live - ocsid - scip - pohs - tcatnoc

First of all, I have to admit that I have never experienced any of the band’s work, but I must say, I was astonished! I kinda feel that, it’s somehow the band’s purpose to bring about this awe to the listener. Is there a certain feeling or atmosphere that the Aluk Todolo wishes to provoke?

Antoine Hadjioannou :  We certainly aim to affect the listener. What band doesn't? We work on a vibratory, therefore physical effect in the first place, as our access to the human soul is sensation. The ramifications to other levels are left to the discretion of the listener. We are the chemists, responsible of the purity of the drug. The user is responsible of the quality of his trip.

I’ve read that the name “Aluk Todolo” is actually a phrase meaning “The way of the ancestors”. How does your music reflect the meaning of a momentous phrase like this? Also, does the music intentionally lack lyrics? Do you feel that it speaks for itself?

AH : The name gave birth to the band, not the opposite . Matthieu Canaguier, the bass player, brought it back from a trip to indonesia. We had, on an instinctive level, an idea of what our music would be : something esoteric and enthoegenic, played with classic rock instruments.  What better name for such a concept than the name of a religion ? The animists aspects are reflected in the way we envision our music, even though we are not a musical illustration of the religion : we use the name in a romantic sense. And yes, as an instrumental band, we intentionally do not have a singer. We want to play a music that is a hundred per cent esoteric, and vocals, somehow, are always exoteric, so we bannished them since the first day.

Could you please describe the writing procedure? Is your music a result of jamming in the studio or each one of you three comes up with some standard ideas and then you work them out?

AH : Our writing process mainly consists in emptying our minds to let the forces come in. To receive and transmit, in a mediumnic way. We believe that our music predates us, so it has to reveal itself, from a spiritual to a material form. This incarnation process never really ceases, as our pieces are living beeings, that we summon, and feed with new interpretations.

In your latest album entitled “Occult Rock”, which consists of eight tracks, one would expect a more scalar like progress, but I feel that the tension fluctuates, rather than escalates. Is this the procession of a Ritual, your Ritual?

AH : The music itself is the ritual : the evocation AND the manifestation. Occult rock recounts the alchemical transformation of the primordial vibration into matter through all its elemental aspects. Each side contains two tracks that represent both aspects of one element. for exemple the side A is Fire. The order matters, but indeed, its more about « fluctuation » than progression.

One can identify some of your influences, while listening to your whole discography. Some obvious are Sunn O))) and Faust. Personally, I “found” some Umagumma-era Pink Floyd parts and at some point, this monotonous, repetitive atmosphere reminded me of Coil. Do you relate yourselves musically with this kind of bands? What other rock or non-rock influences does the band have?

AH : I guess you mention Faust because of our album Finsternis, on which
we used a rythmic formula that is the one they used on "outside the dream syndicate" with Tony Conrad. But it was a necessity more than a tribute. Outside influences does not drive the band at all. In the concext of our music, only cosmic influences are allowed. So, any similarities with other bands is purely coincidental. If some artists or musicians can influence us, it is never stylistically, but by their freedom and dedication.

“On the Powers of the Sphinx” was a four-way split release with Saturnalia temple, Nightbringer, Nihil Nocturne and yourselves. The retinue of the songs resembles a sequence of aphorisms: To Know, To Will, To Dare, but you choose to To Keep Silent, with which I must say I agree the most. What is silence to Aluk Todolo? How can someone express silence musically and how does the band manage to “Keep Silent” on stage?

AH : Expressing silence musically means that what really matters is not what we play but we we do not play. We draw the lines of something bigger that has to be synthetised by the listener. On stage the minimal lightening and the shadows created by the lightbulb are mimetic of this process.

Aesthetics and artwork in general play a vital role in expression. How does Aluk Todolo choose their artwork? How does it relate to the music? Are there symbolisms in the artwork of “Occult rock”?

AH : Just like the music the artwork is done by the three of us. We like to think of our records in their physical dimensions as artefacts, ie a magical objects. This is why our artworks always contains certain keys. As for the cover of Occult Rock, we used a photograph of the eruption of mont Pelée by Angelo Heilprin because all the alchemical elements are represented. The John Dee sigils are another key.

Finally, what are the future plans of the band? Should we expect something new, musically speaking, or do the band’s priorities include mostly live performances?

AH : We will record our new album, "Voix", ( "voices" in french )  in may, at the Drudenhaus studio. We will play it live for the first time in its entirety this saturday.

Thank you very much for your time and patience with my questions. I’m really excited to have the opportunity to see you live on 31st of January in Athens! Take care!

AH : Thank you for the interview, and see you in Athens.