TESTIFY

Interview with Myk Jung

Hello - this is Myk Jung, vox of Testify, answering your questions

I think there is no better way to start this interview that speaking about your new creature. So what do you think to introduce to my readers this new act of your career?

Myk: Perhaps I should start with a classic of interview-art and confirm that our new album "Triviality Beyond Acceptance" reveals the best Testify ever. Straight mid-tempo killer-tracks such as "White Skinned Heroine" or the atmospheric "Invisible Hell" stand beside brutal crusher such as "Abuser´s Gabble" or "Fragile Puppet" and and and - not to forget the slowest, darkest and longest Black Jewel "Under The Cold Moon" which still I think to be absolutely unbelievable.

TESTIFY surely follow the best path created by bands like MINISTRY or going more underground by SKREW, but I find in you something more complex like the desire to be unique that above all in this last album is more evident. Do you think that it is very difficult to be personal within this kind of music and what is your point of force considering the paragon with such artists?

Myk: Thanks for the compliment that this latest release above all shows that Testify is somewhat unique. I don't think that within this our genre - Industrial Aggro Metal or whatsoever - it is more difficult to be personal than in other genres, for within the bounds of one specific genre the musical features ever are akin to each other. It is quite natural that Testify is often being compared to Ministry or other famous artists of Industrial; we notice such comparisions with indifference.

How do you feel about "Triviality Beyond Acceptance" especially comparing it to the old releases?

Myk: In my eyes every Testify-release has somehow its own character. "Testify 01" is straight, cold, ultra-brutal, thin and sharp; "BallroomKiller" is much influenced by the remixers adding their talent to the sharpness; "MMMYAOOOO" is sort of more tricky, darker, thicker in sound, with more interesting gloomy particles; "Crack The Mind" has more Rock-features ; "Triviality Beyond Acceptance" finally brings all these features together - and it contains the most catchy "hits".

You have recorded 5 albums and each one with a different producer. Is there a specific reason behind this choice?

Myk: I'm sorry but there seems to be a mis-information. Every album was produced by Mathias Black, Testify-soundchief. "MMMYAOOOO" was partly co-produced by Adam Grossman of Skrew; the two remix-albums of course had their remixers as co-producers; but most times Testify's Mathias is in charge.

In this album there often are references to love and to hate. What is your way? Do you consider both important for our life or are they just different faces of the same coin?

Myk: These emotions of course are somehow connected to each other - signifying the two ends of the schedule of strong emotions. The hate that is immanent to Testify's sound results of wrath, has no virtue of itsself, is just born out off the anger about too many features in human life. And love - yes I think there are parts of lyric-work somehow treating this theme. Love and sex and yearning and the dark paths of the search to the light. Something like that.

One of the aspects I prefer of your music is the claustrophobic atmosphere that overwhelms you during the listening of each single song. Is it what you want to create? Give me your opinion.

Myk: Har, interesting statement. I personally never thought of claustrophobic aspects - me even being not able to be inside an elevator. "Invisible Hell" even carries the theme. "Lightless narrow celle" - it is an allegory to the burden of loneliness and darkness. I´m glad that you prefer these atmospheric blackness and derive your own interpretation out of it.

You are also involved in another project signed by Van Richter Records. It is THE FAIR SEX with a new album "The Dark Ages" that will be out in May. What can you anticipate me about this?

Myk: The Fair Sex is the older band which is more electronic than Testify - celebrating a mixture of EBM and Gothis features. TFS was just a short while ago re-united, and work on new material. "The Dark Ages" is a collection of stone-old mystic classics of The Fair Sex. But not too long ago we created two new tracks that tried to resemble the old The Fair Sex-soundconstructions; these two tracks are "Beautiful Nightmare: The Number One" and the cover-version "Children Of The Revolution" which now hit as bonus-tracks the collection of old material.

Within a few months will be out "Triviality Beyond Remixes". Can you tell me more about this project and about some names involved in this?

Myk: Ahh, just wait and let yourself get surprised. All in due time. We still work out plans.

Your creature is totally devoted to the force of the machine and Electronic get an important role inside your music. Once you said that was your intention to create a sort of Cyber opera. Tell me more about this and about what does the electronic mean to you?

Myk: Indeed we are devoted to the force of the machine - whereas Testify sounds more natural than The Fair Sex which work much with sequences and synths and so on. And The Fair Sex has already created a Cyber-Opera - the long opus "Labyrinth" of 1995 that narrates the story of Tancer, a hero of the future. A weird Fantasy/ SF tale.

In an interview you say: TESTIFY should be the harsh super powered BLACK AVENGER in the aural dimension, filled with wrath about a world that's going sick. Tell me more about this amazing image.

Myk: Yeah, the theme of The Black Anger which is the most significant emotion of The Black Avenger - Myk's favorite theme. It is not anger per se which is glorified - it is this burning emotion that is a reaction of the soul which is still able to burn - suffering from the sickness of this world, but turning that suffering into positive power. Testify should have some of these aspects in their ideology.

In general which are the most important aesthetics and ethic principles behind TESTIFY? Myk: One song of Testify has the subtitle "The Noble Knights Of Testify Reject Malicious Joy". This is Testify - ethic. Although we make a bit slapstick out off it, in order to take the too heavy burden of seriousness and Moralin from it. The aesthetic principles are ever connected with darkness, thickness, and a weird atmosphere.

Do you think it will be possible to see you on stage in Europe during the next months?

Myk: The next project climbing the stage again will be The Fair Sex - going on tour soon in April 2002 in Germany with Girls Under Glass, heroes of their own right. Testify will follow, in case "Triviality Beyond Acceptance" will be released in the Old World.

I think you live now in USA and I think that it is not so easy for a European man to live the American way. How do you feel about it?

Myk: I'm sorry but here is another misinformation. We all, Testifylers and Fair Sexers, still live in the western regions of Nordrhein-Westfalen in Germany. And indeed, as we have experienced on journeys, we would have some difficulties to live the American Way. Let me just say that I regret to say that life is the US lacks a bit the more liberal way of Europe.

Your vision of the world is not so happy, it is evident by your lyrics, by your interviews so I ask you: Is there anything which you love and in which you really believe, something you will never leave you till the end?

Myk: Oh yeah, there must be such idealistic beliefs! But wait - which are mine? Love Endlessly? Everlasting luck? These are clichees - but somehow beneath the surface of these phrases there is a hidden truth. The search for luck and peace of mind which is more than the luck of the fleeting moment - something like this. To escape transience.

Are you satisfied of your life as musician? Have you ever repented of anything?

Myk: Another phrase/ old standard is to say that one should not repent even the errors and failures - for they shape you and determine you. But no - the dissatisfaction about all the wrong steps we've taken in our carrier is too strong. I repent too many things to name them all now. We´ve made horrible mistakes. Too often we were thinking about the reactions of our musical constructions - instead of just working on the constructions themselves.

To end it, what is your biggest dream as musician but also for your life?

Myk: To create the perfect album, the perfect mixture of all our favorite elements. "Triviality Beyond Acceptance" is not too far from that aim, in Testify-matters. But still the perfect album must be done. Dream for my own life? To escape transience.

Well, thanks for this interview. Add what you want

Thank you very much for these interesting questions! Greetynx. Myk


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