interview with Mangled Meat
What are your names? / Who plays what? / How old are you? Mangled Meat is Thom Campbell (vocals; programming; percussion; synths; samples). 30 years old. Mangled Meat artist Lady J.C. (also keyboardist of SLUTMOTHER) plays synth and samples live.
Have any of you played in other bands? I played in a couple bands in high school. Nothing significant.
Where are you from? Guelph, Ontario Canada
What year did the band form? 2015
What's your style of genre? Raw Electro Industrial
What inspires you? The seedy underside of the human condition.
Do you have other interests or work outside the band? Besides music, teaching and researching philosophy are my passions. I am a PhD candidate in Philosophy writing my dissertation on G.W.F. Hegel.
What made you decide to make this music? Mangled Meat is a cathartic release that takes on a life of its own. The music created Mangled Meat (the musician) through a series of psychological breakdowns.
What are your songs about? The concept driving Mangled Meat is inspired (in part) by a sentiment I share with my favorite artist Francis Bacon: “Of course, we are meat, we are potential carcasses. If I go into a butcher shop I always think it’s surprising that I wasn’t there instead of the animal.” The songs are about our unsettling capacity to disavow the seedy underside of humanity (especially our own embodiment as flesh/potential carcasses) while brutalizing other people and lifeforms. In short: death, trauma, brutality, flesh, meat and life.
Do you start with the music or the lyrics? Music—I begin by designing each sound used in the song and then start composing from there.
Where can people buy your merchandise? Mangled Meat’s forthcoming 4 track debut cassette will be available on our Bandcamp page in Fall 2015. More merch will soon follow.
What do you think about people downloading music instead of buying records now a days? As an artist, I appreciate the fact that digital downloads allow you to distribute your music immediately to people all over the world. Personally, I am a vinyl and tape collector. That’s what I listen to when I put on an album.
What do you think of my work? It’s great. Keep spreading the word about new music.
Is it easier to find inspiration from older bands, or bands that are more active today? Mainly from older bands. I find my inspiration from early Wax Trax releases, the concepts of early industrial music and horror imagery. This combination is mainly inspired by Skinny Puppy (who are, in fact, still quite active and putting out incredible music).
What have been your biggest obstacles? Lack of funds for equipment and not enough hours in the day.
What are your web sites?
Bandcamp: https://mangledmeat.bandcamp.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mangled-Meat/678565402278199
Jamie Campbell Art: https://www.flickr.com/photos/134688533@N06/albums
How can people reach you? [email protected]
What are your plans for the future? Travelling in Holland, Belgium and Germany until the end of August. Releasing Mangled Meat’s debut demo EP early Fall and playing shows.
Do you have something to add? Thank you to everyone who has or will check out my music and thank you, Robex, for the interview.
