OTEP w/Otep - added - January 13th, 2007
Interviewer: Dimple
Describe what your typical day was like in the studio?
wake up, dress, feed the giraffes & the llamas, throw a few swine carcasses to the gator hole, guided meditation, a hot jug o'joe, gummi bears, a hot ride in a hot car to a freezing studio, then 10 to 12 hours of pummeling creative labor ... writing, reciting, recording ...
And a typical day on tour?
wake up, feed the zombies trapped in the bay area of the bus, wonder what city we're in, drink a creamy chocolate low carb slimfast, answer email, vocal warm ups, hot cup o'tea with honey & cayenne pepper, watch the same DVD 3000 times, soundcheck, guided meditation, pilates in the back room, dress, wait, assemble, destroy.
When did you realize that it was time to pick up a microphone and front a heavy metal band?
i'm still waiting for that moment .... doubtful it will ever rise as i've never considered what we do "heavy metal" ... we are a fusion band ... elements from all styles of music are fused into what we do .... but i guess it was june of 2000 when i decided to put a band together ... i was backstage at Ozzfest watching some lame ass band that was friends with someone i knew and thought that i should give it a try .... i told my friend that i would be on ozzfest next year ... he laughed ... but one year later ... i had a band, i was signed to a major label, & i was playing on Ozzfest. hmmm .. who's laughing now?
Can you share with us in detail your experience with performing on HBO Def Poetry Jam – especially for people who weren’t there and couldn’t see or experience some of the things that you did on the show?
it was one of the most moving experiences of my life. poetry is religion for me. the performance can be viewed on myspace.com/otep
When taking into account other essential things to accommodate a band’s music, such as album art and music videos, do you think there is a difference between what we see now compared to the past? How important is it to have meaningful album art and music videos? Do you think bands currently put enough thought into album art and music videos?
art should exist in everything you do. if it isn't meaningful - then why do it?
Are you able to tell us anything about the packaging and artwork for the new album?
other than it's super cool - no.
Aside from what OTEP are currently doing, does anyone see themselves experimenting with other forms of art, like film for example?
we like to experiment with experiments.
Based on the albums you have already released, will the new album be connected to the previous ones? Is there a concept or a theme that you are trying to construct? Or is each song its own living and breathing creation?
every song has its own soul, its own identity.
Tell me your outlook on playing live vs. playing in the studio? Which of the two do you prefer?
they are 2 completely different animals - one is controlled chaos, one is unabashed chaos. both are important.
You guys (and gal) have worked with some pretty impressive individuals like Terry Date, Greg Wells, Holly Knight, and Paul Brown. What does working with them mean to the band and how do they influence you? How do you influence them?
its important to open yourself up when collaborating with an artist you trust - its the only way to be truly vulnerable and grow.
What artists or pieces of art influenced the recording of the new album, if anything at all?
there's this anonymous bit of graffiti in an alley somewhere in LA that's the most beautiful and striking piece of work i've ever seen and it inspired the entire album. i can't remember where it is though or if i actually saw it or just dreamed it. or maybe i am just making it all up. who knows.
Tell us about Eventful.com, Singshot.com, and Umundo. What influenced the band to collaborate with these websites? I think that it’s genius and have served to be great promotional tools, not to mention, very original.
we have always been innovative when it comes to including our fans into our websites and promotions. the rest of the world is finally catching up.
I hear that OTEP are going to tour extensively in 2007. Can you tell us a little bit about that? What should the fans expect?
our shows are a dissident cabaret of performance art, punishing beauty, & venomous metaphors that really mean nothing but sound uber cool.
Any other thoughts, news, or shout outs that you would like to share?
word to my homies on the inside.
