The-Pulsar

Hailing out of the still dark and unknown area near St. Petersburg, we present here an interview with this Russian three-man act. The-Pulsar have released a convincing debut “Awakening” on the Russian/Hungarian label Advoxya Records (www.advoxya-records.com) Thanks to the help of this label we can mostly erase some difficulties in language and grammar, as Advoxya has the ability to communicate fluently about their artists. The-Pulsar play a kind of classically-inspired EBM with some Wave-ish undertones. They avoid in their music the use of currently up-to-date styles like Futurepop or Hellektro. Check for further info at their website, www.the-pulsar.com and have a listen to the new Interbreeding VIII compilation out on BLC Productions (www.blcmusic.com), which will have a track by them on board. In fact, BLC is working toward a compilation featuring both the acts of Advoxya and those of BLC in an electronica-duel called “Super Powers”.

Chain D.L.K.: Why Pulsar? Wouldn’t this name be more suitable for groups playing Rave and Techno styles? With “space” and other “starry themes” like this — wouldn’t that be more appropriate to another genre of music, really?
The-Pulsar: This is the space where a squirrel flew with arrow! But for us everything is completely different. You should search in the internet, write “pulsar” in a search engine, and read it….. After this you should read our texts. You may understand after! Everybody has a different idea of “space” as a concept. Space, Universe – these are normally different conversational subjects!

Chain D.L.K.: And why the traditional Electro-EBM? Nowadays a lot of groups try to include new and modern trends, as e.g. Techno-Body-Music, Hellektro, impregnation of rave move samplers. In your music the dominance of the old-school can be recognized. Aren’t you afraid that potential new worshippers would not take your music?
The-Pulsar: The-Pulsar: Most likely it is really so… But, what should we do? I would like to repeat that we write music with soul and not calculated!!! This is how stars assemble! This is the music we manage to make! Our music is a mirror of our souls. It expresses everything that goes around us at the moment of its authoring. Now we are recording our new album, it is completely different, although I don’t know how it will be at the end! Personally I sense the world in a bit of a different way than one year ago and the music changes accordingly. In fact it changes very much! In the new album there are plenty of such evolutions. I don’t know whether they are popular or not…. And it is for me completely all the same. If considering fashion and popularity, it is completely useless to talk about the context of music we are talking of! Why shouldn’t we play in this kind like any “porn”, as those shown in television? That is fashion that is popularity! And anyway it is possible to cry that you are a lot of independent souls and such as that, but still sell out your message — and we won’t do that! Exactly these people have turned such an interesting music as EBM to a channel of Future Pop and to other similar styles! No, of course there are collectives that play more or less interesting music in the new trends of the given style, but basically this is simply banal commerce! Me for example, I don’t see any difference between Modern Talking and several so-called dark groups — great music doesn’t need a classification scheme! Simple ones sing about love and others about different themes, while the aim is the same – PORTRAITS OF A DEAD AMERICAN PRESIDENTS with the spirit SELL FOR MORE!!! Of course we also would like to see an economic benefit, but just to realize that, we won’t do musical prostitution! If someone would consider that we have written modern music and gives us a lot of money, then thank goodness! We shall be very happy! But that is not the overriding goal of the music that we make. Try the album “Awakening” and see.

Chain D.L.K.: Please tell us more details about how everything started. And why you exactly chose to play Electro-/Industrial music?
The-Pulsar: There are no exotic (erotic?) details behind this!!! J Everything is banal, nothing new! There are not concrete dates and milestones…. We are together for a long time now, we drove for a long time to this and we are up to continue in the same way. Why exactly Electro-/Industrial? Again, everything is mentioned in that already answered question. We didn’t assemble to decide “WHAT SHALL WE PERFORM?”. And we didn’t discuss “…….should we play reggae or country?……. Or maybe punk rock or post-punk?”. For me it doesn’t matter how our music is called. We play what comes out from us and this is what we like and that is it!

Chain D.L.K.: What do you think of the Russian electronic scene (having in view of course Industrial music)?
The-Pulsar: The Russian nation with such deep roots in art unfortunately has become so much degraded! More precisely I should say it differently: IT HAS BEEN DEGRADED!!! To my deep regret the people here have no alternatives! They don’t understand what it is, with what they try to feed us, in fact that is not art… There should be a precise border between art and such idea as «show-business». Similarly, differences between Milo’s Venus and a photo in a porn journal…. This is not the same!!! Real art people could like or dislike, could be pleasant or unpleasant, but it above all should be honest, should come from spirit. “Show-business” on the other hand bases on our most general animal instincts. Lot of people don’t understand that besides living the robot type life: eating, drinking, sleeping, copulating, and go shopping etc, there is also a bigger and eternal value. In such case it is very hard to come up to something unusual and genuine. Also it seems to me that the Industrial scene will very hardly grow from this soil. But I think that everything will be all right. Because there are honest and good bands! And everything is still upfront! At least it is in its origin much more interesting and versatile than similar scenes of many other countries!

Chain D.L.K.: A lot of bands try to use during recordings or live acts some “counters” to attract attention – Have you thought about creating something typically in your “own” brand style? How do you plan to build up your live acts?
The-Pulsar: Our “counters” are generally – here we are, our music, honesty, sincerity, self-giving and the wish to deliver our inner feelings to people! If only one person would think over after a concert that why he is here and why everything is so, would means that we do this all not in vain. The chance to get our message across to even just one person makes this all worthwhile and gives us a reason for making music.Now we shall a bit familiarize and shall develop: live drums, live bass-guitar, co-singing girls undressed ……. Or better without! J

Chain D.L.K.: What is your opinion regarding those bands that are doing self-promotion by their participation and visitor annoying announcements e.g. “new track is recorded”, “we shall appear on stage there and there”, “we support that and that” on thematic forums? In your opinion should musicians participate or not participate in such self-advertising?

The-Pulsar: Why not? It is necessary to deliver somehow your music to the people! We admittedly don’t do this maybe, even if we did we would give this interview three years earlier!

Chain D.L.K.: Now, there is universal copying and downloading from the internet. Why are labels needed? And why have you concluded a contract with Advoxya-Records? Several musicians prefer to release their stuff on their own account, selling them later on their concerts. What do you think about the future of the music industry?
The-Pulsar: Well, they gave us money and therefore we’re signed!J And also on 2-3 concerts per year you won’t sell much! I would like to emphasize that we don’t have an independent Electro scene! Independent labels, some concerts started to appear only recently! Everything is still ahead of us! So-called downJ loading in Russia practically only individuals do, and I believe not just in our country! What should we say when HUGE money is being earned on phone ring tones, and on the “net” there is simply a lot of it! So it seems to me that this is now rubbish and in the near future everything will be as before!

Chain D.L.K.: What are your plans for the near future?
The-Pulsar: To record our album and to perform, perform and once more perform!

Chain D.L.K.: How do you want to earn money in perspective? Do you feel yourself all-sufficient to continuous music recording and release process, or this is just a hobby beside of which you have your basic job from which neither of you want to reject in the near future? In other words, do you plan to make music your primary livelihood or will you be doing some other “day job” while making music?
The-Pulsar: Music is our mission! This is not a hobby and not a work! This is principal in our life! Of course, now we should work parallel as we should feed our family! But, we would wish – to have the chance in the future to reject from it and only to create music! During work you lose colossal energy!!! We would wish to use it completely for the creation!

[interviewed by Advoxya editing by Marc Tater] [proofreading by Brandon L. Clark]