Dan Black – Do Not Revenge

By starrymag | April 10, 2017

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

 

A) The sound of a robot dancing with tears in his eyes in a donut shop.

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

 

A) This album is a mix of the Mary Poppins soundtrack, Schooly D and Rimbaud.

 

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Headphones.”

 

A) Headphones is about how I spent five years making this album, locked in my headphones, blissfully creating yet also slipping away from the reality, friends and family.

 

Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?

 

A) I would never dare to presume to know the answer to that question…!

 

Q) How will the video play into the message of the song?

 

A) The video shows me going on a mini midnight adventure with a mysterious ball of light on the outskirts of Kiev. That’s a pretty good metaphor for how I’ve spent the last few years making this album!

 

Q) Which track off upcoming album Do Not Revenge means the most to you and why?

 

A) A song called “Wash Away.” It’s my secular electronic hymn! It feels the truest thing I’ve ever written.

 

Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

 

A) It’s always different, but lyrics are usually the hardest part. I’m always trying to stick my brain in an usual context to try and provoke a new idea. Half the battle is finding the unusual context. So, I use a lot of samples that I then mangle and mess with, waiting for some kind of emotional spark to materialize.

 

Q) How much of hand do you have in the production of your music?

 

A) I have all of two hands in the production! I do it all. Even the mixing, which is probably why it takes me so long!

 

Q) What can fans expect from a live Dan Black performance?

 

A) Me and some machines on a stage, me singing my little heart out, the machines playing their little circuits out, trying to help the audience get a little transcendence from the mundane.

 

Q) What songs off Do Not Revenge do you most enjoy performing live? 

 

A) I haven’t played them all yet, but so far “Wash Away” and “Blow” have been very satisfying to play.

 

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

 

A) I’d love to do a track with Fozzie Bear.

 

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

 

A) I’m pretty terrible at social media to be honest. I’m naturally super private and find a lot of the nature of getting likes etc. a bit icky. But it can be fun, too. I got my fans to record themselves singing a phrase, which I then turned into a choir and put on a song on my album. That’s was pretty cool.

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

 

A) It’s hard to find a phrase to be properly sincere. I spend so long on my music, away from the world, that having any fans who really connect with what I do is kind of a miracle to me. I am very grateful.