Prophecy Productions Artist Antimatter Interview up
http://www.antimatteronline.com/
1. Over the yrs Antimatter has had many member changes and stylistic arrangements. in 2012 where do you see the band?
On the rise. Antimatter was always a slow-burner, it wasn’t born into success, its been a long, hard, dedicated slog, and its great that even after its first decade it can still be ascending. There’s a strong album out, I’m off to mainland Europe in a few months to do a shitload of acoustic tours with Vic Anselmo, here in Liverpool Ive just formed a full live band to play the back catalogue around the UK and in European festivals. Things are looking healthy and busy.
2. You resigned to Prophecy Productions for a few more releases.. They must be treating the project well. Were there other label that you were talking to or did the thought never come ?
I had a period in between contracts where I was considering putting the album out on my own label, but that would just have took up all of my time. I’m a writer and musician first and foremost, and the administration of a record label is a full time job in itself. Prophecy were far better suited to releasing the album than I was anyway, and I’ve worked with them for so long now that its easy going. They are a good working label, we have a good relationship, what more could I ask for?
3. The new album Fear of a unique Identity is the most electronic and Post Industrial of all of the Antimatter albums so far. I at times would like to call it Cold or Darkwave. There are elements of bands like Canaan, Katatonia and The Cure for my ears did this come to mind while writting it?
None of those bands, no. I am only really familiar with The Cure out of that list, and even then I’d be hard pressed to name more than three songs by them. The big elements for ‘Fear Of A Unique Identity’ come from the New-Wave/New-Romantic movement of the early 80s.
4. I read that your using a full band for this album was that true or is that just for touring in 2012?
I used a collection of session musicians to fill in the parts I couldn’t perform myself, which was drums, violin and of course, female vocal. I’ll also be using a full band to tour the UK in 2013 as I mentioned earlier. I’m very much looking forward to that!
5. Do you see yourself working with Danny or Duncan again or has the sound and style of the band moved from this for good?
I couldn’t even if I wanted to, not that I want to. I’m just sick of the constant Anathema parallels that have been drawn over the last 12 years.
6. Mick what are you currently listening to ?? Anything that would make us scratch our heads?
I’ve got a playlist at home that is permanently set up on ‘random’, so I literally get anything from Miles Davis to Slayer. I can’t even begin to pinpoint what I listen to at home as it changes every five minutes! I love the kind of musical freedom I have at the moment, I’m not bogged down into one particular scene or genre, so the world is my oyster, as they say!
7. Whats your thoughts on current independent music scene is it rebirth for bands and artist to create freely again were all you need is promotion and distro thanks to the digital age?
Independent digital distribution can only be a good thing, as its Worldwide, or close enough, and before recent times bands simply didn’t have that. And it gives unsigned artists the freedom to create and publish their art. But before we all start patting ourselves on the back, lets not forget that independent, unsigned bands are still up against the majors no matter what internet tools they have at their fingertips. They’ll always be overshadowed by the teacher’s pets, who have more money, contacts and PR power. No-one is gonna have any major breakthrough without the help of managers, labels, PR guys, the lot, that’s the nature of the machine. It’s set up like that. But yeah, the digital age can only be a positive thing for bands starting up who have no record label interest.
8. What is the running theme of Fear of a unique Identity?
The individual’s desperation to fit in with the masses. And also the dangers of doing this if the masses are on the wrong path spiritually and ideologically. Going with the flow. Selling your identity in order to blend in. Urban role-play. Being afraid to speak up against the majority.
9. Mick do you work on any other projects outside on Antimatter?
Yes I do, in fact I’ve been working on a new project called ‘Sleeping Pulse’ with Portuguese writer/musician Luis Fazandeiro. I first met Luis about 4 years ago when I played in Portugal. We stayed over at his place and he played me some of the music he was working on, music that was without a vocal. I suggested we work together and we’ve been waiting til the new Antimatter album was released to start on this. Its looking good and I hope to have it released in 2013.
10.Are you still releasing material on your indie label Music in Stone its been a few yrs since the last release.
Music In Stone has been very quiet lately, I didn’t like the amount of parasites and thieves that running a label forced me to deal with. Honestly, I don’t know what it is about the music business. I guess its because its an elusive yet potentially lucrative machine. There’s so much desperation in there, and this awful business of people befriending people just to try and suck off a piece of what they’ve achieved. Plus there’s a load of lazy bastards, as well as conmen, and people who are plain shit at business. It’s a fucking minefield. I’ll keep my dealings with ‘the biz’ down to just looking after Antimatter in the future. So my label is there if I want to release a single online or do a limited run of a CD or whatever. I’ll try and be a bit savvier about the type of person I deal with from now on.
11. Your website is very well done http://www.antimatteronline.
Thank you! I’ve kept in charge of the official website since the early days. I think in this day and age social media is very important in keeping in touch with your fanbase, although it cant be done like that alone. There’s one girl from my recent past who is pathetically desperate to make it big in the music industry, and she’s been told by some prick who was masquerading as a manger that the way to get big is to do it on Facebook, so she would trawl through bands Facebook pages and send friend requests to everyone on their list. Haha. I actually find it very sinister that kind of behaviour. Using the platform of Social Media that way. It’s there for friends to keep in touch, so she has to befriend people, or pretend to, and then spam their newsfeed. Sure, there is an Antimatter Facebook page. But that page is set up for people to approach Antimatter, not the other way around.
12. Is there one cover song that you feel Antimatter could record and make shine?
I’d love to have a stab at recording ‘Visions In Blue’ by Ultravox (not that I could ever beat the original). That was one track that really captured my imagination when I was a kid, in fact I listened to it so much I actually damaged the vinyl from constantly putting the needle back to the start of the song. If you listen to some of the elements in the first section of that track it’s almost proto-Antimatter, and that’s no co-incidence really, as Ultravox was a huge influence on me especially during my time working on ‘Lights Out’ and the new album.
13. What is any style of music that you think crosses the line in Antimatter sound?
Antimatter will always have its ground in melancholic rock, but I can and will pull any genre into that mix if it suits me, I really have no boundaries as long as it gives me a good vibe.
14. Thank you for the interview any closing thoughts here.
Sure, Thanks for your continued support and interest, and please keep up with antimatteronline.com Cheers !!!
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