Faderhead, Velvet Acid Christ and Psyclon Nine form supergroup

The creative minds behind three of the scene’s best known EBM / industrial / aggrotech bands have joined forces and formed an “industrial supergroup” said to be of a scale likely to rival Bruderschaft.

M.I.A. (Misunderstood Industrial Artists) is the name of the new project headed by Sami Mark Yahya, Bryan Erickson and Nero Bellum, better known as the creative forces behind Faderhead, Velvet Acid Christ and Psyclon Nine respectively. In a recent joint statement announcing the group’s imminent debut album, Misunderstood…, the trio said they formed the electro supergroup in an effort clarify the many misunderstandings that had befallen them in recent years.

Says Yahya: “I was just hangin’ in a club, you know, after the show. I had a glass in one hand and a pen in the other so I could sign autographs. The problem is, I don’t have any more free hands. Sometimes I swap the pen in my autograph-signing hand for my phone, but that still doesn’t leave me with enough free hands.

“There were all these people giving me their CD or asking me about the software I use to make music, and of course I couldn’t respond properly since I didn’t have any free hands! I think some of the fans got a bit upset by that, but in reality it was all a misunderstanding. It’s like when people poke my shoulder. I hate that. I’ve got a bad tendon from holding a pen or a phone in my hand all the time, and people just don't realise that.

“That’s when it hit me: surely I can’t be the only misunderstood industrial artist? Then I thought of Bryan Erickson from Velvet Acid Christ and that Nero dude from Psyclon Nine. I bet they’ve had similar experiences.

The artwork for the new industrial supergroup's debut album.

Erickson takes up the slack: “I was apprehensive at first but after the call from Fadey the idea really grew on me. I told him how my heart ached because I truly understood how he felt, and maybe we could collaborate on something together? Next thing you know, we’ve got that Nero guy on the phone, and before you know it we’re in the studio, talking about and expressing our feelings, and recording an album together.

Bellum continues: “Yeah, I’ve had my share of misunderstandings, just like Bryan and Fadey. The “Ubermensch” tattoo on my chest is a perfect example. I asked the tattooist to write “Tumor Wrench” on my chest in those big black letters but he got it all wrong, so that’s how I ended up with this tattoo instead.”

Erickson concludes: “I think Misunderstood… will be a great album. We’ve got a tour planned as well and I’m really looking forward to leaving my mother’s basement. It’ll be awesome. Well, as long as I don’t have to play to crowds of, like, 50 people.”

M.I.A. – Misunderstood... is out now.

Note: Yes, it's satirical.