Originally published on the now defunct newempire.com
2000/2001
by Evan South
CROC SHOP:
vM: v Markus
mH: Mick Hale
L9: Len 9
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1.) "Order+Joy" gives us a more back-to-basics
approach with your sound. Comments?
vM: As industrial music has progressed to the point
of encompassing everything from guitars and metal
elements, to dance/techno, and the recent trend for
synth-pop stylings, we thought it was time to
rediscover the sounds which defined this genre near
the beginning - the basic 4-on-the-floor beats and solid
bass lines that hooked many of us in the first place. It's
a tribute to our roots.
mH: Most of what I wrote on "Order+Joy" was more
of a reaction to the dozens of clubs that we hit on our
1999 US tour. I have to say, I was a bit conflicted
about the music the djs played [at each & every club,
it was all the same material!] On one hand, most of the
"new" music they played I disliked, while there was a
certain "quality" in the older tracks that I wanted to try
to both update & pay a tribute to. There is alot of
better new music out there than Covenant, VNV, &
A Pop !
2.) The early material of "Celebrate..." and "Crush..."
and the first Metro release "Beneath" seemed
straightforward EBM - with "Pain" and "Everything..."
a bit more experimental, and again "O+J" stripped
down. How would you describe the overall evolution
of your sound over the years? Where do you see it
going?
vM: We don't consciously create music that's in tune
with what's "in", and we don't really think consciously
about how we are going to progress with our sound
from one album to the next. It's usually us writing music
that we feel sounds good. Sometimes this is influenced
by what we are listening to at the time - and very often
that is not current music! Our sound has progressed in
many ways by increased technology in music. Very
early CrocShop used no computers, then for some time
in the middle we almost only used them. Now, we have
returned to a middle ground, where a lot of the music is
composed using synths, and treated in the computer. In
the future, I see us using an increased combination of
old-style and digital equipment to create more variety
in the sound we can generate. Modern synths are very
much like the old knob-synths of yesterday - the
combinations are endless, and this opens the door to
many great new sounds.
3.) The live show has always been an integral part of
Croc Shop. You've performed fairly regularly over the
years and opened up for a lot of big acts as well. How
has this influenced you or your music? Are different
versions of the songs played live? Will there be any
touring for O+J, and when will we see you in the
West?
vM: I know playing live influences me to think of the
music as interacting with the audience. The music has
to stir something in the listener - whether at home or
at a show - and get them to at least mentally react - if
not physically by dancing - with what we are playing.
mH: We'd like to gig a lot more in 2001, we'll see what
happens. I'd like to work on some new material as well.
Right now I am feeling very put off with where the
"Industrial Scene" seems to be headed, tho - I must
admit.
4.) Being one of the "staple" American all-electro
bands, how do you perceive the scene in the USA, and
how have you seen it change over the years? What
would you change and/or do differently?
vM: I think the scene is alive and well - although
increasingly split between the old school, which is
underground, and the new school, who seem to think
Marylin Manson and NIN are connected with Industrial.
Places you never expect a big scene are some of the
most active and vibrant, like Salt Lake City, Utah, while
some other, large metropolitan areas where you would
expect huge crowds have surprisingly low turnout, or
the people have stopped caring about anything except
the really big names... It is very strange. I'd like to see
American industrial fans to get up and dance more!
This is heavy, rhythmic music, meant to move your
body... I've seen too many people who seem to not
be interested in physical movement... that's kind of
sad. We could learn something from ravers - and I
don't mean the crazy hats and pacifiers... Clubs and
musicare about dancing, not sitting around looking
dark and sad.
mH: Again, I have to say it: the "current crop" of
what's getting club play right now is nowhere near the
QUALITY of the past! I hate to say it, but I'd rather
hear the old stuff [242, Ebb, RevCo, Puppy, ] than sit
thru this bad House/Techno "Synth Pop" [albeit
without screaming Divas] - and I even like [real] house
& techno or drumNbass, but I hate these looping
'vampy' keyboards, a 4 beat 'preset sounding' 909 kick
with a bad & slightly off key male "synth Pop-ish"
vocal just dumped flat on top. . . & THAT is somehow
being classified "Industrial"? I can't think of a time this
genre has hit such a musical slump as it is in now - not
since the Major labels were trying to cram Stabbing
Westward down our throats, anyway!
5.) When was the last time CS was in Europe? Are there
any plans to return or do another tour overseas? At one
point, CS did have an overseas label? Does Metropolis
handle all worldwide distro now?
vM: CS was in Europe in May of 1997, playing
primarily in the former East Germany. It was fantastic,
with some of the best shows. The fans were great and
very enthusiastic and hungry for new music. I would
love to get back to Europe and play more shows - but
all over the place, this time, from Italy all the way to
Finland. I also hope that one day we can play in the
Baltics and Russia - places that American bands
usually don't go.
mH: A small label from Germany [OutLine] licensed 2
of our albums from Metropolis. We were never signed
to them directly, & they started to lie to us about sales
figures & royalties, so Metropolis stopped working
with them. I haven't heard anything good about that
label since [as far as their business practices with other
labels & bands I know]. Now we have a much bigger
distributor [EFA] handling the direct distribution in
Europe from Metro. We can only hope to get back
over someday...
6.) So far there has been a release of the single "Wrong"
w/ remixes of that track and "Order+Joy" plus "New
Ideal". However, this has been an Internet only release.
Any plans for commercial release or release of another
single or EP?
mH: Not as of yet. We wanted to do something to "fill
the gap" of having no live tour in 2000, so we did the
"Wrong" promo/internet cd to get the name out there in
clubs & help push the "Order + Joy" album - which
seems to have helped, as planned.
7.) What are you all working on right now? New
material, remixes, or production for other bands?
vM: I'm working on videos for the band, finishing one
up for the track "Wrong." I'd like to release a video
mix, with visuals going along with some of Croc
Shop's best tracks - but that is still in the planning
stages so fans will have to wait. We are also beginning
the preliminary song writing and studio work on our
next album, to which we don't have a title yet.
8.) A bit off topic. I remember long ago stories of
when you were first looking to be signed you
mentioned the most hilarious and ridiculous offers
and contracts. Do you remember any of the particulars,
especially from the now defunct labels such as
Machinery or Fifth Column?
mH: Machinery wanted to take out Life Insurance
Policies on the 3 band members! That & the fact that
we had to get "permission" from the "Parent Company"
of Machinery [Modern Music, gmbh] to even USE our
own name or logo in anything we did here in the US
was a bit over the top... Fifth Colvmn's "Contract" had
it's own cans of worms, too - 10 years before we could
release "Live" versions of any of the tracks kind of
stuff... not quite as out there as the Germans! COP Int'l.
went as far as sending us a practical "love letter" from
one office & then saying we "sounded too 8t's to sign"
from the other - It was kinda funny to see our name in
their Adverts until the left hand figured out what the
right hand was doing! Let's just put it this way - we're
VERY happy we finally landed on Metro!
9.) Final thoughts/comments?
vM: Miyamoto Musashi writes: "Teach your body
strategy... When you have mastered the Way of
strategy you can suddenly make your body like a
rock, and ten thousand things cannot touch you."
mH: There he goes again, singin Moby songs. ! Body
Rawk Y'all.... WHAT ever happened to HIM ! ? ! . . .
Bahh!
crocshop.com
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