interview with ASEPTIC EXSANGUINATE
Have any of you played in other bands? aseptic exsanguinate is a solo project of mine, but yes...i've played in many death metal/grindcore/black metal bands on either guitar or drums in the past. i also do a dark ambient project called ACHERONTIA with one other friend, and a horror synth based project called HORRORFIEND. i frequently write and record other music that is basically for me to listen to and no one else. music is my life!
How is it that you started playing music? i first started fiddling around with an old acoustic guitar my mom had, although i had NO idea how to play. i met several friends skateboarding who were also into the same punk rock, hardcore and other music i listened to in my teenage years. they had bands, and when they weren't playing, i'd try to learn how to play their instruments, and eventually over time i was able to afford some shitty instruments of my own. over time and after alot of learning, i've come to play several instruments and improve the equipment i use. some of the friends from back then i'm still in contact with, and one particularly close friend of mine is the one who released the aseptic exsanguinate cd!
What are your names? / Who plays what? / How old are you? aseptic exsanguinate is just myself. i'm 35 years old and play/manipulate a variety of instruments to create the sounds of aseptic exsanguinate including vocals, guitars, synths, samples, etc etc. whatever instruments i feel can create the mood i'm trying to create.
Have you had other previous members? no. aseptic is and will be a solo journey.
Did you make music even when you were young? since i was a kid i've always wanted to PLAY the music, not only listen to it....and multiple instruments were appealing to me, so i've tried to learn to play more than one. i've always felt like i'm only a "real" drummer and just a tinkerer with everything else, but i try.
Where are you from? i'm from a boring, uninteresting area in wisconsin not even worth mentioning.
What year did the band form? aseptic exsanguinate is a project that originally started YEARS ago (2000 or so) in my bedroom with only a 4 track cassette recorder and a handful of shitty instruments that were nearly useless. i recorded alot of material but never thought anyone other than myself would want to listen to it. years later, i finally had the ability (and interest) to edit and process what i had done waaaaay back then with the computer and salvage the recordings. i had the opportunity to make it what i had originally intended, and was fortunate enough to have a friend willing to release it on his small label.
What's your style of genre? aseptic exsanguinate is a noise/dark ambient project...although some of my other musical projects are definitely not.
What inspires you? for this project: horror films, black metal, hatred, loneliness, depression, fear.
How have you developed since you started with the music? i'm more able now to convey through music the emotions i feel due to improving on the instruments i play, but also because the gear i use has been improved and expanded. because of this possibility, the music gets more complicated, darker, more complex and twisted. if you're only able to have a basic ability on any given instrument, you're basically limiting your voice. the more you can convey what it is you're trying to say through music, the better BUT that isn't to say you need to be supremely talented....actually, it can be more the opposite....as it's freeing to not have to follow rules or "what you should do" some of the most interesting music i've created was during periods where the "rules" were left at the door. i think limiting yourself can be as exciting as having all the musical toys in the world. sometimes during the writing process, i'll do exactly that...just use very simple and basic tools...and other times it's alot of involvement and many instruments and layers.
Do you have other interests of work outside the band? i collect horror films, produce and record other music, and play modular synths.
Are you looking for a label, and what are your thoughts around that? i wouldn't be opposed to someone who understood the music i'm creating to release some new material, but there's no real need. aseptic was created for me originally, and because of an opportunity to release it through my friends label NOISE IS LIBERATION, several other people into this kind of music were able to get a window into the fucked up sonic world i created years ago. there were only 25 copies produced, but i'd still say that's positive.
What made you decide to make this music? boredom, hate...disgust.
Do you compose in a certain inviroment? i like to write this material only when inspired...not necessarily when i "should" or could. that can be during a difficult time in my life...or during a period that's actually not too bad. you'd be surprised when such dark and horrifying imagery or sounds can come to you and be passed through you in a musical sense. it's therapeutic and cathartic but can also a stressful and tiring time of trying to get things just how you want so the proper atmosphere and vibe is there in the music. i find it easier to work alone and put in crazy hours to get things just how i hear them in my head.
When did you start to sell merchandise, and what do you have for sale? only a single cd for aseptic exsanguinate was produced thus far, even though there were some things i did for myself that probably will never be released. i have more material, but we'll see. if a proper channel for releasing it presents itself, maybe it'll be heard. otherwise, it's music i make for myself. i still have a VERY small amount of the cds available, and anyone truly interested in having a physical copy can contact me through the band facebook page.
Where can people buy your merchandise? i don't think the label exists anymore, so it's straight through me only. they can contact me through the aseptic facebook page.
What do you think about people downloading music instead of buying records now a days? i do it, and i understand why people do it. it's bullshit to pay $14 for an album that may or may not be any good....and especially if you don't have alot of money. it's great to support the artists making music, but you're supporting record label execs more than anything else. that's basically a failed system at this point, and if you don't release digitally...you're probably not going to make any money at all. i personally don't give a shit, as i've never made serious money from any band i've been in. it's about the music for me, not the money.
How do you think the music industry have changed because of this? of course. it's a failed system that was built on greed and because of that, GOOD RIDDANCE. with the internet now, people can interact from all over the world and have ways of sharing their sounds. assholes exploiting artists and artists getting screwed is kinda how we got here in the first place. the music is back in the hands of the artists, and it's up to them to promote themselves. anyone that was relying on some asshole record company to do all the work for them probably won't last long anyhow. any artist willing to put in the time online can DEFINITELY get noticed. i'm not saying i've even personally tried this, as the particular project (aseptic) we're discussing is in such a fringe genre and interest is so low that 25 copies were probably more than enough.
What do you think of my work? i think it's good to shed light on underground bands as this is where alot of the true artists and sonic experimenters are....far from the meddling hands of promoters/record labels/shady businessmen. thanks to you, perhaps a few more adventurous listeners may discover some music they relate to more than what they're TOLD to like.
How do you think and know that this interview will help you in the music business? as i've mentioned, i have no interest in the music "business" i only want to create because i have that drive within myself, and FOR myself. if other people enjoy what i do, that's great. i am not a salesman for my art, and i hate that side of things...the promotion and sleazy sales tactics, etc. anyone that wants to dig around enough will find where the true expressive and creative art is happening, and it AINT on the radio or in the "business" of music.
Do you have any role models or idols? no idols...only inspirations. nietzsche, certain black metal bands or related artists like xasthur, leviathan, aghast, zero kama, old darkthrone, emperor, raison d etre, lustmord and many other artists creating truly dark and grim atmospheres.
Why do you think that they exist? i'll lump myself in with them, even though i would never consider myself in their league or caliber....but i think it's to rid ourselves or purge the emotions that don't have an outlet any other way than musically. i think the disgust many of us feel with religion/politics/life....combined with an urge and push to create that lets us feel like we've got out what we've been feeling. sometimes music is the only way this is possible.
Is it easier to find inspiration from older bands, or bands that are more active today? generally i don't keep up with trends or new bands. i really don't like even going to shows, or being part of a scene etc. aseptic doesn't even perform live. i like what i like musically, and generally that's all older music. i'll listen to and get inspired by pink floyd's "meddle" album and then listen to darkthrone's "soulside journey" or listen to jazz for days, or hear a funk band like funkadelic, or play suffocation's "pierced from within". it's all the same to me. i find inspiration from everywhere, and sometimes from surprising sources come really dark and crazy ideas for my style of music. i definitely could never pigeonhole myself into a single genre or limit my creativity to only one project....hence the many different ones i've done and do currently.
What have been your biggest obstacles? having the will to put myself through the process of editing the recording and sitting in front of a computer screen for hours and hours at a time just to hear the finished product i wanted. i still do this with other projects too that sometimes never even see the light of day. i recently spent over 12 hours editing down a bunch of music that had been recorded but not edited. i don't eat, i don't participate in anything until i'm able to get past that hurdle. i have SUCH a strong work ethic when it comes to music i do for myself, but it's tough to spend all your free time that way. i'm not able to support myself via music, so i have a full time job. sitting here doing music for that long takes a toll on everyone around you and most of all on YOU. it's particularly gratifying to listen to the completed product though...even if it's only heard by you.
What advice would you give other bands or artists? don't do what i do...i have no idea what the fuck i'm doing. i'll never make money at this. if you want to make money, play what people want to hear, but you'll be selling your creative soul in the process. if you want to have a little integrity and create something WORTH creating, make it for yourself. don't give a fuck if anyone even hears it as long as YOU like it. generally when people hear what you've done (if they do) they'll be able to hear that you didn't compromise.
Do you have any new material? yes, although i've been working hard with my musical partner on a follow up ACHERONTIA album which is some truly dark and otherworldly material. after that, it'll most likely be a new HORRORFIEND album created with modular synthesizer.
What are your web sites?
How can people reach you? contacting me through facebook on the individual band pages listed.
What are your plans for the future? keep writing, keep expanding the concepts i've started with, keep working at it! thanks for your time and efforts with the interview.
