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Interview with Fabricio Viscardi of Aghast View - 8/98



Jester: What is it like being one of the few Brazilian Industrial bands to have achieved success in North America?

Fabricio: It is great. It is an honor to represent the Brazilian EBM in the United States, Canada, and in any other place in the world.

Jester: How did you first get involved with writing music? Why did you choose this genre of music over any other?

Fabricio: I always liked music. The first time I got into doing something musically was in 1988, after buying a Casio HT700 keyboard, a Yamaha drum-machine and a tape recorder. I met Guilherme, who returned from the United States and for a matter of destiny entered in my junior high classroom and lived in the street below me. Since then we never stopped producing music. Guilherme is a great electronic musician and he has a lot of feelings and skills and his type of working is exactly as mine.

Jester: Why have you decided you write your lyrics in English instead of your native tongue?

Fabricio: English is the universal language. Portuguese is very restrictive.

Jester: How did you get in touch with Tommy T at DSBP to have him release Biopsy's "Cervix State Sequences"?

Fabricio: Tommy has been our friend and supporter for three years. He has always been very professional towards us. When we left of Cru Di Chat, we offered our signing to Tommy and he accepted. Two months later our album was released. That was awesome!

Jester: What were the circumstances behind Aghast View leaving EDT Records and finally releasing "Carcinopest" after two years with Gashed Records?

Fabricio: Electro Death Trip Records delayed the release for more than nine months and did not pay us our advance. So we quit. Chris from Gashed Records was very helpful towards releasing our album. In my opinion, Gashed Records will be the next big electro label to look after.

Jester: What happened to Cru Di Chat Records? Can fans acquire older releases from that label or are they lost forever?

Fabricio: The label quit with various excuses such as musical differences and financial loss. I think fans can still find some copies of our Cru Di Chat release via DSBP mail order or other mail order businesses.

Jester: How do you delineate musically between your two projects Aghast View and Biopsy?

Fabricio: With Aghast View, we focus more on aggressive EBM, while with Biopsy, we will mix electronics with any style of music.

Jester: How is the music writing process different between Biopsy and Aghast View?

Fabricio: Biopsy is a lot more easy and fast. It just flows better, but Aghast View is also very cool. It involves a little more programming and trying to keep EBM fresh sounding is harder.

Jester: Musically, Biospy seems to be influenced by numerous and disparate sources. How do you tie together such diverse and often dissonant musical elements?

Fabricio: We really wiretrip when collecting samples and sounds for Biopsy. We are not afraid to experiment and we have no idea how the songs will sound until they are finished. We keep it with feeling though, so it can be harsh as a napalm or sweet as chocolate.

Jester: Do you have any plans to come to the US and tour for either of your projects?

Fabricio: Yes, if someone would book it for us, pay our plane tickets and rent our equipment.

Jester: Are Fabricio and Rudolfo brothers? If so, what is it like writing music with a sibling?

Fabricio: Yes, we are brothers. It works fine with us.

Jester: Do you perform live with either project? What do your live shows look like?

Fabricio: We have performed live four times, but it was such a long time ago that we don't remember exactly what our live shows look like.

Jester: What is the status of the Brazilian Electro scene?

Fabricio: I don't know. Apart from Aghast View and Biopsy the coolest bands in my opinion are Deadjump, Morgue, Frontrunner &loop b.

Jester: What in your opinion of the Internet as a tool to help promote underground music?

Fabricio: The Internet is awesome. I love this tool and I try to explore it the most. I can't imagine a better and cheaper way to promote a band!

Jester: What hobbies or jobs do you have outside of writing music?

Fabricio: I am an English teacher here in Brazil and now I am opening my own English School with my brother and my father. I am also in college, studying business administration.

Jester: You have been very busy with remixes for diverje, :wumpscut:, etc. How do you approach remixing such varied electronic artists?

Fabricio: All of Aghast View and Biopsy have been very busy remixing several great Electro artists, not just me. However, I am involved with all the business contacts for the bands we remix, because I deal with the promotion and marketing of the band.

Jester: What are your favorite Biopsy and Aghast View tracks? Why those tracks?

Fabricio: That is a tough question. For Biopsy, I like 'Cervix State' and 'Indifference' because both tracks are very complex and contain a great deal of personal emotion. For Aghast View, I like 'Payoff' and 'Burst in Crossfire' because they are EBM assaults on the dancefloor.

Jester: Do you have plans for any other musical projects apart from Biopsy or Aghast View?

Fabricio: Not for now. We don't have that much spare time for it. Denis might come along with something as a solo project soon though.

Jester: What does the future hold for Aghast View/Biopsy?

Fabricio: Aghast View is preparing a remix CD with remixes by :wumpscut:, Funker Vogt, In Strict Confidence, New Mind, Suicide Commando, Biopsy, Negative Format, Neuroactive and a few others. It is scheduled for release around the beginning of 1999. Biopsy is currently recording its new album that will include remixes of other bands on it as well. It is currently scheduled for a late 1998 release.

Jester: If you could collaborate with any musician in the world, who would it be? Why that musician?

Fabricio: I could not choose a single musician. Rudy Ratzinger, Claus Larsen, STR, Bill Leeb, and Cevin Key are all such great Electro heads!


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