-Candiria have never been strangers to experimentation. For the better half of the band’s existence, you both positioned yourselves and were marketed as an experimental, crossover metal/hardcore unit. If you hadn’t already made the point clear with “What Doesn’t Kill You” and “Kiss The Lie,” self-reinvention seems to be the only way Candiria has chosen to survive over the years.



Now on “Toying With The Insanities,” it seems you’ve pushed the boundaries with the wild remixes even further into unexplored styles than before. What inspired you to deliver such an exhaustive, four-volume collection of remixes to your fans? From past interviews, I recall that Carley was deep into electronic music and raving. Does this have something to do with it?



(Mike) This was an idea that John had come up with several years ago, I believe when Candiria was still an active and fully functioning band. Both Carley and John have both been fans of electronic based music for a very long time. There have been hints of it on several Candiria records over the years. So when John started his own label, Rising Pulse, I think that this was something that was definitely on his mind.



I’d say that the reason for why it turned out to be such a vast release of four volumes, is due to the fact that there was a great response from artists that wanted to be a part of the project. And the material that they all submitted was great, so rather than make a very hard decision as to what should be included, John opted for several volumes of the series.

-The label issues which prevented proper availability and distribution of your first three albums have been well-documented. How did you finally manage to regain the rights to these groundbreaking albums? To what extent does Candiria still stand by these albums conceptually, artistically, and lyrically?





(John) The first three records kind of just wound up in our possession. The first two, Surrealistic Madness and beyond Reasonable Doubt, were only licensed to the original label for five years. That time has passed so the first two records are now owned by the band. The third record Process Of Self Development were owned by a record label that no longer exists, so it's ours now by default. So it's not something we really had to fight for, it just turned out that way.



-Following repeated statements by the band that “Kiss The Lie” would never be released, it magically appeared, not to mention via John’s new label. Discuss how this 180 came about that enabled fans to finally have the follow-up to “What Doesn’t Kill You” in their hands. How did you manage to acquire the rights? And how did John’s label come together?

(John) Well, the label that owned the rights to the record (Type A) released the record without the knowledge and approval of the band. Needless to say I was not pleased so I placed a call to the president of the label and told him that their had to be some form of compensation and that he released the record unmastered, the track titles were mixed up and one of the songs appears twice on the same record under two different titles. I told him I wanted the right to press it properly, he would not budge on a CD release but I got him to agree to an LP release. It wound up costing me and arm and a leg to press the records but I had to do something to right this injustice. We worked very hard on that record and although the band members' opinions may vary on it I am sure everyone will agree that it should be respected as a piece of art, not treated like a piece of crap and tossed into the digital world unmastered and not represented correctly. So, there are two versions of the release. The iTunes version which Candiria does not approve of and the Rising Pulse version that I put together and mastered myself. Needless to say the Rising Pulse version is what folks should pick up.



As far as the label goes, I was actually approached a few years ago by The End records. I was looking to sign Spylacopa and get the debut record out.



They offered to finance a label if I decided I wanted to start one instead of just signing the band. So I was like, uhhhh hell yeah!!! Well, turns out I go ahead and spend the money to form an LLC with the Rising Pulse name and they pull the rug out from underneath me. So me being me I couldn’t help myself. Once I have a vision in my head I have to follow through. So I financed it myself and here we are.



-As Candiria were one of my favorite bands growing up, both the accident and court proceedings were matters of deep concern for me. Since the accident and verdict awarded in the favor of Candiria, have you seen one penny of what the courts deemed was owed to you by the trucking company?

(Mike) Yes we eventually were awarded money nearly 6 years after the accident. Was it the astronomical amount of money that the jury said we deserved and was reported in newspapers and across the internet rumour mill? Well no, it was not. But more than anything we were grateful to have it behind us, so we could try and put our lives back together.



-Candiria’s bloodline to the New York hardcore scene is etched in stone, and I have a few questions for the band on this note. First, Merauder’s Jorge Rosado provided guest vocals on your 1999 album “The Process Of Self-Development,” and just this year Merauder released their long-awaited comeback record, “God Is I.” What are some of your fondest memories about Jorge, Merauder, Sob, and the rest of the guys dating back to the early-mid 90’s?



(John) Yes Jorge did provide vocals on Mathematics off of Process Of Self Development. He also vocalized on Year one from Beyond Reasonable Doubt. Jorge is a great friend and an amazing vocalist. We were actually just chatting recently and discussing getting him involved in some new material if Candiria decides to go that route for Toying With the Insanities III and IV.



Javier (Sob) was a great friend to us. My memories of Javier were what you would imagine. We grew up playing in bands in the earlier years of the New York Hardcore scene, playing gigs at the Crazy Country Club, Lamour and CB’s. We had all the same friends so naturally we just hung out on the streets and did what young kids do. To Mike he was more like a brother. Not to get too personal but Javier and Mikes sister in law were a couple for many many years and that combined with the time they spent in Merauder together brought them extremely close. Losing Javier was very difficult for many and it really hit home for all of us.



-Question for Mike about Merauder: You performed with the band in the late-90’s, both on the Five Deadly Venoms record, as well as live during that era. You also played with the band while Eddie Sutton of Leeway sang for Merauder for a brief while and recorded a 6-track demo. What were the circumstances surrounding this little-known era in Merauder’s history? Why was the Eddie demo never released? What are your thoughts on that period?



(Mike) Merauder was one of the most unpredictable bands in the history of the NYHC scene. Not unlike The Cro-Mags there was always inner hostility and the potential for the band to implode. It’s a part of what gave the band such an urgency and fire, it was like trying to ride a bolt of lightning. Around late summer ’97 or early ’98, I can’t recall which, Vinny and Anthony both left the band. A few months later Jorge and I called it quits. After some time, Sob got me to come back because he had recruited both Pokey and Eddie (Leeway) to join the band. Since I grew up a tremendous fan of Leeway, I decided that this was a no brainer and wanted to be a part of it.



The demo was fun to make and we played a few shows, but it was short lived. I’m actually glad that the demo never made it past the underground tape trading scene, because the quality was not that great. Definitely not up to the standards of bands like Merauder and Leeway.



-The problems that affected Merauder over the years, plainly-stated the reality of growing up in the streets and homelessness, drugs, and gangs all faring heavily in this world, have affected many in the New York scene not to mention other scenes globally. Discuss the experience of having lived in the midst of this environment, and examples of how you saw it impact your friends and brothers in other bands. Who do you hold accountable for this perilous state of society, both home and abroad?



(Mike) Old NYC was very different from what you see today. The old HC scene in NY was very different than what it is today. The way I grew up is the only way I have ever known, so I can’t really comment on that with fairness. I’ve never known anything else. It just seems normal for me to have had friends and enemies, that were in gangs, sold drugs, went to jail, died. It’s all a part of a life that seems completely average to me.



I honestly do not hold anyone accountable for anything other than themselves. In this world it’s either sink or swim, that’s it. Of course many people have the odds stacked up against them right from the start. But that is no excuse for self-destruction.

-To what extent does Candiria still identify with the hardcore scene? What do you feel has changed from the time you were younger until today? Has anything been lost or gained since then?



(Mike) That’s a tough one. The hardcore scene is not my scene anymore. So I won’t disrespect it by pretending that it is. I admit that I know very little of what is going on in the scene today. I still have love for my friends and brothers that were/are a part of the scene. But that is more about the individual people and not the "scene" itself.

The one thing that I do see however, is that years ago hardcore was something to do that was different than what was cool. Or what everyone in your school or hood was into. It seems like nowadays the "scene" is what’s cool. So it’s a bit watered down. Also I don’t think a lot of bands years ago even thought about signing a record deal and getting famous. It seems like that is what most bands nowadays are setting out to do from the start.



-It seems many bands these days are trying to recreate the past decades of hardcore, while Candiria has always been bent on fusing a wide variety of styles and evolving, which has resulted in you differentiating yourselves more and more as the years went on. Why do you think so many bands try to hold onto the past? And why does it seem like Candiria is able to let it go with such ease, time and time again?

(Mike) I think that as the world spirals further and further out of control people tend to get more nostalgic about their past, in particular their youth. As humans we yearn for a sense of history whether we were really a part of it or not. Youth represents a simpler and more carefree time in people lives, so to reconnect with it is very attractive. What better way to feel that again then to play old school style of music.



Candiria always had our sights set on the future. It’s important to respect and acknowledge the past, but we were more concerned with what could happen next, first and foremost. I guess we always were making room for what was next. A theoretical spring cleaning if you will.

-Candiria side-projects, let’s go. Is it a coincidence that both Carley and John have rock-oriented side projects? Discuss the status and your levels of satisfaction with Hope Kills Fear and Spylacopa. Also enlighten us with any timeless Greg Puciato moments that you’ve shared with him.



(John) I don’t think its coincidence more so than it is just what comes naturally to us. We have all spent many years creating music together. We’re very creative people. It’s only natural for us to part ways and do many various things. Hope Kills Fear and Spylacopa have very little in common. My level of satisfaction for my own side project, haha...well, I love it. Hope Kills Fear is Carley's baby. I love Carley like a brother, therefore I love what he creates. He is a brilliant writer and brilliant performer. I look forward to creating more music with him.



As far as Greg Puciato goes...one time he’s driving me around Brooklyn. We were just looking for something to do and he asks me if I’ve ever Slayered anyone? I’m like, huh? So were driving down 4th avenue in Sunset Park and on the drivers side of the car about about 100 feet in front of us crossing the avenue is this older unsuspecting lady were about to pass...so as we're passing her Greg rolls down his window and yells SLAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYERRRRRR at the top of his lungs at this woman. Scaring the crap out of her...so yeah, never a dull moment with that dude.



(Mike adds) Another side project is a band that I formed with John a little over 6 months ago. The name of the band is A Family Plot. This band is the most different from Candiria, than any of the other groups mentioned. And definitely the most rock oriented of all of the groups formed from Candiria. You can check us out on www.Myspace.com/afamilyplot, Facebook, or on our site www.AFamilyPlot.net.



-Carley contributed a blog for us at Hardtimes.ca briefly when we began in 2007 from the ashes of Quebec Hardcore News, which covered Candiria in the late 90’s. If you have continued to follow our site since our inception, you will know that we delve into politics with bands to give them an opportunity to speak their minds on the current state of things in their country, or on issues they feel are important and should be brought to the surface. On that note, what state do you feel the system is in at the moment? Are you big into conspiracies, if so which ones? Secret societies? Where are we heading as a society?

(John) We are heading toward a one world government. The Amero is coming.

-Lastly, what are some good jazz artists, old and new, who need to be checked out? How about other artists unrelated to the heavy music scene?



(Mike) I love Avishai Cohen, Matthew Garrison and Richard Bona. (Funny, all bassists) As far as older stuff, it’s still about either the late 50’s or early to mid 70’s for me. You just can’t go wrong when it comes to the bands Miles was playing with during these time periods.

As far as bands unrelated to the heavy scene. I like The Upwelling a lot. The Glass Ocean. The Gutter Twins. I’m a big fan of Pinback. And Portugal The Man are a fantastic band as well.

-And what are some good books that you’ve read recently or in the past which you think others could benefit from checking out?

(Mike) Pick up the Road to Los Angelos by John Fante, honestly anything by that man is great. Charles Bukowski is always a great read too.