Interview with Schloss Tegal
Procession Of The Dead was released in 1989 on the band's own label, Tegal Records. A 7-inch release, which became a minor underground dark-ambient cult hit in Germany, and this (of course) gave this known veteran project a pretty good start. Schloss Tegal has often been mentioned as a pioneer in the development of the dark-ambient genre, but I´ve always seen it more as an industrial-inspired ambient act.... In contrast, dark ambient more often depends on soft drones and slow synths. Schloss Tegal utilizes real sounds to create their haunting, collage-made soundscapes, often exploring conceptual, esoteric ideas that lie between the worlds of futuristic science and the paranormal realm of the occult. Since 1989, Schloss Tegal has released several albums and appeared on numerous international cult industrial compilations. And to this day, the project is still active. I managed to hunt down the madman behind the project, to really find out... is there a link between science and the world of the undead?
Nice to meet you, Richard. I've prepared some questions. My first question is, what motivated you to start this interesting project, and what inspired you to undertake it?
I started the group while in art school. I thought that the art world was too restricted and incestuous to get into, and I wanted a way to reach an audience faster and with more impact than what I was doing at the time. I was very bored with punk and commercial pop music, and I was looking for something more. Nothing really gave me any thrill power, so I decided to make my own sounds and experiments. It just continued to evolve from there to where I am now. It was the artist’s desire burning inside of me.
How do you track down these interesting concepts for the releases? Is it due to some personal interest?
Always from my personal interests for sure. My influences come from life and this bizarre, chaotic world around me. I am interested in things that shock me about the human condition and absurdities in the world in general. That's the reason each release has many conceptual layers if you listen closely. The first 7-inch release was an anthem about the Jonestown cult suicide that became a club hit in Germany. The first full Album “Oranur III” The Third Report was based on Wilhelm Reich the function of the orgasm and his encounters with UFOs. Then we produced our first digital CD called “The Grand Guignol”. It was influenced by the many serial killers in the USA at the time and the shocking things that were going on. While recording some tracks for the album in Kansas City, the serial killer Bob Berdella was caught with his basement torture chamber. So it really hit home on a personal level for that album. When I initially discovered Throbbing Gristle, I realized that any concept was possible. I think that I am really trying to give the listener something to realize or experience, not just for entertainment's sake. I try to create something, to give people something to hold on to, to take them somewhere else, to a different place. I try to make audio/visual movies so you can visualize the imagery, however you experience it. Maybe it is too much to expect, but that is the purpose.
Starting your own label, Tegal Records. Why did you choose to start your own label back then?
It's the dawn of the DIY (Do It Yourself) era. After seeing labels like Industrial Records, Side Effects, and Sterile Records, it made us realize that we don’t need a major label to do our own releases. I already had a small cassette label that released Schloss Tegal and other artists. I also released some of the first MB cassettes, “Symphony for a Genocide” and “Aktivitat”. It was natural to progress to vinyl. And it allowed us to have complete control over distribution and control of the profits. It is the same reason I release everything on my own label now.
Is there any interest in industrial music in Czechia? And how is it to live here compared to the United States?
In Czechia, people are more interested in metal. There's a whole metal scene here, but there really isn't any sort of industrial scene. We have a lot of people who are doing modular stuff, but for the whole country, I would say there really isn’t much.
Yes, I tried to look up bands in Czechia, and the only band that popped up was Autopsia?
He's one of the first more legendary ones from the '90s. I had one of his CDs on Staalplaat. I met him once in Prague at an exhibition of his work. There are some good artists in Czechia, like modern composer Vladimir Hirsch, B4 pop/electr, and the strange group “Tabor Radosti”. The music scene here is very split and really creates a void in the music community here and they don’t support each other. I see the same in all other large cities. It’s just human nature, I guess.
Is it better to live in Czechia than in the United States?
With the political climate in the USA, it is much safer to live here. When I migrated to Czechia, I was very bored with the USA and its divisiveness, and after I organized a tour of the USA for Einleitungzeit from Slovakia and Skrol from Czechia. I realized after the tour that the US was not a place for Schloss Tegal to work comfortably. In Europe, I feel that artists are appreciated more, and the countries are much closer and in communication with each other.
It's quite like the fall of the Roman Empire.
It is. It's the fall of America. The people will suffer before it is all over. If it ever ends? Everything this second Trump regime is doing is the same thing as the NAZI playbook. It is getting frightening and dangerous now to consider living in the USA.
What current bands and music are you into these days? Do you follow up on new releases within the dark ambient genre?
No, I just find things at random by chance. I like many different styles. I normally just let it happen. I don't really go out and search for it. My wife is an excellent DJ and finds the best cuts. She is the selector and finds plenty of new and interesting acts to keep me entertained. I'm to the point now where I'm just enjoying making music and art without any influences or distractions. I like to keep my mind free and just concentrate on new ideas.
Proudest moment of Schloss Tegal and why? Do I have one of those moments? The highest moment?
I cannot really define any extraordinary moments (all moments were significant to me) except the fact that the project is still ongoing, so there are a lot more ideas to explore. The moments I cherish the most are meeting other artists and fans while traveling and at shows.
For me, the one record that gained attention for your project was when Cold Spring released Black Static Transmission. That was my first experience.
That release on Cold Spring really gave me a lot of exposure and solidified ST as a dark ambient act among critics and reviewers.
I remember people in Denmark were talking about that specific album for some reason.
It was a culmination of "Oranur III” and “The Grand Guignol” that continued with the concept of sounds for intrinsic reasons. There are EVP dead voices and recordings from a friend of mine who was a mortician from his ghost hunting experiences. Maybe it had some subconscious psychic effect on people from the real voices, which is what we intended. At the time when it was recorded, there was a lot of death around, and I had an interest in the beyond and spirit voices.
It was hyped in the same sort of way, where people who were into death/black metal were suddenly catching up on bands like Endura and bands from Cold Meat Industry. And then some started talking about Schloss Tegal.
At that Time, I think metal acts were starting to realize that there is more to metal than just guitar riffs and groveling. They were realizing that it could go further in a different direction. And some split genres were appearing, like dungeon synth, etc. Cold Meat Industry definitely exposed the American metal scene and converted a lot of people in the USA to noise and industrial dark music who were previously fully into metal. I think they made the realization to go into a more original direction.
You have been called a pioneer within the dark ambient genre. Do you identify yourself as a dark ambient action?
No, I don't identify myself in that way. When Black Static Transmission was revised by fanzines, someone mentioned that it was dark ambient. That was the first time. Heard the term, but I liked it at the time. My newest album, “Psychometry,” is another dark ambient work that takes you into another dark void. I don’t like to classify things, as it really limits the work. These days, I see many acts calling themselves dark ambient. It's just limiting yourself when you can be free to create new ideas and creativity. I would never limit myself to a single style. Is just mundane to me. I don't really think the first records were dark ambient. I think the only ones of those that would be dark ambient would be maybe Psychometry and Black Static Transmission. The others aren't really dark ambient.
Are we to expect any new material to be released?
There's a label in the United States called No Holiday Records. And they're releasing “The Grand Guignol” as a double LP. It should be released soon in the United States. It's a double LP on blood red vinyl, with the original artwork of the “Grand Guignol” cover, and extreme special packaging with two printed inserts. I'm surprised they wanted to release it because it's our most brutal, extreme record. The label producer said it scared the hell out of him when he was young, so he wanted to release it because it is a significant work of nekroglossolalia. This album was influenced by serial killers at the time, especially Bob Berdella, who was active just a few blocks away from where we were recording tracks for the album.
I'm also working on this new album, which should be released soon, called “Terminated by Script”. It will be on my label, Tegal Records. I think this one will really surprise hardcore fans.
So, I'm going to wrap it up now. Any last words?
I would like to thank my followers over the years for their support of my work. I hope to meet more of you online or at shows. And thank you for the interview and past reviews of my albums on Kaltadur. It was nice to finally meet you here in Czechia in person. Next time we can meet in Denmark.
