FABRYKA INDUSTRIAL ROCK & METAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

2011-04-07 |

e-mail interview

NINa: Can you tell Fabryka readers please about the roots of the File Transfer Protocol (FTP) project?

Sean Rieger: Sure. I’ve been in and out of different bands since I was 14. In 1998 I was a part of an industrial band called Experiment that had an aggressive sound pretty common to the northeast area of Ohio. We had earned the interest of Sony Music and went into the studio. Unfortunately, that’s where things fell apart. (I’ve seen more bands break up in the studio, than anywhere else. Pressure takes its toll, I guess.)

I had been the primary writer for the band, and felt that it was a shame to waste everything we had recorded, so I decided to go solo with it. Once I got permission from the former band members, I set out to re-track their parts on my own, under the name File Transfer Protocol. That first release was called Reconstruction, which was pretty fitting considering what I was doing. The album met with limited success, but stirred something deep in my creative process and my need to go solo.

Over the next decade or so, I worked on my own. I mean, there were group projects here and there, but I was primarily focused on a concept album titled Bipolar. The idea was to explore the duality within us. I believe that we all are a balance of good and evil. It’s a part of being human. Bipolar was about the beauty and the hate all rolled into a singular musical concept. At one point I had something like 64 songs for that album, but finally realized, it was time to cut it all down to a meaningful story, and release it. (I can be a perfectionist at times.) So in 2009, I released Bipolar on iTunes, Amazon and a few other stores. Sales went well and I was surprised that people embraced both sides of my music. My style is contrast. The “beauty” of a piano set against the “hate” of a metal grinder or distorted synth. It’s balance that just works for me.

After Bipolar was released, I took a break for a few years. I had to take a good look at my direction and figure out was going to be next. I didn’t want to repeat myself. During that time, I realized that the industry was changing in a big way. Musician’s could no longer release one album and then sit around for a few years. So, I decided to start releasing my music for free, and release it as soon as each song was complete. It’s been liberating. It’s connected me to the fans. It’s no longer about “me” and “them”, it’s quickly becoming a “we”. We feed off of each other. They inspire me with ideas and I give back music for free. (Don’t get me wrong, I have no issue with selling t-shirts or merchandise, but you get the point… the music is free and often. Everything else helps put food on the table.)

NINa: Musicians are encouraged to be social with their following, but most often they treat their fans like numbers instead of showing respect to those who willingly join them in social networking. However, people in the music industry also judge bands by the numbers. Do you think fans are really supportive in terms of social networks or does direct contact through an official website seem to be a more powerful platform?

Great question! I think it’s a combination. I think the music industry is playing a frantic game of catch-up, right now. They are desperately trying to figure out how to keep up with the technology and the artists who have figured out how to use it. Many artists are walking away from big labels because they can market themselves with more creative freedom. The industry still views things in terms of numbers, because numbers equal sales and sales equal bonuses for executives in top floor offices.

I see things differently. I don’t need millions of dollars to survive. I DO need to make music. It’s my only real outlet. I write music to reach out. It’s a way for me to put very personal moments and feelings out into the world. Like a sonar ping. Why? Because I don’t want to feel that I am the only person on earth who feels the way I do. I’m looking for a return ping. I want to know that I connect with someone. Fans help me do that. They reach back and say “Yeah… I get it, I get you… I know how you feel and can relate to what you are singing about” That’s priceless to me. It means way more than being able to say I sold so many albums or anything.

If you think about it, it’s incredibly personal. I’ll take a small group of people who can relate to what I am doing, over a million who can’t, any day. I open up to them, and they open up to me, so why would I ever treat them as a number? No way. Having a million fans who only listened to the music because it’s what the mainstream media has declared as the “flavor of the week”, would be a hollow victory for me.

I spend a lot of time getting to know my fans through social media, and I spend a lot of time responding to them. I think that’s incredibly important. I want to know their faces. They take their time to know mine, it’s only fair that I do the same. Recently, I had a very thoughtful question come in over Twitter that I couldn’t answer fully in 140 characters or less, so I answered in an entire blog post. It only felt right. That person took the time to reach out to me, the least I can do is respond in a thoughtful manner, as well. Artist’s who view fans as numbers… well, I think they just don’t get it. Big publishers view fans that way, and look what’s happening to them.

As far as preferred platform? Well, social media is a great starting point, but you can’t control when Facebook might decide to stop showing your updates to people. So ultimately, I try to guide people to my official site or ask them to sign up on my mailing list. I let the fan decide. If they are very interested, they will connect via the mailing list, to be sure they don’t miss anything, but if not? Well, I’m not going to shove it down their throats. I don’t require that people give me anything to download my music. So far, I think people appreciate it, and in return, they share my music with their friends. It’s working out for the best, I think.

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Official website | Last.FM | Google+ | Facebook | YouTube

NINa: Do you have to learn a lot of new things such as how to operate new gear and software, or simply feed your head with new musical ideas when you begin recording a new set of songs? Especially if it has been a while since publishing a previous set of material?

I find that it goes in cycles. I spend a ton of time learning new gear and software when musical inspiration is in a down cycle. It keeps me busy and my mind active. It also makes sure that when an idea hits for a song, I am ready. When inspiration for music hits, I need everything working properly to catch the moment in its purest form. There’s nothing worse than having a great idea for a song pop into your head and then losing it because a piece of gear is not working, or you get stuck trying to figure out how to use it.

NINa: You not only make music, but you also specialize in synths with circuit bending. Do the synths create any special sounds or offer specific qualities that other instruments cannot satisfy?

I think they do. Some people may not agree with me, but there is an organic property to analog synths. Digital is good at being perfect, but analog falters a little. It’s not always perfect and I like that. Voltages sag and surge, causing minute variations in the sound. It’s almost like it is alive. There have been moments where sounds come out of my custom built Gakken SX-150 modular synth that seriously sound like it is screaming in pain. Why? Well, I probably didn’t solder a circuit correctly or something, but it adds a soul to the synth that can really breathe life into a song. I look at it like this… imagine that every singer across the planet used auto-tune and had perfect pitch? Where would the emotion come from? Our flaws are what make us unique as people… same thing with synths. I just happen to like the sounds of things breaking, I guess.

NINa: That's a very nice and comfortable looking home studio you've built. Can you point out the most important features, computers, gear, software or instruments of any kind that you would consider a 'must have' when planning on building such a studio?

Thanks. The studio took about 7 months to construct. You may laugh, but the most important piece of gear that I have, is the custom console/desk that everything sits in. I was lucky, a master wood worker named Scott Zrubek constructed it for me. Not only is it a beautiful piece of furniture, it’s also incredibly functional.
The studio is a creative place. The atmosphere should comfort and encourage your imagination. The console puts all of my gear (Mixer, synths, controllers, computer etc…) right within reach. When inspiration strikes, everything I need is right there. If I want to patch an FM synth through a guitar amp and then run it all through the filters on an analog synth, it takes one second and I am back to recording. Having to crawl around and rewire things, or look for gear can kill a moment. Outside of the console, I would say a good digital mixer and a patchbay. Both allow me to modify my signal flow on the fly, which opens up many sonic possibilities.

NINa: I have always enjoyed the idea of adding exotic musical taste to industrial rock (example: 'Hizbollah' by Ministry), but there aren't enough artist creating songs like that. Would you take a risk and make an EP or album with the use of let's say a Mbira or some Bagpipes mixed with heavy guitars and samples, just to refresh the style?

Without a doubt. I actually collect primitive instruments, and love the sound that they can add to a song. There’s a tune that I am working on right now, called ‘The Jersey Witch’ that needed a primal, voodoo kind of sound. So, I am using an African Mbira. It has such a great tone when set against a backdrop of growling synths and guitars. It’s ancient and mystical, like a lone human among a pack of snarling animals. I’ve incorporated didgeridoo in the past as well as other instruments. You’ll definitely be hearing more on that front, in the future. I don’t believe in rules, when it comes to music. If I can use it to make sound, and it helps paint a mental image, then for me, it’s fair game.

NINa: What is the story about your collection of Gargoyles? Are they mechanical or static; made from stone, plastic, gum, glass? What does the Gargoyle character mean to you and how long have you been collecting them?

Ah yes, my gargoyles. It’s funny, but starting about 13 years ago, I decided that I liked the mythology behind gargoyles. Apparently, they were thought to have been magical creatures, crafted out of stone by a powerful wizard to protect his spell books when he was away. I’ve always felt like my studio was kind of like a “wizard’s tower” in a way, so it seemed fitting that gargoyles would watch over things while I was out. To be honest, I bought one or two, but when friends and family found out… well, let’s just say that for the next 5 or 6 years, for every birthday and every holiday, people would buy gargoyles for me. It got a little out of hand. So now I have more gargoyles than I probably need. Some are from Asia, some Europe, Ireland, etc. All of them are made out of heavy stone, and I do have to admit, they look pretty cool when lit by candles. They definitely help create a mood. As far as “protecting” my gear when I am away? Yeah… not so much, but that’s OK.

NINa: Does your Mazda RX-8 have any special features since you like autocross racing? Is there any customized paint on the cars body since you've successfully done several FTP artworks and videos on your own?

Oddly enough, no. You would think I might have a gas mask graphic on it or something, but it’s a standard silver paint job. I do love graphic design, but there is something about the natural shape of the car with a plain silver paint job, that keeps me from tweaking it.

Truth be told, I have an obsession with that car. The first time I saw it was in an X-Men movie, and I fell in love. It’s not a normal engine, like most cars. It’s a rotary engine, which means there are no pistons. Instead, it has rounded spinning triangles (rotors) inside that enables the engine to run at much higher RPM’s. Most cars max out at about 7,000 or 8,000 RPM whereas the rotary maxes out at 9,000. When you get it out on the track, it sounds incredibly mean, even though it’s stock. The sound of the tires skidding and the engine screaming, inspires me almost as much as an overdriven synth.

I’m definitely no expert at racing, I’m still really new to the sport, but the mental focus and intensity of it, keeps calling me. It seems like when I am writing music, or when I am out racing, my mind is 100% focused. That’s a pretty powerful escape for me.

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