SEQUENTIAL ZERO

Hello and thanks for answering the interview for our blog today. We usually like to start off by asking for a brief background for the readers that might not be familiar with a particular band. Would you kindly do so?

Ant: Sequential Zero started as a collaboration between members of bands from my Mantravision Productions label. Bruce from Orcus Nullify, Colin from Burnt Souls, Adrian from Moroderhead and me from Sounds Like Winter and Lunar Module. Bruce lives in the US, so we use the internet to collaborate. Adrian plays his guitar parts for live shows.

The latest album is ‘Zero Sum Game’. What kind of genesis did the songs have to go through before you were happy with the final product?

The majority of the songs started as sketches in my home studio. I will send files to Bruce and he will come up with guitar parts for me to cut up. Colin will come to the studio and offer ideas and lay down backing vocals and then I flesh out the songs, write lyrics and record vocals before moving onto the production phase. This involves getting the drums right and the mixing/mastering done. Bruce and I will then collaborate on video clips. It is great to be able to do everything in house, it is cheaper too.

Do you think that you’ll adopt a release plan that is perhaps less full-length albums and more singles, remixes and Eps?

Ant: As streaming etc. has meant that people tend download or buy individual tracks rather than albums, we released five two track singles to start with. To cover those that prefer a physical product, we wrote two more songs and pressed twelve songs to vinyl and CD as an album. https://gigalliance.com/album/zero-sum-game/ We have an EP of remixes coming out soon and will then go back to releasing two track singles for a while.

Scenario: You are stranded on some island but you had the capability to put a flash drive with three of your most important songs into a sealed bottle and send it out to the world. These are songs that mean the most to you and best represent your legacy. What are they and why did you choose them?

Ant: The Colours of Buried Pain, this moody track talks about the pitfalls of social media used as a lens for self-worth. Its Not About You, I just like the groove and the subject matter captures a very difficult social situation. It’s Always Been You is a song I wrote for my wife and is a banger. I could think of other songs, but they are with my other projects and we are here to talk about SZ.

Are your songs created in pretty much the same way in every case? Do you have to be in particular locations or moods to be inspired?

Ant: I quite often hear songs in my head as I am about to wake up, in the shower or driving. Those would be considered liminal spaces, so perhaps I am channeling the songs? haha. Otherwise, most mornings I am in the studio noodling around on my gear, a particular beat or bass line will trigger something good.

Could you give us some insight into your studio, your “tools of the trade” so to speak? How much is hardware/physical instruments and how much is based on softsynths and the like?

I have accumulated a lot of gear over the years. I like to have one of each flavour of synth. I have an Oberheim OB6, Moog Sub 37, DFAM, Mother 32 and Subharmonicon, Korg ARP 2600, Odyssey and Radias, Nord Lead 2, Roland SH101, Sledge 2, Alesis Quadrasynth, Deepmind 12, Pro One and CAT. I also use quite a few softsynths, especially emulations of rare or expensive synths and drum machines I can’t have. I use Cubase Pro13 as my DAW.

Some artists often engage in certain rituals when composing in the certain studio or before performing. Ex: They may like to have certain items around, They may do certain pre-show preparation, They may do things like meditation. Are there any particular rituals you do before writing or performing?

I do like to meditate and very seldom get nervous on stage, I will take deep breaths and ground myself before going on. I like to drink green tea with ginger and soy milk when writing or producing. I will also go and sit in the sun outside every hour or so.

Some artists have resorted to using AI for the likes of cover art and even videos. What’s your feeling on that? Do you think that it’s already gotten out of control and maybe is an excuse for lack of creativity? Or do you think people are still inserting a bit of human/organic quality into what’s being produced?

I think with any tool, whether it be AI, money, social media, cars or any human augmentation we have now, you can have an unhealthy relationship with it and use the tool for bad things or become a slave to it. You can also use tools for good purposes. There will always be lazy people who cut corners to become famous or whatever, they usually get found out and they must feel like fakes all the time.

What do you anticipate for the coming months? Side projects, shows, more releases?

Ant: Next up we will be releasing an EP of remixes on Bandcamp. We have remixes by William Faith, Neuropa and a few other great artists. There is a festival in Melbourne we are playing in October with Sirus, C54, Robots in Love, Arc of Sun, Palliative, Eris and the Disciples and Suburban Spell. We will no doubt be performing locally a few times over the next few months. On the Mantravision front we have a new album coming for Burnt Souls and new material by Sounds Like Winter to look forward to.

William ZIMMERMAN
19/10/2024