Hello this is Myk, vox of The Fair Sex, answering your questions:
Can you give us a run down on how the band came together?
The Fair Sex was founded in late 1984 in Essen/Ruhrpott/Germany/Europe. Myk (voice), Blonder (keyboards), and Lo (guitar) were schoolmates and on the same wavelength - forced to digest their ideology by music. To make the band complete they were looking for a bass player and found the drummer A.Band and the already nearly 2 meters tall Rascal by announcement.
What have you been up to lately? Recordings? Releases?
After two fantastic live shows in 2001 a fresh enthusiam came up. The production of a new single called "Lost Traces Of The Far Side" started and was finished in the nick of time for touring activities right now in April 2002. The official release is expected for May 1. The full time album is planned for autumn 2002.
Any gigs lately? Any live performances in the planning?
As mentioned before, The Fair Sex are currently performing a package tour with Girls Under Glass and NCOR. The feedback of the audience was astonishing great by now. It seems that The Fair Sex are not forgotten yet and people are pleased to have us back. There are appearances during German summer festivals and further touring for the new album in autumn in planning.
Has your sound developed further or adapted itself much since the project's formation?
Of course, the sound developes within the time passing... The possibilities of electronic music changed within 1984 and 2002. We do not swim with the masses nor try to be on the latest rage, but if there's new stuff that fits and sounds great we're not afraid to use it.
Do you have an album that stands out from all your other efforts?
Myk would say: "The House Of Unkinds" is an outstandingly miserable album. "Labyrinth" sounds some different as the others but also originally TFS. This is an album which was released long before time was right for this kind of music, as it will seem in the retrospective...
Are you happy with the current lineup/sound?
I may say that The Fair Sex for some people seemed to be stronger than ever.
Were any of the current members in any past projects or bands?
L'o and Myk already played for school festivals long before any characteristics of a special scene were in sight, Rascal is also member of the band Warm, the TFS-younger brother Testify features Myk, Mathias Black and Kulff. Rascal and L'o created a project called "1 AM" some years ago... Ramon Creutzer and Myk, supported by L'o, Kulff, Moses W., had also been involved with NICE GODS BLEED.
Have you come up against any barriers so far?
Wrecked old guys as we are are not longer tormented by peoples' hate or compassion, or at least thatīs what we belive for the moment being. Within the band's circle differences of opinion appear while recording sometimes - but that's nothing special nor new. In the very early days we had trouble due to our seeming somehow arrogant, which we did not understand in those days. In the retrospective we understand parts of this aversion. We fear that we sometimes were quite unbearable.
Do you believe in extra terrestrial life?
Myk believes strongly in the beauty beyond endurance. Kullf belives in the wonders of Stauder Pils. And the theme of extra terrestrial life does not occur too often between band members. On the other hand: it will seem unlikely to us that there is no life in the nearness of 100 billion suns in our Galaxy alone...
If you had to put a label on your sound...How would you describe it?
Isn't an indiscribable, outstanding sound the goal of the most bands? And do not most bands abhor the scheme of labels? So we do. But here it is: the TFS-sound is a mixture of dancefloor and darkness, of EBM and guitars, of softness and anger, of atmosphere and straightness. A mixture of modern times and days gone by, perhaps.
Describe a typical live performance?
Rascal is "jumping like a frog in the fire" and knows his setting even if it is not defined. Myk is scratching himself until the blood runs (harrr, THE BLACK ANGER burns) and does little lyric changes (love prayers for his WhiteLadyQueen), not noted by the rest of the band, Blonder is cool behind his machineries and for the current and coming live appearance the guitar is handled by Kulff, member of Testify, making a cool performance marked by the Grinning Face and sweat.
How do you think your country's music scene could be improved? (That is if it needs improving)
There is a lot to say! The most important thing is that the people must not be tooooo tolerant and must not shut off their brains! It is a nice place for fascism to grow in a scene that tolarates everything and everybody. The other important thing is the violence and the stupid satanism. An ideolgy that has ever been far from TFSīs point of view, filling us with The Black Anger.
What are your views on the old mp3/Napster/free music situation?
A ruthless handling of this damages the industry hard. People's thinking is "that's no matter, The Stones sold enough for three lives of luxury, the label can manage it." They need to think that there is no chance for new bands or labels to establish if the chance of covering the costs of production, etc. don't flow back. Any innovation could be blocked. Specials or songs provided by bands themselves as well as streaming samples are definitely o.k. and very cool.
Do you utilise the internet much?
We are going to extend the service/information on our website www.thefairsex.de for our fans. The Fair Sexer also use it private: paying lots of money for pages using a part of our band name ;-)
Has the internet affected your music or views on music in any way?
It has shown new possiblities of getting in contact with the so called faceless crowd. New possibilities to ask people how to serve them..... A new way to let the intercourse flow...
Are there any bands or artists out there who have been a major or vague influence on your musical style?
We all got our muse, sometimes it's music, somtimes it's alcohol, sometime's it's a white shank. Weird dreams and nightmares as well as hope, and despair. So it will seem that we donīt need no artists to look up to. But in the end - you always get to know new or old stuff that somehow attracts you - inspiring you to new ideas.
Have you tried gaining recognition out of your country yet? If so how has that been?
Since 1994 we are present in the States via Van Richter who did much for us. Co-operations within Europe are more kind of rare. We have to work harder on this to make sure the rest of the world will get to know more about The Fair Sex.
Where do you see yourselves in say five years?
First idea: As even stone-older grandfathers as now, sitting around the
fireside with walking sticks and talking about the good old times....
Second idea: We are hyper rich and famous, transcience is not able to catch
us and our ladies still go to bed with us. Our songs get hymns and if we do
not work with TFS, Testify or other side projects we produce young, virgin
girls of the style like Brittney Spears. (of course, also young, virgin
boys....)
Any crazy dreams of breaking out into the mainstream world or are you happy with life in the underground?
In Germany the underground sometimes becomes mainstream - you never know... TFS might be compatible to other regions of the aural world, maybe. But that is nothing we care too much about. We just think of the next constructions to be created. Let's wait what happens, we're not dreaming, we're realizing.
Who would you most like to support live?
There are numerous bands whose work we appriciate. But we think there's no use in giving away names... besides: for the time being we are kind of short of money to buy us into great touring-events...
Most remembered band incident?
In autumn of 1988 our drummer A.Band died on stage due to a heart-attack. That, as you might imagine, is a situation that keeps on being in our minds.
Personal comments?
Thank you very much for your time and interest. We will go on with our way to construct music. Thanx! Greetynx, Myk
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