Can you give a brief introduction to Reaver?
Reaver is a Harsh EBM act from Virginia, US, and is my solo project. Reaver formed in 2003 as a side project in order to vent my goth/industrial influences while being more active in the local metal scene. Around 2007 it became a full-time project. Reaver combines elements of trance, darkwave, and old school electro-industrial to create an epic and progressive style of Harsh EBM.
Reaver is just you but you have a full live band for shows, who are the members of the live band and how did you all meet?
The live band consists of Scareypete on electronics/keyboards and Synthicide on keyboards. Presently, Synthicide is expecting twins and is taking a break (congratulations to her!), so the lineup will temporarily be just me and Scareypete. I met them because they are both well respected DJs who spin harsh ebm, aggrotech and powernoise in the local industrial scene.
Do the live members have input on the songwriting or is it just you who handles it?
I handle all the composition and most of the lyric writing, though on occasion Scareypete will contribute lyrics, such as a song on the forthcoming EP entitled “21st Century Savage.” We tend to have a similar outlook on society and philosophy, so this works well.
How are the songs for Reaver created, do you always work the same way in songwriting?
I tend to greatly vary my method when writing songs. Sometimes I have a lyrical theme first; sometimes I play a melody that strikes me on the piano and then convert it to a full song. Usually it just depends on how the inspiration strikes me.
What things do inspire you in writing songs and lyrics?
Usually things that I am passionate about. Often-times I try to capture moods or atmospheres based on horror and sci-fi/fantasy films I like. Lyrically, I tend to be inspired by things which interest me, which in recent times has either been religion or politics. Sometimes I throw in scientific concepts, as I am plasma physicist by day.
What is hardest for you to do, writing music or lyrics?
Honestly I would say lyrics. I was classically trained in piano and have been composing music since I was 10 years old, so it comes more naturally to me. Lyrics are not too difficult either; however, as I feel like I have a lot to say.
Your lyrics deviate from most harsh ebm bands, what are they about?
Generally my lyrics deviate in style a lot because they are not just “terror terror terror.” I tend to like to write about things which interest me, such as esotericism, politics, religious hypocrisy, science, and etc. The lyrical scope tends to be darker than usual, but sometimes quite different from your average harsh ebm lyrics, with the exception of the songs involving religious hypocrisy of course.
Before releasing the full length album “Eternal Psychonaut” you have released some ep’s, why did you this? Was it a learning experience?
In many ways it was. Many of those songs were experiments which helped me find the style I have now. There was also much more of a “Goth” feel to them, as I was torn between my old school gothic rock roots and my modern electro-industrial influences. I feel as if the song is constantly evolving, and I’m glad that I now have a label to release hard copies of the newer stuff.
The ep’s are now available as a free download, a gesture to the fans or not?
It most definitely is. Since I have departed from that style a bit (the new stuff has much less of a goth/darkwave influence), I felt like I should at least make them available for those who liked them.
The album “Eternal Psychonaut” is released on Radio Active Music, how did you get in contact with the label and how is the collaboration working out so far?
I actually met Laura Hofford several times at live shows around Virginia. She seemed to have good business sense and integrity, so I decided to send some demo tracks off of “Eternal Psychonaut.” She liked them and offered a deal. I enjoy working with Radio-Active, because the label is very supportive and helpful in all my musical endeavors.
How did the recordings of the album go, did you encounter problems you had to overcome?
Well, the biggest challenge was that the album was the first time I had someone else master my work, so I had to do a lot more to mix things to my utmost satisfaction before sending them off. In the end though, I think it came out well, and I actually learned a lot more about mixing and production in the process.
How are the comments so far on the album?
So far I have gotten excellent feedback, especially for a “debut.” I even got a pretty good review from a Japanese e-zine. I’m fairly happy with the response I’ve been getting, though I do intend to constantly evolve. I don’t want to use moderate success as an excuse to stagnate.
It seems that many European bands are of influence on you, is this correct?
Very much so. I love a lot of the 90s dark electro artists such as :Wumpscut: and yelworC, as well as some of the pioneering harsh EBM artists from Europe such as Suicide Commando. I am influenced by some modern European EBM/Industrial acts as well, such as Grendel and SITD. I think in electronic music in general there has been a lot of creativity going on in Europe during the 90s and 2000s, which is when I got into this kind of music.
You are working on a new ep already, what can you tell us about it?
It is going to be 10 songs: 5 new compositions and 5 remixes of those songs by various artists within the electro-industrial scene (not necessarily Harsh EBM artists). The new songs follow the study of a post-human character in a sci-fi short story I wrote. I might also post the short story up coinciding with the release for people who are interested to read.
In what way will the ep deviate from the full length album,what progress have you made in your mind?
The new EP will have much better production and synth programming, as well as a much more futuristic feel. It will still be quite harsh, and in some aspects it may be more aggressive than some of the songs on the full length. I’ve also given it a bit more of an epic feel. The songs are much more progressive, yet also much more consistent than the full length.
Any last words for the readers?
I’d just like to thank everybody for taking the time to read this, as well as all of you at Cyber Angels for giving me the opportunity to do this interview. I’d also like to tell everyone to stay tuned for more news on the forthcoming EP. Thank you!
www.myspace.com/reavermusik