Interview: Al Jurgensen of the Department
February 25, 2024
Photo by Derrick Smith
Al Jorgensenfrontman of Ministrywas friendly when I called him from his home in Los Angeles to discuss the legendary industrial band’s 16th studio album. Hopium Fortemasis scheduled to be released on March 1st. record of nuclear explosions. But don’t get me wrong. In this new song, Jorgensen is as outspoken about social ills as he has always been throughout his nearly 50-year career. This time, topics such as misogyny, racism, and religion come under his intense (and witty) scrutiny, all set against the backdrop of hard-throbbing, jagged music. Soon, the band will be taking these powerful musical messages out into the world with an extensive spring tour. Gary Numan and front line assembly (See list of dates below). Afterwards, Jurgensen said he was satisfied that he had accomplished everything he wanted to do with the ministry and would begin the process of permanently abolishing it.
How are you feeling as you prepare to release this album to the world?
Al Jorgensen: It feels very nice. I feel like the album will last a long time. I think Ministries continues to evolve in the genre that we have defined. There will soon come a time when that will be all we can do. I think this is really polished, refined and well made. In all my albums, [this one is] Definitely in the top 5. Yes, I’m really looking forward to it.
Why did you choose it? Hopium Fortemas As an album title?
Al Jorgensen: It’s kind of a sarcastic irony. karl marx Quote, it was “opium for the masses.” We want to do that with every title. The Ministry fights injustice with cynicism, and that seems to be our business card.
What do you want people to think and feel when they hear these new songs?
Al Jorgensen:I just want people to think! [laughs] If you can do that, it’s wonderful – That would be a step in the right direction!
What theme or idea are you trying to convey this time?
Al Jorgensen: I don’t even consider myself a musician. I consider myself a photographer. I’m just walking around taking snapshots of society. I’m like a time capsule. So when you listen to the Ministry album, you can see between the lines what I felt was going on in society at that time. So at this point the theme is pretty self-explanatory. “Big Dick Energy” [“B.D.E.”], I feel that the trend of misogyny in this society is becoming more and more violent. It’s also becoming more commonplace, which is not cool. I don’t know if you realize that the #MeToo movement has never looked at ministry, but we actually respect the other gender in this band. I’m watching all my compatriots from the 90s go down in some kind of scandal. The only thing I cared about in the ’90s was that the dealer would be on time, so I didn’t have any time to fumble and do all the other crap that people do now. In any case, I didn’t. It’s just that I’m not like that. However, I feel like the fact that we have normalized misogyny has been a really under-the-radar topic. I didn’t see anyone else seriously talking about it, so I thought, why not? Let’s add Ministry sarcasm as usual and see where it goes.
How can I avoid always getting angry when I write about something that makes me so angry?
Al Jorgensen:I used to be a very, very angry person. I think age softens some of that. Because through personal experience, you can process information analytically in a different way than when you were younger. Because I was really anxious and wanted to deal with all the problems in the world. The world at once. And I think as you grow up and get older and start getting more education in different areas, your anger boils down to just frustration. I’m not angry anymore. In the early 2000s, [George W.] Bush administration, I was angry.That’s when I got angry. [Donald] Trump won, so I wrote a whole album about it, [2018’s] Ameri KK cunt, [which] I was completely focused on the shock to my system when Trump was actually elected. But as you mature and become more educated, it’s now just a matter of identifying exactly why these things happen in society and what can be done about the root causes. Let’s consider why these things are happening in the first place. So I think at least my lyrical style has progressed from reactionism to activism.
How did you know you should write these lyrics in the first place?
Al Jorgensen: Because it’s easier to do so. I’m well-educated, well-read, and involved enough to not just talk my butt off. kid rock“Oh, shoot that Bud Light guy and they’ll tell!” That’s not politics. But the point is, despite the dire state of things, I’m not surprised by the way things are going. I’m frustrated. But let’s find a way to release our frustrations so we can contribute to humanity’s survival during this period. Again, this is cyclical. This is nothing new. So we had the rise of fascism in the 1930s, and now we have a populist movement. This right wing will rise again, and it will be defeated again, and it will come back again. Right-wing fascism is like herpes. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.
Many artists with long careers end up reworking their songs acoustically or mellowing them out entirely, but you’ve never done that…
Al Jorgensen: you know what? That’s strange. There’s something to be said about that. Not everyone expects to be a political activist in music. If you are knowledgeable and comfortable about the topic you are talking about, then do so. If you want to sing about breakups and relationships and all that, if that’s what you’re comfortable doing, I wouldn’t thumb my nose at it. There are some good songs out there that can help you process really complex themes like breakups and romance. I do what I do because I feel comfortable and I feel educated enough to respond appropriately. Basically, like I said, my music just adds to the pictures I take in my head of what I walk around and see every day.
Why did you decide you had to become a musician in the first place?
Al Jorgensen: Back in the day, when I started, it was like athletics for impoverished communities. So it’s a way out. And at that point, I had failed twice in my life before starting the ministry. One, I wanted to be a baseball player, but I broke my knee. So I decided to ride a bull and went on the rodeo circuit and ended up breaking all of his ribs. Then I started thinking, “There has to be a better way to connect with people.” Doing so will cause injury. So far, the only collateral damage in the music industry is excessive drinking, liver damage, and, oh yeah, ulcers. I had to stop touring and almost quit for a while because I was bleeding from my nose, ears, cock, butt, everything. I just said, “No, this isn’t good either.” Maybe you should try something else. ” [laughs] But yeah, that’s how I got here, so here I am.
Do you remember the first song you wrote when you realized you could really do this?
Al Jorgensen: Yeah, actually – I took a four-track demo to a new store in Chicago where I worked as a record store clerk. Wax tracks!, and performed for the owner. And they said, “Oh my god!”and they decided to release it as a 12 inch [record, via Wax Trax! Records]. And I was blown away because people were actually starting to pay for stuff like this – finally, I had something that didn’t break any bones in my body, and I was happy with something. , and others seem to appreciate it. There I found my little niche in society. It was good.
But at the moment, people seem to have pretty high expectations for your work. Have you ever felt pressured to endure it?
Al Jorgensen: absolutely. That’s why I’m going to end this story quickly. Because I’m at a point where I think this album is an example of how far you can expand on the genre that you created. In other words, I wasn’t trying to create anything. I just did what was natural to me, right? And I think that influences other people, and they take it a step further and shape it to their own ideals and find comfort in it. And art erodes itself. Again, it’s cyclical. But at this point, I think we’ve come pretty far with this record as far as we can go in this genre. And the final checkoff is to do the final ministry record. [bassist] paul barker, [a working relationship] This contributed to the success, growth, and evolution of the ministry in the late 80s and 90s. So we’ll come together again for our final album, put a big ribbon on the ministry box, drop the mic, and say good night.
What are your future plans?
Al Jorgensen: My new passion is mostly composing film music. I love the collaborative aspect of working with people in the visual field rather than music, so I strengthen that person’s vision for the film. I think it’s really fulfilling. This is really cool because I’m just working on film music to help other people realize their vision. And I want to focus on the musicians’ union. I was very energized to see the Screen Actors Guild and Writers Guild finally win concessions, but our Musicians Guild does nothing for musicians. So I really want to work on building a foundation for creative people so that they can continue to be creative even when they’re not part of the circle of life. This is the true trend of things. In other words, what I want to do is film music and activities.
However, when we do end this band, we will leave behind many heartbroken fans of Ministry.
Al Jorgensen: Well, go see a movie for which I’m writing movie music. We promise you will get a good profit if you buy them!
