Lords of the NEW church. . .

Interview with Rorschach Test's James Baker

The resulting alliance between the two individuals that first formed the basis for "Rorschach Test" came together from an ironically similar parallel based on a previous disenchantment with a rigid religious structure. The end result would effectively translate into their own musical pulpit - a forum not from where they'd preach, but rather to address past withholdings, silenced for so long at the hands of oppressive forces inside and outside the church.

James Baker, lyricist/singer, programmer/keyboardist Troee and guitarist Tracy Moody all explore a life's worth of disillusionment in what is a generally violent interpretation of the world around them. We shall now prepare to embark on a journey into the mind of one James Baker, who first conceived this modern day version of Rorschach's Test back in the early '90s, and prepare to uncover what lay at the core of this latest emotional disorder that leaves the door open to many areas of interpretation.

AMZ - The sound on the new album, "Peace Minus One," has been described as "Possessing an unparalleled depth that goes beyond the perceived notion of what is considered industrial hard rock. . ." Can you elaborate on this thought? What, in your opinion, separates Rorschach Test from the rest of the pack?

JB - The depth of the album is primarily found in the lyrical content. I deal with real life experiences when I write. We are not a fantasy band that sings tales of outer space or unreal scenarios. Every song on "Peace Minus One" is about something that actually happened or is happening. I have found that by sharing my experiences, an immediate bond is found with listeners who feel the same way. The music soon becomes more than an album. It's a relationship.

AMZ - "Peace Minus One" seems to deal a lot with questioning authority and persevering in the face of despair. Not only from the album title, but lyrically, the songs carry through a deeply critical nature built in. What formed the basis for this album's material?

JB - "Peace Minus One" is not an invocation for America's youth to challenge authority. It is a reflection of the state of mind that is already present among many American and World citizens. We live in a world where we are afraid of the people we pay to protect us. We are afraid to go to church, because the Priest might molest us. We are afraid to go to school because we might get hit by a bullet, or hit on by our teachers. The fear is now manifesting itself in anger. This is the reality of our society, and it is the basis for a lot of the album's material.

AMZ - The new album is actually your third overall, so, in an odd way, you might even be considered like veterans, having started out a number of years ago. Describe how the band's progressed since first starting while touching a little upon your first two releases for those who may not be very familiar with them.

JB - Rorschach Test was formed as a two man operation: Keyboard programmer and vocals. It was originally a Nitzer-Ebb, Front 242 type of band. After we began playing out I started feeling like something was missing in the live performance: humanity. After being exposed to the likes of Ministry, Treponem Pal and Godflesh I knew what had to be done to bridge the gap. From that point on, Rorschach Test became a musical Terminator, a cybernetic programmed skeleton with living breathing flesh and meat on top. With the attention we received from our first release, "The Eleventh" we knew we were on the right track. "Unclean," our second release, taught how much stronger the terminator could get with the aid of a veteran producer (Neil Kernon). That relationship has continued to this day and just keeps getting better.

AMZ - There's so much taking place on this new disc, it almost can't all be fully absorbed in only one or two listens. What was the most challenging aspect to making this record? Is there one particular area of expertise that either or both of you develop as an underlying constant to this, and maybe subsequent recordings? Building on that mixture of content, how do you see its translation in the live circuit?

JB - Balancing the sound levels of Troee's programming with guitars and live drums is always a challenge. Again, I feel that Kernon has grown himself a third ear that is able to do this, and is, in turn, teaching us to properly mix these elements. There are literally layers upon layers of programmed elements that are designed to subtly entice the listener. We only travel with the best sound engineers available when we play live, ensuring that the live crowd gets a correct sonic translation.

AMZ - Your merger with what can be called a "state-of-the-art" type company like E-Magine seems to make for a natural relationship for a band such as yours, heavily influenced by modernity and moving toward the future of music. What led to the decision to hook up with what still could be considered a "young" company like E-Magine and what do you see as this potential future for the music and its promotion?

JB - After looking at few different offers, we chose E-Magine for the simple fact of their internet savvy. Troee and I live 160 miles apart from each other when home. A great deal of our songwriting is carried out by utilizing the internet and new technology that is out there. Connecting with a label that understood the power of online music sharing was, just as you said, only natural. We also love the fact that E-Magine also has not abandoned brick and mortar retail stores. The variety of marketing channels they provide is a mature, necessary approach to the modern world. Our music will only reach a much larger audience as technology, and E-Magine grows.

AMZ - So what's your connection to Lowenbrau on the first song "A Toast?" I remember hearing that old slogan from the commercial during the chorus and wondering whatever became of that beer anyway?

JB - "A Toast" deals with the grim reality that there are no sailboats with bikini clad girls to be found at your local happy hour. It is about a period of my life spent at the same bar, staring at the same faces, sitting at the same stool, puking in the same stall. It's about a world of so called friends who I only know and who only know me as drunk. It was also inspired by a friend of mine who I saw go from being a heavy drinker, to an alcoholic, to a junkie. He died with a needle in his arm. Where were his friends then? You won't see that in any Sunday afternoon beer commercials.

AMZ - I noticed Neil Kernon appears as producer and I remember him turning up with many past artists like Queensryche. I bring them up also because you toured with them at an earlier date, which seems a little surprising at first because of the broad differences in your musical styles. How did that work out? Can you see maybe a narrowing gap between music of this highly technical type and the kind more among a slicker, traditionally developed style?

AMZ - We only did one show with Queensryche, at the Gorge Amphitheater in Washington. Although Neil has worked with both bands, it was the radio station KISW in Seattle that got us on that bill. Although I would love to believe that certain barriers are eroding between musical genres, I think people are still primarily stuck in genre specific cliques due to media coverage and packaging. I think if anything is going to continue to tear down those walls it will be the internet.

AMZ - How do you plan to stay ahead of the game? Bands that can even be considered ground-breaking at one point, are near obsolete in the next breath. What influences play a part in RT's music?

JB - Rorschach Test is, and has always been, about the fans and the shared experiences we have. We never have meetings to discuss coming up with the next big thing. We write about things that people relate to and will continue to do so for the duration of our career.

AMZ - The song "Satan" stood out for me on the new album. It's a great song, but where are the lyrics? I understand the whole "You, Me, Us" concept, probably more than I'd like to, but what is the song saying? It actually turned up on an earlier record didn't it?

JB - "Satan" is about taking responsibility for your actions. If you are in a world of shit, do not look for a two-horned, hoof-footed devil to blame your problems on. If you want to blame someone for all your problems, take a look in the mirror. The Satan we are looking for is you, me and us. E-Magine wanted us to re-release the track because they felt it didn't get a fare shake on "Unclean." We chose to re-record the track to keep it consistent with the sound and feel of "Peace Minus One."

AMZ - The logo for Rorschach Test is like a pretty open ended design subject to differing interpretations depending on what angle it's viewed! What's the idea behind the design and what exactly is the connection to the name?

JB - When people look at a Rorschach inkblot, what they see is intended to help them learn more about themselves and their personalities. This is how we feel about our music. When people hear and read our music, they will no doubt see many different things based on experience they have had. Hopefully they can learn more about themselves and the world they live in. Just for kicks, cover one half of our Inkblot logo and then read vertically. It's just a test. Whatever you saw in it before - an evil face, a woman's reproductive organs, etc. - tells you more about your personality than the actual design, doesn't it?

AMZ - Who do you see out there now that you've either worked or performed with that you feel is on the cusp of doing great things? Do you feel there's still a necessity to keep things somewhat structured within heavy music, or is it conceivable RT could be comfortable playing with any style band? Who's out there that really moves you musically?

JB - I would really like to see bands like Seattle's CHRISTDRIVER get more attention. I also like NOCTURNE from Dallas. There is a ton of unrecognized talent that I could point at. I hope that more musicians will get involved with A&R positions in the future. RT loves to play with any band that has a profound emotional impact on its audiences. Heavy music seems to be a great medium for emotionally affective material, but we have played, and will continue to play, with a wide spectrum of bands, musicians and artists that are about the real world. (Not MTV's version, please!!)

AMZ - Without the gift for creating music, what would you, the undoubtedly "outspoken" personalities that make up the core of Rorschach Test, be doing? It would seem something political might be the best place to start.