“When you think some relationship is over, a new one will begin, pretty similar to the other, because what all the relationships have in common is you.”
“Moon Phases of a Relationship” will catch you and bed you down in a soft, protective layer of smooth sound and the mellifluous, soft voice of Brazilian artist Katherine Finn Zander aka Katze soundz. We had a chat with her about recognizing a pattern of all her past relationships she discovered while writing her music, about the different phases of love and the increasing and decreasing power of feelings.
“The Full Moon is the peak of brightness. It corresponds to the plenitude of the relationship, the achievement of joy and of mutual understanding. “
Your latest EP is called and deals with the “Moon Phases of a Relationship”. I am listening to it now and it´s awesome! Is it a personal processing of your own relationship experience?
Yeah, it began with the inspiration of a specific relationship. But actually, it turned into a good starting point to recognize a pattern of pretty much all the relationships I´ve been through. Thinking of it further, it seemed almost like an universal process.
Explain us a bit more what are the Moon Phases related to love – what different phases are you trying to describe in your songs and what is the connection to the moon with it?
Well, the moon has always been somehow related to love and romance in many lyrics. I think it’s quite an archetype. So just like the moon cycling, some relationships have their cycles too. In other words, when you think some relationship is over, a new one will begin, pretty similar to the other, because what all the relationships have in common is you. So, it is all about your own cycles of dealing with people. Ok, sometimes different people, different energy, different histories, but the same cursed cycle.
Considering this, during the Waxing phase the illuminated part of the moon is growing. At this stage we become more receptive to every kind of beginning and seduction. This phase is about the growing interest in the relationship.
The Full Moon is the peak of brightness. It corresponds to the plenitude of the relationship, the achievement of joy and of mutual understanding. It´s a moment that we would like to see lasting, that´s why there is a chorus part “I don´t wanna say goodbye”.
The Waning Moon is the period in which the illuminated part is progressively decreasing. It represents the decline of interest in the relationship, the death that precedes new life. The Moon is getting darker and darker and everything loses its intensity and importance. It is a time for silence, stillness and reflection.
During the New Moon the sun’s rays hit the Moon behind and, on Earth, we see nothing. It marks the beginning of a new cycle. A phase to wake up for the new. The Moon emerges, comes out of the darkness and is born again. It does not necessarily represents a new relationship with another person, but sometimes the re-signification of the same relationship. Or a new relationship with the same person. That´s why I keep singing “I was not afraid to kill you – I´ll be not afraid to kill you again”.
image by Novak
“As as child I wanted to be a politician or a state bureaucrat. I´ve designed my life for that since I was 11 years old.”
What´s the most challenging thing in love issues?
I think it is to overcome the way we´ve learned how to love (or to be indifferent) from our parents, or people who have raised us. I feel this way so deep rooted, that when I see the need for change, I´m just not able to do it. It feels like I´ve lost an arm, or some part of my body.
Did you do everything on your own on the EP, playing the instruments, singing, producing?
The concept, composition, instruments playing, singing, production of the beats with samples, addition of synths and eletronic layers were made and recorded by myself. I´ve tried to equalize, work with some effects textures and compress the songs my way, but in the end, I felt like it was still kind of a rough diamond. So, I contacted some producers to help, but they usually also changed the structure of the songs. They´ve had some nice ideas, but I wanted to keep the work with my face, my truth. And then I found Leonardo Gumiero, who added the brilliant bass lines and a production enrichment. He signed the mix and master, but I also spend many days by his side as his assistant in the post production. He really respected my ideas and my desires, and I´ve learned a lot working with him. Now he is often performing some concerts with me.
header and this image by Ana Claudia Caixeta
“Home is the place where your body feels adapted. In my case, this place is not my home town, but I feel so good every time I go to Cerrado.”
How did you get started with music?
There is a piano in my grandma´s house. My mom and my aunt used to play it, so, well… since I remember I´ve been playing with it. With 13 I´ve started to study guitar, and other instruments have passed like bass, accordion and flute. But I never imagined that one day I would be dealing with music in a professional way.
Where are you originally from and what means home to you?
I’m from Curitiba, a cold swamp in South Brazil. Home is the place where your body feels adapted. In my case, this place is not my home town, but I feel so good every time I go to Cerrado. It’s a big biome, kind of Brazilian savanna: sunny, hot, dry and with plenty of waterfalls : )
What did you want to be as a child when growing up?
A politician or a state bureaucrat. I´ve designed my life for that since I was 11 years old. I graduated in Law, I did my Master in Policies for Education, I joined the Pirates Party. But I´ve never been the straight person for this position, and I´ve never stopped to research music or play instruments.
image by Cassiano Geraldo
“It really impresses me when people know what to do with their lives. ”
The qualities that you are impressed by in other people?
It really impresses me when people know what to do with their lives. And also, I get impressed by people with high developed self-awareness – people who embrace the journey of looking at their inner void.
Favorite quote to live by…
“Sometimes nature plays tricks on us and we imagine we are something other than what we truly are. Is this a key to life in general? Or the case of the two-headed schizophrenic? Both heads thought the other was following itself. Finally, when one head wasn’t looking, the other shot the other right between the eyes, and, of course, killed himself.” Margaret Lanterman / Log Lady. Twin Peaks ep. 12. [02.05]
