photo pilfered from http://szub.hu – egan, egan.

These questions were written by Eran Segal of Israeli act They:Swarm (who incidentally will be playing the Anthem Festival this year).

MI: Congratulations on hooking up with the Dillinger Escape Plan? How are things so far? What was it like making (the latest release) Ire Works? Were you a part of the writing process or did you come in after? 

GS: Things are great. Originally, I was just planning on stepping in to record Ire Works and I had no set plans on becoming a member or even touring with the band. Once we all hooked up for rehearsals and during the recording that changed. We all knew that we had a chemistry that you don’t come across every day. Musically and personally we all hit it off.

I got called to do Ire Works after most of the record was already written so I wasn’t involved in the majority of the writing process. There were certain songs like Horace Hunter, Mouth Of Ghosts and Dead As History that I had more input and room to help develop things. 
 
MI: We’ve grown to expect the unexpected with Dillinger. What should we not expect before listening to this album? In what ways does it differ from the bands’ previous releases? 

GS: I don’t know what you shouldn’t expect… there’s isn’t any reggae on it! Everyone thinks I’m just a reggae drummer or something from this clip that’s on Youtube, so they think that Dillinger will turn into that. I’m a musician and I’m moved by a lot of different styles… that’s why I play them. As far as how this album is different… I think it shows a natural growth and progression of the band. On Miss Machine there were hints of more straightforward material that people weren’t used to from the band because Calculating was so extreme. The band still has that side but can also write songs influenced by electronic grooves or with a melodic vocal melody.
 


MI: Dillinger are well known for their insane off-kilter rhythms and intense polyrhythmic polyphonic themes that are mainly derived from the drum parts. Do you feel that being a totally different drummer from Chris Pennie you’ve shifted the band’s sound in one way or another? If so please go into detail. 

GS: I haven’t shifted the band’s sound to sound like another band. I feel comfortable playing all the crazy shit as well as the more straightforward stuff. What I bring to the table is a different feel, a new kind of groove and attitude to the bands music. To me, it still feels and sounds very much like what people would expect from Dillinger. 
 


MI: You and your brother Rani started playing musical instruments at a very early age, you on drums and Rani on guitar and bass (not unlike the Van Halen brothers or the Abbot brothers). What got you into that in the first place? 

GS: It found us… Music was always something we were into as kids but we never took it seriously until we were about 12. To make a long story short, Rani picked up a guitar and started playing it right away. A couple weeks later by chance, I went to a friend’s house who had a drumset and I sat down and started playing. I didn’t think it was unusual or special that I could do that… I just knew that I loved it and that’s all I wanted to do. For our (Bar Mitzvah) 13th birthday, Rani got a bass and guitar and I got a drumset. That’s when it all started for us.
 


MI: It’s hard to miss the intensely Israeli sound of your names. I understand you were born in California? Are your parents originally from the Holy Land? 

GS: Haha… our dad is Israeli. We have a big family out there! I was born and raised in Los Angeles. 
 


MI: Do you know anything about the Israeli music scene? Have you ever been down here? 
 

GS: I’ve been to Israel a few times over the years but have no clue about the music scene out there… It’s hard enough to keep up with all the family I have out there!


MI: You were initiated into the music business at a relatively young age sitting in with greats such as Fishbone, Eek a Mouse and the “Reverend” HR (of Bad Brains)? Was it an overwhelming experience for you? How did you approach session work? Did you stay true to the original parts, or just did your thing? 
 

GS: Yea, its been a blessing to work with a lot of the people I’ve got to work with. It’s not really overwhelming… I like doing things that challenge me and put pressure on me in new ways. My approach to session work depends on the session. If someone is very specific about what they want then I roll with it, if they want me to do my thing and add things or pitch ideas in, I’m fine with that. It usually works out that way…

MI: HR is a well known and respected figure in the international hardcore community. He stands out as an individual and as a performer simultaneously. What was it like working with him? 

GS: It was a lot of fun. He was really easy going and had a really positive energy. I’ve heard a lot of stories about HR but I don’t have any crazy shit to tell you about. He’s an amazing singer and strong personality. We didn’t play hardcore on the tour… HR wanted the set to be more reggae/rock and we also play oversequenced grooves that were actually more dancy. 
 


MI: Over the years, Dillinger (unknowingly) assembled a rather large fan base here in Israel. Do you think we might get to see you guys rock out anytime soon? 

GS: I think that you will. We’ve been talking about it and I would love to have a reason to come see my family. My dad even said if we play Israel he’ll come with us! That would be sweet.

Future Projects to Mention: Once Dillinger’s tour schedule starts to wind down, we will start to work on another album. Stolen Babies will start working on our second album and I’m going to start working an instructional DVD purely dedicated to the styles of Jamaican music from Traditional Ska, Rocksteady, Reggae and Dancehall. I hope to turn a lot more people on to these styles of music and how amazing the drumming is. I’ll continue to schedule more clinics when I can and keep up with session work.

Check out Gil Sharone’s Myspace here.