SHAWN: Battery is my poison. Its my remedy. Its my pulsating rhythmical melody.

MARIA: Battery is my creative outlet and pressure valve.

EVAN: The onslaught of the greedy media, industry and lost souls sucking the blood from our work in order to attain immortality. Tragic ain't it?

Battery is. According to any standard American dictionary it signifies: a percussion section of an orchestra, the artillery section of an army, cells where energy is stored, the dock/loading industrial section of a major city, and on and on.

Battery is a musical group consisting of Maria Azevedo, Shawn Brice, a detuned bass patch and Evan Sornstein.

2. Tell us about your latest release, "Distance".

MARIA: "Distance" is the first album that really fit together for us. We've been growing as a band for the past four years, and I think "Distance" is the culmination of that growth. Its the most integrated album, all elements fused together. Now that we've hit upon such a good working relationship, we're all itching to get back in the recording studio!

3. I think that the places where I personally felt required more production seem to be filled with this release... is it possible that your programming came of age with this album?

SHAWN: I don't feel that my programming has come of age. I feel that I was more relaxed on this effort, and perhaps that helped. Most of that time, I feel that I am growing in the area of programming. I hate the times when I feel like I am relying on things that have worked in the past. I try to step back, look at what I'm doing, and try to find a new approach.

4. Where do you feel that you've grown the most with this release as a team?

SHAWN: Communication. I think that we were able to express each of our personal feelings better than before. As a unit, I think that we work much better together.

MARIA: Live performance, as well. The touring we've done to promote this CD has done a lot to improve our live shows. Which in turn helps us back in the studio. The interaction we've developed on stage helps us interact better in a recording situation.

EVAN: I agree with both Shawn and Maria. We've also learned how to de-tune our bass a lot more.

5. As individuals?

SHAWN: My singing got a little better. As a singer, I got stronger in other ways, such as expressing my desires for the final sound. Before, there was no objectivity.

MARIA: I believe that my lyrics for this album have a lot more personal meaning than for the previous releases. Less abstracts, more significance. The advantage of this is that the songs are much easier to express vocally. Its an element I'd like to pursue on our future releases as well. Confidence and experience all add to it.

EVAN: I feel that I was able to get closer to the "less is more approach", which I've always believed in.

6. While KMFDM releases 10 track CDs, you don't seem to have any problems maxing out your CDs with 80 minutes of music??

SHAWN: Lately, I've been wondering if that is such a good thing. I'm sure that KMFDM throws some stuff away before he is done. On "nv" we had a problem of not being able to let go. I look back and wish that we had thrown some tracks away. It wasn't a conscience decision to have 80 minutes. We wanted "Distance" to be CD+, but we didn't have time in the schedule, so we decided to put some rarities in there.

MARIA: I think that with future releases, we were frantic to get everything inside our heads pressed onto a CD. We really pushed it for "nv". "Distance" was much more natural - we filled the CD without trying to. I believe we'll be much more likely to pick and choose for our next albums.

7. I noticed a lot more male backgrounds signing on this CD?

SHAWN: That was a decision we made. We wanted to get more of a "band" sound. It helped in getting everyone into the songs. We've tried to 'couple' the male and female vocals, the problem is that it begins to sound like a duet, which we try to stay away from. "Hush" was a song where Maria wrote the words, and I wanted both of us to sing on it. Well, the way things went, it didn't work. I was getting kind of sad that there were no songs where the male and female voices were together (besides "Bellarmine".) It happens that "Transit" was one of the last songs that we wrote (actually, while we were in the studio.) That song makes me really happy, because we all sang on it, it was a true group effort.

8. You just signed another 5 year deal with Cop. Can we assume you're all 100% satisfied with the work they've been able to accomplish for you so far?

SHAWN: This is a loaded question. It isn't 5 years. We signed 6 month ago. I would ask, "Are you 100% satisfied with your life? Your job? Your monetary intake?" Of course, we are not 100% satisfied, but understand that is life. We are a growing band. We happen to be growing with our label. They will support us the best they can, for as long as they can.

9. Do you feel that there are limitations to being tied down to half a decade deal... (is that right??)

No comment.

10. What is the music making process for the 3 of you?

SHAWN: It is my everything. Usually, Evan and I will write a sketch, and give it to Maria. The actual sketch writing come from different processes. It is hard to say. We have certain tools that we use, software and compositional approaches, that help us get started. One of our favorites is the program UpBeat (we still have the Intelligent Music version). It is used mainly for rhythm stuff. It was one of the first real-time compositional programs. UpBeat is great because I can explore a lot of different ideas quickly. It gives me a chance to break out, and try things that I normally wouldn't try. But, to get back to your question, I think that the "Music Making Process" for me is the "Making Process Music." How's that for a Text Byte?

MARIA: Since we've been working together for so long, we've come up with a variety of ways to get the songs together. Sometimes I come into the studio with a stack of lyrics, and we decide which one we'd like to develop. Most of the time, the boys write musical sketches and I'll either work words I've already written around it, or the music itself will inspire me to start something from scratch. Most recently we've been doing more "jamming" - working a song from the bottom up together in the studio. "Transit" and "Repress" were like that, on "Distance".

11. Where would you place the most importance within the Battery sound, the lyrics, the emotion, or the music?

SHAWN: Yes. It has to be everything. Most of the time, I would have to say the emotion has to be there. For instance, take one of my favorite bands, The Chameleons(UK). Musically, they had the same big chiming guitars as everyone else. Their lyrics, if you really looked at them, were childish. But the emotion, the emotion was overpowering. It made the fact that Mark Burgess' micro tonal drones simply orgasmic!

MARIA: It definately has to be everything. We all agree on the lyrics, we help each other with the emotion, and the music runs through everything.

12. Maria's vocals are often quite lush and thick, what production techniques do you find work the best to accomplish this?

SHAWN: Most of the time, we double track everything. Maria has a great sense of timing, so her tracks are always right on top of each other. It is really great. She is able to match "T's" and "S's" better than anyone I have ever heard. For the choruses, we double or triple track. I find that I don't have to Eq her that much. We use a Neumann mic, which requires little extra. Sometimes, we use a Sm58 Beta, and with that, we add about 4db@1500kHz and about 6db@600Hz just to give it a bit more punch. As far as processing, our pet now is the Lexicon PCM-80. Most of the time, we try not to add too much stuff (processing) to her tracks.

13. What do you use for distortion on the male vox?

SHAWN: Evan sounds great with the little yellow DOD Overdrive pedal. Most of the rest of the effects are Quadraverb GT's.

14. The album art is beyond great...actually fuckin' wiggid! You did this?

EVAN: Yes, I started a graphic design company 6 years ago. It's what I do for a living. I have been able to do 90% of the COP artwork, and doing Battery is the most difficult for me. I always want it to be the best thing I've ever done, and that can be exhuasting. Also It is much easier to come up with cool ideas for other people, working within their constraints. I don't have constrains for Battery except for it to be beautiful, enigmatic, and the gestalt must express the music. I feel that finally, with "Distance", I did a cover that really works, and it took way too long to complete.

15. Which model did he use for the image behind "Transit"? What is that thing, it looks so familar.... he he...

EVAN: It's a leash attached to a clit hood piercing. Good play on words, huh? Actually it's me, post op. Very good surgeon.

16. Which ones of you would join me in getting the Johnny Mnemonic style brain jack?

SHAWN: Totally. Actually, I have an implant already, behind my left ear. Seriously, I think that it is a cyst, and I need to get it removed. I am afraid that it will drastically change my view of life, but then I think that it might make me a normal (deal-able) person...

MARIA: I want a built-in vocoder.

EVAN: I prefer the Count Zero microsofts myself. When can I get one? Will it be Mac compatible?

17. What aspects of technology do you celebrate the most?

SHAWN: Good question. I would have to say Power. Wait, I meant to say Control. Yes, Control. Definitely Control. I really wish that I could say "Solar Power", but I guess that is for another question. I really wish (here comes the foolish child in me) things could get to be like Star Trek, where money has no use. Or, like Bruce Sterling's short story "The Beautiful and The Sublime" or even Neal Stephenson's "Diamond Age", where computers have taken all the stupid work out of life, and allowed people to become artists. Of course there would be a ton of B.S. that would come with it, but, it is a great idea.

18. How essential is the Internet to the business affairs of the band?

SHAWN: Growing bigger every day.

MARIA: We've been able to get in touch with all kinds of people whom we never would have had the ability to contact to before. Its an excellent way to keep updated and get direct feedback from the people who are listening to our music.

19. Is there a specific theme or political dogma that Battery represents?

No.

20. What is beautiful and harrowing about life?

SHAWN: Cats.

MARIA: Sex and cats

EVAN: Sex, grace, and cats.

21. What's a live Battery show like?

Fun. Energetic. Thoughtful. Musical. We are not the Droopy Performers, too busy sucking in our cheeks. We would be lying if we said we didn't have a good time performing.

22. Is there like some weird spilt personality that exists for Battery in the music area? It goes from electro to aggro to gothic to dance floor industrial....

SHAWN: Absolutely not. We are multifaceted Musicians, and we play many different things. It is always Battery that performs the music. I don't understand how the music should be one specific thing all the time. That would be kind of boring, don't you think?

MARIA: We would probably go crazy if we had to do one type of music all of the time. Especially since we have the ability to be prolific in many different styles of music. I wouldn't want someone telling me to sing the "pretty" songs all the time any more than I would want someone telling me to scream all of the time. Human beings are flexible, we have emotions that change continuously. Our music reflects the emotional range of human existence.

EVAN: We're not robots.

23. When you release 20 songs per album, how do you select which songs you play live, and do the crowds prefer the moody over the aggro, and how do you decide which to play more of?

SHAWN: We prefer to play mostly energetic songs live. It also depends on the venue. Lately, we have been playing the energetic stuff from "Distance", plus some older songs and surprise stuff.

MARIA: The energetic songs definately help to get the audience involved, dancing and excited. We always include some of the moodier songs, usually in the beginning, and build up the tempo throughout the set.

24. What's the greatest thing that someone could do to improve the quality of life for the citizens of earth today?

EVAN: Stop having babies. There are too many poeple in the world. Also, let people be. I could go on and on, but what's the point? The world sucks. Always has, always will as long as there is humanity. The earth would do just fine without us. I think we are aliens.

MARIA: Require everyone to get Johnny Mneumonic brain jacks.

25. What sorts of improvements in this electronic music genre would you identify?

SHAWN: I would say the crossover stuff, but so far, it has been mainly Guitar-Industrial. Since there is a universe of sonic possibilities, why does the guitar need to be used soooo much?

MARIA: More women performers. Women could bring so much creativity to this genre! I'm glad the call seems to be out.

EVAN: What ever happened to musicianship? What ever happened to music concrete? Non formula, cyclical music? Huh? What the hell?

26. What do you have for gear?

Roland Juno-106 (great for that de-tuned bass sound), DX-7, Tx802, Tx81Z, Prophet VS, WavestationAD, VZ10M, K4, K1r, CZ101, DM5, Poly800, A bunch of effects, compressors, Eq's. We mix with an Allen&Heath GS3(24x8x2).

27. What do you use for sampling?

3 Emax. 2 are SE's the other is one of the first 1000 made. Roland S330. Sequential Circuits Prophet 2002, Akai 3000i. And of course, our many Macintosh's.

28. Drum sounds? (There's that trademark snare trashcan hit that rules...???)

The above samplers, plus the Alesis DM5.

29. Keys?

See 25. We also make it point to make our own sounds, although its about time we begin making new libraries, the old ones are, well, old. Preset sounds are for lazy motherfuckers. (actually we have had to use preset patches every now and then under a time crunch and all, uh, sorry.)

30. Have you heard the Nord Lead yet???

SHAWN: I heard a demo a few months ago.

31. You guys seem to have a real love of Depeche style patches that have detuned harmonics? ("Ganstas Paradise", bassline on "Transit").

SHAWN: Yes. We love Depeche. We love the idea that Depeche (Daniel Miller, as the story goes) had tons of processing sounds from their original source. As far as detuned Harmonics, yes. It gives a sound a personal touch. My first real Keyboard was the DX-7. Programming with that keyboard (and FM synthesis) gives a person a decent understanding of harmonics, and it's effects.

32. What's the wiggid morphing bassline on "Repress"?

SHAWN: I believe that is the Wavestation running through a Quad with a phase shifter. You can really tell in the chorus, when the bass is doing the rapid fire thing.

33. What keys do you like best for this?

SHAWN: Morphing? I wasn't really in the "in crowd" for that, so I don't really know.

34. Recording?

ADAT

35. 24 tracks digital or analog, do you have preferences?

We have analog (still), just because we don't have the computer power for digital. I don't really mind too much. Our Allen&Heath is a good board. There are 24mic inputs, and 24 channel inputs, so we basically have 48 tracks. The effects can be routed anywhere(line/channel) and the Eq is really good. it has that warm "English" sound to it.

36. Is their inherent good and beauty in everyone?

SHAWN: There is. I'm an optimist when it comes to that. Many people choose not to accept that they are good. Although, a lot of the time, I feel that people mainly suck.

MARIA: Yes, although most people don't know it.

EVAN: Absolutely, but I don't think so.

37. What is the greatest crime to humanity today?

SHAWN: Apathy. I'm guilty.

38. Video and tour support for this album?

SHAWN: We went on tour. We are chosing not to do video, but Multimedia. It will be available on our next release.

39. Canada?

Unfortunately, not this time around.

40. What's next?

We are currently working on an interactive section for the new release. Which should be due late spring. Local (San Francisco based) shows and a hinted national tour in the spring. We're trying to figure out how to hack in a large power failure in the Canadian grid.