Bio
Though officially incarnated 2006-2007, this project has been on again off again since '97. A single man with a myriad of ideas and visions. Just me. I start when I want. I finish when I want. This is a window through my head to the other side of my consiousness. Bells. Clicks. Bangs. Where car crashes are symphonies. Where lying broken on the floor is transcending walking in agony. Where staring at a blank wall is realizing the masterpiece yet to unfold.
Interview
What is the Fever? Is there a cure?
Guess what? I got a fever! And the only prescription.. is more cowbell!
Actually, The Fever comes as referring to the Bubonic Plague(The Black Death) which killed an estimated 75 million people worldwide and two thirds of the population of Europe in the 1300's. The fact that something as small as a single bacterium within a flea could decimate a continent, cripple the world, be theoretically linked to global cooling and also be linked to genetic defects that provide some sort of protection against HIV and smallpox is fascinating to me.
It lends a twisted bit of hope to the lone guy sitting at home making music. You are never too small to infect the world.
A cure? There is none. Resistance is futile. Accept your fate and embrace the noise.
How would you describe your work? What are your influences?
Sometimes I find it difficult to describe what I do. It's kind of on the borderline of suggested genres such as industrial, electronica, drum n bass, techno. It is what it is and that is it.
I'm influenced by many sources from all over the spectrum: Nine Inch Nails, Skinny Puppy, Ministry, Zao, Strapping Young Lad, Psyclon Nine, Aphex Twin, Today Is The Day, etc... Also by movies of all sorts, personal paranoia, politics and worldwide ignorance.
What do you find visually stimulating right now? Any local artists that we need to keep an eye on?
I don't think there is anything specific at the moment. I can be very ADD at times. Something may catch my eye out of the blue but I may not go looking for something else from the source. I guess it's laziness too.
How did the project start?
I have been tinkering with this stuff for years. It was kinda just for me to do something constructive. It was suggested to me to do something with it on a more public scale. About that same time, I was approached with the idea of a band that would incorporate my music into a group. I jumped on it, but some of my material didn't fit the loose mold we had created. So I decided to go ahead and put out the rest of my creation on my own. I adopted the name The Fever and here I am.
How would you describe your music to people?
It's kind of on the borderline of suggested genres such as industrial, electronica, drum n bass, techno. Founded on drums with keyboards and random samples. Sometimes the opposite of that. Ordinary everyday noises twisted into beats and melodies. With some very ADD moments in between. Just listen to it.
What other activities / things do you enjoy doing when not playing music?(hobbies, crafts, events, eating, family)
I like to watch movies, play video games, vegetate on the internet. I have a current obsession with swedish fish for some reason. I'm also awaiting the arrival of my first child, which is exciting to me as well.
If you could play a show with any band, past or present, who would it be? What music would you want them to perform?
Hmmmmm. 1994 Nine Inch Nails lineup. 1988 Skinny Puppy. Current Strapping Young Lad. Dillinger Escape Plan with Mike Patton on vocals. I'm sure as soon as I go to bed tonight I'll think of 100 more....
Do you think that the notion of an artist's "style" is fabricated to boost sales and marketability? Are artists then forced to limit their body of work to specific content or media in an effort to facilitate easy recognization?
I do believe that there are artists out there that set out to write a hit for the radio. There are also bands that are put together by record companies or whoever. I mean, if you don't have a problem being what someone else wants you to be then go for it. They aren't tainting my soul.
And when it comes to current "trends", I'm sure that artists tend to box themselves into a certain sound or feel. If I were to start a band today and took all our influence from...say...Hanson and Whitesnake. I would bet that the people we would appeal to would be limited and the people who would even give it a listen would be fewer still. It is completely fathomable. Few and far between are the artists who do something truly original. Somewhere there is ground to fit into what is popular, do it in your own way, and honestly not let current trends force your hand at you work.
What were your favorite cartoons as a kid??
Transformers(fuck live action man...), Thundercats, Voltron, Robotech, G.I.Joe, and I really like the Wacky Races. They show it sometimes on the Boomarang channel.
How do you (as being the only band member) create music for The Fever? What programs and instruments do you use?
It tends to be very random. I'll get the itch and sit down at the computer and go to town. Sometimes something good comes out of it, sometimes nothing. I have a ton of 2 or 3 bar loops (not to mention complete compositions)that will probably never be used for anything.
Right now I'm using a program called Making Waves and Sound Forge. I have some random editing tools and samplers as well. I do plan on incorporating guitar and maybe some vocals or spoken word.
If there were no financial limits whatsoever for you, what constraints would you most like to overstep? Are there other mediums you would explore?
I'm naïve when it comes to what is out there to make what I do easier or more interesting. I'm sure there is a ton of things I'd love to play with, but I simply don't know they exist.
Did you grow up in Virginia? (If not, when / why did you move here?)
I was born and raised here in Hampton Roads. Wow for me.
There is a move to Georgia looming in my future...
What other bands are you in?
I'm currently in DEVILJOY. Though for one reason or another, my time with them may be nearing an end. At which time I will shift all focus to The Fever.
What do you think of the current state of our country? (Rising gas prices, school shootings, presidential fiascos, the upcoming election, the wall in Iraq)
Our country is in sad shape. We do still have it better than many places across the world because we can say that it is in sad shape. We live in a society that is all about profit, so rising gas prices and completely out of control health care should not really be a big surprise to anyone. Nor should the state of government. Those with money would like to keep it...(who can blame them)..but will pay off whoever they need to to keep it. When the people who make the decisions for us also have personal interests outside of the people they represent, who do you think they are going to look out for first? Simply put...anyone who believes that there is nothing wrong with this country or the way in which it operates and is run, needs to OPEN THEIR EYES AND WAKE THE FUCK UP! And dammit, save the fucking bees!
The business side of being an artist: how do you market/promote yourself, and does it work? How do you cope?
Currently there is no real marketing as I am just giving away my music. I have my Myspace page and I post what is available to people. That is about it.
How would you like to see the local music scene change? (venues, fans, other bands) Do we need to have better venues? Better ways of booking shows? Which way do you find best to get fans to come out to shows? (word of mouth / internet / flyers)
I'm not sure what can make this scene better. There have been great bands, great venues, good promoters, the whole deal. People just don't come out. I don't know what it is. You can even offer a free show and flyer it, polute Myspace and email with it, call people, whatever and still only have 15 people show up. I have seen it across several genre boundaries(another issue altogether)and i just don't get it. Picky and biased club owners don't help either...like when they won't promote or cut a band's set way down just because they don't care for them.....Gil's for example.
Weblinks
Official myspace page
Deviljoy official myspace page
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