Brainterviews

INTERVIEW WITH

SEBASTIAN ELLIOTT OF BRAINDANCE
YTSE JAM WEBZINE — U.S.A.

SUMMER, 2002

1) Can you tell me a little bit about how you came to start a progressive duo? Was it out of necessity or desire? And was the one man/one woman combination intentional?

Vora and I met through a local paper in the last century...certainly desire shaped my initial interest, however, out of necessity, I felt drawn to something that I felt was potentially groundbreaking...insofar as being labelled progressive, both of us had had formal classical training for many years, and had individually, adopted a different approach to music that adhered to a certain level of musicianship. up until a few years ago, braindance was a five piece, live and in the studio. However, due to the overwhelming tribulations associated with releasing redemption as a self-produced entity, we were forced to part ways with our keyboardist, drummer and bass player, all of whom have been subsequently replaced successfully.

2) Has working as a duo ever limited your creativity or do you approach things from a standpoint of, ‘We’ll do it first and worry about it later’?

we worry first, and then do it...

3) Can you point to a piece on your most recent release that you think worked specifically because you are in a duo?

vora and I are constantly feeding off of each other whilst recording, sometimes composing and altering song structure as we record. I would say that every song on redemption represents that interplay on many levels, however, to be able to assess our activity as a duo is beyond my ability at the moment.

4) What about live shows?

Currently, we’ve assembled several talented musicians as the new braindance, replacing members on bass, drums, and keyboards, all of which will be available for live spectatin’ as of the fall of 2002.

5) What do you think is the biggest misconception people have about your band?

That we’re really, really cool...

6) You meld not just progressive and metal music together but also dashes of stuff like Bauhaus and so on into your music. That’s maybe a blend that would have been unthinkable maybe ten years ago. Do you agree?

We’ve been doing this for ten years, so it is as unlikely now as it was then. I’m a fan of several sub-genres, from electro to darkwave to progressive metal to progressive trance to symphonic epic black metal to cheesy radio-friendly pop to industrial, and regularly listen to recordings from very separate camps. Perhaps if we had a better idea of acceptability, we’d be able to claim that we know what we’re doing, and most likely, be making more money doing it.

7) Your lyrics are quite intriguing, they kind of fall outside the normal fodder of the type of music you play. Have they always played an important role for you as a songwriter?

As a lyricist, I can appreciate the varied interpretations that come with listening to music. In fact, I, myself, rarely remember the lyrics of even my favorite songs, ascribing meaning as I see fit, sometimes based upon experience and melodic interpretation. Perception is everything, and I intentionally compose lyrics that communicate on several levels - what I write might be interpreted as a profound spiritual journey, or may actually be interpreted as cheese sticks (as if cheese sticks are devoid of spirituality).

8) If you could make a five-minute film that summarized what your band is about what images would it include?

A lot of that cool c.g.i. stuff and mad bitches, yo.

9) Feel free to add anything you’d like to discuss.

Support the underground without neglecting clean undergarments.