I talked with my homie, John about the long overdue and totally sensible idea of this remix series, running a label, how it feels to be an alumni of one of the best live bands ever, and the different head space required to translate some of that energy and boundless creative spirit into a more “studio” format. Candiria and underground music fans are rejoicing that the group are continuing to keep the heart of this influential band, a group forged in trials, friendships, and realism, beating. Let the insanity flow and flow like a sweet bitches' brew! "Hairs will stand up on your neck!"

MORGAN Y. EVANS: Candiria is probably the best live band I ever saw in my lifetime, and I am friends with some of Bad Brains. I never saw them at their peak, and of course on a good night you STILL can't beat them, and I gotta throw Clutch out there also who I was lucky enough to see you play with once at Northern Lights. It's a testament to your music, though, how versatile it is that it can be so awesome live, remixed or studiously crafted! What was the impetus for this Candiria remix series? Is it weird switching it into more of a studio mode with this series?

JOHN LAMACHIA: Well having shared the stage with both Bad Brains and Clutch and being lucky enough to do so, I must say thank you for the compliment!! Those guys are all heavy weight players. So it is great to be considered as such. As far as the remix records and the current state of Candiria, we are just doing what it is necessary to get the music out there. From a creative standpoint, this was an easy task for us because the meat and potatoes of the first two volumes are remixes. The rest is unreleased tracks that I thought would never see the light of day until now.

MYE: Dude, 2009 is a great year. We got Coalesce back, and even some of the bands in the emo camp like A Day To Remember are way, way better! We've both been in it a while. You are one of the most dedicated and yet still "themselves" artists I know, whereas some people over time get watered down. John, obviously with your musical tastes you have always been open minded, but...what inspires you to create and run Rising Pulse records?

JL: To be honest I’m not quite sure. The industry is in such bad shape right now. Especially the record sales part of it. People are stealing music without even for a fraction of a second considering the consequences. It’s breaking down the entire industry and making it more and more difficult for trained, dedicated musicians to survive. I guess what motivates me most though and keeps me at it is the creative process. I love making records, from the conception and the songwriting process to the finished product in my hand and on my record player. That’s what it is that keeps me going. I am having a great time with Rising Pulse records. I wish I could do more. I wish I could invest more into it, but to be honest, until the industry turns around this will remain a very DIY label with limited releases, with very, very small budgets, which is fine by me.

MYE: What is your first memory of getting turned on to remix culture? I was vibin' to Deftones' "Pink Chalice", the "Pink Cellphone" remix, recently, with H.R. on the vocal track, and I thought how valuable flexibility is. You guys, in my opinion, someday, like the Butthole Surfers, will be revealed as masters of your sociological time and space (and the future).

JL: There were two. Bjork's Telegram which is just down right off the chain. Then there was the one that really hit me and the Candiria guys big time. Mogwai's Kicking A Dead Pig. Wow, talk about an amazing release. That collection of remixes got spun so much on Candiria tours that we should have to pay royalties to Mogwai for it. I can honestly say that that was a direct inspiration for this release(s). Toying With The Insanities would not be happening if we didn’t spend so much time with that Mogwai remix record. It sort of planted the seed in my head years ago and now here we are.

MYE: At the time "Remove Yourself" came out, Candiria got some BS for being more melodic, but it is miles above everything else from that time, which I took as one more example of you guys schooling fools. I am not trying to leg hump you (If I was I would just go all the way, fuck it...). But, now that time has past, I recall you were maybe the most recalcitrant about more "commercial" elements in Candiria's music, and the camps have sort of split into Hope Kills Fear and Spylacopa, but, do you feel more comfortable with melody? I always return to the Beatles Revolver and think how sad it is that "pop" has been so co-opted.

JL: On the contrary, I love melody. It wasn’t about wanting to be melodic or who liked melody or who didn’t. It was really about a few very important things that I don’t think were considered enough at the time we made WDKY. First, it was about Candiria and sticking to what got us to where we were. Which was creating our own style, sticking to it and not conforming. Second it was timing. I really felt we jumped way too far, way too fast from where we left off on the record previous. Lastly, and I think most important was the approach and the sound of the melodic music we were creating. At the time I felt it wasn’t progressive, it wasn’t musically and melodically challenging, it wasn’t innovative. It was really in my opinion, a very compressed and simplified version of what Candiria is capable of. At least that’s how I felt at the time. Looking back, or listening back I should say, I really do appreciate "Remove Yourself" a great deal. I understand completely why Carley wanted, or needed to sing and explore melody. Sometimes I wish I wasn’t so stubborn musically. My life and time with music would be much more enjoyable and way less painful.

MYE: Well, we're all in different places at different times, bro. I've talked with you before about how "Tribes" was my first “Albany pride” hardcore favorite when Beyond Reasonable Doubt was released. I almost felt like that was a forgotten Candiria track. It had the beat, though. Can you tell me how the collaborators came about? Holy Shit, Fishbone is involved! I mean, you guys have such a well of great, wide ranging material to draw from. Any live gems hidden away as well?

JL: To be honest I really don’t know how that remix came together. That was sent to me by Ken and was remixed by a friend of ours named Budzy. It was done a while back actually and I think it really shines on Volume I. We met the Fishbone cats while out with the Brains. I remember playing Northern Lights one night and it was one of the first nights of the tour. At the very end of our set, Angelo came out with a conga and jammed out to our closing break down. It was crazy cause as a young musician Fishbone was a band that really inspired a lot of people in my circle. As far as live gems, there may be, I am not exactly certain because although TWTI Volumes I and II don’t have any live tracks, Volumes III and IV may.

MYE: I am so stoked right now! Let's see, the "Faction" remix is...I hate to use the phrase “sick”. Let's go with, healthy! That is some insanity. So many different disciplines meeting.

JL: Yeah that’s a bangin' track man. Getting a lot of attention actually. Edgey, he’s a real creative cat and he really did the impossible in my opinion. He was kind enough to remix one more which will more than likely be released on one of the later volumes in the spring. It’s off the hook.

MYE: What are your plans for Rising Pulse? Would you ever sign a "rock" band? I used numerology to put this question as 7th because of the Pixies. Frank Black says "God is 7", and I also wanna ask a difficult question now, which is this: a lot of the ex-members have embraced Christianity with their new band Hope Kills Fear and, I mean, I am all for the love and objectivity, but am against all the sociological manipulation and contradictions of the Bible that experimental bands like Candiria helped reinforce I (already believed) I should keep my guard up against.

JL: Well my plans for Rising Pulse Records at this time is to continue putting out music that I strongly believe in. I will definitely be putting out a Spylacopa full-length or extended EP next year (all members record contracts permitting, ha!!). I may have the great opportunity and honor of releasing the Julie Christmas solo record, and among the other releases I have lined up I would like to begin experimenting with other forms of media like books and film or video. So, I have some ambitious ideas that I would like to see come together in the next couple of years. As far as Hope Kills Fear, Jesus, and the Bible go, I am happy that some of the members of Candiria have found something that they are so extremely passionate about. I understand that we can be a very confusing bunch of individuals and at times people may find it hard to keep up with the extreme things that a Candirian will do. I find it quite interesting that our lives are just as chaotic and unpredictable as our music and that’s all I will say about that.

MYE: That's cool, man. I am not against Christian bands and I think those dudes have handled it in a much cooler way than a lot of younger bands do. You should be inclusive, not condemn. Anyway, it is so rewarding as a fan of the band for a long time to hear that you are putting out a series with such a Candiria-esque name as Toying With The Insanities. It reminds me of the Too Damn Hype days!

JL: Well “Toying With The Insanities” was a track off of Surrealistic Madness, thus the title. Thank you though, I feel this is appropriate for us at this point on our path.

MYE: Oh yeah, no wonder it sounds so familiar. That's right. "Pages" (Revisitation by Kayo Dot)...I wanted to ask you about working with them. It's so funny, again, I was in DIVEST with their drummer Dave Bodie and we worked with Doc from Bad Brains on an LP which may I'm trying to find a way to put out this year, but...I don't know the rest of Kayo Dot. We have a weird six degrees of separation going on. Me and Bodie are working on a track called "----- Haiku" which is like a 5/7/5 Haiku as a musical concept for my musical “solo” thing called Walking Bombs, and I embraced math by default again through Candiria's music back in 1999. I guess, could you tell a story or two from your own life about how musical threads expanded your consciousness?

JL: Kayo Dot are one of those bands that just well, they don’t set the bar higher because they truly have nothing to do with the bar at all. They’re this group of trained musicians that really don’t give a rats ass about anything but creating great art. I really like that band a lot. I feel there is a common thread between Kayo Dot and Candiria—a similar spirit in the creative process that I feel not enough bands have. Speaking of musical threads, D. Bodie and I had a bit of a conversation not too long ago about him possibly working on some new Candiria music. I’m not sure it will ever work out being that Ken is now excited about the idea of working on some new material himself and uh… let’s face it, it’s his band before it is mine really. Math and music. Math and beauty. Math and every single aspect of the universe and beyond. Math and science: the true gods and rulers of everything, everywhere.

MYE: Super cool. What is the story behind A Family Plot? This is another new band, right?

JL: A Family Plot is Michael MacIvor of Candiria’s baby. He is a great songwriter and turns out a heck of a guitar player, too. It is a progressive rock based outfit with Michael, myself, Wayne D. Schneiderman on drums and my bonnie brother Joe Milazzo on bass (Bonzooooooooooo!!!). Please check out A Family Plot on Myspace. We are playing live at Ace Of Clubs on September 12th in NYC.. Please come out folks!!

MYE: That's the day after The Down/Melvins show! I'll try and stick in town an extra night and we can party down! So,what's the haps with Spylacopa?

JL: At the moment we are discussing possibilities. I was mastering songs for a digital release to supplement the debut EP recently and unfortunately had to set it aside to really focus on Candiria. Once TWTI is complete and out there I will focus my energy back to finishing up the digital EP. After that we will begin the process of either the next full length or the next extended EP, or split or whatever we decide to do.

MYE: How do you feel about Loggins and Messina? They are touring again! I fell asleep while I was thinking of questions earlier and I had a dream I asked you if you were collaborating with them.

JL: Loggins and Messina… ha!! Conway Twitty, now that’s my man right there. I would love to see what would happen if we could get those cats on a Candiria track! Wouldn’t that be something? Don’t get me started. I’ll seriously start a project based on this idea. [laughing] Anyone reading this, please stop by www.risingpulse.com to pick up your copies of Toying With The Insanities Volumes I And II.