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The Sound Faction vs. Nanochrist
When I was young, I spent a lot of time visiting with my cool uncle, and hearing about his Band, and all the musical and art stuff he was doing, and as I grew up, I found out his band’s name is Nanochrist, an aggressive, synth/metal band, with some…interesting lyrics. And, since I’m now 19 and can get into their shows, which always seem to be 19+, I went and got to interview them after their recent show, and their drummer Gord’s last show with them.
"I wanted flying! I‘m going with web-slinging!"
- Scworm: Nanochrist
First and foremost for our readers out there, roll call! Who are you, and what do you do for the band?
Scworm, Lead Screamer, human bagpipes…thing.
Mike, I play guitar.
Steve, keyboards and electronics
Mike, I play guitar.
Steve, keyboards and electronics
So how would you describe your live show?
M - Intense
S - Very energetic
SC - Oxygen depriving
M - Sweaty
S - Very, very, very loud
SC - Sweaty
S - And the kind of music that you can easily, easily form a mosh pit that starts to break legal boundaries.
SC - …with sweat
S - Very energetic
SC - Oxygen depriving
M - Sweaty
S - Very, very, very loud
SC - Sweaty
S - And the kind of music that you can easily, easily form a mosh pit that starts to break legal boundaries.
SC - …with sweat
What is your favourite song to play live?
S - Hypersleep
M - I’d say, yeah, either Hypersleep or racecar for me, although Racecar makes my hand hut, but that’s alright. It’s worth it.
SC - Yeah, I like Racecar. Even though I can’t stop to breathe during it.
M - I’d say, yeah, either Hypersleep or racecar for me, although Racecar makes my hand hut, but that’s alright. It’s worth it.
SC - Yeah, I like Racecar. Even though I can’t stop to breathe during it.
What are some funny quirks you guys have that you feel like sharing?
M - I can knot both of my thumbs out of joint.
SC - I can too! And I’m left-handed!
S - Interesting little quirks we have…
SC - Steve has horrendous gas.
S - I have horrendous gas.
M - Horrific.
SC - I can too! And I’m left-handed!
S - Interesting little quirks we have…
SC - Steve has horrendous gas.
S - I have horrendous gas.
M - Horrific.
If you could have written any song, what one would you have written?
M - That can change from day to day. Right now I’m gonna go with a little-known b-side by Rush called “Between the Wheels”
SC - Any song…
M - Brown Shoes Don’t Make It?
SC - Yeah, yeah. Brown Shoes Don’t Make It. Or Peaches.
M - By Frank Zappa.
S - The fact that we play our stuff live means that to perform it, those are some of my favourite songs to play. I mean, that was something that when I realized that this was a band that I wanted to stick around with, when I would put the songs that we have, that we’ve recorded, that we’ve played on my iPod and I would just want to listen to them. So…unfortunately…
SC - We’ve written the songs he most wishes he’d written!
S - Pretty much.
M - Narcissist. *laugh*
S - Mike, write more songs!
SC - Any song…
M - Brown Shoes Don’t Make It?
SC - Yeah, yeah. Brown Shoes Don’t Make It. Or Peaches.
M - By Frank Zappa.
S - The fact that we play our stuff live means that to perform it, those are some of my favourite songs to play. I mean, that was something that when I realized that this was a band that I wanted to stick around with, when I would put the songs that we have, that we’ve recorded, that we’ve played on my iPod and I would just want to listen to them. So…unfortunately…
SC - We’ve written the songs he most wishes he’d written!
S - Pretty much.
M - Narcissist. *laugh*
S - Mike, write more songs!
Are there any pre- or post-show rituals you guys do?
S - Beer.
SC - Right after a show, I guzzle beer and chain-smoke until I can breathe again.
M - I don’t eat all day, and I develop a nervous cough that turns into a wretch until I get on stage. It’s not really a ritual so much as just something that happens.
S - We surround ourselves with beer. We’re complete and total beer snobs, and…yeah. A lot of it revolves around beer. Although, truth be told, at four in the morning, we’ll run off to…all of the sudden, because Mike hasn’t eaten all day, and Scworm’s freaking exhausted, we’ll get some unhealthy fast food after the show and we’re sobering up.
M - I don’t drink at all before the show, though. It’s weird. I have an insane tolerance, as these guys can attest to. I am a heavy metal guitar player, and it just kind of comes with the territory.
S - It’s not so much that he has an insane tolerance, it’s that you can’t actually tell how drunk he is. He hides it well…
M - True, but I also have a ridiculous tolerance. However, if I have one before going on, I feel like I can’t play. I don’t feel the beer, but I still feel like I can’t play. It might be psycho-somatic. But I figure it’s easiest if I don’t drink before going on. I wanna put on the best show I can. I’m that kind of jerk..
SC - Right after a show, I guzzle beer and chain-smoke until I can breathe again.
M - I don’t eat all day, and I develop a nervous cough that turns into a wretch until I get on stage. It’s not really a ritual so much as just something that happens.
S - We surround ourselves with beer. We’re complete and total beer snobs, and…yeah. A lot of it revolves around beer. Although, truth be told, at four in the morning, we’ll run off to…all of the sudden, because Mike hasn’t eaten all day, and Scworm’s freaking exhausted, we’ll get some unhealthy fast food after the show and we’re sobering up.
M - I don’t drink at all before the show, though. It’s weird. I have an insane tolerance, as these guys can attest to. I am a heavy metal guitar player, and it just kind of comes with the territory.
S - It’s not so much that he has an insane tolerance, it’s that you can’t actually tell how drunk he is. He hides it well…
M - True, but I also have a ridiculous tolerance. However, if I have one before going on, I feel like I can’t play. I don’t feel the beer, but I still feel like I can’t play. It might be psycho-somatic. But I figure it’s easiest if I don’t drink before going on. I wanna put on the best show I can. I’m that kind of jerk..
Since I was told that you write most of the songs Mike, where do you come up with the inspiration?
M - I don’t tend to write the lyrics so much anymore, actually. I used to. Umm, most of it’s going to be Scworm on the next album, I guess.
SC - I hope not.
M - No?
SC - Yeah, well, it’s a three-way. You, me, and our ex-bass player, and Steve wrote one song with way too many f*cking syllables.
M - I think I’ve only got two sets of lyrics on this album.
SC - I did write quite a lot of them.
S - You do write a lot of the lyrics.
M - When I did write the lyrics, a lot of it was just me venting my spleen about people I disliked severely. But that kind of gets old after a while and I got into Sci-Fi nerdery. Because I’ve been into Sci-Fi nerdery since I was knee-high to a grasshopper, and it made for good song titles and topics.
SC - That’s pretty much centrifugal, we all have that same nerdy song-writing nerdy, so you can never really tell who wrote the lyrics, ‘cause we all pretty much run on the same level.
M - We’re angry nerds.
SC - Angry nerds.
S - What other band gives a…what was that one that you gave a shout out to Doctor who at one of our shows?
M - Yes I did.
S - It was the anniversary, or…?
M - Yeah, it was the, uhh…I forget which anniversary it was…
SC - 30th
M - Was it the 30th? No it wasn’t. It was the 35th I think. What ever the most recent one was.
SC - It was a round number, maybe it was 40.
M - Yeah, whatever the most recent serious Doctor Who-- Well, it started in ’63…
S - So it would’ve been like, 45.
M - It would have been the 45th anniversary of Doctor Who, and we’ve got a song that Scworm wrote, actually, about an army of killer robots taking over mankind, and destroying the world…
SC - called sensor system 666.
M - That’s the one. So I just though, it’s Doctor Who-esque and I wanted to just give a shout out to Doctor Who on that day and dedicate that song.
S - And wouldn’t you know it? There were a few fans in the audience that were like, “Oh my god, they’re as big of nerds as we are!”
M - Yeah, there were like, two.
SC - I hope not.
M - No?
SC - Yeah, well, it’s a three-way. You, me, and our ex-bass player, and Steve wrote one song with way too many f*cking syllables.
M - I think I’ve only got two sets of lyrics on this album.
SC - I did write quite a lot of them.
S - You do write a lot of the lyrics.
M - When I did write the lyrics, a lot of it was just me venting my spleen about people I disliked severely. But that kind of gets old after a while and I got into Sci-Fi nerdery. Because I’ve been into Sci-Fi nerdery since I was knee-high to a grasshopper, and it made for good song titles and topics.
SC - That’s pretty much centrifugal, we all have that same nerdy song-writing nerdy, so you can never really tell who wrote the lyrics, ‘cause we all pretty much run on the same level.
M - We’re angry nerds.
SC - Angry nerds.
S - What other band gives a…what was that one that you gave a shout out to Doctor who at one of our shows?
M - Yes I did.
S - It was the anniversary, or…?
M - Yeah, it was the, uhh…I forget which anniversary it was…
SC - 30th
M - Was it the 30th? No it wasn’t. It was the 35th I think. What ever the most recent one was.
SC - It was a round number, maybe it was 40.
M - Yeah, whatever the most recent serious Doctor Who-- Well, it started in ’63…
S - So it would’ve been like, 45.
M - It would have been the 45th anniversary of Doctor Who, and we’ve got a song that Scworm wrote, actually, about an army of killer robots taking over mankind, and destroying the world…
SC - called sensor system 666.
M - That’s the one. So I just though, it’s Doctor Who-esque and I wanted to just give a shout out to Doctor Who on that day and dedicate that song.
S - And wouldn’t you know it? There were a few fans in the audience that were like, “Oh my god, they’re as big of nerds as we are!”
M - Yeah, there were like, two.
What is your favourite moment as a band so far?
M - How long does a moment count? What constitutes a moment? If it’s as long as we want, I gotta say, Vancouver.
SC - Yeah.
S - Vancouver was…I would have to say, the fact that we got on a plane with all of our gear, to go play a show on the other side of the country, we got invited to a complete underground punk show the first night we were there, we were couch-surfing with friends and associates that we’ve met along the was, it was…
SC - Intense.
S - It truly was like, oh my god, this is actually, like--
SC - And then we went to the top of a mountain and shook our fists at Vancouver.
S - At that point, it’s the fact that yeah, we got on a plane, y’know, as a band. People knew that we were traveling, people would ask,
SC - What’s your band’s name?
S - We carried that motif, people knew that’s what we were there for, and…
M - People ask us that when we don’t have our instruments with us and we’re just sitting at a burger restaurant as well.
S - What’s you’re band called?
M - I got asked that in the elevator at work the other day, and I’m just like, “Is it that obvious?”
S - Y’know, the four of us are sitting on a plane, swilling beer, and it’s just like, that moment is just, wow, this is this is really f*cking awesome!
SC - Definitely great.
M - Good times.
SC - Yeah.
S - Vancouver was…I would have to say, the fact that we got on a plane with all of our gear, to go play a show on the other side of the country, we got invited to a complete underground punk show the first night we were there, we were couch-surfing with friends and associates that we’ve met along the was, it was…
SC - Intense.
S - It truly was like, oh my god, this is actually, like--
SC - And then we went to the top of a mountain and shook our fists at Vancouver.
S - At that point, it’s the fact that yeah, we got on a plane, y’know, as a band. People knew that we were traveling, people would ask,
SC - What’s your band’s name?
S - We carried that motif, people knew that’s what we were there for, and…
M - People ask us that when we don’t have our instruments with us and we’re just sitting at a burger restaurant as well.
S - What’s you’re band called?
M - I got asked that in the elevator at work the other day, and I’m just like, “Is it that obvious?”
S - Y’know, the four of us are sitting on a plane, swilling beer, and it’s just like, that moment is just, wow, this is this is really f*cking awesome!
SC - Definitely great.
M - Good times.
So Nanochrist’s ex-drummer Gord joined us in time for the five random questions, and hilarity ensued.
If you could have any non-standard superpower, what would you choose?
S - The ability to fly, ‘cause not only can you fly around and do cool stuff, but you could also sail out over the audience with a wireless mic or wireless instrument and do barrel rolls above them.
SC - I wanted flying! I ‘m going with web-slinging!
M - I would be projectile vomit man.
G - Invisibility.
M - But then you wouldn’t be able to see.
S - But then you’d see drumsticks just wildly flailing on drums, and that’d be pretty cool.
M - But if you’re invisible, the light goes right through you, and you’re blind.
SC - D’oh!
SC - I wanted flying! I ‘m going with web-slinging!
M - I would be projectile vomit man.
G - Invisibility.
M - But then you wouldn’t be able to see.
S - But then you’d see drumsticks just wildly flailing on drums, and that’d be pretty cool.
M - But if you’re invisible, the light goes right through you, and you’re blind.
SC - D’oh!
If you could be any old school rockstar for a day, how would you abuse the power?
S - Trent Reznor during the halo 8, like Downward Spiral days when he’s heavily into the junk, but at the same time the fact that you have all this armada of great studio gear behind you, plus you have a back-up band that will nod at every f*cked up thing you’re doing, and realize the brilliance behind it, and the fact that you’re recording your album in the building where the Sharon Tate murders happened, “Le Pig”, the sheer fact that that all comes together, I would take that, drop myself into Trent Reznor’s body and put out the most f*cked up, incredible masterpiece album in the world.
M - He already did.
S - I know, that’s why I’m saying I would go back and do it.
M - I would be Dave Brock from Hawkwind, ‘cause then I’d finally be able to see a Hawkwind show.
S - I thought you were going to say Dave Brockie from Gwar.
M - That would be alright too.
G - I’d be Kenny Rogers, because I’m pretty sure he saw Dolly Parton’s t**s.
SC - I don’t know who I’d be. I honestly don’t.
S - C’mon, famous rockstar, and you don’t know who you’d be and abuse the power?
SC - Who would I be and abuse the power?
G - Pick Freddy Mercury.
SC - I’d be Perry Farrell in 1991.
S - And start the greatest series of concerts ever?
SC - Absolutely. And be in them. And then I’d get to see Jane’s Addiction live too.
M - He already did.
S - I know, that’s why I’m saying I would go back and do it.
M - I would be Dave Brock from Hawkwind, ‘cause then I’d finally be able to see a Hawkwind show.
S - I thought you were going to say Dave Brockie from Gwar.
M - That would be alright too.
G - I’d be Kenny Rogers, because I’m pretty sure he saw Dolly Parton’s t**s.
SC - I don’t know who I’d be. I honestly don’t.
S - C’mon, famous rockstar, and you don’t know who you’d be and abuse the power?
SC - Who would I be and abuse the power?
G - Pick Freddy Mercury.
SC - I’d be Perry Farrell in 1991.
S - And start the greatest series of concerts ever?
SC - Absolutely. And be in them. And then I’d get to see Jane’s Addiction live too.
What is you’re favourite five letter word?
SC - Knife!
M - hmmm…
SC - C’mon, go with knife! Or sword! C’mon!
M - Alright, I’ll take sword.
S - Piano.
G - Noise.
SC - Noise isn’t pointy! Oh, it is when Nanochrist does it.
M - hmmm…
SC - C’mon, go with knife! Or sword! C’mon!
M - Alright, I’ll take sword.
S - Piano.
G - Noise.
SC - Noise isn’t pointy! Oh, it is when Nanochrist does it.
If you could be champion of anything, what would you choose and why? (and if you say world, we will all laugh at you)
S - World.
SC - I want to win at arson!
M - Weddings!
S - ART!
SC - Flatulation.
S - I’d like to win at football, running, weddings, arson, and ART! …now comes in, Manana, Fizzbitch, and Gun!
M - Powerthirst now comes in women!
S - With preposterous amounts of testosterone!
ALL - Preposterone!
ME - Go Powerthirst, for the win.
SC - I want to win at arson!
M - Weddings!
S - ART!
SC - Flatulation.
S - I’d like to win at football, running, weddings, arson, and ART! …now comes in, Manana, Fizzbitch, and Gun!
M - Powerthirst now comes in women!
S - With preposterous amounts of testosterone!
ALL - Preposterone!
ME - Go Powerthirst, for the win.
If you could be any flavour of potato ship, what would you be?
S - Salt and vinegar, but Miss Vickie’s Salt and vinegar, Because a friend of mine cut themselves with a Miss Vickie’s chip, and she actually has a small scar from it, and it was salt and vinegar, and apparently the pain was unmentionable.
M - But you just mentioned it.
S - And I DID just mention it.
M - I would be jalapeno and I’d make Bubbles go down to the store and get some for me, and smokes from Cory and Trevor.
SC - I’d be earwig flavour.
G - I’d be grape. Who remembers grape chips from back in the day?
M - But you just mentioned it.
S - And I DID just mention it.
M - I would be jalapeno and I’d make Bubbles go down to the store and get some for me, and smokes from Cory and Trevor.
SC - I’d be earwig flavour.
G - I’d be grape. Who remembers grape chips from back in the day?
Well, that’s all we have, anything else to say guys?
S - The three of us want to give our farewell to Gord, unfortunately, because he’s a f*cking kickass drummer, and we’re gonna miss him because obviously he brings a lot to our live show.
SC - I’m gonna have to start a sideproject with him.
G - It’s called the Earwig-Flavored Potato Chips.
M - Thanks for reading, and check us out on the web at www.nanochrist.com
SC - Good Boy.
SC - I’m gonna have to start a sideproject with him.
G - It’s called the Earwig-Flavored Potato Chips.
M - Thanks for reading, and check us out on the web at www.nanochrist.com
SC - Good Boy.
Thank you again Nanochrist, and we’ll talk to you all again soon! Check out their site (which is already linked) and you can find their MySpace here.
