When and where did Lightning Glove form?
h/b: It was in 2011 in Prague. We were part of a small community of musicians and co-organisers of events, meeting mostly at our shows. This background was psychedelic and noisy, with roots in old industrial music, but in a broader sense of the word “noise” with all its subcultural strategies. The significant element for the formation of Lightning Glove was the fondness of dance music in this special context.
Dizzcock : yeah, we had a few meetings in Head in Body’s garage where we set up our gear and just played whatever we felt like we should play and we were really excited about what we recorded. Looking back at those tracks we did - half of it was full of incredible stuff we could not play again in a same way, like for example our favourite one “Friday’s Child” a kind of dark energy/witch house cover of Lee Hazelwood’s original track, half of it was just madness, out of rhythm and just shit you know :) With this in our playlist we decided we gonna go on minitour around few towns in Czech Republic along side with our friends from post-rock band Unitra Diora. Haha, it was insane man. We were honest enough to call it Hate Yourself Tour :) I think this minitour really started Lightning Glove project.
Were any of you active in any other projects before LG?
h/b: I am still active in Sister Body, which started originally as my solo project, later turned into an electronic duo, and Ruinu, sort of fluid improvisational act, meeting occasionally for extreme performances. Ondřej produced his own electronic music as Dizzcock in the time we met.
Dizzcock : I was actually pretty much encouraged by Head in Body to start making my own stuff. I fell in love with his project and since I first saw his live show I wanted to finally express myself musically. Music is something inseparable from my personality. I always listened to music. My brain needs it. I did a few tracks which I called “Bedroom music” and sent it to Head in Body who liked it and offered me to play with him.
What are your main inspirations? There seems to be an intense amalgam of influences in LG that uniquely fuse together...
Dizzcock : I think you’re right. There is quite a big variety of influences that musically shapes us. Our shared inspirations are from 80s british industrial punk scene, namely Throbbing Gristle or Coil. Everytime I hear John Balance’s voice I feel like eternity just touched my soul. We also share kind of an excitement for 90s rave culture. But we’re into a contemporary music genres as well. I like genres that originates from Africa and transform themselves music-wise in outskirts of leading cities throughout the world into something which is energetic and physical. We’re talking about kuduro or footworking for example.
snsbr: As a child, I was listening to rap music and black metal (another weird combination haha), than I was in love with the most progressive music at that time - free jazz, contemporary classical music, noise of every kind and form. Nowadays I’m listening mostly to all types of dance music and rap. For me as a vocalist John Balance and Alan Vega were the most influential figures. In the beginning I was trying to imitate both all the time. An intense amalgam as you put it, could be an advantage, but also a threat. It is split half on half, some people say it is totally original and explosive combination, some of them say that it’s just rubbish.
What is the electronic music scene like in the czech republic? Are there any other acts you can recommend ?
Dizzcock : i don’t wanna sound like a self-centered prick, but I think that if there’s really something interesting going on in Czech electronic music scene then it sort of whirls around us. There is a label Klangundkrach which we all were/are part of, even though I’m not sure if it exists anymore. If so, it exists as a symbol. It has a pretty interesting history behind it, so we dont wanna throw it into a bin just like that, but recently we’ve all been doing our stuff elsewhere. I really like for example White Wigwam, who’s doing interesting stuff. His sound is usually minimal and yet it has such a dark energy around it. It’s Evil! His recent release was a split tape of live record from his show at Hannover with Klaus Legal. I think that an Ostrava-based projects I Love 69 Popgeju, Marius Konvoj and Schwarzprior are in a way very special and underratted bands. They are our friends and we played together a lot of times. These are one of very few bands that we can actually play with on our czech shows and it won’t sound like totally different shit that just happens to play at the same venue. Oh yeah there is a cool dude Dan Vlček. He’s from legendary Groupe Guma Guar. He started his own solo project RelaxCORE. I heard his live show like two months ago and it was one of the best performances I saw in Prague this year. He surprised me a bit. I expected some kind of a budhist-minimal-dance music as he’s a lot into this stuff nowadays, but his sound was all around, heavy and noisey. Generally speaking there is some very exciting stuff going on in Czech Republic. People start to notice it, but it’s still pretty much small community of people who care about it. I think we get more feedback from abroad than at home.
snsbr: I wouldn’t be so harsh. There’s a new label Baba Vanga, which is doing outstanding job. For example they released absolutely unique self-titled recording by Střed světa. He’s mixing weird electro improvisation with beat-like structures. I totally recommend this stuff to all of you. There are couple of interesting techno, grime, hip-hop, IDM DJs as well. Head in Body’s project Sister Body is one of the most interesting underground acts in Central Europe I would say. I really enjoyed listening to Sky to Speak from Brno and Jacques Kustod from Bratislava. There is also a really strong sort of dada musical scene. Bands like I love 69 Popgeju, Like She, Love or Marius Konvoje are crazy, unique and full of extreme energy. It’s getting better and better in Czech Republic.
h/b: I would also recommend what Phaerentz is doing these days - formerly a member of an experimental turntable project Birds Build Nests Underground, he’s reaching awesome repetitive trance-like sound by phase shifting and layering short loops mixed live from 4 or 5 language repeaters. Totally different experience, though surely inspired by amazing Nonhorse cassette djing.
You have played with Cult british electonic/pscyhe act Gnod at their Gesamtkunstwerkt night at Islington mill Manchester and released on their cult tesla tapes label, how did you first come into contact with them?
Dizzcock : we had a show with Gnod in Prague on april this year. We played our set. I was buzzing throughout that night. We just enjoyed ourselves and once we were over with it I stepped down to grab a beer and was immediately approached by Paddy (Druss) who was overexcited with what he heard. He was like : Fucking hell mate, you nearly killed me with that music! my brain was wandering in some other dimension of existence. Haha, then of course Gnod played their set which wasn’t that far away from what we played before. We talked a lot and once they were back home from their tour they asked us if we would be up for making a Tesla Tape’s cassette. We had a lot of new stuff already, so we did this Raving Peacocks Tail tape pretty quick.
What other labels/artists are you currently a fan of?
h/b: Opal Tapes, Trensmat, Clan Destine and their Dark Acid series, Ultra Eczema, Tanzprocesz, S Olbricht’s Farbwechsel, Baba Vanga, SF Broadcasts... I like also TG Gondard and his tape label Les editions de l’oubli, Spleencoffin from Baltimore; guys from Laser Poodle, Container, Diamond Catalog, and of course Unicorn Hard-On were also inspiring when moved further from noise to techno.
Dizzcock : I also like London-based label Lost Codes who’s releasing kinda experimental grime instrumentals from producers like Saga, Acre or Bloom. Keysounds recordings seems to come up with something unique all the time. I’m a big fan of hip-hop, so i have to mention Raider Klan crew from States. They’re heavily influenced by 90s Three 6 Mafia horrorcore hip-hop and they’re doing it just right. I just bumped into an incredible debut release from algerian electro-bass dude El Mahdy Jr. It’s called The Spirit of Fucked Up Places. You gotta check it out. I always had a sort of a weak spot for arabic music. I profoundly enjoy complexity and elegance of it’s rhythm structure. El Mahdy puts it on different level. I am just amazed by it in a similar way as I was amazed by Dj Rainstick’s mix called N Egypt like two years ago. It’s a different stuff, but it somehow gets me in a similar way. When we’re talking about Tesla Tapes. I particularly like Michael O’Neill’s cassette. He’s unique in what he’s talking about in his lyrics. He puts his direct experience into wider social-political context and I really feel it!
Snsbr: I’m just listening to the album of the year eMMplekz - Your Crate Has Changed. I know Ekoplekz’s previous work quite well, but this one hits me with a surprise. Of course there’s his lysergic, psyched synths but it’s combined with John Balance like vocal and it of course grabed me. Right now I’m also loving dark techno project Shifted - it’s well constructed, intense and my experience of listening to it changes after each try - not so common for hypno techno release.
Do you have any interest in mediums outside music? Art,film etc?
Snsbr: Yeah, of course. We are all well educated, snobish bastards. I’m an literary editor in quite known czech cultural bi-weekly A2, which is trying to combine all types of artistic media with social and political issues. Right now we are considered as a kind of threat to a country, which is rather interesting experience. My girlfriend is a curator of visual arts acts so I’m also aware of what is going on the art scene. But to be absolutely honest, I’m just more and more interested in politics and the idea of social change. But music still stays the number one.
What are you currently working on and what are your plans for the future?
Dizzcock : We just did a remix of Jacques Kustod’s Hit the Lights track. It was released by Slovak label Exitab on a tape. Jacques Kustod is a talented guy from Slovakia. Tape contains also remix from S Olbricht of Opal Tapes and others. Right now we’re trying to finish our tracks for upcoming vinyl release which is due next year sometime during spring. It’s coming out in a collaboration with Tesla Tapes / ONO label. We’re excited as hell! They’re about to release Negra Branca vinyl. I already heard it and it is awesome! We’re also preparing for our april/may tour. We’re going through Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, UK and back.
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