Hi Ronove and welcome to College Radio Charts! How has your 2025 been so far?
Hi there, thank you for having me. Our 2025 has been busy so far, we have a lot planned that we aim to get done by the end of the year but apart from that no complaints so far.
Congrats on the new release! Humane Industry is a brutal sonic assault—what headspace were you in while writing and recording this EP?
Thank you for the kind words. When I was in the process of writing Humane Industry I’d say I was in a pretty bleak and cynical headspace. My personal life was very chaotic at the time and when it came to recording I’d say that was definitely one of the main driving forces behind my sound.
There’s a raw, unfiltered anger in tracks like “RNRC” and “Pretty.” Is anger the fuel behind Ache Tape, or is there something deeper at play?
When I formed Ache Tape one of the ideas behind the project was the exploration of the underbelly of everyday life, the ignored grit underneath through a satirical lens give or take. It’s a case by case basis but I think being blunt, angry and raw in some cases is the best way to convey, communicate and explore these subject matters. With that being said though we aren’t afraid of having a little fun either with some tongue and cheek humour every now and then.
Industrial music has always been about rebellion. What would you say you are rebelling against with this record?
Complacency, artificiality, individuality and the lack thereof within modern life especially.
The lyrics of “Humane Industry” paint a bleak picture of modern life—do you see the world as a dystopia, or is there still hope buried in the noise?
I’d like to think there is always hope, I mean I doubt we would be talking about it if there weren’t. The way that I see it is that there is definitely still beauty in the world with good and genuine people but unfortunately we live in such a time where statistics, algorithms and clicks dictate our everyday life. This has led to a madness of sorts with everybody rushing to get to the top without realising there is always going to be someone above stringing them along. I tried to convey this within the lyrics especially with the references to God and Satan.
Did you come from a musical family? What are some of your earliest musical memories growing up?
Not really no, apart from my step father mixing on the decks every now and then. I have had family that have played instruments in the past but it never went past that really. We are a family that shares a deep love and appreciation for music; however, it has always been a big part of our life. One of my earliest musical memories I’d say would have to be my first concert which was the Twins of Evil, Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie tour (the first one) in London 2012, it was a great time.
Who would you say are some of your biggest influences?
There are many, almost too many to name but I would say one of if not the biggest influence for me personally is Godflesh.
You and Damien come from different musical backgrounds. How do those past projects—whether it’s psychedelic rock or symphonic metal—shape the sound of Ache Tape?
There is a bit of everything in Ache Tape and we enjoy that about the project. I went into it wanting to experiment. I didn’t want to stagnate on one genre or subgenre of music, neither did Damien. I think having that experience of those past projects allows us to comfortably take elements from said projects and play around with them a bit. This has definitely benefited our sound I’d say, it is always changing and evolving.
There’s traditionally a strong visual and aesthetic element to industrial music. How important is the imagery surrounding Ache Tape’s music?
Imagery I would say is quite important in Ache Tape, whether that be for theatrics or a message we are trying to convey to our audience. Oftentimes it may even be both.
The opening track, “Overture 24,” feels like the calm before the storm. Why did you choose to start the EP that way?
Overture 24 was originally a cover of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture (the finale). It then eventually turned into a re-imagining of the piece, with some call backs to the original present. It is a love letter to symphonic music and is meant to serve as an opening to what is to come within the EP, easing the audience in with a taste of everything.
“Pretty” takes a sledgehammer to society’s obsession with appearances. Can you walk us through how this song came to be?
The idea behind Pretty began with a criticism of the beauty industry and it still is to some extent, it went through so many rewrites as I felt I couldn’t get it right. It was then I decided to take a different approach and look at the insecurities that lead to people seeking out these procedures as well as insecurities of my own. It was then I realized that it didn’t need to be complicated. So with a point blank approach It all fell together after that. It talks about integrity and how we destroy ourselves both mentally and physically for validation, for a quick fuck so to speak both in a literal and a metaphorical sense. We may be Pretty but we are still miserable as we never solved anything.
What’s the songwriting process like between you two? Is it chaotic, or do you have a clear vision from the start?
There’s always a clear vision as to what we want to talk about within a track, an idea so to speak but we always spend a lot of time experimenting with the idea. It can get quite chaotic occasionally.
If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would you bring into the Ache Tape world?
I think personally I would love to collaborate with either Mick Gordon or Trent Reznor, maybe even both, that would be interesting and a lot of fun I’m sure.
What’s next for Ache Tape? Is this just the beginning of something even heavier, or do you see the sound evolving in unexpected ways?
We have some big plans for Ache Tape, we are not really in any position to share anything at the moment but what I will say regarding the future is that this is definitely the beginning of something special, heavy and ever evolving.
If someone listens to Humane Industry for the first time, what do you hope they walk away feeling?
I’d like people to feel energized and inspired I think, as we were listening to our inspirations. We make the music for ourselves first at the end of the day as well as our audience. I really enjoy hearing different interpretations of our work. We always like keeping things open ended for that reason.
What is your studio setup like? Is there a certain piece of gear you can’t live without?
Our set up is pretty simple, you know the usual, guitars, synths etc. but we enjoy incorporating other instruments into the mix every now and then, mostly unconventional instruments. One example I can think of is when I brought an Ehecachichtli or an Aztec Death Whistle as they are commonly known. Damien was convinced I had put a curse on the studio as when we went next time nothing didn’t want to work. The gear is always changing so I’d say there isn’t really anything that we couldn’t live without apart from the essentials.
Thank you so much for spending some time with us today, Ronove! Where can people go to find out more about you and your music?
Thank you very much for having me, it has been great. I would also like to extend my thanks to everyone who took the time to read this and learn about our project. You can find Ache Tape on all digital stores, streaming platforms and for those who want something more physical you can purchase Humane Industry on CD and Vinyl from Elasticstage.com. We have our website achetape.com where you can learn more about us as well as find all our social media links.
