresh (it's okay, they aren't), where the photographer can shoot the band without the setting becoming too overwhelming.
The point being... it's The God Machine.

The God Machine have a finality about them which benfits their name. If you know nothing else about them, you should know that. They believe in themselves. Their music - intense, sprawling landscapes of rhythm and volume - bleeds honestly. They live for their art and their art lives for them. They most certainly mean it.
If you know anything about The God Machine, you must know the following things: they're intensely wired individuals, they’ve been through hell together and they moved over to Britain from San Diego, CA, a little over two years ago to discover the joys of Camden and squatting without a dime to their name.
You might know their names are Robin (vocals, guitar), Jimmy (bass) and Austin (drums), that they’ve released one EP, the mighty “Purity”, through Eve. You might have caught one of their ferocious live shows and been impressed at the force of their convictions.
It's unlikely you'd know anything else. I can add a few details - they were a quartet back in San Diego, but after a year of moving around separately, the fourth member decided to stay behind when the other three moved to England, when Robin first learnt to play guitar.
The God Machine exude mystery, perhaps deliberately. They refuse to talk about their past - seeing such talk as an irrelevance, as a distraction to people's perception of their music. They're also one of the most difficult band I've ever interviewed, if only because their main spokesman, Robin, takes every question with a disorientating intensity and complete seriousness.
“For something as important as this,” he explains, “there's a lot of seriousness that has to be present. There is an element of seriousness to our music. But people don't understand we're not always like that. We've done interviews where we've answered every banal question with another banal question, we've been sarcastic in front of 2,000 people. We're serious about not being serious.”
The God Machine are going to be massive. Make no mistake about that. They have the singularity of purpose and the necessary focus. Their music, which builds on emotion and volume, is evocative enough and has passion enough to attract a fiercely devout and fiercely partisan following. The comparison has been made with early Killing Joke. Let the comparison stand. They're that tribal. It's inherent withing their bonding, made all the closer through the years.

When we start the interview, The God Machine are more than impossible. Tentative attempts to get a rapport going are met with spurious replies, and more serious enquiries are met with deconstructivist questions as to the meaning behind my questions.
So I ask them about communication, and it seems I've hit a buzzword. But only after Robin hedges and tells me they all grew up in trailer parks.
Did you?
“What difference would it make if we had?”
Your music wouldn't sound so self-confident, maybe.
“That's probably an illusion,” the singer replies. “There's a tension that comes out of our music which disguises itself. Maybe it comes out in the fact that we've come to terms with what we've been through. Maybe we haven't lived in trailer parks, but we've experienced things unique to ourselves, and that's what our music communicates.”
What do you think the kids down the front at shows see in your music? What do they relate to? After all, they've been through very different experiences.
“One of the things you learn from living in different parts of the world,” Robin explains, “is that, generally, experiences are the same. You experience the same happiness, the same sadness - and maybe that's what people pick up on.”
So you believe in the universality of music?
“I believe in communication, and that communication is universal.”
Surely what makes life interesting is that everybody's happiness and sadness is different?
“Yeah, but you can find things in people you're kindred to,” he retorts. “I listen to records because they affect me, regardless of what they're about. People do experience the same things. Our music is a base instinct. They might not know what it's about, but it affects them.”

The God Machine's first single, “The Desert Song EP”, for their new label, Fiction, is astonishing. Four tracks which sound as if they were recorded in a confined space under an open sky - there's a real feeling of claustrophobia, mixed with a heady sense of freedom and open space. Musically, we're talking music that builds - it starts with a riff and doesn't let go, ever. Some songs, “Prostitute”, for example, are even more concentric, building up and dying down in volume until you're begging for release. They've been known to hold one riff for 20 minutes before now.
The God Machine are one of the few bands around to make full use of the power of rock music and the seduction of volume (both ends). Their music can be terrifying. It can also lapse into cliche. They've been accused of being goths, because their music doesn't rely on the release of humour, but I've never encountered a goth band who make me feel so intimidated, so uneasy with myself.
The God Machine believe in confrontation, confronting feelings people would rather not acknowledge. As rock bands go, they are something of an anomaly. But hold on. The God Machine are NOT rock...
“Is it rock music?” queeries the drummer, ominously. “I don't know whether we even consider it rock. It seems more classical to me, more moody in that sense - a scenario of feeling. L7 are rock music, aren't they? A generic rock song makes yo feel you're driving down the freeway with your window open. Classical songs are like landscapes, and that's what our music is.”
“If it's simply the need to express oneself,” adds Robin, “I'm not a painter or a sculptor, you know? Ever since I can remember, I've had that need. Ever since I was a child, trying to write my first book.”
What was it about?
“There was this group of people who grew up around this tree in a desert. Its shade was only large enough for one person, so it was a favourite spot, because people wanted to be sheltered from the sun. So this one person who owned the tree would allow people to come and join him. But what happened was that people would get use to the sun and didn't need to come to the tree any more. It got to the point where he was trapped underneath the tree and couldn't leave, cos he'd spent his whole life there. So he became alone, because nobody needed him any more.”
Silence. The food arrives. Five minutes later, Robin is still shaking after recounting this story. That’s honesty for you.

“Many people are afraid of confronting themselves,” Robin tells me. “They are afraid of failure, afraid of rejection.”
We're off about art again, readers. Art and honesty.
Do you feel your music is aggressive?
“It's more confrontational than agressive,” he replies
Do you think women will be into it? It seems to be a very male music - it brings out certain tribal elements of the male psyche.
“It's almost the opposite,” Jimmy say, breaking a vow of silence. “It seems more women are attracted to it than men.”
“What will attract both men and women is the sincerity and the pain,” continues his singer. “People who can feel that and accept that will enjoy the music. We try to allow each song to express itself, so you can obtain your idea of what each song is about. Things are set to trigger things off.”
Do you have a lot of anger to release?
“It's like an energy,” Robin states. “We all have an anger and a sadness and a happiness. A lot of times the anger comes out in our set just because of what's happening on stage.”
“It's harder to understand myself than it is to understand other people,” thinks Jimmy. “But honesty is the most essential thing.”
But don't people change their minds every second?
“Apparently, you think 60,000 thoughts a day, and only two per cent of them are new thoughts, so...” The bassist trails off. That's a lot of new thoughts.

We're in the van now, on the way back to London. Austin is talking about not writing songs about “really cool cliched stuff like chicks,” when Robin pulls the obvious one and asks me what i think the songs are about.
I demure, and pull another obvious one, that to me, they're more about creating moods and atmospheres, and I'm just about to explain which moods and atmospheres they create within me when Robin turns around and says, “But you don't like our lyrics, do you?”
Sorry?
“You don't. I’ve already heard you don’t like our lyrics.”
I hedge, trying furiously to remember when I could have been so indiscreet. I tell him that was just the one song, “Pictures Of A Bleeding Boy” (on the new single), where the lyrics were so in my face I couldn't ignore them and that, I felt, took away from what he'd been saying earlier about how listeners should be able to interpret God Machine songs however they like.
Of course, I don't tell him all of that now, partly because I can't think quickly enough, and partly because he's already away.
“What is it about our lyrics you don't like?”
Hell, I thought that one song was a fraction cliched, and from what I could ascertain had phrases which talked about smearing the blood from one’s veins around, and something about arteries as well. I heard a handful of words and thought it wasn't for me, that it uses imagery, although once powerful, that is now hackneyed. So he quotes the lyrics for me.
“'What if I was to cut my wrists and paint pictures on the wall? A burning red sunset, a deep red sea. Could you see? Could you see a bleeding boy standing by the edge of the water or could you see that deep?'”
Oh, okay, I stutter, taken aback by the intensity of his recitation.
“I won't explain them to you, because they explain themselves,”
he continues. “I can understand why you think the idea of the blood and cutting yourself is a cliche.”
No, it's probably that it's a little too close to the bone, as far as past friends have gone. It's devaluating the imaginery. But it's not you, particularly. It's more of a problem I have with lyrics in rock music in general - the idea that the original lyric can be just as honest the first time as the 100th, the 1,000th. Most artists claim they're able to invest their words with a new, equally powerful lyric each over time. Oh yeah?
“I agree with you,” he responds. “In the same way that repeating a story over and over makes it deluded, and by repeating an experience you tend to lose the experience. I feel that, too, but every time I sing something or every time I play something, I latch onto what I originally felt when I wrote those lyrics. I re-live that every time.”
“It's the best way I have of expressing myself. Somebody has to do that, otherwise we'll have hundreds of pictures or hundreds of tracts. That's why I've never in my life written a lyrics I didn't feel.”
“A chord change expresses something,” he continues. “Even our lyrics which sound naff - they're naff because there's nothing complicated about them. I don't see why I should cloud what i feel. Some people have that whole escapist fantasy that honesty isn't necessary, but we wouldn't be here otherwise.”
I feel I've experienced too much to say, “This is how I feel,” about anything. But, conversely, that's why I'm attracted towards The God Machine. They're extremely focused. Vive la difference!

“The Desert Song EP” is out now on Fiction.

- everett true

- the god machine / in god we trust - indie cator, issue 1, october 1992

THE GOD MACHINE won't be caught up on the music-biz conveyer belt - they're way too sussed for that. vocalist ROBIN gives JAMES SHERRY the low-down on how to avoid the traps! probably by making great records!
you won't see any kind of parental advice sticker on the god machine's new album. if it was going to have one of those stickers that are always impossible to remove and destroy the cover artwork in one swift rip, then it would have to read permanently lost or out to lunch or see ya later, my rocket's waiting and i'm off to the moon 'coz that's what god machine are; lost, (pretty) vacant and stoned... immaculate.
the god machine create a barmy, uncertain atmosphere. atmosphere is the key word here because the god machine are capable of creating more of the stuff than 30,000 ravers/travellers e'd out their heads in some unprepared farmer's field.
to be released on the fiction label, god machine's debut (double) lp is a totally unrestricted, uncontrolled alternative rock album oozing ideas, pure creativity and raw emotion. it's a statement against standard rock pap that shows what a band can really do when they let their minds wander.
"it's a mixture. there are so many different things happening on it because we really don't want to be pigeon-holed into a certain style. we're trying to expand on what we feel inside and go with it to see what happens. some bits are extremely heavy, heavier than anything we've ever released before, but some are ten minute atmospheric pieces - mood pieces where we're manipulating many different sounds.
"i've never really thought that people were gonna get into our music," continues robin. "i thought the first ep was gonna really trip people out but they got the message! i've tried to stop listening to other people's opinions when we're creating music anyway, because it's really hard to know if they mean it or not - especially in this business!"
no need to worry. sonic youth, helmet, nirvana and the like have created a hole in the mainstream the size of the one in the ozone layer and it's letting all kinds of undesirables in - just like the hole in the sky. the world is ready for the god machine.
"i am glad that music's become more aggressive. it's starting to really express something now. i just hope there's always going to be that alternative edge to it. i don't care if the major labels start selling it to everyone around the world, but it's when they start to get involved and throw in their own producers and their own ideas that things get insane!"
the god machine are more than a little wary of the biz. they've seen how it works and they're not impressed. never trust a corporation.
"in the beginning, the whole idea behind indie was that it allowed you to do something that maybe didn't have to be accepted by everybody and the only way to get that out was to do it with someone who wasn't really concerned about money and making profit. they'd do it just for the joy of it. but now, man, the music business is dying! unless people have a lot of money they can't put things out just because they want to anymore.
"i was looking at the indie charts today and almost all of the bands have money from either publishers or record companies! even the ones you wouldn't believe have deals have worked something out with different companies. they're all funded by big record companies but they have their own identity and that's the most important thing - to maintain the identy."
bands like the god machine have far too much personality and attitude to let anyone squish their creativity. they'll survive, but unfortunately many who'll get caught in the cross-fire of rapid, frantic dealing won't.
"when a type of music becomes so popular that labels are just signing bands that have been together for six months and really don't know what's going on, the same thing's gonna happen that happens to a lot of heavy metal bands. they'll suddenly find themselves in these big studios, with big debts because they've got all this money behind them. they'll owe the record company heaps, not sell any records and they'll get dropped, and it's all because of basic naivety. it becomes a real scary thing when money and politics get involved. it scares me no end."
scary music for scary times. the god machine are a creative force not to be messed with.
"we've been playing music together now for about five years and i still don't understand where our music comes from. i don't understand how we create it - it just happens!"
watch these space heads. they'll trip you out for sure.

- james sherry

- the god machine - official biography - fiction, polydor, 1993

there are those who insist we're living in a post-historical age ; that, essentially, there's no future because there's no past. the god machine, however, destroys this theory with every note they play. at once indelibly ancient and stridently forward-looking. the san diego-via-london trio meshes music with ritual, confrontational urgency with thoughtful introspection - creating, in the process, a new kind of history altogether.
"scenes from the second storey", the god machine's fiction/polydor debut, documents the first three years of that history in 80 minutes of the most spellbinding, distinctly uneasy listening you're likely to hear. it's no wonder melody maker was moved to rave that "their music - intense, sprawling landscapes of rhythm and volume - bleeds honestly. they live for their art and their art lives for them."
the thirteen songs that make up "scenes from the second storey" are marked by a strikingly conscious avoidance of standard verse-chorus-verse songform. instead of rock tradition, each piece ebbs and flows with an organic ease. "it's not that we won't write those kinds of songs," muses guitarist/vocalist robin. "we just can't do it. we've never actually sat down to write a song - it's all based off of improvisation. usually we end up cutting songs down tremendously - some are 30 minutes long when we start."
the god machine has always had a commitment to its music. friends since childhood, they practiced, schemed and took to assembling what was to have been a four-gear sound generator - until a parting of the ways pared them to the current three-piece lineup. at that point robin, bassist jimmy and drummer austin abandoned their southern california homes and set out - with little more than the clothes on their backs and less than a hundred dollars between them - for britain, where fate (and necessity) pulled them into a raw world of london squatters, where they lived communally in a single, unheated room.
once they scraped together the funds to buy instruments again (no mean heat in itself), the trio went into a state of near-complete isolation. "we didn't leave the basement at all." recalls robin. "we never went out because we couldn't afford to, and we didn't allow anyone to hear us, not even a little bit of a practice, until we knew we had tapped into something." a year later, the god machine began playing london's underground circuit, where their extreme, intense performances gathered them a devoted cult. things - in a positive sense - started to happen for the band in late 1991, when their first ep, "purity" (the mesmerizing, string-driving title track to which is reprised on "scenes from the second storey"), was released to overwhelming critical praise. in naming it "single of the week", nme found the band "massively intriguing" while lime lizard noting the futility of attempting to describe the band, touted them as possessing "a great timelessness... this music is all experience - not words."
robin's words come from a provocatively personal set of thoughts. while reflective listeners will certainly get the gist of "home", a dramatic tale of spiritual/physical death and rebirth or "dream machine"'s surreal indictment of machine-age living, the frontman won't expand upon what's there in the grooves. "we don't try to get anything across - we let the music speak for itself," he insists. "we put it out and if you accept it, then the circle is complete. if somebody doesn't know what the lyrics are about, i'm not going to tell them."
the god machine signed to fiction records in late 1991 - a label known for their exceedingly discriminating artist roster - less than a month after the release of their debut ep. the most compelling thing about the god machine's debut is its combination of emotional and sonic expanse: robin's insistent, cresting waves of guitar crash throughout full-bore tracks like "she said" and "ego" and disappear completely on "purity" and the pacific, appropriately-titled instrumental "piano song". it's to their credit that, whatever the volume, none of the music's intrigue dissipates - which marks the god machine as a band that from the moment they take the stage (even in a rehearsal setting) operates at peak levels of intensity.
"if we're too easy to understand, we'll just be understood and thrown away," robin concludes defiantly. "maybe we're just too difficult for people... maybe we'll be completely unnoticed and then 20 years from now, people will look back and see us as some kind of geniuses. that'd almost be better than having success immediately."

- the god machine / apokalypse now ! - visions, march 1993

kennt ihr das gefühl, einschlägige fach-postillen zu wälzen, und dabei stets auf versatzstückchen pseudo-religiöser, - christlicher, wenn nicht so gar - mystischer kirchen-metaphorik zu stoßen ? ganz gleich ob tristes großbritanien, sonniges kalifuneral, szene-mekka seattle, oder unterdeppendorf ; der name des herren und seines gekreuzigten ablegers (schönes wortspiel, das) ist allgegenwärtig. ob nun jesus lizard, jesus jones, erotic jesus, creaming jesus, godflesh, godfathers, black sabbath, erotic lorhmann, judas priset, jesus & mary chain, god-bullies, genesis, god, god's eye, holy moses, god and texas, saint vitus, floyd "maria" rogers (IV. mose, 3, vers 2) oder natürlich the god machine ; der gebrauch alttestamentalischer scheinheiliger und sonstiger relikte finsteren mittelalters sind in den technisierten 90ern aktueller, denn je. puh ! sind wir also plötzlich zur provokanten blasphemie und satanischem atheismus übergetreten ? ist dröhnende rockmusik die ersatz-religion unserer dekade ? does the pope smoke dope, oder sind solche namensgebungen und adoptionen gekünstelter helligkeit schlichtweg in ? perversität hin, provokation her, sämtliche beteiligten bzw. opfer beteuern die jungfräuliche unschuld einer unbefleckten mental-masturbation. man möge mich heilig sprechen...
im namen des herren
"religiös, wir ?", bassist jimmy reibt sich ungläubig die rot-verquollenen augen. drummer austin, der zur unchristlichen zeit des allmorgendlichen kaffees noch den muntersten eines promotion-gestreßten trios übernächtigter rockmusiker darstellet, rückt die sache in's gleißende licht: "nein, nein. es hat weder mit christlicher überzeugung, noch mit blasphemie zu tun. vielmehr schien es der einzige und ideale name, uns und die musik zu umschreiben. natürlich waren wir uns all dieser bands bewußt, die ähnliche titel tragen. doch das reflektiert im grunde nur die problematik unserer generation in religiösen fragen. gab es je menschen, die klerikale grundsätzen und prinzipien mehr angezweifelt und in frage gestellet haben ? ich glaube, wir sind wirklich die ersten, gewisse grenzen und barrieren zu durchbrechen, einen neuen horizont zu ebnen, und einfach anders zu denken. gerade in amerika ist das christentum doch zu einem fanatischen kult hochstilisiert worden, der via fernsehen und massenmedien zur sekte wird, geld erpresst und die menschheit verdummt. übrigens ein guter grund, die gruppe nicht so zu benennen, oder (lacht !) ?" so, so. ehe man sich's versieht, werden auch schon zwei fundamentale lebensprinzipien des durchschnittlich gebildeten us-amerikaner ihrer sinnlosigkeit entlarnt. kirche via tv, und tv via kirche (!) ist wie sex ohne orgasmus, ein lustloses herumgestocher mit geduldetem gleichmut. aber denken und explizite ausformuliern, sind bekanntlich zweierlei paar schuhe. haben wir es hier mit fahnenflüchtigen späthippies, kommunenhaften radikalos, oder gar subversiven elementen zu tun ? denn: welcher weiße, zumal bürgerliche ami verleugnet schon die merkmal seiner ureigenen (papp-) kultur ? aber hallo !
amerika, amerika, amerika
nun, robin, jimmy und austin scheinen da keinerlei patriotische gewissenkonflikte zu entwickeln. schließlich packten sie vor gut drei jahren ihre zahnbürsten, halspastillen, unterhemden und credit-cards ein, um über new york nach london, und somit ins verheißungsvolle exil zu fliehen. doch mal ganz ehrlich: wer ein halbwegs akzeptables band-projekt am start hat, ohrenbetäube sounds zum besten gibt, und dennoch befürchten muß, im allgemeinen getümmel einer schier endlosen massenhysterie (genannt s.e.a.t.t.l.e.) unterzugehen, der sollte die flucht nach vorne stets dem selbstmord vorziehen. any comments ? "san diego ist im grunde nicht weiters als ein riesiges fastfood-restaurant", haut jimmy in die selbe kerbe. "klar, gibt es dort tolle strände, aber was die musik angeht, so konnten wir uns mit surf-punk und heavy metal nie so richtig anfreunden. es it einer dieser orte, an dem du völlig isoliert bist. man lebt vor sich hin, langweilt sich zu tode, und bekommt vom rest der welt eigentlich nichts mit." als habe er auf das stichwort gewartet, holt gitarrist / sänger robin nun zum ideologischen abwasch mit dem mythos "amerika" aus: "bist erst einmal dort, hört die welt um dich herum auf, zu existieren. statt informationen, füttern sie dich fortan mit propaganda und fingierten, manipulierten nachrichten. natürlich wird dir all das erst bewußt, sobald du das ganze von außen analysiert, andere perspektiven bekommst und genug distanz entwickelst. insofern war es wohl die richtige entscheidung, nach england zu ziehen. ich könnte mir jedenfalls nicht vorstellen, sobald wieder zurückzukehren. schließlich herrscht dort drüben eine ganz andere realität. alles ist wie eine einzige fernsehen-landschaft: bunt, trivial, oberflächlich. sogar die geschichtsbücher werden von politikern geschrieben, die ihre parteiliche ideologie darin verbraten. man stelle sich das vor..." jimmy: "als kind bläut man dir ständig ein, den star-spangled-banner zu verinnerlichen. bist du erst einmal erwachsen, gibt es kein anderes land mehr. wie soll man also fremde kulturen verstehen, internationalen weitblick entwickeln, geschweige denn welthandel betreiben ? es ist wie ein mentales ghetto, one nation under their god. ich würde nicht behaupten, daß london viel besser wäre, aber zumindest für uns ist es doch irgenwie anders. prinzipiell werden sämtliche regierungen vom geld der multis diktiert... eine verrückte welt !" fast scheint es, als wäre musik der einzige ausweg aus dieser misere. let's go europe everybody...
camden - vom puls der zeit
zogen die irischen brachial-spezis von my bloody valentine dereinst ganze heerscharen von dance-abtrünigen nachwuchs-hippies in ihren bann, geriet die spontane revolution infernaler gitarren-salven mitunter zur selben zeitgeist-posse, wie jeder noch so innovative trend der 80er. devise: laß dich bekehren, spring auf, reite so lange es in ist, und verpaß' nur nicht den absprung - das nächste ding wartet schon ! weicheier... somit wurde aus dem lodernden feuer des londoner undergrounds exakt jenes unterküllte, marketing-gerechte süppchen alter fürzen, überholter ideen, und seelenloser plagiate, das einst schon den punk zur strecke brachte. kein grund zur panik. schließlich verzeichnet die richter-skala am piccadilly circus wieder wollüstiges brodeln im tiefsten innern der metropole. anlaß sind eben diese eleveren amerikaner, die dem fluch von seattle einzig durch den gang ins naßkalte, britische exil entgingen. aus der vermeintlichen not kompromißloser opposition eine profitable tugend ziehend, vermitteln the god machine der welt ein powerpackage aus chaos, faszination, religion und lebensinhalt zugleich. manna for the world ? "wir haben die lezte drei jahre damit verbracht, diese musik zu kreieren. sie ist teil unseres lebens, ausdruck unserer gefühle und reflektionen. natürlich hält man uns in england für eine amerikanische band, und in amerika für engländer. bollocks ! das wichtigste ist doch, daß man uns nicht nach einer gewissen geographischen lage beurteilt, keinerlei stempel oder rasta aufdrückt, und nich partout in schubladen steckt. im grunde ist das unsere größte sorge. es gibt wirklich nichts schlimmeres, als kategorisiert zu werden. also bemühen wir uns darum, eine möglichst komplizierten, vielschichtigen sound zu errichten, der jeglicher beschreibung spottet." bingo !
lange rede, gar kein sinn, umfasst das debüt "scenes from the second storey" ein 70-minütiges konglumerat endloser improvisationen, ausufernder noise-attacken, und gediegenen mystizismus. laute gitarren paaren sich zu manischen feedback-ansätze oder verklärter melancholie. die späten sechziger und ihre nebulösen, lsd-durchtränkten spirit-ausflüge finden ihre - zumindest hintergründige - wiederbelebung.
robin: "es ist wirklich alles andere, nur kein pop-album. man könnte auch so argumentieren, daß es das typische ergebnis einer arbeit ist, die fern jeglicher kontrolle durch die plattenfirma entstand. wir hatten alle freiheit, die man sich nur wünschen kann, waren mehr "independent" als jedes der entsprechenden label es uns hätte erlauben können. sein album binnen weniger tage in einigem billigen studio einspielen zu müssen, ist doch das allerlezte ! um seiner phantasie freien lauf zu lassen, braucht man schließlich auch die passende umgebung. sollte es sich wider erwarten gar nicht verkaufen, hatten wir wenigstens unseren spaß !"

visions - das crossover-magazin ! präsentiert: the god machine on tour !

tanzt das chaos !

neugierig geworden ? schlaflose nächte ? unersättliche lust auf mehr ? alles kein problem: ende märz wird das sagenhafte trio durch einschlägige clubs pilgern, um uns einen ersten eindruck vom meditativen charisma synphonischer klangewitter zu liefern. zur erleuchtung ? erste tür links, jeder nur ein ticket, und bitte nicht drängeln. der himmel, visions, mc donalds, mtv, jack daniels und was-weiß-ich-wer-noch, ist mit ihnen... und du eventuell auch ! wir verlosen in zusammenarbeit mit der konzertagentur taboo unter allen einsendern mit dem stichwort: "ich will am musikalischen weltuntergang teilhaben" 2x5 eintrittskarten pro auftrittsort.

postkarte biz zum 15.03.93 an:
visions, roonstr. 30, 4700 hamm 1
und hier könnt ihr das trio sehen:

20.03. berlin - huxley's
21.03. hamburg - markthalle
22.03. arnsberg / neheim - cult (& dead anyway)
23.03. köln - luxor
24.03. frankfurt - negativ
25.03. stuttgart - blumenwiese

- marcel anders

- the god machine / interview (february 1993), watt magazine, issue 2, april 1993

The God Machine. Mooie naam, goeie band. Nieuw album net uit, binnenkort te bewonderen op de Nederlandse podia. WATT reisde naar Parijs en sprak met bassist Jimmy Fernandez over de opkomst van een boeiend triootje.
In een tijd dat de Seatllesound heerst en de wereld overspoelt, is daar opeens The God Machine, uit London. Een onverwachte verschijning met de verrassende CD `Scenes from the second storey', die met een enorme lading als een rots in the Seatle branding blijft staan. Met de rust van een dwarrelend blaadje maar vooral met de intensiteit van een worstelende kaaiman. Een product wat je niet tutoyeert en magistraal is neergezet door drie man. Aan het begin van een tour sprak ik met bassist Jimmy Fernandez. Plaats van handeling: een cafe in Parijs, op een steenworp afstand van Cimetiere du Pierre Lachaise, Jim Morrisons laatste rustplaats.
`Onze muziek is volledig gebaseerd op improvisatie', verteld Jimmy vanachter zijn cafe au lait. Na een dagje interviews geven is hij nog opvallend opgewekt, praat honderduit. Zijn woorden lijken elkaar in te halen. `De een begint met een sound en de rest springt erop in. Het gaat heel natuurlijk en komt van binnenuit. Ik heb moeite met het uiten van bepaalde gevoelens. De beste manier waarop ik me uit kan drukken is met mijn basgitaar. Ik denk dat iedereen een deeltje in zich heeft zitten wat er niet zomaar uitkomt. Als we oefenen komt zo'n deeltje eruit, dan groeit een nummer en kan het een uur doorgaan. We kijken elkaar dan aan en zeggen: fucking hell wat was dat? Als we het opnieuw kunnen grijpen dan wordt het een nummer. Soms blijvenwe het spelen, twee maanden lang ofzo. Vanwege het gevoel.'
Scenes From The Second Storey, waarop overdonderend harde klanken worden afgewisseld met schemerende momenten, lijkt een fontein van mystiek en emotie. The God Machine trekt een zware muur op, raakt hem met een sloopkogel, waarna de stukken als kometen rondvliegen. Het digitale schijfje, met een kleine 80 minuten muziek, is als een boek dat je in een adem uitleest. Jimmy over de muziek en de naam van de band: `De naam past bij de muziek, maar iedereen mag er het zijne van denken. Voor mij is het een combinatie van iets spiritueels - krachtig maar toch breekbaar - met iets ... de machine, het industriele van de muziek. Dat wat tastbaar is. Maar de muziek behoeft geen uitleg. Zet de muziek aan, sluit je ogen. Hoe laat het jou voelen. De teksten mag iedereen interpreteren zoals hij wil. Wij zien ze met de muziek als een eenheid. De naam van de CD; het is een breed begrip, het kan zoveel betekenen, het kan overal zijn: de hemel, de lucht, het appartement hierboven.'
Waardoor wordt jullie muziek beinvloed ?
`We worden gemakkelijk beinvloed door onze omgeving en dingen de om ons heen gebeuren in het dagelijkse leven. Heel simpele dingen: de manier waarop we wakker worden, wat we op straat zien, hoe de zon ons toelacht. Beinvloed door het leven, zeg maar. Onze trek naar London zal ook zeker invloed gehad hebben op de muziek. We kwamen in een omgeving waar we niemand kenden. Het enige wat we gemeen hadden was dat we Engels spraken.'
Jimmy heeft zijn roots in San Diego, Californie, waar voor the God Machine volgens hem ruim drie jaar geleden weinig gebeurde. New york leek meer perspectief te bieden. De gitarist wilde San Diego niet verlaten en bleef achter. Robin (zanger/gitarist) nam zijn taak over. Jimmy blikt terug: `We verkochten alles wat we hadden en belanden in New York. Maar ook daar konden we het niet vinden. We voelden ons er niet prettig. We besloten verder naar het oosten door te zetten en pakten het vliegtuig naar London. Het plan was om naar Manchester te gaan. Iemand die daar woont had ons uitgenodigd om daar de muziekscene te verkennen, maar toen we in London stonden konden we hem niet bereiken.'
Daar stond The God Machine dan. Bijna platzak. London was te duur, Amsterdam leek een goed alternatief. Het trio schraapte in de Nederlandse hoofdstad wat geld bij elkaar en toog weer naar London. Daar ontmoette Jimmy iemand die een kraakpand in Camden bewoonde. Camden, een voorstad van London, met een plaatselijke sfeer waar toeristen ver te zoeken zijn. Bekend om de markten in het weekend. Legaal en illegaal, het is er allemaal te krijgen. Het mekka voor bootlegs en goedkope CD's. The God Machine vond in de sfeervolle voorstad een dak boven het hoofd. Jimmy: `We deelden met z'n drieen een kamer in een kraakpand. We hebben maanden lang gewerkt, soms zeven dagen per week om apparatuur voor de band te kopen. In die tijd oefenden we door twee kleine versterkers waar we de gitaren op aansloten. Austin had twee trommels. Dat was alles. We kenden niemand, hadden alleen elkaar. Het was alsof we alleen op de wereld stonden. We zijn daardoor verder dan een gewone vriendschap. Uitendelijk kregen we de apparatuur bij elkaar en gingen we verder met oefenen, in de kelder van het kraakpand. Pas na een jaar kregen we ons eerste optreden en begon alles te rollen. Financieel kunnen we ons nu redden. Nog wel. Engeland is duur. Er zijn trouwens van die tradities... Het wisselen van de wacht, dat gaat nu al eeuwen zo en dat zullen ze nog wel eeuwen blijven doen. Terug naar Amerika? Hier in Europa zijn de mensen veel meer open en daarom zal onze muziek het hier goed doen, denk ik. Ik weet niet hoe de CD het in Amerika zal doen.'
Cello, piano en viool zorgen nu en dan voor rust en een gedoseerde portie bombast op Scenes From The Second Storey. Jimmy schuift naar het puntje van zijn stoel als ik over de klassieke instrumenten begin. `Live hoeven we die instrumenten niet op te vangen, want op het podium benaderen we onze muziek met een andere emotie. Het is een andere kant van ons. We weten niet hoe de nummers zullen gaan als we live spelen. Het hangt van onze stemming af, het publiek, de avond. Live zijn we altijd anders, we hebben geen setlist. Het is wel eens gebeurd dat we tot twee nummers kwamen en dat was het. Het publiek? Dat vond het goed. Twee nummers, maar twee motherfuckers van nummers, al zeg ik het zelf. We zijn een echte live-band, we toeren tot de zomer, misschien wel langer.'
In April komt the God Machine naar Nederland en staat de 10e van die maand op de hoofdstedelijke planken van Paradiso. Jimmy herinnert zich dat podium nog. `Daar hebben we vorig jaar gestaan in het voorprogramma van the Cramps. Een te gekke plek, Paradiso. Het zal goed worden.'
De bassist leunt even lachend achterover in zijn stoeltje, maar schuift snel weer naar voren. `Over die instrumenten... Het is een van mijn grootste dromen om ze ooit live te gebruiken. Een veertigkoppig orkest. Maar dan moet het op een groot podium met een heleboel mensen. Robin heeft al wat muzikanten benaderd. Ik weet dat het zal lukken.'

- jeroen pietersma

approximative english translation

The god machine. Beautiful name, goeie link. New album exactly, soon to admire on the Dutch podia. WATT travelled to Paris and spoke with bass player Jimmy Fernandez concerning the rise of a captivating triootje. In a time that the Seatllesound dominate and the world submerge, are there suddenly The god machine, from London. An unexpected verschijning with the surprising CD `scenes from the second storey', that with an enormous cargo if a rock in the Seatle undertow continues stand. With the rest of a whirling sheet but especially with the intensity of a wrestling alligator. A product what you are not on a first-name basis with and magnificently has been put down by three men. At the beginning of a tour I spoke with bass player Jimmy Fernandez. Place of operation: cafe in Paris, on a steenworp distance of Cimetiere du Pierre Lachaise, Jim Morrisons last rustplaats.
`our music has been based entirely on improvisatie', told Jimmy vanachter are cafe ow lait. After dagje give interview he has been aroused still striking, talk from. To be words seems catch up with each other. `start with a sound and the rest stands in. It goes very natural and comes from the inside. I have effort with expressing certain feelings. The best way I can press myself from is with my bass jet ear. I think that an everyone has particle in itself sit what does not end up there zomaar. If we practise come zo'n particle, then a number grows and can it an hour continue. We look at each other then and to say: fucking hell what were that? If we can seize again then become it a number. Sometimes blijvenwe playing, two months long ofzo. Because of gevoel.'
Scenes From The Second Storey, on which overwhelming hard consonances are varied with shimmering moments, seem a fontein of mystic and emotion. The god machine accelerate a heavy wall, touch him with a demolition ball, whereupon the pieces as comets fly round. The digital disc, with small 80 minutes music, is as a book which you read to the end in a breath. Jimmy concerning music and the name of the link: ` are appropriate the name at music, but everyone can think of it it his. For me it is a combination of the something spiritual - powerful but nevertheless fragile - with the something... machine, industriele of music. That what is tangible. But music needs no explanation. Music beginning, closes you looks. How it lets you feel. The texts can interpret everyone such as he want. We consider them with music as an entity. The name of the CD; it is a broad term, it can mean so much, it can be everywhere: the sky, air, the apartment hierboven.'
How does your music beinvloed become?
`we become easy beinvloed by our surroundings and solicit the our gone event in daily living. Heal simple things: the way we become awake, what we see on the street, how the sun smiles at us. But Beinvloed by living, say. Our appetite to London will have also certainly influence has on music. We came in surroundings where we knew nobody. Some what we had gemeen were that we English spraken.'
Jimmy have its roots in San Diego, California, where for the god machine according to him wide three years happened suffered little. New York seemed more offer perspective. The gitarist does not want leave San Diego and lagged behind. Robin (zanger/gitarist) took over its task. Jimmy look back: `we sold everything what we had and end up in New York. But also there we could not find it. We did not feel ourselves there pleasant. We decided persevere further to the east and caught the plane to London. The plan was to manchester go. Someone who lives there had invited us there explore the muziekscene, but then we in London stood we let us not can him bereiken.'
There The god machine stood then. Almost platzak. London were too expensive, Amsterdam seemed a good alternative. The trio scraped in the Dutch capital what money each other and toog to London. There Jimmy, met someone who inhabited a kraakpand in Camden. Camden, a voorstad of London, with a local environment where tourists be to far zoeken. For the markets in the weekend. Legally and illegally, it is get there all. The mekka for boat-empty and cheap CD'sth The god machine found a roof in the sfeervolle voorstad above the head. Jimmy: `we shared a chamber with z'n drieen in a kraakpand. We have worked months long, sometimes seven days per week to buy equipment for the link. In that time we practised by two small amplifiers where we connected the jet ears on. ow tin had two drums. That was everything. We knew nobody, had only each other. It was as if we only stood on the world. We are as a result, further than an ordinary friendship. Uitendelijk we got equipment at each other and will we further with practise, in the cellar of the kraakpand. Just after a year got we our first action and started roll everything. Financially we can save our now. Still. United Kingdom is expensive. There are as a matter of fact of those traditions... Changing the guard, which goes now already centuries this way and that will continue do them still centuries. To America? Here in Europe is people much more open and for this reason our music here well doing, will think I. I weet not how the CD it in America doen.'
Violoncello, piano and violin ensure now and then rest and a dosed portie bomb bast on scenes From The Second Storey. Jimmy schuift to the puntje of its chair if I start concerning the traditional instruments. `live do not have we those instruments, catch because on the podium we approach our music with another emotion. It is another side of us. We do not know how the numbers will go if we play live. It depends on our poll, public, the evening. Live we are always differently, we have no setlist. It has sometimes happened that we reached two numbers and that was it. Public? That approved it. Two numbers, but two motherfuckers of numbers, already say I it itself. We are real live-band, we go for a ride up to the summer, perhaps langer.'
In April the god machine come to the Netherlands and stand 10th of that month on the metropolitan beams of Paradiso. Jimmy remind themselves that podium still. `we have stood there previous year in the voorprogramma of the Cramps. A too crazy spot, Paradiso. It well worden.' The bass player leans just as laughing in its stoeltje, but schuift rapidly forward. `concerning those instruments... It is of my largest dreams use them ever live. Forty-obstinate orchestra. But then it must on a large podium with a lot of people. Robin have all what muzikanten approached. I weet that it lukken.'

- jeroen pietersma

- the god machine / interview (february 1993), oor magazine, issue 7, april 1993

The God Machine lijkt voorbestemd om de geschiedenis in te gaan als een volstrekt onbegrepen groep. Een muzikaal buitenbeentje zonder traceerbare roots (zelfs de Amerikaanse thuisbasis San Diego voelde ongemakkelijk en werd ingeruild voor een onzeker krakersbestaan in London), dat een debuut-CD maakte met -naar eigentijdse maatstaven- metershoge drempels. Toch hebben zanger/gitarist Robin Proper-Sheppard, bassist Jimmy Fernandez en drummer Ron Austin alle vertrouwen in de toekomst, mede omdat de pers unaniem lovend is over het monumentale muzikale statement dat de CD Scenes from the second storey vormt.
`We doen wat niemand anders doet. Onze plaat valt zowiezo op tussen alle mediocre rommel en dan maakt het eigenlijk niet meer uit of dat dan in positieve of negatieve zin is. De muziek doet iets met je; het schudt je door elkaar en zuigt zich vast. Van daaruit gaat het rechtstreeks naar het onderbewustzijn'. Proper-Sheppard doelt wellicht op songs als Seven en Purity; narcotische bouwwerken van geluid die respectievelijk een kwartier en 8 minuten de tijd nemen om de luisteraar mee te sleuren in hun verlammende trip. Letterlijk verlammend soms, zoals de zanger ooit aan de lijve ondervond toen hij, rijdend in de toerbus, een juist opgenomen albumtrack op zich in liet werken en bijkans de macht over het stuur verloor. `Pas bij het slotakkoord ontspande mijn lichaam zich. Een bizarre en beangstige ervaring, die anders veel zegt over de fysieke eigenschappen van onze composities.' Waarna Proper-Sheppard enthousiast begint uit te weiden over het geimproviseerde Temptation, dat in een schijnbare staat van hypnose tot stand kwam en in de oorspronkelijke versie precies 3 kwartier in beslag nam. `Toen was de tape op.' Op de CD is een fragment van enkele minuten te horen. Het mag duidelijk zijn, de muziek van The God Machine heeft tijd nodig. Hun carriere waarschijnlijk ook, want zowel Scenes from the second storey als een live-optreden van de groep ligt , zo vermoedde u al, behoorlijk zwaar op de maag. Vrijwel geen enkele song klokt binnen de 5 minuten in, imponerende hardcore- en noisestructuren worden doodleuk afgewisseld met gracieus piano-getingel of sombere depri-pop zoals die in de dark ages van Joy Division en de vroege Cure school maakte en het wereldbeeld van Proper-Sheppard is al niet minder geblakerd. Kortom, muziek als een plechtig ritueel, nooit swingend maar altijd deinend en in geen enkel opzicht van deze tijd. Maar, zo volhardt de groep, dat is een van de zwaktes van hun muziek die tevens kracht is.
Een van de zwaktes? Jawel, want Proper-Sheppard vindt zelfs dat the God Machine kan dienen als achtergrondmuziek. Hier wordt inderdaad geen verkooppraatje opgehangen. `In het begin vond ik dat iedere luisteraar en ieder toeschouwer zijn volledige aandacht aan onze muziek moest schenken. Logisch misschien; dat wil ieder artiest. Pas later merkte ik dat de muziek op een zeker moment appelleert aan een psygisch verzadigingsniveau, waarop de luisteraar zich vertrouwd weet met onze muziek en hij de betekenis ervan optimaal aanvoelt. Op dat moment kan de aandacht enigzins worden losgelaten en kunnen de fysieke kwaliteiten van de muziek het werk doen. Het komt erop neer dat je intussen gerust een boek zou kunnen lezen, terwijl het repetitieve in onze muziek je rustig laat meedeinen. Er zijn vast wel meer muzieksoorten te bedenken die zo'n eigenschap hebben, maar wij houden er ons impliciet mee bezig. Het nadeel is dat zoiets tijd kost. De ultieme God Machine song zal dus altijd minimaal 5 minuten duren.' Bij de komende God Machine concerten dienen de bezoekers overigens zelf mee te nemen.

- erik van den berg

approximative english translation

The god seem machine predestined the history enter as total misunderstood a group. A musical buitenbeentje without traceerbare roots (even the American thuisbasis San Diego felt uncomfortably and was exchanged for uncertain krakersbestaan in London), which made a debut-CD with - towards contemporary criteria - metershoge thresholds. Toch zanger/gitarist has Robin Proper-Sheppard, bass player Jimmy Fernandez and drummer Ron ow tin all faith in the future, because the press unanimously praising are concerning the monumental musical statement that the CD scenes from the second storey form.
`we do what does no one else. Our plate is notable zowiezo between all mediocre cheap goods and then in fact no longer determines it if that is then in positive or negative sense. Music does something with your; it shakes you by each other and sucks himself fixed. Of from that it goes directly to onderbewustzijn'. Proper-Sheppard aim possibly on songs such as Seven and Purity; narcotic construction work of sound which respectively one kwartier and 8 take along minutes the time to drag the auditor in their paralysing sniffing. Litterally paralysing sometimes, as ever to the lijve then he, mobile experienced the zanger in the toerbus, correct incorporated albumtrack in itself in left work and bijkans fell from power concerning the wheel. `just at the lock agreement relaxed themselves my body. A bizarre and beangstige experience, which says differently much concerning the physical properties of ours composities.' Whereupon Proper-Sheppard enthusiastically start graze from concerning the geimproviseerde Temptation, which came about in schijnbare a state of hypnosis and in the original version exact 3 kwartier confiscated. ` then were the tape op.' On the CD a fragment of some minutes is hear. It can be clear, the music of The god machine has enough time necessary. Their carriere probably also, because both scenes from the second storey and live-optreden of the group lie, thus you suspected already, considerably heavy on flatulence. Nearly absolutely no song clocks within the 5 minutes in, impressing hardcore - and noisestructuren nice is varied with gracieus piano-getingel or dark depri-pop such as those in the dark ages van Joy Division and the early Cure made school and the world view of Proper-Sheppard not less has been already scorched. In short, music as a solemn ritual, never swinging but always deinend and in absolutely no respect of this time. But, thus the group, which is of the weaknesses of their, persists music which is tevens strength.
Of the weaknesses? Jawel, because Proper-Sheppard even find that the can god serve machine as background music. Here no postiche is indeed hung. `in the beginning found I that every auditor and every witness had give its complete attention to our music. Logically perhaps; that wants every artist. Just later I saw that the music at a certain moment appeals to psygisch a satiety level, on which the auditor familiar weet with our music and he senses himself the meaning of it optimally. At that moment the attention enigzins can be released and can the physical qualities of music the work do. It means that you read could a book rested meanwhile, whereas the repetitieve in our music you quiet late meedeinen. There are fixed, however, more at that to consider zo'n has property, but we keep our implicitly busy. The disadvantage is that something like that costs time. The ultimate god machine song therefore always minimum 5 minutes duren.' At the coming god machine concerts the visitors moreover themselves must take along.

- erik van den berg

- the god machine / een lichaam van geluid - gonzo circus, issue 8, june-july-august 1993

Een nogal impulsieve verhuis van San Diego naar Engeland in januari 1990 leidde de leden van The God Machine naar een armzalig krakers- en nomadenbestaan, van de (letterlijk en figuurlijk) zonnige zijde naar de grauwe zelfkant van de maatschappij. Een schrale voedingsbodem waar de ongebreidelde expressiedrift van het drietal welig op woekerde. Hoe uitzichtloos de situatie soms ook was, repeteren oftewel het met massa's decibels vullen van een gekraakte appartementsruimte bleef de meest primaire levensbehoefte. Muziekmaken was en is voor The God Machine dus niet meteen een luchtige vrijetijdsbezigheid, het is veeleer zoiets als ademen, een kwestie van moeten, een middel tot overleven. Rock als dagelijks ritueel, het instrumentaal laten exploderen van opgekropte frustraties. Enkele maanden geleden werd het tachtig minuten durende gitaarepos 'Scenes from the Second Storey' uitgespuwd, een geslaagd afgietsel in muzikale mozaïekvorm van die struggle-for-life-periode. Agressie en verbittering vormden weliswaar de belangrijkste drijfveer tijdens het komponeren van deze reeks klanklandschappen, toch is de plaat zo somber en zwaarmoedig als je ze zelf maakt, meent zanger-gitarist Robin Proper-Sheppard. De sympathieke, praatgrage hoofdmachinist gidste ons o.m. langs enkele scenes uit dit indrukwekkende dertienluik.
Scene 1. Home "Black car wrong side of the road saying look jack we're taking him home to his promised land see the woman point to the sky cross her heart and hope to die jesus made her do it (...)"
Sheppard: "Voor de video van 'Home' hebben we niet minder dan twintig verschillende regisseurs aangesproken. Aanvankelijk lag het in onze bedoeling om zelf een soort filmpje te maken bij het nummer, omdat we natuurlijk zelf het beste aanvoelden welk soort beelden bij onze muziek horen. Wat we wel niet zo goed wisten, was hoe zo'n verfilming aan te pakken. We hadden slechts een beperkt budget. Het leek ons daarom beter om het, in plaats van het misschien zelf aan nutteloos beeldmateriaal te verbrassen, te besteden aan een ervaren regisseur.
Uiteindelijk viel onze keus op een co-regisseur van Derek Jarman. De uiteindelijke video (waarin typische schilderachtige Jarman-taferelen in voorkomen, sf) is een voortreffelijke cinematografische vertaling van de gevoelens in dat nummer. Het rare is dat we, toen we nog in San Diego musiceerden, vaak vergeleken werden met Michael Nyman, iemand wiens muziek vaak gebruikt wordt in films van Jarman en aanverwante regisseurs als Peter Greenaway. Geen toeval dus dat de samenwerking met deze regisseur vlot verliep.
Wat me vooral aantrekt in de video is het feit dat we met deze regisseur alle rockclichés hebben kunnen vermijden. Van de gemiddelde MTV-video kan dat immers niet gezegd worden. We wilden gewoonweg niet geassocieerd worden met de ikonen of outfits die blijkbaar bij bepaalde genres horen. Vandaar dat de regisseur me aanraadde een net wit hemd aan te trekken. Trouwens, ook in het dagelijkse leven draag ik graag losse pakken, alleen op toernee is dat niet zo handig.
Door de clichés te vermijden overstijgt de video ook een beetje de tijdelijkheid. Het is een soort kunstwerkje, maar geen kunst om per se artistiek te willen overkomen. Daarvoor verwijst het nummer zelf ook te veel naar andere elementen uit de realiteit. Toch zullen de hippe college-studenten een dergelijke smaakvolle video wel kunnen appreciëren (lacht)."
Met de verhuis van San Diego naar Engeland is de groep haar home min of meer verloren. Robin vertelt op een vurige wijze over de turbulente wederwaardigheden van het drietal na hun aankomst in Manchester. Sheppard: "We waren aanvankelijk eigenlijk helemaal niet van plan om naar Engeland te verhuizen. We hadden San Diego verlaten omdat we uitgekeken waren op de stad en de staat Californië in het algemeen. Toen we in New York belandden, besloten we om inees de hele States maar te verlaten. We waren jong en hadden nog niet veel meegemaakt in ons leven. Kortom, we wilden eens echt op avontuur uit gaan. Nu had ik ooit van een tourmanager van een tamelijk grote Engelse groep, het voorstel gekregen dat als ik naar Engeland zou komen, deel uit zou kunnen maken van zijn crew en op onderdak bij hem zou kunnen rekenen. Dat trok ons allen wel aan, zo'n leven on the road. Eenmaal aangekomen in Engeland bleek, naïevelingen die we waren, van dat alles echter niets waar te zijn. We waren kompleet op onszelf aangewezen en op de 80 dollar zakgeld die we bij ons hadden. We waren dus niet alleen thuisloos maar ook dakloos, dus kraakten we maar ergens in Camden zo'n leegstaand, dichtgespijkerd appartement.
Het tweede probleem was geld verdienen, we hadden geen werkvergunning, zodat we enkel in het illegale werkcircuit aan baantjes konden geraken. Op die manier hebben we een tijdje op de fruitmarkt gewerkt. Het verdiende geld investeerden we vooral in het kopen van muziekapparatuur; ons eigen materiaal hadden we immers in San Diego achtergelaten, om dat het niet in onze bedoeling lag om in Engeland een groep te gaan oprichten. De omstandigheden dreven ons er echter toe. We zaten in een situatie van all or nothing.
In het begin moesten we het rooien met een krakkemikkig drumstel en enkele armtierige flutversterkertjes. Uiteindelijk stond ons repetitielokaal volgepropt met Marshalls en andere volumineus materiaal. Onze bedoeling was immers die hele ruimte massief te maken met lawaai."
De bizarre anekdote over de oude buurvrouw die uit deze periode stamt (zie ook Gonzo Circus nr.7) blijkt geen verzinsel te zijn.
Sheppard: "Het is inderdaad waar. Naast de plaats waar we repeteerden, woonde er deze kompleet dove vrouw. Toen ons lawaai echt oorverdovende afmetingen begon aan te nemen en we nog altijd geen klachten kregen, besloten we om zelf toch eens een kijkje te gaan nemen bij haar. Van het lawaai bleek ze echt geen last te hebben, alleen haar pacemaker dus, die bleek af en toe zomaar ineens over te slaan... Uiteindelijk zijn ze haar op een morgen komen weghalen, ik weet niet wat van haar geworden is.
Het waren echt zware tijden daar in Enegeland, maar ik ben blij dat ik ze meegemaakt heb. Vroeger in San Diego, toen we nog bij onze ouders woonden, kregen we altijd alles wat we maar verlangden. In Engeland leerden we vanuit een heel ander, marginaal perspektief naar de samenleving kijken. We zijn er echt van onder nul moeten beginnen. Het was een harde maar goede leerschool."
De groep wist zich uiteindelijk vanuit de V.S. een officiële werkvergunning voor Groot-Brittannië te verschaffen; verscholen in de cargo van een ferry werd het thuisland terug bereikt. The God Machine werd er echter, net als in Groot-Brittannië, niet echt als een 'thuisgroep' onthaald.
Sheppard: "In de V.S. speelden we tot dusver slechts zes shows, maar nergens dacht men dat wij Amerikanen zijn. We ontmoetten ergens een meisje dat al onze eerste singles via import had verzameld, zelfs zij dacht dat we een Engelse groep waren. En dat is vreemd omdat ik altijd denk dat wij veel te Amerikaans klinken om als Engels of Europees beschouwd te worden. Ik heb er echter geen problemen mee, integendeel, ik vind het een kompliment Europeaan genoemd te worden, net zoals de Australiër Nick Cave wegens zijn lange verblijf in Berlijn soms als een Europeaan beschoud wordt.
Ook in Engeland zelf heeft men moeite om ons te plaatsen, maar we behoren zeker niet tot de Amerikaanse gitaarscene. Dat bleek uit de vouwposter met het A-Z van de grunge - ik haat dat woord - die Melody Maker een aantal maanden geleden publiceerde. Totaal ungrungy bands als Metallica, Throwing Muses, Jane's Addiction kwamen daar op voor, maar geen God Machine bij de G. Ik kontakteerde daarop de persman waarmee wij samenwerken en die ook had meegeholpen aan het opstellen van die poster en ik kreeg te horen: "You're not an American band anymore, you're not a grunge band."
Van heimwee naar San Diego heeft Robin vooralsnog geen noemenswaardige last. Sheppard: "Afgelopen Kerstmis heb ik nog in San Diego doorgebracht, maar ik was blij toen ik er weer weg was. Als ik er langer dan drie weken ben, krijg ik namelijk last van claustrofobie. Ik hou wel van het klimaat en het watersportleven dat dat inhoudt en zo, maar in kultureel opzicht betekent San Diego en ook de rest van Californië drie keren niets, het is me te geïsoleerd. Ik heb anderzijds wel veel respect voor lokale San Diego-bands zoals Drive Like Jehu en Trumans Water die het uiteindelijk zonder San Diego te verlaten toch min of meer gehaald hebben. Drive Like Jehu haalde met hun recentste CD nummer 9 in de college charts en dat is niet niks. Ik vraag me af hoe ze er op onze plaat gaan reageren.
Maar, om terug te komen op je vraag, ik prefereer voorlopig nog het zwerversleven dat de groep tegenwoordig in Europa leidt. Later, als ik mijn vijfendertigste gepasseerd ben zal ik me wellicht in San Diego vestigen, mét vrouw en kinderen."
Scene 2. She Said "(...) you can paint your sky any colour any colour it's all up to you she said you can paint your dark as dark you need and she said you can paint your light as light as you please it's all up to you (...)"
Sheppard: (leest met mijn vertalershulp het God Machine-artikeltje uit Gonzo Circus nr.7) "De recensies over de plaat benadrukken over 't algemeen die donkere schaduwzijde, de woede ervan. In deze regels uit 'She Said' stel ik het zelf toch wat genuanceerder voor: als jij vindt dat 'Scenes...' in een nogal pessimistische, sombere sfeer baadt, dan zegt dat minstens evenveel over jezelf als over de plaat. Het is jouw luisterervaring: "It's up to you".
Ik hou doorgaans niet van het vastpinnen van teksten op bepaalde betekenissen maar ik zal voor deze keer eens een uitzondering maken. 'The Sky', de hemel, fungeert hier als een symbool voor het leven, de realiteit en die kleur je zo donker of zo licht, zo zwart of zo blauw in als je zelf wilt. Alles heeft zijn donkere en lichte zijde, 't is maar van welke kant je het bekijkt.
En wat die woede betreft... ik denk dat 'Scenes' veeleer een uitdrukking van pijn is dan van woede. De pijn van het eenzaam zijn. Het soort eenzaamheid dat je plots overvalt als je je in een kamer bevindt met mensen waarmee je zogezegd veel gemeen hebt, terwijl je je realiseert dat er van een hechte band totaal geen sprake is."
Scene 3. Dream Machine "Talk to yourself because no one else will and shine your star shine your star lock your door and keep the strangers away talk to your imaginary friends that only you can see and stare stare into your dream machine see what you see but don't say that you see it hide yourself less someone will steal it hide your love sunday velvet."
Sheppard: "De activiteit van het staren in een droommachine, een in de jaren '60 door Gysin ontworpen bewustzijnsverruimend apparaat (zie illustratie, sf), symboliseert goed die eenzaamheid.
De eenzame mens zoekt zijn toevlucht in fiktieve werkelijkheden, soms in z'n eentje, soms samen, maar ook in het laatste geval is men, samen dan, eenzaam.
Dus niet de woede, maar de eenzaamheid en het klaustrofobische is belangrijk in onze muziek. Stel je iemand voor, moederziel alleen op de bodem van de Grand Canyon, schreeuwend om hulp: zo voel ik me ook vaak. Ik sta daar te schreeuwen maar er is niemand die luistert en hoe harder ik schreeuw hoe hopelozer ik word.
Misschien is The God Machine soms ook wel een soort dream machine: wanneer wij ons staan uit te leven op het podium en het publiek er onverschillig bij blijft, wat gelukkig niet altijd het geval is. Meestal is het echter zo, denk ik, dat vooral het ervaren van andermans muziek als een soort droommachine kan fungeren. De muziek van The God Machine is mijn muziek, ik kan daar moeilijk afstand van nemen, ik kan daar niet als een buitenstaander naar luisteren en in opgaan. Je kan het vergelijken met een schilderij. Al betreft het een fruitschaal, een landschap of een abstraktie, je zal er, als maker ervan, toch altijd jezelf in blijven herkennen. Zo gaat het ook wanneer ik nummers schrijf. In sommige gevallen vormt iemand anders wel eens de aanleiding voor het nummer, maar uiteindelijk handelt het toch altijd over mezelf. Wij zijn allemaal spiegels van elkaar.
The God Machine is dus niet meteen een dream machine. Nu ga je me zeker vragen wie mijn imaginaire vrienden dan wel mogen zijn?" (lacht) Neen, wees gerust (kleine pauze). Wie zijn eigenlijk die imaginaire vrienden van je?
Sheppard: (Bulderlach).
Hoewel Sheppard The god Machine niet als een bewustzijnsverruimend middel beschouwt, is de groep toch een levensnoodzakelijke uitlaatklep. We vroegen de zanger-gitarist in welke mate zijn muziek louterend werkt. Sheppard: "Je hebt het over katharsis. Dat is een woord dat de journalisten nog al eens graag in de mond nemen als ze 't over The God Machine hebben. Ik weet niet of ik onze muziek puur als een loutering, het in het reine komen met iets moet zien. Meer nog, en dat sluit aan bij wat ik daarnet reeds zei, het is gewoon moeilijk om als muzikant je muziek in woorden te beschrijven. Als ik dat voor mijn eigen groep moest doen, zou dat zeker niet op hetzelfde neerkomen als de uitleg die andere mensen aan de muziek geven. De enige manier hoe ik in feite onze muziek kan doorgronden is door te zien hoe jij en het publiek die ervaren. Ik weet natuurlijk wel wat mezelf emotioneel raakt en wat ik voel tijdens het scheppen van muziek, maar om dat in taal te gieten... Dat is moeilijk, temeer ook omdat onze muziek zo cinematografisch is. 'Scenes...' is bijna zoiets als een beeldhouwwerk, een tastbaar lichaam van geluid. Ik merk dat vele journalisten karrevrachten adjektieven aanwenden om dat lichaam dan toch maar min of meer te kunnen omschrijven. De beste manier waarop ikzelf mijn muziek kan beschrijven is door ze live uit te voeren."
Omdat Sheppard op een intrigerende wijze uitweidt over dit onderwerp, ga ik er wat verder op in en schotel hem een citaat uit het interview met Grant Hart (Gonzo Circus, nr.7) voor: "Het punt is dat je loutering en blijdschap kunt bereiken door de katharsis die een zelfgemaakt nummer je brengt, maar steeds hetzelfde herleven telkens je dat nummer weer zingt, lijkt me ongeloofwaardig, onmogelijk."
Sheppard: "Daar ben ik het niet echt mee eens. Bij bepaalde nummers ervaar ik telkens opnieuw de konkrete aanleiding waarom ik ze geschreven heb. Van 'It's All Over' heb ik, wanneer ik het op het podium breng, zeer klaar voor ogen hoe het tot stand is gekomen. Echt, dan krijg ik kippevel over gans mijn lijf en moet ik bijna wenen. Andere songs stapelen bij elke uitvoering dan weer nieuwe beelden in me op, zonder dat daarmee het originele gevoel echt verdwijnt. Nummers als 'Blind Man' en 'Home' vul ik gevoelsmatig altijd in met andere beelden. Ik probeer me de nummers immers altijd te visualiseren, ik maak mentale beelden terwijl ik speel. Dat is min of meer de essentie van mijn songschrijverschap: simpelweg het in geluiden beschrijven van wat ik zie met mijn ogen dicht. Een regel als "see the woman point to the sky" uit 'Home' krijgt, afhankelijk van de manier waarop ik het breng, afhankelijk van de expressie dus, andere betekenissen. Ik ga daar natuurlijk niet op het podium naar de lucht staan te wijzen (lacht). Wat ik eigenlijk wil zeggen, is dat een goed nummer imaginaire kwaliteiten moet hebben."
Scene 4. the God Machine (deus ex machina)
Sheppard: "Wat ik daarnet zei over de betekenisveranderingen in sommige nummers, geldt ook voor de groepsnaam, ook die is onderhevig aan gelijksoortige wijzigingen. De naam verwijst zeker niet alleen naar een religieus gegeven. Trouwens, het woord 'God' is zo leeggebruikt dat het in feite elke mening en intensiteit verloren heeft. Dat afgesletene van het woord zit min of meer vervat in de betekenis van de groepsnaam.
Ik ben gelukkig niet met zeer harde religieuze hand opgevoed, maar, ondanks dat, slagen godsdiensten als het katholicisme er toch in mensen met een verwrongen geweten of een schuldgevoel op te zadelen. het gebruik van het woord 'God' is voor mij daarom ook nauw verbonden met het opgroeien en het onderworpen zijn aan dat schuldcomplex en de pogingen om dat te ontvluchten.
Dus vervang, als je wil, in The God Machine, God door 'het leven' en Machine door 'ervaring, opgroeien'."
Scene 5. I've Seen The Man "I've seen a man on the corner preaching of his god i've seen another that doesn't want the burden of his cross but I stand dead in the centre with nothing at all (...)"
Sheppard: "Mijn standpunt met betrekking tot religieuze, filosofische kwesties is zeer bescheiden. Ik wil niemand mijn ideeën opdringen. Dat moge blijken uit de regel "I stand dead in the centree with nothing at all", uit 'I've Seen the Man'. Ook hier herken ik weer meerdere betekenissen. Ten eerste, twee mensen zijn aan het diskussiëren over het leven ik, ik weet niks van het leven. Of het gaat over twee mensen die mij reeds vermoord hebben en naast mijn lijk nog wat verder staan te kibbelen.
Als jongere dien je vaak heel wat dogma's te overleven. Het enige middel waarmee dat lukt is het kreëren van je eigen filosofietje. Religie, bijvoorbeeld, is zo alomtegenwoordig in de V.S.: je draait aan de T.V.-knop en wat zie je? Een predikant die met hel en vagevuur dreigt. En veel mensen trappen daar nog in ook, in dat kulpabiliseren door die schurken. Sommige mensen denken echt dat ze geld moeten sturen om zich beter te voelen, nadat ze bijvoorbeeld iemand anders bedrogen hebben met geld of zo (lacht). Geld redt niet. Vanaf het moment dat er misdaden of fouten begaan worden, is de hel hier op aarde. als je geweten je dwarszit omdat je op aarde iets verkeerds gedaan hebt, hoef je geen geld meer te sturen om de hel te vermijden. Dan heb je de hel immers reeds hier gekreerd. Maar ja, religion is the drug..."
Scene 6. Scenes From The Second Storey
'Scenes...' munt uit door zijn rijke, soms grillige geluidstextuur; The God Machine lardeert haar nummers met her en der geleende muziekcitaten, vertellersstemmen en andere onidentificeerbare strookjes geluid, waardoor sommige songs als het ware verschillende verdiepingen krijgen. Sheppard omschreef deze toegevoegde geluidswaarde in het begeleidende CD-boekje als "atmospheric nuances and nuisances" (vrij vertaald atmosferische nuances en irritaties).
Sheppard: (lacht) "Ja, niet alle van die bijgeplakte geluidjes liggen even gemakkelijk in het gehoor. Op het eind van het nummer 'Seven' duikt op de achtergrond allerlei lawaai op, onder meer een mix van geluiden van walvissen en walvisvaarders. Als je daar met je koptelefoon gekoncentreerd naar luistert, zal je merken dat dat niet bepaald een stimulerende invloed op je spijsvertering heeft.
Aan de hand van dergelijke spelletjes wilden we in de eerste plaats een beetje humor aan het album toevoegen. Mensen zouden anders nog kunnen gaan denken dat wij onze lach verloren hebben en dat is zeker niet het geval (lacht). Als je goed luistert merk je dat er nogal veel tongue in cheek-humor, nogal veel zelfrelativering in de plaat steekt, maar dat wordt natuurlijk nogal gemakkelijk overschaduwd door het overwegend serieuze karakter van de songs.
Andere ingelaste geluiden zijn dan weer sfeerscheppend, zoals de Oosterse gezangen in 'The Desert Song', of de intro en outro van 'Home', een fragment uit een plaat van 'Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares' dat veel voor me betekent. Pas op, ik begrijp er eigenlijk niets van, maar emotioneel raakt me dat heel diep, you know what I mean?'

- stefan flipkens (transcribed by philippus baalman)

approximative english translation

The god machine: A body of sound

A rather impulsive verhuis of San Diego to United Kingdom in January 1990 led the members of The god machine to miserable krakers - and nomad existence, of (litteral and figuratively) zonnige the side to the grauwe itself side of the society. A poor feeding floor where the ongebreidelde expressiedrift of the triad practised luxuriantly on. How hopeless the situation was sometimes also, repete oftewel with massa's decibels fill of a cracked apartment space remained the most primary life need. Muziekmaken were and are not for The god machine therefore immediately light vrijetijdsbezigheid, it is rather something like that as breathe, a question of must survive, a means to. Rock as daily ritual, instrumental leaving explode of held back frustrations. Some months was suffered it eighty minutes lasting gitaarepos 'Scenes from the Second Storey' spat out, a successful cast in musical mozaïekvorm of that struggle-for-life-periode. Aggression and verbittering indeed formed the most important drijfveer during the komponeren of this range consonance landscapes, toch the plate is this way dark and morose such as you makes them, thinks zanger-gitaristzanger-gitarist zanger-gitarist Robin Proper-Sheppard. The sympathetic, praatgrage head machine man gidste our incl along some scenes from this impressive thirteen shutter.
Scene 1. home "Black car wrong side of the road saying look jack we're taking him home to his promised land see the woman point to the sky cross her heart and hope to die jesus made her do it (...)"
Sheppard: "Voor the video of 'Home' we have addressed no less than twenty different regisseurs. Initially it lay in our intention himself a type small film at the number, making because we of course ourselves sensed the bests which type beelden to our music belong. What we, however, this way well did not know, were how zo'n verfilming to tackle. We had only a limited budget. It seemed us for this reason it improve, instead of squandering it perhaps itself to useless picture material, to spend on experience regisseur.
Eventually our choice on a co-regisseur of Derek Jarman fell. The eventual video (in which typical picturesque Jarman-taferelen in prevent, sf) are an excellent cinematographic translation of the feelings in that number. Strange is that we, then we made music still in San Diego, frequently were compared with Michael Nyman, someone whose music is frequently used in films of Jarman and related regisseurs as a Peter Greenaway. No chance therefore that the cooperation with this regisseur went smoothly.
What me especially attracts in the video is the fact that we with this regisseur all rockclichés have been possible avoid. Of the average Mtv-video that cannot be said. We did not want be simply associated with the icons or outfits which belongs apparently to certain genres. Hence that the regisseur me advised an exactly blank attract hemd. As a matter of fact, also in daily living I gladly loose packages carry, only on toernee is that not this way skilful.
By avoiding the stereotypes the video exceeds also a beetje temporality. It is a type art opuscule, but no art per se artistically wanting happen. For that the number himself refers also too much to other elements from the reality. Toch the hippe college students such a tasteful video, however, are able appreciate (lacht)."
With the verhuis of San Diego to United Kingdom the group has more or less lost its home. Robin tell in an enthusiastic manner concerning the turbulent wederwaardigheden of the triad after their arrival in Manchester. Sheppard: "We intended initially actual not at all to United Kingdom move. We had San Diego to leave because we looked out products on the city and the state California in general it commonly. When we ended up in New York, we let us decide the complete leave States for inees but. We young and had much had been not yet experienced in our life. In short, we wanted go once real on adventure from. Now I had ever of tourmanager of a fairly large English group, the proposal got that if I would come to United Kingdom part from could make of its crew and on lodging at him could count. That drew us all, however, to, zo'n life on the road. Once arrived in United Kingdom proved to be, naïevelingen who we were, of all that however nothing be. We were kompleet on onszelf suitable and on the 80 dollars pocket money which we had at us. We were therefore not only homeless but also homeless, thus we cracked but in Camden zo'n being empty, apartment somewhere nailed up.
The second problem was money deserves, we had no work permit, so that we could attain only in the illegal work circuit to baantjes. This way we tijdje on the fruit market have worked. We invested the deserved money especially in buying music equipment; our own material we in San Diego had left behind, that it in our intention did not lie in United Kingdom a group will establish. The circumstances floated us however. We were present in a situation of all or nothing.
In the beginning we had dig up it with a krakkemikkig drumstel and some armtierige flutversterkertjes. Eventually our repetitielokaal stood crammed with Marshalls and other voluminous material. Our intention was that complete make space massive with lawaai."
The bizarre anecdote concerning the old neighbour who descends from this period (to see also Gonzo circus nr.7) proves be no verzinsel.
Sheppard: "Het are indeed where. Beside the place where we repeted, there these kompleet deaf woman lived. When our crash started really oorverdovende dimensions and we still no adopt complaints got, we ourselves let us decide a look nevertheless once will take at her. Of the crash she appeared really no have charge, only its pacemaker therefore, which pale from time to time zomaar all of a sudden to skip... Eventually they are her on a morning come take away, I weet what of its becomes is.
It had been one-landed there really heavy times in, but I am glad that I have experienced them. In former days in San Diego, then we still at our parents lived, always got we everything what we desired but. In United Kingdom we learned look at from complete different, marginal perspektief to the society. We are of it really under zero must start. It was hard but good leerschool."
The group could himself eventually from the U.S. an official provide work permit for Great Britain; verscholen in the cargo of ferry the thuisland was reached. The god machine did not become there however, just like in Great Britain, really just like 'thuisgroep' entertained.
Sheppard: "In the U.S. played we shows so far only six, but nowhere thought one that we are Americans. We met somewhere a little girl that already our first singles by means of import had collected, even she thought that we were an English group. And that is strange because I think always that we many too American latches to be considered as English or European. I have however no problems, on the contrary, I find it kompliment European to be called, just like the australiër Nick Cave because of its long stay in Berlin sometimes if an European beschoud becomes.
Also in United Kingdom himself has to one place effort our, but we belong certainly not to the American gitaarscene. That became clear from the vouwposter with a Z of the grunge - I hate that word - which Melody maker a number of published months suffered. Total ungrungy link such as Metallica, Throwing Muses, Jane's then prevented Addiction, but no god machine at G. I kontakteerde then I got the press man with which we to cooperate had helped with and that also to the drawing up of that poster and to hear: "You're not an American band anymore, you're not a grunge band."
Of heimwee to San Diego Robin have as yet no considerable charge. Sheppard: "Afgelopen kerstmis I in San Diego have still spent, but I was glad then I there gone was. If I there is longer than three weeks, gets I, as it happens, charge of claustrophobia. I hou, however, of the climate and the watersportleven which implies that and this way, but in kultureel respect San Diego and mean also the rest of California three keren nothing, it me is isolated too. I have on the other side, however, much respect for local San Diego-bands such as drive Like Jehu and Trumans Water which eventually without San Diego it to leave has nevertheless more or less obtained. Drive Like Jehu obtained charts with their most recent CD number 9 in the college and that is not nothing. I wonder myself how they will there react to our plate. But, to return on your question, I prefer provisionally still the zwerversleven that the group leads nowadays in Europe. Later, if I have passed my five thirtieth I will establish myself possibly in San Diego, with woman and kinderen."
Scene 2. She Said "(...) you can paint your sky any colour any colour it's all up to you she said you can paint your dark as dark you need and she said you can paint your light as light as you please it's all up to you (...)"
Sheppard: (reads with my translator aid god machine short article from Gonzo circus nr.7) "De recensies concerning the plate emphasise concerning 't commonly that dark shade side, anger of it. In these rules from 'She Said' I nevertheless put it itself what more balanced for: if you find that 'Scenes... ' in a rather pessimistic, dark environment bathes, then says that at least as much concerning yourself as concerning the plate. It is your lustre experience: "It's up to you".
I hou generally not of pinning down texts on certain meanings but I will make an exception once for this time. 'The Sky', the sky, acts here as a symbol for living, the reality and that colours you this way dark or this way light, this way black or as blue in as you yourself wants. Everything have its dark and light side, 't is but of which side you examine it.
And what which anger concerns... I think that 'Scenes' rather an expression of pain is then of anger. The pain of solitary is. The type loneliness that you assault suddenly if you are yourself in a chamber with people with which you have zogezegd much gemeen, whereas you realise yourself that there of a strong link totally no talk is."
Scene 3. Dream Machine
"Talk to yourself because no one else will and shine your star shine your star lock your door and keep the strangers away talk to your imaginary friends that only you can see and stare stare into your dream machine see what you see but don't say that you see it hide yourself less someone will steal it hide your love sunday velvet."
Sheppard: "De activity of staring in a dream machine, in the years '60 Gysin bewustzijnsverruimend apparatus devised (to see through illustration, sf), symbolise well that loneliness.
Solitary people zoekt its toevlucht in fiktieve realities, sometimes in z'n one, sometimes together, but also in the last case one is, together then, solitary.
Therefore not anger, but loneliness and it klaustrofobische are important in our music. Proposal you someone, mother soul only on the floor of the Grand Canyon, crying for aid: thus I also frequently feel myself. I stand shout there but there am nobody who listens and how harder I shout how hopelozer I become.
Perhaps The god machine sometimes also a type dream machine is: when we stand live it up our on the podium and public indifferently remain, what is fortunately not always the case. Generally am it however this way, think I that especially experience dream machine of other people's music as a type can act. The music of The god machine is my music, I can take of it distance with difficulty, I can listen there not as a buitenstaander to and in to go up. You can compare it with a painting. Already it concerns a fruit scale, a landscape or abstraktie, you there, as a maker of it, nevertheless always in continue recognise itself. Thus it goes also when I write numbers. In some cases give someone else sometimes the occasion for the number, but eventually nevertheless always act it concerning mezelf. We are all mirrors of each other.
The god machine are not therefore immediately dream machine. Now you will ask me certainly who can my imaginary friends or zijn?" (laughs) no, indicated rested (small pause). Who are actual those imaginary friends of your?
Sheppard: (Bulderlach).
Although Sheppard The god do not consider machine as a bewustzijnsverruimend means, the group nevertheless a vital exhaust valve is. We asked the zanger-gitarist to what extent its music works purifying. Sheppard: "Je have it concerning catharsis. That is still already once gladly a word that the journalists in the mouth takes if they 't have machine concerning The god. I weet not or I our music purely if loutering, it in clean coming with something must see. More still, and that encloses what said daarnet I already, it is simply difficult as a muzikant your describe music in words. If I had do that for my own group, that would not mean certainly the same as the explanation which other people give to music. The only manner how I can penetrate in fact our music is see through how you and public that experience. I weet of course, however, what touches itself emotionally and what I feel during creating music, but to pour that in language... That is difficult, temeer also because our music is this way cinematographic 'Scenes...' almost something like that is as a sculpture, a tangible body of sound. I see that a lot of journalists karrevrachten adjektieven apply to be able define that body then nevertheless but more or less. The best way myself can describe my music is by them live from at voeren."
Because Sheppard in an intriguing manner dwell on concerning this subject, I go there what further and dish him a citaat from the interview with Grant heart (Gonzo circus, nr.7): "Het point are that you can reach loutering and blijdschap by the catharsis which numbers zelfgemaakt you brings, but always the same revives each time you that number sings, seems me incredible, onmogelijk."
Sheppard: "Daar are I it not real once. At certain numbers I experience each time again the konkrete reason for which I have written them. Of 'It's All Over' have I, when I bring it on the podium, very ready for eyes how it has come about. Really, then krijg I horripilation concerning goose my lijf and must weep I almost. Other songs pile up in each implementation then new weerbeelden in me on without with that the original feeling disappears really. Numbers as 'Blind Man' and 'Home' I always fill in gevoelsmatig with other pictures. I try myself visualise the numbers always, I make mental pictures whereas I play. That is more or less the nature of my songschrijverschap: simply in sounds describe of what I see with my eyes dense. A rule as "see the woman point to the sky" from 'Home' gets, depending on of the way I bring it, depending on depending on the expressie therefore, other meanings. I do not will indicate there natural on the podium to air to stand (laughs). What I in fact want say, am that a good number imaginary qualities must hebben."
Scene 4. the god machine (deus ex machina)
Sheppard: I said daarnet to "Wat concerning the meaning changes in some numbers, also apply to the group name, also that is liable to simultaneous modifications. The name certainly not only refers to a religious fact. As a matter of fact, the word 'God' has been this way used that it has in fact lost each opinion and intensity. That afgesletene of the word sits more or less sets out in the meaning of the group name.
I have not been educated fortunately with very hard religious hand, but, in spite of that, religions succeed such as Catholicism there distorted nevertheless in people with on conscience or a debt feeling to saddle the use of the word 'God' is for me for this reason also narrow is subject linked with growing up and it to that debt complex and the attempts that to flee.
Thus replace, if your will, in The god machine, god by 'het leven' and machine 'ervaring, opgroeien'."
Scene 5. I've Sen The Man "I've seen a man on the corner preaching of his god i've seen another that doesn't want the burden of his cross but I stand dead in the centre with nothing at all (...)"
Sheppard: "Mijn point of view concerning religious, philosophical questions are very records. I want nobody my ideas force. That should dead in the penny roe-deer with nothing become clear ate all" from the rule "I stand dead in the centre with nothing at all" from 'I've Seen the Man'. Here too I recognise several meanings. First, two people are to the diskussiëren concerning living I, I weet nothing living. If it concerns two people who have already assassinated me and beside my lijk still what further stands bicker.
As a youngster you frequently must survive a lot dogma's. The only means with which that succeeds is the kreëren of your own filosofietje. Religion, for example, is this way omnipresent in the U.S.: you twist to T.V.-knop and what to see you? A preacher who threatens with hel and vagevuur. And many people kick in in this still also, that kulpabiliseren who have a scratch themselves. Some people really think that them money must send improves himself to feel, after they deceived for example someone else have with money or this way (laughs). Money does not save. As from the moment that crime or errors commits there become, the hel is here on ground if you cross blamed you because you have done something on ground incorrect, hoef you no more money send to avoid the hel. Then you already here gekreerd have the hel. But yes, religion is the drug..."
Scene 6. Scenes From The Second Storey 'Scenes... ' currency by its rich, sometimes capricious sound composition; The god machine lard its numbers with her and of the lent muziekcitaten, narrator votes and other onidentificeerbare strookjes sounded, as a result of which some songs gets as it were several deepenings. Sheppard defined this added sound value in the accompanying notebook as "atmospheric nuances and nuisances" (rather translated atmospheric nuances and irritations).
Sheppard: (laughs) "Ja, not all of those bijgeplakte geluidjes lie just as easy in the interview. On the end of number 'Seven' all kinds of crash on, among others a mix of sounds of whales and whalers dive on the context. If you listen there with your ear-phone gekoncentreerd nasty, you will see that that does not have stipulated a stimulating influence on your spijsvertering.
By means of such games we wanted add in the first place a beetje humour to the album. People differently still are able will think that we ours laugh have lost and that is not certainly the case (laughs). If you listen well see you that there rather many tongue in cheek-humor put, rather many zelfrelativering in the plate, but that is of course easily overschaduwed rather by the leading serious character of the songs.
Other inserted sounds are then sfeerscheppend, such as the oriental gezangen in 'The Desert Song', or intro and outro of 'Home', a fragment from a plate of 'Le Mystère of the Voix Bulgares' that much mean for me. Just, I understand of it in fact nothing, but emotionally am running out me that complete diep, you know what I mean?'

- stefan flipkens (transcribed by philippus baalman)

- the god machine / obituary - god machine's jimmy dies - melody maker, may 1994

the god machine's bassist, jimmy fernandez, has died. he was 28.
fernandez was admitted to the royal free hospital in hampstead, london, on may 20 after complaining of a severe migraine. he quickly slipped into a coma, and died on may 23.
an autopsy revealed the cause of death to be a cancerous brain tumour. the surviving members of the god machine, robin proper-sheppard and ronald austin, last week expressed their reaction to the tragedy in the following poignant statement: "to try and sum up one person's life, especially someone so beautiful, in a few lines seems impossible to us. we are also sure that, even in time, we will never quite be able to put into words exactly how special he was or how much he really meant to us. he always seemed to know what you where thinking and feeling, just as now we are sure he is standing over us saying 'guys, don't make life so hard on yourselves.' that was the kind of person jimmy was with everyone."
"jimmy absolutely loved life, and had such a positive attitude that made everyone around him so happy to be a part of his life. he believed that no matter what tragedy should befall one, or what pain lies beneath the surface, you are never alone. this love of everyone and everything is how we think that jimmy would have wanted to have been remembered. if there is anything we think he would have wanted us to do in his memory, it would be to slow down and just enjoy the beauty around us, to stare into the clouds and recognise all the familiar faces, to sing along with the birds as you walk in the rain with no umbrella, and most importantly just to be happy to be alive."
a spokesperson for the band's label fiction records, added: "fiction records would like to join all of jimmy's friends and colleagues in giving their heartfelt sympathies to his family. we have lost a special person ; one who was so easy to love."
fernandez was born in san diego, california, on september 30, 1965. he, proper-sheppard and austin were childhood friends. they formed the god machine in the late eighties, and moved to london in 1990. they signed to fiction in december 1991, released three ep's, before their debut album, "scenes from the second storey", came out in january 1993. the band had just completed their second album, which will be released later this year.

transcribed by andy otter (andy@nefilim.demon.co.uk) - 06.09.96

- the god machine / obituary - jimmy fernandez (1965 - 1994) - new musical express (nme), 4th june 1994

jimmy fernadez bass player with the god machine died last week suffering a brain haemorrhage after being admitted to london's royal freehospital.
he was taken to the hospital suffering from a severe headache and immediately slipped into a coma, and was put on a life-support machine. he did not regain consciousness.
fellow band members robin proper-sheppard and ronald austin said "to try and sum up one person's life seems impossible to us. he always seemed to know what you were thinking and feeling, just as now we are sure he is standing over us saying 'guys, don't make life so hard on yourselves'. that was the sort of person jimmy was with everyone."
"jimmy absolutely loved life and had such a positive attitude that made everyone around him so happy to be part of his life. he believed that no matter what tragedy should befall one or what pain lies hidden beneath the surface, you are never alone. this love of everyone and everything is how we think that jimmy would have wanted to be remembered."
fernandez was born in los angeles and grew up in san diego where, with childhood friends sheppard and austin, he formed the god machine. the band moved to london in 1990, signing to fiction records in 1991, releasing three ep's and an album "scenes from the second storey". they had recently completed a new album which will be released later this year.
jimmy fernandez's funeral will takeplace in san diego next week.

transcribed by andy otter (andy@nefilim.demon.co.uk) - 06.09.96

- the god machine / letters page - melody maker, june 1994

letters page from the melody maker, for few weeks after jimmy's death

letter of the week

This letter I want to dedicate to The God Machine, which I feel is the very least I can do in remembrance of so special a person as Jimmy Fernandez. I will keep this letter short because there are some things that words can never say, nor can any words express what Jimmy meant to those who loved him.
My heart goes out to Austin, Robin and Jimmy’s family; hold on, God is with the walking wounded, He knows your pain.
Have you ever seen something beautiful and known that it will eventually die? Life in this world is just so fragile, so precious. There is no second person like Jimmy. It’s good to have known him, and he will not be forgotten.
I hope you have found your promised land, Jimmy. Thanks for having been a wonderful and great character.
--- Stella, London.

Dear Stella (London),
When I first heard of Kurt’s suicide, The Wonder Stuff splitting and tons of other things that people are going on about, I really couldn’t give a shit. But after reading your lovely letter about the death of Jimmy Fernandez, I found myself feeling sad and I didn’t even know who he was. I don’t know what I am trying to say but I just wanted to say that I thought your letter was great. He must have been a great guy for him to inspire you to write it.
Big Hugs.
--- Lisa Wiles, Hull.

(Jimmy Fernandez was an exceptional human being who touched the life of everyone who knew him. I miss him, too. (Letters Editor).)

I have just read of Jimmy Fernandez’s sudden death, and of Robin’s and Austin’s feelings. This farewell letter is almost as beautiful as the songs that they wrote while Jimmy was alive and I truly hope the band will continue despite their tragic loss. Their music is an all too important piece of my life.
While Kurt Cobain’s death came suddenly (although not totally unexpected), Jimmy’s death was a total shock. I find it sad that Cobain should take his own life, while someone who loved life as much as Jimmy should have it cruelly taken away from him.
The God Machine wrote music from the soul and no one has touched me so deeply in a long time.
Jimmy Fernandez - most sadly missed person of 1994, no matter what anyone says: "Who do all the things have to change, just when they mean the most?".
Why Indeed ?
--- Milford Loppock.

transcribed by andy otter (andy@nefilim.demon.co.uk) - 06.09.96

- the god machine - words i might have ate (fanzine no. 3, 1994)

the music world has lost some extremely talented people this year. none more so than jimmy fernandez, bass player with the god machine. jimmy was rushed to a hospital on may 20th this year suffering from a severe migraine, tragically he died of a brain tumour three days later. it was the worst blow possible for a band who had just reached their peak and recorded the follow up to the crittically aclaimed album, "scenes from the second storey".
the album has now been released with the title "one last laugh in a place of dying..." (unlike hole's "live trough this", it is not an ironic title, it was named while jimmy was in hospital). the album is their nemesis, even more developed and penetrating than their debut. remaining bandmembers robin proper-sheppard and ronald austin have decided not to tour with the album or continue with the god machine: no singles will be released. this huge double album serves as a tribute to jimmy fernandez and a farewell to the god machine. for fans of the band, this record will be the last memory of jimmy. it is, to say the least, a spectacular 70 minutes of music. the god machine's fanbase is as hard to pin down as their music. robin feels that their fans come from right across the board, although the band were never going to be understood by everyone.
"the metalfans probably found our music a bit weird but our songs were probably too hard and emotional for regular cheesy indie fans", he explains. "at a god machine show you would have probably found a very mixed audience: this also reflected in the kind of magazines we were reviewed in, lots of different types."
robin and austin are all too aware of how they were misunderstood as a band. this may be a factor in the sales in the new album, but for anyone who has ever enjoyed this band even to the smallest degree, it will be essential. i remember seeing the god machine for the first time on the beat and i didn't know what to think, this amazing monstrous noise like none i'd heard before. all i know is that it had a deep effect on me. now, with a greater knowledge of the band, i see them as closer relations to classical music than metal, certainly in attitude and emotion if not exact in sound. the melody maker review of "one last laugh in a place of dying..." also had an effect on me. the reviewer, cathi unsworth got two points wrong, the album was not recorded but written in prague and the opening line is "cut myself 'cause i can't see the beauty", and not "cut myself so i can see the bleeding". overall though, it's a very poignant, fitting review. "other than that it's a very touching review", agrees robin. "it hits deep inside and shows a general understanding which not many people would be able to put better". cathi unsworth also states that the god machine surpass soungarden, smashing pumpkins and jane's addiction. this is hardly needed to be said, the god machine were the greatest band ever to be described as metal by a long chalk.
the god machine took up residence together in a room in camden after arriving from san diego in 1990. from the release of their debut "purity ep" it was obvious that this band had a unique sound, a unique way of expressing themselves through music which was both dark and pulsating. in february 1993, after releasing two more ep's their debut album surfaced. it achieved huge aclaims in all the right places, yet was misunderstood by many journalists. the band were repeatedly described as metal ; robin feels that this was the main problem the band had, and blames it on "lazy journalism".
taking a closer look at the god machine it's clear to see that they are as far removed from metal in attitude as say, "heavenly". the band has always been heavy and dark, but their songs have no guitar solo's: they are most classical and cathartic: "we had a special sound which we used to express ourselves", explains robin. "the easy way out was to describe it as metal without delving deeper". the well known single "home" brought more aclaim for the band but also led to more misconceptions about their sound. robin says that "home" was -not a very good representation of the band-. "it was very popular but brought a little bit of a reaction from us". i asked robin about prague, did the city inspire his songs ? "it inspired the way that we approached music. the environment and atmosphere influenced the songs, allthough there is no direct relationship. the energy out there had a dramatic effect on our music but there are no songs about prague square or anything."
i have a theory that many great bands have the abillity to transport you to another place with their music, such as the emotion. the velvet underground did this, so does nick cave and so did the god machine. in fact, the god machine's music was 100 % emotion. "i once wrote a song called 'meaningless'", jokes robin, "but we couldn't play it 'cause it didn't mean anything". none of his songs couldn't be more emotional, full of personal politics more personal than anyone has produced before. "we weren't rage against the machine." he informs me. thank god for that.
robin and austin still live in london but this "hangs in the balance". they plan to travel and "live a little", austin is going back to prague to make a film.
the two still have an interest in writing music, but will "leave the bands until later". for now they have made a record with which they are very proud, a record to remember jimmy with. they are also holding an exibition of his photo's in the near future. jimmy fernandez was a great bass player with a great group. the god machine were a band like no other.

- tom cox

- the god machine / het laatste hoofdstuk, ??? 1994

Vorig jaar kwam 'Scenes from The Second Story' uit. Een indrukwekkend album. Woede, agressie en een desolate somberheid tekenden de sfeer. De band maakte het de luisteraar met de uitgesponnen composities, de grimmige gitaarpartijen en de wanhopige zang niet makkelijk - maar wie zich er voor openstelde maakte kennis met een unieke band. Een trio dat geen geheim maakte van haar ambities en pretenties. Tijdens interviews viel soms zelfs de term 'art rock'. Een band met een toekomst. Met een iets meer toegankelijke en afwisselende opvolger zou best eens een veel breder publiek overstag kunnen gaan. Die CD werd dan ook gemaakt: 'One Last Laugh In A Place Of Dying'. Maar voordat de band de verdiende vruchten kon plukken, sloeg het noodlot toe...
Op 23 mei 1994, de laatste mix voor het nieuwe album is daags daarvoor afgemaakt, klaagt bassist Jimmy Fernandez over een enorme hoofdpijn. Die pijn neemt zulke vormen aan dat zijn collega's, Robin Proper-Sheppard (zang/gitaar) en Ronald Austin (drums) besluiten hem naar een ziekenhuis over te brengen. Aldaar aangekomen raakt Jimmy in een coma en sterft nog diezelfde dag. Autopsie toont aan dat een hersentumor verantwoordelijk is voor deze plotselinge dood.
Drie maanden later spreek ik in het Amsterdamse American hotel de twee achterblijvers. Ons laatste gesprek dateert van februari 1993. In de Parijse club Rex deden ze toen hun eerste optreden op het Europese vasteland. Het was een memorabel optreden: hard en confronterend. Ik praat met het tweetal over wat er sindsdien allemaal is gebeurd. Robin praat snel, struikelt over zijn woorden. Ronald daarentegen hangt in zijn stoel en doet alleen zijn mond open om op rustige toon Robin's verhaal wat aan te vullen.
Robin: "1993 was in principe een heel goed jaar. We kregen enorm goede reacties op ons debuut, al realiseer ik me dat het karakter van het album niet geschikt was voor een breed publieke erkenning. Het was daarvoor niet toegankelijk genoeg. Maar binnen die beperking denk ik dat we maximaal gescooord hebben."
Jullie verruilden ooit je geboorteland Amerika voor Engeland. Ik begreep dat jullie eind vorig jaar naar Praag vertrokken. Wat hoopten jullie daar te vinden?
Robin: "Inspiratie. We waren twee jaar op pad geweest. Bijna elke dag optreden. Ik zag ons niet het oude oefenhok induiken om daar plaat nummer twee te schrijven. Ik boedel, zo doen andere bands dat waarschijnlijk, maar bij ons werkt dat niet."
Ronald: "We hebben voortdurend nieuwe prikkels nodig."
Robin: "We hebben het wel geprobeerd hoor, maar na twee weken zeiden we tegen elkaar "dit gaat zo niet verder". We willen ons geinspireerd weten door het echte leven en niet liedjes hoeven schrijven in een klinische omgeving."
Ronald: "En het wierp haar vruchten af, want in Tsjechie maak je kennis met verschillende mensen en een volledig andere cultuur."
Robin: "We hebben daar alle songs voor deze tweede CD geschreven, de basisideeen op een achtsporen deck gezet en in Engeland is de CD opgenomen."
Ronald: "Misschien dat een aantal van die demo's op een EP worden uitgebracht."
Robin: "Het schrijven van songs en het bewerken ervan is binnen onze band een enorm heftig proces. We concentreren ons zo hevig en we leggen er zoveel emoties in... na ons verblijf in Praag stond ik op het punt in te storten. Die sfeer is heel sterk aanwezig op die eerste, ruwe versies. Wie weet komen ze nog eens uit."
Meteen na het afmixen van het album overlijdt Jimmy. Wat naast een persoonlijke tragedie natuurlijk ook een streep door alle plannen was?
Robin: "Ja, want vrijwel meteen nadat het gebeurde hebben we besloten The God Machine op te heffen. We zijn al van kindsafaan bij elkaar. We zijn als drietal het Engelse avontuur aangegaan en hebben in kraakpanden geleefd. Daarbij komt nog dat zijn plaats binnen de band onvervangbaar is. Persoonlijk en muzikaal. Audities doen voor een opvolger lijkt ons zo banaal. Het zou namelijk nooit meer hetzelfde zijn. Het is eigenlijk geen moment in ons opgekomen.
Toch doen jullie nog wel interviews. Is dat niet heel pijnlijk? De muziek die jullie met zijn drieen maakten moet je uiteindelijk met z'n tweeen aan de man brengen.
Robin: "Dat is vreselijk moeilijk, maar de plaat is er. En ik wel er graag wat over vertellen."
Feit is dat jullie muziek toegankelijker geworden is, wat de nodige positieve gevolgen had kunnen hebben.
Robin: "Dat is het zeker en het is verschrijkkelijk jammer dat we nooit zullen weten waar het ons uiteindelijk gebracht zou hebben."
Op wat voor manier heeft het drama je houding en je manier van denken beinvloed?
Robin: "Ik weet sinds Jimmy's dood dat je kunt plannen en regelen, maar dat het zo (knipt met zijn vingers) afgelopen kan zijn. Ik weet ook dat je als muzikant in een schijnwereld terecht komt. Alles draait om de plaat, het optreden en het succes. Dat is de realiteit. Maar het is in feite een leugen. We leefden met de illusie dat we nog jaren in deze band zouden zitten, platen zouden maken en optredens doen. In een dag sta je met lege handen. Jimmy's dood heeft ons op hardhandige wijze laten zien wat de echte, keiharde waarheden in het leven zijn. Aan de andere kant zijn problemen en tegenslagen opeens vaak zo triviaal. Je wordt er harder van."
Wat zijn jullie plannen voor de toekomst?
Ronald (met een zuur lachje): "We zijn nogal huiverig geworden in het maken van plannen, zoals je zult begrijpen."
Robin: "We hebben het plan om wat muziek te schrijven en samen te stellen voor een ballet. Een deel van het God Machine repertoire zal daar ook in opduiken, alleen in een voornamelijk akoestische setting. Het lijkt me heel mooi om op die manier toch nog wat te doen met al die mooie muziek. Een soort laatste optreden"
Het prachtige 'One Last Laugh In A Place Of Dying' vormt helaas het laatste hoofdstuk van The God Machine. Maar het opheffen van de band direct na het wegvallen van een vriend en collega laat ook zien dat de twee achterblijvende leden van The God Machine over een integriteit beschikken die zeldzaam is in het rockwereldje.

- robert haagsma (transcribed by philippus baalman)

approximative english translation

the god machine - the final chapter

Previous year came 'Scenes from The Second Story' from. An impressive album. Anger, aggression and a desolate somberheid signed environment. The link made it the auditor with the spun out composities, the grim jet ear parties and the desperate song not easy - but which opened themselves there for met with an unique link. A trio who made none secret of its ambitions and claims. During interview sometimes even the term 'art fell rock'. A link with a future. With a something more accessible and alternating continuator best once a much more widely public round is able go. That CD was thus made: 'One charge Laugh in a Place or Dying'. But before the link could reap the deserved benefits, the need destiny struck...
On 23 May 1994, the last mix for the new album daags have been finished for that, complain bass player Jimmy Fernandez concerning an enormous head pain. That pain adopts such forms that is collega's, Robin Proper-Sheppard (vocals/guitar) and Ronald Austin (drums) decides transmit him to a hospital. There arrived and dies day still the same affects Jimmy in a coma. Autopsy shows to that a lord tumour responsible is for these sudden dead.
Three months later I speak the two carriages in the from Amsterdam American hotel. Our last conversation dates of February 1993rd in the Parisian club Rex did them then their first action on the European vasteland. It was a memorable action: rapidly and confronterend. I talk with the pair concerning what since then all has happened. Robin talk rapidly, stumble concerning its words. Ronald on the other hand hang in its chair and do only its mouth open on quiet tone Robin's tale what to complete.
Robin: "1993 in principle a complete good was year. We got enormously good responses to our debut, already I realise that the character of the album was not arranged myself for a widely public recognition. It was not for that accessible enough. But that thinks restriction I that we maximum gescooord hebben."
You changed birth country ever your America for United Kingdom. I understood that you end left previous year to Prague. What hoped find you there?
Robin: "Inspiratie. We had been two years on path. Almost each day appears. I did not see us diving into the old oefenhok to write number two there to plate. I boedel, thus does other link which works probably, but at us that niet."
Ronald: "We have continuously new pivots nodig."
Robin: "We have, however, tried it hear, but after two weeks we go if not verder" said "dit each other;. We want know our geinspireerd by real living and not songs need letter in clinical omgeving."
Ronald: "En it threw off its fruit, because in Tsjechie you get acquainted with several people and complete other cultuur." Robin: "We have written all songs for this second CD there, the basis ideas on eight tracks deck put and in United Kingdom are the CD opgenomen."
Ronald: "Misschien that a number of that demo's on EP becomes uitgebracht."
Robin: "Het write of songs and treating of it is within ours link an enormous violent process. We concentrate this way violent and we lay so much emotions... after our stay in Prague stood I on the point collapse. That environment is very strong present on that first, harsh versions. He who weet come them once more uit."
Immediately after the afmixen of the album Jimmy die. What beside a personal tragedy of course also was a line by all plans?
Robin: "Ja, because nearly immediately after it happened we have decided The god raise machine. We are already of kindsafaan at each other. We have contracted the English adventure as a triad and have in kraakpanden have been lived. Thereby comes still that is place within the link irreplaceable is. Personally and musical. Auditions do for a continuator seem us this way banal. It, as it happens, never more the same would be. It has risen actual no moment in us.
Toch you do still interview. Is that not complete painful? Music which you made with its drieen must bring you eventually with z'n tweeen to the man.
Robin: "Dat are terribly difficult, but the plate is there. And I, however, there gladly what concerning vertellen." Fact is that your music is more accessible becomes, what the necessary positive impact could.
Robin: "Dat are it certainly and it is verschrijkkelijk jammer that we will know never where it our eventually brought hebben."
In what kind of manner does the drama have your attitude and your manner of to think beinvloed?
Robin: "Ik weet since Jimmy's dead that can plan you and regulate, but that it this way (cuts with its fingers) expired can be. I weet also that you if muzikant comes in an appearance world rightly. Everything twist for the plate, acting and the success. That is the reality. But it is in fact a lie. We lived with the illusion that we still years in these link would sit, plates would make and actions to do. In a day you stand with empty hands. Jimmy's dead in a hard-handed manner has shown us what real, rock-hard truths in living to be. On the other hand its problems and developements suddenly frequently this way commonplace. You become there harder van."
What is you plans for the future?
Ronald (with acid lachje): "We have become rather huiverig in making plans, such as you begrijpen."
Robin: "We have the plan to what music to write and compose for a ballet. A part of god machine repertoire will emerge in this also, only in mainly acoustic setting. It this way nevertheless seems me very beautiful still what that beautiful music to do with all. A type last optreden"
The splendid 'One charge Laugh in a Place or Dying' unfortunately the last chapter of The forms god machine. But raising the link directly after the disappearance of shows a friend and colleague also that the two lagging behind members of The have god machine an integrity that rare is in the rockwereldje.

- robert haagsma (transcribed by philippus baalman)

- the god machine / the living end - melody maker, 24th september 1994

life has never been easy for the god machine. but their talent was to turn whatever fate threw at them into rich, intensely emotional music. now, after the death of their bass player, they've decided to call it a day. sharon o'connell spoke to them about faith, finality and the future.
"there's no imaginable way to continue. it's like trying to replace a best friend rather than a bass player" - robin proper-sheppard.
"i feel cheated by life" admits robin proper-sheppard, "and by the fact that someone who affected my life more than I ever really knew. i feel cheated by the fact that somebody that spread so much beauty and happiness should be taken away from the world, rather than by the fact that we can't create music any more."
robin, the god machine's guitarist / vocalist, is struggling to explain the sense of inconsolable loss he and drummer ronald austin still feel four months after their best friend and bass player, jimmy fernandez, died unexpectadly of a brain tumour. and he's here now with austin, sitting forward on the squeaky new leather couch in a hushed ante room of fiction records telling me why - a week before the release of their most emotionally powerful and musically adventurous record to date - it's all over, why they couldn't possibly contemplate replacing jimmy and carrying on as the god machine. he wants this opportunity to close the chapter and lay their gorgeous, thundering ghost to rest.
the god machine were always more a spiritual alliance fuelled by awesome self-belief than just a band. the fact that they moved together from san diego to a cold and soulless london, where initially they endured squat life without electricity or hot water and found it hard to make friends, must have cemented that bond, but both robin and austin reckon that at the end of the day these circumstances were always more peripheral that other people made them out to be.
"the god machine is just about our experiences", says robin, picking his way carefully. "there are certain experiences that you continually relive throughout your life and i have a feeling that those are at the core of what we are about as people. in that sense, i think no matter where we were we would always be how we are now ; we could be in new york or we could be in russia. but, if we're talking about the music, then what we're expressing is much more primitive than a superficial experience here and there."
"it's strange", he adds, "because i don't imagine this album sounding the way that it sounds if we were in california, lying on the beach drinking margaritas. but then again, i also think that, no matter where we are, we're going to express the kinds of things we live internally. to me, there is a core at the centre of out being, almost."
"don't print that", robin laughs suddenly, "because it sounds incredibly pretentious. but i don't know how else to explain it."
"one last laugh in a place of dying..." was written and recorded in prague, "a suitably unstable part of the world", as robin sees it. they shifted there in september last year, exhausted by almost two years of solid touring, "a bizarre and lonely lifestyle" which made them feel they were slowly losing their individuality. it seemed like they were all being suffocated by the identity of the band, by what they were supposed to be, and the move was an opportunity for the god machine to rediscover who they were as people, to reaffirm their self-belief as a band and make the album they wanted to make, free of expectations. it worked.
like all their records, "one last laugh in a place of dying..." tackles the big issues on an almost biblical scale. life and death, trust and betrayal, loneliness, loss, faith and doubt are all here in these 14 mini-psychodramas, but they're nowhere near as dank and claustrophobic as previous songs. tracks stretch out and breathe deep, some dipping into plain beautiful melodies, others swinging like rock songs, while that bleakness is - "evol" and "painless" aside - always tempered by a life-affirming spirit.
it concerns robin that the god machine have always been perceived as doom 'n' gloom merchants.
"a lot of people talk about the pain and darkness in our music and how forbidding and depressing it is", he sighs, "but to me it's not. although i might be experiencing these things when i write something, for me that's a release. if i didn't do that, i'd walk around day after day with these things going around in my head, which is much more destructive for me than getting it out. a lot of things i write about i just can't talk about people on a one-to-one, conversational level."
"essentially", adds robin, "this is my therapy." what of the clamorous certainty in your music, i wonder ? the sense of black as distinct from white, of wrongs that are so obviously not right ? do you always feel as sure as you sound ? robin smiles. "let me put it this way. sometimes i'm an optimistic pessimist and other times i'm a pessimistic optimist. to me things are generally black and white, but for some reason there's this hope that things aren't always as they seem. i'd like to believe in pure goodness, but i'm not sure that it does actually exist - i probably have quite a negative attitude toward humanity and to myself, in that sense. the music might seem bleak and overly realistic", he continues, "but deep down inside i have this romantic notion that hopefully it's not really the ways that i see it."
robin and austin admit that right now they are in a very real and scary limbo. the loss of their closest friend has burst the bubble of security that the three of them created with the god machine and, although robin has his flower shop label and austin is involved with film, it's thrown up a huge question mark about their futures. what they do both know for sure is that the god machine died with jimmy.
robin tries to explain: "i don't know if people can really understand what a complete totality the god machine was - not in the public perception of it, but emotionally. the only thing i've ever applied myself to in my whole life and put my faith in was this."
"i never had anyone die in my life", he adds. "no relatives, never. and jimmy was closer than my closest relatives are, so i'd never experienced that. it takes years to regain your faith in life - and that sounds funny coming from somebody as negative as i probably come across - but, you know, there were a few things in my life that actually made me happy and that was one of them. and to have that taken away doesn't seem fair."
given the monumental importance of the god machine to all your lives, don't you think jimmy would want you to carry on ?
"he probably would", robin agrees, "but the reality of one or more of us going on without the others would never feel right. if i was to pass away right now and i was sitting at the gates of heaven and i saw jimmy and austin worrying about what they were going to do, i'm sure i would say continue. but because i'm living through this experience now, i can also say there's no imaginable way to continue. it's like trying to replace a best friend rather than replace a bass player."
it's been an intense and weighty conversation and we all feel drained, but robin is interested to know what i think of "one last laugh in a place of dying…". i tell him honestly it's the most affecting, adventurous, plain thrilling thing they've ever done and that i'm selfishly but genuinely sad i'll never hear "the life song" and "the hunter" played live.
austin nods gravely, lights a cigarette and speaks for the first time. "it's like you hear yourself in the music and you hear your past", he says. "you hear everything on this little tape but it doesn't exists any more. sure, you were there, but it's almost like a dream in a way, and that will never come back. it's like a childhood that you can never get back to. that's part of the reason we decided to finish it, because why chase those memories ?"
robin: "that is honestly the one thing i actually feel good about now ; the fact that the whole of my life until this point has been summed up with this record. now it's coming out and it's a tribute to our best friend."
"it's just letting him go."

- sharon o'connell

transcribed by andy otter (andy@nefilim.demon.co.uk) - 06.09.96

- the god machine / das letzte testament - intro, issue 18, october 1994

Sichtlich um Heiterkeit bemueht sitzen Robin Proper-Sheppard und Ronald Austin vor mir, während die Frage nach dem Sinn und Zweck dieser Promotion-Tourungemuehtlich im Raum steht. Denn THE GOD MACHINE, jene hoffnungstragende band, deren zweites Album vermutlich den verdienten Durchbruch bewirkt hätte, existiert bereits nicht mehr.
Kurz bevor wir hier eintrafen haben Ron und ich beschlossen, das Konzept un den Namen sterben zu lassen, erzählt Robin Sheppard und wirft einen nach Bestätigung suchenden Blick zu seinem verblichenen Partner. Jimmy Fernandez, der Bassist und Mitbegruender des in London ansässigen Trios, verstarb im Mai, kurz nach Fertigstellung der letzten Bänder fuer das Album, ueberraschend an einem gehirntumor. Ein Schock fuer die beiden verbliebenen Bandmitglieder, die sich eines guten Freundes als auch einer nicht zu ersetztenden musikalischen Komponente beraubt sahen. Robin: " Der bloBe Gedanke ohne Jimmy weiter- zumachen, erschien uns von Anfang an absurd. Die Entstehung unseres Albums Scenes from the second storey die Tournee, selbst unsere Reise nach Prag im letzten Fruehling, dann die Arbeit an dem neunen Album, all das haben wir zu dritt bewältigt und erlebt. Insofern ist es fuer uns eine moralische Frage, ob es THE GOD MACHINE nach Jimmys Tod weiter geben kann oder nciht, wobei die Antwort auf der Hand liegt.
So stellt One last laugh on a place of dying, so der bezeichnende Titel des Albums, fuer Robin und Ronald mehr ein musikalisches Testament dar als einen weiteren Schritt in der Entwicklung der Band. Die simpel anmutende Songtitel The sunday song, the train song, zeugen daher nicht von Einfallslosigkeit, sondern sind schlicht Arbeitstitel, erklärt Ron. " Als Jimmy starb, hatten wir uns noch keine Gedanken darueber gemacht, wie die einzelnen Songs heißen sollten. Ohne ihn entscheiden wollten wir aber auch nicht. Also haben wir einfach alles so gelassen, wie es war."
Die Tragik offenbart sich erst im vollen MaBe, wenn man sich One last laugh on a place of dying anhört. Wie schon das beeindruckende Debüt verfuegen viele Songs ueber ungeschliffene Energien jenseits jeglicher Stilrichtung. Der Versuch, die Musik von THE GOD MACHINE, in ein stilistisches Korsett zu zwängen, schlägt fehl, zu verschieden sind die Klangbilder, zu variationsreich die Arrangements. Die Härte des Erstlingswerks wird nunmehr durchbrochen von fast folkig-psychedelisch anmutenden Balladen und Midtempo Stuecken, die fuer ein Komplexeres Erscheinungsbild sorgen. Mit zimlicher Sicherheit hätte dieses Album in England bereits als Hoffnungsträger im Alternative-Rock-Sektor geltende Band den Durchbruch bedeutet. Doch derlei Spekulationen sind in weite Ferne gerückt, zumindest was die uebriggebliebenen GOD MACHINES Robin und Ronald betrifft. Auf die Frage was die Zukunft bringen mag, erhalte ich von den beiden aus San Diego stammenden Amerikanern nur ein Achselzucken:" Die Londoner Musikszene ist hart, aber abwechslungsreich. Ständig bist du auf der Hut, versuchst, flexibel zu sein. Das war einer der gruende fuer uns, nach ENgland zu gehen," erklärt Robin, "deshalöb wird es uns frueher oder spater gelingen ein neues musikalisches Konzept auf die Beine zu stellen." Hoffentlich eines, das die Ansatzpunkte von THE GOD MACHINE weiter verfolgt....

- andreas borcholte (transcribed by holger summer (Holger.Summer@rz.ruhr-uni-bochum.de))

- the god machine / der letzte aufzug - visions, 1994

die geschichte von the god machine ist endgültig abgeschlossen. das vorerst letze kapitel schreibt ihr zweites album "one last laugh in a place of dying". nach dem tod jimmy fernandez am 23. mai dieses jahres, beschlossen gitarrist robin und drummer austin, sämtliche aktivitäten unter dem bisherigen bandnamen einzustellen. ausgezogen aus dem kalifornischen san diego, erreichte das trio vor fünf jahren die englische metropole london und legte drei jahre später das fulminante epos "scenes from the second storey" vor. kurz nach fertigstellung des nachfolgers, erlag bassist jimmy den folgen eines gehirntumors. seinen letzten kurzen lacher vernahmen die beiden mitstreiter am totenbett. visions traf das verliebene duo im hamburger office ihrer plattenfirma.
es war von anfang an mehr als eine gefühlsarme zweckverbindung dreier instrumentalisten. robin, jimmy und austin waren langjährige freunde, planten gemeinsam ihre emigration nach europa, schlugen sich hand in hand durch den londoner underground und begeisterten - dement-sprechend - vor allem durch ihre musikalische geschlossenheit. der gedanke an eine fortsetzung der karriere ohne jimmy scheint indessen ein ding der unmöglichkeit, schmerzt angesichts des verlusts doch schon das alltägliche leben: "wir konnten in den vergangenen monaten überhaupt nichts tun, außer grübeln. jimmy's tod hat unser leben verändert", erklärt robin. "ich beginne nun dinge in meinem leben zu entdecken, die ich vorher für selbstverständlich hielt. meine einstellung hat sich gegenüber allem grundlegend verändert. ich bin nicht mehr der mensch, der ich einmal war." das einzig positive moment der tragik erkennt austin: "wir haben lange darüber diskutiert, warum sich viele menschen, die unter einem solchen verlust leiden, ausschließlich dem negativen aspekt widmen. ich denke, daß wir die positive seite, so schwer es auch fällt, nich vernachlässigen sollten. wenn jimmy früher von seiner krankheit erfahren hätte, wäre er nicht mit uns durch die welt gereist, hätte vieles nicht erlebt. so konnte er in seinem kurzen leben zumindest einige träume realisieren."
nach mittlerweile fünf monaten sind sich robin und austin längst nicht darüber im klaren, was in zukunft geschehen soll. einigkeit herrscht immerhin dahingehend, daß die band - ohne wenn und aber - mitsamt jimmy gestorben sei. für die beiden endzwanziger, deren gefühlswelt seitdem der innenstadt sarajewos gleicht, haben sich sämtliche planungen bis auf weiteres erledigt: "wir werden definitiv nich als the god machine weitermachen. das steht fest.", versichert robin. "im moment scheint es schwer vorstellbar, auch nur einen klaren gedanken hinsichtlich unseren weiteren wegs als band zu fassen, musik zu machen, ist ein derart wichtiger bestandteil meines lebens, daß ich mir überhaupt nicht vorstellen kann, ganz ohne auszukommen. in welche richtung sich meine gefühle schließlich entwickeln, vermag ich nicht genau vorherzusagen. ich bin damit beschäftigt, das ganze zu verarbeiten. es hat weniger mit unserer kunst zu tun, als mit meinem leben in seiner ganzen fülle, schlimm ist natürlich diese abrupte ende. im musikbusiness, im unterhaltungsgeschäft an sich, lebst du in einer völlig irrealen welt. dort plötzlich herausgerissen, eiskalt erwischt und zurück in die wirklichkeit versetzt zu werden, schafft ungeheure probleme, mit denen äußerst schwer umzugehen ist."
die ankündigung vom jähen ende der band kommt nicht nur dem hinschmeißen der brocken aus emotional-verworrenen motiven gleich, sondern ist gleichsam die folgerichtige konsequenz jahrelanger god machine-philosophie. edle tugenden wie ehrlichkeit, offenheit und natürlichkeit wurden von jeher, wenn auch unterschwellig, groß geschrieben: "wir hatten immer ein besonderes verhältnis zu unseren fans. wenn wir auch nie persönlich mit ihnen sprachen, so entwickelte sich durch die musik doch eine innige beziehung, ein gegenseitiges verständnis. wir wollen nicht einfach verschwinden und unklarheit über die ganze geschichte zurücklassen. das wäre nicht fair. wir möchten das kapitel god machine positiv ausklingen lassen und zufrieden "auf wiedersehen" sagen. zudem haben wir eine austellung von jimmy's photographien organisiert und sind noch einmal vor die presse getreten. wir haben nich vor, solange mit einem anderen bassisten herumzufrickeln, bis er sich wie jimmy anhört. god machine waren von jeher wir drei drei gegen den rest der welt - mehr als eine arbeitsgemeinschaft. wir würden uns nicht wohlfühlen, sollten wir unter diesem namen weiterarbeiten, denn die band lebte ausschließlich von der gemeinsamen beziehung."
die ausstellung des hobbyphotographen fernandez erfolgt ende september in der londener charlotte street. sie gehört ebenso zum abschiedgeschenk wie das neue album "one last laugh in a place of dying", welches bereits vor dem tragischen ableben des baßmanns fertiggestellt war. dessen sinngehalt hat sich verlagert: aus dem zweitwerk, welches weitere tendenzen und entwicklungen für die zukunft erkennen lassen sollte, ist plötzlich das finale album geworden, welches die eigene historie abschließt: "vor allem der letzte song unterliegt einer entscheidenen inhaltlichen wandlung, ist zu einer art musikalischen schlußaussage gereift. das album hätte wohl eine ganz andere bedeutung gewonnen, wenn wir "it's all over" gesungen hätte. doch dieses offene ende, dieses geradezu freundliche lied ist für mich wie ein schlußstrich, der besagt, daß nicht alles, was wir bis dahin gemacht haben in unserer kanglichen welt durchaus leben und glückseligkeit verarbeitet. daß dies gerade in unserem allerletzten song zum ausdruck kommt, finde ich sehr passend."
sofern bei dieser exzentrischen kapelle überhaupt freundlichere song-strukturen auftauchen, ist natürlich kein fröhliches mitschunkeltralala gemeint, sondern vielmehr der geruhsame. vorzugsweise monotone ausklang eines albums, dessen tracks sich geradlinig des hörers fressen, um dort ein emotionales torso zu hinterlassen titel wie "mama", "alone" und "in bad dreams kündigen an, daß die konfrontation mit dem abyssus des eigenen ichs gesucht wird. jenen geradezu beklemmenden, klaustrophobischen charakter, der ihr debut leicht gruselig erscheinen ließ, hat der nachfolger beinahe verloren. es bleibt trotz allem das anfängliche gefühl des unwohlseins, welches sich mit fortschreitender hördauer in depression, aggression und permanent schlechte laune verwandelt: "im vergleich zum "scenes..."-album, welches wirklich sehr dicht und geschlossen war, wirkt "one laugh..." wie glas - man kann fast hindurchschauen. es eröffnet sich insofern sehr viel schneller. im grunde weiß ich gar nicht, woher diese einflüsse kommen. dafür dürfte zu einem gewissen teil auch die intensive atmosphäre verantwortlich sei, in der wir die musik kreiert haben. es gibt aber immer noch sehr viele elemente in unserem sound, die ich bis heute nich verstanden habe. vielleicht macht uns gerade dieser umstand interessant. von den geheimnissen unserer songs können wir nur die wenigsten erklären. sie kommen einfach auf dich zu du sagst "hallo" und lebst damit. es ist wunderbar, sich beim hören seiner eigenen musik zurückzulehnen etwas neues zu entdecken, dessen herkunft wie ursprung man sich nicht erklären kann."
gleiches gilt übrigens für die mehrzahl der songs, welche - ohne ersichtlichen grund - in form von arbeitstiteln aufgeführt werden. robin empfindet es natürlich als ungebeuer amüsant, wenn sich gebildete leute über solche wortkreationenen wie den "tremolo song", den "love song", den "life song", "devil song", " train song", "flower song" oder den "sunday song" die köpfe zerbrechen, um dem titel-phantom tatsächlich ein konkretes schema beziehungsweise einen sinnvollen inhalt zu geben. dem interpretations-gehalt der (pseudo-)intelligenten menschheit bieten the god machine tatsächlich ein breites betätigungsfeld: "ein song ist für mich keineswegs steuerbar. er passiert einfach. ich entscheide nicht darüber, ob ich ein fröhliches oder ein trauriges lied geschrieben habe. diese entscheidung trifft letztlich der hörer. jeder mensch nimmt musik in völlig anderer form wahr. alles beruht auf individueller deutung", doziert robin.
für die drei amerikaner hieß europa dereinst gelobtes land, hier schien der ideale augangspunkt eines erfolgreichen karrierestarts zu liegen. das kulturelle leben, traditionsreiche geschichte und mentale offenheit lockte die burschen in die englische metropole. nun, da dieser lebensabschnitt beendet ist, liegt die vermutung nicht fern, daß sich robin und austin wieder in die usa absetzen. ist das heimweh inzwischen größer geworden ? "ich kann mir nicht vorstellen, jemals wieder in san diego zu leben", behauptet robin. "die einzige amerikanische stadt, die in frage käme, ist new york. leider fehlt mir dort der raum, um angenehm wohnen zu können. ich genieße london, überhaupt gefällt uns europa sehr. wir wählten für diese aufnahmen ein studio in prag und hatten einen wirklich entspannten aufenthalt. leider ist es erschreckend, wie dieses land zusehens amerikanisiert wird." ihre heimat bekommt indessen keine guten kritiken - stein des anstoßes ist immer wieder wieder der hiesige konsumethos. geldgespräche, sei es über die beschaffung oder des ausgebens, geraten schnell zum ärgernis: "in amerika ist alles gut und schön, solange du dafür bezahlst. alles dreht sich ums geld, jeder will es. in europa gibt es zum beispiel staatliche behörden, die bildende künste finanziell unterstützen, in amerika läuft so etwas auschließliech privat. eine bestimmte gruppe gibt den künstlern geld, wartet ihren erfolg ab, und versucht dann, noch mehr zu verdienen, indem sie sich als "freund der kunst" bezeichnet. hier geht es um profit im sinne des eigenen prestiges. sollte dich in deutschland ein kellner wie ein arschloch behandeln, obwohl du reich bist, dann tut er es, weil er dich für ein solches hält. in amerika würde er dich bestens bedienen, denn er bekommt schließlich 15 prozent der rechnung. du bezahlst für sein zuvorkommen. es gibt wahrlich nichts umsonst, aber für geld kannst du dir regelrecht den arsch küssen lassen. amerika ist korrupt, weniger im politischen sinne, als vielmehr was die macht des geldes betrifft."
der schlimmste feind sei jedoch das us-fernsehen. in europa angekommen, trauten sie ihren augen nicht, als zur prime time ausführliche dokumentationen und detaillierte berichterstattungen über die mattscheibe flimmerten: "zur besten sendezeit erschlägt dich die realität mit einem bericht über den vietnamkrieg", wundert sich austin. "es gibt hier binnen eines tages mehr bildende sendungen, als in amerika über den zeitraum eines jahres verteilt. das dortige programm besteht aus wiederholungen und werbe-spots. ich kann dir sagen, warum fußball gerade in den usa nicht sonderlich populär ist. es wurde bis jetzt noch kein weg gefunden, aus einer live übertragung geld zu scheffeln. baseball und football sind so langsam, das zwischen den spielzügen werbesendungen laufen können. das ist während eines fußballspiels unmöglich deshalb wird dieser sport auch rigoros abgelehnt. in england zeigen sie am abend fast ausschließlich cricket und das ganz ohne werbung."
über kunst und kultur informieren sich robin und austin demnach in städten wie london, prag oder berlin. sie lassen dabei jedoch nicht den beflissenen studenten raushängen, sondern bilden sich nach gutdünken und keinesfalls im übermaß: "ich besitze keine großen kenntnisse was europäische kunst betrifft", gesteht robin. "mich interessiert, wie kunst auf das leben der menschen wirkt. die europäischen metropolen haben einen viel größeren kulturellen anspruch als amerikanische hochburgen, wie z.b. new york oder san francisco. sie sind ihnen sogaar sehr weit voraus."
völlig normale burschen also, vergessen wir kurzzeitig ihre vorliebe, zehnminütige gitarren-terror-akte aufzuführen. niemand weiß momentan so genau, wie es weitergehen soll. es scheint, als wollten sie vorerst in england bleiben und etwas gras über die sache wachsen lassen bestimmt wird eines schönen tages der "whatever song" in irgendeiner londoner radiosendung auftauchen - mit typischem proper-sheppard-riff samt psycho-vocals und austin's drumming. dem toten zum letzten geleit.

- volker banasiak

- the god machine / destin brisé - hard n'heavy, issue 11, février 1995

sombre, noir, parfois glauque, god machine intriguait autant qu'il effrayait par ses angoisses claustrophobes. avec la mort de son bassiste jimmy fernandez, le sort aura eu raison de ce trio américain exilé à londres. hard n'heavy a joint son chanteur robin proper-sheppard pour en savoir davantage.
il est des destinées fort singulières, qui nous rappellent qu'un groupe de rock est avant tout constitué d'êtres humains, donc mortels. une bien étrange histoire que celle de god machine, auteur quasi anonyme de deux albums aussi fascinants qu'inclassables, d'une matière presque impalpable, dominés cependant par une sensation d'isolement.
au boucan répétitif et quasi statique de "scenes from the second storey", en 1992, avait succédé la froideur impérieuse de "one last laugh in a place of dying...". et atroce coïncidence, la disparition aussi soudaine qu'incompréhensible du bassiste jimmy fernandez à la fin de l'enregistrement de "one last laugh...", le 23 mai 1994. depuis robin proper-sheppard, le chanteur, curieusement injoignable, reste apparemment cloîtré en studio, quelque part outre-manche.
après plusieurs tentatives infructueuses face à l'entêtement mécanique d'un répondeur incorruptible, c'est d'une voix hésitante que le vocaliste finit par décrocher pour éclairer la destinée d'un des combos les plus impressionnants de ces dernières années: "en ce moment, mon activité principale consiste à enregistrer et sortir des disques sur mon propre label, flower shop. j'édite surtout des quarante-cinq tours et ça fonctionne pas mal."
hard n'heavy: mais, du coup, que devient god machine ?
robin proper-sheppard: god machine s'est arrêté quand jimmy est parti. nous avions démarré ensemble, ça faisait quinze ans qu'on se connaissait, il n'était pas possible de continuer sans lui.
hard n'heavy: la soudaineté de sa disparition a pris tout le monde de court...
robin proper-sheppard: on n'a toujours pas réalisé ce qui s'était passé. jimmy se plaignait de maux de tête et de migraines depuis quelques mois, mais il a participé normalement aux sessions de l'album. et puis quand les "rough mixs" ont été terminés, il est rentré à l'hôpital. je lui ai apporté une cassette et il s'est endormi. c'était fini. on s'est aperçu plus tard qu'il avait une tumeur au cerveau. même plusieurs mois après, je ne suis pas parvenu à analyser mes sentiments. j'ai évidemment ressenti une grande tristesse et aussi la sensation d'une certaine injustice. c'est la raison pour laquelle je m'occupe d'autres groupes en ce moment. ça a remis en question pas mal de choses dans mon existence, dont ma perception de la musique. j'ai besoin de temps pour savoir ce que j'ai dorénavant envie de faire de ma vie.
hard n'heavy: on ne peut s'empêcher d'être intrigué par l'ambiance qui se dégage du nouvel album, moins bruyant et moins "claustrophobe" que son prédécesseur, dominé par une sorte de tristesse qu'on pourrait presque considérer comme prémonitoire.
robin proper-sheppard: je crois simplement que nous avons vieilli, réalisé que les choses ne tournent pas toujours comme on le voudrait. je viens juste de réécouter l'album pour la première fois depuis sa sortie. j'y ai trouvé surtout une étrange sensation de détachement. comme si le disque avait une vie propre, extérieure aux personnes qui l'ont réalisé. je ne sais pas d'où cela vient. peut-être une réaction à notre confrontation directe avec la réalité. le fait aussi que nous avons passé près de trois mois à prague pour l'écriture des morceaux. il y a peut-être un peu de cette ambiance "tchèque" dans le disque.
hard n'heavy: pourquoi avoir imprimé tous les textes à la queue leu leu dans le livret de votre album ?
robin proper-sheppard: j'ai fait ça parce que j'ai envie que les gens comprennent ce que je dis, mais le découpage en chansons ne me paraît pas satisfaisant. il y a une sorte de continuité dans les textes, presque une temporalité que le saucissonnage ne respecterait pas. tous les lyrics s'enchaînent, comme une série de vignettes. c'est peut-être cette succession qui donne un aspect contemplatif à l'album.
hard n'heavy: et tous ces titres très laconiques, "the life song", "the desert song"... ?
robin proper-sheppard: oh ça, c'est à cause de jimmy. ce sont en fait les titres provisoires qu'on a utilisé pendant l'enregistrement. je n'ai pas eu le temps d'en trouver de plus explicites avant sa disparition. alors, j'ai préféré les conserver plutôt que de changer quoi que ce soit à ce qui avait été réalisé avec lui.

- manuel rabasse