Found this in _Primal Chaos_#12. A rather fun interview with Josh.

INTERVIEW WITH TYPE O NEGATIVE
by Wendy Van Dusen

Intro: I recently got a chance to talk with Josh, the keyboard player to
Type O Negative. I must warn you, some of what you're about to read might
be offensive. (I hope!)

PC: How did you get hooked up playing keyboards with Type O Negative?

TN: I grew up with Peter, so I've known him a long twenty odd some years or
so. Our first bands were together. When we were 13 we were playing
together.

PC: And what bands were these?

TN: Nothing I'd ever want to mention. Local bands, that type of thing.

PC: And this was in New York? Was it in the city or suburbs?

TN: Oh, I wouldn't call it a suburb but there were a lot of people, so...

PC: Was it in Brooklyn?

TN: Yeah, it was in Brooklyn. It's not considered the city if you're in New
York, the city is Manhattan. But there's so many damn people it's a city in
its own!

PC: Did you take any kind of training?

TN: I was forced to as every child. Actually it was a request and I decided
to take piano lessons when I was eight. Then I tried to bail but I wasn't
allowed to bail out. And I actually used to play well, then I took a year
off and forgot everything I ever learned from classical and decided I was
really less concerned with actual playing than I am with how the overall
band sounds. So eventually I think I'm going to go back and attempt lessons
again and just try to better my playing for my own personal satisfaction.

PC: Do you actually do any of the composition and writing of the music?

TN: I donate things like leads and make suggestions about the little parts.
Peter is the writer.

PC: So he primarily writes the music?

TN: Right, and we do the production together.

PC: I see. Are there any side projects that you would want to do in the
future, as far as anything more keyboard-oriented goes?

TN: I think that's probably the way Type O Negative will end up going.

PC: There's something that I really noticed about Type O Negative and I
don't know how much of it was serious. I know some of the songs lyrically
are very satirical, especially towards the "Death Rock" scene. So listening
to that I noticed there's some very strong emotional music. But where is
the line drawn?

TN: I don't think we worry about that. You're right, there is a lot of
humor in the music as well as emotion. I think the humor comes from just
growing up in Brooklyn and being four sarcastic assholes!

PC: I think that definitely helps with any type of music. If you don't have
a sense of humor you're pretty much going to bury yourself.

TN: I don't think of myself as some "Rock Star," I'm a fucking asshole like
the rest of the world, I realize that! It in fact bothers me when other
people put musicians on great plateaus. It's ridiculous! They're just doing
a job and they're doing what they like! And if someone else is building a
house and he does that great, then he's probably just as worthy of praise
as that musician! But people are always desperate to latch onto things...

PC: What do you think that is?

TN: Now you're getting into psychology!

PC: Or possibly religion!

TN: Right! It's the same thing, basically. People are always looking for
the answer. They want a divine purpose. In my mind, and it's only my
opinion. I'm not preaching, because I do not try to change peoples' minds
about their personal business, there is no divine purpose. We're a bunch of
animals trying to rationalize why we are here, and what things we do, and
why we do them. You can beat yourself up on the side of the head, and I'm a
victim of this myself. Just because I know it doesn't mean I can stop it!
People are just constantly searching for things to latch onto for a reason
to live and for explanations of why they "Feel This Way"...the explanation
is pretty clear.

PC: Do you think that's because we don't have to struggle to survive
anymore? We're just sitting around with things being handed to us. We don't
have to kill prey, "Here we are, what do we do, our imaginations are eating
ourselves!"

TN: Right, absolutely! In my opinion society has destroyed the essence of
the human animal. The whole socialization of human beings has not been
improvement! Humans used to once live with the planet, now we're destroying
it. And you know what? We'll get nature's foot up our ass one day for doing
that! I look forward to it.

PC: Do you see the planet being saved eventually or do you say "Destroy it
All," and let it sort itself out?

TN: Absolutely. I think it's both. I think the savior, is the destruction
of Humanity! People say, "Oh, you're such a negative asshole," "You're a
pessimist," you're this, you're that...that's not pessimism to me, that's
optimism! When human beings are gone, this planet's going to continue long
after...in geological time we are fleas. There are other things that have
been around for billions of years and they make us look like shit! It will
again be that way one day and I don't think of that as a bad thing...I
think of that as a good thing. I think of that as the savior of the planet.
Human beings are not a necessary animal of the food chain.

PC: No, I think ants are more important than humans.

TN: Yeah, I'm sure they are.

PC: That's a scientific fact that is kind of frightening to think about.

TN: No, it's not frightening at all. I take a lot of comfort in that to be
honest with you.

PC: I know within the last few years there has been a huge popularity with
"Serial Killers," or basic destructive forces in the media that are deemed
as being "Rock Stars." What do you think about that?

TN: I don't blame the media because it's the demand of the pathetic human
that makes them do that. If no one wanted to see it, they would not be
doing it. So it's peoples' fault! When people bitch about what they see on
TV it is because their instincts tell them that it is "Time to get off on
this!," and "I like this!," and "I want to see this!" It's like walking
over to a car wreck, you don't want to see it, but you go over and look.
It's the same thing. So if people want to get off on mass murderers I don't
blame the media for that. I blame stupid people for it.

PC: What do you think about murder?

TN: I personally don't condone it. I think in this society it is big news.
But again if there wasn't a society I don't the delusions of morality would
be affecting people as much as they are. And if a killing did go down, in
other words, if two males challenge each other for territory and one of
them died, the other guy wouldn't go back to his cave with a guilt complex.
He did what he had to do to protect his wife. He didn't consider it murder,
there was no bible to tell him what he did was wrong, he didn't give a
shit, he was challenged, it was do or die, and he did what he had to do.
Again, I'm not condoning murder.

PC: Murder it seems to me is a moral or legal term.

TN: Exactly!

PC: When one kills another it is a truly natural act. Unless someone puts
you in jail for it, then all of a sudden you have to rethink your situation
because survival is freedom in a way.

TN: It is absolutely! If somebody put my life on the line, I would without
a minute of guilt, shoot them in 2 seconds. I have no desire to go out and
kill people that live their own lives and don't bother me. But if someone
comes into my house, even though New York City law states you still can't
shoot a guy coming into your house...I would.

PC: Oh, really!

TN: That's right, they have to be threatening your life or the life of a
family member. But if somebody comes into my house that's enough fo a
threat for me and I'm going to kill them.

PC: Then you think people arming themselves is okay? I know that seems to
be a hot topic right now.

TN: No, if I had my way, when Waco happened I would have leveled that house
in 30 seconds! I would have gave them 12 hours to come out and said,
"Listen, this is your choice, this is America, you cannot build a fort in
America. It's illegal, it's a danger, it's a bad example, and if you let it
go on, it's going to lead to more shit!" Which it obviously has. Look at
how it ended anyway.

PC: I think that you would save this country a few billion dollars a year!

TN: Yeah, but then you have the moral majority screaming at you, "How could
you do that?" How could I do that? This guy set up a damn fort in the
middle of the United States: you can't let them do that. I am law abiding,
I do believe that I want to have the right to be armed, I went through Hell
to have that right. I went through FBI fingerprinting, I have no records,
I've never been institutionalized, I am pro gun control and I don't think
any asshole should have a gun. But if you're a responsible citizen, and
you're willing to go through the shit they put you through to get a gun,
then you do have a right to carry one.

PC: Exactly. I think that's the main problem that's happening now. It's the
little boys who decide that they want to be cowboys. They get into guns
because they can't get laid.

TN: I want to carry a gun but I don't ever want to have to use it!

PC: So what do you think about Satanism?

TN: I think it's as big of a joke as Christianity! I don't believe in
Satan, I don't believe in God. I think if you want to worship Science
Fiction what do I give a shit!

PC: So primarily your belief is that of the flesh. Obviously, there's no
omnipotence.

TN: Right, nature. The science of nature. All of this society and things
that have been dealt over a thousand years is all part of a plan. Humans
will have their reign on Earth and they will disappear just like the
Dinosaurs, just like whatever was before that that we have no knowledge of.
I don't think we can know everything.

PC: We think we do. I've heard a lot of people say that Type O Negative is
misogynistic. What do you think about that?

TN: I think they are out of reality to tell you the truth. I love women. I
have no problem with them. I think that "Brain-Wise" they are completely
equal. I don't want women fire-fighters, not because I don't think they are
not smart enough, but I don't want to be carried out of a fire by a 110
pound girl. There are stupid women and stupid men. I think there are smart
women and smart men. I don't judge a person by their sex.

PC: There seem to be a lot of Affirmative Action laws now being
reconsidered. What do you think about that?

TN: The quotes are totally "anti," they go against what they stand for. If
a man regardless of what color he is has the ability to do a job, the fact
that he is a certain color or race should never even enter the decision. I
understand the laws are trying to compensate for peoples' prejudice, but
the real problem is peoples' prejudice and these laws are not going to stop
us!

PC: Do you think there is something that could?

TN: No. I think that if everyone were the same color they would find a new
reason to hate each other. I think that people are hating animals, they
love to hate. They are never going to change. 5,000 years ago when people
were stuck on their own continent they were still killing each other. They
just came up with new reasons.

PC: I noticed that you thank Dr. Kervorkian on your CD. He's a personal
favorite of mine, I'm all for him!

TN: I think he's a nut personally but I believe in what he represents. If
you're terminally ill you have every right to commit suicide assisted if
you're in the frame of mind to decide.

PC: Has the cover of your CD with two women kissing caused a lot of problems?

TN: It's a joke! To me it's so fucking stupid I can't even deal with it! I
won't even answer people that ask me dumb things like that. It's so dumb!
If you're that terrified, then go live in a cage.

PC: I didn't know anyone actually opposed to it outwardly.

TN: We're not allowed to sell our shirts in Utah and Iowa.

PC: I noticed your video is pretty sexual.

TN: America's terrified of that. In Europe they have no problem whatsoever.
But America's too scared shitless of getting an erection.

PC: And you guys are going to keep daring everyone too!

TN: Well they are getting off and that's why they are getting pissed off.
The guy who wouldn't sell our shirts probably had the biggest hard-on of
all. That's why he was so scared Shit! He didn't know what to do with his
own feelings.


Have fun!

- unshetek
drums, bullroarer, scalpels and screwdrivers, turbine, crucible, all metal
and wolves, spring, black, Brahmin hour, lunar phase (*, mercury, 3,
curiosity, jade, west, Werewolf, Capricorn Metal Ox...and _O-_, too!