This interview was first published on www.emofag.net
In a little over a year span, Grammal Seizure (the one man Power Electronics tour de force is actually visual artist Erik Stanger) has produced 10 CD/EP’s, participated in a various artists compilation, and has a track coming up on the Sleepchamber Tribute download release (through Kill Your Godz). The musick is like a hammer, smashing through the social taboos of todays dogmas. Attacking our perceptions of the mind as band such as SPK and Whitehouse had before him with musick paid for in pain and suffering. Through his hard work, he has already generated considerable noise in the blogosphere. Sharing a considerable amount of musick with his fans for free. And what should happen with so much Grammal Seizure musick available for free? His CD sales have also blossomed. His name has gotten out there and is recognized. His musick is sought after. A case study for the modern musician. All this from Baltimore Maryland.
TheeBradMiller: It’s a strange journey for most of us from are earliest musick purchases to where we are now. It’s actually my favorite question to ask musicians I respect… what was your first release YOU bought. And how did you get here from there…
Erik Stranger: The first album I actually bought and paid for with my allowance money as a kid was Iron Maiden’s “Killers”… I had been listening to my dad’s Black Sabbath albums before that when I was like 7 years old… Oh and also obviously growing up a kid in the 1970’s I listened to KISS as well… I loved the “Alive 1″ record my dad bought for me… My father was a full time jazz guitarist who exposed me to a lot of music at a young age. So I suppose when I first heard the early Iron Maiden stuff, that sprung me into wanting to play guitar and get involved in bands and stuff. I just loved the raw energy and fast pace of the early Iron Maiden records and in a way they were kind of the beginnings of Speed Metal in a way (along with others like Motorhead)…. I wore that “Killers” album out on my suitcase record player…. Then I began buying Black Flag and Dead Kennedys records. Also got into bands like Celtic Frost, Bathory and Venom. Played around in Punk and Thrash bands as a teenager and it’s been all downhill since… In a good way.
TBM: Power Electronics, by the very nature of its core, is anger and aural violence. I guess this is a two part question. Is this therapeutic for you? Or is this punishment for the listener?
ES: I’ll tell you the truth, as I got into Punk and Hardcore in the early to mid 1980’s, I thought this was as far as things could be taken in an all out assault on the ears and mind… Then I got into the Anarcho Crust and Grind scenes around the time Napalm Death put out their first record “Scum” which blew me away… I also really loved the band Amebix and loved there Apocalyptic / Atheistic sound and views. Then I found 2 bands that changed my mind and turned me onto power Electronic / Industrial music… The early Extreme Noise Terror, and Godflesh… Both bands had done interviews in zines (can’t remember which ones), and Extreme Noise Terror mentioned being influenced by this obscure electronic band called Whitehouse… And Godflesh had mentioned being influenced by the founders of industrial music called Throbbing Gristle… The name alone intrigued me to seek those bands out… And to tell you the truth, in my teens… I just didn’t get it… Especially Whitehouse when I bought a copy of “Total Sex”… I was like “what the fuck is this”… My ears hurt… And left it at that till years later.
I really began to get into the power Electronic / Industrial / Noise scene in the mid 90’s sometime and my passion for the aggressive sound / vocals and lyrics just became a cathartic experience for me as a visual artist. So I started to dabble in analog synths (when you could get them reasonable) then moved onto small hand built oscillator type synths, and making contact mic’s from radio shack… I was also attracted to this genre because I have bipolar disorder and a host of other mental ailments. So Whitehouse, S.P.K., and Throbbing Gristle spoke to me.
When I make Grammal Seizure recordings they are totally therapeutic to me. It’s a release that would other wise manifest itself in me harming myself amongst other things. When I record it’s just like painting to me, just an extension of being an artist. That’s probably why I quit playing in bands because I like to work alone for the most part, and you can totally do that with Power Electronics and make great music. And yes I totally like to assault the listener with the sound as well. I know that I enjoy the power of this music when it just steamrolls over my brain, it releases something inside. So I know other’s enjoy that feeling / sound as well. That’s the thing with Power Electronics, it’s not just a sound and there is really for the most part no melodic structure to follow… It’s chaotic and it’s a feeling. I enjoy that. People either like it or not… there is no in between ground in Power Electronics…
TBM: Oddly enough, your version of Power Electronics is at times more accessible… You manage to create a style of Power Electonics that gives the musick a sense of direction. It’s hard to describe for those who haven’t heard your musick, but certainly there is structure to Grammal Seizure. Not just screaming and noise. That being said; is the musickal aspect of Grammal Seizure rekorded as an extension to the theme of the individual track, or is there some other motivation to the actual musick?
ES: I agree. There is a bit of structure to my sound. I like there to be twists and turns and a surprise or 2 that you wouldn’t expect. I suppose that comes from playing guitar, bass and drums in various bands over the years. It’s hard to just completely go “chaotic”. Sometimes I wish that would happen just to hear what comes out… complete randomness. When I record GS tracks, both the lyrics and the music are 95% improvisational. That basically means I find a sound I like and hit record and start building from there. I don’t plan anything out, unless I have a particular sound in my head that I heard somewhere and want to re-create. Once the music tracks are done, I usually just have a working song title, then I improv the vocals as I listen to the track in the headphone monitors. Very stream of consciousness vocal approach. If I don’t like something that just came out, I go back and redo that part of the vocal. I suppose you could say it’s an alchemical approach to creating. Or even a bit of Burroughs cut up writing style… I am a huge Burroughs fan, so I guess he rubbed off on me a bit.
Well about theme and motivation. When I did the first couple E.P.’s I really had no theme in mind other than transmitting this sound to people that would listen to it at visual art installations. Then as things progressed, I started to do theme based E.P.’s like “Power” and “Soundtrack To A Mental Breakdown”. I have always liked certain soundtrack music / artists like Wendy Carlos and what she did with “The Shining” and “A Clockwork Orange”… So I wanted my stuff to play out kind of like a movie to listen to and visualize yourself. As far as motivation for the music, there is no ulterior motive. I don’t have a manifesto to carry out so to speak. My motivation is to release my thoughts and whatever it is I am feeling that day through sound. And to confront and attack vocally anything I have disdain for. Actually though I guess I do have another motivation in creating this music. I remember hearing a quote from Genesis P-Orridge talking about sound for the sake of sound and how certain frequencies affect the brain in different ways… That intrigues the hell out of me. I would love to get to another dimension through sound.
TBM: On to the lyrics… (Which I was surprised to find out are improvised). There are some very common themes in your recordings. “ECT (Treatment or Torture)”, “Psychiatric Medication Regiment”, “Is Your Mind Tearing You Apart ?”… to name a few. Not to mention the CD EP “Soundtrack To A Mental Breakdown”. Can you explain the obsession with mental illness/depression/therapy?
ES: I’ve been under a psychiatrists care since my 20’s. I’m 36 (37 this month) years old. So that’s quite some time, also I have seen a psychologist for about the same amount of time off and on. I take mood stabilizing / anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medication every day, and I’ll have to for the rest of my life. I’ve been to the emergency room on the verge of a nervous breakdown due to panic disorder and depression as well. My Grandmother was a manic depressive as well and was in and out of hospitals in the late 60’s and 70’s where she received Shock treatment (ECT) like you see in the movie “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest”… So mental illness runs in my family’s genes and I inherited that. Also to make things worse for me other than my genetics, I was molested as a child by a family member from my Dad’s second marriage. So I have a lot of material in terms of thoughts that develop into the lyrics… I really don’t have to sit and write them down… I lived them, and continue to live with mental illness everyday. I take 3 different medications, some 3 times a day… I can’t help but have those lyrics come out in the music…
I hope some of the songs remove some of the stigma attached to mental illness as well. S.P.K. started the idea of raising awareness of mental illness with their first few releases and those records inspire me as well… especially “Information Overload Unit”… I believe a few of the S.P.K. members worked in a state run mental hospital and saw the conditions these people were being treated under. So they wrote about that in their music, which is some of the most powerful early industrial starting to cross over into noise music I’ve heard… S.P.K. were real pioneers in that sense.
TBM: You had mentioned that “Soundtrack To A Mental Breakdown” is autobiographical. Was it difficult to put it together?
ES: In a way “Soundtrack To A Mental Breakdown” was tough after I finished it… Listening to it played back. The track I have the most difficulty listening to is “Fixated On Killing The Abuser”, it’s completely auto-biographical about my abuser… I have thought of killing him in very “Saw” / “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” / and just plain torturous ways. So that is a dead serious track for me… I can hardly listen to it. I have done other songs about abuse like “Abuse” on the “4″ release, but “Fixated” was much more far reaching into the dark subconscious about my personal feelings about child sexual abuse. I think those people should be tortured / executed… And I don’t apologize for saying it.
Also, “Tearing My Nerves Apart” was tough. That’s completely about my panic / anxiety disorder which is crippling at times. I can’t do anything, constantly thinking I’m going to die… etc… It gets to your nerves so much that eventually you start thinking of ways out of the situation like suicide. Even if you don’t want to actually kill yourself, the thought of that back door out does cross your mind as a way out of the situation that won’t go away. So that song is another rough listen… So in short, I suppose it was in total a tough recording to do.
TBM: I imagine it would be daunting to perform these songs live… Simply from an emotional level. You have told me that you really have no interest in performing live. Could some of that stem from the personal nature of these recordings.
ES: Yes. I really have never overly enjoyed performing live even when I played shows in Punk and Hardcore bands. It’s a double edged sword really, I love the idea when I think about performing live, but the actuality of it drains my nerves. That being said, I DO plan to perform live at some local art / show venues in Baltimore. Maybe even at my friend’s record store where he holds shows on occasion. The only way I can do this is to have most of the music tracks pre-recorded and do the vocals live over them. Still I will be able to do some improvisational stuff with my equipment as well, just when I do a song that has a good deal of lyrics in it, it will have to be pre-recorded and played on a CD player through the mixer while I perform the vocals.
I plan to have the performances be much more of a performance art sort of thing with short films projected behind me. Nothing like a “rock out” type show really. It will steamroll the audience, just in a different way. That suits this genre best I believe. Even Whitehouse and TG use pre-recorded tracks from their laptops now when they perform (well before Whitehouse recently called it quits anyway). I think it’s much harder to pull off a live performance of power electronics that are going to sound exactly like the recorded songs than say a Punk band who is using a 4/4 time signature and “verse / chorus / verse” approach. Also, a lot of the sounds you happen upon with analog / unstable oscillator equipment while recording are almost magickal… And the chance of finding that frequency or pitch again is unlikely. But, yes I do plan to do some local live “actions” if you will.
TBM: You’re a visual artist too. Photography, collages, painting, and ready made art. Some of it is very personal (and award winning, I might add). Particularly pieces like “My life’s Daily Regiment…” and “Never Healed”. Would you incorporate some of these visuals into any live performances?
ES: I don’t know if I would incorporate my paintings into a live performance, unless it was just an actual gallery exhibit of my work and maybe have Grammal Seizure stuff playing in the gallery (as was the initial concept of Grammal Seizure / music for art installations). Or maybe do a live “action” in the gallery with my work around me on the walls, of course that would probably be at the discretion of the Gallery. I may put some of my found object sculpture stuff on stage with me… But I don’t really see paintings working well…
I do make short cut up films from declassified nuclear test footage / U.S. dept. of health mental hospital and procedure films of the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s… And other clips of films that I like as well… I would love to get a projector and screen to show those silent films behind me while I perform on stage. I do plan to paint a large Grammal Seizure backdrop; it’s going to be the Deathshead logo with the 4 on it.
TBM: Tell me about Thee Transmissionary Movement. What is its purpose, and what is your hopes for its future?
ES: Thee Transmissionary Movement was something I created to get local Baltimore area based visual / sound and performance artist’s together to collaborate and exhibit their work and ideas. I wanted the group to have a “face” so to speak, and I took some cues from Coum Transmissions for some help in crafting Thee Transmissionary Movement. Basically an art movement that incorporated all genres of art, and an anything goes attitude (with some exceptions, obviously anything illegal in the manner of say child exploitation etc…) approach to an art movement. As far as the name… I just love the word and meaning of “Transmission”… My idea was to transmit ideas through sound / visuals and performance… So I kind of came up with this made up word “Transmissionary” like a Jesuit of art transmitting ideas.
My hopes for the movement is much the same as your “Kill Your Godz” idea. To flush out the old and give the unknowns and newer artists that fit in with that transgressive art community, a voice.
TBM: How do you see artists who join Thee Transmissionary Movement working… separately, or with you in conjunction for different art exhibits – and have you had much interest in Thee Transmissionary Movement in Baltimore? Would you consider moving beyond Baltimore?
ES: I have a few close friends / artist’s who I talk and collaborate / exhibit with that are into the movement. But I guess it’s really me who is the flag bearer for Thee Transmissionary Movement. There is interest, but not widespread. I would love to have anyone worldwide who wants to be part of Thee Transmissionary Movement get on board. Maybe we could do a website and exhibit ideas / music and artwork through the web. Honestly though I am so busy as is, that I don’t honestly know how much time I could devote to organizing and maintaining a site devoted to the movement. So it will most likely stay local with the small group of artist / friends I have now.
TBM: You have referred to yourself as an “Atheist”/”reformed catholick”. One of your most interesting and powerful works is “Burning Book Of Hymn”. How does your belief system tie into that release?
ES: Well, that’s a tough one. Growing up a Lutheran and then in my early 20’s my wife and I had I first child and converted to Catholicism. I thought that going to church and all that shit would fix my mental illness and suicidal thoughts… You know the saying “Jesus will heal you”… Well the more I read the more questions arose that couldn’t be answered by anyone in the Catholic church and I realized this was all bullshit… Gods and masters… I didn’t need it, and it didn’t work. So honestly I want to dismantle Catholicism and organized religions in general. They need to be exposed for the fairy tales that they are. If it works for someone, fine… Just don’t come at me with pamphlets and how I am going to hell because then you have a verbal fight on your hands with someone who can debate you into the ground about it.
Atheism just works best for me. I just don’t believe that there is any concrete life after death… I believe that when you die your energy is released back into the universe, but you’re not going to hang out with all the loved ones that you lost and live like you did when you were “alive” for real… The more I did an introspection on religion and heaven and hell, I thought to myself “what makes one human being so important that they need to be immortal / live forever”? Isn’t this life enough for a person, must we make up stories about “going to a better place”? Honestly the thought of death does scare me, but it also comforts in a strange way. I won’t have to suffer anymore after I breathe my last breath. So I live my life by the atheist statement started by the late Margaret Sanger “NO GODS, NO MASTERS”… And it’s working for me.
TBM: It’s funny, and people really need to hear the release to understand this comment, but the Catholick (I know I am misspelling it) church is beautiful. Faith in God has produced some truly wondrous works (hence your cover, and some of the sounds that you use), and you deconstruct it, turn it into rubble, and shove it up the establishments ass. I imagine that was fun.
ES: Yes. That’s the thing as well. I love the iconography the church uses. I have a collection of Mary statues and old nun dolls, and I think they are great. But they are just objects to me. I like the aesthetics of the church and its icons, but that’s about it. The cover of Hymns is great. I love Michael Angelo’s “Pieta”, one of my favorite works of art. Here again, Michael Angelo was a gay man, most believe, and here he is creating art for a hierarchy that basically hates him. That always astonished me. From what I have read, they barely paid him as well, and when they did it was always late and little.
That cover has been completely worked over in layers in Photoshop to create the blood stains and old book appearance. Photography being one of my mediums I know my way around Photoshop.
TBM: Yes; Famous (appreciated) when your dead. You are amazingly prolific. How long can you keep this pace up?
ES: Well, I am going to start doing some more visual stuff since the weather has warmed up. My studio is my outside garage, so in winter it’s tough to get out there and mess with frozen paint and such. I am working on a full length Grammal Seizure record right now. It’s going to be 8 songs or so, the longest release I’ve done thus far. It’s going to be titled “The Modern Age”. It will deal with a lot of different subjects, most of which pertain to living in the world today. I have some vacations coming up in the summer as well, so there is some down time there. I have been going at a fever pitch to get my name and work out there, and it’s starting to pay off…
Erik Stranger
Erik Stanger and Grammal Seizure can be found at Kill Your Godzs.
theebradmiller.wordpress.com/theetransmissionary-movement-records
as well as his own self released materials though the Grammal Seizure shop.
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6391466
Erik Stanger visual art can be found here:
http://erikstanger.carbonmade.com/
Thank you Simon for posting this interview I did with Thee Brad Miller, and thank you Brad for doing the interview.
Erik / GRAMMAL SEIZURE