Live-Metal.Net - Interviews: Spi-Ritual

(Spi-Ritual, Shiva In Exile and former vocalist of Darkseed)

March 1, 2007

Stefan Hertrich probably is best known for his work as the vocalist of the German gothic-metal band, Darkseed. But he also has collaborated with many artists on several interesting projects. First, it was Betray My Secrets in 1999 with Christian Bystron of Megaherz. Together, they released one self-titled ethnic metal album. Then there was Shiva in Exile in 2004, an award-winning mix of new age and world music. In 2006, Stefan created Spi-Ritual and released the album Pulse, a culmination of all these styles along with a lethal injection of hard rock and death metal. Featuring numerous guest musicians (from both the metal and non-metal arenas), including female vocalists and a variety of ethnic instruments, Pulse has a positive, uplifting vibe Stefan strived hard to create. The album is as captivating as it is motivating, with lyrics of "self improvement" and "spiritual components." In the following interview, Live-Metal.net's Jeff Maki attempts to tap into the ever-working mind of Hertrich to explore his beliefs and thoughts on different cultures. Hertrich gives out some great "Spi-Ritual" guidance, talks about the making of the album, his musical career and predicts the United States will attack Iran in 2007.

Before anyone continues reading any further, please take time to listen to some of Spi-Ritual's material, as it is extremely hard to put into words, plus you will have a better understanding of the topics discussed below. You have to hear it for yourself. Listen to samples from the album, Pulse here. Also, check out the video for the title track, "Pulse." (Be patient as the video takes a couple of minutes to download.) And check out www.spi-ritual.com. Thank you, now read on.

Hello Stefan, this is Jeff of Live-Metal.net. First off, I'd like to compliment you on Spi-Ritual's new album, Pulse, which is unlike anything I've heard in recent memory. It's a very deep album, which I found hard to put into words when I reviewed it.

Wow, thanks a lot for your positive feedback! It's great that you say it is deep. I think the depth is the most important feature of Spi-Ritual. It's not a collection of songs, but more an impressionistic travel to other cultures.

You are of course the vocalist from the goth-metal band, Darkseed, so tell us how Spi-Ritual came to life?

I already wrote one ethnic metal album in 1999, together with Christian Bystron of the band Megaherz. The band name was Betray My Secrets, but we just did one album, because after the release the label went bankrupt and we both were too busy with our bands Darkseed and Megaherz. However, in mid 2005 I noticed that Darkseed doesn't fulfill me anymore and it's time for another ethnic metal album. I asked Christian whether he had time, but he was still too busy with Megaherz, so I decided to form a completely new project (solo project with guest musicians) which is Spi-Ritual now. I first intended to write it completely alone, but time after time so many friends got interested and they all appeared on the CD, with guitar solos, vocal performances etc. (thanks for your support!!!).

Do you have any background in world music?

Just a bit, I don't listen to music that much. I am more into spiritual topics (books etc.) and I connect world music in general a bit with this topic, even if both things don't have much in common (but at least more in common than metal vs. spirituality haha).

The songs that make up Pulse run through a variety of musical genres and are all epics. How hard was it to write and compose songs for this album?

Creating a mix of metal and ethno that works out well wasn't too difficult, because I already tried in 1999 with Betray My Secrets. Even before writing Pulse I knew that high screaming vocals, combined with extremely low tuned guitars + warm flutes and ethnic female vocals will work and sound convincing (= not sound like a metal band that adds some ethnic patterns here and then). However, I faced some difficulties while composing the songs, because I usually tend to add too many melodies and instruments at the same time, so I had to learn while songwriting to sometimes delete melodies/instruments (even if it's painful - lol). But even after one year listening to Pulse I am satisfied with the album, and there's nothing I would have done different. So it was worth all the efforts. Another challenge this time was the multimedia section and video clip. I didn't only have to focus on the music, but also coordinate the video clip and multimedia production (however I have to mention that the visualization of the video clip was 100% done by the Russian team "Deviant Creations," and they did a great job interpreting the emotions of the song "Pulse" in a perfect way!).

The album gives you a very uplifting and positive feeling when you listen to it. Tell us about some of the lyrical subjects on the release.

Thanks! I hoped that the listener will feel GOOD when listening to the album, and not feel the typical depression/aggression which is so typical for metal (= making people feel understood in their pain, frustration etc.). I intended Pulse to be different, a sort of "constructive surprise" to the metal head. The lyrics combine three elements: 1st: the typical negative components of music lyrics (being pissed about this and that etc. – my typical Darkseed lyrics style). 2nd: Fleeing from reality (the ethnic style is perfect for that, hehe), and 3rd - and this makes the album different from so many other bands – a SOLUTION. The lyrics describe many modern "self improvement" topics, mixed with some spiritual components. I am very much influenced by authors like Neale Donald Walsch (Conversation with God) and especially by Dan Millman (Peaceful Warrior). I recommend everybody to read this two books. They are interesting even for very young people, I am sure! (If I succeed in reading them until the end without getting tired, then everybody can do, hahaha).

You seem to have a great interest in other cultures and alternative ways of thinking. What is the one main thing you take away with you from this?

Maybe that happiness never depends on what you have, get or achieve, but always is a matter of how you SEE the things you have, get or achieve. During the last years I got to know so many people, some of them being ugly, old, or poor, but deep inside they are so rich, because they feel good, and also make you feel good, just by their presence. On the other hand, I also got to know rich people, beautiful people etc. who act so bad and are so unhappy, and their presence never affects me in a positive way. I learned to appreciate what I have, and to see positive things in my surroundings. Things I maybe 3-5 years ago completely ignored. A good example (however it has nothing to do with other cultures etc.): I was going to the supermarket and felt angry. I had to work on this day, but intended to do songwriting. I hate to prepare myself for songwriting (emotionally) but then suddenly get a new job (I am running a small PC gaming company). So I went to the supermarket, being pissed etc. Suddenly a man shouted "hey, can you go to the supermarket for me and buy something? I am sitting in a wheel chair, and getting out of the car is really a pain in the ass for me." I said okay, and bought him the stuff he needed. After that I started a conversation with him, and he told me that he was driving ski 4 weeks ago and had an accident. He will never be able to walk again (he maybe was 35-40, in his best years). When I went home, I wasn't pissed anymore about having to work instead of songwriting. I was just happy that I had feet to walk! And this is the main essence of my lyrics and the essence of how to become happy: you must learn to measure the things you have high! If you don't do, you are not respectful to yourself, to your parents who gave you birth, and maybe also not respectful to God (for the case you are a believer).

How important do you think it is for other people to learn or see how other cultures live and have an understanding of their beliefs?

Hmm, by getting to know other cultures better I noticed something I didn't expect: I started to appreciate my own culture more than before. We often focus on other cultures in order to escape from reality, because we expect that it's everywhere better than where we live. But the more I occupy myself with other cultures and travel there, the more I understand that my own culture has so much to offer. Sure, I am often frustrated about the "business approach" in my world (all people working so much, being so "cold" etc.), but on the other hand I can go to a shop, buy spiritual books, buy vegetarian food etc. You cannot find books or food like that in "3rd world countries.". For instance animals are treated so bad, much worse than in Germany. Discussing vegetarian issues is impossible, because it doesn't matter for people outside central Europe and USA. I think the gap between "good” and "evil" people is bigger in non-central Europe countries. Many people are VERY warmhearted, even or because they are "simple," but on the other hand you can find many people who can easily become aggressive etc. and don't know what mercy etc. is. In Germany for instance I see people being "not so warmhearted", but also "not so evil." Uff, it's difficult to explain. So I wouldn't say other cultures are better than my own, or the other way round. There are positive and negative aspects in every culture.

You mentioned beliefs: I think it's time that ALL religions with their traditions and rules disappear. Not only the Islam or Jewish belief, but also Christian belief. Religions cause so much trouble, and EVERY religious fanatic thinks "only my people are close to god, we must teach the others the right way." Cliches only connect this thought with the Islam, but Christianity has it as well! Christian fanatics in America for instance don't think different! I think we'll get a big clash of the cultures in some years, or in some decades. And after that religions hopefully will disappear and every single human will start to discover their own spirituality and relationship to God. I think there's no global rule that can define how to access "God." You can do it in so many different ways, I think.

Tell us a little about the guest musicians on Pulse. Are these all people you originally had in mind or did everything just come about?

All of them are friends of mine who agreed to help me after I asked them. Most of my music friends can be heard on this album: Christian of Megaherz, Rene of Equilibrium, Gaby Koss (ex-Haggard), Yana Veva of the Russian band Theodor Bastard and many more. I didn't plan the collaboration before the songwriting started. It just came about during songwriting. For example I needed a guitar solo, but very quickly (one day before entering studio), and my friend Markus Glanz of the fantastic Munich band Koyanisquatsi composed a great solo during the night, haha. Thanks again, mate!

Besides vocals, what else do you perform on the album?

I wrote all of the songs and played all rhythm and bass guitars in studio. Apart from that I performed the electronics and keyboards as well.

Tell us about the collaboration with the German author and scientist, Christian Ratsch, for the multimedia portion of the album.

He contacted me first in year 2000 when he listened to Betray My Secrets and wanted to write some lines about this project in one of his books. Since that time we phone or meet (or write letters, hehe, he isn't a fan of email programs and messengers). When I planned the Spi-Ritual album I asked whether he wants to add something to this album, so he sent me Shamanic recordings as well as rainforest bird sounds etc. Apart from that he wrote an interesting article about metal music and positive energy. (I should mention that he's 50 years old and knows many many many early metal and rock bands personally, so he really experienced the beginnings of metal very intensively). He's an expert for tropical plants, shamanism and wrote dozens of books about all that.

Is Spi-Ritual a one time project or are there future albums planned?

I don't know yet. Even if Spi-Ritual is a very idealistic project it depends on the sales. I still didn't reach the "break even" and invested more money than I "earned." That's why I am not sure yet weather I can realize a second Spi-Ritual album, because there are so many other things in my life that need attention. But we´ll see. I am currently working on the second Shiva In Exile album (a mix of gothic, soundtrack and ethno music), and maybe it would make sense to "metalize" this album and release it under the name Spi-Ritual as well. But not sure yet.

No concerts planned, because it's too difficult to build up a stable line-up with musicians who are capable of performing all those ethnic instruments. Apart from that it would be very expensive to bring the Columbian Shaman (flutes, percussion) or Yana Veva (female vocals) from Russia to Germany for rehearsing.Who are some of your influences in the metal genre?

Rammstein because of their "simple" but effective guitar work, and the album Roots of Sepultura. Perfect "tribal" guitar riffs. This album combines metal and ethnic stuff very well!

For those who are unfamiliar, tell us about your band, Darkseed, and your other musical endeavors:

Darkseed was a gothic metal band of the 90s (however, I personally think that our latest album Ultimate Darkness in 2005 was the best album). We released several albums over Nuclear Blast and Massacre Records. In summer 2006 I decided to leave the band, because I want to completely focus on my ethnic music activities. I am not sure whether the other guys will continue though.

Apart from Spi-Ritual I have another project named Shiva In Exile. It can be compared to Spi-Ritual, but instead of mixing ethno and metal, it's a mix of ethno and gothic/soundtrack stuff (something for Dead Can Dance fans, for example).Apart from this two projects I don't have any music activities at the moment (my strongest year was 1999, I released three albums: Darkseed, then my former ethnic metal project Betray My Secrets and a project called Sculpture that I did with Tom Angelripper and Crematory guys). But well, I am getting older, I need more time to rest, haha.

What could someone say that would satisfy you the most after listening to your music?

A magazine wrote "Stefan's music increases your self-awareness." I think this is a great compliment! And I am happy if people say "your album made me feel optimistic and more confident about my life."

Politics: A general prediction for 2007? Hmm… I guess America will attack Iran. If they do, I have no idea what will happen to the Near East. Apart from that the situation in Iraq will get worse and worse, and the relationship between Russia and America will alsoget worse and worse. Okay, doesn't sound so positive, huh? Apart from that: no idea, haha. I don't look so much in the future or in the past, most wise people recommend to live in the present times. Looking into the past makes us regret so many things, and looking in the future creates too much fear (we tend to be more pessimistic than necessary, it's a human psychological problem most people have, hehe). So I try to live in the present times as much as possible.