HI! AND THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO TALK WITH MUEN. I READ THAT YOU ARE THE ONLY MEMBER OF PROVING GROUND. FIRST, TELL US HOW YOU GOT STARTED IN MUSIC.

Well, when I was younger I was surrounded by a lot of the Beatles, the Police, Led Zeppelin thanks to my uncle and aunt. I had some 45's of the Beatles I would spin on my red and white striped turntable.
That was it, I was hooked, there is nothing like spinning those black circles! It was my favorite thing to do. The sound piercing your skull, and taking you away on a journey. There is nothing like it.

YOU HAVE A CD OUT NOW CALLED "THE TIES THAT BIND" THAT YOU, YOURSELF RECORDED, PERFORMED, MIXED AND PRODUCED. WHAT ARE THE POSITIVES AND NEGATIVES OF BEING THE ONLY MEMBER? DO YOU PREFER WORKING ALONE SO THAT YOU HAVE MORE CONTROL OVER THE PROCESS?

The positives are that you can work on your own time, and not have to adhere to anyone else's schedules. I definitely love the creating process, and it's nice to have full control. I like to hear what I want to hear. I mean, I make music in the 1st place to turn out the way I want to hear it. The later part when people are digging it is the bonus part. As long as I am happy 1st then, I can be proud to release it off into the world. It's definitely not a popular style, but it's mine.
The main negative about being alone, is not being able to bring it live, and have fun jamming. That is the hard part.

IS THIS THE FIRST CD YOU'VE RECORDED?

It is the 1st one as Proving Ground.
I have recorded some older demos with bands, but nothing to brag about. I recorded a three track cd with Glen Drover from Eidolon, now in Megadeath. I thought that was pretty cool. The one real fun experience was recording two tracks at Metal Works. Wow, what a studio! I couldn't help but feel like a rock star there.


WHAT PART OF THE PROCESS IN MAKING A CD DO YOU ENJOY THE MOST?

Full control and freedom!
Starting with nothing, turning it into a skeleton, and then giving it blood & veins, and bringing the songs to life.
Sometimes, I will listen back to a rough demo and be like, "Where the hell did that come from? Did I do that?"
It's a great feeling. They really do become your babies. You've nurtured and raised them, and now they are ready to be let out into the cruel world for criticism. LOL

OBVIOUSLY, WHEN YOU PLAY FOR LIVE AUDIENCES YOU'LL NEED BAND MEMBERS. ARE YOU CURRENTLY LOOKING FOR MUSICIANS TO PLAY SHOWS? WHAT WILL YOU BE LOOKING FOR?

I am currently looking; I have 2 guys right now that are really digging the tunes. I'm really digging them, they have so much skill. Great musicians! I'm not rushing anything, they know I am serious with this project; it's my baby after all. We will try jamming, and see where things go.
I'm looking for people who understand the music, and would love to play in this genre. Looking for people that aren't afraid to work and get out and gig. There's a serious side, but once a band gets tight, and the songs are kicking ass live, then Wii can have fun!
Most important, they have to be serious and willing to commit. I'm not looking for any part timers.

YOU HAVE A VERY ORIGINAL SOUND. IF YOU HAD TO CLASSIFY IT, HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR MUSIC TO PEOPLE?

Thank you! That does mean a lot to me. In this day and age, it seems everyone sounds the same as everyone else. I definitely steered away from the "norm". I was very self indulgent with this album, kind of like Radiohead was with "Kid A" before it was hugely accepted.
I would say it is a little Industrial, Hard Rock, Electronic, and Goth.
I hate labels...it's just music!


SEEING AS HOW YOUR MUSIC IS DIFFERENT FROM THE MAINSTREAM SONGS YOU HEAR ON THE RADIO, WHAT KIND OF RESPONSE HAVE YOU BEEN GETTING FROM PEOPLE SINCE IT'S RELEASE?

It has been really good! I get a lot of love from many kinds of people, young to old. Lots of Dj's want to spin my stuff. It's probably a small niche market for Industrial music, but it's been great!
I got people supporting me in the US, Europe, and Japan. My Canada, however, might be putting one of my instrumentals off my album, on a new TV show coming soon. Details still pending.


SO.. OTHER THAN PLAYING MUSIC, WHAT DO YOU DO FOR FUN?

The usual shit, listen to music, watch movies, go to concerts, play video games, play with my dog, have poker nights, and drink, drink, drink!

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE INTERVIEW! WE AT MUEN WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK AND HOPE GREAT THINGS HAPPEN FOR YOU.

Thank you so much for having me, and all your support. It is greatly appreciated!

Interview by Shauna O'Donell