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RhythmUS
E-zine - Winter 2002
RE/VOLT Magazine - Summer 2001
SIDELINE Magazine - Winter 2001
SLAMBOOK Magazine - Summer 2000
SONIC SEDUCER MAGAZINE – May 2000
LEXICON MAGAZINE - Summer 1999
THE HISTORICAL (really old) INTERVIEWS!
Hmm... That's an interesting way of thinking about it. I'd say itís pretty cosmic. I mean, if someone were going to be travelling in space for a while, I might suggest that they take a few Cosmicity albums for the trip. That, and I'd suggest that they exist about 500 years in the future, 'cause space travel right now pretty much sucks. I mean, freeze-dried food, all those G-forces, weightless 'til ya puke... There's only one good thing, as I see it, but no one has had weightless sex in space yet. What a crime!
Well, I talked about what that meant to me quite a bit in the liner notes of the album itself. I donít wanna give too much away. ;-) But to answer the other part of the question, I'd say yes, I do think Iíve achieved my goals with "Pure". It's an album I'm very proud of.
Well, there won't be a next album for a while. I'm taking the year (2002) off to focus on other projects. Among them, a couple of remixes (one for Red Flag), a couple of cover songs for various compilations (one of Yazoo's "Nobody's Diary"), I'm writing a book, and releasing another single from the "Pure" album. After I'm done with that, I'm gonna bake cookies for everyone who buys Cosmicity albums and have 'em sent Fed-Ex overnight. A happy fan is a fan eating cookies, I always say.
I don't have a sense of humor. If you think that anything I've said was meant to be humorous, you need a new funny compass. I find that humor clouds the vast truths that I'm trying to convey through my unbearably brilliant songwriting. If I sit and concentrate on how brilliant it is, sometimes it makes me pee my pants. It's that good. Also, laughing makes me fart, and no one likes a farter. *Note: Pee and fart jokes are notoriously unfunny, therefore, they are in keeping with my no humor mantra.
No. But I have often wondered why they still put Dolby Noise Reduction buttons on car stereos that only have CD players. CDs have almost no noise, nor do they utilize any Dolby Noise Reduction schemes. The world is confusing place. Sometimes Iím not even sure Columbus got it right with that whole "round" thing.
Listening to other people's music distracts me from my own greatness. Once in a while, when I accidentally hear someone else's song, I can feel my originality leaving me and someone else's bad ideas clogging my brain. It can be very painful. Of course, I'm into pain. So I listen to lots of other music! Mostly PSB, Mode and bands like that. But I'm down with the new school synthpop bands, too.
Okay, getting totally serious for a second... Pop does not equal unoriginal. Or at least, it didnít used to. It used to mean fresh and popular. Today it means manufactured and unoriginal. But we synthpop artists ignore the corporate losers and make pop the way it should be made. As for copycatting, well, yeah. A lot of bands do it. But a lot of bands donít. Every genre has its range. Modern Synthpop is no different. What makes it better is that the good stuff is SO TOTALLY AMAZING. And thatís the truth.
Dude, what can I tell ya? It was a weird win. No one really seemed to like the music I did in 2000. The album from that year, "The Binary Language of Love" received luke-warm feedback. But then I won that award and I was like, "what's up?" It made no sense. I was happy, for sure, but confused! Last year I put out the best album of my life, and I donít think I've even been nominated. (POST NOTE: I was nominated in March 2002... life is good.) I havenít the first clue how or why people are casting their votes. But anyway, it was very cool to get the award, however it happened. ;-)
I like Madonna as a rule. I'm not a fan of her current look, and her last album left me cold, but she works in phases. I fully expect I'll enjoy more new music from her in the future. As for my current motivation for writing... um... uh... well... I guess there's a reason I'm taking the year off! I've got more important stuff to do! Prescriptions that need refilling. Dry Cleaning to take in. Tupperware parties to host. I'm not just about Synthpop, ya know?
Funny you should ask. It is my strong belief that the woman I am with now will end up being "the one". I guess we'll find out what happens! But not until 2003 when I start on a new album. I'm sticking to this time-off thing, baby. I wasnít joking about that Tupperware party. People are counting on me.
I mean what I said. When I'm happy, I start waiting for the other shoe to drop. Haven't you ever wanted something so much, for so long, that when you have it, you're constantly trying to figure out what the catch is? Thatís how I've felt ever since I met Sara. Everything is so goodÖ we're so very in loveÖ it seems impossible!
Depends which one you ask! The girl who ended up the subject of many songs on "Pure" was VERY unhappy. But she knew what I was about. No one gets involved with me and doesn't know that I write songs about it. I write about my life. When I'm alone, I write about that. When I'm horny, I write about that. When I eat one-too-many tacos at The Bell, I throw out the cinnamon sticks. The point is, you've got to know when to say, "I donít care! I LOVE TACOS!" and then puke on the table --- or when to say, "no thank you, sir. I have had enough of your delightful faux-Mexican cuisine." There's an appropriate time and place for everything.
It is about the same person that "Alone" is about. This same girl kind of haunted me for a long time. With every relationship that went sour, I'd think about how I should have tried harder to make it work with her. But now that I've found true love, I realize that it was just something to cling to in lonely times. Anyway, that song popped up because I was lonely for a while after I was dumped at the end of 2000. The Introvert is about a different girlÖ someone I was dating when I wrote it.
I have more side projects than I can count, and I can count to 21 pretty accurately, if you know what I mean. Since I donít feel like typing them all out, let me just use this interview to debut one that I havenít talked about yet. I am currently in the planning stages of a Cosmicity DVD. Assuming I can get it made, it will be a Mockumentary called Synthgeek Superstar. It will also contain a handful of music videos for people who hate Mockumentaries. Yes, there are people who hate Mockumentaries. Iíve never met these people, but our research doesn't lie.
I want people to make-out to my music. That would be totally sweet. I want to do concerts and look out at the audience and witness a sea of passionate fools gettin' it on. But since that probably won't happen, I'll settle for putting out music that people can really relate to and enjoy.
Planned. I was exhausted. I think putting out an album every year since 1989 finally caught up with me, and it's as simple as that!
I already touched on my plans for this year earlier in the interview. As for doing something special for me, well... I was thinking about taking myself out to a nice restaurant, then maybe gettin' down with myself at the ol' Discotech, then I'd take me back to my place, light a few candles, and then I'll #@&Y# myself until the sun comes up.
Yes, I plan to put out a new album in 2003. No, I have no idea what it will sound like yet. I'm not ready to think about it. All I can think about right now is how much I'm looking forward to my date with me. I'm so damn sexy.
Not really. Fans are like Pinatas. If you beat them with a stick repeatedly, over a period of time, they'll eventually hand over the goods. So, I just keep putting out album after album until they finally just scream, "OKAY! I LIKE YOUR CRAPPY MUSIC. NOW GO *&#^$% YOURSELF!" And then, I do.
Disclaimer: Nothing I say in an interview can be taken too seriously, particularly the parts that seemed serious. Thank you. Have a synthetic day.
Well, Bob... do you mind if I call you Bob? (At this point, Mark lights up the first of his "cigarettes".) I know your name isn't Bob, but you look like a Bob, alright? Anyway, the thing about being America's favorite synth band is that... I didn't know until it was over. You see, the award was from 2000, but I got it in 2001. So by the time I knew I was America's favorite, it was already over. Someone else is the favorite now... those bastards... But had I known, I assure you, I would have been very happy in 2000. Since I didn't know, though, I was miserable and semi-suicidal. Basically, I just did a lot of heroin. A LOT. Whatever I could get my hands on. (Serious answer: It felt awesome. I've been on a sweet ego-high ever since.)
Are you sure I played at Synthcon, Bob? Where was that? Was that the show with those twin goth chicks that kept pulling down their shirts during "The Princess of Detroit?" Assuming that's the show you mean, that was pretty great. I mean, if that's not motivation to give a good performance, I don't know what is. Eh? Eh? You know what I'm talkin' about, Bob. I saw you with that blonde with the Suicide Commandos tattoo on her neck. (Serious answer: Playing for people who know and love your music is heavenly. People were singing along, screaming out requests... I loved every second of it.)
Well, I was in rehab for the last couple of months, so I'm kinda behind on my news. But if they have a show like that again, you can bet your ass I'll be there. I'm not supposed to take X anymore, but I think it would still be fun. What do those rehab do-gooders know anyway? Are they freakin' Synthpop dude of the century? No. I am. Cosmicity, damn it. They're such losers. If I ever get as god damn boring as those idiots, SHOOT ME. (Serious answer: I have heard that next year's Synthcon will be a completely different line-up, so I probably won't be performing. However, I know another synthpop festival is being planned in Toronto for next summer, and I have been invited to perform at that one.)
What do you think, Bob? Do you think it was a hint? Do I seem darker to you? Listen, if you knew anything about Cosmicity, you wouldn't be asking a question like... you know what? This interview is over. No. Shut up. It's over. What? (Serious answer: No, "Defeat" is not a hint. Each song will be its own journey on "Pure".)
Yeah... the third CD in the series is going to be an exploration of how the porn industry has affected the Synthpop genre. I'm going to be using a lot of guest "vocalists"... I'll be on-location at The Booby Trap in Detroit to record some real, live lap-dances... Actually, Pure Sessions III is going to break down a lot of walls and restrictions that have been put up around Synthpop artists. No more will the close-minded philosophies of "the man" keep legitimate synth artists from expressing their deep appreciation for porn and the porn community as a whole. (Serious answer: Yes, there will be a third in the series called "Pure Afterthoughts". It will be more of an EP than a single, containing many unreleased tracks and unique mixes.)
Oh my god, yeah. There are so many songs, I could never list them all. I'll name a few, just to give you an idea. Okay... let me think. #1 would HAVE to be "The Right Stuff" from 90's pop god's NKOTB. Following closely in second would be "Blame It On The Rain" by one of my top-10 favorite bands, Milli Vinilli. Scooting into 3rd place: "If You Wanna Be My Lover" by England's all-time most amazing export, The Spice Girls. I'd actually like to do a whole covers album. Can you imagine how much fun it would be to cover all these ground-breaking pop songs? I get chills just thinking about it. Oh wait, I just need another cigarette. (Serious answer: I really would like to cover those songs 'cause it would be so hysterical. But no, I don't have any immediate plans for another cover song.)
Ooh, that's a great question. Well, I'm about to buy a new synthesizer, and I've been debating for quite a while between two HUGE influences on my music. The first is, of course, David E. Kelly. Without his 1-hour prime-time dramedies, my creative juices would have haulted years ago. Ally McBeal... you LIGHT UP MY LIFE! The second is your mom... for all the things she's done to me over the years. God bless her and her low, low hourly rates. And the coupon she puts in the Sunday paper. Thanks, Bob's mom. (Serious answer: I'm too broke to get any new gear for a while. When I do get some money, though, I will name it after a female influence... I alternate, and it's a woman's turn. Hmmm... Annie Lennox maybe.)
Oh no no no... you don't have to wait. If you wanna hear Cosmicity live, just put in one of my CDs and then push the "simulated surround" button on your stereo and that's exactly the same thing. At least, that's what the last review of my concert in Rolling Stone said, those sons of bitches. If those assholes wanna see some drugged-up rock star grabbing his crotch and shaking his ass... if that's what they call a "great performance"... well, then they should come to my shows more often. But since I did all of that and they still SH!T all over me in their review, they can just kiss my ass. (Serious Answer: I fully intend to do as many shows as possible this fall to promote "Pure". I don't know yet when or where, but I'll get everywhere I can, within reason.)
Ya know what? Screw you, Bob. I don't need anybody, alright? I'm COS-FREAKIN-MICITY, okay? Who are you? You're Bob. OOOOOH. Bob what? Bob "I think I know what Cosmcity needs to do live"? Huh? Hey, listen, who do you write for? I'm gonna call up your publisher and see to it that you're writing cereal box patter for the rest of your god damn life. Do you even know who I am? I am going to kill my agent for even setting up this thing with you, that little prick. I knew I shoulda fired him when Iris dropped him last year... (Serious answer: Yes, Steve will still join me for live shows whenever he can. He's a busy guy, though, so it's not always possible.)
Cosmicity has been putting out albums for the public since the self-released debut CD "The Vision" in 1994. Before that I was just making cassette tapes for a small circuit of friends and fans while I was in music school. Momentum has built since then and Cosmicity is now signed with the popular American synth label A Different Drum, releasing at least an album a year (there are 9 albums so far, not counting singles or re-releases) and touring all around North America.
I'm going to cheat on this question. I've had this question before so I have a prepared answer: Dreamy Synthpop Goodness
Well, I consider "Resynthesized" a new album. It has all-new remixes, and most of the original songs that were remixed aren't even a year old yet. As for "The Vision/The Moment" reissue, I'm both happy and frightened about this. I'm happy that there is enough demand for Cosmicity that my old albums need to be reissued, but I'm quite frightened about what people will think of my old work! It's much less polished than the sound of my current releases.
Well, I was getting frustrated with CD singles. I wanted to have dance remixes that people could enjoy, but I didn't want to put out a ton of separate singles and hire a bunch of outside remixers. So, I decided to put out one big 2CD collection with all the stuff you would normally find on singles - for a much better overall price.
I just picked my favorite songs as well as songs that I figured would sound good as club/dance mixes. I'm pretty happy with the final result, and so far we've gotten a tremendously positive response from the public. We've also seen a few songs getting a lot of club play, as we'd hoped they would.
I think you're asking how I chose who the remixers would be... and believe it or not, I remixed almost every song myself. I'm generally uncomfortable releasing another remixer's work under my own name. There are a couple of exceptions on "Resynthesized" though - one great mix of "Too Far Gone" by Steve Sholtes, who is a close friend and has been mixing and remixing Cosmicity material for many years (as well as performing live with the band) - and another cool mix of "Visionary" by the owner of my record label, Todd Durrant.
Funny you should ask! I've had an idea brewing in my head for an entire album of covers... though I don't think I'll ever actually do it. But here are 3 songs I will probably cover in the future: "Every Little Counts" by New Order, "I Want A Dog" by Pet Shop Boys, and "The Boxer" by Simon and Garfunkel. The main reason I haven't done these yet is a strong desire to get my own new songs and ideas out... I LOVE writing new music and lyrics, and my original compositions will always take priority over any possible cover songs.
I told Todd I had all the needed material to do an extended mix of "Visionary" for the single, but I didn't have time to finish it for our planned release date. He volunteered to do it while I worked on other remixes, and I'm glad he did! It's been a very popular version of that song.
In the U.S.A., the answer is simple. Pop Music / Radio here is in a state of emergency. Truly original music never sees the light of day - even the most popular artists such as Sting or Bjork have almost no chance of getting airplay here right now. Drastic changes to our system are needed before quality pop music will be widely known again. In Europe, I'm not sure. I don't know the scene there as well, though I hear that synthpop would have a better chance of success on that side of the ocean!
Yes, it is somewhat frustrating to know that Cosmicity will likely never be truly famous the way my influences (Erasure, OMD, Pet Shop Boys) once were. I would really love the opportunity to achieve that kind of success. On the other hand, I consider myself lucky just to have become as successful as I am. To have an audience that appreciates, seeks-out and supports my music is an incredible blessing.
No. I believe that Napster will likely fade into the background when it starts charging a monthly fee. MP3.com is an excellent service - and I do hope that services like this will help people find better music than the radio plays - but the hard truth is that most people will not spend the time to seek it out. Most people simply don't have the time or the motivation to do the work. And they shouldn't have to - the BEST pop music is what SHOULD be played on the radio.
I do have very big hopes. I'm working extremely hard on this album to make sure that the quality is as high as I can get it. The direction of the album is pure synthpop (hence the title.) I want it to have all the clarity of an album like Erasure's "Chorus", all the emotion of an album like PSB "Behavior", and all the lyrical depth of an album like Everything But The Girl's "Walking Wounded". All of this, and I want it to sound like only Cosmicity does. To sum up: moody, synthy and pure. I hope I can do it!!!
Nah... Gary just has very good taste in album titles. How could I be mad?! :-)
Wow... that's a tricky question. I've always wanted to be able to say, just before I die, that I used my talents to the best of my ability. That's what I try to do with Cosmicity. I push my musical and lyrical skills to the limit, and do my best to help and connect with people through my music. I will continue to use and develop my creativity until I die.
I loved everyone I knew in my life, and through my music and writing, I've left this world a more positive and optimistic place.
Um, I think if the subjects of all of the songs on this new album were added together, it could be described as, wow, I don't know if I can answer that! I'm so close to this album still, it's kind of hard to get perspective on it. It documents so many things, introspection, love, technology, finding confidence. Next question!
Hmm, that's not entirely true, though it's not entirely false either! I had the same girlfriend for my first 3 albums, then a different girlfriend for the next 3, and for this most recent album I had a long-distance relationship that ended before I was done recording. So, yes and no. But, it is very true that my relationships have a great influence on the subjects of my songs. I really like to write about the search for, and experience of, love.
Mark: You know, it sounded funny to me when I was doing that interview. I was in a weird mood. I guess I'm a closet liberal in that I have fairly liberal political opinions, but I don't often express them. I don't have very many political songs.
Things haven't changed too much. I'm still "signed" with a small and supportive record label that manufactures and distributes my albums, and I've been able to do live shows around the country pretty much every summer. I don't see any of my albums going double platinum in the immediate future, but I am very happy with how things are going.
When I first started doing music, it was tricky for me not to directly imitate my influences, but over the years I've really found a sound of my own. People can certainly hear my influences in my music, but I've found that my song-writing style is unique, as well as the types of sounds I use and the way I program things.
Yes, and yes. If you're trying to learn how to write music, that absolute best thing in the world is to figure out what how your favorite songwriters did it. I learned more about writing pop music by breaking down Erasure and OMD songs than I did in 4 years of music school.
You can't laugh, but my very first memory of really freaking out for pop music was when I heard Madonna's "Borderline". I was in the 3rd or 4th grade and I heard it on Casey Kasem's Top 40 countdown. Shortly thereafter, I had a synthesizer on my Christmas list. (On a side note: what I got for Xmas was a little useless Casio thing, it wasn't until I was about 16 that I got my first real synth.) My fate was also sealed early on by stuff like "Axel F" by Harold Faltermeyer and "Automatic" by the Pointer Sisters. Hey, I was young!
It's both. But if I had to decide, I'd say that music is more something that I have to do and less something I do just for fun. There have been times when I was totally frustrated and not having any fun, but I was still writing music just to deal with things. However, lately it's been a lot of fun. Music is a wonderful thing.
My favorite sample that I've used. My first thought is to say the sample of my electric shaver that I used on a song called "Coming Through" on my new album. But I just remembered a sample I used on an old song called "Anymore" of a record executive from Qwest Records who left a message on my answering machine detailing why he didn't like my album. That was cool. I even got permission from the guy to use his voice!
In the song "Isabella" (from the album Isabella) I slowed down a snippet of my then girlfriend moaning, and it came out sounding really sexual. It's great.
It's still pretty much for fun. The guy I work with on that stuff, Steve Sholtes, wrote most of the music, and I expect he'll finish a lot of the songs we did for a future solo album. That will surely be excellent.
I'm considering a few things that I'm not ready to talk about just yet. You know, gotta keep up a little mystery. The only side-project I know for certain is one on which I'm providing vocals for a new trance artist just on one song. That should be fun.
Yeah, I sometimes have trouble with the universal part. I think a few of my songs are so personal that people can't relate to them, but as time goes on it's getting more natural to write in a way that people can relate to. On my current album I have a song ("Coming Through") in which my conscience is singing to me (addressing me by name), but I think that the things my conscience is saying to me are things that everyone thinks/feels. So, even though it's an insanely personal song, I'm hoping people will relate.
Yeah, I knew that some people wouldn't like the chorus to the first track on that EP. It goes "All you need is a 24 hour fuck." So, I expected a little backlash. But what happened was, my fan base collapsed (turns out there were a lot of Mormons and Christians buying my CDs) and my main distributor (now my record label) refused to carry the album. It wasn't good. I even had some clubs I was scheduled to do shows at warn me not to do that song. Go figure. No one even blinks when Trent Reznor does it. Anyway, even though it was a big pain in the ass, I wouldn't change it. That song represents exactly where I was at then, and actually, I still quite rather like it.
You know, I used to tell interviewers that I hated playing live. I guess I sort of did. I felt like a big fake doing all-electronic music live. But now, I've really grown to love it. I'm not a big fake, the fans know how electronic shows work. Almost all of the music is pre-programmed and only the vocals and a couple synth parts are live. And no one cares because they understand how it works, and it's really about the experience of being with other synth fans, hearing music you like at soul-shaking volume and all that good stuff. I just don't buy that the reason people go to live shows is so they can see the guitarist guitar and the drummer drum. As for my favorite show, the best one so far was opening for Alphaville last year in Salt Lake City. Incredible crowd, fabulous experience.
There's really not much of a Goth/Industrial/Synth scene in Detroit. I couldn't name a club for you. What is brewing is a growing interest in "Detroit Techno". You know, the throbbing DJ stuff with no vocals. Too bad I don't fall into that category or I would totally be in the right place at the right time!
Um, I think my weaknesses are my laziness and my laziness. Basically, I think if I could focus more on technical things, if I had the patience to deal with detail more, read my synth manuals more, I'd be better off. As for strengths, I think I have a good natural ear for what works in a pop song. And I've also developed a pretty strong ability to convey emotion through my lyrics.
I rarely sing in the shower. When I do, I sing singer-songwriter stuff. Suzanne Vega, Lisa Loeb. Good a capella shower singin' music.
Do I have to answer this? Let me just say that I LOVE television and movies. I'm a freak for that stuff and I watch everything. I like all kinds of shows... I watched the final 90210, I admit it. I know the names of the characters on Friends. But I also like some good shows like Judging Amy, X-Files and West Wing. I like cable too, A Dating Story, South Park, even The Real World. And honestly, TV doesn't usually affect my creative process. My ideas almost always come out of my experiences.
Funny you should ask. When I'm not working on music, I happen to work at an advertising agency as a producer. So, I have thought about this. I would only allow my music to be used in an ad if either a) I no longer cared about the song they wanted or b) Got to approve the creative concepts for the commercial my music would be used in. My favorite commercials on TV are all the VW commercials. I really like the one for the Cabrio where they're cruising around, finally get to the party they were going to but then decide to just go cruise around some more. I love nights like that.
Nacho Cheese Doritos, though still quite good, are no longer my favorite food. My new favorite food is FRENCH FRIES!
That's a tough one. To be honest, it would be tough to point the finger at one person who has constantly supported me since the very beginning. I don't think I could. Currently, two of my ex-girlfriends (Amy and Brittany) and my friend David have been fabulous cheerleaders. I love them all a lot.
My mother has always told me to stay blindly focused on exactly what I want out of life. So far, that appears to be working. I may never get exactly what I'm dreaming of, but that kind of determination will certainly take you far. However, the most motivating advice I've ever gotten came from a professor my first year in music school. He said, "I'm going to try to save you a lot of time and a lot of money. I don't think you have what it takes to be successful in music." Right then and there I knew I'd be making music the rest of my life. PS. He lost his job as a professor and (last I heard) now authors CD-ROMs for Disney. So, I'm making music and gaining fans, and he's, coding Mickey?
In general, no, making synthpop does not get me chicks. I've met one girlfriend through my music, but I've never really gotten any crazy propositions. The only thing that even comes to mind is a girl who was a couple dollars short, but wanted to buy a CD at one of my concerts, asked if she could pay me the rest in a kiss. I took the deal, of course.
Well, I'm not thrilled with pop music right now. Obviously there's too much of the boy bands and little-girl divas. But I'm thinking that since we've passed through the grunge phase, and we're getting through the teenie-bopper pop phase, maybe REAL (well written, original, intelligent) pop music will resurface soon. I'm hoping, anyway.
It's terrible, but I don't generally have time to follow new bands. My favorite indie synth bands are currently Color Theory and B! Machine, though there are tons of other cool synth bands out there.
I'm still trying to make up my mind about that. I've had lots of ideas floating around in my head. I'm slated to make a remix album next, I'll work on that this summer. After that, I have no idea what my next new album will be. Something tells me it'll be a pretty big departure, though. I'd expect the unexpected.
As I touched on, I'll be putting out a remix collection next fall or so. I am also beginning work on a professional music video for a song off of The Binary Language Of Love. Other than that, I'm not entirely sure yet!
If I could have the impossible, I'd like to get famous. Famous like the Pet Shop Boys or New Order, I'd like to really be able to reach all the people who would enjoy the type of music I'm doing. That's the dream. Realistically, if things keep going and improving as they are now, I'll be a happy man. Making music for people who really love it is in-and-of-itself a dream come true.
I just wanna say this is probably the best interview I've ever done. Thanks for all the interesting and atypical questions. They were a lot of fun to answer.
Well, the first Cosmicity album, "The Vision" was made available to the public in 1994. Since then, Cosmicity has put out 8 albums and 3 singles and things are still going strong.
Cosmicity is basically a combination of two english words: cosmic and electricity. Because the music is all electronic and has a kind of univeral/cosmic quality to it, the name just seems to fit.
Yes, "In Perspective" is a collection of the best songs from the first 3 Cosmicity releases, plus a couple of extra tracks. It is the first official Cosmicity release in Germany, but there are more to come from Maschinenwelt Records in the near future.
Wow, that's a broad question! Maybe I'll just talk about the first song on the album, "Awake". The inspiration for that song came to me after breaking up with a very serious girlfriend. I realized after she started dating some else that I really blew it... that we were meant to be together and I'd made a big mistake.
I'll start by saying that the pop elements and melodic nature of the music has remained consistent over the years. The differences are in the production and the lyrics. I think the lyrics have gotten a lot better and the music has gotten edgier. It's got a bit more techno in it.
Many times I will think of songs in the evening... I'll be out walking in the city or I'll have an inspriring dream, then I'll grab a pen and paper wherever I am and scribble down lyrics and any melody ideas. Later I'll go into my home studio and start building sounds and programming things.
The synth-pop scene in the states is a relatively small underground movement right now, but it's gaining momentum fast. Not too many years ago, it was hard to sell a synthpop album to anyone in the USA. Now, the fan base is growing very quickly. Myself and several bands from our US record label, A Different Drum, are even going on a seven city tour of the eastern USA early this summer.
Very important. Even more important as time has gone on. In the last couple of years, Cosmicity's lyrics have gotten more emotional and more personal. I'm a big believer in the power of well-written lyrics in pop music.
Yes, as I touched on earlier, there are a lot of other Cosmicity albums that have been released in the US. I believe Maschinenwelt Records will be releasing more of them in Germany in the near future.
I couldn't agree more. Music is so emotional... so passionate... you really know you've written a good song when someone tells you they were moved. I think it's what every composer strives for.
Thanks for checking out Cosmicity! And thanks for the interview, Michael.
I didn't approach the album with an aim, really. I usually just write about what's going on in my life. This time around, that meant the end of a lengthy relationship, examining my life in my mid-twenties and helping friends through difficult times... those are the themes that come through on this album.
I think this brought the music to a different place emotionally. My last album was a "fun in the summer sun" feeling. Before that it was all about falling in love. This time, it was introspection and heartache, so it has its melancholy side.
I think it's a natural progression. People who've been following my stuff for the last few years won't be in shock. Hopefully they'll be sitting back with a smile enjoying this different mood. It's still all synthesizers and samples and all that synthpop goodness, just not as much dance-pop as a few of my other albums have been.
I worked alone on this album more than any other. I even recorded it at home instead of at an outside studio like I usually do. Steve Sholtes, a great musician, engineer and friend, was gracious enough to mix the album for me and be a second set of ears on everything I'd done, so he deserves a good amount of credit. He did a ton of work on my last release too. Maybe I should make him an honorary band member?
Are those my only choices? I've always wanted to be able to reach a large group of people and share what nuggets of wisdom I've managed to accumulate. I've always believed there's great power in sharing one's experiences. That connection... the "I know exactly what he's saying" thing... it gives people confidence and hope. So, would I like to reach a mass audience? Yeah. Am I happy just being able to reach this small synthpop niche? Yeah. Financially speaking, it's not a full-time job yet, but it's getting there. Maybe in a couple more years.
The negatives are simply lack of money and lack of resources. You don't have the mass marketing machine or the power of advertising on a small label. But there's a laundry list of benefits, including total creative freedom, total personal freedom, less liability, a greater portion of profits (TLC went bankrupt selling 10 million albums, after all), etc. Honestly, if my label had the marketing power of a major label, I'd be perfectly satisfied.
Somewhere in there... A lot of people don't like when I say this, but I think the "synthpop movement" as it is, still has a bit of ground to cover. We have SO MUCH potential, and sure, what we're doing is far more interesting than what's on the radio, but we can do better. There's a number of bands copying the Depeche Mode sound, and that's not getting us anywhere. Depeche Mode will always be the best and only at that sound. There's a bunch of bands that don't know anything about song writing, and they need to step back and learn that. A good song will always be the key to success. But then, Lexicon just put out that sampler full of incredibly cool and original work, so it's obvious that it'll happen for synthpop. To get back to my point, I say the "glorious new era" phase is coming, just not overnight.
Favorite new artists. I don't know if I have any. I've just discovered Underworld and I like some of their stuff. Oh, and Ana Voog. She's interesting. But I'm a big fan of the greats... Erasure, PSB, DM, OMD, New Order... they are the masters of the genre.
I try to keep my concerts kind of intimate. Never really too big or dramatic... more just trying to support the feelings behind the songs and maybe joke around with the audience a bit. :-) I don't do a lot of live shows, though, so it usually turns out that the best part is hanging out with people after the set. It's just cool to meet people who like the same music as you and chat for a while. Tour plans... opening for Alphaville in Salt Lake City July 17th. Another show is shaping up in Los Angeles for mid-August. I also hope to get to the east coast before the summer's over.
Nope. Videos are expensive. Back to that indie vs. major label thing. But actually, I've started to devise a plan to put one together, so don't be surprised if there's a full video for one of the songs on my next album.
Why do Christians pick synthpop? Probably because it's rock with a "cleaner" sound to it. Something about the openness of a synthpop arrangement lends itself to a clean feeling, and I'm sure that appeals to artists who want to write songs about God. No, I don't think my past has come back to haunt me too much. I lost a few people when I released "Syn", but most came back to see what I was up to with the next album. I can say that I'm more weary of touchy topics now, but I wouldn't promise not to do it again. I'm big on being true to the emotions, and if that means swearing to get the point across sometimes, so be it.
Hmm.. am I qualified to give advice? Eh, what the heck. First: learn how to write a song. Get a music theory book, learn the chords to your favorite songs... This is a must. After that, it's just a matter of determination and fresh ideas. Anyone can learn to use a synthesizer, but creating a unique sound... a unique voice... a unique message... that's the key.
I've always lived in the Metro-Detroit area. I grew up in the suburbs.
I was pretty much raised on pop. Abba and Simon and Garfunkel from my mom. Madonna and Harold Faltermeyer from the radio. I did get my share of classical, too, but really my musical knowledge is all rooted in pop.
Honestly? I don't think so. I think trees want to be useful, and becoming a house or paper is certainly useful. So, probably not. I would encourage recycling and biodegradability, though. And we've gotta remember to keep planting more trees, of course.
Um... wow, will everyone come beat me up if I say "True"? Like I said, I'm a student of 80's pop radio. I used to always crank it up when that song came on.
Funny you should ask that. I'm working with a band on the side for fun... we're doing a heavy goth/dark-wave thing, but I've been playing the bass guitar on one track and doing a bit of thrashing about. Don't worry... I'll never be converted to the dark side. No electric guitars on Cosmicity albums. I'm just dipping my toe in the pool so I know what I'm talking about when I say the water is cold and there's too much chlorine.
With Martin Gore writing the songs, they'll never lose it. In fact, I do think he gets better with every album. It's just a matter of whether or not you like the arrangements they're doing. I still think they're great. I could do with a little less guitar usage, but I don't want to complain too much. They're still the best.
NAFTA passed because the vote took
place during a full moon. Okay, seriously? The senators knew they'd get cheaper
and better coffee as a result. There's nothing like a good cup of Mexican coffee.
Oh wait, that's Columbia. Maybe it's the first step toward taking over Canada?
No... it's too cold there. Yeah, I have no idea. Trying to understand the government
is like trying to figure out why bananas don't taste good when they're green.
You sort of know, but the details are sketchy at best.
