With his slimy tentacles that reek of sulphur, Evil itself put my tape recorder out of order. Earlier this year Beelzebub had bewitched Bert van der kamp's (note: another Oor-reporter) tape-recorder when he spoke with David Eugene Edwards about his musical and religious sources of inspiration. This time I was the target of the Ruler of Darkness.

Assist me, Lord. Because of Satan's interference the Oor-readers were in danger of being deprived of the opinions You whispered into the ear of the biggest talent of present-day American Rock.

Low Estate is the title of my favourite CD from 1997. The album is full of (s)lashing music. It is as if David Eugene Edwards personally wants to saw you to pieces with his banjostrings. Seeing him play, I find that a beautiful sight. Especially when he's folding in, folding out the accordeon, pumping like an old blacksmith. The instrument then becomes a book. A bible or a collection of psalms, from which David reads The Faith while he's exerting himself. He had to laugh when I told him that. He'd never looked at it like that. The twenty-nine year old son of Denver and the Appalachians, offspring of banjo and bandoneon, child of methodists and Gun Club, sat across from me in the Amsterdam Melkweg's dressing room talking and talking, using well-turned phrases. Was I listening to the American Gerard Reve? (note: Dutch gay writer turned catholic. ?!?) Or to Jesus himself? Guilt and Penance and the Glory Of the Lord are all talked about. No, I'm not making fun of this. The beauty of David's language and the powers of persuasion of his message can put a a very doubting Thomas on the right track. I was impressed. While I was listening to this, I relied on a modern-day human invention called Technology. How could I know that the claws of the Beast again succesfully managed to cause a failure in an Oor-recorder? On arrival back home my interview-tape is full of sentences that end abruptly as if they are being sucked up an elephant's trunk. The conversation with David Eugene has been transformed into a diabolical hotch-potch of cut-up language and frayed fragments. A denial of the Word,indeed.

Dear reader (and let's not forget: dear Supreme being, who has given me a mind of my own, memory and conscience), here's my reconstruction of our conversation. Seventy per cent of the sentences here are literally the words of David Eugene. For the other 30 per cent I had to rely on my memory. You can rely upon it that there's no effort to depict the facts more beautiful or more sensational than they were in reality. In 16 Horsepower's music there's a strong yearning for a unchanged world, that's how the conversation started. In that world values and standards are clear and well-defined. Every member of society knows exactly what he can and cannot do. That's why Sin plays such a central part in 16 Horsepower's songs. However, without Sin there cannot be a thing as Pleasure. Everything that's forbidden is even more desirable.

David Eugene sighed: "My whole life is a struggle against desire, or lust. Whether it's eating, drinking or women. When do you allow yourself to be tempted? And when not. That's a decision you have to make every time. And it's ok to give in to certain wants. If you do, that doesn't necessarily make you an evil person. But there are also things you shouldn't get involved in. When you're really committing a sin you know darn well!

You've got a 6-months-old son and a 10-year-old daughter. How did the people around you react when you became a father at 19? Did they look upon it as a Sin?

"No, because we we're married at the time. People did find us very young and warned us that it would be hard. We've never thought marriage would only be a bed of roses. I've never said that my marriage is the alpha and omega. By now I have been married for so long that it's normal for me. It's all about being together as a team, raising your children to become decent people and solving life's problems as pleasantly as possible.

What are your children names?
The youngest one is still a baby and is called Elijah, after the prophet. My daughter's called Asher. That's the name of one of the tribes of Israel.

Are you a strict and authoritarian father? Do you make your daughter say her prayers?
My wife does most of the upbringing. I myself do pray, do say grace before I eat. But I don't tell my daughter that she has to. Simply because I think that praying should come from within and that you can't order someone to pray. Not even a child.
Strict? That question is hard to answer. Every child is different and has to be treated accordingly. My wife's very good at that. A lot better than I am. Punishment doesn't play a large role in the way we raise our children. In that respect we're not very strict.

I went on to talk about a religious sect in Pennsylvania, The Amish. These people, mainly peasants, still live as if time stopped one hunderd and fifty years ago, land is owned collectively, the denounce each and every form of modern technology. I ask David whether he feels related to them.

"I feel related to everyone who sincerely believes in God. I think the world should be helped. And people who really have faith in God practise what they preach. I have faith and I live in today's world. Regarding that I differ from the Amish. Why live on a farm and hide from the modern age? They do it out of fear. They're afraid they will end in Hell if they allow modern technology into their lives. They think you will enter Heaven if you do not do something. And that you'll go to Hell if you do. I don't believe that. I don't think that there's anything, good or bad, that decides that I'll go to Heaven. None of my actions matter. Only my faith in Jesus who died for me. And why did He die for me? Because I need Him. I can't make it on my own.

I also asked him whether he's aware of the fact that the Netherlands, where he is so successful at the moment, has a Calvinist history? Unlike the Catholics - for whom live is something to be enjoyed and whose sins can be forgiven by going to confession - Calvinism assumes a personal relationship between the believer and God.

David didn't know a lot of our Calvinist background. "Didn't the Quakers come from here? But I'm not at all surprised that there are so many branches of faith who all claim to have the "True Faith". Just look at the Protestant church. It has a million different denominations. Every single one with a different dogma. Religious people are like everybody else. Every individual has the tendency to criticise his fellow-man and to disagree with his way of thinking and doing things. As far as that is concerned religious people are just like you and me. We're all human beings and we all do things that annoy other people, that are thorns in their flesh. That in itself isn't so bad. It's part of life. What it's all about is sincerity and the force of everyman's faith in God.

What were your thoughts when you saw Bob Dylan perform in the presence of the Pope?
Dylan is a man of God, and so is the Pope. The Pope knows that Dylan believes in God and vice versa. This was a way to honour each other and to pay respect. What's wrong with these two people standing on the same stage?

It gave the impression that Dylan and the Pope wanted to show that the modern age, and therefore popmusic too, need more religion and spirituality.
"Oh, that's exactly what I think. Songs and albums have become products to be sold in the same way as soap or chocolate. I don't think that that's right. For me music is a gift from God. That's were music comes from. From Him. Without a deeper meaning music is empty and hollow. And there's plenty of that sort of music around. Millions of bands have nothing to say. In my opinion it is very good if a band has a message they want to bring across."

Have you ever made music in the religious circuit?
"They contacted us after our first record. They wanted to show our videos on christian tv-stations in the States. But then we had to censor a few songs because of the word 'fuck' in the lyrics. And I refused. There's no bad language on the new album so it will be put on display and will be sold in christian record-stores. I have no objections. In the States there's a big touring-circuit for religious people. It's a business, just like any other business. And a lot of money is made. If they want to book us, I have no problems with that. I admit, it might become preaching to the converted. Still, it is important that such concerts take place. Many musicians and music-lovers do not like to attend non-christian concerts. For the simple reason that they are afraid the rockscene isn't christian enough. They don't have to fear that in the christian scene. The songs are sweet. Everybody is cheerful and happy. And some good things are said inbetween songs. But after a while you think: I've heard it now."

You yourself make music in the rockscene'Sodom & Gomorrah. What goes through your mind if your performing at a festival and you see someone right in front of you tripping on XTC?
"I have a tremendous faith in God. He can do anything. I can only pray I'm open to whatever it is He wants to use me for. If He uses me to play in front of someone under the influence of drugs, I'm sure that He does that with a purpose. Perhaps He want to use my music to convey pure thoughts to that man. Perhaps He doesn't. If it is the case then that's a bonus. But it's not my main goal. It's a waste of time if I constantly have to think about helping other people with my music. I don't feel I have to safe someone per se."

A new subject. Britpop. Or rather, isn't he jealous of the British who are so proud of music from their own soil that they came up with the label Britpop. The Americans have considerably less reasons to congratulate themselves. One simple question about this to David Eugene (isn't it about time for something like 'America-pop' to come into existence?) is enough to get a rise out of him.
"Look," he says, "America is disillusioned musically. At this monent America sees popmusic as something superficial. And Americans don't like superficial music. They want music to mean something. And Britpop is no answer to that and therefore it's unpopular in Amerca. In the U.S. you shouldn't proclaim that you're the best musician in the world. Oasis won't get away with that. The average American thinks the Gallaghers are two nonentities. A couple of good-for-nothings, with a flair for bluffing, but they don't amount to anything. Everyone can see trough them. Their arrogance annoys people and their working class pose is considered childish. In the States only very rich and powerful people can afford to blow one's own trumpet like that.

I confront him with an utterance from 'our own' bishop Muskens who found that it's ok to steal a loaf of bread if you're really poor. Preposterous, that's what David Eugene thinks. "That doesn't sound like a statement fitting of a socially conscious church. It sounds more like a statement made by a church that reacts overstrained. Moreover, without a sense of direction. You should never encourage people to brake the law. The smallest of sins can have large repercussions. And I'm not referring necessarily to breaking the law only. One arrogant look in your eyes or one unkind remark can have a disastrous result. If I look at someone on the street as if I have a low esteem of him that other person might get so frustrated that he starts calling the next person he runs into names. Or perhaps starts to beat him up. And so on, and so on. This is how war starts. Every sin is one too many.

Yes, yes, i suppose so. But you can't claim that all sins are equally bad, I object. Sure there's a huge difference for instance between murdering someone and something trivial like stealing candy?
No there's not, according to David Eugene. "I don't believe that one sin is worse than another. Whether I shoot someone through the head, lie to my wife or steal a cookie. It's all equally bad. The consequences here on earth are of course tremendously different. But they are the same when it comes to the final score in God's eyes. He who sins has done something that goes against His wishes. If I stand in front of Him, I hope that... What God looks like? A man with a white beard? I don't know and I find it totally irrelevant. All I do is believe with all of my heart that Jesus died for me, he took the blame, and that means I will never sin. Sure, occasionally I might lie, make an unpleasant remark or be arrogant. But I do my best to avoid that as much as possible.

God does exist. A few weeks later - just before this issue was published - I talk to David Eugene over the phone to check some of his pronouncements. He comes across loud and clear. There's no Devil on the phoneline. I refer to his latest remarks.

How do you hope to appear before the Lord?
"I hope He will look upon me as a son. I hope He will see His son in me. Because His son died for me. That's how big my love for Jesus is.

On our earlier conversation you said that God is his own reward. What did you mean by that?
"A lot of people think that believing in God will benefit them. It will give them status or it will make them wealthier. In this life there's no such guaranty. Believing in God can actually make your life a lot harder. But that's ok. God is his own reward. He doesn't guarantee any others..."

You said that you try to never sin. Isn't that asking too much? You're no saint, are you?
"I am a saint. I believe that everyone who believes with all of his heart is chosen to be a saint."

You said you're not here to save people.
"Did I say that? I do spend a lot of time after shows to talk with fans who are struggling in life and who wrestle with their belief in Jesus. What I meant was that God uses me as a musician first and foremost. I can serve Him through my music. That's my main purpose."

How do you see yourself? As a missionary?
"Every Christian is a missionary."

Final question. Does the Devil exist?
"Yes. Without a doubt."