UK Gothic-Metal band Pro-Jekt formed in 2000 at a time when, due to the dominance of electronic music, Goths and guitars were not mixing very well. However they have since released two critically acclaimed albums (Encryption, and Defiance) as well as a live DVD, built up a large European following, and have performed at some of the biggest Gothic and Metal festivals in both the UK and Abroad.

I caught up with Pro-Jekt via email just prior to their performance at October’s Whitby Goth Weekend, to discuss the fans, the new album, and what the future holds for them.

As a gothic / metal cross-over band do you find that you receive any animosity from the genre’s respective fans, or are people a lot more open to the genres blending than in the past?

99% of the time we always get a really good attitude from both genres - you will always get a few stick in the mud ‘die hard’ fans, but that goes for anywhere in any scene - and even then, they may not love what we do but still respect us for how we achieve it.

Considering Goth-metal is traditionally an underground blend - do you find it difficult to gain significant coverage in the press?

I think we get to the press that matters for our fan base - we have also had some good features in the major mags, especially around our album and video reviews. However, some elements of the media are increasingly controlled and swayed by so many factors that more astute music go’ers usually rely on a live performances or a track sampler to judge a band. I think coverage is about proving ‘directly’ to people that you are worth listening to sometimes.

Do you feel that in recent years there has been a move away from the domination of EBM and industrial in the Goth scene in favour of more guitar based bands - and how do you feel that Pro-Jekt fits into this “revival”?

I think this is true - there was an over soaked culture of bands a few years ago with an apple mac computer and a singer, but that is slowly changing. We have always tried to have as many textures live as we can - performance is everything with Pro-jekt and the guitar and bass play a primary role in that delivery.

Pro-Jekt have always had a very distinctive sound - Do you strive more to capture your live sound in the studio, or try to replicate live what you have done in the studio?

On “Defiance”, our last album it was a case of our live sound being put to album really as this was our rationale at the time. Our current album work will be a different approach again ………and that will be very interesting!

Both of your previous albums were released to critical acclaim and were supported by a relentless touring schedule that saw you play shows all over Europe - How has the touring impacted on you as a unit?

Strangely enough all four of us cope really well with touring and still finding space to be creative. We pride ourselves on being very organised, working our arses off and being very together as a unit on and off the stage. We are essentially a live band, usually playing around 30 + performances a year, this is set to increase next year with tours offered in the pipeline for 2008.

You have played festivals ranging from Bloodstock to Terra Gotha over your career - Do you find yourselves received better on the continent or in the UK?

I think “fans are fans” the world over really- its up to you as the band to deliver a great performance every time you hit the stage. We do enjoy the foreign festivals though, especially in Scandinavia where the organisation and hospitality is especially good.

Your video’s have been gaining airplay on cable TV in the USA - Are their plans for a US tour in the future?

We have quite a few fans in the US - its just the endless reams of red tape with work visa’s and stuff. I’m sure we will perform there in the future, but things may be arranged down a different avenue with our management agency.

You are currently working on your new album. How has your sound evolved from the previous releases & do you have any tricks up your sleeves for the fans?

Are new album is a quantum leap forward for us - this, our third album, is under the full production of Ade Fenton ( famous for his production and collaboration with Gary Numan - Jagged album and Artificially Perfect etc. ). So far we only a third of the way through recording, but it already sounds immense and will turn more than a few heads in the spring of next year in both production quality and the way we have evolved with the new songs.

What are the (lyrical, musical and conceptual) inspirations behind the new album?

Lyrically : modern life and the pressure that that brings.

Musically : we have a formulae that’s always been there at the core of Pro-jekt - apart from that songs are usually birthed somewhere in the middle of the vortex of our rehearsal room. We have a nice mix of writing as a band and then developing the song a bit more over the computer then back into the practice room and so on a in a cycle.

Will a drummer be joining your ranks anytime soon?

Funny you should say that ….:)……..we are at the first tentative steps of using electronic kit playing with the band in rehearsals recently…you may see something in 2008! ( just maybe ). If we do, do this, it will not take any of our trademark ‘groove’ away - just enhance visually our craft on stage.

www.pro-jekt.org