THE OUT_CIRCUIT represent one of the last active vestiges from the post-hardcore/electro-infused musical machine known as FRODUS. As the dust has long settled on FRODUS, that band's penchant science-leaning ambient noise has filtered into THE OUT_CIRCUIT, which is fronted by Nathan Burke, a bass guitarist and vocalist in the former endeavor. Mostly though, that's where the connections end. On their second full-length, Pierce The Empire With A Sound, THE OUT_CIRCUIT dig deep into ethereal territory. Glancing blows sinewy bass lines, and stinging percussion act as a poles between spacey guitar passages and tricked out vocals. It's the kind of music best listened to with the lights off and free of external interference. If your spine is already feeling a flicker of cold air, give the band a listen at Virb.com. This interview was conducted with Nathan Burke via email in February 2008. - Jordan.
Pastepunk: How did the transition go from FRODUS (Conglomerate International) to THE OUT_CIRCUIT, and the first disc, Boys, Burn Your Scripts at least musically?
Nathan: That’s a big question, but I think if you heard the band I did before FRODUS, called REAL COOL RAIN, the transition might make more sense. I had (and continue to have) a pretty wide spectrum of music I like, but one of my first loves was more atmospheric. I liked some heavier rock, but really didn’t get deep into it until my time in Frodus. When I first joined Frodus I was trying to contribute to the sound they had already developed... we wrote as a group, but they had already established a signature sound. It wasn’t until Weapons that I felt a little more comfortable to push things in more directions, and they felt the same way. The Out_Circuit, to me, feels like the logical extension of that direction... but with more freedom to basically do whatever I feel like at the time.
Pastepunk: Okay, you know this one is coming. How'd you get these disparate people [THRICE's Dustin Kensrue and Teppei Teranishi, COALESCE's Sean Ingram] and personalities in the studio? What are they like to work with? Are there any stories you want to share about gags in the studio or just screwing around with them?
Nathan: Well... as time goes on I think I have become more efficient about who I want to work with... who is professional, good, positive, and adds something. With this project its really a very simple chain of command... I engage with others and get their ideas and opinions, but inevitably I decide what happens... and when anyone is involved they know that coming in, so it makes things easy. There’s such a long list of people I have wanted to work with and I was blessed enough this time around to work with some of them. Some might have to wait for the next one. It's funny though, because someone like Sean... I still haven’t even met the guy in person. He did his vocals long distance. That said his energy and excitement about the project really motivated me when things started to drag. Honestly... there wasn’t too much in the way of gags and such on this one. We had a lot of fun, but I’m a fairly busy guy outside of music, so it was pretty no nonsense when it came to making this thing.
Pastepunk: How would you describe Pierce the Empire With A Sound to a prospective listener? Are there ideas or themes you want listeners to come away with after listening to it?
Nathan: I have no delusions that this record will appeal to a ton of people. I think of what I do in the same way a boutique wine maker might... I do small batches of a fairly unique style... for those that like that style, they will really like it, for those that don’t they won’t. And that’s totally fine. I don’t mind bad reviews when someone just says “this isn’t my thing.” Some people, for instance, don’t like tannins in their wine... I however love them. The more like dirt a wine tastes, the better.
But more directly I would say I think this will appeal to the person who’s music collection could have very different things living on the same shelf and not think twice about it. BOARDS OF CANADA living next to BOTCH. And maybe they are the kind of person who feel like genres get a little stiff and dull. Ideas and themes... yeah, there are some things I would love for someone to walk away with, but saying it would be like leading the witness.
Pastepunk: What do you think are some of the largest challenges for the American populous in an increasingly surveilled public life?
Nathan: The issue of privacy is a very delicate one. People should have the right to live how they want to, but in a way that doesn’t negatively affect others... basically. With technology changing it is easier and easier for people to be observed and not even realize it. The technology is already there and would probably surprise most people (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ECHELON) That said, its great when they are able to bust some freaking pervert or someone making bombs, but what is the cost? I think the challenge will be who controls the technology and who has the power to act on that information... and what kind of oversight there is. Where we get into dangerous waters is where there is no civilian voice, or group that represents the concerns of the people, and instead it's just a handful of people deciding they know what’s best for everyone. And they probably get off on feeling like they are privileged for having access to information that most people don’t.
Pastepunk: Did the current chilling political climate have any effect on Pierce the Empire With A Sound?
Nathan: Not intentionally... and there is no political allegory in the record. My goal is to look past the particulars of what’s happening at this moment and see what bigger things it is symptomatic of. Everyone knows there’s something wrong with this world... the fundamental question is how you diagnose the source of that problem.
Pastepunk: According to promotional materials sent with the disc, this is a more aggressive disc than Boys, Burn Your Scripts. What accounts for the change? Were there specific points or moments that you can point to that influenced the more aggressive portions of the disc?
Nathan: I’m not sure why exactly... I think I was just missing making some rock music, whereas on the first record I probably wanted to go a little more the other direction having just been in Frodus. I always have the idea that a record is going to be more of one thing or another... but by the time I finish it, it sort of ends up being all thrown in together.
Nathan: The photo and the story behind it are extremely mysterious and interesting. I was sort of amazed it didn’t get more media coverage at the time... I mean, how many perfect hexagons occur naturally? Some... but we’ve never seen anything like that on other planets, etc. and it rotates!
Pastepunk: In Scarlet, you talk about "from death to life" and "emerging from a great darkness". If you don't mind sharing, what was the life, what was the death, and what was the darkness?
Nathan: Scarlet is my daughter who is almost two. What’s most important to me above everything else that she knows about her dad was the story of how I was saved by Jesus Christ, pure and simple. I walked in darkness... spiritually I was dead, wandering in the dark... by for some reason He decided to save me. When I hold my daughter, I see the tangible evidence of how far He has brought me, and how much my life has changed. Not just having a kid (cause plenty of jackasses have kids) but how I see her, how I feel about her... seeing God’s hand in it. It's something I can’t describe well in words, but it levels me... in a great way. My greatest prayer for her and any other children we have (a second is on the way) is that they walk in that same light and life.
Pastepunk: Why Virb as opposed to MySpace or PureVolme?
Nathan: MySpace is the dregs of the internet. Base and crappy as all hell. Every time I’m on there I feel the way I do after driving through the worst parts of some crappy strip mall part of town with crappy billboards all over the place. The only reason I have a page there is to route people to the Virb page. Virb may be smaller, but the functionality is a million times better... and it just looks better. The mortgage ads and crappy pink patch stuff all over MySpace are embarrassing. I think MySpace caters to the most base and narcissistic parts of human nature, and I want to have as little to do with it as possible. That, and on two occasions someone hacked my account and sent my “friends” messages. I feel like I need to take antibiotics after being on there.
Purevolume... no opinion (Virb is owned by the people behind PureVolumed - Ed.). I just picked Virb because of it seemed good and stuck with it. And I don’t have enough time or interest in managing more than one page. I can put music up, make it look decent, not feel embarrassed about it, and make updates. Simple.
Pastepunk: Why is the city on the album cover tethered or attached to an old radio?
Nathan: That was Don’s idea... though I told him to make it look like “Sky Captain...” I think it represents the “sound” part of the title.
Pastepunk: Were you reading Augustine when you were writing "New Wine," because the pattern of sin and redemption follows Confessions closely.
Nathan: I have read some of Confessions, but honestly it's still sitting on my shelf in the “need to read” pile. I think the reason for the similarity is because both Augustine and I are influenced by the same thing... The Bible. The pattern of sin and redemption in his life is similar to the experience of a lot of Christians. “New Wine” is about the Last Supper from the perspective of one of the disciples who is there and only gradually starts to understand the weight of the event, and who Jesus really is. It's a tiny bit inspired by U2’s “Until the End of the World” ... lyrically anyway.
Pastepunk: Is it at least a little bit weird to see or hear your own music sent on filesharing networks? Do you mind it?
Nathan: My goal with this record, at least financially, is to break even. If I can’t do that it will just make it all the more difficult for me to do another one. At this level every single sale counts for a great deal and a couple hundred could make all the difference. My point here is, people need to realize that if they don’t directly support the musicians they like, they are just short-changing themselves because they will be less able to create more music in the future. Many people have an attitude that someone else is picking up the tab, but the reality is they aren’t. In my case I would just encourage people to follow their conscience on the issue, but knowing that there is a direct impact. There are plenty of ways to hear several songs from the record beforehand to decide if they like it... if they do I would encourage them to buy it directly from Lujo Records or Itunes... that would be cheaper for them and help give us a greater share of the profits.
Pastepunk:Burn Your Scripts Boys just doesn't have the menace or condemning space that Pierce does. What do you attribute that to?
Nathan: Not sure... I think lyrically it's a much more hopeful record. I’ve always liked that aesthetic, but I think the next record will be very different...
Pastepunk: What influence has the Mars Hill Church had on your life or music? What do you do there?
Nathan: I work in the Worship Department. It has had a great influence in a lot of areas... but mostly in the sense that before I moved out here I was never in a regular community with other people who loved Jesus, and regularly under good teaching. In DC 95% of the people I knew weren’t Christians, and though part of me wanted to stay to try for that reason, I also knew if my wife and I were to grow spiritually, have kids, etc., this was the place to be.
Pastepunk: Since everyone else is reuniting, what are the odds of a Frodus reunion? What would it take? Would Mars Hill host a Seattle date?
Nathan: I know... The Police, Led Zep... and smaller bands like Hoover, Coalesce. Pretty crazy. Someone else asked me this in an interview recently and my answer was basically I am totally up for it, but only if it was (1) Totally awesome musically. We’d need to rule... not doing it half heartedly, but blow people away live; (2) Limited. Not dragged out, but specific shows, recordings, whatever; (3) Profitable. I have a wife and kid (soon to be two) to provide for and don’t have the time or resources to dick around with some half baked thing that’s going to make me broke. All of that said, I still love Shelby and Jason, I still love the music, and I think under the right circumstances it could be killer. And no, I don’t see Mars Hill hosting anything... they don’t really do shows any more. Plus, I’m guessing DC would be on the list before Seattle.
Pastepunk: What bands are you listening to now?
Nathan: I like that band BEACH HOUSE a lot... and TWILIGHT SAD. Those are two newer things I’ve been enjoying a lot.
Pastepunk: Also, the promo picture for Pierce is a little bit eerie. How'd you pull that effect off? What does that room look like lit?
Nathan: The room is a lounge area next to the restrooms at the American Indian Museum in DC. I saw the chairs lined up and thought it looked cool, took a few photos with no one, and then with my wife in the middle chair and thought “hey I should get one of me in there.” She took the photo. The reason it looks like that is because there was no flash... it's lighter in person, but there were no other effects on the photograph.
Pastepunk: Any thoughts you want to leave the interview with?
Nathan: Only that I tried to answer these concisely and sometimes didn’t succeed... but I hope someone still finds them interesting. Thanks!
