The weird crossover of furries and industrial music: Part 2

There's a new blog about music by furries, that follows an ongoing podcast: Fuzzy Notes, run by Potoroo. This article led to an invite to contribute, so expect more there soon. (Can anyone suggest fun puns that cross furry animals and music? - like "fuzzbox".)

Part 1 talks about crossover between an odd pair. To continue, here's some chatting with Furry industrial music DJ's: 5arah and Quell Ironheart.

DJ 5arah

Where do you live? Can we get a short bio?
I live in Tucson, AZ. I'm originally from Southern California, where I first started DJing. Back then I also frequently drove up to Northern Cali for gigs. And now I drive up to Phoenix. Some things never change, I suppose. :)

How long have you been a DJ? How did you get into it?
I first started DJing at parties in the late 90's. I love music, and I wanted to share all the stuff I was into, so I bought my own gear and taught myself.

Is music your hobby or profession? How much time do you spend on it?
A hobby. As far as time goes, it varies. Right now, not as much as I was about six years ago, but things could always change. I don't have any weekly gigs right now, but I do spend several hours a week practicing and recording a podcast.

What are your favorite bands?
I could go on forever, so here is a short list: Nine Inch Nails, Apoptygma Berzerk, Juno Reactor, This Morn' Omina, & Scooter.

Do you have any pets?
Yes, two cats.

Do you have a fursona, and why? How about a furry costume?
Yes. For me, my fursona is more of an extension of myself than a character.
I do the costume thing now and then. I prefer to do makeup instead of a full face mask. It makes it easier to DJ, interact with people, howl, etc.

If you could bring any musician together with furries, who would it be, and where?
There is something about the music of This Morn' Omina that evokes a kind of raw, animal passion. Or at least for me, so I think that would be a good fit. And definitely outdoors.

Why should people check you out, and what's the best way to find you?
Check me out, because I just might turn you on to something new. You can follow me here.

Quell Ironheart

Where do you live? Can we get a short bio?
Currently I live near Athens, OH. I'm originally from WV though. I've been involved at varying levels with several musical projects over the years, mostly I just have fun with it. I love entertaining people with what I do.

How long have you been a DJ? How did you get into it?
I started when I was back in college. I had a huge music collection so I ended up bringing tunes to parties and it grew from there. I fell out of it for a while after that until I went to my first Anthrocon dance which sparked my inspiration again. I spun there the next year and I've been at it since, there and elsewhere.

Is music your hobby or profession? How much time do you spend on it?
I so wish I could answer this differently, but its a hobby. I have a day job delivering sandwiches. I wish I could spend a lot more time working on tunes than I do, but life happens. Maybe one day.

What do you consider your best skill, musical or otherwise?
Adaptibility. It comes in handy

What are your favorite bands?
That's a big list, but a few: Monster Magnet, Unheilig, Rotersand, Gary Numan, Katatonia, Type O Negative, Gravity Kills, older NIN. I also enjoy more experimental projects like Coil, Throbbing Gristle, Skinny Puppy, and The Residents.

What do you think about industrial music?
That's a hard question to answer as Industrial is such a broad genre. You have everything from the roots stuff like Gristle, FLA, or Puppy, to the dancier stuff like Neuroticfish or Icon of Coil, to Industrial Metal like Cyanotic, Be My Enemy, or Manson. I think that's what makes it so attractive to work with. You're not really nailed down to a particular sound.

What's your involvement with Furry? How did you get into it?
I've had an appreciation for all things anthropomorphic since I was a kid. I didn't know about the fandom itself though until I discovered Furcadia, which I played for a number of years. Thus was born my fursona and my involvement in the fandom.

Do you have a fursona, and why? How about a furry costume?
I do. I'm a white wolf with black markings. I used to have a suit; alas, it was damaged beyond repair. One day I'll probably have another.

What other scenes or fan activities do you get into?
I'm a pretty big gamer and an on-again, off-again comic nerd. I have a short attention span for the most part, so I do a little of this and that.

Do you have any opinions about DJ's and clubs? How about the music business?
On DJs: You'll enjoy this a lot more if you don't get into it with getting famous being your primary motivation. I wish more people would have just fun with it rather than trying to gain status. On a lighter note though, I've had the chance to work with some absolutely awesome people (at Anthrocon in particular). There's a lot of talent out there, and I'm continually surprised by new faces that simply kick ass.

On the business: The music industry has taught me not to completely trust anyone in it. Its a sad truth, but there's a lot of knives behind a lot of backs. Personally I'm planning on staying indie for my releases and usually recommend the same to others.

What's your dream gig?
That changes a lot. I'll take a cop out here and say that I'll take anything in front of a good crowd and playing with a good lineup. I love playing live in general.

Why should people check you out, and what's the best way to find you?
There's an ocean of artists out there, and most of them stand out in their own ways. I'm not going to hold myself above or below any of them, but I will say that I very much appreciate the fans that I do have. I do what I do for all of you.

My content can be found on my FA, my IB, and my Soundcloud and anyone who took the time to check out any of it would have my deepest appreciation.