The Subtheory – Impact

By starrymag | December 29, 2020

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

A) My sound is dark and cinematic electronica, it’s future noir in the same vein as Blade Runner – little stories from decaying dystopian cities.  Each release is a soundtrack to a movie that hasn’t been made yet.

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

A) I grew up listening to varied genres and each has their own direct influence on me, from the sci fi tinged synth of Jean-Michel Jarre and Tangerine Dream to the sonic wall of The Bomb Squad.  I like the harder edged electro of people like Com Truise, Lorn and Soul Wax.  It’s always my aim to marry together the sweet melodies of synth with the in-your-face bottom end of electro.

 

Q) How did you come up with the name The Subtheory?

A) Everything always starts with the bassline when it comes to feeling the groove, drums are for your feet and the melody is for your head, but it’s the bassline that gets your whole body moving.  It joins the dots, so I wanted something that reflected that and “sub” means deep or below.  It’s the whole underground vibe I wanted, so it made sense to call myself “Subtheory.”

 

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Video Crash 83.”

A) The title relates to the worst video game ever ET, which when it was released, in 1983, was so bad that it nearly destroyed the whole video game industry.  It became a mythical story as to where the unsold cartridges were dumped and felt like a great jumping off point for the EP.  The track itself was something that came together all at once; I had the Arp pattern in my head and wanted to give it an evolving feel to drive the track forward.  Once that was in place the other elements came naturally.

 

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

A) Hopefully, it’s something to get their heads nodding but also a few people have told me it’s been great to exercise to as it’s a perfect tempo for jogging.  That wasn’t intentional but felt like an added bonus.

 

Q) How does the video for the track play into the message behind it?

A) I always like to do something different for the videos and I had in my head when I was writing the track that it felt like people driving, so I went with the theme of people tinkering with their cars and then racing them.  The track feels like lots of journey’s taking place at once and that’s what I wanted to convey, not a journey with a purpose necessarily but maybe round and round a track.  Sideways.

 

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

A) I produce all of my tracks myself. I often work with other people to collaborate and bring new ideas in, but this EP is solely done by me.

 

Q) What are some themes you explore on your new EP Impact?

A) The EP was written during the early lockdown when the world felt like a different place.  It came together very quickly and one of the these I was exploring was the notion of alienation and isolation we were all feeling in one way or another.  I would take late night walks in empty, desolate streets and it fired my imagination and the EP came together very quickly.

 

Q) Which songs on the EP took the longest to finish and why?

A) I normally take a long time to finish one track, let alone an EP or album, but this happened very quickly and very organically.  I think the track that took the longest was probably “Impact,” as I kept tweaking and retweaking the bass notes to hit harder and harder.  I wanted it to really slap but it’s tough to balance it without going overboard and hurting people’s ears.

 

Q) Which track holds a special place in your heart and why?

A)I think it’s probably “Apart from you, a part of me” as it’s about being isolated away from the people you love and feeling that pang of missing someone close to you.  Lockdown meant so many people were kept away from each other and I couldn’t see my daughter for a while because of it and it was difficult to deal with.  I think anyone who feels that way can relate.

 

Q) What message do you hope listeners take away from the EP?

A) I’d like to think that, ultimately, whilst this EP was born out of a strange time in our lives that hope remains with us and we can rebuild this world a new, with compassion and empath for each of our fellow humans (and animals).  We’ve been put on hold and maybe as a species had our reality checked a little.  Something so microscopic can halt our way of life so old arrogances should be rightly challenged.

 

Q) With concerts currently on hold, what do you miss about being on the stage?

A) I miss that connection to people, seeing people react and dancing to something that I created is the biggest buzz.

 

Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you?

A) I’ve played many places but one of my favorites is the Opera House in Bournemouth.  It’s dilapidated and looks like the Bradbury building from Blade Runner, but it has a real sense of theatre as you’d expect.

 

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

A) I’m currently working with The Last Years on a track out soon and an EP with Cosmic Boxer, which is sounding promising.  Apart from those guys, I’d really like to work with someone unexpected like Lana Del Rey or Thom Yorke.

 

Q) What album/band are you currently listening to and why do you dig them? 

A) I’ve been listing to a lot of Caribou again and I love how delicate he makes everything sound.  It’s dance-y but you can lay on your bed, close your eyes and drift away to it as well.  That’s genius.

 

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

A) I think it’s great to interact and allow people to talk to each other directly and quickly in a way we couldn’t otherwise.  It’s really visual too, which is perfect for me as someone who sees how things hear and hears how things look.  If that makes any sense at all.

 

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

A) Thank you sincerely, your love and support. It is truly appreciated in so many ways.  I’m really looking forward to seeing you all next year when we can play shows again!