Dawn & Dusk Entwined

Dawn & Dusk Entwined comes from France, with David Sabre as the sole bandmember. In his own words he makes music which varies from ‘dark-symphonic, industrial-ambient works to martial-epic moods’ . After two albums on World Serpent, D&DE recently delived a new album on the Athanor label, his best and most mature piece of work till now. David tells us some more about his project…

Can you introduce Dawn & Dusk Entwined and yourself in a few words?

D&DE will blow its ten candles next year for it was created in 1994, and had its debuts with a demo tape in 1995, then the gathering of the early tracks with the first CD “A leftover of Gaia” in 1999 on WSD .
A second one followed the next year, “Forever war”, on the same label. The music varies from dark-symphonic, industrial-ambiant works to martial-epic moods. As for me there’s nothing really important to mention, I am 30 and live in the north of France in a nice area close to the sea and wood areas.

Dawn & Dusk Entwined

Are you working completely on your own? Is that your prefered situation?

Yes, everything is made by myself, a situation that is from the beginning, partly by choice.
At the end I think I have found a kind of balance, even though it could be nice sometimes to have someone to bring fresh ideas when I am dry…

When and why did you decide that you wanted to make music?

I make music since 1991 but more seriously since 1994 with D&DE. I wanted to create something musical that I could be proud of, that I had made by myself .
Since then I wish I could always do better!

Why the bandname? What do ‘dawn’ and ‘dusk’ mean to you?

I was searching for a name that would create a beautiful evocation when hearing it, and the image of both a dawn (as a birth) and a dusk (as end of something), that form the everlasting circle of life (being entwined) pleased me a lot.
This heathen image of a celebration of this powerful symbols was perfect for me, and it still is!
A short while after deciding it would be the name, I discovered that this idea was in fact the essence of the rune Dagaz, I like the idea it was a sign of the Gods!

Your first album was released by World Serpent, which is quite special for a debut. How did this happen?

In fact I had just sent a demo tape of my early works in 1997, and only WSD had the attention to propose me to release a first CD, that was at the time a dream come true.

I think your new album “Remergence” is your best and most ambitious album to date. What are your own views about it?

It took a long time to make it really sound as I thought it must, and I must immodestly confess I am rather glad of it!
I just hope the coming albums will take less time in their making! Add to this I am quite slow and perfectionist …

Is there a song of which you are particularly proud?

Generally the tracks that take the less time are the best in my ears. On Remergence, I think that “Sacrifice for purity” is the best example of it. But I will say that I wanted an album with every track worthy to be on it, that is almost the case!

I read that you were not completely satisfied with your second cd “Forever war”, also on World Serpent. Can you tell us more about what could be better about this album?

I already had most of the tracks done when the first CD was released, and I thought I could finish the session quite quickly to release the second CD in early 2000. But I know I have fastened things and went in ways that were not the good ones without taking enough time to have a proper view on it. So I consider having botched up some of the tracks, that could have been far better with a little more time and other ideas. It got however some good reviews! It was a mistake I didn’t want to repeat on this new album .

Can you tell us more about Otto Rahn’s “Luzifers Hofgesind”, which inspired your new album?

I have literally devoured the book in few days. It was written by a german erudite in 1937, a complex man with multiple facets.
I thought the quest of this man to discover one of the symbols of the european identity really fantastic.
His journey, always bringing up to light forgotten history, mysteries of the european soul, deserved to be better known. I tried to follow his path with this album, adding also other valuable characters like Julian, the last heathen Emperor of Rome.
I’d advice everybody to read it.

If I’m right you’re interested in mythology, runes, paganism and the like. Why this interest, and can ancient philosophies still teach us something in 2003?

You’re absolutely right, even though saying this today seems a bit like jumping on the bandwagon, like all the new bands that put lots of runes on their covers . Nevertheless, I will not repudiate my centers of interest for this simple fact…
It is a fascinating universe, and the very soul of the european identity, and as an European I just wish to know what I am made of. I believe that in the world in which we live, we need more than ever to know our roots and know where we come from, and what inheritage we have in our hands, to know where we go.
There are values that really need to be preserved, in a world where the only values seems to be money and fame.
The ancient wisdom of the Celts, the Romans, the Germans, or the Scandinavians can teach us many landmarks and even responses to question we may ask for our lives nowadays.

Your music often deals with historical themes, most of all war. What can we learn from the past and do you want to spread political views with your music?

I don’t agree when you say that most of the themes are warlike. It is true that the second CD was entitled “Forever war”, but it has been a bit misunderstood at its release, for some people thought it was a manner to say that war was uplifting, in the J?nger way.
I think it is rather presumptuous to claim that war is “cool” when you have no experience of it. My opinion is that wars in the 20th century have weakened Europe and fathered the evils we endure today. It is clear that Europe only runs after its past world leadership and is now unable to oppose the USA. It was a call to say “no more wars amongst brothers”, to quote Tony Wakeford.
As I say earlier, a tree without roots cannot grow high … You must learn from the past to build your identity, and hopefully avoid to make the same mistakes again. We can dream…
If you mean by political, something somehow bound to political parties or programs, the answer is clearly no! Sometimes it can be like metapolitical, some said there was a bit of Evola, maybe, but what is expressed in D&DE is above all the reflections of my inner self.
Call it as you like, but there is no will to spread anything of the kind, no good word at all.

Why do you compare D&DE with a torch (on your website)?

For years, I have liked very much this symbol of a lonely light in a surrounding of darkness ; the little light of hope, of truth that don’t want to fade.
Of course you can transpose an image to a more abstract situation. I see a bit D&DE as a little light that reminds the leftover of a european soul in a globalization of the world that swallows the identity of every people,
and considers each human being as a consumer and even a product sometimes.
I don’t wish it to be one day, and I do what I can at my modest scale.

I’ve got to know D&DE through the great song ‘Morning Star’ on the compilation “Lucifer Rising”. Have you contributed to more compilations?

There have been some in 2000 and 2001, but I confess I have been very disappointed by most of them. The playlist of artists is not respected, unexplained delays are frequent and the quality of the final product is not what was promised .
However I’ve been proud to take part to “Fidelis Legio”, the tribute to C.Z. Codreanu, whose artwork is really excellent and most of the music good.
I think I won’t do any compilation anymore, except of course if the thing is really serious and worth doing it. There are too many compilations of poor quality that overwhelm the audience.

There are quite a number of acts and labels (Athanor, Cynfeirdd, Divine Comedy) at the moment in France in the folk/industrial field. Do you think that there is a flourishing French scene? And are there French acts that you particularly like yourself?

It is obvious that the number of French acts is growing for 3 or 4 years. There was quite a few bands in the genre in the 80’s, but it is a good thing that France has also some worthy representatives.
One must also pay tribute to the work of some hard-working and serious labels, especially Athanor and Cynfeirdd . I know less the others but their work speaks for them .
Yes, I liked very much the now disappeared band Upsland that made the wonderful “Apoliteia” tapes in the early 90’s. I still have a great respect of the LJDLP career, and also of my friend Jean-Paul of Tribe of Circle, who is in my eyes the best of the newcomers .

Are there musicians/artists which you find very inspirational?

The career of David Bowie is really inspirational! Always try something else remaining yourself…
Actually there are many in very different styles, but you can always learn something from gifted artists!
As for my inspiration for D&DE, every little thing I see or hear can inspire me an idea for D&DE, a sound, a structure, a word… There are no real barriers.

If I’m right you have sampled Lars von Trier’s great movie “Europa” on your last albums. What does this film mean to you?

That’s right. This movie has such a particular mood that marks once you have seen it. It’s quite obsessive and scenes of it often come back to your mind long after.
I think this gloomy and almost fantastic atmosphere fits to D&DE. So I sampled but also played the theme of the countdown ( “At the heart of darkness” ) in a way to transcribe it the best I could.

Is there something typically ‘French’ in your work?

You should answer to this question for me! Being French, I think I cannot have an objective point of view.
But I don’t try to “sound French” if this means something, except using recently texts in French. I just do things the way I think they should be.

Can you tell something about your creative process? How do you usually write songs, and what equipment do you use?

My equipment is very limited, and it always make the people wonder how I succeed in making the music with so few equipment! So I won’t unveil the mystery but I can say the imagination has a great role to play! I don’t even got a sampler and I don’t use computer devices…
The songs often come from an idea, a mood I’d like to create. It is at the beginning just a melody, a sound , and it can stay in this state for quite a while.
That’s when I listen to it again and again that I imagine what could be add. I am not playing over and over to find, I just wait it comes in my head!
Most often the idea works, sometimes don’t or are impossible to realize… It’s a slow modus operandi but by experience it’s the way it fits best for D&DE.

Dawn & Dusk Entwined

Have you experiences with live performances? What could people expect of a D&DE concert?

Not as D&DE. In fact, I’d like a show to be innovating as far as possible. But so many things have already been made on stage, and becoming a copycat of someone else doesn’t interest me.
The ideas I had in mind would mean several people to play, time to repeat together… And as I am used to make everything by myself, doing a thing I wouln’t have entirely under my control frightens me a little…
Secondly I’m afraid the material it would need will also be an obstacle to make something flawless… So you will have to wait still a couple of years to hope to attend something!

Can you name 5 albums which changed your life?

It’s a hardbreaking question! Only five!
I would quote “L’esprit” by In the Nursery, “Fruits of Yggdrasil” by Sixth Comm, “Horse Rotorvator” by Coil, “Der Sieg des Lichtes” by Der Blutharsch, DIJ “Brown book”.
I realise there are so many I’d like to add, in other genres, but I think these five albums really gave me the wish to make my own music.

What do you do when you’re not occupied with music?

What an indiscreet question! And what if the police was to read this???

And what would you do if you won a million euro?

I wouldn’t hesitate a long time : I’d probably buy a big house in the countryside and have my own recording studio built in it!
I’d share my time between nature and music…

Do you have plans for the future?

I will try not to let so much time pass between two albums, even if the last silence was mainly due to external factors …
I can already announce you the release in the end of the year of the first D&DE vinyl, a 30 mm six-tracks 10″ with new and older unreleased material, and also some best tracks from compilations. It will be entitled “A harvest of winds EP”.
There could also be another 10″ in 2004, a bit in a more dark ambient/movie soundtrack way, but keeping the D&DE feeling.
I am working on it and it takes time to make it sound this different way. It is quite difficult to go out of the beaten tracks with what will surely be an album apart in the D&DE discography, but I work hard to fulfill the task!

Any final thoughts?

Keep an eye on D&DE in the next future!