Oops!

It looks like you don't have flash player 6 installed. Click here to go to Macromedia download page.

Jack Dark

Dark: Going back and reading the lyrics from Vagabond Neologist, they seem detached and preachy. That is because those lyrics were written from the mind, not the heart. I am writing without that filter now. People have told me that Denizen's lyrics come across as being more relatable. I think that is because the EP's verses focus on emotions experienced by myself, rather than thoughts. They were written during the protracted and wretched end of a very long-term relationship. Even the name itself, Denizen, refers to the undying ache one feels in their chest after a really bad breakup, that painful resident within the heart which never seems to truly leave. I've learned that although it is frightening to write without filters, the end result justifies the means.

From a musical standpoint, Denizen and Vagabond Neologist are night and day. With Vagabond Neologist, I was consistently exploring synthesis and FSU effects in an effort to push beyond typical electro-pop boundaries. That resulted in the songs' sums not being as important as their elements, whereas with Denizen, I made an intentional effort to create an aural atmosphere that befits the lyrical subject matter. So the whole was more important than the individual parts. From a compositional stance, Denizen is much simpler than that of Vagabond Neologist, as well. I believe that gives the sounds that are there more room to breath and be appreciated.

How much will Darkness Catharsis sound like Denizen? I will say that there will be less of a leap of style from Denizen to Darkness Catharsis than there was from Vagabond Neologist to Denizen. I feel that Denizen did a great job of capturing the mood I was in while I was writing that album. However, that is only one particular mood. I'd like for Darkness Catharsis to capture a variety of moods. The overall experience should prove to be more dynamic, in an aural and emotional sense. I am more interested in engaging empathy than astonishment with this new LP.

In the interim between Vagabond Neologist and Darkness Catharsis, you produced a large number of software synths and effects plug-ins. How successful do you feel you were in this endeavor, and how has it benefited you in the construction of your new music?

Dark: I feel tremendously successful, much more so than I ever would have imagined. I don't want to sound completely egotistical and name all the reasons why, but I will say all of that hard work paid off in ways which are still manifesting today. The greatest reward by far is the many interesting musicians I've met from the underground and mainstream due to my VST releases.

Benefits beyond that? Well, constructing your own experimental synthesizers and effect units from the most fundamental elements gives you a thorough and complete understanding of sound design. Now when I have a sound in my head, I know exactly how to bring that sound into reality without compromise, usually with my own self-made tools. That simply was not the case before I created 42 VSTs in two years.

How much do you feel your music has changed because of your synth and effects designs, and how different do you think your music would sound had you not worked on the DarkWare or NOVUZEIT VST lines?

Dark: The whole reason I got into VST design in the first place was because I was bored with what was out there. Here was this fantastic new software, and all people were basically doing with it was emulating antiquated hardware. I was sick of the paradigm. So I made a GUI out of some hentai tits and floating hearts that morphed drum loops into instant Venetian Snares in real-time. Things only got stranger and more complex from there. Now with DarkWare and NOVUZEIT, I can definitely take my music places before which I could not previously. But I would never dream of hoarding such creations to myself as 'secret weapons.' That's why I released everything I made to the public, and most of it free. I believe in an even playing field.

Would my music sound different without these tools? I am sure it would. Not just due to the lack of them, but also due to the lack of sound design experience I gathered creating said tools in the first place. Thousands of hours solely 'playing with sound' has to have some sort of positive benefit for an electronic musician.

When you released Vagabond Neologist, you defined it as 'synthclash,' a combination of synthpop and electroclash with IDM elements. If you had to categorize the music of Darkness Catharsis and Denizen, what would you call it? As your music is such a mix of differing styles, what relevance do you think categories have to the music you're making?

Dark: When I set out to write an album, I don't at all try to pick a particular genre in which it will fit. It's true I made up the term 'synthclash' for Vagabond Neologist, but I haven't bothered to come up with one for Denizen, nor for Darkness Catharsis. I honestly feel that the music critic does a better job of that than the musician.

However, a lack of a distinct 'genre' does admittedly cause problems for a band. After I sent Denizen out to various 'underground' college stations, a few of them wrote back and said they couldn't play it because 'it didn't fit any of our categories.' I think that's some atrocious cultural retardation if you claim to be 'underground.' A lot of people say they want to hear unique and interesting new music, but what most people truly want are new bands doing old music they're already comfortable with. I realize most musicians don't mind as such, it gives them a familiar framework, safety rails. That doesn't work for me, though. I have serious issues with redundancy.

So what genre does Denizen and Darkness Catharsis fall into ultimately? Since I like synthesizers, drum machines, and crazy effects, my music is 'electronic' by default. I'm usually a dire and sardonic bastard, thus my moods are typically 'dark,' and I write my music to reflect those moods. So at its base level, my music is 'dark electro.' That's the best fundamental description I can offer.

In the past, you've released all of your music independently, eventually making it all available for free over the Internet. What are your plans for Darkness Catharsis? Do you plan to also release this album independently? If not, what are your hopes for a label release, and what sort of conditions would be required by you for a proper album release?

Dark: From the plethora of free online music I have available, it's pretty obvious I believe in music as art itself outside of commercialism. But unfortunately, eight years of doing that hasn't gotten me very far. It boils down to basic human psychology. Give someone two pieces of identical chocolate and tell them one is worth five cents and the other a hundred dollars, and guess which one they'll lick their lips for? It seems most people think, 'If it's free, then it must be worthless.' Worse yet, in the media, a band simply will not be taken seriously if they do not charge money for their music.

Reasons as such are why Darkness Catharsis will be a commercial album. At the moment, I plan to release it independently using my own Auscultation Recordings label. I will release each track for sale individually as they are completed in downloadable format. Once the album is completed, if the download sales prove to be decent enough, a paper and plastic version will be made for sale. It would include some exclusive extras, of course.

As far as joining an 'official' label, well, I've never actually tried to 'get signed.' The promotional aspects are tempting. However, labels usually expect a few things out of their artists that I'm not entirely comfortable with. I am more interested in online promotion and digital distribution, rather than touring and media whoring. I do realize, of course, there are labels out there now that are approaching the game from new angles. If I were offered a symbiotic relationship, I'd consider it. In the meantime, I'm quite capable of standing alone in the darkness.