In this interview with Leila Abdul-Rauf, we explore the creative evolution behind Calls From A Seething Edge, diving into themes of global upheaval, rhythmic intensity, and bold artistic experimentation.
1.
"Calls From A Seething Edge" is described as your most ambitious
project to date. What inspired the shift in your sound towards a more epic and
rhythmic approach on this album?
L:
Several things inspired this shift. The first four albums are all connected
with a very defined sound, and after performing this material live many times
over I started to feel a bit confined by it. So it was time to try something
new and exciting, and more challenging. World events over the past year – all
the wars, natural and human disasters, global expansion of rightwing politics –
put a fire in me that demanded something more bold, rhythmic and alive.
Practical issues around live performance spaces was another big factor. With my
previously more minimal ambient sound, I felt more restricted to what kinds of
venues I could play due to the low volumes at which I would perform, and quiet,
more intimate spaces are harder to come by. As a founding member of an
established death metal band, I often get asked to perform with metal bands who
tend to book spaces with bars and people talking loudly in the audience. This
was really annoying when trying to perform my older material. Writing more
aggressive songs played at louder volumes solves this problem.
2. The
album reflects on themes of global and personal upheavals, including ongoing
conflicts and ecological destruction. How do you translate these heavy themes
into your music, and what do you hope listeners take away from it?
L: The
lyrics reveal a lot, particularly for “Crimes of the Soul” which deal mostly
with war and genocide and the lies people are fed their whole lives, me
included. The folk elements reference various cultural traditions including
ones from my own background, and elsewhere. I include samples of explosions at
the end of “Summon”, as the lyrics right before them speak to the end of
humanity. I always encourage listeners to create their own stories, because I
think it makes for a more powerful connection to the music, but my goal with
this album was to stir up whatever is lurking around in the unconscious, to
haunt, to excite, to energize.
3.
You’ve incorporated contributions from artists like Derrick Vella (Tomb Mold)
and Sam Foster (ex-Saros). How did these collaborations shape the overall sound
of the album?
L: The six
guests I invited to play on the album all play a crucial role in creating the
album’s overall character, giving it a much bigger sound than it would have had
otherwise. Even before writing most of the album, I had an idea of what each
guest should contribute so there was already a blueprint.I knew I wanted to
feature a string quartet, and happened to know four string players who could
contribute their parts. Those parts I mostly wrote out beforehand and asked
them to play the parts note-for-note, with the exception of Gregory’s viola
solos on “Summon” and “The Summoned” which were his own creations. I knew I
wanted there to be a trumpet/viola duet on those songs, so I sliced up the
viola parts to go back and forth between the trumpet parts, like a
conversation. I knew I wanted Derrick’s guitar solo to go over the drone
section at the end of “Summon” and trusted that he could write his own part for
that as well. Sam is the best hand percussionist I know personally, and as I
was writing and performing the dulcimer parts on “Mukhalafat” I knew there had
to be hand drums there. So there was a lot of pre-planning with some
experimentation thrown in as well.
4. Your
use of a wide range of instruments, including trumpet, synth, and string
quartets, is notable. How do you approach blending such diverse elements while
maintaining cohesion in your compositions?
L: Cohesion
is something I’m always mindful of when making an album because it’s so
crucial; its lack or presence can make or break a record for me. One approach I
use is to not compose all of the tracks simultaneously, but just start out with
a few, and get those mostly finished. When I have 3 or 4 songs together, then
the spirit of the album starts to take shape. I listen back to them over and
over again, and contemplate about how to tie those songs together, especially
if they’re all really different from each other. So the added tracks I make
after that are a creative response from listening to the initial tracks and
filling in what’s missing. Some of the added tracks have parts stripped from
the other songs, or are variations of the same themes, which is another way to
build cohesion organically.
5. The
track “Crimes of the Soul” offers an immersive soundscape. Can you tell us more
about the creative process behind this song and its significance within the
album?
L: This
song was one of those that felt like it wrote itself, it just came that easily.
I started with the low distorted synth drones and drum programming as the base
structure and went from there. I knew I wanted big vocal and horn parts over
the whole thing. I also carried over the horn parts from Summon into the second
half of the song, layering and pitch shifting them higher and lower which
created all kinds of harmonies and various tones, which made them sound more
like strings than horns. Initially I wanted Sam to play hand drums over it but
he passed on that idea, instead adding more drum sampling over the beats I
programmed, which added more dynamics and depth to the rhythms.
When it was finished, it was such a strong stand-alone piece, a total banger,
and along with the boldness of its vocals and lyrics, I knew it should be the
album’s lead single.
6. Given
the album’s conceptual nature, how do you balance creating music that is both
deeply personal and accessible to a wider audience?
L: I’m not
sure that I am always keeping both things in mind. If I don’t have personal
connection to what I’m writing then it feels superficial to me, or more of an
intellectual exercise, which I guess isn’t always a bad thing. I know some
people like that approach but it’s not really my thing. So
personal connection to what I’m making is of utmost importance. Sometimes I
think my music is more accessible to a wider audience than it really is, so I
guess it’s all relative; I have no idea how widely accessible it is, and I’m
not thinking about that so much when I write.
7.
You’ve been involved in numerous musical projects over the years, including
Vastum, Ionophore, and Cardinal Wyrm. How has your experience with these bands
influenced your solo work, especially on this new album?
L: They’ve
not influenced my solo work as much as make me realize what’s missing in my
life. Playing in metal bands can be creatively confining. Have a solo
project gives me the freedom, space and opportunity to make something
completely unlike what I do in those bands. It helps me get out into different
worlds so that I’m not trapped into one way of thinking about writing or
performing. I’d be very unsatisfied if my whole music making life was only with
your standard guitar-bass-drum bands. Ionophore not being a metal band is its
own beast, more similar to my solo project in that we experiment in all kinds
of ways, and since we’re so under the radar without a label, we work at our own
pace without any pressure from the outside world.
8. With
the photography of psychoanalyst Terrance McLarnan gracing the album cover, how
important is visual art to complementing the music? How do you see the
relationship between visual and sonic storytelling?
L: I see it
as absolutely crucial, or even two sides of the same coin. Sound spawns the
visual and vice versa. I can envision an entire album just by looking at a
painting or a photograph: an album title, song structures and the types of
instruments I would use. Not only is it important in the compositional process,
but I find that the visual element in the live setting, while not completely
essential for a great live performance, adds dimension and value, making the
performance feel like more of an event, as long as the visual projections are
done well. That could be another make or break situation. Lighting is also very
important for any live performance, and can speak volumes about the music.
9. The
release of "Calls From A Seething Edge" comes at a time when many are
grappling with existential crises. What role do you think art and music play in
helping people process such overwhelming emotions?
L: Art and
music have many superpowers. They can be life’s saviors and healers, for the
listener and creator alike. They can be a way to escape day-to-day misery,
drudgery, or boredom. Perhaps they prevent someone from wanting to commit
murder or assault because they can be containers for uncontrollable emotions.
Yet they can also energize and mobilize, like a call to arms, make one ready
for a fight. They can put you in a trance and explore alternate states of
consciousness, or realize there is more to the universe than the smallness of
concrete human life.
10. You
have a record release show coming up in Brooklyn. How does performing live
differ for you as a solo artist compared to being part of a band like Vastum?
L: There
are pros and cons for sure. Vastum has a much larger “built in” audience than I
do so my solo performances can be a lot less predictable. Vastum typically
makes more money for a show than I do but then again I don’t have to split what
I make at a solo gig with bandmates so sometimes that works out to more money
for solo gigs. But the unpredictability can be a good thing! I am less confined
about what bills I play solo so it makes for a much more varied experience. I
am much more adaptable as a solo artist and can perform in a wide variety of
spaces which Vastum can’t as much. I can improvise, add other musicians, change
up my set on the fly, so there is endless freedom. I suppose there are more
pros than cons after all!
11.
Looking ahead, what directions do you see your music taking in the future? Are
there any new soundscapes or themes you are eager to explore in your next
projects?
L: Beyond
adding various musician collaborators from time to time, I have a strong desire
to incorporate other disciplines into my live performances beyond the audio
sphere: more varied kinds of visual art and film, live dancers and
experimenting with other kinds of movement performance, poetry, recitation,
ritual, spaces that incorporate more unique sound and lighting design. I can
envision exploring soundtrack work, or other kinds of multi-media
collaborations. There are infinite ways to keep growing artistically, and the
universe has its way of revealing these opportunities at unexpected times, so I
keep those spiritual pathways open.
Post a Comment