Magna Zero ‘The Great Nothing’
The void is a gift, and through it, nothing becomes everything. There’s much power in the nothingness. For some, it’s a mirror to gaze into one’s soul, and for the other, is where the answers surface after the painful rebirth through long, dry tunnel. The Great Nothing is just like its name suggests—magnificent, inside nothing there’s everything. Through these seemingly random yet noise-coiled odyssey into the wormhole of our existence, transcendence and celebration is the result.
The essence of The Great Nothing lies between psych and desert, space and evocation. A sprawling, mind-bending quest into nothingness, but instead of dropping you into a deep hole of frozenness and isolation, Magna Zero discover the meaning of it all. There’s celebration in the void of music, flamboyant firework in the abyss that gazes back to you. They chew and spit the same turbulence of existential crisis, but turning under rocks, the raw, magnificent beauty of nature touched them. And they bring it into their music.
Behind nothingness, there’s everything, all the marvelous, gorgeous scenes that music is capable of creating, all the unspoken questions, emotions that are woven together are there. And they see it too. There’s deep appreciation runs through The Great Nothing like veins..
Magna Zero brings a whole world into your ears. Sensory awakening, gritty, introspective and translucent. Sonically, they remind you of Guns N Roses meets Elton John, a sort of hysteria and exhilaration wrapped up in retro aesthetic. “Under The Dirt” takes you to a dirt-fueled groove-infused on-the-road rock concert. Their glitchy sonic collage is simply so pleasurable to listen to, and the deeper you go with The Great Nothing, the more sensory evocative their sonics are.
With vocals that have the charm and power like a cult leader yet remains out of touch, Magna Zero is unstoppable. “Oblivion” has the flattering soundscapes as if the inside of a red hot iron, but instead of finding it burning, it’s freezingly cold. “Step Into The Light” turns on Magna Zero’s spacious intimacy with a clean sound. The Great Nothing showcases their versatility to stimulate a range of experiences.
Punk Head: The Great Nothing showcases Magna Zero's versatility and range as a band. I love the unique blends of sonic palettes in this album and how it constantly inspires listeners to expand. Can you discuss any specific elements or themes that contribute to the album's ethos/aesthetic?
Chris (Guitar): Letting go and being free was a mantra for me. No ego. Just expressing yourself through your instrument in any way you seem fit. Most of the tracks that made it on the album came out of free jams where this mantra got to flourish.
Dave (Drums): Specific themes/aesthetics would be “lose yourself to find yourself,” “darkness = light”—you can't have one without the other, and “the scientific truth of the universe that we somehow tap into.” It’s incredible to experience what comes out of three of us in a such a natural way when we play music together. We definitely seem to connect with a wormhole to “creation.”
Jason (Vocals/Bass/Keys): For me, the ethos of this album is about journeying to a state of inner peace and oneness with the cosmos, through embracing nothingness from within and transcending the self to experience unity with everything. To be unconditionally free; one must first allow themselves to become nothing. A black hole’s transformative power of creation through destruction illustrates this well, which is why we chose it as the cover image for the album.
PH: Which song(s) from the album do you think best represent your artistic vision?
Jason: The messages of peace, love, and unity in songs like “Step Into The Light,” “Endure,” and “We Are All” are what I hope most strongly resonate with our audience. And yet, every song from the album illuminates some aspect or another of the collective and individual quests to better know unconditional love and compassion.
Dave: Every song to me represents the artistic vision—the vision is really out of our control...it just happens from the love we have for each other and the love for music.
Chris: I could pick any song, but I feel “All Must Go” really showcases our collaborative efforts and what can come out of our free jams. I’m glad it opens the album.
PH: Can you tell us more about you as a band?
Chris: We’ve been fortunate to be close friends most of our lives. Our music is second to that.
Jason: Much like friends finishing each other’s sentences, we sense where each of us is going musically in our improvisational work together. It’s very much a creative conversation, a language of rhythm, vibe, and melody that we co-create.
Dave: Our band is really us as musicians that love creating and jamming to whatever music seems to come out. We literally don't have any control or vision or pre-concieved definition/notion as to how the music will be. It just seems to take its own form from free jamming with each other.
PH: Are there any specific musical or lyrical influences that play a role in the creation of this album?
Dave: All these songs were born from improvisational free jamming that we eventually carved and molded into the tracks/songs that you hear/experience now. It's pretty damn cool.
Jason: I was listening to a lot of Pink Floyd, The Cure, Black Sabbath, Rage Against The Machine, and Bob Marley at the time we were creating The Great Nothing. I’d like to think the spirit of those artists and many others seeped into the DNA of the album in some way.
Chris: A lot of the album was conceived and written during the pandemic. I think it was inevitable it would have an influence on the vibe of the music and lyrical content.
PH: What is the one thing you'd like your fans to know about you?
Jason: Our band creates music for everyone, regardless of color, creed, politics, gender identity, who one loves, or infinite other differences that some would have divide and weaken us. Music is a powerful reminder of our shared humanity, through which we can unite for a better world.
Chris: Being fans of live music ourselves, we’re excited to showcase the album and more live!
Dave: Met one of music/drumming heroes, Matt Cameron (drums for Soundgarden/Pearl Jam) literally a couple weeks ago at the L.A. Airport. We shared a few words and a handshake. Something I'll never forget.
