Once shrouded in mystery, with a following of devotees all dressed in black, cult underground enigmas Violet General are back. Well, sort of.
Frontman Emil Valev spilled the beans in an interview on Tangra Mega Rock’s 'Coffee Shop' show.

The band are releasing a compilation album titled 'Collection'. The 15-track collage is out on Riva Sound Records. “It’s a selection of songs from the band’s 5-year existence, plus a couple of new songs”, Valev said.

“The initial pressings all sold out and since there seems to be renewed interest in the band and people can’t get hold of those records anymore, I decided the time was right to release something like this. Although as you well know, selling Cds is a bit of a ttall order nowadays, but I reckon it’ll please people who are real collectors.”

Violet General were formed by Valev back in 1989, after he came back from Berlin, where some of what were to become the band’s first songs were written. Initially the line-up consisted of six people, but this quickly shrank to only two after the group’s second gig. From then on it was Valev (guitar, vocals, synth, various effects) and Evgeny Genchev (bass).

Violet General split up in 1994. During an adventure-filledВ  five years they released three albums, many demos and played over 50 gigs, plus touring Slovakia and Austria.

The band started out as a dark wave/post-punk project but later on took stabs at industrial and experimental music too. This tendency continued in Valev’s solo albums which followed the band’s demise.
Bass player Evgeny Genchev (aka Jully) hosted his own radio show – 'Boulevard'– on radio Tangra in 1999-2000.

Asked if Violet General would reform, Valev said the following:
“I really don’t wish to be going back to all that and regurgitating the same stuff again. I’d rather make some new experimental music – that’s where my heart is really at.”

Expect the full interview here soon!