Nitzer Ebb rework Patriarchy’s “Hell Was Full” for upcoming remix LP (watch the video)

L.A.'s gothy electro duo Patriarchy (Actually Huizenga and Andrew Means) released Asking for It this time last year and are now gearing up to release remix album that will be out in early 2021. Full tracklist has not been revealed but includes remixes by Nitzer Ebb, Drab Majesty, Front Line Assembly and Geneva Jacuzzi. Each remix will come with a new video as well that both plays off the song's original video but pays tribute to the remixer.

We've got the premiere of the "Hell Was Full" remix by Nitzer Ebb's Bon Harris who stars in the video as well. The video also features a horse, a few vampires, buckets of gore, nudity and general sacrificial debauchery. It's NSFW but who is going into the office these days? Anyway, you've been warned and you can watch it below.

We also chatted with Actually Huizenga via email about the new remix record, and you can read that below.

Tell us how this remix album came to be.

In a creatively selfish way (the good kind of selfish), I was thinking about how to promote the album that I was supposed to be starting a tour for — my first Patriarchy album, "Asking For It," released by Dero Arcade in November of 2019. We were preparing in February, and then the vinyls were being made, but of course the pandemic hit… so everything was canceled touring-wise.

The blood splattered vinyls (which I am also super proud of design wise) got delayed as well, but finally arrived in the summer. As I was re-listening to the songs to hear them on "everyone's favorite plastic," I had a fairly basic idea that it would be cool to ask some of my friends & acquaintances who are in awesome bands if they would do remixes (especially since everyone was/is in lock-down). Jack of Dero Arcade also thought it was a good idea, so I started the messaging. I was thinking I'd just have a couple summer flings, but the positive responses and amount of people who actually wanted to do it was more than I expected. And now it is an entire album of remixes!

The remixes are so amazing. People spent so much time and effort, even fixing vocal pops and unprofessional things I had in my shitty recordings! Humans I respect actually sat and had to listen to me over and over! Pure Joy! I really feel like I am the resurrected nutcracker prince brought to life and love under The Christmas tree. I am just so happy, but of course it is a bittersweet feeling with all of the anxiety, death and fear which have swept the world… but that makes this even more precious to me.

It's a pretty impressive list of people you got to be involved.

I was expecting most of the artists to politely decline, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that everyone was really into it! Some other really amazing artists were too busy, but they didn't flip me off the way I was anticipating, and I ended up having actual conversations aside from merely liking images on their instagram for the past few years, you know what I mean?
Social Distancing has led me to be more social!

But anyways, to be taken seriously and flattered by fellow artists and musicians who have more legendary backgrounds- whom I look up to… and to pretty much be treated as an artist on something of the same level, gave me a boost at such an odd time in my own life and the general Corona atmosphere. It has been magical to actually discuss my work and have the pieces of my songs re-analyzed and reborn.

Plus, Bon Harris (of Nitzer Ebb) agreed to make an appearance in the music video I made for his remix- which is so cool. It gave me the idea to ask other artists if they would like to make appearances or give ideas for other image-video experiments I had in mind (for promotion leading to the album release in January). I am editing the second music video for the second single right now- but let's leave that as a surprise as we will focus on mentioning the Nitzer Ebb one for now.

I must admit that I have the strange sensation that I am a part of something special in a human way. I am a very solitary person, but there is something in this feeling of being a part of some sort of culture that a cute goth kid will get hard for…All I want is for some kid to put my poster on their bedroom wall and discover their artistic path through some of my work and/or influences- to have a real mythology that every human needs in order to enjoy the light of life before the dark of death.

This bundle of precious-gem-remixes is my own fantasy-reality gathered up like a treasure in the backyard- And all I had to do was reach out to people honestly and humbly, to slash through the brambles of my social anxiety and embarrassment. I wouldn't have had the courage if everyone wasn't suddenly quarantined (which is pretty much my usual state of existence!)

How do these remixes fit in stylistically with the music you make as Patriarchy?

My music reflects my struggles and enjoyments whilst questioning certain archetypes (mythological/ artistic/social/sexual) in our human culture. Obviously, we live in a patriarchy. So, I use that name not as some sort of angry statement or for it's hashtag shock value, but more as a way to recognize the dragon that I choose to fight (but not kill, because I do not condone actual violence- only the symbolism of violence (in a Dionysian way). Plus, the dragon who has been put in my way has been trained to deny my entrance (probably through abuse and pre-conditioning from a nest of ignorance).

I simply need to work hard, study, research, sharpen my sword, make sure my armour is secure; get ready to learn things from the alleged enemy… because as Socrates says- or as Plato says Socrates says- I know that I know nothing! And that is the hardest thing to really know… to truly accept and be serenely comfortable with knowing nothing. I try to use my music, film and performance to discover that deep, pure unknowing.

As for the remixes, I think [the songs] may be even better now because they have been polished and re-invigorated… given the attention they deserve, but didn't know they could ask for. They are in ecstasy having been re-handled by such masters!

Say these songs were animal-humans, and they haven't had sex because they were in the last couple of years of an ending relationship, but suddenly some hot guy you never noticed noticing you has given you the best sex of your life…It sort of feels like that.