Shelby Cinca has been a massive tour de force in the music scene, subtley creating his own blend of Anti-Corporate manifestos and consistently changing musical projects. With a man with so much to say, one can assume that a lot has influenced him as an individual.Starting with the influential Frodus, Cinca created a new take to the vibrant D.C. Harcore sound with the inception of 'spazzcore'. After the untimely demise of Frodus, Cinca and the FCI project chose to part ways and to explore new horizons not ventured. After a healthy career beginning in 1994 and ending in 1999, Frodus had certainly left a mark on the music climate with their swan-song "And We Washed Our Weapons in the Sea", a masterful blend of genres all coalesced into a cohesive effort. And so on, Shelby Cinca chose to go on with his musical endeavors and encountered many other efforts afterwards.Whether it be the futiristic electronica of his solo efforts and Tri Obelisk, or the 'datapunk' of Frantic Mantis or even the more metal "Man and Wasp", Shelby Cinca has consistently released a bevy of interesting genres that only add to the smorgasboard of genres.
With that, I was able to conduct an interview with Shelby Cinca and this is what he had to say:
Q: How did you take your first step into music as an interest and a thing to do? What was your first band?
I used to play Saxophone for a few years and then in High School I decided I wanted to play bass so I can play thrash music like Anthrax, so I quit the sax and picked up the bass. From there I ended up playing in a proto-grunge band Limbchip which after a drummer change and a member quitting became Frodus in 1993
Q: What were major musical influences you had in the past? Did these influences leak into the cracks of your music?
Queensryche "Operation Mindcrime", Star Wars soundtracks, Michael Jackson, Guns N' Roses, Anthrax... were influential to me and then later getting into Dischord records and bands like Nation Of Ulysses, Rites Of Spring, and Fugazi... I would say all these influences have leaked into what I have done to this day.
Also overall the DC scene when I started to go to shows around 1994 was very influential to me as there was a real big creative explosion at the time. We would go to shows and be inspired by the mathy parts bands would be playing and want to musically "one up" them in our own writing. I can only imagine the jazz scene of the 60s may have had this kind of passion and positive competition happening in it. I feel rather blessed to have experienced this as I am not sure to what extent this occurs these days since with the internet ideas are automatically broadcast. Having "music in a bubble" in DC helped things develop the way it did with people focusing on certain musical details and influences. Also since there isn't much of a music "industry" in DC it really helped fan the flames of creativity. I also worked at a record store at that time (along with Nate and Jason occasionally) and was constantly exposed to different kinds of music and would be interested in exploring almost all of it from synth music to 70s rock.
Shelby Cinca's obsession with technology has been a festering force since the beginning
Q: Which events transpired in your life that really shaped your views of the world and the way you think?
Just growing and being aware of media and how things work shaped my views. Interacting with people on tour, etc... and also having to deal with insurance companies when my dad had a stroke effected some of my thoughts on corporate health-care and generally how greed really rules many decisions in business and politics.
Q: Shed some light on the phenomenon that is the FCI project.
FCI Archival Project is just me assembling early Frodus footage and music with the occasional help of Canadian fans and a buddy from the DC area Jason Kott who is digitizing the Frodus shows that have been filmed in the many awkward video formats that existed in the 90s before everyone decided on one size and type of DV tape.
Q: In addition to emphasis on music, you have also incorporated many examples of literature influence in many of your musical endeavors, which books have influenced you the most?
For Conglomerate International I would say Brave New World and 1984 set the vibe for the album along with other dystopian sci-fi like the movies: Thx-1138, Logan's Run, and Brazil. Also "And We Washed Our Weapons In the Sea" is actually a chapter title from Joseph Campbell's "Transformation of Myth Through Time" which Nate and I were really into at the time in 1998/1999.
Q: Much has been romanticized of the final Refused show, a show Frodus was a part of. Give us your take of the so-called legendary final show. Was it as dramatic as others seem to portray?
It wasn't any more dramatic than any well-attended punk show in a basement of a house that had a noise complaint and the police coming to check out the scene. There were a small handful of some angry punk kids that indeed shouted some Refused-ish slogan and were a little belligerent but nothing out of the ordinary for a show of that kind. We found out Refused would be breaking up a few days into the tour after they made that decision and the final show was two weeks later. What I feel is sad is that the unsung hero of Refused really is in my mind their fill-in bassist Ulf Nyberg whom was the only one really urging the band to keep on doing the tour and that it is worth it. He was in tears over it... and in my mind he was the one with the most gusto and foresight. Unfortunately they couldn't listen to his advice at the time due to their internal communication problems so it fell apart. I was consequently very happy they broke up and went home because traveling with them (outside of bassist Ulf) at that point was just bad vibes all around and negative... you felt the negativity as soon as we had our first load-in.
Q: The transition from "Conglomerate International" to "And we Washed our Weapons in the Sea" is a huge one. What led you guys to make such a startling transition?
Part of it was a conscious decision for me to not bring any parts to practice and just let things happen spontaneously. I also was trying to reinvent my playing as before I would really try and fill up as much space as possible with my guitar and I wanted to take a step back and work on textures. Also Nate and I are big music fans and we all worked at a local record store, Record Convergence, off and on up to that point and we really wanted to let some of our other influences shine through. We didn't really feel like writing another totally all out screamy album. I would say also leading to the transition is that the record is a therapy-record as we were going through a lot of hardship in our personal lives with sick loved ones and stuff so we had to do something to let those feelings out without losing our minds.
Q: Many songs on "And we Washed our Weapons in the Sea" are deeply personal and emotional, especially "6/99". What had happened in your life that influenced these sorts of songs?
In June 1999 in the same week my dad had a stroke (survived but became handicapped afterwards) and Jason's girlfriend and our friend, Alanna, got diagnosed with cancer (she passed away in March 2000). That and communication problems within the band and feeling generally misunderstood in "the scene" which was very focused on bands fitting in genre-boxes all were addressed in writing a rather bleak yet creatively carefree album.
Q: "And we Washed our Weapons in the Sea" showcases an incredible amount of influences. Did you set out to create a more experimental record when recording it? Do you ever have a set concept of an album before recording it?
I would say we didn't have a concept moreso than to write something that felt was new and fresh for us as musicians.
Q: Why did Frodus break up?
We stopped communicating and listening to each other and eventually had to make a decision to remain friends or break up the band because it wasn't that much fun anymore as it felt more like a task. Instead of forcing things onward we felt like we made our best creative work with our last record and wanted to bow out before totally going down in flames in some publicly dramatic way. So we chose to wash our weapons in the sea and walk away.
Just growing and being aware of media and how things work shaped my views. Interacting with people on tour, etc... and also having to deal with insurance companies when my dad had a stroke effected some of my thoughts on corporate health-care and generally how greed really rules many decisions in business and politics.
Q: Shed some light on the phenomenon that is the FCI project.
FCI Archival Project is just me assembling early Frodus footage and music with the occasional help of Canadian fans and a buddy from the DC area Jason Kott who is digitizing the Frodus shows that have been filmed in the many awkward video formats that existed in the 90s before everyone decided on one size and type of DV tape.
Q: In addition to emphasis on music, you have also incorporated many examples of literature influence in many of your musical endeavors, which books have influenced you the most?
For Conglomerate International I would say Brave New World and 1984 set the vibe for the album along with other dystopian sci-fi like the movies: Thx-1138, Logan's Run, and Brazil. Also "And We Washed Our Weapons In the Sea" is actually a chapter title from Joseph Campbell's "Transformation of Myth Through Time" which Nate and I were really into at the time in 1998/1999.
Q: Much has been romanticized of the final Refused show, a show Frodus was a part of. Give us your take of the so-called legendary final show. Was it as dramatic as others seem to portray?
It wasn't any more dramatic than any well-attended punk show in a basement of a house that had a noise complaint and the police coming to check out the scene. There were a small handful of some angry punk kids that indeed shouted some Refused-ish slogan and were a little belligerent but nothing out of the ordinary for a show of that kind. We found out Refused would be breaking up a few days into the tour after they made that decision and the final show was two weeks later. What I feel is sad is that the unsung hero of Refused really is in my mind their fill-in bassist Ulf Nyberg whom was the only one really urging the band to keep on doing the tour and that it is worth it. He was in tears over it... and in my mind he was the one with the most gusto and foresight. Unfortunately they couldn't listen to his advice at the time due to their internal communication problems so it fell apart. I was consequently very happy they broke up and went home because traveling with them (outside of bassist Ulf) at that point was just bad vibes all around and negative... you felt the negativity as soon as we had our first load-in.
Q: The transition from "Conglomerate International" to "And we Washed our Weapons in the Sea" is a huge one. What led you guys to make such a startling transition?Part of it was a conscious decision for me to not bring any parts to practice and just let things happen spontaneously. I also was trying to reinvent my playing as before I would really try and fill up as much space as possible with my guitar and I wanted to take a step back and work on textures. Also Nate and I are big music fans and we all worked at a local record store, Record Convergence, off and on up to that point and we really wanted to let some of our other influences shine through. We didn't really feel like writing another totally all out screamy album. I would say also leading to the transition is that the record is a therapy-record as we were going through a lot of hardship in our personal lives with sick loved ones and stuff so we had to do something to let those feelings out without losing our minds.
Q: Many songs on "And we Washed our Weapons in the Sea" are deeply personal and emotional, especially "6/99". What had happened in your life that influenced these sorts of songs?
In June 1999 in the same week my dad had a stroke (survived but became handicapped afterwards) and Jason's girlfriend and our friend, Alanna, got diagnosed with cancer (she passed away in March 2000). That and communication problems within the band and feeling generally misunderstood in "the scene" which was very focused on bands fitting in genre-boxes all were addressed in writing a rather bleak yet creatively carefree album.
Q: "And we Washed our Weapons in the Sea" showcases an incredible amount of influences. Did you set out to create a more experimental record when recording it? Do you ever have a set concept of an album before recording it?
I would say we didn't have a concept moreso than to write something that felt was new and fresh for us as musicians.
Q: Why did Frodus break up?
We stopped communicating and listening to each other and eventually had to make a decision to remain friends or break up the band because it wasn't that much fun anymore as it felt more like a task. Instead of forcing things onward we felt like we made our best creative work with our last record and wanted to bow out before totally going down in flames in some publicly dramatic way. So we chose to wash our weapons in the sea and walk away.
Q: How does the recording process work for you? Shed a light to those who might not be so familiar with your recording style.
It really depends on the project. But generally with recent guitar based music we try and track live (in the case of Conglomerate) and add guitars and fix bass after that so we capture the energy. Or we do the common thing of recording drums and scratch guitar and then adding the other pieces afterwards. I always do try and perform a "keeper" guitar track when tracking so to capture the moment when I can. Then after all that is done I lay down the vocals... sometimes I have words worked out before and rhythms and other times I just have the rhythms and piece together lyrics on the spot by going through my little black books of disconnected or connected words/quotes/phrases/etc...
Q: How did you manage to recruit Fugazi bassist, Joe Lally, into Decahedron?
I recorded the first two Dead Meadow albums which were released on his label at the time Tolotta Records. I met him while working with Dead Meadow and when Fugazi went on their hiatus I proposed that we jammed to see what would happen and from there I started bringing in tracks I wrote and we would play them in his basement acoustically and later with Jason on drums. Some of these demos are actually on our iTunes rarities release that Lovitt put out called Decahedron "Origins + Deconstructions".
Q: "Disconnection_Imminent" features a variety of dissonant, slow, and languid songs, what exactly influenced the creation of these?
I would say just trying to focus on mood and atmosphere made those songs come to be. I really like The Verve "Northern Soul" album as well which has similarly layered slow and languid songs so I think that may have been part of it too.
Q: The Cassettes can be perceived as an embrace to your Eastern European culture. If so, is it also one of the more enjoyable projects you've ever done?
Yes, I would say so. At the same time though it is oddly very American roots with heavy blues and Elvis influences.
Q: There are a variety of themes dealt with on "Data is Not Information"; was there ever a central idea to it?
Frantic Mantis
I would say the central idea would be a throwback to early computing and its roots and reflecting on where we were then and where we are now pertaining to technology/information/media. It also is heavily influenced by William Gibson "cyberpunk" novels of the 80s.
Q: "Disconnection_Imminent" is among the most politically charged albums you've ever done; why do you feel it was necessary to embrace your political vitriol at Decahedron?
It really was about trying to do something new and direct whereas Frodus and other projects were more lyrically obscure. Being in DC during the time of 9-11 and seeing the growing fear and violence in society and the media made us feel like we wanted to address how we felt as it was just as weird if not scarier as the more "sci-fi" dystopian projections of say Frodus on the "Conglomerate international" album. It felt like "Wow, we really COULD be heading to the future we sang about before." So incidentally we wanted to be direct about it since we never did that before. As far as the experiment working... I'm not sure. It's a very sensitive subject and in some ways I think it would have been better if it was more obscure as it's polarizing and maybe the messages are stronger if one searches more in the lyrics, etc... However on the other hand it felt like bands were in fear of making political statements at the time and we decided to be vocal instead. In retrospect it dates the work Decahedron did but I think it could be an interesting document for the future.
Q: If you were to think back to any moment of your musical career, which show or moment really changed you as an artist?
I wouldn't say one show or moment but handful of moments while we were writing music for different albums changed my life. For example when Frodus would be writing "Conglomerate International" by visualizing fictional film scenes about a sci-fi with chrome faced men chasing a protagonist. Many creative moments such as that have changed my life.
Q: While there have been a vast amount of projects you've undertaken, which one has stood out as your favourite?
Usually the ones that I am doing at the present time are my favorites, otherwise i would be doing the old ones. So I would say The Cassettes and Triobelisk. However, I do often pine for Frantic Mantis...
Q: I am sure you have encountered a revolving door of musicians. Are there any musicians in particular that you remember the most or are good friends with? If so, who?
I particularly remember Jim Cooper, the first bassist of Frodus. He is a very good friend and an extremely talented musician technically and creatively. I learned a lot playing with him and excelled as a musician/creative person. Not only did we do Frodus but we did countless of small side-projects of differing musical styles such as garage rock and instrumental sci-fi surf rock.
Q: How were the terms 'spazzcore', 'datapunk' and 'steampunk' derived originally?
Spazzcore: I came up with for a Lovitt Records ad that included Frodus. I thought it was funny and accurate since I really didnt't feel like we were "hardcore" and it captured with words what Frodus was at the time. Not "chugging" like boring metal hardcore but spazzing out in DC musical sense and a literal live sense with more noise and heaviness. I added an extra "z" just because I thought it looked better.
Datapunk: Per from Frantic Mantis (whom also plays in Division Of Laura Lee) kind of randomly said this while talking on the phone with someone describing the band. Datapunk in Swedish can be seen as being translated more as "computer punk". It fits what Frantic Mantis is about.
Steampunk: I didn't come up with this. I'll quote the wiki: Steampunk is a subgenre of fantasy and speculative fiction which came into prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. The term denotes works set in an era or world where steam power is still widely used—usually the 19th century, and often set in Victorian era England—but with prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy, such as fictional technological inventions like those found in the works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne, or real technological developments like the computer occurring at an earlier date. Other examples of steampunk contain alternate history-style presentations of "the path not taken" of such technology as dirigibles or analog computers; these frequently are presented in an idealized light, or a presumption of functionality. / I feel that it fits The Cassettes as we often use such imagery and we try and do something new with roots music influences and mixing them with rock n' roll, punk, synthesizers, theremins, world music, etc...
Q: By far Frodus remains as your longest running musical project. Do you have fond memories of it and do you ever shudder to think of a possible re-union?
I have very fond memories of Frodus as well as realistic ones of the hardships of touring. A reunion is never totally out of the question as we have talked about it off and on for years but it always seemed that one of us has always not been in synchronous orbit with the other Frodii so it has never happened. What is interesting is that it always rotates who wants to do it and who doesn't. On some days I think its a great idea and on others I think it's fine to just really just focus on the now and let the last album be the last memory.
Q: Your fascination with technology and electronic influences has remained prevalent through your life, why is this the case? Was there a point in your life that shaped this fascination?
My dad being a computer scientist and giving me a computer in 1986 was a big influence. I was obsessed from day one and since both my parents worked all I did was tinker with computers. I have seen computer culture explode many times... once in the underground with the BBS scene, then with fidonet... and then with the internet and then when the internet became a mainstream phenomenon. I find watching the development of technology to be interesting in many ways on how it effects humanity.
Cinca's Man and Wasp
Q: What are you currently digging?
I'm digging the electronic music of Danger (myspace.com/2emedanger) and other stuff on my last.fm:
http://www.last.fm/user/triobelisk/
I also recently have bought lots of 70s/early 80s electronic records by Klaus Schulze and Tangerine Dream that I didn't previously own that I am enjoying now.
Q: How did you develop an interest in graphic design?
Merely an example of Cinca's graphic design. More is available to view at www.themindcontrol.com
It came as a natural progression from loving music and album artwork. I would love dissecting album artwork and thinking about every small detail of it from the way the text was laid out to the text on the matrix of the compact disc itself! From there it kind of grew to where I would basically just look at everything from a Transformer toy to a street sign and think about the reasons it was designed the way it was. Later it would lead me getting a job in graphic design in 1999.
Q: How do feel about the current state of music in general?
There is a lot of music one is exposed to now at every angle. I would say it's a very creative time with many genres successfully thriving simultaneously. It's interesting to see certain websites being mainstream tastemakers as MTV was in the past but with somehow more cultural power and perhaps less backlash, however we'll have to see how things pan out in the future as far as that is concerned. In the end though I feel like I just want to focus on the things I accidently find and the old records I like. Focus on finding the signals and not paying attention to the noise.
Q: What are your current and future projects as a recording artist?
Currently: Triobelisk (myspace.com/triobelisk), The Cassettes (myspace.com/thecassettes), and on rare occasion Man And Wasp (myspace.com/manandwasp)
