Thomas and the Evil Computer are not actually playing Wavelength. Instead, using that name, computerologist Jan Rudy will play his brand of pop-electronicia in order to diffuse the evil spell that the Evil Computer is trying to cast in an attempt to enslave the world. In fact, this interview is late because the Evil Computer has learned of Rudy's attempt to thwart its evil plot, and dumped the emails from Wavelength in his spam folder. By the time he found them and was able to reply, Rudy was in London, England. He'd been chasing the evil computer around Europe, and said he even has the stamps to prove that he'd been in three countries in 24 hours. Rudy works his ass off trying to save us from the Evil Computer. It's in our best interest to listen to him. Ryan McLaren gave us this introductory guide to Rudy's tale.

WHAT'S THE STORY OF THOMAS AND THE EVIL COMPUTER?

Once upon a time, a cosmic ray got lodged in a computer processor. Obviously, this bestowed it with a soul. A soul of pure evil. Like all things of pure evil, the computer is planning to take over the world. It plans to do this with music. Because it is a computer, it is unable to write lyrics. These it steals from it's owner's electronic journal. Last I checked the computer was owned by a six year old boy named Thomas. He must be nine or 10 by now. Unfortunately, I've lost all contact with both the Evil Computer and Thomas.

YOU KNOW, I DON'T ACTUALLY KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT YOU. NOT EVEN YOUR NAME. I ASSUME IT'S THOMAS, BUT I CAN'T REALLY BE SURE. IN 100 WORDS OR LESS, TELL US YOUR LIFE STORY.

Yeah... my name isn't Thomas. I get that a lot. My name is Jan Rudy. I'm an amateur computerologist who has been studying the phenomenon of 'Thomas and the Evil Computer' for the last few years. I've been trying to familiarize people with the Evil Computer's music by compiling simplified versions of the Computer's compositions. Hopefully this will act like a vaccine, or at least dull the effects of the Evil Computer's music once it is unleashed on the public in its pure form.

Well, that's was what I was trying to do. The Evil Computer is on to me; it's planning something or playing some sort of game. I've been trying to crack the code, but I need some help.

WHY DID YOU CALL YOUR NEWEST ALBUM MATH TEACHERS COUNT?

As I said earlier, I've lost all contact with Thomas and the Evil Computer. That is, until roughly a year ago. I began receiving anonymous packages containing 5.25" dos-formatted floppy diskettes. Some were left in my mailbox, others I found in random places throughout the city. I received roughly one package each month for a year. Then nothing. Each diskette contained formuli for the construction of a piece of music. The final package also contained a 3X5 card inscribed with the phrase "Math Teachers Count"

I believe that the songs form some sort of cryptic puzzle, but I am unable to find the solution. For this reason, I have made them available to the public. Please listen to the constructions and contact my with any insights into the solution.

SCENARIO: SOMEONE AT NASA HAS JUST HEARD AN MP3 OF YOUR NEWEST ALBUM AND FALLEN IN LOVE WITH IT. UNFORTUNATELY, WHILE THIS PERSON WANTS TO BROADCAST YOUR MUSIC ACROSS THE GLOBE, HE/SHE CAN'T. BUT WHAT HE/SHE CAN DO IS WRITE A MESSAGE TO THE WORLD ON THE MOON USING A HIGHLY SOPHISTICATED MOON-CARVING FLAME CANNON THAT HE/SHE HAS DEVELOPED WITHOUT THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE OTHER STAFF AT NASA. WHAT WOULD YOU ASK THIS PERSON TO WRITE? ALSO, WOULD YOU WANT THAT TO BE PERMANENT OR TEMPORARY?

That's a lot of responsibility. I'm just a computerologist. An amateur one at that. I'd have to let some sort of poet or philosopher come up with something. Something really profound. Something like, "Fucking is how babies are made."

THOSE OF US WHO ARE FAMILIAR WITH YOUR MUSIC KNOW THAT YOU'RE TALENTED. WHY HAVE YOU CHOSEN TO MAKE THIS PARTICULAR KIND OF MUSIC? I MEAN, YOU COULD PROBABLY WRITE A FANTASTIC NEW-WAVE ALBUM IF YOU CHOSE TO. WHY THIS KIND OF PLAYFUL ELECTRONIC MUSIC? WAS IT DESINTY? CHOICE? ARE YOU EVER EAGER TO STRETCH BEYOND THE BOUNDARIES OF T&TEC? DO YOU PLAY IN ANY OTHER BANDS/CREATE ANY OTHER MUSIC PROJECTS?

Thank-you, but I'd like to remind you that it's not my music, but approximations of the Evil Computer's work. But I have picked up a few things from my studies of the Evil Computer. I must admit, that this music thing has some sort of appeal. I've been trying my own hand at writing music for a band called BEEP. I'm also working on some other stuff which I am unable to talk about at the moment. I've written some music for some short films as well. Like 'Zoltan: The Winter Planet'. Check it out: www.morlando.com/zoltan

WHERE DO YOU WANT THIS TO GO? HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT WHERE YOU WANT TO BE MUSICALLY IN, SAY A YEAR? FIVE YEARS? IS THAT EVEN SOMETHING YOU THINK ABOUT?

Off the record, I want to write music for cartoons and video games.

HOW DO YOU BALANCE THIS WITH THE OTHER ASPECTS OF YOUR LIFE? DO YOU EVER FEEL LIKE YOU WANT TO DEVOTE MORE TIME TO IT AND CAN'T. OR HAVE YOU FOUND A WAY, LIKE SO MANY OF US HAVEN'T, TO SEEMLESSLY INTEGRATE IT WITH OTHER FACETS OF YOUR DAILY LIFE?

You mean, besides quitting my job, taking off to Europe for four months, and then moving back in with my parents?

WHAT KIND OF MUSIC DO YOU LISTEN TO? CAN YOU GIVE US A PLAYLIST OF THINGS YOU FIND INTERESTING RIGHT NOW, NEW OR OLD?

These types of questions make me nervous. Ummm... one of my all time favourites is the theme for M.U.L.E. for the Commodore 64.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE TO PLAY MUSIC, EITHER VENUE OR CITY OR OTHER (YOUR DINING ROOM, FOR EXAMPLE). WHAT MAKES THAT PLACE ENJOYABLE FOR YOU? IS IT THE PEOPLE, OR LACK OF? SOUND SYSTEM? PROXIMITY? FRINGE BENEFITS ASSOCIATED WITH PLAYING THERE?

I had a lot of fun when I played at the KOC in Simcoe a few years ago. I was very skeptical at first. I had never played in Simcoe, but my mother used to take me there around Christmas time to see the light displays. Anyway, I didn't know what to expect. But when I started playing, a bunch of kids started dancing and singing along. I think the Evil Computer got to them before I could. Luckily, I was able to reverse the affects of the Evil Computer's brain tampering.

LASTLY, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING SPECIAL PLANNED FOR YOUR WAVELENGTH SHOW?

Damn. Now I have to plan something special. Please don't be disappointed when there is nothing extraordinary.