Ravnen: Hello Bryan! Let's talk about past for a start. Was there anything else before you started creating electronic music...

Bryan: Well yeah, i was a hacker, i was in a band with my cousins when i was really young. so yeah i start music at a very early age. i played guitar when i was 9. Sang in church choir... lol. so funny to me now..
A project i did with my cousins was more new wave rock. no heavy guitars...

R: In what way your childhood and young years in general influenced your music? Is there a connection between Your own life

B: yes. i was shaped as a child. the beatings, the constant moving, the never fitting in, the alienation in the schools, the lack of care i was shown by my busy family, the torment by my cousins and sister, i was put in "special classes" because i was unruly. i remember being locked up in padded rooms in the schools i went to.. the insitutions instilled a lot of hate in me... i didn't have an easy ride...

R: Why did you began to compose music in the first place?

B: because i am a musician. the darkness came from my life. My tormented childhood, and the fact the life sucks, jobs suck, politics sucks, war sucks, religion sucks, tv sucks, most music sucks, people are shallow and boring, most never rise up, most people never do anything with their lives. everyone is trying to bring you down. most of my relationships turn to shit no matter how i try to make them work. the forces of capitalism exsist to rip people like me to shreds... how can i write happy music in a life like this?

R: When you've created your very first track? What kind of music that was? How did it sound like?

B: the first song i ever made sounded like U2. the first vac song ever made sounded like VAC. Vac had its own sound from day 1.

R: You have released four demo materials, each with very unique, haunting music. Which one of them is the best and mostinteresting in your opinion?

B: For me its bte 2. That has the most emotion in it. production isnt so great, but the emotion is really strong. I was actually crying when i sang some of the songs on that lp.serial killer 101, pain, and killing me. wow. those songs are so dark to me. they disturb me a lot when i hear them, take me back to a very dark place.

R: You have worked with many musicians in the past. Velvet Acid Christ wasn't a one-man band before. Why did they left? Do you prefer to work alone? Sometimes other people can look at the music from different angle than You, and improve it, orcontribute their own good ideas. Do you think that those positive sides of cooperation are too hard to achieve when compared to compromise one must be prepared for in that situation?

B: No one took vac seriously like i did, i put the most work into it. some became born again christians, some got to money hungry, most couldnt keep up with me. i did 80% of every record ever made. I prefer to make good music, if someone else can make that happen better, then i prefer to work with them. And todd really adds a lot to vac. way more than anyone else ever did, thats for sure.. I prefer the 80/20 way of working, where i do 80% then others do 20%. that is what works best for vac, and that has been the case on every record to date..

R: "Hex Angel" was one of the most interesting pieces of music that emerged from the so-called Industrial scene. What can you tell us, about it's production? What inspired you back then? What new equipment have you used for the first time?

B: hex angel was misery. really, i was recovering from drug abuse, and becomming healthy, it was a hard long road. it is very introspective. i was mostly inspired by goth music when i did hex angel. oh, and power noise...

R: Hex Angel was released worldwide my famous Metropolis records, but you have been working with other labels in the past. Which gave you the best support, and which one was the worst when it comes to doing their job?

B: The best labels were metropolis and dependent, the worst was pendragon and offbeat.

R: You've toured a lot in the past, played a lot of gigs. Which one of them was the most memorable? And why? Can we expect another big tour by VAC in the future? Or do you want to focus mailny on small club gigs, or maybe no life performance in the future at all? Tell us Your plans Bryan.

B: My favorite show was probably in utah, that crowd was so cool. I want to play where i can get the biggest crowds, i want to blow people away on this new tour, i mean rip their heads off. show them our talent and sound better than we do in the studio.. I really want to tour again. i really want to entertain people..

R: When you're playing live, what potrion of the music is actually played my musicians on-stage, and what part is played from computers? Do you use visualizations? What part do they play in the show? How the perfect VAC gig should look like?

B: i wont give away any of my stage secrets sorry. i can promise that will be the best we have done so far..

R: You run your own website, and you keep quite an active community of your fans and friends online. This is rather rare in the musical industry, when usually bands don't give a fuck about personal contact with their fans and supporters. Why are you different in that approach? What do you think the community gives you back for your commitment?

B: Oh a lot, i learn a lot from cool people that have good taste in art. i find a lot of people like that on my forum. its so nice to have fans like that. where i can be a geek, talk about all the hobbys we have, the strange anime, tv, movies, philosphies, politics all that. its really neato. i'm so happy to have that kind of a fan base. i feel very blessed.

R: When you're playing live, what portion of the music is actually played by musicians on-stage, and what part is played from computers? Do you use visualizations? What part do they play in the show? How the perfect VAC gig should look like?

B: i wont give away any of my stage secrets sorry. i can promise that will be the best we have done so far..

R: You run your own website, and you keep quite an active community of your fans and friends online. This is rather rare in the musical industry, when usually bands don't give a fuck about personal contact with their fans and supporters. Why are you different in that approach? What do you think the community gives you back for your commitment?

B: Oh a lot, i learn a lot from cool people that have good taste in art. i find a lot of people like that on my forum. its so nice to have fans like that. where i can be a geek, talk about all the hobbys we have, the strange anime, tv, movies, philosphies, politics all that. its really neato. i'm so happy to have that kind of a fan base. i feel very blessed.

R: You are an animal rights activist. How did your realize that this problem exists, and what do You do to change the situation? How our readers can help?

B: I just knew that animals died, and lived bad lives. wanna see? here: http://www.petatv.com/tvpopup/Prefs.asp?video=meet_your_meat.. seriously, learn about what you put into your body.. do you want death and a tortured life in your gut? how can that be healthy? learn about how farms destroy the earth... its easy to make that choice once you know the truth and give a shit.

R: Do you vote? Do you have any interest in politics at all? What do you think about the social and political situation in the States and abroad? What are the main problems we face now?

B: i never voted, but on the last elecion i did, but guess what, it didn't matter it was rigged. the main problem is capitalism, imperialism, oil trade, animal consumption, polution.

R: Are you in touch with any other bands from the Metropolis records? FLA maybe? What bands can you describe as your friends? Or maybe you are not interested in keeping close relationships with other artists?

B: Well, i kind of chat with the snog guy a lot, we share the same beliefs about the world. But thats it. i'm good friend with the label and the people that work there, dave, joe, shanon. those guys rule. chat with them a lot..

R: Lets talk about industrial scene. Do you think we have a strong, real scene, or that's just an illusion? How does it look like in the States? Are there some good clubs, parties and DJ who promote the bands and music? Do you have some interesting zines/ or webzines? Do the bands support each other? How it should look like according to You, Bryan?

B: all i really know is colorado, and here the djs suck, they can't beat mix or put together good dance blocks, its a joke. they play the same shit every week, and its like being at a party with songs that start and stop every time killing the floor after every song.. its a joke.

R: What bands gained your attention during lat 2 years? Any interesting newcomers, or maybe some old veterans released something interesting? What CDs have you played lately? Maybe something from Poland?

B: I really don't listen to industrial music much(still lvoe the old stuff tho), mindless self indulgence rocks, so does ladytron, android lust, toxic coma (now selling online, check them out: http://www.myspace.com/toxiccoma , lene lovich. those are the new things i have been listening to.

R: Do you have any new VAC tracks? How do they sound like? When you plan to release the next album, and how will it sound? Who will release it? Do you plan to start touring after the the next release?

B: Indeed there is a new vac record! it's called "lust for blood". it will have 12 tracks. So here is the track list and description of the songs:

1. Disconnected nightmare =disco = daft punky nitzer,
2. Discolored eyes = goth metal,
3. Lust for blood = frantic goth bass driven,
4. Psychoactive landscape = disco = trance,
5. Ghost in the circuit = trip hop,
6. Wound 2nd version = ebm trance,
7. Parasite = ebm meets juno ractor,
8. Machine = old school ebm disco,
9. Serious = goth rock...

So i have one song to do still. + 2 remixes. So far this is by far my favorite vac cd to date, the production is amazing.. we spent a lot of money making this cd, and i went back and studied music theory over the past 2 years.. it shows. plus my new band member, todd loomis. he is a concert piano player, can play Beethoven, Chopin and stuff like that, is he simply mega talented. plays guitars too.. amazing..

R: Thank You Bryan for your time, and answers! Any last words You want to add?
B: please, check out toxic coma, its so funny... its about having fun. and making fun.. :)

www.velvetacidchrist.com
www.myspace.com/velvetacidchrist 

• End of Dependent Records - 2007-02-24 (Articles)

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