2006-10-28 | NINa and Brian Backlash | e-mail interview

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Brian Backlash: When did ManufraQture first start working together? Was it a planned venture or did it just come together one night?

In March of '03, I called JaQ from work and told him, I didn't want to be on my death bed looking back, wishing that I did something meaningful, musically speaking. His very next words were, "when do you want to practice?". It all commenced from there. Nothing was mapped out. We were in complete darkness as to what we should expect from this.

NINa: Why is the letter Q so important to you, being used for band members nicknames and songs titles?

The "Q" is a subliminal reminder to all those who know its meaning, which is "QUESTION".

Brian Backlash: You're presently working on a full length based off some demos you recorded a while back, reworking and rewiring the material as we speak. What are you hoping to bring out in these songs that you could not the first time around?

Better production, professional mastering, and overall a more pro sound. There's also a lot of changes made during our live shows that add more energy, which I found essential to the recording. Bottom line, there's going to be WAY more energy packed into it.

NINa: You seem to keep close to Cyanotic and Glitch Mode Recordings circle and mention songs made for their compilation CDs. There is "Ready to Face (violent machine mix)" for the Modern Destruction Compilation, "Bandroid" for Acumen Nation and "FriQtion" for Hordes of The Elite. Will there be any full length ManufraQture CD released by The Glitches too?

So far we've talked about releasing an EP on Glitch Mode, but a lot of developments have been made since then. There's still more to discuss about what direction we are going to take with our next release.

Brian Backlash: What do you think the key is to having a successful independent band? Is it the music? An ability to promote oneself? Style?

Well, I think the sad truth is, if you wanna see how far a bands going to go, just look at their promotional budget. But more deeply and more importantly, I believe that the music should reach it's listeners to their core. If you can connect to a family of listeners on a deeper level, you'll see they're loyal. Fans come and go, but the "FanatiQs" are family, and family sticks together. Either way, we are grateful for any and all support we receive. It's not up to us or the listeners how deep the music will reach, which makes us all eQual.

Brian Backlash: You state on your Myspace page the following: "Question Everything" followed by "We are Born into Suffering." So, I'm going to question the latter statement. Do you believe that suffering is an immediate physical and mental state that cannot be avoided? Do you think suffering tempers the spirit, or dampens the spirit? Why do you think suffering is so intrinsincally necessary?

Good question... I believe we are born into suffering. We bring with us our own piece of the collective suffering we share with everyone, and we absorb more suffering from our parent's pain, our friends, our enemies, and the list goes on... But its not about pointing fingers and saying,"look what you made me be", although we go through that at some point. It's about realizing the ultimate truth about our suffering, it pushes us toward that truth.

We ultimately suffer because we identify with the role we play in everyday life. Subconsciously, we know death approaches. We all face nonexistence, which once our eyes open, (and most of us may get glimpses here and there - myself included) we see the illusion for what it is. Ultimately we all have to see this to "overcome this world".

Brian Backlash: Musically, you're influenced by industrial metal hybrids and themematically you're influenced by the darkness and the light. What are some more abstract or random concepts and sounds that fuel your work?

Darkness, light...good, evil... Necessary lessons before leaving earth. I was raised in a Christian home and found the mainstream religion to be a patchwork quilt of pieces that didn't fit. For example: "All loving God, tortures most of humanity for eternity". Of course they deny this and teach that WE choose hell... RIDICULOUS NONSENSE. We didn't even choose EARTH! In case anyone is interested in what the Scriptures DO teach, go to bibletruths.com. Although I don't COMPLETELY agree with everything, it's a good start to QUESTION what we've been indoctrinated to believe. I've gotten as much flack about this as I have genuine "thank you" letters for giving them a start out of the darkness, but ultimately it has nothing to do with me.

Brian Backlash: If you had to visualize ManufraQture's sound and concept, what image would it produce?

Imagine you're strapped to a chair, in one of those rooms in the movie, Hostel. You're trapped in a "game" like the movie Saw. You squirm in pain over and over again, until you realize you've held the key within the whole time. The game is to find that key and escape. It sounds like LOVE fighting to survive in this torture chamber we erroneously call LIFE.

NINa: What was the most bizzare hobby you have come across so far?

I'm not sure.

NINa: If you were the United States President, would you leave Iraq in order to
prevent futher attacks, or would you send more troops to the region to extinguish the fire before it grows bigger?

If I were the President of the United States, I would be shocked to discover I don't really call the shots at all, and would be afraid for my life to challenge the actual people who are pulling the strings.

Brian Backlash: The midterm elections are coming up very soon, an election cycle a lot of people are viewing with a tremendous sense of importance. What do you hope the long term results of the elections are? Do you think the President should be impeached?

I believe Presidents are SE-lected by blood, and not E-lected by ballot, but that's a whole different subject. I don't hold the President personally responsible for what has transpired, except for maybe his cowardice. He doesn't want to end up like JFK, who challenged the system and sought to bring things to the public's eye. (and it wasn't Oswald who did it, it was the limo driver)

To learn more about how deep this rabbit hole goes, here's one man that had a lot to say: William Cooper. He wrote the book, Behold A Pale Horse, and had a short-wave radio show before he was murdered. David Icke is another interesting author, check out his books, "Children of the Matrix" and "Infinite Love is the Only Truth, Everything Else Is Illusion". All in all, you will decide what to believe. I don't uphold anyone's views as ultimate truth, but only attempt to awaken others out of this dream by getting them to question everything; this includes questioning any of these authors. In the words of David Icke, "the last thing the world needs is another person claiming to know everything".

NINa: You told me that you were into things that awaken your spirit. Indians would fast and then take hallucinogenic plants to find answers for some important questions. How do you choose to expand your mind, and awaken your spirit?

Very interesting subject matter. I very much believe that plants, or "entheogens", such as ayahuasca salvia divinorum, can be a method in which God chooses to awaken us. (NOT ACID, METH, PCP, HEROIN! Stay away from laboratory drugs for thrills, they will destroy your life!) In my opinion, I believe that the use of an entheogen is a temporary phase. (but what isn't) Ultimately it's best and more permanent to meditate on the Truth daily. Check out anything written by Eckhart Tolle. He deals directly with very life changing subject matters. Actually, he deals directly with YOU, in utter simplicity. A child could grasp his teachings.
Another amazing author is Robert Bruce. Read his book, "Astral Dynamics". I've kept it close for years.

NINa: Do you think that belief in the Zodiac signs' influence as well as planets might be addictive? What would you say if I asked you about your zodiac sign? :D

Horoscopes can seemingly be accurate at times, but I don't read them. People are searching for direction and answers so desperately, they become easily manipulated because there are many charlatan's willing to exploit others for personal gain. That doesn't mean God can't direct us through them, who am I to say that? If people use caution with a skeptical approach, then perhaps they can intuitively know if it's true or not. It hasn't been my experience that relying on psychics for advise is a good idea. True seers wouldn't charge you for their services if they were really here for the benefit of humanity.

NINa: Seems that psychiatry tries to fit a human being into frames instead of allowing his best abilities to improve. Is there any 'normal' man on the Earth with no additional luggage because of his past or fears about the future?

I would refer to the "normal" one's as the "chosen few". Eventually we can obtain freedom from this "life situation", but we must "work out our own salvation with much fear and trembling".


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