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2008-09 Oaken Throne
Have any members of Aluk Todolo traveled to Indonesia to experience the
Toraja culture firsthand? How did the Toraja come to the attention of Aluk
Todolo?
Yes, Matthieu traveled to Indonesia, had a musical & mystical experience on
the Sulawasi island, and came back with the name of Aluk Todolo.
What is the appeal specifically of the Toraja religion, and how are their
animist beliefs incorporated into the lives and music of Aluk Todolo?
As one could guess by looking at the symbology employed on our artworks, and
by listening to our discs, Aluk Todolo - the band - is not a
musical illustration of Aluk Todolo - the religion. We use the Toraja
religion's name in a « romantic » sense: Aluk Todolo could be seen as the
central nerve of remaining living faith. But, metaphorically, the
ancestor-worshipping, the funeral rites and the weird architecture and
ornaments, are
represented in our music, and one could call animism our relashionship to
Sound.
How specifically do you "follow the way of the Ancestors?" Do you refer
only to your French ancestry? Or to all those who precede who practiced the
occult?
I wasn't referring to our french ancestry . « The way of the ancestors » is
one of the possible translation of the words Aluk Todolo.
This is an old and annoying question, but one that bears asking: How do
you reconcile the practice of ancient beliefs with modern music produced
with electric instruments? Does the magick of ancestry surpass the means of
its conjuration or performance?
It is our very goal to play ritual music with some rock and roll
instruments. Electricity and magnetism are natural forces. Amplification
makes magick more efficient.
With the understanding the Aluk Todolo and Diamatregon are two separate
entities that you do not wish to associate with each other in the minds of
readers, can you confirm that the membership is the same for both bands?
No.
In answering the question "Who do you consider your current musical
peers?" you answered "Magical Death." Do you refer to the film made by documentary filmmaker Tim Asch on the
subject of the role of the shaman within the Yanomamo Indian culture of
South America?
No. I refer to Magical Death, dark chant sound sorcery from Parime, Manoa.
Do the members of Aluk Todolo consider themselves shamen? What is the
role of the shaman in modern society in your opinion?
We are not antroposlogists , and I don't know the role of shaman in the
modern society. Aren't they called schizophrenes here, and fed up with
medecine in some mental hospital? We do play music, we don't consider
ourselves as shamen but as musicians. Though, since we envision a musician
as a medium between the visible/audible world and an invisible/inaudible
spirit world,
I imagine that the shamanic comparaison could make sense, but keep in mind
that Aluk Todolo has no will of healing, at all.
What are some of the Krautrock albums that you consider to be darker than
the music made by many Black Metal bands? I'm certain that those unfamiliar
with the genre of Krautrock would like to explore the dark music you might
suggest.
Try «the Nazgul» , s/t, 1975.
In referring to Westerners and Europeans as "occidentals whose access to
reality is twisted by centuries of conditioning," are you implying that the
native cultures of the East (and possibly the native culutres of the
Americas) were superior ways
of life to what has developed in modern times?
For sure, chanting in the desert and eating some peyotl is more interesting
than watching t.v. and eating some pizza. But I don't like to see things
from the point of view induced by your question. By analysing history
with some socio-rationalist tools, one always substracts Aeons from the
equation, which leads to the stupid idea of guilt. Humans are but little
mice, pretentiously thinking that they are the center of the universe.
Native cultures of the Americas don't have a copyright on the Nagual.
Reality didn't change with modern society. Magic surround us, world without
end.
If so, do you believe there is hope, beyond the fleeting glimpses
afforded by drugs and magick, to recapture what has been lost in a more
permanent way?
It's not a matter of hope but of choice and work. Nothing has been lost.
Formulas, squares, numbers, and synaptics connectors… they are still
working, for the forces are immortal. Modern society is paradoxal in the
sense that now, almost everything concerning ancient wisdom, in a global
sense, is available, and purchasable. You can buy a book about Toltec
sorcery, for example, in the same store where you buy a mobile phone.
Society tries to put everything on the same level. But the secrets keep
themselves secret, they only reveal when they are fully experienced.
How did Aluk Todolo become aware of the Elder's cave in the Swiss Alps
where Descension was recorded? Have other musicians recorded there that you
are aware of?
We found the place while wandering in the mountains. It is not a studio, it
is a cave, it is wet, and it is bad for equipement. It is a long walk to get
there, you need to carry your gear through the mountains, and an electric
generator. Only us recorded there.
How have recent live performances been received by audiences? Has Aluk
Todolo been able to achieve its transcendent goals with live observers?
The few concerts we recently did have been well received. For sure, the
ambiant energy does have an effect on us, and an attentive and reactive
audience leads us to a better interpretation, but when we play live we don't
focus on people's reaction. If so, we would play for the self, and feed our
egos with something that doesnt come from us but that we canalize. It would
be the end of Art, and the begining of masturbation. In Art, as in Magick,
if you consider a successful operation as a victory, you fail.
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