VIRTUALITY PRESS Interview with THROAT CULTURE Magazine Explain who Scott Mosher is and why you decided to do a CD on your own without a band. I am a musician/graphic artist/activist/poet/allroundniceguy©/neurosurgeon (glorified webmaster). VIRTUALITY is a culmination of various mediums (music, art, personal viewpoints) with interconnected inspiration and influence admist each other. I originally conceptualized the VIRTUALITY CD as just music, but as is typical, artistic endeavors, be it music, digital paintings, prose, etc, expanded beyond just one sector of media. Hence as I started working with the artwork for the project, many themes I was dealing with musically, were, subconsciously, and more overtly, being reflected in the art, which, of course, are all concentrations and abstractions of my personal philosophy, my ideology as you will. That being said, I have gravitated into a more autonomous approach with my music, that being somewhat more in-control of the various elements, from music, lyrics and genre, to the other trappings, such as production, mixing, instrumentation, etc. Basically, I find it more liberating, personally, to be the sole creative force, although I must say the input of Todd Corsa (on vocals, and some guitar work) and Mickey (production, and a bass solo) are paramount to the quality of the finished product. I definitely want to incorporate more of Todd's vocal abilities, and Mickey's studio insights into the next CD. I think they took my original vision, and worked both within that structure, and at the same time, incorporated enough of their own ideas and energy to put somewhat of a more collaborative element to the musical proceedings. The other reason I am working as a 'solo' artist, is that I find myself devoid of much time, patience and money to enlist others. I prefer to drain myself only of those aforementioned traits, though personal donations of wine, women and song are not out of the question. (I'm joking, of course, but...)   What are you trying to accomplish with your music? Forge new creative ground through an organic and technological approach. The terms are generally considered mutually exclusive, but they don't have to be. I am not professing to be anything more than a self-financed, independent artist who is following his own ideology and creating art as a pure form of personal expression. Obvious (well, if I'm lucky, not so obviously) I won't be making much in the way of financial or monetary income, so I just am truly expressing myself. Now, whether other's appreciate it or dismiss it as 'liberal pap' is beyond my control, man. Though some may think it, I am not trying to change the world, just trying to get a grasp on it, politically, socially, emotionally and mentally. With the corporatization of america, that may not be easy, and actually seems to be frowned upon in the mass media, but I am just fabricating my own machine within the worlds of technology I have access too. I think my diverse listening tastes definitely inspire me to attempt to create something different than alot of what's currently being served on our current musical dinner table, if I can make a particularly bad culinary pun, there. My music has both tremendous personal meaning and a larger, sort of, ideological perspective that I think many people agree with to a certain extent, and haven't had a chance to hear within the genre's of progressive and heavy rock music. Incidentally, I am still attempting to find a specific niche for my music, but it's like trying to describe the mechanicals of engine building to one of the three stooges (I myself am mechanically challenged). The merging of somewhat disparate forms of music as pop, trance, metal and new-age is ulcer-inducing on explanation alone! (LOL) I've discussed this issue (musical genre-merging) with a friend of mine, Chris from F5 (another musician breaking the boundaries of heavy rock/heavy metal music) and consequently, there is a double edged sword when you start to merge a number of styles together. It's definitely a public relation assistants nightmare. But I don't know how to approach creating any other way. Perhaps that goes back to the original question of why I am not in a band. I just commit myself to one specific form of music. As we all well know, promoter's HATE that! (LOL)... "Well, what do we promote you as? A heavy metal Air Supply? A Trance version of Dream Theater? An acapella flugel-horn thrash punk band?" (LOL) Not that any of those comparisons apply to me...   Have you been in any previous bands? Outside of Horsemeat with Bill Voccia and Todd Corsa, the various other projects and bands I've been in never progressed much past the 'still looking for a decent singer without leather pants' stage.   How old are you? Rod, I am currently as of this moment, 33 (that's 233 in canine years, (damn, I sound old) or 398 months, to be exact... (damn, I sound even older!).   If a record label were to sign you only if you put a band together, would you do it? That's an interesting question. I've debated that with, well, myself a number of times, especially after attending events as ProgPower and Powermad. I can envision performing my VIRTUALITY material live for sure. The only conundrum I have regarding that vision for myself and/or the audience, is I think it would either be a tremendously heavenly experience, or a nightmarish train wreck! But, sure, I would definitely consider it. I would have to position my synth workstation as a fully-documented, employable, paid member of the band though (LOL). Hopefully people won't be asking it for interviews... (Don't get any idea's, dude!).   What do you do for a living? I have just relocated (temporarilly) to North Carolina and an currently employed as a graphic artist doing both contract/freelance work, and the full-time small business slavery, er... I mean job. I freelance doin CD covers, webpage design, and other graphic arts services. I am also personally employed as a fine gentleman, dandy fop, and allroundniceguy.   One of the reasons I decided to interview you, besides the fact that I like your CD, is that you have a very strange, but funny sense of humor in your writing. Tell us a something funny. You know Rod, if you keep up this insistence on compliments after this interview I may not be able to get my swelled head out of the door! My world of self-congradulatory experience is reaching new heights! Just kidding... The irony to what you mentioned is that many of the themes and topics I touch upon as an artist and an activist, are serious matters, and I do take them serious, but certainly, there is always room for healthy amounts of fatalism and self-deprecating humor. Kind of tames the wild beast, so to speak! And anyhow, people are going to think I paid you to say that. My self-image may be ruined forever and I may be forced to institute litigation against myself in a court of law. You should see some of the song topics and lyrics we touched upon in Horsemeat!   I'd describe your music as Rush meets Triumph meets Rammstein meets Pink Floyd. How would you describe it? (See Neil Diamond of crack comment above). There are a few ways I have been forced to describe my music, and yet it all comes back to this: Rush on ecstacy. Personally, the term I am currently abusing is: "Ambient neo-progressive cyber rock with a cinematic flair for the dynamic and evocative" which can be shortened to: Ambient neo-progressive rock. As for artists to compare it to, I would say Rush meets Tangerine Dream at Fates Warning's house with a healthy dose of trance, new-age and heavy metal. (not TRU metal though).   If Limp Bizkit asked you to be their second guitarist, would you jump on the oppertunity? They only have 1 gee-tarist, so considering I actually find their subject matter trite, but their music crushing and groovy, I would definitely think about it. As long as I didn't have to sign away my soul. I think I lose enough of it just joining the band! But, I actually don't have any problem with alot of the 'nu-metal' out there today. Some of it definitely generic and cliché-ridden, but, conversely, some is quite progressive and under-rated amongst purist musician circles. It's part of the development of music, the fusion of death metal and rap elements into conventional music. Just don't ask me to sing back-up...   What type of music are you listening to right now? I have the new Paul Oakenfold disc in the player, and nearby I am alternating between Persephone's Dream, Brave, the new Enchant, the new Sade, Engine, Digital Ruin, F5 (Chris -- a plug for you, dude), the soundtrack to Riven (the videogame) and James Brown. I am a certifiable schizophrenic music aficianado, for sure.   Cool, thanks for the interview Scott. Anything else you'd like to add? Support Independent (and thirsty) Progressive Artists! (PS: Kudos to you Rod, and... Thank god for spell check)