- "I dream of Trees and Orchids in scarlet spheres; I dream of 7 moons slimmering above twilight chapels..." I see tender cats in the booklet of the CD...which is the relations between these creatures and 'Of Trees and Orchids'?"
F: When I started to design the booklet of our debut CD I tried to elaborate on the ideas and contents forming the background of the band itself and, of course, of the lyrical intentions. I decided to choose special objects for special ideas described in the lyrics of the debut:
For example, the gate as a symbol for entrance into something or for leaving something or someone. Natural images as symbols for the growing and dying of ideas, creatures, the world ... The cat is a cultivated and elegant animal that stalks with such grace while human beings despair of stress in their daily lives - this beautiful animal is a shining example for the inner silence I try to reach. (By the way: I love and admire cats .... and I am also a proud `owner´ of four cats).
All the motives in the booklet have a special and associating meaning and function related to the texts and there contents.. Although I wrote in one of my last mails that the upcoming of trees and orchids cd will be more progressive, more technical and brutal, these elements will remain – they are one essential part of "of trees and orchids" - but also the compositional development of our music is an essential component - the new material we are going to record in this year late summer/ autumn will unite brutality and atmosphere, silence and fierceness, technique and floating melodies ....
- Uhm, what do you mean for “inner silence”? And, yez, I agree with you, cats are so noble while mankind has become so “rude” and with a total lack of style (except a few “illuminated” ones of course!)…cats are charming, so sensual and elegant in their movements, with a light of mystery shining in their deep eyes…ehm, ok let’s stop this “ode to cats” of mine and let’s go on…I was trying to say: to me, cats represent the “perfection”! What about you? And what about “trees” and “orchids” as symbols?
F: This question actually is very difficult ... what’s the meaning of "trees" and "orchids" concerning the band’s concept and its ideas and intentions? I think that a tree itself can symbolise intellectual profundity, wisdom, majesty, ... but trees can also be grotesque and bizarre plants that seem to observe you with dim and keen eyes while you’re wandering through a wood, trees can whip the air with their branches in storms with fierce and grim mercilessness that fills your heart with suffocating fear - I presume that all these connotations subconsciously played a significant role when I chose this special band name. In order to refer to the orchids in our band’s name I can state that for me orchids are very beautiful flowers and they represent beauty, grace and happiness - these connotations play a relevant role concerning of trees and orchids as well. The band’s name refers to the music and the lyrical concept of trees and orchids ... we combine fierceness with silence, brutality with gentleness, misery with hope - we narrate of life, we reflect on life’s varieties and their specific problems .... no extraordinary concept: I just reflect on life as such in my lyrics ... no pathetic complicatedness - I try to point out a part of life’s peculiar surface, maybe merely my life’s surface - but maybe I reach something more general ....
- Oh well, yes, what you merge in your music (reflected also on your Band name) are the opposites, as it is used to say that the opposites attract themselves in a way…true…but hey, you didn’t answer to the ‘first point’ of my last e-mail! So before starting to talk about lyrics I ask to you once again: what do you mean for ‘inner silence’??
F: I really don’t remember the context in which I uttered the term "inner silence" - probably I meant a condition of inner calmness that can be achieved with a certain peace within oneself. That’s a virtue which has very often been discussed in philosophical treatise - this condition of inner silence is called “ataraxia” to mention the technical term. I try to cope with the daily problems by not dramatising their importance, I try to understand the essential contents of the things we can observe in our daily lives. That’s a difficult venture - but it’s an aim, a virtue, and I try to approach it - I think principally that’s the way everybody strives for own aims. And for me the precondition of handling life is "inner silence" that has to be created. This general idea is a significant component of my lyrics. I hope this explains the so - called "inner silence" .
But now we have to refer to the lyrics of "of trees and orchids" and "Gallery of Darkness", o.k.?! What´s your impression, what do you see when you read the lyrics, do you visualise anything while reading of infinite cognition or of the condition of sleeping in the end? It’s always been extremely interesting for me to discuss the influence my texts have on others when they read them. Very often it’s been a kind of surprise what impressions developed and how people react on the contents described in my lyrics, such impressions can be very inspiring, ha, ha
- As I reached my ‘inner silence’ once again in this last bad period, it’s time to wake up and it’s my turn now to answer to your questions: well, actually, the first time I read the lyrics included in the booklet of ‘Of Trees And Orchids’ CD some ‘images’ shaped in my mind: I imagined an alone figure of human being, watching ‘the world’ (the power and magnificence of nature opposed to the mediocrity of humanity) from a high mountain, he was thinking about how ‘rotten’ man has become, how superficial and empty… he saw ‘the world’ through his ‘illuminated’ eyes, and discovered how painful was not being blind…. This my first impression, next time we can talk more in deep….
F: What exactly is your question? In your last email you described your impressions of the lyrics, and for me it´s always been very interesting to find out what influence my lyrics cause when they are read by other people. Why do you think are the text´s protagonist´s eyes already illuminated when he observes the surface of the world´s appearence? I don´t try to create something unrealistic in my lyrics. Every contents should be linked with reality! And I must admit that I really don´t know a single person whose eyes recognize the essential things in life. The progress of the situations I describe in my texts always follows a certain structure: a kind of quest for universal cognition the protagonist aspires to in different situations. And in every text I compose I try to utter another kind of solution - but these solutions are idealistic ideas which form my philosophical view of the world and everything related with it. I never describe the blissful condition of an absolute cognition – the characters of my thexts are always in search of it because that´s reality. I try to think of the already mentioned solutions - but I am aware of the fact that it´s very difficult to reach such a solution, but it´s reassuring to know what your aim is, even if you haven´t reached it yet ... .
- Well, actually, I imagined that human figure being at the ‘end’ of his mortal life or at the ‘end’ at his philosophical journey, so that’s why I said that his eyes are ‘illuminated’…I believed to know a few people which recognised the essential things in life but then they fell into mediocrity, as it seems more simple staying among the mud than try to follow an individualistic path…well, I mentioned the ‘end’ above, and concerning that, a line of ‘In search of Infinite cognition’ made me reflect and shiver and it’s: ‘Are we condemned to bear this suffocating idiocy for all eternity?’….
F: Well, you noted two options in your answer - you wrote that you’ve imagined an individual being at the end of it’s (terrestrial) life, and besides you remarked that the protagonist in "In search of infinite cognition" could also have reached the end of a philosophical journey .... .
To be honest, I must state that your second interpretation is the idea the whole text circles around. I tried to develop an imagination of the conditions and emotions of an individual, entity ... whatever, .... observing the things that are with so-called illuminated senses: a condition of absolute freedom and unity with the things that were, are and will be - a condition that H.P. Lovecraft described in lots of his incredible short - stories ... .
Virtually, this condition has always been and constantly will be the significant element and contents of my lyrics as long as of trees and orchids is concerned. In the lyrics I composed for the topical (second) of trees and orchids release (which is entitled "thought - cathedral) this topic is present once again ... but I don’t describe the condition of illumination - I describe the tiring way to this marvellous condition, I try to outline the obstacles and difficulties awaiting the intellectual wanderer, and I circumscribe the fatal changes that manipulate the search for cognition oh so often ... . You can say that the lyrics of the second of trees and orchids output (probably out in December 2000 – very technical and complex Death Metal compositions which are produced in the Soundlodge where Obscenity and Gallery of Darkness recorded their topical releases) are a kind of extract from an instruction which indicates how to escape the spheres of blindness ... at least it’s my vision of how to cope with the difficulties of today’s life, ha, ha, ha ... .
- Yes, I agree with your answer, but...again concerning that line of "of trees and orchids'" lyrics: are we condemned to bear this suffocating idioty for all eternity??? Won´t death let us rest in peace??
F: Puuuuhh, that´s a question beyond my experience! I can´t relate to the condition of being dead properly or reliably. I don´t aspire to death, of course, sometimes I am really sad concerning certain problems I am faced with everyday. But virtually I am grateful for life and I try to visualize that I am doing quite fine although I have a terrible headache at the moment, ha, ha ...Maybe some people may find this naive - but I discovered that this is the way I cope with life itself!
- Lyrically speaking, the new album seems to own a stronger concept: everything circles around this 'thought cathedral', around your thirst and fear of knowledge...the lyrics seem to me also more 'visionary'....the 'image' of the 'bleeding eyes' impressed me a lot....
F: Yeah, the whole album is determined by the concept which describes the conditions within the so-called "thought-cathedral". Of course, to a certain extend there exists a personal identification of the text´s author (thus I myself ...) with the person sitting and musing in the thought-cathedral.The things that are described by the lyrics partially are real experiences I´ve once made. But the entire exaggerated and paraphrased surroundings, reflections and actions are just functioning as metaphorical devices, employed to express complex emotions. As I have already mentioned before, the texts I compose always have a certain link to reality, my lyrics are not supposed to be mere fictive entertainment, there´s always the possibility of seperating a kind of supportive conclusion out of it. To state this is very important for me. In order to perceive the whole content you just have to close your eyes, focus on what goes on within yourself, realize and conceive all those limitations that restrict your reflection and try to escape your thought-cathedral´s hell.
-..oh yes, unfortunately we have always to maintain a link with the absurd reality... anyway... "philosophical journey", "intellectual path"...these are word-combinations that sound pretty strange nowadays, do you agree with me? I mean, wow, we are in the era of technology, high technology....on the other side we are in the era of HIGH ignorance...culture, values...only a few seem to care about them, the rest of human beings are too occupied with work/career/follow the last trendy-or-I'm-not-cool....if I try to imagine how the future will be...oh god....involution, involution!"
F: Sorry that I repeat your question, but it´s pretty complex, isn´t it? I try to relate to its according components. Yeah, indeed these word-combinations sound strange nowadays ... "philosophical journey" etc. . But I don´t see why their meanings should be less topical or significant than those of technology, media, politics ... whatsoever. Sometimes I feel like I live in the wrong century, just like you´ve mentioned in one of your recent e-mails, thus in a time in which virtues and certain ideals don´t have any decisive worth any more. But that´s an idea many people have who don´t feel understood in their daily routine. So I am aware of the fact that this isn´t a special item of my life, but my personal attitude towards life in general. I try to cope with today´s requirements, although this definitely is an utterly difficult matter. Of course, I make use - as those who read this online-discussion will realize very likely - of the internet, computers, technology ... and I enjoy the according advantages. And for me that´s all right! I don´t damn technology in general, and I think it´s implausible to do so while sitting in the car and driving to the next techno-party. There has to be a certain progression in society, although moreover I believe that one shouldn´t relate to, hmmm, rather rely on technical means in an one-sided way, this idealistic equilibrium between naturalness and the usage of technology should be maintained! That´s a significant content with regard to the organization of my life. I hope that this declarations I mentioned above don´t sound too antiquated or precocious. That´s just my point of view - I do not want to force this philosophy upon anyone!!! I think everybody develops a very specific way of coping with life, it´s always very individual - and this is my system which keeps me from getting insane. Yeah, virtually that´s my answer to your question (rather comment, he?) - this discussion turns out to be extremely profound, ha, ha ... what about, in order to reach some kind of loosening change for our conversation, talking about our favourite meals, hehe ... no, just a joke. Don´t take that too serious.
- "this idealistic equilibrium between naturalness and the usage of technology should be maintained!" sorry if I repeat a line of your answer but...ah, what holy words!! the equilibrium...of course I totally agree with your answer...feeling in the wrong century but not condemning technolgy at all...I can't imagine my life without the comfort of modern technology....it is rather positive if used in the right way...as everything...but, we know, most of the human beings have the bad habit to "abuse" of everything...for what? who knows...maybe for trying to appear "great" in their misery, in their insignificance, in the desperate attempt to "appear", to be part of something...useless things for empty boxes...in this epoch of decadence, individualism is like a plague...feared and condemned...ok ok...man has always feared the "different" we know, but...I believe we live in the epoch of "mediocrity is better!" (wow it could be a new slogan for some crap tv-spot...eh eh...) uhm, too complicated? yes, I agree with you, it's better to speak of our favourite meals etc...uhm, I'll start with fave drinks...mine? absinth of course!! ok ok, just kidding...the answer to you...
F: But I want to state something: the words I´ll type now are rather a comment than an answer, as well as your so-called question isn´t a classical one - rather argumentation for or against something. I write this because this exchange of points of view resembles more and more a real converstion: and that´s great! The equilibrium I mentioned above is significant for my whole life - philosophy: I aspire to it day in day out in so many relations and situations. This concept can be related to nutrition, attitude in general, life-style etc.. I also observe this rediculous and fatal mediocrity in today´s society. I hate these Big Brother-zombies dwelling in their permanently opserved container, these up-to-date-braindeads etc.. But the consequence with regard to my behaviour and actions I develop from those observations isn´t just disappointment and frustration. Such mass-idiocy courages me to act in a more positive way, trying to improve something. Very idealistic - I know, but that´s my way of coping with this phenomenon! My favorite drinks virtually are peach - juice, milk, wine, ha, ha, ha. And my favorite movie is "2001 - Odyssey into space" by Stanley Kubrick.
- Yehh…well, I totally agree with your view and way to cope with the mediocrity of our epoch…. 'observing' and laugh at them, while continuing the personal philosophical path…but sometimes I just feel frustrated when forced to be in touch with silly ppl, it's like an 'inner pain' (like being 'slaughtered' inside, a metaphor to express how I feel when facing those individuals), I often ask to myself “oh god, how is it possible some ppl are soooo…?” I think this state of mind/reaction it is sometimes necessary to then reach the equilibrium again and escape the 'thought-cathedral'….and when you emerge from the chaos and the pain, you just can feel that inner calmness (we mentioned at the beginning of our conversation) again…a mood somehow reflected by your new CD 'thought-cathedral': chaos&fury&anger and then those marvellous moments of 'quietness'…
F: The new of trees and orchids-songs have quite a dark atmosphere and the´re breathing nihilism. Perhaps that´s because I am currently a little bit strange-mooded. I am developing towards the state of a lonely stranger, at the moment I love to be alone, just thinking about the world. But not because that´s fashionable for a misanthropic Metal freak - no! It´s a part of my individual thought development. I presume that I have to face some loneliness at the moment, I have to face an overdose of myself until I am sick of it (-; Writing means fixation of thought-shivers, it means articulation of reality. Of course, my lyrics are an articultation of my individual point of view - but it´s a part of reality as something that can be put together like a puzzle. For me composing music in combination with lyrical forms is a significant means to endure my own stupidity, to cope with mankind´s dumb behaviour. I often judge the behaviour of others who don´t act in a way corresponding to my life-philosophy. But I even don´t know if I am acting in the correct way. That´s a perpetually circulating problem. Where´s the exit? Where shall I go? What´s truth ... there are so many questions that virtually are unbearable and that can´t be answered. And this recognition is a relevant aspect of my texts - it´s just my perspective which is described, there´s constant relativity.
- It seems you’re being strange-mooded and the need to stay alone has influenced also the new name
you have decided to give to your band: "ingurgitating oblivion" says it all...oh well, back to your last answer: dear Florian I understand very well what u feel ... that asking often to yourself "do I act in the right way if compared to the way most people around me act?"...I rather say it in this way "a part the few equal-minded I've luckily found, why I think-feel-act in a so different way compared to the mass of blind animals out there??? Am I an alien and I'm born on the wrong planet???" this actually sums up what I feel like almost every day, every hour I spend among the insane humanity... in this mad period (if ever world have had an equilibrium...) I feel more heavy the need to escape, escape, disappear somewhere, far from everything...far from human self-destructive idiocy.... and at the same time more strong is the need to "live" my life, day by day, making new experiences, discover, learn... "future" is a nonsense word for me, it has always been but now more than ever!!! I feel quite confused...maybe I'm just going insane since I can't bear to live among "normal, standard, blind, stupid, empty, superficial, style less, vulgar, ignorant, evil people", now more than ever!
F: yeah, obviously we have similar approaches towards life. First concerning the alteration of my
band’s name: It’s nihilistic, resignation and negativity in a way … but that’s not the mayor intention. I don’t like resignation. I try to be creative, I try to act, and I try to do something about this miserable condition strangulating life. I mean, I know that this is a very idealistic way of thinking but in a way that’s my way of surviving! I am aware that I contribute a comparably minimal effect. But it’s something, at least a selfish contemplation that provides me with hope. I really dislike lots of things, I criticize constantly – but as soon as you’ve made up your decision, namely continuing to live in these surroundings, one have to develop an individual concept that serves as a basis. I know that’s idealistic – but anyone will have this idea in a very personal and intimate version. I am rather a conceptual philosophy bastard. I find confirmation in lots of approaches. I think there are so many
interesting ideas, theories, amazing observations etc. … Nothing convinces me fully, but influences of the tings you’re doing, experiencing and learning can be such a great help to create your very individual point of view!!! I love the world surrounding me as much as I detest it – that’s paradox in a way, but definitely inevitable if you think like I do. INGURGITATING OBLIVION is the essence of my reflection – opposing and deny a state of vegetating ... forgetfulness etc. "I know that I don’t know anything" (Sokrates) is the circular metaphor expressing my attitude!"

*****after several month of Silence, the discussion goes on....

Ah, the discussion...why don't arise it from the ashes through this? :
"You know that the first Matrix was designed to be a perfect human world where none suffered, where everyone would be happy? And it was a disaster. No one would accept the program. Entire crops were lost...
...I believe that, as species human beings define their reality through misery and suffering...
I'd like to share a revelation that I've had during my time here. it came to me when I tried to classify your species. I realized that you are not actually mammals. Every mammal on this planet instinctively develops a natural equilibrium with the surrounding enviroment. But you humans do not.
you move to an area and you multiply and multiply until every natural resource is consumed.
And the only way you can survive is to spread to another area. There is another organism on this planet that follows the same pattern. Do you know what it is? A virus..."
F: Partly I can confirm this assessment of human nature, and partly a relativisation is necessary here, I think. In the following I want to explain both confirmation and disapproval. Viruses spread to a living organism in order to multiply and thrive in it. It merely is a momentary intention one can observe here. The viruses infest a living being, control its metabolism, all its functions. Eventually, the organism is bound to succumb decline. If this happens, the viruses are destroyed, too - unless they don't infect another living being. Thus, the purpose of the process is, in a way, without meaning. In contradiction to this, humans create culture in all its manifold components. Indeed, humans actually show a lot of parallels to the nature of a virus. The reason why I don't want to accept this statement entirely is because I think humans have a certain aspiration that transcends the mere will to survive. We can take on responsibility for the things we do. We have the power to refuse and to accept. I cannot accept such a point of view when it states that humans exclusively fulfill criteria of expansion of the area they live in, destruction of their surrounding environment and multiplication of the own species. I feel deep respect towards mother earth and the ethreal energy that is the undefinable drive behind everything (any call it God). I cannot accept that such realizations are worth nothing, just a romantic musing of a few unworldly nonentities. Consequences evolve a clearer, more conscious level of acting in our scope. I think a virus cannot make such a decision

:Contact:
thought-cathedral@gmx.de