Featuring Ricki Gunz and ANGI- from Man and Machines | Interview by Ruud Dreessen aka ebm-industrial.nl |3 februari 2010 6:27
Thanks Ricki Gunz,and ANGI-that you have found time to give answers to these questions,
1- For the first question will be - do you know the netherland?
RICKI - Well, yes we do have quite a few fans in the Netherlands ! We have sold alot of cds in the past to that region, espicially our first 5 song ep demo. They seem to dig us there.
2- Do you follow the electronic music scene, do you have any other favourite bands?
RICKI - Well as of late, I haven't been listening to any new bands. I have seemed to go back in time and am listening to Alice Cooper, Goblin, Kiss, Bowie... just alot of 70's rock. I really love the whole creepy vibe from that time. I am still into electronic music, but I just like to hear many different things along with it.
ANGI- I follow it, but I have been dissapointed with a lack of originality that seems to plague not only this genre, but others. I enjoy a lot of Psychobilly, Rockabilly, Trip-Hop, Industrial-Metal....On my MP3 player, my last plays were from Ashbury Heights, Demented Are Go, Amy Winehouse, Psyclon Nine...Seriously all over the place!
3- Greetings Man and Machines,could you please shortly introduce our readers your music project Man and Machines Please fill also a biographical resume about how,when and where...give us a more background information?
RICKI - Man and Machines began back in 2001 in Tallahassee, FL. I started out doing live electronic mix shows. Man and Machine"s first show was with Project Records "Mira". I booked the show and we packed the small venue out. That was the first show and the start of our progress.In the next year in 2002, I had my sister "Angi Gunz" join to control lighting and effects and write lyrics. At that time we were doing many shows in Tallahassee that were theatrical in nature. In the next year in 2003 we took a break for about 6 months to study more about song structure. During that time, Man and Machines sound kind off took into a new direction and was more polished, and had I had Angi share the role of vocalist. During the years of 2004-2008 we moved to Orlando, FL and gained alot of experience playing live and then getting many apperances with such acts as Razed in Black, London After Midnight, Otto Van Shirach and many more. As of 2009 the band has relocated to Philadelphia, PA to have new terroritory to perform in.
4- How did you start to make Industrial / Electronica / Punk and what is Gothic for you?
RICKI - Well I started out when I was young, listening to metal and then techno/electronica. After that I started listening to more underground industrial and falling in love with the whole culture. Back in the 90's it was a great time
when techno, industrial and electronica all meshed into one and it was so care free.
ANGI- Gothic to me is the love of thought, which often leads to a "darkness" ...One thing I will always love about the genre (Including Industrial) , is that it encourages acceptance and social/political awareness to the "underdog".
5- What and who are some of your influences in Industrial / Electronica / Punk?
RICKI - Well many, Skinny Puppy, Frontline Assembly, The Prodigy, Front 242, KMFDM, soo many others.....
ANGI- Ministry, KMFDM, Atari Teenage Riot...I have a lot of influences from other genres as far as perfomance and dedication, but I love what these bands have done for the genre.
6- What are your top ten favorite Industrial / Electronica / Punk Club Songs of all time?
RICKI - Well I don't particulary have any favorites. My tastes have changed somewhat over the years.
ANGI - If I'm in an actual Goth/Industrial Club, I like to be dancing, so I might want to hear different things,like more on the EBM side, like some Covenant, Ashbury Heights, or some Aesthetic Perfection.
7- Do you have a favourite track and album?
RICKI -For whom ? I love all kinds of music so don't have any favorites.
ANGI - I have too many of those...I seriously have a favorite album for whatever mood I am in!
8- So tell me a bit more about yourself, such as musical?
RICKI- Well I am pretty open minded to music. I listen to various artists such as Goblin, Tangerine Dream, soundtracks, just stuff people don't really know or listen to anymore. The strangest things inspire me, like a glam song from the 70's or a poppy chessy song from the 80's or, an industrial metal piece from the 90's.
ANGI - Musically, I have a strange history. As a child, I fell in love with music from the 50's, including country and rockabilly, like Patsy Cline and Elvis. In my early teen years, I fell in love with the electronic music from the 90's, both pop and experimental. When I started getting more teenage angst, the first time I heard Industrial, I knew I had a special place in my heart for it. I have a genuine love for music, and so many different kinds of expression moves me. I love both gritty voices, and prestine melodies. I have two other bands that showcase my love for rockabilly and psychobilly, "Twisted in Graves", and "Go Get Gone", where I play upright bass, and me and Ricki have some synthpop songs we're working on for another side project as well, so I keep very immersed in learning new things!
9- By the way do you like my questions? tell me what you think about it! ;-)
RICKI- Yeah they are ok !
10- What is the main idea, the message you want to leave to people who listens to you? What is your motto?
RICKI- Well the message conveyed can be different depending on the song or the album. The last cd "Analog Hearts Digital Minds" was purely about war, technology and the social changes that have taken place with it. The next album will definatley have a different message. Our motto is to keep things different and not dull. The next album to not be like the last, or to at least try.
ANGI - Me and Ricki always see eye to eye about what we want a song to be about. If something pisses us off, makes us cry, makes us think, it always surfaces when he programs a song, and then I write lyrics based on what I think he is trying to say. We are both messengers of thought. Social or sexual domination and submission,
politics, or social unjust motivates us.
11- What’s the name of your band? What’s the origin of that name? Have you changed the band’s name before?
RICKI - Man and Machines as a name expresses the complete symbyotic relationship between man and technology.
12- "analog hearts" where did the concept come from? and whats planned now that your album is finished? or anything else you're working on? Tell me why this title,"analog hearts" Tell us a few words about the concept of this?
RICKI - Well the album is based on the concept of man having an analog heart, but a digital mind. That maybe is, at the time the album came out, the way we saw the human race. Man's feelings are still there, but the mind is in a more logical processed way."Analog Hearts Digital Minds" was intended to be a harsh and brutal perception of the world at large. There were a few soft ones on there like "Cities in Dust" and "Warpressure", but we enjoyed those alot too and they seemed to fit the album's progression.
13- Tell me about the label Disease Nation, DSBP, Dead Scarlet Records?
RICKI - Disease Nation is the label/publishing company we are starting up. DSBP and Dead Scarlet Records are the labels we released "Analog Hearts, Digital Minds" through for 2008/2009.
14-How is the current promotional tour going for supporting this album?
RICKI - Well the tour for "Analog Hearts Digital Minds" was cut short in 2008 due to the hurricanes. We had to cut 5 dates out of our tour schedule when the cd was released because of it.
15- What do you think of a modern Gothic and about Industrial / Electronica / Punk scene?
RICKI - I think there are a few bands that are visually and musically different that bring something different to the table such as Psyclon Nine, MSI and The Birthday Massacre. Today I listen to something that is supposedly "cutting edge" and I have heard it before way back in 1991 when Frontline Assembly did the same thing. It seems the industrial scene is so closed minded sometimes that the new kids don't fucking even know who the innovators once were.
ANGI - I think because of Myspace and other social networking sites, people see images and listen to bands that are working hard and think they can do it too, just as good. They see the "glamour" of being in a band and think if they make a song that sounds the same and wear flashy club gear, that they deserve to be a rockstar.Unfortunately, they are often rewarded for being a cookie cutter image, just like with other genres, but it seems worse with Goth/Industrial. It is watered-down with bands that sound the same with so many effects added to their vocals, there isn't much to be heard either live or on a cd. I challenge this genre to step up and redeem itself. I want more bands that bend the genre, and stand up for something.
16- Our usual question - what is music for you?
ANGI- Music is life itself to me. People don't always realize this, but music has always defined the times. It reflects life, both ugly and beautiful. It makes every day tolerable. It makes people feel better about themselves, cry, dance, fuck, fight, feel alive, all because someone gave their own emotion to write that song.It's there for us every day, and rarely do appreciate its value.
17- What was your best live experience so far?
RICKI- With everyshow we have done, good or bad it is one notch more in experience we have received.
18- Please list the name, age, school, and respective instrument of each band member.
Ricki Gunz - Composer, Vocalist, Guitar, Programming of musical arrangements.
Angi Gunz - Vocalist and Lyricist
Mike Twisted - Guitars
19-What are your views on the current state of this Industrial / Electronica / Punk scene in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Verenigde Staten.in terms of creativity and audiences? And the scene in other countries?
RICKI- Well at the time of this interview we have just relocated to Philadelphia so we can't speak on behalf of its scene yet, but it does look inviting and seems to have alot going on. As the scene on whole I have found it very stale lately with bands sounding the same and the only creativity is bands trying to sound the same to be on certain "record labels". Our goal for Man and Machines has been to go against the grain and try different musical arrangements, components, and even elements of music that has been long lost in time.
20- you have very nice numbers`.............. tell me about lyrical compositions what you can tell about the done work? How does your music creation process work? How do you create a song?
RICKI - For Analog Hearts Digital Minds, it was a list of songs created from 2004 to 2008. The progress of the album happened through studying various song structures and me and Angi creating the lyrical canvas.
ANGI- Ricki or I come up with a concept, and it happens naturally from there. He will program a minute or so of a song, and we'll talk about where we want it go, and then I'll get started on lyrics, often researching movies, documentaries, books, or people to fully engulf myself in the process.
21-What genre of music do you consider your work to be? Who are your major influences?
RICKI - I personally hate being put into a "Genre" of music because me and the rest of the band listen to so many different types of music, from old country, soundtracks, classical, rock and electronica.Some of the inpirations would be electronic pioneers skinny puppy, frontline assembly, the prodigy, human league, front 242, kmfdm and others. Our next record will show some surprising influences !
ANGI- I believe we are Industrial/EBM with influences from everything, which makes us not fit that mold entirely.
22-Since the music industry is more open now to purely electronic music has this made things easier for you?
RICKI - Yes and no. The scene was really huge in the late 80's early 90's. Maybe even bigger than it is today. But, today it is easier from people across the globe to hear and reach other bands because of the internet.
ANGI - If we were trying to be part of the mainstream music industry, I would say yes, but since we are part of something powerful yet smaller, I will say it doesn't really change much.
23-So what are your main influences as a band at the moment?
ANGI - I won't list bands, because that isn't really how we work. Life itself is our influence. Anger and sadness and everything in between.
25-Do you think that people from the music press didn't expect you to grow up musically?
RICKI - Maybe people didn't think we would get as far as we did with Man and Machines. But we surprised them. Bad reviews or good reviews, we do what the fuck we want with no no regrets, only valuable life experiences.
ANGI - I know that we have come so far. We are never satisfied , but we are content at least knowing we are ALWAYS going to be "growing".
26-what is the key to making music from Man and Machines and what inspires you to keep growing as a musician?
RICKI - I guess the key for me is to keep learning new things in music and listening to various arrangements. Being free minded and exploring in my own insanity a new creation that isn't limited by a Genre.
ANGI - I absolutely agree with Ricki!
29-Please let us know about your upcoming plans, some new releases you like to confirm here
RICKI - Man and Machines has some new releases coming up as well as remixing bands. We are working on the next album currently and the concept behind it. Expect something different than before !
ANGI - We are working on a new album, and we are all doing side projects. We will keep everyone posted on our website!
30-It has been a pleasure to interview you on your musical activity,Well,any last words to your ebm-industrial fans?
ANGI - It was our pleasure! We want all of the fans to know that they have changed our life, and everything we do is for you. Music has touched our lives so much, and to be able to give that gift to others is what we live for. All of the emails and kind words, and even critisism, never go unheard or not appreciated. Thank you all for going on this crazy ride with us, and we have some crazy shit in store for you! We love you all!
31-and what is next on Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Verenigde Staten agenda?
32-thanks for your time! great work on the albums and good luck with everything.any How can fans-to-be gain access to your music? Do you have a website with sample songs or a demo CD?
RICKI - Currently Analog Hearts Digital Minds is on itunes, Rhapsody and brick and mortar stores at the moment. We will be re-releasing it again on Disease Nation Records in 2010.
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