An Interview With Richard Ramirez-Matzus

Richard Ramirez-Matzus, though not the earliest of American noise musicians, is certainly one of the artists that solidified it as a genre. Active since the late 80s, both solo and in a myriad of groups, his output is as prolific as it is nigh-legendary.

As well as constantly creating and releasing music, Ramirez-Matzus creates innumerable pieces of avant-garde fashion in his own collections, for a variety of celebrities, and sells said works to certain fashion houses (Comme des Garcons for example).

I normally ask the people I interview to introduce themselves, but I have a feeling that readers are going to be well aware of you.  So, instead, I’ll ask how married life is treating you?

It is wonderful. I am married to the most amazing man (Sean Matzus) that I've ever met. He and I have known each other for about 10 years prior to becoming a couple. We were friends first. We found comfort in each other after both of us were ending long-term bad relationships. We fell in love. We've been together almost five years now.

Would you describe your musical work as being thematically consistent? So much seems to be focused on sexual imagery?

I think there are certain projects that stick to a certain theme/inspiration. Some are focused on gay sexual images. Some are inspired by horror films. It really depends on the project. There are some that have "straight" sexual images too. Early on I started using gay sex art because I saw so many of women used and thought "why not men?" I know I'm not the only gay noise artist out there. I liked it and went for it. No regrets about doing so either. There are a lot of Giallo themed releases, but it's my obsession. It's my favorite movie genre.

You seem to spend a lot of time working in a group setting, playing in Black Leather Jesus, Priest in Shit, etc. What does collaboration offer you that solo work does not?

I am not always fond of working solo. I love collaboration. I enjoy seeing what different ideas that come together can create. You know, at a point, whether it's working or not. Sometimes you can bring out things in each other during sessions. In a live setting, I prefer not to perform solo (Even though I've done it numerous times) because I have stage fright. I still do.

Tell me about your label, Deadline Recordings. What upcoming releases can we expect?


I started Deadline Officially in 1992. I started a label because at the time it was so difficult to find a label to release my work. I wanted to create a label that would also give new/newer artists a chance to get their work out.

Lately I have been focused on my label Room 2A. I am working on a Werewolf Jerusalem 20x disc set based on the Grand Guignol. I am working on a box set for The Ebony Tower as well. I am releasing a tape with Smell & Quim. I just released works by Ecco, Nundata, and Blood Eagle. I will be working with Vomir and The Rita again. I may be releasing a CD of my project, Random Escorts, as a split with The Rita. I'd like to eventually release a vinyl of Last Rape.

What music are you currently enjoying? What do you think we need to know about?

Personally, I listen to a lot of music that I've listened to since I was a teen. I listen to bands like The Jesus & Mary Chain, Cocteau Twins, The Fall, A Split-Second, Gene Loves Jezebel, Pale Saints, Bauhaus, Big Black, Wire, Close Lobsters, The Woodentops, The Mighty Lemon Drops, Foetus, The The, Echo & The Bunnymen, The Church, Skinny Puppy, Frontline Assembly, Galaxie 500, and others.

In experimental/noise, I'm a huge fan of The Rita, Vomir, Incapacitants, Kapotte Muziek, The Haters, Hijokaidan, The New Blockaders, S. Core, Skin Crime, Sewer Election, C.C.C.C., Sudden Infant, Alo Girl, EEE, P16.D4, Con-Dom, Mauthausen Orchestra, Murder Corporation, Dead Body Love, and others.

I would recommend that more people check out: Struggle Session, Ascites, Illicit Relationship, Grey Cell, A Week of Kindness, White Gloves & Party Manners, Serpentine, Cronaca Nera, Tanner Garza, Folter, Morte Cammina, Nascitari, Ecco, She Walks Crooked, The Ebony Tower, Tellurian Fields, Big Hole, Female Pedophile, Ginger Cortes, Anonymous Masturbaudioum, Le Cose Bianche, Alison Rowe, Blood Eagle, Wet Dream Asphyxiation, Brutalest, Sandy Ewen, Nightmare Castle, and others (too many to keep listing).


I’m also very interested in your pursuits in fashion design. What do you hope to achieve? What is fashion to you?

Fashion is your own personal style. Many people detest fashion, but we all are a part of it. We each have our own style. It doesn't have to be "high-fashion." I started making clothes when I was a teen. I hated what was out there for men. So I went to thrift stores and reworked found items. I made them into something I liked. Some female friends liked what I did and asked me to do stuff for them. In 1997, I decided to start my own fashion line. I chose the name Richard Saenz because "Saenz" is my grandmother's maiden name. I didn't want to use my real name for obvious reasons.

I showed my first collection in spring of '98. I've been doing it ever since. I also design/co-design other labels- Automatism, Mad Recital, and Dismembered Quietly.

I am not trying to be a household name or big in the industry. My work is avant-garde fashion. It's not for everyone and that's okay. I was inspired by the designers I like: Rei Kawakubo (Commes De Garcons), Martin Margiela, Junya Watanabe, Yohji Yamato, Susan Cianciiolo, and others. I sell my work in Japan, Poland, and soon in Indonesia. I mainly deconstruct clothing and give it a new life.

You’re going to be putting up pieces from your Automatism collection for sale online, it seems. What inspired this collection? The pieces I’ve seen feel very cinematic, kind of reminiscent of THX 1138 or something. The lines look cleaner. What can you tell us about Automatism?

Automatism is a line I decided to do because I had so many ideas that didn't necessarily fit within a themed collection for my Richard Saenz or Mad Recital labels. With those two I have deadlines to meet. Automatism was to be a label that I do when I want and didn't have to fit within a season or a theme. Soon I will be selling all of my labels online. We are working on a site now.

What kind of people do you want to wear your clothes? On a related note, if you could dress any single person, living or dead, who would it be?

Someone who wants to wear something that one might ask, "What in the hell is that?!"

I sell to people who want to stand out in a good way. Someone not wanting the same old boring shit you see everywhere. Something that you can see someone has done by hand. Wearable art.

I have sold my work to a few celebrities but it doesn't interest me at all.

If I could design for any person, it would be Isabella Blow. She has passed. She was someone that loved avant-garde designers and wore them straight off the runway. Nothing really altered. She wore them as the designers envisioned.


Any final words?

Thank you for this opportunity. 

http://deadlinerecordings.tictail.com/

https://richardramirez.bandcamp.com/