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Interview with Militia Dei
Militia Dei is a French martial/sacral postindustrial project, founded by Jean Francois Hickert in 2002. Here you cand download his album "In Nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti":
http://morphic-field.de/Joomla/index.php?option=com_remository&Itemid=53&func=startdown&id=23
and here is his MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/402620887
Welcome Jean Francois! Could you describe us your new material "In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti"?
The recording of this album was made in one day from pre-programmed patterns. It's a kind of photographic picture of the sound of Militia Dei at one time. This is my actual sound. This is what I work on, this is what I play with. All the tracks are marching tracks at 88 bpm, the tempo of the Légion Étrangère marches. I work on few patterns that I rearrange constantly. I try to create « eternal » tracks. Tracks that I can play again and again because there is no need to create another sound. It's a will of creating classic tracks that are never outdated, never dated, eternal, perfect in their essence. For the meaning, it's a kind of prayer or mantras. Repeating again and again the call to God: « Please come !», « please, Save us from this hell !».
Militia Dei exists since 2002 but it seems that it still is not very much known project. Why is that so? Have you ever thought about so called "promotion"? (I mean T-shirts, CDs, posters etc.)
I'm a very bad promoter. I'm an artist and all the commercial stuff is boring me. Though, the meeting with Sinweldi boosted Militia Dei visibility. It's thanks to him that I could perform live in Lille and I recorded the album in his studio. My sound is so unique that I have difficulties to find an audience. We try now to perform with other bands to create a gig we can propose to the venues.
You have created very specific style - mixing martial percussions with very synthetic, almost "trance" or "hypnotic" melodies. Why do you prefer such sounds? Is it possible that it will change (for example into something more neoclassical or neofolk)?
This sound is the result of all my influences. And I like to play with my all-in-one machine (an EMX Korg). I like the « punk » aspect of this creation like the guys who are using chiptunes to produce music. Use a limited machine dedicated to dance music to produce something very militaristic. I like the challenge in it.
How important is industrial music for you as a source of inspiration? Do you think that it's a kind of paradox or maybe contradiction, that early industrial bands were often very "anti-traditional", "nihilistic", "revolutionary", "leftist" or "counter-initiative" and nowadays we have a lot of martial industrial projects which deal with topics like tradition, religion, heroic ethics, spiritual discipline etc.?
Industrial music is part of my background but I have so many other influences since all those years. I think that industrial culture is against modern world but in a very anarchist attitude. When we start to read we find that being against the modern world is being conservative. Christ is the ultimate rebel against this decadent society.
In an interview for "Les Craters de l'Hydre" you said: "Étant moi-même de tradition catholique..." Are you practising Roman Catholic? Do you belong to so-called "traditional catholic" movement?
I had a catholic education. I was used to go to the church every sunday as I was a child. But due to the very anticlerical education I had at school I abandoned my practice when I was 15. It's later that I rediscovered the true meaning of religion. Because of my experiments under psychedelic substance. I became then more gnostic than pure roman or traditional catholic. I'm practising Roman Catholic Mass very few because it's too soft for me. Church must be the iron of lance against this corrupted society. But it is not.
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Interview with Militia Dei
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You seem to be deeply inspired not only by Christian esoterism but also by "integral traditionalism" / "perennialism". Do you know writings of such people like Rama Coomaraswamy, Jean Borella, Silvanon Panunzio, Attilo Mordini, Thierry Jolif or Arnaud Guyot-Jeannin who write quite friendly about Traditional School from Christian perspective? What would you say to those people in "conservative" circles who think that all those "guenonian" conceptions are only a sort of dangerous "right-wing new-age" (or another kind of syncretic false ecumenism or something like that)?
I only studied seriously René Guénon. And I've not finished to understand his teaching. He is the author I feel the closest. Many people are against Guénon because he has this conception of integral traditionalism and expose the unity of all traditions. For me it's clear and in harmony with my own experiences and intuition. Guénon is not political. We are talking here about esoterism and esoterism is not for the masses, it's for the chosen few. Let the people talk about what they don't know.
You sometimes use harsh, noisy sounds in your compositions. What's your own "metaphysics of noise"? Do you consider noisy, industrial sounds as a mirror of post-modern times? Or maybe "noise as catharsis", "noise as purification" (like Holy Fire)? Thierry Jolif has written: "Imagine paradoxal journey, the Energies of the Spirit playing with the noises of the World ... Imagine the ugly and weird sounds of this crazy and ugly world are the only we could use to express the unspeakable beauty of God !" and "We use every sounds, every spaces - because Christ is a measure of all things". What do you think about his interpretation?
Noise is Force and Anger! God knows that. This is the saving power of storm. The devastation of all inpurity. The resurrection for the noble heart.
Tell us something about your live performance with Sinweldi. Was it your first concert? Will there be next? And you use (or do you plan to use) any visualisation, movie-clips during your performances?
Yes, it was my first concert under the name of Militia Dei. The sound was strong enough to tell what I want to tell. I hope there will be others! I already have something planned for a nationalist remembrance. It will be in the context of a street parade. I'd like to find a good Vj to enrich my live acts. But as to find other bands in my vein, it's more difficult to find an appropiate Vj!
What are your main musical favorites and inspirations? What bands or composers you listen to?
The best to know that is to consult my last.fm profile. You can find it here: http://www.last.fm/user/Negens
Are you monarchist? What do you think about traditional French monarchism (like Action Francaise) and especcialy about legitimists? Important and eternal idea which should be preserved - or maybe only nostalgy, utopia and dead illusion? Do you know J. Raspail's books (like "Sire")?
I'm very few involved in politics. I try to reach to Realm of God and it is not from this world. If we consider politics, I'd say that an ordered society is a christian society. Obey to the laws of God and everything should be fine. We now are under the reign of the antechrist. That's why we are in such a bad situation. That said, my political family is far-right, of course.
Do you have any side-project? Or do you play(ed) in any band?
I play additional percussions with Sinweldi, yes.
Will there be next album of Militia Dei?
It's always difficult to me to talk about a « new album ». Because Militia Dei is a live project always evolving with the same sound, the same patterns. It's like to ask for a new gospel! That said, I constantly work on my patterns and there will be soon a new release of Militia Dei... :)
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