InterView: MissFit Toys – Extrapolating Hidden Meanings0

Following the release of the band’s latest album, MissFit Toys founder Richie V. Suriv speaks about the artistic and lyrical themes that drive their own particular brand of aggrotech.
 

 

An InterView with Richie V. Suriv of MissFit Toys

By Edgar Lorre (ErrolAM)

With their darkly dramatic live shows, which has included support slots for PIG, SKOLD, Psyclon Nine, Grendel, Wednesday 13, and Hocico, the Florida industrial and harsh electro band MissFit Toys has captured the ears and eyes of a world that craves aggrotech. Initially birthed in 2007 as the solo project of Richie V. Suriv, the band now features a full lineup that includes drummer Travis Lee, guitarist Tyler DiCarlo, and keyboardists Jayson Smith and Hide Tepes (Carrion, From the Mouth Öv Belial). Following the late 2022 release of The Nine via Distortion Productions and with preparations underway for a string of live dates supporting Hocico in March, Richie V. Suriv spoke to Edgar Lorre for this special contribution to ReGen‘s pages.

 

Some artists I speak to actually had bursts of creative activity during Covid, while others struggled with writer’s block. Was the making of The Nine deeply impacted by Covid?

Suriv: Covid actually took a huge toll on the band and put a halt to any momentum we had going from our album Through the Glass, released back in October of 2019, canceling three tours that we were preparing for. Creatively, it didn’t affect us too much with the release of two singles and a remix album along with the writing of The Nine.

I couldn’t help but notice the nine songs, released on the 9th of December. Is there a central concept that surrounds The Nine, or is there something that ties all the songs together? Does the
Hebrew script on the cover have anything to do with the nine days of mourning?

Suriv: The Nine coming out on the 9th was honestly a happy coincidence. But yes, the number nine itself is important to the album in a few different ways, the first of which is the track numbers from our first release until now has been increasing, giving a clue to the number of tracks the next album will have.
The second meaning is in the songs’ lyrics that are based on three sets of three. The Hebrew text, both on the inside and out, give clues to the next album’s name and theme. All of our physical albums tie together with hidden messages in the art.

Many bands these days simply release singles and have moved away from the album format. How do you feel about this and where do you stand?

Suriv: As a way to keep a steady flow of content, we do see how it can be beneficial; especially with the growing popularity of steady connect being pumped out mostly in reels and Tik-Tok videos. However, we use our physical albums to further expand on our art by leaving clues and meanings all throughout the artwork, even including some of the color choices. We do release special remixes or songs that don’t tie into the main album story, but those are only digital as a way of keeping them separate.

What do you prefer, performing live or working in the studio?

Suriv: That is tough question, but I would have to say the performance. Getting to meet new people and seeing them enjoy what we do is incredible, and we love it.

Are you big on musical gear? If so, do you have any favorite effects pedals or synthesizers that you can share with our audience?

Suriv: Yes actually, one of my go-to synthesizers is my Virus Indigo. I have been a huge fan of Access synthesizers for years. As for other gear, I would say the Behringer Feedback Destroyer line is amazing, especially in the aggrotech style of music. Everyone hates when a microphone feeds back and sends a screech in the middle of a song, but Behringer found an affordable and easy fix with the Feedback Destroyer, and I wish more artists knew about it.

 

 

Congratulations on signing to Distortion Productions. What prompted signing to the label? As an artist, is there some sense of relief that you can leave some of the business up to the record label and focus on being an artist?

Suriv: Signing with Distortion Productions came at a perfect time considering we were working on the final mixes for The Nine when we first talked with Jim Semonik. After some conversing, both in person and over the phone, we knew that Distortion Productions is where we wanted to go, and that they would best fit our needs as a band.
Is there any relief with being signed to a label? Yes, we definitely feel like some of the weight has been lifted from our shoulders knowing that they are taking care of the distribution side of things. One of the hardest parts of being a smaller band is we have to have day jobs, and those jobs don’t leave us much time to be able to get things shipped as quick as we would like them to be.

MissFit Toys has been around since 2007. In that time, you’ve opened for quite a few well known bands like Psyclon Nine, Hocico, Grendel, and others. Have you witnessed any positive or negative significant changes in the industrial scene since the band began?

Suriv: Most definitely, we have noticed some changes in the scene since we started. For us, we definitely noticed a decline in attendance for industrial shows leading up to the pandemic. Luckily, the pandemic seemed to reignite a want to see live music again, so hopefully, the trend will continue here in the States.

I see you are doing nine (there’s that number again) concerts with Hocico in Mexico in 2023, after already having completed a North American leg with them this past Spring. Are you excited by the possibilities of bringing your music to a different country and culture? Do you believe that playing live is still an important component to the growth of a band?

Suriv: Unfortunately, we are not going to be on the full nine shows of the tour – our portion will be the remaining five.
That said, the excitement we have for the opportunity to bring our music to a new country and culture blows our minds. We are so grateful to Hocico for inviting us to join them in Mexico, and we can’t wait to connect with new friends and fans alike.
Live shows are definitely an important part of growing as a band not only by building your skills as a performer, but also by building connections with fans and other bands as well.

Are there any new or up and coming bands you are listening to or that you can recommend to our readers?

Suriv: The Parlor Pinks definitely deserve a listen; we met them back in 2019 on our tour with Psyclon Nine as one of the opening acts, and they killed it. Another great local band we love is 13th Angel. Also from central Florida is SML8 with a more grunge take on the industrial genre.

What is next for MissFit Toys?

Suriv: What’s next for us as a band will be the release of our third music video, ‘Submit to Slaughter,’ which should be coming out in the next couple of weeks, and hopefully another North American tour for late 2023.
Thank you to all of our family, friends, and fans for your continued love and support.

 

MissFit Toys
Facebook, Twitter, SoundCloud, Bandcamp, YouTube, Instagram
Distortion Productions
Website, Facebook, Twitter, Bandcamp, YouTube, Instagram

 

Photography by Alex Ladouceur of Alex Ladouceur Photography, and Lilith McGuire – provided courtesy of MissFit Toys