ATTRITION

Through the miracle of the 'net, Martin shares some thoughts with us on Attrition and whatnot...

How did the two of you first meet?
MARTIN BOWES:  I met Julia through a mutual friend at a local gig in Coventry in 1979.

What were your musical experiences before Attrition like?
MB:  There were NONE before Attrition, it was our first musical project...and will probably be our last! We have learnt everything we know as musicians through experiments as Attrition.

From reading your bio, it seems like Attrition began right in the middle of the whole industrial/experimental movement in the early 80s. What are some of the more memorable moments from that period?
MB:  Yes we did...there was an explosion of creativity from a lot of bands - people came together to some extent through a whole scene of fanzines and labels (such as Third Mind) and the industrial/experimental scene was born. It was an exciting time...although electronic music was much less acceptable to the general public than it is now. It was still hard to get over to a lot of people. There were some good underground shows and I'm glad we were a part of them!

What did the name Attrition mean to you when you first started the band? Has the meaning changed for you over the years?
MB:  Attrition, as in 'war of attrition.' It was so long ago now and I think the name is purely a banner for our musical activities - it stands for the body of work we have achieved...are still achieving...

Attrition has been released by a number of labels over the years. Are you pretty happy with your current situations with Hyperium and Projekt?
MB:  We are no longer with Hyperium - we are now exclusively with Projekt and will be for the forseeable future - our contract for 3 albums expired and we basically believed more in Projekt. We ARE happy with the current situation!

While many of the pioneering electronic and industrial bands emerged from the UK (SPK, TG, Coil, etc.), it seems like the attention has shifted to Germany and other parts of Europe during the 90s. How has the scene in the UK shifted over the past 15 years, from your perspective, and where do you think it's heading?
MB:  I agree that the focus of much interesting activity in the experimental electronics has shifted to places like Germany and the USA.  England (like Belgium, actually) has lost its dominence in terms of labels and press.  There ARE still interesting bands working here, but as we found even ten years ago, they must look to the rest of the world for REAL support.  The so-called gothic/darkwave scene in the UK has expanded recently which is good for us, as we have always sat astride both scenes. THAT may be the real hope here!  The amalgamation of related scenes into one stronger one.

How successful do you feel the Animal Liberation project was?
MB:  It sold rather a lot of copies...up to 100,000?  So I believe it was a success.  PETA is a worthy cause and it certainly got our name around, too!!!

Do you think the circumstances that prompted that release in the first place have gotten better or worse in the past nine years?
MB:  That is probably debatable...mad cow disease has done far more to help the vegetarian cause here in the UK than that album ever did - it's very big now in Britain.  Still, a lot of animal (and human for that matter) cruelty goes on.  I'm afraid it always will.  Everyone should do their little bit to stop it, I think.  Maybe I haven't done enough...

Could you tell me a little about the concept behind the Etude release and what inspired it?
MB:  I'm just listening to the finished, mastered album as I write this!!!  I'm pleased with the result.  Basically what happened was a long time fan and a violinist in the Paris opera - Franck Dematteis - contacted us to offer his services on the 3 Arms and a Dead Cert album.  We took him up on his offer (we would have been stupid not to!!!) and during the recording I got the idea for a whole album of classical versions of Attrition songs, something I had occasionally dreamt about in the past.  We recorded it last summer and the album will be released on on Projekt in January 1997.

Have you ever done any work outside of Attrition, such as a side-project? How about re-mixes of other artists?
MB:  I have so little time for side projects!!!  I've worked on a couple of things, with little actually released.  I HAVE done a few remixes for bands, such as Die Form, Regenerator, IT (on the Minus Habens label).  I'm always interested in new work...time permitting.

Is it easy to translate Attrition's music into a live setting or somewhat difficult?
MB:  It varies.  Some tracks don't always work live.  We do enroll an extra keyboard player, currently Julia's husband John, so we are freed up for singing.  We usually concentrate on the more upbeat numbers live, as we enjoy that more.  We're actually fairly happy with the current live set, it work pretty well.

Do you enjoy playing live?
MB:  Yes!!!  Very much.  For the last couple of years, we'd only done the occasional festival and concentrated on building up our studio activities..  We've started to play live a lot more again this year.  We toured the USA this summer and have UK shows coming up very soon and in the new year, we'll be touring Germany, Poland(?), Mexico and probably the USA again.  Things are very busy!

Your bio mentioned a possible tour of the US and Mexico this year. Any developments in that area?
MB:  As I said, you missed the '96 tour...but wait for '97!!

How do you feel about the European Union?  In the US, there hasn't been very much press coverage, yet it seems like an incredibly significant event, for Europe and the world as a whole. I am just curious what your perspective on the situation is and how successful it has been, in your opinion.
MB:  The European Union has been happening for many years now - I can't remember a time before!!  But it gradually affects more things...making things easier, in my opinion.  I don't have ANY nationalistic allegiance to our currency or crown.  I'd like to see that a thing of the past.  It has been successful, I believe, but of course not everyone is into the idea of European Union and not EVERY measure passed is necessarily perfect...it's getting there.

What is your educational history and how do you think it has affected your work with Attrition?
MB:  The I have not been to the university.  I went to art college.  That is my background and I still see music in pictures.  It HAS affected Attrition, but many things I have learnt myself.  The best way, I believe!!!  (which is funny for me to say, as I also teach electronic music...part time...at a local college!!!)

Outside of music, what are your interests?
MB:  Films / art / conversation / friends / lovers and my little daughter Naomi.  She's a big part of my life.

In terms of musical gear, do you have a particular favorite piece of equipment that has been really useful to you over the years?
MB:  I love my old analog synths - Korg MS20 and PRO1 - but I still use my Atari computer for music, so although it doesn't have any character of its own, it has certainly been very useful.

This interview is being conducted via e-mail and being presented to the public via the world.wide.web. What do you think of the ways the internet has been utilized thus far and how important do you think it will become in the average person's life?
MB:  The internet is really important (if time consuming!!) new means of communication.  I'm using it more and more.  Like telephones, I don't believe we'll be able to manage without it in the future.

Do you feel that the increasing availability of technology (sequencers, samplers, etc.) has had a positive effect on the music scene or not?
MB:  On the whole, YES.  I know it makes it much easier to make music and as a result a lot of purile PRESETS and DRUM LOOPS music comes out, but in the end, the novelty over new pieces of gear evaporates and it is left to the innovators and the artists to create something of substance with them.  The abundance of cheap technology has certainly enabled us to set up our own recording studio at home, something impossible ten years ago.  We by no means own the latest, state-of-the-art equipment but it is what we do with it that matters to us.

BONUS QUESTION! Okay, we got through the "eighties" and are living in the "nineties." How do you propose we refer to the next decade? I'm still trying to figure this one out myself... :)
MB:  BONUS ANSWER!!! The Zeroes.....

If you'd like to reach the band, you can contact them via one of the following...
c/o 143 Moat Avenue, Coventry, CV3 6BW, ENGLAND