The Sydney Online Street Press talks to Zoog Von Rock about Angelspit’s new album “Hello My Name Is”
“Angelspit’s new sound is brutal! It’s manic…MANIC! Playing live is so much fun now! We try and smash out a sound combining hardcore punk and electro/industrial. It’s great fun!”
– Zoog Von Rock
[SOSP]: Your lyrics across all your albums have some comment on weakness in society, conformity of the masses and, to some degree, a plastic nature of celebrity. Why do you feel it’s important to cover these issues in your music and was the choice of pairing your lyrics with electro-industrial sounds deliberate?
[Z]: I write these lyrics because the subject effects me and every person I know. We live in a corporate slave world. We have always been told that we are a cog. We are now learning we are replaceable. The “big bad machine” is actually made up of many little people who are just trying to survive. People have been forced into a position of screw-over or be screwed-over….this is just ridiculous. We’ve become de-humanised and have lost concept of community…it’s all about surviving.
Musically, I love music that has energy. I don’t try to make the songs sound a certain way…that’s just how they come out.
[SOSP]: As a band, your look is very unique and seems to be as important to the band as the music. Why do you choose the medical-industrial-goth-punk look? Were there other styles in consideration?
[Z]: We’re not bound to a style. We love rich and visual ideas. Same applies to our music.
[SOSP]: Now that you’re based predominantly in NY, why was the decision made to permanently move abroad and tour mostly through the US and Europe?
[Z]: The touring opportunities are much better. America and Europe have massive populations, so it makes sense to come over and ROCK!
That being said, the coffee does not compare to King St.
[SOSP]: How would you compare the audience reception and acceptance of new music in Australia to abroad and was the decision, at any point, difficult?
[Z]: I have found Australians extremely open to new music. Australians don’t mind music that does not fit into a certain genre…as long as it’s played with conviction.
Germany has been a challenge because they seem to like music that is more genre specific…and since we are electro/industrial/punk, many did not know what to make of us.
The USA and England/Ireland/Scotland has been awesome because people want to ROCK!
[SOSP]: Being a duo for so long, at what point did you both decide that additional members had to be added? How did you choose them?
[Z]: Our original plan was to tour Australia/Europe/USA as a 2 piece, then expand…and that’s what we’re doing.
Valerie (guitars) and Chris (drums) were picked because of their solid reputation. We held a competition to choose our videographer – and the winner was a video artist who goes by the name “The Lair”. We’re all based in New York. I can tell them about drop bears and they believe me. I love Americans.
[SOSP]: Since the new members, has there been any changes to the sound of Angelspit and what is expected from the new album with the new lineup?
[Z]: The new sound is brutal! It’s manic…MANIC! Live is sooo much fun now! We try and smash out a sound combining hardcore punk and electro/industrial. It’s great fun!
More on Hell My Name Is.
