ThaFormula.com - How has the album done since it's release?

Ozomatli - Well, you know it came out on the September 11th. It's an ironic thing that we called it Embrace the Chaos. So you know it's been nuts, but it's been cool. We been touring going to Japan. Sells since that day haven't been that great but actually our touring has been really good. It's been like better then ever, with more people coming out everywhere we go.

ThaFormula.com - Do you feel it was good that it dropped on the 11th or bad?

Ozomatli - I mean it's bad in terms of record sells, but it's good that we can be out there during these times.

ThaFormula.com - Where have you guys toured since the album dropped?

Ozomatli - We been to Japan, Europe, London, Switzerland, Holland, Belgium, France, Germany, and now were in Toronto and Vancouver. Then were gonna head out to Vermont, then we go to New York City. Then we go home for the Holidays and then we go back out right after the holidays to do the West Coast.

ThaFormula.com - Has the touring helped the album sales a lot?

Ozomatli - Yeah, wherever we go you know the album picks up. The past month we haven't really been in the states, so in terms of album sales in the states it's not really jumpin' up. Were basically just setting it up for over seas now and so now were coming back through to the States. Hopefully, wherever we go after we leave the album gets sold there more and more. There is not that much promotion or awareness about it you know.

ThaFormula.com - What happened with the track you were gonna record with Iriscience?

Ozomatli - Yeah man, we did actually record the track. There was some stuff that happened between the labels and shit with clearances. But it's still all good, and hopefully we will do some stuff.

ThaFormula.com - How did you guys hook up and record with Common?

Ozomatli - That was done through our producer Bob Power. We actually thought of Common and we were like, we got to try and get Common for this. So our producer actually made that shit happen. He had produced him before and it was really cool. He came out to New York and did that song with us.

ThaFormula.com - How did you guys hook up with Bob Power?

Ozomatli - We suggested him. Basically you got to work with the label on who to get to produce your shit. There has got to be a compromise between you and the label. We gave our ideas and the label looked over them and they thought basically that Bob Power could do the job too. So we were excited to work with him. So then they basically approved the money to spend on Bob Power. But you can't just pick any producer you want because they are not just gonna give you money for any Tom, Dick, and Joe. They have specific needs and you have to work with them to choose somebody that will be good for them as well as for us.

ThaFormula.com - So how does the label go about promoting you guys?

Ozomatli - I guess that's what has been the problem. The good thing for us is that the way we survive is through our touring and through our live shows. For whatever reason the industry hasn't gravitated towards us yet.

ThaFormula.com - How did you hook up with De La?

Ozomatli - Bob Power also hooked that up to. Actually they just came down to the studio where Bob was and were just kickin' it. Then they heard it and just started writing to it while he was mixing it. We were just like aww that's the shit.

ThaFormula.com - Now you were tellin' me a while back about a problem you guys had with a song being on a commercial?

Ozomatli - Their was this one instance where the label, uh, our label is joining businesses with Chrysler and basically it was at a time when our album was just about to drop and we were uncomfortable with using our song for a commercial. But now that were on this big major label and our album is about to drop, you got to give and take. People basically explained to us that if we don't do this for the big daddy on top or whatever, certain things might happen to your record that you may not want to or whatever. But were lucky that the commercial never got dropped.

ThaFormula.com - Does an artist have control over something like that?

Ozomatli - Inevitably, we have the control. We can say no, but who has the control beyond that. It's like, "Well if you don't do this for me, I'm not gonna do this for you." There is thousands of scenarios of how that could happen. It's not just this one.

ThaFormula.com - Was the record deal you guys signed a good deal?

Ozomatli - I mean it was a standard deal. I can't say it was good, but it wasn't anything other then the norm.

ThaFormula.com - What were your thoughts on what happened on September 11th?

Ozomatli - First of all, it was a tragedy. You had just regular people going to work that day who basically got caught up and were killed because of what the U.S. had done to other parts of the world prior to that. Now it's time for us to really look at who's to blame for this because history didn't just start on September 11th. There is a huge amount of history that escalated up to that point. I'm very surprised that it happened in my lifetime. It's pretty much inevitable when you have policies such as the U.S. does in places that we don't even live, which are starving millions of people. Inevitably their is gonna be a lot of people out there that hate the U.S. It's really sad to see that now it's come back to us where not only people all over the world are dying because of the U.S., but now people in the U.S. are now dying because of policies that the U.S. has laid on other parts of the world for control. Like oil and corporate gain basically.

ThaFormula.com - How do you contribute to this so called cause or movement?

Ozomatli - The way that we contribute is through our music. Getting it out to masses. We can play for the converted all day. We can play for people that are conscious and they know what's up. They might know more what's up then we know. Were just providing the entertainment. I think the way people contribute even more is like when kids in fucken Alabama are listening to Rage Against The Machine talkin' about the Zapatistas and learning about Mumia. Those are the people we need to really do this.

ThaFormula.com - What made you guys finally decide to sign with a major label?

Ozomatli - That's the only way that we could have actually stayed together, because we needed that type of push and money behind us. Were such a big band, and it's like if we get a dollar, it's not like everyone gets ten cents. There is bills to be paid first and there is taxes to be paid. Their is commission to be paid. A lot of times that dollar is already spent before we even made it. So sometimes when you see an artist doing compromising things, it sucks on one hand but their is always another side to it. It could be for some fucked up reasons to. Like maybe they are just going for the money, but it could be that they are really broke and they gotta pay the bills. So I know how that is.

ThaFormula.com - Is there a limit to what should be compromised?

Ozomatli - For us their is definitely a limit and it's always a tug of war you know. Sometimes you will do things for other people to. People have kids in the band and they need certain things or else we can't play or everyone just goes and gets a job. Sometimes at certain times that's what it comes down to. So the question is what's more important. Keepin' our music out there and playing for people to keep our message going or not doing it and just staying in L.A., and play being weekend warriors. Just play on the weekend in L.A. and be ghetto superstars. Not really making a good effect on what's going on or try to.

ThaFormula.com - How do you feel about all those people driving around the street with the American Flag?

Ozomatli - I just think that people are misinformed. I don't think that everyone with the flag is all gun ho and war and pro America. But I think that that's what they are doing without even knowing it. I think a lot of people are actually trying to mourn the death of those people by having the American flag up. Which makes sense on one level, but the fact that it's red, white, and blue makes no sense at all. It's time to raise the flag of humanity, not red, white, and blue. Because it's not about us. It's about the people in the World Trade Center where families didn't get access to any of the money from the organizations that were raising money because they didn't have the right documents to be in this country, but yet they died working in those buildings. It's about the women and children in Afghanistan right now dying because of U.S. policy. It's so beyond just states. It's about sweatshops in Thailand.

ThaFormula.com - Do you think this will ever change?

Ozomatli - It definitely will. Whether or not it's in our lifetime, who knows.

ThaFormula.com - What does the American flag represent to you?

Ozomatli - It basically represents taking over somebody else's land, killing all of them. Enslaving Africans, concentration camps in World War 2 of Japanese Americans. It means all that shit and it doesn't mean freedom that's for sure. It means Ford creating the parts to kill millions of Jews in Germany and making the parts for the fucken Gas Chambers. That's what America is. It's about riding on other people's backs for gain to have more stuff.

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