Zeromancer
You Can’t Compete in Music

10.11.2009

Our acquaintance with representatives of Norway’s Zeromancer (as well as with promoters of their Moscow gig) started with jointly searching for a quiet place to talk. Right at the time of our interview appointment opening bands started doing the soundcheck, and the entire club was shaking from roaring guitars and pounding drums. For me it’s nothing new to communicate under such circumstances, but Zeromancer mainman Kim and singer Alex (who turned out to be very serious and particular people) insisted on hiding away from the noise.
Eventually the promoters provided us with access to an administration room, which was so quiet that you could whisper there. I am very thankful to them for this, as typing in the interview recorded in such sterile conditions is pure pleasure. And even though we didn’t really get much time for the conversation, not a singe second was wasted on asking back and trying to fix misunderstandings…

It’s your first time in Russia, so how do you like it?

Kim: Well, we haven’t seen much, because we only arrived this morning. We drove from the airport to our hotel, and it was too early to check in, so we went straight to venue, and we’ve been struggling with technical stuff here since then. So we’ve been in a car and at this venue so far, but I guess tomorrow we’ll get to see a little bit more.

Alex: Yeah, tomorrow we’re gonna be tourists, and tour managers are gonna show us around. And me and our guitar player, we’d like to stay one extra day to see more of Moscow. So if you ask a question in two days, we’ll have a better answer. (laughs)

Kim: We really enjoy being here, because we wanted to play in Moscow for many-many years. And finally we’re here. So we’re very happy.

And do you enjoy getting to know Russian people?

Kim: It’s been a little overwhelming. Everybody is really nice to us and very friendly. And I think the fans we met are very dedicated and devoted. We played in Yekaterinburg yesterday – it was crazy. And we met some fans outside today at two o’clock, and it was crazy as well! (smiles) Actually our fans here are even more energetic than the ones in Europe – so we’re very happy.

You have a new album which was released in the beginning of this year. And your previous album was out six years ago, I believe. So why did it take you so long to record some new stuff?

Alex: Actually after the “Zzyxx” album in 2003 we decided to have some time-off, because we’d been constantly touring for three years. But we didn’t plan to take six years off, it was supposed to be a year. But Kim did his solo project, Ljungblut, and did two albums. And we had a reunion with our old band Seigmen, which was extremely successful, because we used to play in this band before and it was a pretty successful band in Norway some years ago. And all that took so much time. But in between we did work on an album – with Zeromancer. The actual recording of the album didn’t take that long. It was just stretched over a long period.
Kim: So many things were going on. We spent a lot of time making the Seigmen DVD – a double DVD. Not only time, but also a lot of money… (both laugh) It was very important for us. When we first had this Seigmen reunion, we felt like we really had to put all our efforts to make it. We’re a kind of perfectionists… So we wanted to make this double DVD with all the artwork – and it cost us a lot. But the only reason we did it was our fans. We paid for it by ourselves, but the cool thing is that our fans actually helped us to finance it. They ordered it in advance, so we could finish it up.
Alex: I don’t know how many people did that. A lot of people… But the cool thing is that all of them have their names in the cover.
Kim: Yes, because they’re part of making it. But all this took a hell lot of time. We were really focused on Zeromancer, but… Then again we started working and finished “Sinners International”, then we started touring and did festivals. And we’ve recorded an EP which is gonna be out in the end of this month. And we are in the studio again recording our new album which is gonna be released next year. (looks at me cryptically)

Оh! So soon – unbelievable! Can you reveal any secrets and say anything about your new songs then?

Both: No-o-o! (laugh)

Ok, we’d better discuss the “Sinners International” album which is also very fresh and new. (both nod happily) You definitely have something to say about it, don’t you?

Kim: One of the reasons we decided to take some time-off was that we wanted to get back to our musical roots – we wanted to think differently, to be a little bit more… can I say “naïve”?… Just to do things and have fun while recording. And we decided just to have good time recording the album – and that’s what we did. And that’s how it turned out. We needed to get focused again and to really enjoy what we’re doing.

Do you consider yourselves to be “international sinners”?

Kim: I guess we’re all sinners in a way. Nobody’s perfect.

So that’s the meaning you put in the name of the album, isn’t it?

Kim: No, not actually. We always had this fascination for religious cults. A lot of them started out in the 1960s and 1970s in the States. And every single one of them was run by a kind of a very charismatic leader that could talk people into anything. They were very intelligent, but they were also insane. Which turned into mass suicides, sexual abuse and stuff like that. And there were so many cults – and actually they still are, I fear. So we wanted to incorporate that with this album. We felt that it was the perfect backdrop for the whole setting. And when you come to our concert you’ll hear a lot of speeches between songs and as the intro. There are all by certain leaders - lots of them are not alive anymore. These are some really bad stories and some scary ones, actually. But people are really fascinated by stuff like that, and we are too. It’s weird how people get into it and can’t get out then.

But I should say that Zeromancer is more associated with medical themes, not with religious ones… You see, you’re the headliners of a “medic-fetish party” here. So why does this medical stuff also fascinate you?

Kim: Well, it dates back to Zeromancer album number two “Eurotrash” with the single “Doctor Online”. That’s where it comes from… But “Doctor Online” was actually a web-site in Norway created to help people with their health. You could send questions to doctors online and they answered. They helped a lot of young people. But it turned out that some people used it to make suicide acts. It didn’t turn out the way the doctors thought it should be…

So that’s why you have this special thing in your video “Doctor Online”: you can choose the way you want to die and just press the button, isn’t it? By the way, which one would you choose?

(Both laugh, but then become serious)
Kim: Well, it’s ironical… You know, when we released that song we got a lot of negative attention, because people didn’t get the ironic part of it. That’s something you don’t really talk that much about, because it does happen often… And we know people who have these problems and we lost friends… So we talk about it pretty seriously, but it’s our way to talk about it - in a kind of sarcastic way. Because when that happened the strange thing about it was that you try to use new technology to help people, but this new technology makes us to be less socialized. I mean, all the humans need to be around each other, and helping them via the Internet is wrong. And we found out that we needed computers all the time, so we’re addicted to computers ourselves… It’s a kind of scary thing.

And what do you think about some other technical achievements, cloning for example? You have a song about it too – “Clone your Lover”. So would you like to be cloned?

Kim: Well, when we say “clone your lover” we don’t actually mean it… But, you know, Alex is a full time producer and he’s really into technology and we’re all very aware what’s going on… But coming to cloning stuff is not our job, we’re more into music-wise themes.

Your songs are really good for dancing. So are you good dancers, do you go clubbing?

Kim: When we get really drunk we’re all good dancers! (laughs) In another case – no!

Alex: I thought I was once, but then someone told me “you’re not” and I stopped.
Kim: But we really want our music to touch people, and when we’re on stage we want to feel at one with the audience… And to do so you need to give the energy, so you have to move yourself, you know.

You know, one of the most famous musicians from Norway nowadays is Alexander Rybak, the one who one the Eurovision Song Contest this year. So don’t you think about taking part in some projects like that to reach more people and increase your popularity?

Kim: We’ve been in this business for a long time and we’ve been playing in this band for a long time… I think contests are for young people that are trying to see if they’re doing the right thing. I think in our case we know – kind of “know” - that we’re doing the right thing. We chose this path a million years ago and we still enjoy what we do. But we constantly look for new ways to present ourselves, but not in a contest way. You can’t compete in music.

But how do you get new people?

Kim: I believe that Zeromancer can have a mixed crowd… I mean I like it when there’re different types of people in the crowd, because if there’re different people there and they’re all having good time together, it’s magic happening in the room. We really like it. And I think we appeal to different styles as well. And that’s our main problem, because in some countries they’re really genre oriented. And with Zeromancer you’re a little bit “in between”.

Alex: But to find out how to reach people that is the key.

Kim: And we’re still working on it. It’s a very hard job to be innovative, to come up with new fresh ideas that nobody’s done before – it’s kind of hard.

Alex: We basically just do what we like.

Kim: Yep. That’s the best, you know. And if somebody else enjoys it too, we’re happy.

And where do you get these “new fresh ideas” from?

Kim: The same as with inspiration – people ask me where I get inspiration from… It’s all parts of life: from singing, reading a book, walking out in sunshine or bad weather… Everywhere! Talking to fans, e-mailing someone who tells you some stories…

In the name of your band you have words “zero” and “romance”. Does it mean that you’re “antiromantic”?

Kim: Well, when we created the name of the band the most important thing for us was to come up with something that was original, because the worst thing for a band is to be together for two years and then to try to release a record and then to find out that somebody’s called that name. And we really wanted to play with words. You know, to have two words that don’t fit together, but we make them fit together. And we kind of come up with a new meaning. And that’s how Zeromancer came alive. It was inspired by two books, one was called “Less Than Zero” and one “Neuromancer”. And we came up with the ideas we had a bunch of notes hanging on the walls with lots of words on them. And then we found that “zero” - that’s cool, “romance” – that’s cool. And we put them together. So it’s not much deeper than that.

Ok, I can’t help asking one more thing: Alex, you look so fit on your pictures. What kind of sport do you do?

Alex: What kind of sport do I do… None. (laughs)

So it’s your nature, I see. Lucky you are!

Alex: I know! (smiles)
Kim: He gets this question all the time.
Alex: Blame my mom and dad.
Kim: There’s no logical reason for it. He’s definitely not the one who does exercises. But we play a lot of concerts and that helps.
Alex: And I walk a lot!

In the end of our interview could you say a few things to our readers?

Kim: Since we’re in Russia and we feel really at home, we’re really sad that there’re only two shows in Russia. So our message is that we really want to come back as soon as possible, because Russia’s been great for us.

Zeromancer on the Internet: http://www.zeromancer.com

Special thanks to Angelina Kipelova (Infinity Concert Agency) for arranging this interview

Interview by Ksenia Artamonova
Photos by Olga “Omena” Dendymarchenko
October 10, 2009
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