Gassan Aqel, a versatile artist, here in Squint but this time with his musical talents. The successful artist recently announced his second solo album, "Electric Realm". Just like the first album, everything is made by Gassan, from the playing and singing to the mixing and mastering of the tracks. This album features much higher-pitched voices and an effective vocal performance. There are many electronic sounds and instrumental works that are very compatible with them, making the album quite interesting. As a songwriter, he has a unique style and can present the topics he touches on to the listener in good harmony with the music.
Since we know Gassan, we immediately contacted him and had a short Q&A with him about the album:
Gass, we have known you for a long time and you already know our admiration for your visual art, we have talked about it before and collaborated together. You are a versatile artist and you have always impressed us with your music. How did your interest in music begin?
Thank you for all the support you’ve shown me through the years. My interest in music started when I was 11 years old. I felt a bit different as a kid with my music taste. I was more drawn to a heavier, more mature sound. While kids my age listened to Britney Spears or Backstreet Boys, I was listening to Rage Against the Machine, Green Day, Social Distortion, etc. In a way, I felt a little isolated from my own generation.
By the time I reached 13, my mother surprised me on my birthday with a guitar, and I couldn’t stop playing it. I knew nothing about it, and I guess I taught myself how to play. To this day, I still feel like I know nothing about music. The more I got into it, the more I realized what a vast ocean this thing is.
What would you like to say about your musical style? Is there a musical movement that you feel you belong to?
I think about this a lot when I’m making music. I still don’t have a clear answer. I listen to all music genres. There’s no genre that I hate or don’t relate to. I guess I don’t like billboard music, which can be translated to corporate music. You know, the summer hit song type of thing. Other than that, I do like all types of music. So I don’t feel like I belong to a certain genre, but if I have to choose, it would be rock. It has been a pillar in my life since my earliest memory.
Your first album was very impressive. How did the idea for a second album come about; what are your career goals as a musician?
Thank you. My first solo album was me expressing my musical side in any way I saw fit. I called it Dialogue Prototype because I was still learning what I sound like solo. For my second album, Electric Realm, I had a clear vision of where I wanted to take it. I wanted a cohesive style with an emphasis on certain topics. As for my career goals as a musician, it’s very hard making money from that. I do it for passion and for the sake of music. Streaming services have reduced the profits of musicians to mere pennies. Playing live is one of the only ways a musician can gain profit, and I do plan to do that eventually. For now, my visual art is still more profitable than music. I plan to continue doing both.
Can you walk us through your songwriting or composition process for this album? Did anything feel different from your previous work?
My general writing process for music is very hectic. I could be in the shower singing, and then suddenly a full song appears right in front of me. I hum it, and it starts from there. Other times, I sit down to compose something on the guitar or the bass until something interesting happens. A song could start from there. The most important thing for me is the drums. Once I have a general idea of where the song is heading, I create the drums or beat, either by playing it myself or by programming it on my DAW (Digital Audio Workstation). Here’s a little secret: I hate playing with a clicker; it always throws me off from the vibe of the song, so I use the drums as my clicker.
For this album, I wanted a very electric beat and drums, and that’s the main difference in the album—the emphasis on the electronic genre and mixing it with heavy rock elements and hip-hop… because why not?
Were there any personal experiences or stories that significantly shaped the themes or sound of this album?
Great question, thanks. Yes, I was going through a weird transitional period. My partner and I were living in Malaysia, and we migrated to Australia this year. The album has a lot of fear of the unknown and uncertainty. And because fear is the main theme, I decided to go with a heavy sound. The political and economic climate of the world helped create that too. There’s so much unrest and injustice in the world right now that stuff like this writes itself. I think for my next album, I will go with a very different tone. To be honest, the album got to me a little, and I want to stray away from that feeling for a while in terms of creation. So expect something more absurd in tone and topic for the next album.
Where did the idea for "While My Guitar Gently Creeps" come from; are you a Beatles fan?
Yes, I’m a very big fan of the Beatles. I listened to them a lot in my early 20s. For While My Guitar Gently Creeps, the idea had nothing to do with the Beatles, except the title. Generally, the song is about the fast pace of life and how going to buy groceries sometimes feels like an adventure with all the city sirens, noise, traffic jams, loud shouts, etc. The title was just an absurd thought I had because I was stuck for so long trying to name this track.
You released a video for your song "Billboard", can you tell us a little about the filming process? Was the idea all yours?
The Billboard music video was a collaborative project between my partner, Cherinee Wong, and me. She works in advertising, and through the years I heard her mention some unethical things that go down in advertising. She herself is appalled by that behavior. I personally hate where the advertising industry is going. That’s why I made the song to begin with. So we combined both of our skills to create the music video, given that both of us come from different artistic practices and backgrounds. Cherinee handled the filming and creating the ads in the video, as well as all the motion graphics. I wrote the ads and edited the video.
There are many electronic sounds and instrumental blends in the album. Could this reflect your character? There is also a unity with your visual art.
I love electronic music. The possibilities are endless. I’m not talking about clubbing electronic music; I’m specifically talking about the electronic sound. It’s truly limitless. I think around seven years ago, I bought my first synth, and I’ve been in love with it since. I always insert it in my tracks one way or another. Sometimes it’s faint in the background, so it holds the track together, and sometimes it’s right there in the front.
As for unity with my visual art, I have heard that before. I’m truly honored that you say that. I appreciate it. The weird part is the fact that it just happened. I honestly didn’t plan it in any way, shape, or form. I just make visual art, and it looks the way it looks. When I did music, it sounded like that. It’s strange to me sometimes, but yeah, the brain is a weird place.
The lyrics of the song "Error" are very meaningful and you also made a duet. The song gives its message very clearly, what would you like to say?
Kieeeeelllll Kiell.
OK, joking. Yeah, things are looking crazier and crazier with AI these days. It’s progressing faster than our collective understanding of it. Companies are rushing to shove it into the current competitive market at any cost. I’m worried.
For that song, I wrote all the dialogue for the two AI entities, then I used an AI to perform the lines that I wrote. After that, I edited the sound of the two AIs to make them have a conversation. It was weird fun. My partner played the piano for that track.
Thank you for this wonderful interview.
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