Interview with Messer Chups
April 30, 2014
I can't even begin to explain how excited I was when Oleg and Svetlana both agreed to answer a few questions for us. This band is amazing in so many ways, and if you've never had the incredible good fortune to hear them then you are truly living a sad unfulfilling little life.
The Messer Chups combine several of my favorite themes in their music - the glitz of old Hollywood, the creepy camp of classic monster movies, and the bizarre and occult of our weird world. Heep on piles of saucy reverb and go-go swamp rhythms and you've got a recipe for strange success in heels and red lipstick. These zombies are Groovy.
First, please introduce yourselves.
Oleg Gitaracula (composer, brains and leading guitar player of Messer Chups) ft. Zombierella (bass player, muse and vocals in Messer Chups, redactor and translator of this interview)
Messer Chups started out as an off-shoot from the group Messer für Frau Müller. What became of that group and how did you become Messer Chups as you are today?
I was bitten by the creature from the Black lagoon once. I was on vacation and decided to make another band inspired by this experience leading by the spooky surfy sound of my guitar and accompanied by Zombierella on bass. After creature's bite I started to play it much better (little recommendation for young surf guitar players!)... Later I stopped with Messer fur frau Muller, no more shows, no albums...not interested.
Totally live now... and Dr. Boris on drums, making his voodoo work...
What drew you toward forming a surf style band?
For me as for the guitar player is interesting the sound... So I turned the band into what interesting to me- to a reverby sound of my guitar... We play first of all for ourselves...
The use of the theramin in your music gives it a distinctive other-worldly feeling. Was it a conscious decision to include it, or did you find the sound by happenstance?
We use now a theremin very rarely... Sometimes it's nice to hear something noisy. Kinda UFO or ghost sounds... that's all... you know its Hollywood classics...
The Messer Chups combine several of my favorite themes in their music - the glitz of old Hollywood, the creepy camp of classic monster movies, and the bizarre and occult of our weird world. Heep on piles of saucy reverb and go-go swamp rhythms and you've got a recipe for strange success in heels and red lipstick. These zombies are Groovy.
First, please introduce yourselves.
Oleg Gitaracula (composer, brains and leading guitar player of Messer Chups) ft. Zombierella (bass player, muse and vocals in Messer Chups, redactor and translator of this interview)
Messer Chups started out as an off-shoot from the group Messer für Frau Müller. What became of that group and how did you become Messer Chups as you are today?
I was bitten by the creature from the Black lagoon once. I was on vacation and decided to make another band inspired by this experience leading by the spooky surfy sound of my guitar and accompanied by Zombierella on bass. After creature's bite I started to play it much better (little recommendation for young surf guitar players!)... Later I stopped with Messer fur frau Muller, no more shows, no albums...not interested.
Totally live now... and Dr. Boris on drums, making his voodoo work...
What drew you toward forming a surf style band?
For me as for the guitar player is interesting the sound... So I turned the band into what interesting to me- to a reverby sound of my guitar... We play first of all for ourselves...
The use of the theramin in your music gives it a distinctive other-worldly feeling. Was it a conscious decision to include it, or did you find the sound by happenstance?
We use now a theremin very rarely... Sometimes it's nice to hear something noisy. Kinda UFO or ghost sounds... that's all... you know its Hollywood classics...
The use of samples from old Universal horror films is prevalent throughout your catalog of music, what are some of the other inspirations that add to your style?
Universal horror movies is not just something scary there are a lot sense of humor in it...and we are fun!
Other inspirations: sure all that comes from 50s & 60s music, anologe sound, sound of reverb, sound of the ocean, tiki culture, r'n'r kitsch, other trash movies not just horror like Russ Mayers's films, classic soundtracks- Manchini, Morricone, all the retro culture and even 80s post-punk...
What are some of your favorite horror films?
Creature from the Black Lagoon, all movies with Vincent Price, Barbara Steele and Christopher Lee and a lot a lot...
Oleg, your record company, Gitaracula Records, has produced a handful of Messer Chups albums and also a record by a band called The Bonecollectors. Tell us about The Bonecollectors project.
This project is more based on rockabilly, horror hop, country, psychobilly music... so called horrorbilly, primitive rock'n'roll... Zombierella is singing and we added a doublebass player... it’s nice and scary... you need to try it...
You've toured extensively throughout Europe. Do you have any plans to bring your show to the US?
We always have plans...for the second time we've been denied the visa...so we canceled our California tour august 2014
So I hope next Viva will work for us and other shows around April 2015...
Universal horror movies is not just something scary there are a lot sense of humor in it...and we are fun!
Other inspirations: sure all that comes from 50s & 60s music, anologe sound, sound of reverb, sound of the ocean, tiki culture, r'n'r kitsch, other trash movies not just horror like Russ Mayers's films, classic soundtracks- Manchini, Morricone, all the retro culture and even 80s post-punk...
What are some of your favorite horror films?
Creature from the Black Lagoon, all movies with Vincent Price, Barbara Steele and Christopher Lee and a lot a lot...
Oleg, your record company, Gitaracula Records, has produced a handful of Messer Chups albums and also a record by a band called The Bonecollectors. Tell us about The Bonecollectors project.
This project is more based on rockabilly, horror hop, country, psychobilly music... so called horrorbilly, primitive rock'n'roll... Zombierella is singing and we added a doublebass player... it’s nice and scary... you need to try it...
You've toured extensively throughout Europe. Do you have any plans to bring your show to the US?
We always have plans...for the second time we've been denied the visa...so we canceled our California tour august 2014
So I hope next Viva will work for us and other shows around April 2015...
Do you have a favorite venue or festival to play?
A lot of favorite places and clubs we want to come back... great people and venues... Bassy club in Berlin (we will back soon end of May there), Surfer Joe's dinner in Livorno...each European country has a nice venue to play...everywhere Paris, Lisboa, Barcelona, Madrid, Hamburg...
Is there another band that you would love to share the stage with?
We can share with any good R’n’R band and enjoy… Sure sometimes it’s super memorable to play with some great oldtimers...was great shows with Dick Dale, The Sufaris, Los Straighjackets etc... Hope a lot of great companies soon...
Usually we prefer when styles fit (but not too strict). Can be any kind of R’n’R band- surf, rockabilly, garage, country, r&b, any billy band...
Are you planning on returning to the recording studio any time soon?
Yes, we are planning to release our first 45' single record called Jokermobile with 2 rockin’ Hot Rod instros, and after in Summer-Autumn new album...
A lot of favorite places and clubs we want to come back... great people and venues... Bassy club in Berlin (we will back soon end of May there), Surfer Joe's dinner in Livorno...each European country has a nice venue to play...everywhere Paris, Lisboa, Barcelona, Madrid, Hamburg...
Is there another band that you would love to share the stage with?
We can share with any good R’n’R band and enjoy… Sure sometimes it’s super memorable to play with some great oldtimers...was great shows with Dick Dale, The Sufaris, Los Straighjackets etc... Hope a lot of great companies soon...
Usually we prefer when styles fit (but not too strict). Can be any kind of R’n’R band- surf, rockabilly, garage, country, r&b, any billy band...
Are you planning on returning to the recording studio any time soon?
Yes, we are planning to release our first 45' single record called Jokermobile with 2 rockin’ Hot Rod instros, and after in Summer-Autumn new album...
What do you enjoy doing with your free time while not making music?
Listening to the music... I like to make pictures, videos, cut it and making video clips...
Zombierella is like to Djing, collecting records...
If the opportunity arose to sell your souls to the Dark Lord, what would you ask for in return?
I would ask him for a change, for his own soul... But wondering if anybody interested in somebody's soul?
Only joking. Thank you for answering some questions for us, and we hope to hear more from Messer Chups, The Bonecollectors and Guitaracula!
Listening to the music... I like to make pictures, videos, cut it and making video clips...
Zombierella is like to Djing, collecting records...
If the opportunity arose to sell your souls to the Dark Lord, what would you ask for in return?
I would ask him for a change, for his own soul... But wondering if anybody interested in somebody's soul?
Only joking. Thank you for answering some questions for us, and we hope to hear more from Messer Chups, The Bonecollectors and Guitaracula!