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Assume we know nothing about your history with Lockweld, the Haters of even Apartment 213. Tell us how you got into making noise and power electronics?
My music history goes way back. I discovered at an early age, all of my family were musicians but not by trade just by the love of sound. So one would say that it is in my DNA. The fact that I have the attention span of a small bug however kept me from learning an instrument. So I would call myself a singer. Now if you were to hear me sing you would not call me a singer, you may refer to me as a melody killer. In around 6th grade my older brother’s close friend let me hear the Misfits, this changed my life forever!! I enjoyed the fact that they sounded like a freight train with Elvis singing over it. I’ve never heard anything like this before. So I of course would go searching for more of this style of music. So in the late 70s early 80s how does one do this? THE MIGHTY THANKS LIST on all the records. So that’s what I did. One day my brother’s friend played me Throbbing Gristle. This was a slow burn for me but would eventually become the everlasting and growing flame musically in my life. I started glueing records together, breaking them apart then playing them, this was my gateway into experimental music. (Which I didn’t know it was a thing).
I joined hardcore bands because it’s what we did in the winter in Ohio. You can’t skate in the winter so you start a band. So I started doing bands. After a few broken eggs and some indigestible omelets, Apartment 213 was born. My experimental side was still there. I just didn’t know what to do with it so I recorded things to my dual tape deck. In about 93 my oldest and dearest friend Dwid (Hellion) and I were talking. He was doing “noise music.” This really inspired me to start doing my own version and go for it. At this same time Man is the Bastard were incorporating noise into their music so it was easier to get people into it. And then came the discovery of the whole Japanese noise scene. So that’s the history/progression.
I started doing Lockweld in 93 – 94. It was awesome! I met some amazing people and in turn made lifelong friends. GX of the mighty Haters is one of those people.
VIEW OUR BASTARD NOISE INTERVIEW FROM 2021
You’ve been super modest about who you’ve toured with, performed with and even some of your friends. Who else have you performed with, toured with – can you explain how you’ve befriended the likes of Whitehouse to Boyd Rice?
Yeah modest maybe? I mean in the grand scheme of things who wants to hear someone go on about themselves from the standpoint of “look at what I’ve done” when in reality all the person did was answer the phone or email (depending on the timeline)?
But again I made some lifelong friends via music/noise. To this day it shocks my family. “Wait, how do you know this person?” is a statement I hear all the time (hahaha) I have been blessed to play with and alongside some amazing people. Always at the very top of my list is Dwid!! I owe that guy so much!! It would take me 2 life times to pay him back for all of his gratitude! Thank God he is a true friend and such a stand up guy that all he literally wants in return is to see me do what I love so… (a grown man is wiping his eyes typing this)
I have been blessed to be friends with Pete Sotos. Steven Stapleton. Thanks to this underground community. And I’m beyond blessed to now call you (Mathew) my dear friend.
You’ve been extremely open with your struggles with your physical & mental health issues over the years. Explain how this has affected your creative work flow, and also how did those experiences strengthen your faith?
Now this topic may take up some of your readers’ time. I could go on for days on most topics. The Good Lord did bless me with the gift of gab I’ve been told. But my health struggles are pretty much what kept me in the music making scene. So a blessing and a curse.
All my life I’ve sort of known – suspected that I was unhealthy. In my 20s I think I stopped caring about myself because I was extremely unhappy (for reasons I don’t want to get into) So ya I almost died a few times. I mean it got weird. And a side note: I grew up in a home that was Christian, at least by title. We went to church up until I was in 8th grade and then we stopped. I believe the stop was due to all the televangelists and their illegal activities. But I never asked. I took it as dodging a boring bullet. In my hardcore/power violence/noise years I grew angry towards everyone and everything for reasons again I don’t want to dive into especially in a forum like this. So ya I doubted the Christian God. I wasn’t dumb enough to not believe in something, I mean nothing from nothing equals nothing. So I knew that something created the world. I just wasn’t into finding it or praying to it. I was in charge and that was that until it wasn’t. In 2005 I was getting sick and more sick. I handled it the way most of the males in my bloodline handle health issues, we ignore them. I ignored the issue until I ended up in the hospital. Diagnosed with diverticulitis and some odd blood issues I stayed a few nights and then went back home. I did zero to change or follow the directions of my doctor. I ate what I wanted and was a giant ball of hate and anxiety. Great combination for total health failure. A year or two later I ended up in the hospital. I was told I was going to get a “section” of my sigmoid colon removed. I wake in the ICU having to sign my own paperwork allowing the doctors to remove 85% of my colon and destroyed bowels. They found a tumor. The next few weeks which lead to months in the ICU were absolute hell!!! I was recently on Noisextra and I went into detail on the hospital journey and meeting who I believe was a messenger of the Lord God!!!
So after all of this I decided to leave the miserable unlivable (my opinion) Cleveland Ohio for the amazing California!! At this time I put all music on hold. I thought God wanted me to share my testimony via skateboarding aka Skogging. Which He probably did but he also wanted me to share it with music. It wasn’t until Dwid reached out and basically woke me up to this and that leads us to Meketa power electronics.
Meketa power electronics is my way of sharing my life journey simultaneously with God’s word. I am doing this in a style that is pretty much not into it nor conducive for it. Yet as it has been said many times many ways, The Lord works in mysterious ways!!!!
My faith is strengthened everyday! What strengthens my faith are questions. My goal/job as a Christ follower is to share what God has done for me! He has blessed me with the most beautiful wife in the world! My wife Megan is my world! And I have 2 amazing children! These 2 enrich my life daily!! I have friendships with so many people that calling them just friends doesn’t do our connection justice. I have a family that I married into that are my support system! And my band MPE (yes Meketa power electronics is a BAND!!) is my outward way I can express all of this!!! Thank You Jesus!!!
I asked Dwid about this, though you have some different stories. We recently highlighted the Chicago Expo of the Extreme in 97’. What are your recollections of this historical event?
That was a great weekend!!! Just a sideshow of mutants and I mean that in the best way!! The things I remember the most are the Psywarfare set! This will go down as one of my favorite shows! The promoter for whatever reason put us up on a ledge of some sort and we were right above the entrance so we were grinding sparks onto people coming in and out of the show, not to mention the security guards. It was a scene to be seen. The after parties were insane. Truly one for the books!!
What are your main ambitions with Meketa Power Electronics? Tell us the story of how you came about creating this project a year ago?
Ambition wise, like I was saying previously, my goals with this band is primarily to share God’s grace. If He can bless me he can and will bless others. You just have to receive it.
Also I love making records and playing live. I think live performances are my sweet spot. I love to be in with the audience and just have fun!!
Your band Apartment 213 are known for their involvement in the power violence scene as a prominent band. What’s your relationship between fronting that band on vocals vs what you do with Meketa? Can you elaborate on the inception of this band?
213 was a band I started when I was 20 years old. I was highly influenced by Eric Woods’ band Neanderthal. Just raw power violence music!! The vocals had to be just that “Neanderthal“.
With Meketa PE, I try to use every vocal style in my arsenal.
You mention performing with the Haters as part of the group and with Lockweld and we’ve established GX has been an influence on us both. What are some of the more memorable events you’d played as the Haters?
I was honored to play the Neon Marshmallow Fest as part of the Haters. One of my favorite shows to date. Peep the YouTube footage. Words don’t do it justice hahaha.
Can you tell me about that moment at F.L.A.W. Fest when you were approached by the person in attendance after your set?
Absolutely, my pleasure! To be honest I wasn’t sure what the reaction to my work was going to be so to have several encounters like this are confirmation that I am doing what God’s will for me and this band
I finished my set at F. L. A. W. and I sat next to Alex (Dark Empire) at the merchtable, I saw a guy looking at me. I could tell that he had something on his mind and he was fixated on me. I remember thinking, ”Well he either liked it or this may go south”
He came over, introduced himself and said some really nice things about the set. More overall not really zeroing in on what I believed he wanted to say. So I stood up (I believe eye contact and full attention is of the utmost importance when speaking about King Jesus) so before I could get a word out he asked “Is this real?” meaning my Christianity. I responded absolutely! He cleared his throat and began to share his life story with me. I don’t feel like I should share any of what he said. But what I can say is that he has been through it and it hurt my heart. I prayed for him. He walked away. Mere moments later he came back over, gave me a hug and he bought some Meketa PE releases.
I was changed that day on.
If you could tour with Meketa, would you? Tell us about your upcoming show with Bastard Noise and also any other show/fest you have coming up.
YES! We will be touring! I was offered a Japan tour (nothing set up yet, just in talks). I will definitely be playing a lot in 2025. And yes the 1st show of the New Year will be January 18th with the BASTARD NOISE!!!!!
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