Geoff Tate – Operation: mindcrime

By: Jamie Steinberg

Q) How would you describe your sound?

A) I wouldn’t. I think that it’s kind of up to the listener to decide on what it sounds like because we all hear different things. Everybody hears music differently and experiences it differently. No one person’s opinion is right or wrong. It’s just their opinion. For me, the album is a story so it is a combination of a lot of different sounds. It’s a story that follows a narrative and the characters have their own stories and melodies that are attached to their character that will keep appearing throughout the three albums. The songs kind of set the scene for what the story is about and where it is at in the moment. There is a lot to get across. It’s pretty panoramic with the sound design and I think it has a lot to it that people will find interesting to listen to.

Q) How did the idea for Operation: mindcrime come together?

A) I wanted to have a lot of people involved with it. I wanted to kind of have an open door approach to getting different people together to perform and write – to contribute their music ideas – in an environment that was conducive to experimentation and creativity. There is quite a few people involved with the record like different writers and performers. I think pretty much everyone who is involved with the three records will be touring with me at some point. That’s exciting! We’ll probably have some change-ups here and there throughout the tour. It really keeps it interesting and I think the audience enjoys not knowing who will be appearing.

Q) We have gotten to see a trailer for four different tracks off the album. What kind of fan reaction are you getting to The Key?

A) I don’t really pay too much attention to that kind of thing too much. Creating three albums is a giant achievement and it is a staggering amount of music organization to keep everything rolling. I am just finishing up the second album now and the third album I have written, but I haven’t started mixing or recording it yet. That will happen in the next few weeks.

Q) What is the writing process like for your music? Do you need lyrics before the music comes?

A) It is different for each project. With this project, I wrote a story first and broke the story into an outline form. Then, I started composing into music that fit specific parts of the story. So, with this case, the story came first and the music came second.

A) Everything. I’m at all stages. I’m there from the first note created to the last note that you hear as the speakers quit playing.

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

A) It’s the way that music is transmitted nowadays. If you are in the 21st century, that’s how we do things. It’s become the vehicle to find out information and to hear music, see videos and see everything really. It’s a brilliant presentational tool and it gives you a lot of ability to reach millions and millions of people.

Q) What do you want to be make fans are aware of about The Key?

A) It comes out September 18th!

Q) How do you plan to celebrate the release of the album?

A) I’m going to be in Europe at that time and I’m gong to Italy to meet up with my record company. I think they are planning to have an album release party in Naples.

Q) What can fans expect from a live Operation: mindcrime concert?

A) We start touring in late November in Europe and then we will be coming to North America in January. We plan on playing the new album The Key in its entirety as the show’s centerpiece and then kind of book ending that album with songs from my catalogue of tracks, which I have a lot of! I have a lot of songs to pick from, which is a good problem to have.

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

A) Thanks for listening! I hope to see everybody at some of the shows that we will be performing at.