Exclusive interview with Implant judging all those sinners
Implant interview on surrealism, electronics and dancing shoes…
With “Judging Sinners”, IMPLANT brings the Chaos Machines trilogy to its climactic conclusion – an album where pulsing beats, dystopian visions, and raw lyrical introspection collide. A master of blending EBM, industrial psy-trance, and dark electro, Len Lemeire delivers a sonic statement that is both club-ready and thought-provoking.
In this exclusive interview, Len dives into the themes of judgment, contradiction, and chaos that shape “Judging Sinners”, the organic evolution of the IMPLANT sound, and what the future holds beyond the chaos. From the dancefloor energy of “Why Don’t You Sin Like Me” to the haunting depths of “Nothing Left to Give, Nothing Left to Take”, discover the creative process behind one of IMPLANT’s most intense releases to date that closes the Chaos Machines trilogy with fire and fury. Step inside the mind of IMPLANT – where sin, sound, and subversion reign supreme.
The album is available on Bandcamp and via the Alfa Matrix webstore on CD.
S-L: “Judging Sinners” marks the final chapter of your “Chaos Machines” trilogy. What was the vision behind this closing installment, and how does it bring the trilogy full circle?
Len: This time the themes of the lyrics are more focused around people. How we judge each other starting from our own perspective. I think a good example of this is “Responsible”. A song about global warming. At the end I sing “and I can tell you exactly what is wrong and pretend that I act responsible”. The contradiction in the way we judge behavior and find a way to think our behavior is correct. I think this is very interesting.
“Judging Sinners” has the line ‘I’m judging sinners for sinning not like me”. That kind of sums it all up. (hence the album tittle)
S-L: The album has an intense, almost cinematic dystopian energy. What inspired the themes of sin, chaos, and judgment, and do they reflect your personal outlook on the world today?
Len: There are small little references in all the things about the chaos machine releases. Each sub-title of the albums has a sentence that was taken from the first track that got released from the album. with part one: “no more flies on the windscreen” was a sentence from “the drive”. With part 2 “scratching the surface”, it was a sentence from “responsible” (considering it’s a vinyl this one is spot on), “judging sinners’ comes from “why don’t you sin like me”. If you put them out of its original context and place them in a new spotlight (the album tittle) they get a second different life. I like small little references like this. It adds second layers to meaning etc. And yes, some tracks are an observation of things surrounding me. But others are deep emotional outlets. The dystopian energy just came naturally.
S-L: The fusion of 80s EBM, 90s dark elektro, and futuristic industrial psy-trance creates a unique sonic identity. How did you approach blending these influences while pushing the IMPLANT sound forward? Are you continuously stretching your studio boundaries or is it more a question of skills evolution?
Len: Yes, sure. I think one will always stretch the boundaries of what can be done in a studio. Most of the time because this is the part where interesting things start to happen. If a musician doesn’t do that, he is in fact formula editing his tracks. It will probably be more successful, but way less interesting (laugh). Blending influences is something that I never really think about in advance. While composing I do think ‘this could be nice’ and see where it will take me. My music reflects the music I listen to. And that is about anything that abuses synthesizers and a large blend of styles. Ranging from pure EBM to post punk to psytrance and anything in between.
S-L: Tracks like “Why Don’t You Sin Like Me” and “The Dancefloor Is Lava” seem tailor-made for the club scene, yet they carry a raw, almost anarchic energy. Do you consciously write with the dancefloor in mind, or does that element emerge naturally?
Len: I have always tried to make music that could be played in clubs. Of course there will always be tracks that are less dancefloor oriented. But in the end, I think a good collection of tracks on a CD should be for clubs. I do realize that the public listening to this type of music is no longer going to clubs on a weekly basis. But stuck in traffic, shouting along with hard hitting music is still way more fun than listening to the news!
S-L: NOEMI AURORA makes another haunting guest appearance on “nothing left to give, nothing left to take” What drew you to collaborate with her again, and how does her voice shape the mood of the track?
Len: Both tracks (‘I wasn’t there’ and ‘nothing left to give, nothing left to take’) were recorded at the same time. I asked Noemi to contribute to both tracks, because I really think they needed a female vocal. I think Noemi is probably the most talented female vocalist on Alfa Matrix. I’m not sure how this is perceived by other people. But I like her contribution to ‘nothing left to give, nothing left to take’ way better. To me this is not her voice carrying most of the track. In this case it’s more like a second layer. Yet it is so important to this track. The fact that she can add so much power to this refrain is exactly what I was hoping it would sound like. But Noemi is not only a good voice. She is also a very talented artist herself. People should check out her “Kintsugi” solo album on Spleen+/Alfa Matrix.
S-L: Beyond IMPLANT, you are also a producer and mastering engineer for lot of Alfa Matrix releases, shaping the sound of many other artists. How do these roles influence your own music, and do you approach your own albums differently compared to producing for others?
Len: Indeed, I do other studio work besides implant. I do a lot of mastering for AM. Doing productions is what I like the most beside composing for implant. You must build a relationship of trust with the artist. In the end it’s their music, not yours.
The production of The Ultimate Dreamers was very satisfying to do. Frederic is very open minded to new ideas yet has a clear vision of where to take his band. It’s a rare combination and something that really works in a studio. On top this post-punk genre is something I like (and listen to) a lot. For me the result is a typical Belgian product. (à la Belge). A guitar driven band that goes to an electro producer could be filed as Belgium surrealism, but it works…
S-L: The “Chaos Machines” trilogy has taken listeners on a dark, apocalyptic journey. Now that it’s complete, where do you see IMPLANT heading next? Will chaos continue to reign, or do you see a shift in sound or themes for future releases?
Len: The next album is getting close to being finished. I think I’ll release it early 2026. There is a lot new in my arsenal to compose. I switched computers (more calculating power) and I bought a lot of new software instruments and plugins. some other things have changed in the studio too. But I’ll explain all that in due time. People who heard the new tracks think that it is very promising, hard hitting and different (again). So, keep an eye out for the future (and don’t forget you dancing shoes)…
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