The Theos Variant's latest single, "Mechanical Organism," blends rock and electronic elements while exploring the collision between humanity and technology. Here's their creative process.
1.
Congratulations on the release of “Mechanical Organism”! Can you tell us about
the creative process behind this track and how it evolved from the initial idea
to the final product?
Thank you! While coming up with song ideas, sometimes we name the songs before
we have any lyrics in mind. Mechanical Organism was picked after I had started
working on the music. To me, the title started as a concept I had years ago. I
came up with some of the lyrics and shared them with Dan. He took over from
there. - Geoff
I listen for words that could fit within our theme and see where they fit in
the melodic structure. So, everything basically flows out of me organically
over time and over repeated listening and thinking about how different words
sound together and how much of an impact they make on me. Geoff revised my
first draft of lyrics, so we both play parts in the entire song-writing process
as a whole. It’s not one person’s song or vice versa. - Dan
2. The fusion of rock and electronic influences is prominent in “Mechanical
Organism.” How did you strike the balance between these two genres to create
such a unique sound?
I enjoy listening to both genres. The balance came to us once we were both
musically and artistically satisfied as listeners. We wanted to create
something we would love to hear on the radio or music platform. And the subject
matter makes sense to have both. - Dan
We have both been fans of many genres of music for years. Being openminded in
this sense allows us to tap into our influences. Whether it’s Deftones, Nine
Inch Nails, or even Linkin Park, they are masters of their craft. We want to
take what we’ve learned from all of our influences while carving our own path
and surely sprinkling in elements from them as well. - Geoff
3. Dan, you mentioned that the song is about the collision between the
organic and the artificial. Could you elaborate on this theme and how it
relates to the current world we live in?
The collision for me comes when we as humans start to believe we have the same
power that created the natural world we live in that has been around billions
of years before we showed up. Also, there is a strong message here for me that
most of us can no longer function as natural human beings without being
consumed by and attached to some device. The next generation won’t know how to
live without them. - Dan
4. Your collaboration spanned across Columbus, Ohio, and Bloomington,
Indiana. How did working across different locations impact the recording and
production of the song?
Very naturally, I think, for the both of us. In some ways, it can be easier
than practicing in person. We come up with ideas on our own, send them to the
other and then the other person collaborates with that idea until a new
creation manifests. Technology makes it possible for us to collaborate. Our
engineers just wanted some words of inspiration for what we wanted the final
product to sound like, and voila! The only difficulty I see is getting together
to practice for a live show, and we haven’t reached that point yet, but I hope
we will in the near future. We have a lot of work to do between now and then. -
Dan
5. Geoff, your guitar work in “Mechanical Organism” is intricate and captivating. Can you walk us through your approach to writing and performing the guitar parts for this song?
After we completed our previous album, Auras, I wanted to start experimenting a little more with different effects and sounds. Once I started playing the line you hear in the verses, I could hear the full song in my head. It came together rather quickly. The bridge was fun because I came up with part of it during the mixing process and had to ask Benedikt to squeeze it in. I think it really complimented the song and I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. - Geoff
6. Benedikt Hain at Outback Recordings handled the mixing and mastering for the track. What was it like working with him, and how did his expertise elevate the final product?
Geoff pretty much communicated with BH for the both of us. From the emails I read, BH is incredibly encouraging, supportive and a kind human being who understands what we are trying to do. I am so grateful for him and TK. - Dan
He was outstanding. Always professional and positive. His advice and willingness to get us to sound as good as we do on this track feels unprecedented. He is such a great person. We are lucky to be able to learn from him. Also, don’t be surprised if we work with him again in the future. - Geoff
7. The song explores the tension between humanity and the machines we build. How do you see this tension playing out in the music industry, especially with the rise of AI and electronic production tools?
Pretty soon, live shows will not look like what we remember from 20 or even 10 years ago. Some bands fuse the electronic and rock elements so well that I can’t imagine them sounding any other way. I have heard some of the AI generated music out there and the instrumental stuff is pretty damn good; however, I can still pride myself on knowing if a human performed the music or just typed in words to generate music. You can’t beat a musical education and the creativity that is in our organic brains. We ourselves are organic computers because of our brains, so in a sense we are all “mechanical organisms.” - Dan
8. Your sound blends technical proficiency with raw emotion. How do you maintain that balance in your songwriting process?
Thank you. I think all songs should sound like this, no matter the genre. The balance organically manifests itself when we are both excited about what we hear and just intuitively know we have a song ready to share. – Dan
Just being fans of so many bands and styles of music, we want to utilize what made us feel something or makes us feel something when we truly listen to a song. Even when we were at a concert singing along to our favorite bands and how that made us feel. We want to be able to provoke those emotions out of people as well. If we feel something during our music, we hope our listeners feel something as well. - Geoff
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9. What challenges did you face while experimenting with new sounds and themes for “Mechanical Organism,” and how did you overcome them?
That’s where Benedikt’s expertise came in handy. He is literally a master at what he does. He knows where to place everything in the mix to allow the listener a full experience. The bridge of Mechanical Organism is a great example of that. There are so many sounds going on that if you are wearing headphones, you get a sense of being taken to another place. If balancing the sounds was the lock, Benedikt was the locksmith with the key. – Geoff
10. With “Mechanical Organism” marking a new chapter for The Theos Variant, can we expect more music that explores similar themes or sonic directions in your future releases?
This single really does feel like a new chapter apart from our first album. I think we have learned so much about production since last year and we are excited to write more music with what we have learned. I don’t know if we will have other songs on this project that explore the collision between humanity and AI. - Dan
11. How has the reception been so far for “Mechanical Organism,” and have there been any reactions that particularly stood out to you?
So far it has been insanely positive. I think it’s safe to say we are both humbled and flattered by the feedback. Even the reviews that are not as positive still offer words of wisdom that can only help us improve in the future. – Geoff
Mostly positive. I was not expecting that, because I doubt myself a lot, so I am certainly grateful whenever we get feedback from an experienced professional, even if we disagree with their criticisms. - Dan
12. Lastly, what message do you hope listeners take away from “Mechanical Organism,” and how does it fit into the larger narrative you’re building as a band?
If they take away a positive message, all the better. My goal is for the listener to realize how much of their lives is taken up by technology and to consciously take a break from it whenever possible. Our brains were not designed to be constantly going all the time. Most of us are suffering from being chronically burned out. Our band name says it all right there. “The Theos” or the “God” Variant. It’s always the duality between the divine and the human, the unexplained and the explainable, the sci-fi otherworldliness of the now, the universe, and the mysterious afterlife.- Dan
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