15.08.2008, Interviews

BLUE EYED CHRIST

Was für Europa Zothomog war (und ist), war für Nordamerika das Label Wax Trax! Records aus Chicago. Bands wie Frontline Assemby, Mussolini Headkick, Ministry, Front 242 standen dort unter Vertrag und übten einen großen Einfluß auf die amerikanische Electro-Szene der 80er Jahre aus.
Einer der auch in eben diesen Einfluß geriet, war John Norton, Mastermind der amerikanischen EBM-Band BLUE EYED CHRIST, mit dem wir einen kurzen Ausflug in die damalige Zeit machen.

Wuchs man als Teenager und Fan elektronischer Klänge im Chicago der 80er Jahre auf, führte wohl kein Weg an dem Label und Recordstore Wax Trax! Records vorbei. Bands wie Frontline Assembly, Ministry, The Revolting Cocks und Front 242 standen dort unter Vertrag und zählten, wie uns John Norton, Mastermind von BLUE EYED CHRIST, im Interview verriet, neben Bigod 20 und Bands des Labels Zoth Ommog zu seinen musikalischen Einflüssen.
Mit den ersten Arbeiten an dem 1991 erschienenen Album "Leaders + Followers" began John Norton bereits in seinem letzten Jahr an seiner High-School in Chicago. Der bekennende Kontrollfreak nahm dabei fast alles selbst in die Hand, weswegen der Entstehungsprozess auch satte 3 Jahre andauerte, womit er auch prompt beim belgischem Kultlabel KK Records unter Vertrag genommen wurde.

Die Kombination aus ehrlichen, einschlagenden Texten untermauert von harten elektronischen Klängen der zweiten EBM-Generation, lassen "Leaders + Followers" zu einem der interessantesten EBM-Werke aus den USA werden. 

Was folgte, waren mehrere Live-Auftritte, u.a. ein Auftritt mit Chemlab und Clock DVA in einer zum Nachtclub umgebauten Kirche - dem NewYorker Limelight Club.
1992 folgte dann noch die Maxi-CD "Catch My Fall", welche ebenfalls bei KK Records erschien.

Leider erging es KK Records wie vielen anderen guten Labels aus der damaligen Zeit - die Unfähigkeit der Besitzer richtete es zugrunde. Die amerikanische Electro- und Industrialszene wandelte sich immer mehr in Richtung Mainstream und auch John Norton  und BLUE EYED CHRIST suchten Ihren musikalischen Erfolg in anderen Musikrichtungen.

Für Dezember 2008 sind zwei Konzerte in Leipzig und Berlin unter der Federführung von ELECTRIC TREMOR geplant. Gespielt werden sollen dabei ausschließlich die Stücke von BEC aus der Zeit bei KK Records, womit jeder Oldschool-EBMer voll auf seine Kosten kommen dürfte.

Weitere Infos zu BLUE EYED CHRIST:

MySpace: www.myspace.com/blueeyedchrist
Discogs: www.discogs.com/artist/Blue+Eyed+Christ

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Das komplette Interview mit John Norton von BLU EYED CHRIST in Englisch:

ET: Tell us a bit about how the band started.

John: "The band" has always essentially been me in the studio. I was always a control freek and had a clear idea of what I wanted to do, so I'd write, produce, engineer, and mix my own songs. Brad Lovett used to help me a lot, we met through mutual friends in High School. I was the songwriter, but he was like quality control, I'd always bounce ideas off of him. Live, I've had various members over the years.

I grew up in the Chicago area and was very into the Wax Trax bands of that era. I discovered that scene around 86-87. I was into Ministry, Front 242, Die Warzau, The Revolting Cocks, Thrill Kill Kult, Front Line Assembly, and basically anything wax trax from that era. I used to hang out a lot at the Wax Trax record store and eventually the studio, Chicago Trax.

I started writing music in High School, not really sure what it would evolve into. I got a couple keyboards and drum machines and just started writing. Once I had a bunch of songs together, I decided to take the project more seriously. I got a manager who helped shopping the band to lables and offering general career advice. Most of the songs written for Leaders and Followers were done over a period of a couple of years, my senior year in High School to my Freshman year in college (89-91).

ET: How you experienced the EBM - scene at the earlier 90s if your "Leaders & Followers" album comes out? And how you get the cooperation with KK records from belgium?

John: I was more into the EBM music that made it's way over here...mainly Front 242 I suppose. Bigod 20 and the Zoth Amog stuff had a fair amount of success out here and I thought their records were interesting, along with some of the KK bands.

How I hooked up with KK records was I liked some of the bands on the label, Cat Rapes Dog and Kode IV, and Front Line Assemblys first record. I basically told my manager to contact a bunch of lables that were doing similar music, and KK got back to us and was really excited about the project. Frankly, things went bad with them pretty quick. The guy running that label, Joseph, basically ripped EVERYONE off. I've since met other bands on that label and they all seem to have the same story.

ET: Do you remember of some live gigs in this time?

John: I had some great live gigs when Leaders and Followers came out. We went to New York for this big week long seminar that had lables from all over the world promoting during the day, and then new bands playing at night at various clubs in New York. I believe the year we played it was Blue Eyed Christ, Chemlab, and Clock DVA at the Limelight in New York, which was a reall cool huge nightclub at the time, it was a church they converted into a club, so very appropriate...pretty cool lineup. That was one of my first shows and was pretty incredible.

In the Mid 90's I had a really great live band that played out a couple of times a month in Chicago, we had quite a big live following, that was about the peek of Industrial music in America, Once Nine Inch Nails The Downward Spiral came out, Industrial became quite mainstream for a few years.

ET: What do you do now?

John: I moved out to LA about 12 years ago. It totally looked like I was signing to a major US label and would be "the next big thing" but like so many other bands, it fell apart at the last minute. I've had a couple of independantly released Blue Eyed Christ CD's that I'm very proud of, Crash and American Whore. I've had a new CD I've been working on for several years now. I just need to finish lyrics for many of the songs. I have over 50 completely arranged instrumental songs just needing lyrics. I find it much easier to write music than lyrics. I've completed about 5 songs, and need to finish lyrics for about 8 or 10 more to have a full legth CD.

I'va actually become successful and make my living engineering and mixing for other artists...mostly mainstream major label hip-hop/pop/r&b artists. It's still working in the music industry and it pays the bills. It can be rewarding helping other artists see their vision. I worked a lot with a huge rapper named The Game, who's signed to Dr. Dre's label and has sold millions of CD's. I also mixed the #1 hit song by Omarion called "icebox" produced by Timbaland. I know it seems wierd based on my past that I work on this kind of music, but my background has always been electronic music, and Industrial is heavy, aggressive, electronic music and hip-hop is often heavy, aggressive, electronic music...so it's not that much of a stretch. I feel like I have more in common with those artists than a standard "rock" band.