Beyond the 'Wall'...
Boar
m[m]: We last did an interview in early 2011- how do you feel your projects have developed since then, both sonically & equipment wise?
Alex: I feel Boar has really developed in sound over the past 3-4 years by over all dynamics. I feel that I have gotten I guess a lot heavier and darker for sure.. A lot more "harsher". Dynamically I feel like I just don’t sit down hit record and there is that anymore. There is a lot more involving my recording process and how I finalize (am happy) with a track. Equipment wise I really haven't changed much ha-ha. I seem to like to sell a lot of my main devises and then buy them right back a few months later
m[m]: You talk about putting a lot more into the recording of each track - is this layering up the sound, doing more takes, or something else ?
Alex: Definitely layering up and focusing more on panning. With doing more harsh cut up noise panning can make a very big difference!
m[m]: In 2010 you set-up your label Breaching Static- please pick ten of your favourite releases so far on the label & explain why?
Alex: I know this is going to feel like a cop out answer but honesty the very first batch (the first 5 releases are my top 5 releases :
Centuries Behind A Gate-(Part One) Nervousness
Dead Body Collection-"Blunt Force Trauma
Churner-"The Eruption Of The Missing"
White Gimp Mask/Caustic Barricade split Boar,
I Like You Go Home,Oblive 3-way split)
The overall excitement and aesthetic to that batch was almost overwhelming! That was when I was super excited for the HNW scene and that batch really just reminds me of how much it was thriving back then. Plus the packaging I used I thought was fucking cool. I may go back to doing that soon here if they still make the cardboard sleeves!
After these I’d say:
6: Centuries Behind A Gate-Searching for Paradise. This release was my very first double cdr release and I LOVE it when artist/labels put out double cd releases/tape releases! Just the overall concept of it is fun and exciting.
7: Burial Ground "Phantasm" This release was MAMMOTH! Burial Ground being one of my favourite HNW artists killed this release! I put a lot of hard work into putting this baby together! Burning the cdrs alone took me a long time being that it was a 4xcdr release which to this day is my biggest most lengthy release! FYI I still have distro copies of the double cassette version that worthless recordings released.
8: I watched you die,Cannibal Ritual,Burial Ground split cdr. CR is one of the projects that really drew me to HNW. The old HNW forum was amazing and he did a great job running it! Overall I very much admired his work so being able to put out a release involving him was HUGE for me! 9
:MASS GRAVES-Tunnel. Again one of my favourite HNW projects out there. The textures that Jeff records are fucking insane! Plus Jeff landgraf is a cool motherfucker ha-ha. But really this release rules and so does everything else that he does
10: Boar- You Are All Lame Fucks- I’ve always wanted to release a Lathe/record and this was my first opportunity to do so!
m[m]: What in particular about Cannibal Ritual's take on walled noise got you into the scene? And do you have any other early favourite projects?
Alex: Well the very first wall release I listened to was an" I am a Slut " ( I think that was the projects name) cd release so that’s what got me into the interest of wall noise. Then a while after my good friend Jeff Landgraf directed me to the HNW forum. What drew me into CR's work was his artwork, release packaging and the lo-fi grime to his walls, the super limited editions of like 7-12 copies. This was also the first time where theme based projects really stuck out and it really caught my attention on the HNW scene. Concrete Threat,Skonhet,HASH,I Am A Slut,Stress Gomesia, Caustic Barricade,White Gimp Mask. HFFL was one of the best labels at that time as well!
m[m]: You mention the 4 cdr set Burial Ground "Phantasm"- do you have plans to do another multi disc set, and if so what type of thing compilation of lots of HNW artist or another one artists release?
Alex: As of now I really don’t have many plans for the label in general. Once I return from touring is when I will focus more on the label. I would like to work with Aunts Analog a harsh noise act out of Austin TX and also Fecal Dam, one of Jeff Landgrafs harsh noise projects. Also possibly a 7'' split with Breakdancing Ronald Reagan
m[m]: Since we last spoke you’ve thinned down on the number of solo projects you have, what made you decide to do this & any chance of your story themed primal HNW project Centuries behind a Gate returning?
Alex: To be somewhat blunt I came to the realization that everything that I did with ALL of my projects, I could easily just call it Boar. For the most part I was just really excited about the whole having a lot of side project thing but personally for me it kind of all just got stale and confusing and not as interesting so I just stopped doing it. I enjoyed it but got sick of it and moved on ha-ha. I do still have I watched you die but its kind of on the back burner right now. I have been contemplating bringing back CBAG but it would only be for a final release and would probably not be any continuation of what I was writing. I kind of just abandoned that idea all around. But who knows!
m[m]: You recent work with your main project Boar has seen you add in elements of harsh noise, drone, power electronics, and noisy experimentation. What made you decide to widen the project beyond HNW, and are there any other genres you’d like to mix in the future?
Alex: Well before Boar (at one time) was only doing HNW I was very experimental and somewhat dynamic. Harsh noise for me is just too awesome to not want to dive into it and explore! Shit is fucking crazy/spazzed out/all over the place/HARSH/Brutal its insane and I love recording it and performing it. Harsh noise lets you go all out! I think exploring sound is what makes being a noise artist so much fun. I did not want to constrict myself constantly so that’s why I am branching out. I of course still have HNW tracks because I’m still a very big fan of walls. As far as any other genres, I’m not too sure. I always want to perform more power electronics material instead of just recording it so maybe that?
m[m]: You’ve been active in the US noise scene for coming up for seven years now- how do you feel the scene has changed in that time? And what do you see as the positive & negative elements in today’s noise scene?
Alex: Kind of a hard question. I guess I just want everyone to get along ha-ha. I don’t think anyone is better than anyone else in this scene. I know more people obviously have more notoriety but let’s really think about it. We are all just a bunch of people fucking around with crazy noises manipulating sounds. Its awesome! Cliques are dumb. Didn’t really answer some of that but that’s what I got.
m[m]: Very soon you are heading off on a Us winter tour- where are you playing, and what can people expect from your live shows?
Alex: (here is a rough layout of dates)
W/ Justin Marc Lloyd and MassComm 1/16-chicago il
1/17-grand rapids mi 1/18-lansing mi 1/19-detroit mi
1/20-cleveland oh 1/21-dayton oh
1/22-southern il/saint louis
1/23iowa city https://www.facebook.com/events/413385408810894/
2/12-iowa city
2/13-kansas city MO
2/14-lawerence KS
2/15- Norman Ok
2/16-dallas TX
2/17-austin TX X
2/18-driving
2/19- tempe AZ X
2/20-los angelesCA X
2/21-oakland ca
2/22-driving
2/23-vegas
2/24denver
Alex: You can expect great performances from some amazing noise acts. A bunch of cool dudes and me probably getting too drunk from time to time and making an ass out of myself.
Thanks to Alex for his time & effort with the interview. Check out Breaching Static's page here