Interview for magazine OFF by Gudrun, HIEROS GAMOS 1/2004

The project began the last year 2002 as electronic/ performative act for a special show at the international Female Avantgarde Festival "The Other Sex " in Prague composed of Gudrun (vocal) & 677 (keyboard, programming) & Cora (performance). After great response we decided to develop this project also with another female member and so we prepare for Vampiria festival in Poland completely new performance with Gudrun & 677& 2 Black Cats. With this project we shall perform one week later in Prague at the International Industrial music festival. In 2004 we plan another shows also in other European countries. Hieros Gamos means in Latin "The Divine Games".

OFF: People perceive a snake as an unpleasant, slimy, writhing reptile - poisonous like an adder or dangerous like a boa (constrictor). The snake also is an evil ghost, a tempter. Why have you chosen this
artistic name ?

G: Yes, you are right… the discredit of the Snake in human mythology is considerable… Although this mostly pays for our western tradition…In eastern tradition it is the bearer of great artistic/ philosophic qualities and as Kundalini - the symbol of the vital sexual energy… So as you see in short, the dark and the light sides are in balance.…. I began to use my artistic name Gudrun Snake since the beginning of Lahká Múza from a prosaic reason ….. According to the Chinese zodiac I was born in the year ruled by a Snake. After studying many magically mythological sources I was very pleased with my discoveries and I felt inner identifying with this Snake element. So I very naturally integrated to the name Gudrun imaginary - Snake… By the way, me and 677 are both Lions and 677 is in the Chinese zodiac the Dragon …. And who knows the covers of our last two CDs, is closer to their possible interpretation ……

OFF: You are in Lahka Múza for almost 20 years, what reason was established HG? Is something lacking for You in LM? What differences are between both projects?

G: Yes, it is terrible how the time flies ….In fact we've been here with Lahká Muza already for 20 years….. We have always been interested not only into music, but into all living kinds of art ….We feel also other inner strains not only the musical …… And so with the flow of time and mainly with the possibilities to cooperate with new people, modern technologies and with our penetrating to wider European space with our live shows we have begun besides playing to devote to the visual form through our own photographic ideas and our attempt was leading into the realization of our video clips and to our own script/ narration/ direction… Through our three year long work with these pictures (252 out of these can be found as data bonus track on our new CD album "V záblesku vecnosti/ In a flash of Eternity" for 2004) and videos we wanted to take some visuals onto the stage in a form of a certain "magic theatre." Also musically in Lahká Múza we "fight" for the final shape of our tracks - whether they are going to be purely electronic/ industrial or more moved into guitars. And when in the beginning of 2002 came from Prague an invitation for my own performance at the International Female Avantgard music festival, we thought it was the right impulse for bringing Hieros Gamos into the life. Musically we based it on great purely electronic songs from the album "Chvenie Absolútna" and other new songs in purely electronic spirit ….. In the future we would like to compose original music for Hieros Gamos and to present this project at special art festivals, because of the fact, that there is still less such festivals. The main interest shall always stay on Lahká Múza. Visually is Hieros Gamos based mainly on the performance while Lahka Múza is more musical ….

OFF: During Lahka's gigs you show some of fetish and s/m elements. In HG's performance this aspect is stronger. Why is erotic side such important in your live-acts? Is it only a erotic-show for audience or in
your exhibitionism is there a justification? Something more than attractive form on a stage ?

G: It is hard to answer this theme in few lines… but I'll try to catch the point …. In the first place I want to tell, that as regards to the visual meaning, we are basically fans of the cybernetic lookout, which slightly shifts into fetish and S/M level… But on our new album we present also other trends As in our music also in our visual part we do not have any monothematic heading… And as regards to S/M, we lead our work in an artistic way, so it rather the presentation of relationship matters like the dominance and submission… Because of I do myself great part of our scene, I do photography, graphics, in the last period I cooperate With LederStahl, it is for me the part of my life style… and eroticism as such is a meaningful and significant area of human living and true art has always been more than just petrified with it… In our way we try with HG to present on the scene the ritually magical level of this phenomenon… Whether we are successful in this let judge yourself at The Vampiria festival in 2003.

OFF: Where is a border which you don't break in your erotic -show? In Germany there is band Umbra Et Imago (you know them I think). They are fetish, s/m band but they make a hard show (somone can say - porno show). Mozart (their frontman) can say "I make ritual", you can say "I make ritual too" but I think there is a difference of reception. How do you feel it ? What can you say about it?

G: Yes, of course I know Umbra Et Imago....you are right that their performances are very hard....and it is maybe art plane of him....to be the most hard in this way..... Is very hard to talk about this in a few lines...but ok, I will try.....we have a little differnet entrance for presentation of show with erotic elements like UEI..... In our show we don`t use no presentation of real violence....our erotic is more artistic and presents some dark form of pleasure....maybe UEI present more pain.... we want present some dark elements of erotic like special feeling of joy of beauty, attraction , sensualism and magic sexual rituals.... We don t want to be some copy of UEI, we are going on our own raods....and we are in first plane music band with performace....but UEI is performance band with some music....This is my view...

OFF: Hieros Gamos - "The Divine Games" Why this name? tell me more. 'cause this is very intrigue name.

G: Maybe in name of HG are answers for your question for differences between HG and UEI....we want present some kind of erotic elements like part of something of Divine....some kind of this high Game... Therefore we want present more joy&beauty from erotic....feelings of liberty.....no pain&scare&and instruments for control....UEI has own entrace&way and we have own....two different view for the same thing....and it is good......becuase noone can fly only with one wing...

OFF: In your performace we can see only women. Why? Is it a homosexual aspect? or maybe feminist?

G: We are on stage 3 women and 1 man....we are one unit....all 4 persons..... but 677 playing on keybords and control others machines for music presentation and in last track will be included into performace too...be without disbelief... If you will see all photos from the new album, you will see that he is very important part of our visual presentation... and he is author of a lot of photos and of course performance show of HG.... for our kind of magic rituals are very good woman` s energy&entrance...and they are nice objects.....please,don t try to look for no homosexual aspects or feminist....of course, we don t have no conterpeleas against lesbian or other sexual aspects....but this is not our cause...we want present our things for audience, that will be able to understand this pictures in deeper&wider continuity....course on the other side we also must take into account misunderstanding... such is the law of the art ...