Introduce yourself; who are you, what do you do?

My name is Joshua Colella.  I am 27 years old and live in Middletown, Connecticut where I was born and grew up.  I work as a structural engineer and IT administrator.  Music production is my hobby.

What is Scrape.dx…or perhaps Scrap.edx? What is the correct name anyway? On your website it has both scrape.dx and scrap.edx.

Scrap.edx, written scrap.edx, scrapedx, or scrape[dx] and pronounced as one word…or however everyone else pronounces it, is the identity I produce and create with.  On one hand, I treat scrap.edx as a mindset (with its own set of rules and properties) that I use to help find an aesthetic direction in the music that I program, websites I create, etc.  On the other hand, I view scrap.edx as an entity in itself used to apply to my interpretation of music stylistically.  If you look on my website scrap.edx is described as a high performance technology used, in this case, to program music and that is how I intend consumers to view scrap.edx.  It is a product that I created for the purpose of producing electronic music.

What do you hope to accomplish with/through music? What can be accomplished through the medium of music?

The main purpose for scrap.edx is to allow me to step outside my world and into a creative state of mind.  It is a creative outlet for me to express myself.  I have my own personal goals with the project to make myself happy; one of the most important and relative is to create the most advanced industrial dance music possible while the most rewarding is to release creative energy which gives me a sense of satisfaction and productivity.

I feel that music as an art form can accomplish a lot considering what an artist can do to subjectively affect another person resulting in producing different human emotions and/or producing appreciative value within his/her creation by means of the execution.  The application of creativity itself can move people tremendously and I think it is too difficult to attempt to predict and quantify the limits of this application (who can say what’s really possible/any prediction would be a guess…but if there is a limit, I hope I am around to experience it when it is reached).

How did you get into noise-y industrial music?

Scrap.edx used to be two people.  The other member, Jason Becker introduced me to a lot of the first “Power Noise Movement” producers before we were scrap.edx.  I never got into the founders of the genre, but rather was introduced to noise-y industrial after the “Power Noise” term was thrown around the internet.  It wasn’t until later on that some of my nerdy music buddies pointed out to me that producers have been making music very similar to rhythmic noise for years in different scenes here and there and these discoveries were key for getting me into harder electronic music.

In high school I listened to a lot of hardcore music and didn’t really discover any interesting electronic music until I went to college. When mp3 file sharing became popular I discovered allot of amazing music.

What inspires you to make music?

I don’t think I can put my finger on every personal inspiration.  Technology and science fiction are huge inspirations but also every day life experiences tend to make me want to try and get an idea recorded.  Even though recently I have made a conscious effort to try to not care about what consumers in this scene consider to be standards of excellence, I tend to keep an attempt to satisfy others as a drive to create or an inspiration to program music a certain way.

How do you keep from falling into the trap of making a rhythmic noise album that is the same drum beat for 12 tracks?

I guess one easy solution to that problem is to incorporate other styles of music into your arsenal as a producer.  I agree with the consensus that allot of rhythmic noise acts follow a simple formula and repeat it over the course of an entire album but I couldn’t guess as to why it happens on a widespread level.  What people call rhythmic noise seems to have a very narrow set of borders stylistically, I don’t understand why some producers don’t use elements of the genre as ingredients in their own personal recipe for their projects (I guess in other words, how could you just stick to one simple set of rules?).

How has the process of writing music changed and evolved from way back on Non Linear Interfacing to the newer material?

The process itself is completely different on a number of levels.  I use completely different software and hardware now for one.  Additionally, the methodology that I have adopted during the creation process is completely different.  I have learned to approach a song idea by bouncing between a couple of different mindsets.  I typically come up with an idea for a song (or even an album) in my head first, try to figure out what styles of music I want to mix together, spend allot of time designing sounds and producing samples, program loops, make more sounds, program more loops and keep going until I can track the song.  I will then let it sit and keep proofing it and eventually re-work parts until it sounds the way I want, then mastering.  Back during non.linear, there was no pattern to how the tracks were created as I was learning how to make music on the fly.  Tracks were written in one sitting from start to end or within a couple consecutive sittings.  In some ways that was an asset to the album, in other ways it was a hindrance to the end result.

Any plans to put out a new album? If so, what can we expect in the new scrap.edx material?

I am definitely planning on working on some new releases.  I have been writing since my last album, recoil the void, but without the focus of putting together a specific release soon (what I am trying to say is that I haven’t come up with a theme or group of themes yet for the next album).  I have a pool of new tracks finished as a result of taking some time off to experiment with different styles (I think I have about 4-5 new tracks and I have written several remixes for friends).

I intend on building a new computer directly after the new year and after that project is complete I will start serious work on the next release.  I figure a new studio will inspire me to kick out material and boost the time it normally takes me.

I have decided that the next full length label release album will play as one long track.  I intend to take all the individual songs, cut them up, and improv the pieces back together in ableton live as one long piece of music.  I will most likely return to the state of including a large number of varied styles of electronic music into a single album.

Between this future release I really want to put together one or more limited self release(s) in box set or collectible form.  Something that I intend to sell at festivals or concerts only.  If I do this I intend the release to be something special with a strong aesthetic, unique packaging, etc.  I want to get back to my roots (as far as how I started) in this regard.

Additionally, there may be a 12” record kicking around between the above.

I really like the idea of artists collaborating, and I notice that scrap.edx does a lot of work with other artists, whether it be splits or having bands do sounds on some of your tracks; any plans for more collaborations or split albums in the future?

I am collaborating currently with a couple different people.  I play in another band, when whales breathe with a friend from a metal band who lives down the road from me.  The music is a cross between ambient rock, synthpop and indie rock.  We are currently writing the first batch of tracks for a demo cd.

Additionally, I am working with Matt Rosen (The Liar’s Rosebush) again for a collaborative live performance over Easter weekend at Montreal’s COMA Festival.  We are writing new tracks specifically for that set.

I love doing work with other producers and musicians as I find it a great way to exchange ideas and develop musically.  I will most likely always collaborate in the future.

When I saw you live in DC, I noticed that you played some mash-up stuff; how did you get into mash up, and is this something we can expect more of in future works?

I don’t know how I got into that style of music but it definitely interests me.  I love the idea of taking recorded music and mixing it together to make something new.  I love the aesthetic that can be produced from mash-ups and I feel that mash-ups make a statement about who we are as consumers of music and fun.

I have about 4 mash-ups that I have written but only play them out at certain parties since they are less dancy than the one I played in DC.  I have a couple of IDM livesets that I perform from time to time and the entire set is a mash-up of scrap.edx and other people’s tunes.  I tend to record those sets and upload them to my website once or twice a year.

Speaking of playing live, how do you feel about performing live in general?

I enjoy playing live but only under certain circumstances.  I approach this project as a producer and nothing else and because of that I tend to get annoyed at what people do on stage at some of these bigger festivals and shows.  I am interested in listening to people do awesome and creative things with music live, I don’t care about anything else.  It’s just my point of view and I don’t have anything against any other project, but it’s what I take away from live performances.  Because I am wired this way, I enjoy playing smaller basement and loft shows as these are environments where people come out to listen to great music, dance and party and that’s it.  Small parties seem to take away some of the pretentiousness and competition for prime timeslots and leave nothing but music.  I will most likely be cutting my live performances back to smaller basement parties and one or two festivals a year for a while. 

Also, I have this weird curse where I tend to get sick really easy for some reason when I travel and because of that some of my shows have included a sickly scrap.edx which has taken away from some past performances (but never my impressions or memories, those are good).  For example, when I traveled to DC to play with end.user, I got off the plane and instantly green stuff started coming out of my head and I don’t know if I will be invited back because for the duration of my visit I would wake up and shoot snot out of my face as a guest at one of the promoter’s houses (luckily a friend of mine but it was surly gross for everyone else staying there).  It’s not an isolated occurrence; it tends to happen every time I step outside of Connecticut.   

In most of the live pictures I have seen of you, there is usually a projection screen with visual data of some kind; are there specific scrap.edx visuals or movies, or is it something the venue does?

I have a video that was produced for my project and have performed against it a couple of times.  Typically the venue will supply a vj to mix visuals into the live sets especially at festivals.

Why has each album been released on a different label? It seems like a lot of bands in the more noise-y subgenres of industrial (rhythmic noise/breakcore/etc) genres tend to release each album on a different label and I was wondering why that is.

I don’t know if there is a pattern to why that happens but I also see it all over as well.  In my opinion, it doesn’t matter where you release your music (if you even decide to try a label), all that matters is how the label treats you and how your product comes out aesthetically.

How can I be a consumer of your products? Hive doesn’t seem to actually sell your split with Liar’s Rosebush, and the Hands website has no information on it at all.

Yes that is true, sorta.  Hive Records does sell the album on their website (and at their distro table at shows) and there are a couple of distro websites that have it in stock.  Hands Productions also stocks the album in a couple distros online in North America (soleilmoon and crunchpod have it).  If you live overseas it is far easier to get a copy of the Hands Productions release as they do the bulk of their work in Europe. 

I have made a promise to myself since the last few shows I have played to not even bother to show up unless I have something to sell to people that want music after I do a set.  In the future when I play out live, if you want some music to take home ask me as I will definitely have something to sell or give away.

In your experience, how do the crowds and the scenes differ between the US, Canada and other parts of the world? What is the industrial scene like in Connecticut?

There is no industrial scene in Connecticut as far as I know.  The main difference that I have seen between North America and Europe is the level of production between us and them in terms of how things are put together.  Canada seems to be similar to Europe but in the US we are still very d.i.y. (as in the musicians carry their own gear, set up with the promoters and help out).  I have only seen a hired stage crew at one festival here in North America whereas in Europe it seems to be common.  I am definitely not saying anything negative about our scene here as this is where we come from and this is how we make things happen (and it happens in allot of underground scenes here in the states).

Is there any hope of getting industrial noise music more widely accepted in the states? 

I don’t see it happening unless it changes to fit in more with other established scenes.

When not slicing up beats in the studio, what kind of stuff interests scrap.edx?

 My whole life revolves around fun.  I shoot stuff on the computer all the time, off road bike in the warm weather, drink allot with friends.  I do allot of camping, fishing and hiking.  I do allot of side work for extra money (I do some house roofing and construction work when opportunities come along).  I go to allot of shows.  I sit in front of the television allot.

What are the albums that have most influenced you, or perhaps just your favorite albums?

I listen to so much music that I can’t narrow things down to individual albums.  Some of my favorite musicians are: venetian snares, spor, evol intent, limewax, xotox, my morning jacket, johnny cash, girl talk, xanopticon, ophideon, richard devine, autechre, legowelt, vex’d, distance, the liar’s rosebush, counterstrike, the cars, todd rundgren, exclipsect, drop the lime, converge, drumcorps, search and destroy…I could go on and on.

One of the most amazing albums I have ever listened to is haujobb’s 99.  it’s a shame that they don’t do music like that anymore.  Vex’d degenerate is also amazing and highly recommended.

What movies can scrap.edx most efficiently interface with?

Robocop and aliens.

What books can scrap.edx most efficiently interface with?

Generation kill, woe to live on and survivor.  I read lots of military and political nonfiction but I won’t list anything in that regard.

What is on the scrap.edx agenda currently?

I have a box of expensive computer parts in my apartment that need assembling so I can keep writing music.  After the build is complete I will be locking myself away for the winter to write new music.

Any last words?

I am too bad with those.

Thank you very much for taking the time to do this interview. I look forward to hearing new music from Scrap.edx in the future, and hopefully having the chance to see you perform live again. I wish you continued success.

-dec 2006    by [.d4n b4rr3tt.]