Photo credit Dey
Martin
Mushroomhead Will Fuck
You Up!
-'XX' Their fourth record, a compilation of tunes
from three previous works, has been re-released by Universal, and it
rocks!
POP UP RADIO: AN INTERVIEW WITH
MUSHROOMHEAD DRUMMER SKINNY
MARCH 15, 2002
BY DEY MARTIN
Mushroomhead claims to be another breed
of theatrical metal band that likes their anonymity served up
with a lot of spice and fixin's. They mix hardcore death-metal
music with everything from hip-hop to rave styles. And yea, they claim that the music is really what's most important. If you're a fan you'll know that they can definitely back that up. As far as talent
goes, they do seem to have enough of it to burn out their competition -
nameley, Slipknot. We'll see.
Their fourth record titled, 'XX', a compilation of
tunes from three previously released works, has been re-released by Universal with three new tracks added. This is a totally remixed and remastered version
and it still rocks - harder. Universal got them on the
Scorpion King movie's soundtrack/compilation cd, but alas, they didn't make it into the movie. Call me first,
when the new record is in the can (they've got five tunes worked up and are itching to get back into the studio).
I interrogated Skinny,
the groups all-knowing drummer, shaman of shrooms, and founder, while they were on
the road in their tour-bus, to hear for myself what the "buzz" was
all about. (Check out the link to their new video on page three of this interview.)
PUR: Is this Skinny?
Skinny: Yea.
Where are you
guys at now?
We're in Philadelphia.
I caught up with you
guys and took some pics when you played at South by Southwest in Austin,
TX.
What'd you think?
Really dug your show. Kids
went nuts.
Yea, we were just watching the video tape
of that show the other night 'cause that was like the first time we had
done Jeff in the red face paint. Now were doin' him in red almost all
the time, and it's going to get worked into the new video.
Creative stage
show.
We have much more, but depending upon size and venue, and just the
whole situation - we only, in that instance only - used like half of it. Like
the banners and stuff; we have like a whole arena size. It's huge, and
we have much bigger stuff.
That shit was
killer.
I am glad you liked it.
I know that your
label once issued trading cards? Hook me up!
That's the old label. Eclipse records.
You are now on Universal
right?
Right. The trading card thing was
completely our idea. We talked about doing them correctly with a picture
on the back - collect 'm all.
So what is Mushroomhead
all about. Why Mushroomhead? are you guys into psychedelics?
Oh yea! Sure. Not as much as we used to
be; I'll tell you that. We've been doing this a while. But um...
it's something that leaves a lot to the imagination. Anything that we
can do to inspire someone's thinking from what we offer. We're all about
being open, and experimenting, and we're not about being closed minded.
Mushroomhead is just one of those words that kinda makes it endless. The
possibilities are: it can sound psychedelic, or you can, uh, think of it
as a phallic symbol - a very sexual thing - or a funny type of name. It
leaves a lot to the imagination. You can go anywhere with it. That's
kinda where we are with the music. We do not want to get locked into one
style.
You guys are all
across the board with a whole bunch of other shit in there. Do you still
end every set with a rave number? How did that element of your
show develop?
Just from me being into hardcore techno,
and writing a lot of it. That was one of the things that got me into
sampling, and drum machines, and sequencers in the first place. I was
into the hardcore "Gabba music." I started listening to a lot of that
in 90 - 92 and you're talking 184 beats per minute (bpm) almost
borderline noise. Really aggressive. The rest of these guys hate it, but
I was really into it.
The old sample guy actually used to have a
turntable and we would spin sometimes and go in and out of each others
stuff. I would bring sequencers and drum machines. It's more like a live
P.A. set-up than it was just a regular rave. And then we just continued
to do that. And then, you know, you turn the stage over to the kids.
Mostly the girls get up and dance at the end of the night, and some clubs
just let it roll until the lights come on. It just became part of the
show. When we didn't do it, it's just like, uh, were done. It just didn't
have the flow anymore - so we continue to do it now.
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