XM-3a: Is size Important?

Your single, Bad Robot Man is out this week on 12" vinyl - Why vinyl and why 12"?

We're big fans of vinyl, it sounds better, has character and you feel you really have something for your money. Hell the act of actually putting a record on a record player means that you've at least given the music some listening space, and that it's not on in the background or whatever. We hear that vinyl sales are on the up so maybe we're not alone in thinking this. As to why a 12". Well the track's over 9 minutes long, chock full of heaviness and loudness. A mere 7" could not contain it.

XM-3a sounds like a secret agent or something - where does the name come from?

It's a rocket. It's a satellite. It's a mathematical equation..it's a bleedin' 'eavy rock band is what it is.

Will there be an album?

Boy will there be an album, we're recording it at the moment. It will be a double, vinyl only (of course) lavishly packaged, with a gatefold sleeve illustrated by a proper illustrator, one of the top sci-fi/fantasy artists around. Over 80 mins long and chock full of dark heavy riffs, crazy sounds, crazy guitar and keyboard solos and plenty of psychedelic weirdness. We call it DOOMADELIC, a science fiction car crash in music, stick it on, stare at the sleeve and get freaked out.

What separates you from other 'heavy' bands like Chickenhawk?

Well the big difference is the speed of the songs. We are slooooowwwww and heavy. That's where we're at, and believe me that's not easy to do. We're not going to pummel you with speed, we're going to insidiously infiltrate your head over the course of 10 minutes. That's the other thing, all our songs are long, but they don't meander they are arranged (a bit Prog?......not a dirty word in our book) if we're going to disappear up our own arses, we're not going to noodle our way there. There's also a melodic element, especially the vocals. We don't go in for the shouty thing, there are plenty of bands doing that. Sounds a bit 70s? Not us. Sure we love 'Sabbath' and Hawkwind or whatever, which are obvious reference points for us. But we also love 'Sleep' and 'The Melvins' and 'Boris' and 'Humanfly' and 'BoNingen' (this list could go on..) we love the sound of Modern metal too, so it will be a modern record 'cos we're a modern band.

What is the secret of the riff?

If you got a great riff then you will never be bored. It'll hook you in and keep you there, it's the chugging piston of the monstrous machine…ha…ha. You can play it endlessly for hours and hours until either your brain explodes or your girlfriend takes a hatchet to your record player. What's the secret…...f**k knows.

What's the heaviest record ever made?

Slayer 'Reign In Blood'. The album's 28 minutes long, feels like 28 hours. Brilliant and stupid..love it.

Is there a 'good robot man'?

The only good robot man is a dead one.

XM-3a's single, Bad Robot Man is available now on 12" vinyl ONLY! In a nod to the digital world you can here an edit at myspace.com/xm3a.