Fading Colours – Chain D.L.K.
If you’re looking for emotion, this is the right band. Fading Colours have relished us with the amazing sounds of their music for the past few years. The band started with the hard sound of guitars, complemented with keyboard-sequences and a strange dark atmosphere. The Fading Colours metamorphosis from this earlier sound came with their now modern electronic sound. The leader of the group is vocalist DeCoy, who has an ethereal, emotional voice. She sings the lyrics with their roots in her dreams.
Chain D.L.K.: So tell us how Fading Colours started and a little bit about the band.
Kris: We had started as a one of those young bands in our local culture center in the early 80es – it was punk. We had called our band Bruno the Questionable, a name influenced by Monthy Python movies that had really impressed us. By the end of the 80es we met De Coy. Later she became Leszek’s wife. During this quite long period we were able to release only one album -"Bruno the Questionable"- for a small label called Furia Musica. After a while, punk rock wasn’t enough for us anymore so we tried to find our own style while listening to various music: Siouxie, Joy Division, Bauhaus, and more gothic bands like Clan of Xymox, Cocteau Twins, Sisters Of Mercy. Apart from that, we were also fascinated with Manchester/Rave music. Finally in early 90’s we recorded an album – which now will be released as "The beginning ’89-’94”. So in the end all those factors and the new member of the band (De Coy) had gradually changed our music to the point that we decided to change our name into Fading Colours. Under that moniker we recorded “Black Horse” and that’s how it all started.
Chain D.L.K.: Where did the name Fading Colours come from?
Kris: The name came from Monthy Python’s movies… As I mentioned we felt we had to change our name. It was the Eysel brothers’ (from Love Like Blood) idea – we just liked the name they had proposed. Bruno didn’t mean anything at that point of our career, we became successful a bit later.
Chain D.L.K.: How has the atmosphere and economical environment of Poland inspired the music, and how do you feel about it’s music scene?
Kris: In 80es, gothic/cold wave was very popular. There was a huge urge for that kind of music, every concert could easily gather thousands of fans (for example Clan of Xymox). On the other hand you couldn’t get any albums in the music stores. Because of that we had to tape the music straight from the radio. Strange way to find new albums, but it was the only way to listen to bands such as Clan of Xymox, Sisters Of Mercy or The Cure who were big stars in my country.
Chain D.L.K.: Several years has passed since the last album. Why the long absence?
Kris: Our label doesn’t exist any more… We had to find another one and we didn’t get much done… Everybody started to focus on their different plans but we remained a band. Now things are going much slower than before.
Chain D.L.K.: From what I understand a new CD is in the works. Is there a title for it yet?
Kris: The title is still unknown, but I guess it’s not important. We have some ideas and we are going to decide when our work will be completed.
Chain D.L.K.: What is the direction of the newest CD?
Kris: As our main lyrics writer, De Coy concentrates on her own odd dreams trying to transform them into an understandable framework for the song. Music will be darker but still psychedelic trans/ebm/gothic, kind of a nervous mix. And far more powerful compared to “I’m scared of…”!
Chain D.L.K.: Did it feel odd in the beginning to be asked to sign to Nuclear Blast, a metal label?
Kris: Certainly not! Actually, our polish label -Metal Mind records- is the biggest metal label in Poland.
Chain D.L.K.: How did bringing in synthesizers affect the music?
Kris: The sound we wanted to achieve came along with the “I’m scared of…” release. I guess electronic synthesizers give you unfinished space to create in. If you have a music-influenced imagination, that’s it! Using the right equipment you can change the impossible into possible.
Chain D.L.K.: How did the departure of Tytus, your old guitarist, affect the group?
Kris: It didn’t affect us. We had decided that we didn’t need a guitar player anymore so we let him to leave the band. Furthermore we felt it would be better cause we weren’t cooperating on a personal basis anymore. Titus was living far away from us and had his own problems. Now the three of us are family, that means that the Rakowski family is the Fading Colours.
Chain D.L.K.: Anything else interesting you would like to add about Fading Colours and about their future?