The following interview is done with Medea and Dheimos...


Lets begin by a history of Hixi.
Medea: The band was born at the end of 1994 by the will of Dheimos (gt, vc), Phobos (bs) and Kerberos (dr). After some line-up changes and the coming of Kratos (kb), the band begins to realize its own material till giving body, after the arrival of Medea (vl, vc), to the work of a year with the debut demo 'Ode To The Uncreated' (Nov. 96). After some live-shows and good responses from the Italian metal press, Hixi undertook an evolutionary path that led them to the realization of their second work, 'Sundown Echoes' (Dec 97), work characterized by a more mature and definite performance. Unfortunately the delivery of 'Sundown Echoes' has met a remarkable delay of four months due to mastering and printing problems. A period of inactivity has followed, mainly caused by inner divergence's that have lead to the firing of Phobos and Kratos, having lost every involvement in the Hixi project; adding to this situation the departure of the drummer Kerberos for military service. What misfortune. Anyway, we haven't lost heart and, after takin'on a session drummer- Walter Basile from Black Sunrise, we have begun an intense compositive and live activity, that, with the return of Kerberos, has brought us to the realization of many new songs that will flow in our next recording, which we hope to see out for the very first months of the next year; it will confirm a further evolution of our sound.
Tell us about your latest 6 song demo, 'Sundown Echoes.'
Medea:As I already told you, Sundown Echoes encountered various problems regarding the print work of covers and the master CD, which delayed its release. Leaving behind these not marginal difficulties, this last work represents what Hixi were in the now far 1997; it differs from 'Ode To The Uncreated' on a technical level and most of all as regards to arrangements, much more accurate and constructed, maintaining, anyway, a continuity of contents and approach. The substantial evolution you can find comparing our two works is the accentuation of that dark-gothic mood just hinted in the first demo, that now is finding its climax with the writing of the new songs.
Dheim: I am a bit less proud of our 2nd demo. Many good ideas burnt out by a wrong production and a wrong attitude during recording. Not representative at all of what I had personally in mind!
Have you had any label interest yet? Or have you sent out the demos to any yet?
Medea: I must admit that concerning the promotion of our works we haven't moved so good. Anyway we've sent around both the demos, but we haven't seen serious deals, for now we hope. The only relevant thing has been the participation on a CD compilation that should be out in a few days, 'Dawn Of Gods vol.III', for the Italian label Metal Horse.
There are hordes of bands, unsigned and signed these days. Which makes it much harder for talented musicians in the crowded international scene. Personally, we grow very tired of the capitalist attitudes of many bands and labels these days, who, in their beginning earned much respect and admiration from their fans, but traded this for money and a wider audience. I'm sure you are also aware of these types well. Gives us your thoughts on this important topic.
Medea: I totally agree with you, in fact what is happening to this kind of music is by now manifest. Personally, I don't tolerate those who compromise his image for money. Metal, according to my opinion, will remain a genre for a few chosen ones; it will never accomplish to make a millionaire of who plays it with true passion and conviction, and above all with his own mind.
Dheim: I think, but it's a personal opinion, that the bands often accused to have betrayed the scene have no responsibility in the agony of death and black metal. The damage is done by the masses of useless bands infesting the genre.
So then, in this crowed scene, tell the reader what you feel separates Hixi from the others. What gives you a unique edge?
Dheim: Personality. I don't believe that Hixi could ever "shock" the scene. There are thousands of bands more technically skilled, more extreme, more atmospheric than us, but we've got a sound. I hope we'll gain our own audience, even a small crowd of fans who like our music and not simply the genre we play!
Medea: I think that Hixi distinguish themselves from the mass for the coerence of their actions and of their way; yes, it's sure that on the musical level one could grow and mature, but what makes a band real is without any doubt is the coerence of one's own ideas, and we have plenty of this.
In the past Italy has produced many worthy bands. We're aware of a few excellent young bands from your region... tell us a bit about your local scene, and any information on any less-well known bands you could give. Do you receive much support locally?
Medea: In Italy we have a fair audience, but we're not so wide known due to bad distribution. Alas, in our country there's a great gap between the north and the south; in the north there's a great variety of clubs to play live, more recording studios, more people involved in the genre. Here in the south everything is more difficult, but if one goes on anyway, doin' what he can with personality and class, then they have the right and the possibility to accomplish something. We hope to do it well! Regarding the bands that could be the "next big things" for their music and attitudes, we got many! I mention my comrades Undertakers, brutal death band from Naples too, that could give numbers to Cannibal Corpse too (no offense!), than Anima Poetae, Sphera Lunae amd Ephel Duath (my advice for you is to contact them!), Ophidian that will be soon out for a big European label, Opera IX, Ensoph and Novembre (out for Century Media). All great deserving bands!
Dheim: I didn't even know there was a scene, here! There are very few bands worthy of mentioning, but nothing that could be defined as a scene. And no support too. I've just seen In Flames, D.T., Arch Enemy and C.O.B. in Rome: the gig was opened by a local band, and the crowd was singing all their songs, letting the musicians have a really great time. This is support! In Naples even Undertakers attract less than twenty-thirty fans, and a lot of people who think it's really cool to stay motionless with a disgusted expression on their face.
Have you gotten the chance to play live? Plans for the future?
Medea: Our live activity has been relatively poor, considering that we live in the south (see above!) Anyway, we've caught every chance to play, and we tried in the best possible way to be good and to give the audience a really good show. In the future we will play in the north too, near Turin, with Maldoror, another valid Italian band.
Tell us about some of Hixi's long term goals. What do you personally wish to accomplish through music?
Medea: Personally I play for myself. With music I can give vent to my feelings, I can relax or get pissed off... It's part of me. And what I compose completely reflects my states of mind. If other people like our music its nothing but a further satisfaction (and it's not a little thing!).
Dheim: The main goal we have at the moment is to find a contract with a serious label. We hope to evoke feelings and peculiar states of mind in us and in our listeners, but we have no specific message.
What are some of some of the topics which your lyrics deal with?
Dheim: I try to express my feelings (well, a part of them!) in general or about experiences I had. My cult for nature makes me use natural images and atmospheres to talk about sadness, solitude, delusion but also, sometimes, the intense joy of drowning those negative feelings in something that's too immense to receive suffering from them. Nature and art can help to heal even the deepest wounds.
Its often difficult to find inspiration in today's modern world. Some look to the past, which is a world ever deteriorating as time passes, some look to their surroundings-nature, which also is under the siege of men, and yet others look to themselves-inside, where feelings of anger and solitude increase in those who care for the future. So tell us, where do you derive inspiration in today's turbulent times?
Dheim: Well, you already said everything! The anger, the anguish and the hurting sense of decay generated by the corrupting work of humanity are great inspirations, for art and action. Though it's all fucking useless!
Medea: I feel music as my own. Something that cannot exist outside myself. Without her I'd be nothing else than an empty shell. My inspiration isn't given from somethin' external, but is my most inner and personal thing, my essence.
Give us your thoughts on the world-society. Do you think that something has gone wrong?
Dheim: I can't know if the overall impression of the world has ever been much better (I hope so!), but there's no doubt that humanity has come to a turning point. The plagues of this planet will never heal, but maybe man will find some mean trick to get another little bit ahead. The alternative is extinction, I think. They can call it "millenarism", but there's nothing to share with that new-age shit... It's just a simple, realistic observation.
In your perspective, what are some of the things in life worth living for, and ultimately, worth dying for?
Dheim: It could seem extremely banal, but the things I live for are very simple. Art, Love. Life itself. Every thing exists to channel in some way the deep beauty of the universe, and suffers the failure. If I would ever realize that my death is the only way to achieve the goals I was born for, I would certainly die with no regret.
Medea: Really a nice question... the purest feelings.
Your logo contains two inverted crosses, which leads one to believe you hold hatred for Christianity. Go into more detail about this and your beliefs.
Dheim: I have to say that those crosses were a mistake. They meant our detachment from Christianity, in search of a more personal spiritual way, but kept no satanic-occult symbolism. We have suppressed the old logo (and had to do it even before our second demo), and in the new one there's no possibility of misunderstanding. Anyway there's no need to deny anything, now, just to construct in a more mature way.
Your thoughts on the religions of the past, more specifically, the gods/goddesses of your ancestors?
Dheim: I believe that everyone who deeply feels to be an European is not free from the spiritual influence of his ancient roots, and not simply for cultural reasons. There is some genetic bondage to the solar origin of our forefathers' spirituality, something which can emerge from blood even after generations of sleep. It can obviously take forms very different from the historical ones, but the source is the same.
Medea: Europe has an infinity of polytheistic culture, all very interesting, from the Greek one to the Ancient Roman one. Medea was a sorceress of the Greek tradition. Her story is very ; she kills her two sons to take revenge on her husband.
And once more back to the music... how can interested readers obtain your demos?
Medea: To receive our demo one must just write me, sending me 4$ for each demo-tape. My address is:

Stefania Guarino
via Tommaso Traetta 42
CAP 80141 NAPOLI -ITALY

hixi@lycosmail.com


What can the world expect for the future of Hixi? Plans?
Medea: The last period has been very productive for Hixi, and I must say we are very inspired, I can't say from what, but we're realizing somethin' really mature, an ideal conjunction between black metal and the darkest melancholic atmospheres. If everything goes the right way, we'll manage to publish our new material in the format of a promo to give to fanzines, magazines and labels exclusively. At the moment we're working on our promo-CD, and we'll play some shows across Italy. We'd like to record for the end of the year. Maybe we'll got some serious deal, who knows. We hope the better!
Lastly, your final comments.
Dheim & Medea: We thank you and Mourning The Ancient, really an interesting interview, we wish for you great things!

http://utenti.tripod.it/hixi

Back to Interviews