Grave Concerns Interview
by Julie Johnson 8/21/01
Courtesy Grave Concerns

Julie: Why was it important for you to have such diverse songs for Euromantique?

Ganymede: There were several reasons. First of all, our taste is broad when it comes to electronic music, so we wanted to represent many of those different styles on our album. In addition, due to this diversity, there's hopefully something for everyone to like on the CD. Lastly, it was important for us not to make one of those tedious albums where every song sounds the same.

Julie: How has your sound become more sophisticated since After the Fall?

G: We've invested in lots of new equipment to broaden our sonic palette, and we're incorporating an even wider array of influences. Most of all, we're simply now more experienced, which we think is positively reflected in the sound of the new album. In short, we think our sound has grown and evolved naturally over the past couple years, and we're excited to see where it takes us in the future.

Julie: What kind of support do you receive from the California audiences for your music?

G: We've tried very hard to involve ourselves in the California synthpop scene as much as possible, and that has resulted in club play, radio appearances, and several live shows, most notably playing at Synthcon in Hollywood this May. Our experience with the California synth crowd has been overwhelmingly positive, and we're extremely grateful for the support we've received so far.

Julie: Can you tell us a little more how you have used modern production technology for "Neon Rain"?

G: Though our sound sources are about 95 percent vintage instruments, all of our recording, editing and mixing is done on a computer. We basically use it as a substitute for thousands of dollars in top-flight mixing and recording gear.

Julie: Where did the idea for vocals to have a bit of a robotic feel to them?

G: The classic vocoder sound has always existed in electronic music (Kraftwerk, Giorgio Moroder, etc.), and we thought it was time to make a comeback. We think incorporating the vocoder has helped give our music an interesting new texture and a unique sound.

Julie: With so many different electronic pop bands on the scene, how do you like to keeping advancing your music?

G: We want to always continue improving upon our style of music, and constantly strive for originality. With so many bands out there obsessed with sounding exactly like another band, we strongly value the importance of creating our own sound.

Julie If you had to choose between these two common elements, lyrics our powerful melodies, with one is the most important to be successful?

G: They're both very important, though for our style of music we'd give the edge to melodic content. The melodies nearly always come before the lyrics when we compose, and we think the melodies are more important in grabbing a listener's attention and pulling them into the music. Then, if the lyrics are good too, it's like the icing on the cake.

Julie: What has been the biggest hurtle that you had to jump so far in your career with Ganymede?

G: The biggest hurdle, which we're always still going over, is making our music reach more and more listeners. We're very happy with how we've penetrated the modern synthpop scene so far, though we think there's a much larger audience for our style of music out there that's still relatively untapped.

Julie: Many of the songs have a very exciting and fun feeling, where do you get your excitement from when making such songs as "Neon Rain"

G: Music is exciting to us, making music even more so. We love energetic music, and think that some of the best music is the kind that engages your emotions and intellect while making you dance at the same time.

Julie: Also, I hear some more dark touches within the CD like "The Final Year" and "Legacy." Where does this come from?

G: Once again, that comes from our desire for stylistic diversity. We think we have all the bases covered on this album, with those songs being on the darker end of the spectrum. You can probably learn a lot about someone judging by which songs they gravitate towards on Euromantique. It seems everyone has a different favorite on the CD, which means we've achieved what we wanted.

Julie: How was it working with the Cruxshadows, and what influence have they had on you?

G: To be completely honest, we didn't discover the Cruxshadows until after we were already making music, so they haven't had much of an influence on us. However, we really respect their stature in the independent music scene. The remix was done long-distance. We're happy they took the time out of their busy schedule to do the remix for us, and are very pleased with the results.

Julie: How did you team up with the Cruxshadows for the mix of "Only Pictures Cry"?

G: David Richards, the president of our label (Ninthwave Records), had a good relationship with the president of their label (Dancing Ferret). He asked if the Cruxshadows would be willing to do a remix, and fortunately they agreed. We are really excited to have a Cruxshadows remix because of the size of their fanbase and the potential to expose our music to a whole new audience.

Julie: Any thing else you would like to bring to our attention that was not mentioned?

G: We'd just like to thank you for your support and for giving us some of your time. For complete information on Ganymede, please visit our official website at www.planetganymede.com.