For those unaware Gruntsplatter are one in a growing scene of American artists exploring the sonic territories of death ambience/death industrial, yet with the recent release of his debut CD (on Crowd Control Activities) it has solidified the project as a leading flame within the bleak darkness. Taking a slightly different angle on the genre, Gruntsplatter take quite abrasive sounds and transform them to create a deceptively ambient air (that could likewise potentially signify the birth of yet another sub genre entitled "noise ambience") Scott E. Candey offered up some thoughts and opinions in response to my line of questioning.

It appears that you (not you specifically but your project) have the dubious distinction of being named in the Dodgy Group Names column of The Wire Magazine. In my mind there could be both a violent or sexual connotation to the moniker, of which neither of these seem totally relevant to the actual output of the project. What are your thoughts on the use of this name?

Gruntsplatter surfacing in The Wire is certainly nothing I ever would have expected... I took the name in 1994/95 when I first started doing purely noise/experimental tracks, and back then I had next to nothing for gear, and the tracks were more violent and abrasive because of the means of recording and my general inexperience. Most of the first Gruntsplatter release, a split cassette with Torture Chamber (who eventually fractured into Deathpile) was done with a mic and couple distortion pedals and my voice. I think some of the depth that I have always tried to incorporate was there then, but the atmosphere was harsher overall. The name fit then much more so than it does now at least at first glance. After I started developing my sound more I briefly entertained the idea of changing the name, but I like the name, and the more I thought about the other connotations the name could have beyond the obvious non-descript violence I decided I needed to keep it. Recently I've had a few people tell me they always thought it was a grindcore band or a gore band or something because of the name, but whatever. I like that it's not typical of what I do, and if not being easy to figure out costs me a few listeners because it doesn't jump out at them as being dark ambient or something, I don't really care honestly.

While some might think that your track titles simply adhere to certain aspects of what is expected with death industrial type music, and while I believe that this may be the case for some titles, there are others which have a much deeper personal meaning. Can you elaborate on this and the specific titles in question?

Particularly on "The Death Fires" this is true. The titles are actually more typical on the that record I think, but the whole release ended up being a vent for a couple of recent deaths in my family. For instance, "Against The Dying of The Light" aside from the obvious literary reference relates to my grandfathers last days alive. He was describes to me as angry and resentful that his time was up. Even though he was sick and weak he wanted more time to think about whatever it was he thought about and to just live, and when he realized that time wasn't coming he was upset. Conversely, "Waiting On The Body" relates to my grandmother, who survived him, but in doing so seemed to have just given up on life. She began obsessing on dying and ultimately I think willed herself to death. "When They Go" was recorded immediately after getting the call that my grandmother had died. That sunken feeling that comes with the news that someone you care about has died, even when you expect it and even when it may even be a good thing, there is that sunken, thick tongued resignation. Other tracks on the album have significance as well, but those three in particular are probably the most personal of anything I have done thus far.

Likewise what is your normal process of writing - does track title influence sound or vise versa?

Sometimes one sometimes the other... I keep a list of title ideas that I think up, or see or hear in books or films or whatever, evocative phrases etc. and sometimes I'll choose one I want to try and personify. Other times, I'll write a track and have to listen to it several times before I get an impression of what the title should be. In those instances it's usually whatever visual impression I get from the music at the time. I think titles are important, despite being completely arbitrary for this style of music, it's another way to shape the presentation of the project.

The progress that you have shown between your early split CD's to the 7" and now to the debut full length CD has been quite impressive. Has this been a case of simply honing you skills or an improvement in equipment or both?

I'd say both... the biggest difference between the two split CD's, with Ruhr Hunter and Slowvent respectively, is that both of those were recorded on a 4 track. And the "Pest Maiden" 7" and "The Death Fires" were recorded on hard disc so I had access to more tracks and it allowed me to do much more than I could have on the 4 track. So that more than anything is what helped me develop the sound further, I was finally able to do things that I'd wanted too do all along. Another thing, particularly on the full length was that I started playing live, and in doing that was reminded of techniques I hadn't used in a long time, going back to when I had bare bones for equipment. So that reintroduced some things that weren't on the previous split CD's and it definitely expanded the sound I think. And of course the more you do the more tricks you learn.

How did you become involved within the underground death industrial/ noise scene?

The first Noise record I bought if I remember correctly was Controlled Bleeding's "Hog Floor" I'd been involved in the Metal Underground, and liked allot of the Industrial music at the time, and punk from way back so I just kept looking for new things to listen to. I had always been partial to discord whether it be raunchy Greg Ginn guitar solos in Black Flag, or VoiVod's odd riffing, to Neubauten's junk industrial majesty. Noise was just the natural evolution of all of that for me and I warmed right up to it. Already familiar with the letter writing, flyer spreading, tapetrading ideals from the metal underground I took it all in stride. And started contacting people and digging for releases wherever I could find them. Eventually I started recording as Gruntsplatter when I realized I'd made more noise tracks for my guitar project than guitar tracks. And a lot of that ended up on the "Bisect" cassette with Torture Chamber. I still love Black Flag and VoiVod and Neubauten, and allot of the other stuff from before I found noise. As most people in this scene I imagine, I am just a fiend for music, and experimental music for me is the most pure, it allows for things that structure can not, that scales can not and it is visual and personal, no one walks away with the same thing from a noise track.

The abrasiveness of many of the tones of your work are uncharacteristically ambient for their tone and pitch. Was this a conscious effort on your part?

Yes definitely, I for the most part, have always tried to use more grating textures in an ambient way. I think that it allows for more detail in the sound when you use harsher textures atmospherically, straight tones and synth sounds can only carry so much I think and by incorporating the more abrasive stuff you get all the sizzles and frequency manipulations and whatever else that's more common to harsher noise but I restrain them a bit and try and generate a more dark ambient sort of atmosphere. It keeps it more interesting for me to make, and ultimately it's what I personally want to hear.

Do you have a clear concept or sound in your head prior to recording or do the tracks form themselves over periods of experimentation and improvisation?

Occasionally I have something more concrete in mind when I sit down to work on music, but more often than not it's just a vague idea that I want to capture and then as I start putting the rudimentary sounds together it begins to take direction. Recently I have been doing a lot of "live in the studio" stuff that is pure improv and some good things have come of it I think, so in the future I may use improv as foundation and build from there or something I don't know. Taking Gruntsplatter into the live show realm has really done a lot for my recording process, that surfaced somewhat on "The Death Fires" but I think it will become an increasing part of what I'm doing. The energy and spontaneity of being on the spot and improvising everything and still trying to capture the feel of my recorded stuff has forced me to look at the way I do things and seek new ways to go about some of it, which to some degree I had stopped doing. It also shifted my thinking back away from "electronics" to more organic types of things which has been great, I started doing things entirely organic out of necessity and as I got a little equipment I stopped using allot of that sort of thing, now I'm trying to integrate them a lot more.

The first track off "the death fires" saw the introduction of a subdued keyboard passage. Is this more melodic approach something you will more thoroughly explore on future works?

Well, this isn't really the first time I'd done that, the split with Slowvent had a couple of pieces that had some obscured melody, and I have a couple tracks that were never released that use it as well. I'm sure I will use it more in the future, sometimes I just feel like their needs to be something like that to help shape my intent. And it ads another dimension and element of depth to the tracks I think which I'm all for. I don't see myself doing that stuff exclusively anytime soon, but it will always have it's place.

It would seem that you are officially signed with Crowd Control Activities for Gruntsplatter output. Does this preclude you working with other labels and prior to signing with CCA did you have other label interest?

My arrangement with Crowd Control is that we have agreed to an unspecified quantity of multiple releases, in other words there will be more, but I don't know how many. When he asked me to sign with CCA he was looking to start building more longlasting relationships with his artists rather than just a bunch of one offs. You see it in every other style of music but this one and it is something I have always thought was a good idea. You begin to associate bands with labels and labels with bands and ultimately I think everyone benefits. The arrangement is that CCA will release all Gruntsplatter CD's until whenever one of use decides to terminate the relationship, but I am free to do any vinyl or cassettes that may come along. Prior to my agreement with Crowd Control I had a split release on Glass Throat, which is the material that got CCA interested in me. And I released the Gruntsplatter/Slowvent in-between the CD on Glass Throat and finishing anything for CCA, plus the 7" on Troniks.

As your music does not align itself with or tend to express any political views or specific agendas, but could you divulge some aspects of your worldview?

My worldview... basically I guess I see things like conviction, intelligence, strength, inquisitiveness, responsibility, loyalty, honesty etc. as being valuable traits and I see much of that lacking in the world. As a general rule, I don't like people, and find them all to frequently to be a waste of energy, so I have a close group of people that I associate with and leave it at that. Speaking in a larger sense, my political views reflect, my personal views ultimately. I don't like the professional victims and whiners that are spawned by the social systems that the United States keeps in place, I don't like seeing people who do nothing and take no responsibility sitting with their hands out talking about what they are entitled to. I pay attention to current events with a fascination, particularly relating to environmental issues, unrest and creepy big government stuff. It's a bit difficult to summarize concisely I guess...

What type of recording process do you utalise and do you particularly work within the studio medium? If not do you think this would provide you with advantages you might not otherwise have?

My studio is basically just a corner in my apartment. Within the last year or so I upgraded to Hard Disk recording from a 4 track, so that has helped monumentally. I began recording via my computer which allows me many more tracks to play with, and a much cleaner production. The benefits this new situation has birthed I think are obvious when you listen to the depth and sound quality of the newer stuff next to the older material. I just recently bought a new mixer for live applications, but in messing with it I definitely see it as a useful recording tool as well. I feel like I'm finally getting to a point where I can do what I've been trying to do all along. Obviously the 4 track had limitations and those limitations aren't an issue anymore and that coupled with the live stuff and reassessment of approach I mentioned earlier is keeping the recording process interesting and expansive for me right now.

What is your status of your living environment and does this play an influential role in the sounds of Gruntsplatter?

I don't think my living environment plays a direct role in my music, but indirectly I'm sure it does. I live in San Francisco, and there are allot of people here, there are all the problems you expect to find in a big city, and that certainly riles my contempt which eventually finds it's way into my music I think. Our environment influences us whether we expect it to or not, If I was living in the middle of no where without the constant stimulus of the city I'd imagine things would sound a bit different. I don't look to my environment for influence, but it's natural impact on my opinions and emotions is undeniable.

What drew you to seek out Thomas Dimuzio to master you debut full length. What were the impressions you got when working with him and are you satisfied with the results?

I had been to a "pro-studio" to master the Gruntsplatter/Slowvent Split CD and felt like the guy just wanted to be done with it because I'm sure in his mind it wasn't "real music". So when it came time to do my full length I wanted to use someone who would give it the appropriate attention. Thomas doesn't live far from my house, and while I had never spoken with him previous to this I knew that his experience with the genre would greatly benefit the mastering process. I sat with him through the whole thing and was able to make suggestions and see that he very clearly knows what he's doing. I'd have no hesitation in going to Thomas again for my material, and have used him to master releases for Crionic Mind in the time since he did "The Death Fires". He's professional and fast and focused on what you have in mind for your music, not what he has in mind for your music.

Lastly do you want to give a bit of information on the background and future direction of your label Crionic Mind?

Crionic Mind is finally getting to the point where I feel like I'm starting to do what I set out to do. This year will be the first time that I'm consistently able to put out releases, and have some things I'm really excited about doing. I released Lefthandeddecision's "Instinct & Emotion" in April and it's over 3/4 gone already, next up is Deison's "Dirty Blind Vortex" which will be going to the plant anyday now and should already be available by the time this makes the presses. Right after that will be a split CD from KK Null and Moz, which also may be out by the time this is, depending on how quickly the art comes together. Around late October I'll be releasing "Wither" from a project called Wilt, that I'm really looking forward to, and then finally around February or so I'm planning a CD from a relatively new project called Never Presence Forever. After that I don't know exactly, but I have a couple ideas taking shape. I have been doing the distribution for 5-6 years, and released a couple of cassettes, and the Gruntsplatter/Slowvent CD, but being able to maintain a steady release schedule and do releases beyond my own music was the goal from the beginning.