Who are The Thought Criminals?

Three Electro Filled Degenerates on a Mission to escape South London.

How did you come up with the group name?

I read George Orwells 1984 and the mood and content reflects Europe and Modern Britain. People's personal freedoms and Privacy are vanishing which is very scary!

You have quite a following in Europe and the States but not so much in the UK. How is this so?

The UK scene still thinks its 1985 in many cases, it's scared of the New its more Nostalgia these days than a Scene sadly.. If you can't be Pigeon Holed in to a Goth/Industrial sub-genre they really can't work you out. People in a lot of cases don't like change or are to scared of liking something which could be deemed as Commercial. In Sweden they seem to love the New which is a total opposite to the UK. We played in a Record Store there and it was packed with people to see us who had never heard of us before. Germany you still have large festivals and media outlets for the music so it thrives. The UK has got so bad that Band's are paying labels to release their music. There are some very good overlooked British Bands out there but they have no money for Production or the level of PR their German and American counterparts have!

Do you think it's quite a hard task to be original being a British Band?

Getting a Deal when your doing something that does not sound like a VNV or Depeche Mode is pretty hard. Labels and People seem to stick with what's a Safe Bet. We just do what we want I think that's why we have a very large live following. People like us because we don't take ourselves to seriously. We do laugh when some bands claim to be leading the British Scene, we're still trying to find what's left of the Scene.

The UK is in a Downward Spiral and with it went the Music Sales base, but on a musical Front there are a few bands left doing something great! Nightbreed Records was a very big Loss.

Do you think your European audience are different from let's say your audience in the U.S?

Excluding the UK there's not much difference between the U.S and Europe. Both have a Scene left and labels !

Does you music influence your personal lives and vice versa?

The Music has just made us seedier and twisted in many positive ways! People expect us to be these People and we get Perks from their expectations. No Comment lol

How do you go about composing new tracks? Is there a specific process you follow?

We had no clue when we started, now its normally involves jotting down lyrics at a spare of the moment in a Pub, Cafe or a Party and finding a sound which fits in the Studio. In a lot of the cases its just spontaneous. We are not musically trained genius's and don't claim to be but we do know a good sound when we hear one.

It will take you on a trip set in London's seedy dark underworld. Its rebellious, but also at times comical. Forget the Replicants and being Depressed this album is about Change!It's very addictive, I really have had a problem getting a few songs out of my head. I do think it will do very well as an Album. Nearly every song has been written as a potential Single. Probably why its taken two years to nearly complete. It's a real mix of styles and will probably do very well with the crowd's who like Covenant, And One, Gary Numan, Ultravox, or The Prodigy. We have Rob Henry who has did a bit of Programming on a Recent PIG release involved to really build up the Programming, and Tony Messenger a ex Sony Dance Producer polishing of the songs.

Is there a special meaning behind the title?

Rocky the Singer was called that by a Judge in Court, we loved it!

You take alot of your inspiration from bands such as Soft Cell, The Sex Pistol's, David Bowie and Japan that's quite a mix of styles and artists. Does having that such tastes make making music easier or harder?

It's a lot Easier as there's so much Inspiration. It would harder to be looking for something Inspirational scene specific, as those Ideas have been used time and time again. Probably why their are so many Clone Bands about these days. The more diverse musically you are the more you will appeal to a larger audience, so its probably best to listen to lots of unique styles than just one!

Who would you love to do a collaboration with?

Spectra Paris, And One or Covenant.

Always follow your Heart not the Herd

www.myspace.com/thethoughtcriminals