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