“I think we've become a complete minute by minute
reactionary, information fed society.”-Bill Leeb

Sitting in a concrete walled rehearsal studio on a rainy April day, the promise of spring muted by damp and gloom. Walked around struggling part of my community on dirty sidewalk, slightly stoned and breathing the gray, wet mid day North East air in deeply. Finally retreated into this pseudo office space and am letting go. Allowing in the moment as I try and think of how to summarize or add to the media narrative of an incredibly influential subject, electronic artist’s Front Line Assembly. In the background…the ambient, comforting yet ominous glow of Front Line’s “Afterlife” seeps into my head, conjuring images of rapidly moving fingers on keyboards and touch pads. Insect legs. Rapidly changing mental video cuts of imagined blurred blanches, war scenes, embracing lovers, long metal dipped arms, laconic eyes or silently screaming freedom fighters in slow motion.

“What Are We Fighting For?” asks the whispered vocal. Daily, we have to make that decision, whether to fight or to take flight. To what degree we will resist or persist in an ongoing interaction or retreat from “society”.

IMPROVISED.ELECTRONIC. DEVICE. is the newest from the long running Vancouver EBM legendary cabal. Shifting amidst the changing times like some futuristic shadow Tulpa or rumor, Front Line have always managed to stay relevant as both a voice of commentary, solid musical entertainment and a fascinating means of escapism that somehow also keeps you enmeshed dead center in the ever moving world.

It was a vibrant treat to get to pick Bill Leeb’s brain about evolution, humanity, war and technology (of course), Al Jourgensen’s cameo on IED, the music industry as well as Leeb’s colorful aesthetic (which has awed countless lonely souls via Front Line, Delerium, Skinny Puppy, Synæsthesia and other projects).

MORGAN Y. EVANS: How are you doing today? What’s going on in FLA World?

BILL LEEB: Well at this particular moment we are in the final stages of preparing for our first North American tour with Die Krupps in four years. We are also starting
to mix our brand new Delerium album.

MYE: Tremendous. I’ve really enjoyed the last few William Gibson books PATTERN RECOGNITION, SPOOK COUNTRY and ZERO HSTORY where he has really explored viral culture and the “Flavor of rumor”, the idea that the edgiest ideas out there are often not found
by those so “competent” they are afraid to take risks and think outside the box. I was standing in the middle of Times Square recently amidst the clamor of lights and advertising and thinking of how we absorb and regurgitate things in a cultural hodgepodge on a world wide scale nowadays that is far beyond maybe what even post-modernism imagined. It feels like everything is co-opted into the zeitgeist more rapidly these days. This isn’t always a bad thing as cool ideas
can become mainstream food for thought, but it can also lead to cultural homogeny. As real pioneers in the musical world (and a band who have always had their eye on the future) where do you think the new frontier is for art and technology? Is a return to primitivism (ie: cultural traditions) the natural reaction to future shock, or is that too simple a “solution”?

BL: There is no end in sight now that the internet and social networking and the century of cyber information/disinformation excess ability rules the world. Things will just continue to evolve and I don't think anyone can really predict where or how it will go. I think we've become a complete minute by minute reactionary, information fed society. For the next foreseeable future this
pattern of algorithms and nanorhythms will continuously convey shock and disaster on a global scale. At the click of a mouse you have access to images of the most primitive man and his art to the latest skrillex musical adaptation.

MYE: TACTICAL NEURAL IMPLANT had a huge impact on me as a teenager and really was
my soundtrack for a long time. It’s interesting how as technology progressed (I had a cassette copy), that music still feels cutting edge. Can you share any memories from the writing of that record? I love how (still today) your music can be both dystopian and claustrophobic and then also have uplifting, near “techno-zen” elements (what I call those cool FLA moments that are almost trance inducing but still make you think rather than just “disappear” ). You manage to be danceable and really cerebral.

BL: Technically that record was done in my bedroom on absolute minimal gear, with an
Atari notator, akai s1000, pro one, a mini moog and a kawai string synth. We were also using cassette tapes for sampling. Rhys would come over every day after work (at Starbucks). We put together 8 songs and we just didn't want to do anymore. We had no idea the time as of the importance of this record or the impact that it would have in years to follow. For example two years ago that in the British Press…they released the top ten essential electronic albums of all
time and we came in at number 6. Who would have thought we would have achieved
such heights with such an unpretentious, unassuming, low tech gear album.

MYE: It’s a telling achievement, especially considering the production emphasis of the current music world. So…Your new song “Shifting Through The Lens” is great and also really danceable.
FLA has always been ahead of the pack in many ways, but as an artist how much is
about being “groundbreaking” versus also having fun? Also, can you talk about the
name of the song?

BL: I think all important artists go through the three different stages, first stage
is trying to do something completely new then learning your craft. Finally
putting it all together by trying to develop your song writing skills. What
you're left with is “Shifting Through The Lens”. I think the lyrical content to me
is pretty much an homage to Blade Runner. An esoteric look into the future
through your mind when you are really stoned or have been staring at a computer
screen for too long and your brain can't take anymore. It is obvious that the
track also has a design for the dance floor but in this music scene it is
important to add that element. The club scene is one of the few outlets for this
type of music to be heard.

MYE: I love that aspect. In SPOOK COUNTRY, Gibson (last reference) had people smuggling information in Ipods. This made me think of creative uses for things and then to consider your
latest album title IMPROVISED .ELECTRONIC. DEVICE .Were you talking about people
becoming like MacGyver or a more revolutionary theme?

BL: I think we were trying to walk more of the line of technology. You’re damned with
it, you’re damned without it. As great as it is for creating an incredible vibe for
music with music and expressing yourself, it also seems to run the world on
darker sides, like warfare and energy. We thought because we live in this world
which is so driven by all this that we thought it was a perfect title to
culminate all of those ideas.

MYE: “stupidity” featuring Uncle Al is reminiscent of his LAST SUCKER Ministry
record’s style but merged with the cool sounds of FLA. I loved Al’s guestwork
also on Skinny Puppy’s RABIES (which was controversial at the time, blah blah
guitars) and thought that THE LAST SUCKER was underrated and brilliant. Can you
talk about your song and relationship with Jourgensen and how it came about?

BL: Well we built a relationship with Al through a tour that Jeremy did with Revco
(and his other band LSD). As we started to get deep into the song writing
process we realized we had a song that would fit Al perfect. We approached him
and he was very interested, we then sent him the song and he put his own
production spin on the track. Once we got the product back we loved it and the
rest is history.

KYLE GODBEY: What is the song writing and recording chemistry like before starting an
album? Would you say you're tweaking and jamming until something sounds right,
or do you sit down in front of a blank canvas with a sound or strategy in mind?

MYE: Also, when you were crunching out “Angriff” did you know what a monster tune you
were creating? That song and the much mellower come down of “Afterlife” are both
so visceral on I.E.D.!!

BL: Truthfully there is no rhyme or reason to how any song gets started or a
pattern. It’s just technically us sitting in front of our gear and creating,
letting our mind go. Especially now on the last record with the collaborative
effort of myself, Jared, Jeremy and Chris, all of everyone having such important
input. We'd all go into our corners and write, meet and share our ideas, work on
them together, etc. It was one of the most collaborative efforts we've ever
done. As for “Angriff” goes that was the brainchild of Jared, Chris and I. We
didn't know it was gonna be a monster track but we felt it was special, when we
had the rough of it we would sit there and mimic a type of Rammstein for fun,
for the same feeling. It definitely turned into a classic. Having said all that,
maybe the next time we should all go to somewhere like Finland and rent a cabin
on a frozen lake and sit there in fur coats and try to come up with a new vibe. Who knows. It might work.

KG: Bill, you have your fingerprints all over modern music by way of sound and
technique via your various projects/bands over the years. Did you know when you
were recording MILLENIUM or POEM or even as far back as GASHED SENSES &
CROSSFIRE that genres, production, and crossover musicians would be building on
your groundwork?

BL: To perfectly answer that, no. Ironically enough at the time I thought I was just
following the footsteps of all the people that have influenced me. I never
thought I would have the same privilege to do that. Now looking back, I shudder
and think if I ever would have thought that for a minute I don't think any of
this would have had a chance to happen or evolve.

MYE: I’ve been watching the news on the crisis in Libya and how the uprising has
been attacked violently. Egypt and other places like Iran have seen technology
and social networking serve as a vital tool. Do you think, as a good side of
technology, that people are more aware of multiculturalism and will hopefully be
less tolerant of despotism or restrictions/censorship? China and Google is
another thing that comes to mind?

BL: There is a few different ways of looking at it; technology could be exposing
people so easily and often that people will start to care less as they see these
conflicts so quickly and repeatedly, perhaps desensitizing the masses to such
important issues of which they should care about normally. Another downside
could be the 'big brother watching you' too often and your personal space is
being constantly invading, whether you like it or not, there’s a good chance you
are being watched on a camera. Is that really necessary? Do we really want that?
Are we going to end up having cameras in our houses and our living rooms. Per
say rather than having an existing police force they won’t need too, they will
just be controlling everyone on a personal level. Where does it end, it’s a
slippery slope.

MYE: I was listening to the new OvO album COR CORDIUM (really awesome noise
stuff) with my girlfriend who likes mellow trance and dubstep and poppy (but
good) stuff like Yeasayer. OvO upset her and she said it sounded like someone
being tortured and I was like “Wooohoo! Awesome!”. Industrial sort of toes that
line between anguish and the dance culture, well, EBM particularly as opposed to
more harsh early Industrial. You guys sort of have embraced different sides of
this and I wondered if you could talk about the merits/musicality of
experimental stuff versus the merits of, for lack of a better word, “pop”.

BL: Let’s just cut to the chase on this. There is good music and there is bad music.
It doesn't matter if it's wrapped up in a bucket of bolts being flushed down the
toilet and mic'd or some wanker with a mullet jerking off on a flying V in front
of the mirror. The pretext is it doesn't matter, it just needs to be cool and
unfortunately the majority of people have a problem deciphering that. At the
end of the day it's up to the listener to decide what they think enhances their
environment. None of us can really say what anyone else should listen to.

KG: There's a lot of science fiction influence in your lyrics and music and we
hear a lot of reference to greats like (the aforementioned) Blade Runner and Robocop. It seems like those classics are pretty untouchable, but are there any new stories or movies
that have influenced the music you're making today or has it all been done
before?

BL: It's a lot more difficult to incorporate new movie ideas and samples now, you
can't even really sample anymore it's become illegal. You’ll be shut down in a minute that whole artistry is gone. As per new classics we would like to incorporate would be the Matrix, District, Terminator Salvation. These are the flag holders of now, who knows what else might be laying around the corner. More movies now are more about social consciences and sci-fi and that’s probably a sign of the times.

KG: Thirty years ago there was a real demand for music recording to be better, faster and cheaper and people wanted more accessibility. I think it's safe to say technology has satisfied that. Because themes in your music are cautionary about rampant technological growth I'm wondering what you think might be the detriment to music today and what is the price we will pay years out for such a paradigm shift to music and the business, for better or worse?

BL: This is an endless topic of discussion and we could fill pages of opinions and
ideas as to how the demise began and where it will go. This is definitely an open book with many chapters yet to be filled. Without a doubt with just a few key points… illegal file sharing and downloading as completely eradicated the music scene, labels, the artistry itself, band development and so on. Where will it go where will it end? I don’t think anyone knows. Making guesses is kind of pointless at this point. For now you just have to stay involved if that's what
you’re into and evolve and react to everything around you.