I was recording Around the Corners of Our Minds at that time. It was March of 2004 and it was full moon. One of Neversun's events took place that day and I was in Ljubljana to attend it. I called Helena who lives nearby and we went for a chat and a cup of tea in a pub there. We stayed talking for three hours and a half. Despite the fact that I knew her for some years I never knew that she was playing the violin and singing. After that encounter I wrote ten minutes long White Kites, Black Sky where she exhibited both - her playing and singing.
Not long after I quit a collaboration with the previous singer and I asked Helena to join me. Luckily she accepted and I think that Amateur God is now what it was meant to be.
Irony was always a guiding star for Amateur God's concept and inspiration, based upon ridiculous human nature and senseless fights against it. The stir of our inner reflections and thoughts deriving from the world surrounding us is fantastic. I have to admit that even that stir of outer reflections to the world affected from what's inside us isn't something to underestimate either.
Amateur God's name and concept offended some people and I liked it. Not that I like to offend folks, but I am glad that I am causing reactions, a chance to get into colourful discussions, checking many points of view - humans' richness and at the same time menace.
I am fascinated by musicians that can gather melodic singing, detailed complex structures that merge into simpler integrity and a sober dose of emotions. Although Amateur God's music stands on solid pillars of melancholic industrial, my musical preferences come mostly from contemporary pop/rock acts that in most cases deviate from commercial orientation. There are some artists that I adore and keep them as a reference point, but I don't copy them. I rather use their influence in certain details while keeping a large portion of creative process for my own ideas while building a personal signature.
Parallel process of writing ones own music is remixing. I find this challenging - merging two worlds creating a third one. That's why I like collaborations that I broadened so far to Vigilante, Lamia, IWR and some other individuals. It's an expanding universe and we're in.
Blaz Erzetic
www.myspace.com/erzo
