Ghost on Mars, set to release their debut album 'Out of Time and Space' on May 3 via Willowtip Records, shares insights into their creative process, diverse influences, and sci-fi-inspired music journey
1. Congratulations on the upcoming release of
your debut album, "Out of Time and Space"! Can you tell us about the
creative process behind the album and how it all came together for Ghost on
Mars?
Fabio: Thank
you very much for the congratulations and the space you give us on
Lelahelmetal! The songs you hear on our debut album were composed over the last
4 years and originate from my ideas on which Moreno develops the vocal lines.
When composing, we like to imagine our songs as ideal soundtracks of films and
books, we are big fans especially of scifi, fantasy and horror and we write our
lyrics inspired by that imagery. Once we have a draft of the song, we let the
other band members listen to it and we take it to the studio to work on it,
arrange it and finish it all together, both to assess the 'live' sound and to
enrich the song with ideas from each of us.
2.Ghost on Mars is described as combining
dark and melancholic atmospheres with metal traditions. How do you approach
blending these elements, and what influences or experiences have
Fabio: It's a
process that happens very spontaneously, personally I've always listened to a
wide variety of genres, both metal and non-metal, and when I compose all these
influences end up in one cauldron from which Ghost on Mars songs come out.
Definitely my main influences are the progressive metal scene both current and
from the 90/2000 period and the dark/gothic metal strand of bands like
Anathema, Katatonia, Sentenced, which I grew up with when I was a kid.
3. The songs on the album are inspired by
science fiction and horror cultures, including films like The Mist, They Live,
and Arrival. How do these influences manifest in your music, and what drew you
to explore these themes in your songwriting?
Moreno: The
strength of sci-fi culture is that it allows you to imagine and explore worlds,
possible scenarios, parallel universes, transversal realities.
This absence
of boundaries is the ideal scenario for those who make music.
In the case of
Ghost on Mars, the sensations that arise from the sentences of a book or the
images of a film are transformed into notes and chords, rhythms and musical
transitions: the song, even without reading the lyrics, must evoke in the
listener the same sensations that the initial inspiration aroused in us.
4. The track "Carbon Skin" has been
approved for airplay. Can you share the story behind this particular song and
what makes it stand out on the album?
Moreno: Carbon
Skin, from a semantic point of view, is the song that most recalls the concepts
we are inspired by, hence the decision to present it as the first single. The
lyrics start with Asimov's famous three laws and go on to recount images and
scenarios of men and machines, technology fused with human emotions. The
extraordinary evolution of artificial intelligence is another of those images
that can be associated with this song, and it is no coincidence that the video
clip represents a fusion of humanity and technology: the guys from What Studio
used highly experimental software based on artificial intelligence to apply the
VFX in the video.
5. The album cover, created by Simon Bossert,
is visually striking. How does the artwork complement the themes and music of
"Out of Time and Space"?
Moreno: Simon
did an amazing job, condensing the themes and feelings of the sci-fi world into
a single image: it could easily be a movie poster from the 80s or 90s ... and
since we grew up devouring the films, books and comics of that period,
well,well, we couldn't be more
satisfied!
6. "Out of Time and Space" was
produced by Ghost on Mars and recorded, mixed, and mastered by Alex Di Nunzio.
How was the collaboration with Alex, and what did he bring to the table in
terms of capturing your vision for the album?
Fabio:
Collaborating with Alex is fabulous, he is a great sound engineer and an
exceptional arranger. We had already worked with him on the recording of our
first EP and when we chose where to record 'Out of time and space' we had no
doubt that he would be the right person for us. His contribution to the sound
and in many cases also to the arrangement is crucial for us and we will
definitely continue to work with him in the future.
7. The band's lineup consists of members with
diverse roles, from vocals to guitars, bass, and drums. How does each member
contribute to the overall sound and creative process of Ghost on Mars?
Fabio: Each of
us contributes to the arrangement of the songs, either by writing our own
instrumental part or by participating in the arrangement of the tracks. As I
told you before, I particularly value working in the studio all together; it is
certainly more demanding in terms of organization and takes a lot longer than
solo composition, but I think it gives that extra touch that we don't want to
give up.
8. The album features a range of tracks, from
"Beyond the Mist" to "Lost Signal." Can you walk us through
the variety of themes and emotions explored in these songs, and how they
contribute to the overall narrative of the album?
Moreno: Beyond
the Mist is the track that, from a musical point of view, identifies us the
most: the idea of including it as the first track is precisely to put the
listener immediately at the center of the musical universe that awaits him
until the end. In fact, this journey, as you rightly said, is varied and
changeable. The strongest atmospheres (Quarantine, That Time I saw the Moon,
Back from the Dead) alternate with melancholic and poignant scenarios (They,
Nocturnal, Under a Crescent Moon, Back to Life) until we get to Lost Signal, a
track inspired by the film Arrival, which condenses all the feelings the
listener has experienced.
9. For fans who may not be familiar with Ghost
on Mars, how would you describe your music, and what can listeners expect from
"Out of Time and Space" in terms of its sonic landscape and emotional
depth?
Fabio: Our goal is to expand the emotional range of our compositions as much as possible, trying to merge musical solutions that are often very distant from each other. That is why in the album you can hear, even within the same track, complex and tight prog pieces followed by more crepuscular and intimate moments. One example in particular is "Beyond the Mist," the opening track of our album, of which a video clip, inspired by the film "The Mist," will soon be released. Within its nearly 8-minute duration, we bring forth all of our musical suggestions and experiences in an up and down of intensity and dynamics that represents our ideal soundtrack to the aforementioned film.
10. Your music has been likened to bands such
as Pain of Salvation, Leprous, and Katatonia. How do you feel about these
comparisons, and are there other artists or genres that have significantly
influenced your musical journey?
Fabio: Well, I
can only feel honored by such comparisons, we are talking about 3 of my
favorite bands ever. There are certainly also many other artists who have
influenced my and our path, personally I would tell you Ihsahn with his solo
works rather than Anathema, Steven Wilson...I can really think of a million
examples, but after all, each of us has very different listenings ranging from
progressive rock, to thrash, to death...and probably echoes of different genres
can be perceived in every track of "Out of time and space".
11. The album will be released on CD and
digital formats on May 3 via Willowtip Records. How does it feel to have your
debut album reaching a broader audience through a renowned label, and what are
your expectations for the reception of "Out of Time and Space"?
Fabio: It's
really great for us to debut with a prestigious label like Willowtip and we are
really happy to be part of their roster in the company of some crazy bands! We
want to get our music out to as many people as possible, and we are sure that
with Willowtip's support this will happen...and we can't wait!!!
12. As the release date approaches, what are
Ghost on Mars' plans for the future? Are there any upcoming shows, tours, or
new projects that fans can look forward to?
Fabio :In the
next few months we will release two new video clips and present the album at a
release party at Defrag in Rome on June 7. We want to create an experience
where sounds and images merge also through the use of movies and graphic
effects that will be projected behind us, we are working to bring our show on
as many stages as possible and we hope that very soon we will be able to give
more information about it! In the meantime we are already working on the songs
that will be on our next album, there is still a long way to go but we have so
many ideas that we can't wait to start working on!
Thank you for
the space you have provided us, we hope we have intrigued your readers with our
answers and in that case we are waiting for them on our socials to keep up to
date with our upcoming activities!
G̶H̶O̶S̶T̶ ̶O̶N̶ ̶M̶A̶R̶S̶ (@ghostonmarsband) • Photos et vidéos Instagram
https://ghostonmars.bandcamp.com/album/out-of-time-and-space
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire