Informätik

Matthew Crofoot and Da5id

BY VIRTUAL NIGHT ANGEL

Interview Thursday, December 7th 1995 8:00 P.M.

I heard of Informätik from the RAS DVA Quadruple Compilation, "There Is No Time", The State Of The Art On Four Discs, (54 bands/5 hours).

Soon after I got hooked up to the internet I introduced myself to Informätik. I found out that Matt & Da5id have many similar interests as mine, especially music and the intenet. I purchased their debut CD, "DIRECT MEMORY ACCESS", shortly after. I am very pleased with their work and anxiously waiting for the release of David's solo project, "din_fiv". It was a pleasure speaking to Matthew Crofoot & Da5id on the phone. We had never spoke, other than conversing by e-mail.

V.N.A. - Did you make it to CUBANATE last night at the RAT in BOSTON?

Da5id - I did, Matt didn't make it.

V.N.A. - How was the show?

Da5id - It's hard to describe.

V.N.A. - Have you heard their music before?

Da5id - Yeah, on a couple of things. (Compilations) Yeah, the CUBANATE show, I was pretty impressed. It wasn't as heavy metal as I was expecting. They're actually a lot lighter on the guitars, which was a relief for me personally, and a lot of other people I was with. I think some people had some issues with their lack of presence, stage presence.

Da5id - Have you seen them before?

V.N.A. - No, I've never seen them.

Da5id - But, they're coming your way?

V.N.A. - Yes, December 23rd at the SIN-A-MATIC, right before X-Mas.

V.N.A. - Where are you from originally?

M. Crofoot - I'm from Chicago. I used to hang out at WAX TRAX! a lot.

V.N.A. - The reason I ask is I thought maybe one of you were from another country because of the way Informätik is written?

Da5id - Umlaut it's called, actually German. We just like umlauts, we feel INDUSTRIAL music is a German influence.

V.N.A. - Is there anything special about the name Informätik?

M. Crofoot - It means COMPUTER SCIENCE
Da5id - The German word "Informatik" does not have an umlaut, but the story goes back, way back. Matt and I were arguing over a name for a long time. He spit the first half of the word out, and I the second or vise versa. I don't remember, we were like hey we don't hate it, we both don't hate it. It's the first name we both didn't hate.

V.N.A. - You have a massive amount of equipment listed on your home page. How long have you been using computers to create your music?

M. Crofoot - Da5id's been doing it longer than I. I've been utilizing computers for about 3 or 4 years.

Da5id - 5 years

V.N.A. - Both of you create music. din_fiv is your solo project Da5id?

Da5id - Actually it's pronounced DIN-5, but it's not obvious is it?

V.N.A. - It's just that more people have to get to know it and then they can pronounce it properly.

Da5id - In fact RAS DVA is pronounced (Ras Devah) cuz' if you call up Ric, he'll say, "(Ras Devah)".

Da5id - din_fiv is my current solo project.

V.N.A. - You do all the music and vocals yourself?

Da5id - Exactly.

V.N.A. - Super sweet, din_fiv sounds excellent, another band on the RAS DVA Quadruple Compilation!

V.N.A. - Are you also doing part of the music of Informätik, because it says on your home page you prvide the more tonal aspects of the music?

Da5id - It's totally 50/50. We each have our own things we like to do, which happens to be the things we're strong at. Matt's really into sound design and sampling. I'm more into the computer aspects of it and processing of sounds, and doing the lyrics and vocals as well. We have different roles, but contribute equally.

V.N.A. - Did Matt do any vocals for "DIRECT MEMORY ACCESS"? There is a song that sounds like it has a different person doing backing vocals?

M. Crofoot - We have equipment that allows us to sing over ourselves. Having multiple tracks and altering the backing parts vs. the front parts so it sounds like there is an accompaniment, even though it's the same person.

Da5id - When your listening to the songs, you can hear different voices, that's how we designed it, not recorded it.

V.N.A. - How long have you been on the World Wide Web?

M.Crofoot - 1 year, I do that for a living now, most of the web work for us, I do.
Have you checked out the Industrial Trivia page?

V.N.A. - Of course I have!

M. Crofoot - It's another fun thing that attracts people to our site. The internet is an exciting way to meet people all over the world.

V.N.A. - Are you guys addicted to the internet?

Da5id - Oh, Definately, Definately. Matt is probably more than I, I'm right behind him.

V.N.A. - Is Sinless Records your own label?

Da5id - Yes, it's a label I started to put out the first Informätik disc and there will be more coming up. We're working on our follow-up CD called, "SYNTAX". It should be out in a little less than a year.

V.N.A. - Have you completed trax for the new Informätik CD, "SYNTAX"?

Da5id - We have completed three so far. But actually, just as exciting, I have about 8 finished tracks for din_fiv, which will be out early next year.

V.N.A. - Do you consider supporting other bands on Sinless Records?

Da5id - Yes. One of the next things projected is a compilation of Boston Elektro Acts. We know many talented people that others haven't heard of before.

V.N.A. - Da5id, is there a particular person that encouraged or inspired you to become a vocalist?

M. Crofoot - "I think it was my inability to sing."

Da5id - Default, by the process of elimination. I wasn't comfortable in that role, at first, it was something I had to get done. Writing lyrics is sort of a love/hate thing.
For me the best way to write lyrics is by trying not to write lyrics.

V.N.A. - What about live performances by Informätik?

Da5id - Popular Question. We did one show 2 years ago with
Virus 23, You Shriek, and Big Catholic Guilt.
Currently we have no tour plans, other than, expect a U.S., if not a World Wide Tour following our 2nd disc, probably a year from now.

V.N.A. - Do you think you will add additional members for a live performance?

Da5id - We don't think so, we can cover the parts. How many industrial bands are playing 100% live, anyway?

M. Crofoot - Possibly adding a live drummer

Da5id - Yeah, if we added anyone it would be a drummer, because there is so much energy there, it would add a lot. It will be more visual, like a multimedia presentation.
There is always more going on in a visual sense, most of the time, if you've seen PUPPY, you know what I mean.

V.N.A. - Are you planning on doing any videos or have you done any?

Da5id - The reason I scheduled this for 11:00 is because we just finished our video.

V.N.A. - Just finished shooting or editing?

Da5id - Just finished editing today. We'd like it to be on the IndustrialNation video compilation. Our next CD will also feature that video on the data portion as a cross platform Quicktime (tm) movie.

V.N.A. - What song did you use for the video?

Da5id - "At Your Command", we've been working on it for a long time now, off and on.

V.N.A. - Who is the director?

Da5id - Her name is Paula Ribiero. She shot the original footage as part of a senior project on black & white film. Later, we then combined it with the footage from our live show, it looks really nice.

V.N.A. - Was it edited on an Avid?

Da5id - That is correct.

V.N.A. - Is the video "evil"?

M. Crofoot - (Laughs) Da5id gets wrapped with electrical tape in it.

V.N.A. - Do you both like to dance?

M.Crofoot - Oh, yeah

Da5id - Yes

V.N.A. - Are there many cool clubs in Boston?

Da5id - I'd say there is one, "ManRay". It has an all industrial night one night a month called, "Industry", it's excellent! We occassionaly go to the Bat Cave in New York on Saturdays. On Tuesday night Ogre played in New York with Pigface for his Birthday. We didn't go but friends of ours went.

V.N.A. - Have you heard "THE PROCESS" at all?

Da5id - We haven't, actually we are probably the only people that haven't.

V.N.A. - Do you have any plans for having other bands mix any of your songs?

Da5id - We do most of the production ourselves but we'd love to have a remix by Mentallo & The Fixer or Front Line Assembly.

V.N.A. - Do you have a manager?

Da5id - Yes we do, Ann-marie Coyne, she's on our credits. She helps with promotion, will be our booking agent through Division Booking out of New York whose done work with Virus 23 and maybe, probably, Chemlab.

V.N.A. - How are sales, the internet vs. Metropolis?

Da5id - Really good distribution helps significantly. Through Metropolis about five times as many have been sold.

Visit Informätik and tell them Virtual Night Angel sent you. Let them know what you thought of the interview, and definately check out their sound files.

Interview edit by Informätik. Thanks Da5id & Matt, we can't wait to see more of you! Support your favorite bands, meet them on the internet!


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