Songwriting always starts with my acoustic guitar or piano. When I'm happy with the raw version, I start working on production and layering in more instruments. A core aspect of my sonic identity as Masquerade is juxtaposing synths, moody soundscapes, and electronic drums with "natural" sounds such as acoustic guitar and symphonic instruments. I think this combination is interesting and distinct! As I write more and more songs, I inevitably shift my sonic identity in exciting new directions.
The sound of my debut synthpop album Afterlove was exclusively influenced by my once favourite band Cannons. They’re known for their nostalgic blend of ethereal guitars, synths, and vocals packaged as synthpop with indie, disco, and funk influences. In this spirit, Afterlove features catchy guitar riffs, lush synth pads, strong drums, pulsing bass, and eccentric vocals all wrapped up in velvety production.
Following Afterlove's cathartic recording and release process, I naturally started working on new songs. I found myself consistently making different lyrical and creative choices. Rather than exploring only the singular, all-encompassing theme of love, I want my lyrics to also balance grittier introspection and social consciousness while I simply live as best I can in this increasingly chaotic world.
I've definitely embraced the DIY bedroom pop and dark pop undercurrents that swelled from the heartbreak on Afterlove. It's just that now, my sonic identity as Masquerade has become bolder, gritter, and overall more complex.
Meaning, there’s a raw honesty to my music that keeps all the little details like imperfections and weird sounds and tones that I refuse to bury under production. It also feels really good to crank up the distortion on my guitars! And I'm always writing about the people and things I care about. My creative expression comes from a raw and honest place, sometimes even a dark one. I feel it deep in my bones whenever I sing, which I hope shines through for listeners.
I want to try different guitar tunings, experiment with various weird sounds, and infuse my music with a layer of grime that contrasts with the glossy sheen of pop. I'm even getting more comfortable making unusual, bold choices with songwriting and production, and blurring genre lines.
What matters most to me is that I get to explore exactly what I want in my songs!
New Influences
Whenever I'm listening to music, I'm consciously and subconsciously soaking in new influences. Maybe it's the way a guitar tone cuts through the layered mix. Or it's an arrangement that gives the melody a new way to soar. Sometimes the simplest lyrics will get get me right in the heart. There's plenty of songs I keep on repeat, but I will listen to pretty much anything that engages me.
At this moment in time, I'm inspired by these musical influences:
Ministry - Same Old Madness + Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart
I learned that “electropunk” is a genre thanks to the 1982 underground hit Same Old Madness by Ministry.
Electropunk obviously has roots in punk, meaning artists are firm in their socially conscious lyrics and DIY ethos while blending electronic sounds like synthesizers, drums machines, and pop arrangements. The result is a memorable and gritty, aggressive sound. I like to think of it as a ripped up leather jacket that's neon-coloured and has spikes.
Electropunk obviously has roots in punk, meaning artists are firm in their socially conscious lyrics and DIY ethos while blending electronic sounds like synthesizers, drums machines, and pop arrangements. The result is a memorable and gritty, aggressive sound. I like to think of it as a ripped up leather jacket that's neon-coloured and has spikes.
From the moody bass to the dark, swirling synths and unusual song structure, Same Old Madness also has touches of post punk. Again, post punk is an expansion of punk that keeps all the raw, frantic energy while also adding more experimental song arrangements, broader influences like electronic, dub, and funk, and being defined by atmospheric sounds and complex lyrics. Joy Division's Love Will Tear Us Apart is an excellent example of the genre.
Hearing these two songs was an epiphany and the catalyst for taking my music as Masquerade in new directions!
Muse - Won't Stand Down
I've been a casual listener of Muse since 2009, so of course I've known about them for a while. But I've only recently been drawing upon their distinct fusion of synths and heavy metal production. I also appreciate their exploration of socially consciousness themes on albums like The Resistance, Drones, and Will Of The People.
Their powerful song Won't Stand Down has an uncompromising message that's delivered through snarling synths, massive drums, and monstrous guitars that leave you breathless yet fired up in their wake.
New Order - Blue Monday
The very first time I heard Blue Monday was in the back of the family car on one of our summer trips to the lake.
More specifically, it was twilight. My mom had rolled the window down to let cirgarette smoke and orange sparks fly. The air was cooler approaching night time, but still had a warm undercurrent that ruffled my hair as the car streaked across the gravel road.
As soon as the drums kicked in, my dad turned up the volume. I felt those kick drums rumbling through the back seat speakers. And when the synths arrived in a piercing wave, I sat up straighter with wide-eyed wonder. I was instantly hooked and remained mesmerized throughout the whole song.
Blue Monday was on a DIY cassette, and in my mind, I still hear the warmth and subtle deformation of the tape as the song plays. The way the synths sag just a bit from the years of rewinds, and the soft crackles that crease into the mighty kick drums.
No matter how many times I hear it, I'll never forget Blue Monday's sonic tapestry, or the ominous way it made me feel.
Duran Duran - Planet Earth
The groovy bass and detuned synths of Planet Earth really do sound like a far away, desolate transmission trying to get beamed out through space.
It took me a long time to understand the lyrics were concerned with cosmic loneliness. I was more caught up in the disco-influenced rhythms and funky guitar riffs, thinking about how well everything fit together. I enjoy listening to Planet Earth because it's so damn catchy and I keep coming back to it whenever I have a minor existential crisis.
Gioli & Assia - Diesis Live @ Sunrise at the Temple of Segesta, Sicily
My dear friend Ben told me about this musical couple. Then I was promptly blown away by this captivating live set from the Temple of Segesta. I've never seen anything as smoothly executed as this performance!
I really love how in tune with each other Giolia and Assia are, and how they've mastered their instruments: every one has a particularly effective role to play that keeps the listener engaged. While the lyrics are sparse, it's clear the trance-like music is the focus and it's brilliant! I felt like I was transported to an ancient time, witnessing an invigorating ritual.
Godsmack - When Legends Rise
Front to back, When Legends Rise is stacked with fantastic guitars, drums, and empowering messages. I love the layers of rhythm guitars pierced by memorable riffs and heavy tones that demand attention. Every song is arranged and mixed so perfectly that nothing sounds muddy, clashes, or distracts from the cohesiveness. And in a word, it's really a mythic album.
Most of all, it's a great reference point for me when I'm trying to dial in a good distorted guitar tone and come up with interesting rhythms or riffs!
Theory of a Deadman - Savages
Another hard-hitting album, Savages has sufficiently vicious sounding guitars and the unrelenting pace of the songs feel like cruelly placed gut punches. Theory of a Deadman is more known for their well done radio rock (surprisingly also veering into pop rock after this album) so when Savages dropped, I was hooked right away by the darker lyrics and sound.
I like going back to this album to hear all the interesting riffs, how the guitars are layered and arranged, and for tonal inspiration.
Deep Purple - Made In Japan
Deep Purple was one of those bands that was always blasting around the house while I was growing up. Their electrifying live album Made In Japan immortalized their whirlwind energy and stunning guitar work. So much of modern metal and punk owes its existence to Deep Purple's pioneering in songwriting, skill, and arrangement.
I have this album on vinyl because it was part of my parents' records that they enthusiastically let me include in my own collection. I'll never be able to play like this, but I keep coming back to this album because it's pure adrenaline and inspires me to try new things.
Linkin Park - Hybrid Theory
True to it's name, Hybrid Theory blended industrial and electronic music influences with metal riffs and searing vocals. It was a vivid experimental hybrid of genres that couldn't be any more different. In the end, this produced a unique sound that was impressively cohesive.
I appreciate that the lyrics on this album are unafraid to sink to dark places, sometimes without a flicker of hope in sight. It's important to hear from time to time, to teeter on the edge of hopelessness and uncertainty before taking a step back. The production serves this album incredibly well, feeling and sounding like a ferocious battle marking the dawn of something unknown.
Evanescence
In my opinion, Evanescence's 2011 self-titled album is their best. It's a powerful emotional journey and captivating sonic adventure that showcases their distinct sound with every song. Amy Lee's haunting vocals always pierce my soul and I can't help but headbang along.
What I like most about Evanescence is their incorporation of symphonic instruments and piano throughout heavy songs. It's bittersweet and always fascinating to listen to.
Tame Impala - The Slow Rush
The production for The Slow Rush is exquisite. I hold it in high regard because every instrument and sound is selected with care about how to best serve the song. It evokes a sometimes melancholy feeling, definitely tempting you to listen at night while you stare at the moon contemplating life. That's thanks to every synth and bass tone, every note attached to a moving lyric about love or loss or exploration about just where exactly the inevitable passage of time leaves us.
The sound layering on The Slow Rush is masterfully done because nothing sounds muddy, over produced, or out of place. The songs can truly breathe. The single version of Borderline will forever by favourite one, though. I like to keep this album in mind when I'm selecting sounds for my songs and mixing lots of layers.
Vandal Moon - Heaven Without You
I recently discovered Vandal Moon, a new wave and goth duo with a mesmerizing, chilling, and visceral sound. They're unabashedly out there and dark with their lyrics, as well as the way their moody synths warp and cascade into each other.
Heaven Without You immediately grabbed my attention because of the suave vocals, tense lyrics contemplating the bleakness of not ever getting to a good place without the one you love, and music that seems to thrum right through my veins. The synths are an intricate dance that pivots from reserved to an assault on the senses, drowning out anything but your focus on the song.
All of this to say, it's one of the most interesting and enveloping songs I've heard in a long time. It inspires me to experiment!
New Techniques
The more I listen and create music, the more I learn.
Soundscaping
My friend Slo of hwhcollective helped me make my first riser! Through the consistency and quality of his releases, he's also shown me the power of sound design. The way he meticulously creates atmospheric, otherworldly soundscapes that captivate listeners is amazing. I'm grateful to have learned so much about arrangement and sound design from him.
Guitar Tunings
For one of my EPs releasing this year, I chose to write every song primarily on guitar, notably in the drop D tuning.
I wanted a deeper, heavier, and more robust tone, as well as access to easier chord shapes and being able to come up with riffs on the go within the limits of my playing ability.
Changing my guitar tuning broke me out of the constraints of the E standard tuning, which opened up many new possibilities for songwriting and arrangement.
Blending Drum Kits
One of my singles coming out this year has a combination of four drum kits! Two were acoustic and two were electronic, simply because I liked the sound of each blended together with the others, rather than any of them just on their own.
Turns out, this approach worked well for the rest of the drums I programmed for all the music I'm releasing this year!
I learned it's totally okay to blend more than one guitar kit if it serves the song best. I also learned how to mix better, balancing volume and distinct tones so that they ultimately sound like they belong to one whole instrument.
Experimenting even just a little bit like this gets me excited about everything else I can come up with!
Piano First
It's been a while since I've played piano more intensely than guitar. I wanted to get back into it more, especially as a primary songwriting instrument since I've always found it easier to craft melodies on piano.
My other EP releasing this year was written wholly on piano, and piano is more the focus than guitar. Changing instruments transformed my approach to songwriting and arrangement because it got me thinking differently about chord progressions and other instrumentation.
Again, making these creative decisions opened up a variety of different options and possibilities. I'm learning that switching things up keeps songwriting and music production feeling fresh and inventive.
Expanding Lyrical Themes
As I mentioned earlier in this post, I'm more interested in expanding my lyrical themes beyond love than writing about love as the one and only topic.
I want my lyrics to always respect the intelligence of my listeners.
Some of my songs are reflective. Others carry a weight I don't know where else to put. There are also songs prompting an urgent call to action or sharp introspection.
I'm learning to move away from always having some sort of rhyme, although I prefer to rhyme. I'm also learning to use effective metaphors to communicate the message of a song more directly.
With my sonic shift, I feel freer to explore different themes in bolder ways that don't necessarily have to stick to inoffensiveness of pop.
Masquerade's Sonic Shift Into Electropunk and Post Punk
As a result of these influences and techniques, my sound as Masquerade has shifted from the easy-listening of synthpop, and firmly into electropunk and post punk.
Identifying these genres as the ones I'm most comfortable writing in helps me better organize my songwriting and music production. More than that, it also empowers me to express myself more authenticatically.
As I continue to learn and grow in my music journey, I'll keep drawing upon various influences and honing my skills. I'm so excited to have all this shine through in my music!
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