TEN EMAILS with JONATHAN CANADY!

Jonathan Canady is one of my favorite voices in the noise community. DEATHPILE's "G.R." is an album I often use to introduce friends to the genre. Tracks open with vocal outbursts like "Marcia, my high school sweetheart, my first wife, my first whore" and "I'm addicted to prostitutes like some men are to alcohol".

Since closing the book on DEATHPILE and more recently Angel of Decay, Jon has started a new solo project called Diamond Cult, and Nightmares with Mark Solotroff of Bloodyminded. Jon is also a sought after graphic designer and has been showing his work around the US and Europe. His artwork can be viewed on his website art.malsonus.com

Email 1

Jon, from your recordings in DEATHPILE to your more recent artwork, your output

seems, well a bit harsh and violent.

Is their an angry person inside of you coming to the surface in these works or

is it a way relieve stress for a normal average guy?

- I am an angry person but much less so than when I was younger. I am a level

headed old man now compared to how I was in my twenties. I look back at that

time and am pretty amazed I made it to this age without getting put in jail or

an insane asylum.

I have no idea about a normal average guy. I commute to work on one of the main

train lines in Philadelphia and I often wonder why everyone around me accepts

their lot so easily. Or do they just hide their frustration better than me?

To attempt to answer your question, the violence you speak of comes out

naturally. I couldn't stop it if I wanted. It's as much a part of me as my skin.

So much so, I sometimes don't even know it's there.

When people see your work in a gallery or hear one of your recordings, what do

you hope they walk away with?

- You know, I do my best to not think about that too much. I create work to

satisfy myself. Whatever people take away from it is fine with me.

Email 2

so is it a real relief to be able to let loose a bit of that hate and angst in a creative outlet like your music and art?

It s sort of like the sex drive. You do the deed and feel relief for a bit. Then the urge comes back before you know it.

Email 3

In April of this year, the US Supreme Court overturned a federal law banning the depictions of dog fighting and animal cruelty.

Why should violent media always be protected by the first amendment. In my opinion if that law stayed on the books, album artwork like that featured in your Blunt Force Trauma release could have been banned, even if the violent gore shown was human.

I see your point. There should be no differentiation between depictions of animal vs human cruelty.

That said, I would personally rather see barrels full of babies being fed into a wood chipper than a kitten being verbally abused but... I don't make the laws.

Email 4

You just started a new project and website for a band called Diamond Cult which you describe as a "one-man electronic / rock project" and as having "a less dark vibe". Why did you choose to take your musical efforts in that direction? Is it something you've considered a while, or did it just kinda spring up?

I have loved weirdo rock and pop music since I was a child but I've generally kept it on the down low. So since I have been doing various forms of well-worn experimental music for creeping up on twenty years I figured it was time to try something else for a change.

Email 5

What's your take on pop stars appropriating bondage and s&m images for their music videos? You could say it started in the 90s with Madonna, so its old hat. Yet in the past few years you have Lady Gaga, Christina Aguilera, Rihanna all using the same types of imagery.

Do you even care to have an opinion on that?

I wonder if we can do all 10 emails before I pass out?

Anyhow, I have always disliked S/M or fetish fashion no matter who is doing it.

Jon then sent this second response to the email

No 10 in one night. You missed out on getting me in a drunken spiral. Too bad. Ha ha.

Email 6

I miss took your last email for thinking that I was boring you to sleep. but now i've cracked a beer too, so there is still time for you to go on a drunk downward spiral!

i like alot of pop and weird music too, but also a big abrasive advocate, so don't think you are alone there. I've also see Prurient dance to trance music.

Dmoilmp. Lyouirj? Jollllhpoppbvbb!

Email 7

man you should not have signed up for an unedited transcript interview :)

That was a test... Only a test. Had that been a real drunken response you would have been directed to do something official and extremely important.

Jon then sent this second response to the email

The suckling pigs in this house are very evil.

Email 8

well here is your chance to spread something really official and important to the masses drunk or not

Life turned me into a sort of mad dog. But now I am here, it all seems so different. I have the feeling that something beautiful, and very profound is going to change my fate.

Email 9 (editor’s note: sent in reference to the suckling pigs email)

is that some veiled tori amos reference?

Please reference my last message.

Email 10

I hope so too, I don't quite know what life has done to lead you on the mad dog path but I'm glad to hear that you are open to change and have excepted that things are moving forward for the better. Thanks again for the awesome interview and if you wanna send me a picture to accompany it when it posts, please do so.
xo

Thank you Mark. Please don't take my drunken nonsense (and random Spanish horror film quoting) the wrong way. This has been my most entertaining interview experience yet!

I'll send you a photo asap.

2^nd email sent the following morning

Hi Mark,

Shockingly... I am not too hung over. Thanks for putting up with my drunken retardation last night (ha ha). I had fun.

Here's a photo for you:

http://malsonus.com/vergeimg/DiamondCult_8893.jpg

PLEASE credit Scott Kinkade for this photo.

Thanks. -Jonathan