Visit
Ipecac Loop
Label
Forced Evolution Media
1102 Village Drive
Avenel, NJ 07001
U.S.A.
Last Edit/Update
25 April, 1998
Interview With
Cameron Lewis
of
Ipecac Loop
This Interview took place on IRC and via
Email
by Mike Santarpia in February 1998.
Last Sigh: Where are you from?
Cameron: Well, I was born in Atlanta, GA, my parents are both from New Zealand, but I grew up in Congers, NY.
Last Sigh: Did you go to college? If so what was your major?
Cameron: I went to Ithaca College... majored in Cinema/Photography.
Last Sigh: What bands did you like growing up?
Cameron: Depends on what time in my life you caught me... I grew up listening to everything from New Order to Anthrax.
Last Sigh: What bands do you like now? What bands do you hate?
Cameron: I've been in love with Black Lung since I first heard his work... Thine Eyes is still fantastic. I can't say I have any particular ire for any bands... if people are honest and passionate about their work, they should be able to do it in relative peace. On the other hand, I must say I am regularly disgusted by the idolatry of money in "popular" music.You can't throw a brick these days without hitting a TV playing a movie featuring "a guy and his wads of cash."
Last Sigh: What were your influences to want to make music? What bands influenced you if any?
Cameron: It sounds contrived, but I'm not particularly sure what drove me off to make music. I had played other people's work years earlier, but hadn't had any particular interest to write back then, at least that I can recall now. The best explanation is probably that a variety of nasty circumstance converged my first year of college, and my solution was to withdraw into myself, find some means of expressing what I couldn't put into word I didn't try to emulate anyone, so I'm not sure if I can quite put my finger on who my strongest influences were, but I'm sure everything I've ever heard in my life has influenced me in some way or other.
Last Sigh: What instruments do you play?
Cameron: <cough> Well, I don't PLAY anything particularly well to be honest. I suppose you could say I play the piano and guitar, but not very well. I feel like I can WRITE, but I can't RECITE.
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..?
Cameron: I did my time engineering, and am pretty much sick of that, except where it pertains to my own work, but I wouldn't mind producing if the right project came along. I can''t say I like much about the music industry's business side--which to me is everything not directly associated with recording the music itself. Getting the music out there is my main concern, but you won't catch me sitting in front of a spreadsheet any time soon.
Last Sigh: Is there anything you would like to accomplish in the music industry that you haven’t yet?
Cameron: Well, at the moment I'm looking into finding the means to be able to simply give the music away to any interested parties. I may well turn Forced Evolution into a non-profit organization for just that purpose. I have no particular desire to make a splash in the mainstream, if that's what you mean. :)
Last Sigh: Have you played with any bands previous to this one? If so which ones?
Cameron: Nope, not a single solitary one. There have been ideas of collaborations and such tossed about, but nothing of any substance has come from these things yet.
Last Sigh: Why did you choose your name? What does it mean? Did you have any other names in mind before choosing this one?
Cameron: Well, as thoroughly over-the-top as it sounds, I was trying to conjure up some phrase that would serve as a metaphor of some sort for my basic view of how things work. I of course don't want to be explicit about what, precisely it means (don't want to ruin other people's ideas). This was actually the first name I came up with, and I decided I liked it enough to keep it. People have told me I'm shooting myself in the foot by using it.
Last Sigh: Why?
Cameron: (which part, the shooting in the foot part?)
Last Sigh: yep
Cameron: Friends have told me in the past that my music would likely appeal to the older crowd, etc. etc., and that naming the project so that it sounds like a death metal act is limiting the commercial possibilities. But then, I don't really think I'd be very happy if this music was widespread. I mean, this is very personal to me... and as such it's not the sort of thing I want gobbled up like candy. Which, of course, is to say that I want to MOVE people, make them feel something... not simply part them from their cash.
Last Sigh: Do you have any other albums that were releases on other labels? Besides Fifth Colvmn?
Cameron: Nope, eX is the only CD I've ever put out... though I've got a few stray credits here and there on others... engineering and what-not.
Last Sigh: did you pursue any labels before goign to fifth colvmn? did any pursue you?
Cameron: Yeah, I wound up talking a great deal with Wade Alin back when he was still trying to get Manifest Records off the ground. We were going to put out a single and an album when the whole shebang just went up in smoke for no apparent reason. Jared was the first person I ever sent a tape of my music to, and he remembered it. He signed me up shortly after Manifest evaporated.
Last Sigh: How long did it take to record the album? Which is your favorite song on the album? Why?
Cameron: The album took around a year to a year and a half... I really don't know what my favorite song is, honestly. Depends on the mood I'm in. :)
Last Sigh: Are you on any soundtracks or comps.? Were you ever asked to do any?
Cameron: I'm on a handful of compilations... Mike Welch's upcoming Cyberbabies, the old Mind/Body compilations volumes 2 and 3, two FCR compilations.
Last Sigh: What equipment do you use?
Cameron: : Depends on what's available to borrow. :)
Last Sigh: Have you ever performed live? If so favourite venue and favourite city to play? What bands have you played for if you have played live?
Cameron: : Nope... if it's a choice between performing and spending that time writing NEW music, I'll pick the latter.
Last Sigh: What is in the future for your band? When can we expect to see another album?
Cameron: With any luck, this year at some point, though I'm a slow worker. Rest assured that I will be back though. :)
Last Sigh: Do you see the band staying with the current label?
Cameron: : If you mean Fifth Colvmn Records, certainly not, as I've moved on to Forced Evolution Media, which I and some friends have some big plans for.
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?
Cameron: : Well, I'm not sure I'm qualified to even talk about this, as I'm not sure I even fit into the genre. To say that any genre of music is dead or dying seems to me fairly short-sighted. People for years have been proclaiming the death of this and that, rock and metal, classical and techno. Fuck it: let people create what's in their hearts, whatever that may be. As long as it's genuine, it has a place in my book. I think music as a whole is pretty unrecognized by the music industry, which is to say that the key word in their equation is "industry." It's all about making money and such, as you can plainly see by the history of lawsuits against everything from recording formats (DAT) to sampling- based works.
Last Sigh: What do you think about the "mainstream" bands like NIN, Marilyn Manson, Filter, Gravity Kills and Stabbing Westward?
Cameron: : I have nothing against the mainstream, honestly. Of those, I only really ever got into Reznor's work, but it doesn't really speak to me now. That part of the genre really feels like a guilty pleasure to me: there are some cool things here and there, but it doesn't MOVE me. Again, this is not meant as a slight on those artists themselves, it's just that they don't do a hell of a lot for me as a listener.
Last Sigh: What do you think about MTV and the music award shows?
Cameron: I personally think they tend to be full of back-slapping glad-handing bullshit, but perhaps I'm missing something.
Last Sigh: Is there anything you would like to add to any of your fans or future fans who might be reading this?
Cameron: Thanks for any and all interest and support, it is *greatly* appreciated. :)
