What does anarchism mean to yo?. Most unexperienced people think of it as the total chaos...
Total chaos, that's the false image regarding anarchism that we receive from the political leaders who really fear anarchism, because installing this type of ideology as a social structure would mean the end of their existence. In a nut shell, in an anarchic society there is no need for leadership by a powerful and rich elite, decisions are being made by all, represented by delegations which are under constant control of everyone, the so-called "grass-root" organisations. This has to be so in order to avoid corruption and misuse of power. When you combine anarchism with a deep concern for our environment, you'll get a symbiosis created by a constant care for Nature and a constant care for your fellowman. One step further brings us to the abolition of money as a means to trade, goods and services being traded for other goods and services, with a sort of coupons replacing money as we know it now. These coupons cannot be invested, only traded for goods and services, worthless as a money-maker, impossible to keep in a bank for speculation. There are no frontiers between nations, people live in greater communities and receive a lots of freedom and independency, as well as a high responsibility towards Nature and each other, based upon the human rights. So this has nothing to do with chaos. I don't believe in a violent way of reaching towards the installation of an anarchic society, I guess groups of people will try to experiment with this kind of community (as they already did in the past, see the anarchists in Spain and Italy), and perhaps one day there will be an anarchic political movement, joining the elections' game at first, but after out-powering all other political parties, gently transforming the conventional social structure into an anarchic one, so not a revolution but an evolution.
For all those who don't own the Eco-Anarchic Manifesto book - what are
the fundamental ideals of Eco-anarchism?
The eco-anarchic society stands or falls on the core principles of mutual consultation, global solidarity and on the underlying ethos of social care based upon Will. These are the basic foundations of this new society, supported by the principle of global equality, the power of solidarity and the care for our natural environment.
How are this ideas based in your dayly life?
I teach human philosophy and ethics and sometimes I show in class how social problems can be dealt with, not only by the means we know but also how they could be solved in a 'virtual' anarchic society. For Militia solidarity and collaboration are very important issues, leading to consultation and discussion as we are creating new music, all on one equal base. At home, I grow vegetables in my garden without the use of chemicals, so pure biological. All small stuff, I know, although perhaps I'll start an eco-anarchic political group, who knows.
I read that you as a band are a member of the Bilzen Cultural Board, receiving
annual financial support by the Bilzen community. Can you please tell
more about? Did they never have problems with you anarchistic point of
view?
Militia is a member of the Cultural Board of Bilzen for quite some time now. We joined the board because that way we could receive a financial support (making music costs money), hire a rehearsing location at low cost, and even receive a support for the production of our new album. On the other hand, we work with them making Bilzen a good location for artists to work in, co-organizing events like the Bilzorganik street theatre festival and so on. We're free to work the way we do now, our ideas don't cause any problems. Artistic freedom you know.
Is there a "goal" in Militia? For instance transporting the ideas we were talking about? Or is it mainly you personal pleasure to play and release?
No, as said, we've got a story to tell, Militia is dealing with themes that are about our society as it is today, presenting an alternative form which is the eco-anarchic society. Music is one good medium to spread your ideas, so we try to spread them this way. Of course, it's fun producing a new album, but we do prepare new works a lot, try to fill each new album with our points of view, that's why it takes so long before a new album is being released I guess.
Back to music. Your start in "business" is connected with the
name of Mike Dando of Con-Dom.
He passed your recordings to the German label "Praxis Dr. Bearmann".
What musical and / or political base did you find? I can imagine that
this isn't very easy :-)
Praxis Dr. Bearmann's strength was that they didn't have a political vision themselves, but allowed others to make their social views known to the public. They were strongly opposed to right wing and extreme right wing bands and didn't allow them to work for the label, or with the label.
How do you assess Industrial scene in general?
I think the so-called industrial scene is one that's filled to the top with bands merely copying each other. I don't know by far how many 'industrial' bands there really are, counting all those bands related to the scene, so also the ambient, dark ambient, gothic, EBM, neo folk, electronic, noise and power noise bands, it must be a complete thick phone book filled with names. Who's still original, only a few I guess. There were 3 bands that used (or still use) industrial scrap material to make music with: Test Department, now defunct, Einstürzende Neubauten, now more rock than industrial, and Militia. I've been told long ago that industrial music is made by using conventional instruments on a non-conventional way and non-conventional 'instruments' on a conventional way. We make music with the sounds generated from industrial materials, empty oil barrels, gas containers, metal plates and tubes suspended on standards with chains. The rhythms are those of the factory in action, we work while playing. Our music is very physical. Things I miss when seeing other 'industrial' bands are performing. 'Industrial' is a nice title to refer to, it immediately puts you somewhere, whether you actually play industrial music or not, if you keep telling you're an industrial band and if you use and copy the typical design for your covers, if you wear the same military clothes, stick the same stupid nazi-like symbols onto your battle dress, write your band name in runes, it's all okay, You're 'one of the guys'. Most music sounds like shit. It's being produced by computers loaded with programs that can create the music for you, instead of doing it yourself. I've got a few CD's with electronic body music from a variety of bands and honestly, they could all have been made by one and the same individual. And totally bananas are the bands of which the players look like Dracula, or someone escaped from the "Lords of the Rings" films. Pale faces in long black (of course) dresses sitting in a misty forest playing a harp, and from behind a tree appears a pale faced individual who went to the wrong hair dresser. Neo folk says the booklet, and it sounds like dirt. I received a CD once from such a band, listened for 5 minutes to it in my car and threw it out of the window while driving.
g
