Ballistic Test > VI has been around for a long time, right? When did you start the band? How have you managed to keep it going all this time?

Allen > Yup hard to believe that it’s been 11 years since the band got started in 1989 a lot has changed since then. Keeping it going is not that difficult a thing to do it pretty much keeps itself going now. I just have to keep writing new material and the rest seems to fall in place. There was a stint however, prior to our association with Interdimensional, that I was seriously considering moving on to something else. At the time, I was very disappointed that the band had been denied being signed to a major record label. Many demos were sent out, and the only responses that did actually come back were by way of prefab Thanks, but no thanks form letters. It was only through the support of others and a re-evaluation of my priorities that I was able to change my focus from getting the band signed to just enjoying writing music and playing live shows. The shift in focus has allowed me to write music without having to worry about whether it would be accepted or not by a label... without the constrained set of rules that governed previous offerings. This, in part, is why the newer v.i. material is more instrumental. I enjoy voice industrie now, so I have little intention of moving away from it. I want to try new things with music and feel that v.i. offers me a very solid platform on which to do that.

You've been compared over and over to Depeche Mode. What are your thoughts on that comparison? Are you a big DM fan?

Apparently, my voice is comparable to DM’s Dave Gahan (personally I think I sound a lot more like David Sylvian or David Bowie than Dave Gahan). So, I suppose that is enough for some people to label us as DM wannabes, or DM rip-offs whatever. In the early days, I took offence to these claims because I felt it would hurt our chances, but now I just laugh it off. I’ve resigned myself to the fact that some people will always draw their own comparisons no matter how hard you try to enlighten them. So, I let them. Personally, I don’t think we sound ANYTHING like Depeche Mode. But, I suppose it is flattering to be compared to such a great band. I think the comparisons have been less prevalent in the last several years possibly due to DM’s change in direction to that of a more guitar-oriented style and v.i.’s migration to a more instrumental format - still in the electronic realm. Thus, the comparisons to Underworld and other techno-groups have already begun to surface. The next v.i. offering should help to alleviate that!

The first time I listened to VI (the old Psychotica tape) I remember thinking that there seemed to be a number of places that could be interpreted as being "Christian" in nature. Are you a Christian? If so, how does that affect your music?

(Psychotica is being remastered and released on CD in the near future, by the way) Yes, I am Christian. I was raised in a very religious Catholic environment, so it is kind of hard to shed my upbringing not that I would want to. I was very ill when I was about four, and I believe I am here now only because of prayers and faith. I am amazed by the number of people that I know who are silent Christians, in that they do not openly admit to their beliefs for fear of being chastised by their peers. I was the same way until I realized that it just didn’t matter what anyone thought, live and let live. Everyone has a right to believe in what they want to believe without discrimination.

Psychotica is a collection of songs that dealt with darker human issues, the kinds of things we abhor but tend to do very little about. I wanted to present some of these darker topics in such a way that people might be able to relate to the struggles of those living in abusive environments. I always find it amazing that different people can extract different things from a same piece of music. People have come up to me after shows to tell me that they got the meanings behind a song’s lyrics, describing what it was they got. Then, another person would come up and offer an entirely different perspective on the same song. Half the time, the interpretations offered are far beyond what was originally envisioned. In light of having released the album, I have met people that have made me aware of the severity of the suffering that takes place under the hands of their oppressors. It’s frightening.

How did you get hooked up with Interdimensional? How has that gone for you? Does this signal bigger and better things for VI now that you're no longer an indie act?

About two years ago, Fran and I were hanging out at a local club where we met Shane H, who was the Edmonton IDI representative at the time. He was here to promote their newly released Consortium compilation and we discussed the possibility of having IDI distribute existing v.i. CD’s through their network, and we eventually proceeded to sign a label agreement with them. I feel it was a very good move for us. They are a young and dynamic label run by dedicated and hard working individuals, so I am confident in their leadership and abilities besides, they are all very nice people. They have basically given v.i. the green light to do pretty much anything musically, plus they go above and beyond to help with transportation, costs, graphics production, advertising, the list goes on. Without them, v.i. would not have had garnered as much exposure abroad as it has. Through the network of underground labels and distros all connected together, they have provided us with a means to reach a vast number of markets worldwide. That is probably the best thing I could ever have realistically hoped for.

When and why did you go bald so young? Thanks!

One word: Stress!

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