I recently had the chance to talk with Mosaic main man Inkantator Koura, in case you have been living under a rock for the last 11 years Mosaic have been releasing amazing Germanic Black metal since 2006. In this convo we spoke about life in the former East Germany, “gateway” bands such as Rammstein and Marilyn Manson and worshiping the old gods, read on!
* You are based in Gotha Germany, tell us what is life like there these days?
Hey, Alex! Life is really busy here nowadays. I am working on a lot of projects right now, enjoying my time with my family and so on. Gotha is a little big town, so the life is quite calm, but we have a good infrastructure here and beautiful landscapes. So I would say, I am enjoying my life right now.
“The German unity and identities are totally damaged and raped… that’s quite sad..”
* Were you old enough to live though the fall of Communism in Eastern Germany – if so what do you remember the most before the change?
Mhhh…tricky to say something about – I was just two years old as the iron wall fell. I grew up in a very little mountain village in the south-west of the Thuringian Highlands. It was the inner German border from Thuringia (East Germany) and Bavaria (West-Germany). You needed permission to get into this area, even if you have lived in East Germany.
The difference between East and West is still given, even nearly 30 years after it. The German unity and identities are totally damaged and raped… that’s quite sad because we had glorious times before the 20th century began. The face was lost in the two World Wars, which abused also a lot of archaic knowledge and symbolism and so it is quite heavy to deal with old customs and traditions here. We have to be very patient in the selection and presentation here – if you do not want any stress. That’s also quite sad, but I learned to handle it and I can widely work as I want to; you just have to check it up twice and make sure everything is ok.
* What is the Black metal scene like in your part of Germany – of like many Black metal Musicians do you prefer to avoid the scene at all costs?
We have a really strong metal scene here in central Germany, with really good musicians and friends. I would say that the German scene is stronger than ever before. The past 10 years were essential to the creation of the German extreme metal scene. We have well-known bands such as Ascension, Secrets of the Moon, The Ruins of Beverast, next to newer ones like Antlers, Venenum, Nocturnal Witch, Abyssous, Warriors, Orae and so on – to name just a very few.
Most of these bands started with worshiping their old extreme metal gods and evolved into something really unique. The factor of innovation is really high in our scene – and that’s good.
There is already a new generation growing up with bands like Warlust, Transilvania, Kringa (yeah I know they are from Austria…don’t care) and so on – so the pulse is more than alive here in Germany.
* How many shows have you played so far and what has been your favorite show and why?
We started to perform live in 2014, and since then we have performed 14 times I guess. The most enjoyed event was for the sure the FUNKENFLUG Open Air 2016 in Austria. Just perfect atmosphere and location; nice and dedicated people. Next to this I really enjoyed Party San Open Air and Phantoms of Pilsen – the crowd was just unbelievable there. And also, my own event I had set up in autumn last year – SAMHAIN CELEBRATION – this was also a night to remember.
“I love to play in unusual places, or better yet, in total usual places like woods, mountains, ruins, caves”
* Do you play as a one man band or do you recruit band mates to help out? I saw Mortiis play London in 1999 where he performed to a DAT tape and it was fantastic
I have three live musicians with me, on drums, second guitar and bass – I perform the first guitar and all vocals live.
Ha cool story with the DAT tape, I currently try a lot of things to do a solo or duo set also, with a more folkloristic approach and more soundscaping instrumentation, to perform at very small locations – that’s something I really want to do.
I love to play in unusual places, or better yet, in total usual places like woods, mountains, ruins, caves and so on – I am trying to focus on performing such rituals – that’s more intimate and personal – we do not play every concert we get offered.
* Have you done any full tours yet? Is this something you would like to do in the future?
Yes with my old band ALCHEMYST, I had completed one European tour with TRIBULATION, VENENUM and KETZER, in 2013.
We are planning a European tour for early October with our Swedish friends GRIFT. So yes I would like to tour * haha
* What’s the hardest part of being in a one man band? What is the best part?
Well there is no hard part, I need the total control about it – it is my brainchild and I need to keep things firmly under control – that’s it. My live musicians or session musicians I invite for recording sessions prepare their parts but if there is something I don’t like it has to be re-arranged – only I know how MOSAIC has to sound, and how it should not sound – sure that could be frustrating for my guest musicians – but they have known me for a long time – haha, so they know what can happen.
The best thing is that I have total control and I can choose the direction and can create my own worlds and capture them.
* What inspired you to create to write the music that you do? Were you in any “traditional” type bands before (meaning bass/drums/singer/guitarist, etc)
My life and my experiences inspired me to create my music. I have been in various bands before; the most important band was ALCHEMYST (2009-2013) a kind of obscure Death Metal based successor of MOSAIC. There we were four musicians and the core were three of us (drums, second guitar and me). There we wrote everything together, meaning the drummer brought in some guitar riffs and so on. I liked the way a good flow was given in the creation process of the first and last album NEKROMANTEION (Iron Bonehead, 2012). But I was struggled a little after the release, I had a lack of further song ideas, and also the promotion and inner band communication brought me to a near meltdown and so I put it to rest. I enjoyed the time really, but I had to look forward and focused on MOSAIC then.
There I can totally work freely without any boundaries, and that’s good and that the way it has to be.
“We practice old and archaic customs in our private life’s, yes.”
* You write a lot about the old gods and mysticism – do you practice any pagan faiths? If so what ones and why?
We practice old and archaic customs in our private life’s yes. We live in a region where the main god(dess) was HULDA (Huldra, Perchta a.s.o.) – so the customs are really nature bound. We celebrate the regular feasts of the wheel of the year. Those rites have a long tradition and were mostly adapted by the Christian culture. It is normal for us to worship nature; nature is the central element – and we are just thankful for it – that’s the most simple reason, but also the truest.
* Is there much awareness of the Teutonic gods in today’s modern day Germany?
Mhhh I don’t know, in the modern German World, is no place for them. A real awareness is not given here. Like I said in the beginning of the interview, the two world wars were the reason that slayed such things. Back in time as Richard Wagner wrote his important works, the old gods became really popular, but there is not much left of it nowadays. This is quite sad.
“Then I got some MARILYN MANSON stuff and also ICED EARTH – still worshiping them today.”
* How did you get into Black metal? What was the first band that really “sold you” on the genre?
Oh that is a weird story *haha. It starts once upon a time when I was between 7 and 8. I got the first two RAMMSTEIN records and dug them. Then I got some classic metal records from my brother, mostly MANOWAR but also some Punk records like EA80. Normal starter drugs to go astray ha-ha . Then I got some MARILYN MANSON stuff and also ICED EARTH – still worshiping them today. And then one day I bought an old ABLAZE zine with LIMBONIC ART on the cover I think. I put in the sampler CD and listened to it just a few seconds – and thought – woah holy shit what the hell is this – I wasted 6,66€ *haha – but not long after, a friend of mine gave me a real German underground black metal jewel – AASKEREIA – MIT RABEN UND WÖLFEN – and this record had a total impact on me – the music and lyrics totally got me. And after this record I started to buy the typical Black Metal records like the first IMMORTAL, BATHORY, MAYHEM, BURZUM, first CRADLE OF FILTH and so on – and the madness began – *haha
* Outside of Black metal what influences Mosaic? I hear some old school industrial influences and a bit of British band Killing Joke in there too.
Mhhh I am not so much into Industrial or Killing Joke. More Fields of the Nephilim if you want something similar.
I listen to a lot of styles and genres. I love ambient, neo folkish stuff, classical tunes, and soundtracks… to name a few bands: WOVENHAND, THE TEA PARTY, CHELSEA WOLFE, ROME, SOL INVICTUS, STURMPERCHT, DEAD CAN DANCE, NEW MODEL ARMY, NOEL GALLGAHER, LANA DEL RAY, ANNA VON HAUSSWOLFF, NOSTALGHIA,
* What has been your favorite Mosaic release so far..and why?
I like all of them. The OLD MAN’s WYNTAR re-release on Eisenwald is truly amazing in every point. But I also like HARVEST and my SAMHAIN CELEBRATION tracks a lot and also the artwork if it. Those three records are really personal – and suggest a pure nostalgia and a tribute to my childhood and youth, that’s the reason why I like them the most.
* Have you ever visited America at all? And if not do you have any desire to visit? If so what places would you like to see with your own eyes?
Surely I want to visit it one day, but it is such a huge land I cannot tell you immediately what I want to see. I have to research this first. I would also love to visit Quebec and Canada someday because I have friends there and really like the landscape.
“After these shows we will finish the new record, which is hopefully out this year”
* What can we expect from you in 2017?
We have three concerts planned for this spring. After these shows, we will finish the new record, which is hopefully out this year – but I as I know myself I do not want to promise too much *haha.
Yeah and then we are going to hit the road with GRIFT and spread our message through Europe!
* Any final words?
Thanks Alex for your interesting questions, I hope the readers enjoyed it and check out MOSAIC!
MIRA BILITAS NATURAE
Inkantator Koura on behalf the elements