Twiztid have had the rap game on lock for over 20 years and continue to grow a constant rabid fan base that has taken over the underground scene like a zombie plague. Twiztid show no signs of slowing down anytime soon and will probably keep touring for another 20 years. Once a new fan becomes familiar with the demented duo they become a die-hard fan for life. Twiztid just dropped the remix and remastered version of their 2005 classic Mutant. The remix of Mutant proves original creativity thrives deep within Twiztid. Their label Majik Ninja Entertainment is breathing new life back into the underground!

Interview By Chad Thomas Carsten
From April 2016 Vandala Magazine 
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Lately, Twiztid has been embracing the horror movie genre more than ever! What horror movie director would you say is the most influential for you artistic wise, presently?

Monoxide: I’d say old school…would be John Carpenter. …Old school, I am really into (older) Blumhouse. I like them dudes’ man! Like…they get it! There is simplicity to both of them. There are extreme similarities. There is simplicity to it. I am a firm believer that less is more.

How influential is John Carpenter?

Monoxide: I identify with his kind of scary. Like, there are all kinds of scary. Ya know…there’s gory, there’s paranormal, there’s aliens…but with those, that’s the horror that I identify with. I’ve seen Unfriended, I’ve seen Babadook, and I’ve seen…what is the other one…It Follows. Three of those are new ones. And that’s not my kind of horror. So I’m like, “Ugh! Those are terrible!” But, if they agree to your kind of horror, you’re like, “What are you talking about? That’s the best thing I’ve ever seen!” Some like 45 second shots of the kitchen! Awesome! Terrifying! I actually had a debate with somebody about It Follows and they were like, “Oh! I thought it was really good!” And I was like, “What? Explain to me what was really good about it?” And they were like, “Oh, well…The plot was really good!” And I was like, “Yeah, I will give you that. But it has nothing to do with it being a good movie.” The plot was great! So, he was like, “It was just like… It was weird!” I was like, “Weird?” “That’s no reason to like the movie! That doesn’t explain it.” By the end, he was like, “Yeah, it did suck!” and I was like, “YEAH, IT DID!!” [Laughs] It just doesn’t agree with me.

Twiztid is coming back to Canada for all of March and part of April. What are you looking forward to the most about coming back to Canada, and what brought forth the decision to come back so soon?

Monoxide: Number one, I’m looking forward to the most, is just crossing the border, just getting in there. That is always the top of our list, cause we just never know how that’s going to go. And number two, we keep coming back, because it’s getting bigger, like the movement is growing, and growing! And it’s like; the way to keep it growing is to feed it. And, the way to feed it is to bring our asses over there.

Yeah, I’m sure you had to deal with a lot of bullshit cause of all the terrorism stuff going on and the traveling laws becoming stricter.

Monoxide: It’s hit or miss… It’s hit or miss. Sometimes we go and it’s no problem. Sometimes we go, and it’s like, “Man! We were here for 7 hours!” It just depends I guess. And which way the sun is shining on you that day.

It’s cool that you guys were able to come back so soon, because normally when an artist does a tour another country, it takes years to be able to come back, but you guys came back within a year or two.

Monoxide: Right! Because we want Canada to know we’re not messing around! We need everybody… We love you! We need all the hugs we can get!

Can we get into the deeper meaning on why you decided to name the tour, “Juggalo Invasion”?

Monoxide: What better name… You know what I mean?

Let’s show Canada what it really is to be the Juggalo’s. I mean, ya know? Because a lot of people have their own interpretations. Some people are like, “Oh… you ain’t on Psychopathic Records! You’re not a Juggalo!” Like, never get it twisted! We are The Juggalo!

It shouldn’t matter which label Twiztid is part of.

Monoxide: Right!

Yeah, as long as you’re representing that wicket sh*t!

Monoxide: Yeah! “Dude, you never say it in your music!” I’m like, “I’m a white man, and I don’t say that in my music either!” I just thought that everybody knows it! [Laughs] Like, seriously I have to keep reminding everybody that I’m white? No! Why should I have to keep reminding everybody that I am a goddamn Juggalo! Ya know what I mean?

Truth! What do you like most about performing on stage?

Monoxide: Energy is everything! So I love people feeling the music the way it’s supposed to be felt. The way that I or Jamie interpreted it to be felt. And, we get to let loose. Here it is! You’re not in your car. You’re not in your house. And they let loose! It’s awesome!

Especially when Twiztid made that surprise appearance during Juggalo Day weekend, man… that was crazy shit!

Monoxide: Yeah, that was nuts! But believe it or not, I like making people laugh more and seeing them smile [laughs] I like hearing people laugh more than cheering I guess! Its funny to me! It’s more… I don’t know, it’s weird!

Nothing wrong with laughter and smiling man! Laughter can help people defeat powerful diseases, ya know?

Monoxide: Hell yeah!

Any off the wall Tour stories you’d like to share about a certain Twiztid show that happened in 2015? You know, maybe a short, brief moment?

Monoxide: We were doing VIP. We were… I want to say we were in Illinois somewhere…and a couple came up, and they were like, “We wanna give you something.” And I was like, “okay…” And they handed me a jar, full of this liquid. It was like a mason jar. It had a brownish liquid in it. And, immediately, right out of my mind, was, “Oh, it’s apple pie moonshine.” Because, I could see what I thought were pieces of apple. Like, “That’s an apple. Like, okay.” And they were like, “No, it’s not moonshine… it’s baby cat… in formaldehyde. I took him right out of the mother!” I was like, “What the f*ck kinda sh*t is this??!!” Ohhh! So, that was bizarre! And then I threatened Jamie the whole tour, that as soon as he/anybody falls asleep, I’m going to pour the jar on him! But that was weird! It wasn’t apples, it was cat heads/kitten! It was bizarre man!

For those just starting on their first national tour, anything that a band shouldn’t do on the road?

Monoxide: There are a couple things. But, the one mistake that most people make, is that they think that weed is legal everywhere and they think they can smoke it everywhere. And you can’t. So, be smart about your weed smoking, and you’ll be fine.

Twiztid dropped the new remix, and remastered version of Mutant, on March 4th. Can we dive into the details, and what inspired Twiztid to remake the 2005 classic?

Monoxide:

Because we gained ownership of it. So we wanted to celebrate it, ya know what I mean? In a way that was kind of fun for everybody and that was the best way. Cause opposed to just re-releasing the record, we just felt like having fun with it. It’s crazy! It sounds really good!

Speaking of the remix, is there anything you wanted to do recording wise, from within the past, back 10 years ago, that you didn’t have a chance to do back then, but now finally have the chance?

Monoxide: You know the stuff that I want to to redo, we won’t. It’s more about, just being in tune with the music. So now, when I listen to it now, as opposed to 10 years ago, I can tell when somebody’s out of key. Or, I can tell when somebody is going against the harmony for a groove. And it just makes me… ahhh! Makes me wanna scream!

But, you know, that’s just the process of just getting better, and better, and better… And that’s just the craziest step, is we just keep getting better. You’ll hear it on this record like with the choruses. The choruses are ridiculous man! We finally figured it out! [Laughs]

What would you say is your personal favorite track that you remixed, and why is it your favorite?

Monoxide: That’s a tough one right there. That’s tough! I think that I’m such a fan of Seven, that it’s ridiculous! I think I like the Triple Threat one though… if you’re gonna put me on a goddamn island, I’m gonna pick Triple Threat. It has a whole different vibe, you know what I mean? It’s got Blaze Ya Homie on it! So you know, I like that. But I thought it came out really good too! “Mannakin” even! I hated Mannakin! Hated it! I would never listen to it. Now? I’m like, “Oh shit, I enjoy this!” I was even like, “I didn’t like that song before… but it actually felt like a completely different song now!”

Ya know, I hate a lot of stuff that people like though! [Laughs]

Hey, you gotta be picky man! You’re the artist!

Monoxide: People have to remind me, “Just because you don’t like it, doesn’t mean they won’t like it.”

Can’t argue with that. Speaking of remixes, you worked with Zoog Von Rock of Angelspit in the past to remix a few Twiztid songs. When are Twiztid and Angelspit ever going to get together, to do a full on, original track? You know, like a rock track with Zoog on the hook?

Monoxide: I don’t know man! I really don’t. You know, it’s all just about timing and scheduling. That’s all. It’s not something that is in any of our power. It’s just that…it’ll happen, it’ll happen!

It’d be fresh. People thought that was pretty cool, because you guys are in totally two different genres. To mesh together like that, it was so original.

Monoxide: That’s the beauty of Twiztid! We believe we can swing any way!
Anywhere! I could see us opening up for Rob Zombie. I could see us f*cking opening up for Diplo. I just don’t think that there’s much we couldn’t do!

What were the first thoughts that rushed through your mind, when you found out you guys were nominated for the Favgoluvers Music Awards?

Monoxide: Oh, that’s just always dope! What was even doper than that, was seeing people that work with us getting nominated! You know what I mean? Like, our graphics art guy! You know what I mean? Stuff like that! Our whole company was damn near nominated! Which is like, “Yeah? See? They get it!” They don’t know where they would have got that validation anywhere else. But, their ecstatic, we’re ecstatic, even more for that! That’s crazy man! It’s crazy!

What do you set out to accomplish with Magic Ninja Entertainment, in the year 2016?

Monoxide: Continuity and trust. Continuously releasing quality music, so that we can build a trust. And, they will understand when we say, “Hey, we’re getting ready to sign another dude,” they know that we’re not just grabbing a bunch of yucks.

Lex The Hex Master was a damn good choice dude, for real! I’m waiting for that bomb on the video! It’s gonna be sick!

Monoxide: It’s ridiculous! It came out really good! You know, he’s just one man. But yeah, that’s what I mean most people don’t know him, we had no clue who that guy was, we never heard of him…which I like. So, we get to organically build our career. We could rely on social media, and just do it that way, but, and it’s just my opinion, but I believe that there’s no longevity like that. They’re not going to be around forever, and maybe they don’t want to be around forever. Maybe they just don’t give a shit! “Five more years, and I’m good!” [Laughs]

Well, it’s cool that you Twiztid have been building its own musical empire, which is something you’ve been wanting to do forever. It’s cool that you guys set off on your own. It’s for the better Twiztid just keeps putting out more content, and kicking ass! Ya know? It’s beautiful!

Monoxide: Trying man! You know, in the beginning, it was very confusing to people, why we left. But, as of today, they get it! They understand now. They’re like, “Ahhh… okay…okay.”

History question for the fans. At the end of the track Hydro (inside the Green Book album), it turns into a skit, with you and Jamie looking for marijuana, inside what sounds like a Vietnam War zone. What sparked the decision to do that skit, and who wrote the skit, and did the cow you try to save inside the skit survive?

Monoxide: The cow?

Yeah.

Monoxide: Absolutely obliterated! And, that was just me and Jamie being high as shit! Like, “Ya know what? What if you had to go through, like a war zone to get weed? What if there was like something crazy like that and that was the only way you could get it?” And then from there, of course Fritz had all these crazy ideas of putting chickens, and cows, and he built this thing, and we just went in there with one take, and this is what happened. We didn’t write it, we didn’t practice it, and we didn’t rehearse it. We just went in there, Fritz believed in what he created, and went over that, and we did that. [Laughter]

What war movie possible inspired the skit? Maybe like, Full Metal Jacket, or something?

Monoxide: Yeah, right?! Yeah! That’s a great one! I love that! I love war movies like that! Platoon. Dirty Dozen. Zero Dark Thirty is my SHIT! “We got that mother f*cker!” [laughs] I love Zero Dark Thirty. There is another movie that I love, and I’m trying to think of the name of… But anyway.

You’ve been working with Sid Haig, and a lot of other actors. Bruce Campbell I think would be awesome if you guys were able to work with him, since he’s from Michigan. What movie actor would you like to work with, that you never had the chance?

Monoxide: Yeah, that’d be dope! I mean, look, there’s a ton of people! You know, I think Ethan Hawke is dope! I like Ethan Hawke! He’s good! I would like to do a straight up comedy movie with Jason Mewes.

That’d be dope man!

Monoxide: That’s my dude! He’s hilarious! I’m a hard dude to make laugh, and there are very few people, but he’s one of them! He can make me laugh my ass off! Dave Chappelle! That’d be a great guy to do a movie with!

The final question. How soon will there be a follow up to “The Darkness”?

Monoxide: Next Twiztid LP, will be out by The Gathering this year! Just putting the finishing touches on it! Canada will know the name of the new CD before everybody else, it will be included inside of their VIP bags. They will get a CD single of a song from said record, and they will know the title of it. So cool for Canada!

Well thank you! I know we can’t discuss the title, but can we get into a little bit of the lyrical content? What style did you guys decide to take, an even darker path? More experimental?

Monoxide: Man it’s tough! We’ve never done one like this. It’s hard to explain. I believe it is the perfect combination of many different forms of music.

It’s far from just a rap CD. Far from that. There’s some gambles on the CD. We love to take chances. We’re just like, “Hey, let’s see what happens!” There’s some good gambles on here, & I honestly believe that every chord is like, “holy shnikeys!” But people will be impressed in the song writing, I believe on that. They will be like, “Whoa man! These guys are seriously getting better! See?” And that’s what we love!

Any final shout outs and the future of Twiztid?

Monoxide: Shout out to Swollen Members! Those are my dudes! Um, just want to make a shout out to all my Canadian folks, and my mind never stops! We are one of those bands, that there’s something to pay attention to every single day. Either on the Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, all official Twiztid social networking! There’s always something going on! We are very entertaining… we’ll give you that!

Canadian Tour Dates start March 22nd iand continue into April then Twiztid will then head back to the USA for the rest of April. Joining them on tour is Boondox, Lex the Hex and more. Also be sure to grab their latest album ‘Mutant, Remixed and Remastered.

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