Darker Shade of Pagan
Interview with Qntal
by JASON PITZL-WATERS

Not since the band, Dead Can Dance, sprung onto the music world back in the early '80s has a band melded classical and modern elements quite like Germany's Qntal. The band, which is named for a world that appeared in the dreams of lead singer Syrah, fuses operatic vocals and medieval themes with lush, dreamy, and sometimes driving electronic backing. Their music creates the perfect backdrop to dancing with your friends at a nightclub, or just staying at home and luxuriating in a personal mystical mood. A well-kept secret in their native German soil, this band will soon be receiving a shot of much-deserved attention, thanks to a new distribution deal with American label Noir, who released Qntal III to critical acclaim in 2004 and is now preparing for the release of a fourth CD in May 2005. Thanks to an introduction from Patrick Rogers of Fossil Dungeon, I was able to interview founding member Michael Popp Qntal, ask him about his music, and forming a band in the land of poets and thinkers.

What initially inspired you to form a band that fused classical and electronic elements?
Michael Popp: We've been working on medieval music and literature for many years; we also have a "classical" medieval band called "Estampie." Back in the nineties, the gothic scene in Germany started to get interested in medieval themes; that's when we decided to create a medieval-electronic crossover project. In that time, it was quite unusual to use lutes, harps, and fiddles in combination with computer sounds. As far as I know, we were the first band to do so. To our surprise, a quite large number of people liked our stuff, so we're still making music.

How did the band come together?
In 1990 I met the members of Deine Lakaien (a prominent German gothic/darkwave band). I liked their music, although it sounded a bit old-fashioned to me. It reminded me of Bauhaus and other early '80s post-punk. Nevertheless, we started to work together. Soon, we became one of the top gothic bands in Germany, although we didn't get much notice abroad. The next step was to create a new sound with medieval melodies and lyrics. That was the genesis of Qntal. We planned Qntal to be only a studio project, and for the first few years, we didn't perform live at all, but since the release of QNTAL III, we've changed that. Now we act like a regular band... we release a CD, tour, appear at festivals, and so on.

Your music is unusual - combining medieval lyrics and electronic sounds in a really mind-bending way. Do you think of it as intellectual in nature?
Our music does have a serious element to it, but I don't think of it as educating anyone. I think that could be a result of our German education and of our classical training. I personally never listen to any kind of "normal" pop music. I hate MTV and things like that… but I love experimental underground music: the weirder, the better.

Many reviews talk about the "mystical" quality of your music. What religions and philosophies does the band subscribe to, and how do those beliefs influence the music of Qntal?
What makes some people believe in a "mystical quality" of our music is probably the fact that the culture and history we explore is not commonly understood. What do we know about the Middle Ages? You can listen to Qntal without knowing anything about it, but maybe you feel that there is a lot of knowledge in the background. Perhaps that's what gives it a "mystical" touch.

Could you talk about your project Estampie? What was the motivation to start this project?
Estampie was founded when we were still students in the university. We were fascinated by medieval music, because it was so unusual and new to our ears and it gave us a lot of opportunities to improvise, to learn to play unusual instruments, learn old languages, and so on. It was just the most interesting way for us to make music. It's different from Qntal in that music for Estampie is exclusively made on medieval instruments and doesn't use any modern sounds whatsoever.

All of your CDs are numbered instead of given names. What is the reason behind this? Do you feel these are merely movements/parts of a larger whole work?
That is exactly the reason. Qntal is in a permanent state of flow. The CDs are just snapshots of our work at a particular moment in time. They are not the most important thing for us. You can imagine what our record company thinks about this opinion. (Laughs).

Indeed, I can! Do you feel your American fans perceive you differently than your European fans? In America most Qntal fans are from the Goth scene - is that true in Europe as well?
Our fan base is more diverse in Europe, I guess, because we also have Estampie fans among them. Even older people come to Qntal concerts, but the Goth scene is the largest part of our audience in both Europe and America.

What musicians do you feel have influenced the band?
Dead Can Dance. I couldn't say that any other band has influenced our work.

Since you have started, many other bands have come around that incorporate medieval and classical elements into modern music, giving the appearance, at least, that they are following your lead. Do you feel that you have been an inspiration to others? How do you feel about other bands who work in similar areas?
Yes, I do think that many other bands, both in Germany and abroad have been influenced by Qntal. It gives us a good feeling, because many of these musicians show respect towards our work. That inspires us further, and, we feel, mandates an obligation to continue to maintain a high standard of musical quality with Qntal.

What is the one thing you wish fans of Qntal knew about you?
We have a lot of fun before and after the shows, and that may not be apparent. To make "mystical" music doesn't mean that we spend our lives only meditating!

What is in store for the future of the band? What comes now that you have released your third CD?
Well, we plan to release Qntal IV in May 2005, then keep on going. Qntal V, VI, VII and so on. We hope to be making recordings for many years to come.

To find out more about Qntal visit the band's website at www.qntal.de or the Noir Records website at www.noir-records.com.

JASON PITZL-WATERS is a writer, artist, club and radio DJ and community activist living in Illinois. He is currently preparing to go back to school in the field of religious studies.