Your solo album, Model Kollapse, explores dystopian, industrial themes while incorporating a mix of genres like electro-industrial, techno, and darkwave. What inspired the concept for this album, and how does it reflect your view of society today?
The concept for the album has to do with technology changing by leaps and bounds and ai plowing us into a future that nobody really knows where it will take us: where does the machine end and the human mind begin in that dynamic? I feel with technology, we are damned with it and damned without it, –can it and will it save us on all levels of humanity?
The album has a strong cinematic and melancholic undertone. Was there a particular story or visual imagery you had in mind while composing the tracks?
The movies ‘THX1138’ and the more recent ‘Civil War’ come to mind with how I wanted to paint a picture with the music: who’s watching us and listening to us, how are we going to be controlled? That type of paranoia creates this vision in my mind.
Tracks like “Terror Forms” with Shannon Hemmett and “Erosion Through Time” with Mimi Page showcase unique contrasts between hard industrial sounds and ethereal vocals. How did these collaborations come about, and what was the creative process like?
I wanted to have a real distinctive ambiance and feel for my solo project, and by incorporating female vocals it would differentiate between the two and set a mood and tone for the album. I found that they created and collaborated on a perfect soundscape for what i was trying to emulate with everything.
“Fusion” and “Folded Hands” lean heavily into industrial experimentation and 1990s-inspired tones. Were these tracks more challenging to create due to their abstract or aggressive nature?
I think all of the tracks on this record are leaning towards the concept of the everchanging world we live in now. I tried to challenge myself on all the tracks in a way i previously hadn’t, with all the different elements. Again, “Folded Hands” with Mimi is different than working with Rhys on album, crossing the industrial genre with an ambient esque type of simulation definitely made it give a different feeling.
Many tracks, such as “Muted Obsession” and “Simulation,” have a danceable quality while maintaining dark, dystopian themes. How do you approach balancing these seemingly contrasting elements?
There’s always a fine balance between making an album too dance orientated while keeping it more artistic to not get repetitive. I definitely wanted to have a certain energy to the album and for a lot of genre clubs in our world to play this music. But is it such a contrast when the reality of this world IS dystopian? You do want people to relate.
Having worked with legendary acts like Front Line Assembly, Delerium, and Skinny Puppy, how has your creative process evolved over the years, and how did it influence Model Kollapse?
As you become more confident with technology it allows you to become more creative and expand your horizons in music and artistry, while expressing yourself. Having started out with Skinny Puppy while not having much experience in writing music, was a massive learning curve that evolved over the years. With each project and with all the collaborations I’ve done over the years, every time I work with new people, just being a fan of music overall it expands the ideas with sounds and its a continuous evolvement into the future.
With Model Kollapse, you’ve touched on both nostalgic industrial sounds and modern electronic influences. How do you feel the industrial music scene has evolved since you first started, and where do you see it heading?
First and foremost I find technology has changed so much, and it dictates a lot of the industrial genre with what you can do with it and how it applies. All that keeps evolving and I think the biggest point now is that most people can create music at home without going to expensive studios–which has allowed more artists to enter the scene, one of the most key factors in the development of electronic music.
Fans are eager to know-what is the current status of Front Line Assembly? Are there any new projects or tours in the works?
As I’m doing this current interview, I’m on the way to Leipzig for another show of our November/December European tour. We’ve had a great response with different songs on the setlist. Myself and Rhys are focusing on starting a new Delerium album in 2025, while more FLA shows have also been announced for next year: Mechanismus fest in Seattle, and Dark Malta. The plan is to write a few singles rather than a whole album as I think the music scene has really changed.
Your album delves into nihilistic themes but also offers moments of beauty and introspection, like in “Erosion Through Time.” Do you see these moments of light as a way to balance the heavier tones, or do they represent something deeper?
It’s not just a balance of making it sound good, but of having genuine emotion. As time goes on I feel more confident in expressing my own personal thoughts rather than just the general overview, which I’ve never done before. As much as I feel like the world is racing toward extinction, theres a part of me that holds on to a glimpse of hope that humanity will survive in one form or another, and THAT inspires me to keep going artistically and creatively.
With Model Kollapse marking a significant milestone as a solo artist, what’s next for you? Are there other genres or themes you’re excited to explore in the future?
The album has had a great reception. I’ve always hoped to score an entire film that I can stand behind. I’ve joked about it before, I thought about doing a whole acoustic album with guitar, as a singer songwriter – an FLA industrial album with just guitars and strings and seeing if I can capture emotion and intensity on that level.
