It's been almost 2 years ago since we had the previous interview, still hooked on Sudoku?

I do still really enjoy it when it's in front of me, but I don't seek it out like I used to. It's recently been helpful in panic situations when i'm sure the world is crashing down since it gets my mind off of reality.  I think I'm mostly an old-school solitare kind of girl though.. I appreciate a fresh deck of cards.  Repetitive tasks have gotten me through some tough times.

In the previous interview we talked about Reform, it's released now, why did it take you so long?

I was almost ready to release it in 2006 soon after the Prefrontal EP, and then I experienced a number of unexpected personal situations that set me back, so it took a while to find my motivation again. But I think it's important not to lose yourself especially in situations that seem dire, so I channeled my feelings the best I could into my songs to make the most of it.  A Section of Time is probably the best example of that as well as Soulprint.


Why the title Reform?

There was this great song I wrote called "Reform" on my 1998 demo album, "Embyronic" with samples from the sci-fi movie "Contact".  It had an awesome bassline, was super noisy, and a friend of mine kept bragging he had the early version of that song.  So I was intent on recreating it from its parts and named the album "Reform" after it.

How did the recording process of this album go, did you do it in bits and pieces again, how is a Chiasm album created?

Since I work alone, I'm very protective of my ideas and my music, so I keep it hidden from the world until it's ready to be released.  Usually I start with a book of lyrics I've been composing for years, and some samples from movies i've been accumulating, then I begin programming ideas for songs separately, and keep listening and working and singing melodies along as I merge all the sounds together until I've finally created
something that matches up and i'm happy with. It can take a long time.  On rare occasion, something comes together so quickly that I'm afraid to touch it for months, then am only reconfirmed later that it doesn't need any changes.  So I'm most often working on several tracks at once.
I just move from one track to the next searching for ways to improve them.

You asked people to share your personal stories with you, did you get many responses to that?

I was amazed at the number of responses I received, and never expected that!  I was going through my own crises and was really fed up with the world, and honestly just wanted to know that I wasn't alone, and was curious as to how others coped with the issues that plagued them.  It was an extremely vivid and honest experience to have people open up to me in the way they did and suddenly i felt a sense of comradery with my fans when I needed it most.  It was extremely therapeutic to hear from them, and every person that responded had an impact.

As the result of this you made the track "Soulprint" what can you tell about the track and how did the story of this person have an impact on yourself?

He had gone through a familiar experience, but from a completely opposite perspective than mine which was a fresh approach and a story I needed to hear.  I think it was the positive influence I was looking for.  As a result of sharing his story, he enabled me to write perhaps the most personal song of my music career, "Soulprint", which I completed the lyrics for during a very emotional time.   I would never have had the courage to record it otherwise, and I still cringe inside every time I hear it knowing what it meant to me.

Last year you had a pretty rough time as well yourself, can we find it back in the album and in what way?

Well of course to me every song has a story, and it's impossible for me not to relate to each track personally. Soulprint and A Section of Time were extremely personal, Deceivers was written in a job rage, Won was written during a period of unemployment, Extinguish was written after a funeral,  Unity is a subconscious issue, Caffeine Cycle is a daily issue, Incubate is about science..mostly. :)

How do you usually deal with disappointing situations?

I play Sudoku!! :)  No really, I try my best to recognize that there are always better days ahead, and that what I'm experiencing is momentary in the big picture.  I also am reminded that you need to learn to rely on yourself because you're the only person you really have any lasting control over. And then I do my best to funnel my resulting anger into some productive form, like a new album.

Reform was on your demo album already, why re-record it and even make it the title track?

I like to incorporate a song or two from Embryonic in my new albums as a reminder of where I started, and also to do the demo justice since I have no intention of re-releasing it in its entirety.  And the name worked well as a natural progression from Disorder and Relapse, so it just fit
together nicely for me.

From all the hooting and hollering I'd have to say I either had a wardrobe malfunction, or they truely enjoyed it. I think when people come to my shows especially after hearing the CDs, they're really looking for some insight into my recording process more than anything, so I do my best to experiment with live equipment as I would at home, and ad lib as much as possible.  At that show in particular, my mic went out in the middle of the last song, "Fight", and since it was a small venue, I just tossed it aside and continued on, screaming my way through as if I was in my own little cave.., and people went nuts.  It was one of those crowd-inspired moments that can't be choreographed or purposely assembled.

First comments are already in, the ones I read mention a great step forward, do you feel the same. What progress did you make?

I think my production was a bit better on this album because I focused on it more.   I worked really hard on the album as a whole and just wanted to do my songs justice, so I listened to, adjusted, and agonized over it a whole lot before deciding it was finished.  Maybe I'm starting to feel more comfortable artisticly as well, and less restricted in my own style, which is a good thing.  I tried not to feel pressured to stick to any one
genre of music and allowed some variety while trusting my instincts like a good Jedi.  But I've certainly gained lots of experience in the past few years while experimenting in the studio, remixing and providing vocals for other artists between albums as well.  So I take everything into consideration and just do my best with it.|

You already talked about the next album 11:11, are you working on it already?

Yes, I have a good stack of lyrics written and some melodies floating in my head, and am considering actually using some virtual programs this time which will be a first for me, so I can't wait to start programming.

What is the biggest dream you have for Chiasm?

For people to remember my music in 50 years

www.chiasm.org