Here, Gitane speaks of her past, present and future...

Hello, Gitane. Well, where do we start? Ok, The Crystelles - How did the project come to fruition? You and you daughter (Zara) make up the two band members and how does the mother daughter combination work during recording and live performances?
"I began writing material on the guitar as I was teaching myself to play in 2000. As soon as I could add singing to the guitar,(2003) I asked Zara to accompany me on maracas & we began playing parties, record stores, and some basement punk-rock shows in L.A. Eventually, we tried a bass player, Christina, and I put the name Crystelles to the band, after a love for transparent rocks, quartz, icicles... anything transparent, really.
Zara and I are really close - pretty much best friends. We've looked at gigs and recording as an adventure.
Unfortunately, Christina didn't last. With our resources, Zara and I worked out the guitar and drum thing. Actually, we have added a very creative bassist to the band- Troy Rounseville. We got a little lonely"

As the other half of The Crystelles, Zara has always been surrounded by your music and projects. Do you think she rebelled against her parent’s musical tastes (as most kids do) and like a lot of parents, do you tell her to turn down her music as you run for cover?
Zara: "There's never been any music clashes, we actually happen to share similar interests...One of the reasons we're in a band together."

           (Zara on drum duty)

Gitane, what’s next for The Crystelles, and what has the response to the duo been like so far? Also, how would you describe your sound?
"We somehow keep getting shows, and in fact we'll be getting a U.S. tour going sometime this year. First, we're adding bass to the existing tracks recorded on our lp, for an initial D.I.Y. release. This has been a long time coming...
With an added guitarist in the band, we're touring Europe at the end of March for a series of Gitane DeMone retrospective concerts, which will include the Crystelles material for the set's finale.
The sound is like a swamp, or a streetcorner with blood at the roots, or in the sewer. Blues, jazz tribal, rock, garage- all of it unintentional, and purely instinctive.
People either cringe at the harsh raw sound, or they love it."

Gitane, you now have a new 2 disc DVD released. “Life After Death.” Your first DVD and retrospective. So, how does it feel to look back on your career, what highs and lows really stand out? Is there anything you would change, or do you believe it has all been your fate?
"I've never planned out what I've done - I've just followed what seemed natural. I'm quite shocked at some of my performances - which is good, I suppose, because that was the intention with some of that fetish stuff. Yes, I think I just followed my weird course of personal interest through the past times. But this music is the stuff I always wanted to do. I had to learn guitar to make it.

What other current projects are you working on?"
"This is it! Except I'll be selecting songs for the tour in Europe (some shows in the U.S. too) and preparing the band for that."

Being a huge Christian Death fan, I often get asked about the line ups, the frontmen and all the usual misconceptions about the band. I rarely try to describe the tales, rumours and tribulations to new fans, I often say, “listen to the music and make up your own minds.”  How do you feel about the same questions, as obviously, you were there at the time? Also, as someone who worked with Valor and Rozz, how do you feel about the many guises of CD and the various incarnations that have played under the Christian Death banner?
"Rozz was Christian Death. We did a few cool lps without him...the band name should have been changed, though. I don't spend time relating to what's going on with Christian Death or CD1334. I think it's a shame, to hang on to the past. One of the reasons the Crystelles keeps quite anonymous. I want the music to earn its own merits, without reference to former times."

Of all of the releases that you have worked on over the years, which three stand out for you and why?
"I apologize, but I never look back, and rarely listen back. I didn't hit my nirvana yet."

Ok, to bring some much needed humour to the Christian Death story, tell us one funny memory that stands out from that time?
"On the Ashes lp, when you hear the baby crying, we weren't killing my son Sevan, as rumour has had it (Sevan has own band called Sixth Chamber and is alive and well. Nicky). We were listening back to the recorded tracks of that segue. Sevan, an infant, was in the waiting room of the studio having cramps from gas: it sounded good his crying. We put a microphone up to his cot. We had to edit out the farts. if you listen real close, you can hear the edits. Is that funny?" ( I am wondering how many Christian Death fans will be reaching for their copy of Ashes now? I didn't listen to the edits, honestly...Nicky).

What bands, writers, artists etc inspire you these days. Do you enjoy any particular ones?
"Mostly Captain Beefheart, just lately, also Sun Ra, Zombelle, King Tubby mixes,early Caberet Voltaire, Volt, Baby 63, Drill, Dog, to name a few currently. I change all the time.
The filmmaker Stan Brakhage is the most brilliant artist (my opinion & taste) in quite some time.Pity he's gone, now. At the moment, I like studying fractals as art.
Boringly enough, I suppose, I'm reading mainly metaphysical, medical and biology books. I enjoy learning."

If you could choose any artist to duet with, past or present, who would you choose and why.
"Captain Beefheart - he was the most avante garde.

Anything else that you would like to add?
"Glad you persevered my delay in  replying to this interview, and glad I haven't gone insane! & next year, I'll be raising a torch to Torch.
Thank you, Nicky"

http://www.myspace.com/thecrystelles

Gitane Demone Myspace

Introduction by Zenon Gradkowski and Interview conducted by Nicky.

Many thanks to Gitane Demone and Zara Kand.