Who is Ronny Moorings?
That is for you to figure out ;)
You started Clan of Xymox almost 30 years ago, why did you start with music anyway?
When I was a small boy of maybe 3 years old I heard in the school opposite where we lived music being played. Of course I started investigating and saw a band rehearsing , the same as I had seen on tv with the Beatles. From that moment I knew I wanted to have a band as well.
I always had some instruments but my first serious guitar lessons I had when I was 10 or 11. I joined a band a few weeks later with way older guys like me ( 16:)
What was the first song or experience that you heard that spurred your interest in creating music?
The first music I heard ( 3 years old I guess ) was the Beatles , the songs had harmony and appealed to me a lot.
Later when I played in the local band we did a lot of cover songs but never one of the Beatles , just a bit more alternative ( in our ears at least it sounded that way)
Has the feeling in being a musician changed over the years, when you start all is new and exciting but after 30 years you might have experienced it all?
I think if you are a musician you never get enough of making music , the creation is the most fun part and is always very challenging because we all want to write our perfect song which of course will never happen in the eye of the musician, it always can just that bit better. This keeps the drive going to reach that holy grail.
I try to not overload us with too many shows so things stay pleasurable and each time we play we are really excited that we are on stage again. This way I can go on forever.
What is driving you in life? What is the thrill you chase in life?
There are no thrills I am looking for these days. I actually are the most in my element when I have no pressure of any kind on me. That clears the way for being creative and productive to me.
Still the band is the main thing that motivates me to get up each morning. Without music I cannot function , as simple as that.
What are personal influences in your music that the general public may not be aware of?
I am sure you can hear all sorts of aspects in my music that I picked up on the road of making music, every musician is influenced by his predecessor.
I listened and bought records at a very early age. Thinking back my main fascination started with Jimi Hendrix , Deep Purple , Black Sabbath, Alice Cooper but also a lot of Glam bands like T rex , Bowie , slowly going into the Pretenders , Motelz ,XTC, Fisher Z, From there on when I was 19 bands like Joy Division , The Cure , Siouxsie , Sisters and all the other now classic bands .
I still listen of course to music and am constantly aware of how things change , how peoples taste changes as well or how stuck up people are and never want to see one inch of change.
In my case I embrace anything which gives me emotions when I listen to music of a band.
Many people consider you to be an Icon, bands are named after albums and songs of Clan of Xymox, countless songs are covered, what does this mean to you and how do you feel about this?
I can be short about this : very honored!
How much have you sacrificed in expense to your being and as an artist?
I would not know because I never really had another life then this , apart from being a student and maybe a prospect of having an academic job somewhere was the only route I did not take. I must say I never looked back and I know how privileged I am that people like my music and come to our shows.
How did you keep your musical integrity throughout the years?
By learning a lesson in the early 90's that to when you are on a multinational record label people expect certain commercial things of you , logically. At the time I never really realized that because I assumed that when a label signs a band they want to leave the band intact.
I had to deal with a lot of pressure of all sides who all wanted something of me. That made me stop and revise the whole thing , got rebellious and started first my own label with making music I thought was relevant then to me ( Metamorphosis and Headclouds). Later I also discovered it still not who I was and only found that again when I retreated for a year in a small town in Middleburg and started working on Hidden Faces , the concept for Clan Of Xymox in the nineties.
One thing I have never understand is: why did you change the name Clan of Xymox to Xymox and back again to Clan of Xymox?
Xymox to me was too tained after all that period with PolyGram and my 2 records with Metamorphosis and Headclouds. Clan Of Xymox is a constant thing , started off with the self titled album and Medusa and got picked up again later from on the Hidden Faces ( 1997) to this date.
Such a long history must be filled with memories good and bad, what is your most precious memory in the career of Clan of Xymox?
Each release is a precious moment , a moment of letting go . It is almost you let something live its own life and that is what it looks like after years you see if an album matured or not;)
I am still hoping for that one big moment which would over ride all those previous feelings.
Do you still keep yourself up to date with new music or do you stick to older bands? How do you feel about todays bigger names in “goth” and electronic music?
Of course I keep up with the latest tunes and is also part of another passion I have : DJ ing
So naturally it comes with the job you are aware of what is out there. It does not make any difference to me what is released these days or what was in the past; there will always be good and bad releases and everything in-between.
What do you consider to be the future of your genre? How are you contributing to it?
I am still a believer people like to hear a good tune , so for me that is important, I thing I have written quite enough songs with memorable melody lines etc so I hope to continue that .
The creation of music has changed a lot, what are the biggest changes for you?
In a way nothing has changed because when I started recording I had a 4 track recorder , so I already needed no one. I could put layer after layer on tape. Of course you can do the same although on your computer but the principle is the same. ( if you put crap in crap comes out, that also is still the same)
Equipment helps to make your life easier but you still need to write the tune , choose or make your sounds , play (in my case ) an instrument : Keyboards , guitar , bass , and write and sing lyrics to a song.
I must say that I like it now way better because it is so much easier to take your equipment with you , it does not all weigh a ton anymore.
For composing you can take your laptop anywhere and write some tunes , which helps sometimes the inspirational factor.
You have done many remixes and Clan of Xymox has been remixed by many, what is the fun in doing remixes? Do you have any remix done of a clan of Xymox song that you really love?
Yes several. We even released a remix album from all the songs on Notes of the Underground. There are some excellent remixes there !
What is your advice to a future artist?
You know what to do !
What is the perfect show for you?
When all goes right and the audience has the best time of their lives
What will be next for Clan of Xymox?
I am currently pondering about starting slowly writing some new music but I do not want to have albums out too soon as I think the last album In Love We Trust should still have some time to be there as the last album released..
www.clanofxymox.com