**THIS INTERVIEW IS VERY, VEEERY LONG! **

VICTORY NOT VENGEANCE

Is a motto in the name of VNV Nation, one the most prominent electro bands of today. With driving beats topped by lyrical hymns of energy, anger and angst, Ronan Harris and Mark Jackson deliver music that not only fills the dance-floors but also carries a message of thought, views and philosophy of life. This interview is an elaboration of those thoughts, answers and guidance in understanding what VNV Nation really means, and what does this world mean to VNV Nation. In words that you are about to read I hope you will find some questions, some answers of your own - questions about yourself and the world you live in. Ronan Harris “has found his answer” ('Fearless', FUTUREPERFECT), and here it is:

First of all, football…

Who am I supporting? Well Ireland, of course!? I’m from there as you know...

Roy Keane is very good, if not one of the best players now.
Yes, but if he can keep his head, since he’s too violent on the pitch, it’ll be good. I’m just hoping he’ll keep his cool, as the entire Irish side.

That’s the irish spirit?

He’s got it a little bit to much.That’s a type of Irish person who doesn’t listen to logic and loose it’s temper on the pitch. He really needs to learn that logic, and he’s to give some inspiration and direction to other players, yeah.

You mentioned that, ‘following heart, not logic’ type of person. How does that Irish feeling go with VNV Nation?

I’m very passionate person, but I’m very logical also. I tend to keep my emotions focused, and I let them out in a very controlled way. And that is what the VNV Nation is: it’s all my passion. What I’m saying can be said by anybody, but in my case, I’m saying it with a lot of Celtic passion. Irish culture is about singing and telling your history and your hopes and ambitions. Like a lot of countries in Europe that haven’t thrown away their cultural past, Irish hold on to our ancient past, we hold on to the ‘magic’ in our country.And, I think has had a very heavy influence on me, at least because my childhood was full of it. So, of course, everything I’m going to express through VNV Nation is influenced by that ‘magic’, and all that information has brought me to what I am today. That’s a best way.

When I compare your albums, from “Advance And Follow” and “Praise The Fallen”, who are more epic, with the most recent “Futureperfect”, which is, I was surprised, very personal…

Actually, I don’t think that the “Praise The Fallen” was less personal, in fact it was the most personal album I wrote, because it had everything I needed to say to myself on an album. I don’t think that lot of people caught that, but I was saying in ”Joy” a lot of personal things, like defining what kind of album I am making, and defining what kind of person I was. The “Futureperfect” is about having already said that, and getting to another concept, which is about making a personal future better: having some ambitions, some drives, inspiring people to have some vision for their future. Whether that’ll be the vision of the world or their own personal lives does not matter – they’re all connected.

Still, when I hear the “PraiseThe Fallen” there is a different energetic drive than in “Futureperfect” . “Futureperfect” is… [thinking]… less sharp? (continues on next pages)