Subnormal is a 5 piece band located out of Elk River,Mn that quite frankly is making headlines wherever they go. They are currently a finalist in the KXXR Battle of the bands where the winner gets to perform in front of 50,000 People at X-fest. Subnormal's music is very unique and brutally honest. The music is full of hooks and curve balls that leave you speechless for days after hearing it. Subnormal's latest release "The Shakras" is making such a buzz around that it earned the band the honor of being band of the month on soundtrack for violence. Recently Trip Sources Brian had the pleasure of interviewing Danny Horvok, the bass player of Subnormal, the interview is as follows:

1)How was the band formed and when ?

D When we were very young, Jeff and I were classmates. We had always worked together on certain projects such as plays and comics. At a point during our 6th grade year, we decided to begin experimenting with our musical ideas. We would jam with percussionists nearly twice our age. After some time, we had decided that we wanted to perform for others rather than to just satisfy our own musical ambitions, and we joined forces with two other musicians that had been childhood friends as well. Our second guitarist, Tim, came three years later in 1999.

1)Subnormal puts on a very unique live show, how would you and the rest of the band describe your stage appeal ?

D One of our main goals has always been to offer our audience something that they can't get from anywhere else. We see ourselves as artists, as performers, and when you're a performer that means having detailed choreography, right down to the timing of the blinking of our eyes. Nearly every aspect of our show has been put under the magnifying glass by us at some point.

1)How would you describe Subnormal's music ?

D First of all, it's always evolving. If one were to compare the music we were making a year ago to the music we are making today, they would notice a progression. But, if that same person were to take a snapshot of our music right now, they would notice that we are definitely closer to the feminine side of our genre than your typical band. One thing that we all can say is that our music is the most honest sort that we can offer. EVERYTHING comes from our own minds, astral bodies, whatever, but there is not a dishonest moment in our entire current set of songs. This makes the writing process very smooth and rewarding.

1)What are your thoughts on the current Twin Cities Music Scene ? Do all the bands work together or is it every band for itself ?

D In the music scene that we're in, there are elements of each. Certain bands most definitely are helpful to others, sometimes giving more effort to a certain band than their own. It's wonderful to see this. Then there are the other bands that are sort of digging their own path, and that's fine too. If a band can enjoy success and have no one to credit but themselves, then their individual sense of accomplishment will likely be greater. We've been graciously welcomed into that scene, and so far the people we've met have been wonderful.

5)Are there any local bands that really catch your attention and you feel deserve more attention on a national level ?

D Yes. There is one band in particular called Jane Lady. Musically, they're setting themselves up to be a major influence on music in general. They only play about every two or three months, and their live shows are absolutely heart stopping. And almost nobody knows who they are.

6)Does Subnormal currently have a street team and if yes where can you sign up ?

D The answer is no, for now. A street team is something that we've discussed and we've been storming ideas on the way it would be set up. If you are interested in becoming a member of a possible team email us through our website at subnormal.net.

7)What has been the most memorable thing thus far to happen to the band ?

D All that I'll say is, during the time that we were recording the album, we went out of our heads for a very long time. When we came back, we couldn't believe what we saw.

8)Within the past year or so there has been a couple bands signing with major record labels. What are your thoughts on this ?

D I think it's great. Major label attention has always been heavily concentrated on the coasts with almost none around the midwest area, and that's been changing recently. There are great performers across the whole country, and hopefully the scouts will begin to notice that.

9)If you had to pick a favorite place to play where would it be and why ?

D There are so many. For esthetic reasons, the Fairmont Opera House. Cultural, the Red Sea. I could continue with just about every place we've played at. So far, every venue has had a certain characteristic that we've latched on to and used as an aid in our performance.

10)What made you decide to get into music performance ?

D The main reason is for how rewarding it is. When a fan comes up to us and tells us how much our performance has influenced them, or that our music has given them a fresh outlook, that's the absolute best feeling and biggest compliment that we could get. It's wonderful to know that what you have created is actually changing people.

11)What was it like when the band was first starting out ?

D There was a definite lack of focus. In our very early years, we were more or less a product of our influences. At the time this wasn't a problem, but as we grew older we knew that we couldn't accomplish our goals playing cover songs. Beginning in 1998, we began to swim around and explore different pathways that we could take. We went through just about every phase imaginable that a band could go through. It was actually ridiculous. A couple of years pass, and we decide to stop playing shows. We went "soul searching," if you like. We would take bizarre trips to wildlife refuges and that sort of thing to try to figure out what sparked our creativity. After nearly a year's break, we started performing again, this time as a group close to how you would see us now.

12)When and where was Subnormal's first public performance ?

In early 1998, the band decided that we wanted to set up a show for the kids that we knew around school or town, that sort of thing. We decided that a good place to have it was in the basement of a local church (with absolutely no attchment to the beliefs of typical church-goers) simply because the room was the right size and they were willing to let it happen for free. By the night of the concert, the show's buzz had spread like wildfire. We weren't expecting to even come close to the room's 100 person capacity, but before the show even began there were almost 200 people packed into the room. We had to begin rejecting people at the door simply because it was too full. There was a fog machine running also, which many concert-goers decided was the perfect mask for them to burn their leaves. About halfway through our set, the smoke detectors went off and the fire department showed up. By the end of the night, the room was completely trashed.

12)Subnormal's music is very intense, how do you write your songs, music or lyrics first ?

D Our current set of songs is a concept, a story of a character and his struggle. Before we begin writing a new song, we decide where the story will go after we left off or what section of the story we want to convey. Once this is done, music and lyrics more or less write themselves simultaneously. If the current concept is aggression, our music and lyrics will be powered. If it's love, then they will be based on romance, and so on.

14) If you could plan a dream tour with and 3 bands who would they be and why ?

D Firstly, Buffalo Daughter. They are a three-piece Japanese band that's just begun playing in America. This is the first band that I have been able to relate to us, ever. You can tell just by listening that they and us have very similar ideas, despite the fact that we sound nothing alike. They have a beautiful two-female/one-male vocal lineup.

Second, The Icarus Line. If I were forced to classify them into one genre it would be hardcore punk, but they definitely don't fit the mold. Their live show is jaw-dropping. When I saw them for the first time, the guitarist's amp failed so he thought it would be a good idea to stage-dive on to the concrete floor in front of him. He then decided to hurl his equipment that he dragged into the crowd with him back onstage, and then he left. It was heart-stopping, and a huge shock.

And finally, we would like to tour with Bjork. For a while I was completely convinced that her music came from a different world than ours. I've never heard anything like her. She's dramatic, energetic, calming, just about everything that I look for in music.

15)Where do you see the state of rock music being in 10 years ?

D It's so hard to predict. Mainstream rock music right now is getting to be very watered down. I rarely even listen to the radio anymore. But, in the past, bleak periods in rock music have usually been followed by an innovation that completely changes the genre. I'm not predicting anything; however, I'm hoping that this will happen.

16)Do you have any advice to people that may wish to get into music as a profession ?

D Yes. Take no one's advice and listen to yourselves.

Check out SUBNORMAL www.subnormal.net