For those unfamiliar with your band, could you explain the philosophies and ideals of A State of Flux?

We see the band as being strictly a musical and creative entity, and we're obsessed with creating the best music we possibly can. Our philosophical ponderings are definitely explored within the songs themselves.

Where do you see your music on the sonic spectrum?

Somewhere in the vast musical landscape between industrial, electronic and progressive art rock!

Your live shows blur the line between rock music and performance art, with a distinct performance/theatrical aspect. What led you to develop that part of the band much further than most other bands do?

We had already written and recorded a large amount of music before forming the live band, so in many ways we were working with a 'script' from the beginning. I think this allowed us to be more focused in deciding how to present the material live. Also, the music just tends to lend itself to a cinematic setting, the lyrics tell a definite story and are often sung from the perspective of an assumed character.

Which artists, musicians or other entities inspire you in that regard?

Local acts such as Mushroom Giant and Long Walk Home have definitely inspired us in that regard, with fantastic, cinematic shows. Internationally, acts such as Nine Inch Nails and Dead Can Dance have been very influential. David Lynch has damaged us all with his unique take on the world.

You launch the single "Surface Tension" on July 11th at Revolver Upstairs. Tell me about that show and what people can expect from A State of Flux and the other bands playing that night.

We've put a lot of effort into our set to create a theatrical show that ebbs and flows and that shows all aspects of our music. We don't often get the chance to do that and it's very exciting for us, I think it's going to be great to watch. We're very happy to have great bands like Alaska Ratio, Cloud City and Nucleus (NSW) performing with us, bands that we not only respect musically but compliment what we do.

Will you take the show on the road away from Melbourne following the single launch?

We're heading to NSW immediately following the launch. We're playing around Sydney and Newcastle, and doing our Sydney launch at Trash Nightclub on Saturday the 19th of July. We'll be touring more extensively at the end of the year, following the release of our debut EP!

Could you decribe the single and how it fits in (or differs) with your previous work?

Being our first official release, it kind of stands alone in that regard. With that in mind we chose a single which gives a relatively broad snapshot of our sound.

Who did you work with and how did you find the process of creating the single?

The process of recording the single was an interesting one. It was produced and mixed by Red Black at Red Lodge studio in Melbourne. We worked with Jarrad Hearman (Heavy Weight Champ, Trial Kennedy) on the mix and mastered with Joseph Carra at Crystal Mastering, both lovely guys and consummate professionals.

The production process itself was extensive and was done in parallel with the production of our upcoming EP. We did several different versions of the songs and refused to let anything through that we weren't completely happy with. Red worked extensively for months on the programming, textures and aural details of the tracks. Red also recorded live drums at Studio 52 that ended up being replaced with programmed drums, as a more original electronic production style was sought after. The whole process was long and hard and extremely rewarding!

Are you, as a band, intimately involved with every aspect of recording, mixing, mastering and producing your CDs?

We have been involved with every minute detail of every aspect of the recording process, from engineering to mastering. With the exception of the mastering, everything was produced in-house at Red Lodge studio here in Melbourne. We're obsessive-compulsive anally-retentive control freaks, and we wouldn't have it any other way!

There are some incredibly impressive still shots meant for the song "Pulse, Impulse" on your MySpace page. What happened with that video clip? Will it see the light of day?

Ahh... That clip is technically still in production, we did however put it on hold to work on the clip for "Surface Tension". The "Pulse, Impulse" clip is being produced by an extremely talented young visual artist by the name of Heath Freeland, and may yet see the light of day! Either that or we'll turn it into a short film and score the music!?! We'll see...

Any plans for a video to accompany "Surface Tension" or any other songs in the future?

The clip for "Surface Tension" is being animated as we speak! I just got off the phone to the director and I think it's going to be something very special. That's all I can say for now!

You've spent the better part of four years developing the impressive live aspect of the band, with little in the way of recorded material. How important is it for a band to develop a live following compared to releasing tangible products?

Funnily enough, and I can see how this isn't apparent to anyone outside the band, but we've probably put even more time into the recorded aspect of the band than we have into the live show. We've written and demoed almost 30 songs for the project.

Personally, I feel it's a lot more important for a band like us to have high quality releases with which to spread our musical seed, especially with the industry heading the way it is. With that said, I do like to think we can back up our recordings with an impressive and engaging live show that not only captures the spirit of the recording, but adds a new spin on it.

How has the band matured, evolved, devolved or otherwise changed from the early days?

I think the songwriting has definitely become more focused, without losing the air of experimentation that permeated our earlier material. The live show has taken a big step up in the year since we finalised our current lineup, and will definitely continue to get better.

We're much more confident and I think that's a testament to the dynamic we have within the band, not just as musician's but as friends as well. We really enjoy playing these songs together and I think that comes across live. We also spend way too much time with each other. Way too much. I hate these guys...

Will "Surface Tension" find it's way onto an EP or full-length album any time in the future?

"Surface Tension" will feature on our self-titled debut EP to be released at the end of the year. It will be followed by the release of a collection of re-mixes/re-interpretations of songs off the EP, performed by some of Melbourne's most talented electronic artists, including Justin Ashworth and Milique. We also have a DVD coming out, which will feature the clip for "Surface Tension" amongst other fun Flux-themed goodies!

A State Of Flux officially launch "Surface Tension" on Friday, July 11th at Revolver Upstairs in Melbourne. You can hear the single and other songs on the Flux MySpace page at www.myspace.com/astateofflux.