The Neuromaniacs On the Making Of “Remnants”
What was the initial spark or idea that led to the creation of "Remnants?"
I had been thinking a lot about the make up of our existence, the formation of the galaxies and how circles, and zero have been omni present from the beginning of time and how they have and do factor into so much of our lives. And that everywhere we look there are remnants to the beginning of time.
Can you talk about the recording and production process for "Remnants?"
I had the intro keys sound in my head while I was working on the Revelations sessions and I roughly demo'd it and parked it. When I finished the video for “Revelations,” I picked back up on the “Remnants” idea, I was on a roll and didn't want to stop. I wrote the drum and bass parts, recorded them and then re-introduced the keys and started layering them. Then I played around with some guitar ideas until I hit on what I wanted and worked it all in together. Once I was happy with how everything was sitting, I mixed it and then mastered it. My idea was that both the audio and the visual were one. I wanted the viewer/listener to be completely immersed in the experience. I gathered all the shots that I needed and cut them to fit and I was very happy with the end result.
What impact do you hope this masterpiece will have on your audience?
Thank you for that. I wouldn't go that far, but I appreciate it. I hope that when people listen to it that they can switch off, let go and enjoy it. That it brings them somewhere good.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how you got started in music?
I've been involved with music for over thirty years. I started playing drums when I was about 15. I had a handful of lessons at the beginning, but for the most part I am self-taught. I pursued a career as a drummer /percussionist and I've had the pleasure of playing all over the world, meeting amazing people, a lot of whom are still great friends and I've had unforgettable experiences. I had a serious accident in 2015 and after major surgery and a lot of rehab, I was able to start again, but it had stopped me in my tracks for about three years and is something that I'm permanently stuck with. I moved to Spain for a few years, playing mostly percussion gigs, as I wasn't physically able to get back behind the kit at that time.
Over the years, I had messed around a little with guitar and bass. But it wasn't until I moved back to Ireland in the middle of Covid that I really threw myself into both instruments. I had moved to a rural part of the country and as I couldn't connect with other musicians, I started practicing more and writing songs. I then set up a very basic recording studio and recorded my first self produced EP, Lounge Lizard Licks, under the name Johnny & The Brewsers, these songs were heavily influenced by my love of blues rock. My brother, Adam, mixed and mastered all my work during that period. He inspired me to go further and I went back to college and studied Music and Sound Production. It was there that I was inspired to take my writing and playing in a new direction. Through a really great tutor, Sue King, she broke down the mystery of music theory for me and I had that Eureka moment. Sue also broke down the mystery of piano and I no longer feared it and jumped right in. Throughout my studies and to date, I've been developing my home studio and I continue to study the art form of mixing and mastering. I have produced music for other artists and I have also co-produced and edited podcasts and videocasts. But The Neuormaniacs is where my real passion lies. I'm enjoying the total freedom of being able to create without any kind of musical genre boundaries.
Can you walk us through your creative process when writing and composing music?
It varies. I could have a drum beat in my head, a bass line or guitar riff, Or piano or keyboard sound. I'll start building it from the drums up and demo it. I become obsessed and days will pass without me knowing where I am or what's going on in the world around me. I just lose myself in the piece until I have it completely mixed and mastered. And then I stay in that mindset until I've finished the video and the project is complete. Invariably what happens is other ideas will come to me while in the middle of a session and I'll quickly record them, so as not to forget and come back to it once I've finished what I had started. I am currently mixing the third Single, “Hyperopia.” Which I was very fortunate to have a fantastic guest vocalist write the lyrics for and record lead vocals on. I'll begin work on the video once that's mastered. That recording session went so well, I am even luckier to have the same singer agree to appear on the fourth Single, working title “Retribution.” Musically, the song is finished and completely recorded and is awaiting a window to track the vocals. Full steam ahead!