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As the sole product of Gary Zon, Dismantled have been showcasing a unique blend of progressive electro-pop rock for the past four years. Having worked with the likes of stars like :Wumpscut: and God Module, Dismantled has crossed boundaries, defying categorization and meshing everything from the pop of Paula Abdul to the industrial grind of Nine Inch Nails into a sonic attack like no other. Having released four EPs and two full-length albums, the band's quick critical acclaim from fans and reviewers alike found them a home on Dependent Records in Europe, and Metropolis Records in the U.S. The new release Breed to Death is causing a storm in the electro scene. Michael Brown caught up with Zon at a recent New York show to look deeper into the Dismantled mindset.

So tell me about the new album. I have already heard your introduction track, sounds very AFI.

Zon: Yes we were trying to get that vibe. I like how AFI have that atmosphere and Davey gets the crowd going at the start. Adrian and all the drumming really builds things up nicely. We have a new track 'Get it through' up on the Web site and 'Breed to Death' will also be on Standard Issue as well as a new version of 'Attention' with vocals.

I know we have the same taste in films, especially mindfuck sci-fi movies. What have you enjoyed recently and can you reveal your samples in Dismantled?

Zon: I really liked Equilibrium and have still been watching The Butterfly Effect. In 'Backwards' the main sample is from The Thirteenth Floor:

'None of this is real, you pull the plug I disappear and nothing I ever say, nothing I ever do will ever matter.'

And I like to create an atmosphere that has a similar feel to the Alien saga movies. Such as in 'Hypersleep' or 'Unmanned.' It's natural for me to do these kinds of atmospheres because that's what makes Dismantled for me, something that's complex, multilayered and has a lot of depth behind that's not obvious on first listen.

So what is with your obsession with The Faint?

Zon: I did see them twice. This latest time I somehow got on their guest list. I loved seeing them the first time at the Roseland in Portland but the latest show I've been to wasn't that great because of the venue. Every time I see them they remind me of an indie version of Front Line Assembly with their backing tracks and video screens flashing footage.

And what is this I hear in the tour van? You actually liking some modern alternative electronic music [ Dreamweb plays in the background]

Zon: Yeah, I am loving the new Mind.in.a.Box and totally dig what he is doing. Obviously the new Haujobb remixes was good and he did an awesome mix of 'The Swarm.' I mean, I am still listening to Radiohead, Jimmy Eat World.

And anything and everything on Saddle Creek.

Zon: [laughs] You know me too well, Brownie.

Well at least I can plan your Christmas present of Bright Eyes and Cursive T-shirts. [laughter] You're also active with two other projects these days, Aerodrone and Dfektiv. Would you please tell our readers a few words about them?

Zon: Aerodrone is a pop rock indie band that's very mainstream-oriented and that I'm working on getting out there and it's amazing how the whole reaction to that band from people reminds me of Dismantled even though everyone in the band tells me how it's a whole different ballgame. To me, it's all the same. We started out with having the project be like Dismantled where I control most aspects of a song but have now started writing songs together as a band. The members are all very talented in their own ways but at this point it seems like an experiment to see if something that started out like Nine Inch Nails can actually be a band. DFEKTiV is just a consciousness stream from my head, it's just raw output. Everything is spontaneous and live and the vocals are all ad-libbed. It's just a blunt, ragged statement about the way I feel inside and doesn't follow any rules. I always get in a weird mood when I listen to it because it rings as so true and honest to me that I feel like I can do anything I want at that moment, a kind of spiritual feeling of total freedom through chaos. I remember reading those old Skinny Puppy/FLA interviews where they keep saying how writing that kind of music is all about being on drugs and to me it's a completely opposite experience from that.

It is still being discussed that you are Russian. I never understand this obsession with where a band is from and why this matters. I like a lot of American bands and feel Germany/Belgium produces some great electronic music but some negative attention seems to be associated with Russia. How do you feel about this?

Zon: Yes, I am Russian but we are not a Russian band. Some people on the Internet have wound me up.

Yes there are plenty of strange people out there.

Zon: I think some extreme views and inappropriate comments make me want to not talk about the Russian thing.

You should not have to deny where you are from, though.

Zon: But like you were saying, Brownie, it doesn't matter to some degree, though it has influenced me and when I first came to America it had a huge impact of my life and who I am now and what Dismantled has become.