I really like his art, the environments and cityscapes. Most of his work is done in photoshop, really cool for digital art. Any how Click here to check out his deviant art page. Click pictures below to see them full sized.
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Intro: One of the elite female heroines of the gothic industrial dance scene over the past 7 years. Her self created project started back in 1998. She started out power noise and evolved to incorporate a more ebm dance theme into the act. Signed to Alfa-Matrix(a belgian label, with other acts: front 242, Leæther Strip, Ayria, Hungry Lucy) in 2005. With 3 lps under her belt, she has proved to be very relevant in the EBM-GOTH-INDUSTRIAL-DANCE scene. Click Here to check out their myspace page.
VAC: How are you doing?
UN: I’m doing really well! I’m in a great state of mind these days… The past year has been extremely rough and it’s nice to finally see a bit of light at the end of this long and dark twisted tunnel.
VAC: What are you working on currently?
UN: Right now, I’m working with my live band members for a huge show we have coming up next week with Nitzer Ebb. It’s a pretty big deal for me, because it’s in my home-town, and, well, it’s with a band that has been so influential to electronic music, so it’s quite an honor to be playing with them. Besides that, I’m wrapping up my next Unter Null album “Moving On”, which I’m very proud of, some of my best work to date… and I’m also finishing up the next album for my Stray project, which is going to be all kinds of epic. I’m also starting to book a tour in Europe for 2010- it will be REALLY nice to get back overseas, I have missed Europe dearly, especially Italy.
VAC: How did you come up with the band name?
UN: Years and years ago… I thought “Unter Null” would be a funny self-detrimental title – literally translated it means “Below Zero” but I also interpret it as “Below Nothing”. The name stuck and just kinda rolls off the tongue easily now.
VAC: Are you excited to be opening for Nitzer Ebb?
UN: Ha, as stated above — very much so 
I’m a huge fan… And luckily I’ve seen them play before over in Europe and it was just an incredible experience to see these legends perform.
VAC: What other acts have you played live shows with?
UN: Oh, God… A lot I’ve toured in Europe with good pals XP8… Other bands in Europe I’ve performed with (as either opening band or headliner, that is) have been Suicide Commando, Reaper, …and of course some festivals where there were numerous acts on the bill. In the states, I did a US tour last year with C/A/T.
VAC: Do you like performing live?
UN: I love it – it is the ultimate catharsis for me…. As my songs are all quite personal, being able to perform them live and let all that rage and emotion out is just awesome for me. Being on stage brings out a whole other side of me that I can’t really channel in my day-to-day life; I become fearless and ready to take on anything. It’s especially great when you have an audience that is right there along with you and you get so much energy from their enthusiasm. I love it.
VAC: Of all the shows you have played, what town was the best?
UN: Some of my favorite places to perform have been: Russia (St. Petersburg, Volgograd, and Moscow); Copenhagen, Denmark; New York City… those are the places that really stick out in my mind..
VAC: What is the worst pick up line you have gotten from a groupie?
UN: Oh, god. I once got this weird long rambling email about someone who wanted me to take photos of my feet for their boyfriend because they both had a foot fetish and it would be ‘an honor’ to have pictures of my feet. Uh, what?!
I don’t really have ‘groupies’ though… And how do you distinguish groupies and fans? It’s kind of a fine line, isn’t it?
VAC: Most memorable tour moment?
UN: Just one?
Ha!
Let’s see…
Getting 50 drink tickets in Champaign, IL…That was pretty amazing.
Actually, the entire US tour last year is what spawned the parody project I have called “Afterparty”…
VAC: Is it true, you are going to be the female Gordon Ramsey?
UN: Well, my day job is cooking… It’s my other passion besides music. I attended culinary school and all that… I love to cook, and evetually I’d like to run my own restaurant where I call the shots. I don’t know if I have it in me to be a total asshole to fellow workers though… But I can be pretty demanding for perfection. We’ll see =)
VAC: Will you start a restaurant called “Below Freezing” ?
UN: That’s a brilliant idea, Bryan… If I use that name, I will so credit you on that. I still haven’t come up with a good name for a restaurant… I was kind of thinking of “Uber Noodle”. Where I sell really cold noodles…
VAC: I heard you had a studio fire, was this because of cooking school?
UN: HAHA!!! No. I had a fire last year on Christmas, it was completely devastating. Took out my entire music studio, and the entire upper floor of our house… I lost so many things. Luckily all material items and we were safe, but we had to live in a hotel for a couple of weeks while they rebuilt the upper floor. And thank god for homeowner’s insurance!!
What had happened was, earlier that evening I was recording the vocals on the collab track I did with Leaetherstrip, and had some candles lit. Before I finished for the evening, I blew out the candles… well, they were those little tealight candles, and supposedly they have a tendency to fucking relight. Amazing what one stupid candle can do. The weird thing was, the candles weren’t even near anything flamable..
VAC: Forgive the bad joke.
UN: Just try to offend me.
VAC: What gear did you lose in the fire?
UN: Luckily, my harddrives WERE refurbished… amazingly. I lost 2 MIDI controllers, an electric guitar, an acoustic guitar, an Alesis Ion, my external audio card, all my cables, 4 microphones (3 condensors, 1 dynamic), 3 books full of lyrics that can never be replaced, fuckkk… a lot of other stuff that I had listed down for the insurance company but can’t recall off the top of my head. I think it’s something I try to block out.
VAC: What is your favorite synth?
UN: Right now I’m drooling over the Roland Juno D… What a sweet, sweet synth that is. I still love the Alesis Ion; it packs a serious punch. These days, however, I’m using mostly virtual synths. One of these days I will rebuild the hardware part of my studio
VAC: What do you use to make music?
UN: Currently: I use Logic Pro 9 as a DAW, an M-Audio Axiom 61, AKG Perception 420 condensor mic… and a fuckton of AU plugins I still have a huge crush on all the NI instruments…some of the best for virtual instruments. NI Massive is on my favorite lists these days, as well as Kontakt.
VAC: You are classically trained, do you ever play more organic instruments like piano or cello?
UN: I’ve played piano since I was 3… I also play cello to some extent, viola, guitar, bass. I would LOVE to someday become more coordinated so I can play the drums. I have a hard time with the feet-hands thing. I also would love to learn to play the Oud… But according to a friend it’s one of the most difficult instruments to play, and he’s been playing for 5 years..
VAC: Despite your antzen and noise influence, you seem to have a ton of melodic musical talent. What makes you like Noise?
UN: My love for noise has died down a bit in my old age… But I still just love the power and harshness behind some of the good tracks. Just complete, utter rage… At least that’s what it sounds like to me. I love the extremes of things. I took Unter Null in a more melodic direction, though, because of my love for melody… and it’s a tricky thing to combine melody and noise, but I’ve tried.
VAC: I love some of the acts like Immanent Starvation. I love synapsescape and Asche, I often beat mix that stuff in when I dj. But honestly, I think a lot of that scene is umm, un listenable, not musical enough for my tastes although when it’s totally kick ass rhythm I dig it though. Who are your favorite noise acts and why?
UN: Well, my introduction to the whole ‘rhythmic noise’ genre was via Noisex, and I still have a soft spot for them I absolutely LOVE Winterkaelte… their programming is brilliant and they have some amazingly harsh tracks. What ever did happen to Asche? I really did like his material. I haven’t kept up on current noise acts, unfortunately, as it just doesn’t grab my attention anymore. We need more stuff like Gridlock – they were brilliant at combining harsh elements with lovely melodies…
VAC: List your top ten favorite bands.
UN: Oh this is cruel…
In no order, really:
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
The Flashbulb
Junior Boys
Spiritual Front
Lustmord
Dimmu Borgir
Apparat
Venetian Snares
Telefon Tel Aviv
M83
and, Skinny Puppy
VAC: List your Top ten Favorite Lps.
UN: Skinny Puppy – Vivisect VI
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Henry’s Dream
The Flashbulb – Soundtrack to a Vacant Life
Kattoo – Megrim
Venetian Snares – Rossz Csillag Alatt Született
Spiritual Front – Armageddon Gigolo
Nitzer Ebb – That Total Age
Halou – Wiser
Beefcake – Coincidentia Oppositorum
Junior Boys – So This Is Goodbye
VAC: Who have you collaborated with, what remixes have you done?
UN: I’ve not collaborated a *whole* lot. I tend to be really solitary in my creative endeavors. I’ve done a few guest vocal appearances – Leaetherstrip, Implant, E.S.A. I’ve done remixes for Glis, GenCab, Inure, Suicide Commando, Tamtrum, Autoclav1.1, C/A/T.
VAC: If you could change one historic event in history what would it be?
UN: I wouldn’t. I’m a believer of that everything happens for a reason, be it good or bad. I wouldn’t change anything, who knows what the outcome would be? I prefer to let go of the wheel when it comes to things that are out of my hands, out of my control. There’s no use in trying to change destiny.
VAC: Anyone you would like to see in prison or worse?
UN: Every rapist, every murderer, every child molester, anyone who has brought horrible harm and grief to innocent people. Let the pot smokers out, they’re not hurting anyone but themselves. Take care of the really really bad guys….
VAC: How do you view the modern club scene?
UN: Eh, it’s not really my thing anymore. I go out once in a while to support my friends’ nights, but it’s just socializing. As I get older I’m more apt to stay at home and be entertained that way I don’t have the energy to go out as much as I used to. If I do go out it’s usually to catch a gig.
VAC: If you could win any piece of musical gear in the world, what would you pick?
UN: Probably the ARP 2500 
VAC: Who are your influences?
UN: Musically, I gather influences from… god, so so much. I can’t even begin to list them all. Otherwise, I take in everything around me, all life events, what I see and what I experience… and that’s channeled into my music. I don’t try to emulate other musicians, I write what pleases my own ears. I’m probably totally unaware of a lot of my influences
VAC: TV?
UN: I don’t watch a whole lot, but lately I’m hooked on NCIS! I love that show! Also, The Whitest Kids U’ Know is the funniest damn sketch comedy I’ve ever seen. It makes Kids in the Hall seem like a soap opera. A bad soap opera. Brilliant comedians. I highly suggest people go to YouTube and search “WKUK Grapist”. Your life will be impacted by it forever.
Also, props to Dexter.
VAC: Movies?
UN: I’m a zombie fans… so bring on the undead, I love it. I love French horror, as it seems they really know how to make a truly terrifying film; see “Inside”. I am totally desensitized these days but that movie scared the hell out of me. So disturbing. I love Se7en still to this day, and pretty much anything Kevin Spacey does. Christopher Walken, Robert Deniro, Christian Bale, and Crispin Glover are some of my hands-down favorite actors. I’ll watch any movie they’ve done. I’m more a fan of independent cinema, and think Hollywood has put out some of the worst movies ever. I was really excited for 2012, for instance… and I walked out of that movie totally pissed off and disappointed. Way to go ruining the apocalypse, guys… I love apocalyptic films and that just totally got trashed.
VAC: Books?
UN: Well, I read a lot of books on food and cooking and culinary geek stuff I also love a good horror book. I have way too many books on audio engineering and general music/audio geekiness. I loved House of Leaves. That book was amazing. Also really like anything zombie-related, once again..
VAC: Authors?
UN: My guilty pleasure is Dean Koontz. I also really like Christopher McCammon. Swan Song was such an amazing read, and even at ~1000 pages I’ve managed to read it almost 10 times. I also really like David Sedaris.
VAC: What is your favorite food?
UN: Another cruel question!
I’ll eat anything, pretty much – at least give it a go. I kind of have to! But I LOVE good sashimi, a good steak, I love gnocchi so much… especially gnocchi alla sorrentina. Good Indian curry. Bruschetta done right. ANYTHING with fresh basil. And… the pizza in Naples. I’d go back just for the pizza there. I generally eat healthy, organic, and fresh foods. I tend to crave vegetables and fruits rather than sweets. I hate fried foods.
VAC: who is your favorite artist? art not music.
UN: I honestly don’t have one. I can appreciate visual art, but I’m not a painter or drawer (seriously, I suck so bad) so while I can say “wow that is awesome”, I don’t keep tabs on artists, really..
VAC: Do you like where you are currently living?
UN: I love Portland, there’s a lot here for me. I live in a rad house with tons of space, and have some great friends in this city. So yea, I like this a lot more than other places I’ve lived.
VAC: What can we expect next from Unter Null?
UN: Well, the new album definitely… And hopefully a tour in 2010… and of course more and more albums
VAC:I myself make a lot of food, but mostly raw vegan stuff. I have considered writing a recipe book, how about you?
UN: I definitely have. I keep a journal of my own recipes, and someday maybe I’ll throw it into a book. I’m very knowledgable on different diets and nutrition, so that is an angle I’d probably approach with a book. I was vegetarian for 7 years myself My downfall was cheese when I went vegan, and then eventually I craved seafood again and the veg*an period of my life was over. But I cook mostly vegetarian meals at home. Hey, we should collaborate!
VAC: Krztov says high, he is working on his new music and expecting a kid! He told me he hung out with you a while back and you guys had fun joking around.
UN: Hah, yea. We hung out at a show in Seattle once YEARS ago. He’s a nice guy.
VAC: Thank you for your time, is there any thing else you would like to add?
UN: Thank you for the interview! I can’t think of anything else I’d like to add… But I think 2010 is going to be an awesome year and I hope it is awesome for everyone.
VAC: Thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview, we hope to help get you some more exposure in the music world. Take care..
UN: Thank you!!
If you like what you hear on the youtube vids, go buy some unter null: Click Here to buy Mp3s from Unter Null.
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Confessions of a Knife
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Ahh, the good old days. In all seriousness, I bought this tape before even my first skinny puppy tape. LOL, no fucking joke. OLD VAC was hugely influenced by TKK this LP probably the most. To me, TKK is INDUSTRIAL-DISCO. I was a huge fan of the super obnoxious distorted drunken vocals. In fact, I think this band had more of an influence on my industrial vocal style than any other band back from those days.
This was back when I used to drop lsd all the time and try to find the trippiest music ever. This was one of the bands that fell into the LSD music category, they would layer sound fx in the back grounds, i could hear things whispering to me, but not when i was sober. This music was possessed and super blasphemous. I loved how super emotional the vocals where.
Take disco, mix it with the industrial sounding depeche mode, and throw in some distorted vocals, sing about killers, kults, how bad religion is, make fun of suburban house wives, talk about drugs and freaking out and you have a VAC errrr, I mean, TKK LP. LOL. I loved how they used samples, in fact I preferred how they used them to any thing else. TKK has this white trash kind of feel to it that i just love to death.
Favorite song on this lp has gotta be, wait wait wait, it’s a tie between A Daisy Chain 4 Satan and The Days of Swine and Roses. My all time FAV tkk song is “CUZ IT’S HOT”, any how, I used to dj tons of shit off this record in the clubs back when I used to DJ, Cooler than Jesus, or a Daisy Chain 4 Satan.
I love the drum programming, the samples, the disco bass lines and the evil nature of this lp. This is a fucking classic. If you are into old school industrial, this is a must own. 10 out of 10. Click Here to buy TKK: Confessions of a Knife.
Really pretty fetish model. I found her while looking on deviant art for material for the blog. Caught my eye. She hails from Belgium. Click Here to check out her deviant art profile.
I found this website reading some other forums a while back, and absolutely loved some of the videos they had of their bands lps and stuff. Don’t laugh at me, but I have a soft spot in my heart for black metal, and really musical pretty stuff like this. I really see potential in this label, I hope they sell more cds and get more famous. Check it out. If you like the videos, go buy some of their music. I love this ambient, classical, black metal! Click Here to check out their web site.
Opening words: In a scene full of acts that garnish the label “Future Pop”, one act has almost perfected it and is still making very relevant music in this genre. I honestly enjoy compass more than anything I have heard in the last 5 years in that style of music. He is the best future pop act on metropolis now. If he continues to put out this quality of music, I can see him standing on top alone. Interview conducted by Hexfix93.
EDTM: How are you?
A23: Busy, but busy is a good thing.
EDTM: Is there a theme to your new lp?
A23: I wouldn’t say so. I think concept albums and albums with a single theme can be tough to pull off. They’re definitely cool when they’re well done, but for the time being at least, I’d prefer to keep each song as a self-contained entity.
EDTM: What new bands are you into these days?
A23: Lately I’ve been digging the Presets, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Ulrich Schnauss, Hadouken, The Editors, Burial, Trentemoller, The Field, The Big Pink, Jon Tejada, Deadmau5, and various electro-house stuff.
EDTM: How is the scene treating you?
A23: It’s hard to complain. A23 has been releasing albums for ten years now, and the new one seems to be getting a pretty positive response. It’s a lot more fickle than it used to be and you’ve got to work hard to keep afloat, but my fans have always been really supportive and make it all worthwhile.
EDTM: Who were your musical idols growing up?
A23: The Clash, the Buzzcocks, the Circle Jerks, the first 2 Human League albums, Yaz, Depeche Mode, Fad Gadget, Joy Division/New Order…
EDTM: Is there a theme to your band?
A23: Not really. Writers always say to write about what you know, so A23 has always been about my experiences, things I’ve seen or been through, things I think about. It’s just one big ego dump. haha
EDTM: What is your favorite A23 lp?
A23: I’m really happy with the new one. It’s probably the first time I’ve finished an album and been almost completely happy with it. There’s always those tiny little things you want to tweak, but overall this one was the smoothest transition from what I was envisioning in my head and how the final project came out.
EDTM: Which LP was the most fun to make?
A23: Definitely “Compass”. I knew I wanted to get away from the older style a bit and incorporate influences from the kind of stuff I listen to these days. I felt like electronic music in general was advancing and evolving, but out scene was just kind of remaining stagnant, recycling the same late 90′s trance sounds that have been driven into the ground by this time. So I just did whatever felt right without worrying if it fit into what was expected for a specific genre. Frankly, I wish I’d loosened up this way much earlier.
EDTM: Who have you collaborated with in the past?
A23: I don’t really like collaborating too much, but last year I collaborated with Matt Fanale on a Caustic track under my Nerve Filter side-project.
EDTM: Now that VNV has left metropolis, you have taken the crown of Future Pop on that label, how do you feel about that?
A23: I don’t know. I’ve always hated that genre name. I don’t really consider what A23 does these days to fit that style, but ultimately, you are whatever the music listeners say you are, so there you go. “Status” on a label doesn’t mean a lot to me. I’m just happy I can keep making music for a living and am thankful that people like what I’m doing.
EDTM: Honestly, I think your new LP is excellent. It reminds me of a modern old depeche mode. I think you sound better than most of the acts doing this style these days, ho do you rate your new lp?
A23: Thanks very much. Like I said, it’s really the happiest I’ve been with an album. I’m looking forward to getting out and playing the new stuff live.
EDTM: I hear a little severed heads in your sound as well, is this just my imagination?
A23: I don’t listen to them so much any more, but I listened to them a lot when I was in high school, so I’m sure they made an impression on me. I’ve always had a lot of respect for Mr. Ellard.
EDTM: What is your most cherished synthesizer?
A23: At the moment is probably my Sequential Circuits Pro One. The previous owner painted it green, so it’s pretty unique. It’s just brilliant for bass sounds. I do wish the old SCI stuff had a better build quality, though…
EDTM: What DAW?
A23: Logic.
EDTM: What kind of recording gear do you use?
A23: My studio is centered around Apple Logic with a MOTU 828mkII audio interface. Probably 90% of the plug-ins I use are the ones that come with Logic… they’re very good. For compression and EQ I use a Focusrite Liquidmix. That piece alone is the best money I’ve spent on my studio. It sounds fantastic.
EDTM: MAC OR PC?
A23: I’ve always been a Mac guy. I’m not much of an ‘under the hood’ computer owner. I just want it to work right out of the box, and for me personally, the Mac stuff has always been great in that respect.
EDTM: What is your favorite 80s movie?
A23: Probably a toss-up between Blade Runner and Brazil… it’s amazing how well both of those movies have held up visually.
EDTM: What is your favorite B movie?
A23: I’m a bit of a bad movie fanatic, so it’s hard to name just one. Lately, I’ve been turning on a lot of friends to Tommy Wiseau’s “The Room”. It’s the most unintentionally funny movie I think I’ve ever seen.
EDTM: What is your favorite TV show?
A23: The Office… 30 Rock… COPS is still a guilty pleasure for me.
EDTM: Favorite Book?
A23: Hard to pick just one… Catcher in the Rye… 1984… Brave New World… Just about any of Chuck Palahniuk’s earlier books. I also really enjoy David Sedaris’ essays.
EDTM: List your top ten favorite lps.
A23: Man, that’s tough… it would probably change from day to day, but off the top of my head and in no particular order…
Black Celebration by Depeche Mode, Belief by Nitzer Ebb, Reproduction by the Human League, Post by Bjork, Official Version by Front 242, Movement by New Order, London Calling by the Clash, Upstairs at Eric’s by Yaz, Fad Gadget – The Singles, Computer World by Kraftwerk…
EDTM: If you could teleport any where in the universe, where would you go?
A23: Preferably some place with an oxygen-based atmosphere or I’d be in trouble…
EDTM: What do you desire most on this earth?
A23: Happiness.
EDTM: Of the lyrics you have written, which one is your favorite?
A23: I don’t think I could choose. I put a lot of work into the lyrics, so they’re all kind of special to me. I guess the obvious choice would have to be “Disappoint”. I wrote it just as a way of trying to make sense of my father’s suicide, but I get more email or people at shows telling me about how that song effected their lives when they went through something similar. It’s kind of nice when something as simple as a song can make a connection with people that way.
EDTM: Anlog VS Digital?
A23: Digilog. (They both have their place…)
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If you like the music, go buy their music! Click here to buy on Amazon. Click Here to buy from Metropolis Records Online.