INTERVIEW WITH SPECTRA*PARIS

Some things in life are excellent, not?
Dark Entries-magazine gave me the job to interview Elena Fossi from both Kirlian Camera and Spectra*Paris.
The moment I got that "mission", you can't believe how happy I felt as I guess they were never aware that she's some hero of mine.
Anyway, The Original Sin interviewed Kirlian Camera ten years ago (they even were on the cover when it was a paperzine) but this time it's not about Kirlian Camera.
It's about Spectra*Paris, the other outfit from Elena.
Call it dark pop or dark electro or perhaps just great music?
Thank you so much Elena for doing all this...

HELLO ELENA….
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE SPECTRA PARIS?

ELENA – SPECTRA*paris is a rock band filled with love for aesthetics, fun and drama! Crime, spy stories, fashion and sex at the Opera house!!!

IT ALL STARTED AS SIDERARTICA, WHY HAVE YOU CHANGED THAT?

ELENA – Siderartica tried telling a couple of enchanted stories, but I needed to get out to take some fresh air. Needed more “blood” and “energy”. Kirlian Camera is enough as far as “importance” (at least for myself) is concerned, so Siderartica risked to appear as a hybrid creature. In addition, my band sometimes looked like a sleeping beauty... I needed to meet new people... girls!!!

HOPE YOU DON’T MIND AS I’M SUCH A BIG FAN OF YOUR WORK, ELENA, BUT FOR ME IT LOOKS LIKE SPECTRA PARIS IS YOUR PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW US YOUR GLAMSIDE, NOT?

ELENA – Yes, it is. S*P is bringing some real many-coloured energies, here, so I feel time has come “glamour” can have a chance to get some variations and, hopefully “innovations”! Let’s try finding out some fresh inputs...!!! In the end, although I really respect the glam music world, I love the idea of adding some personal ingredients, now!

SIDEPROJECTS ARE USUALLY THERE BECAUSE ARTISTS ARE SEEKING SOME ARTISTIC FREEDOM , WAS THAT THE REASON WHY YOU STARTED SPECTRA PARIS TOO?

ELENA – I take S*P as a real band, so this engagement is bigger than doing a side-project for a season. I mean I created a new band having real spirit and will. I love Kirlian Camera and I couldn’t musically live without it, but this project is going to complete a scenery in a very particular way. In fact, this is not the copy of the other band at all and it hadn’t to be. I like to create more than one environment to my dreams and real life.

SPECTRA PARIS IS AN ALL GIRL BAND, SOMETHING YOU WANTED?

ELENA – Yes, I longed for a story like this from the very beginning. I guess it’s to be taken as a challenge, since having any relationship with women wasn’t in my habits, with the exception of a few few friends. At work above all I was used to having relations with the opposite sex and, often being at ease. In spite of that, I’m totally pleased with my recent choice. Obviously, I didn’t do anything that casually, as I chose very special persons. They’re special because they aren’t fantastic musicians only, as they’re able to go beyond studies, diplomas and sheet music. They’re able to see the soul of music, so their contribution turns out to be evident more and more, not on stage only. Marianna and Alessia in particular are now working along with me in the studio, as they perfectly “feel” this project, both showing real love to it. Useless to say this union is working out fine and I realized it since the early live performances. Determination, sweetness, skill… an extraordinary connection between us coming out at once! Anyway, I set up a kind of a club, made of further girls loving arts and fun (models, dancers, musicians…) who give me a helping hand when needed, in order to complete this project.

MOST PEOPLE KNOW YOU OF COURSE FROM KIRLIAN CAMERA, ARE THESE TWO BANDS COMPLETELY SEPERATED?

ELENA – Nowadays I must say there’s an effective difference of identity, between the two. In KC my soul seems to move into a storm. Extreme romanticism and hate for a life that doesn’t really belong to us. Like an endless orgasm into sorrow. I realize it on stage. It doesn’t matter any longer whether I studied music and I can use my own vocal cords in the best way, as everything goes to the dogs… as I’m in another dimension and I feel a overwhelming need to scream and cry. While working on S*P my other side comes out, that’s the rock-oriented one, although I try keeping on that femininity women shouldn’t forget own. So, no renounces welcome at all, as I hate prissiness as well as I feel actual disgust for vulgarity. I love both sensuality and eroticism, but pornography doesn’t excite me at all. This is SPECTRA*paris, a container of glamour, force and sexy things… just a bit “angry”, why not!

IS THE PUBLIC FROM SPECTRA THE SAME AS THE ONE FROM KIRLIAN CAMERA?

ELENA – 50%. Let’s say that those from the two parts whom are open-minded, well they are happy to see both bands on stage and listen to their music. Doubtlessly, the style of these two bands is not the same, but it’s always a pleasure when people like to follow musicians’ real feelings! Then, SPECTRA*paris is often taken as a glam-band and Kirlian Camera as a dark-industrial project, but the “glam element” is not alien to KC at all, as well as darkness is not a total stranger in the S*P world. Let’s say that those two bands come from different places, but they can succeed in touching the heart of the same person…

SORRY HOPE I’M NOT INSULTING YOU BUT IF I HEAR YOUR MUSIC I CAN’T ESCAPE THE FEELING THAT IT IS DARK POP….

ELENA – Net labels cannot exist, sometimes, so we need to come to terms with that, at last. Dark-pop might ok, at last, as well as “future glam” or “noir electrorock”, as someone called this band’s style… Each label is to be taken as being related to a period, anyway.

WHEN I GOT ON YOUR WEBSITE IT WAS LIKE I WAS ENTERING THE WORLD OF COMICS, DO YOU FEEL ASSOCIATED WITH THAT?

ELENA – My stupid comics are just like a door opening to freedom. I succeed in expressing myself, through them. I can opt for drawing terrible things such as blood and violence, or sugary things, but this makes me feel like a 5 year old baby… That’s priceless!!!

YOU MADE A SUPERB VERSION FROM “MAD WORLD” BY TEARS FOR FEARS.
ISN’T THAT DANGEROUS?
I MEAN, EVEN IF YOU DID A GENIUS JOB, THERE WAS A DANGER OF GOING ON YOUR FACE BY DOING SUCH A CLASSIC…..

ELENA – That’s the way I like: getting myself in the game. Well, this time it has been successful and anyway negative reviews don’t scare me at all… I’m as stubborn as a mule!

I NEVER SAW SPECTRA PARIS ON STAGE, I GUESS IT MUST BE QUITE A SHOW….

ELENA – If you find exciting to see some girls on a stage whom have many stories to tell and musical instruments to create soundtracks to by means of determination and passion… well, I guess that yes… you should drop in on our next performance!

TO WHAT KIND OF MUSIC ARE YOU LISTENING YOURSELF?

ELENA – Arvo Pärt, Ennio Morricone, The Muse, Zbigniew Preisner, Angelo Badalamenti, Rammstein, Goldfrapp, Lady Gaga, Pink Floyd, Giuseppe Verdi, .

ARE YOU LISTENING TO YOUR OWN MUSIC?

ELENA – Never throughout early months after the album issue! Well, those moments I feel I can’t go on with that! But, after a while, I start again listening to my stuffs and I say “Mmhh, nice, was it really me doing that!?!”

IF I LOOK AT YOUR GLAMOROUS PHOTOSHOOTS IT SEEMS YOU HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE, WERE YOU EVER A MODEL, ELENA?

ELENA - Oh well, this story is real and it is not! Sometimes I modelled for some stylists and photographers and sometimes I keep on doing it having some real fun, but that isn’t my real cup of tea at all! I’m not so tall or either so stupid!

APART FOR THE GOTHICFESTIVAL I ALSO WANNA PUT THIS INTERVIEW ON MY WEBSITE…ON THAT I ALWAYS ASK 2 QUESTIONS EVERY TIME, SO NOW YOU’RE MY VICTIM TOO, ELENA!
WHAT’S YOUR FAVE RECORD OF ALL TIME AND PLEASE STATE WHY…

ELENA – Zbigniew Preisner’s “Dekalog”, as it’s dramatic, moving and “important”, without being academic in any way. Kind of purity in music, although it’s a soundtrack.

WITH WHO WOULDN’T YOU MIND TO BE ALONE WITH IN AN ELEVATOR FOR 8 HOURS AND WHAT WOULD YOU DO THEN?

ELENA – Jack Kerouak. He could keep on talking 8 hours long without using any punctuation… I could go out of my mind!!!!

THE LAST WORDS ARE YOURS, ELENA…….

ELENA – Well, I speak on behalf of the “Young Ladies Homicide Club”: let’s kill the idiots, the bad dreams and the neon lights! And, always… “RIDE THE GLAM ROCKET”!!!