Todd Gautreau's electronic/ambient project TEAR CEREMONY has released a number of cassettes as well as 3 CDs of engaging and narcotic sound that envelops the ears and gently floats across the brain. Reviews of his releases have graced the pages of GODSEND for several years, and I have always enjoyed his wonderful and sublime music. Somehow, I had neglected to ever interview Gautreau. After receiving his excellent new CD, "Film Decay", on his own Simulacra label, I decided it was high time to rectify that oversight once and for all. What follows is an interview conducted over the net in August 1998.

(G)-Todd Zachritz (GODSEND)

(T)-Todd Gautreau (TEAR CEREMONY)

G-What initially got you interested in making sound/music of the more experimental persuasion? I assume you were involved in other more conventional bands/musics before starting Tear Ceremony...

T-I've been making music ever since I can remember but it wasn't until Tear Ceremony that I actually started recording and releasing my own material. That was around 1990, when I first began recording to 4-track. I had just discovered Eno's "Another Green World" and Throbbing Gristle's "Very Friendly," both of which were highly influential and made for an interesting dichotomy. Early recordings were mostly guitar and delay, each becoming more experimental and perhaps industrial. When I finally began working more with samplers and synthesizers, the work became more ambient.

G-Your music has always had a sort of "waking dream" feel to it. Is this intentional?

T-Well, I think it's a product of over consumption of surrealism. I'm really interested in the dream state, or womb like state which I suppose is very surreal in itself, and I try to create a sense of this in the music. Now it's reached this subconscious level where it's almost automatic.

G-Has Tear Ceremony ever performed live, or is it just a studio-type project?

T-In the early days, there were several live performances of the more guitar based material which was more practical for the stage, then after a period of live inactivity, shows resumed around 94-96 with the more ambient material. I did some shows with Illusion of Safety and Voice of Eye which went over very well. But the material has evolved to a point where it 's difficult to perform live, and it's not always interesting to watch ambient music being recreated on stage. I think the genre fares better in a studio environment. It's hard to hold people's attention in a club. An exception has been when there is video accompaniment or something else to stimulate the visual senses. But this usually requires getting several other people involved. I think that energy is better spent recording.

G-Your first CD was released by Machinery Records in Germany, right? What happened to this? Any plans to re-release any of your old material onto CD?

T - The Machinery CD "An Hourglass of Opals" was actually a compilation of earlier material I had released on cassette. It was on Machinery/Think Tank which was to be their more experimental sub-label. I don't think it ever really took off and I haven't heard from them in quite some time. I don't know what they are up to. You can still find the CD on some online shops, mostly in Germany. At the time, I was happy they released it, but I'm much happier releasing things on Simulacra now. This way I know the music is getting in the right hands. I hope to release a CD next year of earlier material including tracks from "An Excuse for Murder" and "The Clockface Frown." That material is very different from what I'm doing now.

G-Discuss what your new CD, "Film Decay", is about (intentions, influences, etc)...

T-I suppose I was trying to use sound the way a filmmaker such as Bergman used images to create this hypnotic/claustrophobic atmosphere, interlaced with more soothing elements. The record to me sounds the way an 8 mm film looks. I always tend to "visualize" sound. Certain sounds to me are like memories which tend to reappear as films in a dreamlike state. Some of the references are more implicit than others. Spatially, the previous release "Resin" was more expansive, on "Film Decay" I wanted to keep things more confined for a different effect.

G-Has Tear Ceremony always been a solo project?

T-Yes. I've never really recorded with anyone else, though early on there were some who would lend a hand in live situations. I'm not sure that it would remain cohesive if another personality was introduced.

G-Simulacra is your personal label to release Tear Ceremony. Any plans to release other artists or collaborations?

T-We've been getting some excellent demos that I would like to release. Depending on how the rest of the year goes, it could happen soon. If so, expect the artists to be fairly diverse. There's also a number of side projects in the works, including Sonogram which should be released later this year.

G-Tear Ceremony is coming from the more "ambient/post-industrial" side of things, but have you seen any interest from the more "new age"-types of ambient fans or labels?

T-Not directly. But it's interesting that some distributors and radio shows that were once considered more "new age" have begun exploring darker ambient material. I suppose it's unavoidable, because the ambient genre is so diverse the two are bound to cross paths.

G-Tear Ceremony seems, to me, like prime soundtrack music. Do you hope to get involved with film scoring or soundtracks at some point?

T-Yeah, that's definitely something I am interested in. It's difficult to find filmmakers with the same interests, but hopefully that will happen eventually.

G-Are there any other artists you feel a kinship with?

T-I suppose Eno has been the greatest influence, especially the Ambient 4 material. I remember Zoviet France's "Shadow, Thief of the Sun" and Nocturnal Emissions "Spiritflesh" being really seminal. But in most cases, artists I've been interested in have ventured out into different territories or I just haven't kept up with them. Literature and film have perhaps been a greater influence.

G-Is Tear Ceremony primarily composed with electronic instrumentation, or are there acoustic instruments/sounds also present? If so, the integration of these facets is seamless...

T-Mostly electronic. I've always admired those who construct their own instruments and work with contact mics but I've never found the time to do so. "Underwater Astronomy" was one exception where it was largely acoustic. I do use samples from various machinery and industrial sources. I usually file these away for later use and then forget what their source was, but things like cigarette machines, kitchen utensils, bottles and insects have been used.

G-Any closing words?

T-Thanks to all who have shown interest thus far. More to come.

Thanx to Todd for agreeing to this interview.

For further information on TEAR CEREMONY and Simulacra products, contact them at: info@simulacrarecords.com

And visit their website at :_