In Germany it´s hard to find your recordings. Please provide us with some details concerning your musical backgound! Why did you iniciate GRUNTSPLATTER?

GRUNTSPLATTER started back in 1995, shortly after I released a split cassette with TORTURE CHAMBER, one half of which went on to form DEATHPILE shortly after. For a couple of years I continued to record and work on some of my other projects, and it wasn't until May 1998 that the next release cam out, and that was the split CD with RUHR HUNTER on Glass Throat. This was followed up rather quickly with the split CD I released with SLOWVENT. On the strength of the material on the split with RUHR HUNTER, Crowd Control Activities made me an offer to work with them and I accepted, and "The Death Fires" was the first release under this arrangement. In between the splits and the Crowd Control record Troniks released a 7", the first 50 of which came with an additional 60min. cassette of unreleased material as well as a few compilation appearances and so forth. I know that Dark Vinyl, Drone Records, Tesco Org. and a few others in Germany have carried or currently carry my releases. I don't know if they get into stores, but they are available from several mail orders all around Europe. I started this project basically just because I love Experimental music, it's the freest form of audio expression that there is, I'd done a few pieces and decided they wouldn't fit with the other music I was doing at the time, so decided to form a project dedicated exclusively to experimental explorations and it's been my primary project ever since.

"The Death Fires" is your first full-time cd. What is the subject matter of these sounds?

"The Death Fires" refers to the idea that every life is a candle and that essentially when that candle is extinguished we die. On a deeper and more personal level the album deals with how people approach their mortality. The internalization of death and how it affects our lives, and the atmosphere left by the death of someone close to us. Not the immediate grief necessarily, but the wonder of unfulfilled relationships and the vibrancy and transformation of memories.

Which things are important influences for the sound and atmosphere of GRUNTSPLATTER?

GRUNTSPLATTER is reliant on my mood primarily, I write what I want to hear depending on how I feel. There are times that I sit down with a specific intent and write towards that, but most of my material just depends on how I'm feeling at the moment. As far as outside influence, nothing specific, but I think that everything adds to our experience and becomes a sort of filter for our perception. I love music, film, art and literature, both non-fiction and fiction, so all of that has it's place in my head when I'm working on stuff, but aside from the obvious influence of Daniel DeFoe's "A Journal of the Plague Year" on the "Pest Maiden" 7" there isn't anything concrete I could point to.

The material always is instrumental. Are there plans to integrate vocals in your sounds?

I have used obvious vocals on 3-4 tracks, they were either compilation tracks or appeared on some of my more obscure releases, but the new record actually has several layers of vocals on nearly every track, they are obscured so that you don't necessarily always hear them, but they occasionally rise and fall in the mix or with more attentive listens. I see myself using this more often, but keeping a lot of it subtle, I think it ads an extra depth to the tracks when they float in and out like any other sound, and your not sure if it was vocals you heard or not.

Which studio and recording techniques do you use?

All of my recording is done at home, the split with RUHR HUNTER and the Split with SLOWVENT were both recorded to 4 track, since then I have upgraded to Hard Disc recording, and I think it has really helped me to fill out my sound and do the things I have been wanting to do with it. Both the "Pest Maiden" 7" and "The Death Fires" were recorded with this expanded capacity, and I think they contain some of my best work so far because I wasn't limited in how many tracks I could use and all of that. I can finally get all of the layers and detail into the tracks that I've felt needed to be there. As far as techniques, it varies, frequently I will write the foundation on my sampling keyboard with sounds I've made and then go back and add to it with additional bits from the sampler, pedal manipulations, vocals etc. Some tracks are recorded essentially live, it just depends on where my head is at and what I want to convey.

Did you have collaborate with other noise artists? What do you think about collaboration? Is there anybody who is your favourite to work together in future?

I really enjoy the collaborations, right now I have completed 3 different collaborative projects, the first BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA was done in 1997 with Jonathan Canady of DEATHPILE, this focused on harsh noise, but with some atmospheric depth, not simply noise for noise's sake. BFT has one release, "Bled Out" on Malsonus records. The next is UMBRA which released a live CDR and full length CD called "Unclean Spirit" on The Rectrix in 1999, this is a collaboration with Stephen Petrus of IN DEATH'S THROES, and focuses on a sort of lo-fi death industrial and Dark Ambient. And the most recent one to be released is TRIAGE "The Cessation of Spoil" on Glass Throat which focuses on pulsing clinical electronics and cold atmospherics. All of these are considered ongoing projects and will likely have future releases. In addition to these I am about to undertake an additional project collaboration with Jason Walton of NOTHING, we have just begun the initial recordings, so there isn't any information yet as far as releases. Working with all of these different people allows me to do things I might not do within GRUNTSPLATTER and I'm really pleased with how they have all turned out, I think they stand well as their own projects and not simply a combination of their contributors. As far as who I'd like to work with in the future... I'd say that if the noise gods offered me my dream collaboration, I'd want to work with Paul Lemos of CONTROLLED BLEEDING, I am a huge fan of their work, and the diversity and the strength of their body of work is just incredible.

There are several artists who like to work with sideprojects. Do you have more?

I have the collaborations that are sort of sideprojects, though I see them more as their own entities. But in addition I also do other projects beyond GRUNTSPLATTER that are just myself. GRIMES is one, with one cassette that was released on Troniks, this is focused more on beats. There will be a couple of new appearances from GRIMES in the next couple of months. Then there is CINDER SKIN, with one cassette done back in 1996, this focuses on a more Noise Rock sort of vein, drum machine, guitars, vocals, future work in this vein will be recorded under the name GRUME. And finally there is SNAIG THARTA, still no releases, this focuses on more traditional musical elements and draws from my Celtic/Norse ancestry for inspiration. I do plan to release something from this project in the future...

In 1998 you has released two split cd´s. First one with RUHR HUNTER on a label called GLASS THROAT RECORDINGS, second one on your own label CRIONIC MIND. Tell us about your label and the artists which are involved in!

Crionic Mind started in 1995, and since then has moved pretty slowly towards the goal of becoming a consistently productive record label. This year will be the first time that will really be evident. The GRUNTSPLATTER/SLOWVENT Split CD was my first CD release, and that came out in December of 1998, 1999 was pretty quiet, but I was assembling resources and focusing on bulking up the distribution catalog, which helps support the label efforts. In April of 2000 I released LEFTHANDEDDECISION's "Instinct & Emotion" CD, and the first 50 copies of this came in a special package and contained an additional CDR of rare and unreleased material. Future releases as of right now include DEISON's "Dirty Blind Vortex" in June 2000, a KK NULL/MOZ split CD, and towards the end of the year WILT's "Wither". Things are going pretty well right now, the releases are doing well, and I'm excited about these upcoming projects.

You are also co-editor of the WORM GEAR. Please explain to our readers what it is!

Worm Gear is a zine that I co-edit, we focus on Extreme Metal and Experimental Noise primarily, I handle the Noise stuff and my partner, Marty Rytkonen, handles the Metal stuff. And we have several contributors that help with reviews and the occasional interview. It's a full size newsprint zine, usually about 60 pages or so, with a press run or 10,000 copies. And best of all it is free form many underground distributors and for postage from us. We are just preparing to launch our 9th issue. You can check out select interviews from past issues and all of the demo reviews we've done at the website www.crionicmind.org/wormgear Response to the zine has been far better than we could have ever hoped, our focus has always been on intelligence and honesty and the reaction has continued to be really great.

Your latest cd is released by CROWD CONTROL ACTIVITIES. Why not on your own label?

I agreed to work with Crowd Control for a few reasons, the first being I was a big fan of the label, they have an exceptional catalog of releases, and as a music lover I just really like them. After getting to know James Grell, who runs the label, I found that we had a lot in common musically, not just in this field, but old punk stuff and all of that and he's just a really good guy. He's concerned with putting out strong product and not all of the drama and posturing that you sometimes see in this scene, and I can really appreciate that. And finally, my funds for my record label, Crionic Mind, are fairly limited, so by putting GRUNTSPLATTER in the hands of Crowd Control, the money I would have spent to release my record can now go to release someone else's record. I have pretty much complete control with Crowd Control anyway, I did my own art, and all of that so I don't feel like I have sacrificed anything, but rather gained the exposure and distribution that an established label like CCA can offer. I'm extremely pleased to be working with James.

So far you have made a 7? (?Pest Maiden?). Can we expect further vinyl releases of GRUNTSPLATTER or are you going to continue doing cd´s?

I'd love to do some more vinyl, right now I'm working on some more Power Electronics type tracks that I'd like to see come out on some sort of limited vinyl. I've only got a couple of tracks done at the moment once I have some more I will probably see if anyone is interested in it. And I will continue doing CD's. right now the only other vinyl that is planned is a 4 way split 8", square lathe cut record limited to 50 between myself, MOZ, LEFTHANDEDDECISON and THE VIOLET GRIND, still no idea when this will be out, we just raised the idea a couple of weeks ago.

Were there any live activities of GRUNTSPLATTER in the last couple of years?

I played a show with my side project UMBRA in April of 1999, GRUNTSPLATTER's first live performance was in October of 1999, I opened for the Industrial bands SMP and SCAR TISSUE. It went over pretty well, and it's something I want to continue to do. I am playing a show actually on June 10th 2000 that I'm quite excited about, it's being putting on by Troniks, the record label that released the "Pest Maiden" 7" and along with myself also playing are CONTROL, an exceptional Power Electronics project with a CD due out shortly on Black Plagve and a 7" on LSDO, SLEEPING WITH THE EARTH, who do a stunning Death Industrial/Power Electronics hybrid, they have a split due on Troniks in time for the show and then later in the year a full length for Malignant, also playing is PETIT MAL, great dark soundscapes, and a couple of bands I actually haven't heard yet. I really enjoy playing live, I do new material improvised on the spot for the most part, I generally only bring a drone or something to provide foundation, so between the volume and the invigoration of making it up on the spot it's a great release you just don't get from working on stuff in a studio situation.

You are from San Francisco/California. How should I imagine the local industrial and noise scene?

Well, the scene here is pretty good I guess compared to most places, there are a couple of spaces that have regular shows. And if an out of town project is touring it's pretty likely that they will come through San Francisco if they come to the west coast. I am not all that familiar with a lot of the folks doing stuff locally though, it's something I should focus on more. Right now almost all of my contacts are elsewhere in the world. Though I'm starting to give some more attention to what's happening around here now that I'm wanting to play shows. I can't complain though there are vast portions of the United States where you would be hardpressed to even find a Merzbow record let alone any of the stuff that's really obscure, so we have it pretty good I think.

Which is your interpretation of industrial and noise music?

My interpretation... I think Experimental music is the freest form of audio expression that there is, is it boundless, and that lack of restriction allows for a much more visceral listen. It's more visionary and abstract and it allows much more listener interpretation than more structured and traditional styles and that is its beauty really. Whether it's Dark Ambient or Harsh Noise, everyone takes something a bit different from it.

Which bands/artists do you listen at home? What kinds of music styles you listen too?

I like a variety of stuff most of which fits into the underground somewhere, Experimental obviously, Apocalyptic Folk, some Black Metal & Death Metal, old Punk, some Goth and Industrial, some Hardcore... Some of my favorites from across the board include Controlled Bleeding, Cazzodio, Today Is The Day, Of The Wand & The Moon, Siouxsie & The Banshees, SPK, Nick Cave... there are just far too many to list, I can't even begin to narrow it down. Beyond the more obvious stuff, I like some classical, I really like bagpipes, Taiko drumming, and traditional Celtic music. There's just too much...

What are your plans for the next time?

Plans for the next record? Well, I'm not entirely sure yet. I want to let this one breathe a little before I start working on another, and I have some collaborative and sideproject stuff I want to work with this summer. I am working on some more straightforward Power Electronics tracks like I said, I don't see releasing that stuff through Crowd Control, I'd rather see that on vinyl I think, but we'll see what happens, I've only done a couple tracks at this point.

Where would you like to see GRUNTSPLATTER in some years?

GRUNTSPLATTER has already surpassed anything I expected it to accomplish. Essentially signing with Crowd Control satiated the one goal I had, which was to have someone who wasn't already an acquaintance offer me a release based solely on their opinion of the music and not any sort of friendship. Crowd Control offered a multiple CD deal, so now I just hope to maintain what I have accomplished and continue to do music that I am proud of.

Last Words?

Just thanks very much for the interview, it really is appreciated.