First of all, congratulations on your latest album "Orchid.." and all the attention the likes of Triple J and video-clip shows are now giving you!

Thanks, the album’s going really well. Triple J and shows like Channel [V] and Rage have been giving us fantastic support. Also, we have been getting awesome support from the many local and community stations, who are a much needed thing - we could never have too many.

You've just signed with a new worldwide management team, who are responsible for the likes of Fatboy Slim, Oakenfold and Lauryn Hill! How did that come about and what does it means for the band?

Our manager Rae Harvey worked really hard to put that together. We are pretty excited about this, as it means we can finally look at putting a tour together for UK/Europe. We've been wanting to go there since we started Sonic in '94.

Have you got any sort of a profile overseas?

We had a few tracks released in UK. "Magnitude 7" got 4+1/2 dancing men out of five in Mixmag and was released through React, and "Theophilus Thistler" was played on Pete Tong’s Radio 1 show in London a few times.

Listening to your newie "Orchid..", I realised that none of your albums have got much in common with each other. The same can be said for your singles. Is their a broader picture where Sonic Animation are working towards consolidating a style? Or does it just not matter?

Sonic is all about who we are and what we are into. We have extremely diverse tastes in music and we felt we needed to show that in this album. We also believe there are many people who buy CDs that love diversity, and the success of the album proves this.

"Love Lies Bleeding" certainly nodded to Underworld in style. Do you enjoy that vocodered-type of talking/singing on your records?

We didn’t actually use a vocoder, it was mainly lots of distortion in the vocals. I love the Underworld style of vocals, but am getting a bit sick of the vocoder sound, as it has been used a lot lately.

The 2nd single "Theophilus Thistler" has obviously seen you on Triple J and in the hearts of the wider music loving population in Australia. Is that strange for you, that indie kids are now digging your music?

We've always wanted to "cross over". Mainly because we feel that most people haven’t heard decent dance music. The stuff you see on Video Hits etc. has traditionally been really cheesy, and I very often hear from people who say "I hated dance/electronic music until I heard your music. Now I'm going to raves and loving it". It's funny though, we never thought we'd see mosh pits and crowd surfing when we play live, but Livid and Homebake spun us out!

That clip was hilarious - where did you get those guys in suits from?

The Robert Roley and Theophilus suits were made by us, with help from a very talented costume designer, who said she'd never attempt it again! The design was conceived by a friend of ours, Dom, who did the cover artwork for "Didley Squat". The video idea was put together and produced by Morgan Evans, who did "Love Lies Bleeding" and Frontside's "LBP" (he also did the somersault off the sandune!).

Frank De Wulf was playing at the first rave you went to in Melbourne. Did that change you forever? What did early techno music and the rave movement in general mean to you?

The night changed me so much the band was almost conceived the next day! It was, for me, very much a life changing experience. I found a place where I felt comfortable. Before this, the only time I went out at night was when I was playing in a band.

The whole rave movement, like any new underground movement, is both necessary and important in the growth and development of music as a whole. Styles such as punk and new-romantic eventually merged and blended in what was already existing and created a new style again. You can see now how electronic music is starting to filter into current styles, and there are more and more cross-over bands appearing every day. Without this, music would become boring and stagnant.

Do you see yourself doing ska and rock again?

No, maybe something like death rap or a reggae opera.

Your website http://www.sonic-animation.com/ is up and running with a fair bit of interesting content. How important to you is that aspect, ie keeping that up to date and snazzy?

The website is such a useful way of keeping in contact with the people who are very important to us. We receive e-mails every day with people telling us about the experience they had at one of out gigs, and we can reply to them and chat with them. We don't ever want to be "unreachable rock stars!" We want people to come up after the gig and say what they feel and talk with us.

The website is updated by Rupert's brother, Tim, whenever he can. Every gig we do we take photos from the stage and we plan to put them on the site. We also ask people in each state if they want to wear the costumes during the gig. This seems to be very popular and they have lots of fun.

You also have a few websites run by fans -
http://www.egroups.com/list/sonicanimators/info.html
http://members.xoom.com/sonic_raver/
http://www.go.to/sonic-animation

What do you think of them?

They are really good! (See last question) It’s great to know people like what you do enough to put a website together!

You did a bizarre collaboration with the Underground Lovers a couple of years back as GBVG. Who else would you really like to work with?

I'd like to work with totally unknown singer/songwriters, where I could write music for their songs and put an album together. Then take it to record labels and get them signed. For me, that would be the most rewarding experience!

Finally, you've got a very comprehensive tour throughout March/April. Do you enjoy being on the road? Do you prefer playing in traditional venues or at parties?

We like playing all different types of shows. It gives us a chance to play different sets and play to different sorts of audiences. We love to play live, it’s never boring, and the feeling after a good show is indescribable!!!

The album "Orchid for the Afterworld" and 3^rd single "Didley Squat" are available now on Global Recordings through Festival.

SONIC ANIMATION TOUR DATES The Monogamy File Tour Thu Jul 06 - Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay NSW - SOLD OUT!!!!!! Tickets from Music Bizarre (Lismore) ABC Centre (Ballina) and the venue Fri Jul 07 - The Arena, Brisbane QLD Tickets from Rockinghorse, Skinnys, Central Station and the venue - Ph bookings - 07 3252 5690 - PRESENTED BY SCENE MAGAZINE Sat Jul 08 - Valley Fiesta, Brisbane QLD*** Sun Jul 09 - The Palladium, Surfers Paradise QLD Tickets from Record Market (Robina, Southport & Surfers Paradise), Sunflower Music (Broadbeach), Sunlight Music (Burleigh Heads) Wed Jul 12 - Bathurst Uni, Bathurst NSW Tickets from MASC Shop Thu Jul 13 - Newcastle Uni, Newcastle NSW Tickets from the Contact Office @ Uni Fri Jul 14 - The Metro, Sydney NSW Tickets from Red Eye, Fish (Newtown) and the Metro - ph 02 9264 2666 - PRESENTED BY REVOLVER Sat Jul 15 - Sutherland Entertainment Centre, Sydney*** Tickets in advance from venue only - Phone bookings Ph 02 9521 8888 Under 18's. No Smoking. No Alcohol! Thurs July 20 - The Wool Exchange, Geelong VIC CC Music (Geelong), Rip Curl (Torquay), The Green Room (Ocean Grove) and the venue ph (03) 5224 2400 Fri Jul 21 - Rowville Community Centre, VIC*** Tickets from Sight N' Sound (Stud Park and Boronia), Rajen Music (Knox Towerpoint) - PRESENTED BY INPRESS Sat Jul 22 - The Hi-Fi Bar, Melbourne VIC Tickets from Gaslight, DMC, Polyester and the venue - PRESENTED BY IN*PRESS Thu Jul 27 - Monash Uni, Clayton VIC Tickets from MSA Activities, Alexander Theatre Box Office & MONSU Infodesk - Ph 03 9905 4139 Fri Jul 28 - Inferno, Traralgon VIC Direct from venue - ph bookings Ph 03 5176 0464 Sat Jul 29 - Hobart City Hall, Hobart, TAS*** Tickets from Ellison Hawker Newsagency - ph 03 6234 4099 Thu Aug 03 - St Pauls Entertainment Complex, Adelaide SA CIB Network and Venuetix - ph 08 8212 2900 - PRESENTED BY ONION Fri Aug 04 - Metropolis, Perth WA Tickets from Reds, Ticketmaster, Mills, 78's, Planet Video & Central Station records - PRESENTED BY ZEBRA Sat Aug 05 - Settler's Tavern, Margaret River WA Tickets from Reds / Ticketmaster, Nobs (Bunbury), Leading Edge (Busselton) and the venue - PRESENTED BY ZEBRA Sun Aug 06 - Club A, Scarborough WA Tickets from Reds, Ticketmaster, Mills, 78's, Planet Video & Central Station records - PRESENTED BY ZEBRA ***DENOTES ALL AGES SHOW***TIX ON SALE NOW All shows with special guests GROOVE TERMINATOR (live) and DJ BILLY WIZZ The Monogamy File tour is proudly co - presented by: SCENE MAGAZINE, REVOLVER, IN*PRESS, ONION and ZEBRA PERTH.

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