Apeiron
Bound's debut album "Multiplicity" explores diverse elements within
the metal world and themes of Zen and Chaos. The band collaborated with various
musicians to create an organized chaotic soundscape, provoking contemplation
about humanity's future.
1. Can you tell us about the inspiration behind the name "Multiplicity" for your album?
Andrew: We wanted to make a bold statement from the get go. Not only did we want something bold for our debut album, we wanted to make a solid first impression as a band. The name "Multiplicity" can be interpreted in many different ways. There's the musical side where we explore the many different elements within the metal world. Multiply that with "outside influences" within fusion, EDM, and classical music. Top it off with an uncompromising level of experimentation with the structures we felt would serve the song best and that describes our organized chaotic soundscape. For the storytelling aspect, "Multiplicity" explores the various themes within the duality of humanity and the human condition through first and third person experiences.
2. The album explores themes of Zen and Chaos. How did you come up with this concept, and how did you represent these contrasting themes in the music?
Andrew: Michael was the one that came up with the overall concept of the Zen and Chaos theme. Zen represents the light side or the "good" side whereas Chaos is the dark side. Akin to the yin-yang concept. As for how each song would play into this concept, this would be an ongoing conversation between him and I as I'd show him the initial demos of the songs. There would be songs like "Thought & Memory'' and "Firmament" where he had 100% control of the theme and lyrical content. Songs like "Emotive Servitude" and "My Sweet Stockholm'' were ideas I thought of when he and I would have deep philosophical conversations about the world as a whole. Top it off with our own personal experiences with these themes throughout the years. With "Emotive Servitude", that'd be the song title and theme I present to him and he'd write the lyrics to bring that theme to life. It's a series of back and forth talks between the two of us predominantly.
3. "Astral Projection" serves as the intro track. What significance does it hold in leading the listeners into the world of Zen and Chaos?
Andrew: "Astral Projection" is the "calm before the storm". We wanted to set up the record as if it were a cinematic experience for the listener. Start off the record with a soothing soundscape with the synth melody following the chorus of "Thought & Memory" along with the piano work subtly nodding to "Astral Reflection". This paints a picture that a journey will be had if you take the full ride into "Multiplicity". As for the tracking order of the record, our goal was to showcase as literal of a "rabbit hole" and "coming full circle" as one could get with soundscape. As you dive deeper into the album, you increasingly realize how unhinged things can really get. You look forward to the more calming and straight forward moments within the record.
4. "Eleutheromania" touches on a society following orders blindly. Could you elaborate on the message behind this song and its relation to the album's concept?
Andrew: For full context, "Eleutheromania" is the prequel to "Emotive Servitude". Michael wanted to take the story concept I drew up for Emotive and make another connection among the sociopolitical climate. "Eleutheromania" primarily focuses on the concept of "evil prevails by good people doing nothing". More specifically, it's a cautionary tale when we let those in power dictate our lives as long as they claim to have our best interests at heart. Those that claim to be fighting for human rights, order, and freedom while bringing the opposite.
Andrew: For "Multiplicity", we didn't want our debut to feel like a collection of songs lumped onto a disc. To further mold the album into this cinematic-esque flow, we had contacted some friends to co-compose interludes to help flow the album as well as find a way to make them feel like their own songs. "Melancholic Zen" was co-composed by Frank Sacramone (Earthside). How that came about was when we were figuring out a way to transition from "Eleutheromania" to "My Sweet Stockholm". The idea came to make an interlude track that embodied "finding contentment within chaos". I presented a melodic arpeggio written on synth and told Frank how to go about transitioning between the tracks, while he has the creative control to take the theme and make it his own. In my opinion, that method brings an additional dynamic that wouldn't have otherwise been on the record.
6. "My Sweet Stockholm" explores Stockholm Syndrome from the antagonist's perspective. What emotions did you aim to evoke with this song?
Andrew: The emotions we aim to evoke is psychological warfare mixed with a sense of a euphoric religious/occultish experience. You're presented with just about every red flag imaginable in this scenario. You have a tsunami of verbal abuse, gaslighting, love bombing, reactionary abuse, and every other form of abuse that exists. We wanted to present this in a way that would be relatable to any listener. More specifically, those that have endured any traumatic form of abuse. The abuser sees themselves as a god holding the world in the palm of their hand. You're their puppet that is to do what they say or suffer the consequences for daring to rebel, or even to question their motives. This story is a cautionary tale to those that don't get out of abusive scenarios.
7. "Precocious Tribalism" is described as entering a dystopian nightmare of emotive servitude. How did you use music to portray this dark aspect of human nature?
Andrew: The term "Precocious Tribalism", much like contradictory phrases such as "My Sweet Stockholm '' and even our band name "Apeiron Bound". 'Precocious' stems from the definition of "indicative of early development" with 'tribalism' touches on the context of a primitive, mob mentality. The picture we wanted to picture with this short interlude was to mean "no matter how much progress we make as a society, we always fall victim to our primitive habits that keep us stagnant, if not regress". This interlude was co-composed by Steven Mundinger (DJ Lykanthrope), whom also did additional synths towards the end of "Emotive Servitude" as well as the main character for our music video "Absent Familiarity".
8. "Emotive Servitude" delves into the human condition at times of crisis. Can you tell us more about the cautionary tale portrayed in this song?
Andrew: Where "Eleutheromania '' focuses primarily on the consequences of "good people doing nothing to protect their rights", Emotive focuses predominantly on emotional manipulation. Both songs have this sort of "paving the road to Hell with good intentions' ' phrase in mind. More specifically, within the context of the leaders within the sociopolitical, corporatist, and religious world pulling on the heartstrings of society. Part of the story showcases the "protagonist" watching the world fall into a dystopian nightmare resulting from a series of events that have stemmed throughout human history.
9. "Chaotic Fervor" acts as a premonition leading to "Astral Reflection." How did you create the atmosphere of anticipation and chaos in this interlude?
Andrew: As with the other interludes, we wanted the transition between "Absent Familiarity" and "Astral Reflection" to feel like a journey. For "Chaotic Fervor", we wanted a dystopian, sci-fi world meets Mick Gordon (Doom) and Two Steps From Hell kind of vibe. As with "Melancholic Zen", we got Frank Sacramone (Earthside) to co-compose the contrast to MZ [Melancholic Zen] leading into the fight between Zen and Chaos. The spoken word piece is Chaos tempting Zen and belittling them for trying to come into a peaceful resolve.
Andrew: With the themes of Zen and Chaos becoming personified, we knew the music had to be THE embodiment of organized chaos. We knew we needed the most melodic moments to be melodic. The most chaotic moments are chaotic. Doing this while still trying to make melodic sense of it was one of the, if not the biggest challenges. In the end, I feel that we made a piece of art that will stand the test of time. As for the story element, this can be interpreted as an inner battle with yourself. This could be interpreted as a person struggling with a toxic situation. It'd all within the ear of the beholder.
11. "Era in Fenim // Novis Iniitis" raises open-ended questions about the fate of humanity. How did you use the music to provoke contemplation about our future?
Andrew: For the very last track, we wanted to take the listener on a recap journey before the epic closing. Inspired by some of the greatest movie and video game composers, we rearranged melodies from "Astral Reflection", "Emotive Servitude", and finally "Absent Familiarity" on top of an original melody to give off that ending credits vibe. That was our way of thanking the listener for embarking on the soundscape journey with us. As for the phrase "Era in Fenim // Novis Iniitis", that's a Latin translation for "End of an Era // New Beginnings". For full context, we want the listener to paint a picture for themselves as to where the direction of humanity will go next. Do we hold onto the thin thread of hope that humanity will finally escape its primitive cycle? Do we continue to endure the same cycle endlessly? These chapters have yet to be written.
12. Collaboration seems to be an integral part of this album. How did you manage to bring together various musicians and artists to contribute to "Multiplicity"?
Andrew: We've known some of these people for a real long time. Some through online communication. Some through local shows. As for the guests we have for this record, we have a solid number. As for the purpose of these collaborations, we wanted to add an extra few layers of dynamics within our music. Triple down on our strengths. If that means getting a guest guitar or saxophone solo for a part, we do that. If we can't deliver a certain vocal part, we do that. In the "jack of all trades" method our generation is used to doing things these days, we feel that collaboration becomes even more essential. In a way, it amplifies the identity the song is trying to show itself to be. As opposed to someone that tries to do everything, it could just as easily fall apart.
Guest musicians:
• Jon Pyres (Threads of Fate, Lycanthro, Violet Sin) - Pianos & Synth on "Thought & Memory"
• Angel Vivaldi - guest guitar solo on "Eleutheromania"
• Frank Sacramone (Earthside) - co-composer of "Melancholic Zen" and Chaotic Fervor
• Steven Mundinger (DJ Lykanthrope) - co-composer of "Precocious Tribalism" and additional synths on "Emotive Servitude"
• Joshua Corum (Head With Wings) - guest vocals on "Absent Familiarity"
• Rich Gray (Aeon Zen/Annihilator) - Guest guitar & saxophone solo on "Era in Fenim // Novis Iniitis"
Stockholm Choirs
• Brent Jernigan, Brandon Delpino, Cassandra Calo, and Joshua Corum
Session Musicians
• Peter Albert De Reyna - session bass
Audio
• John Galloway - engineering, programming, backing vocals, and mixing
• Jack Kosto - mastering
13. How has the lineup changed for Apeiron Bound in 2023, and how has it impacted the band's sound and direction?
Andrew: When we wrote and recorded "Multiplicity" from 2018 to 2019, the lineup was much smaller. The full ABC lineup then was myself, Michael Calza, and Phillip Colacecchi. Due to time constraints with work and personal life, Phil was only able to contribute two blistering solos for "Astral Reflection" (see 7:20 to 7:37; 7:53 to close) as well as a small handful of backing vocals throughout the songs. Michael and myself were the main duo that led the charge in terms of the musical and lyrical direction. I handled the main compositions and Michael handled the main vocals and lyrics. Everyone else was either a session musician, guest musician, or some sort of audio engineer that also contributed additional keys, backing vocals, as well as additional co-compositions for the interludes as well as subtle traces sprinkled within our songs. Fun fact: We wanted to release this record around 2020/2021. However, due to obvious unforeseen circumstances, it turned out to be more of a blessing in disguise in terms of marketing, building the lineup, as well as finding new ways to establish ourselves in the music scene.
As for where we want to take things in 2023 and beyond, now that we have a full lineup, we expect even more dynamics to refine the soundscape we've laid out. The people we recruited are dedicated to their craft and are amped to get things rolling in this new chapter. We've also got some new people that will be joining the ABC family. More announcements on that as we come close to new release days.
14. The artwork for the album is intriguing. Can you share the concept behind it and how it relates to the music?
Andrew: The AB logo was designed by Adam Hutton (Burnedinsilence Designs) and all our song, album, and merch artwork was done by Darcy Kelly-Laviolette. As for the artwork for "Multiplicity", we wanted to give an eerie representation of Zen and Chaos. The face with the blue aura represents Zen. The face with the evil grin and red aura represents chaos. This particular representation of the artwork showcases that every individual is capable of light and dark. "Zen" and "Chaos". "Good" and "evil". Especially within ourselves.
15. As a band, what do you hope listeners take away from the experience of listening to "Multiplicity"?
Andrew: For the listeners, we hope you enjoyed the soundscape experience. We hope you found something you could latch on to. Whether you love specific melodies, chorus, or feel like you can relate to any of the stories within the songs, we hope something from our album spoke to you and had a positive impact in some way.
For the musicians, create music that sounds good to you, first and foremost. Don't worry about hopping on the next trend. It gets exhausting trying to keep up and you'll end up as a joke. Focus on longevity and always learn something new to push your brand. The growth may be slow to the point it feels like stagnation. In the end, it all comes down to whether or not you can feel satisfied that you gave it your all at that time. Take ownership of who you are. Not even the most wholesome, kind hearted person will care more about your vision and aspirations than yourself.
16. What's next for Apeiron Bound after "Multiplicity"? Are there any upcoming projects or performances you'd like to share with your fans?
Andrew: We're currently working on releasing a small handful of singles that will lead up to an album release. We're crossing our fingers for a stem of 2024 single releases that will continue into 2025 and by then, we plan on pushing for album 2 and beyond. We currently have at least 2 albums worth of material between all of us. The next step is organizing it through the type of releases, refining bits, tweaking here, writing more here, starting from scratch here, and so on and so forth. There shall be no sophomore flops from the ABC camp. NOPE! Outside of Apeiron Bound, I'm working on finishing album 2 for a Canadian Power Prog Metal band Lycanthro, in which we're aiming for a 2024 release. The juggling act continues on.
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