Dear readers, we are pleased to offer you in this article an interview with Bruno A. (Vertigo Steps) creator of the Soundscapism Inc. project. Welcome.
Hello how are you?
“Hello, I’m fine thanks. Currently sitting 40K feet high on a flight to Lisbon. Hope you are well, too.“
Your solo project mixes Experimental, Prog/Post and Heavy Rock, where did your passion for these sounds come from?
“Well, since an early age I have discovered many different styles of music. So ever since I started creating music myself – which came very naturally and still at a relatively early age, as soon as I first picked up a guitar – this versatility immediately came into fruition. My first proper band (kind of a solo-project which then developed more into a band line-up situation), Arcane Wisdom, when I was only 19, already showcased several styles; while being steeped in melodic black metal, as base sonority, it did feature many Avantgarde elements, electronic loops, theatrical leanings, acoustic/folk touches and melodic heavy metal-like guitar lines & leads and even some odd instrumentation. Even the vocals came in several languages and styles. So yeah, I think the passion for these sounds just developed naturally from my original Beatles-passion, through Guns n’Roses, then Grunge (mainly Alice in Chains), Alternative (Faith No More, Smashing Pumpkins), Metal (Iron Maiden), Gothic (mainly Fields of the Nephilim) and of course the whole Black Metal & Swedish Melodic Metal bands. Later I evolved into Darkwave/Folk, Trip-Hop, Ambient, Soundtracks, Electronic, Singer-Songwriter and many others. The last major passion I picked up somewhere in the mid-noughties was Post-Rock. Funny thing is I still am quite picky when it comes to music taste; the spectrum is wide but I’m still hard to please.“
The new album “Staring Down On Incandescent Cities” was released on July 20, 2023. How would you describe this work?
“Ok, where should I start? 🙂 I don’t know how to exactly describe it, except that it’s the more recent album and definitely a milestone for SInc. It’s way more rockier and impactful than its predecessors, in a a way less post-rock/ambient centred, even if those sonorities and influence are still to be found. Another major difference is having had, for the first time with this project, real drums. Daniel Cardoso – who had already been the drummer in Arcane Wisdom and later Vertigo Steps – was the obvious choice and his talent, sound and rock impact & groove definitely helped shape the newfound weight on this album. Something I had slowly began to gradually incorporate more and more on recent releases. The album feels like a voyage through different moods, sounds and styles, yet always retaining the Sinc. signature. And the production is the strongest and clearest I’ve ever accomplished, probably of my entire career.“
Both the music and the vocal parts are intense and elaborate, what themes do the lyrics deal with?
“Well, I always come up with all the titles, but on the songs guest singer Amado sang, he wrote the words, based on my original ideas. I really like how his thoughtful lyrics turned out, giving his very own perspective on my general concepts. Life, alienation, spiritual search, coping with emotions are some of the things present on his lyrics.
As for myself, I ended up writing lyrics for “Shooting For Stars”, “Azul Deveras” and parts of “The Mourning After pt III“: basically everywhere I sang lead. They came out, as always, pretty spontaneously. “Azul Deveras” is loosely based on Fernando Pessoa. “The Mourning After pt III“ on thoughts I originally had on the first incarnation of the song. And “Shooting For Stars”, the longest lyric, I wrote on a whim while travelling through Laos, when I decided the song needed lyrics and I would probably end up handling vocals myself. It’s about a madman looking at the world with paranoid eyes… all those crazy people out there, all the meds and drugs, only made worse through the after-effects of the pandemic lockdowns.“
Other artists also participate in the album, what did they bring to the sound?
“As I’ve mentioned, Daniel Cardoso brought all his talent and energy to the drums. Then there was Amado Peiró’s unique delivery on 4 tracks. And, last but certainly not least, bass player Manuel Costa, who now pretty much became the 2nd SInc member and will continue so in the future. He regularly drops by my studio to lay bass parts and jam new ideas around. And he even wrote one track – “Curtain Call” – which I then edited accordingly, adding my own touch. I think the teamwork turned out pretty good, it’s a moody, groovy, jammy song which some have likened to the great Massive Attack. Also showcasing some sick and slick drumming from Daniel.“
Yours is mainly a solo project, will there be a chance to be able to hear your music live?
“Maybe one day… who knows. It’s not completely out of the question; on the other hand it’d be a logistical nightmare. It also depends on the reactions and support for the new album, otherwise it’d be way harder to get such an endeavour going.“
This is your fifth studio album since 2016, how has the sound evolved over the years?
“Yes, though the debut was more an EP-cum-album and even “Touching Your Infinity” ran on similar lines. But yeah, all-in-all the 5th release anyway. I still quite enjoy the songs and ideas on the previous albums; the main difference is the production values (specially on the more rocking tracks, which had programmed drums, etc). I have come a long way as a producer and have much more experience, tools, gear, software, which I simply didn’t back in 2015 when it all started, still working out of a home studio. Also musically, there has been a natural evolution. I think the project started more ambient/post-rock/electronic and eventually incorporated more progressive and even heavy rock and more intricate arrangements and songwriting. That’s also why I’ve since remade a few songs. One thing I’m definitely looking forward to is sharing the results of the “Desolate Angels” remake, which I created along with the new albums sessions. The song is next to ready and will be mastered soon; the end result to come out towards the year’s end. It’s maddeningly epic, with its post-rock/post-metal existentialist nuances and now sounds as it should always have, back then. Now featuring proper real drums and re-recorded vocals, guitars, piano & bass.“
How does this project of yours differ from the band Vertigo Steps of which you are a part?
“Well, Vertigo Steps was my previous band, and has been out of order since 2014 or so. I guess the main differences are the singer (and other vocal guests) I was working with and that most songs had a more traditional format, in their melancholy heavy/prog rock fashion. SInc. started out much more free, less rock/metal, more cinematic and even mostly instrumental (something which has changed along the years, with now up to half of the tracks being vocalised). I think I have also let it more light and new influences with SInc., keeping some of the Vertigo Steps melancholy but letting more radiance and hope shine through. But to be honest, I think any Vertigo Steps fan will have no problem at all getting into SInc., since the musical vocabulary and pedigree is still mine, the trademark melodies still treading along somewhat similar lines.“
Germany has always been one of the countries most active in music, how do you see the modern scene in the country?
“Even living in Germany since over 11 years, I’m not the most qualified person to answer that. I’m not really that up to par with the music scene and its development, except maybe some TV shows, where mostly pop musicians are in focus. There’s also a massive hip-hop scene, which I don’t much care about – and of course in Berlin all kinds of musicians are to be found prowling about, techno/electronic still being the main thing, but also many hipster/indie artist from all over the world (some better than others, as always). Definitely some talented people out there, some of them we’ve come across in our studio work, as producers, right before the pandemic cut.“
The music market has changed a lot over the years, what difficulties do you face today in coming up with more elaborate sounds like yours?
“If you mean promotion and getting your music heard, it IS a major challenge. Even with the new album, I noticed people tend to really appreciate my music when they get to listen to it; the main issue is getting it to the (right) listeners. It’s such an overflowed market out there, thousands of releases bombing platforms & listeners each day. Way too much information. Quantity over quality, and that is rather unfortunate. It also makes it harder for talent to come through and be recognised. Also the way people are listening to stuff these days and what platforms like TikTok are doing to music, making songs into 1-2 min repetitions of hooks… not really helpful, neither any kind of deep and thought out. Digital platforms paying you bread crumbs and so on and so on. It ain’t easy to stay positive on this one and adapting to the hollowness and need for permanent “content” can be tough, for people like me still wanting to to full records, intricately layered music with actual concepts behind.“
What advice would you give to young artists approaching music proposing more elaborate sounds like yours?
“Ahh… don’t do it? 🙂 Just kidding, but indeed they’re in for a hard life. It’s a daily struggle to get your music heard, played, reviewed, even acknowledged. Many costs, very few revenue. It changed a lot for the worse. Even reviews are supposed to be payed these days… it’s pretty much expected from a musician that he/she writes the music, records it (handling studio costs), creates the layout, makes videos, pays for reviews and all kinds of marketing and promotion… it’s insane! So my advice would be to pursue this mostly for the passion and also if you want to follow your talent and gift; don’t do it for the wrong reasons or if you haven’t got anything new to offer; and definitely don’t expect to get rich or even make a living in the process. Unless you have a crazy talent for 1min silly hook “songs” or the increasingly simplified pop formats, that’s just not where we are at right now.“
Do you have any other artistic activities or passions outside of music?
“I much like independent cinema and documentaries, literature (avid reader), photography and travelling. I always loved to travel and meet different cultures and places and on the last few years I discovered Southeast Asia, which became a great passion and favourite destination. Such a beautiful, magical place with all the scenery, the gracious people, buddhism, the slow life rhythm, etc. Like a different planet when compared to Europe, really. Vietnam & Laos are my faves, but there’s still much left to discover. Myanmar was a main travel goal, but it’s unfortunately not really somewhere you can head to these days.
I also swim regularly – which is healthy, chill and even gives me ideas for songs and song titles. And, of course, living in sprawling, flat Berlin I bike on a daily basis. Hell, even going out at night – on a crazy city like Berlin – can bring you inspiration.“
I thank Bruno for the interview, wishing him the best in the continuation of his artistic career.
“Thanks as well for the questions & interest and all the best for both yourself & Progressive Rock Journal.“
Purchase the new album “Staring Down On Incandescent Cities” on Bandcamp: https://soundscapisminc.bandcamp.com/album/staring-down-on-incandescent-cities