Interview for Morbid Noizze
 

1.You guys wanted so let the darkness dominate your records - but is it possible? Such songs like "Underworld Domain" are a living beauty - so you're making, creating something opposite!
Tharen: You´re right if you stress that our songs radiate a kind of beauty, but on the other side we always tried to make our music dark and mighty, the same goes to the lyrics. It´s about my very own realm, and this realm consists of dark forces, magic and mysticism and even darkness itself that has it´s own kind of beauty.

2. You seem to be fascinated by darkness - why do you afraid of light, avoid it. Isn't light more interesting than darkness?
Tharen: I´m very fascinated by darkness, but not only by it, it´s more the total absence of light, like the greater part of the universe -eternity- that´ll never see any ray of light. I´m not afraid of light of course, but I for myself know that darkness hides a lot of secrets that will never reach the light for several good reasons. How did you come to the idea that light is more interesting?
Elisabeth: I think it´s also the contrast between darkness and some rays of light, which makes the world of Dargaard´s music interesting; for me, to speak figuratively, there´s more mystery in something, that is only partly shown and leaves a lot of space for suppositions than in something lying open before you or something being totally hidden in darkness.

3. You´ve said, you're endless evil - how should I understand that?
Tharen: Hmm… I cant remember that, but if you speak of the “Sangdrax”, it is a sign of the void, eternity, that knows neither goodness nor evil. “Evil” is a very subjective phrase. Maybe I´m evil in the opinion of many people…

4. Will you agree that the success of "Eternity Rites" album was really surprising? All in all DARGAARD music doesn't belong to easy one...
Tharen: To be honest: I was damned surprised. At the time we recorded the music we never thought of success in this way. I simply could not imagine that there are so many people out there liking our music and want to follow mw into my realm. I´m proud to say that Dargaard is not “easy listening music”. I hate this pop music-shit.

5. DARGAARD music was warmly welcomed by metal fans, but have you also caught the attention of more wide range audience?
Tharen: Of course! I had many responses from several scenes. But I wondered that so many Black Metallers could follow my path, they got the point I think. After thousands of uninteresting releases in the Black Metal scene they´re lucky to find something new, and Dargaard has musch of the mystical, dark influences that good Black Metal has.
Elisabeth: In my opinion one of the reasons therefore is, that we are both interested in different styles like classical and medieval music, Metal and electronical music; we are not directly influenced by any special band, but, as every human being, we are influenced by our background.

6. I´m sure you believe that "In nomine aeternitatis" will set the position of DARGAARD on the music scene, because this music is fascinating, fantastic!!
Tharen: Thanks. Yes, I think so too.

7. On which elements listeners should pay more of his attention while listening to you new record - on the magical sound's motives or rather godly voice of Elisabeth?
Tharen: Don’t share your attention on different parts! See and hear the music, the lyrics, the voices and even the artwork as an integrated whole! That´s the only way eternity will open for you.
Elisabeth: When you are looking at a picture you don´t divide colour and shape - and Dargaard´s music has much in common with a surreal painting.

8. Elisabeth has really more to say on the new record - did you also let her compose a little bit?
Tharen: The music comes completely from me, the same goes to the lyrics, except 3 ones on the new CD. Elisabeth is completely responsible for the composition of the voice-lines. I´m happy with the situation now, I do not want anyone else to compose the music for Dargaard.
Elisabeth: I´m always composing my own vocal arrangements, which consist of two or three different vocal lines. It´s important for me to lay particular emphasis on the fact, that the voice is as well an instrument as a medium for composing. So I always take part in the composition in my own way.

9. Do you know when can we also expect new Antichrisis album?
Elisabeth: I don´t know when it will be out exactly, but they are working now with a new female singer. We split more than a year ago because of various reasons, one being that I had no time for touring then because of my studies, an other one, that we had partly different conceptions about music.

10. You're coming from really extreme music scene and you're able to make music really well. What does motivate you to make such different stuff?
Tharen: After my split with Abigor as a singer I did some keyboard intros/outros for them, Heidenreich and my own Black Metal band Amestigon.
It was in the year of 1997 I decided to start my own band, because I felt that I could do much more out of my ideas and visions as only as a metal keyboarder.
I simply wanted to create my own realm and not adding to someone elses any more. This was the hour of birth for Dargaard. I just need variation in making music. Icannot imagine making only Black Metal for ten years. Now I`m in a good situation to enfold myself with “Dargaard”, “Amestigon” and “dominion”.

11. Do those Latin titles suggest that you're fascinated by cultural heritage of the ancients, or rather those titles symbolise something which died...
Tharen: I´m very fascinated by ancient cultures like the Sumerian, Egypt, etc. and their cults, myths and so on. I like the spelling of these languages and the mysticism they transport.
Elisabeth: It was my share of work for the lyrics to search for antique texts on the second album, one written in Latin by Ovid (about 2000 years old) and one in ancient Greek written by Alkaios from Mythilene (my favourite text, about 2400 years old). It is a great feeling to revive the thoughts and emotions of a human being who has been dead for such a long time, it is mystical and like a victory over time; and I was the counselor for the Latin phrases in some other texts. Of course, I´m very much fascinated by ancient cultures and languages.

12. For sure your heart is music - but anyway I got to ask about it. Do you identify with all this things which happened recently in Austria - elections, manifestations?
Tharen: Ahhhhh! Hate these questions….nothing personally, but nearly every interview includes such a question. Ok. I think, that the situation was far overrated from the fucking european union. We´re not a nazi-state. Look at Italy, France or other states. They have much more problems with extreme right wing partys, but nobody cares. And Haider is neither extrem right nor a nazi. He is a provocateur. But now he`s gone anyway.
Elisabeth: Sure, we´re not happy about the government, but it is the result of a democratical election and as long as they move in the borders of democracy, we have to accept it. But everybody is watching them, in our country and in at least all other European states, so I don´t think that they really have a chance (or even the ambition) to turn Austria into a land of racial discrimination.

13. Austria has a long history, but right now it seems to me that your country is hidden in the shadow of Germany - how do you feel about that?
Tharen: You´re right we had a lot of glory in our past. Now it´s gone, and we are a little state in the middle of europe, not their emperors. Dead and gone,…what will remain? But we´re not in the shadow of Germany.Of course not.

14. You're living in a lands of magic and darkness - so let night engulfs your hearts!!! All the best By Simon kropaczewski MORBID NOIZZ MAGAZINE - POLAND
Tharen: Thanks a lot for this interview. Enjoy the mysticism of Dargaard and await the debut Cd of my project “dominion”. “The hand and the sword” will be released by Napalm Rec. in may this year. It is a kind of industrial/electro/ritual ambient music. Very powerful and dark. Elisabeth takes also part in form of some vocal appereances as well as the guitarist of Amestigon plays on one song.

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