SKINNY PUPPY

 After a good 12+ years writing, recording and touring, the pressures of the music biz and the internal stress of keeping a band together that long finally took its toll and the band officially split on June 12, 1995. Tragically, one of the trio (Dwayne Goettel) died of a heroin overdose not long after that, further cementing the break-up.

 Now, six month later, the band's final album ("The Process") has finally been finished and is seeing the light of day. Vocalist Ogre (Kevin Ogilve) took some time to answer a few questions I posed to him recently concerning that album, the Skinny Puppy legacy and the future...

After all the trouble getting "The Process" finished, are you happy with how it turned out?
Yes and no...the album represents two years of struggle and an "equal" share of fault in securing the demise of a very unstable band. The deceptions and mistakes from all sides forms and distills a somewhat bitter and perhaps the most "coherent" work we were capable of. It stands with flavors from all periods from the bands inception to its death. This I like ..the shit that lingers I don't.

There has been a lot of interest and speculation about "The Process" on rec.music.industrial. Do you keep up w/ r.m.i. or any ofthe other newsgroups?
Yes and no ...yes I follow its tabloid like sensationalism and no I don't absorb the smell of its oh so calculated propaganda. Ta Da ..it's a story that will forever keep changing.

Looking back over all the SP releases, which do you think have stood up the best to time?
I'm not the type to listen to how well the sulfite in the wine is affecting the allergens that plague the "genre" today. It's all just chapters out of time with bits of pure inspiration and spatterings of brain on the wall.

What are your plans now and does SP have any future at all?
W.E.L.T IS and that WAS.

Though I'm far from an expert on SP, it seems like "Last Rights" was one of the most chaotic and un-commercial records, whereas "The Process" is one of the more structured releases. Would you agree? How different was the recording process between the two?
Oh the labels ...well LR has some pretty commercial things on it but with the onset of masking and layering anything can seem "complicated". Yes LR is less accessible due to the above but was it intentional??? AH WELL THE STUPOR KING WAS A BIT TOASTED THEN ...AND WE ALL LOVE INCOHERANT SUICIDE CASES . IT LIVES ON IN THE MINDS OF THOSE WHO CAN'T UNDERSTAND AS "THE RECORD" IF only we KNEW....how easy to satisfy with confusion.

It seems like you got to do more with your vocals this time around (singing, screaming, distorted, clean, etc.). Did you feel freer to experiment vocally this time around?
Well the whole thing was one big experiment ..start to finish...my change in the "process" was simply wanting to record bedtracks without the aid of multilayered effects which literally dictate where the vibe is going. It was difficult for me at first but ultimately was the best move I've ever made. Any one, however, who says the vocals on the finished album are uneffected is a fucking idiot.

As a side note, the company I work for (Sierra) makes computer games and last year we did "Lode Runner: The Legend Returns." Level 8 is shaped like the 'SP' logo from TDP and the level is named 'Ogre.' Just curious if you'd run across that, as I know you're into video games of various types.
I don't play that many games as I tend to drift and get bored quickly as in I can't separate myself from my own enviornment. Perhaps that's why I did drugs...who knows. I did hear about it though.

Last I heard, you had re-located to Seattle. If that's true, what made you choose Seattle?
I recorded the welt record with mark walk in seattle as he lives there. We moved there for 8 months, however I reside in "beautiful" LA where the "surface" dwellers burn and get burnt.

I've heard rumors for years now that you were going to work on a project with Sascha from KMFDM. Is anything happening there?
No.

From what I gather, cEvin was very unhappy with American Records and blames them for SP's demise. What is your view of the situation? How was your situation with Capitol?
When I shopped labels American stood out as being a label who stood behind their artists while at the same time letting go (with funding) to simply be creative. You see so many people in the record biz who simply watch the trades and base ther opinions on something simply by what the trades say..concert gross, record sales etc. This makes me sick as the truth in art is not remotely concerned with numbers. I now see American as a bunch of great people who perhaps lack the leader they so try to please simply because he rarely is involved with the day to day of the company. I could be wrong but I have it on authority that this "could" be the case. Time will tell and I'm still optimistic. I certainly don't share Cevins view.

Re : Capitol...again there were a lot of wonderful people stuggling to make it work and in the end we were lost in a huge company who's executives at the time may not have shared the vision.

Is there any unreleased SP material from previous recording sessions that might see the light of day now?
As you must know by now Brap or Back and Forth 3/4 is about to be released.

SP has always had some of the coolest album artwork. First off, what is "The Process" going to look like and, secondly, how closely is the band usually involved with the art?
Steven Gilmore is back and has worked to create in my opinion one of his best(sinceVIVIVIsect) covers. It will be a 4 panel full color with much symbolism connected to the making of the last SP record. No lyrics though..heh heh

SP is one of, if not THE, most influential band in the electro-industrial scene of today. Is it strange to see people who list SP as one of their main influences or maybe even the reason they started doing music?
Yes it's both strange and complimentary...but then we're all influenced by something ..bad or good.

The sound on "The Process" is fairly different from previous albums. What kind of equipment did you do most of the music with?
The same with the addition of a digital (Protools) recording set up ..just more of the same blah blah blah and wow doesn't the equipment make a great record(sarcasm)

Do you usually come up with the lyrics before or after you've heard the music? Or is the music written around the lyrics/vocal melodies?
Both, all, everything , and nothing.

goodnight