The Bellmer Dolls
Preface and Interview: Ashlee Elfman
Button Photograph: Maike Paul

All I can recount to you is what I witnessed when I saw The Bellmer Dolls open for Grinderman last August in San Francisco; raw power made elegant, disjointed melodies and fiercely spat vocals made seductive, guitars flying, sweat streaming. If you're lucky enough to see them live you'll experience something like Stockholm syndrome, and learn to love your captures. Although The Bellmer Dolls might be reminiscent of some old post-punk, post-rock, post-apocalyptic bands that germinated in the late '70's and early '80s, they're certainly not derivative. When playing live they are truly caught up in some delirious, fevered trance that will suck you in and quite possibly make you forget your name, your day job, and the fact that the guy in front of you wearing Cuban heels is standing on your foot.

Peter Dark (vocals, guitar) tells us what being a Bellmer Doll is all about.

When I saw you guys open for Grinderman in San Francisco I was thoroughly impressed by your ability to harness a sense of danger on stage. Where does this fierceness come from?

Considering the audience stared agape for the first half of our set, I'd say the fierceness may
have actually been fear.

Speaking of danger, does New York still offer the same sense of restlessness and ingenuity it once did?

New York is a big ugly pussycat that's been dressed up a bit to suit its new, wealthy owners.

You're produced by New York, No-Wave royalty, Jim Sclavunos. Peter, you've also worked with Jim's band The Vanity Set. I found it intriguing to read that Mr. Sclavunos didn't really like you [Peter] much at first, but grew to adore you. How did this collaboration take shape?

 

We were made to interact musically in a forced environment. I kept running straight into the
glass, bloodying my snout in the process. Jim just jeered at me. Before long, he must have realized
that I'm more of a nuisance to myself than to anyone else- so he took pity.

For those that don't know, the name of your band comes from the surreal and erotic dolls fashioned by artist Hans Bellmer in reaction to WWII. What is it about Hans Bellmer's creations that inspired you to name your band after them?

It's erotic and it's protest. And there's solid philosophical structure behind it- all the things I think we were hoping to embody when we decided to work together.

Rykarda Parasol (who is also featured in this issue) mentioned a crazed 4 in the morning recording that you guys did together. I can only imagine how great that must be. Might we have the chance to hear this song at some point?

Yes, it was practically days after Rykarda's bedtime. She pulled through with some of the most sexy, harrowing sounds I'd witnessed this side of the bedroom. Not to imply...

On stage it seems that you guys become this sort of frenzied beast, as if you are very tuned into one another. What is it like to be in The Bellmer Dolls?

A day in the life of a Bellmer Doll is as mundane as anyone else's, except for the fact that we get asked questions like this every now and then. To answer your question more specifically, we are extremely tight-knit when we're together. I attribute this to the fact that we spent long hours in solitary confinement, writing and rehearsing as often as humanly possible for a full year before we decided to perform. We developed a good sense of each other and our roles in bringing it over properly.

Photograph by Zina Brown

What can we expect from your upcoming LP?

11 - 12 songs, one featuring the inimitable Rykarda Parasol. Themes range from war, to God, to
trying to get it on in an impossibly small car.

What were some of the highlights of 2007 for The Bellmer Dolls?

We wrote, recorded and mixed one hell of a record. We performed alongside the excellent Secret Machines as part of David Bowie's Highline Festival. We purchased a new console, which found us trekking halfway across the country in a rental soccer-mom van. We played our first European dates, which turned out to be very rewarding. And, of course, we shared the stage with King Ink and his most
impressive band.

What record has most impacted your life up to this point?

The one we just recorded. It was an enormous sacrifice of time, energy, and emotional stability. We actually did all of the construction for our own proper recording studio, meaning we were tied up for
months without a single note put on tape. We pushed our musicianship to the brink as well; there
were times we nearly went mad forcing ourselves to adhere to the standard set by Jim(as producer) and ourselves.

Who would you rather be stuck in a car with on a ten-hour road trip, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, or Neil
Diamond?

We have some practical experience moving corpses, as Anthony owns the remains of a diminutive Victorian gent- so I'd go with Screaming Jay. On second thought, Diamond could chip in on gas money!

Do you have any last sentiments you'd like to leave with our readers?

HAVE A GOOD TIME, ALL THE TIME.

 

Bellmer Dolls' Myspace
Back To Interviews