The name Phase Fatale is gaining more and more attention lately, both in the techno and EBM/industrial scene. Few artists can bridge these 2 worlds almost seamlessly, while still maintaining an authentic identity and sound that stays with you (or rather haunts you) long after you’ve listened to the releases. Hayden, otherwise known as Phase Fatale, has a sensibility which draws its influences from post-punk, EBM, films and a certain sense of dread and desolation coming from the world around us. When translated into music, the result is a piece of the artist's restless soul.
This is definitely the case for the latest release, Redeemer, Fatale's debut full length to be released October 13th, on Dominick Fernow’s Hospital Productions. Today we premiere the title track, a perfect illustration of that unmistakable Phase Fatale sound which drew my attention a few years ago and placed him among my favorite producers of the moment. Listen to the track “Redeemer” and get to know him a little more in the interview below.
The Brvtalist: How does it feel to release a Phase Fatale full length? Talk about the process of making the record and did you change your approach at all?
Phase Fatale: I felt like I could close one chapter and open another with this album. It collectively takes my long list of past influences, ideas flirted with in my other releases, and experiences made here in Berlin and fuses them all together along with even darker and more destructive sonic and conceptual ideas to create something entirely new for me, laying the groundwork for more experimentation into the unknown. With the making of this album, I had a reasonably shorter deadline than I’ve had in the past, which I’m thankful for actually. It made me work harder and more efficiently, lending itself to a more direct and intimate sound. I also used more vocals and guitars as main instruments in the productions to bring my past full circle and combine seemingly disparate elements that also recontextualize those sounds.
TB: Talk about Redeemer, both the name of the album and track we're premiering. What is the meaning or idea behind it?
PF: The meaning behind it is, once again, the beginning and the end, destruction, transmutation of body and flesh, gravity. This song in particular is the closing song and title song, but also deals lyrically with how fluid things are and how meaningless they always are as well.
TB What is inspiring you outside of music right now?
PF: The absurdities of walking out my door as usual, but also film. Right now I’ve gravitated towards Polish directors such as Andrzej Żuławski and Piotr Szulkin. They worked in a time when the Polish government was censoring everything. It’s beautiful to see films that were partly destroyed or had to be created in a subversive way to still deliver their message, through these surreal, dystopian films that are so dark yet have a strong critique on society.
TB: You've been involved with lots of great projects over the years. How did Phase Fatale take shape and how would you describe the evolution of your sound?
PF: As I had always been working with drum machines, synthesisers, and electronics in my past bands, it was only natural for me to find a more direct, solitary outlet to create something even more extreme, darker, and colder than the post-punk genre I was within. The connection between these two genres is so apparent, and they share many of the same sonic elements and a strong industrial aesthetic. Eventually, Phase Fatale became my main focus after playing in many bands as I found this was where I could really do something different that I wanted to do and push boundaries in the seemingly limitless world of electronic sounds. I want to reference my multitude of references; like wave, post-punk, industrial, or shoegaze; and create something entirely new without looking back. And through this alchemy, I can also combine it with harsh and new concepts. With each release, I think it has grown more into its own identity, shedding so many references to the past environment.
TB: You've been traveling a lot recently. What are some your highlights and what's coming up next?
PF: I’m writing this interview now from Tbilisi where I’m staying for a couple of weeks. It is starting to become a second home. I just debuted my new live set at KHIDI, the club here where I am a resident DJ. I’ll take the live set on the road to select events later this year and next too. In Tbilisi, there is a beginning of a new scene in electronic music, especially for the darker and more industrial side. It is completely fresh here and without any prejudices or preconceptions of this music that are hard to shake off in most of Europe or North America. Especially at KHIDI, I think together everyone can create a strong community around this music in a place that really needs this specific sound and feeling to express themselves and do something entirely new. As far as plans for next year, things are forming as they always do…let’s see what’s going to happen.
Redeemer is out October 13th, in 12", CD and digital download. For more visit: http://hospitalproductions.net/
-Marie Bungau
Photography and design by Silent Editions
