UN: The first thing I noticed about Internal Punishment Programs is that is sounds a great deal more like a live band then all of your previous albums have. Would you say that it was a conscious decision to have the album sound a bit more human? It still has that mechanical feel, but with a more live approach.

RH: Yeah, we did the entire pre-production and the arrangements of the songs at our rehearsing studio this time. Also, when it came to the recording, we recorded drums and bass and lead guitar at the same time. We felt better working on the material this way. Everybody could contribute and give input during the process.

UN: I read that you guys wrote this record in a different manner then your previous albums. Did writing the album as a band bring more ideas to work with? It must have given each member much more input into songwriting.

RH: "IPP" was put together more as a band. Whoever had an idea, showed it to the other guys, then we rehearsed and twisted and worked with the stuff until we were happy. On "Sick" we more or less pre-produced every song on computers and did all the arrangements on by one, then teach the others how to play it before going in the studio.

UN: Do you think it’s important to reach a balance between the electronic aspects of the band and the metallic aspects? Red Harvest is one of the few bands that can pull this off while staying extreme, and never falling into the pitfalls of industrial music.

RH: We never sit down before writing and album and say that "This album is going to be more challenging, more brutal, and more complex". These things just happen. It has been some kind of natural evolution in our work the way things have developed. The most important thing for us is to do things together that we feel we can support 100% as a band, we just feel like stretching in all directions to the max in any way, if you understand. The guitar based stuff is as important as the electronics. It’s a part of the bands history and sound. In my opinion you can make dark music that includes guitars and synth/samples, or guitars only or keys only.

UN: Is there a concept behind the album name, Internal Punishment Programs?

RH: The album is a dive into the dark side of the human mind. I guess we all have dark sides that some times come to the surface and some times they never come out. Jimmi, our singer, had a breakdown at the time we wrote the lyrics and built the concept for "IPP". All the shit from childhood to this day just came out in the daylight. So it starts with "Anatomy" - the darkness and anger building up inside, and ends with with the "Internal Punishment Program" - the mind striking back after months, even years of shitty living, drug abuse and non-quality time.

UN: Do you think it takes a metal fan with a bit of an open mind to appreciate what Red Harvest is doing? Some people regardless of how well written, or performed something is will automatically despise it if they hear the words synthesizers or electronic. But you guys add these elements and are still harsh and menacing.

RH: Yeah, I guess you can say the people that like power metal and stuff like that, don’t like us very much, he-he. But I don’t care about that. The most important for me is to create an atmosphere, not show off how fast I can play my guitar or how high I can scream.

UN: IPP will be released by Candlelight USA in North America instead of Relapse who released the last few albums by you guys. Do you think that Candlelight might have a better understanding of the band and perhaps do a bit more for you guys in the US? Relapse didn’t seem to really take advantage of having your albums on their label, and didn’t seem to promote them all that much. I could be wrong though.

RH: I’m not sure about this, cause the US is so far away that it’s hard to control what people do or don’t do. Relapse is a great label. But I guess they deal with "their own" bands first, like Nile, mastodon, Neurosis. I think Candlelight will do a good job. But it’s tough out there, no doubt about that. I just wish we could sell enough albums to do a tour in the US in the near future.

UN: You guys have been on NAP for quite a few albums now. Are you guys pleased with the work they do for the band? They are a label that seems to only release original bands and seems very picky about who they sign. It must be nice to know that you guys were signed because of your musical talents and not because of a tired trend.

RH: Oh, yes, we’re very happy with NAP. Samoth is a great guy, running NAP with a true heart, dedicated to extreme music.

UN: When it comes to Red Harvest in a live setting. Do you guys do anything special? There could be some room for a stage show, but I mean more along the lines of what do you guys to get the right look and mood for the stage? Lots of red lights and smoke perhaps?

RH: We usually have a lot of energy on stage. Hard to explain, but it gets very physical in a way. It’s always a strange feeling the last ten minutes before we go up there. It’s some kind of "this is it, let’s fucking show them" kind of attitude. We also try to keep the lights in maximum three/fours colours. One at the time. Deep red, deep blue, deep green and white.

UN: You guys are playing at the With Full Force festival this summer in Germany. Will this be the first time the band has played the festival? I’ve seen videos of bands playing at the festival and it seems to be attended by a ton of people. Any other festival performances planned yet?

RH: Yeah, we’re really looking forward to play WFF. I think the line-up this year is very good and we’re happy to get the chance to play in front of a big crowd. We don’t have many gigs booked this summer as far as I know. I guess we’ll focus on writing material for our new album.

UN: Have Red Harvest ever had a US tour yet? I’m sure it is something that is long overdue if it hasn’t already happened. Do you think with Candlelight USA behind the album a tour is even more possible?

RH: We’ve never played in America. It would be great if we got the chance. We really want to go, but it’s very expensive to get over there. But maybe... who knows? Would be great to play support for a "big" band or something.

UN: Do you think that as time goes on we will lose more of our freedoms? Do you believe in the big brother theory that someone is always watching you? I’m definitely not in a hurry to see how things will move in the future. It might get to the point where everyone is a terrorist until proven otherwise, guilty until proven innocent if you will.

RH: I think it’s about time to ask ourselves if that thing we like to call progress is progress that benefits us after all. I believe we’re already controlled. Someone writes the newspapers. Someone edits the pictures we see on TV. Hopefully more people get aware of this and start checking for the history behind the history. I just saw a documentary that claimed that the US had a backup movie ready, directed by Stanley Kubrick, if the landing on the moon had failed. Imagine if this documentary is just another cover up! Ha, ha! That thought makes me pack my stuff and move far away to a cabin in the mountains.