Visit
Last Edit/Update
30 March, 1998
Interview
with
Broke Box
This interview was conducted by
Mike Santarpia
with Steve Kolb
of Broke Box via IRC chat.
February, 1998.
Last Sigh: Where so you reside?
Steve: the band started in Green Bay, but now resides in Milwaukee
Last Sigh: Did or do you go to college? What was or is your major?
Steve: I am pursuing a MIS degree at
University Of Wisconsin, Milwaukee and Dave is finishing up a Graduate degree in
Electronic Communications at Marquette University.
When Dave went to for his undergraduate, he went to UW Green Bay. Which is how I met
him... through a BBS system before the formal creation of the internet.
Last Sigh: What bands were you interested in when you were growing up?
Steve: My background is in metal and punk, and Dave listened to more synth-oriented and new wave. Our influences are pretty broad... from Front 242 and Skinny Puppy to New Order and Depeche Mode to Slayer, Dead Kennedys, and DRI. Matt our bassist has been involved in the Japanese Noise/ Experimental scene for many years.
Last Sigh: What bands do you like that are out now? What bands do you hate?
Steve: We like Foetus, he definately has his own interesting style. I especially like his percussion. We like some of Pig's material, but honestly I haven't heard the last few albums besides what he did with KMFDM. Well, we listen to what would be considered "industrial" these days. We listen to bands from labels like Metropolis, 21st Circuitry, Re-Constriction, FCR, etc. I also listen to a lot of experimental music, and even noise as long as it isn't unlistenable stuff like Masonna. For the last year I've been into listening to a lot of stuff from the 1970s (black sabbath and pink floyd mainly).We also liek Terminal Sect alot. We hate.... pop radio crap,I really can't stand a lot of repetitive techno... whatever they call Trance. We aren't fans of rap vocals either.
Last Sigh: What were your influences to want to make music? What bands influenced you?
Steve: For Dave it was a lot of synth based bands out of the 80s, especially bands on the ZYX label. As for myself, my influences are very broad, but after hearing Skinny Puppy for the first time, I was definately hooked.... I'd have to also say that the thrash and speed metal scene of the 80s like Metallica and Slayer made me pick up a guitar originally. I'm also heavily influences by releases from Earache records (Godflesh, Napalm Death, Bolt Thrower, early Carcass) etc .
Last Sigh: What instrument(s) do you play?
Steve: Broke Box has held a pretty experimental and open nature to our music... We are always trying to blend in different things into the complex soundscapes we usually generate behind the vocals and rhythm guitars or synths. I play guitar, bass guitar, sequence drums and samples, analog synth, and a bit of hand percussion. Dave does vocals, sequence drums and samples, and synth
Last Sigh: Which is your favourite?
Steve: It would be guitar since I've played off and on for 8 years.. otherwise I really like twiddling on the analog synths, dave says he likes to sequence best
Last Sigh: What other interests do you have besides music? Do you like any other aspects of the music industry do you like? engineering or producing etc..?
Steve: Dave and I are into computers. We have a pair of digital audio workstations here at home, so we like to learn about production and engineering. Dave has spent some time as a sound engineer, and he would mix bands and theatrical shows. Broke Box would like to get into doing soundtracks for movies and video games in the near future actually.Otherwise, we also rent TONS of movies... It is usually difficult to find a movie Dave or I haven't both seen hehehe especially if it comes to horror or science fiction... or animation for that matter.
Last Sigh: what would you like to accomplish in the music industry that you haven’t yet?
Steve: there are lots of things we feel we need accomplishing in the industry. for right now, we are looking for more recognition for our music and broader distribution of our material. We are perfectly happy with the kind of music we are currently writing and plan to keep this general format for some time.
Last Sigh: Have you played with any bands previous to this one? If so which ones?
Steve: Dave and I were involved in a punk/metal band previously to forming Broke Box. It barely even had any electronics! Some of the songs we had written back then got transformed, mutilated if you will, as Broke Box songs for the album. We formed Broke Box when our drummer left, and we couldn't find another... We turned to the computers and began using module tracking to create our drumlines.. it has expanded from there, but we still use module tracking for everything except the live instruments
Last Sigh: How did the band meet? And where?
Steve: Dave is going to take over now
Dave: Dave is now here...
Last Sigh: so how did you guys meet? and where?
Dave: Well, originally I ran a bbs called the XOXO System it was your usual hacker/phreaker underground type of thing....and one night SOS called in...and we got to talking because I voice validate everyone who wants to be a member... Eventually, we got together and started working on music which as SOS had said changed once the drummer left. We have a policy of floating members....most of which we have contacted through IRC and have joined forces...our x-metal percussionist was found on the internet via IRC
Last Sigh: Why did you choose your name? What does it mean? Did you have any other names in mind before choosing this one?
Dave: Actually, it's kinda strange about the name...I was working at a Factory and they had this big box of recycled crap...and they called it the "Broke Box" so I liked the name, and here we are.it was a water activated tape factory...and it was like 100 degrees in there....god it sucked...but, it paid good
Last Sigh: Do you have any other albums that were released? Or is this currently your first?
Dave: Aside from a bunch of Demos (Self-produced tapes) Netsplit Detected is our first CD we self- produced entirely....no help from any studios (we are broke remember?)
Last Sigh: What labels have you pursued? Have any come to you?
Dave: Reconstriction, Metropolis, 21st Circuitry, Energy, Wax trax, Decibel were labels we have pursued...and Suisonic Records, EDT records pursued us for a time. From the ones we pursued there was no response...although I know we should keep on them...but, how many times can we hear "we haven't heard it yet, it's in this big pile of CDs somewhere"....and the ones that pursued us showed interest....and then they vanished...ie stopped communicating.
Last Sigh: How long did it take to record the album? Which is your favorite song on the album?
Dave: The album Netsplit Detected took 1.5 years to complete....due to the whole learning process of making one and the equipment upgrades necessary.....
Dave: 2033 is our favorite song...it is first after all...
Last Sigh: Is your band on any soundtracks or compilations? If so which ones?
Steve: oh we've had some messy incidents with compilations so far. one of them involved us sending $200, and we have been waiting over a year for it's release.... And another compilation that required Dave to do a soundscape fell through when the producer and the label had a disagreement. The soundscape song called Bleeding Trees will be on a future Broke Box release.
Last Sigh: Have you made any videos? Do you plan on making any?
Steve: We plan to do a video sometime.
Dave actually teaches a video production class at Marquette.
Last Sigh: What equipment do you use?
Steve: okay you can check out the equipment list on the homepage http://www.execpc.com/~brokebox/ it is located under misc information.
Last Sigh: What equipment do you use live?
Steve: Live we use the DAT machine to run our module tracked sequences (drums, samples, and synth) which are usually tweaked just for live performance, and then Dave sings, I play guitar and improv analog synth, and Matt does bass guitar, percussion, synth or whatever needs to be done to make more noise. We also usually have a metal percussionist with us either banging oil barrels or tire rims.. right now Peter Graf does the metal banging for us. Dave also processes his vocals live.
Last Sigh: Have you done any live shows?
Steve: Yes we've played several live shows.
Last Sigh: Where have you played?
Steve: We have played all around Wisconsin (Green Bay, Madison, Milwaukee, La Crosse, Port Washington, and Appleton). Our live shows vary depending on which extra members are present. It could be a duo or trio doing electronic rock type of set, or it put be a 4 or 5 assault with metal percussion, use of power tools, destruction of computer equipment or any other crap gear we have collected, and other general mayhem
Last Sigh: Which is your favourite place to play live?
Steve: As far as "industrial" acts, we've opened Hate Dept. and Christ Analogue. We also got to open for Whitehouse who is a pioneering noise band from the early 1980s...
Steve: Favorite place... It would have to be The Warehouse in La Crosse. They kick ass.
Last Sigh: Which of those bands was your fav to play with?
Steve: Our show with Hate Dept was our most favorite because we had met all of them previously from being on the Internet and IRC. When we got together, there was quite a bit of joking around. We are good friends with a lot of GB area experimental bands, some not around anymore. The noise scene seems to take to us pretty well. We've had some very successful shows with Cock ESP who Matt Bacon (our bassist) is also a member of . Cock ESP's average set is about 20 seconds.. They make contact mic costumes, wrestle each other, break glass, throw amps around... they play until everything gets unplugged.. haha. One time this past summer I held a house party, and we collaborated and tortured the guests with at least 110 decibel harsh experimental noise for an hour =)
Last Sigh: What are your plans for the future of the band? Do you plan on making another album?
Steve: We have enough "new" material right now to cut another album. A lot of the songs are still pretty rough, but they'll be polished up this semester and during the summer. We don't look at doing any full scale album work until the fall probably... What we are in the midst of now is just casually working on mrecording one song at a time.
Last Sigh: What do you think about industrial music in general? Do you feel Industrial music is dead? Do you see a future for industrial music? Do you see it becoming more popular? Do you feel industrial music as a whole is recognized by the music industry?
Steve: Dead? No I don't think its dead... but we feel that the industrial scene will be broken down into more niches... Industrial is such a broad term, you can ask 20 people what they feel industrial is about and you'll get many different answers. I find industrial to be more an attitude of musical openness and experimentation. As long as that sort of spirit continues in releases coming out, I will continue to be a fan Industrial music is bashed left and right by the industry unless you are a big name like Trent or Al J. We're big Ministry fans.. I think that was the first band Dave and I could agree was really great.
Last Sigh: What do you think about the "mainstream" bands like NIN, Marilyn Manson, Filter, Gravity Kills and Stabbing Westward?
Steve: We think Manson is allright.. Filter??? Stabbing Westward???? yuck. I definately do not like Stabbing Westward.
Last Sigh: What do you think about MTV and the music award shows?
Steve: We don't watch much TV at all. As far as MTV, I gave up watching it many years ago besides a few speciality shows. I actually find AMP to be quite cool these days, but don't often get to watch it.. oh yeah, I could hardly forget about Beavis and Butthead too.. hehehe
Last Sigh: Thanks alot!
