What is Gruntsplatter been up to since Chronicling the Famine has come out
Well the biggest thing would probably be moving from San Francisco up to Portland, Oregon. Other than that, I have assembled a collection of unreleased and rare tracks to be released as a short run CDR on Audio Savant in cooperation with Vendlus Records called "The Organ Harvest." It's 13 tracks recorded between 1994 and 1999. That is having the mastering finished up and so forth and should be out mid-late October. The initial pressing is just 100, but there was talk of doing a second run with different colored art or something kind of like the Drone Records 7"'s, though I don't know for sure if that will happen, it depends on the labels. Other than that I have been working on the Circadian collaboration with Jason from Nothing and The Black Hands Project collab with Stephen from Sunn0))) and Vadim from Chaos As Shelter a bit and gathering my ideas for the next collection of Gruntsplatter recordings.
Was that release a one time thing for Desolation house or will you continue to work with them. as 1000 copies seems to really limited the exposure to me.
It's a bit of an odd situation. Desolation House is only a limited series of 12 really more than a proper label as most people would think of one. The plan is to do 11 unique releases, and then have the 12th release be a compilation of new material from each of those eleven artists. So given that framework it seems unlikely that I'll be doing anything else for Desolation House aside from an appearance on the final comp. However when I have asked about finding another label I was told that they weren't prepared to tell me to do that yet. I don't know where something would be released unless it was moved over to Release Entertainment proper, but that seems unlikely given the direction of that part of the label. I'm going forward under the assumption that they probably won't be involved with what comes next. I'm not contractually bound to anything, but I have worked with James Grell who is the mind behind Desolation House for sometime since he ran Crowd Control who released "The Death Fires" as well, and will send him something when I have it just to see what he says. As far as the limited nature of the release there was some talk of reissuing the Desolation House stuff if they felt the desire existed for it, but whether that will actually happen or not I don't have any idea. I was told the label sold out of my record within 3-4 months of the release, so maybe down the road after they have been hard to find for awhile they will repress or something. Ryko, their distributor, may well still have them and they have to wait for all of that to be gone through as well.
You run Crionic Mind label as well its been quiet for while now what new treasures will be see coming from there.
The next release will be a double CD compilation called "Those Of The Long Shadows" it features 25 different projects, and the theme of the comp is essentially that the artists do a track based on someone or something that they find inspirational creatively, or that was formative in getting them to do what they do with their own work. Everyone is doing something different and the subjects cover a pretty vast spectrum. Then the booklet will have some info on what each person has done. The hope was to not only get some great music, but also to get a glimpse into the people behind the project as well as hopefully expose the listener to some things they wouldn't have been otherwise. The preparation work for the release is essentially done, but I'm still not quite sure when it will be out. Hopefully fairly soon, it's a really strong collection I think, and it runs the gamut of styles. After that I will be releasing the first new En Nihil CD in over 6 years. I'm not sure when the release on that will be either as he's still working on it. There are a couple of other tentative things after that, but since all the release dates are fluid at the moment I haven't gone and confirmed or announced what they will be.
You work on several other projects musically and writing wise talk about them to us please.
Well, I have done a fair amount of collaborative projects, Blunt Force Trauma (w/ Deathpile), Umbra (w/ Murderous Vision), Triage (w/ Ruhr Hunter) all have full CD's out, Circadian (w/ Nothing) is in the process of doing a CD, and The Black Hands Project (w/ O'Malley and Chaos as Shelter) I mentioned those last two earlier, both are working toward full lengths and both have gone slow, but the Circadian is moving at a pretty good clip right now. I do a fair amount of graphic design for other projects and labels as well, and then the other big thing is co-editing Worm Gear zine and website. And Marty from Worm Gear and I are doing a new Black Metal focused label called Bindrune Recordings.
Will Gruntsplatter be doing more live shows as i know you did one not to long ago
I have done four Gruntsplatter shows thus far, and Stephen Petrus and I did one show as Umbra a few years ago. My last Gruntsplatter show was back in March 2003 in SF. I am looking forward to playing out again, especially since I live in a new city and it would be in front of people who haven't seen me play before. I agreed to play a big fest here in Portland that is being planned for March 2004, but it's so far off that not a lot of details have really surfaced yet. It's certainly possible I will do something before then, but nothing is planned yet. I'd also like to get up to Seattle at some point and play there. I enjoy doing it, but when you are in the same city playing to virtually the same people you don't need to do it that often, so now that I am living some place else I'm looking forward to doing some more.
Is Gruntsplatter your project alone or do other work on it with you in more of a Collaboration.
Gruntsplatter has always and will always be just me. If I am going to work with someone else it gets its own project name and hopefully moves in a direction somewhat different than the Gruntsplatter material. I don't see much point in doing a side project that sounds like your primary project. The Umbra material was probably the closest I have done to Gruntsplatter, but I still think that the overall feel is different. It's a bit dirtier and more low-fi, which I like. I generally have to feel like something is going to be different than Gruntsplatter to agree to do it, and I use the collaborations to work out ideas that I wouldn't necessarily put in that project, it allows me to do different things and still keep Gruntsplatter focused on whatever I see it's point being at any given time.
How is Bindrune going this is your and Marty of Worm Gear's Metal label correct. what will we see from there.
It's been going pretty well, I ride in the back seat on this undertaking more or less, Marty is definitely the face man. I mostly help with strategy, give opinions on artists, and do layouts and web stuff. Thus far there are two releases out, Shroud Of Despondency's "For Eternity Brings No Hope" and a self titled release from Australia's Misery's Omen. Both have done quite well. Next up will be a release from California's Morthond, and after that a follow up to the Shroud of Despondency debut.
If you were forced to explain Gruntsplatter to someone that never hear it before how would you go about it
It's hard to explain, it depends in part on who I'm trying to explain it to, if I think they might have some understanding of the scene or if they have no idea about underground music at all. I really don't talk about any of the stuff I do with people who don't already know. But at my last job I took half a day off to get ready for a show and then spent the next year trying to explain to them why they really didn't want to hear my music. No one even knew about any of that stuff until I asked for the time off because of the show. Situations like that, it's just awkward, I basically just say something like it's sort of like dark and dissonant soundtrack scores or something to that effect. But I really try not to bring it up, same with the magazine. They are just trying to be supportive and show an interest which I can appreciate, but without a proper understanding of the context of some of the stuff I'm involved in, people will inevitable get the wrong impression.
Who has influenced you the most in the creation of the Gruntsplatter sound.
The bands that I look at as being primary influences, the bands that I look at as my favorites, are not really any that I think can be pointed to as reflected in the sound of what I do. If you were to ask me my favorite bands I'd say Voivod, Controlled Bleeding, Siouxsie & The Banshees, Today Is The Day, Godflesh, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Neubauten, Black Flag etc... I don't think any of that is apparent by listening to my music. If there is an influence it would be in the way that they convey emotion rather than in specific sound. The only one of those that's even an Experimental band is Controlled Bleeding, and I don't really think my stuff sounds anything like theirs. I have always just done music that I wanted to listen to, things I wished I could buy but haven't found. I have never said "Oh I want to give this track the feel of so and so." It doesn't even enter my mind. I just try and make myself happy with what I have done and fortunately the projects I look up to the most don't really have anything to do with the music I create. If I can ever get myself going again on more structured guitar based stuff then I'm sure the Voivod and Today Is The Day influence will likely be a bit more evident.
Are there currently any projects out there that really catch your ears at this time regardless of style or beliefs
Yeah, there is always something good bubbling to the surface, I'm sure I'll forget half of them, but Luasa Raelon I really like out of Ohio, Marax out of Georgia, both doing good dark noise. Steel Hook Prostheses out of Texas is doing an intriguing take on power electronics that focuses more on atmosphere. Wormwood from Seattle are doing some great epic and dissonant sludge. The new Burst record is great, emotive, heavy somewhere between metal and hardcore. Recant is a experimental project from San Diego that has done some really good stuff... I don't know, I listen to a lot of screamo/noise rock type stuff, obviously experimental, um' Nazca is a project that deserves more attention, they have a couple releases on Eibon and an EP on some label I forget, but they are really good. Not really goth, but I don't really know what you'd call them. There's a lot of stuff, I can always find a few releases to get really excited about at anyone time, be they old or new, some new demo that comes in or pulling out some cassette from 1985.
What would you say its the major Difference between the 2 Full length release you have done .
The biggest difference to me is the theme's I guess. The intent. "The Death Fires" was a personal release looking at the perception of death and mortality as I had seen it reflected in my life and those around me. The way that we approach our end and the ramifications of such things. "Chronicling The Famine" was more of a sociological idea. The idea that so much of the world seems to chase the least fulfilling things, they run after the distractions and don't look at the reality of what that means. It's materialism, it's self absorbent behavior, it's neglect of intellect and creativity, the refusal to learn about the world, shallow interactions with others, all of that kind of stuff. It's not a political statement so much as my impression of what I see. The world lacks passion and drive and it seems when those things do rise they are misdirected towards selfish ends all to often, whether it be money or acclaim or power, whatever. People are content to consume and be entertained, and that is a dismal path to take as a population. Musically the two records are different sonically, but not really in construction. There are different types of sources used, different moods that I was trying to achieve based on the ideas, but the way things are woven together and assembled I don't think are that different. "Chronicling The Famine" is a bit more polished and probably not quite as abrasive in some regards, but it has it's harsh elements as well, it relies a lot more on analog synth type sounds.. I don't think they sound real similar, but I do think they sound like the same project because of the way it's all put together.
You seem to work closely with Glass Throat label as well. Do you have anything invested in it other then friendship with Chet.
I don't have anything invested in Glass Throat accept the desire to see my friends make a go of what I think is a great label. Glass Throat got off the ground when Chet and I were living together, so I helped him build contacts and answered a lot of questions as the first release was coming together, then he released the Ruhr Hunter/Gruntsplatter split CD which I did the bulk of the art for and helped promote. When we did the Triage collaboration he wanted to release it, so I did the art for that and helped promote that and so on. I also designed and host their website. I've known Chet for 7-8 years now, and I've known his wife Rachel for 10-11 years, and so when they ask for help, if I can help, I do. I don't do nearly as much now, it's mostly just giving opinions and encouragement these days. I think they are doing something that deserves far more attention than it gets and they are among the very few people in this world that I am comfortable calling friends. That's the extent of it.
Thank you for your time place any last words here.
Just thanks for the interview, and to say check out the site, www.crionicmind.org for Crionic Mind and related news, and that Worm Gear generally posts review updates to the site every Monday, there are links to everything off the Crionic Mind site. Thanks Clint.
