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Purely Provocative: Cyborg Octopus Frontman Ian Forsythe Tackles Some Irregular Questions

Supporting their new album, ‘Between the Light and Air,’ we connect with Cyborg Octopus frontman Ian Forsythe for some irregular interview questions.

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Somewhere Between the Light and Air, you will find Cyborg Octopus and their intricate, inviting take on progressive metal. The band has August 26th set as the release date for their new album Between the Light and Air, coming to you via Silent Pendulum Records. The group has really taken a turn for the better with this, their sophomore record. After the departure of their guitarist and primary songwriter, it was time for the rest of the crew to buckle down and show everyone what they’re made out of. It took time, with their debut Learning To Breathe now six years behind them, but it was a worthwhile period of growth and recalibration. The new record is thematically centred around maturation, independent thinking, and combatting the fears and doubts that inevitably encounter us all.

The band members approached the writing and recording of Between the Light and Air quite differently from Learning to Breathe, taking a more focused, unabashed angle. Some of the songs are leftover from their previous release’s recording session, but they have now been so refined and redefined that they sound completely different and fully realized.

In speaking with frontman Ian Forsythe, we turned the attention away from music for a few minutes for a special session of Purely Provocative, in which we discussed the less elegant side of life.

Most public situation you’ve projectile vomited?

Ian Forsythe: “We actually played a show in San Jose once back in maybe 2015 or 2016 where I ate a fat burrito and drank a Monster about 30 minutes before our set. As a vocalist, I usually eat well before we play, three to four hours at least, but today I was feeling adventurous. Even before we started playing, I knew I was in the danger zone, so I asked the venue for a bucket beforehand.

“During a vocally intense part of our second song, I grabbed the bucket and puked mid-verse. It looked kind of cool, and I felt like a rockstar until they made me clean up the bucket after our set. The show went pretty well, all things considered.”

“I used to steal sandwiches from my local grocery store after school. I got busted one time, and they banned me from the store.”

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever stolen? Did you get away with it, or were you busted?

“I’m a good boy; I used to steal sandwiches from my local grocery store after school. I got busted one time, and they banned me from the store.

“One Black Friday, I went out and bought a new TV. When I got home, I realized I didn’t have the proper-sized screwdriver at home to set it up. I went back to Wal-Mart, but the line was getting crazy, so I took the screwdriver and walked out.”

Cyborg Ooctopus frontman Ian Forsythe by Gabe Ruiz of Crowded Coffin Productions

Sonic diarrhea; frustrating or fun? How are the shits while touring?

“I cherish my ‘cleansing time.’ On the road, all of us have weird habits. Josh (Mathis), our drummer, needs to remove his shirt for a proper shit. Our guitarist Bobby (Carroll) likes eating weird stuff to destroy venue bathrooms before the rest of the band has a chance to use them. I am a big fan of the ‘pre-show dump;’ it’s a part of my ritual.”

Do you bathe on tour? Is it regular? Do you take what you can get and do a wet nap wipe if there’s no shower?

“We all bathe as often as we are able, but that may only be every three to four days if we are lucky. Wipes are a must on tour. We’ve also been known to hose ourselves down in front yards.”

You find someone’s wallet in the street. It contains a ton of cash and/or a winning lottery ticket inside and their ID. What do you do?

“I would mail it back with my contact info so they can reward me if they so choose! I am a big believer in karma, so I’d want to harvest all the good vibes I could by returning it. My guilt couldn’t handle stealing from the innocent!”

If there were zero repercussions to you, what one thing would you do that’s illegal or morally wrong?

“I’d rob a bank. I just said I wouldn’t want to steal from the innocent, but I don’t view banks as innocent! I imagine it would be sort of a Robin Hood kind of situation.”

“My parents that grounded me for smoking in high school now ask me to get them CBD when I go to the club; it’s a cool shift.”

What is your stance on the legalization of marijuana?

“Legalize it! We are in California, it’s very legal here, and I love having a dispensary down the street from my house. I enjoy a plethora of marijuana products in my daily life, it helps me sleep, and I like how it feels. I think more and more people are seeing the benefits of cannabis every day. My parents that grounded me for smoking in high school now ask me to get them CBD when I go to the club; it’s a cool shift.”

Artwork for the album ‘Between the Light and Air’ Cyborg Octopus

Does God exist? Why yes/no/who the fuck cares?

“Yes, I think some form of higher power exists. No, I don’t think it’s like the Bible, and I don’t think that we would be able to comprehend it even if it was explained to us. We are all just evolved monkeys on a rock flying through space.

“Regardless if God exists or not, you should do ‘good’ for yourself and others, whatever that means to you. Impacting the people around you is a superpower in itself! You don’t need to be religious to have your own code of ethics. Be your own God.”

When was the last time you cried, and for what reason?

“My best friend’s dog Carlos passed away recently. We go way back, and I lived with him for almost three years, and it was devastating to all of us. We always said, ‘Carlos is Eternal,’ it was our joke. I still believe it; he’s out there watching over us. RIP Carlos.”

Cyborg Octopus frontman Ian Forsythe in Alaska in 2022

Describe your wildest drug experience.

“I had an intense acid trip when I was 22 where I experienced ego death and forgot I existed for an extended period. I still see it as one of the most positive experiences I’ve ever had in my life. During that time, I came to some personal realizations that stuck with me after the trip and totally changed my perceptions and some aspects of my personality.

“Learning to Breathe, our first album, has multiple songs that are loosely based around this time period of my life where I felt like I was deciding who I wanted to be for the first time.”

9/11 was an inside job… comment on that statement.

“Jet fuel can’t melt steel beams.”

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