Interview mit Alexandra & Zachary von Twin Temple

Hi and thanks a lot for taking time for this special! How are you doing?
Diabolical.

This special is all about the occult rock. Do you see yourself as part of this genre?
We are practicing Occultists, and we play Rock ’n’ Roll so I suppose technically we are. Though we feel we have created our own genre.

Do you even see occult rock as a genre in its own right?
Yes…are there people who don’t think it is a genre?

Is the occupation with the occult or spiritual topics in general for you a serious philosophy and part of your life or do you see this more as an interesting topic for poetry?
Magick & ritual is both a part of our daily life and an inspiration for our music.

For me, Twin Temple also stands for the search for freedom, identity and emancipation. Do you see these things as typical components of occultism or Satanism or is this rather your interpretation?
Yes, you could say that the exaltation of freedom and identity is inherent to Satanism, though we also believe Satanism is a living tradition and should be interpreted by the individual. On a broader level the search for freedom and identity is also just part of being human.

Since we are talking about emancipation, both in your songs and with your merch or interviews, you are strongly committed to feminism. But isn’t the woman in the occult context often only a beautiful victim of dark beings or just a servant of them?
Absolutely not. I am servant to no one other than my self. Perhaps if you are filtering the Occult through a patriarchal narrative, there are plenty of ridiculous fantasies written by outsiders of the sort you mentioned who know nothing of actual Occult practice. This stems all the way back to the classic medieval text the Malleus Maleficarum that was essentially written by sexist, sex-starved religious extremist men who imagined all sorts of lustful sexual acts by “witches” in service of the devil, and grotesque and inhuman ways to punish said women. Sadly this sexist and ridiculous narrative continues today. This is one fantasy we endeavor to burn down in favor of a new Era of Babalon. Also, many real Occult traditions actually center around exaltation of the Goddess, such as in Pagan, Wiccan, Alexandrian traditions.

Your music clearly stands out from the rest of what is known as occult rock. Why did you choose this style?
We did not choose a style, Twin Temple is simply an expression of who we are and the music we love.

Coven’s „Witchcraft Destroys Minds & Reaps Souls“ is regarded as the initial spark of the occult rock genre. Why do you think this album is so important?
We don’t think this album is important to us at all. Quite frankly there are no songs on the album. Give us a Goffin & King song any day, their arrangements, melodies and choruses mop the floor with anything on that album. We have no respect for Jinx after she kicked us off a show of hers, her reasoning being that she did not want a band with a woman in it opening for her. We understand it is sad proof that we are living under a patriarchal system and that some people do not have the bravery to see past it. But we have no respect for sexism.

At the beginning there were only a handful of bands that could be assigned to the genre of occult rock, the scene was small but all the more intense. Especially in the last years there was a flood of new bands. Do you see this more critically as a dilution of the genre or as an exciting revitalization?
We don’t feel we belong to a scene or genre, other than our own. What others do makes no difference to us. If people are following their Will and expressing themselves in an authentic manner, good for them.

Occult symbolisms and texts now run through almost all areas of pop culture. What was a taboo in the 60s and 70s is now acceptable. Where do you think in our modern society the continuing, ever growing fascination for the mystical comes from?
Many things that were taboo in the 60’s and 70’s are still very taboo. I don’t think society progresses in a linear fashion. But I think it is part of being human to create and look towards the inner worlds as well as the outer. That will never go away, as long as we are human.

Would you like to see something more secret and serious attached to the subject again?
If you mean the Occult, the word means secret, so….no, because that is literally the meaning of the world Occult. As far as seriousness I don’t think that has anything to do with anything. You can be irreverent within the Occult, and many of the most powerful and adept magicians of our time had a wicked sense of humor and playfulness.

The preoccupation with occult or dark spiritual themes in music can unfortunately also lead to problems for the bands in some parts of the world. Have you ever had to fight with such problems?
Yes, we have been subject to tirades by extremists such as Alex Jones and other groups who accuses us of drinking real human blood etc.

For many the preoccupation with Satanism and occultism also represents a criticism or open struggle against the monotheistic religions and the church. Do you also see Twin Temple as part of this struggle?
No. Satanism for us is about finding your own path, if that is a monotheistic religion or a church, then so be it. It makes no difference to us.

Contrary to the trend towards modernization in many areas of music, many bands of the occult or retro rock genre try to create as original a sound as possible and like to use retro equipment. Which equipment or means do you use?
We record live to tape and mix in mono. Retro equipment has little to do with creating an original, or even vintage sound. It’s more important to know the history of the music and write songs accordingly.

Thank you for the interview! Please let us do a short brainstorming in the end of this interview. What comes in your mind first reading the following terms:
German Food: 6
Social Media:6
Netflix:6

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