Controlled Bleeding, Skin Chamber, Breastfed Yak

This interview with Paul Lemos was done May 2009 for Beyond 2.

J: You started Controlled Bleeding in 1983 and have been making music ever since, can you tell me how you feel the music industry has changed over the years? Have things gotten better with the exsposer the internet brings, or do you as a independent artist feel you lose money because of music downloading?
P: It's hard to say whether the changes in the music industry are beneficial for us. I like the fact that the internet puts groups directly in touch with their fans and that it allows people to discover such a tremendous range of music...But there is such a flood of material and information that it sort of collapses on itself because of the total overload. I also think that the process of accessing music so easily, bypassing the stores and dipensing with hard copies of CDS, makes it all fairly disposable. So, in the long run, it makes me less interested in music because I hate the digital format. Although I see very little money from music these day, it is nice that those who want it can find most of our catalogue through digital sources, after most of these albums have long been out of print.

J: How has touring and playing live changed for you, over the year?
P: I never did a whole lot of either, so I can't answer the question. Last time we played live was a decade ago.

J: As time goes by Controlled Bleeding is getting more and more recognition as pioneers of Industrial music and even innovators of Power Electronic. While Skin Chamber has gaine a huge cult following. How do you feel you have changed electronic music? What do you feel is your biggest contribution?
P: This is such a hard question to answer. It would be better answered by people who have found some value in our music through the years. For me, I just sort of make what keeps me interested at any given point. I don't think we've had any influence on electronic music, to be honest.

J: Is there any particular artist you would like to work with in C/B or your other projects?
P: I've been lucky to have worked with some of the players I really admire like Tatsuya Yoshida from Ruins, Kevin Shea and Weasel Walter. I would love to work with some of Zach Hill's drum tracks one day...

J: Most the Controlled Bleeding back catalog is now avalible on cd, is there any release that are not avalible you would like to see released? Is there a box set coming out?
P: The only vinyl from the early days that never made it to CD is the "Core" lp, which was a transitional record that took us into more conventional places after creating a lot of extreme noise stuff for the better part of 5 years. I have been working on a CD box set for Hong Kong's ULTRA MAIL PROD label, but it is hard going. When it finally appears it will feature material from our VINYL box (from last year), some extensive new recordings, CORE, and some rare archive music. I have been very lazy in getting this thing off the ground.

J: What would be the album that best Controlled Bleeding album for new comers?
P: I'm not sure what single album would be best for new comers since the music takes such differnt directions. My favorite of our recordings is definitely THE POISONER, along with the BREAST FED YAK cd...But they are both pretty difficult recordings as far as our stuff goes.

J: Do you perfer to work with bigger label like R/C, or smaller labels like Broken Flag?
P: I don't really care about the size of a label as much as the dedication the label has to the music it releases and its ability to get the music out to those who want it. Ideally, I'd like to work with a small label that has money enough to promote a recording so that it might have some longevity. These days, a record comes out... a few reviews appear, and it disappears in the monthly flood of product...A lot of sweat and blood is invested for such little return.

J: A while back I read Fat Hacker had a album coming out on R/C, did this ever happen? The only FH 
release I have been able to find is the 7' split. Are you a Candiru fan?
P: Fat Hacker was short lived...It morphed into SKIN CHAMBER, so the only document of that project was the Red Stream 7". Yeah, the fellow who ran RS contacted me and we did the split. I don't really know the music of Candiru.

J: With Skin Chamber you seemed to have a heavier influence. Early Swans comes to mind. Were you guys huge swans fans? What other influences helped mold the Skin Chamber sound?
P: Swans was a huge influence on Skin Chamber...We copped all of Gira's ideas. For me, COP, their second album from 1983, was essential listening. In those very early days, Gira and I were friendly and kept tabs on each others stuff. Swans never gets the credit they deserve for single handedly beginning all this slow crusty stuff that is going on now. I'm not sure what other stuff influenced Skin Chamber...maybe some of the early grindcore at points, and the atmospheres created by people like Bayle, Schwarz and Penderecki.

J: I was very sorry to hear about Chris. There is hardly any information online. Can you telll me what happened and when? Was there any new Skin Chamber material in the works or any unreleased material?
P: Chris died last Easter (he was born on Chistmas day...)Apparently, his heart gave out on him. More than that I don't know, since we had not been in close contact for a long time until just weeks prior to his passing.(Years before he had moved to Arizona, while I remained in NY) We were discussing plans for a third Skin Chamber album and exchanging a few musical ideas, after 10 years without collaborating. We never got to the point of putting demos together, and there is very little unreleased material from the original sessions. Maybe one day, I will get a new line up together.

J: Tell me alittle about your new project. Who are you working with?
P: Breastfed Yak consists of Joe Papa, me and whoever is assisting on drums...Weasel Walter, Yoshdia, Kevin Shea, Jon from Foetopsy have collaborated with us. The one album that appeared awhile back, GET YOUR GREASY HEAD OFF THE SHAM (birdman records) is a free jazz/prog/noise record that best defines our musical interests these days.

J: Do you have any other projectin the work?
P: There are lots of projects that have been offered, but somehow they never get done because of sheer laziness. The only definite releases are a new Cont Bleeding CD for the MVD label and the box set for Hong Kong.

J: You did a interview with Peter Sotos for Feral houses Apocalypse Culture. Have you did any other published writing? Have you ever been involved in a zine?
P: Let me just say that that interview was never approved of for publication. The guy who put that book together used that piece without any authorization. For me, Sotos is not even slightly interesting...I wanted to know what would make a person devote himself to such rubbish, but gained no insight into him at all. Pure garbage. I have been writing record reviews for years, most recently for The Big Takeover Magazine, here in NYC.

J: I read you were a school teacher, is this true? Do you still teach? Have you hads any students who knew Controlled Bleeding or your other projects?
P: Yeah, It's mind boggling to me that I have actually been teaching high school English for 27 years...School life is entirely separate from my musical life, but sure, kids get wind of the various bands through any number of sources. Generally, they are initially curious about it, but that fades fast once they hear stuff that hurts their ears!

J: What are your current listening favorites?
P: I have always been an avid fan of music. Some cds that I play a lot are the recent AIDS WOLF , "CITIES of GLASS", Koenjihyakkei's "NIVRAYM" reissue, Flipper's reissues, Henry Cow's 10 disc box!!!, Last days of Humanity 2 CD comp (new to me, but probably pretty old), Richard Hawley's "COLES CORNER", new MONO CD.