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Damage |
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Conducted per e-mail by Jensenne Roculan
for Last Sigh Magazine, June 1998.
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Ways to Wisdom is a one man Industrial project out of Ontario, Canada. Ways to Wisdom's sole member, Damage, released his first demo tape Bruises earlier this year, and is one of the most solid debuts which Last Sigh has come across. With a CD coming out this year, Ways to Wisdom will surely be a name to look out for in the future. Last Sigh: First off, please tell us about how Ways to Wisdom came to life and your musical background. Damage: After spending years of trying to put together several different bands, only to have each one fall apart, I became totally fed up with the idea of being in a "band" type environment. I had always planned on doing a solo project. Last year I finally had accumulated enough resources to put together the Bruises demo. As far as my musical background, my parents enrolled me into music lessons when i was about 6 or 7 years old. I studied organ and piano and got up to the grade 8 level. So basically I've been playing music my whole life. Last Sigh: For those who have not heard your music, could you please describe the music of Ways to Wisdom? Damage: I don't like
describing it, because it's always evolving. I think it's best left for the listener
to describe. Damage: I find the comparison very flattering. I won't deny the fact that they've had a huge influence/impact on my music and my life. I can see similarities in a few places, however, for the most part I think Bruises sounds nothing like Puppy. That comparison hasn't hindered me in any way, and if people want to make that association, that's fine by me. Last Sigh: Ways to Wisdom is an interesting band name. What prompted you to call your musical project Ways to Wisdom? What are your "Ways to Wisdom?" In other words, do you have any philisophical beliefs that have a role in your music? Damage: "Ways to Wisdom" is a phrase that I read somewhere about 10 years ago. These three words stuck in my head and over the years I've thought a lot about what it means. It has a lot to do with existentialism. I could ramble on this topic all day, but to be honest I'm still lost. I haven't asserted any particular beliefs yet. Last Sigh: With the
innovations of technology in the synthesized music scene, we are seeing an emergence of
one person electronic acts. The accessibility of technology has made it possible for
people to go out and create music completely on their own. Ways to Wisdom
consists of only you. What are the advantages and disadvantages of working alone? Do
you sometimes wish that there were more people on board with Ways to Wisdom? Last Sigh: You will be releasing a CD later on this year. Could you let us in on what we can expect? Have you gone in a different direction musically since Bruises? What has the process been like now that you are releasing a CD, whereas in the past you put out a demo tape? Damage: I haven't decided whether to release the CD as an EP or full length. The EP will take me less time and money to record, so I'm leaning towards that right now. It will most likely be independently released on my own Propaganda label as was Bruises. My lyrics always touch on things that are going on in society, either locally or globally. A lot of the lyrics were written around the time that I recorded Bruises and they deal with some of the same topics like the environment, abuse, war. Musically, I'm a lot happier with the sound of the new material. The songs are more refined/defined, and there's are little more melody. Last Sigh: Have you done any live shows yet? If so, how is the live experience for you? Damage: I haven't done any Ways To Wisdom live yet. That's my goal after the CD is released. Last Sigh: Before creating music on your own, who were your inspirations and influences? Are there any musicians who you would enjoy to work with one day? Damage: Inspirations/Influences (in no particular order) -- Cabaret Voltaire, Skinny Puppy, Coil, The Cure, Depeche Mode, Sisters of Mercy, The Mission, Fields of the Nephilim, Psyche, Front Line Assembly, Alien Sex Fiend, Front 242, New Order, Severed Heads, Killing Joke, Einsturzende Neubauten. Last Sigh: What is the most gratifying aspect in your musical career? In other words, what gives you the most fulfillment and drives you to continue to create music? Damage: If I can stir an emotion in somebody through a song, thats the ultimate gratification. I read or heard an interview with Dave Gahan (Depeche Mode) where he described a situation, where a fan came up to him and told him about some of the difficult times she was going through and how their music helped her through all the shit and how important the music was to her. I would love to see my music touch people like that. To achieve something like that is the ultimate gratification. Last Sigh: Where would you like to see Ways to Wisdom in the future? Damage: See last answer. Last Sigh: Is there anything you would like to add that hasn't been covered here? Damage: Thanks for all your support. Last Sigh: Thanks a lot Damage! It has been a pleasure to work with you. Copyright Last Sigh Magazine
1996-2007 |
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