XENTRIFUGE's Chris X and Lisa Hellen: "Writing Industrial music is a constant and never-ending learning experience ' from learning new tech, to music theory, to developing our own techniques and pushing boundaries."
February 16, 2018
From the NJ/NYC's Underground Music Scene comes XENTRIFUGE, a brutal assault of Harsh Industrial/Dark Electro, constructed by the collectively innovative minds of Chris X and Lisa Hellen. XENTRIFUGEbrings a groundbreaking blend of Industrial-based sound, fused with noise, and a touch of heavy guitar work to create a hauntingly melodic, yet raw and unforgiving product.
Metal Temple writerKyle Scott recently sat down to chat withChris andHellenabout the band, and their forthcoming album,"Desensitized Parallels."
What made you decide on an interesting name like 'Xentrifuge'?
We were looking for a name that fit with the music concept we had in mind. We were looking for a mechanical name to go with the mechanized/electronic, gritty music that is Xentrifuge. Our sound is very heavy, grinding, with a dark, cold, mechanical atmosphere all wrapped into one.
What does it mean?
It comes from the word "centrifuge" which is a machine used in many fields of science and technology. While reading an article the word stood out and we replaced 'C' with and 'X' to make it our own.
What exactly is "aggrotech"? This is the first I've heard "aggrotech" mentioned, how long has it been around? Is aggrotech its own thing, or did it spring from either industrial or techno? Or was it a combination of the two?
The term 'aggrotech' first popped up in the Mid-2000's to define a certain sub-genre of Industrial Music. It's used to describe more dancey, dark 'EBM'. While we can fit within the aggrotech genre, we would consider ourselves much more straightforward Industrial and this could be heard in the new album. A lot of aggrotech relies on exactly what it's called ' aggressive techno, and that's not really our style. With Xentrifuge being in the Electronic Genre as a whole, we sometimes get labeled as such.
You have layer upon layer of synth noises in your songs. How many sound elements (on average) go into production for one song? How do you create/choose them?
Very good observation! Yes, we have a very complex and full, thick sound. On average, we lay out about 32 tracks and work it from there for each song (not including the vocal tracks).
Creating our sound pallet of synths and noise is probably our most important step of our chaotic process. We don't use any out-of-the-box presents whatsoever. We take quite a bit of time in tweaking sounds, layering drum sounds, and tweaking vocal effects. Tweaking knobs all day long until we find the right sounds and adapting these sounds to each individual song is again probably the most important aspect of our writing style.
Do you have an open source program of beats to choose from and edit yourself? Or do you have a program you made yourselves? What does your recording/mixing setup look like? How much time can you expect to devote to recording/mixing?
Well, we are heavily software-based and rely on a lot of plugins, VST's, etc, to begin the tweaking process. While a lot of this is open-sourced, again we make sure to tweak and recreate until each sound has become completely unique and our own. We use Cubase and Reason for all recording which is also all software-based. However, we do try to implement any analogue sounds, instruments (such as guitar) and recording techniques, and this will grow more evident as we move on. Recording and mixing takes up a good third of our time it seems.
Do you think industrial is ebbing its way into the mainstream, or is it happily thriving in its own little corner of the music scene? In what ways have you noticed industrial music, and/or the scene itself, evolving?
It kind of comes and goes, so to speak. Every once in a while an Industrial/EBM band will gain some major attention and this certainly helps to breathe new life into the underground industrial scene. However, we think it's got a long way to go before it truly hits the steady mainstream. Until then, we will be doing our best to bring new life into the scene as well.
What are some of the limits/challenges of performing industrial/aggrotech (if any)?
The challenges vary from band to band. For us, the big challenge is having only two people bring enough energy to keep our fans and a crowd interested in our performances. We've tried working with other members, however the lineup now seems to be the perfect fit. We just bring our best to the stage and feed off the crowd's energy while they feed off of ours.
What made you choose this genre over others?
Industrial is what we love, so why not create it! Plus, the synths and all the little machines we get to play with are a lot of fun. Writing Industrial music is a constant and never-ending learning experience ' from learning new tech, to music theory, to developing our own techniques and pushing boundaries.
Would you say it's an ideal medium to deliver the message you want to send to your listeners, or more of a preferred one?
For us, this is certainly the best way to express our art. This new album, "Desensitized Parallels" was new ground for us as artists (of varying kinds such as being musicians, photographers, digital artists, poets, writers, etc). We did everything from music production, recording, and even the artwork ourselves, rather than out-sourcing these needs. We also plan to expand our art further and other endeavors. More info later this year!
What is your latest album's message? How does it differ from your other two albums?
This newest album is certainly different in a few ways. It is less of a concept album and more of a collection of art, in which meanings vary. We touch on a few different topics throughout the album.
Our past albums focused more on your usual industrial themes such as war, human extinction, technological fears, religion. This new album however, is a bit more personal and less specific, more abstract and open to each individual person's interpretation.
Have you ever thought of incorporating other genres into your work, like thrash or folk metal just to hear what it would sound like?
If we do incorporate any other genre we would certainly focus on trying to create something new altogether but, anything's possible. The new album actually does feature some heavy guitar work infused throughout, which is new for Xentrifuge. We always do our best to evolve from album to album.
What project are you guys anxious to start in the future? Do you already have something in mind?
We are very anxious to get on the road and perform as much as possible, while writing the next album. While our first official music video for "Circles of Dust" will be released Mid-February, we are very eager to get started on the next video. We also look forward to meeting our fans as we travel. Be on the lookout for Xentrifuge on the road this Spring/Summer and be sure to get the new album, "Desensitized Parallels" via Cleopatra Records available March 2nd, (Preorders up now!)
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