lectronice.

Last FM is slowly turning into a huge piece of corporate crap since CBS bought it. Yet it was, and still is, a great place to find true artists, especially if you start digging into obscure users groups and underground music genres. A while ago I launched an artist-only group called Soundscapers obviously meant to gather drone, ambient, noise and related soundscape makers. It was a lot of fun in the beginning. But, due to misanthropy, lack of time, lack of flattering feedback, and the utter failure of Last FM to build a decent group system (read: CBS' total lack of interest for supporting non-mainstream artists) I somewhat stopped to manage this group, even if I'm still its leader. I'm not dead, just, you know, sleeping like Cthulhu.

In the process of building the Soundscapers tribe, I invited, well, various artists. Most of them would fit in the rather large whatever-electronic-homemade-ambient genre, but a few members are truly unique. Alex Goth, also known as A Bleeding Star, is amongst them. He's not only a talented musician, but also played a major role in the building of Soundscapers, thanks to his critical mind and artistic honesty.

Month after month, sinking deeper into A Bleeding Star's huge discography, I learned to enjoy both the music and the shadowy figure behind it. I took the habit of commenting ABS' new releases. Lately, being quite busy with social relationships in real life (hint: the real world is really real), I missed many opportunities of being alone and drunk and bitter, and so lacked time for the usual proper comments. That's how I came up with this idea of a whole ABS interview.

L - Greetings, and a Blissfully Twisted New Year to you.

I

The Unveiling of Many Mysteries.

So, let's start with the basics: age, sex, location. Is Alex Goth your real name? Where is your Aetherian Crypt of Night located? Where does the name of your project come from? What is the core concept behind A Bleeding Star?

II

Those who Opened the Path.

By looking at your top charts on your Last FM profile, we can see the artists you admire, therefore, artists who slightly shape your work each time you listen to their. Last FM says our musical compatibility is very high, which is quite true when I see artists like The Angelic Process, William Basinski, Gridlock, Tim Hecker, Aidan Baker or The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble, just to mention a few. But there's also a bunch of bands I've no clue about. Who are the artists who inspire you the most? Who gave you the desire to express yourself through music? What would be your all-time favourite track, if you had to choose one?

III

Those you Brought along your Trail of Night.

While you are undoubtedly the very heart of A Bleeding Star, you frequently collaborate with other artists, both inside and outside of ABS. What could you tell us about your work with Kaytea Giesbrecht, or your involvement in projects like The Bloody Hours, or Bleeding & Betrayed? Do you have future collaborations in mind?

IV

The Flood of Sombre Creativity.

With about one album per month, you are very prolific. Your Dark Offerings are already parts of a huge ensemble which is still in progress, yet you still allow yourself to start parallel works, also in several parts. Where does this interest for series come from? Is it just the way you feel your work has to be, or do you have a higher plan involving symbolic meanings and cryptic messages? (Come on, we know you have a higher plan... ).

V

Your River is filled with Stories..

You love long, very long titles, odd words, old words, and never hesitate to create the words you need to immerse us deeper into your music. You are a musician for sure, but anyone who regularly follows your work will agree you're also a storyteller. Most of your titles imply recurrent characters and places. Amongst them is Grim, who seems to be a projection of yourself. Could you tell us a bit more about the inhabitants of your world and their endeavours? When does the artist start to play a role in his own imaginary stories and turns into a fantasy character? And where is the autobiographic part?

VI

Your Ghostly Presence in the Network.

I have met you on Last FM. You also have a MySpace page (which redirects to Last FM). Thus you have no official website. There is no easy way to find you or contact you. There are rumours about a "Bloody List" gathering your dedicated listeners, meant to offer them high quality versions of your pieces from time to time. I guess you are perfectly fine staying in the dark, with a minimal amount of truly dedicated listeners, but where do you stand compared to your music? Do you think your work is more enjoyable without your presence? Is the result of the artist's work more important than the artist himself?

VII

ABS + Guinness in a decent beer glass + Solitude
= Mind-blowing Twisted Dark Bliss

This is the formula I have come up with to define the best way, in my humble opinion, to fully enjoy your music, and you agreed with it. Your music does not bring warmth nor happiness. It is not something you can listen to with a lot of friends. It is not something you can share easily. In my case, listening to ABS requires a kind of ritual: I need to be prepared, in the right mood, at the right time. Alone, in the cold of the night. Do you think this is how most of your fans appreciate your work? Is there a better way to listen to it?

VIII

Those who Worship your Deeds.

When we look at your Last FM statistics, you have a huge number of scrobbles compared to a proportionally small amount of listeners. Most of them write insightful comments about the way they perceive each of your albums. You get a lot of targeted, deep, emotional feedback compared to most artists. ABS is listened to a lot, again and again, by the same people. How do you explain this dedication? How do you think this interest is transmitted from a listener to another?

IX

The Meaning of Life.

"Soundscaping, Absynthe, The Green Faery, Tattoos, Piercings, Scarrings, Witches, Witchcraft, Vampires, Norse Mythology, Greek Mythology, Egyptian Mythology, Music, Painting, Reading, Stones, Candles, Incense, Drawing, Winter, Rain, Nature, Night, Night Creatures, Lunar Mansions, Herbalogy, Occult, Astrology, Drinking, Writing, Cooking, Learning, Listening, Astral Travelling, Astral Projection, Astral Sex, Runes, Temples, Ruins, Asylums, Abandoned Buildings, Paranormal, Graveyards, Ghosts, Specters, Spirits, Wraiths, Food, Europe, Antarctica, Aurora Borealis, Forgotten Centuries, Banshees, Edgar Allen Poe, Anne Rice, Poetry, Movies, Cartoons, TV Shows, Blood, Gothic Ladies, Open-Minded Ladies, Photography, Artists, Mystery, Immortality, Past-Lives... " These are the keywords on your MySpace page. Where is your god?

X

Are you Alive?

I am living in Europe, you are in Canada. You could as well be a figment of my imagination. I can see you carving your feelings into walls of sound. But do you play live? Music is definitely more than a hobby for you, is it worth making a living of it? What do you think about the current state of the music industry? What about free music, legal (or illegal) downloads, intellectual property, majors, star system and emerging business models involved by the Web? Can music be traded for money? Is a record worth a live performance?

XI

Is all Joy Forever Gone?

Your music stands between quiet desperation and utter existential pain. It's hard (yet not impossible) to find any solace here, and easy to sink into a fathomless abyss of sorrow. Where does the darkness come from? Did you ever consider composing something somewhat happy? Is it even possible? Is there a tiny chance to hear one day a Healed Star?

XII

The Mandatory Selection of Out-of-context Questions.

Except black, what is your favourite colour? Do you have a pet? What are your musical guilty pleasures? What is your first thought when waking up in the morning? Do you ever wake up in the morning? What is your worst nightmare? Do you think video games are valid as an art form? Do you think mankind deserves to exist? What is your favourite poison?

XIII

Your Ways and Mine.

I cannot say we know each other. Yet we are in contact since quite a long time, and you have never given your advice about my own work. I never asked for it, and I do not know if you have ever listened to Streams of Europe or any of my other projects, but since you are aware of the way I perceive your work, I would like to know what you think about mine. How does my sound make you feel?

Ø

Listen to A Bleeding Star's Frozen Ice Crystals Trilogy.

I - Avalanched in a Grim Winter's Frostbitten Romance...A Grave Parasomatic Trance

II - A Frozen Heart’s Buried Synoptic Vision of Its Dead Art…Grim's Lost Starcrossed Chart

III - Out of My Window Panes...Symbols & Shapes Rose Like Veins...Grim's Heartsick Rain