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Why this name?
XQWZYT: Of rare excellence of production or execution.
Do you play live?
I do but I haven't played live since 2004, which will hopefully change soon... the best time was probably in 2002 at the Hamlin Music Theater and afterwards, it was just a wild night.
How, do you think, does the internet (or mp3) change the music industry?
It allows the fan to hear artists they may never had heard before from anywhere across the globe and for the artist it allows them to promote themselves to more fans and it also allows artist to get there music bootlegged like there is no tomorrow.
Would you sign a record contract with a major label?
Yeah, I probably would... I'd love to make music for a living.
Band History:
XQWZYT [ek-skwi-zit] born Patrick Alger, October 10th 1983 under the bright lights and fast moving capital city of New York, Albany... has been thriving to make music ever since his early childhood. "I remember riding around with my parents in the minivan and as soon as they would turn on the radio this whole new world was opened in my mind. I would always just sit back, close my eyes and imagine myself as the lead singer of whatever band was playing then." Growing up he was always a very introverted person, so much so that early on most people thought something was wrong with him. "I normally kept things inside, kept everything bottled up... I wasn't really concerned with the world around me because I had this whole world where anything was possible going on inside my head constantly." XQWZYT first started expressing himself in comic books and art in his early teen years where he first took this world going on in his head and put it on paper, "The kids in school always seemed interested and liked what I did, I kept it to myself like most of the stuff I did but eventually I let someone see it and then a few others always wanted to know when I came up with something new... this is kind of what got me into showing my talents off to the world, I was always shy and didn't think anyone would care anyways, I just did it for myself but I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy seeing other people get excited and enjoy it themselves."

His focus would shift to music after he started listening to heavy metal and rock bands, being the introvert he was he always had a difficult time starting or even maintaining bands. "I really started getting into music a lot after listening to bands like Metallica, Pantera, Sevendust... stuff like that. There was a few other people I knew that I had become somewhat close to and wasn't really afraid of what they thought of me and so I tried getting stuff together with them, like bands and all that but nothing really ever worked out though... it would usually be a practice or two before things fell apart and I wasn't used to that. I was always used to doing things myself and not having to depend on others and I started to realize why I had been doing things that way" explains XQWZYT. He started getting into hip hop and rap once he was introduced to the Insane Clown Posse... "My friend, who would soon I soon form a group with was the one who introduced me to ICP and it was something completely different that I had never heard before. We would spend time writing lyrics for songs during school and passing them off to each other, stuff like that... we tried once again to form a few bands in which things never turned out how we planned. I started getting into the internet then and I would start looking up rap instrumentals and everything and we started saving a bunch of those and started writing songs off that."

It wasn't long before XQWZYT along with XL, J Krazzee and J Nippz formed the 804 Thugz, a group that which some believe sparked a large portion of the wicked underground rap scene in Virginia. "The group was mainly Troy (XL) and I... Johnny (J Krazzee) and Jose (J Nippz) were there on collaborations but were also a part of the group since when we first started doing shows, it was normally all 4 of us. Shortly after though Johnny and Jose kind of fell out of the picture and we started doing our own thing, we'd play shows just about anywhere and pass out cd's to anybody who wanted to listen. I mean we did shows in peoples houses, at rec parks with people watching sitting on picnic tables, bowling alleys... it was crazy. But the ride lasted about 2 years, we were invited out to Ohio to play a benefit show at the Hamlin Music Theater which has executives and other record label people from Def Jam and Psychopathic in attendence... we rocked that and were in talks with Ghetto Rise Records based out of Portland, OR. but after a few talks me and Troy has a split decision on it and decided not to go with them... I think after that is when things started to fall apart. We both started working on solo albums, I finished mine and his never got done... people started talking and instead of going and talking to him I was mad and did the best thing I thought possible at the moment and made a diss song. I regret it to this day as things will probably never be the same again but everything happens for a reason I guess. It was about 2004, I had just released the free EP For Promotional Use Only which had the diss on it, did a couple shows and then I kind of just stopped... I needed to breathe, everything was out of control and I didn't really know what to do anymore. I did 2 more songs, one with Likewize and one with Dank The Fallen I never heard and then I was gone and I didn't know if I would ever make music again, that's how bad it got to me."

XQWZYT would later resurface in the year 2006 using his birth name Patrick Alger and appearing on Likewize's debut album, "Surviving The Placebo Effect" where he addressed some the issues of the past on the track "Everything Sucks" - "Things ain't right but I made em this way, birds were chirping and I reacted quickly, wish things could've been different but it's too late.." XQWZYT explains... "That was probably the realest verse I have ever wrote in my life... it had been 2 years since I even messed with music, hell... I barely got the verse to Likewize in enough time for the album but in all honesty I wrote that verse hoping everyone I may have hurt in the past would hear it and realize I'm sorry and if they really know me they know I express myself in music and that's the best way I can do it." He would later go on to sign with Likewize's independent record label Hotel Cadillac Records where he would release a free online ep entitled Back in Black and record songs for a collaboration EP with Likewize which is scheduled to be released Fall 2008... but shortly after the release of the EP Patrick decided to part ways with Hotel Cadillac Records to pursue his musical career on his own. "I really appreciated the opportunity Likewize gave me... he is the reason I even got back into making music, I was in a really bad way when he contacted me about it and he went as far to hook me up with a sh*** load of stuff to get back to recording, some of it I still got! But on the real... I'd probably would have been long gone insane or something if I didn't get back into making music, like I said it is really my only means of expressing myself and letting everything go... relieving the stress of everyday life type shit. So if you like my music you can go and thank that man for dragging my ass back into this."

In July 2008 XQWZYT would release his final work as Patrick Alger... another free online entitled Nuclear Summer in which he produced all the songs on. "The reason I decided to give up on the real name was because for me personally... it was a way to be me and try to explain who I am but at the same time it put me out there in a position I didn't really like. Sure, I make music to express myself but I am a very private person and I would rather be know as X then having people running around screaming my name like that and besides, I feel like this is once again a new beginning for me, I'm starting over again from scratch. Most people remember me as XQWZYT and when I first came on the scene I felt I made a somewhat decent impact on it and it's time to start making some noise again, so sit back and enjoy the ride people."
Your influences?
Metallica, Insane Clown Posse, Twiztid, Esham, Eminen, Pantera, Sevendust, Slipknot, Staind, Necro, Ill Bill, Beastie Boys, Cage, Atmosphere, Darwin's Waiting Room, Limp Bizkit, Shuvel, etc.
Favorite spot?
I enjoy it here in Colonial Beach now that I've grown older, if I wanna go out and do something crazy and wild I can go out and do that and not have it surround me on a daily basis, it's nice, quiet and peaceful here.. for the most part.
Equipment used:
Audio Technica AT2035 microphone, M-Audio MobilePre USB, M-Audio StudioPro 3 monitors, ATH-M20 Audio Technica headphones, Magix Music Maker 11 deLuxe, AMP energy, etc.