Interview - MASS GRAVEN IMAGE
Interview by Jiwa
[01] Hello Yeshua Gadriel. What’s up today? First of all, can you share something about yourself, and how you became interested in experimental music; ambient, noise, industrial, etc?
Yeshua Gadriel: What first got me into experimental music was electronic music, specifically groups like Aphex Twin, Boards of Canada, and different types of IDM. However, I’ve always been a metal-head at heart. The first heavy music I ever heard was when I was about 7 and my older brother brought home the Deicide album “Once Upon the Cross” and I was sure that I would go to hell for just listening to it and seeing the artwork of the eviscerated Nazarene in the J-Card.
Over time, as I sought out more extreme forms of music and developed an interest in finding harder, more aggressive sounds, I eventually discovered noise through groups like GISM and some of the darker black metal projects and I got into grind-core and weird metal, I sought out that blend aspects of dark ambient with metal. I’ve lived in Austin, Texas since 1998, and through various South by Southwest years, I unknowingly saw a lot of noise acts. They always intrigued me, though I didn’t know what they were at the time. Since I started attending in 2008, I’ve seen various noise sets—guys with lots of pedals and gear on a table, going nuts on their rigs. It was something I was keen to get involved with.
I’ve been involved with music since I moved to Texas. I had friends who were musicians, and I’ve been the lead singer for several different groups, mainly punk rock and heavy metal. I was the front-man for a local band called Plague Rig, which was together for about eight months to a year, and we did many local shows back in 2011. I’ve always experimented on my own, making music on my PC and mixing on different platforms. I’ve had a longstanding interest in vinyl and collecting music. The Mass Graven Image project began after I survived an attempted murder. I don’t like to go too much into details because I never went after the people who did what they did it. Mostly because I am glad I made it out alive and two should have known what kind of people I was involving myself with at the time, lesson learned although the hard way is still learned.
[02] Have you been influenced / inspired by anything or anyone that led you to create Mass Graven Image? Tell us more about the history & background of this project?
Yeshua Gadriel: While I was recovering—a long and grueling process—I realized I needed an outlet for the emotional aspects of healing. When something evil invades your life, it leaves a deep mark, changing the way you interact with the world. For nearly a year and a half, I lived in a state of extreme stress and anxiety, barely able to leave my house. Mass Graven Image emerged as a way to confront and exorcise my personal demons, allowing me to release the trauma I had experienced. There’s nothing more cathartic, for me at least, than letting it all out with loud, heavy drones. That aggressive sound became a part of my healing process.
Some of my biggest influences are Prurient and his label, Hospital Productions, along with Post Scriptvm and a great deal of the Tesco Organization ca, Total Black, and Phage Tapes. Later, I discovered other labels I loved, such as Freak Animal and Fantasy 1. There are too many to name really.
Another project I have immense respect for is Navicon Torture Technologies, which later evolved into Theologian. What set experimental noise apart for me was how projects could stand completely alone, each with its unique presence and sound. I’m very into visual aesthetics, so when an artist builds everything from the ground up, as I do, it creates a significant and holistic portfolio encompassing the entirety of their work.
I was also influenced by noise rock bands, and groups like Anal Cunt had an impact on me. I’ve been inspired by many genres, from the wild, chaotic electronic sounds of Venetian Snares and breakcore, to heavy black metal like Leviathan being one of my favorites acts. My introduction to experimental music even included odd groups like Amon Düül. Artists like Ulver, with the depth they bring to their sound, have had a huge influence on me. A lot of European music inspired me, and eventually, I dove headfirst into U.S. bands like Genocide Organ.
It wasn’t until I started being released by Gates of Hypnos that I truly found my sound. I had been putting out music on my own, but nobody was really listening. I reached out to Przemysław in Poland, and his label, Gates of Hypnos, told me that my sound was death industrial. That opened up a whole new realm for me that I wasn’t fully aware of. I knew industrial music, but I didn’t know what to call it at the time. That label helped shape my direction.
Some of my biggest inspirations in the noise scene are women like Himukalt and False Maria, who bring so much raw emotion into their work. I also have a deep love for Texas-based acts like Taint (RIP Keith Brewer) and TEF, with their cut-up noise style. There are so many influences, and they’re always evolving as I discover new sounds.
[03] Mass Graven Image is a unique name in my opinion. What do you want to describe / mean through the name?
Yeshua Gadriel: Mass Graven Image is a play on words, incorporating multiple concepts. Growing up in a Catholic household, I was familiar with the commandment ‘Thou shalt make no graven images’. The name is also a nod to ‘mass graves’, combining those ideas. Originally, it was supposed to be ‘Mass Grave Images’, but after my first release with Gates of Hypnos, I noticed a typo that turned into ‘Mass Graven Image’, and it stuck.
The name is also a rebellious statement against biblical concepts like Yahwehism. I’ve always been bothered by the idea of a judgmental God who condemns people to hell. ‘Mass Graven Image’ is my way of challenging that notion. It also reflects the horrors of humanity, especially when I think about mass graves from ethnic cleansing or war—those images represent the depths of human indignity to me.
The project focuses on the darkness in humanity, explored through various forms of power—governmental, interpersonal, or religious. Themes of death, and the use of one’s will to dominate others for personal gratification, are central to the work.
[04] Please explain in more detail about your works in Mass Grave Image - in relation to the sound directions, genres, concepts you approached, the messages you want to convey, etc.
Yeshua Gadriel: While my music touches on many issues, much of it revolves around the darker sides of humanity, including biblical narratives and the aspects of human behavior I find most abhorrent. This includes sexual violence and its destructive impact. Unlike murder, where the victim is no longer present, the consequences of sexual violence continue to haunt the victim. It’s a subject I feel needs more attention, and I’ve found inspiration in how many women in the noise scene address these themes.
My album “The Monsters of This Dimension Cannot Touch Your Soul” explores these dark areas. Noise music provides a raw platform to bring attention to such horrors, and while each artist approaches it differently, I see it as a way to raise awareness and offer catharsis, both for the creator and the listener.
[05] Do you have any specific principles or philosophy in working for Mass Graven Image?
Yeshua Gadriel: In noise, my style leans toward dynamic sounds. While I appreciate harsh noise walls, I’m more interested in layers of sound, with subtle nuances hidden behind the noise—like the roar of crowds or other understated details. Those hidden elements add depth and texture to the music, and that’s what makes noise special for me. There are moments when I revisit a piece after months and discover things I didn’t even realize were there during production. Sometimes, the most magical parts of noise come from accidents.
[06] How exactly do you evaluate the evolution in Mass Graven Image based on what you have offered through the latest releases compared to your older works?
Yeshua Gadriel: Where Mass Graven Image is evolving now is in refining post-production. I work primarily in-the-box but use analog gear like synths and pedals, layering different effects to create intricate soundscapes. I’ve only been producing in this realm for about five years, and I’m constantly learning. I release a mix of well-produced works and lo-fi material, but I always strive to develop my own sound, avoiding imitation.
One of my main influences, especially in dark ambient, is Lussuria. His work has a beauty and depth that inspires me, and that’s the kind of sound I aim to achieve.
[07] In your numerous works and albums to date, which releases had the most effect on yourself and which had a big impact on Mass Graven Image?
Yeshua Gadriel: The “Pictures” album was my first official release with a noise label, and it played a crucial role in shaping the Mass Graven Image project. It marked a departure from the Death Industrial & Noise paradigm, helping me realize that I was creating experimental work that was part of something much larger. Before joining Gates of Hypnos, my work had been almost entirely unheard of.
The release that had the greatest impact on Mass Graven Image was likely “The World Burns To Death”. It was my first album to attract significant attention and gain a relatively strong following. As a new artist, it was exciting to see people embrace my work, especially since I wasn’t trying to sound exactly like my influences. This album also received my first review by Ivan T., providing me with invaluable insights into how noise enthusiasts responded to my music.
[08] How do you interpret the future of Mass Graven Image?
Yeshua Gadriel: In terms of the project’s future, I plan to explore more versatile ways of creating and capturing noise, using tactile and organic sounds. My goal is to make each album distinct from the last, avoiding repetition. While that doesn’t always happen, I strive for uniqueness with every release.
[09] You have a personal view on Israeli terrorism. Please explain more about this.
Yeshua Gadriel: I want to make it clear that I am completely opposed to war and the destruction of people by state power. The situation in Palestine, which has been ongoing for over 70 years, is a crime against humanity, and it needs to stop. There’s a saying: ‘The way of Palestine shall be the way of the world’, and I believe that if we continue to ignore these atrocities, we will eventually face the same fate.
[10] Thank you Yeshua Gadriel for your great responses to this conversation. For this final part I invite you to express whatever you want?
Yeshua Gadriel: I’d like to extend my love and gratitude to all my supporters. Special thanks to Chuck, The Filthy Nebula, DJonesocp, Gates of Hypnos, Peter B, DCLXVI, Kamil F101, Owlripper, Basement Corner, Bode, Church of the Noisy Goat, Filthy Sounds Recording, jon145, Burial Recordings, Mike Payne, Gregory Skov, and Seraphitus-S.
Thank you to all the creators and artists out there who inspire me. We do this because we love it, not for fame or the top 40. Much love to the noise family—you are my people. Thank you for this interview and the opportunity. I appreciate you as well.
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