Hi Trevor. We'll talk about you for a while and about your next band that you recently put together.
Trevor – A few months ago Piers and I were considering re-activating Arcane Winter, but due to a number of reasons, that did not come together. So, between Piers and I we decided to create a whole new band that took aspects of our previous musical projects and expanded things. We looked around for someone who shared our vision and found that an old dear friend of ours, Justin, was up for it! Hence the birth of Chaos Bleak!
Alan - First of all, imagine where you live, what is your civilian occupation, and in what bands you played and so far you are active + tell the band's focus.
Trevor – I am a freelance Quality Assurance Officer for a VQ focused Music examination board, a guitar tutor and a part time PhD researcher. The most well-known bands I have been in include:
Every New Dead Ghost, Arcane Winter and Midnight Configuration. I am still in Death Party UK and I have a prog-Goth side project called The Angelfire Project also running. But the latter will never play live.
As for Chaos Bleak, our idea was to knit together the pre-goth musical sounds of bands like Play Dead and Killing Joke and mix that with our 1990’s Gothic underground influences. But as you listen to our music, I am sure there are other influences at work as we are all the sum total of the music we listen too!
Alan - The last band you put together is Chaos Bleak. Since when did the kapelas exist? And why did you decide to put this group together?
Trevor – I suppose it was two things for me. 1. I wanted to play that kind of music again. 2. I wanted other people to hear that kind of music again. Essentially, it did not exist, so I felt that we should make sure that it does exist again!
Alan - How much do you have with Chaos Bleak? And how many of your own songs do you play?
Trevor – So far Chaos Bleak have recorded around 15 tracks. Some have not yet been completed in the studio and out of that collection of tracks. Two are outright cover tracks. Namely “Walk Away” by Play Dead and “Requiem” By Killing Joke. Currently under development are two tracks by former bands we have been in, but this is a secret at the moment! Currently all completed songs are in our live set depending on how long a set time we have.
Alan - So far you release everything as a single or EP electronically. Free to listen. Do you have any intention in this?
Trevor – We wanted to gradually build up the band’s name in the scene and then to release a collection of tracks that we had already heavily promoted on the back of new bonus and exclusive material. Its very difficult these days for a new band to get any kind of exposure, and so we decided on this route to gradually make people more and more aware of us.
Alan - Chaos Bleak is a band that plays a mix of Proto-Goth Rock / Metal. Who brought you to this genre or what? Pattern in other groups, this focus?
Trevor – I am not sure in regards the metal description as although I do like a number of metal bands, and they do feature as part of my personal musical development. I feel that we are heavy without treading on the traditional metal path. As I said before, we had a deffinate direction with how we wanted the band to sound that paid tribute to our own musical influences which included the heavier aspects of 80’s post punk but mixed in with a modern focus and production that evolved in the Gothic scene in the 1990’s. The way I see it, we are going in a direction that the scene might have taken if bands The Sisters Of Mercy did not evolve into a dominance of the mid 80’s Gothic scene onwards. Or perhaps a direction that bands like Play Dead may have taken if they had started now rather than in the early 80’s. TBH it is what the listener hears, and whatever they hear is all good!
Alan - We turn completely. What made you do music for years? And why marginal genres?
Trevor – This is a question I have asked myself many times. The simple answer is that music is very special to me and has made me the person I am today. Everything I have ever done and pretty much everyone I have met has come to me one way or another through my involvement in music. In short, I love it! Being involved in it and playing it. It is my life and is who I am.
Why this kind of music? This is due to me wanting music in my life that is different from the conventional. Wanting music that covers other topics than the basic. Wanting music where the best people are. Also, its about me wanting to add to what already exists in the hope that others will like it too, and perhaps also experience the joy, happiness and fulfillment I get from music.
Alan - Just as you had with other bands where you performed, for each song and picture material. Clip. Will you do it with Chaos Bleak?
Trevor – Do you mean create promo videos? We are already creating them. The video medium is the only really effective way of reaching people at them moment due to the saturation of Social media.
Alan - Chas Bleak sound is built differently than other bands. Which is interesting. Again, the question, why are you doing this?
Trevor – I suppose it comes down to the idea that there are no other bands around with our sound at the moment. We love that kind of guitar and bass heavy progressive post-punk feel meeting modern electronics and production sound and wanted to bring it into existence!
Alan - Do you know the Czech Republic? Have you been here before? Any insights? Or attractions for you?
Trevor – I have toured Czech Republic twice in my old, old band Every New Dead Ghost back in the early 1990’s and I liked your country very much. We toured there just after the “velvet” revolution and we were one of the first English bands to play your country. We (Every New Dead Ghost) even recorded an unreleased live album in Prague.
Alan - Thanks for the interview. In conclusion, a message to our listeners? Readers?
Trevor – I would like to thank you all for your support, and if you get the chance please check out our music and our videos.
https://chaosbleak.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/chaosbleakband
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1XvIagyV0ZT6TC3SpSeGLw
