This enthralling electronic venture seamlessly fuses elements of techno, dark wave, and bass music with a dub-infused touch, delving deep into the eerie realm of horror while preserving a haunting beauty – get to known Vexillary.
Vexillary the producer’s transformative production style takes center stage, skillfully intertwining the authentic human experience with fantastical influences such as body horror and Lovecraftian motifs. These influences are not only evident in the music but also prominently featured in the cover art for the release and its preceding singles.
LISTEN ALBUM HERE:
The vocals, delivered by the returning guest Baylee and newcomer Madishu on Vexillary’s roster, explore themes of transformation, the fragility of the human form, and cosmic terrors across the album’s ten dynamic tracks. “Horror in Dub” serves as a poignant reminder that even within the most harrowing experiences, an irresistible beauty and attraction can be found, encapsulated by the lyrics of the title track: “I found love in horror, and horror, horror in dub.”
Prepare to embark on an evocative journey where the ghosts of the past collide with the beats of the future, crafting a surreal sonic experience. With its unparalleled production style and the ability to evoke a rich tapestry of emotions, “Horror in Dub” stands as a testament to Vexillary’s creative vision and distinctive approach to electronic storytelling.
Hi Reza Seirafi, I hope you’re doing well. Would you tell us a bit about yourself? How’s your day going ?
Hello, thanks for having me. I’m doing well, we’re only weeks away from the release of my new LP, Horror in Dub, at the time of this interview and the excitement is brewing. The colder months in NYC are also a great time to make new music so I’m making strides on the next output. It’s a busy yet exciting time as you can imagine.
I’m also experiencing some acu buzz right now, it’s an extra relaxed state from last evening’s acupuncture session. So I’m in the perfect mindset to reflect on the record that’s coming out and chat about the work that went into it.
Exploring the album, consisting of ten impactful tracks seamlessly blending techno, dark wave, and bass music with a dub-infused touch. What served as the inspiration behind the album’s concept, and how did you conceive this idea? In the sea of current releases, what elements do you believe will set this album apart and make it stand out?
I’ve been meaning to make a horror-inspired record for a while, and although the previous works touched on it to some degree, I dove headfirst into it here.
Horror in Dub is all about variety; it covers a full spectrum of all things dark and horrific, as manifested through each of the ten tracks on the album. And like you mentioned, it blends different styles and genres to create that surreal story.
I used to work in perfumery, where I learned to mix unrelated raw materials into a cohesive blend. I think I’m applying some of those learnings to my productions, and that’s what sets it apart.
Another unique element is the contrast presented throughout the record. It’s the mash-up of hard and beautiful, the machine and human, and highbrow and lowbrow elements. On paper, a polished and emotive single like ‘Insurrection’ shouldn’t work alongside something raw and industrial like ‘A New Body’, but somehow, it does.
Ultimately, there’s something for everyone on the record. If you’re into more experimental sounds, some tracks vibe with that. But if you’re looking for something more familiar, that’s there too.
Excitement rises as we unveil the album in our magazine, providing readers with an immersive journey and exploring themes of transformation, the fragility of the human form. Could you provide insights into the creative process and the rationale behind crafting the track titles?
This was my third go at a full-length, so by this round, I had a blueprint for delving into longer formats with a conceptual twist.
Having said that, I let each track take on its own persona within the larger horror theme and musical boundaries in mind. So, the album was put together brick by brick, with each track finalized before moving on to the next one.
Creatively, they all had different starting points. Some tracks came to me as full vocal melodies and lyrics, so for those, it was a matter of reverse engineering a full musical experience around them. ‘Insurrection,’ ‘My Vertigo,’ the title track, and ‘Paris Spleen’ definitely fell into that camp.
Others were created out of jam sessions that crystallized into full ideas, with lyrics and vocal melodies added later on. ‘Animalic,’ ‘A New Body,’ ‘Under My Skin,’ and ‘The Smoke’ fell into this group of songs.
Titles were almost always inspired by the lyrics behind each track. I think it’s important to be able to listen to a song and remember what it was called based on the words. For the two instrumentals on the record, I tried to pick titles that matched the sound and the vibe—titles that preserved an element of mystery about those songs.
The vocals featured on the album are performed by the returning guest Baylee and newcomer Madishu, both part of Vexillary’s roster. Could you elaborate on the process of selecting these artists? Additionally, can you delve into the workflow involved in their collaboration on the project?
I first reached out to Baylee during the production of the last album, ‘Crash and Yearn.’ At first, listen, she didn’t seem like an obvious choice for my darker productions since she comes from more of a clean pop and EDM background. But I knew she was a monster vocalist and highly technical, so we gave it a shot, and I was blown away.
Her addition brought interesting musical contrasts and an emotive delivery style that made the lyrics seem even more potent and moving. She’s been heavily featured in my works since and, at this point, is my longest-running collaborator, almost like a bandmate.
However, there were one or two tracks on the album that had a more quirky production style that could benefit from a different vocal approach. I reached out to Madishu after checking her DnB guest spots. She’s a different kind of singer, more laid back and yet soulful at the same time. She turned out to be the right fit for those tracks, adding the right variety to the record.
In terms of workflow, I write the vocal melodies at one of the later stages of production and track them myself to take the guessing game out of the equation. These were remote collaborations, so it was important to be as clear as possible with what was needed. Then I just let the vocalists do their thing and rarely require any redos. They are both pros and knew exactly what I was looking to achieve.
The track names themselves provide a gateway into the essence of Horror in Dub, steering our attention, yet simultaneously revealing a captivating beauty that exists in various forms. Can you share your experiences during the creation of this particular moment in your life?
In a classic case of art imitating life, I found all the inspiration I needed for a horror-inspired record during a truly horrific phase in my life.
Fast forward to the start of the album creation, and I was coping during this time and coming to terms with the gnarly stuff that went down right before it. You might notice that I’m not revealing the details, and that’s because it’s not as important. What mattered was that I was mentally tuned in to tell a horror story, and it was personal this time.
Interestingly enough, the bulk of the production and writing fell into the summer months, with mixing and final tracks done by mid-winter. Having the longer summer days was an advantage in the sense that I could focus on sounds and aspects other than the pure horrific stuff, creating a nice contrast.
It allowed me to look at the story with a new outlook and perspective. I definitely walked away seeing the beauty in all that went down and found artistry.
In crafting your third album, what are your primary musical influences, and are there non-musical sources that have significantly impacted your creative process?
Musically, I’ve been exploring techno, industrial/EBM, and darkwave genres as essential ingredients for some time. To be more direct, techno remixes of dark wave tunes always hit a spot for me and made me ask, why not start there? Let’s make music that sounds like a mash-up of the rhythmic club world and traditional song structures. The previous album, Crash and Yearn, explored this to a large degree, and with the new outing, Horror in Dub, I perfected it and added even some bass elements in the mix.
Outside of music, I find inspiration in visual mediums, especially the darker side of art and films. Sci-fi and horror movies, along with their soundtracks, are big influences on what I do. Body horror, and particularly films of David Cronenberg, was a massive influence on songs like ‘A New Body,’ ‘Under My Skin,’ and even ‘My Vertigo’ to a degree.
Dark literature and poetry are the major players in shaping the lyrics. You’ll find more than one Baudelaire reference on the album, and Lovecraftian cosmic horror elements are present both in the lyrics and on the album art.
How does the future look for you ?
After completing an album or a project, I usually jump straight into working on a new record, and this time is no different. So there’s a lot of new music in the works. Additionally, there’s a vinyl-only split EP on the horizon, focusing on the industrial side of the project.
As a music video enthusiast, I have several more in the pipeline for the Horror in Dub album, going beyond what was created for the singles. The ‘Insurrection’ video should be out by the time this interview is published.
Also starting to feel the itch for live performances after three consecutive studio albums. I’m contemplating wrapping up a fourth before transitioning to live shows.
Let’s see how it all unfolds.
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