MASKED MAN. When Joe Slotevig performs as Area-715, he dons a mask to add a layer of mystery and theatrics to his performances. (Submitted Photo)

For decades Joe Slotevig dreamed of crafting original music, but life kept getting in the way. But when a worldwide pandemic hit, he knew there were no more roadblocks left in the way of that dream. It was time to act.

Slotevig is an Eau Claire-based musician behind the industrial project Area-715. He began putting music out on Bandcamp in 2020, culminating in his debut full-length record The Bruised and The Baptized in 2021. Area-715 kept working through the pandemic, releasing his latest single “Feel the Break,” on March 5. His discography is filled with heavy music laden with electronic elements and melodically screamed vocals. 

“I really want my music to be aggressive and to the point,” Slotevig said. “The music I’ve put out represents how I was feeling in my personal life at the time. I never sit down and determine a topic I want to write about, I just write about what’s going on in my life at any given point.”

Through the late 1990s and 2000s, Slotevig developed a passion for industrial music, leading to his music developing similar characteristics to groups such as Ministry and Nine Inch Nails. Growing up in Boyceville, he said starting a band that was interested in the type of music he was itching to make was increasingly difficult, ultimately leading to him taking the reigns and accomplishing his goal through writing, recording, and performing his music independently. 

“This music is a release for me,” Slotevig said. “For most of my life I was putting off making music, but now that I finally am, it is very therapeutic. All of these songs were produced by me, so I get a great self of satisfaction seeming them be released.”

With the release of his latest single “Feel the Break,” Slotevig said his continuing to nail down his sophomore album and determine the logistics for what his live show will become. He said he wants to bring a sense of theatrics to his live shows, as he and his music yearn for it.

“Feel the Break,” by Area-715 is available now at area-715.bandcamp.com.