Hi guys. Thank you for
talking to our webzine and congratulations
for your new album.
Thanks for taking the time to ask
these questions.
How do you feel for this
new album? Are you satisfied with
the final result?
Yeah, we are, for the most part
satisfied with the results. Of course,
there is always room for improvement.
I wish the album were a bit more
sculpted, sonically-speaking, in
the way that Penumbra was. However,
it was our goal from the beginning
to write a more streamlined album,
a synthesis of, say, classic tech
metal and Kraftwerk. On that level,
I think we succeeded somewhat.
I have the feeling that
this album is different from the
previous ones. I believe that "Cortical
Tectonics" is more atmospheric,
without disregarding its technical
aspect. Am I right and if yes, that
made you take such direction?
It's definitely a different
album, yes. I'm not altogether
sure that I'd call it more
atmospheric, but it has a very different
atmosphere. The ambient sections,
for instance, are darker and more
otherworldly than on the previous
albums. The liminal textures that
mark "Reticular Consciousness"
certainly come to mind.
Another point is that I
read a lot of reviews that welcomed
this new approach. Do you think
that this was necessary; was it
something that people expected from
you?
The reviews have been mixed, I
think, in terms of what people have
wanted vs. what they expected. I
recently read an interview that
put down Cortical as a lesser facsimile
of "Penumbra...", which
suggests to me that this person
has listened very little to our
music! The differences in those
records is huge, I think. I'm
glad that some have embraced the
new sound. However, they should
brace themselves for an even bigger
change on the next album!
After a considerable period
of time are you ready to assess
the effect of "Cortical Tectonics"
on your career? Do you think that
this album might evolve into some
kind of landmark for you?
No, and I don't think that
I'm qualified to make any
sort of assessment of Canvas. I'm
just too close to the music. As
a person, though, every one of our
records has been very important
to me, and have represented stretches
of my life.

I always wonder how instrumental
artists or bands give titles to
their songs. What is that makes
you name a track? Is it the atmosphere
of the track, it's mentality
or is it something that happens
randomly?
It can be the atmosphere of the
song, yes. For instance, I would
have never named "Interface"
"Berserker Hypothesis"
! There has to be some sense of
the appropriate, then, in naming
a track. Sometimes, though, methods
are more random. A phrase will stick
out and will seem to be perfect
for a Canvas title. Sometimes we're
inspired by things we've read
or have seen (Lyn Hejinian's
"My Life" and "Bride
of Re-Animator" have both
served as inspirations!). But because
the titles are sort of abstract
in this particular context, we're
afforded more latitude than would
be given a vocal-led band.
Also the artwork and the
whole packaging are quite plain.
Have you ever thought of adding
some more information, such as linear
notes, in order to help the audience
approach your music?
We don't want to help anyone
approach our music. It's for
the listener to experience. If we
handed out everything, I think it
would affect the degree of engagement.
I've always loved really mysterious
groups. Two such contemporary groups,
Deathspell Omega and London-based
dubstep producer, Burial, do marvelous
jobs at obscuring their respective
identities. I really think that
this aspect gives their music a
different vibe. I want to maintain
some level of mystery with CS. It's
not about connecting to the audience;
it's about ushering them into
a different sonic space.
How is playing live your
music? What are the usual reactions
to your music?
We usually get favorable reactions
at live shows, which is odd considering
that we normally play with bands
very different from ourselves. We
love playing live, but because of
our geographic situation, we're
not able to do it as often as we'd
like. Next year, though, we're
already planning a spate of live
shows.
Have you ever felt some
sort of pressure that perhaps someone
from the audience might be able
to judge and assess your skills?
No, we don't really register
that kind of pressure. Playing live,
for us, is not an exhibition, but
an attempt to communicate our music
in a more direct and personal way.
We're not interested in jumping
through hoops.
In general how hard is
for you to compose and perform this
music in terms of expectations?
I mean that you are destined to
remain underground and to address
to a very specific audience. Is
this something that piss you off?
No, and I can't imagine that
any band in our situation would
aspire to the mainstream. Instrumental
music, in general, is misunderstood
by popular music audiences, despite
the fact that it's around
them all the time (film soundtracks,
classical music, accessible jazz).
We have a bigger audience than I
ever imagined we would, so I feel
blessed to play for anyone who appreciates
it and connects with it.
Do you believe that in
the era of globalization people
(and artists more specific) will
orient towards small communities
that will be more sustainable and
liable? I mean that the Web2.0 applications
are giving such examples and probably
this might be an answer to music
piracy and a means for small bands
and labels to oppose to threats
like this?
The commercial rubric is changing
by the day, and if artists and labels
want to survive, then they would
be wise to adapt to these changes.
It's going to be interesting
to see how this situation develops,
but I don't know how much
it will affect a band on a small
scale like CS. The major label market,
though, is in dire straits. According
to Rolling Stone, Rick Rubin might
be the man to save music. We'll
see!
What is your opinion about
downloading? Do you believe that
might be some benefits out of this
illegal act?
People download music. It's
a simple reality in this day and
age. It's a shame that kids
are unwilling to pay for music,
but it's hardly their faults.
I mean, if I grew up in an age with
unfettered, unlimited, free access
to media, one would be hard-pressed
to convince me to pay for it! However,
I grew up listening to music in
the early 90s, where I was forced
to seek out imports through intricate
networks of labels and mail-order
distribution channels. I can't
describe the excitement of receiving
a record in the mail for the first
time. What joy! That sort of experience
is lost on the ADD-addled youth
of today, who are not made to wait.
Also, downloading discourages deep,
concentrated listening. How, I ask,
can you concentrate on an album,
when you have 3000 other records
in queue on your hard drive? It's
a sad situation, frankly.
Well this is the end of
our interview. Thank you very much
for sharing your time with us. I
wish you all the best.
And the best to you! Thanks again
for taking the time to write!