HYBRYDS and ORKUS ( Robert Baumans. 1999 )

1) Your new record "Virtual Impact" is a collection of different live performances. Although I like this release very much, a live record release within the Industrial genre always makes the impression of shortening the time between the studio release just for the sake of shortening the time!

We always worked out a studio project first and than adapted it for live gigs.The latest live project was Mistrust Authority, promote decentralisation. It appeared first under this name on the Something Weird (Iceland) vinyl release, came back in the Cortex Stimulation ( DAFT), Tektonic Overload ( AntZen) and ends with Virtual Impact. We have never been asked to perform regular, so we always have time left for the studio, I do not feel to shortener time with this release. For me Virtual Impact closes the Mistrust project. The reason why this is a live recording ? I just enjoyed these recordings as for us they have many stories, the faces behind, the people of our tribe ,we met. These live recordings are a reflection of Hybryds on the road, and as our releases are often sold out ( due to the limited editions) people can find some songs they would never hear.

2) Hybryds are famous for producing rhythmic, noisy and "technoid" sound structures. In the beginning you have been famous for more ambient soundscapes. Why this change?

I would say that since ‘84 Hybryds were known for their ethnical, ritual style. It ‘s by the interest in ethnic music , one discover there is not only trance ( rhythmic ) but also meditative music, more based on melody. And then after a while there is no difference , sometime what started as a rhythmic track ends up as ambient and vice versa. Although Mistrust authority started as a solo project of me, it only took shape with the influence of Yasnaïa. Mistrust was musical born out of rage and agony, at night making noise in the studio and philosophical out of my interest in the magic of the digital future. For me there is no difference with the magic and knowledge of the past. I feel that the digital revolution will change the thinking of mankind, to a multidimensional thinking, a magical thinking. For us the noise of Mistrust brought us on the same way in trance as ethnical music.

3) A statement of your new release says: "Dance to trance". Do you want to put your audience to a trance state or just yourselves (the musicians on stage) like Mother Destruction?

If you are on stage you have to tell a story to the audience, we (tried to ) share what we feel in our music, more than once we were on higher levels just by evoking our noise, and many people have claimed to share this feeling.

4) A propos Mother Destruction: YasnaÏa has a similar "outlook/outfit" (I don't write this in a negative way!) to Amodali. What's the meaning behind this outlook/outfit? Is there a magical background for this?

This would be a question to answer by Yasnaïa, which on the moment, sadly is impossible. We lived the life we reflect in our music and art, intense and out of this society. Last new year , Yasnaïa got depressed, and sadly she is still not back in this reality. On this moment she is in a place were she hopes to find her equilibrium again.

5) Your onesheets says that you will not perform for a long time under the name "Hybryds". Why? What can one expect from your new live project "Haydhra"? More trance/ritual or more noise elements?

For the reason above, although I created the Hybryds concept by myself in ‘84, it only took shape and finesse when Yasnaïa joined in, out of respect for her important influence in the Hybryds concept I have decided to work under a different name for my next projects, Hybryds is Magthea and Yasnaïa and I hope in the future Hybryds will be back.

6) What will the future bring for Hybryds (new releases, projects, live performances, etc.)?

I got a new solo project : Na-Dha, in which I collaborate with different people, Na-Dha means nothing, it is only music ,no philosophical concept involved. Another project is HAYDHRA, together with Leigh Hunt ( Collapse and the mixing man from Dive & Sonar); This is a pure dance project. Made on computer , kind of House cross over -electro, we just did a gig in Quertefurt, Leipzig and got good reactions, now we first will record some dance vinyl, record a full length CD and hope to tour in spring 2000.

7) On your new records you are thanking Pal and Deutsch Nepal. Do you plan any collaborations with these people?

It comes as it goes , we will see, on this moment my time goes to Haydhra but if we meet again why not...

8) You're living in Belgium like Psychick Warriors Ov Gaia. Do you know these people and are there any parallels between your (magical) works? By the way, do you know if this band still exists?

We met each other during the first Hybryds cd release, ‘92 and we had many parallels and shared ideas in the esoteric fields, except their music was made on computer and aimed to dance clubs, the DJ/ musician as Shaman...They were heavy on extasy, and I think they now must be floating between Saturnus and the sun or meditating somewhere in a monastery in Tibet.

9) A slogan of Hybryds says: "Mistrust authority - promote decentralisation". What's your meaning behind this slogan? How far are you interested/involved in politics?

The digital future is a future of knowledge, and the way how to obtain this, everyone has the right to learn and use computer, as this will make mankind more equal. I am fascinated by the future of the human race. Virtual reality, computers, the Webb, all these reflections of human imagination will bring us a new way of thinking.(“multidimensional”) The future , William Gibson has created in his books is a very tangible one. His books deals with the battle of the individual against the system, against political and religious suppression. A world that will be dominated by technocrats and wherein technology will be used ( instead of religion) to dominate, to rule. Its important that we use all we have to arm us against this. We feel ourselves as LO-TEKS, we use old and secondhand gear, its only recently we could buy a computer. Technology was simple to expensive for us to afford. People ,who can not buy technology will have to create their own material, recycled from the consumption society. Obtain knowledge.

10) I've heard rumours that Magthea hates vinyl releases. Why? I could imagine perfectly our releases on vinyl!

Yes I hate vinyl, for several reasons, I have always hated the fact that every record only took 20 minutes, than you had to stand up and change sides, pffff and how carefully you also used the records always there were those annoying scratches which especially in classical music, completely destroyed the beauty of the music.So called vinyl purists, claim there is a warmth in vinyl you do not have on CD, but this is bull shit, it is only the rumble, the bloody sound of the record itself that gives a body & “ warmth” to the sound. People are used to the sound of the record but if they would ever listen to the master tapes of such a record,they would have to agree that master tapes are more reproduced accurate on CD than on vinyl. Than there is the question that vinyl can take more DB than a digital recording, this is true I have heard audiophelic vinyl pressings with unbelieveble dynamic differences, but I do hate the scratches in between.

11) releases, live gigs, etc.?
Virtual impact, containing live gig s from the cyberpunk project is just out on DAFT and the next and for a while latest Hybryds release will be an interactive CD rom ( Mac / dual PC, until now only available for Mac only) with music, art ,video ,digital poetry ,photo galleries,& much more by HYBRYDS and YASNAÏA .The near future will be spend at some new projects of NA-DHA & HAYDHRA.
THOMAS SEIBERT for ORKUS MAGAZINE- okt 99