The Total Sound Of The Undergound

Lelahel Metal

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!

(1) Facebook

(29) Ghost on Mars - YouTube

G̶H̶O̶S̶T̶ ̶O̶N̶ ̶M̶A̶R̶S̶ (@ghostonmarsband) • Photos et vidéos Instagram

https://ghostonmars.bandcamp.com/album/out-of-time-and-space

 

 

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