BRASH Magazine Fall 19 Issue | Page 40

B! 40 The Makings of SOMA BRASH! Describe your creative process when writing songs. SOMA: I honestly just live my life. Life is constantly teaching me where I'm stuck and what needs attention. I can usually feel a song preparing “to come out of my system”. I start to see a specific interest in some topics or areas of life, some pairings of words catch my attention, and I can hear a sort of an inner music with its own atmosphere and chords. Kind of like being pregnant with a song and you don't quite know when it's time to deliver! When a song is ready to come out, I will start to sing it. That's when I need to take some time to actually sit down in front of the piano and lay it on the paper. I'll usually lay down some simple chords on the piano, polish the melody and write the lyrics. I might put together a raw production to mark some instrumental ideas, and then I let the project simmer. If I think it's “good enough” I might let my partner, friend or my manager hear it. This part is important, too. I've noticed that I get too judgmental with the song if I don't share it pretty early on in the process. with a wild tribal choir. I'd like to think that this translates into how I perform, too. But I'm a work in process. I don't care how old you are, what your background is, what ethnicity you identify yourself as, whether you're a man or a woman, both or none, a soldier or a pacifist, we'll probably have something in common. I put all my heart into my music, and I think that's the part that people relate to, even the ones who don't particularly like this style of music. BRASH! What are we to expect from you in the upcoming year? SOMA: Many new releases. Both music and visuals. BRASH! What do you look for in production when recording/creating your music? SOMA: Rhythm and groove, which is just another way of saying space and pauses in the right places. A kick-ass bass line. A dedication to the vocal-production, and an understanding that it's the space around the elements that create the impression of vastness and not the amount of stuff. So, a certain bravery not to overstuff the production. I'm always interested in trying to have a sense of the organic and the natural in the electronic production. Quite often that's achieved by using my voice creatively, such as creating a pad/ synth using my actual voice. And harmonies. I can't help it, but I'm a sucker for harmonies! BRASH! How does being from “everywhere” aids in making and performing music? SOMA: I think because there have been so many different flavors, places, languages and influences in my life, I'm wired to look for and to pinpoint the common features rather than the differences. I'm not so locked into one genre or style. It's easy for me to hear how an 80's synth bass sound could come together with Photo Credit: Kanerva Mantila Photography www.homeofsoma.com Facebook.com/homeofsoma Twitter: @homeofsoma