First of all, the song "Lost" from the "Forward" album really caught my attention. It's not very unusual that a then Gothic-Industrial band would someday crashland into a more upbeat/electronic style which is probably the most ideal of evolutionary pogressions in EBM nowadays. Do you feel that things are better presently?

Kristy: Definitely. I think this is the direction Steve and I always wanted to go. I’ve definitely been more influenced by dance and electronic bands over the years.

Steve: It was a natural progression for us after we became a two-person band. We are very happy with the direction.

The videos in the download section give us an idea of what it's like to actually be in one of your live performances, and the experience is close enough to the real thing, which is unquestionably ecstatic. Even the dancing/swerving guy on the dancefloor agrees. Have you submitted your videos to music channels for exposure?

Kristy: No, but I guess we should after reading your impression! We always welcome more band/music exposure and hope someday we can get more video exposure. I think the “Conflict” video best shows our live show experience. Thanks for the compliments!

I'm trying to guess who your influences are, basing merely on your sound and the way you sing, but the overall idea is too broad or general, do you mind pinpointing them for us?

Kristy: Musically, we are influenced by a lot of the German Industrial from the mid 90’s, some trance, 80’s and newer EBM/Futurepop. Vocally, I’d have to say PJ Harvey is a big influence, along with Toni Halliday from Curve and Pat Benatar. I listen to so many artists though that it’s hard to tell who I really get all my influences from.

Steve: I am definitely influenced by 90’s bands like yelworC, Evil’s Toy, and so many more (like on Zoth Ommog.) Our influences and styles change over the years though, but I think you can still hear some of these early influences in our sound.

Starting and maintaining a record label is not an easy job, what was your reason for making this move? You also decided to pick up one of your earlier song titles to be the representative moniker. What does "Nilaihah" mean and who are the other musicians involved?

Kristy: The label does take an enormous amount of time, dedication and money, but it’s not something I took lightly. I thought about it for a year after Oneiroid Psychosis approached me about the idea. I wanted to be sure I could do a good job and put forth the effort and financial requirements involved. ‘Nilaihah’ was a fallen angel who wrote poetry. I never thought I’d have a bon-a-fide record label at the time, so it was just a name I really liked. And, I was into angels at the time. Hence the “poetics of the fallen” from the website. And the bands on the label are: The Azoic, Backlash, Blind Faith and Envy, Dissonance, Distorted Reality, Fiction 8, NamNamBulu, and Null Device with a few new signees coming soon.

You've had remixes done for your recent tracks by Assemblage 23 and Negative Format, to name a couple. How were they processed? Did you work with those great artists personally, or did technology have a lot to do with it (say for example via the internet)?

Kristy: We emailed them, sent those bands a remix kit and waited to see what they came up with. (We wouldn’t have asked them if we didn’t respect their work.) I also encouraged all the remixers to really push the limits with their mixes. :)

I must admit that your upcoming album "Illuminate" will surely make your followers drool in anticipation, and that the title is positively bright and alluring, with a mysterious side to it. I even downloaded your soundclips, but the describing part at this point in time should not come from me.

Kristy: Yes, that is why I chose the name ‘Illuminate’. It’s mysterious and definitely a word that has several meanings and interpretations. We hope it does well and the fans see all the hard work we’ve put into it. Thanks for your compliments!

This contradicts the last request, I simply want to comment that the "Illuminate" song was what I expected the album to be like, blissful and sensational.

Kristy: Thanks! I think for us it was an unexpected twist to another song we were working on. You never know how each song will turn out or what to expect and this one became something new for us stylistically. However, we are excited by the end result!

Steve: Yes, this song started out very differently, but is definitely one of our stronger songs.

It seems that you've indeed maximized the tempo on your latest endeavor, which can be loosely labelled as club-friendly and very well suited for the dancefloor. I bet that the explosive tracks will grace many EBM compilations in the future for their intense dance potential, which leads me to another viewpoint, were your past songs compiled?

Kristy: We tried to have a concept for ‘Forward’, ‘Conflict’ and ‘Illuminate’, which we hope comes through. On earlier releases, there was still an idea, but not as strong. And, even within a concept, you still can have diversions within it.

Is there a chance or possibility that you will experiment with other genres in the future? Maybe a regression to your early works? Say for example when resources run low in terms of ideas and concepts for later projects.

Kristy: It’s so hard to tell where our minds and abilities will take us next. It’s like trying to predict the future. We just hope we continue to grow…

Steve: I guess it all depends what influences us next, musically and beyond.

How do you compose your lyrics and play match with the accompaniment? How long does it take to complete a song, or an album for that matter?

Steve: Each song takes us about 1 month by the time we spend on programming, recording the vocals and fusing them all together.

Kristy: And as for my lyrics, I just listen to the song once or twice and go with my gut feeling on the melody. From there, I structure the lyrics based off an idea or feeling that comes to me.

You have numerous live shows in/for september in the US, do you have plans of touring overseas? Is it in your time schedule already? Which foreign country would you pay a visit first?

Kristy: We have talked with our European label about shows overseas and hope it will become a reality in early 2005. I’m assuming we’d play Germany first. (A country dear to my heart!) I do miss all of Europe though so we hope there are enough fans and interest for many countries.

Have you ever participated in the phenomenal Wave Gotik Treffen festival during your formative years, way before your devoted fans started taking dance lessons from their peers?

Kristy: Ha! No, we have not, but welcome the opportunity!

Has your Street Team program served you well? Would you recommend the same approach to other musical groups? Some of your songs are enjoying regular airplays on EBM radio as well.

Kristy: Word of mouth is the best publicity. I think between the street team, our devoted fans, and DJ’s is how our fan base has grown over the years. (And lots of hard work with promotion too!) One cannot forget how important it is to work hard and promote your music!

Your final message. Thank you very much.

Kristy: Thanks! We wish you the best with Aborted Life.

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