The last time we got to chat with the cult iPunk band Left Spine Down was in 2008, a lot has happened in this last year – the band have toured America with The Revolting Cocks, released their album ‘Fighting For Voltage’ as a special edition in Europe and then followed that up with what could be termed an ‘ultimate Industrial remix album’. We find out what’s next for the band in 2010 as we speak with Jeremy Inkel (programming, synths) and Kaine D3L4Y (vocals) about the band’s future direction.
“Bring back Red Dwarf” – kAINE D3L4Y
S] Hi again guys! We last spoke to you in 2008, so what’s going on as we approach 2010 with LSD?
JI] Basically, just getting back into the studio and getting ready to tour next year. We have a new album in the works, and we want to spend a lot of time experimenting with different ideas.
k] Currently we’re pushing ‘Smartbomb 2.3: The Underground Mixes‘ here in North America. Both ‘Fighting For Voltage‘ and ‘Voltage 2.3: Remixed And Revisited‘ have just been repackaged and released as the ‘Fighting For Voltage: Deluxe Edition‘ double CD in Europe. Another North American tour is being booked as we speak, and talk of us hitting European soil by late summer/early fall has begun. A new studio album is also in the works – we’ve been hard at work writing new material all year now.
S] So there’s a new LSD album coming in 2010 – let’s hear all you can tell – concept, title, themes ideas and revelations?
JI] I wouldn’t want to speculate too much on that, rather we are really hammering out many ideas and concepts – quite a different process from the last album, and I think we are still trying to figure out that process as we go.
k] While I cannot reveal the title, nor go into great detail regarding the album’s concept, I can proudly say it’s going to be an aural experience like never before. The album’s concept is far greater in complexity alone; on ‘Voltage‘ the main focus was on just one character: me. This new album will cover a lot more ground, introducing an enormous ensemble of characters and back stories revolving around one another. If ‘Voltage‘ was the epic sci-fi blockbuster that reeled you in, this new record’s going to be the dismal dramatic sequel where everyone in the story loses.
S] There were plans for a UK and European tour next year – how’s that going?
k] As of right now our German label, Danse Macabre, has been pushing Voltage very well in Europe, and plans for a European tour are being discussed. No bookings have been made yet, but I imagine that will come next.
S] What prompted your cover of Joy Division’s ‘She’s Lost Control’ on the remix album – like can you remember the moment, and where you were when you decided to do it?
k] We’re all fans of Joy Division. I’ve been a fan ever since I bought the ‘Still‘ LP back in the early 90s. I’ve personally always wanted to cover a Joy Division song but never had the balls (or the right band) to do it. The moment hit us sometime last year, while we were on tour with SNFU. We went nuts cranking Joy Division records in the van. I bought several bootleg discs of exclusive mixes from Martin Hannett‘s personal tape collection, live releases and other stuff. I showed the band (the Anton Corbijn film) ‘Control‘, as well as the Grant Gee Joy Division documentary. As a matter of fact, you could call us all born again Joy Division fans by the end of that tour. Earlier that spring I approached Jeremy with the idea of seeing what we could do with ‘She’s Lost Control‘. Sessions began almost instantly, and during a vocal run I even had the chance to use an aerosol can, replicating and paying tribute to the infamous “pshh pshh!” percussive samples you’d hear on the original. The rest just fell into place; all guitars were recorded in one day, and it was also one of Tim Hagberg‘s first full-on drum sessions for LSD. He went into the studio with Greg Reely one day and rocked the hell out of it. It was, and still is, one of our most magical moments. I know it sounds cheesy but whenever we play it live, I can almost picture the ghost of Ian Curtis in the audience, doing his trademark jerky flyswatter dance.
S] We were incredibly impressed with The Birthday Massacre’s cover of your song ‘Last Daze’ – if you could handpick anyone to take on one of your tracks and actually cover it, who would you choose?
k] Wow. I don’t know, The Birthday Massacre‘s version still blows me away. I’d like to see someone really ‘out there’ to cover one of our songs, like Tom Waits or Leonard Cohen or Harry Connick Jr. Or Weird Al Yankovic.
S] Can you tell us about some of your best moments from LSD’s recent tour with RevCo in the States?
JI] We got to see so much of the USA that I wanted to see more of, like the dessert, and New Orleans, as well as some of my favourite cities like Chicago, New York, and San Francisco. I think being in El Paso with the crew on the days off we had, as well as playing some legendary shows like the Fillmore, and many of the House of Blues clubs.
k] So many fond moments. I’ll try to sum it up to just a few. Meeting and getting to know the Jourgensen’s a bit. Al and Angie are amazing, and I wish them both all the very best and thank them dearly for not only giving us the time of day, but being so supportive of us on this tour. Also, not only getting to see, but working alongside and with Jim Rose. Having my boys become part of the circus act was the most exciting and touching experience of the tour. (PS: Jim if you’re reading this, I never attend a party without a tablespoon or a phone book anymore. Raccoon traps and sledgehammers are next. Thank you
Most importantly, being on the road, playing our songs to a new crowd night after night, and watching one of the best rock bands in history hit the stage. RevCo have taught us a lot, inspired us even more, and are a force to be reckoned with; so long as none of them get arrested, these fine young lads will have a long tenure ahead of them, entertaining, shocking, and wooing audience members across the globe for years to come.
S] Jeremy, there’s a forthcoming Front Line Assembly Record – can you shed some more light on that for us?
JI] Yes, there is a new album, but everyone will have to wait for the press release in the early new year. It’s going to be a good one.
S] How will you be dividing your time between FLA and LSD next year – what will your daily routine be like – epic?
JI] It’s not easy, and it changes from year to year, but so far I have managed to do both. FLA doesn’t gig on a regular basis like LSD, so that helps. Everything is planned a year in advance.
S] Back to LSD, how are you planning to expand on the whole concept next year – you have been exploring new ideas in terms of performance and video this year, how will that work develop?
k] We will see what next year brings. While I have many an idea for a multimedia angle to this next album’s concept, I really don’t know how much our budget would allow such extravagant endeavours to come to fruition. However, despite what our cash flow is, we always find a way to pull off something exciting and new: this will be no different. We’re always trying to top ourselves and we look forward to what 2010 will bring for LSD.
S] After the success of the underground remixes album, will you be unleashing anything similar soon, and if so, who would you like to get on board?
JI] We will put out a new online single sometime in the new year for sure.
k] I’d like to see a covers album sometime in the future. We all have songs we want cover ’cause we’re music whores.
S] Obviously your music revolves around the darker side of government and society – we wondered, do you have an opinion on British culture and government – we actually have a few American and Canadian friends that prefer to watch the BBC online for reliable news rather than home channels?
JI] BBC is much better then CNN or FOX for news, I agree fully.
k] It’s pretty much the same here. I don’t watch TV for my news. My only critical opinion on British culture is this: bring back Red Dwarf! The ‘Back to Earth’ mini-series on the Dave channel was such a tease.
S] It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster ride over the last year-or-so, can you tell us about some of the more difficult moments for the band and how you came through them?
k] Leaving a band member behind is always difficult. But, like this last tour, it was part of the extremities we have to go through in order to survive as a group, and continue to grow. I regret nothing, no matter how much I complain. Sticking by one another through difficult times, joking around, having a laugh whenever we can, doing whatever we can to make light of a shi**y situation – that’s how we keep it together. It’s all about communication, camaraderie, and comedy.
S] Musically, the band seems to have been going from strength-to-strength, can you talk to us about a few specific highlights from 2009?
JI] The release of the double album in Europe!
k] Being able to still release music to the public, travelling across the continent, and being up on stage with Matt (guitars), Jeremy, and Tim (drums). These are highlights any night. Some RevCo Lubricatour, LSD Cyberpunk Assault tour highlights include this one incident when the Rabid Whole were on tour with us, we pulled their backing film from the stage projector and replaced it with hardcore porn. This was a prank that took them six minutes to figure out! It took them an entire song to realize they’d just been iPunk’d!
Another memorable moment was being given a private listening of the forthcoming RevCo album at the 13th Planet compound in El Paso – that was a fu**ing treat. (PS: Al, my ears still ring to this day!). Also, there’s the fact that we were able to meet a handful of new people across the US including fans from Seattle to New York and back again. I think also, getting to know the whole Chicago scene including Bit Riot Records, Acumen Nation, Cyanotic and others a bit more, making many friends (and enemas) along the way. Also, witnessing the New Mexico desert! I want to live there before I die. I could possibly go on with at least 23 more crazy and unexpected moments that we’d experienced on this tour alone, let alone the entire year; if this band has taught me anything it’s that it is completely impossible to predict what can happen to us next.
S] What do you want for Christmas?
JI] My virginity.
k] Plutonium. Or a $3000 gift certificate to the Amoeba Record Shop in San Francisco.
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