Can you give us a brief introduction to Retractor?

Retractor started with Milton Sanchez as a main producer in 2003 with Anthony Stuart from Les Anges De la nuit as a live crew member and Helen Ederler as lyricist. The main goal is to create music that blends the best of everything. With a lot of influences from Military Pop, Aggrotech, Industrial, funk, and everything electronic. I started by making connections with BLC Music and so I made the first Remix of Agonoize –Open the gate- I guess from there I got the foot in the door, In 2004 I started producing a Dark Electro Album , Mike Johnson from Agonoize helped me to find a label and I released the first album –No Resistance – under the polish Label- Black Flames in 2005, since the label went out of business – Infacted Records made the offer to release the EP – Edge of incision in 2006. I got good responses from it since a lot of artists and friends participated to make this a great EP. I was surprised that Retractor made it thru because the market was dying . But I continued moving forward and producing music for Mechanical horizon, Second disease, and Schattenschlag plus participate in great compilations from BLC, releasing personal Retractor songs like March to Stalingrad and Secret Core, but Psycho VS Killer was the hit after For Once and One Mans War- Because of all this Retractor was ready for live shows, Retractor  played in many different parts all over the US and South America. I consider myself blessed since all the events have been successful. Now I’m so happy to see the results are even better after the new release of the second album –The False Memory – under Infacted Recordings in 2008.
I will tell what my secret is: I like to stay steady and successful but low key and low profile – Retractor can’t get burn like other bands. I like to pull great songs out of my pockets and catch peoples ears and get a good feedback.

How did you get in contact with electronic music, since Puerto Rico isn’t famous for their electro bands?

Well I grew up in the 80’s era listening to a lot of pop music like Duran Duran ,Madona, Erasure, ect. From that I start with Italo disco and I said  to myself I want to create Music. But then things where changing and I start making house music and Techno .. I did a trip to Europe on 1989 and I was shocked when I heard Trance for the first time then I came back to Puerto Rico and I decide to make  Acid House and Techno. But since I moved to the USA I realized that Americans love the 80’s and 90’s era so I decide to go back to my roots and create Industrial and EBM.

I was a WAX TRAX , Net werk , ZYX and Geffen freak I had every thing from Ministry ,
Front 242,Frontline Assembly and Skinny Puppy. They are still a big influence. I had a collection of 2,000 cd’s mixed with vinyls but my favourite era was NEW BEAT music like Robotico Rejecktor .

This is the 2nd full length album ”The false memory”, what is different compared to the first one “No resistance”, what progress did you make?

In this new album I decided to make the songs not faster than 130 bpm .
Even though they sound really fast. On my previous releases I was making songs at 140 bpm and higher “I think is time to slow down and stop been so extreme”. The vocals are clear and polished, compared to “No Resistance”. Each song has an understandable message. The whole album is a collage presenting an era of time from the past to the future. I try to step out from the typical saw wave lead as much as possible. This album is well developed, with good transitions and a good music structure. The Album of –No Resistance –  was more Dark Electro with a techno and trance background and harsh vocals !

When you start writing songs for a new album, do you have a clear view in which direction it will go, what it will sound like? 

Yes I will say that 10 songs out of 15 where created in my mind before I went to the studio. I carry a voice recorder with me all the time. Where I put all the ideas on and then put it together in the studio. I said to myself “I have European, American, and African roots. So I decided to use the skills on practice and apply it on the Aggrotech style.

Retractor is a one man band in the studio, live you have two extra members, who are they and what do they add to the live sound, does the live sound differ from the studio sound?

Yes ! I decide to keep all production, management and business personal in order to have control…..When it comes to live shows I have two new members Jason Litsinger of Life Like and Fury 161 on live drums …Excellent musician by the way! And I have Milton Trillas
of Morph as a keyboard player and synths ….. In our live shows we have to manage and compensate a 20% sample base with re- edits versions of each song 30% sequence formats on synths and the final  50 % is live in real time doing sound reinforcement on top of the music and sequence samples.Vocals are dry live with reverb, delay pre –amp gain fx no distortion just natural overdrive on the mic. I like people to hear and understand the lyrics .

All children go to Heaven is an anthem dedicated to one of the most common social problems in all countries. Innocent kids, are being killed or being victims of rape and abuse. The percentage in the USA of this issue is rising more and more everyday and I liked to write a message to the guilty ones .

The lyrics of “The false memory” grabbed me as well, can you tell us more about them?

This is a social, economic, political and humanitarian song. Many young people join the military because they feel they are useless and have poor foundation of self esteem. Others  join because of the free education and benefits but the message is very clear and loud , war has a price to pay and at the end it is your life what ends in vain .

On your website is says you have plans to do some shows in Europe, can you give us an update on this?

I want to play in Europe and many other places with Retractor, since we played last year  inside the USA in different venues , the demanding got really high for Retractor, but nothing is concrete yet so far I have a show in Mexico posted soon, and I’m working things out to get a booking agent thru Infacted Records.

You are a dj as well, what is your current top 5 to spin?

Well this list change all the time but this is my favourite set from last week!

1- Death like addiction ---The Sin:Decay
2- Babylon --- Black Heaven
3- Harsh Generation --- Grendel
4 -Praise the fallen --- Wynardtage  (X-fusion Remix)
5- Society / Martyrdom --- FGFC1820
6- Synthesize me --- Diorama
7- War du traumst --- Seelenzorn
8- A New Dawn / Singing Dead Men --- Blutengel
9- Not Alone --- Suicidal Romance
10-Weltfremd --- Reaper + Suicide Commando
11-Stamheim /Direction North --- SITD
12-Evidence --- Arcana Obscura
13-Help --- Mano Juedji Suevo
14-Conspiracy --- The Escape
15-Bare your teeth/Derrick is a strange machine --- Ashbury Heights
16-The farthest star --- VNV Nation
17-Selbstmordgedanken --- Schallfaktor
18-The Plague N4-4/Malice/hypo)crypticK(aL --- Diary of Dreams
19-Remember one thing --- Wumpscut
20-Knives --- Colony 5

No ! It’s really sad news …and I feel bad since Infacted Records put lots of effort to put the name of the band to a high standard …my apologies to my fans and friends ..but the band  is no longer active due the fact of personal and management problems. I will come with something special to my beloved followers of Les Anges De la nuit …but for now enjoy Retractor new album ! The False Memory is very Dance floor orientated music!

Any last words for the readers?

Thank you for your time and for the great interview….

………………..Retractor ………………
………end Of Transmission……………

http://www.myspace.com/retractor
http://www.retractoronline.net/