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CHOOSE
YOUR OWN BIO!
-Every link is an adventure
Mega-short
Bio
Mildly Humorous Bio
Too Much Information Bio
HISTORICAL PICTURES! -More like hysterical pictures
COSMICITY TRIVIA! -aka, the names of Mark's Synthesizers
BACKGROUND ON THE ALBUMS! -does Mark's personal life affect his music? Heck yeah!
JUMP TO SOME INTERVIEWS! -in case you need to hear even more, read Cosmicity's interview archive
Mark Nicholas is a one-man synthpop act working under the name Cosmicity. He is a very talented geek... I mean guy. You should listen to his music 'cause it's pretty cool despite his tendancy to babble on endlessly about love and other sentimenal crap like that.
Cosmicity's sole member, Mark Nicholas, met his first synthesizer in the late 1980's. It was love at first sight. By 1994 Mark had spent enough money and collected enough electronic equipment to declare himself a band. Cosmicity was born.
Widely considered the cheekiest band in the current electro-pop scene, Cosmicity is proud of all that he's accomplished. Says frontman, progrmamer, keyboardist, songwriter, singer and road manager Mark Nicholas: "I'm proud of everything I've accomplished as Cosmicity." Is this guy charismatic or WHAT? Some might even call Cosmicity sassy, but that's probably a tad too feminine for Mark's tastes. We'll stick with cheeky.
Anyway, if you're reading this hoping to gather some facts about "the band", here's the long and short of it.
- Cosmicity has played several big American synth festivals (sharing a stage with popular bands ranging from And One to Cruxshadows to Melotron and beyond).
- Cosmicity has songs on more than 30 electronic music compilations (next to bands like Information Society and Cause and Effect).
- Cosmicity has been known to eat nothing but grape Pez for weeks at a time, usually as an emotional response to J-Lo's various weddings/divorces. (Pez dispenser may vary.)
The band is currently focusing promotional efforts on the internet. Sales have been excellent: over 1000 times better than they were just 10 years ago. According to Nicholas, "sales have been good. I'm very pleased."
In his ongoing effort to be charming, Mark sometimes fails to mention that he's also been hard at work in the studio producing new material. This summer (2003) will bring a new album called "Escape Pod For Two". When asked what fans should expect from this new release, Mark said only: "...it's an album that will get you erect." Of course, by this he means that you'll want to be STANDING when you hear it so you can more easily dance around to its intricate, pulsing soundscapes. What did you think he meant?
In summary, Cosmicity has the synthtastic, electro-so-thick-its-edible sound that will bring a message to picky listening audiences around the world. That message? In Mark's own words: "Eat more fiber." I couldn't have said it better myself.
Mark Nicholas, the sole member of
Cosmicity, took a realistic interest in music at the late age of fifteen. By
numerous twists of fate (too many to explain thoroughly) he learned music theory,
song writing, and electronic instruments over a very speedy two year period;
he did this fast enough to be accepted at The University of Michigan School
of Music to study music and technology. He received his degree in May of 1995
and there's just no stopping him now.
Having had the urge to experiment, Mark was a part of many different bands before
he arrived at Cosmicity. In high school, he and four female back-up singers
created the group "Backdoor." They did cheesy choreographed dances
to Top-40 sounding music, but had a great time performing, even if it was sometimes
at old folks homes. As Mark became more serious about the quality of the group,
the size was reduced. Now, with only two female back-up singers , the group
was called "Acceleration." The music changed for the better, now sounding
a bit more like Erasure than Debbie Gibson, and the performance venues moved
up to classy joints like the high school battle of the bands. (Yes, they lost
to a band that did Nirvana covers.)
Being too far from his singers after he started college, he hooked up with a fellow music school student and tried to form a two person group called "My Friend Wendy." The two shared the goal of becoming synthpop greats, but failed to see eye to eye compositionally speaking. Being so different in their musical philosophies, things never worked out, and Mark decided to just be Mark Nicholas for a while. The music changed yet again, now sounding very close to the well-polished European-influenced synthpop that we've come to expect of Mark. One look at his formal name on an album cover changed his thinking, however, and after a few months of brainstorming with everyone he knew, the name "Cosmicity" was generated. Cosmicity is basically a combination of two words: cosmic and electricity. Because the music is all electronic and has a kind of universal/cosmic quality to it, the name just seems to fit. Originally, Cosmicity was slated to take on other band members. As time went on and Mark didn't find anyone he wanted to work with, the name simply became his own. Occasionally, Cosmicity does a little collaboration, but is generally very pleased to be such a successful solo act.
Cosmicity (Mark) generated his first CD in November of 1994. Songs like "Keep Me In Mind" and "M" kept Cosmicity on just about every electronic music chat forum and discussion group on the Internet. But what few know is that Cosmicity had been making albums years before the release of "The Vision." There were four 4-track recorded cassettes released under the name Cosmicity between 1992 and "The Vision" in 1994, and many more before that. Each cassette contained between 14 and 18 original songs, many of which were all-out experiments that stretched the range of what Cosmicity now creates. Original versions of tracks like "With The Moon" and "Defiance," can be found on these early cassettes. Unfortunately, few copies were ever made available. Only immediate friends and die hard fans of the group were given copies and none are available now. If you've got one, you're one of only a handful.
With BACKDOOR, 1990-1991:
Intense
Unsolicited Dreams
With ACCELERATION and MY FRIEND WENDY, 1991-1992:
Prodigious
The Animated Jungle
Under MARK NICHOLAS, 1992:
Itty Bitty Pleasures
Under COSMICITY (before studio-recorded CD releases), 1992-1994:
Backspin
2000 Miles
Something Good
Something Better (A best-of collection spanning 1990-1994)
I have had many synthesizers (and 1 drum machine!), and I've named each of them after some of my favorite musicians and pop stars. Strange, perhaps, but then again, it's easier than remembering synthesizer names like Ensoniq EPS-16+ turbo. Listed in order of acquisition:
Vince, an Ensoniq VFX-SD (1990 - OFFICIALLY RETIRED after the release
of "Syn"), was named after Vince Clarke of Erasure and Yaz. Vince
was Mark's first and probably most important synthpop influence. In Mark's words,
"Without Vince Clarke's music, I'm not sure how I'd ever have learned how
to structure a song. The man wrote the book on modern pop - and he uses synthesizers
to perfection. I just wish he'd pick up a sampler again!"
Kylie, an Ensoniq EPS-16+ turbo (1994 - OFFICIALLY RETIRED after the release of "Forgive Me My Syns"), is named after Kylie Minogue, the one and only! Never heard of her? That's okay. She only had one major hit in the USA in the eighties called "The Locomotion." Mark's long-time friend David Humphrey got him into her music. Yes, she was a Top 40 icon, but her music and club mixes have provided Cosmicity with better sampling material than a stack of 20 sampling CDs. So, the sampler is named after her.
Chris, a Clavia Nord Lead (1995 - CURRENT used on every album since "The Moment"), is named after Chris Lowe of the Pet Shop Boys. In Mark's words, The Pet Shop Boys album Behavior "changed the way I look at music. It's perhaps the best overall pop album of all time. The Pet Shop Boys do so many things with their music that I admire... I will always be in awe."
Suzanne, a Korg Wavestation, (1996 - OFFICIALLY RETIRED after the release of "Forgive Me My Syns"), is named after Suzanne Vega. Now, Suzanne Vega doesn't really do too much "electronic" music, but her influence on Cosmicity's song-writing has been massive. "Listening to Suzanne Vega is listening to genius," Mark says. "She is one of the most creative and engaging song writers alive... and what a cool voice! More seductive than Sarah McLaughlan..."
Rodway, a Kurzweil K2000VP, (1997 -OFFICIALLY RETIRED after "Pure"), is named after Steve Rodway, more commonly known as Motiv8. Steve's ear for synthpop remixing and production is unmatched. He's been criticized for working with manufactured bands like the Spice Girls and Gina G., but one listen to his work (especially his remix of the Pet Shop Boy's "Red Letter Day" or Erasure's "Freedom") and you too will be convinced, this is a man with superior instincts.
Dannii, an Ensoniq ASR-10, (1998 - TEMPORARILY RETIRED after the release of "Resynthesized"), is named after Dannii Minogue, Kylie Minogue's younger sister. It seemed fitting since this sampling keyboard is compatible with the one it replaces, which was named Kylie. Also, Dannii happens to be a pretty good singer in her own right. Her album "Girl" is a pretty cool mix of the old and new schools of electronic music.
Martin, a Novation Supernova, (1998 - CURRENT used on every album since "Renaissance"), is named after Martin Gore of Depeche Mode. If you don't know who Martin Gore is, I shed a tear for your ignorance. Okay, I'm over it. Martin Gore is the songwriter and sometimes singer of the reigning kings of darkwave synthpop, Depeche Mode. He is possibly the most consistently creative and innovative songwriter of his generation. And don't even get me started on his cool hairstyles...
Bjork, a Korg Electribe ER-1 drum machine, (2000 - CURRENT used on every album since "Resynthesized"), is named after perhaps the most unique and truly experimental electronic (and everything else) pop musician of our time. She deserves credit for pushing the boundaries of pop on every release... not to mention what she's done for the music video as an artform. All of this, and she's an independent FEMALE electronic artist... and women in electropop are tough to find. Thank God we've got her.
Watt, an EMU Proteus 2000 Synth Module, (2000 - TEMPORARILY RETIRED after the release of "Pure"), is named after Ben Watt of Everything But The Girl. Ben is a hero of mine because he did what I constantly strive to do: successfully brought brilliant and original songwriting to the electronic/synth cutting edge (along with his writing partner, EGTG vocalist Tracy Thorn.) As you may or may not know, Ben, along with Tracy, released tons of music before he found his place in electronic music. Before the mid-90s, Everything But The Girl used acoustic guitar almost exclusively. Starting with the INCREDIBLE album "Walking Wounded", Everything changed... and they haven't looked back.
Annie, a G4 533 <dual processor> Macintosh Computer, (2001 - CURRENT used on every album since "Pure"), is named after Annie Lennox. Normally I wouldn't name a computer the way I name synthesizers, but this computer is now sometimes being used as a synthesizer in addition to being the centerpiece of my entire recording studio. Annie may be best known as the always-bizarre frontwoman of the 80's pop phenomenon The Eurythmics, but her big impact on me came in the form of her first solo album "Diva". This is a pure synthpop gem (though rarely recognized as such) of the caliber that most can only dream about. Like Pet Shop Boy's "Behavior" and Erasure's "Chorus", this is the kind of consistently beautiful album that is nearly impossible to get sick of. Of course, her stuff with Eurythmics is amazing, too. Go Annie!
Bailey, a Korg Triton Synthesizer, (2002 - CURRENT will be used for the first time on the upcoming album "Escape Pod For Two") is named after Tom Bailey of the The Thompson Twins and Babble. Tom is a brilliant and astoundingly underrated songwriter and synth programmer. His work with The Thompson Twins (along-side his wife Alannah Currie) is well known due to mid-80s chart hits like, "Hold Me Now", but the stuff that really blows me away comes later. (Don't get me wrong, I loved the "Into The Gap" album.) If you wanna hear his edge, check out the last Thompson Twins album "Queer". I've always believed that this was Tom at the top of his game. However, his game didn't end there. After folding The Thompson Twins and moving to New Zealand, the duo released two more albums (again, with his wife Alannah) under the name Babble. They are a whole different brand of brilliant. Moody in a Delerium kind-of-way, I can't figure out why the dark 'n' lusty goth people didn't freak out for this stuff. I know I did!
Wendy, a Waldorf XTk Synthesizer, (2002 - CURRENT will be used for the first time on the upcoming album "Escape Pod For Two") is named after Wendy Carlos. Wendy is unquestionably one of the most important people in synthesizer history. Back in the mid-1970's, she single-handedly made synthesizers credible in the world of popular music by creating elaborate all-synthesizer renditions of classic Bach compositions and released them on the first million-selling synthesizer album "Switched On Bach". She's also very famous among hipsters and kitschsters for her later work on the soundtracks for "Tron" and "A Clockwork Orange". Wendy's influence on me came very early. My mother was playing "Switched on Bach" in our house when I was just 10 years old. I loved all the "neato" and "weird" sounds I heard. And ya know what? Those sounds STILL blow me away. Whenever I'm searching for unique synth sounds, I honestly think, "What would Wendy do?" (PS - In the early years, she was Walter Carlos. Yep. Sex change. A little weird, but, everyone has their weird!)
Anyone who's ever listened to Cosmicity knows that my music tends to be very
personal. Here's a little background info I put together to help keep everyone
in touch with the emotions that coincide with the songs. (You can also read
the song-by-song background for any album. Just go to the ALBUMS
page, choose the album you want more info about, then click on the "Artist's
Notes" link.)
When I was writing "The Vision", a couple of key factors were really influencing the music. First of all, I was living with my long-time girlfriend (we dated from 1992 to 1996) Sara for the first time. My discomfort with the situation can be heard clearly in the lyrics of the deceivingly happy "Maybe", in which I'm confessesing to Sara that I think the love has faded. Sara's other influences on the music (such as coming up with the title of the song "Egypt") are even more subtle.
Another big influence was my college friend Kristi (aka Opposite Day). She was releasing her own techno-pop CD, which created competition between us. I had informally taught Kristi about synthesizers and electro-pop music in the years preceeding. When we met, Kristi was exclusively an Oboe major at the University of Michigan, and knew next to nothing of electronic music. I was challenged by her ambitious efforts. Listening to her test tracks and early recordings had a direct influence on the direction of my music. Cosmicity songs like, "Yeah, So What?" and "M" might never have been written had it not been for my attempt to compete with Kristi's dance club beats.
Last but not least, there is the obvious influence of long-time friend David Humphrey who had me listening to happy dance music (Kylie Minogue, M People), quite notably affecting the sound of the tracks "Keep Me In Mind" and "Maybe". David even penned the lyrics to "Keep Me In Mind" while I was writing the music. We finished the entire song in a record 5 hours!
By the time I set out to write "The Moment", (titled "All The Rage" until just days before the albums release) much had changed. "The Vision" was a success, and I found my niche on the Internet selling CDs to a small underground group of Synthpop fans, then known as The Network. (The Network has since been renamed the Modern Synthpop Movement.) The advice and feedback that these dedicated fans provided was overwhelmingly in support of the upbeat, happy sounds of songs like "Keep Me In Mind" and against the techno oriented material such as "Yeah, So What?" This prompted me to go to extremes: both catering to and rebelling against the advice of my audience. The extremes are very clear: compare the tracks "Into It" and "If Murder Was Easy" and you'll hear the difference for yourself.
Another big influence was the rejection that Cosmicity's "mass-mailing" efforts received. Copies of "The Vision" were sent to many record labels, small and large, and of course, rejected or ignored by all. (This is typical. Mass mailings are rarely done anymore.) One such label, Qwest Records (New Order's old label) even went so far as to leave a message on my answering machine telling me that my music was, "a little boring, a little old fashioned sounding." Those words were sampled from my machine (in exchange for the rights to use his voice from the machine, I promised the record executive that if the song ever became a hit, I'd buy him a beer) and can now be heard on the track "Anymore", a song influenced by this and other such experiences.
And let's not forget Sara. As the relationship between us became even more frustrating and confused, the music became my way of finding direction. In the song "From You" I'm singing, "and I whisper in your ear 'I'll always stay', but what I'm really thinking, 'run away.'" In addition, the song "Awake" was my way of role-playing what things would be like if we were to split up.
On a final note, the competition between Kristi and I had cooled (Kristi went through negotiations with RCA for a record contract, but opted for Grad School in Austin, TX instead) and we were able to work together on the not-quite perfect remix of "Keep Me In Mind". (Also another result of pressure from the fans!)
This EP marked the end of the relationship between Sara and I. The songs were written as things were winding down... and this provided for a less personal, more detached feeling in each of the songs.
The songs are about moving on, even though we were still together. Sara had been accepted to a Graduate School in Virginia, and planned to leave in a few short months. I took this as a sign, and had already set my mind in motion for the future. The lyrics to each song are similar in that they are all either about the end of a relationship, or the beginning of a new one. And when the lyrics were combined with the relentless energy of the music, it all came out sounding passionate and angry.
This album was also an attempt to find a larger niche, mainly that of dance clubs and DJs. The Cosmicity fans had felt as lost listening to "The Moment" as I did when I wrote it. The focus on club music is clear on "Syn": straight-ahead techno beats in every song.
"Isabella" is an album about all the facets of new love. The initial excitement, learning about each other after the initial excitement settles down, developing devotion and dependency... all of it. Most of the songs are about the real experiences I was having with my new girlfriend, Amy. Isabella was Amy's nickname when we first became serious, and it seemed a fitting title.
Of course, lyrically speaking, there is a little more to this album than just Amy. "Two Months' Salary" is about my now ex-girlfriend Sara. It's a little tricky to explain, but this song is essentially an explanation to Sara about what happened between us. Songs like "Thursday" and "The Envelope" also deviate from a purely Amy-focused theme, with lyrics exploring my past and his future respectively. (Read more here.)
Musically speaking, this album takes a huge step away from the repetitive kick-drum driven music on "Syn". This time, instead of searching for a definitive category to fit my music in, I decided to focus on a definitive tone instead. "Isabella" is consistent in its dark-yet-romantic mood. Also now a part of the mix are some choppy "jungle" loops and more techno sounding riffs. But these additions are easy to overlook, because probably the most noticeable thing about this 1997 release is my return to thoughtful and expressive songwriting.
The first thing most people ask after listening to this album is, "did you break up with your girlfriend?" In fact, I did not (until "Renaissance"). The lyrics to these songs share the theme of heartache, but it seemed to be purely coincidental. Or at the very least, completely subconscious. The lyrics to each of the 4 new songs are fictionalized versions past experiences, so they didn't really reflect on my current relationship at all.
The title? It's a play on the general reaction to my 3rd release "Syn". I received so many negative comments about "Syn's" dance-oriented style from my 80's-influenced synthpop fans that, in some small way, I consider this release my repentance. This entire EP is as 80's sounding as I could get it. I even sampled many of the drums straight off of popular 80's new wave songs.
If you're listening for a shift in style on this album, what you'll probably hear is that I was having a lot more fun on this release. Instead of stressing-out about the high cost of hourly studio recording, these songs were recorded at friend and engineer Steve Sholtes's home studio called interOCTAVE. With other friends joining Steve and I in the studio almost everyday, the environment was more like a party than a studio session, and it made for some very lively and upbeat tracks. Lucky for you, "FMMS" is an enhanced CD. You can see video clips of us having fun (and more) on your Mac or PC!
For this album, I used my music as a way of dealing with heartache. From break-up to self-doubt, the lyrics to all of these songs have a decidedly melancholy tone.
I wrote songs such as "Patience" and "Self Involved" before my now ex-girlfriend Amy and I actually broke up. Even though both of us knew the end of our relationship was near, neither one of us wanted it to happen. Though our romantic love had died, we continued to love each other as friends and companions.
Tracks like "Point of View" and "Arpeggiated Rain" were my way of working through drastic situations involving close friends... one friend abandoning me, another contemplating suicide. Still other songs, such as "Fate and Time" and "Too Far Gone", deal with some internal issues I was wrestling with. (Read more here.)
Musically speaking, I was breaking more new ground with my heavy use of analog-sounding synth counter-melodies and sparse drum arrangements. Unlike "Isabella", which utilized many drum-loop based rhythms, "Renaissance" was composed with a strict minimalist approach, avoiding drum loops entirely.
Another first for "Renaissance" was the creation of Marksine, a home recording studio used to record this album. I was able to record the vocals to each song completely alone, achieving what some have said is a "more personal" feeling and even enabling me to experiment with the heavy use of falsetto backing vocals on songs like "Orange" and "Self Involved". Songs like "No Evil" and "I Hate Synthesizers" benefited from the new Hard Disk Recording process, enabling the manipulation of my vocals so that they would sound more robotic and bizarre.
Last but not least, I was once again joined in the studio by friend, musician and recording engineer Steve Sholtes (engineer for "Forgive Me My Syns") for the recording of this album. Steve's influence has not gone unnoticed by fans who've said things like, "he's obviously had a big part in taking Cosmicity to the next level." Indeed he has... also check out Steve's award-winning (ASA Award winner for 2000) remix work on the singles from this album: "Too Far Gone" and "Self Involved".
Where to begin? First and foremost, this was the first time I recorded an album in my home studio entirely on my own. Previous efforts were engineered by Steve Sholtes, but this time around, Steve only handled the recording on 3 tracks, leaving me to do the rest independently. (Steve was unfortunately too busy with other projects to be able to take on the whole album.) The result of this situation turned out to be songs that contain even more detail and focus than previous recordings.
Then there's what was going on in my life. Since the split with long-time girlfriend Amy, I spent some time on my own pondering the more subtle points of my life. And women. I am a man. What do you want? The inspiration to write again came in the form of a long-distance relationship. I met a girl named Brittany while performing a concert in Salt Lake City, and we became friends via e-mail. (How modern, no?) The next thing we knew, a romance appeared. Many of the songs on this album were written during this relationship, which ended just weeks before the album's completion. There's no clear way to explain what happened between us... love is weird. Fortunately, we're still good friends. (Read more here.)
Musically, I was going for a sound that was edgier and more energetic than "Renaissance". I felt it was time to bring everything up a notch, and I tried to do this by including more dance material, as well as harder beats and tighter programming throughout the album. The flowing pads and sweeping synths of "Renaissance" and "Isabella" are not gone... simply repositioned.
And the beat goes on: There is also a full-length remix album from 2000 called "Resynthesized" which contains even clubbier, remixed versions of most songs from "Binary" (all tracks remixed by yours truly). This double album was released instead of singles because it seemed more economical, not to mention more fun, than releasing a bunch of individual single CDs. But what's interesting to note is that "Resynthesized" far outsold "The Binary Language of Love." I think listeners picked up on the fact that I really took advantage of the extra time I had to reprogram the songs for "Resynthesized", and what I ended up with was a remix album that's arguably better than the original.
This album was influenced heavily by a few big factors.
First and foremost, I went through the worst relationship disaster of my life to date. Her name was Cara. I fell for her on the Summer Synthpop Tour of 2000. She lived in NYC. We became so close so quickly that, after only a few months, she moved to Detroit to live with me. But I was very blind and she dumped me shortly thereafter. Obviously, I was hurt very badly. She quickly ran off to San Francisco, but also claimed she regretted dumping me and wanted me back (even in letters she sent me as she was driving out west to get away from me). Just a few weeks later, she was already talking of dating someone she'd met out there. The up and down, back and forth with her just wrecked me. So, there were A LOT of emotions pouring out from that situation into most of the music and lyrics. (Read more here.)
Second, I gave myself a couple of new musical boundaries. I didn't allow myself to use a Sampler (a keyboard that samples existing sounds) in order to push myself into creating more original sounds from scratch, and I used a different recording technique for each and every track on the album. (Too much detail to explain here.) And of course, my primary directive was to create an album that I felt was "Pure". I worked hard to create an electronic environment that is consistent in its mood, yet strikingly original. Think "Isabella" with added maturity - minus the samples and drum loops.
Last, but certainly not least, I found love. Everything with Cara blew up in January of 2001, but I met Sara Krist (aka DJ Ginger Snapp) in June. All the misery I was swimming in for the first half of the year was completely offset by the incredible happiness I've felt since June of 2001. Sara is, in a word, amazing. I wasn't able to capture much of our dynamic on "Pure" because the song-writing was nearly done when we met. But there is one song called "I Want You" that I wrote for Sara. The lyrics are fictionalized (because I felt the pulse of the music called for an added element of sin/danger), but the mood is real. And there are some true-to-life details in the lyrics, like her love for (and likeness to) beatiful anime characters...
I guess I have to start off by saying that this is the last planned Cosmicity release. Yep. I'm retiring the band for a while. Starting in 2004 I'll be trying my luck at a few other creative endeavors (maybe even some more electronic music -- under a different name). But ya know, I'll write more about that in 2004. :-)
So, let's talk history. I wanted this album to be very special. I knew it would be the last one for Cosmicity... I knew I wanted to capture the incredible experience of meeting and falling in love with Sara (whom I married just after completing the album)... and I recorded this album the year I turned 30! Needless to say, it had to be good. And I guess word got out about my intentions, because if I had a nickel for every person who said this album would be my "swan song", I'd now have enough money to buy Venezuela.
Thanks to author Douglas Adams (RIP), I was inspired to do an album with a space theme. What I came up with was a concept album - each song tying into the next - during which the listener is taken on a journey in an escape pod for two; blasting off from earch and cruising through space. However, I also wanted each individual song to function independently, so while they each tie into the larger storyline, they also tell their own self-containted tales: from the experience of meeting Sara, to falling in love, to the fear and panic that comes with a decision to marry, and finally ending with a glimpse into the future, this album is all about the experience of finding your soulmate. (Read more here.)
Musically, I wanted to make a more dense and energetic album than my previous releases. I knew I wanted more uptempo songs, and I also wanted all of the arrangements, while still not cluttered, to be more intricate than I was doing on "Pure". I feel like I ended up with a really nice balance, with half of the songs being dance-floor stompers, and the other half keeping up the energy in a more radio-friendly way. I also needed to tie-in the outer space theme from the lyrics, so I pushed myself to add a few more atmospheric bleeps, blurps and swoops than I normally would. I even went for a kind of "planetarium" feel on a few of the tracks.
Looking back now, I'm very proud of this album, and proud to be retiring Cosmicity with such a memorable release. When you factor in the included bonus CD, which contains nearly every album track as expertly remixed by a different artist in the underground electro scene, I believe this final Cosmicity album really is the definitive Cosmicity album. (Fine... I'll say it. My swan song. Are ya hapy now?!) ;-)
