Sikhara 2004 actually
is project-founder Scott Nydegger, born in 1974 in Iowa / USA and Yann
Geoffraud, born 1980 in Bordeaux / France. The band was founded 1999 somewhere
in North Carolina, the name describes the most sacred room in a Tibetan
temple, where the monks live.
The basic idea of Sikhara is melting together ancient cultures and music
forms, like the traditions of the Native Indians, the Maori or the typical
singing of the Mongolian people. "The creation of a title always takes
a lot of time. It is some kind of research", Scott tells. As sources he
uses documentations, recordings from the Congress and other libraries
and own recordings from his trips all around the world. He collected a
lot of material, because he's a real traveller. In the last five years
he visited at least 23 countries, packed with nothing else then his equipment.
In 2002 he came to Japan, where he played together with the monks of the
1.400 year old Zenjouki Temple near Osaka.
It seems to be difficult to put together all this experiences and impressions
in a song, but Scott explains how he manages this: "Normally I start with
the voices." Voices from different sources are put together and so a collage
is created. "After that I intuitively know how to go on, which drum parts
the song needs etc.", the American, who's musical background is Noise
Rock (TEMPLE OF BOUMATIN), continues. Music and playing in bands had always
been part of his live. With Yann, his French companion, it's completely
the same. He plays in not less than six bands, his main project is called
GEORGE BITCH JR., a "digital grindcore" combo.
They got to know each other in Paris at a "freak drug party" as they call
it themselves. "Scott looked for some oil tons as drums", Yann remembers.
"We've found some behind a high wall. After the show we wanted to bring
it back, just for avoiding trouble. Scott climbed the wall, felt down
on the other side and laid there as dead. I could only thin 'shit, he's
gone!'" After they passed this adventure they decided to go on tour together.
If he's not on tour, Scott lives now in Portugal. Despite of his pleasure
in travelling he would call this country home. If there was an ideal society,
then Portugal is the one. Everything is really relaxed and the people
are still honestly friendly. But what about his "true" home country? "Musically
I liked the states. There are a lot of opportunities", he tells. "But
daily life isn't that could. I felt observed all the time." However, he
sometimes misses the "radonstudio" a loose alliance of artists. In the
beginning "radon" was a studio - what explains the name - but now it's
much more: a presentation platform, a booking agency… Steve McKay of The
Stooges is founder and most important member of this platform. And he's
some kind of example for Scott. Especially he likes, how "radonstudio"
works as a linkage between different artists.
For that reason the typical in Sikhara's sound can be found in the combination
of different music styles from heavy to electronica, resulting from the
variety of musical tastes of all the involved people. Despite his travel
experiences Scott tells, that his main influences are films. The most
interesting points in musical sources are not their religious background,
but their psychological aspects. So he's really mad about the energy of
suffis, which is expressed in their singings and dances. But Scott doesn't
believe in a god. Maybe the reason is, that he's from the fundamentally
Christian Bible-Belt. On the other Hand Yann believes in some Devine power
and he's sure, that there are powerful entities. But that's no reason
to get in trouble, one with the other.
There's one god they both swore off: money. Scott totally retreated from
owing material things (he only owns his equipment for making music). Yann
does not care about either. He calls a room in a squat his own; his possessions
are spread over different places in Paris. If he's home, he organizes
concerts, instead of accumulating treasures. He rather spends his time
with travelling and playing together with other musicians. "Most people
are against capitalism", Scott explains. "But they never retreat from
all this unnecessary things." Though he made this radical break, he's
not a fanatic preacher of poverty: "Everyone has to go his own way!" And
Yann adds: "We often met people who envied us and wished to travel around
as we do. But no one of them does…"
In the next time there won't be any changes in the way of life the both Sikhara guys are leading now. They still will be six months a year on the road. And if there are ways, they will collaborate with others and release new stuff on as much different labels they can. Watch out, maybe they are near your hometown!
