STATIC-X is not opposed to making more new music with XER0's vocals
20-10-2023
STATIC-X bassist Tony Campos has once again said that he is not opposed to making new music with the group’s current lineup once he and his bandmates have finished touring in support of the “Project Regeneration” albums.
STATIC-X‘s latest LP “Project Regeneration Vol. 1”, came out in July 2020. The first of two volumes, it featured 12 brand new tracks, containing many of the final vocal performances and musical compositions of late STATIC-X frontman Wayne Static, along with the original “Wisconsin Death Trip” lineup of Campos, drummer Ken Jay and guitarist Koichi Fukuda. A follow-up album, “Project Regeneration: Vol. 2”, is scheduled for release on January 26, 2024. A collection of 14 brand-new songs, the upcoming LP was produced by frontman Xer0 — who is believed to be DOPE singer Edsel Dope — and mixed/mastered by longtime collaborator Ulrich Wild.
Asked in a new interview with Anne Erickson of Audio Ink Radio if there are plans for STATIC-X to create new albums from scratch after the completion of the “Project Regeneration” touring cycle, Tony said: “I don’t know about making full records anymore, ’cause records aren’t really how people listen to music anymore. But as far as recording new music without Wayne‘s vocals, there’s a couple of songs on Volume 1 and 2 that don’t have Wayne‘s vocals on ’em, and we got Xer0 to do the vocals on ’em, and I think they sound pretty cool. So, if we do proceed with more new recorded material, we’ll more than likely have Xer0 singing on them.”
All of the music associated with “Project Regeneration: Vol. 2” is the result of collaborations between the four founding members along with their new vocalist/guitarist/producer Xer0. No additional guests appear on the album and there were no outside contributions to the songwriting, musical compositions, or the performances on “Project Regeneration: Vol. 2”. Between the two releases, STATIC-X fans around the globe have been treated to over two dozen brand new songs — most of which feature Static on lead vocals — and all released after his untimely passing.
Asked if there are any more lost Wayne recordings that he and his bandmates could release in the future, Tony told Audio Ink Radio: “No. That’s it. Unless somebody presents us with some more, but I doubt that. I’m pretty sure we’ve exhausted everything.”
Static died after mixing Xanax and other powerful prescription drugs with alcohol, according to the coroner’s report. The 48-year-old, whose real name was Wayne Richard Wells, was found dead in his Landers, California home on November 1, 2014.
Static founded STATIC-X in 1994 and achieved commercial success with “Wisconsin Death Trip”, which included the rock radio hit “Push It”.
The group issued five more studio albums before disbanding permanently in June 2013. Static had been pursuing a solo career at the time of his death.
Dope recently told Audio Ink Radio that the reason Xer0‘s identity has not been officially revealed is that he wants to make sure that STATIC-X is “properly represented, because I would never be interested in looking at a photo of STATIC-X or reading a liner note that mentions me as being the singer of STATIC-X. Edsel Dope has no interest in being the singer of STATIC-X,” he clarified. “There’s one living, breathing singer of STATIC-X, and that’s Wayne Static. And then there’s a character, an entity, for lack of better words, that was created in order to allow STATIC-X to have a future and to continue and be the legacy act that they are and tour and perform, and we gave that character a name that is respective to STATIC-X and fits the branding of what STATIC-X is, and that’s what the importance is. It’s the importance of recognizing the character as opposed to recognizing the person behind the character.”
Back in October 2019, a photo was posted online clearly showing that Dope and Xer0 shared the same neck tattoo. However, Edsel later posted a lengthy statement on his band’s Facebook page attempting to quash the rumors, implying Xer0‘s distinctive body ink was in fact a Photoshop job. Dope even provided a photograph of himself supposedly observing a STATIC-X performance sidestage to prove he and Xer0 were not the same person.
Last month, STATIC-X released a music video for the first original track from “Project Regeneration: Vol. 2”. The song “Stay Alive” is one of the last original compositions Wayne Static was working on before his passing in 2014. The song’s lyrics echo Wayne‘s state of mind during this tragic time, as he professes himself to be a “professional addict” and screams the words: “I just need you to survive – Cut you up to stay alive.” The track features Wayne on lead vocals, along with Campos, Fukuda and Jay. The video was directed by Dope and co-directed by Matt Zane. Outtakes from the Wayne Static “Assassins of Youth” video — originally directed by Zane — were added to help fully portray Wayne‘s disturbing vision for the song. According to the band’s former sound engineer Eddie Ortel: “Wayne was working on this track the night that he passed away.”
Watch “Stay Alive” below.
The song’s lyrics echo Wayne‘s state of mind during this tragic time, as he professes himself to be a “professional addict” and screams the words: “I just need you to survive – Cut you up to stay alive.” The track features Wayne Static on lead vocals, along with the original “Wisconsin Death Trip” lineup of Tony Campos, Koichi Fukuda and Ken Jay. The video was directed by STATIC-X producer, creative director and longtime friend Edsel Dope — who is also widely believed to be Xer0, the masked current frontman of STATIC-X — and co-directed by Matt Zane. Outtakes from the Wayne Static “Assassins of Youth” video — originally directed by Zane — were added to help fully portray Wayne‘s disturbing vision for the song. According to the band’s former sound engineer Eddie Ortel: “Wayne was working on this track the night that he passed away.”
“We knew that if we were going to release this song, we wouldn’t be able to tip toe around this tragic subject,” says Campos. “The first draft of the video was really hard for all of us to watch, so we ended up removing many of the more graphic scenes. As dark as this piece of art may be, it is also a very honest representation of where Wayne was at during this controversial time. My hope is that when people see this, that they understand the cautionary tale that Wayne‘s life ultimately became and can avoid some of those pitfalls.”
“We always want to remember Wayne as the intelligent, funny, ‘Star Trek’-loving rock star,” adds Aimee Pittman, Wayne‘s younger sister. “It makes his family sad and angry to see Wayne depicting himself in a way that we understand to be a realistic portrayal of his life and the choices that ultimately ended it. If one person watching this video can benefit or make better choices related to drugs and alcohol, then we are grateful for the reminder.”
With the success of their last release, “Project Regeneration: Vol. 1”, and on the heels of their recent multiple-city sold-out “Rise Of The Machine” tour, STATIC-X have reinvigorated their fan base and brought Evil Disco back to the masses. The original lineup of Campos, Fukuda and Jay backed by frontman Xer0 have proven that STATIC-X is back and better than ever.
The “Rise Of The Machine” tour sold out 37 of its 42 dates, while showcasing the largest stage production that STATIC-X has ever put together. The band promises that the production on “The Machine Killer” tour is going to be even bigger and more impressive this time around.
Continuing to create new music, STATIC-X announced “Project Regeneration: Vol. 2” will be released on November 3 and unveiled the first single from that album, a cover of the NINE INCH NAILS classic “Terrible Lie”. The upcoming album is produced by Xer0 and mixed/mastered by long-time collaborator Ulrich Wild.
All of the music associated with “Project Regeneration: Vol. 2” is the result of collaborations between the four founding members along with their new vocalist/guitarist/producer Xer0. No additional guests appear on the album and there were no outside contributions to the songwriting, musical compositions, or the performances on “Project Regeneration: Vol. 2”. Between the two releases, STATIC-X fans around the globe have been treated to over two dozen brand new songs — most of which feature Static on lead vocals — and all released after his untimely passing.
Static died after mixing Xanax and other powerful prescription drugs with alcohol, according to the coroner’s report. The 48-year-old, whose real name was Wayne Richard Wells, was found dead in his Landers, California home on November 1, 2014.
Static founded STATIC-X in 1994 and achieved commercial success with “Wisconsin Death Trip”, which included the rock radio hit “Push It”.
The group issued five more studio albums before disbanding permanently in June 2013. Static had been pursuing a solo career at the time of his death.
