Where's the main opposite between the lyrics of M-SQUAD and the BLOODFARMERS?
MIKE: Eli?
ELI: Well, the Blood Farmers theme was that most of the songs should be about classic exploitation movies from the 60's and 70's. The original concept originated from Dave Depraved and myself, but the movies were really something he brought in, just like the Mountain and Cactus albums are what I brought in. Left to my own devices the lyrics now are just whatever I feel like writing about.
MATT: M-Squad is less about horror, and more about outer space, and of course, being a mush.
The album-artwork could be back from 60's and for my taste, it looks really great. Who's responsible for the trippy cover-artwork? Have you ever thought about releasing it in vinyl-format?
MIKE: A vinyl release would be cool, but senseless as Eli will explain. It would be great just having one in my album collection though!
ELI: The front cover looks like it could be from the 60's because it is from the 60's! It's a painting entitled "Stoned Blue" by Isaac Abrams, who's a great psychedelic artist from Woodstock. He's doing things with glass now that look like the painting. I visited him at his home and he had metal work all over his yard that looked amazing.
It was really incredible. I saw the painting and knew immediately it was the perfect album cover that I've always wanted. The inside cover was a drawing Matt did that we fucked with on Mike's computer. Vinyl? We mixed it to DAT so there's not much point. It's not really an analog recording anyway. It's kind of cheesy when they do these fancy vinyl reissues that come out of computers. You can tell it's digital. It would be worth it for the artwork, though!
MATT: A poster of the full back and front of the album cover will be available soon via our website: msquad.com.
MIKE: Yeah, the cover is a masterpiece and I would hang it on my wall no matter who had put it out.
Once again, you've released "Smoke" on the small underground label Primate Media. Is it your own record-label?
MATT: Primate Media is an entity involved in many different endeavors, one of which is M-squad. Although we are a major aspect of Primate's activities here on Earth, even we don't know the full extent of this vast intergalactic organization.
MIKE: We think they had something to do with the pyramids.
ELI: Yeah, they keep telling us they'll fly us there to do a gig!
Have you played a lot of gigs in the USA to promote the new album and with which bands do you have shared the stage in 2002?
MIKE: We have started gigging in support of "Smoke", not yet having the opportunity to do a show with anyone worth mentioning. We're hoping though, to still be able to get on some of the bigger, festival-type bills this coming spring & summer.
MATT: For a long time we were really focused on recording, so we didn't gig that much. Unfortunately none of the venues are too exciting, and none of the bands are worth mentioning. I'm really disappointed with the live music scene, here in NYC especially. Most of the local bands are pussies, and most of the venues won't pay a dime.
Sad to say, but for me it seems as if M-SQUAD is a very underrated band. People are taking more notice of the same-sounding "stoner" acts, while original bands as you f.e. are still belonging to the deepest underground. What do you think about the whole situation? Are you happy with it?
ELI: I don't really care that much for what people take notice of. Most of the music I like is ridiculously obscure as well. There were always a few people who understood what we were doing. That's enough for me. I like the underground, especially the deepest underground. That sounds cool.
MATT: We're happy to keep doing what we're doing, as long as a few people understand where we're coming from. We would love to have more fans and sell more records, so we're going to keep on rocking until people wake up and realize pop music sucks.
MIKE: Ultimately, it doesn't matter what people think. We really get off on jamming with each other. We run tape when we play, catching groovy ideas and jams along the way for us to listen back to. The cool stuff winds up getting worked into songs & tracked. Hey, if you're into us, you're into us. If you're not, you're not. It's all good!
With the BLOOD FARMERS you toured together with Vitus and Internal Void in 1993. Are you still in contact with the (ex-) members of both bands?
ELI: Dave stayed in touch with Eric Little for a while. We went down there a few times after that and saw Maryland. It was really amazing back then. Like a small pocket of America developed differently. You go to a club and they're playing Captain Beyond on the PA! Everyone loves Vitus! I don't know if that scene is still there, but there were so many people into cool music and in bands. It was amazing. I'd love to see Vitus again, I wish I had seen them with Scott Reagers.
You never been to Europe with the BF, so is there a small chance to see M-SQUAD someday here in Germany? Do you like to do a bigger tour outside the USA?
MATT: We would love to come to Europe, we just haven't had the opportunity yet. If there are any promoters out there, we're ready!
ELI: All we need are plane tickets and shows booked! I think there's actually a scene for this music in New York, but we're not part of it, as usual. Maybe that will change. Maybe not.
MIKE: As things take shape we'll be out of the states and about real soon.
How important are substances as weed and/or shrooms for you, when you're playing and composing the songs? Does the bong always glow in your rehearsal-space? What are your favorite inspiring substances?
MATT: The bong does glow in our rehearsal space. In fact we wrote "Lost in Sonic Distortion" specifically for people high on LSD/shrooms. However, we're about music not drugs.
MIKE: No comment, hehe...
ELI: Yeah, we spent a lot of time "writing" "Lost in Sonic Distortion". All those catchy choruses....
What can we expect from you in 2003?
ELI: Hopefully we'll get more mobile and kick some ass.
MATT: We've written most of the next album already, and plan to start recording soon. The next album promises to be heavier and groovier than anything so far, with more doom, and more psychedelic jams to please Mushes around the world.
MIKE: You'll see the next release by years end. It won't take as long as Smoke, that's a definite. We already have a lot of it ready to track. Hopefully we'll find ourselves on some of the festival bills this summer, as I said earlier. Also, keep an eye out for show dates and don't forget to request us on radio!
Thanks for your answers and your time! Is there anything you like to add at least?
MIKE: We do it for us. So it really turns us on to know that others are into it as well and think it's groovy. I speak for the three of us when I simply say thank you to all those who really are into our scene and come out to see us and or have bought our albums. And an extra right-on! to all the fans from the BLOODFARMER days and for all the good reviews. Thanks!
(KK)
www.msquad.com
www.primatemediausa.com
