Dside Interview January 2006
Goth Nation Interview August 2003
DB Magazine Interview 9-July-03
DSide -Interview January 2006
Why did you feel the need of remaking some of your best songs in the 'Spell Of Harmony' EP ? Aren't you satisfied with their original form?
-|-|-" Beltane:The Spell of Harmony CD came about while I was working and developing self-production in my home studio. I was messing with new recording gear and synthesizers, and was particularly inspired using a Novation K Station analogue synth I had just bought. I hope people find these versions have their own striking characteristics and differ enough from the original versions. I've always liked the original structure of these songs, they mark a different time and place, this CD is just a fresh take on some very early Beltane songs. Spell of Harmony was actually the first song we ever released back in 97 on a compilation CD. A remix track has to sound strong in its own right, not just another version with some more danceable beat behind it; I hope these versions make a significant impression. It is too easy to pump out just another remix for the sake of it these days.
How do you define the Beltane project?
-|-|-" Beltane: Beltane is a vehicle and medium for artistic self-expression. The songs represent values and things that are most important to us from an individual, internal perspective. Looking at the outstanding qualities within human nature and attempting to convey a personal view towards such aspirations. Beltane is a vehicle and medium for our own self-development or spiritual awareness you could say. Music is such a primal and universal art-form and with the vast array of sounds that can be produced since the development of the synthesizer and more recently the sampler, and the current user friendly interfaces, the scope of what can be created in music seems limitless. I love seeing where this journey can take Beltane. I've been particularly interested in technological improvements to sound recording quality with higher sampling rate frequencies, and the emerging move into surround sound recording processes. Beltane is also interested in visually representing the songs, and in future plan to have a more unified balance between sound and vision, but it all comes back to the limitations financial resources. I come from a background in theatre performance and currently work for an A/V (audio/visual) company which constructs the set design, lighting effects and sound for various events, so I've had plenty of time to tick over ideas, but as I say the money is the limiting factor.
Did you plan any collaboration with some other artists for the future? Which are your plans about releasing something new?
-|-|-" Beltane: We are currently writing new music, it is too early to tell how this will evolve, we are certainly going to be collaborating with artists in the future but this will come about when the songs are more defined. Each time I write new material I like to spend a lot of energy gathering resources and developing a good base platform in order to create something rich and substantial. This involves developing the technological means along with channelling and tapping new sources of inspiration. It is often a struggle to get beyond all the daily factors that get in the way of finding the space for gathering the energy to generate inspirational heights. For example, whilst we don't have the pressure of record companies telling us what is good for the market and third party associates attempting to influence us in various ways, we have had problems and setbacks with distribution companies and various aspects of marketing, and all that sort of stuff tends to get in the way and lead you away from the real reason of being a musician in the first place, to write music. We are completely self-owned and financed so there have been those aspects getting in the way and slowing up our creative drive. For me writing a new CD has a certain cycle and a large part of that cycle is the thought process that manifests within your head before the pen is even put to the paper, so to speak. It is part of setting up that initial foundation 'base platform' and when you have an abundance of resources both technologically and mentally you can start a refining process and begin carving out some forms.
Probably Dead Can Dance are the most known Australian band in Europe: How do you perceive their music? Did they inspire you in any way?
-|-|-" Beltane: Dead Can Dance have certainly been an inspiration for Beltane and Lisa Gerrad continues to be. I was impressed the power of their music and the connection it had to the more primitive, primal side of human existence. They unified organic and electronic instruments very well, which created a very strong and defined spiritual atmosphere.
There's a lot of electronics in 'Spell of Harmony': what can you say about that ? Some purists think that electronics would have to be banned from the ethereal/heavenly voices genre: what can you answer to them?
-|-|-" Beltane: I find by using electronic sounds I can create very vivid sound-scapes, I've always had an element of ambience in my music and have been impressed by the defined mood some soundtrack music can create.In answer to whether I think certain styles of music should have electronic sounds in them, it is all dependent on the end achieved. Electronic sounds can be just as expressive and have as much feel as organic sounds depending on how they are used. And of course electronically generated loops of organic instruments are widely used these days. So it really depends on the context of the music. I don't mean to say a synth string can replace a violin string or a drum program a drummer, but electronic sounds certainly have their own expressive strengths and means to be performed expressively.
If someone is curious about your music how can they listen to your stuff or buy it?
-|-|-" Beltane: We are currently organising our music to be distributed electronically via various download services, we do not currently have a distributor in Italy to get our CDs into the shops, but they are available through online mail order distribution companies, or I suggest that people purchase our music directly through me (Electron) for a wholesale price, this can be done by sending an international money order or paying via Paypal. For more information go to www.electron.net.au. Are you still believing in the power of music or have you lost faith, getting older day by day?
-|-|-" Beltane: The music of Beltane is continually evolving and progressing we have had setbacks and distractions slowing up some of our releases but from a musical perspective we are getting stronger by the day and contine to achieve initial goals set out and aspired towards since the band first started. Our next CD should be our most defined and best work to offer yet!
Please leave a message for our readers
-|-|-" Beltane: Thanks for you interest in our music and thanks for the interview Fabio.Dj Faby '05
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www.thedside.it
Goth Nation - Interview - August 2003
Venturing into the increasingly stratified musical genre once neatly filed under 'Gothic', Michelle tries not to dwell on the "dark and doomy" as she speaks with Beltane's Paul Handley about their new release World of Dreams and why their "lighter" side is often ignored.
Beltane are often slotted in the Gothic genre; however, the group's creative core, Paul Handley, finds it interesting-and pleasing-that listeners respond to them differently. "Some liken Beltane to a certain band and others will mention another but rarely do we hear two of the same. Although I admit I have heard 'dark' and 'doomy' a few too many times lately." Like The Cure before them, Paul remarks that Beltane likes combining opposites "but no one ever seems to comment on our light, uplifting side!"The title track on new album World of Dreams stands as a case in point; the song celebrates beauty- like much of the album it is more optimistic than nihilistic. Paul explains that Beltane's new release is rhythmically consistent, and flows more evenly than previous album The Fire of Becoming. He says, "Fire of Becoming concentrated on creating unusual, vivid sound-scapes with lots of irregular sampled synth loops and experiential type sounds, this CDs' focus is more on the orchestrated structure with layering of strings and real violin. The tempo tends to be a little more up beat-we purposely wanted the songs to kick along a bit more and create a CD that flowed from start to finish."
Paul credits the musicians involved with making important contributions the evolution of World of Dreams. "It is important for the musicians involved to have enough freedom to express themselves; I just shape it all together to meet the overall vision," he says.
"Much of the violin that is played is what Belinda [Gelhert] came up with on the day. Some of it was ad-lib and I got her to do numerous takes, and then doubled (or sometimes quadrupled) them up to see how they sounded side by side. Although we had the intention of layering from the beginning, with Belinda playing, high-low-mid sections, some nice things naturally happened with the help of a little cut and paste on the computer."In contrast with the technology used to compose them, the symbolism of aspects of ancient history, especially religious and spiritual beliefs permeate Beltane's recordings. Paul says he "find[s] it interesting to attempt to view humankind in a primal sort of way, to get to the basic nature of things. Old Legends and mythical stories are healthy for the imagination, and even if they seem a little far-fetched literally I tend to look for symbolic, metaphorical meanings or ways to relate to them."
Paul's interest in experimental theatre also influences his thoughts, performances and Beltane's film clips: "I like theatre that puts things across through symbolism rather than straight dialogue; I like the primal, non-verbal communication within some theatre." Theatre, music and dance help serve as a focal point: "the beauty I find within basic primal art-forms inspire me and reflect what is of importance in my life[…] Theatre and dance are arts which are almost entirely reliant on what occurs during the performance within the moment, and when it stripped back to basics it can become a very pure and direct art-form. I like the subtractive method of developing expression; too much of today's culture is additive based. So as an objective, we combine the three essences, song, dance and theatre, to create our own medium for artistic expression and communication within Beltane."
Given their unique style, Paul has found Mp3.com to be an effective method of promotion: "I'm sure many more people know about us because of them, and if your music isn't big on the radio waves it is a place where people can still hear and sample your music. It is a bit of a bummer when most of your songs are over five minutes long and you miss out on the possibility of regular rotation airplay, even on Triple J. For me, 3-4 minutes usually isn't enough to develop a song the way I would like…"
In this kind of radio environment it is little wonder that Paul is not excited by many recent musical styles (although he is looking forward to hearing new material by Lacrimosa, Natasha Atlas and Delerium): "a lot of music at the moment seems a little empty and direction-less from my outside perspective. Music is often an aural backdrop for whatever you are doing or experiencing at the time."
If this is true, then Beltane are the perfect soundtrack for recovering from a long night out: a reminder of the way in which beauty can coexist with subtle instrumental anger and a gentle return to life with its dichotomy of both dark and light.
Beltane web site: www.beltane.electronmusic.de
Beltane on Mp3.com: www.mp3.com.au/beltane
www.mp3.com/beltane_definitiveMichelle Smith www.gothnationmagazine.com
DB Magazine - Beltane - 9-July-03
One of the more unusual bands to emerge from the local music scene in recent years, Beltane (who take their name from that of a pre-Christian Celtic fire festival celebrating the beginning of summer) are a group whose material draws inspiration from a wide and extremely varied range of musical styles and influences: metal, electronica, folk and world music being just a few examples. A few years back, the band releases their first full-length work, 'The Fire Of Becoming', and have now followed it up with a new album, 'World of Dreams'.
The main creative force behind Beltane is band founder, composer,
keyboardist, bass guitarist, percussionist, and occasional guitarist Paul
Handley; an individual whose long and extensive involvement in local music
has included a stint with fellow Adelaide band Prototype. Explaining how
Beltane came together, he says "basically, starting from the beginning,
I used to play in a band called The Bacchae, which everything sort of
centred around. That band came to a bit of a sudden, grinding halt; I
think it was either the end of '92 or the end of '93. I was the drummer
in that band, and had written some songs. These were really just some
basic guitar riffs, though, because at the time, I didn't really know
any other instruments."
"I then decided to buy a Workstation synthesizer to get an overview
on how to construct songs and things, I actually had the name for the
band at the time; it just sort of came to me on New Year's Day. As one
band was ending, another was beginning, and they sort of overlaped; one
took up where the other left off.
"I wasn't in any big rush to get anything started. It was probably
a couple of years later that I started working with a female vocalist:
named Sarah Manthey. We spent about eight months working together. We
got four songs down, and went into the studio and recorded them. Then
she left to go overseas for a while, so another girl, Karina Eames, who's
still in the band, came in to replace her. We worked on some new songs,
and then went back into the studio about a year after that; I think it
was May '98. We recorded about ten songs with both singers: Karina and
Sarah, who'd come back from overseas by then. We played a few gigs with
that line-up as well. Then Sarah left again. There have been a couple
of other singers that we've worked with since she departed. For this CD,
we're working with someone called Sophie Horwood, who'd the other member
of the band."
Because the band has a fairly unusual set up, Handley tells me that the
don't do many live shows. "I guess I've got a more ambitious idea
of how I'd like to present the band", he explains. "I don't
really want to present it in the minimalist way that we have in the past,
with something like 80% of the music programmed and the guitars and vocals
just layered over the top. If it's going to be like that, there's got
to be something else to draw people in, like video projection: trying
to have control of the lighting and the way it creates an atmosphere.
Almost taking a slightly theatrical approach; maybe having some sort of
minimalist theatre performance with people moving or gesturing on stage."
The band's first full-length release had apparently done reasonably well,
with the Melbourne-based distributor for it managing to sell a few copies
overseas. While Handley tells me he is fairly happy with it, he tell me
that he'd like to re-release it sometime, making a few changes to it before
he does. The cover is one thing he'd redo, and he says that he'd like
to rework some of the songs as well, mainly to bring it up to the band's
current standards of musicianship. This he tells me, would be easy to
do, for whereas the original album was a studio release, he now has the
equipment to do all of his recording and producing at home.
Moving onto 'World of Dreams', I ask how this came about. "I guess
that, after putting out 'The Fire Of Becoming', I was just working on
a new CD", he says. "It was actually a little bit drawn out.
We'd organised with the record company to release it, and they put us
in a studio, but it all ended up being rushed. We didn't have enough time
to get things how we wanted, and the end result was pretty rough; we just
weren't happy with it. After that, things got a little complicated with
this company, and I decided the simplest way to go would be to get my
own equipment and record the CD myself. I spent about six months working
on the actual recording, and I suppose six months before then was spent
just working out different complications. I guess you could almost see
the studio recording as a pre-production exercise; it gave us a good reference
point to see how things weren't working. By the time I'd gotten around
to the re-recording the CD, I'd actually written a couple newer songs
too."
Comparing the material on the two releases, Handley says of 'World Of
Dreams', "It's definitely got a different feel. For me, probably
because I had more time to spend on it and refine it, it seems to flow
a lot better. Overall, it's just more concise. But essentially, it's still
the same direction. I suppose every CD's going to be a bit different.
It's not like we're trying to stick with what we've done, and it's not
like we're necessarily trying to do anything new; we're just progressing."
James Brazel www.dbmagazine.com.au