You are also influenced by Zen Buddhism. How do you fuse such different influences — Zen Buddhism, commonly associated with peace and the ancient, rural world, and industrial music associated with aggression and the modern, urban world?
I think an important part of my creation, of any process of creation for that matter, is balance, which is the reconciliation of opposing forces into one’s work. Most of the Julius collections deal with keeping spiritual, positive energy in one’s life in the midst of so many destructive and negative forces around us. Thus I take influences from both of these forces.
I guess Zen Buddhism can be seen as opposite to Industrial Culture. However, I do not think things are quite as simple as this. For me Zen is not a benign and passive thing. Its roots are in death, darkness and the raw chaos and violence found in the natural universe. Plus, in Japan, Zen is a huge part of the way of the Samurai, of warriors, often alone, who lived Spartan lives by way of the sword. I think this chaos and darkness, loneliness and closeness to death, are recurring themes in the Industrial music canon as well.