John: First off, congratulations on Panopticon. In a year of top notch albums, to me yours stands above the rest. How has the album performed overall?
Aaron: How has the album performed? I`m not sure what you mean by that exactly... other than how it has sold. I consider us as having performed the record rather than the record itself performing. To be honest, what matters to me personally is how the record was received by those I am close to whose opinions I respect - that is friends and cohorts who understand where it is we`re coming from and have followed our trajectory for some time. This would include bands we`ve toured with, labels we`ve worked with, and long time friends - both personal and friends of the band. Overall, I�d say the reaction was overwhelmingly positive, though, of course, there are some who probably just lied to our faces as to avoid awkwardness. Apart from that, the album has sold better than any of our past releases and gotten a lot of rave reviews so I can`t complain about that.
John: CNN named it one of the �Best Albums You Didn�t Hear in 2004.� Does such an accolade carry any weight with the band, or is it of little consequence?
Aaron: It`s nice that it was featured in a place where heavy music is generally ignored, but I don`t really care - though it is nice to show your family who are skeptical or ignorant of what it is you do - sort of saying, "Look, what I do has been legitimized by an institution you are aware of." At the same time, it is fairly inconsequential - I�d rather get a good well written review in a music magazine that I respect (of which there are few) than make some little list on the CNN website.... but perhaps some of the other members of Isis feel differently - I�m just speaking for myself here
John: What can you tell me about prison models from the 18th-century and how they relate to the modern world and, if possible, music?
Aaron: That is an essay question really - I couldn`t sum that up in one interview let alone one paragraph. Also, prison models from the 18th century in general were not the focus on Panopticon - it was only the panopticon structure specifically that was a part of the inspiration for the album. I will say that the disciplinary ideology behind the panopticon is relevant to the current state of affairs in the US and the world at large - but it is also relevant to the history of disciplinary mechanisms and surveillance through out history - and it should be said that they are directly connected. Part of my fascination with the panopticon and it`s inventor and critics was the fact that it illuminated the assertion that history is constantly repeating itself - even if it takes on a different guise in it`s constant regenerations. the main idea behind the panopticon that is obviously related to what is happening right now is the idea of the concentration of power in the hands of a few at the expense of the larger whole - the US government is a relatively small body of people who are having a huge impact, not only on the citizens of this country, but perhaps even more significantly on the rest of the world... and in an unarguably negative fashion. But again, this is a really involved topic and these comments are only roughly skimming the surface.
As far as the relation to music, I won`t draw one other than the one that was made by us with the creation of this album. It just seemed like really interesting territory to explore and important considering the current state of affairs. I do believe that it is somewhat the obligation of artists - whether musicians, painters, film makers, or what have you, to point out relevant happenings in the world around them, because often the controlling forces (media, government, etc) are willfully ignoring or suppressing alternative perspectives that run contrary to their often selfishly motivated goals.
John: Isis albums feature dense, deeply layered music and arrangements. How do the songs take form? And how long does the writing process take?
Aaron: The process is always different and there is no formula to how our music is put together. Some of it is built off of lengthy jams that are distilled down to the most effective elements; some of it is the solo creation of one member of the band; sometimes it`s the result of a couple people working on things outside of full rehearsals and then bringing it to the rest of the group after the ideas have been somewhat laid out, and sometimes it`s a combination of all these things. I will say that over time it has become more collaborative between all the members and the music has become stronger as a result.
John: How would you describe the progression from your earlier work to now?
Aaron: It�s become more complex, multi layered, melodic, textural, and atmospheric. We`ve grown individually and collectively, and our ability to work together has increased considerably due largely to all the touring, rehearsing, and recording we`ve done over the past eight years - and more specifically in the last six years after we solidified what has become our current lineup.
John: You also work with Old Man Gloom. What�s the difference between an Old Man Gloom riff/song and an Isis one?
Aaron: Well, first off the group of writers apart from myself is entirely different, so that right there totally changes the face of the music as well as the intentions behind it. OMG are a bit more free wheeling - in the sense that we are less focused in our overall approach. That`s not to say we don`t have a vision, but it`s more open in terms of what is "allowed" in the framework of the band. Isis are somewhat more cerebral and a little less visceral than OMG, and in turn OMG are a bit more raw and energetic. I can`t really pinpoint all the differences because both bands are still in operation and their respective evolutions are still ongoing - on top of that the music of each has changed considerably from record to record - and at various points the bands have been more or less similar - if that makes any sense.
John: Tool�s Justin Chancellor contributed to "Altered Course." How did this collaboration come about?
Aaron: We got to be friends with him through the Melvins and Ipecac guys - and his brother originally was the one that turned him on to us. Really nice, down to earth, and enthusiastic guy - started coming to our shows and expressing interest in our band, and we though he`d be a great collaborator. We�ve invited several people to contribute to our last three releases and he was one of the few we selected to contribute to Panopticon - and the only one that followed through on his promise
John: In late July, Isis played at the Museum of Contemporary Art in LA, playing in the outdoor plaza. Were there any restrictions on playing, and how did the show go for you?
Aaron: No restrictions - we were told we could do pretty much whatever we wanted, short of lighting fires. The show was a bit rough - playing outdoors is always a scary proposition, and it was the first time we`d played a lot of the Panopticon material live, so it was shaky. However, it was a lot of fun, a unique experience, and thankfully it exposed us to some people who never would have come in to contact with our music other wise - which was the whole point. Music of this type needs to be taken out of the rock context and environment from time to time and that was the perfect opportunity to do so
John: You were a part of the Boston music scene for a number of years before relocating to LA. What are the bigger differences between the two cities?
Aaron: Well, for one LA is cheaper and warmer - two big pluses. It�s harder to get around and doesn`t have as much top notch Indian food, but I can deal with those aspects as long as I don`t have to shovel snow. The scene here, if you can call it that, is even more fashion conscious than the Boston one - which is kind of gross in a way, but there are plenty of dedicated music fans to make it worthwhile to play out here. Some people seem to go to shows only to see and be seen by other hipsters, but I guess that`s true of anywhere - might just be a bit worse here. Boston had a center and was very concentrated. LA is the complete opposite - just a big sprawling mess - but I like certain aspects of both and I�m happy to be here for the time being
John: Speaking of Boston, the sound at the Middle East show was amazing, probably the best sounding show I�ve ever been to there. Did you bring your own sound crew or did you work with the Middle East staff?
Aaron: We brought our own sound guy, but when he`s not on tour with us or other bands he`s the house guy at the Middle East downstairs, oddly enough. He got a great ear and is very familiar with us at this point, and that was his home turf so to speak, so I guess that all adds up to a great sound - no thanks to us, of course.
John: You run Hydra Head Records, yet Isis releases albums through Mike Patton�s Ipecac label. Why did you choose a third party for your work, rather than your own label?
Aaron: Well, first off I don`t run Hydra Head any more. I started it, but really Mark Thompson is the man that holds the ship together. I�d say I direct the path of the label musically and lyrically, but as far as the nuts �n� bolts of the operation are concerned, Mark is the man, along with our third in command, Paul Jeffrey. Anyway, as far as not releasing Isis on Hydra Head, I think there are a few reasons behind that. In the beginning, I wanted to see if any one else would like our band enough to release an album for us - I guess I had to prove something to myself in a way. Doing it on Hydra Head would have been good, but too easy. Secondly, I just felt it would be a conflict of interest - I didn`t want to be the one the band came looking for if there was any sort of problems with our releases, and I didn`t want other Hydra Head bands to feel like Isis was getting priority treatment because it was my band. With that said, Hydra Head is releasing the Isis remix 2xCD, but that`s a lower priority release than a proper full length and we thought it would be a good fit - for this particular release anyway
John: Finally, who would you consider Isis� peers, the acts that seem most compatible with the band?
Aaron: That�s a tough one to answer because there are a lot of bands I think we fit well with, but I also feel that they are better bands and I don`t want to compare us to them. I feel on the same level as certain bands we`ve played with and enjoyed, but well below others. Without saying which is which, the list would include the Melvins, Neurosis, Mastodon, Converge, Mogwai, Dalek, Keelhaul, Mare, Thrones, Fennesz, and the list goes on and on�
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