Artist Interviews

Q&A: The Dillinger Escape Plan

By | Published on Tuesday 6 April 2010

Dillinger Escape Plan

Formed in 1997, The Dillinger Escape Plan progressed quickly to the forefront of the US hardcore scene. In 2001, vocalist Dimitri Minakakis left the group, to be later replaced by Greg Puciato, though they worked briefly with Faith No More frontman Mike Patton. The band really made their mark with second album ‘Miss Machine’, which saw the band’s sound develop to an even more distinct style, and the follow-up, ‘Ire Works’, which garnered high critical acclaim. Last month, they released their fourth album, ‘Option Paralysis’, the first to be put out via their own label Seasons Of Mist/Party Smasher. We spoke to bassist Liam Wilson to find out more.

Q1 How did you start out making music?
I started playing when I was twelve, and I think my main motivation was primarily that of a music lover more than a music maker. I initially wanted to create the sound, the record etc that I couldn’t find. I realised I couldn’t, or didn’t want to do it by myself, so I joined bands with other people who wanted to create the same thing, give or take. I felt like my motivation evolved into a responsibility, I had to create this sound as much for myself as for others. Ultimately, It never ends up being exactly what I was listening for, it’s always a compromise between everyone involved, it’s a constant collaboration, but the results with this band have always been challenging, exciting, refreshing and fulfilling for me.

Q2 What inspired your latest album?
There’s always a lot that goes into a Dillinger record, intellectually and emotionally. I think the most focused idea behind this one is the umbrella idea of ‘sensory overload’. The title references the idea that we’ve got so many choices in our modern world that sometimes we simply can’t make one anymore. The feeling that everything is one click away, transparency is the norm, secrecy and consequently privacy are dying fast deaths, and everything is free and thus value-less… these are all concepts that affect us personally and as a band, and I believe that as a consequence, our music, our lyrics, our artwork and packaging etc are a reflection of these concepts.

Q3 What process do you go through in creating a track?

Personally, as a bass player, I feel like my role is to sonically glue all the other components together. Typically, our guitarist Ben, or in this record’s case our drummer Billy, will come in the rehearsal space with an idea, either on guitar/drums or as an idea sketched out with the help of programs like Cubase or Reason. Once we’re all familiar with the idea, have all added our two cents as far as arrangements and layers are concerned, the song just organically builds from there. We demo it, and move on to the next song(s). For this record, most of the lyrical-vocal ideas were introduced as the songs were being tracked, and the songs all go through a rebirth in the studio. The bass usually gets recorded last, which is somewhat unusual for most heavier music acts, but seems to work best for us since I get to be objective about what the songs really need from me to “seal-the-deal” so to speak. Every element plays a different role, and often that role is constantly shifting between something rhythmic, something melodic, or both simultaneously.

Q4 Which artists influence your work?
I can say that for me, I’m just as if not more influenced by non-musical art than I am by music these days. I still listen to a lot of new music, and still have my old favourites, but it seems lately I’ve found as much inspiration in the paintings of Rothko as I have by the music of Neurosis. In the music sphere and beyond, in this cultural recession it seems like we’re all stuck in, marketing is where most of the creativity is coming from, as well as live-production aesthetics like lights etc. In those realms, the bands that I think are doing the ‘full package’ things well are Radiohead, NIN, and even acts like The Locust or Tool seem to bring something from all media into the circuit and create something truly fresh, personal and interactive for their respective audiences.

Q5 What would you say to someone experiencing your music for the first time?

Stay open, keep breathing, enjoy responsibly.

Q6 What are your ambitions for your latest album, and for the future?
It may sound clichéd, but I think we collectively just want to keep this train rolling down the tracks, keep building momentum, see the world, and connect with fans through the quality music we’ve created. There’s always something refreshing about playing new songs to old audiences and vice versa. This music is very personal for us, and I hope our fans react to it in a personal way too. We’re trying to give all music lovers an option, a way out of the cookie-cutter/hamster-wheel radio-MTV culture (or lack thereof). Touring, and by that I mean playing live, is such a big part of what we do and who we are, so hopefully this newest record will help us continue to do what we love by bringing it to your doorstep and bleeding for it with audiences that can appreciate what we’re trying to present, at least for another two years until we’re ready to write and record again.

MORE>> www.myspace.com/dillingerescapeplan



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