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New York-based Terrorfakt is no doubt one of the leaders of power noise today.

Influenced by such established artists as Controlled Bleeding, Monolith, Neurosis, Merzbow, Manufactura, and Synapscape, Terrorfakt's sound is acidic and harsh and?ranges from powerful dance floor anthems to ambient soundscapes and pure experimental noise structures.?

In 2001 they released their debut titled, We Know Pain, then signed to Tinman Records and released the album Deconstruction in 2003. Their music is ruthless, featuring aggressive brutal rhythms, heavy pounding chaotic beats and distinctive instrumental soundscpes aimed to rip of any dance floor. I would suggest calling that post-industrial; those sounds will leave you beaten, kicked and abused.

Terrorfakt returned in August with their second release titled Cold Steel World and contains brutal rhythms on a brand new label, Metropolis Records. Its musical terror and that?s a fakt. Kirsten Power dive-bombs Terrorfakt's DJ Hellraver...

To give the readers a little bit of background, Terrorfakt was formed in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, correct?

Hellraver: Yes it was. It started as my outlet of aggression for the feelings that were released; the sorrow, the anger, and the vengeance. It was a way to channel it without going out into the street and doing something physical.

Not to get too personal, but did the events of September 11 have any direct impact on you? Did you lose anyone close to you?

Hellraver: Yes, I lost a friend of mine.

So there were very personal feelings, anger, associated with September 11? Is that the only reason that 9/11 evoked the response that it did?

Hellraver: Well, it was also in my city, my backyard, basically. If they knocked the landmarks down in the city where you live, it would probably have had the same impact on you.

Well, actually I grew up outside of NYC, so I can understand where you are coming from. I was wondering what impression you were trying to make on the industrial community, and on the larger music community.

Hellraver: I am not trying to make an impression on any particular genre. I mean, I am not in it to make an impression; I am just in it to write music, play music and, basically, have a good time doing it and do something different that not everyone else is doing. So, with regards to the goth-industrial-EBM movement, I am just trying to experiment with what I can with electronic music.?? So, it is not really out with any kind of impression to give off, per se. Know what I mean? It is what it is. If people like it they like it, if they don't, they don't. That is not my problem.

So people I have talked to, DJs and whatever in the Boston and New York area, who have heard Destruction and Cold Steel World have commented on the unsettling feeling that the combination of music, noise and lyrics produces. The comments have ranged anywhere from ?I can't quite get a handle on it,? to ?the combination of sounds raises hairs along my spine.? I know that I have already asked you what impression or impact you are trying to make with your music, but what are the images and feelings you associate with the music that you produce?

Hellraver: It is really whatever mood I am in that day, when I sit down and do it. It's just, like I said, and outlet for my feelings or whatever. There are some days when I will sit down and write an ambient track. And, there are other days when I will write something that has no actual beats to it; it's just a big wall of noise and scraping metal and things. A lot of people have given me their different perspectives on the album, and, everyone I talk to seems to have a different reaction to it. I think that's kind of cool. If it brings out something inside of you, that doesn't normally come out, then I guess that that is what I am shooting for.? It is kind of an inside buried feeling that you don't normally express.

Awesome, totally awesome. So, I was looking at your list of influences like Controlled Bleeding, Neurosis and Manufactura, but I was wondering how you feel about "old school"?like Einst?rzende Neubauten and Oomph!?and I was wondering how you feel about the older school music and how it influences you?

Hellraver: I grew up on all of that. Neubauten are gods as far as I am concerned. If you had to put a face on a God, it would be Blixa's [Bargeld]. They're just brilliant; I don't think anyone could ever write music better than they can.

For example like how they took an airplane engine and turned it into a rotating drum?

Hellraver: Exactly. Its just things that no one else ever thinks of. You know? And here all of us are trying to figure out how we can sound, or make something that sounds, that cool. Those guys, Neubauten, are untouchable.

Great. So, I have heard some of the remixes that you have done for Massiv In Mensch, Wumpscut, and Das Ich. Who else would you like to work with in the future? What other sort of work - videos, etc. - would you like to do and whom would you like to do it with?

Hellraver: I'll pretty much remix anybody. The farther out of the "spectrum" they are the more I like it because it's more of a challenge. Like doing a remix for Massiv In Mensch or Wumpscut, I kind of already know how it is going to come out. It's going to sound like Terrorfakt remixing Wumpscut. So, when I do something for a Goth band or pop artist, or something like that, that's where I really get creative. I have a lot more freedom; I'm not stuck inside this typical industrial boundary/ boundaries that need to be maintained.

I'm sure there will be someone or you'll find someone who's interested. So, I like your "newer" work off of Steel Cold World. The description in your bio of ?pure blitzkrieg stomping noise? is a very accurate description. Did you have a lot of fun making the new album?

Hellraver: Yeah, I had a lot of fun. I had a lot more fun making this one than making Deconstruction. Deconstruction was more to basically break into the scene and make something that I figured everyone would like. Whereas, with Cold Steel World, it was like, ?Here I am. I'm in it. Now it is time for me to experiment and see how far I can push it.? I tried things that were completely different; it was a completely different writing process.

Ok, so what other ways, besides the band, do you and the other members of the group express yourselves, both personally and professionally as well as artistically? Do you as a band see that expression as having changed with your work, both as a whole and individually?

Hellraver: Right now I am the only actual member of Terrorfakt. This tour, it is me and Carlos from Manufactura and then we have Damien from Violent Entity backing us up. He just got signed to Black Rain records. But, I don't know, as far as expressing myself, I kind of like to keep to myself with people I don't know, no offense to you guys. I like to go out, I like to have fun, shopping, things like any other normal person. Uh, I cannot stand listening to industrial music when I am home, trying to relax.

Is there any art that you do on the side?

Hellraver: I make sculptures out of shit, semen and blood. [Laughs] Just kidding. Actually, I DJ. I've been DJ-ing for 11 years, that kind of how I got started in this whole mess. I am an animal rights activist?

Wow, do you belong to any subversive organizations?????

Hellraver: Not that I would want to speak of. [Laughs] I do support the animal liberation front.

Always a good thing to support right?

Hellraver: Well apparently you can get locked up for that. But, don't print that!

Do you continue to see the political and activist climate in the US and around the world as a fertile ground for more artistic endeavors?

Hellraver: You always need something to write about. And, the state of the United States right now, basically we have Hitler Jr. "Dubya" in the White House. "Dubya" is probably the dumbest motherfucker we've ever had in the White House, I think he's more of a moron that Dan Quayle. Cold and heartless. But, honestly, I wish Billy Boy would run again because I've got more important things to worry about than who's giving head to who in the White House. And I think, as far as the press and the rest of the nation goes, it is really pointless to spend so much of our tax dollars and our time crucifying the guy because he got a little bit of head. The guy is running the fucking country, leave him alone, let him get a couple of BJ's. Fuck, I'll take him down to St. Catherine's here in Montr?al and I will buy his ass a hooker if he shows up here. He did a better job with our economy and a better job with our country in general than Mr. "Dubya" is ever going to do. All George "Dubya" Bush is: is his father's little puppet. We spent so much time on Bill Clinton getting a BJ?the media and all of these hearings and shit?and the whole Florida thing in the last election? That lasted what, a week? And it was totally brushed under the rug. Obviously our priorities [as a country] are a little screwed up.

For other artists who are trying to break into the whole music scene, and maybe power noise specifically, do you have any suggestions as to how?

Hellraver: First thing I would say: Don't quit your day job, because there's no fucking money in it. But, you kind of realize that going into it. If you're lucky enough to start a project, release your album, go out on tour, come home and break even, then that's a successful tour, that's a successful project. We're just on the verge of maybe, possibly, being able to break even.? That would be really nice, if I did.? But, even with touring, I go out realizing that I will probably come home, in debt, but I enjoy it. It's being able to go out on the road and go to so many places and see so many different people. You can't really put a price on that. That's more fun than any amount of money could ever buy.

Do you have any specific goals for yourself and for the band that you would like to fulfill in the next year?

Hellraver: Yeah, I would like to get some sleep. Well, if you guys know anything about Terrorfakt and follow the band at all, you would know that this is the 106^th show in two years. So, apart from that and the DJ gigs that I do, I have a residency in New York City every Saturday.

Tell us where you have residency every Saturday.

Hellraver: At club Batcave, Albion/ Downtime, on 30^th Street in Manhattan. Apart from that, I also do 2-3 guest spots a month, so I am usually driving, flying, taking a bus, whatever, and swimming to gigs if I have to, whatever. So, when I get off this tour, which we have about 34 more shows to do, in 39 days, I am going to go home, unplug the phone, unplug the computer, and I am going to sleep for about two weeks. After that, I will probably get up and write another album. That's my immediate goal: Basically survive this tour, get through it, and go home and get some sleep.