Covenant
"(Attack of the) Chaos Samurais from Space"
by Aaron Johnston
If you could pluck words from sound many could be culled from the hull of Covenant – "majestic," "gallant," "unique," "endemic," "overpowering," "empowering," etc. Covenant are a first – the first true gothic-techno act. They are praised by industrialites; adored by romantics; appreciated by techno heads. They tie everything and everyone together. Vocalist Eskil Simonsson imbues the voice of Covenant with mystique – a voice of passion, romance and class. Not unlike Peter Murphy. Not like anyone else. Lyricist Joakim Montelius draws reality from metaphors and writes in quick, short truths. He does not rhyme yet his words do not stagger. Musically, Covenant’s sonic formula attacks in calculated mass with bass bombs for the dance floor and melodies that are crafted for the future with relics of distant past. Their tracks cut deep, crawl beneath the skin, and attach to the brain like barnacles. It’s an overwhelming sensation – too overwhelming to bother writing anything other than a flowery, obscure, drifting introduction to the group such as this.
Your work habits are quite irregular in that the vocalist writes most of the music while the keyboardist write most of the lyrics.
Montelius: We feel that the idea of having a band is to cooperate and to use the individual talents to become something greater than the sum of the members. This is the essence of our covenant -- the sense of brotherhood and the struggle to combine our personal visions into a single entity. And as it happens, Eskil's strength is song-writing and mine is a feeling for words. In a way this is also very fortunate because we each create something for the other to perform, and that's a reason to be more critical and a way to get instant feedback.
You recently left your original label, Memento Materia. Why?
Montelius: Memento Materia is a very small label and they didn't have the capacity to take us any further. It was a fruitful partnership so it (the decision) was not made for personal reasons. We are determined to take Covenant as far as possible and to do that we need to work with people who share our ambitions and have the ability to achieve them. Unfortunately, Memento Materia couldn't do this -- so we decided to put our trust in 21stCircuitry, Off Beat and our new Scandinavian label, Sub Space Communications.
Where did you all meet?
Montelius: We met in high school in our home town of Helsinborg in Southern Sweden. At a Front 242 gig in 1986, we met again and realized that we all had a bunch of synthesizers at home. So we got together a series of hobby projects. In 1991, Clas, Eskil and myself moved into the same apartment building in our university town. It was then that we decided to take our music a bit more seriously, named ourselves Covenant, and transformed Clas' bedroom into a primitive studio. In 1992 we got in touch with Memento Materia and recorded "Dreams of a Cryotank" which was released in 1994.
What areas of Europe are you most popular in?
Montelius: Scandinavia, Germany and the Benelux has been our main territory. But Off Beat has decided to beat on the big drum and give us top priority promotion, so we have a very ambitious schedule for 1998. We are ready to claim new land. The touring plan includes Scandinavia, Germany, Austria, Holland, Belgium, France, and Great Britain, at least. In the fall we will return to the US to reinforce our position.
What equipment do you use?
Montelius: We use anything we find fitting. Samples of all kinds are by far the most important. They are technology's ultimate gift to the creative musician. We are fortunate enough to have our own recording studio. "Europa" was mainly recorded using an EMU E 6400 sampler, Clavia Nord Lead, Roland JV 1080 and Novation Drum Station. There is also a TR 606, vocoders, distortion boxes, MS 20, Roland Promars and a lot of CDs. But it's important to remember that equipment is quite irrelevant; it's the ability to use it that matters. The Beatles didn't have anything even close to the technological tools we have, but they made some pretty good tunes, anyway.
You're probably the first true gothic techno act. What groups influenced this style?
Montelius: That's actually a term I've never heard before! Very inventive. It's really hard to explain how we came up with our sound. We’ve experienced most kinds of underground music since the early 80s – including gothic and techno. There have been too many great bands; I find it really tough to pick out a few. I can mention Kraftwerk, Joy Division, Nitzer Ebb, Bauhaus, Plastikman, NON, Front 242, Skinny Puppy, Sisters of Mercy, Aphex Twin, DAF, Swans, Underworld, Jeff Mills, Dave Clarke, Laurie Anderson, Brian Eno, Killing Joke, Squarepusher, Meat Beat Manifesto, etc, etc. But I think that our sound is a result of both influences like the above (combined with) literature, film and a genuine will to do something a bit different. We want to be unique.
The 21st Circuitry releases were re-mastered. Correct? I notice a difference between them and the Off Beat versions. The Off Beat CDs sound muddy and stuck together yet more cohesive than the Circuitry versions which sound more professional and dispersed. Do you notice this difference? If so, which mastering do you prefer?
Montelius: I must regretfully confess that I haven't listened to the American versions. One gets quite fed up when rehearsing and playing the same songs too often. Both the single, "Final Man," and the album "Europa" will be mastered by Off Beat for all the releases, so they will be uniform all over the place.
What will the new album, "Europa," sound like in comparison to your old work?
Montelius: "Europa" is more diverse and perhaps less concentrated than "Sequencer" and "Dreams of a Cryotank." We have been more spontaneous this time and tried out some more unconventional ideas. "Europa" is the dreaded third album but I think it contains much of our best work yet. It sounds unmistakably "Covenant" but I believe old fans will be surprised by some songs. It will be very interesting to see the reactions when it comes out.
What about the Remix Wars album with Apoptygma Berzerk?
Montelius: It has not been done yet but it's planned for later this year. They have also been working on new material. We met Stefan Groth at a gig of ours in Oslo before Christmas and discussed it, so we'll see what happens.
Your stage "dresses" are quite interesting. What inspires your stage attire?
Montelius: We have always believed in doing unusual things on stage and the importance of standing out in a crowd. A couple of years ago we all had plastic costumes and looked like chaos samurais from space, but we grew tired of having to spend four hours dressing up before the shows and almost passing out from over-heating. You can get an impression of what that looked like in the booklet from "Dreams of a Cryotank." The "space priest" dress we used last year was chosen because of the simple, graphic look and ease of use. For the next tour we are going to get new suits, probably something a bit more elaborate.
Are you forced to work regular jobs?
Montelius: Eskil and I are working full time with the band. Clas got a job as a chemical technology engineer several months ago; that's also the reason he couldn't come with us to the US. We are educated (Eskil has a degree in Physics Engineering and I am an archaeologist) so if the economical situation becomes too bad we have escape routes prepared. None of us have any children but each of us has a girlfriend that we’ve been with for many years.
Do you find it hard to fit in with all of the abrasive, aggressive electro acts? You're more articulate and challenging and less angry.
Montelius: Perhaps we dealt with the EBM ghost on "Dreams of a Cryotank" and felt the need to move on. Maybe we've just grown older. I think we found new ways to express ourselves that differs a bit from most bands in the genre. EBM reached its peak ten years ago. Electronic music should be about the future and that's where we try to be. I wouldn't consider us to be an EBM band and I'm not even sure we've ever been one. But I can understand bands thriving on aggression -- it's a powerful force. But I can be channeled in many ways...
You received an amazing reaction from the crowd in San Francisco at last year's IndusroRave. Did this surprise you?
Montelius: We had been warned... no, actually we were delighted to get such a warm welcome to our first appearance in the US. We have had really great gigs in Europe, but we hadn't expected this kind of reception in the US. The gig in New York City was even better; maybe best crowd we've ever had! We have to take this opportunity to thank all our fans in the US!