Band: Angels & Agony
Interview by: Nick
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Angels & Agony was founded halfway in the nineties of the last century by Reinier Kahle (vocals/keyboards and composing) and Erik Wieremnga (guitars) and soon DJ/promoter Marco van Belle joined them (and started to play keyboards at gigs) and with Fried Griepink on drums the final line-up was there.
'Unison' is the third album and before the release party in Arnhem (where the band performed live and performances have been held by Krause and Psyche as well) we spoke with Reinier and Marco.
We could say that once Angels & Agony got started, it started quite well.
Reinier: “Well, the band started about ten years ago and in fact from the moment we signed a deal with Out of line, it all went kind of fast and our professional career started there and many people do know us from that point in time, back in 2001. First a single, followed by our debut in the same year”.
From the beginning there were collaborations with a couple of famous artists, like Axel Ermes from Girls under Glass. How did you get in touch with him?
Reinier: “I liked Girls under Glass, especially their way to combine rock with electronics and unfortunately I could not get my hands on more of their music in the Netherlands, so I contacted them and spoke with Axel. I ordered some Cd's, but he was also very interested in my music, so he suggested to send him a demo of Angels & Agony. Later on we met and we became friends and started to work together and we still do”.
You also met Ronan Harris of VNV Nation.
Reinier: “Axel was their sound engineer once and was being asked to make a remix and followed to that he was being asked to produce a VNV Nation album”
Marco: “Around that time I managed to organize the first VNV Nation concert in the Netherlands (at Baroeg, Rotterdam) and via Axel we got to know the VNV guys better”.
I guess thanks to such collaborations many people still think Angels & Agony is a foreign band?
Reinier: “We hear such things from time to time ourselves. Recently someone who worked in a shop in Rotterdam knew the music for some years, but was surprised to find out that we are from Holland” (in fact, from Rotterdam)
Is there a big difference between Angels & Agony in the studio and on stage?
Reinier: “In the first place Erik and I are working on the material, writing songs and recording, but live we have four members on stage, with Marco playing keyboards and doing backing vocals and Fried playing drums or guitar”.
In the studio Marco works like a producer, right?
Marco: “Sort of, in a way I am responsible for how the material finally ends up on a CD, I do the finishing touch. With the years it became easier to make my ideas and vision clear to Reinier and Erik, but nowadays we don't need too many words to make the expression clear”.
Also in a way of being the biggest critic?
Reinier: “He sure is and I think that's very important as well. Sometimes we have a couple ideas and really think they are great, but then Marco brings us back down to earth again, which is always a stimulation to progress. And he's the one who could tell us, because he's involved just as much as we are, but also our critic when it's about new songs and he knows a lot about music as well”.
Also thanks to the fact that Marco is a well known DJ (Co2), without doubt the owner of a big CD collection?
Marco: “Indeed. I started as a young boy, playing the tunes at birthday parties. I have always been an entertainer and I will always be. Always willing to give something extra, passing our expression to the audience. I guess that's my strength, as DJ, but with the band on stage as well”.
With 'Unison' there's an extra CD with remixes. What's the experience of letting other artists do something with your material, like 'Wreckage', which was done by Torben Wendt (Diorama)?
Marco: “Funny thing is that some reviewer wrote that 'Wreckage' is more like an alternative version than that it is a remix and in fact it is, while Torben just re-recorded the song, playing all the instruments and doing vocals. It is a complete different version, more like it's a cover than it's a remix”.
Maybe the new way of remixing?
Reinier: “I don't really notice such a trend, but I do like it. It's really nice to hear others re-record your work in such a way, changing the song to their interpretations, like Torben did. He really focused on it and sent us an email in which he describes what the song means to him. I have to say that's quite a compliment”.
Marco: “In general my experience is that just a couple of remixes are better than the original versions. Most of the time a remix is just a club version of a song, some stronger beats in an extended version and that's it. As a DJ I often prefer to play the original version”.
Angels & Agony from left: Erik, Reinier, Marco, Fried (Photo: Jennifer Bosters)
Music and lyrics seem to be both important, listening to your songs.
Reinier: “Both are part of the writing process and are equally important to each other, like it doesn't work when I think 'I wanna write about that' it's more like synergy”.
In a way of inspiring yourself with music to write lyrics and the other way around?
Reinier: “Both, I guess. It happens when I'm on my way home and I have a certain chorus in my mind, like ideas can come up just at any time. It's a matter of collecting those until you have the time to work it out in the studio. Fortunately I'm having a studio at home, so whenever I feel like recording I can lock the door and get to work”.
When you start to record a new album, is all the writing done or does it continue in the studio?
Reinier: “It's more like a continuous process and while I'm also having a studio at home I even could do some recordings at night, sitting in my underwear recording some vocals. Well, in fact I did for this album”.
Marco: “Certainly it works that way that a certain album covers a certain period and in a way you close that period with the release of the material. 'Avatar' was more like a dark period, certainly compared to 'Unison' being more like a bright look above”.
Is this just evolution or a plan?
Reinier: “These changes are conscious. We did ask ourselves the question 'How we would like to go on' and decided it all could have some more depth and definition. We also asked Mitch Langeveld, because we could use the criticism of a nitpicker and did it very well. We wanted something like a second round for critics and I have to say it worked out fine”.
Also you have to draw a line. At some point it's finished.
Marco: “That's also part of my job. Sure, when Erik and Reinier keep working on songs there's always a moment when it's about details only and at some point you have to say we're ready and we have to move on to record another song. Otherwise you keep on working on some details, and in fact no one would hear the difference anymore, so it's no use to continue”.
Angels & Agony is successful in Europe, but also not unknown in the United States anymore. How are you guys finding success in the US?
Reinier: “We have performed there already, in Chicago, but the problem is that it's such a big country, and because of that it's not that easy to break through there. It's also an issue that it's such a big investment, because we have to fly there and the tickets have to get paid as well. It would better pay off with a few shows.”
Marco: “Also the licenses to work there aren't making it easier for us and that brings extra expenses, so we will need multiple shows. It's possible, but because it's such a big country the shows are very far apart. Even for bigger bands it's kind of hard to accomplish a tour in the US.”
Is it really a 'must' to get a tour in the US?
Reinier: “Actually yes, because it is a big challenge, but it certainly also has to do with meeting the right people at the right moment, people who can get the job done. It also has to do with how people like the new album, so we will see.”
For now the band is busy enough with Europe, and Angels & Agony are live on stage this upcoming summer on Wave Gotik Treffen and M'Era Luna in Germany. It's the 7th time the band will be playing in Leipzig; they've been there four times already on the big WGT, once on the Out of Line festival and as support for Project Pitchfork.
Check the Angels & Agony website for further dates.
Angels & Agony official site
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