Hypnogaja Interview: SXSW 2010

Posted on Mar 9th 2010 5:30PM by Erik B Olson
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Hypnogaja was founded by vocalist Jason "ShyBoy" Arnold and keyboardist Mark Nubar Donikian as a studio project, and evolved into a full-fledged live band with additional members Adrian Barnardo, Bryan Farrar and Abe Parker. They'll tour in support of their new album, 'Truth Decay,' this summer, and a new EP, 'Dark Star,' which includes a collaboration with Slimkid3 of the Pharcyde, will drop in June. In anticipation of the band's stint at SXSW, Spinner spoke with Mark--with a little help from Jason--about the band, their plans, and Wonder Woman.

How would you describe your sound?

Hypnogaja's music is a combination of theatrical rock 'n' roll with elements of alternative and electronic music, and some retro influences.

How did you form the band?

Jason and I originally founded the group. I was just writing tracks on my keyboard at the time, and he had a notebook filled with lyrical and melodic ideas. We collaborated with various friends and Hypnogaja was born as a studio project. Once we added guitars and a live rhythm section, and became more of a live band, the combination of the electronic with the organic really set a balance that put us on the creative path that we travel today.

How did you come up with the name?

We derived our name Hypnogaja from the hypnagogia, for the state between wakefulness and sleep. Basically a lucid dream. If you can ever recall being in this wide awake, dreamlike state, it's got such an intangible, ethereal quality to it. It's kind of like trying to touch music. You can't, but it's there and it's very real.

What are your musical influences?

Our lead singer Jason's favorite singers include Annie Lennox, Sinead O'Connor and Nina Simone, and he also likes the Beastie Boys and early hip-hop. Some of the guys in the bands are Metallica-heads. I have a lot of retro influences, I like electro stuff like the Eurythmics, I'm a huge Donna Summer fan.

I like the more artistic, '70s commercial rock, like Pink Floyd and Fleetwood Mac, that had that extra edge. Kind of like '70s films seemed to have that other "thing" to them. It seems like it must have been a really interesting time to be doing both albums and films.

I think in the '70s, the big record companies and movie studios both felt like they didn't really know what audiences were going to go for, so people who had ideas--be they Pink Floyd or Martin Scorcese--got a lot of leeway.

On the corporate side of things now, it feels like it's all patterned after something--there's a formula, and the shareholders want commercial results, so there's not as much artistic freedom as there once was. Every artist is a theme park of themselves.

Don't get me wrong, I'm totally into sugary, catchy pop stuff that gets stuck in your head. But I also love albums where there's an expansiveness to it, like you're involved in the artist's creative process. But I feel there's a great renaissance coming in the music business, with the internet connecting fans directly with artists.

You have a million Twitter followers, how do you do that?

Jason's on a computer right now, 50 feet away from me, answering fans and keeping up with people. Since Myspace was created we've been on social networking sites for hours a day, every day. You make fans and friends, and create a community. Some people call it marketing, we call it survival.

When I get an interview assignment, I'll search for torrents of the band. Your whole discography is out there, so you know people care enough to steal your music!

It's great to hear that. It's hard to gauge how you're doing as an indie band. If people want to steal our stuff that's a big compliment--our whole goal is to be on people's iPods. To us, that means that we're doing well.

What's your biggest vice?

I think I'm an internet addict. I may have reached the last page of the internet at some point, but they keep making more so I keep diving back in. You've got your iPhone and your other computers, and you do it for work, but you come to rely on it for everything. I love the technology, I swear by it, but I think it may end up being my downfall.

Who was your first celebrity crush?

Can I use a lifeline? This is Jason's--Linda Carter as Wonder Woman. She was gorgeous . These days, you don't even know if who you're looking at is real--they have live Photoshop, they can remove blemishes, make you look younger. That's why Linda Carter's a good answer, because back then you really had to be beautiful.

Do you have a musical guilty pleasure?

[To Jason] Really, you're going to list them? Jason says Linkin Park. I'm going to say Lady Gaga. We saw her at Nokia Theater--she was great, it was a really fun show.

What's the craziest thing you've seen on the road?

We were playing in Butte, MT, where the people really love their rock 'n' roll. We were onstage doing our opening number and all of a sudden, we smelled gas. I look over and see the local rock radio DJ on his motorcycle, driving it right into the club and to the front of the stage. He was doing it for theatrical effect, and it was definitely dramatic. Our friend who was working merch for us dove for the t-shirts and CDs--he thought the guy was gonna drive right over the booth! It was a memorable kick-off moment for sure, though it's a little hard to sing with exhaust fumes in your lungs.

Erik B Olson is a contributor from Seed.com. Learn how you can contribute here.