Devin: Thank you very much for having me. [Smiles]

Karma: Every interview I have seen/read, they all allude to you being "mad". From what I have heard (music wise with Strapping and with the bands you've produced)…hell I think you need to be a little nuts or a bit of a mad scientist in order for you to come up with some of the ingenious shit you’ve produced. [Laughs]

Devin: Sure, sure, sure! It’s like all implosions, right. I don’t think I’m mad, I don’t think I’m crazy or any of those things. I don’t even think I’m particularly that smart but I think I’ve got enough going on in my personal life that I repress. When it comes to time to actually have a forum to vent it, it just all comes out in a really, sort of brash way. I guess the mental part of it gives you that avenue in order to sort of release it.

Karma: Definitely!

Devin: I think he’s doing both. I mean I’m a pain in the ass to be in a band with, right because I am not a big fan of touring. I don’t like being sick with a cold or any of these things which seems to be inevitable and come along with it. Byron has the Strapping, the Fear Factory thing, and a bunch of other stuff. He has always really been gung ho for the touring end of it, so I think he’s giving the right amount of attention to both of us because Strapping requires less.

Karma: Awesome!

Devin: [Smiles]

Karma: So Strapping has a new album out Alien, what is the meaning behind the title? Awesome album by the way!

Devin: Thank you. [Smiles] I wanted to find personal boundaries; I wanted to find my limits. I’ve been under the assumption for so long that things are limitless and I needed to get to a state where I could really push that manic envelope and see what was at the end of it. What I found at the end of was the info dump and I found out, I don’t know shit! I don’t know anything, you know! It’s like the true nature of everything is just so much more vast than I could ever possibly imagine.

All the chaos and ups and downs and goings on occurs with that, with Strapping. It just like, “Let’s push it, let’s just see further. Bring it on! Scare me! Come on, see if you can scare me!” And I got scared. [Laughs] You know what I mean.

Karma: What exactly is it that scared you?

Devin: I think the true nature of things, to be really basic. Abstract reality, like there’s really nothing more to life than what it is. [Pointing to me] You’re a person, I’m a person, here’s a cup of tea [looking down at the cup in his hand], there’s a cassette recorder [looks at the micro cassette recorder in my hand] and how we utilize it and the grand design, the scheme, and the paradox, and the circles and infinity and all that sort of thing. It’s like it all comes back to kind of a nihilist frame of mind, that’s what I found.

I found that everything is nothing, nothing is everything, you are everything, you are nothing, right. And with that in mind, it was like, ‘Oh shit!’ It’s like I can’t live here. I’ve got family and mortgages and dogs and things that require me not to be insane, right. If I live in an environment where I'm constantly surrounding myself with that sort of thing, it’s like I just flip out. With Alien, I wanted to surround myself so much with that stimulus that by the time it was finished, it was nothing left for me to question. It was question everything, right. And at the end of it, see what happens and at the end of it, the ohm vibration. Like that last noise on the record, it’s all Morse Code. The end of it’s like [pounding his fist on his thigh, he sounds out the ending on his lap] and that’s just like the destruction of everything. It’s just like, ‘Fuck you!’ You know!

Karma: So you just woke up one day, had this startling revelation, and felt like this?

Devin: Yeah, when I was really younger and everything, I was into things like philosophy, religion, the occult, and I was really into drugs. In a combination of all of those things…. [Starts to clarify] I mean no hard drugs, weed, mushrooms, and things of that nature, right. When I was still doing that, there’s really no support network for those sort of thoughts, right. So I think a lot of times you are left to your own devices to figure it out, and you can’t there’s no way! So you tend to go a little batty, right? It’s only temporary though. [Gives half smile]

Karma: Well that is a good thing. Switching gears a bit, your latest single, “Love” [this comment was so not meant to be corny] I love the song!

Devin: Thank you.

Karma: What is the meaning behind it?

Devin: Love seems to be something that things are done in the name of it that are just so contrary to what the purpose of it is. Love is everything, love is a unified force that binds and brings everything together, but the irony of it is that things are done like war, rape, murder, and all these things based on a concept of love, right. I think that for me, it’s like hard to subscribe to something. It makes me think of biology, it makes me think of procreation in terms of a biological thing as opposed to an emotional thing. Even though all of a sudden love is supposed to become…I mean sexual like divine like a cancer, right. It’s like my heart bleeds, right but at the same time it hurts because you see people using it for different things. I think a lot of what Strapping represents is irony. It’s like the opposite of what it is. Yeah, it’s really hellish, but someone called me out for being blasphemous, it’s not at all! It’s just energy!

Karma: I don’t see that all.

Karma: Very much so. The video for "Love" doesn't follow the song.

Devin: No, not at all.

Karma: In the video, it's like alla Texas Chainsaw Massacre…

Devin: It's suppose to be Evil Dead.

Karma: Oh!!

Devin: Where the thing’s going across the ground and everything.

Karma: Why is the viewer looking through the eyes of a television?

Devin: It’s like… [Collects thoughts]

Karma: And did you come up with the concept of the video?

Devin: No, the concept of the record is the only thing I’m concerned about, after that I consider it entertainment, you know what I mean. I just want people to have a video that’s fun to watch, right. Like I said with this record, I’ve really come to the conclusion that I don’t know anything. So it’s like the last thing I want to do is stand on a soapbox and say, “This is an ironic song about love” or whatever. I think from a video standpoint it’s just like pointy guitars, long hair, heavy metal. [We laugh] You know what I mean! Really, I don’t have enough faith in myself to take myself seriously. I have faith in things, externally.

Karma: Now that’s an interesting concept.

Devin: But in me, I just think I’m a fucking moron! [Laughs]

Karma: [Look of shock washes over my countenance] Wow! Really?

Devin: Well that’s cool!! That’s cool because I think we’re all kind of in that boat one way or another.

Karma: This is so true.

Devin: It’s like, I shouldn’t be smoking, but I do!

Karma: You’re not really dead at the end of the video, you turn into zomb…

Devin: …yeah, we turn into zombies. Yeah, I’m the undead with tons of emotional catharsis. I feel immunity… No were just zombies. [Laughter ensues] We just wanted to make an Evil Dead video.

Karma: What’s with the tape at the end of the video, where is it going?

Devin: I don’t know. I’m not visual at all, like I have no vision.

Karma: Is the second video going to be a sequel or prequel to explain "Love"?

Devin: That would be cool though, wouldn’t it!

Karma: Yeah!

Devin: The videotape starts; the tape starts up again… [As you can the wheels turning in his head]

Karma: [Laughs]

Devin: Oh that’s good! That’s great!! [We all laugh]

Karma: How has your songwriting changed since the days of Heavy As A Really Heavy Thing?

Devin: I think it’s more personal now. I think that when I was doing that first record it was just like, “WAHHH” [Rolls eyes in back of head] Now it’s more like, ‘Fuck me! ‘I’m a fucking idiot!’ I mean human beings aren’t that fucking clever. For a long time [I thought], I’m an alien. Then I was like, “No, I’m NOT!” [Laughs] I’m just a fucking…I’m just a person, right. You know I do so many things to myself that on the contrary to what I think I should be doing, you know what I mean.

Karma: Yeah, I do.

Devin: I think that when I did the first record it was like fuck the world you know everybody’s stupid except for me, right. Then the next one [City], I was like, ‘Well, we’re all stupid!’ Now, I’m like, No, no, no. I’M stupid!

Karma: That’s quite a change...

Devin: Yeah, but I think to a certain extent, and odd as it sounds that this is kind of healthy. I think if you go around as thinking of yourself as being “all of that”, you end up making a lot of mistakes in your personal life, right.

Karma: Being the owner of Hevy Devy Records, why have you chosen not to have any one else produce you?

Devin: In the future perhaps I’ll have somebody produce me but at this point it’s cheaper and I have a pretty solid idea of what I want to get done, right.

Karma: Completely understood. Who is your favorite producer? Whose work do you admire?

Devin: I like Mutt Lange, Daniel Bergstrom, I like Colin Richardson, Fredrik Nordström , I like Bob Rock…. [Coughs] Excuse me. In terms of production, anytime I hear a band I like I always think, ‘Oh that’s really well produced.’ Even if it’s not I still say, “Listen to that, it’s that great? That kick drum sounds wicked!” [Laughs] I’m a fan of music, right.

Karma: Who would you like to collaborate with in the future?

Devin: I like Meshuggah a lot, and Opeth. Now if I were to produce someone, I would like to produce Slayer even, you know what I mean. I’m open for anything really. I guess as long as I can get behind the lyrics. Because it is important for me for the singer to enunciate. I don’t want to be involved with people who are saying shit that I’m not down with.

Karma: Okay. So what has been your favorite project you've been a part of outside Strapping?

Devin: Well I’ve got a whole series of electronic things that I do on my website.

Karma: Which is awesome.

Devin: [Smiles] Yeah, I really like that. That’s a real free for all for me. I mean it’s not like it’s a song – chorus, verse…It’s just like, Fuck! [gestures in a fashion of letting go]

Karma: Because there’s no real structure to it…

Devin: Right, there’s no real structure to it, it’s all streams of conscious. It’s closest I can get to plugging in. Now how entertaining it is to anyone else…

Karma: Well, it is.

Devin: Thank you.

Karma: What has been your least favorite and why?

Devin: Probably Strapping, I think.

Karma: Really.

Devin: Not that I dislike it, because I love it but it’s just really hard on my brain and it’s really hard on my body. In order for me to do that, the touring, I have to be in a state that’s really not healthy and not conducive to maintaining healthy relationships.

Karma: So then do you see it ending at soon?

Devin: The touring, yes! Maybe not the band, but the touring, yes.

Karma: As far as the nicknames on the site, what’s up with that? [Laughs]

Devin: Yeah! I wrote those! [Laughs] I was just like, you know me, Chumpus Freakoutus; I’m a chump and I freak out all the time. Byron [Alphadoggus McThumpus] is an alpha dog and he thumps people. Jed is Wily [Geniusredneckus]. We call him “Back” because his ass looks like an extension of his back. Gene, we call him Vodkus Dehydratus…[Laughter fills the space]

Karma: Well I think Gene’s name says it all!

Devin: Yeah! [Laughs] I don’t know, it’s like the only way I can do Strapping is by taking it lightly because the records aren’t fucking light at all, they’re fucking heavy, right.

Karma: Very much so.

Devin: Like when we go to do a video, I make a real effort when we did the video for “Love”, like I said to the guy, “I don’t want any man-woman relationship bullshit. I don’t want any relationship shit. I didn’t want anything misogynistic, any of that. I wanted it to be like a parody so that people could take something separate from what it’s about.

The problem I have with Strapping, and my music, is that people read a lot in to it. I think there’s a lot there, right but there’s a lot of information but what you may be thinking the song is about is probably very different than what it is about. You know I can get a really angry song out of being constipated, you know what I mean. [We all laugh] Just as an example, people can weave that into being, “It’s blasphemous!” or whatever. And it’s like, no it’s not, I just really had to go! You use it where you can, right. If you need that energy, then you take it from where you got it.

Karma: This is very true! Since you have been a mainstay in the Industry, do you want to be remembered as a producer or as an artist?

Devin: Producer, I think. Only now, because I think I’ve said a lot of what I needed to say with the art. I’m always gonna make music but I’m tired of being the focus. I just don’t think I’m that interesting! I mean I think I’m interesting enough but when people ask me questions and they are looking at me, I’m just like, don’t look at me anymore. It’s like a crazy experience, like having my face everywhere, and having stupid hair and all that shit. You become a figure that people expect something of, right.

Erika: What do you want to represent?

Devin: What do I want to represent? I just want to be a solid dude! I just want to be cool to the people I love, pay my bills and make cool music. I don’t wanna be a drug addict, I don’t wanna go after groupies, I don’t want to do any of that shit! I just want to be a fucking solid dude, right but that’s the hardest thing to do in this industry.

Karma & Erika: Yeah!

Devin: Because I mean everyday there’s fuckin’ 700 beers and an ounce of fuckin’ weed in your room, right. Well, it’s like I have 15 hours before I do anything else…so it’s like, “WAAH!” Then that’s in response to some of the less intelligent decisions you end of making, you know what I mean. You then end up saying, ‘Now, that wasn’t that clever!’ But it could have been avoided so it’s like you try to avoid things like that… So yeah…

Karma: If you could commission a band to do a Strapping cover, who would do it and which song would it be?

Devin: Wow! I’d get Samael to do the song “Shine” and I would get Meshuggah to do “Oh My Fucking God”.

Karma: What does the future hold for Devin Townsend?

Devin: Booked forty more shows in a row, sure! I don’t care. I’ve got a puppet show that I really want to do.

Karma: Seriously?

Devin: Yeah. I’ve got this other project where it’s a pop version of Judas Priest, with cheerleaders and the whole works.

Erika: What kind of puppets?

Devin: Heavy metal puppets, a five minute thing of [starts to growl death metal vocal style]

Karma: Any last words?

Devin: Thank you for listening if you do and thank you for not bothering us if you don’t!

Karma: There you go and very well put! Thank you Devin, I has been a real pleasure. I really appreciate it.

Devin: It was really nice meeting you. [Smiles and shakes my hand]

Karma: It was nice to meet you as well.

I'd like to thank Devin for this fantastic interview and to Heather/George at Century Media for setting it up.