12 questions for BROKEN CIRCUITS
BROKEN CIRCUITS is the passion project and brainchild of Tim and Mike who joined the Errorgrid roster in 2021. Their compositions marry deep musical knowhow and visceral imagination with technical excellence. In September 2022 they released their stunning 4 track EP “Standing in Ruin” which marked their debut on Errorgrid and a milestone on their musical journey.
1. What is the central idea behind the Broken Circuits project?
Compositions and experimentations that invoke emotional, visceral and intellectual responses.
2. How would you describe your music to someone who’s never heard it before?
SludgeTech. Dark. Heavy. Cinematic.
3. If music is a form of therapy, what is it healing in you?
Tim: Music has always been a release valve for negative emotion, allowing for focus in a world of chaos. It continues to be the catalyst for letting go and personal growth on many levels.
Mike: Music allows me to express emotion and feeling that can otherwise be ineffable. At times, it also serves as an escape from the day-to-day challenges, making way to simply exist in a creative space.
4. What is the central emotion you associate with Broken Circuits?
Acceptance. Both of us have relinquished the notion of artistic perfection, hence the name of the project. We allow and welcome the unexpected and the opportunity to let go, even if it makes us uncomfortable.
5. How can you sum up your creative process?
Both of us contribute to a pool of modular patches, audio recordings, as well as melodic, harmonic and rhythmic ideas before and during the song writing process. Collective decisions are made on every aspect of the structure and flow of a song. To keep the production process fresh, we dedicate specific sessions to mixing, improvisation, editing, sound design, external hardware processing and other experimentation.
6. What would be a dream collaboration for you?
A collaboration between BL_K Noise and Errorgrid artists, with special guest Lorn. Let’s make it happen.
7. Can you give us a brief rundown of your past releases and what they mean to you?
“CHAOS RIFT” was our first release in March 2021. This single laid the groundwork for us stylistically with dense harmonic structures, synths, guitar, odd meters, polyrhythmic modular patches, and cinematic themes. This combined with an incredible remix by Snakes of Russia makes this release really special to us.
“THE DESCENT” as the name implies, delves into darker and heavier territory. Sludgy, massive and guitar driven, “The Descent” is a journey into madness and despair. Blakmoth was the clear choice for a remix very early on in production, and he did not disappoint.
After joining Errorgrid in late 2021, we contributed tracks to the Darker Sounds of a Present Future Vol. 1 and 2 compilations. This provided a unique opportunity to incorporate samples from other Errorgrid artists on the tracks “Amalgamation” and “Formless, Faceless” while retaining our stylistic approach.
All of our previous releases demonstrate a clear progression and refinement of Broken Circuits, and culminates in our Errorgrid EP “Standing In Ruin”.
8. How do the two of you work together?
Zero ego. Total respect and admiration for each others talent and artistic vision. The ebb and flow of ideas between us is natural, and the ability for both us to assume the roles of engineer, artist and producer is truly a unique experience.
9. When do you consider a piece of music/ album finished and ready for others to hear?
The arc of the story is important to us and the biggest barometer is the feeling of finality and resolve on a track or album. One of the key goals in Broken Circuits is accepting and even embracing imperfection. Nevertheless, we continue to seek the balance between creative exploration and finalizing mixes to a point we are ready to share them.
10. How much importance do you put into your tools?
On one hand we view instruments and audio gear like colors on a pallet. On the other, we use them as platforms for inspiration and taking an idea in a completely different direction. This is particularly true on the modular, Soma, Elektron and DAW based systems we work with.
11. What is the one piece of equipment you will never part with?
Mike: The Sequential Circuits OB6 which has character that inspires me to no end! We often use it to sketch ideas or to add additional synth-based elements during the writing process.
Tim: PRS Singlecut 10-Top. Gifted to me years ago and has a tone that is unlike any other guitar I have played before or since.
12. What do you have in the works/ what is next for you?
We have another independent release in the CHAOS RIFT/DESCENT series, and few collaborations we are really excited about within and outside of Errorgrid.
‘Standing in Ruin’ is now out on Bandcamp.