Isis
By: Rachel Bovard

After stunning the avant metal world with 2 EPs and one full length, Isis has found a permanent home on Mike Patton’s Ipecac Records. Oceanic, their first for Ipecac won the band accolades in both the U.S. and overseas, and landed then on high profile tours with Melvins, Mogwai, Dillinger Escape Plan, and Neurosis to name a few. Their third album, Panopticon picks up where Oceanic left off, and features production by famed Mastodon producer Matt Bayles, and a guest appearance by Tool’s Justin Chancellor. While en route from Florida to Houston, Isis keyboardist Cliff Miller gave Smash Magazine a call.

Smash Magazine: What was the writing process for Panopticon like? Did you guys approach it the same way as prior albums?

Cliff Miller: I don’t know if it was any different as before. But we definitely spent a lot of time just kind of hammering out a lot of the details on the songs and making sure everyone has their parts exactly how they wanted them. Of course that all changed once we got into the studio! We definitely just spent a lot of time jamming over different parts and making sure all the transitions flowed really well.

SM: Would one person have a part they liked and you guys would just build off of it?

CM: Ya, for the most part. A lot of the time we’ll demo stuff at home on our computers and pass those around and see what everyone thinks. A lot of the ideas one person comes with could take a total 180 change. But we just jam out on it and figure out what works for everyone.

SM: Did you guys experiment with any different instruments?

CM: On the last record we used some electronic drum stuff. For this record we did do more kind of ambient stuff like Aaron and I both did backing tracks on our computers at home and tried to implement more of that kind of stuff.

SM: I saw you guys play a couple of years ago in Vegas and someone played a didgeridoo!

CM: Oh yeah yeah. That was pretty awesome. That was that guy from Candiria. We always like to have some collaborating action going. So that was a lot of fun. But as far as anything like that on the record, we didn’t really do anything too crazy.

SM: What was recording like? Why did you guys decide to record with Matt Bayles again?

CM: We just have a great report with him now. He kind of understands where we’re coming from and we really trust what he’s able to do behind the console. I don’t think the idea of even working with anyone else even came up. He’s pretty much the man.

SM: Ipecac is an interesting label with a pretty eclectic collection of bands signed. Why did you guys decide to sign with them before Oceanic?

CM: We had been looking around and there really wasn’t anything that was catching our eye. We had done stuff on Escape Artist and they were great and everything but they just didn’t have the distribution. We just kind of wanted to grow a little bit and luckily a friend of ours hooked up Patton with our older CDs and I guess he dug it. We were really really pysched. To be on the same label as the Melvins was like a dream come true for all of us. And like you said there so much good stuff on that label and everyone there is really cool, they treat us well, and it really seems to be a label we fit into because I don’t really think we’re a band that fits into any particular genre.

SM: Do you guys feel like you ever were part of a hardcore scene?

CM: I think sure when we first started and did our first couple of tours it was definitely more of a metal/hardcore audience. But I think as the band has progressed and we’ve been able to do different tours with different bands people are a little more open minded now and its really cool. I think our main thing is that we like to play with bands that are good and people who enjoy good music and get into whatever. But I don’t think we’re going to be playing any Napalm Death tours.

SM: I read a review of Panopticon (a prison constructed so that the inspector can see each of the prisoners at all times without being seen) that made a comparison with the title word and the Patriot Act, because of the idea of ubiquitous surveillance. Do you see any relevancy in that?

CM: Oh yeah definitely. It’s so crazy what we are living in right now. Not that we are a political band or anything. But what’s going on is just unfortunate. There are definitely some very similar ideas there though.

SM: Where did the idea for making Panopticon the title stem from?

CM: Aaron had read about the panopticon theory and passed it around to us. We didn’t go into it thinking we need to find something to go along with the political state of the country but once that idea came along we thought it kind of did fit with what’s going on. It’s a really interesting idea and theory. We all agreed that it was very appropriate. But the political thing definitely came after the idea.

SM: Has the band set any goals or expectations you’re still working towards?

CM: No. I think the only expectations we set for ourselves are when we’re on tour to give a performance everyone can enjoy including us. And when we record and write just try to do the best that we can at that moment. As far as any other goals, whatever comes out of that is fine with us.

SM: What interests do you guys have outside the band, music related or not?

CM: Me personally, its pretty much music. I’m in another band called Red Sparrows that has a CD coming out in February on Neurot. Mike is a carpenter so he’s pretty good at that which I’m very jealous of. Aaron rides bikes a lot. And of course Turner does Hydrahead.

SM: Are there any bands that you think are doing anything that is especially different or unique?

CM: Oh yeah, there’s lots of bands actually. The band we’re on tour with, These Arms Are Snakes are great. They’re a lot of fun and I think their music is really interesting too. There’s a band called Growing who are really good. The new Brian Wilson record is really good. The new Boredoms record is amazing. It could just go on and on and on.