In 1982 Essex boys Bon Harris and Douglas McCarthy formed Nitzer Ebb with a focus on vocals, bass, and beats.  Through simple teenage rage and the influence of punk rock they formed their own sound in the developing EBM scene.  After several acclaimed singles, the band signed with Mute Records in 1986. With Mute they released the major body of their work and became friends with label mates, Depeche Mode, with whom they’ve toured and occasionally collaborated.  1995 saw the release of the bands fifth studio album, Big Hit, followed by them splitting up to walk different paths.  After time involved in their own projects, they came together for a reunion tour in 2006 which lead to new Nitzer Ebb material.  The result is a new album, Industrial Complex, which the band is now on the road promoting with shows both as headliners and as the supporting act for Depeche Mode’s “Tour of the Universe”.

interview by Aaron Andrews

You both went off to do your own things with various projects after 1995’s Big Hit. Why the decision to get back to making music as Nitzer Ebb?

Douglas McCarthy : It came about after we re-united for what was initially just a few festival shows in Europe. That actually turned into a world tour of not just Europe, but North and South America, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand! During that time we had a few breaks in LA and we thought it would be interesting to see where we were at creatively with the band. As it turned out we were in great shape and we went on to write over thirty songs!

Bon Harris : There was a demand for it. Doug had been doing shows with FM, and the were a lot of fans asking for a return. So we came back.

What do you think you’ve each brought back to the band that’s new and/or exciting?

DM : I think we actually brought back a lot of what was there in the very start of the band, mixed with our own personal and creative development as individuals.

BH : Years of individual experience. We all went off and learned new things. We grew and developed as individuals. It makes for a much richer experience working in NE now.

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Combichrist is the brain child and creative baby of Andy LaPlegua, first known here in the States for another of his bands, Icon of Coil.  Andy took time away from that project to create Combichrist’s Kiss the Blade, first released in 2003.  What started out as an exploration of harsh beats and noise has morphed over the course of six years into an aggro/electro industrial project producing four albums and five EPs, as well as a number of remixes.

In the studio, LaPlegua writes and produces the material for Combichrist alone.  When he takes the show on the road the whole project not only comes to life but explodes into full being.  The project has manifested as an exciting and energetic stage act, winding the audience into a frenzied, throbbing hoard bent on losing themselves in the beat.  This kind of high-octane live presentation feeds back into LaPlegua’s studio work for the next Combichrist release, creating a cycle that has an infinitely building momentum.

With live percussion and a commanding stage presence, they pound through each show with fanatical energy, setting this act apart from the sea of contemporary acts that just occupy stage space as their laptops play.  Combichrist seems that they would happily stomp those automatons to dust in their quest to deliver a unforgettable show.  The experience of their live performance in not to by missed and certainly won’t be forgotten by those who’ve lived through it.

Their most current tour adventure, “Demons On Tour”, started off in North America with Black Light Burns before they split off and engaged a European leg.  We caught up with LaPlegua and the current tour line-up, Joe Letz, Z_Marr, and Trevor Friedrich in Toronto just before their show at the Opera House, where they were gracious enough to take the time to meet with us.

photography Jennifer Link
interview Aaron Andrews
Combichrist Live
Andy LaPlegua
Trevor Friedrich
Joe Letz
z_marr

It looks like you’ve got a long tour ahead, US then Europe; do you enjoy being on tour?

Andy – Yes and no.

What do you specifically enjoy, what don’t you enjoy?

Andy – Nah I mean I enjoy being on tour; it’s rough, but it’s cool. It’s what we do, I guess. It’s rougher to not be on tour.
Z_Marr – Never a dull moment.

Is it the variety that entertains you?

Andy – It is just the life on the road, living in a bus, being on the road all the time; that’s basically what I do. When-ever I am at home it’s really weird.
Joey – It’s really hard to do this, it’s fun, but it’s really hard. And once you get home, you are always like, ‘I needed to be home.’ Then after a couple days you are like ‘what the hell am I doing? I got to get on the road.’
Z_Marr – There is this weird decompression period where I run around trying to find things to do and there is nothing. You wake up and you’re like, ‘fuck I missed sound check.’

read the full interview in the April 09 Issue