You are coming to Europe for thesecond time. How do you feel about that and what special have you preparedfor your audience this time?
Well that's very difficult to say. Asfar as special prepared things for the audience have 6 new sets of videomaterial, and a bit more understanding of sound and what can be accomplished.I will try and not repeat the same shows i did at the same venues. That'swhy i have so many videos. The sound though will definitely vary accordingto the space and general mood, of the audience and myself.
Your ally on tour will be Quell.Can you introduce briefly this project to our readers?
I have known Jsin (QUELL) for about6 years. We were initially introduced through trading experimental records.Both looking for the most difficult and expensive items. We did sometrading and corresponded on and off. Until he had told me about a musicproject of his. It took a while, but he eventually sent me some samplesof his work. It was amazing. Hardcore keyboard electronics. Well structuredand composed. But still very very hard. It was better, and still isbetter than most of the stuff coming from the United States.
Have you already found the wordsfor "how-to-describe" your music? Do you feel more as cultural terroristand performer or power-electronic antimusician or just noise-maker?Or...are those terms of any revelation for you?
Thanks for asking, but no. I would,if i had to classify it i would call it just "Sound". The reason forthat is it is changing constantly. The type style and structure as wellas technology. It is always expanding, and by naming it in my opinionyou are locking yourself into a very specific niche. Which is alreadydifficult. Because most of the public doesn't understand what it isuntil they experience it for themselves. I know in some parts of Europei am classified as "Power Electronics". Meaning basically that i doNoise with vocals. And to the best of my knowledge there is even a smallergroup of people doing this in the states than Europe.
Your very controversial performanceINTENT was followed by huge discussion on internet and probably alsoin other media (mouth-to-mouth model worldwide industrial underground).How do you feel personally about that? What are your feelings aboutthis performance and how do you feel about the reactions?
I was extremely pleased with the performance.I myself had nightmares for about two weeks following the performance.As far as discussion and criticism is concerned, there was very littleintelligence involved. Mostly reactionaries. I did not have a singlequestion directly sent to me. Instead it was supposition and speculation.I was called everything from a drug addict to a person that needed tobe put in prison and raped. These responses were very insightful (sarcasm).And every one is brave and tough until they are faced with it in thatspecific situation. I really had no idea that it would spawn over 200postings and emails. That is one of the few things i didn't plan for.But am very pleased that the "PASSIVE AUDIENCE"" finally chose to respond,even if it was on the internet.
Can you tell us more about the wholeDeath Squad conception (concept), what's the core of your philosophy?
Basically it is all about the socialfragmentation of human action, control and submission. Also about usingthe main forms of control to thwart and deprogram the sheep that wehave all become. Opening up the mind and ideologies to less mainstreamperspectives.
When you started to deal with theideas which later led to the Death Squad very beginning? Can you describethe chronology of this creative process?
Initially i would have to say beingdepressed as a child and teenager and getting into drugs, (amphetamines).Going into rehabilitation and emerging, chemically new. It was shortlythereafter that i heard my second industrial record ever. ThrobbingGristle - 20 Jazz Funk Greats. this record change my perception of whatcould be done with sound. That was in 1988. Very soon after that i starteddoing cut-ups with answering machine messages. Then into short-waveradios and spoken reading my writings through a distortion box.
It became an absolute means for battlingdepression , hostility and angst. It allowed me to in a certain wayleave my body and go beyond this reality and all its destructive acts.
What is the ultimate goal of yourwork?
I am not quite sure yet. I would liketo make a film. About the overdose and coma that i went through in Chicagoin July/August 1999. I know what i want it to look like and the entirestory. I also have a few other scripts in the works and will be workingon a low budget film soundtrack with Scott Arford of Radiosonde.
What kinds of media do you use for yourwork? What kind of media do you prefer to others? What advantages foryour work and strategy do you see in the whole medial world? (audio,video, internet / digital)
Video and film. Paper for propaganda,photography and the internet. I almost forgot the show that Scott andmyself are working on in San Francisco called FUCK TV. That is the ultimatemedia vehicle i think.
Can you tell us more about Fuck TV?Which artists were presented in this program by you?
Well again it is Scott Arford and myself.There are no credits for the show, it is mostly anonymous.
We manage to get a lot of film and videosto mix together, usually each show or episode has a very specific topicor idea of images presented. Riots , Animals , Media , Religion andthe only artists that have appeared on the show has been The Haters.I am not sure if we are going to peruse the idea of bands playing onthe show. That was more the show i started doing in 1996 called ThePain Factory.
Do you know which direction willtake your future activities? Do you have any imagination about yourfuture performances, manifestos and music?
More performances with more actors creatingwhat could be basically described as an interactive audience performancepresenting scenes from nightmares.
As I know you are deeply inspired bythose anti-music revolutionaries as Whitehouse or Con-Dom. For suredo exist also other persons in the artistic world which ideas and workwere influence on your artistic evolution. Could you put some of theirnames on this list?
Antonin Artaud , Salvador Dali , WilliamS Burroughs , Brion Gysin , The Baader Meinhof Group , John Duncan ,Edgar Allan Poe , Herman Nitsch , Chris Burden. That is a good exampleof what has inspired me and continues to ....
Another question is aimed on yourposition in the whole Death Squad concept � your fill the role of theobject and subject at the same time. How important is Michael Contrerasperson in the DS concept when your mind does expose your body to sucha high level of violence?
Michael Contreras and "The Management"book the shows and Michael 9 and any indoctrinated participants makeup death squad. Response from Michael 9 :"The violence is to be expectedand accepted as much violence as i show i would expect nothing morethan being attacked and brutalized. I am very surprised this hasn'thappened yet. It is probably because of me being so violent during theperformance that the audience ( who don't know me personally ) are scared.And very rarely talk to me after a show. But then again i was surprisedat the "INTENT" show that i wasn't attacked or threatened."
Are there any barriers?
Only the ones we create.
Your ultimate wish?
Total global annihilation.
Your last words in this interview?
I'm tired.
Michael Contreras - TomSaivon 25 / 03 / 00