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Hi,
first off I just want to congratulate you on your new album. To
new fans could your please fill us in on the history behind it
all?
Glenn - Thank
you! It’s nice to have the album out. The At War With Self
project started back in 2003, when I was writing a lot of new
material and putting together the compositions. The Laser’s Edge
was interested in releasing versions of the songs with a bassist
and drummer, and suggested Michael Manring and Mark Zonder. I was
excited with the idea, and from that point we started
collaborating to produce the songs on the CD.
How
has your new album been received by the media?
Glenn - I’ve
been incredibly happy with the press that “Torn between
Dimensions” has received. Overall, the response has been very
positive, and the aspect of it that I appreciate the most is that
people don’t really know how to describe the music or what to
categorize it as. I think partly for that same reason, there
doesn’t seem to be a large awareness of it, despite the press
that it’s received. I do receive e-mail from all over the world,
and it’s very humbling to hear from people who take the time to
contact me and let me know that the music has impacted them
somehow, enough to want to write and communicate that. That’s
the most rewarding aspect of all of the work that went into the
project, to know that it has affected people from disparate places
in the world.
I
know artists are not happy to categorize their music, but how
would you describe your music to an outsider?
Glenn - I
usually call it progressive rock with elements of metal, jazz and
classical – lots of intertwining parts that contribute to the
whole composition. The aspect of effectively introducing as many
of these styles into the same composition, and really contributes
towards the entire song as opposed to putting together styles just
for the sake of doing so.
Where
does your inspiration come from, both musically and lyrically?
Glenn - I
listen to so many different styles of music that I think aspects
from all different genres influence my compositions. Music that
has a lot going on with a lot on at once is what I usually
gravitate towards, and also bands that are able to juxtapose heavy
and lighter sections within the same song. I listen to a lot of
classical music, also progressive bands that really are innovative
and don’t sound too much like anybody else like Univers Zero,
Birdsongs of the Mesozoic, King Crimson, old Voivod, etc.
Who
has produced and mixed the album, and are you pleased with the end
result?
Glenn - Vic
Stevens produced and mixed the CD. I’m incredibly happy with the
result. Vic had a very difficult task of mixing an incredibly
‘dense’ set of compositions. We had less than four days to mix
the entire CD, and Vic worked up until the last minute to ensure
he found ‘space’ for all of the different parts that are
present. I was very concerned that Mark and Michael’s
performances needed to be up front in the mix, due to the nature
of there being far more guitars, mandolins and keyboard parts than
bass and percussion. Vic did an outstanding job and accomplished
what I was hoping for with this set of compositions.
Who
has done the artwork? And how important do you feel it is to have
a great cover?
Glenn - Travis
Smith came up with the cover art for “Torn between
Dimensions”. The label had suggested Travis, and I thought he
would be perfect based on the other covers he’s done. He’s a
great artist with some unique ideas, and I think his idea for the
artwork fits the title and the whole feel of the compositions
perfectly. I couldn’t be happier with how it came out!
I
think cover art can really enhance the listener’s emotional
connection when the artwork is an effective visual representation
of the ideas in the music.
Do
you have any touring plans?
Glenn - I
am continuing to write new material for the next At War With Self
release. Since At War With Self is a studio project for now, the
plan is to continue writing new material, until a touring
opportunity presents itself. That would be something I would love
to see happen, I do miss playing out - but for now, there are no
plans to tour. So I’ll continue to keep writing new material!
How
do you feel about the co-operation with your label, and are you
satisfied?
Glenn - The
Laser’s Edge was terrific with all aspects of the release, and
gave me complete freedom with the compositions. They were also
responsible for getting me in touch with Michael and Mark. It’s
been a great experience, and I feel fortunate to have been given
the opportunity to have The Laser’s Edge release “Torn between
Dimensions”.
The
internet is a very important source for many music fans? how do
you use the internet and how important is it for you and other
bands?
Glenn - The
internet is invaluable. When I started writing music again after a
long break, the first thing I did was develop a website, post some
MP3s and provide some information about the project. Since I’ve
gotten back into the music scene I’ve also been introduced to a
lot of other great musicians that are working on interesting
projects, and it’s great to be able to listen to sound clips
from other bands and see what’s going on around the world.
How
do you see the progressive rock/progressive metal scene at the
moment?
Glenn - I
think there are some great bands out there. There are so many
bands too, that I haven’t actually heard a lot of them, so I’m
sure there are some things I’m missing out on! Because I listen
to a lot of music, sometimes I lose track with what bands are out
there for quite a while, and then come back to it. I usually keep
track of new releases by certain bands that I really enjoy and
think have done some incredibly innovative things, like Meshuggah,
Opeth and King’s X. I’m usually not interested in bands that
blatantly copy the overall sound of another band. Unfortunately
there seems to be a lot of that going on too, in a genre called
‘progressive’ of all things.
To
finish things off - could you pls. make an all-time Top 5 or sort
of the 5 most important albums in your opinion?
Glenn -
Classical:
The Bartok String Quartets
Metal: Slayer – Reign in Blood
Prog Metal: VoiVod – Dimension Hatröss/Killing Technology
Jazz: anything by Steve Coleman and Five Elements
Misc.: anything by Nickel Creek, Kevin Gilbert
A
big thank you to Glenn, and all the best to him and At War With
Self.
Kenn
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