1. Hello Raul. To start with, please tell us, how did this all begin? What was the reason of your interest in dark alternative, music? I know that your first project was a goth rock band REMEBRANCE. Please tell us something about these old times.

COMANDO SUZIE: I suppose because in the 80’s , when I was a child, you could see very strange and good music on TV and on the radio… there was not Internet but you could switch on the TV and see Bauhaus, Psychic TV, Aviador Dro, OMD, Killing Joke… So when I was a teenager I started to play keyboards in several bands, the first serious project was Remembrance… a Darkwave/gothic duo influenced by classics such as Sisters, Nephilim, Mission as well as contemporary bands like Girls Under Glass, Cancer Barrack, Rosetta Stone… all that early 90’s stuff… No myspaces, no money for instruments… just cassette demos, photocopied fanzines. Was hard but cool at the same time. Then a German indie label paid a great studio for us… You still can find the CD over there.


2. Why did you decide to found COMANDO SUZIE? When did you start with this project? You play together with Susanna from the begenning? What does COMANDO SUZIE mean for you? You can write short biography now.

C.S.: From the beginning of 2000 I was bored with music, almost inactive (just the Ô Paradis live shows) but at the end of 2005 I discovered a band from Barcelona called Tarántula. I became shocked by his music and his incredible shows… So one winter morning I started to repeat the name of Joe Crepúsculo (Tarántula keyboardist) over a simply 4x4 drum rhythm … 10 minutes later “Quiero ser como Joe Crepúsculo” was finished and recorded … It was my debut as singer. When Susanna arrived at home I said her “Darling, I have a hit” and she said “ok, I want to add some choruses”… The next days I dedicated a song to each member of Tarantula… (Vincent Leone, Eneko, Descabello). When I put the songs on Myspace, Demian called me and said me “That’s great!” and then Novy Svet said me “That’s great!”, the boys of Wermut said me “That’s great” and even the Taratunla’s loved the song. Then Tairy from Punch said me “That’s great, would you like to play in my festival and to release a CD?” so I said to myself… that people is crazy but maybe they’re right, the songs are great.


3. Some months ago Punch Records released split 7” EP COMANDO SUZIE / O PARADIS. This winyl was your first official release. As you know, your part of this EP, track “El Pequeno Tamborilero” is fantastic in my opinion (both music and text). You have not any problems from orthodox neo folkers? The lyric is controversial a bit.

C.S.: What a beautiful 7” It was great to share our first official release with my friend Demian. No problems with the orthodox neofolkers… My neofolkers friends have a great sense of humor and still be friends. It’s just a pop song and I think the rest of the listeners are not very interested in to translate the lyric. Is not a song against anybody, it’s a lyric about clichés, fashions and people that is more interested in uniforms and posing than in music.




4. At the half of january your debut album "Pobres Chavales" was finally released... How long you worked with tracks on this album? Are you glad with final effect? How you describe your music for listeners who don’t know your album?

C.S.: We worked on most of the songs “Pobres Chavales” during 2006/2007… in October/November 2007 we chose the coolest ones, recorded some bass lines with Demian and did the final mix. Javier Cazorla masterd the album. He also mastered the last album of Ô Paradis. I love the Pobres Chavales final sound… darker than the demos, a nice mix of minimal and bombastic electronic pop.


5. Why did you decide to sing in Spanis? For many listeners lyrics are a very important part of music, so in booklet your lyrics will translate to English? What you talk about in your stories?

C.S.: I love the Spanish language. The booklet is as minimal as the music… so, sorry no lyrics there. Anyway, when I was younger, I didn’t understand the lyrics of my favourite artists. I created my own lyrics with the few words I understand… My lyrics are simple and direct… no double meanings but full of private jokes. The most part of the lyrics are about friends or people I know.


6. Do you have any expectations connected to your new musical child? What emotions should COMANDO SUZIE music bring to the listener?

C.S.: Is a mystery to me. I also wonder what kind of emotions brings COMANDO SUZIE to so many different people around the world… really…




7. For me musical mediterranean neo cabaret scene in Barcelona is kind of phenomenon. Only few people. Few musicians, few fans, but you all together you create absolutlely unique aura around you. COMANDO SUZIE, O PARADIS, NOVY SVET in the past. You organize small, intimate concerts in Barcelona, and obviously compose incredible wonderful music. Can you describe us this magical Barcelona smell?

C.S.: Believe me, we are just “pobres chavales”, poor lads… dirty old men who spend the saturday night in the worst clubs, drinking, dancing, disturbing the dj and flirting with young girls… I think that’s why Novy Svet returned to Vienna ha, ha… but the truth is sometimes we write nice pop songs and sometimes we play live…


8. I asked this questions each Punch Records artist, so I ask you too. In my opinion, Tairy from Punch Records took under his wing very diverse, original and specific projects. This way, something like an “avant-garde family” has been created, where everyone supports each other. That is a great phenomenon, which allowed to fulfill this stiff post-industrial scene with more freshness, optimism and joy. I wonder how you, being very important part of it, view this phenomenon…

C.S.: Punch is a very cool label… and Tairy a very brave person with an excellent music taste. Is great to find in the same catalogue things like Ô Paradis, Ait!, Thomas Nöla, Dustmuffin, Luftwaffe, Comando Suzie or Severin Bestombes… so different but so…


9. Could you reccomend to our readers your favourite bands, movies? I suppose that you like many different kind of art, right?

C.S.: I love classic gods as Leonard Cohen, Fad Gadget, Serge Gainsbourg or the Sisters of Mercy… we use to listen to a lot of Spanish pop groups and, of course, our favourite band is Tarántula. We’re anxious waiting for the first solo album of Joe Crepúsculo… About movies, we hate special effects and loud music… I love Almodóvar, Bigas Luna, Bunuel and Fassbinder but I also like all that movies that Michael J. Fox did in the 80’s.


10. Now it’s time for quite classic question. Your future plans? Maybe you already compose music for new tracks? How look future for COMANDO SUZIE?

C.S.: I have bought new equipment for my home studio but can’t manage to make it work. I’m still reading the handbooks. But maybe some new songs for compilations, maybe some concerts here and there… I don’t believe in plans, I believe in serendipity.


11. Thank you my friend for your time, and for answering my questions. Would you like to add something important, something that I maybe didn't ask you about?

C.S.: You’re welcome. Thanks for your interest and support.



Tomasz Borowski



info:

www.myspace.com/comandosuzie
www.victima10.com






Punch Records Festival (20/21.01.2007, Lipsk)