by James Wright
Matt Zane is probably one of the most interesting people you’ll ever encounter. Establishing him in the adult film industry with such classics as “Cherry Poppers” and “Backstage Sluts”, Matt has been praised and credited as an innovator within the field. Despite his accomplishments in the adult world, Matt has always been a musician at heart. When fronting the L.A-based Society 1, Matt transforms into his alter ego known only as Lord Nexus. Speaking with “Modern Fix”, Matt was able to shed some light onto who Lord Nexus is, and the rumors surrounding him and his exploits in the adult film world.
You started out in the adult film industry and branched out into music, independent film and spoken word. Were you always a creative person?
Actually I had a very overactive imagination as a child. Creation is an outlet for the fire it creates within my core level of existence. Creation is a necessity.
At what age did you feel the need to create?
At the age of five I was fascinated with expressive movement. This was before my knowledge of Shamanistic practices. I guess this would be considered the beginning of the creation process.
You have a pretty unconventional background. Your father was an adult film director. What was it like growing up with you father being a part of the industry?
He was never around. He really didn’t have any influence on my upbringing except the influence of absence. It really doesn’t matter because later in life I discovered he wasn’t my biological father.
Are you tired of being the one connected to the “Backstage Sluts” series?
No. I find it amusing that something that I did as blatant ploy for money and fame has worked so well with so little effort.
What do you think of artists like Fred Durst, Papa Roach and Mark McGrath, who have publicly felt the need to severe their ties to the series?
What do I care? They are pussies. They have to distance themselves because the films are more powerful than their music.
Is it harder to legitimize your music and art in the eyes of critics when you have such an infamous background?
Yes, it is, but I really don’t blame them. Besides, it makes me work harder and create things beyond the current expectations of what an artist/musician should do. Just look at my track record. 80 adult films, two music videos, an independent film, two Society 1 records, a spoken word record, five video magazines and a soon-to-be-released book entitled “Release And Demise”.
“Exit Through Fear” was originally recorded independently and then you chose to rerecord with an entirely new band. Why did you choose to spend all the cash to rerecord it?
The first record was horrible. The original guys that played on it were so fucked on substances they could barely play the parts. Technology can only fix so much. Add in some over-developed egos and you have a recipe for destruction.
Do you think the rerecording was absolutely necessary in order to make an album like this?
Yes, I do. The first version as I said wasn’t very good. As soon as the other members left I knew that I didn’t want a record with the old guys on it. Plus they probably would have sued me.
Do you mind explaining the concept “Exit Through Fear”?
It’s a very basic concept. Use fear as a guide to higher states of consciousness. I have three guides in life: desire, lust and fear. This is about Mr. Fear.
Who came up with the idea to suspend you in the air using meat hooks for the video for “Nothing”?
I thought of it. I have known the professional suspension artist Joey Strange for a c ouple of years and he always fascinated me. I thought this would be a striking way to reintroduce the awe-inspiring artistic aspect to the music video once again. This is something more than a glorified commercial. They had a day of preparation with the piercers, plus a couple of meetings beforehand. I abstained from the orgasm or any type of release for a few weeks previous to the shooting. Plus I increased my meditational practices and yoga. This was more than a video for me. I incorporated an initiatory magical process within the filming.
What is the difference between Matt Zane and Lord Nexus?
Matt Zane is dead. He existed in this fleshy shell until 27. Lord Nexus is a creation brought into existence during the suspension rite. The Lord Nexus has no god or father and abides to nothing except his own sense of ethics.
You’ve mentioned that you’ve gained knowledge of Shamanistic practices; do you mind sharing some of what you learned and how you use it?
The actual techniques I will not discuss, but I use the practices live to bring about a journey to a specific destination. I engage the subjective mind in a separate journey than the objective mind. Within the concert all our bodies reside, but we go many places as a group with me as a guide.
There was a rumor floating around that you were actually an ordained priest. How did the rumor start and just what religion do you practice?
It is not a rumor. I am an ordained priest. This is was done to separate or rebel against the idea that I was a Satanist and all of the perceptions that have been dogmatically enshrined con-cerning this branch of the Left Hand Path. The religion that I am part of is not as easy to explain. Simply put I have created and abide to my own religion. It is a seven stage initiation process that believes in my lyrical and poetic expression as sacred words that came directly from my “god- aspect”. For more information there is a section on my site entitled “The Inner Circle”.
You’ve said in the past that debauchery follows you wherever you go. What kind of debauchery have you gotten into while on the road with this record?
I beat a girl up, as I fisted her. This is before I fucked her in the ass. She wanted it. She needed to feel the pain of The Lord Nexus.
Does the idea of mainstream success appeal to Matt Zane and Society 1?
Well, I don’t want or expect to go and hang out with Britney Spears or Fred Durst. I just want to continue to create, inspire and disrupt. The idea of deconstructing the mainstream, then reconstructing it to my predilections, is appealing.
