MARK SOLOTROFF
AWB / INTRINSIC ACTION / SURGICAL STAINLESS STEEL / THE RAPE OF ANGELS / BLOODYMINDED / BLOODLUST! / ENSEMBLE SACRE GARCONS
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THIS INTERVIEW WAS MADE IN 2000 FOR THE 4TH ISSUE
I’m more than proud to edit this interview from MARK SOLOTROFF, and this for several reasons! First of all If you’re used to the reviews from the previous issues you already know my enthusiasm for all his works: firstly as a member of the NY sado-electronics INTRINSIC ACTION, then in BLOODYMINDED & under his own name through different solo projects and also in SURGICAL STAINLESS STEEL. MARK is not only a great tortured-electronics provider but also the instigator of the excellent label BloodLust! rising from the ashes of the legendary AWB. So let him speaks and give him the exposure he deserves!! |
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| How do you see the INTRINSIC ACTION experience now? Do you know the G.G.F.H. (American electro-satanists) cover version of the AC/DC classic "Night Prowler"? (For those who don’t know: This song was listened by the Californian serial killer Richard Ramirez, while hunting at night for preys) It is difficult to summarise over ten years (1984-1995) of work in a brief statement, but my work with Intrinsic Action was important in establishing the great relationships that I have developed with people around the world. I am very satisfied with the majority of the work officially released under the name Intrinsic Action, and the live shows carried out between 1986 and 1995 were generally great experiences. I learned a lot of things that I have applied to how I am working in BLOODYMINDED, and past experiences have made the new band even more successful in my mind. Yes, I have heard the GGFH cover but I am not a fan of their CD's. The Intrinsic Action 12" picture disc was not intended for release as it appeared, and it is not authorised. I do not like the material, and I wanted to submit different tracks. The Intrinsic Action 7" on BloodLust! Have the songs that I would have preferred, and that is why we released them after-the-fact. Our version of "Night Prowler" (recorded in 1992) was not a successful recording as far as I am concerned. |
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Why did you change AWB to BloodLust!?
Along with ending Intrinsic Action and starting fresh with BLOODYMINDED, the point of BloodLust! was to start a label with a clean slate, and with new people involved, getting rid of the baggage that built up over the years with AWB Recording. I wanted to stay very clear of any political connotations as they were not necessarily my interest with AWB Recording in the first place, and they have absolutely no place in how BloodLust! is being run. |
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| Why did you change your sound with BLOODYMINDED into something ultra-violent? Not far from grind core stuff? Do you know this style with acts like Anal Cunt, 7 Minutes of Nausea or Fear of God and Sore Throat? I do not think that the sound is so different between Intrinsic Action and BLOODYMINDED. Elements of the new band were always there. The first Intrinsic Action CD, "Sado-Electronics", already had short, blasting tracks in the second section (Surgical Stainless Steel). Maybe the similarities are more obvious regarding the sound of live shows. The point of BLOODYMINDED was to strip the sound down to a more powerful, minimal attack, using less of the pulses and waveforms that characterised Intrinsic Action's electronics. I also wanted to drop the references to s/m bullshit. From 1984 until now, the music has evolved in a more raw, powerful direction. The sounds have become more straightforward, and my vocals continually develop in a more violent and hard direction. I no longer use effects on my voice as I am concerned with my lyrics being clearly delivered, while at the same time, I can do more with my voice now, ranging from straight delivery to guttural screams and shrieks. The connection to grind-core is certainly there. I have been listening since the early Earache and Peaceville days, and while I dislike the silly aspects of a band like A.C., I will admit to a track like Napalm Death's "You Suffer" as being a huge influence on how things have developed. The five years that I was in New York allowed me to see and hear a lot of grind, as it is a thriving style there. Lastly, Discharge was always a major influence, even down to the design of Intrinsic Action's record sleeves. Can you tell me more about the 2nd BLOODYMINDED CD "True Crime"? BLOODYMINDED "True Crime" CD update: |
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| Can you explain to me if you are a member of Surgical Stainless Steel? How did you manage to depict such an odd atmosphere of a victim being tortured on the "Murder Series" e.p.? I did not think it was any secret that I was doing Surgical Stainless Steel as it was a part of the first Intrinsic Action CD, as well the name that I have used for various production credits (... this is a Surgical Stainless production). I plan to use the name for the infrequent solo projects that I do, as opposed to using my own name. The single that I recorded for the Self Abuse series was built up from layers of vocals with very little in the way of synth parts. Vocals continually hold more importance to me, so based on your question, I will assume the recording was successful. It is always an issue of finding the right energy and power in the studio, which can be very difficult without an audience in front of you. |
  
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| Are these five tapes the only releases from your solo project: "A Venom in the Blood" ; "Evidence to Suggest Postmortem Sexual Assault"; "Instrumental Demonstration of Death Noise'; "The Biology of Rape'; and "In the Mind of a Monster"? What has motivated you to do this solo project? How do you compose? With what? Influences, etc. In addition to the tapes that you listed, I released "Sexual Homicide" as part of the BloodLust! cassette series. I also collaborated with Paolo Bandera of Sshe Retina Stimulants on a four-cassette box set on BloodLust! called "Excellent Manipulation of Distorted Tape Death". There are also a few compilation tracks floating around. Super Eight Loop was another project that I completed, mostly during the transition from Intrinsic Action to BLOODYMINDED. As for the solo tapes, I thought, at the time, that there was an opportunity to try out some different ideas as various labels were willing to put out the releases. Aside from "Instrumental..." and "Excellent..." on BloodLust!, I cannot get too exited about any of the solo tapes. There was really no need to release the cassettes, other than as a response to the courtesy offered by the labels. I think that the material is a poor representation of what I generally create, and out of all of the releases that I have been involved in, these would be the ones that I most regret. The tapes are generally murky layers of vocals, none of which rise out of the mud. I tried to use a minimum of synths on the tapes, and on the first BloodLust! cassette, there were no keyboards at all. The Super Eight Loop series is more interesting to me. Comprised primarily of 50 one hour cassettes (with a few special editions of certain specific tapes), the releases successfully portrayed my interest in older "cult' Power-Electronics artists such as Mathausen Orchestra, M. B., etc. I used a variety of analogue synths, one per tape, building up layers of electronic patterns with absolutely no effects. The project was a bit obsessive and was really only intended for friends and fanatics. |
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| You said that you were ripped off by Tesco with the Fuck Yourself label? What is the whole story? While we once had a mutually beneficial relationship, we had a lot of misunderstandings that ended up with certain things that were supposed to be released not released, and two recordings that were not authorised by me being released. Those would be the "Groupies"/"Night prowler" 12" picture disc, as previously mentioned and the Intrinsic Action "Electro-Death Suite" CD on the new Tesco label, Fuck Yourself. Great name! While I think that the picture disc is pure shit, the CD is brilliant. They mastered it from a rough demo cassette, reproducing my liner notes almost perfectly, with a few funny changes. I have to admit that I listen to it a lot. It was actually supposed to be the second Intrinsic Action CD, but it functions as a rough blueprint for the first BLOODYMINDED CD, "Trophy". The tracks were re-recorded twice; once by me in the studio using overdubs, and once with "live in the studio" sessions with Angel Ramos (ex-Intrinsic Action and BLOODYMINDED) and John Balistreri (Slogun) who also played live with both groups. Neither version struck me as more successful than the demos, which remain my favourite. As far as Tesco goes, to me, their attitude and their politics are ridiculous. |
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| What about the second volume of Ensemble Sacrés Garçons? Why such a name in French? Another long-term project... the second ESG CD is still in the works. I thought that we had finished it before leaving NYC, but after several careful listens, I knew that I was not 100% behind the final master. Andrea Chiaravalli and I will both add more "up front" vocals to the tracks, and we will probably eliminate some songs from the running order. The CD is over 70 minutes long, and it just seems too long. We can use the remaining tracks for a future release. It is probably obvious that I am in no hurry with any of these projects... I have been doing this for 15 years, and at this point, I just want to do things in a satisfying way, not necessarily quickly. As for the name Ensemble Sacrés Garçons, Andrea proposed it, and it seemed perfect. It personifies our friendship and our working relationship. |
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| What are the future plans for BLOODYMINDED, Mark Solotroff, Surgical Stainless Steel, and BloodLust! ? BLOODYMINDED will soon have the "True Crime" CD available and we will continue working on three future full-length releases. A new, limited 7" called "Mothercare" will be out this year, containing two live "blast" tracks. I cannot imagine releasing anything new under my own name, and as for Surgical Stainless Steel, there are no immediate plans. BloodLust! will continue to release the singles that have been coming out (BLOODYMINDED, Intrinsic Action, Slogun, Sshe Retina Stimulants, Deathpile, lugula-Thor, The Sodality, Jim Goodall, and Murder Corporation) with records by Mathausen Orchestra, Final Solution, Atrax Morgue, etc. Compact discs will eventually see the light of day by lugula-Thor, Sshe Retina Stimulants, and Intrinsic Action ("Sado-Electronics" remaster/re-release, "Bad Jack" re-master w/new tracks, and a collection of all of the 7" singles). What are your favorite films, books, and items on serial murderers? Anything to add? |
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| BLOODLUST! Catalogue: Compact discs: $15.00 Records: Cassettes: Upcoming: Ordering Information: -Foreign orders, please add $3.00 per item for AIR MAIL. Last Minute: BLOODYMINDED - T-shirt "Power-Electronics Chicago - New York - Toulouse". $17.00 Air Mail (postpaid). BLOODYMINDED "True Crime" – button $2.00 Air Mail (postpaid). INTRINSIC ACTION – button $2.00 Air Mail (postpaid). |
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| REVIEWS:
INTRINSIC ACTION GROUPIES EP [B032] LIM100 JIM GOODAL SACRED PROSTITUTION EP [B038] LIM100 MATHAUSEN ORCHESTRA LOST IN BOYZ TOWN EP [B042] LIM100 |
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