Suicide Commando
Love, Hell, Suicide...
Directly from Suicide Commando Headquarters, Johan Van Roy, the man in control of all operations, describes us the vision of musical devastation that his commando has been producing for the past fifteen years. He also revealed some of his plans for the near future, for Suicide Commando will not stop but will keep on its mission of devastation, now with new machinery and with the same energy of the past.
nsi: Suicide Commando have already celebrated 15 years of existence! And now you are famous in the alternative scene, one of the greatest electro-industrial bands of the moment. But, when Suicide Commando starts, things were not so easy. Between 1986 and 1994 you only released tapes, just in 1994 your first Cd saw the light. Can you tell us the main ideas behind Suicide Commando during this period of time, the difficulties you had in finding a label to be signed to, for your first record?
SC: Indeed my early works were only released on tapes, but in those days it was pretty normal, only the best and most famous bands could release their material on vinyl or cd. In those days (early nineties) the cd scene was not that big yet, so it was not that easy to release your works on cd. Also the tape scene was still pretty big when I started releasing tapes. It was an easy and cheap way to reach a lot of people all over the world. So I really don't regret the fact that I only released my first cd in 1994. Nowadays it's too easy to release anything on cd, so there's no real guarantee for quality anymore ...
On the other hand I never had any difficulties finding a label to release my works, in fact I never even searched for a label ... for me it was not a must to release my works on cd. It was Off Beat who offered me a contract and so my first cd was released in 1994.
nsi: During this first period, before the first release, "Critical Stage", you made a tour supporting Plastic Noise Experience. How were your first live acts? Was the public receptive to Suicide Commando shows?
SC: It was a fun thing to do and I'll never forget my very first show as support for Plastic Noise Exeperience ! I started doing live concerts as a one man show, while we now are with 3 on stage ...
But the reactions were great and it convinced me to move on.
nsi: Apart the tour with PNE, have you made other live appearences before 1996 and the Critical Image Tour?
SC: Yes, I did several other shows in those early years. No real tour, just single shows in mainly smaller clubs ... it was a good learning school and I still have lots of good memories about it.
nsi: Have you been always alone on Suicide Commando? Do you have guests to play with you on live shows?
SC: Yes, suicide commando was, is and will always be my own private project. I'm still doing all the things myself ... music, lyrics, vocals ...
I do work with some guest musicians so now and then, and on stage I'm now joined by 2 live members on keys, samples and effects ...
nsi: You have many Suicide Commando paralel projects. How difficult is it to do everything at the same time?
SC: Well, I HAD several side projects, to be exactly. But unfortunately I don't have the time anymore to continue with most of them ... You have to know that I still have to work 5 days a week in a big warehouse, so I can only work on my music in my free time, and unfortunately suicide commando is taking nearly all my free time.
So no more time to work on my side projects like Lescure 13, db.F ... it's a shame, but who knows what the future will bring ?!
nsi: But Suicide Commando is your main project?
SC: Yes, for sure ... I spend nearly all my free time into suicide commando. It takes quite some time.
nsi: You have done lots of big hits, maybe the bigest one was "See you in hell". Your last release "Mindstrip" had a big impact in the alternative scene. The song "Hellraiser" was a big successs. Do you think this could be a mark on your career. Maybe the "reward" of 15 years of hard work?
SC:
Well,
I think "hellraiser" even was a bigger hit then "see you in hell".
I think suicide commando became one of the biggest acts in this scene now and
the response after the "mindstrip" album
was tremendous. I never imagined it to become so successful.
Of course I'm really happy with it and it sure is a wonderful reward for all my
hard work over the past 15 years !
nsi:
How are Suicide Commando now, after 15 years? Are the ideas and concepts still
the same as they were before? What changes?
SC: I don't think much has changed. I'm still working in the same way as I did 15 years ago, I'm still doing the things I like, never gave in to any trends or fashions, always stayed faithfull to my roots,the good old 80's EBM ...
The only thing that changed is the use of better and more advanced equipment, better quality ... so mainly the technical side of things.
nsi: Have you only act in Germany during the Mindstripping tour? I think you only have 2 shows planned for this year, at the moment. Can we expect more live acts in 2002? And what about Portugal, something planned here?
SC: Well, we did some other shows outside of Germany as well, but no real tour ... for example we did shows in England, France, Austria, Sweden, Holland, Belgium ...
Hell yes you can expect some more suicide commando live shows in 2002 ... we'll do a lot of summer festivals like the WGT in Leipzig (Germany), M'era Luna (Germany), Eurorock (Belgium) ... and we hope to come over to the south of Europe by the end of the year. I however don't think we'll do any shows in Portugal ... perhaps we'll do some new shows in Spain though, along with Italy and Greece ...
We'll see ...
nsi: What are Suicide Commando's projects for the new millennium? And, would you like to let any message to your fans who will read the interview?
SC: I started working on a new album now and I hope to finish it by the end of this year. I think we'll do another single before the album, and for sure we'll do a new tour across Europe after the release of the next album.
As a final word I would like to say hello to all my Portuguese fans and I would like to thank them for all their support over the past 15 years !
Thanks for your support and stay electronix !
See you ...
l.r.s
(March 2002)