Synthwave act Synthapex has recently started his career with his debut single 'Gone This Night'. Despite being their debut, the single is backed by impressive production values addicting song structure, as well as a visually stunning cyberpunk music video. With interesting self-made lore and so much more, we interviewed Synthapex based on his new song and so much more. Watch the video first, then read on below! (Purchase HERE)
May 10 2019
Hi there Synthapex and welcome to Brutal Resonance! Let’s start off with the basics. Who is in Synthapex, what type of music do you create, and what’s your favorite album of all time?
Howdy! Synthapex was started as my one-man band last year. This year my friend Masha joined the lineup to help me with the gigs that will happen later this year, I hope. I also found out that she’s an excellent songwriter and I’m very glad that our upcoming album will have her music as well. Her song is very atmospheric and I can’t wait to share it with the world. As for the type of Synthapex’s music, our first single sounds like synthwave eats metal, but our debut full-length album is going to sound less heavy. No metal drumming this time I guess. I'd describe our new songs as a melancholic synthwave. But we'll see what the final arrangements will sound like when we're done.
A favorite album of all time? Man, you must be kidding asking me to pick out only one album. It’s hard as hell. Well, let it be «De-Loused in the Comatorium» by The Mars Volta, although, it's just one of all those albums I love. Stunning progrock, it also has one of my favorite intro-tracks ever created!
Your Bandcamp page says that you are influenced by both metal and synthwave. I’ve noticed that a lot of synthwave fans are also huge metalheads. Why do you think synthwave attracts so many fans from your own opinion?
Not only fans. Some big artists related to this type of music such as Perturbator, Gunship, Carpenter Brut, etc. also have a metal-related background. For example, Franck Hueso known as Carpenter Brut produced some metal bands’ albums before he started writing his synthwave project. As I know, he was a producer of Hacride and Deathspell Omega at least, but please correct me if I’m wrong.
From my own experience, I can say that when you work on metal music your mind doesn't work the same way as it does while making electronic music. When you've explored one genre as a songwriter more or less and you’re going to switch yourself to another one, there's a chance that your way of songwriting thinking won’t be based on specific style's clichés. That’s why it’s so important to work with different genres to write good music and create your own sound.
The sound of some big synthwave/darksynth influencers had been worked out also by the help of their metal-related experience. So, let’s say, metal music created synthwave that we know to some extent. Not only metal music, of course, but I think it may explain why lots of metalheads love synthwave stuff.
Now let’s move onto your latest single, ‘Gone This Night’. A lot of work went into this one from the music making to the actual video. But let’s start simple. Where did you find inspiration to write this song?
I guess lots of music I listen to inspired me more or less to write «Gone This Night» the way it’s written. And yeah, it actually took time to make both the song and video. I started writing the track a year before it was actually released. It was planned to be a song for a heavy metal band of mine – Descenery, but since it didn’t fit Descenery’s stuff stylistically, I decided to start a new project. Said and done – that’s how Synthapex was born. But as you may notice there’s still a metal vibe in the track. That’s why I’m pointing out metal as one of the sources of inspiration. It's related to my so-called metal activities.
As for the video, last fall Arthur Lesnitsky and Andrey Bulgakov were making a music video for Descenery’s «No Way». When it was done and released we had a little party to celebrate it. At the party, I showed a demo-version of «Gone This Night» to the guys and asked them if they’d be interested in working on a music video for this one as well. And, as you can see, it wasn’t the end of the story. All the CGI elements were made by Arthur Lesnitsky on his own. It took about four months and the entire process of video-production took six months or so. Just imagine how happy we were the moment we realized that the video was finally done. It’s just beyond words!
Did you find it difficult to write the song at all? How did you go about it? And what gear, if any, did you use to record the song?
There were some difficulties, indeed. For example, it took months to decide what should go after the second verse section. I tried to put something aggressive there, but it was out of place. Then I came up with an idea to make something completely opposite to that – a bridge based on a soft sounding pad. And it worked well I think. As for gear, I recorded some rhythm guitars for the song using my Edwards E-I-85 LunaSea Inoran guitar, Planet Waves jack-cable and Line 6 POD UX2 audio interface. My 2 octave Wordle Easykey MIDI-keyboard was also very useful for making the song.
Now, I have personally read the story behind ‘Gone This Night’, but odds are that our audience has not. Can you give us a synopsis of the story behind the video?
Nothing can explain the story better than the YouTube description of the video, so, let’s quote it:
2048 A.D.
The most influential leaders of the remaining world have brought their capitals together to make what may be the most ambitious enterprise of the 21st century. Billions of dollars have been spent on creating a network that allows the governmental structures in the whole world to watch every step of each citizen and capture it in the form of video data. Society doesn't mind since it’s being made under the pretext of making litigation faster and more efficient.
2084 A.D.
The network has been finished and introduced to society. It’s easy to find criminals now. As a result, crime level tends to decrease. Also, there’s no personal space anymore. Big Brother is watching you wherever you are. You might carry on with some of your wrongdoings if you wish to. You won't be punished as long as you do it obediently.
2106 A.D.
The Earth is overflown with storages of incriminating video data. Lots of buildings that once were schools, universities and hospitals now serve as storages as well. Four huge space stations are being built to store even more data.
2248 A.D.
Mankind is no more. All the machines created by a man live their own life through random actions provoked by lack of the maintenance. The same is happening on the last space station of that big four - the last source of video data proving that humanity ever existed. Day by day random video chronic is being played on incessantly inside the space station. Right now it's a sequence of events that happened in 2097 to an Anthony Blaire. Those days software simulating real people had reached the peak of popularity. Most of humanity’s entertainment needs and desires could be satisfied with virtual simulation. Real people weren’t actually needed for that anymore.
The video came out stellar. It’s a charming cyberpunk piece. Who directed the video and how did you make this video come into reality? Was it ever challenging?
As we already know, the video was directed by my friend Arthur Lesnitsky and since we had almost zero budget, it was challenging as fuck! For example, we didn’t have an opportunity to use a green screen and Arthur decided to use the fresh-painted blue wall as an alternative. But it turned out really cool and I bet no one is going to notice it in the final video. But it may be seen in our «making of» video available on our YouTube channel. Arthur is a real hero in the world of video production and I’m really thankful to him for what he’s done for Synthapex.
Now that the music video is out, do you have any plans on releasing a full length album? And, if so, when? And, not to jump the gun, but do you think you will release it in physical format such as vinyl or cassette as well?
If all goes as planned, our full-length album will be released somewhere this fall. And there will be limited editions of CDs and cassettes for sure! If someone would be interested in vinyl, we’ll see what we can do for them. Anyway, It’s very important for me to release my music in a physical form, not only digital. A fact that your album is available on CDs gives you a feeling that your big project is actually completed and you don’t need to get back to these songs anymore writing or producing wise. Great to feel!
And do you have any other plans for 2019? Will you be performing live at all? Any Eps, remixes, etc. coming out?
Recently I wrote a soundtrack to a documentary (directed by Arthur and Andrey once again) about Olkhon Island which is the largest island in Lake Baikal. Lots of people know about it as a place with beautiful sights, but how many people know that the island’s locals have to struggle with lots of difficulties to survive? For example, the government has barred them from hunting and fishing. Nobody cares that it was their main way of earning on the island lying hundreds of km away from civilization. Olkhon's soil is inappropriate for agriculture and the only ways to earn the money there are cattle breeding and giving tours. There are lots of problems and this documentary's mission is to attract the attention of as many people as possible to them. We sincerely hope it may be helpful for the people who live on the island. More details about this documentary project will be announced and I’ll share it through Synthapex’s social media for sure! As for our gigs, it may happen later this year. Follow the news!
Lastly, I would like to thank you for your time and I wish you the best of luck! We leave the space below for any final words you may have! Cheers!
Thanks for your questions, mate! I hope people will enjoy our new music video, we also would appreciate if people share it wherever they can. It’s not easy to promote your stuff these days but absolutely easy to get lost.
Dear reader, if you like our stuff, please share it with your friends or tell about it in your social media, it helps a lot even if you think it doesn’t. Also, we started a competition related to our latest music video recently. If you want to get a special gift from Synthapex, please visit our Facebook for more details.
I don't think there are any scene where the fans are more dedicated then the electronic underground scene.
Leaether Strip, Jun 06 2009
Steven Gullotta
info@brutalresonance.comI've been writing for Brutal Resonance since November of 2012 and now serve as the editor-in-chief. I love the dark electronic underground and usually have too much to listen to at once but I love it. I am also an editor at Aggressive Deprivation, a digital/physical magazine since March of 2016. I support the scene as much as I can from my humble laptop.
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