Email for Anders Karlsson/The Pain Machinery: anders (at) funplanet.com
Music consumed under the interview: Test Dept, Meg Lee Chin

Last Sigh: You just released a demo called: Terminate Transmission. How  would you describe your music on this demo?

Anders: It's a tough question to answer. I take everything I like and mix it together. The result is harsh, chaotic and noisy but still with a groove. I always work hard on the small details, the listener should be able to listen to a song 20 times and still hear new things every time. Skinny Puppy called their music audio sculptures -I like that term.

Last Sigh: What are your influences in creating your music? Do you have any philosophy with your music or band name? If so, what are they.

Anders: Just about everything influences me, things I read or hear, films, art. My musical influences range from Punk to Electro, bands like Kraftwerk , Laibach, Foetus, Klinik, Public Enemy, Swans, SPK, Depth Charge, DAF, Skinny Puppy, there's to many great bands to mention -I love music!  Philosophy with my music? Another tough one to answer. Every song, every little sample I use have a meaning to me, it's the same with my band name but I wouldn't dream of shovelling my ideas down some one else's throat - If a person feels that one song is about fishing clams in Greece, then that's it! The listener decides.

Last Sigh: Do you have any formal or informal education in the more technical or compositional side of music? If so, where and what did you study?

Anders: I don't like rules. I did some piano lessons a while ago but the more I learned the more I felt that the magic in the music disappeared. It didn't work for me, I like to get lost, follow my instinct and somehow make it work.

Last Sigh: How did you hook up with Mikael Prey? What are you doing with him? What's it like to work with him?

Anders: Oh, I've known Mikael for a long time (from the good old drinking years). We started seeing each other at clubs and we soon found out that we had pretty much the same taste in music and art. I have total respect for him and his work; he's for real, an industrialist in the best sense! He made a cool video for The Pain Machinery a couple of years ago and I hope that we'll do something new soon! He's a very busy guy but he'll do visuals for my upcoming live show.

Last Sigh: What type of techniques are you using to create your music? How about a gear list? What gear did you use on Terminate Transmission?

Anders: Most of my equipment is second hand dysfunctional stuff. I've got lots of stuff but the heart of my studio is my Pro 1 analogue synthesiser, 2 S-750 samplers, an ESI-4000 sampler, a Tr 606 analogue drum machine, lots and lots of distortion and Fx-boxes and of course my VCR! I'm cursed, nothing I've got works properly but maybe that's the secret about The Pain Machinery sound!

Last Sigh: You live in Stockholm, Sweden. What is a typical day in your life like for you? Do you have any suggestions for visitors to Stockholm in terms of clubs to go to?

Anders: Typical day? Well, I've got a pretty cool job as a graphic artist, so my work doesn't suck! Sometimes its very long days at work though. At night I either make some music, practice boxing or I'll go clubbing. We have some decent clubs in Stockholm. If you're going to Stockholm you could visit: Velodrome, run by an old friend of mine, to much synth pop for my taste but still cool Darkside electronica, plays good hard, various electronic and industrial music and best of all, you get paid in booze when you DJ!
Tech Noir, The biggest electronic club in northern Europe, plays different kinds of electronic music on 3 dance floors -one EBM/ Industrial floor -a cool place to DJ at, always full of mad dancing people.

Last Sigh: What's the music scene like there? What do you do when you aren't creating music? You are also a DJ. Where and what do you spin?

Anders: I love DJ'ing! I play where and when ever I can. I play everything from ZymOsiZ and Dulce Liquido to Jesus and Mary chain but it's totally up to the audience, a big problem is that many people is rather narrow minded and a DJ's job is to make people dance. You'll have to give people what they want but still sneak in those odd tunes into the set -if your lucky they'll keep on dancing. A The Pain Machinery DJ set is always hard and noisy though.

Last Sigh: If you could work with one artist of your choice in the studio or live who would that be and why?

Anders: I have to say someone of my old heroes. Richard H. Kirk (CV), cEvin Key (SP) Graeme Revell (SPK) or Chrislo Haas (early DAF and Liasons Dangerous) because they have done so much great stuff and they really made an impact on me when I started to make music. It would be really interesting to know a little about their philosophy regarding music making.

Last Sigh: What do you think of the recent Napster lawsuit? Do you think MP3 trading is a harm or an asset to the artists? Why or why not?

Anders: That's another tricky question. I use Napster myself, if I like a song by let's say Destiny's Child I wouldn't buy it, I think mega artists like that got to much money already. But I have bought a lot of records with artists that I hadn't bought if I hadn't heard them on Mp3's first, I don't know if it's a harm or an asset generally speaking. Personally I buy too many (expensive) records anyway.

Last Sigh: What can we expect from The Pain Machinery in the future? Will you be doing any live assaults? Where do you expect to be playing?

Anders: Dave Chapman from the English band Punishment State have invited me to play a live gig with them in London early next year. So I'm putting a small band together, hopefully we'll do some gigs in Sweden to. Mikael Pray will do backup videos and I've got some new killer tunes. Get ready for war!

Last Sigh: Are you looking to get signed or remaining an independent?

Anders: I'm currently looking for a label. I really want to make a 7" or 12" because I love vinyl but it's rather expensive to self-produce. We'll see what happens.

Last Sigh: Thanks for doing this interview with us. I've really enjoyed your music.

Anders: Thank you very much! It 's great when people you respect give you credits. Last Sigh is cool -keep up the good work!

[Editor Note: Anders is working on his web site and hopefully it will be up soon.
To contact Anders, his email is: anders (at) funplanet.com
If you want to hear a track from his new demo click HERE. Anders gave us permission to use this MP3 for our viewers. It is copywritten to The Pain Machinery, Anders Karlsson, 2000.
I suggest you email Anders for a copy of Terminate Transmission. Anders is also playing a live assult in February of 2001 in London. Email him for specifics!]