Cryogen Second is a harsh US electronic act presently based in Tennessee. Their recent EP Clarity is a
collective force, combining vibrant & hard energy, like a good form of mania. The instrumentation &
rhythm create atmospheric urgency, this is stimuli to move. The output of screams are vivid, laced with
intensity. It’s a frenzy of expression, all the moods & thoughts are perceptible, accessible. They catch on
to you, can become weighted like hooks, easily susceptible to being remembered.
Can you explain the meaning of the band name: Cryogen Second?
Sure. Cryogen Second was formed around the idea of "perfect moments", something that just completely redefines what you are, even though the moment passes, you hold onto it forever.
When did the project originate & how has your sound changed since?
I've been working on electronic music for about ten years, but I didn't really start Cryogen in ernest until September of 2009, and it has changed dramatically. I have musical ADHD, So I feel like I haven't stopped
changing my sound. I have definitely vocally diverged from a more traditional singing style to a Metal
influenced bark/scream.
Who are your band members & how did you meet?
Inside of the studio I am solo (though I do have guest artists on a track or two on the CD). Live we have
Kevin E. on guitars and Asli T. on synths. I had a different guitarist (Ryan S.) for a long time, But we got a
good bit darker on each song, and Ryan is a rock/pop guitarist. Having a rock guitarist just isn't the same
as a metal guitarist when your tastes are getting decidedly darker. Kevin and I had been talking about
working together in some capacity for a while, so when we had the opening, he started playing.
Have any of you been a part of other bands as well? Are there any current side projects?
I have two side projects currently: The first is Thrt Lvl, which is a bit of an experiment into whatever I
want to do at the time that isn't cryogen. It is pretty much my deposit of "learning" tracks that I really
like but don't want to release under the main projects name. The second is something I'm working on
with a friend that is straight up Metal with a bit of industrial influence.
Your EP is entitled Clarity. Did you have a particular theme in mind for this album & what is the significance of this title?
I hadn't really thought of a theme for the album, but now that I'm being asked, I guess I can see one. Both of the songs that aren't B‐Sides are the more personal tracks on the album, both about a specific type of person: The Backstabber and The Uninformed Clubwhore.
Cryogen Second came to our attention because the music utilizes elements from a broad range of genres. In your own words how would you genre classify your project & describe the overall sound?
Can I claim that I sound like Katy Perry and Meshuggah in a blender (Offtopic: this sounds like a great
way to cover california girls). If not then Industrial/Electro with a bit of powernoise, french house, metal,
and pop thrown in.
You have received positive feedback regarding your songwriting, do you have certain re‐occurring topics or issues? What are your inspirations?
Thematically I started very political and very personal. My music always had a person it was aimed at, a
cause to rally behind. As I've gotten older I've become more lyrically influenced by the human psyche
and our thought process.
What is your creative process for developing music & the lyrical content?
I start with music and an idea, usually I'll say "I want to try this out in a track". The song I'm working on
finishing right now has a halftime chorus and a dubstep bridge, along with some influence from The
Deftones. I don't think that I've ever written lyrics first in any track. But there's always a catalyst that
starts it.
Music can be a tool for social change, it can be a statement, a protest, a hope & so forth, are there any ideas you want your work to represent? What do you hope your music conveys?
People are pretty much all terrible. We do terrible things, think terrible things daily. Even if it's just
cutting someone off without signaling or running a red light. We don't think about the ramifications to
other people, just that we're mildly inconvenienced by whatever it is that's standing in our way. We are
constantly at war; our society can't even have a disagreement without some dickbag on TV commenting
how <Insert scapegoat here> is the cancer that is killing America, be it conservative or liberal. And this
isn't just an american thing, this is going on everywhere, just that our western world takes it and turns it
into fucking hollywood.
I have this theory that we will continue to fight until the end of everything, and right before we all die,
regardless if it's from nuclear winter or from asteroid, there will be this one moment of peace, where we
finally get how absolutely worthless all of the fighting and the warring and the time spent tearing
everything that isn't "ours" down. Of course, at that point, it will be too late and we will all be
annihilated. Which is just fine by me.
Do you have a specific memory that you could say was your catalyst to begin producing music?
Fozzy Bear. No joke, all seriousness. Muppets sang the greatest songs.
Are there certain musicians or bands that have made an intense & lasting impact in your life?
Yes. Assemblage 23. Contempt got me into the industrial scene "for good", made me want to make
music and made me understand that I could write music by myself and not sound like shit. And he's a
verifiably nice guy, something entirely lacking in this scene.
What is your dream collaboration?
I want to get Ben from Ludovico Technique, Sean from Cyanotic, Marten and Fredrick from Meshuggah
and Myself in a room together for one album of glitched industrial metal hip hop noise. It would be pure
goddamn chaos.
Are there any default tracks or remixes that you put on to vent or relax?
Anything off of the Campfire Headphase by Boards of Canada.... Really anything by BoC I can chill out to.
I have been listening to Meshuggah's Catch 33 a lot recently. Great album and I did not know that the
drums were programmed until very recently.
Artists oben create music that differs from what they listen to in private life. What are some guilty
pleasures we may be surprised to find in your music library?
Guilty Pleasures? No. well... Paramore. One (huge) Guilty Pleasure.Surprised to find in my library? God Yes.
The Zombie EP by The Devil Wears Prada. I don't normally like this band, but they really did a great job
with this EP. it's only five songs, but it's well worth picking it up if you're into mathy, discordant Metal.
I also have a recently developed thing for Epic Power Metal like Lost Horizon, Sabaton, Firewind, and of
course, Dragonforce.
Are there any newcomers in the underground music community that you like & recommend we check out?
I don't know if you would call them newcomers, but if you aren't listening to The Ludovico Technique and you call yourself a rivethead, you're missing out.
The music industry & scenes have changed immensely over the years & artists are experiencing
emotional, psychological & economical suffering. If someone feels the same way about making music as
you but is considering quitting it, what would you say to them?
Yeah. We're in a weird blob of time where no one is sure what's going on. Good bands can't book shows,
and horrible bands get called up to support influential acts on national tours. I'd tell that person to do whatever is gonna make them happy. We're here for eighty years if we're lucky, there's no sense in
getting caught up in something if you're not happy in it.
What can we expect next from Cryogen Second? Are you working on a new album?
I've got the Debut album almost finished now, titled Anthem for the Great Self Destruct, and as soon as I send the album out, I'm starting work on the next album. The new stuff is going to be a lot less Club
oriented, a lot more for live shows.
Anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Yes and it's simple. If you complain about your scene and do nothing to proactively change it; you are a
fuckwad and don't deserve your scene.
cryogensecond.bandcamp.com
www.myspace.com/cryogensecond
Made by Precious Little