Santa Sangre, interview (2014)

“Chvad SB is an enigmatic figure, even though he’s been musically active for over twenty years. During this time he has worked with such groups as Controlled Bleeding, Things Outside The Skin and Tongue Muzzle among others, and has also dabbled in film music.”[Our review of “Crickets Were the Compass”]

How would you summarize this past year on an artistic and personal level?

Personally and artistically? Both stable. The past few years have been pretty stable actually and I can’t state enough how much I love that. I have an impossibly difficult time creating when my life is off balance. I can draw no separation between my personal life and creative life. If one is a disaster, so is the other. I had a few years of turmoil not too long ago and only now do I feel like I’m genuinely prepared to embrace my artistic ambitions fully again. I’ve been working on material consistently but in some cases… it seemed like I was only hanging by a thread.

Which album have you listened to most often this year (not necessarily released in 2014)?

This year I think the most listened to album has been the slicnaton record “autoscopy”

What was the best gig you’ve attended?

I’ve seen a lot of shows this year and for sure The Damned/TSOL show I went to for Halloween was the absolute best. Lots of fun. Best show ever? Probably that time way back when my brother and some friends and I drove an 18 hour round trip in one day to see Godflesh play back in 96 I think.

What was the best non-music related cultural experience you’ve had?

This past year I began spending time at a new dojo, meeting and training with new people and ideas. That has been fantastic for me. I began training 28 years ago and the people and environments I get exposed to through this have been massively influential to me.

Was there an event within this past year that has significantly influenced your philosophy and outlook on life, or your perception of the world around you? For instance some specific place you visited, people you met and so on?

I think this year for me was one spent trying to recognize the value of past experiences, the value of things I’ve learned over time and applying them. I’ve been fortunate enough to meet some pretty fantastic people in my life and I’ve not always been open enough to let some of their words sink in. This past year I guess I’ve had the piece of mind to let some of those things matter more. So no big shifts or revelations. Just some settling really.

What was your greatest disappointment in 2014?

In my life, none. I’m pretty happy with 2014. There’s always a ton of negative stuff happening in the world at large and it isn’t that any of that escapes me but I try to not let it consume me. I have a great girlfriend, a great family, a great cat, great friends and my work has been mostly received well. No complaints here.

Your plans, hopes and expectations for 2015?

I have a back-log of material in various stages of completion I’d like to see get out of the door. I’m in early stages of possibly creating a new live band to focus on heavier ideas again. I’ve been wanting to do that for the past few years but haven’t had the emotional wherewithal to deal with the outrageous amount of crap that goes along with that. I think I have enough patience in reserve to engage with that stuff again though so I’ve been talking with old and new collaborators about getting that off the ground.

Interview by; Przemyslaw Murzyn
Interview originally published here:
http://santasangremagazine.wordpress.com/2014/12/15/2014-through-my-eyes-chvad-sb/


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