INFERNO PRESS 03/2004 - DEATH KULT Interview Why did you decide to crossbreed progressive rock/metal with ambient electronics? I've always enjoyed a wide variety of musical styles, as a matter of fact, my musical listening tastes border on schizophrenic. The opportunity I took in creating a sonic hybrid of seemingly disparate styles isn't really groundbreaking, I just brought a little something different to the table with my personal vision. There is a powerful dynamic that is created merging heavy guitar-oriented rock music and ambient musical soundscapes. Coming from a background where I listened tobands like Rush, Dream Theater, Fates Warning, and Journey, and electronic new age artists such as Kitaro, Tangerine Dream, Depeche Mode and techno trance bands, it was a natural evolution that took me down this musical path. Creating music with a heavy guitar foundation, storng vocal arrangements and electronic atmosphere appeals to both my melodic and compositional sensibilities.   Do you decide on keyboard textures first, or do you write the rock part of the song first? There's really no set road map I follow. My approach varies greatly, but generally I'll construct a keyboard or guitar melody, tranpose it to my digital workstation, and follow it up with some rhythmic accompaniment and go from there. Usually the guitar parts are embellishments after the song is complete, but recently, I've taken to writing more on guitar first, which harkens back to my funkagroovaholicheavymetalhiphopthrash playing days not to long ago.   Who buys a SCOTT MOSHER record? Is it a typical type of person? You, and if you spread the good word, your whole family (word to your mutha). Honestly, I can see a significant fanbase, if I had, say the PR arm of Universal or Epic records assisting me in a multi-national exposure campaign. One of the advantages of creating music that synthesizes a mix of musical styles is it opens up the playing field as far as potential listeners. Of course, as an entirely self-reliant, independent musician, the daunting task it exposing it to the masses in this day and age of huge corporate publicity machines, it's easy to get lost in the masses. The easy answer to your question is left-wing anti-authoritarian revolutionaries with a penchant for musical experimentation and a progressive taste in biological nuclear fission terminology.   How did you get so fucking talented?! Hah hah! No, really, how did you develop your style of playing and composition? I sold my soul to the man, man! My personal artistic purpose is just to explore and cross the boundaries of the musical experience. I just have a sense of musical inspiration and aspiration that takes me into some strange sonic territory. That and I practiced in the woodshed with a lava lamp and my old Kramer guitar and a drum machine for hours on end in my younger years. Having a diverse range of creative influence has broadened my artistic view. It's good to sometimes know, understand and apply the rules of songwriting 101 (you know, intro/verse/chorus/verse/chorus/bridge-solo/chorus) and then sometimes, dispense with those song-writing conventions and come out of left field with something entirely different.   Have any labels been interested in your work? I'm still peddling my sonic wares to various small and independent labels for distribution, so that's a work in progress. There's so much competition, even with a marketable, professional product, you aren't guaranteed of anything. Which means, therefore, a guy like me better be in the business for all the right reasons like self-expression, artistic freedom and free carbonated beverage endorsements.   What's the biggest difference between "Inferno" and your last album? Really, it's just more of everything. Its a natural evolution, but a more concise and cohesive one. The musical ideas are refined, the performance simplified, the sonic quality is an improvement over Virtuality. That said, it's not so distinctly different that those who enjoyed Virtuality would find Inferno repulsive, actually, I think it's the opposite. Inferno has a much wider listener potential and is at the same time a stronger artistic statement.   Don't you do some graphic design work? Elaborate, my friend! Sure do. My other creative endeavor is a dutifully employed graphic artist. Pays the bills and also fulfills the creative ambitions. I try to forge a distinct symmetry between my musical projects, my personal ideology and the designs on all of my CD's. And that works to my advantage... I'm on speed dial to the art director - me. Anyhow, I do a wide range of design projects for a wide client base, so anyone who is interested, they can check out my music and my design skills all in the same visit to my website (www.theambientmind.com).   One last thing - your work contains some apocalyptic man vs. machine themes - can you explain some of this? That's my personal ethos, my ideology rearing it's opinionated mandate. I've long been involved in social justice and environmental issues, and that is going to come across in my music and art on a regular basis. It's almost intrinisic in my artistic endeavors as it shapes my perspectives and personal views. The actual theme of man vs. machine is as old as our history as a species, yet as relevant now as ever before, as we lose more of our natural resources and self-identity to our own creations. Progress with a sense of responsibility and cmmon purpose is something we should strive for collectively - politically and globally, not the message that we see broadcast day in and out and represented by our business-driven government. And there you have it. Thanks for the opportunity to speak about my craft on a small soapbox.