written by James Church

: James - So where are you from originally? Did it have a decent music scene or...?

: Sumibraxis - Interesting question. Literally all over the world. After my parents stint in the service of the US govt, I enlisted, and saw pretty much everywhere as well. If I had one place to consider home though... Ghanzi, Botswana. Between there and Gaborone, I can sum it up in one word environmentally: Solace.
I've been exposed to near every music scene one can think of. I think I have partaken in performing in all crowds with the exception of Country and Western. I don't mind that genre at all; I do dig George Straight and Cowboy Troy. Then again, I also dig Lady Gaga and Eminem. My tastes in music are not limited to the Industrial/Goth scene and all their subgenres either. A lot of my inspiration comes from pop radio, and NPR.
Hearing some of the new music, be it pop, hip hop, rock, alternative, Jazz, or what have you, it's really soothing to the ear, knowing we are not limited to an immoral religious right anymore. (1950's-1970's)
I recently employed a live keyboardist that loves mainly industrial and Black Metal. If he shows himself to be a competent composer, I think having a black metal influence in AoV could be a lot of fun. Definitely adventurous, but still quite invigorating.
Considering it was this same guy that came up with a good portion of the song Chaos (Bill Quatlebaum) I am anxious to see what else he can do. Playing keys he's not bad at all. Now it's just boiled down to A) is he consistent, and B) will Lucidstatic be able to work with him as well?
How did you initially hook up with Lucidstatic and Bill Quatlebaum? How do you think these two have altered the sound of the project? HA! Well how LS and I met is still a mystery to us both. Neither of us can remember who said "hey" first. Beyond that, I liked the sound a lot. We did remixes and I think I suggested working together. Don't quote me on that. Bill though.. I met him years ago passing through an un mentioned area. He was only like 16 or 17. He was in the crowd at a show the band I was in had set up. He had hair like Murderface, and the heart of a lion. Lol. A very likeable fellow really. Then later in passing and then moved to a place called Wyoming for an escape from all, and bumped into him again. He had learned to play keys. Not horribly either. He had been in bands there and found they break up to return to old projects, or just become elitist dicks. There are a couple of bands that actually stuck together, but that's about it. We jammed out a couple of times and I figured its always fun with more people doing shows, why not give him a shot?
The Sumibraxis sound is old school and synth pop esque.. don't know why. Then LS creates something different out of it, and WOW! ITS WHAT IM LOOKING FOR!
Or LS will send me something to play with and the sound just falls out altogether.
Bill.. he is a black metal fan. Obviously (esp in chaos) there is that artistic string, and slow moving drone that accents the sound altogether.

: James - So I can't think of any other musicians from Colorado off the top of my head. What's good there? Bands/clubs/scene etc?

: Sumibraxis - Well, you have heard of the band Five Finger Death Punch. The singer, Ivan, if that's his name, is from Colorado. Jello Biafra of the Dead Kennedy's is from Colorado Springs, (if memory serves). John Denver, and so on.
Having just moved here I have noticed there are shows here frequently from various bands in all different genres. Denver has a pretty good Rivet Head scene. I am still getting to know the terrain and all. So far I'm pretty impressed.
To throw AoV in the mix here I recently joined on with Welt Musik. Just musicians in like genre's that get together, compile ideas, and so on. Pretty connected lot really, and good people thus far. Always wanting to help in any way they can. We might start going through them for promotional stuffs, if or when they start doing shows.. banners stickers, compilations, etc. All in all, they are good people.

: James - How did you become a fixture on Welt Musik and CRL Studios?

: Sumibraxis - CRL.. chance.. sort of just took it assumingly. Lol. Started working with LS, and next thing you know, I just posted a song and put CRL in the label area. LS was like.. "So.. ur CRL huh?" I don't know. I guess I thought it would be more a thanks for the aid and maybe it wasn't.. after that it just was. Lol. Youthful musicians.
Welt, was an invite. I figure jump on every train to opportunity as long as it doesn't compromise the self. They are good people, not looking to make a dime just enjoying the company of musicians. That's why I like the Welt tribe. They are essentially the same thing as CRL but a bit larger, and not in Alaska. One step at a time. All in all I think every album will have CRL Studios on the cover somewhere.

: James - How long have you been writing music? Has it always been electronic?

: Sumibraxis - Since I was about 15.
I started on Piano, Classically. Learning the techniques of artists like Rachmoninov, Beethoven (obviously) Bach, Mozart, etc. I remember Nitzer Ebb, Einsturzende Neubauten, the Legendary Pink Dots, the Petshop Boys. I was about 8 when they were on Mtv in the US. Yes.. MtV used to play music videos some 20 plus years ago. I think the two bands that had the most influence on me as far as what I wanted to do with my piano compositions were Joy Division, and Depeche Mode. I wanted to do what they did, but different, harsher, more sinister. Then I remembered a band from when I was 12 called Throbbing Gristle.
Later, when I was about 14-16 Alien Sex Fiend, Skinny Puppy, FLA (who I was fortunate enough to meet, and whom I thank to this day as it was Bill Leeb, and Chris Petersons advice that put me where I am today some 12 years ago.) began to heavily influence my interest in genre, and composition.
I guess I just found where I needed to be musically when I was about 16. I love classical with all my heart, but I am more an observer, and listener than a partaker. I utilise most of what I learned from Piano in this genre. LOL the one industrial project that respects the rules of music theory. Yes. I actually do play with time signatures too. : James - What do you think of the current state of industrial music in general? Good or bad?
: Sumibraxis - Eh. I think somewhere down the line the new breed of musicians started focusing on the models. The models will shag any known musician just as any groupie would. SO.. the hot and bothered singers want to make a fashion statement as well. Never mind what the words say.. just get popular for the models. So now the models think they are celebrities or are creating some facet of the scene. Truth be told.. what have they created? Really nothing. The image is ours, always has been, always will be. We wear the things we wear on stage I would say almost for that post apocalyptic "I told you so". Not because its fashionable. Like the grunge movement in the nineties. Everyone started wearing thermals under shorts, and flannel shirts and what not. It wasn't the style. Washington and Alaska are cold places.. idiots. What they fail to realize is we aren't about bling. Then you have the DJ, *not all of them.. just those few that suck enough arse to make the rest of them look bad*. Their claim to fame? Our music. Its tantamount to a museum curator saying he/she is famous because they possess David, or Nymphes et Satyr or something. They didn't paint them.. who the hell are they to take that credit? Its become far too image horny so.. I think soon enough it will be all over MtV replacing the current Emo fad. Used to be it was a small group of people that thought politically, rebelliously, and didn't care what they looked like. Then it just went... Fad.

: James - Ok, so now for the generic question: what is Angel of Violence? How did you come up with the name?

: Sumibraxis - This is going to require a very long answer.
First, I will recall: I think the actual name came from some video game or something. I remember the Angel of Violence being mentioned as a villain, and I wanted to take it as a sample but didn't know how to at the time. Now I can't remember what the game was. I had long since forgotten about it. When after I booted my last singer (he had a thing for underaged girls. He was 24-25) and I went back to being solo with the Sumibraxis project which is I believe when I met LS. If memory serves, I heard the original remix of Haedion-6, and what he did with it, and realising that what he did was exactly what I was looking for. We had already collabed, and all that, I think the name was given just after, or just before I met LS.
Around that time, I got to watching more and more C-Span. You know how you always hear of these laws being set against the good of the majority? (The Majority being middle class at the time) I began thinking revolutionarily at that time, reading books like the Social Compact by Jean-Jaques Russeaux, and 1984, and all that, The Prince (obviously) and even Player Piano (Vonnegut) and Ferenheit 451 by (Bradbury).
I remember thinking the US (even when I was abroad) was on the verge of a civil war. One day the people are not going to be so easily side tracked from what's going on and finally say "enough! Stop this or we will!" Side note, No matter who you are, or how you think, the number of politicians in this country, and the number of service members do not stand much of a candle in the light of the number of pissed off Americans being lied to, and pitted against each other racially and religiously. Then you have the fact that the military is made up of these same people. There is no way they would lift a finger against their own.
That got me thinking more. Violence is bad. We've all heard the spiel about peace, and love and all that. I realised that spiel was wrong. Violence is needed. Violence is always needed. Yes, violence is commonly used to harm the people. What the people have forgotten is that it's this same violence against the state that brought the US into being. It's the same violence that essentially freed the French people from the tyranny of corrupted nobles and a selfish king.
It was that same violence that did away with the Divine Right of Kings in Britain and empowered Oliver Cromwell. It was the threat and fear of that same violence reoccurring that brought about Civil Rights, and equality amongst men of all colours in the US.
The very constitution of the people in the US even states (in short) if you are intelligent enough to see the American Government becomes guilty of Despotism, it is your duty, let me stress that, your DUTY AS AN AMERICAN CITIZEN, to point this out to the people, to overthrow this despotic government and enforce a new government to ensure the safety, future security of the people.
Why then, has no one acted on this? That is what hit me; that very question. I had to ask myself, why aren't you doing anything? I asked myself this countless times. I as an individual can do little about this. Even with petitions. Our governments will do nothing but lie to us about the outcome. (We see this with the Copenhagen talks that are centred around the twisted and fraudulent "environmental studies and scientific 'facts'" that are piecing together the first branch of the world government.) So I figured, everyone sings about bling, drugs and the fast life. Hardly anyone will touch the true problems. Then I remembered bands like Skinny Puppy, Suicide Commando, FLA, and Rush.
They DO speak of these things. Why am I not? I see what's going on, I understand better than most. What the hell is my problem? Angel of Violence was born.
Why that name? Well, if memory serves, prior to the Christian distortion, Angels were both good and evil. Like humans. Some were pretty cool, and others were rather unpleasant. (Anunnaki are the same in Ancient Samaria) Demons weren't much different in early Asia. Some were cool, some were unpleasant.
Today, everyone wishes for a miracle to solve the world's problems, economic, criminal, political and otherwise.
Everyone prays that GW Bush and his lackey DICK Cheney will do time for the crimes against humanity in starting an illegal war, with countless charges of manslaughter and murder. We all want this so-called Saviour, but fail to realise the only salvation we will receive comes from ourselves.
If angels were real, and an angel came to this planet, this angel would see how malevolent we really are and annihilate us all for the sake of innocence in both youth, and the little things that scamper about in the forests.
We are a virus that needs a serious vaccination. That would be the only angel to come to the call of man. We are too lazy to fix our own problems and the gods see this as well. This whole thing; This whole statement, is the driving force of Angel of Violence.

: James - So you're more for active revolution then passive protest?

: Sumibraxis - I couldn't have said it better myself. Yes it is true, the fact that its always best to see things happen of their own will, and without losing needed lives. I think if the cause is worth it, be as active and violent as you need to be, yet abiding by rules of war, and law. We are well beyond the days of rape and pillage. That's nothing more than common crime. To stand against tyranny, lies, and deceit in our governments to prevent future 5+ year wars is a cause worth dying for. To be stolen from, used and treated like scum by those that work for you is a cause worth dying for. To ensure the safety and protection of those that cannot protect themselves, that too is a cause worth dying for. To attack another country because of a blood line, a past, a religion, or an object of intrinsic value. That is just murder and bullying. We have tried passive protest for long enough. We are still protesting passively and what is being done? Nothing. Now its time to be heard. If the powers that be, do not want to hear the silent chanting of sign holders and picketers, then its time to step it up a notch. I think we all need to stick together and forcefully arrest Dick Cheney, and W Bush for the crimes they committed in starting an illegal war in a place we have no business being in. Crimes against humanity, and do the same with R. Mugabe in Zimbabwe with all the rape terror tactics over an election victimising women, female children, and elderly females.

: James - Where do you see the united states in the next ten years?

: Sumibraxis - Honestly? I don't. I cannot help but look to the future and see a civil war. The people are tired of canned excuses. Prefab lies and blatant crimes in the ranks of celebrities and politicians and nothing being done. If I were to rob a liquer store I will go to prison. Regardless of how it effects me emotionally. Paris Hilton drives drunk several times or something, and gets put in jail. She couldn't even complete the sentence because "Jail is too stressful for her." She was given her own cell, and her own area of the jail and still it wasn't good enough. I wouldn't get even THAT. Michael Jackson.. child molester extraordinaire.. well when you can pay off the parents, you know. OJ Simpson.. Fucking Murder! A good number of the catholic clergy, sex crimes for centuries and a couple get jailed here and there. That's it. You or I would get sentenced to a life of arse pounding madness and guards that look the other way. (as is what is deserved of rapists and child molesters). Our prisons are far too lenient and the people are sick of paying for the crimes of other people. The people speak to their politicians and are blown off. All I can see for tomorrow is severe civil unrest. The media continues to racially divide the American people so the American people cannot focus or see who the real bad guy is. One day soon, the racial veil will lift itself, and the bad guys will be seen. Americans will not be so easily side tracked very soon. The rich folk, and other powers that be, will not be able to depend on an army that is taken from the ranks of pissed off America. No soldier will dare lift arms against their own. Regardless of skin colour or religion. They will more than likely realize they have been used and lied to, so the oath they took against foreign and domestic enemies will be over looked as the politicians over look their oath to protect American and its citizenry. Either way, I feel something huge is going to happen in the near future that will not allow itself to be denied any longer. Most people do I imagine.

: James - Your style is a mash up of a whole bunch of different and crazy electronic styles (breakcore, idm, glitch, noise, etc). What made you want to work with this style of music? How did you get into this kind of stuff?

: Sumibraxis - Honestly? Chance, and accident... and Lucidstatic..lol.

: James - Why did you name your album "Assault and Bathory"?

: Sumibraxis - If you want the truth, it's a clever name. I was going to call it Assault & Buggery but the Damned beat me to it. No really, Gothic is now and has always been about the art of darkness. Looking inward, finding that thing which lurks in your innermost fears. Knowing it. Strengthening your mind, as if it's to be a weapon.
The darkness in the soul, the darkness in the brightest elements of art and life, not so much depression and cutting themselves open like the emo fad. There are two things in the Gothic Genre that stand constant.
Intellect, and the expansion of understanding, even if it means diving into parts of yourself that you find unpleasant.
To express oneself regardless of forethought, and opinion. To be cast aside for looking at life from a different perspective. That is what separates Emo from Goth. Being genuine, and not a fashion statement. That being said, Ask any old school Goth who E Bathory is.
The Assault aspect goes back to the meaning of AoV. To Beat sense, intellect, and will into people. Yes. This would land me a hefty sentence. But I have the freedom to express myself vocally, and verbally. So I beat the shit out of crooked cops and politicians through lyrics. (Sore, Haedion-6, Chaos, Junky etc.)
Yes. I do like to have fun, and there are songs that do and will reflect this. Not every song has to be a statement. Just the ones that will reflect us in the eyes of posterity, to show them we weren't all obsequious wastes of perfectly good sex.

: James - How is the direction on this upcoming release different from prior endeavors? Was it harder or did it just flow freely?

: Sumibraxis - With all the things I had to go through, losing my son, computer crashes, relocations, job losses from the depression we're not really in, gah the list goes on. On top of that, learning about these newer programmes, and sound development techniques, lyrical inspiration. There is nothing so dark as the realization that one needs help. I have had conversations with many musicians about sound and all that. Rather than carrying on thinking I can do it on my own, I stepped down and swallowed the pride for this. This has been the hardest thing for me. From the help comes future albums that are better than this one. This album has been the only thing that saved me from an irreparable depression.

: James - You've got a bunch of political samples on these tracks from the new album. Why do you choose to do political content, and is this going to be something that you continue on to future releases?

: Sumibraxis - Two statements for this answer: The meaning of AoV, and yes.
WE THE PEOPLE are victim only to our complacency.

: James - What are your thoughts about remixing? Are you pro remix releases or against them in favor of all new original material?

: Sumibraxis - Remix the fucking world!
What remixes have you taken part in? Also if you could remix or collaborate with anyone who would it be? Lets see. Lucid Static, Pandora's Blackbook, Sara Noxx, Cessium 137,(failed attempt) Unter Null (failed attempt) 16 volt (awaiting that one).
Worked with Mechanical Disease, Frontal Boundary, and many others. If I had the choice, I would say The Damned and their song "Torture Me".

: James - Tell me about the Angel of Violence studio. Hardware/software?

: Sumibraxis - A fucking mess! I've got shit everywhere! Programmes with games with lyrical folders with songs with... damn it.. I hate you. Now I feel bad and have to organize my computer.
Ok here I am 4 hrs later. YES I REALLY DID IT. My computer is organized but the studio with empty Jager bottles, and hardware and notes, and wires and a mic I always hit my knee on sitting in my living room. Ok. My original mic blew out. I had a great cardioids mic from AKG. Now I have a Behringer mic (eh.. its for live but it works for now) I am running all external shit through a little PV6 from Peavy. For convenience I have a dual screen setup.
I use Reason 4 for 90% of my music. If ONLY THEY HAD A WAVE RECORDER so I could just get rid of Adobe Audition 3.0 and record directly into Reason.. that would be the shit. Cheap as hell headphones a DVD Home Theatre for a sound system lol. And my franken-beast Clyde (the computer) I use MIDI from the external keyboard to do the actual writing. And from there when the track is as complete as I can get it, I send it to LS to ...'touch' it.
I also send a copy to the new pseudo recruit (live show keyboard player) to see what he does. He had a large part in creating the song Chaos. Frankly after that song alone I would take him in.. but I want to see consistency in composing. Not a one hit wonder.
THEN I will introduce the idea to LS, and if he agrees, we drop the pseudo in his title. If he doesn't, well. He will have to write some good shit on his own, without the AoV element, and send it to LS to see if he will change his mind. I don't make a move without LS... Sorry.

: James - What's a good bit of studio advice?

: Sumibraxis - Do it. Don't say, I can't. Just try.

: James - So you've got another project called Wunderwaffe. What's that one all about? What kind of style, what's different, when does the album drop, etc?

: Sumibraxis - Yes Wunderwaffe. Well that is still in creation. I cannot say with whom I work on this one, as we are getting to know each other, and love each other's musical styles, vocals, and abilities. We are learning to work with one another.
She speaks English like I do German... so so, hence communication is pretty hard. For a while I had a completely wrong idea of this person because I couldn't fully understand her. Thanks to beating around the proverbial bush.. I found it was merely conjecture, and well silenced assumption. So far, we are sticking with the same political note, but with more a club future pop approach.
Her idea is to do 8 songs, introduce them to the club scene as a surprise there in Deutschland, and then turn them over to her record label based off the response. As she is no stranger to collab work, most of you have heard her in many different tunes, and even some of her own stuff.
Its probably going to be more than I expected and dreamed. She has me writing stuff I didn't think I could do because I have worked with only one female vocalist (Kyra of Pixyblink in the song Sore) so.. rarely do I get a chance to envision female in AoV. I never thought I would ever compose Future Pop. But with Wunderwaffe, that's pretty much what we are doing.. Taking Future Pop and dying it black. Lol

: James - What can we expect in the future from Angel of Violence?

: Sumibraxis - More noise. Constantly evolving, changing, and getting better and better and better. The more time I have the more research I do. With more research comes more knowledge. From more knowledge comes more influential and creatively placed and utilised words and ideas. From there come better songs, with a more improved writing style as well as a more advanced lyrical style.
Remember, any idiot cay say "fuck the world" it takes someone with understanding and half a brain to look into what the problems are, and to convey them to the listener giving them the desire to not so much say ftw, but more to try and change things rather than sitting on their arse letting things get worse. This is the main reason I try hard not to use profanity in the lyrics. Any moron can use "fucking" as an adjective.
I want to remain above that lyrically. Just because I can use profanity between every stated word does not make me cool, or mean that I should. I probably can beat the tar out of a guy smaller than myself, but I don't. This lack of profanity lyrically, forces me to dig deeper in the pits of creativity.
Any idiot can sing about sex, drugs, bling and all that crap. Why would we add to that. There is more than enough in all genre's of music. As we learn more about the programmes we use the music will evolve as well. New things will come out and we will learn them as well which take the sound even further. That is the idea isn't it?
You can expect a sound that is always learning. Always improving. Always digging into the darkest truths and secrets of self sacrifice, and soul.