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In_Faction: So what's the latest in the world of Mentallo & the Fixer? I heard you guys were splitting up...fact or fiction? I know you've worked on Mentallo Mach 2...
Gary Dassing: Dwayne and I did split up. The split was an amicable one. We both want to do our own thing musically. We want to work with different people. I'm keeping it going since I started Mentallo and the Fixer. I just finished production on my new material: the single CD entitled "Systemtik Ruin" that will be release in November 1998 and the full-length CD entitled "Algorythum" release in January 1999
IF: A lot of other electro bands seem to have the urge to pick up a guitar after awhile...do you think you'll ever do the same in the future? I think it would be interesting, but I have to say that you're far from being devoid of creativity with pure electronics.
GD: I do have the urge to pick up a guitar after awhile. It's probably because I simply want to assimilate a different sound with electronics. I love the guitar. I own two and I’m getting ready to purchase another one in the near future. If you listen to my new material there is a bit of guitar on it, but it's nothing conventional to the industrial scene; no power chord riffs or anything cliché.
IF: Your music has grown and matured since "Where Angels Fear To Tread" quite noticeably. How do you feel about your more recent material, such as the "False Prophets" single in comparison to say...the material on "No Rest For the Wicked?"
GD: I believe when a person creates their own music that it's a representation of who they are as a person. It's a way of communicating my feelings. It's the same criteria when an artist paints a painting; a sculpture forms an image from solid material, or when a designer executes a blueprint for design, their personality is part of the creation. "No Rest for the Wicked" is all majority of the material I recorded in 1990 and 1991. There is a change with every Mentallo album. It's like I mentioned previously that I like trying new things by incorporating new and old ideas with different techniques. I wouldn't want to keep producing a specific type of material. It would become almost like a factory made music. This is not who I am. If this were the case then I just wouldn't do music anymore because it would no longer be a part of me. I'd probably go to college and study astronomy or something.
IF: I can't help but notice that many of your songs have titles that contain references to drugs, such as: "T.H.C. Edit," "Mescal-Mix," "Narcosis," "Crystal Methane," etc....Do you or Dwayne have any special "attachment" to these drugs besides your song titles?
GD: If you have never done drugs, DON'T! It catches up to you eventually.
IF: I've also noticed a great deal of religious references in not only your cover art, but your lyrics as well. Are you religious in any way, or do you just like the symbolism? How do you feel about life after death?
GD: Again, my music is also a representation of what I believe in. I like the religious references and the symbolism because I believe in it. A "religious person" is someone who is righteous, godly and upright. I am neither of these things. I do consider myself a good person. I care about people. There are changes in my life that I would like to make for the better. And I know in time that I will. From my studies of the bible I have received some measure of peace of mind because many questions concerning God and other things have been answered. One of the things I've learned is that there is no life after death. When a person dies in time their physical body literally "returns to dust".
The soul does not roam around on the earth but returns to God in the heavens. God's promise of everlasting life is for those in their memorial tombs will have the resurrection hope in God's new order here on earth.
IF: I know you and Dwayne have cited your sister, Danielle, as the inspiration for many songs, but are there any that were specifically created in her memory?
GD: I think about my sister all the time. I remember the time when we were growing up together. She was the one that got me interested in music. She would play her record collection to me. We were very close. I've written several songs for her, " When Worlds Collide" and "Ruthless" are just a few.
IF: Many of your compositions are based upon a seemingly upsetting, downcast, or just freakin' evil motivation. What else inspires you to create such moody works? Mentallo & The Fixer especially seems to be your outlet for negative emotions.
GD: My music is about things that I care about; is of interest and an influence on me whether it's negative or positive, and how I utilise it as a learning experience that can result in a motivating factor to do good in my life. We live in a negative world. (I don't need to go into details because everyone is familiar with world situations.) The world has gone from bad to worse and it has an effect on us. Mankind has never been able to resolve world problems and to govern themselves successfully. This is why governments collapse. It's the kind of world we live in. I believe that this evilness will soon come to an end and that everyone is going to have to make serious sacrifices when God brings about better living conditions on the earth for us all.
IF: About how popular is M&TF in relation to the other projects you've worked on? Does "the biz" pay your bills, or are you holding down other jobs too?
GD: My other projects, Benestrophe and Mainesthai have always been just that, side projects; not that they were not important or that my endeavors to merit good music was deterred. Mentallo and the Fixer has always been my main focus. I started it. This is why I quit my full-time State job in December 1996 to concentrate on my music career full-time. Yes, it does pay my bills and I'm able to support myself.
IF: It must take a huge amount of concentration to create your music, yet some of it also sounds spontaneous and experimental. What is the ideal situation for sitting down and laying out some tracks?
GD: It's actually all very random; on the new material at least 40% of the material was played live. The recording process for the full-length and single was very different from any past recording project. There is a lot of live drumming on the new material by percussionist/engineer Chris Cline. There is also a lot of live analogue synth manipulation.
IF: How have technology and gear have affected the way you produce compositions?
GD: I really like to stick to basic technology. At times it can really turn me off, but on the other hand it's all in how you use it or apply it.
IF: Give us some insight as to your plans for the future.
GD: I know exactly what I would like to be doing in the future and that's what I'm doing at present, making music and supporting myself from it. That would be so cool and it would make me extremely happy.
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