Gallery of the Grotesque zine Interview

Wilhelm: Come in, come in! A heartfelt greetings from one wormly Oregonian to another, Herr Josh. I tried to line you up for a show 'n' tell during our last Gallery tour, but I think you were held up by some unseen chemical force well above your threshold of containment. That's OK, you're here now. That's all that matters. Let's step this way and head towards the corridor of Velvet Cacoon. Looks dark down there. Tell us how you've been.

Josh: Great, sleepy, distant, quiet, really relaxed and just living in my own head lately - enjoying the snow this morning, my coffee (always accentuate with a shot of Godiva liquer) and the smell of bourbon cured pipe smoke from the foyer.

Wilhelm: Velvet Cacoon is about as strange and enigmatic as a band can possibly be. Reports of VC bumping shoulders with the Earth Liberation Front (ELF), the creation of multiple unreleased albums using a diesel harp and the appearance of random notes declaring plagiarism have blown your band up into a subject of urban myth & legend. Now that the lemmings have moved on to the cliff's edge I think it's time we get the unfiltered version of the Velvet Cacoon story.

Josh: "Dextronaut" was never intended to be a prelude to anything - it was essentially going to be the only thing we did; a wild headfuck of drugged out black metal. It had a peculiar sound to it and caught on with some people who were spreading the demo, and we were also taking great delight in baiting people into our fantastical stories and seeing how eager people were to eat it up. That's where we saw the vulnerability, that people were desperate for a band that embodied that particular and mysterious atmosphere that had fallen by the wayside what with so many bands embracing things like MySpace and wanting to be as public as possible. In the age of the internet and instant information gratification, we were calculated in putting out as little authentic information as possible, which seemed to do nothing but generate even more curiosity.

Wilhelm: What of your supposed relations to the radical environmentalist terrorists ELF? Why does the earth need saving via acts of defiance & destruction?

Josh: I would say, with age closer to my side, that acts of defiance and destruction usually result in a case of one step forward two steps back. I've become too concerned with my own life to care about future generations. My desire not to procreate is about the most beneficial thing I could do for this planet, but unless you have a plan to thin the herd there is nothing that can be done. The cycle of overpopulation has begun and aside from massive nuclear war to really reduce the human population, the overpopulation will soon spread and spread like cancer until Earth's resources are sapped up and everything eventually collapses. But why should I care what happens to this planet or this human race after I'm dead? Why should it have any more importance than what happens on any other planet out there deep in the galaxy hosting life? For me, my own life comes first, and rotting in some jail cell over ecoterrorist acts is not in the cards. I live in a beautiful state and a beautiful city, and I'm sure it will remain that way at least until I'm dead. That's all I need. After I'm gone, let it all rot.

Wilhelm: Give me your thoughts on the Velvet Cacoon discography to include the demos and the collection of albums released by Full Moon Productions. In retrospect, are you satisfied with each one?

Josh: I am very satisfied with all of them, particularly "Atropine" and "Genevieve"; those two, in addition to "Northsuite", all encompass a very cold, secluded and sea-like atmosphere to me - murky and clouded sounding. "Dextronaut" and "MFFB" were more or less learning experiences, getting used to recording and arranging, but I think they're both unique recordings as well.almost like VC through a different tint.

Wilhelm: There's a notable progression from album to album. The demos + the debut, " Dextronaut", are very raw old styled black metal with hints of ambience and lots of sonic lo-fi thrown in for sweetener. However, the newer works have been less sonic, muddier and above all more inclined towards the ambient constructs strung out through the old VC recordings. How will this translate into future recordings?

Josh: I think it will only continue this way, but I'm not sure why. I love creating massive/oceanic sounds and being slow, muddy, murky, dizzying and minimal has so far proven to be my most convincing interpretation of the sea. For me, listening to "Atropine" at night through headphones is the closest I've come to achieving what I'd really like to achieve; a widespread variety of seaside drones layered in dense cascades. It's a very minimal sound I'm heading towards, which requires a particular type of listener.possibly a more contemplative or introspective one? I know that must sound completely pretentious (and rightfully so), but I've really come to appreciate music most when it's created and used as a backdrop to the imagination, not as a simple form of cheap and instant entertainment.

Wilhelm: Outside of VC, what are some more examples of this "introspective" music you speak of that you find pleasing to the senses?

Josh: I really enjoy a lot of downbeat, lo-fi electronic music. There is a lot of innovation going on right now with this relatively new field of electronic sounds and lots of people are doing very unique things. As with any booming genre there is always a glut of bad stuff but if you sift enough you'll find some gems. Metaform has an album out called " Standing on the Shoulders of Giants" which has been a really effective album for me in terms of routing out deeper areas of my mind. I like something with a good groove, rough edges and a slight old school jazz touch to it, though it should be said most of my music listening and thinking happens during my nocturnal bicycle rides along the river. Daedelus' " Exquisite Corpse" album is another good example, as is stuff by Holden, Gregor Samsa, and especially Elsiane.

Wilhelm: Why wasn't "When the purest flesh is alive in a heart full of hate" included in the Dextronaut re-release? That was a real strong track that seems to have disappeared into obscurity. Is there any plan to re-record it for a future release?

Josh: I honestly don't know. I can't even remember recording that song and until you brought it up I had completely forgotten about it. I think it's only fitting some of our stuff disappear into obscurity as opposed to being celebrated.

Wilhelm: I'm to assume then that there is some legit unreleased VC stuff. Are my assumptions correct?

Josh: Yeah there are albums worth of stuff but I don't think it's good enough to be released. I never stop writing and recording ideas, thoughts, songs, etc. After "Genevieve" I just started to record everything, slowly piecing it all together. There are well over 80 hours of music on all my various computers and tapes sitting around here and sometimes I go through it and cherry pick the parts I like that fit together to form songs, but I think "Genevieve" has held up really well so far and don't think it's time for another album of material like that yet, if ever.

Wilhelm: All scene drama aside, how have people taken to Velvet Cacoon?

Josh: I see it like this: we've done things no band in this genre has done before or even imagined doing, we've created our own sound, our own image, our own aesthetic and a very unique way of recording. Very few bands do a single one of those things, let alone all of them. People like to find one bad thing about you and use it to try to discredit you as a whole, which people tried to do with us at first before realizing it wouldn't work. I think the reason people are interested in us is because of the quality of music and songwriting. Above all else, that's where the meat of this project is at. I've found this idea of riffwork to be an artform itself, spending months on guitars trying to create these very simple and minimal chord progressions using weird guitar tunings and trying to capture an atmosphere unlike anything else. It's not about hype or lies or anything. I get tons of correspondence from people all over the world and pretty much all of it consists of praise for our music and nothing else. Five years later and I still get e-mails daily from people just now discovering "Genevieve" and telling me how much it means to them. It's pretty flattering. I remember being a kid and how impressionable black metal was upon me and how my favorite releases back then had such an impact on me and how I lived through the music. To have kids treating my music that way, I think it's one of the best compliments you could receive in this genre.

Wilhelm: By the time we see this interview in print format you'll have released your third full length creation, "Atropine", through long standing US label Full Moon Productions. How will this new album compare in style and mood to the prior Velvet Cacoon releases?

Josh: I'm going to stick with the cliche of saying my words can't do this album justice. It's a two CD set of dark and minimal ambience created with a theme of graveyards on the sea bed, underwater night gardens and poisonous flowers. It is a decadent and luxurious two hour dream. No guitar, no bass, no drums, no vocals.it is intended for use with a certain chemical which we may or may not be known for.

Wilhelm: FMP posted an advance track from the album though that was clearly murky black metal in the style of the prior LP. Will this be reserved for another release then?

Josh: I don't know. I have a tendency to grow tired of my songs very quickly so while P aa Opal Poere Pr. 33 is a completely written album, to me it's not something I've bothered to complete in terms of all the post production work. It was a very rough demo track that was rushed out. The black metal stuff we've written since then has been very fast and probably closer to "Dextronaut" than anything, very cold and dark sounding stuff. Really barebones and razor sharp stuff, but really great guitar lines in my opinion.

Wilhelm: I've always been one to think that the marriage of Velvet Cacoon and Full Moon Productions was a a bit, shall we say, "odd". Jon, a half Jewish, half Nigerian refugee from Mexico is an antisocial stamp collector with chronic dwarfism and a steep fascination with devils, evil, speaking in cryptic old English monosyllables and Satanic black metal music whilst Velvet Cacoon on the other hand is a artistic continuum of experimentation with psychedelic herbals and eclectic musical patters relating influences from drone, jazz & shoegaze. However strange the differences are, Velvet Cacoon is still an integral part of the FMP roster. How satisfied have you been with Jon's treatment of Velvet Cacoon? Will you continue to stay with FMP for future releases after " Atropine"?

Josh: Ha! Well it is an odd partnership and one I can only explain this way: there was a time a few years ago when I could count the number of VC fans on one hand, and surprisingly it included someone who put his money and his name down on our name so while we felt bad about people trying to accuse Jon of shit for signing us, it was tempered with the realization that despite how unpopular we were at the time he had no intention of severing ties with us. I know a lot of bands who have had nightmare scenarios with their respective labels, but everything with Full Moon has always gone well for us and despite rumors about us leaving for Southern Lord, it isn't true. I basically told Jon that he could do whatever he wanted with our stuff, so he made a decision to license, or sell or whatever, our stuff to them. I wasn't even aware of it until after the fact. I'm completely impartial to that deal, but if you were to ask me what label I would choose to be on I would say Full Moon. Full Moon may even be too big of a label for us.

Wilhelm: Dextronaut". "Genevieve". "Atropine". I have a suspicion that these words don't denote some kind of make believe characters channeled through the mind of a D&D; playing bedroom black metal nerd. What do they mean exactly?

Josh: Just wordpainting in my mind, really. "Genevieve" is the ghost, "Dextronaut" is the mindset, "Atropine" is in the veins. I guess a lot of it is poetic license but that's the point of art, I suppose. I think song and album titles should be an authentic representation of what they embody, I like to put an effort into creating a stage and setting where the music has room to breathe, and I love bizarre wordplay almost as much as making music.

Wilhelm: So words can then be individual inventions or like paintings relevant to the artists, and therefore don't need a basis in the common speak of "accepted" lingo to be "real"?

Josh: Yeah, I mean nobody could ever truly "get" VC except those involved. To me it makes total sense but for others I think there is a tendency to hang their own associations onto my music and then adopt it as their own interpretation, which is basically how fans react to music -- they make it a part of who they are in a way. For me, black metal should have no message, it should be 100% about the music. Anyone who says black metal is more than music clearly doesn't understand just how powerful music can and should be. Music that evokes clandestine or celestial imagery is black metal. Music that produces yawns while sugarcoated in lyrics about goats and lots of pentagrams is as disingenuous as you can get.

Wilhelm: Likewise many of the song titles bare strange, ambiguous meanings- "Dieselflame Novapyre: 1892", "Northsuite", "Fauna & Flora", "P.S. Nautical" and so on. Very atypical. I don't even know how to begin to phrase this question, Josh. Help me out here. How and why are these names chosen to represent the works of Velvet Cacoon? I mean couldn't you use a stupid & cliche black metal title like "Holocaustic Goat Semen Tidal Wave a-FAGO" instead to express what Velvet Cacoon is all about?

Josh: It's just the headspace I drift into when making VC related stuff. it's an entire world to me and one that wouldn't exist without dissociative chemicals and luxury and obscurity and having lots of money and just living in my own head, my own world, feeling that life is perfect this way. It's a really difficult thing to explain and one that maybe can't be explained any better than through the music, art and titles used by VC. Dull pastel colors, soft warmth, sensations, scents, sleep and memories -- all of these mingle with each other in the realm of what I do, but I think it's also because I'm very content in this life. I think there is something very peaceful about finding your own equilibrium within. Once you hit that stride, self indulgence becomes the name of the game because you realize nothing and nobody else matters.

Wilhelm: Give me a moment to check my mail bag for any interesting letters addressed to Velvet Cacoon. Hmmmm. Let me see. This looks interesting. Scribbles in green crayon. Molly from Westbrink, New Jersey writes: " Dear Mr. Wilhelm. Hi, how are you? Can you please ask Mr. Josh how Velvet Cacoon achieves such a warm and muddy tone for their albums? Can Mr. Josh also explain what kind of mood they are in when they write and record music? Does Mr. Josh have a smiley face? Does Mrs. Angela wear a pretty dress? I am in the fifth grade and would like to do a school report on Velvet Cacoon. Can you send me jelly fish tofu so I can understand? Thank you Mr. Wilhelm - Molly" Well, Mr. Josh, no doubt that Molly needs some jelly fish tofu, but really, I think we should address her other questions first.

Josh: Greetings Molly (which is also the name of my cat!), I would advise against the jellyfish tofu as my last batch was of the box variety and deadened sensation in my lungs for several months, although it allowed for monolithic inhalations of pure n,n,DMT powder which resulted in breaking through the ever expanding cosmic shell and seeing things no human should ever see. With that said, the sound achieved on VC albums is a secret and nobody wants to give away their recipe, but it involves being very creative. I've said it many times before so one more time won't hurt, but I'm always amazed at how little focus people put on sound. People think you plug in some random guitar to some random amp, play your music and that is that. It's almost offensive to me. We like to use a lot of older equipment that we've modded to achieve unique sounds, but we also embrace technology and use some advanced tools to generate waveform displays which we can visually manipulate -- in essence creating an audio waveform using our eyes instead of our ears. When on dissociative drugs the visual manifestation of waveforms are easy to understand, your other senses drown out and the focus on distortion becomes surprisingly clear. The mood when writing music is the mood I'm almost always in, which is very relaxed, sleepy, elated, covered in ancient perfumes, rubbing my toes into my Moroccan rug in my parlor of red lights and tiny pillows with my windows open, letting the rain (of which there is plenty here) in and with a truffle or two melting on my tongue. And yes, I love to smile, Angela loves to dress up nice (we all do.you will never catch me wearing anything remotely modern or sporty or disgusting) and you're free to bring me to school for show & tell so long as I can bring my cigar.

Wilhelm: I understand the VC recording studio is in some kind of old, historical building. True? How does it play a part in the way your music is recorded and ultimately turns out?

Josh: It was where we were living at the time but since then we've all bought our own places. I actually just closed on a lovely top floor condo in downtown Portland actually, so tonight we're celebrating! It's a great place, completely restored with all of its original 1920's fixtures, clawfoot tub, crown moldings, balcony overlooking the city, even a fireplace. Forgive my gushing, but it's quite exquisite!

Wilhelm: Now for the fun part! Set me inside your head and allow me to see, feel and experience what goes into the creation of a work by Velvet Cacoon. How is it planned, prepared, written, recorded and celebrated by the artisans?

Josh: It's a state of mind. It's how you feel in the afterglow of the best dextromethorphan experience of all time. where the air outside smells sweet and the muscles in your jaw are finally starting to relax again and you can breathe so deep and everything just suddenly fits into place. To me I have to be in the mood of absolute perfection to try to write and record. my mind has to be free from everything but the music. I think having a lot of money and not needing to worry about finances or having a job or anything like that is an amazing way to free up one's mind and really focus on the frivolous. Basically I'm alone, I adore this life and were everyone to suddenly disappear I wouldn't bat an eye. I am elated with my existence, nature, the stars and the sea. that's me.

Wilhelm: How is it possible for one to free him or herself of the bonds of labor, while still having/making enough money to live well?

Josh: Daniel Marvin from Veinke and I pooled together around $30,000 and used it to invest in a property/company, a hotel that was going up. It did great, we split the profit and went our own ways. I have family involved in investing and took their advice, began living very frugally and putting all my money into well researched start-ups and from there the rest is history. I pulled out just before the market collapsed and now that it's close to bottoming out I'm putting some of that equity back into investments, meanwhile Daniel has been dealing in real estate and development. He has just found some investors of his own whom will be collaborating with him on a midrise condo in Baltimore. Once you acquire a certain amount of equity, it's hard to mess that up. It's like a snowball that just keeps gaining and gaining. It's like the quote, free for those who can afford it and very expensive for those who can't.

Wilhelm: Does contentment negate art? Some of the best craftsmen have been the ones with qualities deemed by society folkways as "flawed"- Eccentrists, drug addicts, vagabonds, epileptics, the disenfranchised, crazies, Schizophrenics to include others. In what ways is creative output dependant on the psychic integrity of the individual?

Josh: I really have no idea.I guess I never think too much about it. I think it's different for everyone. Some people can only do their best when the pressure is on, other people cave under pressure, some people need to be well rested and sober, others prefer being up 5 days and strung out. Personally, sometimes you feel there's a flow and you go with it without overthinking it too much. That seems to work best with me.you become a tool of the universe and channel what comes through you.

Wilhelm: How are the duties of Velvet Cacoon divided between you and Angela? Who writes the music, and who pens the lyrics?

Josh: It's split 50/50. Angela is the muse more than anything. While I find sex completely uninteresting, I still find the female body/scent/voice/serenity to be very inspiring which accounts for the feminine qualities of VC.

Wilhelm: What relationship and understandings did the two of you have that prompted the birth of VC?

Josh: Back then it was just a love for dissociatives and mind exploration. I mean, when you look at the themes involved with " Dextronaut" it's pretty clear to see we were possessed as fuck by drug use and that was all that was on our minds. Snow, night and drugs, drugs, drugs. However, and this is a sentiment I will always stand by, drugs can be used as a teacher and when you use them properly they can really open up your mind and I think that's where we were simultaneously led to on Northsuite and eventually "Genevieve", just coming to appreciate solitude and staring out the window just thinking random thoughts about luxurious things. It's very calming and peaceful, and I think at the core of our recent music there is a very peaceful, sleepy and comforting feeling going on behind it all.

Wilhelm: I couldn't pigeonhole Velvet Cacoon into a nice little classification, and I guess I don't need to either. Consider yourself lucky in that case. Not only because doing so would be dumb, but because Velvet Cacoon defies categorization altogether. What initially appears as black metal also appears as sonic shoegaze while projecting a brooding aura of ambience. How does this eclectic combination reflect your tastes for art, music and whatever else it is you derive pleasure from in life? Can shoegaze and dream pop really be mixed with Burzum, for instance?

Josh: Oh yeah. Music will forever progress and transform itself and maybe we're just doing our part, unintentional as it may be. I just like walls of dissonant distortion.and somehow the way we create music reminds people of a mix of black metal, shoegaze and ambience but it wasn't like we were aiming to mix those three genres. I think ambient, shoegaze and black metal are very introspective and pretentious genres so the fact our music reminds people of all three probably says a lot about us. We're really into glorifying ourselves. I'm the most important thing in my life, just as everyone should view themselves. I'm very self absorbed and I think VC reflects self indulgence and that sophisticated inner contemplation. I also think the grey and gloomy weather of the Pacific Northwest plays a large part in the muddy droning atmosphere of our sound.

Wilhelm: This reminds me of how one time when I was holding this nice sharp axe and someone came along and said... Hold on a minute. It appears one of our guests is acting up. Wow! Did you see that? That was quick. The Four just swept down from the rafters and summarily eviscerated the man in the indigo jacket as he was trying to steal that retro framed bicycle with the long steel grips and mimi toot horn. I take it that's the bike that got you here tonight, Josh. Indeed, I've noticed Velvet Cacoon's numerous allusions to classic culture noir and the avant garde. Some people would define you as "hippies" or "throwbacks", but alas these are the same gents which so smugly collect the backlog of poor Darkthrone esque black metal whilst claiming title to the throne of elitism. I wouldn't worry about them if I were you. They're all outcast from the Gallery, anyhow. What kind of artistic movements is Velvet Cacoon connected with? I imagine Portland, like Eugene, is a hub for experimentation.

Josh: The Four! I love it! My fascinations and hobbies are wide ranging. I love old fashion, tailored suits from the 30's and 40's, old Dutch bicycles, antique perfumes, horseback riding, calligraphy, opera and theater, all of it. I think it's good to fill your life up with substantive interests. All the years of heavy drug use and mind exploration led me to where I'm at now, and I think it's a rite of passage everyone should go through, but that's my own simple opinion on the matter. I think you really have to gut your brain from the inside out in order to fully come into your own and appreciate life and all its fascinating intricacies. Living in a place like Portland is definitely an inspiration itself. In fact, the entire state of Oregon right now feels very utopian. There is an independent thought here that streaks through virtually every facet of life. Portland is one of the most unique places I've ever been to and I'm quite happy to be living here right now where everything is happening. I'm just tired of all the New Yorkers and Californians moving here.

Wilhelm: It's hard for someone outside of Oregon to fully understand why this tiny corner of the world inspires such creative birth and art. How, and in what ways, would you describe it to someone that lives in place sterilized of it's natural beauty?

Josh: Mountains, snow, endless forests, nonstop grey and rain, valleys, rivers, haunting coastlines, untouched lanscapes and scenery, Pinor Noir vineyards, wild salmon dinners, and the freshest air quality and water sources imaginable. It's hard to explain this place to someone who doesn't live here. When I was younger I was moving around and traveling a lot and have lived in most of the states and can tell you nothing comes remotely close to being out here. I feel bad knowing people choose to live in shitty places like Arizona, New Jersey or Texas. Why anyone would choose to live their one and only life in such a miserable place is beyond me, but to each their own. You get a higher quality life in the Pacific Northwest, no question about it.

Wilhelm: With every artist there is growth. When the next step is reached it's easy to look back and see where one has come from. How does this relate to the process of Velvet Cacoon both as a collective band, and with each member individually?

Josh: When I first started this I was more into drugs and offending people and creating havoc, but over time it has become more about me and what I like to hear and what I want to see happen and less about getting a rise out of people. I'd say that has been the biggest change. With each passing day, VC heads more and more toward what I want to hear, not what I think will generate the biggest reaction.so in a way we're simply becoming more authentic, much to the chagrin of those who like to proclaim us a hoax band, though I'm still unsure what that even means.

Wilhelm: Low and high frequencies have been used in music and radio transmissions as a catalyst for psychological change. We know how Mozart has been shown to aid in cow's milk production. We know how Twisted Sister was once a popular instrument of torture to extract information from terrorists. We know that Jon/Full Moon Productions listens to Nargaroth in order to gain knowledge from the mysteries of life. Likewise, some music bands have aimed for special tonal qualities and frequencies to help alter the consciousness of their listeners. Given that Velvet Cacoon's works are composed in varying states of mind is it your intention to help the listener of VC to transcend the mundane and reach higher states of cognition? if so, what techniques does VC employ to reach and alter the listener?

Josh: Genevieve" and especially "Atropine" both make use of theta waves which should explain why there is such a floating and meditative quality to these albums. I don't want to say too much here since it's one of the 'ingredients' in our little recipe of sound, but thick theta wave ambience on dextromethorphan is near orgasmic. It is where the brain peaks in contemplation and where you are able to explore thoughts with unprecedented gusto, like a barbarian of memories. It's very surreal how well you can remember specifics of the past when theta waves are mixed with dextromethorphan (or even sleep deprivation) and, in my opinion, one of the reasons our music affects people far more than a lot of other groups out there. Our music is meant to generate thought above all else, and what better way to do it than to use theta waves to bring the listener into a realm of great relaxation?

Wilhelm: As we've discussed, psychedelics are an important aspect of the drive to create for Velvet Cacoon. So just how do drugs open the doors to creativity in the first place? Can't someone just learn to meditate or cut themselves until they've passed out from blood loss in order to achieve a similar state of consciousness?

Josh: Anyone who thinks meditation is the same as drug use has clearly not taken the right kind or the proper dose of drugs, at least in terms of dissociatives. It's one of those lines that some people have no problem crossing and others refuse to cross. For a lot of people there is a fear of drugs that is instilled in us since childhood, and some people never break past that, just as some people never break past the god button in the back of their heads. Hallucinogens help open new channels of thought and creativity, they help you see things in ways you've never seen before, they redefine life and reality, they shade in the grey areas and add meat and substance to life. I'm always fascinated with how much drugs helped me learn and grow. They are the master teacher and when they are used with respect and not abused, they can do everything for you and more.

Wilhelm: What is your favorite drug to experiment with, and why?

Josh: Dextromethorphan, because it allows me to see like a god could see. I'm not even 30 and I'm already retired for the rest of my life.I attribute this to the knowledge drugs gave me, allowing me to see a business idea, follow it through and sell it off at the right time. I now have however many more decades ahead of me of never having to work a day job, never having to do anything I don't want to do. I can sit around, drink tea and read books or I can travel anywhere I'd like. Money will never be an issue for me again for my entire life. How rare for someone at my age. Had I never used drugs I would've never had the foresight and courage to do what I did. Dextromethorphan truly pushes you to be the ubermensch.

Wilhelm: If you could construct a perfect society, what would it be, how would you do it and with what values would you instill?

Josh: It's hard for me to answer because I don't want to mess with society at all. The focus is only on myself and I could care less about others. If someone had a gun to my head and forced me to construct a perfect society, I would want one where people actually cared to dress themselves in a way that didn't offend my eyes.something far closer to the Victorian era than the era of today, with sideways baseball caps and sagging jeans. Lots of kindness and openness, free will, legal drug use, but 100% intolerant of crimes like murder, rape, theft, etc. I'm very conservative with my views on true crime, and I say true crime because I don't view minor things like drug use or prostitution to be criminal at all. A luxurious society, full of fine booze, chemicals, perfumes, intricate architecture and design, warm personalities and absolutely no automobiles whatsoever. Nothing but girls on bicycles smoking bourbon laced tobacco in corncob pipes. And lots of canals, of course.

Wilhelm: Velvet Cacoon's live shows have become quite infamous. Of course, the early teasings of the diesel harp are rudely fictitious, as may the supposed infamy of the shows as described by others be a work of fiction too, but nonetheless, you've mentioned the band has performed live on several occasions. I can imagine these shows are quite a spectacle. Put us inside your head. What does a Velvet Cacoon concert look like?

Josh: Everyone coming through the door is administered a dose of four 500mg gelcaps of dextromethorphan and assigned a bedpost on the wood planks of our schooner. After an hour we leave the dock and head out into the Pacific Ocean and by 2.5h when there's nothing but a blanket of stars above and the lapping of waves, a slow churning drone quietly makes itself known. From there, it builds and builds into a crescendo of epic distortion that can be heard for miles across the flat seas which eventually opens up into hours and hours of thick guitars braided through waves of ambience and theta pulses as the ship is steered into oncoming waves and the concert patrons are slowly induced into the most orgasmic surreality possible.lashings of saltwater pound the bow and dump themselves onto everyone, but by now everyone is far too dosed to realize what is happening..and at the peak of everything, we roll the boat over and sink to the bottom of the sea, drugged and smiling. This is life.

Wilhelm: An article posted to the internet claims that Velvet Cacoon is aSexual by nature. Whether this is true or not among the mass of hysteria, it still brings up an important subject- sexuality and music. Sexuality and life. How does one obtain positivity and creative impulse from the withdrawal of sex?

Josh: Well I know we've told so many stories that people are hesitant to believe anything I say, and for good reason, but the asexual stuff is actually true. It's why Angela and I relate so well. To me, sex is for the dogs, for the simpleminded who seek thrill in simple pleasures. That's not to say I don't view some people as physically attractive or even certain bodies to be works of art, but there is no sexual attraction. Asexuals are a very small and unaccounted for part of the population.it's a pretty rare thing, something like .4% of humans identify as asexual. To me, sex is what bears do on the nature channel. Exchanging fuck faces and moans for a few minutes to get off.it's all nice and what not but I don't have the time for it, there are more fascinating things I prefer to spend my time doing.

Wilhelm: Aside from Asexuality, music and drugs, what other variables have stimulated your inner strength and character?

Josh: I think being raised by intelligent parents helped a lot, as did growing up surrounded by powerful people and people of wealth. I think the bar was set high for me and though some would question how drug use and black metal fits into that equation, to me it all makes sense in the end. More than anything though, it was my time spent in St. Michaels, MD at my grandparents' estate there on the Chesapeake Bay that really formed who I am. There are so many memories of walking aimlessly through the woods, seeing countless deer, endless snowfall, the smells and sounds and feeling of it all, and the water.catching blue crabs off the docks, riding in the back seat through these quaint New England towns. I can't even put it into words, but it made me realize the purpose of life.

Wilhelm: How are the visual aspects of the VC planned for by yourself and Angela?As we know, the band is highly visual. The asthetic quality of each release is obviously a crucial process. Take the LP versions of the full-length albums for example. Is there any hidden meanings to all the abstractions and symbolisms?

Josh: There are many hidden meanings and dualisms going on, but of course we wouldn't want to identify any of them. It's always more fun when you discover something yourself. To be honest, there are some things we thought people would "get" right away that apparently nobody has yet come across or understands. For us this is like theater, and we just want it to be very satisfying for all involved.

Wilhelm: Would you consider Velvet Cacoon "performance art"?

Josh: No, I would say first and foremost VC is about the music. The rest is just a quirky little way to gain slivers of attention, but that's just because it's healthy to laugh -- both at yourself and at others. Those who take themselves or life too seriously always end up being the unhappy ones. There is a time to be serious, but also a time to be light hearted and whimsical about the absurd nature of life.

Wilhelm: How did you grow through music? Maybe tell us something about your early experimentation with musical art and how it led you to the creation of Velvet Cacoon.

Josh: I think as I've become less insane and more quiet, our music has reflected the same. As I said, one day I picked up the guitar and we did "Dextronaut". Had I not picked the instrument up it's almost definite to say VC would have never existed and my life might be quite different than it is now. Writing music is very therapeutic in a way, it adds a dimension to life that is hard to find through any other aspect of living and it brings a sense of meaning and purpose.

Wilhelm: Furthermore, what part of Velvet Cacoon is "closest" to you, means the most, and projects the very essence of yourself and the resulting creation? Is there a particular song or album for instance that represents the fundamental Velvet Cacoon?

Josh: A lot of the stuff on "Atropine" is difficult to listen to in retrospect because of how far we pushed ourselves in regards to drugs and poisoning ourselves, lots of really strange memories and feelings of being half dead. This album is the closest I've come to capturing that perfect night in St. Michaels.

Wilhelm: What would you be interested in experimenting with during the creation process of future Velvet Cacoon albums? That is of course in terms of just about anything. For instance, are there any visual or musical elements than can be utilized to further expand the dynamic properties of VC? Maybe you'll try yoga and meditation instead?

Josh: No yoga or pilates! I always though it'd be great to pay the Russians 10 million so I could go to space for a few weeks, bring along my guitar and an 8 track and record some stuff out there.but realistically speaking, I really like how I currently go about thinking up, writing and recording music and want to stick to the belief of 'if it's not broken, don't try to fix it.' I think people can sometimes overcomplicate what should be a simple process.

Wilhelm: Define you immediate goals with Velvet Cacoon. Where do you want to take your band, and see it fit, into the future scheme of things?

Josh: I'd like to see our fanbase shrink down a little, we still have more fans than I care to have and I'd like to be closer with our fans. Right now we're waiting for Atropine to come out, which should be any day. After it's out we will probably do exactly what we did after "Genevieve", be very quiet and possibly re-emerge in another five years.

Wilhelm: You've got the ball rolling with the noteriety of Velvet Cacoon, and from there it was a self perpetuating process shuttled via urban myths amonst the throngs of idiot metallers and their penchant for hysterics. Don't you think it will be hard to throw off the interest invested in Velvet Cacoon so easily?

Josh: It's one of those things where you're damned if you do and damned if you don't. In black metal there has been a history of bands fading out and then years later growing fanatic fanbases. I think the best way to throw off fans would be to do what Darkthrone has done, put out a ton of really boring albums after a few good ones. Ahh, there, I made fun of Darkthrone in an interview..I had to throw some meat to the lions somehow! Or we could just do a techno album. Or sign to Century Media. There's tons of ways to turn people away from us but I can't foresee putting much energy into making that happen. I just don't have the energy. Sometimes I even forget about VC. The other day I walked into a coffee shop and the barista was wearing a VC shirt and it was really strange. He took my order and was making my coffee right in front of me, and I was just looking at him and laughing in my mind at the weirdness of the situation. I'm amused above all else with how fans react to VC, but personally I take the music so seriously that it's almost an OCD type of thing. I guess that's the paradox of it all. It's serious for me, but I feel so odd when the fans mimic that fanaticism. I think I'm just shocked that people relate to it.

Wilhelm: Here now Josh. If you'll have a peak over your shoulder, Mr. Things is coming along with your bicycle. I think he's trying to suggest it's time for us to move along and let you go about your way. But since I call the shots around here and whatever I say goes I'll allow you to join the tour group if you so wish to see the rest of the Gallery. Just be advised: all visitor rules & regulations will apply. Don't anger The Four. Smile at Mr. Things when he smiles at you, and likewise have fun. Have you any last strikes, retorts, wishes or acts of arson to close out our very nice Velvet Cacoon showing tonight?

Josh: The snow is still coming down and my coffee needs a refill so I'll close for now. Thanks for the great interview and to you.