The below interview took place early 1985. The name of the zine also describes my mental condition during this interview...

CHEMICAL IMBALANCE, first issue

...We pick up in parts - selected parts of a rap with the inimitable eccentric known to the masses as DIMTHINGS. Severe editing was necessary. This is a very stream of consciousness-type rap so it may be difficult to follow in parts. I publish this to give some type of better understanding of Mr. Things...

C.I.: .... So where'd ya get your name?

Dim: Well my Grandma use to call me Dim because she's Spanish and couldn't pronounce the J in Jim and I always use to say 'things' a lot. It seemed natural that it worked out that way. And it was cool, like you said, for a stage name. Instead of Jim Garcia - it's easier to remember. If I'm going to make my music marketable way, is what it comes down to. If I scream on a whole album, I think "How could I make this a million seller?", ya know"

C.I.: You should make a scratch record?

Dim: Well actually right now I am working on a twelve inch, which is the most commercial thing I ever did. I used a drum machine, synthesizer, & I'm doing the vocals. It's like, Michael Jackson gave the idea. It's got rap stuff going on it. - Even people that are into the avant-garde might like it , cuz you usually get a crowd of a lot of rich people who go to see those concerts, and they like to dance. It' funny cuz I've gone to the New Music Concert Festivals and they'd be like a week long. People would never be as into the music as when somebody down the street would play the Top 40 dance hits. It was just more of a thing to be there. That's what it will be like anywhere you go....It's weird dealing with people like that because they want you to explain everything you do...then they'll like you and think there's a lot more behind your music, buy more... ...Actually, The RESIDENTS are machines, they're not real people....some people actually think their DEVO since DEVO's manager out of nowhere picked up for the RESIDENTS and the new Ralph is actually run by Devo's management. Plus, their four guys and where do they get the money? They have to have something supporting them(ed. note: Bullshit! The RESIDENTS are CAPT. BEEFHEART!) ...And music's a real popular thing now, thanks to Michael Jackson, and others....I have his albums right there for inspiration on some bizarre pieces.... People have the records now just to have them. They have to have something to talk about to each other to relate- It's a good time for me- Maybe I'll start making 500 copies of each album and selling them. I might be getting real popular soon....

C.I.: You worked with JEAN CHAINE on your last album.

Dim: He was the bass player on that record. Yeah- I've worked with him for years. We seem to get along good enough so that we can stick around each other.

C.I.: Is FRED FRITH a big influence on your work?

Dim: Yeah, well I saw Fred Frith with David Moss, John Zorn, and one guy doing stuff with turntables. Fred builds a lot of his own guitars now. When I saw him in concert he had all these things he had built himself. He's on stage and he's still building them onstage as it is.... ....They got like twenty stations on TV now with the Born Again Christians, it's becoming so big. One of my future projects is to put out a Born Again album, like Dylan. The first song'd be 'Jesus Is Fucking Great' and I'd go from there....

C.I.: You seemed to project sarcasm at your last show at FLYNN's, wearing a Jackson glove & a dress...

Dim: Attitude wise? It's possible. I wasn't really aware of it. I guess a lot of my attitude is subliminal. And also like lots of animals use sounds to scare enemies away- Maybe I do the same thing. All I'm doing is enjoying myself---Until somebody shoots me or something like that, then I'll become famous.

C.I.: Then your albums will really sell.

Dim: .....I feel like there's spirits that are out there, things that are going to attack me and I got to be ready for them. That's what my body is telling me or something back there is telling me...I got myself my Jerusalem Bible. I finally gonna finish the Bible. It's just a lot of people having sex, having tons of babies, eating up a whole bunch of food. Then the Moses thing. It was a little different from the movie. According to this, he was an idiot and couldn't even talk.

C.I.: Are you a Christian?

Dim: Christian? I'm a Vistian. It's a new form of Christian. I started it up myself. Actually what I'm doing is, after I finish this, it's gonna lead to the newer testament which has the big biography on Dimthings. I'm waiting for that part to come up.........silence........I wasn't really into learning and studying until I got out of high school...

C.I.: Yeah, you could be doing something in school on Wild Bill Burroughs, who's so interesting, pornographic - they can pervert it with language. Boredom.

Dim: Burroughs, he's real popular now. In a lot of New Music I listen to today, everybody has to use his voice. Burroughs is hip.

C.I.: Just like T.G....so what's new - what can we expect?

Dim: From me?? The unexpected....I'm putting out my twelve inch. My other two recordings of the garage recording series. That should hopefully be available soon. I'll have vol. 3 (an EP) & 4 (an LP). I'm real lucky I've had the opportunity to create stuff and get away with it. I could be in some other country where I'd be lucky to live.

C.I.: God bless America....your last LP was pretty funky.

Dim: Yeah, I could see that. That's because I was working with Jean and we tend to do things between funk and progressive jazz rock fusion. It's been working that way. It's starting to change though now somewhat. On volume 4 there's a tune that shows me off finally on electric guitar. On another tune it's like the WHO influence starts coming through. I also do a cover of Stevie Wonder's "Superstition". There's one tune with electric guitars that sounds like Beefheart on acid. That's just to get people to buy it is why I'm saying that. They EP has my punk tune. It's a classic called "Battle For Slack". It's inspired by the Subgenious (Church of)....I feel like in my former life I was an American Indian, the name Dimthings has that sort of feel to it. It's strange how everything has led up to it.

C.I.: Any words for the wise?

Dim: Ok, uh 'Do what ya do & it's up to you'.