Ambassador21

Ambassador21 is definitely the most well known industrial project coming from Belorussia.
This harsh core duo has been on stages of many countries and a frequent performer on biggest noise fests in the world such as Maschinenfest and Elektroanschlag. Whether it’s then Ambassador 21 or their newborn project Suicide Inside – expect no mercy!
Alexey and Natasha are the only ones who know how to control or unleash the rage of their noise beast!

– Hello Alexey and Natasha!

Hello Liis!

– So, tell me about how the two of you came together, where did you meet, and why did you start making music?

We met at rock festival when we were 16 years old, as fans, not musicians. Infact this was long before we started making music. We’ve been together ever since, and over the years we’ve learned to not only listen to Industrial music, but to make it as well. We can and want to do it. It’s enough reason for making music. Together.
Sounds very romantic, doesn’t it?

– How would you describe Ambassador21 to someone who has never heard it before?

Never heard it?! Is this person deaf or are you just joking? Nobody can describe how it sounds, even if everybody had heard A21. Well, between the two of us – it’s loud, drunken, crazy, and with a gun.

– Why did you decide to start off with Suicide Inside? What are the main differences between Suicide Inside and Ambassador21?

SUICIDE INSIDE was born in London, and what else is there to do in London, except creating dark music? The main difference is that AMBASSADOR21 was born from feeling like “I’m happy, and I live in this crazy World”, but SUICIDE INSIDE is “I’m happy and I survived in this crazy World”.
Musically SUICIDE INSIDE is more industrial oriented, more straight; SI’s beats sound like a slap from an open hand, where as A21’s beat is like a fist.

– It’s rather hard to live in Belorussia right now – what are the worst and best parts about Belorussia in your opinion ?

Good thing we didn’t answer your questions right after you sent ‘em us – for today we can say: yeah, it’s really hard. It seems nobody needs this country any more. It looks like a really deserted country. And it’s not about gas prices or high prices for Schengen Visas. Before the worst thing was this fucking iron curtain (ideology inside, ideological questions in embassy and on the border), which you could leave behind only if you left your country. But now, when West and East play Belarus in their game, Europe doesn’t try to look interested in Belarus any more. And all belarussian problems – they are internal deals only.
OK, we know it and personally for us it’s not harder then it was before. We can only speak for ourselves. We personally have a lot of friends everywhere, but we can only feel sorry for Belarus – lonesome people living in a lonesome country… that’s really hard. On the other hand, the best thing in Belarus – are also the people, lonesome, with no support, but proud, clever, educated, with strong nature.
What doesn’t kill us, makes us stronger.

– How would you describe Industrial scene in Belorussia ?

Weak, secondary, with no charismatic persons. Nothing to say.
Weak, secondary, with no charismatic persons – for us it doesn’t mean: industrial.

– Natasha, has your grandmother ever heard your blood freezing vocal performances? or is she familiar with that since your childhood? 😀 

Natasha: I don’t think anybody from my family took too much care in my blood freezing vocals… as it they were very natural in my childhood, it was the only way I could get my own place under the sun from my older sister. But Alexey’s grandmother likes my vocals. She is a wife of military man 😉 

– Were you both wild kids growing up?

Independent, definitely. Hmm, we are not sure if it is the same or not.

– Who was your greatest influence in your childhood? And who is now?

Natasha: In childhood – Dolphin from the “Girl and Dolphin” animation. For my sister it was Girl from this movie. Now there are a lot of real people who’ve influenced me, i can’t select one person. Anyway we don’t speak about “simple” people – they are main heroes. It’s all about my friends.
Alexey: Thyl Ulenspiegel and my friends.

– What is your favourite film, something that has really impressed you?

Alexey: “Lethal Weapon”, “Die Hard”, “Brave Heart” and “Pulp Fiction”. I love mainstream films.
Natasha: A lot. Everything by Tinto Brass, everything with Johnny Depp, “Pulp Fiction”, “Fight Club”, “Kill Bill” and Wim Wenders’ “Wings Of Desire”, both parts. In childhood – “Guest From The Future”, of course. I love mainstream films too.

– What are you most concerned about in the World?

Everything. Wars, revolutions, terrorism, executions, inflation, global warming, trash in the streets, murders of animals, catastrophes, lead in the air and quicksilver in the water, E, violence in the streets and indifference to violence, domestic violence, wins of right-wing parties in elections, the enormous amount of people that have died who are the same age as us. This is the World we continue to live in, and of course we are concerned about that.
And we are concerned about growing prices for cigarettes and distorted danceable music which is called “industrial”.

– Is it hard to run your own record label? Why did you feel need to create Invasion Wreck Chords?

No, it’s not hard. It’s a most pleasant job.

– What is the next release on IWC?

Good question in right time! In early 2007 we celebrate 5th Anniversary of AMBASSADOR21 and Invasion Wreck Chords, so two new releases coming out soon. First of all, new AMBASSADOR21 “Drunken, Crazy, With A Gun”, album of remixes by such great artists as BAK XIII, :WUMPSCUT:, MIMETIC, AH CAMA-SOTZ, THIS MORN OMINA, ISZOLOSCOPE, SUICIDE INSIDE, P.A.L, HYPNOSKULL, S.K.E.T., TARMVRED, CONTAGIOUS ORGASM, ASCHE and MONOLITH. You can find some more info on https://www.ambassador21.com/INV038.html.
And another one is a new part of our annual compilation “Caution! Invasion & Friends 2k7” – this time a DVD. The Movie is one hour and a half long, with not less starry line-up, than “Drunken, Crazy, With A Gun”: we produced videos of AMBASSADOR21, SUICIDE INSIDE, RASPUTEEN, FRAGMENT KING, BOOT-SECTOR-VIRUZ, ASCHE, AH CAMA-SOTZ, BONG-RA, KLANGSTABIL, MIMETIC, PROYECTO MIRAGE, ROGER ROTOR, SYNAPSCAPE, SONAR, S.K.E.T.
Also AMBASSADOR21 “Cut & Go” (a collection of remixes by A21) coming soon on Hive Records.
Brandnew SUICIDE INSIDE “Learn To Swallow” coming on Pflichtkauf this Spring, includes brilliant remixes by EMPUSAE and FLINT GLASS.

– Where and when are your future performances?

The next one will be AMBASSADOR21’s 5th Anniversary Tour. We can not announce exact dates yet, because it’s in progress, but we will keep you updated. Can you imagine – we even got invitation from Minsk. what will happen?– we will see. It not easy to play this type of music in this kind of country.

– What are your wishes for future?

More good music, great albums, great events, new good friends. And meet each other as much as possible! All the best in Year Of The Pig!

Thank you so much for the interview – and good luck with all you do!

 

By Der 5pezialist, January 2007