ABSOLUTE UNDERGROUND ARTICLE “12 CHAINS”
Interview by Asher Thrasher
Absolute Underground: Who are you and what do you do?
Bryan Buss: My name is Bryan Buss, and I played bass in ATOMIS from 2010-2018. I currently run Leroux Studios in Calgary, AB; a private music school.
AU: ATOMIS put out a box set of your entire catalogue of music in memory of your passing drummer Nathan Navetto, how does it feel to release this immortal tuneage for people to discover?
BB: After having one single song available for the last 14 years, it's been extremely therapeutic going through the archives and finally getting this out for Nathan. Now there are 27 new tracks for people to dive in, and to connect with the amazing visionary Nathan was!
AU: What would you like longtime fans and new fans to walk away with their listening experience of this box set?
BB: The recommended way to listen is to start with the four-track self-titled, go on to Welcome to the Void (Nathan's album), and finish up with the Live Demos (songs we performed live from 2010-2014). For longtime fans of our singular track, "Maelström", it finally opens up the world of ATOMIS and answers any questions or assumptions from the last 15 years. For new fans, it's a massive amount of work to pick apart and imagine what it could have been.
AU: For those unfamiliar with Nathan Navetto, what would you like to tell readers about him and your time with him as a musician in the band?
BB: Nathan was beyond a drummer.
He was the best artist I have personally worked with, and perhaps the most hilarious. We spent many nights (hours after band practice ended) talking and dreaming of the future of ATOMIS, cry-laughing about the silliest things, or getting deep on whatever challenges we were personally having. As a bassist, it was an absolute pleasure locking in with him in the band, and his very creative beats. Anyone who met Nathan remembered him, and he was great at making you feel seen and heard.
In the box set, we loaded with all of the visual art of his that we could find. Just know that there are likely dozens of songs of his still unheard, and hundreds of drawings, paintings, etc.
AU: What was your favourite song to perform with Nathan Navetto?
BB: I have to say "They Thought It to Be Impossible, So They Did It". It's on the Live Demos album. We locked in during the bridge in the best way.
AU: Will the band do a live performance?
BB: We just can't find a way to do it without him, so the Void box set will be our final display.
AU: What can you tell us about the beautifully directed music video "12 Chains"?
BB: We have the amazing Doug Cook, our good friend, to thank for everything. Nathan and Doug had some plans about a decade ago for a music video, but just like with the albums, it was just too hard to get to the finish line. Then out of the blue in early 2024, Doug reached out saying he just had to make it.
He hired actors, costume designers, miniature set designers, and a mini-volume/green screen, and created a world that is "12 Chains". There's a making of on our YouTube page that has to be seen. Once the video was in motion, I knew it was time to just release the entire archives.
AU: Anything else you would like to add for our readers?
BB: Call your friends, don't lose touch, keep making art, and laugh as hard as possible.
