Introduce yourself; who are you, what do you do?
My name is Michael. I am a composer/performer/producer for an electro-industrial act known as Engelmacher.

What is Engelmacher? How/why did you choose the name; what does it mean?
It is a German term which was used to describe "illegal abortions". My decision to use that title was based on the reflections that I have in regards to how political infrastructures ignore the basic "cause and effect" element in regards to problem solving. I took the original definition and forged it into my own interpretation of politics, government engines, etc.. and decided to use it as a metaphor for describing "population control", One of many problems that I feel governments are afflicted with, as well as the lack of respect that they have for their common man.

What do you hope to achieve with/through music? What can be accomplished through the medium of music?
I would like to achieve a stable form of freedom in regards to fueling the Engelmacher engine and keeping it running for as long as possible. It is somewhat difficult to explain what one wants to truly achieve without sounding megalomaniacal. So if I were to extrapolate any accomplishments, it would have to be to make Engelmacher a primary career from which I will have the ability to travel, engage in conversations with others that I encounter, continue to produce albums which differ from its predecessors, push the envelope in regards to how I address topics that Engelmacher covers, perform with other artists that are within this vast network, and possibly let people know that music can serve a meaningful purpose.


How about a brief bio? Or did you just sit down one day and crank out Birds of a Feather?
Birds of a Feather has been a concept in the making for some time now. During the time that I was composing it, I created a mental outline as to what each track would be about and how the music would dictate the emotion and the lyrics themselves while still remaining on the original path that I had intended. Trial and Error were factors that plagued the production for some time, specifically "Thrust" and "All in Good time". The original versions of these tracks had to be sacrificed due to conflictions in the production. So, I reinvented them into the versions that appear on the album.

What inspires you to make music? Why do you choose to make EBM?
ALOT of things inspire me from politics to self-absorbent human beings whom care about nothing but their own selfish desires, wills, wants and needs. I do not attempt to compose an album that is essentially my life story, or my "vision" of some post-apocalyptic future because I feel that such elements are not who I am, or what I am attempting to accomplish. If "Birds of a Feather" was a film it would take place in our present reality and not place emphasis on one particular person. It would follow humanity as a collective. As to why I chose EBM, I enjoy pounding percussive patterns and the rhythmic dynamics. I realize that there are thousands of EBM artists and I am not saying that Engelmacher is "avant-garde", but I find EBM to be highly enjoyable.

I would ask “what inspires you lyrics” but you break it down song by song on the official site. I think that is fucking amazing and I wish more bands were willing to do that.
I suppose most bands want to maintain a certain level of "mystique". I suppose that they feel by using the element of alienation, it appeals to fans, arousing their interest in that particular artist for whatever reasons that they see fit. I have no inhibitions regarding information about the nucleus of how Engelmacher functions. I enjoy developing an "on-the-level" connection with our fans because I believe that the person or people behind the music dictate the enjoyment that one renders from it.

How do you write your lyrics? Do you write the music or the lyrics first or some combination thereof?
I always compose the music first because for me, the music determines the lyrics. If I were to compose the music around the lyrics, then they would conflict with each other especially if the feel that the lyrics are attempting to convey conflict with the emotive qualities of the music. Therefore that process is much more chrystalizing.

Birds of a Feather is an amazing album. Can you explain the writing process for it?
I wanted to take as much time with it as humanly possible, starting with the synth-leads. I enjoy executing various scales and symphonic-esque methods which can become stress-inducing when you are not completely relying on programming and actually playing them. I wanted to place more value on the synth-leads, pads, filter sequences and effects and leave the percussion simple and danceable. The vocals were somewhat challenging by virtue of the fact that I wanted the vocals in each track to vary in some shape or form. Some of the tracks even possess vocal variations between verse, pre-chorus, and chorus. I wanted some of the vocals to have a rich, warm feeling to them and some to have a much more lush, cold sound, with the occasional vocoder. So the process was challenging but rewarding.

Where did the name “Birds of a Feather” come from?
The name "Birds of a Feather" is actually an excerpt from a poet whose name escapes me, but from the beginning, I used it as a metaphor to describe the correlation between government and powerful corporations and the similar desires that they have in order to complete their "agenda" which is "big money" of course, similar to the correlation between the U.S government and Haliburton which in turn, is dictated by their "cause and effect" ignorance.

What are your plans now that you have released the album? Tour? Mass rioting?
LOL! Mass rioting. We plan to formulate a tour quite soon, but before we can even attempt to do so, we are attempting to start a proverbial "buzz" so that crowd turn-outs are good.

If there is a tour, what can we expect from Engelmacher live?
We want to give the audience/fans a very energetic performance devoid of artist/fan alienation. We want our fans and fellow concert goers to get their moneys worth and leave with a sense of stimulation.

Birds of Feather was (as far as I know) your own DIY release. How is that working out? Has the DIY approach been helpful to you, or would you have rather just released your first album on a major label?
It has been relatively helpful to a certain extent. There are "pros" and "cons" to it. You have total writing freedom, but being signed to a well known label will help your work spread to the masses through the element of promotion. Of course, the DIY phenomenon will allow you to spread your work to the masses as well, but it is much more stressful and time consuming. You must fill CD orders yourself, you must ship them, yourself, you must mix and master your material, yourself, and last but not least, you must book any of your performances, yourself.

Are you out shopping for major labels now? How is that going?
If an opportunity presents itself and the terms and/or stipulations are fair, then we would most definitely consider signing to a well known label. We would have access to more promotional resources amongst other things, performances would be much easier to obtain, plus the fact that the label-heads would be in charge of organizing/tending to the CD and merchandise sales.

What do you think the future of industrial music will be? Where is there left to go?
There is more territory to be explored, but the problem that lies within is that you have to hope that the fans as well as the artists, will be willing to partake in that journey. Some people do not desire change or evolution. I believe that the future of industrial music shall become more eclectic, more complex and less accessible. But to reach that point, we all must be willing to evolve and accept it.

How has the current political regime of the US influenced both your music and you as a person?
It has made the music much stronger and has enhanced my political awareness regarding certain problems. It has allowed Engelmacher to cover such a topic without coming off like thus another person complaining about our nation. We feel that others share our views and ideologies regarding it and that is what of one of many things that we hope to achieve with Engelmacher.

How can a race of people that will forever be divided because of individualized thinking ever achieve anything that doesn’t lead to war and corruption?
If they have been raised and been exposed to forceful education relevant to your question, they will never achieve anything worth achieving. They must think about what is best for themselves and not form their perspectives on something that was forced down their throat. Take a stand and truly think about what YOU believe is important. Others will agree. Do not let someone dictate about who you should be or what you should accomplish based on their own selfish opinions and failed attempts at happiness.

Is it possible for a group of people (i.e. industrial scene, per say) to be free from these seemingly unavoidable woes of humanity?
It is. As I aforementioned, take a stand. Be an individual, not a mindless follower.

What are the top albums that inspire/influence you?
I would have to say that the most influencial album for me was "The Land of Rape and Honey" by Ministry. I discovered it when I was in the Fourth grade(1989) and I have never grown fatigued of it. Another for me was "Monochromator" by 8KHZ Mono.

What are the top movies that inspire/influence you?
I cannot say that a film ever inspired what I write.

What are the top books that inspire/influence you?
"Beyond Good and Evil" By Fredrich Nieztsche, "The Naked Lunch" by William S. Burroughs, and various other novels that are wonderful to read.

What is your favorite piece of industrial machinery?
If you are referring to a musical instrument, it would have to be my Roland JP-8000. It is an older synth, but the capabilities of it are endless. As far as an actual piece of machinery, I would have to say a machine-press. It has a very rhythmic-like quality to it.

What is currently on the Engelmacher agenda?
Right now we are finishing an E.P. entitled "Chronicles" which is comprised of unreleased material. Then, we are going to begin writing tracks for our next album entitled "Eyes of Revolution". Also, sometime within the year we plan to formulate a tour. Hopefully.

Any last words?
"Birds of a feather flock together, as do pigs and swine."

Thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview. Wounds of the Earth wishes you much success in the future!
 

-february 2007    by [.d4n b4rr3tt.]