Like an electrical shock surging through your veins, when you hear something exciting and powerful you feel it from head to toe. It’s been close to twenty-five years since an industrial band has been able to shock the listener from the inside out. Industrial music has gotten that spark once again. This time we look towards Belgium’s own Thot to get that jolt we so desperately needed. We had the chance to get inside the mind of Grégoire Fray to see what has been electrifying the folks overseas. Don’t worry this won’t hurt a bit. This is Thot.
[hr color=”light-grey” width=”100″ border_width=”50″ ]
You guys have described your music as “vegetal noise music.” What does “vegetal noise music” mean to you? How does it apply to the music of Thot?
I’ve been raised in a French countryside, surrounded by a very thriving nature, who was, at the same time, full of mysteries while the seasons change. There are speaking hills, mute windmills, and those electrical thistles who became the symbol of the project. This is my background. It has always been like an echo in me. I have grown my inspiration and the concept of Vegetal Noise Music from the meeting of this world and the city, which is a place where I’m living now, which is also a very inspiring world.
The song “Citizen Pain” is very poignant in its lyrics, especially with the line “Let me show you how we can slow down the collapse of the world through the days that come.” What was the inspiration behind writing this song?
This song expresses, somehow, how I can feel…angry and sad at the same time, about the general apathy. It’s also a way for me to accept this anger, and not censor it. Sometimes shouting the pain away is healthy and necessary.
Throughout your videos you’ve been following one woman’s journey. Now you’ve come to the epilogue of her journey in your new video for “Citizen Pain.” How did you come up with this concept? How do you feel “Citizen Pain” is going to round out the story? Any future plans for doing another video series like this?
The whole idea is the passage from one world to another, from the countryside to the city. It’s a manner for me to deal with the relationship between those two worlds. I’ve talked a lot about the countryside in my previous album and now it’s time for me to talk about the city. This woman and her journey help me find the right path.
With the amount of singles you guys are releasing, it looks like you may have a new album in the works. What can you tell us about any future EP or album releases? What kind of changes do you think we might see in your future work? Will we see any of the recent singles (such as “Citizen Pain”) on a future album?
Yes, “Citizen Pain” and “Rhythm.Hope.” Answers will be on the future album. It should be more electronic than the last album (Obscured by the Wind). I’m still working on it and I’m pretty excited by what I’m currently writing.
You’ve done remixes for other bands before. What is it like to have creative control over another band’s song while remixing?
It’s very interesting because first you can dive into a song and enjoy how it has been built, composed and arranged. You find secrets or things you did not expect while listening to the mixed song. You can then design your own version of the song. It’s like having a box of Lego bricks designed to make a car and you finally build a plane with it.
[hr color=”light-grey” width=”100″ border_width=”50″ ]Follow Thot on Twitter and give Thot a like on Facebook.
Stay tuned for updates on the band’s website: http://thecitythatdisappears.tumblr.com/
— Serena Butler | @LaRenceB
