I had the pleasure to interview Attila Csihar of Mayhem, Void Ov Voices, Sunn O)) and other projects he was and is involved. Here is an interview about Nader Sadek’s show in Cairo-Egypt and his performance as Void Ov Voices, so he had time to answer some questions about all these and also about his connection with Egypt. Below you can also check a video of ‘’Descent’’, the live performance of Nader Sadek together with Attila Csihar (Void Ov Voices).
Greetings Attila, how things are going?
HI Carla and greetings to all music fans! I am fine, thank you, just have been busy with music as usually, which is great of course! We just finished the new Sunn O))) record and soon I am back to the road to do some more summer festivals around EU with both Mayhem and Sunn O))). I think I will have like 11 Festivals in a row, then I will play with VoV on an interesting festival called „Midgardsblot” which is located in an ancient site of Norway where all the ancient Viking kings were burried. That is gonna be very interesting cause I love to play in sites where I can feel the presence of historical ancient energies.Then I will have another VoV show in Malmo in Sweden and another festival with Mayhem in France called „Fall Of Summer”. After all this I hope to be back in September to mystical Egypt to play again in Cairo, the 2nd time with Nader Sadek. This is gonna be awesome to play all these shows, yet it is gonna be quite challenging because all those bands are pretty different from each others. I am still very thankful to be able to do this!
Please tell me more about your project Void ov Voices, what do you hope to achieve with it?
I started VoV at the end of 2007 when I got an offer to open for the German dark-jazz band Bohren Und Der Club of Gore in Moscow. I had this vision of making experimental music for a long time. I was very much inspired since my teenage by the early works of Current 93, Diamanda Galas, Coil, Death In June, Birthday Party..etc old 80’s expermintal artists. So my friend from Germany Susanne Herndorf who was that time the manager of Bohren Und Der Club Of Gore inspired me a lot when I told her about this vision and she just booked me that show in Moscow which was a great start. So basically I bought some necessary instruments and started to work on VoV after when my first show was booked! It was no way back if you know what I mean (I still thank for her). Anyway my goal with VoV was only to perform live without releasing any albums. The show in Moscow was a success, so I have been doing only live shows with VoV for more than 7 years now. In this way I was lucky to play all around EU, I even supported Ulver on their first EU tour, I played with VoV in USA a few times, in Japan, Australia, even in Tasmania and now finally -like a long time dream became real- thanks to Nader I was able to play a smaller, more like a private show in Cairo! That was something like a big achivement artistically and personally for me.
Tell me when did you first met Nader Sadek and how he became your mask designer?
First we met was in New York quite some time ago, I think it must been around in 2005-2006. We were playing with Sunn O))) in the USA and Stephen O Malley, the guitarist of Sunn O))) introduced us. Actually Nader came to our hotel room and made a plaster impression of our faces, what he was gonna use in one of his sculptures. We were so hang overed after some partying that morning haha. Anyway he had the replica of my face from then on. So later it came to my mind to ask if he was interested making some masks for both Sunn O))) and Mayhem shows. I used to have some masks even with my first band Tormentor in the 80’s. Luckily he was interested of course and we started to work on all those cool masks. It went good so even Mayhem invited Nader to help with our stage designs on our „Ordo Ad Chao” USA tour in 2007. Since then of course we became friends and have been working together here or there, not only on masks but also on his musical/art projects. I was happy to hook him up with some other musicians and record companies, we are just helping each others.
On 19th of April had been a show of Nader Sadek in Cairo-Egypt. As I understood your VoV was integrated into Naders, how did this idea come about?
That was a great idea! Nader finally had the chance to organise an extreme metal show in Cairo. I made a live intro and some live intermezzos among their songs with VoV, and I also sang in one of the songs. When he invited me to take part, I was interested naturally because I have been a fan of ancient Egyiptian history and civilisations for a long time now. Many of the ancient sites and monuments of the world are located in the Middle East, especially in countries today called Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Jordan, Iraq and Iran. Thereforo I used to travel to some of these places on holidays, or whenever I had the chance.In most of these countires Heavy Metal music is still in an embrionic state, I mean officially it „does not exist” but of course we have many metal fans there as well. In the past it was not really possible to organise extreme or even heavy metal shows in most of those areas but finally it seems things started to change slowly.
You also had a performance with Void Ov Voices in Cairo after this show. Tell me about it.
It was an amazing experiment. Spiritually it is very important to make music close to those mystical ancient sites and structures, close to the ruins of ancient high-tech civilizations, for me it is something personal and connected to VoV. It is just happened last time after the Nader show in Cairo that it was possible to play this more private VoV show at Nader’s art space mostly to our friends.
How long did you to rehearse with Nader and the musicians he brought?
I only rehearsed with them at the soundcheck, but of course they had before, Nader could tell.
Are there any plans to work together musically? Will you sing on a new record?
Rumors are that he is working with Glen Benton (Deicide). Time will tell, I am quite opened to work with Nader not just because he is a good friend but he is one of the pioneer artist from the whole area and I feel via his Egyptian roots I can reach more people in the Middle East. Music is a transcendental language and it builds bridges among different cultures.
About you, how often do you use to travel to Egypt, I suppose you like the country’s history and the places, what attracts you to go there often?
Well to me Egypt is special and personal. I am a fan of the Ancient Egyptian culture, the mystical structures and sites, the amazing sculptures and the hierographs, basically everything dated thousands of years back, far before Christ. I feel a present of sofisticated energy at these vortex points. Actually I was in Egypt already the 3rd time when first I visited the Great Pyramids, before that I was at other less popular but more mystical sites. I think I was 5 times in Egypt so far but only played music at the last time.
Do you have a message for the fans of Nader Sadek and also for the fans of Mayhem, Sunn O)))?
Sure! Solute Bloods! We are here for you as you are here for us! We are a brotherhood via music there are no boundaries. Free your mind from everything you ever been programmed to hear or to learn! „Sol Invictus” is in ourselves which is beyond everything related to this time and space.
Thank you Attila for your time and for this interview, all the best!
Thank you too!
https://www.facebook.com/naderflesh
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Void-Ov-Voices-Attila-Csihar/
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