Hi Johnny, thanks for doing this interview, how are you doing?
Johnny- I am doing well thanks for asking. I’m happy to be able to do this interview with you.
You are the main man behind Blackcentr; can you give a brief introduction to the band?
Johnny- I don’t know how brief this will be but here it goes…I started the project in the Fall of 2007, the original singer came on to help me on a few songs and ended up becoming a permanent member of Blackcentr after he was kicked out of the band he was with at that time. In 2008, I was able to secure a deal with a record label and work started on Blackcentr’s first album. We started to play some local shows around Southern California, in fact, most of 2009 was spent playing live shows and making final touches on Blackcentr’s debut album which was released that November. The day the album was released, the singer suffered from a huge ego melt down and I had to kick him out of the project. The record label pulled the first album from distribution after that so I had to also part ways with the record label. In 2010 I found another singer and quickly put out the “Disease” EP and Blackcentr also found a new home with another record label, SigSaly Transmissions.
What song or occasion spurred your interest to start a music career?
Johnny- I have always been into music, I DJ’d and played around in bands with my friends during my youth. It wasn’t until I went and saw KMFDM and Combichrist play at the House of Blues in Orange County, California back around 2006 or so that I was really motivated to start my own project. That show had so much energy and the music sounded so good, I thought to myself…”I want to do this”. That weekend I purchased some keyboards and some software and this adventure began.
Before Blackcentr, did you play in any other bands?
Johnny- No, not really…not anything since I was a kid.
Not too long ago Ryan joined you and is handling the vocals, how did you guys meet and how do the both of you work together in creating the
music for Blackcentr?
Johnny- After I got rid of the first singer, I put out a few posts on the internet for people to audition. I got a few good and a few bad responses to that. I then put out an ad on Craig’s List in the music section and Ryan was one of the people that responded to that ad. He came over to the studio and I was really impressed with his raw, natural talent. Ryan really sang well compared to my first singer who had very limited vocal skills.
When working on a song, I usually have a large part of the track composed then invite Ryan over to the studio to brainstorm on the vocals and lyrics. We both write the lyrics and come up with the melodies, and then I record him singing the vocal parts. After that I do some processing on them and then he comes over and we do some more based on the results of the first session. It usually takes 2-4 sessions with Ryan for one song.
You just released an EP called Disease, how are the responses to this EP?
Johnny- The responses have been overwhelming…I really didn’t expect to have such great feedback, but it is really appreciated after all the hard work I did. It was so much fun and such a great learning experience.
The EP shows a style that is pretty unique, what are the ingredients for a good Blackcentr song?
Johnny- I like unique and strive to have a somewhat unique sound. A good Blackcentr song must have a good dance beat, lots of bass and layers of synth. I try to use at least one synth sound in every song that is common to all Blackcentr songs…so when people hear it, they know it’s us. Kind of like a calling card. It may only be in the song for a second…but it’s in there. I also like to mix up the style a little bit…some songs may sound noisier or dirty, while others simpler and cleaner. I do strive to have a dark theme for all the content though. I wanted to get away from the common style of vocals you hear in most music out there today and Ryan brings that to the project.
What are sources of inspiration?
Johnny- I get a lot of inspiration from observing people and their actions, the problems they endure or generate for others. I also get inspiration from history and thoughts on the future of humanity. Musically I get inspiration from a number of my favorite bands like Depeche Mode, Combichrist, and Korn to name a few. I also like watching how people react to different types of musical elements at clubs and on the dance floor and try and use some of those elements in my music.
Besides the four original songs there is also a remix made by DYM, how did you get them to remix the track “Disease”
Johnny- I just sent a message to them on MySpace and they said they would do it. They are truly talented and I appreciate the remix…when I first got it to review I must have listened to it 20 times in a row and was just blown away…it was perfect!
You recently signed a deal with Sigsaly Transmissions, how did this happen and what are your expectations of this?
Johnny- I had communications with the label owner here and there over the years so when I finished the Disease EP, I sent it off to him to get some feedback. I was surprised when he contacted me and said he would like to enter into a partnership. After the negative times I had with the previous label, I really didn’t even think I would want to work with a label again…not just any label anyway…that’s why I did the self distribution with the Disease EP. But after talking to Marc I saw that he was a real professional and had a good thing going that I wanted to be part of. I really think being part of a music family and supporting the label and other bands on the label is important. My only expectations from the label are friendship, professionalism and a fun working environment….and maybe some help distributing the music.
Why did you decide to offer the EP as a free download, what is the purpose of this? Where can people get it?
Johnny- I wanted to offer the EP for free so people could enjoy the music without having to buy it or pirate it…the economy is tough and I thought it would be a good way to market the band and our music. I offer the free tracks at a reduced quality and high quality tracks can be purchased for a small fee. Even with it being offered for free, many have still purchased the EP which I really appreciate and the money is just invested back into the project. All the info about how to get the EP for free or buy it is at www.blackcentr.com/disease
Are you currently working on the full length album for Sigsaly transmissions, when and what can people expect of that?
Johnny- I am going to release another EP first, I want to get a release out on the label soon so I thought that another EP would be a good way to accomplish that. I foresee 3-4 tracks and some remixes on it. The EP is in production now and if everything goes right, probably the first part of 2011. It will be a similar sound but probably better quality and a more refined sound. As soon as we get that out, we will get to work on a full length album.
You are also planning to do live shows, what needs to be done before that becomes reality?
Johnny- Yes, live shows are in our near future…we are rehearsing a little now just to get an understanding of what work we need to do in order to accomplish it. I will have a live drummer this time around so of course finding the right person and incorporating an acoustic kit into the show is challenging. We are working with a drummer now named Josh and he is really talented and it’s exciting to hear him play the songs. After the next EP is finished we will put more effort into the live show preparation and look to tour a bit to support its release.
What will be next for Blackcentr?
Johnny- Our focus for the next year or so is to finish the next EP, get the live show ready, tour a bit while working on a full length album. I would like to also work on some remixes during that time.
Any last words for the readers?
Johnny- I would like to thank everyone who has supported me for the last couple years and stood by me during the tough times. I would like to thank Ryan for working so hard and to my wife for being my biggest fan and supporter. Also...Thanks to SigSaly for inviting Blackcentr to join their family. Finally..thanks to all the people who downloaded or purchased the Disease EP. The link to our main website where they kind find the links to all of our various web spaces is: www.blackcentr.com