The Creative Asylum

If the L.A. music scene of the early '80s had a secret weapon, it was the Philadelphia-born Steve Berlin. Having cut his musical teeth playing R&B with some of the City of Brotherly Love's finest sessioneers before heading West and landing in the ranks of the Blasters — one of the most ferocious roots-rock outfits to ever come out of Southern California, Berlin had bigger wolves to run with. He took leave from the Blasters to co-produce Los Lobos' landmark 1984 debut 'How Will the Wolf Survive?' alongside T Bone Burnett, and quickly became a full-time member of the band. That album was later ranked among Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time — not bad for a kid from Philly who didn't know a lick of Mexican music when he first heard the band play. Then came the monster: in 1987, Berlin produced "La Bamba" — the Los Lobos cover of Ritchie Valens' classic for the hit biopic of the same name — and suddenly the whole world knew what East L.A. already did.As a multi-instrumentalist, Berlin has spent four-plus decades as the heartbeat behind Los Lobos' saxophone and keyboards, but his parallel career as a producer is equally jaw-dropping. His production credits include Faith No More, Crash Test Dummies, and Canada's beloved Tragically Hip, and his session work contributed saxophone to Paul Simon's Grammy-winning Graceland and John Lee Hooker's Grammy-winning comeback album The Healer — two records that redefined what American music could sound like. Add to that production and session work with the Replacements, R.E.M., the Dandy Warhols and Sheryl Crow, and you've got a résumé that reads like mind-blowing best-of compilation of the last four decades of American rock. Berlin has earned four Grammy Awards as a member of Los Lobos, with a total of ten nominations across his enttire career. In this conversation, we talk about his history — the records, the studios and a few of the stories behind one of the most inspirational music careers of our time.

If the story of underground/industrial music had a patron saint, it might as well be Chris Connelly. Born and raised in Edinburgh, Scotland, Connelly began his journey in the early 1980s with his band Fini Tribe. In the early 1980s, be became deeply entrenched in the universe of Chicago's legendary Wax Trax! Records — the incubator of industrial music's most celebrated and defining sounds. After meeting Al Jourgensen in London, he was quickly recruited into the Revolting Cocks and moved to the Windy City where went on to make major contributions to Ministry, Pigface, Murder Inc., and the Cabaret Voltaire/Jourgensen collaboration Acid Horse. Connelly's 1991 solo debut Whiplash Boychild was a thunderbolt — an ambitious effort unlike anything Connelly or Wax Trax! had issued before, recalling Bowie and Bolan at times while experimenting with avant-garde song structures — and was followed by the glam-drenched, Bowie-esque Shipwreck in 1994. He has since released over 25 solo albums and 10+ additional band albums, lending his voice to dozens of collaborations across several genres, resulting in literally over 600 total songs — a body of work that places him firmly in the artistic elite of post-punk and industrial music.When Wax Trax! closed its doors, Connelly didn't slow down. His new output revealed an artist as something of a shape-shifter. His output ranged from the spare acoustic folk of The Ultimate Seaside Companion to the muscular Blonde Exodus with the Bells, while collaborations continued with industrial giants KMFDM and supergroup the Damage Manual which brought together Geordie Walker of Killing Joke and former Public Image Ltd. bassist Jah Wobble. In 2013, Connelly launched Cocksure with Jason C. Novak and Bells into Machines with Paul Barker, and by 2016 had resurrected the Revolting Cocks with Richard 23 of Front 242 — proving his allegiance to the spirit of Wax Trax! His prolific recent output includes Decibels From Heart featuring guest vocalists like Meshell Ndegeocello, Eulogy to Christa — a 24-track tribute to the music and mystique of Nico — and White Phosphorus in 2025, his bold interpretation of Throbbing Gristle's material, capping off a career that refuses to calcify. Add to all this, a 466-page collected volume of lyrics and poems spanning forty years, with a foreword by Shirley Manson, and you have one of the most restless, fearless, and flat-out essential figures in the history of alternative music. Let's get this party started.

Indie filmmakers are a special breed. What happens when a husband and wife and their two young daughters choose to ditch Hollywood and load everything into an RV to make movies entirely on their own terms? You get The Adams Family — no, not the ones that probably first comes to mind. Toby Poser, John Adams and their daughters Zelda and Lulu, have built one of the most fiercely independent filmmaking operations in the history of American cinema. Under their Wonder Wheel Productions banner, they literally handle every aspect of production themselves: writing, directing, acting, cinematography, editing, producing, costume design, practical special effects, drone operation, post-production and even original music. Much of the musical score uses music from their metal band, H6LLB6ND6R. If this doesn't fit under the idea of a Creative Asylum, I don't know what does. Beginning with their 2012 road-trip debut movie, Rumblestrips — shot out of an RV on a 20,000-mile cross-country odyssey with two young kids in tow — Toby and John have built an extensive filmography, one that is deeply revered in the world of DIY horror. Their titles include The Deeper You Dig, Hellbender (Shudder), Where the Devil Roams (a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes), Hell Hole, and their Fantasia Film Festival prize-winner, Mother of Flies, their most recent film at the time that this conversation was recorded.In this episode, Toby and John talk about their life as a self-taught, self-financed, fully DIY filmmaking family — from the organic chemistry of co-directing with your spouse and children, to the discipline of wearing every crew hat on set, to the raw, personal stories (including real-life illness and loss) that drive their work. We go deep on their evolution from indie drama to supernatural horror, the punk ethos that runs through every frame they shoot, and how building their own creative ecosystem — outside Hollywood, outside the rules, deep in the woods of the Catskill Mountains — has earned them a devoted cult following that grows deeper with every new film. If you have a fondness for independent filmmaking, DIY horror, family collaboration, practical special effects, or just stories about creative people who have no interest in waiting for permission from the established industry — this one's for you.

Before he ever put brush to canvas, Chet Zar was building monsters for Hollywood. Over a career spanning more than two decades, Zar worked as a makeup effects artist, sculptor, painter, digital effects artist, and creature designer, racking up credits on some of the most visually iconic films of his era — Hellboy I & II, The Ring I & II, X-Men 3, Planet of the Apes, and Men in Black II. He also served as special makeup effects supervisor for many of Tool's critically acclaimed music videos and created digital 3D visuals for the band's live performances. But Hollywood's endless compromises and creative politics took their toll — as Zar grew tired with the artistic concessions he was forced to make, he walked away from the film industry at age 33 to follow his bliss — and the art world has never been the same. What emerged from that leap of faith was something genuinely singular: empathetic oil paintings of monsters that invite viewers to connect with their own shadow sides — brooding, haunting, darkly beautiful portraits that speak to the fears and anxieties we all carry but rarely confront. His work has been exhibited alongside legends like H.R. Giger, Zdzisław Beksiński, and Clive Barker, and is held in the collections of Guillermo del Toro, Tool guitarist Adam Jones, and Jonathan Davis of Korn. His 2012 retrospective Black Magick: The Art of Chet Zar featured contributions from del Toro himself, cementing Zar's place as a true pillar of the dark art movement. Now, as founder of the Dark Art Society and host of its long-running podcast — a wide-ranging conversation series covering dark art, literature, film, music, philosophy, paranormal experiences, and the occult — Zar has become one of the genre's most vital voices. Don't miss this deep dive into the mind of a man who turned Hollywood's nightmares into his own visual masterpieces. Like, subscribe, and follow us for more conversations with the artists who dare to go to the fantastic new places.

Some artists make music. Some make art. Jon Langford makes history — and then records it and paints it. Born in Newport, Wales, Langford studied Fine Art at Leeds University alongside future members of Gang of Four — and has spent nearly five decades proving that punk, country, folk as a founding member of the legendary Leeds punk band the Mekons.Founded in 1977, the Mekons became one of the last original punk bands to remain continuously active, producing a string of critically acclaimed albums including Fear and Whiskey (1985), The Mekons Rock 'n' Roll (1989), Curse of the Mekons (1991), and I Love Mekons (1993) — records soaked in leftist politics, whiskey-stained wit, and an egalitarian chaos that made them one of the most fiercely beloved cult bands on the planet. Their relentless experimentation brought them a devoted following, as their extensive discography ranges across punk, folk, country, reggae and artful pastiches that combine all of the above. After relocating to Chicago in the early 1990s, Langford co-founded the country-punk Waco Brothers, became a cornerstone of the Bloodshot Records scene, and launched the Pine Valley Cosmonauts — a revolving cast of Chicago musicians who backed Langford and others — cementing his reputation as the godfather of Chicago's alt-country underground. But Jon Langford's story doesn't stop at the edge of the stage. Since moving to Chicago, he has become increasingly celebrated as a visual artist, exhibiting regularly at Yard Dog Folk Art Gallery and in galleries around the world. His paintings — eerie, accomplished works featuring blindfolded cowboys, skeletal country singers, and haunting depictions of Hank Williams as a Saint Sebastian-like martyr — have shown across the city, the country, and internationally, earning him recognition in both the fine art and music worlds that few artists in either sphere can claim. His artwork appears on album covers, book covers, and even Dogfish Head Brewery beer bottle labels. Using the pen name Chuck Death, Jon has also drawn the long-running syndicated comic strip Great Pop Things, a wickedly sharp satire of rock and roll history. Most recently, his collaboration with the Bright Shiners — a project with John Szymanski, Tamineh Gueramy, and Alice Spencer — has produced Where It Really Starts, widely regarded as some of his finest songwriting to date. In this episode, the Welsh rabble-rouser, punk pioneer, and painter extraordinaire pulls back the curtain on a career that has never once played it safe. It's a delightful catching up from one of punk rock's most mindful thinkers.

Few artists have left as indelible a mark on experimental and avant-garde music as Jarboe. She rose to prominence as a core member of the legendary New York experimental rock band Swans in 1985, remaining one of the group's two constant members alongside founder Michael Gira until their dissolution in 1997. During that era, her presence on acknowledged Swans classics like Children of God (1987), White Light from the Mouth of Infinity (1991) and Soundtracks for the Blind (1996) had a profound impact on the evolution of their sound — helping steer the band from its punishing noise-rock origins toward something far more vast, haunting, and transcendent. Her contributions to Swans and her solo work combined amount to more than 80 albums, a staggering body of work spanning industrial, darkwave, experimental, goth and avant-ethereal music that has influenced an entire generation of fans and musicians .Beyond Swans, Jarboe has built one of the most fearless and expansive solo catalogs in contemporary experimental music. Albums like Sacrificial Cake (1995) explore themes of spirituality, identity, and physicality, while Anhedoniac (1998) serves as an elegiac reckoning with her Swans experience, and Mahakali (2008) a collection of songs devoted to the Hindu deity Kali, an intense, sometimes meditative and an ultimately sobering assault that consolidates beauty with devastation.. Jarboe has also released celebrated collaborations, including a landmark album with experimental metal band Neurosis in 2003. At the heart of everything Jarboe creates is a radical philosophy of art-making: she describes herself as "an artist working in sound and voice" rather than strictly a musician, and speaks of her work in terms of "portals" — immersive experiences designed to dissolve the boundary between artist and audience. As she reflects, "The power and energy that you feel, the totality of creating a world and controlling that world — that is also a tremendous pleasure." In this episode, we go deep into the life, art, and uncompromising vision of one of music's most singular voices. ==========================Jarboe on the Web: https://thelivingjarboe.comJarboe on Bandcamp: https://jarboe1.bandcamp.comBUY Sightings (Vinyl) on AMZ: https://amzn.to/48ZHvoK

There are few things more thrilling than getting to have a conversation with one of your musical heroes from your own musican youth. In this episode, a conversation with David J — bassist, songwriter, producer, poet, and one of the true architects of post-punk and gothic rock. As a co-founder of Bauhaus, David helped create one of the most influential and groundbreaking bands of the late 1970s and early '80s. He later went on with fellow Bauhaus members Daniel Ash and David Haskins in the formation of Love and Rockets, an equally important band that fused psychedelia, alternative rock, pop, and underground cool beyond words. David J has also built a rich solo career, releasing a catalog of music that explores everything from cabaret and spoken word to avant-garde rock, noir balladry, and intimate pop infused songwriting.David J’s creative life extends far beyond the bass however: He's carved out an impressive body of work as a producer, writer, playwright, and director, bringing the same imagination and outsider spirit to every medium he touches. If you’re into post-punk, goth rock, Bauhaus, Love and Rockets, alternative music, music production, artist interviews, and epitome of "cool," this episode is for you.

Have you ever asked yourself what is the purpose of art and creativity in our lives? Dutch artist, novelist, and activist Adriaanse (Bette A.) has spent her career asking exactly that question — and living the answers both in her day-to-day life as well as in the book that she collaborated with Brian Eno on, "What Art Does: An Unfinished Theory." Born in Amsterdam and trained at the Rietveld Art Academy, Bette studied Image and Language before going on to earn a Master's in Creative Writing at Oxford, writing and publishing novels in both English and Dutch. Her work spans fiction, visual art, creative systems and teaching about the poetic possibilities of process itself. Her thinking is united by a idea that creativity belongs to everyone, and that you do not have to be an "artist" to live a creative life. In other words, Bette believes there is no meaningful difference between a grandmother deliberating over which colors of wool to pick for a knitting project and a professional artist showing work in a museum. Her recent short story collection Slow Stories (written and rewritten pieces that were plucked from over two decades of her creativity) were the basis for TWO SLOW STORIES: A Collaboration of Storytelling, Music, and Art, a record featuring the music of Brian Eno and two re-imagined stories from that book narrated by Bette herself.Eno and Adriaanse's shared creative approach is deeply process-oriented rather than goal-oriented — spontaneous, present, and unafraid of not knowing where things are heading. In this episode, Bette reflects on both collaborations, what she and Eno discovered about each other's artistic instincts, and why she believes that attuning yourself to something slow and non-urgent is, in today's world, a radical act.