I like the album "Mmmmyaoooo",it reminds me of earlier Ministry. I think "Pink Goblins" is my favorite track. Anyway,here is my interview with Myk Jung, Lead Singer of Germany's Seminal Aggro Industrial Band - Testify.
How did you guys hook-up with Die krupps, Die Warzau and Plastic Noise Experience for the remixes on Crack The Mind?
We've known Die Krupps for quite a long time. Some years back we supported them on tour. Some of the Testify members live in the same city where Die Krupps come from, Duesseldorf in the very Western parts of Germany, if you want to know. The other contacts came about thru Van Richter connections. That's somehow curious, because PNE is a German band as well, but the collaboration was started by VR in California...
MTV compared the "A.N.G.E.R." video to Marilyn Manson; would you agree with such comparisons?
That's funny. The A.N.G.E.R.- video was created in 1993 with a very small budget, probably no compare to Marilyn Manson's big PR-machinery; perhaps both belong to the same somehow fucked-up region, soundwise and wretched-faces-wise??!
Speaking of MTV, how do you feel about the horrible state that popular music is in?
We don't know anything about the horrible state. The whole year we are locked up, each of us in this dark narrow cell, with uttermost stillness, which is good for mentally deranged, they say. Only to record Testify albums we are let out. For therapy we are then allowed to scream, and to let guitars scream, and to press noise-samples. Then we are sent back. Thru a small slit in the iron door they gave me a sheet of paper with your interview written down.
What about the current industrial/metal scene? Who do you like and hate?
You might imagine now that I am not really able to answer this question; moreover it would become obvious who we try to copy - but never reach, of course, because of no rehearsal possibilities.
Are there any political references to Testify's lyrics?
The left-wing-fever ever shakes Myk, that's me. Sometimes attitudes of that kind find their way to the lyrics, like in Guevara of the newest mini-album.
Could you give us a little background information on your guy's earlier lives?
All of us were involved in other projects before starting Testify. Mathias (sound-chief) made EBM; Moses and Kullf (guitar-players) and Sven (drums) made sort of metal-rock-soundsabounds, Myk screamed and murmered for The Fair Sex, which is sort of Dark Wave; Bull (bass-guitar) was involved in somehow avandgarde-performances. Then came the time of our arrest.
Any arrests to declare?
Yes...see our previous answers- har har.
Is their any drug of choice for the band?
Some of us were fond of different forms of drugs, booze and pills and powders, Keith Richard would say. But nowadays very rarely things like this are being squeezed thru the iron door slits.
Are you guys touring now?
In late 97 and early 98 there were some activities in Germany; let's wait if in late 98 and early 99 we will be released from our prison again... Then the scream for relief will be let out again!
Ever been angry enough to beat someone to death?
You can imagine that by now! The guys on the other sides of our doors are the aim of our endless curses; and some terrible future day.... they will get what they deserve: We will bind them and force them to endlessly listening to Testify records - that will destroy them,I bet.