Artist Interview: Frizzo

 

Hi Frizzo, thanks for joining us today. Congratulations on the release of your new instrumental album "Omega Man." Can you tell us a little bit about the inspiration behind the title?

Frizzo: Thank you, My album title was inspired by a web documentary by Vice that was done in I believe in 2009? It was hosted by Johnny Knoxville and he visited Detroit and mentioned how you get a sense of being the last person alive on Earth while in Detroit like Omega Man the film starring Charlton Heston from the 1970's and I understood immediately what he was referring to being a Detroit resident at the time myself. It's truly a post-apocalyptic, Socialist United States akin to a third world nation that most Americans wouldn't believe actually exists in this nation. So that feeling of being alone on Earth and living in the isolated ruins of a shelled-out society were and are the inspiration behind the title.

That's a very interesting and unique inspiration for your album title. It definitely gives your listeners an idea of what they can expect from the music. Speaking of which, can you tell us a little bit about the sound and style of your album? How would you describe it to someone who hasn't heard it yet?

Frizzo:

It's really hard to specify my exact sound because it changes from each song to the next. Some of my music has obvious Classical influences while others are something you would want to rap over. I guess think of it as Philip Glass with a beat? MTV Italy classifies my music as World music. the track "You Don't Move Me" on the album samples Pachelbel's Canon in D and I use an almost Phil Spector "Wall of sound" technique to layer thick, delayed with resonance and decay effect string harmonies over Pachelbel's famous piano measure and use a solid kick and snare drum pattern for the the foundation of the song. It's really a minimalist approach to music production in the spirit of artists like Philip Glass, Wim Mertens, Terry Riley and others. I don't take the end result too seriously in my music or attempt to follow standard music theory or song arrangement. The art is in the process, it's almost an improvisational, jazz mixed with classical. I honestly don't know how to categorize my own music and I would like to openly invite anyone to try by simply listening to my music.

Your music sounds like a unique blend of various genres and influences. It's great that you take a minimalist approach to your music production and prioritize the creative process. It's definitely something that sets you apart as an artist.

Can you tell us about your creative process when making the album? Did you have a specific approach to creating each track or did it vary from song to song?

Frizzo:

Each track is the result of being inspired enough in the moment to sit down behind my EMU PX-7 Command Station that I produced music on since 2004. I typically start with a string arpeggio sequenced over 16 tracks and then begin to fill in the loop with complimentary ,harmonic sounds. I enjoy using heavy bass, cymbals, layered drums and voices to create an almost seemingly demonically inspired sound of evil classical music mixed with gangster rap influences.

That's really interesting! It sounds like you have a very intuitive and spontaneous approach to your music-making. Your use of string arpeggios and layered drums definitely adds a unique dimension to your sound.

As a musician, who would you say are your biggest inspirations and influences? And how have they shaped your own musical style and approach?

Hip Hop wise, EA SKI and Brotha Lynch Hung have a rap production style most similar to my own. But again, as far as minimalist classical influences, it's always Philip Glass. I love Leonard Cohen, too when it comes to just overall influences. Some of my favorite moments in life were spent alone listening to Leonard Cohen drag his gravely voice over acoustic tracks that all had a very distinct and special Jewish melody within each of them. His writing style influences some of my written works. The way he would use vague, inside, religious references and the context of his poetry being open to subjective interpretation by the listener and it not having to mean anything to anyone other than himself. That's where I get inspiration from. Others would be Wim Mertens, Vangelis, Carl Orff, Wendy Carlos, Nas, Ice T, Esham, NOFX, everyone I appreciate artists that are irreverent toward any notions of perfectionism in production being the defining factor in what constitutes quality music or that structure and predictability are vital to a song's validity as a potential hit record. The Punk Rock approach to music is my approach to production and becoming that conduit between the muse and the medium that gets the credit for the songs that have always existed but whose time has come and have been mined out of the ether by slightly bored individuals such as myself just looking for an artistic distraction. I could go on for days about the artists I respect and draw inspiration from, these are just a few. I love music, talk to me.

It's great to hear about the diverse range of artists who inspire and influence you. It's clear that you have a very eclectic taste in music, which no doubt informs your own creative output. Your appreciation for the irreverent and punk rock approach to music production is definitely reflected in your own work.

Finally, what can fans expect from you in the future? Do you have any upcoming projects or shows in the works?

Frizzo

No, I don't perform live as I'm strictly a studio musician with personal physical limitations from a stroke I survived when I was 35. Since I had my stroke I found time to dig through old music I've produced over the past 20 plus years from my little hidden corner in Metro Detroit where I
produced in a home studio inside of a 350 square foot shotgun shack off of Livernois Avenue. I was just living there hidden for over a decade making music in absolute solitude in my little beat down rental property. I have a substantial amount of unreleased music that I have yet to rediscover myself. In the future, if I feel the desire to send the tracks out for mastering and compile an album or single for release, I may do that but I'm a 100% independently self-produced artist not beholden to press runs, deadlines, managers or anyone telling me when it's time to be creative other than my fanbase and G-d almighty. If I find something I feel is topically relevant to the times or whose time has come to be heard, I'll release it. That's how I've chosen to approach my music career from here on out.

That's understandable. It sounds like you have a lot of unreleased music waiting to be discovered, so it will be interesting to see what you decide to do with it in the future. Thank you for taking the time to chat with me today and share your insights about your music and creative process. Best of luck with your future endeavors!