SHAZZULA

SHAZZULA

“Here, There and Everywhere”

We could probably get away with a factually and chronologically correct detailing of the work engaged in by Shazzula/DJ Shazzula/Shazzula Nebula/§ђ∆ZzV⇂∆. But what would be the fun of that?

Whether you know her from the music she made with Aqua Nebula Oscillator, or from her frequent cameos with such galaxy-crushing luminaries as White Hills and Farflung, or from her frequent DJ sets across the globe, or some combination of the three, the fact  is that you know Shazzula. And if you don’t know her … you probably actually do – you just haven’t realized it yet.

Not to be too metaphysical about the matter, but Shazzula represents less of “a” thing to us as she does all things. Her involvement with and presence in and proximity to such a wide variety of projects represents to us not only her own individual and seemingly indefatigable creative energies, but the utter endurance and inspiration of creative energies in general. Plus, she made us aware of the existence of the “Time to Suck” album, which had somehow not passed through our consciousness. These are the type of things that make one eternally grateful.

Do you view any live music performance as a “ritual,” if only by your own definition? Do you bring a different mindset to a DJ Set, apart from performing live music with a band?

I named every moment I capture by photography a “ritual” – they are instants … With Aqua Nebula Oscillator, I started every concert with a ritual: darkness, fog, myrrh, incense and start with heavy drones and oscillations with reversed hymns & Latin incantations. For the DJ sets … it all depends where sound is diffused, which venue, the crowd … but I truly prefer to play the weirdest music ever (ex: once,we were in a very old doctor’s castle, a special event with a collective artist exhibit, and I started the set with Jacula, “In Cauda Semper Stat Venenum,” followed with some Aleister Crowley, “The Beast Speaks,” etc.).

What does the word “ritual” mean for you in music? Do you view a ritual with a sense of reverence toward the music, or are you in a certain sense searching for the power to control music? Do you feel like a conqueror of music, or do you find that music is more likely to conquer you?

Ritual & music can fit …trance music could be ritualistic. I don’t feel like a conqueror. I’m just an addict of sounds, noise and effects.

What was the first music that captured your attention in your youth? What childhood memories do you attach to music?

Believe me or not,the first sounds I was attracted were the recordings of Native American music, their celebrations and ceremonies to the moon, the sun, death, etc. I was renting CDs and transferring them on tapes and listening to them in my room. The other music I loved was, of course, the Maestro – Ennio Morricone! I always wanted to be an Indian, to be free, faces painted,with wild horses and wild wolves! As a child, my first instrument was an old Banger. I still have it with me on every trip. My other specialty since I was a kid is to imitate birds and animal sounds.

For lack of a more specific term, when did “underground” music reveal itself to you? What were the first bands that introduced you to the dark side of music? What feelings do you have for those bands today?

First time I heard the mention of “underground” music was in the early 90s, listening to the Belgian Radio Panik (independent radio). They were different to my ears compared to the usual crap! I recorded many old programs off the radio on tape (lots of ambient music, trip hop, electronic, sound effects). So, let’s say that my first interests were ambient and electronic (Underground Resistance, Disko B, Aphex Twin, Acid Kirk, etc.), then into soundtracks, library music, Latin, 60s, 70s, Nuyorican soul, mod shit. Then, of course, HEAVY and Sabbath, Arthur Brown, Deep Purple, Edgard Broughton Band, Il Balletto di Bronzo, etc. GET ME INTO HEAVY! First dark band? Black Sabbath, then maybe later The Cramps, but I was already more in search of the HEAVY sounds, the prog and the psych since the beginning to be honest. Afterward, darkness became obviously necessary through the years. The psych and the prog turned me to black metal in the end.

How did you first get together with Aqua Nebula Oscillator? How long did you play with that band? What are your best memories of your time in ANO?

I met Davis Os, guru of the band in London. Our mutual Transylvanian friend Attila Babos introduced us to each other. I really loved his strong French accent (speaking English)! He directly told me about his band with a long name, the jams, the travels, the psychedelic scene in Paris (I had never heard about it – I used to HATE Paris). He sent me a CD afterward and I fell in love of ANO – AMAZING (that was the time when the band sounded more like the “Cave Recordings” LP on Funeral Folk and when Juan Trip was in the band as well). I invited ANO to my fest, Suicide Twist, in Brussels in 2006. They did one song that was 30 minutes long. Result: MY FAV BAND EVER! I followed Os back to Paris, got together and at first I wanted to be their manager. Os put me on a Korg MS2000 – I never had a synth in my hands before (since then, I’ve never stopped synth!). We started the Muzikasphaera duo (Os on guitar and vocals, me on voodoo drums, synth, effects and vocals). The painted faces came from Muzikasphaera. Afterwards, Os kicked out ANO members (Juan Trip, Takumi Iida, David Alfonso Gallego) to reform the band with new members: the Canadian drummer Vince Posadzki, the bassist Simon Bouteloup  and me (vocals and synth). We played together 4 years. We did “Under The Moon.” We could have done more but the band was really hard to deal with. My last gigs with ANO were Yellowstock fest and the Nouveau Casino with The Black Angels in Paris.

My best memories with ANO: On acid with Mr. Sky Saxon, tour support of The Cult in Europe (Ian Astbury is a great man, nice taste and a cool dude) and the latest, best memory was our Dunajam experience – an amazing place, amazing people, good energies – the best place to play!

Regarding the Funeral Folk LP of ANO, Os had tons of old tapes that he let die in the humid caves. I met Sylvester Anfang dude Willem in Brussels and I told him about it and he wanted to do a LP of it for Funeral Folk, a Belgian Label. I said, “Ok, let’s see what the guru says.” Os didn’t want to do anything – I pushed him. I did all the archives and sent the songs to the Belgian friends. They did, I think, one of the best LP’s of the band.

Regarding the “Excavation” EP, David Jasso, owner of Assommer (the best US underground heavy psych label!!) came to our gig in Paris and offered to every band member of ANO a fantastic pair of glasses – what a great freak! We stayed in touch – he was and still is a fan of ANO. I totally love his band, OGOD (Over Gain Optimal Death). His label is majestic – he put out such bands as Mainliner, The Antarcticans, OGOD and much more!! HEAAAAVYYY LSD SOUNDS! He is also an amazing graphic artist, I think – he did lots of visuals for ANO.

Similarly, how did you first connect with the mind-crushing force that is known as White Hills? What is it about their music that makes it so compelling to you?

As I started the ANO MySpace (before even joining the band in 2005-2006), and in a way, being the booker of the band, doing the promotion, spreading the sounds and imagery through the internet’s parallel universe, many great bands were supporting ANO and me supporting them. Danava was the first band I followed on MySpace, then Serpentina Satellite, The Black Angels, Phantom Family Halo, White Hills and many more … We were already helping each other. I discovered White Hills through MySpace. I saw them at first at an Orange Factory show in Belgium. I gave our last LP, “Under The Moon,”  to Dave and he wrote back a cool review on the Rocket Recordings website. Later, Dave proposed that I join White Hills for their gig at La Maroquinerie in Paris and it followed with other gigs, like WTFF in Berlin, ATP in NY and the UK, etc. It’s fun playing with White Hills. I love their sound and it was fun also to record in Oneida Studios in NY last September (album out very very soon!). Thanks to White Hills, I discovered Farflung, Gnod, Mugstar and Seven That Spells. Recording with Farflung and Over Gain Optimal Death (OGOD) is also a GREAT experience.

What band would you most like be able to collaborate with? Do you prefer “raw” – little practice – live events with bands, or are you equally pleased to work on a recording with a band or artist that you enjoy?

Joining bands on the road and gigs is good FUN but recording is the best, I think. It’s more intimate and we have a good opportunity to experiment in depth with the sound. For the future … I have some projects in mind … but for that, my gypsy travels have to stop. I need to be based somewhere and work. There is also lot of people I want to work with … patience!

In a March 1978 issue of “Sounds,” Jimmy Page is quoted as saying the following: “”I feel Aleister Crowley is a misunderstood genius of the 20th century. Because his whole thing was liberation of the person, of the entity, and that restriction would foul you up, lead to frustration which leads to violence, crime, mental breakdown, depending on what sort of makeup you have underneath. The further this age we’re in now gets into technology and alienation, a lot of the points he’s made seem to manifest themselves all down the line.” Your thoughts? If you prefer, you may alternately just tell us your favorite Led Zeppelin song.

“Dazed and Confused”! “No Quarter”!

What’s next for SHAZZULA?

The “Black Mass Rising” movie (experimental,120 minutes) will be presented for the first time in Lima,Peru together with a sound performance and various sound works in the country … personal sound works (as §ђ∆ZzV⇂∆), recordings, live performances … works with duo S†U … help The Entrance Band with Minik for booking in Europe … continue helping bands (Swamp Booking),spreading the sounds when I DJ … continue the Rituals photos and restart painting … continuing non-smoking, be back into RAW vegetarian food, ENJOY LIFE IN MUSIC AND ART! Never stop … continue to FIGHT!

Shazzula