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An Interview with Martin Bowes of Attrition
Posted: Sunday, November 26, 2006
By: Matthew Johnson
Assistant Editor

For those who've discovered Attrition more recently, it's hard to believe it's been 25 years. But looking back on band founder Martin Bowes' career, it becomes immediately apparent that Attrition is one of the most influential bands of the modern dark music scene, if not its most famous. With early albums like The Attrition of Reason and Smiling, at the Hypogonder Club, Attrition helped give birth to what would become darkwave and industrial ambient years before such terms were ever applied, while such later albums as At the Fiftieth Gate and Etude incorporated everything from gothic rock to modern classical.

1991's album, A Tricky Business, is perhaps the first concrete example of what would become Bowes' signature sound, incorporating operatic female vocals with subtle, ominous electronics and Bowes' own gravelly rumble, but while following albums would continue to build on that sound, Bowes is in no way content to merely stick with a formula. He continues to work with numerous guest vocalists and explores outside work in film and soundtrack projects while also teaching university classes on music production and running his own newly-founded record label. His latest offerings, released to celebrate Attrition's 25th anniversary, include a greatest hits collection, an archival release of early demos, and a collection of Attrition songs covered by other bands. Bowes talks with ReGen about Attrition's history, his plans for the future, and his latest secret projects.

Let's start by discussing your newest release, Something Stirs. This features some of your earliest work, which you've remixed and remastered. Can you give us a little bit of background on the source material? What was it like digging into this early material so many years later?

Bowes: Well, these were the early tracks we did with our first Portastudio in '81-83. A lot of them appeared on cassette compilations and a couple of vinyls. Everyone was doing cassette releases back then, like they do CD-Rs and MP3s now. I always liked those tracks, but the cassette mixes were really noisy, and I never wanted to release them again until computer technology got so good that I could transfer them to my PC and clean them up. I had to find an old Portastudio first, and it worked. I'm really pleased with the results. So they are remixed, but only in a sound-improving way; they're not dance mixes! I also included three live tracks from our first incarnation in 1981, when we were using a live drummer, and these have never been heard before.

I'm pleased with Something Stirs. It should be more than just a collectors' album, as we were doing something so different back then that I think the music still sounds fresh today. It was also a little strange—nostalgic—going through the early material. I couldn't have imagined I would have been doing this 25 years ago, but it was good to have a detailed listen to what we were doing then, a refresher course on how to make weird industrial music!

You also recently released a career retrospective, Tearing Arms from Deities. How did you go about selecting the tracks for this one? What criteria did you use in the process?

Bowes: This was a little different, as it was a selection from our entire career. It was time we had one. I wanted an album that gave a picture of what Attrition is, whatever that is, or at least what it means to me. And I wanted an album that works as a whole, rather than just a singles collection. I also chose some different mixes and remastered the whole album, and we put a lot into the packaging, a gatefold cover with 16-page booklet, which contains 'remixes' of a lot of the album covers and liner notes I wrote about every song. I think it works. I'm pleased with it.

How has all of this reflection on Attrition's 25-year history affected your perception of where you want to take the project in the future? Has the historical work given you a lot of new ideas?

Bowes: I think it has helped. Over the years, you go through different phases, and I think it's good to look at the past occasionally. Learn from your mistakes! It made me think a lot about the whole thing, and why I was doing this. It's easy to get lost in daily details and forget why you do this in the first place. I don't know if it gave me a lot of new ideas, as I had a lot anyway, but we will see. There is a lot of new material to complete next.

In your early work, you did a little of everything, from gothic rock to ambient industrial, before creating the sound you're most known for, sinister electronics mixed with classical elements. Was there a specific turning point in the development of the Attrition sound, or was it more of a gradual evolution?

Bowes: I think we still vary what we do. There are still ambient elements and dance elements and classical elements and even a little rock, so I wouldn't say we've 'settled' on any sound, but I know what you mean. There was a turning point in Attrition in that I took over all the songwriting around 1990. Previously I had always co-written with one or two others. Since then, Attrition has been me with various guests, so any sound we are known for since then has been my fault!

The vocalists you've worked with play a large part in your music. Can you give us a little history behind the vocalists you've worked with, and how their creative input has helped to shape your music? Who are you currently working with?

Bowes: I worked for years with my original singer Julia [Waller]. She is on the majority of Attrition albums. She also used to co-write the music, but she lost interest and stopped playing live as well. She does come back occasionally and record with me, which is great, but for years I have also worked with others. It does give a different element to the music, like any instrument or musician. I'm currently working a lot with Laurie Reade from the band High Blue Star. She's an excellent singer as well and has been doing a lot of touring with us recently in the USA, the UK, and Mexico. She'll be on the next album, as will some guest vocalists like Emilie Autumn.

You've been receiving a lot of covers of your music for the upcoming Attrition tribute CD, Wrapped in the Guise of My Friend. What is it like to hear other people doing your songs? Have there been any big surprises?

Bowes: It's a little weird, but I've been enjoying these. There are some surprises and some great versions. I particularly like the ones that are completely different to the originals. There are too many tribute albums that sound too much like the original band. This one will be very eclectic. We have some space left, too, if anyone wants to contribute a track.

You've worked with a number of labels, most recently Projekt and Invisible Records. Why did you decide to start your own to release the greatest hits and rarities collection? Will Two Gods Records be strictly for Attrition releases, or do you have plans to release material from other artists as well?

Bowes: Yes, I've been through my fair share of labels! I think I liked Projekt the best. But it is very hard working on independent labels. There is never enough money around to promote your work, and when times get hard for a label, they can really hit all the artists on it. I had thought of starting my own label for years, and the time just seemed right. It is a lot of extra work, but I think it will be worth it. It's my own label, but it is exclusively marketed by Voiceprint, so we are working in partnership. The plan is to release the new albums and reissue all the back catalogue over the next year or two, with a few extra surprises, and if all goes well I will look at other bands. We shall see.

You've also been involved in some film projects, including voice-over work. Can you tell us a little about your recent film work, and how you became involved?

Bowes: I started to get more songs onto film soundtracks, usually independent films, and the people at Mutantville Productions in North Carolina asked me to do the narrator's voice-over for their upcoming horror film, C for Chaos. I met them a few weeks ago at the Eccentrik Festival in Raleigh and stayed with them for a couple of days. I filmed a cameo role for the movie while I was there, so I've now made my film acting debut!

With all of the anniversary events and releases, have you had time to start planning the next phase of Attrition activity? What can you reveal to us about your future plans?

Bowes: It has been a really busy year, but I have been working on two new Attrition albums. The first is a dark ambient soundtrack album which tells the story of a Victorian serial killer, a true story and a story that I have a family connection with, as an ancestor of mine actually arrested the woman. I have some very special guests on this album too, but I am trying to keep this under wraps for now. Anyway, I will be completing it early in the new year, after the upcoming US tour this winter.

Then there is the next album 'proper,' which is progressing well, and we are continuing our tour for the 25-year anniversary, with shows in Europe in the spring and then coming back to the USA again. I'm also busy with production work and remixing and mastering and still teaching. There is never enough time.