This "interview" was conducted with TOD LAW: and JOHNNY of Unit:187 on 23-Aug-2010 Thanks TOD LAW: and JOHNNY
Could you briefly summarize Unit:187 and what you guys are about?
TOD LAW: Johnny and i started Unit 187 and we wanted to create hard hitting industrial music that is a little different than the popular industrial sound. I think our new album is a fresh change to what is happening in the scene right now. "Out for Blood " is the soundtrack to a bar brawl.Working with Ken Marshall was a dream come true for me. Skinny Puppy is what got me interested in industrial music, so having Ken mix the album for us was amazing. I can't say enough good things about that guy.Ken puts all the final touches on the songs to finish them off. Chris was so impressed with how things worked with Ken that it was him that got Ken involved with the new FLA album as well.
Other incoming projects?
TOD LAW: I don't have anything other than Unit 187. This project takes up the little free time that i do have. We have started on some new songs recently, but it is a slow process. I know Chris would like to have Decree finished up soon as well, so hopefully he will get the studio up and going again soon and finish it off. Chris always has other things going on and sometimes i don't even hear of them till they are finished. Johnny is always working on music, the guy is a machine.
JOHNNY: I pretty busy writing music for video games. As well, I write dance music and dj a lot, so that keeps me really busy outside of the band.
If people don't know what you and your music are about where have they been!?,how would you describe yourself?
TOD LAW: Slow,heavy and dirty
JOHNNY: Dark and Deep
If you could play a show anywhere in the world where would it be?
TOD LAW: Playboy mansion
JOHNNY: An illegal after-hours club in Berlin. I hear Iceland is amazing to play as well.. gotta play there one day.
What day jobs did you guys have while you were putting the band together?
TOD LAW: for the last 14 years i have worked in the film industry, i build sets for film and television. Chris is a full time musician, Ross also works in the film industry.
JOHNNY: I work in the video game industry creating music and sfx for video games..
What is your music background? Who are you and your bandmembers? Tell your story
TOD LAW: I have very little music training,what little i do know i have learned from Johnny and Chris. I played in a metal band (Zimmers Hole) for awhile doing keys and samples.
JOHNNY: I took piano lessons as a kid, then started playing keyboards in bands. That led me down the path I currently am on.. writing music, playing in bands creating sfx….
If you weren't a musician what would you be?
TOD LAW: Well i would still work for the film industry, but if i didn't have that i'd probably be a vigilante.
JOHNNY: I'd probably be a film maker.. I like telling a story.. probably I'd make documentaries about weird stuff nobody cares about.
Chris Peterson (Decree, FLA, Delerium)? What inspired you to make music together?
TOD LAW: Chris and i have been friends for years, i asked him to help with some drums sounds to start,then it ended up with him joining the project full time,which led to Ross also joining. I couldn't be happier working with both Johnny and Chris both of them are great programmers.
JOHNNY: Chris actually played live for one of my favourite shows of all-time - 1992's Tactical Neural Implant Tour with FLA. Because of this I sought him out like a stalker until he eventually joined Unit:187.
What are your top ten favorite Industrial / Metal / Electronica Club Songs of all time?
TOD LAW: Well,it has been a very long time since i have been in a club. One track that i used to love was consolidated's remix of COC's "Vote with a bullet" great track. Nothing else comes to mind at the moment.
JOHNNY: Here You Go.. I love the classics.. Reminds me of my old days clubbing weekdays…
10) Ministry - Jesus Built My Hotrod,
9) Front 242 - HeadHunter ,
8) Nitzer Ebb - Let Your Body Learn,
7) NIN - Closer, Kraftwerk - ,
6) KMFDM - A drug Against War,
5) Chem Lab - Suicide Jag,
4) Skinny Puppy - Testure,
3) 100 Homo DJ's - Supernaut,
2)16 Volt - Motorskills
1)Bauhaus - Bela Lugosi's Dead
Do you keep up with how the record has been selling? Is that really important to you?
TOD LAW: The new Cd "Out for Blood" comes out later this month,i hope people like it,we put a ton of time into this release,i love getting emails from fans or seeing posts about the band,so yes it is important.Most of the feedback has been great so far but a few people have already made comments on how the cd is "too heavy",the vocals are "too evil"( that i really don't understand,WTF?) and the Guitars are "too metal", i've made it clear what i think of them.
JOHNNY: Not sure - that's a good question.. these days it's pretty tough to track numbers…
Who is your favourite band at the moment?
TOD LAW: My favourites never change...Godflesh,Killing Joke,Black Flag,Circle Jerks
JOHNNY: I love the new Gorillaz album…
What band or bands would you like to tour with and why?
TOD LAW: Lady Gaga,just a Guilty Pleasure
JOHNNY: Skinny Puppy - it'd be a blast hanging out with Ken Marshall on tour.
What would you be doing right now if you weren't in Unit:187?
TOD LAW: probably doing time in prison
JOHNNY: Working at my dad's gun shop, selling and repairing firearms.
What new music inspires you when you are writing? 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?
TOD LAW: it usually starts with a person ,place or thing that really pisses me off.
JOHNNY: Tod cooks up the ideas, I usually start by laying down a beat and some synth patterns. We build out from there.
What about all the big festivals? Summer Darkness in the netherlands? Mera Luna in Germany Familientreffen in Germany and Wave Gothic Treffen in Germany and many more?
TOD LAW: I would love to come,never been to Germany myself,if the interest is there,we will come.Let's see if the fans like the new cd to make it happen.
JOHNNY: We're going to work with out label "Vendetta" to see if we can get into bunch of these next year. Can't wait.
How did you come up with the title "Out for Blood"
TOD LAW: Out for blood is a line in Sick Obsession,which is about my obsession with wanting to kick the crap out of someone who made some comments about my wife.So you could say that i'm out for his blood.
All right. You guys toured heavily after "Out for Blood" came out. How did the whole touring, to support that record, turn out?
How do you feel to hold the finished cd in your hands?
TOD LAW: Haven't toured this cd yet,we had a small one planned around a festival but it got cancelled.Haven't got the cd yet ,but i can't wait to hold it in my hands, should be a couple more weeks.
What was it like the first time you heard one of your songs on the radio ore internet ore clubs? who was the DJ that played your song?
TOD LAW: We have had quite a few songs in television shows which is very cool. One kind of strange but cool thing was there was a local exotic dancer that used to get naked on stage to Unit 187.
Thanks for your interest in Unit 187 and all the best to you
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