Interview

by Hell

1-Hi! This is an interview for a brazilian net zine. How do you feel about that, knowing you have lots of fans here, so far away from the electronic music centers such as the us, canada and europe?

well it feels good to know that my music has traveled many places I have never been. Music is like a form of your personality. For it to be accepted and liked elsewhere is one of the most greatest feelings. Better than money , is too have a fan base which really cares about the music. For me it has always been about the music first. i would love to visit Brasil.I have never been to South America. It is strange so little is known about the South America here, and yet we are connected.

2-And did you know there is a lot of good electro bands here, such as aghast view and harry? do you know some brazilian band? what do you think about'em?

The only Brazilian band I know of is Sepultura. I think that is too bad, as I am sure there are many that deserve attention. Recently I recieved the CDs from Brazilian artists and we are listening now. I would like to know more about it, and how the electronic music scene is there. The furthest south I have ever traveled is to Jamaica as well as Mexico city which I visited 2 years ago with the Legendary Pink Dots.

3-Last question involving Brazil: Would you ever play live here? Do you think it would be possible in the future?

I would love too. Sure it would be possible. We played in eastern Europe last year and have faced many challenges, many of those challenges turn out to be adventures and they stay with you in your memory over time. We would love to play in Brasil. If we can we will do so.

4-I heard about your new project called platEAU. it's about marijuana liberation, right? why did you decide to do that? how is it going? will it be ONLY about marijuana?

well I was arrested last year in the USA for a small quantity of Marijuana. It has cost me alot of money to clear my name and I feel that the amount of bullshit sourounding this plant and substance is CRAZY. I grew up with a alcholic father, and to me there is no comparison to the horrors of alcohol in Marijuana. For one thing Marijuana is a natural unprocessed Herb that has many calming and relaxing qualitys, as well as a quality which brings out the creative desires in many people. This is something that alcohol does not do , not to mention all the deaths associated with alcohola nd harder drugs, this hypocrisy must come to a stop. who ever imposed these laws about marijuana anyways ?
So many people I know smoke. I have smoked for 23 years. I am a Marijuana advocate.
Vancouver is changing quickly. Here you will not get arrested for Marijuana. People are more concerned with crimes of violence and alcholhol related drivers killing peopl with their cars . New places are now opening here in which you can smoke in public, or purchase the supplys to grom your own. Slowly the public will change this stupid law and start to govern society on the merits and positive qualitys of the people. platEAU is an attempt to bring some focus to the forefront on the situation. plus it also paid for some of my nearly 5000 US DOLLAR that I have spent just clearing my name for possession of 2 or 3 joints.

5-What about the other drugs? Well, they may be very bad when misused. Do you also think they should be liberated?

I see the war on drugs being a losing battle. Especially when you consider the amount of money that is annually spent on the system. It Stinks. I must agree to being quite down about Hard drugs, after the death of my best friend and partner.
I have always felt that Heroin and cocaine are bad . But the people who arer going to use it are going to do it because it is their choice. Something we can't make for them. First i think we need to look at the reason people are taking drugs: Most of them are unhappy , and are looking for an escape. We are making the world into a place where there are more and more unhappy people
The economy is such that many people have no reason to be happy. I think the system is really screwed up. Fascism has really just reEmerged with a new name and we all are now paying the price of a bad social economy and structure. Of course the rich now want to govern to the poor, who will take what and so on This system sucks !!!  doesn't it? I predict a big civil war in the future.

6-Well, Skinny Puppy did and Download does the most harsh-heavy-sad-bad-claustrophibic-scarry music of the world... The Puppy live shows stages confirm that... how can you build a brick between that and reality, because no one would live 24 hours a day inside that... do you need some "relaxing" time, to "harmonize the energies"?

our minds like to move in creative ways that keep us ticking each day. for us life is a dedication to our goal. Which is of course to pursue our need to know where this will all lead. In the past i made this music to express my disinterest in the popular commercial music of the system. Now I make music to live. The sound portrays the feeling of a world in disarray. The saddness is a piece of our hearts that is still sensitive and we must express to the world our feelings. We are much more sensitive than most individuals. I cannott watch sports or take part in the hell of the system, I can only make a commentary with our music.

7-From K9 to Platteau: You are one of the most "heroes" of the electronic scene, starting making fabulous music in the early 80s, and still makin fabulous music on the late 90s... how do you feel looking back and seeing everything you constructed on the electronic scene?

I feel good , that I was able to discover a way to deal with everything. To have a creative outlet is to have a life. I have been proud of what we ahve done, and I have to be dedicated to this for life. I will not veer away and begin t o make pop music. I can only follow my intuition. I eventually would like to team up with others who feel the same and collaborate in film and imagery which will help to bring the point home.
WE NEED TO BE MORE SENSITIVE

8-After Dwayne's death, lots of electro-people started talking about him as never before, like if they were close friends. Bands dedicating demos, etc... What do you, that were a really close friend thinks about it? They should talk as they want or stop using his name?

Dwayne should be remembered as a person who did not intend to die with his cause.
He is a victim of society. I know his pain and how he felt. For people to base there inspiration
on his plight and death, is only a compliment to dwayne and his work. I am sure that Dwayne would appreciate people recognising him as a sensitive and caring individual who died because life could not support his fragile nature.

9-What about Ogre? Are you still in touch? Are there really no possibilities of future collaboration?

I speak via Email. We have had a big gap between us over the years. We did not get along
very well. We always disliked Ogres Rockstar attitude and his personality which treated others lower than himself, as well as his drug adventures where something we all had to indure. There was times when I did not speak to him for a whole tour. There has been times where we have hated him as much as you can imagine and still we performed on the same stage. This is like life itself.
We exist in a place where we feel good, but we hate and disaproove of all that is bogus around us. Every chance to make something better , was always avoided. I speak now with Ogre very carefully, and if he was ever able to adopt a better perspective, which cared for other people, then maybe I would work with him on a song again. I still think he did a great job as a singer and lyricist.

10-Talking about colaborations, how do you feel working with Valcic and Philth? Do you think you found the definitive partners for music?

I really enjoy my working relationship with Phith. we come from the same area and for some reason share some real similiar interests. Plus we can communicate quite well. i think he is one wicked synth player and programmer, so each day in the studio we are always happy and we dance and groove out to many new things alot. I think I will work with phil for a long time. Anthony Valcic is also a talented guy who I enjoyed working with on several things over the years. we don't really have a relationship like that of mine with Duck or Philth, but never the less I think he is a really talented guy. He is really quiet and rarely speaks his feelings, whereas Philth and I are somewhat the opposite of that. Phil and I like to spark alot too, so the THC likes to affect us in similar ways as well. In the next tour I hope that the 3 of us will gell a little more and make for a stronger team  for the future.

11-Subconscious, your record label, is interested in other bands? new bands? would you ever produce some? may they send demos or it is only for your projects?

we recieve a lot of demos here at subconscious. subconscious 800-525 Seymour St Vancouver BC V6b 3 h7 We are open to remixing and producingother artists. Its just a matter of having the time and the interest to do so. We get offers to do certain things ( remixes etc) and we do them where possible. we work 6-7 days a week on what we do anyways , and I also run the record company as well as the publishing  so I have my work cut out for me. It's very busy. Ideally we are looking for the right filmakers to come along who desire some real differant music for their film. I think this is where our future may lye in a strong sense.

12-You should listen to a lot of music. What kind of music do you hear? Which bands are really great in your oppinion?

well yes I listen to alot of music. Alot of differant music. I have always liked electronic music ever since hearing Kraftwerk as a kid. I would say that my recent faveorites are anything from the CHAIN REACTION label whose artists are Maurizio, Porter Ricks , VainQuer, Monolake and others, the stlye is a very lo fi minimalist dance groove which has finally prooven that it is the vibe that counts, and not the $ or the studio. I also really like Autechre , Aphex Twin and Squarepusher, not to mention alot of reggae.

13-Thank you very much... Anything else you wanna say?

Thanks for your interest , keep in touch BRASIL !

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