In this interview with Darren Deschaine, the artist behind the debut EP "Unravel," he shares the inspiration behind his music and the creative process involved. Influenced by artists like Mick Gordon and Tosin Abasi, Darren's music is characterized by an aggressive guitar style. He discusses combining the low-ends of an eight-string guitar with searing leads and chaotic synth patterns, creating a unique sonic atmosphere.
1. Can you tell us about the inspiration behind your
debut EP, "Unravel," and what motivated you to create it?
With Unravel, it was a case of sitting down and deciding
that today was the day I was going to write and record my debut release. The
music came pretty easily. I didn't think too much about it, I let it do its own
thing and the results speak for themselves. You can tell from the music that
the whole release is heavily inspired by the Doom soundtrack with little dashes
of Periphery and Animals As Leaders thrown into the mix.
2. Your music is often described as having an aggressive guitar style inspired
by artists like Mick Gordon and Tosin Abasi. How did these artists influence
your musical journey?
They were huge influences for me. I think, like most people
did when hearing the Doom soundtrack for the first time, that it was unlike
anything I'd heard before and I knew instantly I wanted to make music like
that. I've always been a lead guitarist at heart so it came naturally to add to
Mick Gordon's signature rhythm sound with some crazy lead sections, and Tosin
Abasi was a great jumping-off point for how that should sound. He's always been
able to combine Djent and heavy metal influences with really well-thought-out
solo sections.
3. What drew you to combining the super low-ends of an eight-string guitar with
searing leads and chaotic synth patterns in your music?
This has to go to Mick Gordon again. It creates such a
unique sound that's difficult to emulate and, frankly, difficult to master. But
it all slots together so much better than you feel it should.
4. Can you describe the creative process behind composing the tracks on
"Unravel"? Do you have any specific rituals or methods you follow
when creating music?
I can't say I have any rituals or processes that I follow.
At the risk of sounding very new-agey, I just play and the music happens next.
Usually, I'll lay out a demo of the guitar and build around that. I've learned
the hard way to let things happen naturally and to work a song out before I
give up on it completely. That first demo is like the first draft of a book,
you have to get it done to get it done, and once it's done, that's when you can
start to edit and finesse it.
5. Your EP has a unique and engaging soundscape. How do you approach creating a sonic atmosphere that captivates your listeners?
For the type of music I play, it's all about channelling
that aggression and keeping the music flowing and keeping the energy right. The
lead guitar, I think, catches people off guard. It's a lot of fun throwing in
the craziest solos I can think of.
6. What role do you think emotion plays in your instrumental music? How do you
convey emotions and tell stories without lyrics?
That's such a difficult question! But you can't really have
music without emotion; lyrics or not, whatever drove you to write the song is
always going to seep through. For me, it's a lifetime in hospitality and
customer service - hence the aggression. For me, playing a guitar is like a
highway to the heart. Whatever comes out is exactly how you're feeling, and it
helps shape the music that you make.
7. Are there any specific themes or messages you aimed to convey through
"Unravel"?
The message would be to make music! Make music, no matter
what it is.
8. Many instrumental musicians find it challenging to keep listeners engaged
without vocals. How do you ensure that your music remains captivating and
dynamic throughout each track?
A unique challenge for instrumental music is keeping things
fresh and evolving the song without alienating the listener. You have to keep
things moving and changing, so I always try to stop a riff or an idea from
overstaying its welcome. The drums in all 3 tracks really help with that as
well. It would be difficult to set the pace for the songs and have an
ever-changing sound without putting some time into how the beat reflects each
riff. The synth patterns as well help stop anything from becoming stale.
9. Could you share some insights into the equipment and software you used to produce
"Unravel"?
Absolutely. It's all recorded digitally for the sake of
ease. The guitar is a Cort KX508MS 8 string, fed through an Audio Interface to
record on Reaper. I use Neural DSP's Archetype Abasi for all the guitar amps.
The drums are Ugritone Total Studio Drums, and the synth is the amazing Surge
XT, which I couldn't recommend highly enough if anyone is looking to branch out
into the synth world.
10. Your guitar technique is often praised for its aggressiveness. What advice do you have for aspiring guitarists looking to develop their own unique style?
Play. You have to play and you have to experiment. You can
tell I'm primarily influenced by metal guitarists in every riff I make but
that's just the basic element. The flavour comes from experimenting with jazz
and blues and classic rock and neo-classical metal and learning how all these
different genres can complement each other so well. The bottom line is that if
you don't play, if you don't experiment with different things, you'll never
grow.
11. How do you strike a balance between precision and spontaneity in your
guitar playing and composition?
This goes back to the draft/demo process. I'll usually play
out a song and see how it sounds once that first draft is done, then I'll go
back through it all and find the parts I like and which parts I don't. That
spontaneity in music like this is so crucial - it wouldn't sound anything like
this if I wasn't spontaneous. But on balance, you have to recognise if
something isn't working, if it's not fitting the overall vibe of the song.
Sometimes you have to spend a little longer on a riff that you originally
thought was perfect. The opening riff to Eyes On The Inside was a pain, I
thought I'd nailed it on the first go, but on hearing it back with all the
other elements added, it really wasn't working and had to be re-worked several
times before it became something I was happy with. You don't always get it
right on the first go.
12. "Unravel" incorporates elements of metal, rock, and electronic
music. How do you navigate the fusion of these genres while maintaining a
cohesive sound?
I'm not sure I'd call the finished product a completely
cohesive sound, honestly, but I think that works to its betterment. The slight
dissonance and disagreement of different genres is what gives it that little
extra spiciness. But I guess it's about finding what works and what doesn't,
because it can't disagree the whole time, and that all comes back to
experimenting with different sounds and set-ups.
13. Can you share any memorable or challenging moments you encountered during
the recording and production of "Unravel"?
There were a few challenging parts but I think the most
challenging moment throughout the whole thing would be recording the solo for
Land Under Wave. It's a much longer solo than I usually do, off the top of my
head I think it lasts almost 2 minutes in total. So that was hard; it was hard
to write, it was hard to play and it was hard to record. For that whole song,
the solo was probably the element that took the longest to record. But I'm so
pleased with how that solo turned out in the end, it's one of my favourite
moments from the whole EP.
14. What do you hope listeners will take away from your music, especially those who may not be familiar with instrumental music?
I guess I can really only hope that they've enjoyed it!
Instrumental music is fairly niche in its own right and when you add in all the
heavy metal and the synth work and the crazy synth parts, it's easy to say it's
not for everyone. So if I've managed to get someone headbanging, I'll take that
as a win.
15. Are there any future projects or collaborations you're excited about that
you can give us a sneak peek of?
I'm always working on new music, I've got a Youtube Channel
where I upload weekly metal covers, like ABBA on an eight string, that sort of
thing. But to give you an idea of what's happening next, I'm working on a
single as a follow-up to Unravel, and so far it's sounding HEAVY. Double Drop D
is dangerous, and it’s my new favourite tuning.
16. Lastly, what advice would you offer to emerging musicians who are
passionate about creating their own unique sound and making their mark in the
music industry?
I'd give the same advice to someone who was trying to be an
author - you won't get any better unless you write. If you want to be a good
musician and make your mark, you have to play, you have to experiment, you have
to put yourself out there and risk it. And have fun with it, there's not much
point in doing any of it if you're not actually enjoying yourself.
Darren
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(46) Darren
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