Interview with In Mitra Medusa Inri by Tzina Dovve (DJ Lady Davinia)
In Mitra Medusa Inri… An atmospheric goth band/act comes to life on the German underground scene over thirty years ago… Gothsters Michael and Holger talk about their early beginnings, 30th anniversary as a band, new releases and upcoming plans… An interesting insight on what this band/act is all about… In Mitra Medusa Inri… BY TZINA DOVVE ( DJ Lady Davinia)…
Tzina: Welcome to Absolution… It is well-known in the goth music world that In Mitra Medusa Inri date back to the early 90’s in Germany. How and when exactly did you form and what lead you wanting to form such a band/act to begin with? Who are the current members of this act/band?
In Mitra Medusa Inri: We formed in 1992. The idea to form a band came up because we all listened to the same music and come from the same place. Our enthusiasm for music brought us together. Currently the members are Holger Meyer and Michael Gronau, who were also in the original line-up.
Tzina: The name ‘In Mitra Medusa Inri’ brings all thoughts to one’s mind. From Greek legends to a phantasy tale… What is the story behind this name and what does it represent to the band/act? Does it have some sort of symbolic meaning to you? Can you elaborate…
In Mitra Medusa Inri: Music is our connection. That’s how it came about when we came up with this name. If you are going to choose a fantasy name a string of terms will come with it. Behind this is definitely a deeper meaning though – or just because – ‘In Mitra Medusa Inri’ in our own way perceive and express the meaning of our music. MEDUSA is depicted in Greek myths as a female monster or goddess whose gaze turned everything to stone. With our music we hope to trigger a similar penetrating effect on our listeners… Symbolizing the head of a fish, MITRA, originally represents the hat of the god Dagon. It is considered a sign of friendship. We as ‘IN MITRA MEDUSA INRI’ are friends, not just some people who got together to make music. We are united by common paths and through ups and downs, so the original meaning of ‘Mitra’ has a significant character for us. INRI is the abbreviation for Christian religion (the inscription on the cross: Jesus Nazarenus Rex Ludaeorum in German, Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews in English). Religion does not have to be a given scheme, but can be anything – a song, a poem, a feeling. Everybody should believe in what he wants to- but please absolutely also in themselves.
Tzina: Your music could be described as atmospheric electro dark wave with a blend of melancholic and haunting vocals.. Who has been the main songwriter in the band/act throughout your music journey so far? How is a In Mitra Medusa Inri creation brought to life and what inspires you the most to write such dark music? What are your main musical influences?
In Mitra Medusa Inri: In principle, we both do everything. One composes a song, the other writes the lyrics or vice versa. In the end, it’s all about the idea and we both have to like it. Then we continue to work on it. Our most important musical influences are certainly Joy Division, New Order, Echo & The Bunnymen etc, etc.. Melodies and atmosphere are very important to us. Inspiration comes to us from the most diverse circumstances, but it is always exciting to have the music in your mind / head, although nothing is composed or written yet. You have a thought of how a song should sound and what the content of a text should be. The art is just there to implement this in reality.
Tzina: In Mitra Medusa have a number of releases under their belt with your latest single ‘Home’ released late 2022.. What feedback has this song received by your music fans and music press so far? What is the song ‘Home’ about?
In Mitra Medusa Inri: ‘H O M E’ has received very good feedback for our first new song after many years of a long break. This song was inspired from a very private incident and we would like to give no explanation for it. We are happy if the listeners can find themselves in the lines and understand them and interpret them for themselves.
Tzina: As I understand you also re-released your work on all digital platforms and your classic 1996 album ‘Long Forgotten World’ on vinyl in 2021 as a limited edition of 100 copies.. What feedback have you received by newer In Mitra Medusa Inri fans with these releases? Do you believe there is a hunger for physical copies of music in this digital downloading world that we live in? Can you elaborate…
In Mitra Medusa Inri: Yes, this is correct. We released our first album on vinyl. That was a gift to our fans. The CD ‘Long Forgotten World is only available second-hand nowadays, so we thought it would be a great gift for our fans, but also for us, to hold the album in our hands on vinyl. Our CDs were not available on digital platforms until now, so we set out in early 2021 to initiate this as well. We are now very proud to be able to offer all our CDs in digital form. It has not become easier for musicians to sell their art with their recordings today, therefore, we had to focus on vinyl for our rebirth. For our upcoming music we are still thinking about how we will offer it to our fans.
Tzina: In Mitra Medusa Inri have been an active live band on the dark/goth scene with a number of shows under their belt throughout the years playing major goth festivals and not only… What is one of your fondest memories from one of your shows on your music journey so far?
In Mitra Medusa Inri: We still have good memories of our gigs in the UK, especially in Leeds and Birmingham. That was a great experience. The various gigs at the Leipzig WGT festival were always super nice too. We have also had the honour to open at M’era Luna Festival in Hildesheim. It was still very early in the day (1 PM) but it was still a great moment.
Tzina: As I understand your upcoming shows in Germany this April supporting Traitrs had to be cancelled unfortunately due to health reasons.. Do you have any plans for other shows during 2023? Are there any particular cities you would like to visit?
In Mitra Medusa Inri: We would like to play live as soon as it is possible again. South America and the USA would be great, but also England and then we would also like to play again in Leipzig at WGT.
Tzina: During the time of the pandemic many bands took to the virtual world of live streaming to get their music heard.. What are your views on this virtual world and online streams in general? Are In Mitra Medusa Inri part of this virtual world?
In Mitra Medusa Inri: We are actually not part of this virtual world. Online live streams are not part of our world. We still rely on the actual real experience of music.
Tzina: Your band has released a few videos over the years and of course your latest on YouTube… How important is the visual side of a band to In Mitra Medusa Inri? Do you think it’s as fundamental as the music side? Can you elaborate…
In Mitra Medusa Inri: In any case the musical part is just as important as the visual part to us. You can find out for yourself when you search on You Tube to see which band has a new video and how it is implemented visually and so on. In general it’s all about art, which expresses itself on many different levels and wants to be represented. Starting from the outfit to the music, the images etc,etc.. It has always been important to us that we present our best to our customer and we mean it. No matter what current trend is more popular or perhaps gets more attention. First of all, it is important to us that we find our own art good, then move to the next step. If many more people feel the same way we do we consider that an honour.
Tzina: During 2022 you celebrated your 30th Anniversary as a band on the dark/goth scene… When you started out in 1992 did you think you would still be creating music three decades later? How did you picture your band in the early days? Can you elaborate…
In Mitra Medusa Inri: We come from a small village in Germany. In the beginning we only had the dream to make a CD. That’s all we wanted but then one thing led to another. Concerts, the next CD etc,etc… and suddenly 30 years have passed as if we had clapped our hands once. Music seems to be our elixir of life. We simply can’t do without it. There is something in us that drives us to write new songs. The greatest joy I always have had is to be live on stage.
Tzina: How do you view the underground goth scene today in comparison to when you began your music journey? How much do you think the audience has changed? Do you believe that the scene in your home country differs from the rest of the world? Do you think there is some sort of goth revival happening at the moment?
In Mitra Medusa Inri: I don’t think it’s possible to say exactly whether the gothic scene has changed or not or whether the audience has changed or not. Everyone becomes older so everything is always in motion. We don’t think there are big differences. At the end of the day people meet to listen to the same music. That’s the most important and common denominator.
Tzina: Thank you for your time… Anything else you would like to share with your fans? What can they expect from In Mitra Medusa Inri in the near future?
In Mitra Medusa Inri: We are looking forward to playing live shows again. Who knows, maybe we will play in your country too. We have a lot of planning to do so we don’t want to announce anything just yet. In any case, you will hear from us very soon! We thank you for your great questions.
In Mitra Medusa Inri is on Facebook
In Mitra Medusa Inri is on Instagram
