Citizen 16

I've been following Citizen 16 since they released Construct. Watching them commit to their sound, blending synthpop and aggrotech, has been a joy ride full of surprises. And, now, I had the chance to interview Wolf Neve not only regarding C16, but also about a new venue he wishes to open.

Well, the Brutal Resonance audience might be a little familiar with you since we've already covered C16 twice before in reviews, but give us a little more information behind yourself.

Wolf Neve - "Citizen 16 is a stand-alone project for myself as Wolf Neve, it is an outlet for me musically. Although I have collaborated with different musicians over the years it never got off the ground, until I met my current band mate Neutrino from Romania. Working with Neutrino we have shaped C16 into what it is now. Most of our songs talk about an impending future; Citizen 16, the main character talks of death, war, and being oppressed, all of which he is trying to stop. He is spreading his words of peace and sacrifice with his music."

Before we get talking about the new club you're opening, let's talk about the goings on of C16 right now. "Temptation" was originally released via the now defunct Juggernaut Music Group, and is now re-released by yourself via Bandcamp. But, the tracklist has changed; what exactly changed and why did you change it?

Wolf Neve - "The changes made to the track list is that we added original songs, making a full version of "Temptation". Juggernaut's version was considered a "single" which featured remastered tracks from "Construct", we wanted to release "Temptation" as a complete album since we are no longer connected to the label."

I do recall a free compilation from Juggernaut that featured two tracks of yours titled "Dismantle Me" and "Deception". Are those tracks ever going to see the light of day again, or were they exclusive to the compilation itself?

Wolf Neve - "Those two songs where some of the first compositions that I wrote. Adding in the screams and hard hitting beats, Citizen 16 at one point was originally going to be more aggrotech but it moved to the synth-pop side. I want to remake both songs for an upcoming album, there might be some changes made, but I hope they will be on a full length CD in the future."

And as of right now, do you have anything else in the works for C16? Any new album ideas or what

Wolf Neve - "We are currently experimenting in a new direction for Citizen 16, my goal is to be always improving. We want to keep the mix of the screams and melodic vocals, so expect some of that on a new album. We are kind of tired of hearing the same thing over and over when it comes to current music, how many times are we going to hear over processed vocals? So currently yes we are working on a third CD."

I know that Temptation was originally scheduled to get a CD release before the label went down, and I sort of know the answer to this question, but just to clarify: Will you ever release Temptation in physical format?

Wolf Neve - "We will be releasing it in physical form, we just want to get a good run of the digital releases out before we do. I love having the hard copy of the CD and being able to hand them out as well. Also I am even thinking of making some vinyl copies for any DJs who still spin with turntables."

And, beyond that, is there any other earth-shattering news surrounding C16?

Wolf Neve - "We will be looking to perform live again. Presently I am trying to find a new live line up for shows and aim to perfect the show. I don't want to be just another band standing on stage, it'll be an entire show with lighting, effects, and do I dare say projection?

Onto the club, let's talk about that for a bit. First off, where is it located and what are you attempting to do with it?

Wolf Neve - "The Club/ Venue, MT Lounge, named after my business partner who owns a series of tattoo shops. It will be located in Redwood City, California, which is right between San Francisco and San Jose. The goal is to create a space that has balance between tech and art, giving the look that performers want to play at and the sound that an audience wants to hear."

How do you think you can make your club stand out from the rest of the venues that are available everywhere else?

Wolf Neve - "We would like to create a place where every artist feels equal when they attend, whether they're the smallest band or the biggest band, we want them to feel like they are the most important thing to us. We would like to extend this feeling to our audience, their support and involvement means everything to us. Doing this, not only will we have acts the crowd wants to see but also in the an environment which is friendly and welcoming. Connecting with local brewers, we will have spirits and micro-brews on tap, some that will only be available for our patrons."

You are involved in the industrial/synthpop/harsh electronic/whatever the fuck you wish to call it scene, so, is your venue going to be focusing on those genres as much as possible, or will it cater to all sorts of different music and events?

Wolf Neve - "I personally have been asked this question repeatedly, but as a business owner I would like it to be open to all genres of music and other acts, such as: art galleries, runway shoots, and other special events. We have been approached by promoters who would like to have a Dark-Electro club night, so these genres will be present."

How do you plan on getting the club's name out there?

Wolf Neve - "Social media such as YouTube and Facebook, but soon expanding to street teams, websites, newspapers, local radio, as well as Pandora and local cable ads."

I know that an Indiegogo campaign to help fund the club's opening will be up soon; how soon will it be up and what type of perks do you have in mind?

Wolf Neve - "The perks range from apparel to VIP ticket packages. There will be special perks such as recording sessions, hand drawn art, discount tattoos, and even open space sessions. There will also be an 'Investor Package' which includes free VIP and shows for life, obviously a top tier package."

Anything else you wish to add about the club itself?

Wolf Neve - "MT Lounge Is not just a business but a place for musicians, artist, and more to come together.
We will have open forums that people can suggest new ideas and we will listen and aim to implement them."

And, finally, this is where we lead off. Feel free to say anything else that may have been left out previously.

Wolf Neve - "Thanks for your time and I hope everybody will like us on Facebook, /citizen16theband and /MtnessLounge for updates and the upcoming indigogo.

Looking forward to gaining new fans, if you would like to buy any music from Citizen 16. Please visit us at
https://citizen16theband.bandcamp.com/ To get your copy of 'Temptation' and 'Construct'. Last thing is we are also looking for full investors! Please contact us as pfmt.llc@gmail.com."