In a current interview on The Adventures of Pipeman, Edsel Dope, generally known as the frontman of Dope and extensively rumored to be the masked vocalist Xer0 for Static-X, shared his ideas on serving to bassist Tony Campos, drummer Ken Jay, and guitarist Koichi Fukuda protect and rejoice Static-X’s legacy.
Reflecting on his historical past with Static-X, Edsel said (by way of Blabbermouth), “I used to be all the time an enormous Static-X fan and the 2 bands have a lot synergy. We each got here out in 1999. In the event you look again on the touring that the 2 bands did as we had been chopping our tooth, apart from Ozzfest, virtually each tour that each bands did, we did collectively. It was like Static-X, Dope, Powerman 5000; Static-X, Dope, Fear Factory; Static-X and Dope and Sevendust; and Static-X and Dope by ourselves. We did 250 exhibits collectively within the span of our first album. That’s quite a lot of connectivity to those self same followers.”
Edsel defined that his years of expertise constructing an impartial infrastructure allowed him to examine a brand new chapter for Static-X, particularly within the absence of Wayne Static. “I felt like I had an actual clear imaginative and prescient as a fan and as a good friend and as a band that not like Static-X, who all the time had a significant label, all the time had an enormous administration agency, with out all of that, and particularly with out their most important man, Wayne there, they, for an absence of higher phrases, had been in very unfamiliar territory. Whereas for me, I had constructed an impartial infrastructure over the past a number of years. And as a fan of Static-X, I checked out it sitting down with Tony and going, ’I feel I will help you guys. With the 20 years of constructing my very own impartial infrastructure, you possibly can type of simply put this via that very same prism. And also you guys are very near this. So I am certain you’ve got had concepts of convey this again. However as a fan of the band, I do know what I want to see.’”
Adapting the band’s legacy was met with blended reactions at first, however Edsel remained targeted on the purpose of making an expertise that may resonate with long-time followers. “In fact, all the things’s gonna be obtained with skepticism and, like, ‘I don’t find out about this,’ and there was quite a lot of that, ‘No Wayne Static, no Static-X’ to start with. However, once more, for those who’re doing it for the fitting causes and you’ve got a imaginative and prescient for one thing that basically will help the music stay and may actually assist folks have these experiences… I understand how a lot I miss the band, and I do know that I’m one among thousands and thousands of followers on the market who wished to get fucking hammered and take heed to ‘I’m With Silly’ loud and stay in a room and going, like, ‘We’re by no means gonna have these experiences once more.’ Effectively, how can we alter that and do it in the fitting approach to the place folks can’t really feel responsible once they’re smiling at a Static-X present?”
Edsel additionally famous that Static-X introduced a particular, energetic vibe to metallic, one which was essential to hold ahead. “As a result of to start with, it’s a mourning, it’s unhappy. However that was an enormous a part of it, was to maintain throwing as a lot constructive vitality and, for an absence of higher phrases, enjoyable at it, as a result of Static-X was all the time such a enjoyable band with enjoyable songs. There are quite a lot of metallic bands which might be severe. That wasn’t Static-X. Static-X was all the time this enjoyable, virtually smile-on-your-face metallic band. So it was essential for us to determine reconnect followers to that and permit them to take part in a Static-X expertise with out feeling responsible about it.”
Addressing the frequent method of changing iconic members or rebranding, Edsel felt Static-X deserved to keep up its unique id. “Or they attempt to transfer on. They attempt to rebrand it as one thing new. And it was, like, Static-X is a legacy band, bro. You attempt to take the legacy out, what the [expletive] are you doing? You’re making an attempt to take the Wayne Static out of Static-X, what are you doing? Why would you do this?”
He noticed Static-X’s id as extra than simply the music; the “evil disco” idea was now enhanced by technological advances that permit the band broaden its visible storytelling. “So I don’t know. To me, it wasn’t exhausting. It was simply, once more, making an attempt to just be sure you actually make it enjoyable and let or not it’s concerning the music. After which, with right now’s know-how, we had been in a position to have a look at ‘evil disco’ as one thing greater than a sound and go, ‘Effectively, how can we symbolize the visible of evil disco?’ As a result of Static-X actually checked out in, like, 2009. So 10, 12, 15 years of know-how improvement for LED screens and simply huge manufacturing props that didn’t actually exist again then which you could put via the evil disco filter. And there was quite a lot of actually cool, enjoyable shit to come back out of that too. So I could not be extra proud and extra blissful for my buddies who’re capable of go on the market and proceed on with one thing that all of them labored very exhausting on”
Edsel praised every unique member’s position in crafting Static-X’s sound, highlighting the group effort behind their basic album Wisconsin Loss of life Journey. “Static-X was — after all, Wayne was the top chef. He was the Gordon Ramsey of it. However for those who take any a type of guys away from that first album when the band was actually defining their sound, it’s not the identical band. Think about Wisconsin Loss of life Journey with out Tony Campos’s voice and with out his low-end thunder. It was an enormous a part of the sound. Kenny was the man who received in his automotive and moved from the Midwest out to L.A. with Wayne to start out the band. That’s your associate in crime, dude. It doesn’t occur with out that. After which Koichi got here in on the finish and was, like, ‘Oh, I play guitar, however I do a number of programming.’ And he was an enormous a part of that digital techno rave sound that made Wisconsin Loss of life Journey not simply an industrial album, however virtually like a techno rave evil disco album.”
Reflecting on the affect of Static-X’s revival, Edsel spoke to the band’s continued legacy and its attraction to new followers. “So all 4 of these guys collectively are liable for that sound, and to assume that these guys wouldn’t have the ability to exit and rejoice the anniversaries of that album that went platinum, it wouldn’t have been truthful. So I’m actually blissful for them as a result of it was such an achievement for all of them. And likewise for Wayne’s household who’s been a part of this with us the entire time and will get to observe their son’s band go to a different stage, which — and I say this with respect, in the long run, Wayne wasn’t doing nicely and the neighborhood wasn’t actually supporting his decisions anymore both. And rightfully so. So he is caught up in all of this refound success. And in some ways, it permits us to type of overlook these darker years on the finish the place he was type of phoning it in and did not care anymore as a result of he was simply caught in one other journey.”
By means of this journey, Edsel believes that Wayne’s spirit and music stay as highly effective as ever. “So it is very nice for the legacy of the entire thing that the band has been so profitable in bringing it again and bringing it to a brand new technology of followers that may respect it. And I can say with probably the most purity on this planet that there is no doubt in my thoughts Wayne Static is extra on the minds and within the hearts of the followers than he is ever been. And what extra are you able to ask for than that?”
