Soundwave Festival

Biography

Isis Interview

Hey Aaron, it’s a pleasure to be speaking with you today, let’s kick off the interview discussing the latest Isis album ‘Wavering Radiant’. The album was released back in April and features some of your finest work to date! Looking back over the recording process is there anything you would have changed or wish you had done differently?

The process itself was great and i can't think of anything in retrospect that i wished we'd done differently. That said… sometimes it takes me quite a while to gain full perspective on a completed album and that can take years.... I also haven't listened to the album much since we finished it, I’ve just been living with the live versions of the songs during all the touring we've been doing to support the album. There are sections of certain songs that i now have reservations about, but the same can be said of my feelings about just about every song we've ever written. For the most part though i feel this record is, sonically speaking, my favorite since ‘Oceanic’.

Just like your past work the new album is also very much “theme” driven. When it came time to write for the album, did you guys go in with a clear vision of what you wanted to do or did it all unfold as time went on?

Oh, I don't know that we've ever set out to create a specific kind of album when commencing the writing process… I think our goals were much the same as any other album - that is to create something that is a unified whole, satisfying on a musical and creative level, and more than a reformulation of past ideas and concepts. I think as the writing process evolves we begin to have a clearer picture of where an album is going and start working in a more focused fashion towards that end; but I’d say it is as much and intuitive process as it is an overtly conscious one!

I would imagine that when it comes to recording concept albums, you would spend much more time in the studio adding sounds and various effects. How much time did you spend in the studio on this one?

Actually, there really isn't much that's done in the studio that isn't worked out before hand. There's always a few different things we'll try out given the time and we spend as much time as we can refining our basic sounds, but when it comes down to it we don't leave much up to chance when heading into the studio. This particular album took about a month from beginning to end including the mixing, and I feel this is just about perfect for us! It's enough time to really get everything the way we want it, but not so much time that we over think things and clean the recordings to the point of sterilization.

Tool’s Adam Jones wrote and played on the album as well, which must have been amazing! Tell us about the experience of working with Adam, his input and opinions on the tunes?

The experience with Adam was totally relaxed and informal as we've known Adam for a while and knew he appreciated our overall aesthetic, and that we could trust him to add something appropriate to what we'd done. He had no input on the composition of the songs themselves, only on the individual parts that he contributed. After his parts were complete we worked with Joe [Barresi] to weave Adams parts into the mixes in such a way that they were complimentary to the foundational songs without being distracting.

Aaron, the last album ‘In the Absence of Truth’ was co-produced by the band along-side Matt Bayles and this time around you guys went with Joe Barresi who has done some amazing work with L7, The Melvins, Tool and Kyuss to name a few! Why did you guys choose Joe for the new album and more importantly why did you guys decide to stay away from the production side of it all together?

Well, actually this record is a co-production with Joe, just as our albums with Matt were… I'm not sure how it's been construed otherwise? We are very hands on with our music and while we trust the producers we work with we have ultimate control over the compositions and end results. The reason we worked with Joe was largely because of his work with other bands in the past including some of those you mentioned such as The Melvins, but also Enslaved, Tomahawk, Tool, Queens Of The Stone Age, etc. Joe seemed to have a knack for capturing the energy and depth of heavy bands and a desire to go beyond the basics of typical rock recordings. In addition he seemed really interested in working on our music which is another important component when we choose someone to work with.

It had been three years between studio albums… after constant touring was it hard for you to get motivated to get back into the writing and recording mode?

Oh, it wasn't hard to get motivated to write, it was just hard to find the time and to come together on the songs, at least from the outset. The writing process takes more time and effort with each album and this one was no exception in that regard!

Let’s talk a little about life on the road… Going right back to the bands first ever live shows, can you remember the hardest time you had as an opening act?

Oh, one of the best and worst opening slots we’ve had was a one off opening for Cradle Of Filth and Usurper in 1999. The audience hated us, probably more than any other audience i can think of. The entire front row turned their backs to us while we played, which for us just added extra incentive to inflict aural violence upon them. I think there were about 2,000 people there and we managed to sell one T-shirt and two CDs - all of which I’m pretty sure were to one guy.

Oh wow man, now that’s what you call a tough crowd… On a more positive note, next year we will see Isis touring Australia as part of the Soundwave Festival Bill alongside bands like Faith No More, Alexisonfire, Clutch and Jane’s Addiction to name a few, will you be putting time aside to check out any of the other bands throughout the festival?

It’s hard for me to enjoy bands in festival settings sometimes, but at the very least i plan on catching a bit of Faith No More, Baroness, Meshuggah, Clutch, and Anvil.

Mate, the Australian fans are dying to know, will you guys be doing your own shows while you’re here or will this be strictly a festival tour?

We are definitely planning on doing a handful of headlining shows while we're down there and are working on solidifying those at the moment.

That’s fantastic news! Aaron, are you a fan of playing on the larger festival bills or would you much prefer the smaller more intimate venues, no doubt both have their advantages!

I would say I prefer the small venue setting almost every time. We’ve had some great experiences playing festivals and opening for bands in bigger settings, but for the most part intimate contact with the audience is always preferable.

I can understand that but there’s no doubt that when you’re playing on the large festival bills such as Soundwave, it can be a fantastic way to expose the band to a lot of people who may have never heard you before … for those punters attending Soundwave that plan on checking out Isis… in a few words how would you describe the band live and what can the Australian audiences expect when you hit the stage?

I think at our best Isis is a representation of what it means to be alive and all the joy and suffering that goes along with a life consciously and fully lived. We are in a simplistic sense a rock band, but we also strive to create a fully immersive and atmospheric presence and shared space when performing music live. This isn't always achieved and can prove difficult in the festival setting so I encourage anyone who wants to experience our music to the fullest extent to attend one of the headlining shows....

Over the years you have had the pleasure of sharing the stage with many great bands. Who has given you the best advice whilst on the road and what was it?

I can't think of any specific advice, but i would say bands like The Melvins and Neurosis who have consistently done things their way with little to no compromise have set a great example and helped to navigate the difficult terrain of touring and releasing records.

Do you guys have any plans to record any of the Australian shows for a possible future Dvd / Cd release?

Not at the moment, but it's certainly not out of the question.

Okay Aaron… we have hit the part of the interview where our readers get to find out more about the real you… Growing up, did you always envision yourself as someone who would have a career in music or were your goals different?

I never had career goals as such, but my plan from as early as i can remember consisted of combining my dual love of music and visual art into some sort of fulltime pursuit. I never really questioned following this path, i just poured myself into both realms without hesitation. Fortunately for me the things that i love to do and a considerable amount of luck have provided me with the sustenance required to live life at a highly satisfactory level. I would have ultimately pursued both no matter my life circumstances, but it's certainly amazing to be able to be able to do both fulltime.

What was the first concert you ever attended and how much of an impact did that have on you musically?

The first concert i ever attended of my own volition was Slayer and Testament at the age of twelve. I loved every second of it, though my love for metal and music at that time had already been firmly established. If anything this experience just furthered my desire to play music myself.

[Laughs] Dude that is insane! I could only imagine what was running through your head at that show [laughs]! Mate, what is something that you know now that you wouldn’t have admitted to yourself, when you were going into this?

I never thought about having to consider the business end of things fairly seriously and that at times those considerations would overshadow the more important factor which is making music. I was naive to think that playing music with four other people, recording, and touring would be a carefree experience based only around our mutual love of music. I have an extreme distaste for the business aspect of the music business and try as much as possible not to let that interfere with actually making music.

Aaron, as a freelance writer / photographer, I often find myself down in the pit snapping away and capturing some amazing and yet sometimes scary moments! Once the shows are over and you get to kick back and view a lot of the press and fan photographs that come through via the social networking sites, emails etc Do you often come across shots where you just put your head in your hands and say “what the F**k was I thinking / doing right there”? And of those moments what one stands out most for you?

I don't spend a great deal of time sifting through the documentation of others of our live performances, instead preferring to remember the tours/shows from my own recollections, journals, photos, etc. It's not that an outside perspective is troublesome or unimportant to me, but the fact remains that i play this music for myself and for the people that truly want to hear it and the residual artifacts are far less important than the experience as its occurring.

Talk us through a typical photo shoot for you, are you a fan of doing that sort of stuff… as we all know it is a necessary evil in this business!

No, i find it to be uncomfortable at best, painful at worst. If it were up to me we would never have take any press photos at all - at least none where our features and even our bodies are easily discerned.

If you had the opportunity to choose the way a photo shoot was going to be conducted what would you do…. What kind of backgrounds would you want to use etc.

Ideally… we would be the background and the environment, preferably a natural setting of some kind, would be the focus of the photo. If we could be shot in some old fashioned, deep sea diving suits, in murky green sea water or behind thin sheets of ice in some polar caves that would be ideal.

Sounds pretty awesome too! What was the first song you ever wrote called and what was it about?

I honestly can't remember exactly, though I’m fairly certain the first song i wrote was instrumental and there for not about any specific subject. I wrote much of the music in the few bands i was in my teenage years, but very rarely wrote lyrics and never intended to be a vocalist/lyricist. Instrumental music has always been my primary concern, though certainly in recent years writing lyrics and singing has become a much more important facet of what i do.

Mate, who have you been surprised to learn is a fan of you work?

I’m honestly surprised that as many people have become interested in the music I’m involved in making as seems to be the case. There are certain other musicians who I’ve learned are appreciators of certain bands/projects I’m involved with including Isis and in some cases that is not only surprising but also gratifying. However… the main thing for me is that while i want to make music that i personally enjoy i also want other people to hear it, and as i said before I'm constantly surprised that, that music has reached as many people as it has.

Lastly, a question I ask of everyone that I speak with… who is the one band you never want to hear again and why?

Well, pretty much any American mainstream, patriotic, Christian, sexist, right wing country artists can go fuck themselves! That shit has got to be the lowest of the low, and while it is not only extremely grating to listen to it is also basically propaganda perpetuating hate and stupidity amongst the masses and unfortunately a lot of people are listening.

Aaron, thanks again for your time today, I can’t wait to catch you guys at the Soundwave Festivals and Headlining shows also! Do you have any last words for our readers?

Continue to support real music, support underground music, and help the bands and artists that enrich your life, reject technological tyranny, and continue to do your best to love humanity. All we can do is try...

Interview by Cameron Edney

Biography

The music of ISIS is a suitable metaphor for their twelve-year career: patient, meticulous, fraught with tension and gradually building towards an apex of seismic proportions. From the hypnotically bludgeoning down-tuned riffs of their early years to the gracefully sprawling passages on their pivotal sophomore album Oceanic and continuing through the intricate rhythmic textures and increased melody of 2006's In The Absence of Truth, ISIS have successfully navigated the process of growing and evolving without disavowing their initial vision.

There is no consensus among ISIS' cult-like fan base as to which album serves as the ultimate document of their art. Each record is a piece in the puzzle. Consequently, to brand their latest offering, Wavering Radiant, as the pinnacle of their achievements would be folly. Yet it's a tempting proclamation. It's simultaneously their most challenging and accessible music to date. While Wavering Radiant is finely structured, dynamically varied, and melodically developed, it's also unpredictable, expansive, and densely layered. “Whether trading in power chords or atmospheric overlays, the band excels at transforming emotions into thrilling sounds, palpable awe, and tangible dread. This is metal played at its arresting best.” – Slant Magazine

Adam Jones of Tool contributed to two of the songs on Wavering Radiant.