THE KETTLE BLACK


What caused the transition from december to dream into dust, and when exactly did it occur?

the music was becoming more complex and more experimental, and i wanted to add different elements that weren't present before. in additon, the "hope for nothing" material was written during a certain intense period in my life, which thankfully ended. with all these changes, and the sudden proliferation of other bands using "december" as part or all of their name, i decided it was best to just move on.


How do you feel the two projects compare to each other?

dream into dust is essentially a continuation of the former project, an exploration of different aspects. it has become more militaristic, more symphonic, more disorienting, and yet more focused. also a bit more industrial, but in the manner put forth by TG, non, and einsturzende neubauten. elements from the earlier work, such as piano and more natural-sounding drums will certainly return.


Patrick Hogan and Bryin Dall were involved in no man's land. Are they consistent members of dream into dust or do you find people to contribute as you need them?

mainly the latter, but as bryin and patrick are close friends whose talents i respect, they will probably return more often than not. for example, neither of them appear of "a prison for oneself" because that music was entirely composed of samples that would evoke a dark atmospheric version of 'the prisoner' tv show. however, they're both on 'the world we have lost'. there are other contributors at times, depending on the song and the need. each person brings something unique to the sound.


Do you ever appear on other people's projects? If so, which projects?

bryin asked me to play acoustic guitar for his version of hank williams' "may you never be alone like me", then i ended up helping him with a few solo tracks that ended up becoming his project 4th sign of the apocalypse. i also worked with him a bit on his other projects ursus noir and thee majesty, and i've contributed heavily to the sixth loretta's doll album.


No Man's Land is very much a journey from the opening of "the lost crusade" to the end of "seasons In the mist". Is this one concept throughout the album or four very distinct pieces?

they were four separate pieces written at different times, that began to fit together sonically as they were being completed. there is a pattern of ideas throughout the EP, but it was not a predetermined "concept album". it was decided to crossfade them all, which worked out well.


Could you explain the influence of Godfrey Dawson on no man's land?

he's the creator of the hermetic tarot of the golden dawn. this is the deck i own and was drawn to consult it during the making of the EP. some lyrics in "dissolution" specifically were influenced by readings and interpretations from that deck.


...Theo Angelopoulos?

he's a filmmaker who made an excellent movie called ulysses' gaze which i saw at the beginning of the sessions for 'no man's land'. this 3-hour epic is an incredible personal journey of a man in search of something important in a meaningless and war-torn world. it moved me very deeply and the image of the white mists towards the end inspired me to create the wind loop that was the basis for "season in the mist", and it affected the feel of the whole EP. i highly recommend seeing it, however by the end you may feel as though your soul has been crushed by stone.


Where would you like to see the project in five years?

with a few good albums and unique releases behind and ahead of us, and a heightened interest in what we're doing.


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