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Jason Bazinet is still excited about the use of samplers. He is one of the few who gets excited about putting out music on their own. It seems that this phenomenon is catching up but still Jason gets major credit because without a doubt this guy pays a major tribute to his ancestors and his musical roots, bringing back the true sound of retro industrial music with guitars, punk and early harsh electro. His music is danceable, diverse, powerful, aggressive and complex; he is putting together his albums in a top-notch production and he aims to break new grounds with his so-called cyber-punk. The music is very moving, rhythmic and exciting, with a fresh sound and strong arrangement. ReGen?s Jez Porat drops a bomb on Jason Bazinet of SMP.

Before we start, Jason, please tell us a little bit about the history of SMP. How do you describe the SMP sound?

Bazinet: ?Cyber-punk? is what I like to call SMP?s sound. I know that?s a description of a genre of literature, but I like to use it anyhow. Otherwise, I would describe SMP as industrial rock. I used to just say industrial, but it seems that that particular label is being used to describe synthpop these days.? SMP is definitely not doing what is trendy or happening, so I feel more comfortable with the industrial rock label. I guess we are old school.

How do you see the world in the post-Bush era? Do you see it getting better?

Bazinet: Well, in three short weeks we?ll see if Bush remains the ?leader of the free world.? I think Bush has made a ton of mistakes?that?s for sure. The 9/11 terrorists pretty much handed Bush a ?do-whatever-the-hell-you-want? card with their attack.

In general, what are your political and social philosophies?

Bazinet: I?d say I?m somewhat liberal.? I think the voting age should be lowered. I like capitalism but I think it needs a few more checks and balances.? I don?t think corporations should have the same rights as individuals.? I?m sure I have a lot of wacky views on how things should be. And, yeah, I think some people probably do need to be blown up with a ?smart bomb? or whatever.? I?d like to live in a world like ?Star Trek,? but we?re just not advanced enough yet.

You have your own label, Music Ration Entertainment. Is there any special reason why you haven't joined any other label yet? Why have you decided to go independent? Is it because of the problems you had in the past with Invisible Records?

Bazinet: The labels that were interested in signing SMP at the time that I was shopping the new album around were pretty small, so I decided to have a go at it myself. I really like doing it independently. It?s like I am finally working for myself. I would sign with a larger label if the interest were there.? I think Metropolis or Cleopatra would be good labels for SMP.? They are both larger than what I could ever accomplish on my own and they have my respect.

Doesn't your being on your own label affect the promotional process, touring and advertising?

Bazinet: Not really.? Our labels in the past never promoted SMP very much. All of the touring and most of the advertising came out of SMP?s pockets.

Do you recommend other artists and bands to go independent these days?

Bazinet: I wouldn?t recommend it to anyone. You?ve got to do what you?ve got to do. A lot of bands, especially the younger ones that are starting out, need labels, even really small labels, to help them out and to push them along the path, so to speak.? I needed that back in the day too, but I?ve learned a lot of industry stuff along the way.? You can?t just wake up one morning and decide to do everything yourself.

Are other artists going to be signed to the label in the future?

Bazinet: Definitely not.? There may be some other releases but they will most likely be SMP spin-offs.

Let?s talk about the new album, Crimes of the Future. Who is committing these crimes?

Bazinet: Humanity, in general. I?ve got songs on the album representing a whole host of issues: population, corporations and the human condition.

How long did you work on the album and are you satisfied with the result?

Bazinet: It took a long time to do the album, mostly because I didn?t know which label it would come out on.? I am totally satisfied with the album. It?s my best, and that?s not just the PR answer.

You had said you were going on tour this November. Is it going to be an extensive tour? Will there be any special guests with you?

Bazinet: Actually, I had to cancel that tour. Unfortunately, we just couldn?t get enough promoters across the USA to put up the money to justify a lot of the dates.? I don?t know if it?s the scene that?s going downhill or just SMP!? We?ll see if we can do something in 2005. I?m not giving up on another USA tour.

SMP is an offbeat mixture of many musical styles?from punk to industrial, rock, breakbeat, techno, electro and hip-hop. What kind of musical styles do you like to listen to?

Bazinet: Mostly hip-hop. I like Esham, ICP, Kool Keith?stuff like that.

How was it to work with Wade of Christ Analogue and Garrick of Doll Factory on the album? Were there any other guests involved in the recording process? Do you feel that by working with them you have achieved something that was missing in the previous album, Terminal?

Bazinet: Wade?s the man. We?ll be working together on some stuff in the future. It was cool working with both the Doll Factory guys too. Paul from Static Engine and Dee from Penal Colony also made appearances. I really like these collaborations. It makes the album more fun for me and more meaningful as well. Recording an album is like a snapshot of these times, and these people are my friends, so I will always have fond memories when I listen to these tracks.

How did you come up with the idea of covering Agent Orange's "Bloodstains"?

Bazinet: A long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, I used to play the drums for some punk bands. ?Bloodstains? is a song we used to cover and I always liked it. In fact, Agent Orange?s Living in Darkness album is a classic in my opinion. Same with TSOL?s Dance With Me, off of which we covered ?I?m Tired of Life.?? These covers are my tribute to two great bands that have influenced SMP.

How is the scene in Seattle these days?

Bazinet: It?s pretty good. Not as well as it used to be, I think. Live music has taken somewhat of a dive in the recent years. It seems like the DJ stuff is doing OK, but I?m not privy to that, really. It could be that they are suffering as well.? Maybe it?s the economy in general. I don?t know.

You use samples a lot in your tracks. They've become almost an inseparable part of your music. Using these sampled dialogs?these cinematic features?what do they add to the track as you see it?

Bazinet: I love using bits of dialogue in tracks. However, I don?t think I use them as a crutch.? A lot of tracks on the album don?t use any dialogue samples.? It?s cool to do because you are taking one form of media and injecting it into another. This can distort and alter both sources, which is cool.? The manipulation of pop culture excites me. One thing I love about industrial music is that there are no rules. If I want to sample a glass breaking and use it as my snare drum, I can. I can do whatever I want, and that includes sampling. In other forms of music you can?t do that.

Where are some of your favorite places to get your samples from?

Bazinet: My favorite sample sources are the vague ones. Stuff that no one?s heard before, and then when they run across that source years later, it?ll click in their heads.

Do you use samples to give any extra quality or darkness to a track?

Bazinet: Occasionally. I like the samples to fit the theme. When I?m using samples I?m basically utilizing trained actors who convey emotion a lot better than I could myself.

Are there any future plans to release more remix albums like Hacked?

Bazinet: Not right now. Remix albums aren?t really my thing.

Are you seeing more rap artists collide with industrial styles?

Bazinet: Oh, I think they are out there now. I know SMP has influenced a band or two in our time. But as far as these bands getting popular, I have my doubts. I don?t think mixing rap with industrial has gained SMP many fans within the goth-industrial community, especially because they generally don?t like rap to begin with.

Last words before we end this wonderful conversation.

Bazinet: I?d like to thank all of the people out there who have supported SMP by seeing a show or buying an album. You make it all worthwhile.