Getting to Know Golem Dance Cult (Interview – Written)

As they gear up to release their new album ‘Shamanic Faultlines’ (June 13th via Pugilat Deluxe), we spoke to alternative heavy rock band, Golem Dance Cult and learn more about them.

1. Hello! Thank you for taking the time to chat to us. First things first, tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got started.

Charles Why: I started music academically with saxophone at 8 years old, then self-taught guitar at 14. At this age I won a competition as an Angus Young (AC/DC) “look-alike” . I was invited to meet the band and went on stage with them in Paris for their intro song (Who Made Who). Even if I was only provided with a cardboard guitar, I attribute this event to my love for live performance, as when I walked onstage, there was a massive roar from the audience (who did not realise yet that I was only an Angus Look-alike;-) and that lifted me up like nothing else… I was hooked on this adrenaline. Following this experience, I finally switched to bass and started my first band with Laur, who was then the Drummer.

Laur: I took drums lessons when I was 16 then started playing with Charles. Later, I played drums in various hardcore/glam/punk bands (Flood, SAPO, Bridewell Hospital, Sparkling Bombs, Kevin K, etc.) until a few years ago when I finally started to sing my own lyrics. I’ve always been involved in the song writing/lyrics in my main bands.

2. Someone comes to you and asks you to sum up what kind of music you play – what do you tell them?

Laur: I would probably say something like “groovy heavy alternative rock with cinematic and occult/spiritual references.”

Charles Why: This is a good one! Or: it could be “Imagine an old Hammer movie, directed by Dali and recoloured by Andy Warhol”

3. What’s currently keeping you busy? A new album/EP/single release? A new video? Playing live, or planning ahead?

Charles Why: On Friday the 13th of June, the label Pugilat Deluxe will release our new album, “Shamanic Faultlines”, a long format (13 tracks) which will be available on vinyl (black and splatter), CD and digital. The same day we will release our new video “Call of the Wendigo”.

4. What is about this current period that is particularly exciting for you?

Laur: Releasing a new album is always exciting. In a way it’s the end of a chapter but the start of new things too. It’s always interesting to hear and read what people think about our music.

Charles Why: The art of “letting go”, when you start the mastering process and there is no coming back, you have to kind of surrender and trust your gut feeling. Indeed it is a difficult phase to let go of what you worked on and are so close to in order to share it with others.

5. Tell me about the work that has gone into making it a reality and what it means to you.

Laur: It took some time because we don’t have any pressure from anyone but ourselves. We just take the time we need to make new songs that are soulful to us and that’s a very important thing.

Charles Why: Making music that we enjoy is our main priority. For this album we took our sweet time (2 years) as we knew from the writing/composing phase that we had something special in our hands. Moreover, this time we invited several musicians friends to collaborate with us: Dick Dens from the band “The Irradiates” played guitar on two tracks, Boris Boublil (Mu and Emilie Loizeau) played Moog and organ, Loki Lockwood (Velatine, Spooky Records) on synth, Jean-Philippe Feiss on Cello, beautiful Inga Liljestrom lent us her amazing voice on a few songs, Peter M on drums, Peter Miller on Theremin, Blair Manie on Oud, Alex Zillon on vocals…. Extremely talented folks, each bringing their own sensibility to the song they collaborate on.

6. Making music and being creative can be a very positive experience and can be very good for the mind. In what way has making music had a positive impact on your mental health?

Laur: Of course! Music definitely helps. It’s more than being the soundtrack of our lives. It’s funny how it works, sometimes dark songs can brighten your day and happy ones can take you down!

Charles Why: Music has always been a guiding light, a saviour, sometimes a crutch. Creating is a way to understand the World for me.

7. It can also be incredibly challenging, more so in the modern times. What have been some challenging aspects of making music and how have you overcome them?

Laur: The new ways to promote a band can be challenging to us. We come from a time when we recorded demo cassettes and sent them away to promote our bands but we slowly get used to the modern ways of promoting a band.

Charles Why: We both have professional occupations aside from music now but when I was living in Paris a few years ago I was indeed a professional musician for some time. That did not last too long as to keep this status in , you have an obligation to play a certain number of official paid gigs in a specific time frame. It was such a race against time to get those gigs that you could only focus on this. Plus, sometimes you had to compromise as to play cover songs or being a “hired gun” for bands that are touring more extensively. After a while in this “hamster wheel” I took the decision to have a day to day paid job that allowed me to create whatever I was feeling like.

8. How do you handle the online aspects of being in a band? Having to put out content constantly, promoting across several different social media platforms, and having your success measured in likes and follows?

Laur: We try not to do it that much. I mean, it can look so contrived for some bands. I like bands more than influencers!

Charles Why: Yes!

9. How do you make this part of things enjoyable, and fulfilling, for yourself?

Laur: We just try not to force ourselves and post when we want to, just keep it fun!

Charles Why: From the start of this band we tried to create our own visual and musical universe. As such, posting “content” for us is like opening our door or windows to show what is going on in our little demented World.

10. Speaking directly to listeners – what would you ask they do to help you?

Laur: For those who still like the real thing, they can buy our records!

Charles Why: Yes! Especially for the vinyl version of “Shamanic Faultlines” we did what we love from the experience of interacting with a musical artefact: an evocative artwork, printed lyrics and little stories unfolding!

11. Outside of music, what do you like to do to relax?

Laur: I read books, watch films and series and go out for a drink or two!

Charles Why: I’m an avid reader and to relax and focus I practice Transcendental Meditation.

12. Where can people find you?

Website | Bandcamp | Facebook | YouTube