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Static-X: Looking Into The Machine - 2001
Interviewer: James Wright
In 1997 Static-X took fans on a Wisconsin Death Trip playing shows as a part Ozzfest and again the next year on the main stage. Now it's 2001 and Static-X have returned with their sophomore album "Machine." We had the opportunity to speak with Wayne Static about going platinum, the recording process, and the band's latest release.
You guys burst onto the scene and grabbed the attention of everyone back in 97' and toured as a part of Ozzfest and with acts like Fear Factory. Which gave you guys a Gold record...
Wayne: It's a Platinum record now.
Wow. Platinum already! Did you ever think there was a chance of selling a million copies when you inked your record deal?
Wayne: No not at all! I thought if we sold a couple hundred thousand we'd be doing great! It's quite an accomplishment and to me it's hard to even fathom selling a million records but on the flip side I can tell we're popular and people dig us.
Looking back at that time is there anything you would have done differently now?
Wayne: The only thing I may have done differently is take more breaks in the early stages but it's kind of hard to do when your taking any tour you can get and because of that we got really burnt out.
The whole 3 year period is being documented in the form of your home video “Where The Hell Are We And What Day Is This?” what can fans expect from the video?
Wayne: We just tried to make it different than most home videos. Seems like most home videos are just scenes of the band partying and having fun but we wanted to do something different and make it a true documentary. It's got a lot of old footage of us as kids and footage of our old bands compiled with footage of us in the studio. I think this gives fans a really realistic sort of view of who we are.
Is the cover to the home video artwork submitted by fans?
Wayne: Actually it's from an art contest to be the Home Video cover, which got a lot of entries. Out of that there was this one by a kid named Ryan, a college student, and his art is just really awesome so we picked his.
Static-X seems to have created a loyal fan base some bands dream of having. What is the most dedicated thing your fans have done so far in admiration?
Wayne: Well just today there was a guy who had a big picture of me from the inside of album tattooed on the side of his leg! There have been a lot of tattoos of the logo and stuff like that. To me that is the ultimate compliment is to have someone think highly enough of the band to have put you on their body forever.
Is it weird to seeing something like that from your perspective?
Wayne: The first couple times it happened it was really shocking but now you'd be surprised to see how many times we see someone with the logo tattooed on their bodies.
Where does the title, Machine, come from?
Wayne: The title of the record actually comes from a description we use for the band, as we like to think of ourselves as a well-oiled machine kind of working in harmony together. We try and perform like machines as humanly possible and on this record we tried to make the music even more machine like on this record than the first one.
This album seems to delve a little bit further into the industrial side of things. Was that your intention or just they way things came out?
Wayne: I think it's more metal and more industrial. Just a little bit more of everything in there on this record. Why be afraid to be heavy when a band like Slipknot can come out and sell a million records? They're just fucking brutal! We're not afraid to be heavy that's for sure.
This record seems a little less commercial as well.
Wayne: It is probably a little less commercial overall but I hear other people saying it's more commercial. We had some radio stations that didn't like the first record coming and telling us that this record is easier to listen to than the last one and that they would play this one. I think that there is just more diversity in this record and that it's a full on assault from the begging and that songs like “Black and White” and “Cold” have a nice melodic tinge to them and then it just ends in a Death Metal dirge! I think that there's a lot more diversity with this record.
Have you guys given any thought to singles or videos yet?
Wayne: Yea' we did a live video for “This Is Not” which we shot at the Roxy in L.A and then we also shot a video for “Black and White” which will come out later in the summer.
How was the response to the videos from the first record?
Wayne: “Push It” did great and it was cool because we weren't even supposed to do a video but a friend of ours did it for almost nothing just like a pet project of his. When that video came out MTV jumped all over it! When we did the second video we spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on it and nobody ever played it! It's really hit or miss with videos as it's kind of something you have to do but not necessarily enjoy the whole thing. I think in the next couple years M2 and MTV-X will be a lot more open to the general public. Right now we're kind of at this weird point where MTV isn't really playing all that much music and very few people have access to M2 or MTV-X.
We have Much Music here.
Wayne: You can get that here if you have Satellite but there's not cable carriers here that have it.
Was the any pressure when recording this record to make it as successful as it's predecessor?
Wayne: I didn't feel any sort of pressure to make it more successful than the debut. I wanted to make the best record that we could and I know we've done that. My goal when recording was to challenge ourselves and grow but at the same time not make the same record while not abandoning things that made the first record popular. I think that's the key is to grow but not take away what got you to where you are in the first place.
No traveling down the same path twice?
Wayne: Exactly. We tried to experiment with different beats and sounds along with more loops and layering within our sound. A lot of bands I think don't have a conscious vision of where they want to take things; they just try and write songs. I think you really need a vision of where you want to go and you need to guide the band in that direction.
Is it important for all four members to have the same goal when they hit the studio?
Wayne: I think it is to a point but it's more important to have everyone into what they're trying to do and that everyone has artistic input. I think it only takes one person really to guide things along just take a look at Al Jorgensen with Ministry or Rob Zombie and White Zombie. There needs to be at least one person in the band who has a vision of where they want to go.
What does Machine offer that “Wisconsin Death Trip” didn't?
Wayne: I think it offers more [Wayne does his trademark Static-X scream] than the last one. (Laughs) Honestly though, I really don't know at this point because I'm to close to it at this point to tell but I do know that we've made the best possible record we can make. I'm pretty certain that everyone who bought the first record will dig this one as well and that was our goal. If we accomplish that than it's a success to me.
You guys are heading out as a part of the Extreme Steel Tour with Pantera and Slayer. Is there any pressure performing alongside two of today's most notable live acts?
Wayne: I'm not worried at all because we've toured with both Pantera and Slayer on separate occasions and I think we can hold our own up there. I have nothing but the utmost respect for those two bands though.
May seems to be one of the biggest months for heavy music in 2001 with albums dropping from Staind, Stereomud, Systematic, Megadeth and Tool dropping literally all at the same time. Why should someone out there pick up Static-X's new record?
Wayne: Well if you like Megadeth and not Static-X then go buy Megadeth's new record. (Laughs) I think music is a very personal thing and if someone likes another band better than ours then I can't argue with that.