Brutal Yet Creative
Boar
m[m]What are some of your earliest sonic memories and how do you think these helped develop your love of noise and in particular HNW?
Alex Well the first form of noise I discovered was a project called Evil Robot Ted. I used to be in a grind core band and we were surfing the web and somehow came across this style of noise and for some reason I was very attracted to the sounds. Everyone else in the room was making fun of what we were listening to but I just listened! As far as HNW, my friend Jeff Landgraf from Oblive got me into it. Thank you Jeff!
m[m]You mention Jeff Landgraf of Oblive & Mass Graves- how did you two first meet?
Alex O wow, well we first met on Boars first tour. We both played a house in Joplin Missouri and that’s where we met. Ever since then we have been playing shows together and keeping in touch. Jeff lives in Saint Louis MO and that’s only about a 5 hour drive from where I live (Dubuque Iowa) so we play shows together from time to time
m[m]Is there a certain release or track that turned you onto making your own HNW? Alex Seeing Willfull at the 
Saint Louis Lemp Arts noise fest really turned me onto the idea of making it myself. At the same show (and I wish I could remember the title of the release) I received a I Am A Slut CDr and fell in love! I didn’t really start making my own walls until Oblive played a 5 or so min. set on one of my tours. Shortly after that I started making my own walls.
m[m]How did Boar start off and what does the name mean to you?
Alex Boar started as a side solo project off of (at the time was my main project) Polyester Pants, a noise duo. Polyester Pants focused a lot on controlled noise with drums and bass and guitars but I was much more into the harsh aspect of noise so I branched off! Boar really have no special meaning, just came to my head.
m[m]Tell us a bit more about the Polyester Pants & did you release anything with the project? And what other bands/project were you in before starting Boar?
Alex This was my first noise project with a friend of mine, Kevin (the only other person that enjoyed noise from where I live). We released about 5 releases. Its been about 4-5 years, so my memory is a bit foggy of the exact amount but we self released and also had a Label release a few releases. The label was defenestrated records. I think it still releases noise but just downloads. Before I got into noise I was into the whole metal/hardcore scene which is big where I live. So I messed around with a few other metal bands but nothing solid. Just recently I rejoined my old metal band that I started about 6 years ago just to have fun!
m[m]Boar’s first self released release was “I Can See Your Breath” which featured some great and disturbing artwork that I think is some of the most fitting artwork I seen on a Boar release thus far- what’s the origin of this artwork?
Alex This was Boars first self released Wall. In the past I have released many other titles but as for walls, this was my first. My great friend Brian Barr did this artwork for me(I wish I could do art like this ha-ha). This release was based off a video game that I was fascinated with. A creepy stalker like murderer said this in a scene and it stuck to me! So I asked Brian what he could do and came up with a beauty.
m[m]Whats your present set up and has it changed or developed since you started making noise?
Alex I always use the Digitech Death Metal!!!! I’m in love with that pedal. I tend to only use up to 2 at most 3 pedals in my set up. Audible Disease WNG is usually my main source for white noise. Other pedals move in and out of my set up....the Audible Disease version of the Buzz Box is amazing.. the DOD Grunge pedal is amazing.. I also love using the DOD Meat Box for crunchy low walls. My latest set up for the newest Boar material was AD WNG----DOD Death Metal----DOD Meat box. When I first started making noise, the bigger the set up the better. I was way wrong haha. I love working with very small set ups. It also helps with performing live. Less confusion.
m[m]How often do you make noise & how much of what you make do you recorded and release?
Alex On a normal average I will record at least 3 times a week. These past two months have been extremely hard for me to record anything because I do not have a stable living situation yet to set everything up. I record a lot but only release about half of what I record. I am picky with my walls.
m[m]What (if any) source recordings have you used to make your walls & are there any sources elements you’d like to try using?
Alex I have used vibrations, sheet of metal, loops, white noise generators, and field recordings. Not for Boar but for another wall project I will more active with in the future, I plan on making a wall using no pedals. Just a microphone and whatever I find laying around that I can throw around, mash up, and destroy.
m[m] I believe you work in the construction business- have you every thought of using any of the machinery your work with a source recordings for your walls?
Alex Not really. I don’t really enjoy my job and I would not want it to be in any way apart of my noise that I create. I have considered it before at times but I will never do it.
m[m] How do you see your sound developing and changing in the future?
Alex More elements! For example, I plan on doing some vocals for an upcoming release. Ill still be making walls, just with other elements.
m[m] Regards the vocals your planning to do on future releases- will these be just textural noises or sounds, or do you plan to sing/shout texts? And if you did do texts what subjects would they cover?
Alex I will be shouting. I’m not sure I will continue to do more vocals on other releases but for sure on the next Breaching Static release. This title will be called " Wall Reaper". The lyrics are about the different pleasures of ones life.
m[m]You’ve recently started a more story based and primal HNW project entitled “Centuries behind a Gate”- can you tell us a bit about how/why this project came about? And what you see as the story behind your first release for the project “Nervousness”? and how do you think the projects sound will develop in future?
Alex This project is a reflection of my interest in what has not been discovered in this world. I believe that there are a lot of forms of creatures and "places" we have yet to discover. I may sound crazy but I love having that feeling. CBAG is a story line based project. The story line (which I will release with my upcoming 2xCDr) is based around a figure searching for a so called .... place full of wonders. What will be discovered in this story line will be very unsettling. The next release will come with a small short story to start things out. "Nervousness" is kind of a glimpse of what will happen hinting "part one". This next release will explain more of a background and will also run into "Nervousness". That’s all Im going to explain right now. It probably does not make much sense but shortly will!
m[m]You’ve recently put out a great and varied four CDR disc box set of Boar recordings on the Absence Tapes- over what period of time are these recordings from & do you see the box as a whole having any kind of theme or concept?
Alex That was recorded around last July I believe. I had no problem recording this because I was very very excited to do my first box! So it did not take long to record. This release did have a main concept. I know I stated earlier that all of my releases are based around my life and my mood. Well this release was a mix of my personal issues and a book I was reading at the time called "Mister Be Gone" written by Clive Barker. A wonderful book about a Demon that finds his way to earth. Every track is titled in order of the book and the titles deal with events of the book. The artwork has nothing to do with the actually feeling/concept of the box.
m[m]You mention a Clive Barker book as influence on the Absence Tapes boxset- are there any other books you like to use as a influence for a track or collection of tracks?
Alex Nope, I don’t read all that much. I should read more but I don’t
m[m]At the end of 2010 you started your own HNW label Breaching Static- tell us a bit about why you decided to do this & what influenced the labels name and it’s shut eye logo?
Alex I just wanted to really start a label haha! I wanted to not just put what I self released out as a self release but apart of something else that I cherish as well. The name again just kind of came to me. I wanted "static" to be in there somewhere so I came up with Breaching Static. A coming forth of static. The logo is actually ice, just very very close up. I enjoy releasing "releases" so much and working with new people, I had to make my own label. I see it as an art form.
m[m]A lot of your tracks and release titles have quite violent titles- are you a fan of horror or true crime? And what do you see as a major subject focus of your material? Alex For Boar I always base my releases on my current events. I may use samples from horror movies but that is just to add to what I am feeling like. Boar is based around my life and how things are going. Not everything used to be so violent/negative. I used to write very pretty ambient tracks, but for me I think HNW gave me access to a much more range of feeling and emotion. Not saying I am a very negative/violent person, just that I can get out what I want through my noise. On a few of my upcoming releases on other labels you will notice that the titles of tracks a lot more personal due to the bull shit I have been dealing with certain family members of mine. I try not to let negative/dark feelings take control of my, so noise is a great way to release those feelings and that is always what Boars releases have been based around.
m[m]You’ve so far played quite a few shows across the US- what’s been the best and worse show you’ve played thus far?
Alex Hmm. that is a good question. I am hard on myself when it comes to live performances so there are too many "bad" examples in my eyes, but as far as best.... Just the last tour I performed with Ascites in Denton TX and what I created during this performance gave me a feeling that I have never felt. I also played a show not too long ago and had the same feeling, so I think finally I am doing something right for myself in the sound/way I perform!! I would like to mention one show I played as a duo in California last year, I forget the venue name but it was in LA and not many people were there but at the end of our set myself and my partner in crime went ape shit and throw our tables. It was great.. Oh and a show I really enjoyed on the same tour was in Chicago. We played at a warehouse called the mopery. It was packed and that was the first packed noise show I have ever played, so that felt good.
m[m] Would you like to play live in other counties and would you ever consider playing over in Europe and the UK ?
Alex I would love to play in other countries! I know it would not be for a very long time due to financial purposes but someday I will tour the world with my noise.. not a full on straight tour but time to time. This is kind of a life goal of mine!!
m[m]Tell us a bit about what you’ve got coming up next on Breaching Static & have you any releases lined up on other labels?
Alex O my goodness. Well for Breaching Static I have a new batch in the works that I am very very excited about. In this next batch there will be ... A collaboration between Ascites and Dead Body collection... A release from myself Boar called "Wall Reaper"... A Centuries Behind A Gate 2xCDr release and a Gluttoness release. Next on up is a series that I am starting called the "silver top series" mainly because of the packing will be a clear thin plastic sleeve with a silver CDr with minimal artwork. There will be 5 different releases/5 different artist released and only 10 copies of each. I have all of the artist lined up but will release their names on a later date!! I plan on continuing this series in between of my batches! As for Boar I have a tape coming out on Dead Pope and another tape on Zvukovina. Also a CDr on Breaching Static and a (in the talks) CD on Sweet Solitude. I think that’s about it as far as Boar and Breaching Static. I am very very excited about the future.
m[m]Can you gives us any hints on what projects to expect on the upcoming silver top series?
Alex I can list a few for sure projects. Sobou Shuu, a friend of mine that lives about an hour away from Dubuque. I have been playing shows/just hanging out with him for while now.. Very very aggressive harsh noise project with some great HNW elements. Very aggressive! Pyramid Dust, a collaboration between myself, Sibiu Shuu and my good friend/tour mate Patrick from I Like You Go Home (who will be performing at Eyes Behind The Wall Fest this year along with myself and many many others!). And Love Katy. The last two I will wait to post on a later date.
Thanks To Alex for his time & efforts with interview and the great pictures. Boars blog can be found here: http://boarnoise.blogspot.com/ and breaching Statics blog can found here: http://breachingstatic.blogspot.com/