The best multi-member bands tend not to rely on simple individual additions to create their exceptional art. Rather, each additional member is a multiplicative increase, or even better, exponentially so. Not just leveling skill gaps, overlaps between members sport a synergistic effect that, unlike the lie of giving 110%, truly accounts for each member’s ability to enhance and augment each other’s unique talents to higher and higher planes of musical existence.

“Art isn’t about being born fully formed from the head of Zeus or something. It’s a journey and a process. It’s about leaving a beautiful mess behind you and letting the kids sort it all out.“

This is as project Vandal Moon began, with Jeremy Voss alone conjuring the band’s first three albums. “I wanted Vandal Moon to be something, which allowed me absolute freedom. It was supposed to be a name which denoted or dictated no particular genre. (Initial album) Dreamless was the first full representation of that idea.“

Sophomore release Synthesia would be a concept album where an individual color was chosen for each song as representative of how they affect the human mind and mood. “Except I decided that I didn’t want people to know that I’d started each song as a color, so I renamed every track and allowed the listener to determine what color or mood or shapes they were hearing.”

The third album, Teenage Daydream Conspiracy, would showcase changes implemented in Voss’s artful creation. “(Previously) I tended to write songs by building in layers. Get myself a looping bassline, start adding some chords, drums, atmosphere and evolve the songs in that manner. Closer to making a collage (and) just letting it be what it wants. With (this album), I sat and wrote 20 songs as demos and tried to make sure that they generally followed a more traditional song structure.“

“(Teenage Daydream Conspiracy) is the idea of revolution and change and cultural betterment. Only the young will lead us to this place. It’s about optimism and momentum. It’s about the foundation of the pyramid.”

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“I like the idea of vandalism because to one person it’s art, or rebellion, or frustration and to another person, it’s the destruction of public property. It’s up to the observer to determine which. And that’s how I want people to engage with my music.”

A breakthrough in sonic eerieness would be achieved with the addition of band member Jeremy Einsiedler and the signing to Starfield Music, record label of Shawn Ward, best known for his work as FM ATTACK. The duo self-describes as “Propagating our sound through the use of synthesizers, guitars, chant, tambourines, drum machines, vodka and psychedelics.” Their second release, critically acclaimed Black Kiss, would seemingly gain layers of depth and vantablack clarity resulting in a darkwave/synthpop concoction of heaven-sent musical ambrosia.

”I try not to reflect too much on past albums or achievements. I just want to leave behind a messy trail of art for future generations to sift through. So if in the year 2087, some kid finds ‘Black Kiss’ in the used vinyl section of a local record shop, becomes entranced by the artwork, buys it, takes it home, lights a candle, smokes a joint, and falls in love with the album… then I will have succeeded in all my artistic endeavors.”

Recently released single “Heroine Dancer” drives with a pulse-pounding arterial beat that menacingly, nay threateningly, places you on a precipice aside bottomless ghostlike apparitions singing in horror-chorus unison inviting a heartfelt dive into déjà vu dissolution. An all too common anti-synergism “for and against” the perpetuation of pain.

“Dance with me, lover, I need your smile
Take me whole”

~

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LABEL: STARFIELD MUSIC

Quotes were brazenly thieved from highly recommended interviews by forgedinneon.com and brutalresonance.com
Cover Art “blindness” © 2024 – disturbedByVoices – All Rights Reserved