AUTO12

STV7 is the enigma behind the vividly organic dance/techno/whatever act BENT WITH LIGHT. He used to live here in Columbus, Ohio, home of well, me. He's prolific. And until recently, that's all I knew about BENT WITH LIGHT. So I axed Mr STV7 the same shit I always axe everybody and here's where he went with it.

SO, UH, STV7. HOW DOES THIS STORY BEGIN THEN?
My first musical venture was called Spine. It went from 1992 to 1997. In the beginning it was mostly harsh noisy stuff recorded on cassette while I was in Germany. Then I moved to Columbus, where Shaun Sandor and I decided to make music. He introduced me to Neubauten, which, at the time, gave a jolt to my
earholes. Unfortunately, we seperated when he moved to Chicago. I changed the name to Axess and released a CD in 1997.

I didn't do anything musically for about a year, then I went on a recording binge that outdid everything, due mostly to some self discovery during 1999.

When I got back in the studio, I started from scratch again, beginning with raw feedback loops and acoustic instruments before moving on to programs and samples. Improvisation is indespensible, that's why I've always recorded live.

FAIR ENOUGH. WHAT MUSICIANS KICKED YOUR ASS IN DURING YOUR FORMATIVE YEARS?
Musically, I'm influenced by early industrial. Throbbing Gristle, SPK and
the like, with some dance, jazz, blues, punk. As long as it takes me somewhere. Now I enjoy a lot of music after listening to drills and grinders. I wonder why that is. Lately I'm listening to the Spybey/Harris disk from hushhush, Squarepusher and The Weird Love Makers.

WHAT OTHER SONIC ACTIVITIES ARE YOU INVOLVED IN?
My latest side project is a collaboration with David Reed of Lupine. Sort of spacey jazz with an experimental edge. We put our first session out on a CD called "9 Months Too Early." David's experimental stuff reminds me a lot of Spine. Hopefully we'll get to perform live soon.

As far as Bent With Light, there's something always in the oven. I wish someone would hire me full time. I am either recording, burning or assembling music every day. Most of my albums are just the surface, so I put different material on each CD. Usually I carry a few CDs with me as calling cards, or to trade. I prefer to trade, it's more personal.

OKAY. BUT IS DISCO DEAD? I'M NOT REALLY ASKING, I'M JUST USING IT AS A GENERAL TERM OF ABUSE.
I hope not! I just got platform shoes!

RIGHT ON! HOW HAVE MP3S AFFECTED THE WAY YOU GET DOWN?
A few people have given me feedback about my MP3s, but the tracks are so old it doesn't even matter. I just like to have them up there in case I am interviewed and get asked this question! But the website is just another oppurtunity for information, expression and communication, all of which come in handy for an indie. I do most of my business on the web. Computers are our friends.

HOW ACTIVE ARE YOU IN YOUR LOCAL MUSIC SCENE?
I have been around the Columbus scene mostly. I've played in theatres, art galleries, hotels, garages. Wherever there's a place to plug in. I opened for some Ele-Mental events. Those were fun. Due to my decaying memory, I'd have to say my last show in Akron was the most memorable. I call it The Ghost Show. I played the loudest and worked the hardest I ever did for a half an hour straight to an empty room. The owner eventually shut me down.

WHAT ABOUT YOUR RECORDING SETUP, HAS IT CHANGED MUCH?
Recording has always been live. I used to own a 4-track, but got rid of it. I figure if I can't do it live, I won't have a very fun live show. At one point, all I had in my apartment was studio gear and instruments. It looked like a cross between "The Wall" and a Goverment experiment.

ANY NEW INSTRUMENTS IN THERE?
In the Constricter collaboration, Dave introduced me to the joys of the theremin. I do all of the instruments in Bent With Light: sampler,
keys, acoustic and electric guitars, beats and Dave has some of his own electronic noisemakers. Bent With Light has a lot more musical influences in it than anything. More beats, melodies and vocals than Axess and Spine.

WHAT UP WITH THE COVER OF "F2"?
It's a collage of photos from the abandoned part of town, some of my paintings, and light distortions from various sources. The trails are from a candleabra. It reminded me of the Download III cover. I have four or five covers done, mostly collages of images or paintings.

BEST KISS ALBUM? I BET YOU LIKE "HOTTER THAN HELL," RIGHT?
Destroyer.

WOW. I WAS SO CLOSE! WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR BENT WITH LIGHT? LIVE HARD, DIE YOUNG AND LEAVE A PRETTY CORPSE?
I would like Bent With Light to be heard, and more often. I would like the music to expand outward, to work with more people and share new experiences. Eventually, I'd like to have a band. A drummer, a guitarist, the whole nine. Do songs. Do soundtracks. Jam. Record. Travel. I don't want to get stuck. I don't want people to tell me what kind of music to play or how to play it. Live performance is a perfect oppurtunity for some creative improvisation, but I've run into the standard excuse of wanting to just recreate the album live. Or playing what the audience wants. I don't have time to figure out what people want. I do what I do and I will pay the price for it, I'm sure. Even though I am unsigned, which doesn't even mean anything anymore, I am enjoying my freedom. I don't owe anyone anything but honesty at this point.

WELL SPOKEN. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE DURAN DURAN SONG?
Since you asked, it's "Hungry Like The Wolf."

WELL THEN, SINCE YOU ANSWERED, WHO DO WE WRITE TO TO GET YOUR MUSIC?
Exoteque Music PO Box 340431 Columbus OH 43234 USA and True Age Records
http://trueagerecords.homepage.com PO Box 9701 Lowell MA 01852 USA.

STV7 CDOGRAPHY
Axess- one and one thousand (1997)
Bent With Light- F2 (1999)
Bent With Light- The Infinite Pain (2000)
Bent With Light- soil/sour 2xCD (2000)
Bent With Light- dead souls dreaming (2000)
Constricter- 9 months too early (2000)

bentwithlight/constricter/5amproduktion/infinitesickness/sounds::visuals/enemiesoftime