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An Interview with James D. Stark
Posted: Sunday, December 16, 2007
By: Ilker Yücel
Editor

James D. Stark is still a relatively new figure in the realm of goth and darkwave music, but he's already steadily making a name for himself in the scene. After the Transcendence album in 2002, Stark shifted gears from the experimental electronic approach of that album to the more romantic and melodic sounds that he's becoming known for, beginning with 2004's Fortress of Solitude. Gaining much of his fan base through word of mouth on the Internet, Stark followed up the success of the album with the Dying Beauty single, which included a notable array of remixes by the likes of Assemblage 23 and Pigface/Underground, Inc. head honcho Martin Atkins. Having just released his latest album, Music of the Night, Stark continues to push his sense of melodic darkness, creating moods that are as intensely erotic as they are passionate, with plenty of dreamy textures to help distinguish himself and his music from the plethora of other acts that boast a dark romantic style. In the wake of his latest release, Stark relates to ReGen's readers his dark vision, shedding the remnants of his past toward a twilight future.

Your very first album, Transcendence, featured a more futuristic, almost sci-fi element to the music, whereas Fortress of Solitude and Music of the Night have gone down a more melodic, gothic synthpop approach. What prompted this change in style, and how do you feel the music you're making now is a stronger representation of your musical mindset?

Stark: Transcendence was very much a stepping stone to what I'm doing now. At the time, I had a huge catalog of synth improvisations, and I wanted to put together a release, and Transcendence was my first successful attempt at that. Introducing vocals was too much to deal with at the time, so that's what happened with Fortress of Solitude, and finally now with Music of the Night, I've honed in more on my style and technique. During the days of Transcendence, I was more in the rave/DJ scene; after all, it was the '90s. I don't want anything more to do with Transcendence, though; although I have some boxes left, once it goes out of print, it will be gone forever, as is the lone keyboard I created the whole CD on (I didn't use the computer as I do now).

As stated, your current music possesses more melodic and gothic undertones, and has been dubbed 'romantic synthpop.' Since a great deal of synthpop and goth music are interconnected, what do you feel differentiates your approach to that of others in either genre? Do you feel there is a separation between goth and synthpop, and if so, what would you say is the fine line?

Stark: I'm really not keen on genres, but I understand the need for labels in order for people to talk about music. Goth and synthpop are really very different, but they are in the same scene. I'm sure that's what draws me to the scene is its diversity and creativity. I love synthetic sounds and beats; they are so rich, stimulating and exotic. I came up with the term 'romantic synthpop' to give a name to what I'm doing, first, because there is an inherent romanticism in the style of all music I create, 'synthpop,' because I enjoy pop sensibilities, and of course synthesizers and modern sounds, from my early New Wave influences of the '80s. I don't like post-punk goth. I am gothic in a more classical sense.

Given that Music of the Night is the second album to feature your vocals, how would you say that you've developed as a singer and as a lyricist since Fortress of Solitude? What sorts of themes do you explore on Music of the Night as opposed to the previous album?

Stark: Fortress of Solitude really set the precedent for the kind of music I'm creating now. I don't think Music of the Night veers far away from that, but rather toward more well-crafted songs and production. Music of the Night just delves deeper into themes of passion, love and desire, and plays more on the erotic side.

Not only are you a solo performer in the studio, but you perform your live shows primarily solo, with no backup musicians, though a few have occasionally appeared. Besides the technical aspects, what sorts of benefits and difficulties arise by performing completely solo in the live show?

Stark: Ideally, a backing band helps take the burden of aspects of the show off, such as taking care of equipment and running things, also to enhance stage presence and to free me to perform more. Unfortunately, I find I still have to carry the band, so to speak, and it's more of a burden in some ways, because I have to take care of others rather than just myself. I think it's a different situation when you are really a band and you produce the music together. They already have a hand in the music and style and know what's going on. But when it's all you, you are left trying to teach them how to do everything and trying to get across the style and subtlety to things, which is painfully obvious to me but very hard to communicate. It turns out to be much simpler and flexible to do everything solo, so that's what I'm back to doing now. I'm a very solitary and isolated person, also, so it can be trying for me to have to deal with others. I'm still open to working with others, and it can be very beneficial. I haven't met the right people at this point, however.

All of your albums have been self-released without any label backing. While the benefits of releasing an album by yourself are not in question, what is the potential for you to sign to a label, major or independent? Or is it something that even interests you?

Stark: It would be nice to have a label trying to make me a star and marketing and such. I don't see that it's really practical, at this point. I don't think I have a big enough audience to justify it. Also, I have a rebellious nature to go my own way and do things my way to spite the system, so to speak, to be an underdog. I would like to be able to work with professionals, such as engineers, and with artwork and such, which would greatly ease the burden on myself, but it's also nice to have creative control over everything. That way, the accolades and criticisms rest solely on myself, and I'm much closer to the work.

Let's talk about your songwriting process. Seeing as how you perform all of your music yourself, what is the process like for you to write and produce a song? For example, the piano version of 'Dying Beauty' on the maxi-single—is that perhaps how the song was originally written? How often do the results differ from what you had originally in mind?

Stark: Usually a theme will come to mind with a lyric and melody that expresses something aptly that I'm feeling, a sentiment. I'll sit at the computer and put down this basic theme to record it, and depending on how inspired I am, I might spend a few hours on it. Then if I decide it's something I want to work on for a release, I'll delve more into it, developing verses and lyrics. It's a process; while the end result can't be imagined going in, at the same time, I find the end result always true to my original inspiration. I used to write songs at the piano sometimes, but I no longer have a piano. 'Dying Beauty' actually started out as just a synth melody and beat.

You're also currently working on Moonstruck, a remix companion to Music of the Night, for which you held a contest. What can you tell us about Moonstruck? Who will be featured on the EP, and will we see any new tracks? As many artists are holding remix contests now, what do you feel they accomplish for the artist and the audience?

Stark: Beborn Beton and Iris, among others. The remix contest was only for the song 'Hell.' There should be at least two original tracks. I had several good 'Hell' remixes from the contest, so I decided to put together a maxi-single to feature those, which is what I'm finishing at the moment, including two original tracks. Remix contests allow lesser-known artists to get their name out easily, and it also gives different takes on the original songs, which is what I enjoy. I really put a lot into Music of the Night, so having remixes helps extend their longevity and allows listening enjoyment of the same songs in different ways.

In May, you announced that you'd be working with Missionary Promotions to arrange your first tour of the USA, starting in September. How have these plans panned out? What are the current tour plans? How would you define a James D. Stark live show for this tour? What sort of surprises will you have in store for audiences?

Stark: These plans didn't work out. Instead, I have been fortunate to open for some big name touring acts locally here in Portland, such as Voltaire, The Birthday Massacre, and Assemblage23. I'm also scheduled to open for De/Vision and Melotron this February, which I'm very excited about, although it's not 100 percent confirmed at this point. What I envision for my show is a theatrical performance, but this is made very difficult by being an opening act. I don't have a lot of control over the stage or ability to bring a lot of equipment. There may be some surprises, but I don't want to reveal that just yet. This year has been more about building my name, which I have, and that makes it easier to sell to venues and promoters. I'm going to try again in 2008 to arrange some show across the USA, personally. I have a lot of fan requests to perform.

On your MySpace page is a video of a synth improvisation you performed, titled 'Synthetic Solace.' How did this video come about, and what can you tell us about the music? Will this track be featured on any future releases, and is it at all indicative of what you'll be coming out with on your next album?

Stark: Well, it goes back to what I've been doing the longest: synth improvisations. They are special to me in some way. Even though the music is just thrown together in a moment, it is more true, somehow, in that way. I haven't been writing much lately, and 'Synthetic Solace' was something I improvised because I felt the need to create something new. I wanted to share that, so I put some video to it in order to make it more interesting, and also because I'm getting into video more, working on a music video for 'Hell.' This song won't be on any release; it's a bit too whimsical.

You have a background in classical piano, though you work primarily with synthesizers on your albums. As there seems to be an equal amount of musicians that are self-taught as there are with some sort of training, and since goth and synthpop stemmed in some ways from the post-punk movement of the late '70s and early '80s, how has being trained in classical piano benefited you as a songwriter and as a performer?

Stark: It really hasn't benefited myself as much as I would like. I studied classical piano out of interest in the keyboard, to learn technique. It doesn't apply so much with computer music, however, which is what I'm doing. I made Music of the Night with a two-octave keyboard controller, and most of the time I didn't even play it; rather, I programmed the music. I'm not trying to do anything complicated with the keyboard. I prefer simplicity and try to use the most basic approach to get my vision across. I am featuring a piano piece on Moonstruck, however, because it's another side of my music. I consider myself self-taught. Even before I took lessons, I was creating keyboard music.