Rachael Lynn Gabriela Kozak-Salmi (born May 26, 1976), better known by her stage name Hecate, is an American experimental industrial and breakcore musician based in Vienna. Her stage name originates from Hecate, the Greek goddess of sorcery.
With a career spanning over 20 years and more than 30 releases, she is considered a prolific female producer of dark underground electronic music. She co-founded Zhark Recordings with Kareem in 1996,The history of Zhark, Feature. before parting ways and continuing her share of the label as Zhark London/Zhark International.Zhark International , Zhark International. The label was a response to the lack of outlets for non-mainstream and underground electronic artists. Mixing hardcore electronica with heavy metal, her solo releases include the 2006 album Brew Hideous, described by Exclaim! author Laura Taylor as "a hellish soundtrack to an old, real-life horror".Exclaim!, Review.
The 2003 release Nymphomatriarch with Venetian Snares was controversial. The album consisted of synthesised recordings of them having intercourse. Hecate later spoke out about the sexism and erasure of her contribution that she endured after the release.Official Blog Post , Nymphomatriarch: A Study of Censorship and Sexism in Electronic Music.
In 1998, Hecate founded Homewrecker Recordings (a.k.a. The Homewrecker Foundation), an all-female electronic label she described as "born of want". The label shut down in 2001. Hecate stating that although she would always encourage female talent in the genre, "you can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink".Sex is Vinyl, The manifesto.
After an absence from her Hecate persona, she returned in 2017 with two collaborations: 'Absolution' with Instinct PrimalNOVÁ ALTERNATIVA LABEL, ABSOLUTION. and 'Final Planet 666' with Der Blutharsch and the Infinite Hand of the Leading Path.Official Blog Post, Final Planet 666.
Outside music, Hecate is a multidisciplinary artist. Her works include large-scale paintings, illustrations, ceramic sculptures, screen printed clothing and mixed media montage. Her first exhibition was at SMart Café in Vienna, May 2014.Official Website, Artworks. As a performance artist, she has appeared in Belphegor's 2010 music video "Impaled Upon the Tongue of Satan"Music Video, Rated 18+. and Daniel Vrangsinn's 2011 video project Taboo.
As a musician As Hecate
After forming Zhark Recordings in 1996, two collaborations with DJ Kareem appeared on 7" vinyl, In the Bush and The Payback. Besides the 1997 cassette-tape-only release Pay for Protection (via Kool.POP), the records were the first major appearances of the Hecate persona.
From there, she released her solo material, beginning with 1998's Hate Cats on 12". The following year, she released Negative World Status as a 12" black vinyl and a limited edition dark pink vinyl, limited to 500 copies. The EP was well received. A UHT article stated, "Pray to die before becomes real what this music is trying to describe you! Masterpiece in the genre! [sic]".
Hecate released her first full-length LP in 2001, The Magick of Female Ejaculation, on double 12" and compact disc. The vinyl edition contained eleven tracks; the CD contained four bonus tracks. The press release for the LP described it as "eleven channels on a journey through the female psyche experienced through the eyes and ears of Hecate". With themes of love, life, sex and death, Hecate listed The Marquis De Sade as an influence. The ninth track features Hecate reading the opening paragraph of Philosophy in the Bedroom (La philosophie dans le Boudoir).Zhark , Album Details: The Magick.
A string of LP and EP releases followed. Her next full-length, Ascension Chamber, came out in 2003. Another double 12"/CD release, the ten tracks correspond to the ten sephiroths of the Qabalah. Hecate created the cover artwork and gatefold painting. She later confessed that it was one of the few Hecate releases with tracks that could be described as "uplifting" due to the gentle nature of "Kether" and "Chesed". Terrorizer Magazine praised the sound: "While listening to Hecate's 'Ascension Chamber' you could swear blind that it's being used as a portal for her devious demons to enter your realm and screw with the sounds of the universe. The depth and structure to the tracks is awesome, you think you can recognise sounds, but then they blend and bleed into another forever transforming and mutating, changing the very essence of the tunes. Outstanding."Zhark , Album Details: The Magick.
In 2004, she released Seven Veils of Silence, a concept album described as "a sonic storytelling of Salome". The album was released as a 12" with bonus 7" and later issued on CD. The album was praised for its use of atmospheric Middle Eastern music and departure from breakcore. An IGLOO review stated, "It doesn't sound breakcore (sic) anymore, there are only some jungle breaks here and there but they don't affect the dark rarefied atmosphere of the album. There are a lot of oriental influences instead, like horns, chants and percussions, mixed with buzzing bass and clicky electronics. The overall sound is gloomy, menacing and claustrophobic, emphasized by the apocalyptical landscape of the artwork. Seven Veils of Silence defines a genre on its own."IGLOO Magazine, Seven Veils of Silence Review.
Returning to her roots in 2005, Hecate released the limited special mini LP Wholesale Massacre of All Identifiable Replicas on clear 12" vinyl. The sleeve was hand-screened inside and outside, along with individual hand numbering. A total of 499 copies were released. Delving into drug abuse and twisted love, William S. Burroughs's Naked Lunch was cited as an inspiration alongside her personal experiences.Zhark , Album Details: The Magick.
The 2006 album Brew Hideous received critical acclaim in dark music media, owing to its infusion of electronic music with black metal. The cover artwork and new logo paid homage to the black metal genre. This was the beginning of Hecate's collaboration with Belphegor. The album tells the story of a witches' coven and their punishment. Brew Hideous is "A journey into the heart of darkness and a bewildering sustained release of menace", according to Terrorizer's Jonathan Selzer. Cue Mix Magazine hailed the record as one of her best.Brew Hideous , Zhark.
Brew Hideous - The Remixes was released in 2011 via Ad Noiseam and featured contributions from White Darkness, Amboss, Vile Enginez and Slutmachine.
On tour as Hecate Hecate has toured extensively and been invited to play in the USA, Europe, South America, and Russia. Hecate has also DJ'ed in Japan. Having toured the country in 2008 alongside members of UTEROZZZAAA, she was invited in 2017 by U Hang No Da. Their time together was dubbed the "Ultimate Stalked Tour". Hecate has expressed a personal love of the country.Ultimate Stalked Tour, Official Rachael Kozak Website.
In a 2013 interview with USBMS, Hecate recalled her "intense" stay in Bogotá, Colombia, in 2008, where she played at an all-female prison. She described the show as "the absolute height of emotion I ever experienced while playing!" Over 500 inmates attended.USBMS, Interview with Hecate.
In 2014, documentary footage of the Zhark International Abomination of Desolation Tour was officially released. Filmed in 2005, the tour went around Europe, featuring Abelcain, Xanopticon, Val and Hecate. The tour coincided with the death of Pope John Paul II, fuelling the esoteric spirit found in Zhark releases.2005 Zhark Tour Footage, YouTube Documentary.
According to her official website, Hecate has "invaded" the US, Canada, Mexico, Colombia, Ukraine, Russia, United Kingdom, Japan, Sweden, Germany, Austria, France, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, The Netherlands, Spain, Latvia and Finland.
As Raquel de Grimstone In 2002, Hecate adopted the persona of Raquel de Grimstone to explore and expand her vocal abilities, which were not in keeping with the Hecate sound. The project released the album FreeMansonicYouth. Unlike other works, the album was released only on compact disc, although six tracks were previously released in a trilogy of 7" vinyls. "Venom Bytes" was released on her sub-label The Homewrecker Foundation, while the album came out as a full Zhark International release.FreeMansonicYouth , Zhark International.
Influences and collaborations Kozak appreciates the 1980s metal featured on Headbangers Ball, black metal, Bong-Ra, Xanopticon, Franco Battiato, Pain Teens, King Crimson and Urfaust, amongst others. She has collaborated with Venetian Snares, Lustmord, Abelcain, Christoph Fringeli, and Michael Ford of Black Funeral.Interview with USBMS, April 11, 2008. Access date: August 30, 2008. She worked with Austrian Blackened Death Metal band Belphegor on five LPs (see below).
Collaboration with Belphegor Belphegor is an extreme metal band from Salzburg, Austria. Hecate met the band after they moved to Nuclear Blast. During this time, the band began work on Pestapokalypse VI, released in 2006. She contributed to the outro sound collage on Das Pesthaus / Miasma Epilog (specifically the 'Miasma' portion).
This collaboration led to further work in later releases. Hecate's history with the band is as follows:
Pestapokalypse VI (2006) Outro sound collage on Das Pesthaus / Miasma Epilog
Bondage Goat Zombie (2008) Lyricist for Chronicles of Crime "Sukkubus" Screams/Samples on Sex Dictator Lucifer and Der Rutenmarsch
Walpurgis Rites – Hexenwahn (2009) Nominated for the Austrian Amadeus Award 2010 Lyricist on Enthralled Toxic Sabbat and Destroyer Hekate Screams on Hexenwahn - Totenkult
Blood Magick Necromance (2010) Lyricist for In Blood - Devour This Sanctity, Blood Magick Necromance and Sado Messiah Whispering on Blood Magick Necromance Performance artist in the official video for Impaled Upon the Tongue of Satan Cover model for the album artwork Acting Press Secretary for the release "Stage Sukkubus" - On-stage dance/performance with the band in front of 10,000 people.
Conjuring the Dead (2015) Lyricist for Gas Mask Terror and Conjuring The Dead
Absolution with Instinct Primal In March 2017, the Hecate persona returned on Absolution, a limited edition orange cassette tape featuring two original ambient tracks ("Mourning Sickness" and Majesty Lykania") remixed by Instinct Primal. This special release was limited to 50 hand numbered copies. It was released on Nova Alternative label on March 11, 2017.
Final Planet 666 with Der Blutharsch Hecate collaborated on the limited edition flexi disc Final Planet 666. Recorded in Vienna almost three years before release, the track is a joint recording between Hecate and Der Blutharsch and the Infinite Hand of the Leading Path.
Hecate contributed beats and layered vocals, while musician Albin Julius added synths. Marthynna's vocals were used. In the official Rachael Kozak blog, she states that "this four minute piece might be the ultimate soundtrack to a space vampire invasion upon a sweat drenched dancefloor".
A total of 44 copies were produced, which sold out in one day.
The supporting music video for the track was uploaded to YouTube on January 16, 2018. The video was a collaboration with members of Der Blutharsch. It was shot in Kuopio, Finland.
Final Planet 666 was featured in the documentary Iron Man of the North, which premiered at the Wipe Film Festival in Berlin.
Pentagram Studio As Head of Pentagram Studio