Feature: Marc Soucy Decodes “PTSD: Paris-Tokyo Suborbital Departures”
What was the initial spark or idea that led to the creation of "PTSD: Paris-Tokyo Suborbital Departures?”
Marc: I carried around this concept for many years and finally it came together once I had the idea to do this “STIR” series. The idea of super fast travel 20-30 years from now led me to imagine what music would be appropriate for the elite crowd that might use this service (laughs).
When I was a child, some comedy tv shows used to portray affluent people as not having a care in the world, dancing the rhumba and doing the conga line dance at parties. The idea was so antiquated, it needed to be balanced by some modernism, so I went at it by making the music and atmosphere much more electric.
Can you share any interesting or unique musical elements or production techniques used in this track?
Well, I play 90% of everything you hear on keyboards so what I choose to go together is where the action is in my music. It’s the interplay of elements that matters more than anything else. Also though do the emotional implications inherent in the piece itself.
The interesting part for me is getting these varied cultures and the sounds that come from them to work together. What do the 1920s, the 1960s, the 1990s, and the 2050s have in common? How do I communicate that through my music and the videos I create? This tends to be a common issue when I work on this stuff. The “STIR” series ia about stirring the emotions, and “stirring the pot”. It’s truly what makes it fun for me, so long as it comes out tight and makes sense on some level. Editing and adjustments of my performances are critical to getting it there, frankly.
What was your favorite moment in making the music video?
For PTSD, I encountered a challenge as to how to portray the passenger’s experience coming out of the virtual party during the descent to Tokyo. I found the solution was to overlay—a technique I use all the time—the Japanese female dancers, the conga drummer, the Japanese landscape from the air, and the data stream footages to get you on land and up the escalator pretty seamlessly. Moments like that make me smile.
How do you balance incorporating new trends while maintaining a unique and timeless production style?
By my very nature, I tend to resist following trends in music because they would hinder what I’m trying to do. My goal is to create something with no rules to speak of, so why would I, right?
The one binding element is the electronic nature of my productions, and the use of musical elements from almost anything I can imagine. When I want to, I incorporate folk instruments and orchestral sounds at my discretion. I try to make things sound like the real instruments recorded acoustically whenever it’s possible. As I’ve mentioned in other places, today’s music technology makes this possible in a way that simply wasn’t true even during the years I was an independent producer. I haven’t delved into A.I. though, and really hope that I never will.
What are some common technical challenges you face during production, and how do you address them?
The biggest challenges come from using an instrument plugin that I have hardly ever used but it’s the best tool for the task I aim to pull off. For example, I have 6-7 ways to get a violin sound to perform on. If I want a soulful and exotic sounding violin, which virtual instrument is the right one?
Sometimes I try one and it doesn’t get me there, so I have to start over with a new virtual instrument. Then I run into tuning, articulation, and effects issues, all of which have their own terminology and parameters within each plugin. It’s a LOT. But as I said, all of this is what doing what I do possible and I’m very thankful for being here at this time and place. It allows my imagination to run pretty wild, and that’s the best thing ever.
