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| Provision Interview Chain DLK By: Marc Tater January 14th 2008 |
Marc: Hello Breye, due to the fact that you’ve mailed out some promotional CD’s of your last
Provision releases, I thought on to do an interview with you.
To my surprise, you’ve just a few days before decided to end completely your project. Therefore
I guess this is the final chance to get done a Provision interview. Why the end of the band?
Breye 7x: The band itself kinda began to die when Leslie Hyman left the band in September of
2005. But there were already new songs and material that Jen Foxx and I were working on when
Leslie departed, and it was somehow inevitable that “The Consequence” become the final chapter
in the Provision trilogy.
I also struggled for the last year or so with the fact that I feel we have written everything we
ever wanted to, as Provision. And I think that if we continued on and wrote another album that
did not fit the Provision sound, that we would eventually regret it. We achieved more than we
ever could have dreamed of, and that in itself is enough for me. I think our legacy as a band will
always speak for itself.
Marc: Already your „F.A.Q.“ section on your website explains the often happened changes of the
band members. I’m sure that you hold the rights on the band name Provision. So no idea or
interest from your side to move on or to re-animate Provision on your own as a solo-project?
Breye 7x: I never saw Provision as a Solo effort, nor have I ever desired to keep it going even if
it was just me. Provision has always been comprised of who was in it. We’ve always been a band,
in every sense of the word. Of course I would be lying if I said I didn’t miss it. I really miss being
on stage, and meeting the fans at the shows. Perhaps there will be some reunion shows one day,
but it’s highly doubtful that we’ll release another album. The Consequence was our final chapter,
and I don’t think we could have ended it on a finer note.
Marc: An ongoing question to the previous one, I hope, not too indiscreet to ask for. Can it be
that your hard times around you and your family, which have started around autumn of the past
year, have left some influence on you which made the decision easier to quit with Provision? How
is it with Jen, since you’re a couple?
Breye 7x: Being that Jen and I are together has never had any negative effect on the band.
We’ve always treated it as a band, and our personal life has never come into the band to where it
affected it as such that we would think of quitting because of it. I went through some personal
stuff on my own last year, in getting laid off from my job and losing our house; but we’re back
on our feet now and actually doing better than ever. Jen and I work great as a team when we
are working on music and we’re just as great a team as a family at home and with our children.
Marc: Since you’ve pushed Provision on top of the US-based Synthpop scene in the past 7 years,
I like to ask about the reactions of your fans so far and your quit announcement...
Breye 7x: There has been a lot of disappointment from the fans, but at the same time there has
been nothing but appreciation for what we have done over the years and the music we leave
behind; even as we let go of the band itself. We have received tons of E-mail and messages from
our fans, and the response has been truly overwhelming. You never actually realize what an
impact you’ve made on your fans until you come to the end of the journey.
It’s really sad on one side, but you are also filled with this huge sense of accomplishment and you
see that what you achieved was important and respected and really touched the hearts of so
many people around the world, and that makes everything worth it in the end.
Marc: Some plans and projects for Provision are still in the works like the announced DVD release.
What else has still to be done? Any special requiem-like release?
Breye 7x: We will complete our long awaited DVD titled “Visionary” and we are also thinking of
releasing an album of cover songs. We did quite a few covers over the years, and it would be
really nice to have those released for the fans. Our final song “Images” is going to be released on
the Sector 2 compilation from Section 44 Records in the beginning of 2008. Beyond that, there
really are no plans except to complete the Official Provision website so that it will reflect
everything and anything we ever achieved. It’s the least we can do for all of those who have
supported us, and all of those who will discover us after we disbanded.
Marc: Coming to some other things, since you’re also a forming member of the label Section 44.
Lately some labels have announce to quit their business due to facts like the lack of sales or the
still growing download piracy. What to your opinion does the future hold for the scene, the labels
and with which format will we continue?
Breye 7x: I really can’t speak for other label owners, but I think just quitting and giving up; is
too easy. Standing your ground and fighting is much more worth it in the end. I honestly don’t
think sales of real physical units are that bad these days. We still sell a few discs every week, and
of course we have digital distribution which has been great for us in terms of exposure. As for
the future of the scene, I think there will always be fans out there who will still want to buy
C.D.’s because there is nothing that compares to that feeling of possessing a real album in your
hands; with a booklet and artwork, lyrics, and liner notes. You just don’t get that feeling when
you download a song. Of course we’ll always have the digital side of it now, because of how
technology has changed our lives. I don’t believe that the death of the C.D. is something that is
going to happen though. I remember when they said Vinyl was going to die. It may have died out
somewhat, but Vinyl is not dead. There will always be those who hail some new audio medium,
and predict the fall of the format before it; but we should know by now to take this hype with a
grain of salt.
Marc: Tell us a bit about the structure of Section 44, since your label deals often with colleagues
like A Different Drum or Ninthwave Records for distribution and promotional purposes. Why does
a collaboration work for Synthpop labels, and why doesn’t it work for harder Industrial labels?
Breye 7x: Having been in the Industrial Scene in the mid 1990’s I would have to say it’s all about
the negative attitude and massive competition in that scene. But, I cannot speak for sure as I’m
not in that scene anymore. I can say that the Synthpop and Electropop scene’s are very
supportive and welcoming of new bands as well as established bands; and I have met a ton of
really nice people over the last few years while doing Provision. Todd at A Different Drum has
always been one of the kindest people in the music industry that I have ever known. He supports
pretty much everything out there, and it really helps us all out when we work together with him
or people like David at Ninthwave. I don’t understand how a label out there would not want to
work with others, to promote their own releases if it means getting their bands out to the fans
and the public.
Marc: Comes the question to ask for your personal future, Breye. How and in which kind will you
return musically?
Breye 7x: Well, in September I began a new music project called The Third International, or T3I
for short. We have an Official Myspace page up at T3I Official Myspace Page with a few skeletal
demos, but there are no recorded lyrics on them. Right now it is just a studio project, and we
don’t have any set idea of what we’re ultimately going to do with it. There are no plans to release
an album or do any live shows at this time. We’re just really going to write and see what
happens, before we decide how far we might want to take this project. We have completed 3
remixes under the T3I name for the bands Cylab, Phase Theory, and Asmodeus X; and I am
currently working on a T3I remix for Red Flag.
For now, The Third International (T3I) is what I am currently doing and will be working on.
When we decide how big or small we truly want to make this project we’ll be sure to let everyone
know.
Marc: Some final words to conclude this interview?
Breye 7x: I would like to personally thank you Marc, for this interview; and for your kind words
on our albums in your reviews. To our fans out there… keep posted to our Official Website or the
Official Myspace Page for the latest info on Provision; and be sure check out our new project T3I
if you get the chance!
I’d also like to send a huge Thank You to all of the fans over the years who’ve supported us. We
truly could not have done it without you all.
Provision releases, I thought on to do an interview with you.
To my surprise, you’ve just a few days before decided to end completely your project. Therefore
I guess this is the final chance to get done a Provision interview. Why the end of the band?
Breye 7x: The band itself kinda began to die when Leslie Hyman left the band in September of
2005. But there were already new songs and material that Jen Foxx and I were working on when
Leslie departed, and it was somehow inevitable that “The Consequence” become the final chapter
in the Provision trilogy.
I also struggled for the last year or so with the fact that I feel we have written everything we
ever wanted to, as Provision. And I think that if we continued on and wrote another album that
did not fit the Provision sound, that we would eventually regret it. We achieved more than we
ever could have dreamed of, and that in itself is enough for me. I think our legacy as a band will
always speak for itself.
Marc: Already your „F.A.Q.“ section on your website explains the often happened changes of the
band members. I’m sure that you hold the rights on the band name Provision. So no idea or
interest from your side to move on or to re-animate Provision on your own as a solo-project?
Breye 7x: I never saw Provision as a Solo effort, nor have I ever desired to keep it going even if
it was just me. Provision has always been comprised of who was in it. We’ve always been a band,
in every sense of the word. Of course I would be lying if I said I didn’t miss it. I really miss being
on stage, and meeting the fans at the shows. Perhaps there will be some reunion shows one day,
but it’s highly doubtful that we’ll release another album. The Consequence was our final chapter,
and I don’t think we could have ended it on a finer note.
Marc: An ongoing question to the previous one, I hope, not too indiscreet to ask for. Can it be
that your hard times around you and your family, which have started around autumn of the past
year, have left some influence on you which made the decision easier to quit with Provision? How
is it with Jen, since you’re a couple?
Breye 7x: Being that Jen and I are together has never had any negative effect on the band.
We’ve always treated it as a band, and our personal life has never come into the band to where it
affected it as such that we would think of quitting because of it. I went through some personal
stuff on my own last year, in getting laid off from my job and losing our house; but we’re back
on our feet now and actually doing better than ever. Jen and I work great as a team when we
are working on music and we’re just as great a team as a family at home and with our children.
Marc: Since you’ve pushed Provision on top of the US-based Synthpop scene in the past 7 years,
I like to ask about the reactions of your fans so far and your quit announcement...
Breye 7x: There has been a lot of disappointment from the fans, but at the same time there has
been nothing but appreciation for what we have done over the years and the music we leave
behind; even as we let go of the band itself. We have received tons of E-mail and messages from
our fans, and the response has been truly overwhelming. You never actually realize what an
impact you’ve made on your fans until you come to the end of the journey.
It’s really sad on one side, but you are also filled with this huge sense of accomplishment and you
see that what you achieved was important and respected and really touched the hearts of so
many people around the world, and that makes everything worth it in the end.
Marc: Some plans and projects for Provision are still in the works like the announced DVD release.
What else has still to be done? Any special requiem-like release?
Breye 7x: We will complete our long awaited DVD titled “Visionary” and we are also thinking of
releasing an album of cover songs. We did quite a few covers over the years, and it would be
really nice to have those released for the fans. Our final song “Images” is going to be released on
the Sector 2 compilation from Section 44 Records in the beginning of 2008. Beyond that, there
really are no plans except to complete the Official Provision website so that it will reflect
everything and anything we ever achieved. It’s the least we can do for all of those who have
supported us, and all of those who will discover us after we disbanded.
Marc: Coming to some other things, since you’re also a forming member of the label Section 44.
Lately some labels have announce to quit their business due to facts like the lack of sales or the
still growing download piracy. What to your opinion does the future hold for the scene, the labels
and with which format will we continue?
Breye 7x: I really can’t speak for other label owners, but I think just quitting and giving up; is
too easy. Standing your ground and fighting is much more worth it in the end. I honestly don’t
think sales of real physical units are that bad these days. We still sell a few discs every week, and
of course we have digital distribution which has been great for us in terms of exposure. As for
the future of the scene, I think there will always be fans out there who will still want to buy
C.D.’s because there is nothing that compares to that feeling of possessing a real album in your
hands; with a booklet and artwork, lyrics, and liner notes. You just don’t get that feeling when
you download a song. Of course we’ll always have the digital side of it now, because of how
technology has changed our lives. I don’t believe that the death of the C.D. is something that is
going to happen though. I remember when they said Vinyl was going to die. It may have died out
somewhat, but Vinyl is not dead. There will always be those who hail some new audio medium,
and predict the fall of the format before it; but we should know by now to take this hype with a
grain of salt.
Marc: Tell us a bit about the structure of Section 44, since your label deals often with colleagues
like A Different Drum or Ninthwave Records for distribution and promotional purposes. Why does
a collaboration work for Synthpop labels, and why doesn’t it work for harder Industrial labels?
Breye 7x: Having been in the Industrial Scene in the mid 1990’s I would have to say it’s all about
the negative attitude and massive competition in that scene. But, I cannot speak for sure as I’m
not in that scene anymore. I can say that the Synthpop and Electropop scene’s are very
supportive and welcoming of new bands as well as established bands; and I have met a ton of
really nice people over the last few years while doing Provision. Todd at A Different Drum has
always been one of the kindest people in the music industry that I have ever known. He supports
pretty much everything out there, and it really helps us all out when we work together with him
or people like David at Ninthwave. I don’t understand how a label out there would not want to
work with others, to promote their own releases if it means getting their bands out to the fans
and the public.
Marc: Comes the question to ask for your personal future, Breye. How and in which kind will you
return musically?
Breye 7x: Well, in September I began a new music project called The Third International, or T3I
for short. We have an Official Myspace page up at T3I Official Myspace Page with a few skeletal
demos, but there are no recorded lyrics on them. Right now it is just a studio project, and we
don’t have any set idea of what we’re ultimately going to do with it. There are no plans to release
an album or do any live shows at this time. We’re just really going to write and see what
happens, before we decide how far we might want to take this project. We have completed 3
remixes under the T3I name for the bands Cylab, Phase Theory, and Asmodeus X; and I am
currently working on a T3I remix for Red Flag.
For now, The Third International (T3I) is what I am currently doing and will be working on.
When we decide how big or small we truly want to make this project we’ll be sure to let everyone
know.
Marc: Some final words to conclude this interview?
Breye 7x: I would like to personally thank you Marc, for this interview; and for your kind words
on our albums in your reviews. To our fans out there… keep posted to our Official Website or the
Official Myspace Page for the latest info on Provision; and be sure check out our new project T3I
if you get the chance!
I’d also like to send a huge Thank You to all of the fans over the years who’ve supported us. We
truly could not have done it without you all.