Redefining the Underground
One-on-one with Celldweller's one-man-band-wonder Klayton
By Jennifer Leggio

Industrial music has hit the mainstream in a bad, bad way. But true fans of old school industrial gods such as Nitzer Ebb and Skinny Puppy needn’t fear. There is a hero for the lost radio-hypnotized generation -- as well as for those who miss hearing good, uncontrived music wrought with original thought. Oh yes, out there exists a man who is true to his musical pursuits and not only refuses to be swayed by the mainstream ditties, he refuses to even listen to them.

Yes, kiddies, Nine Inch Nails and The Prodigy are not the be-all, end-all of this underappreciated genre. Klayton, mastermind of Celldweller, is here to show us all the way, the truth, and the electronic light.

Celldweller is a dichotomy: half one-man-band and half elaborate stage show. Klayton handles all of the songwriting, programming and performance on his self-titled debut, a production masterpiece displaying a smooth solution of organic instruments and highly technical genius. His live show, however, embraces additional musicians, and incorporates influences well beyond the realm of music. Klayton will bring this live show to San Francisco’s DNA Lounge on Nov. 19 (and it’s only $6).

After kicking off the second leg of his North American tour this weekend, an admittedly exhausted Klayton amicably answered our questions about his musical style, as well as his reclusiveness, and his apprehension about being categorized into any one genre.

How’s the second leg of the tour going so far?
So far so good. No one has died. Nothing has blown up.

Did that happen on the first leg of the tour?
Sure, there were some animal deaths. Probably some roadkill. (Note to PETA: He’s joking… or is he?)

At least you didn't go hungry. Which do you prefer more, touring or recording?
I’d absolutely rather be in the studio, no question about it. Touring is not my gig. Performing is OK… and when you’re in the performance it’s great. It’s just the whole traveling thing… I tend to be recluse and when you’re on tour there’s never any alone time. You’re surrounded by people all the time. No space to call your own. Me being Celldweller [laughs], I prefer to have my own space. And there’s no greater rush than the actual creative process. Live, although [there's] room for spontaneity, you’re performing a set. When writing, anything is possible.

So what’s in one of these live performances?
You will not get a typical rock’n’ roll show because we are not about being a typical rock n' roll band. The performance is much more theater-based, with multimedia, video, and of course music. We’re synched to video. We build instruments specifically for the live show.

You write and produce all of Celldweller’s music. Who is performing with you on tour?
I’m working with Dale Van Norman (guitar/keys/percussion/back-up vox) and Kemikal (bass/guitar/keys/percussion/back-up vox). I’m currently looking for a drummer. They are both extremely talented, and they each play several different instruments on stage. You actually get dizzy if you watch them too long because they move around so much. They’ve definitely brought a new energy and new life into this project.

Your record is unbelievable. Are you pleased with it?
I don’t think that if we spent $5 million on this record and it sold 10 million copies, I would be happy with it. This is probably the first record I’ve ever done that I haven’t hated, not sure how you want to take that. I know there are bigger and better things in the future, but I’m happy with it and the response I’m getting.

Your production techniques combined with your use of ProTools is fascinating. Does the technology direct your song creation or vice versa?
Quite honestly, I have been computer-based for so many years… and the programs I’m using on the computer could dictate how I create because there are certain limitations to what they can do. That’s why I first like to create on an organic instrument and use the computer to orchestrate the whole thing, but I don’t let it dictate the direction of the songs. Sometimes you have happy accidents and create great moments in the music. I rely on the computer to add another layer, to do things that are outside of the norm. I am not about doing what everyone else has done. I don’t even listen to anything remotely close to what’s on the radio right now. Using the computer gives me that freedom to just do it myself.

So, what is the decision-making process for deciding a song is "finished?” It seems like it might be difficult to filter out the stuff you want to keep from the things you might want to do technologically as a producer, especially with the range of tools you use.
I remember something that Tim Burton said when asked a similar question: “How do you know when a movie is finished?” The answer… you need someone to take it away from you so you can’t work on it anymore. If I had my way I would probably still be working on this album right now. I strive for perfection and rarely feel I achieve it. A lot of times you ruin your songs when you work on them for too long. I do the litmus test, and throw out versions of songs to a few close people around me, and then ya know, if everybody feels the track is done, then it’s done. And there are times that I simply know.

You cross every genre from industrial, metal, electronica and even bass driven beats. Where do you see yourself?
It doesn’t matter to me. I have never subscribed to any particular genre or attached myself to any political angle. I simply do what I do and if people get it, they get it. The fact that the music is diverse….it’s a high form of flattery. I’m just doing what I do and pulling from my influences and making it work. Glad that people get it.

Do you think industrial has become too commercialized?
I just think that music as a whole has changed so radically and it will never be the way it used to be, like how Skinny Puppy and Front 242 were. I don’t really listen to it anymore. I can’t even tell you who is around anymore. It is kind of a sad state of affairs when things in general become so commercialized. I still feel there is excitement in the underground, but as a whole these days you just have to do your thing and you really need to find your crowd. I’ve never come out of the box saying I'm an “industrial artist” or a “drum and bass artist” or a “nu-metal artist.” These are all tags that people have put on me.

More on that whole genre thing… Celldweller’s music has been described as a crossbreed of Nine Inch Nails-style industrial and Raver dance compositions. Do you resent or embrace that description?
Wow, rave music? I haven’t heard that. I suppose I take it as a compliment. That’s predominantly the type of music I listen to right now - electronic, drum and bass - and it’s definitely an influence. If those styles can crossbreed, and you can mix all of these instruments and make it flow, then there’s something to be said for that. It did take a long time to make it happen. I’m not a rave producer or a heavy metal producer or a reggae producer. I’m a producer. A good producer can make any kind of music. I do what I want to do. If people want to put a label on it, so be it.

What’s your relationship like with your fans?
I think they feel I don’t communicate with them very well. I don’t know how to handle the fan thing because I’ve never been star struck myself. If someone is treating me like a rock star, I don’t know how to deal with it so I try to avoid contact. It’s not that I hate anyone or I am antisocial. I’m just shy, how about that? That’s an easy word. I’m shy.

Were you shy in school too? A musical recluse?
Even when I wasn’t creating music, I was kind of a loner. I was the kid that got beat up. Which is why I think I came back later on in life and kind of flipped that around. Instead of being a follower, I’ve always been independent, and am not going to wait for someone to hold my hand or do something for me. I used to get my ass kicked after school every day. I think that ultimately has affected the way I was. Later on, in high school, I was captain of a bunch of sports teams -- I loved physical sports. Even in that position I never hung out with anyone. We did our thing on the field and I would go home. At that time, I think I would have rather stuck my head in a manual on a Friday night and play with some gear, make some mistakes and some good noise, while everyone else was getting drunk.

You said in one interview that you were never into the local scene, even when you were a part of it. A lot of fledgling musicians tout scene support before individual success, almost as if success is undeserved without some kind of camaraderie.
If someone were to say that to me, I would simply tell them to fuck off. I’ve worked my ass off to get here and have done it on my own, so they can kiss my ass. I’ve never subscribed to the local scene because there’s a sense of competition that I couldn’t be bothered with. When you’re in a local scene you think on a local level; I think on a global level. I think I drew less crowds in New York when I lived there; there wasn’t love in my own town. Then again, that could go back to being recluse. I was not interested in going out and being social. I never cared about that.