Posts tagged: vnv nation

This guy is the best DJ I have ever heard ever ever ever! Headlining clubs and festivals across North America and Europe under the moniker given to him by Ministry’s Al Jourgensen, DJ Rexx Arkana is one of the dark electronic music movement’s few legitimate international DJ stars.

In addition to his twenty years of experience as both a DJ and promoter — having worked with everyone from industrial stalwarts Skinny Puppy and Ministry to newer stars Covenant and VNV Nation — Rexx Arkana is also the founder of the scene supergroup Bruderschaft. A collaboration of some of the electronic music world’s top talents, Bruderschaft drew together, under Arkana’s leadership, members of VNV Nation, Covenant, Apoptygma Berzerk and Icon of Coil in a charitable effort to benefit cancer research and treatment.

Rexx Arcana has also formed FGFC820, a new tribal EBM project, who released their first album in the summer of 2005 called “The Hanging Garden”.

Now on to the interview…

You’re a Dj, dad, musician, businessman, and husband. Do you ever feel overwhelmed?

Scheduling can be difficult at times, there’s no question. I tend to do a lot of traveling, both as a DJ and with the band, as well as with my day job. I’ve always loved being on the road, but it’s nice coming back home again, especially to all the little homemade signs and placards my girls tend to put together. I’m lucky to have an incredibly supportive and understanding partner in my wife, Aga. Bottom line is that none of this would be possible without her help and support.

How is the scene different now from when you first started out?

The thing that strikes me as being the most different is the abundance of DJs and artists in the scene …

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Andy Laplegua is a busy man. In the past year alone he has released three full length albums. Icon of Coil, his most popular band in the US, did Machines Are Us, Combichrist, a noisier EBM project, did The Joy of Guns, and Panzer AG did This Is My Battlefield, a darker, more goth/industrial album. Andy Laplegua is the frontman of Icon of Coil, but Combichrist, and Panzer AG are his solo projects.

He has produced a track for Apoptygma Berzerk, and done numerous remixes for bands such as VNV nation, Funker Vogt, Apoptygma Berzerk, Hocico, De/Vision, Mesh, and just about any other electro project you can think of.

I caught up with him after a Combichrist show at Das Bunker in Los Angeles. He was still covered in blood from a photo shoot with Amelia and Forrest earlier in the day. Heres how it went.

Kellie: Great show. Nice fake blood by the way.

Andy: [laughs] Thanks.

You usually wear latex on stage. Are you into the fetish scene, or just the fashion?

I’m not so much into the fashion itself, I love the look and feel of it. I am very much into the fetish scene. I love rubber.

What other fashion do you like to wear?

House of Harlot, Skintwo, Marquis, Cyberdog, DSL, Lipservice. And anything else I see that I like.

What are you drinking?

Jack Daniels.

Straight?

On ice.

I see you have a Johnny Cash tattoo.

I got this tattoo by a great artist named Deacon at Holy Mother Tattoo in Atlanta, Georgia. He actually did this whole half sleeve. It’s a tribute to Johnny Cash, when he died. He is one of the most important artists to me, the whole reason to do music. The way he was a story teller, a great inspiration to all artists. Always …

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