The new album Seven Samurai is out now. It seems like the actual release was later than it was originally intended. Is that correct? And why is that?

When I have an idea for a new release I directly start looking for the material and of course a record company, well, I used to do this, now I have my own record company and I don’t have to search for a company anymore. Ok, I came with the idea for the ‘Seven Samurai’ two years ago and asked Divine Comedy Records if they liked to release this album . We agreed and they put it on their site right away. I still had to release the ‘Monuments’ album then (released October 2003) and didn’t start working on the ‘Seven Samurai at all. I can not record a whole album in a few months without producing crap and so it took me almost a year to record this album.

Can you tell us something more about the concept of this album and in what way this relates to the music on Seven Samurai ?

In februari 2003 I got the ‘Seven Samurai’ movie on dvd and one of the first things that I noticed was that the soundtrack of the movie was really bad. Then I decided to create an alternative soundtrack for the movie which is not really connected to the movie but is more like another way to see the story of this poor village which had been attacked by outlaws for years and they finally are fed up with it and ask 7 knights to help them to fight these bandits. The album is also a tribute to the work of Akira Kurosawa who is one of the few film-directors that I really love.

It seems like the music of A Challenge of Honour is more refined, disciplined and ritual today, and less martial influenced like previous albums. What is your own personal view on this comment?

When I started working with Johan in 2001 on A Challenge of Honour I was 25 and still a wild guy musically, but within the years I have grown up. The sound now really is my own sound, I stopped working with samples a few years ago and now play all music by myself, I think that that is also a way to explain the sound the way it is now.

You once stated to never perform again on German soil after a series of accusations of extreme right-wing sympathies culminating in acts of physical violence to yourself caused by anonymous people at an edition of Wave Gotik Treffen. What is your view on these events and your decision to not perform live as for today ?

Well, the stuff that happened in Leipzig has nothing to do with that decision, the shit that happened there has nothing to do with A Challenge of Honour at all, I got attacked after a concert in the park and because I was at the phone at that moment I didn’t noticed the people who did this. It was not an attack on my person but on just another visitor of the festival. Some people in the scene used it as a sort of propaganda against left-wing organisations and I really was not happy with that because there was never a proof of who did it. My decision of not playing on German soil anymore came after some protest of an Anti-fascist organisation accusing me of having anti-Jewish and right-wing lyrics, when you know my work you will notice that 99% of my music is instrumental. The thing that irritated me the most was the fact they never contacted me and ask for my opinion or even start a discussion, I was fed up with the German ‘anti-fascist-we-have-to-straighten-out-our history’ mentality and so I decided to do no gigs on German soil for a couple of years.

Much has changed over the years regarding the overall acceptance of neofolk, martial and neo-classical ambient music, a musical subculture reflecting themes taken from European culture and heritage. Bands like Der Blutharsch, Von Thronstahl and Kirlian Camera can freely perform today, whilst a few years ago concerts were prohibited. Remember the cancellation of Dies Natalis concerts a few years back. Why do you think this has changed? Does this have a relation with changing social and political circumstances in Europe itself?

Europe is slowly becoming a second USA, especially in the Netherlands things are starting to become very bad. More people need help because they don’t have the money anymore to buy even simple things like food and now the government decided to make health-care private. I supported the Dutch SP (socialist party) since I voted the first time (12 years ago) and I am a member since a few months. They are one of the only parties in the Netherlands that see the growing problems in the Netherlands that have been created by higher taxes and prices of your daily needs. Everything gets more expensive but the people are getting unemployed or paid less by the thousands.

I think that it is good that bands and artist get the freedom to perform on stage but that they may not use this freedom to bring a political or ideological message to the audience. Of course the audience is old enough to decide if they want to listen what these bands have to say. The ‘message’ of A Challenge of Honour has always been a message of peace and not war, a voice for the victims of wars and violence. The last few releases where more about the history of the Orient.

Did the accusations of the Anti-fascist movements harm you as a person, or as a citizen ? In what way did this influence your view as a musician? Do you think you could defend yourself properly? Do you feel things have been set straight again by now?

They did not harm me as a person but I was a little confused in the beginning because they never asked about my political background or my ideas on world politics. They never went into a discussion with me or gave me the change to talk things right. Their intolerance was really confusing for me, they talked about the intolerance of the right-wing people but offended me as left-wing person with their accusations and in-tolerance against me. I never led this affect my music and went on the way I was working. I have not heard about anything for over 2,5 years now so it probably is good now.

Only Stones Remain, which was your first official cd release, now often is considered a classic in martial and neo-classical music. How do you look back upon those years yourself?

It was an album which I did with old material from the original ACOH member Johan König and is something completely different to the music that I make these days. It is nice to be part of a classic album of course. I’m working on an album of Johan’s new project Laharis at the moment which will be released on my label Vrihaspati Recordings around februari 2006 as a CD.

What is the difference between A Challenge of Honour releases and Un Defi D’Honneur releases?

There is no difference, it is a project that I did after visiting the city of Verdun. I wanted to make a sort of album about the horrors of the first world war taken from the French point of view. Everything for the album was in French, also the band name.

You have released material on many different independent industrial labels like Neuropa Records, Steinklang Records, Cold Spring and Divine Comedy but now you have founded your own label Vrihaspati for A Challenge of Honour and related material. What led to this decision ?

The idea came from Max from Steinklang Records who said that I should get more grip on my music and releases and should start my own record-company. I started Vrihaspati Recordings to release my own albums and also albums of A Challenge of Honour related bands/projects like Praetorio, Laharis or Straight Mental Institute.

Check www.vrihaspati-rec.com for details about my releases.

 You contributed to a tribute dedicated to the artist JM Dauvergne. What kind of visual art inspires you?

I love a lot of visual stuff, paintings, photo’s and video-animations. I love the work of Chris Cunningham who made video’s for Aphex Twin.

I’m also reading a lot about Indian art and culture and the same with Japanese art and culture. I love paintings of the old masters like Bosch and Breughel.

You have founded the SDiM organisation, the Southern Dutch Industrial Movement, what are the activities and future plans of SDiM ?

At the moment we are working to make SDiM a professional organisation and we are also planning some new experimental concerts for the new year including a experimental gig with A Challenge of Honour in March 2006. More info soon on our site www.sdim.org. We are also planning a last edition of the almost legendary Absinthe Party.

  Who is DJ Ex-Zero and what is his mission?

Dj Ex-Zero is my DJ alter-ego. I don’t keep myself to one style, I started as a industrial DJ in 1995 and still try other styles every time I play. The last time I did a gig was an Acid-set and I also produce Breakcore and Drum n Bass tracks and will probably release something on the label of Hypnoskull in 2006.

Check my site: www.ex-zero.com but be warned, this has nothing to do with A Challenge of Honour’s music. I’m also working on a project together with C-drik (Axiome, Kirdec..etc) and Paul Devens.

 What can we expect from A Challenge of Honour in the near future?  

I have nothing planned for the coming year. I still have to do one album on Cold Spring Records entitled ‘Whitechapel’ but this album will probably not be released before December 2006. I am also planning a sort of ‘lounge/newage’ version remix album of the ‘Ashigaru’ EP’s. On Vrihaspati Recordings you can expect an A Challenge of Honour Remix album with acts like Ambassador 21, Hypnoskull, Sturmpercht, Atrox and Kirdec, which is becoming a very promising project, and the Laharis CD.

 Would you like to add a final comment to our readers?

Thank you very much for your time and interest in my project and I hope that people will like my music as well for the next 5 years.

Thanx.