‘Click Interview’ with DIE BRAUT: ‘Music Has To Be Sexy In All Its Dimensions’
Chilean duo Die BRAUT has been set up in 2007 by singer Katia Figueroa Letelier and composer Voz y Líricas Cristián Soto Vanell. DIE BRAUT is for sure one of the most familiar Electro-underground bands from their country. They released albums on labels such as Danse Macabre, Orion and NoiTekk. They last year released their newest opus “Virtual Communication” on the Russian label ScentAir Records. It also was the band’s first full length album since “Psychotherapy” (2011). The songs are danceable pieces mixing elements of Electro-Pop and New-Wave music, but it’s without a shadow of a doubt the most mature and accomplished work of the band to date. Time for a chat with the Chilean duo.
(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)
Q: You guys are active under DIE BRAUT moniker since 2007! What do you consider as the main facts in the band’s history and how did you evolve from the early years till today?
DB: Exactly! And that name is due to the existence of a frontwoman in the band. For years now we have enjoyed our art and reached great moments like the release of every single and album, each performance, all what we’ve learned from great musicians who left us and the affection and support of the people. We of course always cherish the great moments.
We especially keep in mind two great festivals where we were invited to play. There was Wave Gotik Treffen in 2011 and Orus Fest in 2016, both leaving us a clear feeling of doing things well and being able to enjoy playing in front of thousands of people, which we like the most of all.
Evolution is part of the same learning and love for music, dedication, study, being clear about concepts and always ready listening to others, to live each experience as the best of our lives and thus continue to grow.
Q: You last year released the new album “Virtual Communication”, which clearly sounds different in sound and influences. The global production is more ‘Pop’-driven, but what’s your perception of this work and what have been the main influences to compose the new stuff?
DB:The perception of things is subjective and influences have always been present in our lives. Mainly it is about experiences, things that happen to people, illnesses, hunger, abuse, misery and pain. Musically for us the influences to compose this or another album have always been the same, the difference is that we can show it with different faces and nuances. We love Synth-Pop, as well as Grunge, Rock and all its evolution over the years. What is changing from an album to the next one is the concept of each work and we think that today the most appropriate thing for us is to present “Virtual Communication” as one of the great shortcomings of human being in recent times and we believe that it was just the right time to say it.
We will never pigeonhole ourselves into anything specific and we also don’t believe there’s a reason to have another band with a different musical style. We are sure that variations feed our creation and that is how we have seen it reflected in our albums and listeners.
Q: The lyrical content of your work has often been a critical perception of what happens in your own country, Chile, but what did you try to express on “Virtual Communication”?
DB: Indeed, the truth is that we spent a good time showing our own experiences as a country and American continent, but this is what we commented in the previous answer; each concept may differ as time passes and while we observe it, it is worth telling it. “Virtual Communication” means a globalized world, mixed with the immeasurable expansion of social networks, their aggressiveness and their misuse. It stands for the selfishness of nations, people and not having an own identity, where written criticism seem to have more value than honest conversation.
We don’t see it as a path in the opposite direction, but as something that is a real fact from which we must know how to take advantage and learn to be able to relate.
Q: Do you follow a particular procedure to compose the music and writing the lyrics? Do you’ve specific references when it comes to production?
DB:Music is supposed to be spontaneous, something that comes from the heart and mind, and not necessarily from a synth or computer. Music has to be sexy in all its dimensions and the transforming channel of ideas into songs, so we don’t have a specific way to start working. As we said before, it’s enough to be clear about the concept on, which we want to deepen and all that results from it is an album as we have made it
Q: I noticed you’ve been already worked with multiple labels; Orion Records of course, but also European labels such as Danse Macabre, Noitekk, Advoxya Records and now ScentAir Records. What makes you’re constantly working with new companies and what do you expect from a label?
DB:We believe that each of them has been a great learning experience. All things always have a limited time and we have lived it to the end. Some of them are no longer active and regarding others it simply were personal decisions, which have nothing to do anything specific. We see positive the fact that each of them has had enough interest to have welcomed us and believed in our music, and from our side to have been able to go a step further.
Right now we are happy with ScentAir and we hope to continue releasing records on this label. Promotion and support both are very important itemds and you don’t hear us to complaining in all what we got so far.
Q: Artistic activities have been affected all over the world because of the Covid-19 pandemic. How’s the situation in Chile and how do you try to manage this situation now that you’ve a new album out? What brings the future for DIE BRAUT?
DB:Of course, and it’s a global health issue. For now we just have to wait patiently and stay current by making more and more records. A new single with remixes will be released pretty soon and we’re working on a new album with another lyrical and musical concept, which is totally different from “Virtual Communication”. It will surely transport the listener to the 80s with a theme refering to love and respect for nature, native peoples and a lot of geographical histories, which we believe represent us spiritually. It will remain Electronic music in all its variations!
Thank you very much for this interview and the support of our work
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