Publication: SuperCoolNothing
t.o.t.s. Interview (2005)
by; Mr Drum Machine
[Mr Drum Machine]: This is probably the worst, most cliched question to start an interview with–but I can’t resist: what’s the story behind the name of your band? “Things Outside The Skin” sounds more emo than industrial–nary an umlaut or a “23” to be found.
[Chvad]: The name! It goes back a bit actually. During my first band (Recherche’) the guitarist (Raphael/Mortal Angel from Sealed in Silence) and I were in the process of creating a new project (the now defunct “Blood in Vainâ€) and “THINGS OUTSIDE THE SKIN†was one of the ideas I had had. I was looking for a name that used simple words that could project larger concepts, a name that could be flexible enough to keep up with constantly changing ideas and identities and I also wanted it to be a bit creepy without be heavy handed. Despite our (Raphael and I) decision to not use the name then in 1996, I wound up releasing a bunch of ambient recordings under the name in 1997 while retaining the name “Recherche’†for the heavier material. In 1998 I dropped “Recherche’†permanently and put everything into T.O.T.S.
[MrDM]: From the pictures on your website, one could assume that you incorporate a lot of theatrics into your live shows. For someone who hasn’t seen a T.O.T.S. show, can you describe what it’s like?
[Chvad]: I like to think it’s, at the very least, an energetic show. We really give the show 200% every time. Energy wise, whatever we have we try to put on the stage. It’s exciting for me to be on a stage and perform and at the very minimum I’d like the audience to feel the same excitement. As far as staged stuff goes…there’s always something new. None of us like to keep the same shtick for long so we’re always bringing something new to the show. Lighting and video has always been important for me. Unfortunately video has taken a back seat for a few years due to budget constraints but the lighting part of the show has really taken off the past couple of years. For me, these elements are every bit as important as the music. It’s a show. It needs to be a show and fun to hear AND watch. I consider lighting even when we’re recording. I’ll change a song if I think it’ll look better with a particular lighting arrangement. We’re restricted with time and budget a lot but I think what we’re bringing to the stage right now is pretty great. I’m hoping to re-integrate video in 2006/2007 but that all depends on whether or not I can get the means to do it. Continue reading SuperCoolNothing, interview (2005)