Recently, Magic Bullet Records released Manson’s record album Air, which is the first part of a four record series. The album includes 8 tracks of previously unreleased material that some critics have compared to legendary blues singer Leadbelly because of its grainy sound and raw emotion. Later to be released are the albums: Trees (now expected early summer, 2011), Water, and Animals. The titles form the acronym ATWA, a term created by Manson that not only represents these essential elements of ecology, but also stands for All The Way Live.

In January 2011, Charles Manson published a 12-page ATWA booklet that includes his life experiences in his own words, the role of ATWA, and the Savior Project.

The booklet describes: “The Savior or Savior Project is an idea of Charles Manson’s for a seed gun: a gun that anyone/everyone can use to quickly and effectively plant seeds over a vast area. Currently, the project is developing functional loads and proper seed/compost mixtures to be used universally in common paintball guns. Mr. Manson has expanded the invention to include M-80 block guns converted to seed loads, seed-mortars, seed-bombs dropped by helicopter, seed artillery, etc.”

In an exclusive interview, we were able to obtain some insight from Charles Manson, along with friends Gray Wolf and Star, on his music, ATWA, and the Savior Project. The following interview was compiled by questions answered via email, postal mail, and by phone conversation between Charles Manson and Gray Wolf.

Is there a date set for your next record release, “Trees”?
CM: No.

How are these audio recordings made? What are the conditions like?
CM: They were made at the C.M.F. in Vacaville, CA, and mostly in the 1980s when I had a recorder.

In regards to your artwork, I saw a television show a few years back that showed guards at Corcoran showing off a room of confiscated pieces of art that were created by you. What happens to the artwork when it is confiscated? Why is it being confiscated?
CM: They only obey the laws they want to obey.

STAR: Manson wanted me to also tell you that they have taken 11 of his oil paintings, a $4,000 guitar and his jean jacket, just to name a few of the items in that “room.” He said that they trick him into buying stuff, like art supplies, and then they confiscate it.

Are there any artists (visual or music) that inspire you?
CM: I don’t need or use ‘inspire,’ I can get it up when I want.

What do you want people to walk away with when they see your artwork or listen to your music?
CM: Giving to my life, ATWA.

Are you currently able to create art and play music?
CM: No.

Considering your history, life experiences, and the fact that when most hear the name “Manson,” they automatically associate it with evil; why is the future of the world important to you?
CM: I’m my world. My life is life, ALL is everything, everyone, and beyond and some.

— Brief Gray Wolf Interview –

How did you first meet Charles Manson?
GW: My first visit with Charlie was in the old Hall of Justice building in downtown L.A. in 1970.

What is your association with Charles Manson?
GW: He is my friend. In addition, because his rights were denied in the courtroom in ‘69-‘70, I’m working, along with others, to see that those rights are restored. If they can take his rights, they can take your rights and my rights. As it stands now, if you don’t have money, you don’t have your rights in a courtroom; they do with you what they will. Our fathers and grandfathers suffered, fought and died for those rights. If we let Charlie’s trial stand as it is, we deserve what we get.

What is your role with ATWA?
GW: My role is essentially the same as your role. If I can’t redeem my air and water from the pollution-machine-beast, I won’t survive.

I saw an interview with CNN that said you believed Manson’s time in prison has given him a unique perspective on the environment. Would you expand more on that?
GW: Yes. He was left behind, buried, forgotten, and covered up with lies and deceit. His words and actions have been twisted and distorted to fit the media and Hollywood scripts played for ambition, money and attention. So, he has lived like a monk, like a bug in a cage for over 40 years, and he has survived. He grew up with only the prison system as his father, and so it follows that his perspective, his insight, and his experience are truly all beyond even our imaginations. In reality, he has given his all to our will, and he is our best servant. Charlie points to air as God. We would do well to respect his vision. In truth, our lives depend on it. It all boils down to surviving, and to survive, we must protect and nurture ATWA.

It is rumored by some online that ATWA proposes eliminating humans in an effort to save the earth…Is this true? If not, why do you feel someone might have this misconception?
GW: Humans are eliminating themselves by destroying their own life support systems, then they look for someone to blame. ATWA is not a politically correct concept or movement. It is well documented that in dire circumstances, humans will do anything to survive. What is the truth of our present circumstance? Who is willing to look at it for what it really is? Who is willing to speak the truth of what is? The truth is simple: those who want to live will work for Air, Trees, Water and Animals.

For more information visit www.mansondirect.com

— Gray Wolf Interview Concludes —

What is ATWA and when was it formed?
CM: 100 billion light years.

GW: Manson coined the word ATWA to represent our life support systems on earth: Air, Trees, Water, and Animals – the animals including ourselves.

What is the organization’s primary mission?
CM: Redeem my life, my air, “my me.”

GW: What is your primary mission? To breathe? Wouldn’t that indeed be your absolute first consideration for survival if you stripped away the BS from your everyday life? ATWA is everyone’s survival on this planet. As more and more people wake up to the immediacy of our remaining choices, intelligence moves with no doubt or fear to implement solutions that function.

How did the idea of a seed gun come up with the Savior Project?
CM: It started in 1969 as a stick to plant secret pot farms.

I understand that one of the main objectives of the Savior Project is to educate and arm everyone with seed guns and seed artillery so that there is no space not growing something. If this was to happen, what do you believe this would solve? What problems might this fix?
CM: Weather balance. My life, my love, my God, my me.

Has the seed gun been tested yet? What have been some of the results?
GW: At this point, our focus is to support the manufacturing and distribution of “paintballs” filled with seeds instead of paint. The idea is to be able to shoot the seeds from existing “guns” on a worldwide basis. The technology can be modified for successful manufacture, and the gelatin “shells” have been tested, so we know that seeds will sprout from the “paintballs” on the ground in natural habitats.

Is there a projected date in which the gun will be released?
GW: No release dates are known.

What do you feel are some of the best ways to get involved and help with the environment? What are some ways to support the Savior Project?
CM: Give your life and ALL to LOVE.  Love=Life=Air, and all that works for your life. ALL is God or no one is God and the other side will ride it.

The following was transcribed from a phone conversation on April 7th, 2011 with Charles Manson and Gray Wolf:

CM: Do you remember what I wrote?

GW: They asked, “When was ATWA created?” And you said, “A hundred billion light years.”

CM: Oh, yea; in other words, it’s been right here all the time, man. It’s just becoming aware of it. Are you up on how that works?

GW: Not really.

CM: Well, you know certain things, like you go by an apple tree, you see the apple tree. You understand it, you know it, but you don’t think about it. So, when you say, ‘I could make apple pie out of that,’ and then you get some apples and you make a pie. You say, ‘Oh, that’s far out.’ So then I come along and I say, ‘You know, I come to the same thought that you came to.’ I say, ‘Hey man, I could make a pie out of that.’ And then I run and act like I came up with the idea, you know. I say, ‘It was my idea to make apple pie.’ And you say, ‘Man, I made apple pies 20 years before you even thought of that.’

So I mean, you know, everybody has known it. Like, when I was a kid, they used to say it. They used to say, ‘Cars are doomsday machines!’ Because they were new and people could see that they created pollution. And people would say, ‘The doomsday machine.’ And I’d hear them talking, my uncle Jess and them guys would be talking. They’d say, ‘Well, how long do you think it’ll take, Jess?’ And they had an argument over, ‘Well, all that will dissipate. The world is too big for that to bother the world.’ You know, ‘The world is too big,’ and it was for those little cars in that time. In other words, those little Model T Fords, they weren’t going to destroy the world. But you look at that freeway today and see all them trucks and cars, and then planes…

…Over this prison, all day long, there ain’t nothing but just contrails, man. Well, you can probably see them from where you’re at. All that goes right in your lungs, man. You gotta breathe that shit. And I think that sometimes there are people in other parts of the world that are creating that over here because they want to destroy this half of the world. You know, if they can destroy America, that would give them Europe. You gotta save the whole planet; you can’t save half of it. There’s only one way to do something, and it’s not mine. I didn’t invent it, I just see it. In other words, it’s not me saying, ‘Well, this is what I’m creating.’ I’m not creating nothing. I’m just visualizing what is real because I’ve been forced to give my will up for over 60 years.

If you do what you’re told and that’s the only thing you can do, is what you’re told, then you think behind that. In other words, you see somebody telling you and you look at what they’re doing and you say, ‘Well, they’re telling me this, and then they’re doing THAT.’  So, I mean, what’s real crook? They’re telling me all that bullshit, and then they’re taking my rights. They’re not giving me no rights, and then Gaddafi and Barackabable, and all them guys, they want to say, ‘Well, they can do whatever they want to do.’ Why can’t we do the same thing they’re doing? Why couldn’t we do what Nixon was doing? He was doing it in our name; he was saying that he was representing us when he was doing it.

In other words, I’m going to represent Gray Wolf, and I’m going to pee on the radiator and make it stink. But then, if I catch you peeing on the radiator, I’m going to lock you up in a box and say you can’t pee on the radiator. Only I can pee on the radiator. Well, you didn’t whip me, I whipped you. So if I whipped you, then how come you’re peeing on me? You know, it doesn’t make sense to me.

And then I say this; if I say, ‘You do that and you’re going to die.’

And you say, ‘Are you threatening me?’

I say, ‘I’m not threatening you. What you’re doing is threatening you.’

If you keep driving that automobile, keep driving them trucks, keep doing that, you’re going to die. You’re going to be without air.

And they say, ‘We can’t stop that, because if we stop that, we’ll be out of food.’

I say, ‘Well, if you’re out of food, you can grow some food.’