June 25, 2024 • 53 mins
The Season 2 finale! For the final episode of Season 2 we have:
Brett Anspach:
2024 winner of Instrumental Album of the Year for his album/EP "Colossus" a Doom inspired creation. Brett is an incredibly talented musician based out of Pine Grove, PA; you may have seen him in one of the following bands: Galactic Empire, UltraViolent, Monument Of A Memory, and many more.
https://www.facebook.com/brett.anspachaya
https://anspachus.bandcamp.com/album/colossus
&
Carson Slovak:
Co-founder and owner of Atrium Audio, Carson has been a part of some of the best PA music to gain national attention, as well as recorded and produced some of the best albums from the biggest names in PA music. Not to be relegated to the sound booth, Carson is also in (among other projects) Galactic Empire, the "Star Wars cosplay heavy metal John Williams tribute band" alongside Brett Anspach and others.
https://atriumaudio.com/
https://www.discogs.com/artist/1895703-Carson-Slovak
Enjoy!
You can find out more about the CPMHOF @ https://cpmhof.com/
Brought to you by Darker with Daniel @ Studio 3.
http://darkerwithdaniel.com/
All media requests: thecpmpodcast@gmail.com
Want to be on an episode of the CPMP? For all considerations please fill out a form @ https://cpmhof.com/guest-consideration
Join us back here or on your favorite audio streaming platform every other week for more content.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the Central Pennsylvania Music
Podcast Tonight Carson Slovakand Brett Onspach.
This episode is sponsored byEnglewood Brewing.
And now your hosts, daniel Kimeand Alan McCutcheon.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Welcome to the Central Pennsylvania Music
Podcast.
I'm your host, daniel, and I'myour co-host, alan, coming up.
We have Brett Onspach andCarson Slovak Probably know,
both of them from the bandGalactic Empire.
Let's dig in and we're sittingdown with Brett Onspach.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
Brett, we're so happy to Brett Onspach.
Brett, I'm so happy to have youhere.
Man, how are you?
Speaker 4 (00:47):
Yes, I am very happy to be here.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
I mean, it's the CPM podcast and I did not think that
I would get a nomination oranything like that this year for
my solo work.
You were nominated, right, I'mhere.
Yes, that's your solo album.
It's instrumental.
It's called Colossus correct.
Speaker 4 (01:11):
Yes, that is correct.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
So how did this come to be?
Speaker 4 (01:15):
So it came to be around March of 2020, like right
when the pandemic was starting.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
I feel like that inspired a lot of musicians.
Honestly, I think that was like, if I can't do anything else, I
might as well write so, yeah, Imean I didn't have anything
going on and I started playingdoom more.
Speaker 4 (01:35):
Around that time new, new game came out yep and it's
very good the.
You know the soundtrack in thatgame is ridiculous.
You know, it's won its share ofawards.
Um, so I was, I was inspired tomake something similar to that.
Um, I didn't really know how togo to go about that style of
(01:57):
music, um, and I, I just kind offigured it out.
And one day I was watching apodcast funny enough of the guy
that took down Osama.
Oh, okay, I know.
Crazy, and the way he told hisstory made me feel like I was
(02:18):
there and made me feel like Iwas the guy that was doing it
myself.
He had such a way of tellingthe story and I remember after
watching that podcast I pickedup the guitar and I laid this
riff down and I was just like,well, I guess I started my solo
record.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
So you were essentially like man.
That was an awesome story.
I felt like I was there, but Ineed theme music, yeah.
I'm going to write my own thememusic for the experience that I
had with his story.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Yes, that's awesome.
Wow, did it for America, huh, Iguess so yeah.
Speaker 4 (02:53):
And then there's a song on the record called
Operation Neptune, spear Dog.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
That's the operation.
Speaker 4 (02:59):
That's the song, that's awesome.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
Okay.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
Dude yeah, that's awesome.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
Okay, dude, that's sweet and I thought that was
pretty metal too.
So like, oh yeah, taking downosama.
I don't think maybe there isother, but that's definitely
pretty metal.
That's top tier metal for sure.
Uh, yeah, that's that's crazy.
So you started writing this.
How long, would you say it tookyou to kind of orchestrate and
put together colossus to whereyou were like okay, like I like
this, I want to put this out.
Speaker 4 (03:27):
So well, if I started in 2020, ish, 2021, maybe, um,
it came out april of 23, soprobably two years um, but most
of the stuff that I write like%of it gets done really fast and
then the final 15 takes likeanother year.
(03:49):
Okay, yeah, like I have an idea, I'll put it down real quick.
And then I'm so picky with likeI don't want to say I'm a
perfectionist, because if I was,nothing would get released.
That's definitely still a mentalstruggle, to the point where I
make sure everything is down toa T, because I'm also recording
(04:14):
it myself, I'm mixing it myselfand I'm mastering it myself.
So everything from the idea inmy head to what you hear is just
through me, that's dope dude towhat you hear is just like
through me that's dope dude.
So it takes a while to make thatcome to life once I have it on
paper, even, because there'sjust so many little like even
(04:35):
small little synth sounds, orlike the post-production, like
swells and bass drops, and stufflike that, how you piece it all
together and make that fullambiotic sound Because it's an
instrumental record.
so, you know, obviously thatmeans there's no vocals.
So there's got to be somethingfor somebody to catch on to and
a reason for them to want tokeep listening to what's
(04:55):
happening even though there'snothing being said.
You know, the instruments haveto be a vocal or like a synth
line on top of a of a song.
Um, that kind of takes theplace of, say, a vocal melody,
you know, um, so I was gonna askthat actually because I mean, I
know you're also a vocal.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
You're you're a very talented guitarist.
I know you play the drums, butyou've also been a vocalist.
So writing an instrumentalalbum and, like you said, there
is no instrumentals or vocals onan instrumental album like.
But that's what a lot of people, the majority of people they
look for the hooks vocally.
So would you say that wasprobably one of your biggest
like hurdles writing theinstrumentals how to write like
instrumental hooks where vocalswould have filled in um, I think
(05:37):
so for me personally.
Speaker 4 (05:40):
Um, as an artist, vocals are the hardest thing for
me to do.
Like patterns, I have noproblem with patterns, creating
a melody that I think otherpeople are going to hook onto.
I'm right there with you, manis tough, it's very hard.
(06:00):
But I'll pick up a guitar andI'll just riff something out and
that comes to me pretty quick.
So it was a little bit easier,I think, to create a hook in
this way, because you you haveso many virtual instruments at
your disposal that can make somany different sounds, and it's
(06:21):
like endless.
I will find something and I'llbe like I've never heard that
before, or maybe I have heardthat before, but it's just
really cool yeah I'm gonna usethis now, um.
So then I I just kind of go forit.
Um, I will take, even if it'slike the melody of the song, and
I will copy and paste that samething on multiple different
(06:42):
virtual instruments and I willjust cut it up, delete certain
sections, like without evenlistening to it, just kind of
randomly, like picking in andgetting rid of certain things,
and then, play them all at thesame time across across each
other and, um, just seeing whathappens, and that's how I come
up with some of these sounds.
And then I'll be like, oh, thatwas kind of cool, but I didn't
(07:03):
like this part.
Let me add a note here.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
So you kind of struck gold doing that, like kind of
like.
I would say that's like aessentially a shotgun blast,
like version of like I'm gonnatake this, I'm gonna put it
through multiple differentinstruments or generators, play
it all at once.
See how it sounds.
That's like a shotgun blast ofit and you're like, you struck
gold with that a couple times.
Speaker 4 (07:23):
So yeah, so like I'll take.
I'll take like eight or ninedifferent, uh virtual
instruments, right, I'll.
I'll type up, uh, the, themelody that I'm thinking, um, uh
, on midi, yep, and I will pastethat into each one all at the
same time and then I will takelike a blade tool or something
and I will chop each track up atlike a different spot randomly.
(07:45):
I won't even like listen to it,I'll just chop it up randomly
and I'll delete random littleblocks out of all of them and
then I'll play it back and seewhat it sounds like damn, that's
awesome dude, that's crazybecause, like you're leaving so
much to change and variable,like it's crazy.
So yeah, it just gives me, youknow, the ability to not think
too hard and just be like thatsounds cool.
I'll just keep it.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
Yeah, dope, that's amazing.
So do you think I meanobviously you're a well-seasoned
musician and producer andeverything?
Do you think there's?
You know obviously, a lot oflearning that came from this.
You know different new.
I guess you know tools in thetoolbox for future productions
and maybe other differentprojects in the future.
Speaker 4 (08:22):
Yeah, absolutely.
I mean, even the newultra-violent stuff that's
coming out has a lot morepost-production.
I guess you could say in termsof there's a lot more cool
effects going on.
Speaker 3 (08:35):
There's a lot more polish to it.
Yes, yeah, I get what you'resaying.
Speaker 4 (08:38):
Just because a lot of those sounds, it's like I would
hear them on my favoriterecords and I just wouldn't know
how to recreate that yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
So even like just this ep alone just really helps
you to grow as a musician youabsolutely yeah that's awesome.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
I know exactly what you mean, like when back for
people I don't know.
This is the brett that I'vementioned on other episodes, um,
that I play with when I was inethics, but I know exactly what
you mean.
When we had our ep with ethicsit was good, it was.
It did what it did.
But then when we released thesingle the void the way we wrote
it and the way it was built, itjust sounded so much more full
and complete yeah like itsounded like it was orchestrated
(09:15):
as a whole better and like Iget what you're saying.
It's like, yeah, now these newones are sounding more polished
right, well, one of the newUltraviolet songs.
Speaker 4 (09:24):
when I first wrote the riff, I had initially
thought that it might have beensomething that was going to be
on my solo record, and then Iwas just like you know what?
There's a riff in the middlethat was just too cool to not
have some kind of vocal thing onit.
So I put some vocal stuff to itand, uh, you know, got the rest
(09:46):
of the band involved and nowthat's, uh, the one that's
actually going to be the single.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
So it's, it's gonna be, nuts, it's gonna be pretty
heavy in comparison.
So that's awesome.
So, and you mentioned ultraviolent, for anybody maybe is
watching doesn't hasn't, youknow, heard of ultra violent?
Can we dive into that topic alittle bit?
You know, tell us a little bitabout Ultraviolet and what you
guys have going on.
Speaker 3 (10:06):
Yeah so Ultraviolet Right out of my mouth, danny,
thank you.
Speaker 4 (10:10):
Love you Ultraviolet.
So me and our bass player,avery Levan, we've been friends
since probably first grade, ifnot before that, and when we
were 12, we started playinginstruments together.
(10:31):
I mean, I started playing drumswhen I was about like five or
six years old, but me and Averyplayed together when we were 12.
We did some covers up until wewere about 14.
And once we were 14 is when thename Ultraviolet came about.
So really we're heading on year10, technically, of being a
(10:51):
band.
Speaker 2 (10:52):
That's crazy, dude.
Speaker 4 (10:53):
So 2019, we put out a full-length record.
It's a concept album and thisEP that we're dropping this year
will be the first thing sincethen.
So it's really been like almostfive years since we put
anything out.
You know, when the pandemic hit, there was a lot going on.
We had some member changes um,of course, covid, um some of
(11:18):
them, you know, avery was incollege.
Our one guitar player had movedto phoenix briefly, arizona.
Speaker 3 (11:25):
So briefly, that's a very far distance to briefly
move.
Speaker 4 (11:28):
He was there for about a year, I think a little
over a year maybe.
Um, he's back now and you knowwe were finally like it took a
long time to figure out how todo things the the right way and
and how to release somethingproperly, how to get it to set
everything from from a to z.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
That needs to be done the right way and I'll be on
the same page and I'll be on thesame page.
Speaker 4 (11:51):
Um, I feel like we're finally there and, you know,
despite being a band for 10years, you know there's always
something to because, like Isaid, you know, we started
ultraviolet when we were 14.
Yeah, like we didn't, we didn'tknow anything about anything.
Speaker 3 (12:05):
I just want to play music and I want to play it live
.
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4 (12:07):
Like we.
We've been recording ourselvesdoing music ever since that time
Like we've I mean anything thatwe've released has all been
like in house self produced,recorded, mixed, mastered, all
that stuff.
That's awesome produced,recorded, mix, mastered, all
that stuff.
That's so like being able to dothat um for 10 years.
(12:27):
Obviously, you know it helpsshape me as a producer and a
songwriter because, like there'sno better practice than that
absolutely um so I'm reallyexcited for the new music
because of that.
I think we're finally at a spotwhere it's like okay, this is,
this is the band, like get ready, you know what I mean?
Speaker 3 (12:48):
I'm stoked, man, I can't wait.
I'm ready, man, I can't wait tohear especially with the way
you're describing thingseverything.
Because it's like there'sthere's a difference.
When someone's like hype aboutthe and I get it.
There's most musicians they'renot not hype about their new
music, but there are exampleswhich they're like yeah, I got
new music coming out, it'll becool.
And it's like okay, thatdoesn't make me want to listen
(13:11):
to it.
When the person's passionate,I'm like okay, now I want to
hear it because you've done agreat job describing it.
So just to foot stomp some clipnotes for our listeners,
because we've kind of jumped allover the place.
So you are in the band UltraViolent.
Speaker 4 (13:25):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
You are also a solo artist with your instrumental
with that album, colossus, andthat is nominated for the
instrumental album slash EP ofthe year for the 2023 CPMAs.
Woohoo, we also got to.
We got to address the elephantin the room.
Speaker 4 (13:41):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (13:42):
There is also another act that you are a part of that
is internationally known.
Speaker 4 (13:48):
Perhaps Kind of a big deal.
Speaker 3 (13:50):
Galactic.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
Empire.
Speaker 4 (13:52):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (13:52):
So we got to ask how do you get away with it Like
Star Wars themed band playingStar Wars music, looking like
Star Wars-esque characters.
How do you do it?
Speaker 4 (14:03):
Yeah, so recently we've taken on this life of kind
of having our own like originalcharacters.
You know they look as if theycould be in a Star Wars film,
like if you saw the costumesthat we're wearing right now.
If you were to see thatcharacter in like a new Star
Wars movie, you probablywouldn't really bat an eye.
You'd be like that's a StarWars character.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
It's a background character.
It blends right in, exactly.
It blends right into theuniverse.
Speaker 4 (14:27):
Exactly, but they're not at all and we all have our
own stage names for them as wellthat are not like you know.
They're not.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
It's not Boba Fett.
You're not, like, affiliatedwith the movies.
Speaker 4 (14:46):
Right, it's not Boba Fett.
You're not, like, affiliatedwith the movies, right, right.
So I believe technically it hassomething to do with, like it's
just considered parody at thatpoint.
So we can do it.
And I mean, we're playingcovers, we're releasing covers
and you know, like John Williamswill get some kind of cut from
the songs that we're putting outbecause it's his original right
(15:09):
orchestration, that's so, soyou're essentially making him
money, oh yeah, yeah, that'sawesome.
Speaker 3 (15:14):
I mean not that he really needs it, because he's
john williams, but still that'skind of cool.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
In a way, you're getting him paid yeah, from from
my understanding that's, that'show it works.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
Okay, I'm pretty sure are you allowed to like?
I mean, because I, I don't, I'm, I kind of know, but maybe our
fans don't know.
Are you allowed to divulge whatcharacter you are and who you
play?
Speaker 4 (15:35):
yes, okay I, I am um because I'm choosing to.
All right, um, I I am, uh, therhythm guitar player.
Stage name is Doom Riff.
Now, despite what we justtalked, about.
I did not come up with the name, it was.
It was given to me.
Speaker 3 (15:56):
Straight coincidental that is kind of wild, it kind
of makes sense.
It's almost like it was madefor you.
Then, as soon as they told meI'm like there's no way You're
kidding, right?
Speaker 4 (16:06):
No, you're kidding.
Do you guys have lore?
Speaker 3 (16:10):
for your characters or any kind of background?
What?
Speaker 4 (16:13):
galaxy are you from?
Whatever you want it to be, Iguess Dealer's choice.
Speaker 3 (16:17):
Yeah, he's like you, tell me my story, bro.
You tell me, tell me how I cameto be.
Speaker 4 (16:21):
Yeah, and then I'll be like you know what, Nah, I
don't like that.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
That's a terrible backstory.
You've got to go back to thedrawing board.
That's awesome, Okay so goahead, okay.
Speaker 2 (16:30):
I mean, what's it like playing for a band like
that?
I mean, you guys are absolutelyhuge and I mean I'm sure you're
all huge Star Wars fans andthis is all paying homage to
something that you love.
Speaker 4 (16:47):
I decided to watch the original trilogy after I
joined the band.
Oh man, yeah Crazy right.
Speaker 3 (16:54):
Okay.
Speaker 4 (16:55):
The first Star Wars movie I seen was Force Awakens.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
Well, that was your first mistake.
Speaker 4 (16:59):
And that was my first mistake.
Yep, I fell asleep in a theater.
Yeah, I saw Rogue One thenafter that.
I believe that one's reallygood.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
I do like Rogue One.
Speaker 4 (17:09):
And then Avery.
One of his favorite movies ofall time is Revenge of the Sith.
So, I've seen that a few timesjust because of him right.
Absolutely Good movie.
Speaker 3 (17:20):
Great movie.
I have the high ground Anakin.
Exactly I hate you, I hate you.
Me and my girlfriend say thatto each other all the time in
passing.
It's stupid, but yes.
Speaker 4 (17:32):
So my girlfriend say that to each other all the time
in passing, it's stupid.
But yes, and Avery's a hugeStar Wars fan, so he was one of
the first people I called when Igot the news and he's like,
well, we gotta watch the movies.
Speaker 3 (17:41):
You can't be in a Star Wars movie and not be
educated on the topic.
Speaker 4 (17:44):
Exactly.
I'm so sorry, I don't rememberwhat your question was.
Because you were like I'm sosorry, I don't remember what
your question was Because youwere like I'm sure you love Star
Wars.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
No worries, sorry for assuming, but I will say it's
good.
Speaker 4 (17:57):
I like Star Wars.
It's really good, perfect.
I'm sure the fans like themusic.
The music is great.
The music is great.
So what's it like being in aband like that that I'm sure
people just I mean I know peoplethoroughly enjoy and love?
(18:18):
Um, I mean it's, it's nuts,right, like I don't know what
else to say um, it's so.
One thing that I think isreally interesting is you know,
I could be walking around thevenue all day.
No one knows who I am.
I'll play, yeah, yeah, you know, show cool people star wars and
I'll be done.
I'll take my costume off and,like I can walk through the
crowd of people without having abunch of people trying to stop
me from like using the bathroomor something like you know,
(18:41):
that's you know.
Speaker 3 (18:42):
I mean actually that's true it's nice you
appreciate the anonymity.
Speaker 4 (18:48):
A word yeah, yeah, okay, yeah, yeah yeah, I, I
don't mind it at all, like ithas its its pros and cons, but
like I'm not complaining at all,so you totally.
Speaker 3 (18:56):
You still get your stage high that you enjoy
without any of the other stuffthat comes with having to get
that stage like of being known,like everyone knows who you are,
knows your face, they see youat the bar, like everyone wants
to hound you.
You don't have to deal with anyof that but you still get
everything that you love out ofplaying music live Without any
of the drawback pretty much.
(19:16):
Yeah, I'm dope.
Speaker 4 (19:18):
I I mean, there will be like a small handful of
people that will be like youwere in the band and I'm just
like I did.
Yeah, yeah, I was.
Speaker 3 (19:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (19:29):
No idea how they figure it out, Just some people
I don't know if they watchreally closely or.
Speaker 5 (19:34):
I don't know if they recognize.
Speaker 4 (19:35):
You guys have huge fans man, but after a show,
every once in a while someonewill recognize it, but most
people don't.
Speaker 3 (19:44):
Okay, which is fine.
So you might have answered myquestion that I'm about to ask,
but I don't know.
I was going to ask your whatwould you say is your favorite
part of being, like, what's yourfavorite thing about being a
part of galactic empire?
And or, if you did alreadyanswer that question with your
last answer, I was gonna saywhat's the most unique
experience you've had being partof galactic empire?
Speaker 4 (20:04):
um, my, my favorite part.
I mean, man, I just get to dowhat I've set out to do for all
my life that I've been playingmusic man and just trying to
grind and get to do somethinglike this.
I've never really gotten totravel that much earlier on in
(20:28):
my life.
I've always wanted to seeeverything and the world's huge
man I just wanted to play.
And um, like it, it finally doesthat for me.
Like I, early in january I hadlost my job and I didn't know
what the hell I was gonna do forreal.
And it was a couple weeks afterthat um grant had hit me up and
(20:53):
asked if I wanted to try outfor galactic empire.
And I'm like, uh, I mean, areyou kidding me right?
I mean so, and and he sent methe stems for for two songs to
audition for and I sent themback the next day, I like, I was
like I'm not losing this chanceyou know, I'm I.
(21:16):
I sat up the entire night theday he sent it to me.
I was pulling my hair out,trying to learn these songs that
they're not easy at all no,they're definitely not.
I've seen you guys play and,like you guys, do a hell of a
job making it your own and I waslike you know, if this guy's
gonna ask, ask me to do this,I'm not going to give anyone
else a chance to step in here,so I'm just going to bang this
(21:38):
out.
I was like spend the next 36hours or whatever, like banging
your head against the wall, butafter you're done you'll be much
thankful for it.
Speaker 3 (21:46):
For sure dude yeah.
Speaker 4 (21:53):
So I put my head down and focused and I got it back
to him right away and it was nottoo long after that he he was
just like yeah, man, like you'rein.
Speaker 2 (21:58):
So dude, that's, that's, that's amazing, awesome.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
I'm sorry, I gotta, I gotta put it in there I'm sorry
, brandon, but yeah, dude, thatit just it's awesome man like
that's, that's really cool manyeah, I.
Speaker 4 (22:08):
I mean to be able to play music and do that for to
help sustain myself is not asentence I ever thought I'd be
able to get to say at all to dowhat you love and have.
Speaker 3 (22:20):
Doing what you love also provide the other
experiences that you've alwayswanted as well yeah, man, like
it's.
Speaker 4 (22:26):
I don't know, I don't know how else to say it, like
there's no words I can.
I'm just talking in circles atthis point.
This is what humility lookslike, everyone.
Speaker 3 (22:36):
It's a good thing, so I love that answer, by the way,
but I feel like when I askedthe question, something popped
in your head immediately thoughwhat's the most unique
experience you've had?
Speaker 4 (22:47):
being part of.
Galactic Empire I can alreadytell this is good, so europe all
right, yeah, perfect, startingthere, europe uh, warsaw, poland
, so it's snowing better andwe're.
We're on the way to the gig and, um the the van breaks down,
(23:11):
which, like you, which I feellike if you're in a touring band
and your van doesn't break down, you're really in a touring
band.
Speaker 3 (23:17):
Valid point.
Speaker 4 (23:18):
Right, so I'm just like well, here it is the van
broke down, it finally happened.
Yeah, our tour manager, danMeyer, bless him, because I
could never do his job.
He puts up with a lot of bs.
Um, they figured out a way toget us in another vehicle.
(23:38):
Get to the show on time.
So we get to the show, we playthe show, we get done with the
show and we're we're gettingready to pack up, and we're
getting ready to pack up and thebackup vehicle broke down.
Speaker 3 (23:52):
Oh, my God.
Speaker 4 (23:52):
So, we're like okay, cool, this is sweet, Two-for-one
, special, great.
And Dan is like, yeah, we got amechanic on the way.
He's going to take a look at it, like sweet.
So we're sitting there, we'reeating like the green room
grapes and just chilling.
And then, apparently, themechanic was just like yeah, I
(24:14):
don't know so.
So it's like are you actually amechanic?
So we're like okay, we're inpoland, it's snowing, it's like
10 o' and we have no vehicle.
What do we do?
So the venue, from myunderstanding, paid for us to
(24:38):
stay at a hostel up the street.
Now, I did not know what ahostel was at the time.
Speaker 3 (24:47):
Good, good.
Speaker 2 (24:49):
I like where this story's going, you thought that
was like Polish for hotel.
That's actually exactly what Ithought.
Oh my God.
Speaker 3 (24:56):
He's like oh, that's actually really close to the
English name.
That's crazy.
I can speak Polish.
Speaker 4 (25:02):
I was like dude.
I got to bed tonight.
My bunk is as big as me, so Igot to bed.
Right, yeah, this is a win,right yeah.
Oh me.
So I, I gotta, I gotta bet,right, yeah, this is a win,
right yeah?
Oh no, it was not.
So we get to the place and, um,we, we get inside, we get
situated, um, I'm walking to theroom and it is at this moment
(25:28):
when I realize, oh okay, I seewhat this, I see what's
happening, right.
Speaker 3 (25:34):
Yep.
For our viewers that don't know, please describe.
Speaker 4 (25:38):
Oh yeah, I will, I will, okay, okay.
So a hostel is like a hotel,but you just get paired up with
random people and you just haveto sleep with them, and that's
just how it works.
It's like a dorm room almost,yeah, yeah, and you just have to
sleep with them and that's justhow it works.
It's like a dorm room almost.
Yeah yeah.
So the majority of the band andthe crew all managed to get in
the same room.
I was by myself.
(26:00):
Oh no, I opened the door.
I know our time, but this isreally funny.
Speaker 3 (26:08):
You're good, You're good.
Don't even worry about that.
Go, go go.
Speaker 4 (26:17):
We walk in the door, we me, I walk in the door, he
myself and I walk in the door.
To be clear, I walk in the doorand there's a, there's, there's
a, this okay, it's.
It's like pretty early in themorning at this point, right
yeah there's a bunk on the left,there's a bunk on the right,
there's one guy sleeping on theright bunk, one guy sleeping on
the left bunk, there's a windowand there's one guy sleeping on
the right bunk, one guy sleepingon the left bunk, there's a
window and there's a small, likewhat I can only describe as a
school desk, sitting in thecorner.
(26:37):
Okay, so I walk in the room andthat's the moment I realize
what this is and I'm like well,I'm not going to sleep tonight,
so I'm just going to sit down inthis desk and play my Nintendo
Switch.
Because why not going to sleeptonight?
So I'm just going to sit downin this desk and play my
Nintendo Switch.
Because why not?
Right, yeah, sure.
And then I hear this hey, you,Okay, oh, boy.
(26:58):
Turn around.
Hey, how's it going?
You sitting there?
I mean, does it look like I'msitting?
Speaker 3 (27:09):
there Am I sitting here.
Speaker 4 (27:10):
Yeah, is that a problem?
He's like well, I just want youto know that if you're going to
be sitting there and you'regoing to be making not a lot of
noise I just got out of thehospital I'm having a really
hard time breathing and sleepingright now.
So if you're going to keepmaking noise like that, we're
going to have some problems.
Speaker 3 (27:26):
Oh, boy, you're like, I don't have a bed.
Speaker 4 (27:30):
I'm like I got eight other guys I came with here.
If this is going to be an issue, I'm like I can leave right.
And he's like no, no, no, no,it's fine, it's fine, it's fine.
Goes back to sleep.
Okay, I texted the group andI'm like F this.
This sucks.
Speaker 3 (27:48):
Help.
I need an.
Speaker 4 (27:55):
Nah, I'm going to build some XP tonight.
I'm going to do this.
As soon as I send that message,I hear the door open and I'm
like, oh great, what clown'scoming through the door?
Now Someone walks in.
It's a young lady.
First thing she does is dartsit to the window and opens up
the window.
It's 33 degrees outside.
(28:16):
I'm like what are you doing?
First off, hi.
Speaker 3 (28:20):
Nice to meet you hey how's it going?
Speaker 4 (28:22):
Sets her stuff down on the windowsill to go do
something else, all her stufffalls down on the ground.
Oh my God, the guy behind methat was just peed off at me
wakes up.
I'm like, oh my God, I wasgoing to help this lady pick her
stuff up, but I figured if Idid he probably would think that
I dropped it and he was goingto like beat me up and I again
(28:43):
no, I mean, his problem isbreathing.
He's only going to get like onegood swing and then you're good.
Yeah, I just got to find a wayout of there, right, exactly
Right.
I don't, I don't know, and bythis point it's like 3 30 AM.
We have to be up at six my godand I'm like you know, whatever.
I go to the bathroom and I'mwalking down the hall and
(29:03):
there's this guy that all I cansay is that for his age, was
walking at a very uncanny speedtowards me on the way to the
bathroom, follows me into thebathroom.
Thank god he did not use thestall next to me because it was
like closer to this table away,like what?
(29:24):
What a time, you know.
We wake up and I find out thatthe other room apparently had
someone like try to break intothe room like a, like a really
drunk guy was like thrown up inthe hall like oh my god, it, god
, it was a whole thing.
And I don't know where the look, I don't know where the vehicle
came from.
I don't know what happened.
(29:45):
I don't know how we got toGermany.
We got to Germany.
Speaker 3 (29:50):
I don't know, thank God.
Speaker 4 (29:52):
I'm just in like such a daze at this point because
like I haven't slept.
Speaker 3 (29:56):
You're sleep deprived and everything I'm dealing with
this.
Speaker 4 (29:58):
I'm just like following everyone else.
You know, I'm just like thankGod I don't have to worry about.
Like if I had to worry aboutfiguring out how to get to
Germany at that point, I justwould not, I wouldn't, I'm
sitting down.
Speaker 3 (30:11):
I'm like Brett, what are you doing?
You're like I'm sitting downand I'm not doing anything until
this is resolved, Like I justI'm done, that's it.
I've hit my limit, like.
I'm not doing anything untilthis is fixed.
Speaker 4 (30:23):
Exactly, and then I'll make a long story short.
On the way home, an alarm wentoff in the airport and everyone
who was not through security hadto go back outside, and our
bass player had to go backoutside and he missed the flight
.
So he got put on a differentflight back home and we had to
(30:43):
go pick him up separately at adifferent airport.
Speaker 2 (30:45):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 4 (30:46):
You say like back to America, yes, oh my.
God.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
I do have to ask when you got to Berlin, when you got
to the venue, did you take anap in the green room?
Dude, I don't remember.
Speaker 4 (30:55):
It's literally all a blur, remember I?
I don't know all about thatwould have been me.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
I would be like give me, give me to the venue.
I'm gonna sleep in that greenroom like you're right.
You need to unlock the doorsright now wake me up in five
minutes before I'll be.
Speaker 4 (31:05):
I'll be dressed and ready like I, I tried to sleep
on the way there.
I could not.
I do remember not being able tosleep until about 10 minutes
before we got to the germanborder and I was awakened
because, um, in case they neededto see like passports or
whatever.
The driver was like, hey, likeyou know, this is happening.
So they wake me up and I'm like, great, I just fell asleep.
(31:25):
Well, they didn't need me atall anyway.
So thank god they woke you up.
Yeah, thank, thankfully theywoke me up.
Oh, my god, and I could notfall back asleep after that.
So, yeah, I mean, it was.
It was very tiring, but likethat makes it sound like my trip
in Europe was not a good time.
I will say it was a great time.
That was part of one day out ofthree weeks we were there.
Speaker 3 (31:47):
Yeah, but it kind of sucked when you were going
through it.
But it's so funny to tell it,oh yeah.
Speaker 4 (31:52):
Well, that's why I stayed in the room.
I was like I'm going to have astory to tell if I stay here
tonight and live.
That's the big caveat.
Speaker 3 (32:02):
He's like breaks Nintendo Switch, takes a piece
of the glass and screens it.
He's like I've got to shiv,I've got to shiv old guy, I make
it harder to breathe.
Speaker 4 (32:10):
Everyone else that I've told this story to has been
like oh yeah, you've seen themovie Hostel and I'm like I have
not seen the movie Hostel.
Speaker 3 (32:18):
You don't want to watch the movie Hostel now?
Speaker 2 (32:19):
I'm going to tell you that, yeah, it's been a long
time since I watched that movieyeah.
Well, I mean, I guess we'rekind of running out of time here
, but thank you so much.
Before we let you run, is thereanything else you want to shout
out, plug or got any otherexciting projects coming?
Speaker 4 (32:32):
up, so I mean I will say I play drums for Monument of
a Memory.
They are based out of NewJersey, though.
Speaker 2 (32:40):
So fourth project.
Yeah, I mean three bands.
Who's counting Four projects.
Speaker 3 (32:47):
Who cares?
Speaker 4 (32:49):
And they're coming out with something soon
Ultraviolence dropping the EPsoon.
Galactic Empire just announceda tour in April.
I think the closest to here isBaltimore, okay.
Speaker 3 (33:02):
Is that at Ram Stage or whatever it is Ram's Head?
Speaker 4 (33:05):
I don't even know, I don't know where it is exactly.
Speaker 3 (33:09):
He's like I don't know I hop on the bus.
Speaker 4 (33:10):
They tell me where to go and I show up.
Speaker 3 (33:13):
I have my guitar Speaking of, though too real
quick before we end it, becauseI have three quick things I want
to hit.
Yeah do it.
You just recently got yourfirst guitar endorsement,
correct?
Yes, I just want to saycongratulations on record.
Speaker 2 (33:26):
for that, thank you.
Speaker 3 (33:26):
Congratulations.
Who's the brand with Legator?
Speaker 4 (33:29):
So you want to give them a shout out?
Yes, legator Guitars.
They are pretty incredibleinstruments to use on the road.
They sent me a headless to usebecause the guitar I was using
previously was really heavy andthat paired with a costume was
just and me being small, wasjust not a great combination at
(33:50):
all.
So I was like I need somethingreally light and I need
something I can use.
Speaker 3 (33:53):
It's a gorgeous guitar.
I remember when you posted thepicture.
Speaker 4 (33:55):
It's beautiful.
Speaker 3 (33:56):
I was like, oh my God , I don't even like headless
guitars, but I was like that'sbeautiful.
Speaker 4 (34:00):
It's very beautiful, it's very beautiful.
Speaker 3 (34:02):
The other thing that I want to ask, because I know
there's fans out here that theywant to know does Disney know
who you are?
Speaker 4 (34:11):
Yes, okay, they do know who we are.
They do know who you are.
Speaker 3 (34:14):
Obviously, if you're paying John Williams, if he's
getting checks and stuff likethat, yeah, they know.
Speaker 2 (34:20):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (34:21):
But just for clarification with fans, disney
does know who you are and theyare aware of your presence.
Speaker 4 (34:26):
Yes, I will leave it at that.
Okay, perfect, wonderful, Iwill say that.
Speaker 3 (34:30):
The only other question I have.
Sure, we obviously have a veryspecial music scene here in
Central PA.
Speaker 4 (34:35):
Yes, we do.
Speaker 3 (34:40):
It's central pa.
Yes, we do.
Um, it's kind of different fromother places.
Uh, what's your take on that?
Like?
Why do you think that is?
Do you have any thoughts tothat?
How do you feel being part ofthat scene?
Speaker 4 (34:45):
um, yeah, I mean, I mean hell.
The fact that this podcastexists right like the fact that
you can consistently get newpeople in on the show that are
talented at what they do, thefact that we can have a big
award ceremony based around justthis location yeah and you're
(35:08):
consistently having new peoplebeing nominated every year you
know, it's not just the samepeople that you're seeing every
year and it's just some kind oflike oh, you know, we're just
gonna do this for the samepeople every year because we can
.
No, it's because there's a highvolume of talent in the area and
you really need to showcase it.
And you know, I've been a lotof places, I've played a lot of
(35:31):
shows around the country, I'veplayed overseas and I don't see
stuff like this.
That's awesome.
I don't see stuff like thisthat's awesome.
I mean not that I've seen in away that reminds me of what this
is in that sense.
Yeah, or even just thinking ofthe area you know, I can rattle
off, you know, like BreakingBand, august Burns, red
(35:54):
Hailstorm, you know, motionlessin White Fuel Live, so many good
bands just from this area, yep,and I could just rattle them
off like that Just is somethingyou know.
There's something to be saidthere.
Speaker 3 (36:07):
Absolutely.
Speaker 4 (36:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (36:08):
Well, thank you, man.
I just got to say one lastthing.
I remember seeing you when youwere younger.
I played with you when you wereyounger.
Your drive was just, it wasalways there, man.
Hunger.
Your drive was just, it wasalways there, man.
And I just got to say, like,sitting down with you here years
later, I'm proud of you, man,like you're doing exactly what
you set out to do.
Speaker 4 (36:23):
I appreciate that, of course, man so much.
That means a lot Coming fromyou as well, you know get out of
here, thank you.
So yeah, you guys were alwaysincredible to play with and it
means a lot to be here.
Speaker 3 (36:40):
So, so you're gonna make me blush on camera.
Speaker 2 (36:40):
Nobody makes me blush my own blood, thank you so much
for taking the time to sit downand talk with us man.
Speaker 3 (36:43):
Yes, look forward to seeing you again, whether it's
galactic empire, ultra violentmonument of memory, or your solo
, or your, if you're doing it.
Speaker 4 (36:49):
Yeah, we'll see, I'll see you at one of them, man for
sure, awesome, I appreciate it.
Thanks again thank you.
Speaker 3 (36:55):
I gotta say that was some pretty interesting stories
from bre, especially on tour.
Man, yeah, yeah, definitely.
But I mean, now we got our nextguest.
We got Carson Slovak coming up.
Stay tuned and we are sittingdown with Carson Slovak.
Carson, thank you so much fortaking the time to come out and
sit down with us, man.
Speaker 5 (37:11):
Dude really appreciate it.
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 3 (37:13):
Absolutely so.
I mean, I gotta be honest, wekind of talked a little bit off
camera.
I'm kind of a huge fan, um, uh,when I was doing my research,
like I've always known who youwere, I've known the name, but I
never really put like all thebreadcrumbs together and when I
was looking at your completedlike resume, like who all you've
worked with, I actuallyquestioned if I was a huge fan
of the bands or if I was justactually a fan of your
(37:35):
production, because I'm like afan of all of the ones you've
worked with.
Speaker 5 (37:39):
So wow, yeah, so uh, thank you, I appreciate that.
That means a lot.
Speaker 3 (37:43):
Of course, man dude, like I'm happy that you get to
sit down with us, but let's getinto it.
I mean Carson, slovak, who?
Who is Carson?
Like, how did you get startedin music production?
Where did your journey start?
Who is Carson?
Who is we're?
Speaker 5 (37:56):
going to do some super deep dots right now okay,
let's get, let's get deep.
Um, it's actually not, not, notvery deep.
I've just been around for awhile, you know, I've been
around the block man for aminute, so I guess I got into
music production probably around2002, okay, 2003, when I was
just uh, you know, like uh, a20-year-old in a band basically
(38:22):
trying to write demos for ourband Been there.
Yeah, that's what sparked theinterest and then since then
it's just kind of grown into.
You know, I've been in multiplebands, toured a whole bunch,
and always in between any ofthat activity was music
production and I started to getinto recording other people's
bands probably around 2004 or 5,okay.
(38:44):
so yeah, in that regard it'sactually been about 20 years
that I've been recordingpeople's music that is quite an
accomplishment yeah, it makes mefeel very old, you know, but
I've gotten to do a lot ofreally cool things and work with
a lot of really cool artists inthat period of time, so I'm
very thankful for that.
Speaker 3 (39:01):
Absolutely, man.
I mean when you're talkingabout like you've been recording
other artists for 20 years, Imean we're talking about I mean
I'm going to look at my noteshere for this one just because
it's pretty long.
But I mean everybody knows,like August Burns Red, and
you've worked with themextensively, you've produced a
lot of.
Speaker 5 (39:15):
Actually, august Burns Red is kind of the one
band that I can kind of thankfor my career really, because
they were a local Lancaster bandwhen I met them and I had I
think they were the third bandthat I recorded OK, when I was,
when I didn't know anythingabout recording and I was just
kind of getting into it andlearning the ropes.
(39:36):
You know, and like you know, Ihad my computer set up and
everything and it was like in my, where I lived, and uh, it
wasn't much of a studio morethan just kind of a home studio
setup, but uh, we had a big roomand uh, um, you know they they
got in touch with me, um, and uhcame in and did some demos.
That was right after their epon ci records came out, so their
(40:00):
very first ep, and then all thesongs that they wrote after
that I demoed with them,probably in like four or five
separate sessions, okay, andthose were all the songs that
ended up being like all thesongs on their first album when
they got signed.
So I essentially did all thepre-production for that first
record and then they got signedand they went off and did that
(40:21):
record with Adam D, who's theguitar player of Killswitch
Engage, who huge influence on meas a producer, especially at
that time, you know he was kindof like the go-to guy for that
like early 2000s metal sound,yeah.
And they kind of like it wasawesome for me that they got to
work with him, because they cameback and told me all this info.
Speaker 3 (40:43):
Oh, so they kind of were like hey, dude, here's some
cool insider info Exactly.
Speaker 5 (40:48):
So they basically got a bunch of really useful
production workflow informationfor me and it really kind of
opened my eyes to a lot ofthings that you could do, that I
didn't even know you could do.
Speaker 3 (41:02):
I'm not going to lie man.
Like music production, like Isee what you guys do, Like I've
seen it when I record it andI've seen like all the things
and I don't know how you guys doit because it is so
overwhelming to someone like me.
I'm like there are so manydetails that you have to be
aware of.
I'm just grateful for peoplelike you that make the good
(41:24):
music so I don't have to be theone doing it.
Speaker 5 (41:25):
Yeah, there could be a lot.
I mean, it can be kind ofoverwhelming, especially if
you're new to it.
But it becomes one of thosethings where you realize that
there's just like a million waysto do any one thing yeah um, so
it's.
You can get caught in like youroption paralysis of like what
to use on this or how to do thator how to track this but if you
get good at kind of justcommitting to those decisions,
(41:45):
then it becomes pretty easy andyou just kind of like listen to
like what the song needs andthen make decisions based on
that that's awesome.
Speaker 3 (41:53):
So I mean and I just want to list the rest of your, a
couple other names for peoplethat might not know but I mean,
so august burns red, obviously.
Polaris, hollow front rivers ofnile, last 10 seconds of life,
I mean just to name a few.
Right like that is justincredible, man, because I love
all those bands, so it's, it'sreally cool.
Uh, and with you talking aboutlearning, like the insider info,
(42:15):
essentially later on, ifeverything that you have now, if
you could go back like if youwere starting out today, how
would you approach learningmusic production?
Speaker 5 (42:24):
honestly, um, if I were starting out from from zero
, you know I I would I mean,youtube was still a thing back
when I got trying to probablynot as much information was
there as it is now, but I wouldhave utilized that more, because
I feel like I spent a lot oftime as a you know, audio
engineer, producer, kind ofreinventing the wheel on a lot
(42:46):
of things and like figuring outthe hard way how to do very
simple things.
Okay, and so if I could changeanything, I think it would be
that, like, just do a little bitmore research, listen to a
little bit more information thatother people who do it
professionally can give you.
So that's like why that exampleof, like ABR going and
recording with Adam D was veryvaluable to me, cause, like I
(43:07):
got all this information that Iwas totally unaware of.
Speaker 3 (43:11):
It's like a real life cheat code for you.
Yeah, it was totally a cheatcode so.
Speaker 5 (43:15):
but I mean, the big picture is like I think if
you're a recording engineer, theway you most effectively learn
is by just kind of seeing howother people do their process
and then picking from that, youknow, and incorporating that
into your own workflow, you know.
So I've gotten like really cooltips from like lots of
different people whose work Ilike and I'm like oh, how did
(43:38):
you get that sound?
Uh, you know, how did?
How do you do your process forthis?
And you can just collect allthese little bites of
information and kind of collectit all and see how it can work
for you.
Speaker 3 (43:50):
Absolutely.
I mean that makes sense.
I mean a little moredetail-oriented than I probably
could be is what it sounds like,but I'm sure there's some kind
of pattern and rhythm that youget in the rhythm of when you're
doing this yeah, and I I didn'tgo to school for for audio
either, so I dropped out of filmschool.
So you know I I don't have anyformal uh training in this, but
(44:13):
everything I've learned I'veI've learned from seeing how
other people do it I mean,that's kind of like a success
story in its own right, though,because it's's like you didn't
go like the normal, traditionalroute, you didn't go to like
Berkeley, you didn't go to likeany of these, like full sale,
any of these big name.
Speaker 5 (44:26):
Sometimes I wish I did because, again, like I think
, I spent a lot of time early onlike figuring things out the
hard way.
Where?
I could have, just like you know, done more research or
consulted with people more,consulted with people more, um,
but yeah, I mean, uh, you know,I think there's a good
application for everything, likepeople who go to school for
this can learn a lot very fast.
Absolutely, it's just a.
(44:47):
I think if you're doing itevery day professionally, the
way that you get good at it isto just do the job and not, you
know, read about doing the job.
Speaker 3 (44:56):
That makes sense, I mean, since talking about doing
the job, like one of the mainquestions I wanted to ask is,
like what's the most importantaspect of a song for you when it
comes to like producing it?
Speaker 5 (45:06):
just is it memorable?
You know, does it?
Does it hit that spot where itgives you goosebumps?
You know that kind of thinglike yeah does it work, your?
Brain intuitively knows it'slike okay, this is good.
Speaker 3 (45:17):
You don't have to think about whether or not it's
good, your brain just tells youit's good, you're not wrong and
you can usually I mean at leastfor me on some songs, like I can
know within, like the first,like five seconds, like, however
, you how, if you introduce thesong the right way yeah I'm just
like oh, you got me enough thatI want to hear the rest of the
song now already, like if it'sthe first time that I'm hearing
it so I do agree with you, likeI, about that.
(45:38):
But yeah, you do kind of likeintuitively know, like is this
song hitting or is it missing?
Speaker 5 (45:43):
Yeah, does it hit the spot or?
Speaker 3 (45:44):
not.
That's a really good answer,man.
Yeah, so I also want to bringup I mean, we mentioned some of
the other bands that you haveproduced on and everything, but
there's also a really bigproject.
Had Brett on earlier and dudesuch a nice guy I love Brett so
(46:05):
talented.
Speaker 5 (46:06):
Incredibly talented.
Speaker 3 (46:07):
But you're one of the founding fathers of Galactic
Empire, correct?
Speaker 5 (46:10):
Yeah, yeah, grant and I started the band and we still
run it and everything, and Imean it's wild.
We always say that it's justkind of like a kind of a joke
that went way too far, um likedo we pull the rug out now, guys
?
no, no, let's see how far we cankeep pushing it.
Yeah, yeah, well, I mean it'sbeen fun.
I mean it's been a thing since,uh, 2016.
(46:32):
Um, you know, we've gotten totour a lot, um, and do some
really cool things and travel alot um, and, uh, you know, we've
done a bunch of music videosand we've been having fun with
it absolutely.
Speaker 3 (46:43):
I mean I can only imagine.
I mean that was honestly like agenius concept, man.
It's like you take nerds andmetal heads and you're like I
made something for you, enjoy it.
And they're like oh my god,this is.
I didn't know, I needed this,but I do need it now yeah and it
dude it.
Congratulations on all of thatsuccess.
Thank that man.
Thank you, Of course.
So I also asked Brett this.
(47:04):
I want to ask you just for thefans because I know there are
people that are still wonderingdoes Disney know who you are?
Speaker 5 (47:12):
I believe that they do.
I mean, we've never gotten anyofficial correspondence from
them thankfully, yeah right.
Yeah, and it's been eight years, so I think we're good on that
front but um I do know thatthere are people at work at
lucasfilm who who are aware ofus and are fans of the band, so
that's very cool.
Speaker 3 (47:28):
You know, that's so cool man yeah, like I mean, I
would just be like watching likea star wars movie, looking at
the credits and like, man, Iwonder which one of them, I
wonder which one of them is afan of something I created.
Like yeah, you never know, dude, that's so awesome man.
So we've talked about a lot ofthe things you've produced and a
lot of things you've worked on.
What project stands out to youas your favorite if you had to
(47:49):
pick one?
Speaker 5 (47:50):
Man, that is a very loaded question.
Just because we've, you know,in 20 years, we've worked on so
many albums that are special tous, Absolutely it.
In 20 years, we've worked on somany albums that are, like you
know, special to us, absolutely,uh it's.
Speaker 3 (48:02):
it's very hard to pick a favorite um if you just
had to, like hip shot pick justoff the, off the, off the top of
the head man I, you don't haveto answer a hard question it's
okay, that's a hard one.
Speaker 5 (48:17):
I don't want to answer wrong, but I, I think,
man, you know, I would say justin terms of, like you know,
grant and me working togetherand, uh, the band that we have
together.
I think that first galacticrecord, yeah, is definitely
special to me because it kind ofrepresents, like you know, a
time where, um, you know, grantand I were working together, I
(48:42):
think officially since 2012.
But I think we were working onprojects together before that,
but it's always been a thing,we've always been great, we're
best friends and it's just areally cool, creative thing that
we got to do together and taketo a point that we never thought
we would.
Speaker 3 (49:00):
So that record is definitely special for me, for
sure can imagine it, for for amultitude of reasons as to why
I'm not saying it's like thebest record we've ever recorded
no, but it has sentimentalvalues oh, I can believe that
100.
Speaker 2 (49:13):
That would be like I don't know, like I produced
something for star wars or Imean, that's how it was uh,
power rangers or something likeright, that would be.
Speaker 3 (49:19):
It just hits home.
It's something personal, Ibelieve that.
So with that, I'm going tofollow up with.
Is there an artist that youwould love to work with but
haven't had the chance yet?
Speaker 5 (49:30):
So many man, so many, I mean.
For me, my favorite band isNine Inch Nails.
Speaker 3 (49:37):
Oh, okay, all right.
Speaker 5 (49:38):
There's no reality in which Trent Reznor would ever
need to work with me and Grant.
Speaker 3 (49:44):
I don't know man, your name carries some pretty
heavy weight, at least I wouldsay specifically in the genre,
maybe not that much weight.
You're not wrong.
Speaker 5 (49:54):
I mean in terms of me being a fan or like Rage
Against the Machine, it's allthe 90s bands because I was a
teenager in the 90s soabsolutely that's always stuck
with me.
That's my 90s alternative music.
You know it's kind of my thingI've heard a rumor though too.
Uh, dream collaboration,possibly wu-tang clan I mean
bring it, bring it on, man.
I saw wu-tang with nas just uhlike last year, and it was
(50:17):
amazing that I mean busterrhymes too.
Speaker 3 (50:19):
Like I said, man, you guys's names are out there.
I mean you guys have a lot ofcredibility to you, so I mean I
wouldn't, I wouldn't put it toofar off, if I'm being honest,
man well, I mean, we did do acollaboration with uh daryl
mcdaniels from run dmc yeah,that's right, yeah over there at
um, uh, oh man, I'm drawing ablank right now.
Speaker 5 (50:37):
Well, he played with us at mickey Black Box, but he
has a song that I don't believeis out yet, but it's Galactic
Empire did the music for thesong.
It's him rapping over it, Dude.
That's cool.
I believe that will be out atsome point soon.
That's awesome.
It's going to be great.
It's a banger.
Speaker 3 (50:56):
Dude, you've gotten to do some pretty awesome things
.
I want to follow back here.
So I mean, what would you?
Because you, like I said,you've not been formally trained
, you never went to a formalschool.
You have built quite successfor yourself.
You have quite the resumebehind you Yours and Grant's
names and Galactica.
You have things that truly holdvalue and you get to do it with
(51:20):
your best friend friend.
You literally get to do whatyou love with your best friend,
yeah, every day.
What's one piece of advice thatyou would give to someone that
kind of wants to go down thesame road that you did?
Speaker 5 (51:30):
just don't worry about like thinking about what
to do and what not to do.
Just you know, just do it.
You know you just got to go.
If you get zeroed in on onething, you just got to focus on
that and go straight at it.
You know, you just got to go.
If you get zeroed in on onething, you just got to focus on
that and go straight at it.
Speaker 3 (51:43):
You know, this episode is brought to you by
nike.
Yeah, just do it.
Speaker 5 (51:47):
I mean, that's I love it, though, in lieu of sounding
like a motivational speaker oranything, it's like I just feel
like, uh, if you just figure outwhat you like, yeah, and go
full force at it, I mean, thenthe only person that can stop
you is yourself.
Speaker 3 (52:02):
You're not wrong, man .
I mean we've sat down withquite a bit of people here and
all of you guys have alwaysgiven us such good information
for maybe some of the potentialyounger musicians, the younger
artists, the younger musicproducers, and I really value
every guest that's come on here,especially yourself, carson.
I mean as a fan, mean as a fanman.
Speaker 5 (52:25):
Thank you so much for taking the time to sit down
with us, Really appreciate it.
That means a lot to me andthank you for having me here.
It's an honor to be here.
Speaker 3 (52:32):
Dude, absolutely, we will be in touch with you for
the future.
I think we might have to take astop down at your guys' studio
and check that out, please do.
Speaker 5 (52:39):
Yeah, come by anytime .
Speaker 3 (52:40):
Absolutely man.
Well, with that, this was theepisode.
Have a great night, guys.
Speaker 2 (52:44):
Thank you as always.
Thanks for tuning in foranother great episode.
Until next time, you.
Welcome to the Central Pennsylvania Music
Podcast Tonight Carson Slovakand Brett Onspach.
This episode is sponsored byEnglewood Brewing.
And now your hosts, daniel Kimeand Alan McCutcheon.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Welcome to the Central Pennsylvania Music
Podcast.
I'm your host, daniel, and I'myour co-host, alan, coming up.
We have Brett Onspach andCarson Slovak Probably know,
both of them from the bandGalactic Empire.
Let's dig in and we're sittingdown with Brett Onspach.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
Brett, we're so happy to Brett Onspach.
Brett, I'm so happy to have youhere.
Man, how are you?
Speaker 4 (00:47):
Yes, I am very happy to be here.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
I mean, it's the CPM podcast and I did not think that
I would get a nomination oranything like that this year for
my solo work.
You were nominated, right, I'mhere.
Yes, that's your solo album.
It's instrumental.
It's called Colossus correct.
Speaker 4 (01:11):
Yes, that is correct.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
So how did this come to be?
Speaker 4 (01:15):
So it came to be around March of 2020, like right
when the pandemic was starting.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
I feel like that inspired a lot of musicians.
Honestly, I think that was like, if I can't do anything else, I
might as well write so, yeah, Imean I didn't have anything
going on and I started playingdoom more.
Speaker 4 (01:35):
Around that time new, new game came out yep and it's
very good the.
You know the soundtrack in thatgame is ridiculous.
You know, it's won its share ofawards.
Um, so I was, I was inspired tomake something similar to that.
Um, I didn't really know how togo to go about that style of
(01:57):
music, um, and I, I just kind offigured it out.
And one day I was watching apodcast funny enough of the guy
that took down Osama.
Oh, okay, I know.
Crazy, and the way he told hisstory made me feel like I was
(02:18):
there and made me feel like Iwas the guy that was doing it
myself.
He had such a way of tellingthe story and I remember after
watching that podcast I pickedup the guitar and I laid this
riff down and I was just like,well, I guess I started my solo
record.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
So you were essentially like man.
That was an awesome story.
I felt like I was there, but Ineed theme music, yeah.
I'm going to write my own thememusic for the experience that I
had with his story.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Yes, that's awesome.
Wow, did it for America, huh, Iguess so yeah.
Speaker 4 (02:53):
And then there's a song on the record called
Operation Neptune, spear Dog.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
That's the operation.
Speaker 4 (02:59):
That's the song, that's awesome.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
Okay.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
Dude yeah, that's awesome.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
Okay, dude, that's sweet and I thought that was
pretty metal too.
So like, oh yeah, taking downosama.
I don't think maybe there isother, but that's definitely
pretty metal.
That's top tier metal for sure.
Uh, yeah, that's that's crazy.
So you started writing this.
How long, would you say it tookyou to kind of orchestrate and
put together colossus to whereyou were like okay, like I like
this, I want to put this out.
Speaker 4 (03:27):
So well, if I started in 2020, ish, 2021, maybe, um,
it came out april of 23, soprobably two years um, but most
of the stuff that I write like%of it gets done really fast and
then the final 15 takes likeanother year.
(03:49):
Okay, yeah, like I have an idea, I'll put it down real quick.
And then I'm so picky with likeI don't want to say I'm a
perfectionist, because if I was,nothing would get released.
That's definitely still a mentalstruggle, to the point where I
make sure everything is down toa T, because I'm also recording
(04:14):
it myself, I'm mixing it myselfand I'm mastering it myself.
So everything from the idea inmy head to what you hear is just
through me, that's dope dude towhat you hear is just like
through me that's dope dude.
So it takes a while to make thatcome to life once I have it on
paper, even, because there'sjust so many little like even
(04:35):
small little synth sounds, orlike the post-production, like
swells and bass drops, and stufflike that, how you piece it all
together and make that fullambiotic sound Because it's an
instrumental record.
so, you know, obviously thatmeans there's no vocals.
So there's got to be somethingfor somebody to catch on to and
a reason for them to want tokeep listening to what's
(04:55):
happening even though there'snothing being said.
You know, the instruments haveto be a vocal or like a synth
line on top of a of a song.
Um, that kind of takes theplace of, say, a vocal melody,
you know, um, so I was gonna askthat actually because I mean, I
know you're also a vocal.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
You're you're a very talented guitarist.
I know you play the drums, butyou've also been a vocalist.
So writing an instrumentalalbum and, like you said, there
is no instrumentals or vocals onan instrumental album like.
But that's what a lot of people, the majority of people they
look for the hooks vocally.
So would you say that wasprobably one of your biggest
like hurdles writing theinstrumentals how to write like
instrumental hooks where vocalswould have filled in um, I think
(05:37):
so for me personally.
Speaker 4 (05:40):
Um, as an artist, vocals are the hardest thing for
me to do.
Like patterns, I have noproblem with patterns, creating
a melody that I think otherpeople are going to hook onto.
I'm right there with you, manis tough, it's very hard.
(06:00):
But I'll pick up a guitar andI'll just riff something out and
that comes to me pretty quick.
So it was a little bit easier,I think, to create a hook in
this way, because you you haveso many virtual instruments at
your disposal that can make somany different sounds, and it's
(06:21):
like endless.
I will find something and I'llbe like I've never heard that
before, or maybe I have heardthat before, but it's just
really cool yeah I'm gonna usethis now, um.
So then I I just kind of go forit.
Um, I will take, even if it'slike the melody of the song, and
I will copy and paste that samething on multiple different
(06:42):
virtual instruments and I willjust cut it up, delete certain
sections, like without evenlistening to it, just kind of
randomly, like picking in andgetting rid of certain things,
and then, play them all at thesame time across across each
other and, um, just seeing whathappens, and that's how I come
up with some of these sounds.
And then I'll be like, oh, thatwas kind of cool, but I didn't
(07:03):
like this part.
Let me add a note here.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
So you kind of struck gold doing that, like kind of
like.
I would say that's like aessentially a shotgun blast,
like version of like I'm gonnatake this, I'm gonna put it
through multiple differentinstruments or generators, play
it all at once.
See how it sounds.
That's like a shotgun blast ofit and you're like, you struck
gold with that a couple times.
Speaker 4 (07:23):
So yeah, so like I'll take.
I'll take like eight or ninedifferent, uh virtual
instruments, right, I'll.
I'll type up, uh, the, themelody that I'm thinking, um, uh
, on midi, yep, and I will pastethat into each one all at the
same time and then I will takelike a blade tool or something
and I will chop each track up atlike a different spot randomly.
(07:45):
I won't even like listen to it,I'll just chop it up randomly
and I'll delete random littleblocks out of all of them and
then I'll play it back and seewhat it sounds like damn, that's
awesome dude, that's crazybecause, like you're leaving so
much to change and variable,like it's crazy.
So yeah, it just gives me, youknow, the ability to not think
too hard and just be like thatsounds cool.
I'll just keep it.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
Yeah, dope, that's amazing.
So do you think I meanobviously you're a well-seasoned
musician and producer andeverything?
Do you think there's?
You know obviously, a lot oflearning that came from this.
You know different new.
I guess you know tools in thetoolbox for future productions
and maybe other differentprojects in the future.
Speaker 4 (08:22):
Yeah, absolutely.
I mean, even the newultra-violent stuff that's
coming out has a lot morepost-production.
I guess you could say in termsof there's a lot more cool
effects going on.
Speaker 3 (08:35):
There's a lot more polish to it.
Yes, yeah, I get what you'resaying.
Speaker 4 (08:38):
Just because a lot of those sounds, it's like I would
hear them on my favoriterecords and I just wouldn't know
how to recreate that yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
So even like just this ep alone just really helps
you to grow as a musician youabsolutely yeah that's awesome.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
I know exactly what you mean, like when back for
people I don't know.
This is the brett that I'vementioned on other episodes, um,
that I play with when I was inethics, but I know exactly what
you mean.
When we had our ep with ethicsit was good, it was.
It did what it did.
But then when we released thesingle the void the way we wrote
it and the way it was built, itjust sounded so much more full
and complete yeah like itsounded like it was orchestrated
(09:15):
as a whole better and like Iget what you're saying.
It's like, yeah, now these newones are sounding more polished
right, well, one of the newUltraviolet songs.
Speaker 4 (09:24):
when I first wrote the riff, I had initially
thought that it might have beensomething that was going to be
on my solo record, and then Iwas just like you know what?
There's a riff in the middlethat was just too cool to not
have some kind of vocal thing onit.
So I put some vocal stuff to itand, uh, you know, got the rest
(09:46):
of the band involved and nowthat's, uh, the one that's
actually going to be the single.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
So it's, it's gonna be, nuts, it's gonna be pretty
heavy in comparison.
So that's awesome.
So, and you mentioned ultraviolent, for anybody maybe is
watching doesn't hasn't, youknow, heard of ultra violent?
Can we dive into that topic alittle bit?
You know, tell us a little bitabout Ultraviolet and what you
guys have going on.
Speaker 3 (10:06):
Yeah so Ultraviolet Right out of my mouth, danny,
thank you.
Speaker 4 (10:10):
Love you Ultraviolet.
So me and our bass player,avery Levan, we've been friends
since probably first grade, ifnot before that, and when we
were 12, we started playinginstruments together.
(10:31):
I mean, I started playing drumswhen I was about like five or
six years old, but me and Averyplayed together when we were 12.
We did some covers up until wewere about 14.
And once we were 14 is when thename Ultraviolet came about.
So really we're heading on year10, technically, of being a
(10:51):
band.
Speaker 2 (10:52):
That's crazy, dude.
Speaker 4 (10:53):
So 2019, we put out a full-length record.
It's a concept album and thisEP that we're dropping this year
will be the first thing sincethen.
So it's really been like almostfive years since we put
anything out.
You know, when the pandemic hit, there was a lot going on.
We had some member changes um,of course, covid, um some of
(11:18):
them, you know, avery was incollege.
Our one guitar player had movedto phoenix briefly, arizona.
Speaker 3 (11:25):
So briefly, that's a very far distance to briefly
move.
Speaker 4 (11:28):
He was there for about a year, I think a little
over a year maybe.
Um, he's back now and you knowwe were finally like it took a
long time to figure out how todo things the the right way and
and how to release somethingproperly, how to get it to set
everything from from a to z.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
That needs to be done the right way and I'll be on
the same page and I'll be on thesame page.
Speaker 4 (11:51):
Um, I feel like we're finally there and, you know,
despite being a band for 10years, you know there's always
something to because, like Isaid, you know, we started
ultraviolet when we were 14.
Yeah, like we didn't, we didn'tknow anything about anything.
Speaker 3 (12:05):
I just want to play music and I want to play it live
.
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4 (12:07):
Like we.
We've been recording ourselvesdoing music ever since that time
Like we've I mean anything thatwe've released has all been
like in house self produced,recorded, mixed, mastered, all
that stuff.
That's awesome produced,recorded, mix, mastered, all
that stuff.
That's so like being able to dothat um for 10 years.
(12:27):
Obviously, you know it helpsshape me as a producer and a
songwriter because, like there'sno better practice than that
absolutely um so I'm reallyexcited for the new music
because of that.
I think we're finally at a spotwhere it's like okay, this is,
this is the band, like get ready, you know what I mean?
Speaker 3 (12:48):
I'm stoked, man, I can't wait.
I'm ready, man, I can't wait tohear especially with the way
you're describing thingseverything.
Because it's like there'sthere's a difference.
When someone's like hype aboutthe and I get it.
There's most musicians they'renot not hype about their new
music, but there are exampleswhich they're like yeah, I got
new music coming out, it'll becool.
And it's like okay, thatdoesn't make me want to listen
(13:11):
to it.
When the person's passionate,I'm like okay, now I want to
hear it because you've done agreat job describing it.
So just to foot stomp some clipnotes for our listeners,
because we've kind of jumped allover the place.
So you are in the band UltraViolent.
Speaker 4 (13:25):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
You are also a solo artist with your instrumental
with that album, colossus, andthat is nominated for the
instrumental album slash EP ofthe year for the 2023 CPMAs.
Woohoo, we also got to.
We got to address the elephantin the room.
Speaker 4 (13:41):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (13:42):
There is also another act that you are a part of that
is internationally known.
Speaker 4 (13:48):
Perhaps Kind of a big deal.
Speaker 3 (13:50):
Galactic.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
Empire.
Speaker 4 (13:52):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (13:52):
So we got to ask how do you get away with it Like
Star Wars themed band playingStar Wars music, looking like
Star Wars-esque characters.
How do you do it?
Speaker 4 (14:03):
Yeah, so recently we've taken on this life of kind
of having our own like originalcharacters.
You know they look as if theycould be in a Star Wars film,
like if you saw the costumesthat we're wearing right now.
If you were to see thatcharacter in like a new Star
Wars movie, you probablywouldn't really bat an eye.
You'd be like that's a StarWars character.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
It's a background character.
It blends right in, exactly.
It blends right into theuniverse.
Speaker 4 (14:27):
Exactly, but they're not at all and we all have our
own stage names for them as wellthat are not like you know.
They're not.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
It's not Boba Fett.
You're not, like, affiliatedwith the movies.
Speaker 4 (14:46):
Right, it's not Boba Fett.
You're not, like, affiliatedwith the movies, right, right.
So I believe technically it hassomething to do with, like it's
just considered parody at thatpoint.
So we can do it.
And I mean, we're playingcovers, we're releasing covers
and you know, like John Williamswill get some kind of cut from
the songs that we're putting outbecause it's his original right
(15:09):
orchestration, that's so, soyou're essentially making him
money, oh yeah, yeah, that'sawesome.
Speaker 3 (15:14):
I mean not that he really needs it, because he's
john williams, but still that'skind of cool.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
In a way, you're getting him paid yeah, from from
my understanding that's, that'show it works.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
Okay, I'm pretty sure are you allowed to like?
I mean, because I, I don't, I'm, I kind of know, but maybe our
fans don't know.
Are you allowed to divulge whatcharacter you are and who you
play?
Speaker 4 (15:35):
yes, okay I, I am um because I'm choosing to.
All right, um, I I am, uh, therhythm guitar player.
Stage name is Doom Riff.
Now, despite what we justtalked, about.
I did not come up with the name, it was.
It was given to me.
Speaker 3 (15:56):
Straight coincidental that is kind of wild, it kind
of makes sense.
It's almost like it was madefor you.
Then, as soon as they told meI'm like there's no way You're
kidding, right?
Speaker 4 (16:06):
No, you're kidding.
Do you guys have lore?
Speaker 3 (16:10):
for your characters or any kind of background?
What?
Speaker 4 (16:13):
galaxy are you from?
Whatever you want it to be, Iguess Dealer's choice.
Speaker 3 (16:17):
Yeah, he's like you, tell me my story, bro.
You tell me, tell me how I cameto be.
Speaker 4 (16:21):
Yeah, and then I'll be like you know what, Nah, I
don't like that.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
That's a terrible backstory.
You've got to go back to thedrawing board.
That's awesome, Okay so goahead, okay.
Speaker 2 (16:30):
I mean, what's it like playing for a band like
that?
I mean, you guys are absolutelyhuge and I mean I'm sure you're
all huge Star Wars fans andthis is all paying homage to
something that you love.
Speaker 4 (16:47):
I decided to watch the original trilogy after I
joined the band.
Oh man, yeah Crazy right.
Speaker 3 (16:54):
Okay.
Speaker 4 (16:55):
The first Star Wars movie I seen was Force Awakens.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
Well, that was your first mistake.
Speaker 4 (16:59):
And that was my first mistake.
Yep, I fell asleep in a theater.
Yeah, I saw Rogue One thenafter that.
I believe that one's reallygood.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
I do like Rogue One.
Speaker 4 (17:09):
And then Avery.
One of his favorite movies ofall time is Revenge of the Sith.
So, I've seen that a few timesjust because of him right.
Absolutely Good movie.
Speaker 3 (17:20):
Great movie.
I have the high ground Anakin.
Exactly I hate you, I hate you.
Me and my girlfriend say thatto each other all the time in
passing.
It's stupid, but yes.
Speaker 4 (17:32):
So my girlfriend say that to each other all the time
in passing, it's stupid.
But yes, and Avery's a hugeStar Wars fan, so he was one of
the first people I called when Igot the news and he's like,
well, we gotta watch the movies.
Speaker 3 (17:41):
You can't be in a Star Wars movie and not be
educated on the topic.
Speaker 4 (17:44):
Exactly.
I'm so sorry, I don't rememberwhat your question was.
Because you were like I'm sosorry, I don't remember what
your question was Because youwere like I'm sure you love Star
Wars.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
No worries, sorry for assuming, but I will say it's
good.
Speaker 4 (17:57):
I like Star Wars.
It's really good, perfect.
I'm sure the fans like themusic.
The music is great.
The music is great.
So what's it like being in aband like that that I'm sure
people just I mean I know peoplethoroughly enjoy and love?
(18:18):
Um, I mean it's, it's nuts,right, like I don't know what
else to say um, it's so.
One thing that I think isreally interesting is you know,
I could be walking around thevenue all day.
No one knows who I am.
I'll play, yeah, yeah, you know, show cool people star wars and
I'll be done.
I'll take my costume off and,like I can walk through the
crowd of people without having abunch of people trying to stop
me from like using the bathroomor something like you know,
(18:41):
that's you know.
Speaker 3 (18:42):
I mean actually that's true it's nice you
appreciate the anonymity.
Speaker 4 (18:48):
A word yeah, yeah, okay, yeah, yeah yeah, I, I
don't mind it at all, like ithas its its pros and cons, but
like I'm not complaining at all,so you totally.
Speaker 3 (18:56):
You still get your stage high that you enjoy
without any of the other stuffthat comes with having to get
that stage like of being known,like everyone knows who you are,
knows your face, they see youat the bar, like everyone wants
to hound you.
You don't have to deal with anyof that but you still get
everything that you love out ofplaying music live Without any
of the drawback pretty much.
(19:16):
Yeah, I'm dope.
Speaker 4 (19:18):
I I mean, there will be like a small handful of
people that will be like youwere in the band and I'm just
like I did.
Yeah, yeah, I was.
Speaker 3 (19:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (19:29):
No idea how they figure it out, Just some people
I don't know if they watchreally closely or.
Speaker 5 (19:34):
I don't know if they recognize.
Speaker 4 (19:35):
You guys have huge fans man, but after a show,
every once in a while someonewill recognize it, but most
people don't.
Speaker 3 (19:44):
Okay, which is fine.
So you might have answered myquestion that I'm about to ask,
but I don't know.
I was going to ask your whatwould you say is your favorite
part of being, like, what's yourfavorite thing about being a
part of galactic empire?
And or, if you did alreadyanswer that question with your
last answer, I was gonna saywhat's the most unique
experience you've had being partof galactic empire?
Speaker 4 (20:04):
um, my, my favorite part.
I mean, man, I just get to dowhat I've set out to do for all
my life that I've been playingmusic man and just trying to
grind and get to do somethinglike this.
I've never really gotten totravel that much earlier on in
(20:28):
my life.
I've always wanted to seeeverything and the world's huge
man I just wanted to play.
And um, like it, it finally doesthat for me.
Like I, early in january I hadlost my job and I didn't know
what the hell I was gonna do forreal.
And it was a couple weeks afterthat um grant had hit me up and
(20:53):
asked if I wanted to try outfor galactic empire.
And I'm like, uh, I mean, areyou kidding me right?
I mean so, and and he sent methe stems for for two songs to
audition for and I sent themback the next day, I like, I was
like I'm not losing this chanceyou know, I'm I.
(21:16):
I sat up the entire night theday he sent it to me.
I was pulling my hair out,trying to learn these songs that
they're not easy at all no,they're definitely not.
I've seen you guys play and,like you guys, do a hell of a
job making it your own and I waslike you know, if this guy's
gonna ask, ask me to do this,I'm not going to give anyone
else a chance to step in here,so I'm just going to bang this
(21:38):
out.
I was like spend the next 36hours or whatever, like banging
your head against the wall, butafter you're done you'll be much
thankful for it.
Speaker 3 (21:46):
For sure dude yeah.
Speaker 4 (21:53):
So I put my head down and focused and I got it back
to him right away and it was nottoo long after that he he was
just like yeah, man, like you'rein.
Speaker 2 (21:58):
So dude, that's, that's, that's amazing, awesome.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
I'm sorry, I gotta, I gotta put it in there I'm sorry
, brandon, but yeah, dude, thatit just it's awesome man like
that's, that's really cool manyeah, I.
Speaker 4 (22:08):
I mean to be able to play music and do that for to
help sustain myself is not asentence I ever thought I'd be
able to get to say at all to dowhat you love and have.
Speaker 3 (22:20):
Doing what you love also provide the other
experiences that you've alwayswanted as well yeah, man, like
it's.
Speaker 4 (22:26):
I don't know, I don't know how else to say it, like
there's no words I can.
I'm just talking in circles atthis point.
This is what humility lookslike, everyone.
Speaker 3 (22:36):
It's a good thing, so I love that answer, by the way,
but I feel like when I askedthe question, something popped
in your head immediately thoughwhat's the most unique
experience you've had?
Speaker 4 (22:47):
being part of.
Galactic Empire I can alreadytell this is good, so europe all
right, yeah, perfect, startingthere, europe uh, warsaw, poland
, so it's snowing better andwe're.
We're on the way to the gig and, um the the van breaks down,
(23:11):
which, like you, which I feellike if you're in a touring band
and your van doesn't break down, you're really in a touring
band.
Speaker 3 (23:17):
Valid point.
Speaker 4 (23:18):
Right, so I'm just like well, here it is the van
broke down, it finally happened.
Yeah, our tour manager, danMeyer, bless him, because I
could never do his job.
He puts up with a lot of bs.
Um, they figured out a way toget us in another vehicle.
(23:38):
Get to the show on time.
So we get to the show, we playthe show, we get done with the
show and we're we're gettingready to pack up, and we're
getting ready to pack up and thebackup vehicle broke down.
Speaker 3 (23:52):
Oh, my God.
Speaker 4 (23:52):
So, we're like okay, cool, this is sweet, Two-for-one
, special, great.
And Dan is like, yeah, we got amechanic on the way.
He's going to take a look at it, like sweet.
So we're sitting there, we'reeating like the green room
grapes and just chilling.
And then, apparently, themechanic was just like yeah, I
(24:14):
don't know so.
So it's like are you actually amechanic?
So we're like okay, we're inpoland, it's snowing, it's like
10 o' and we have no vehicle.
What do we do?
So the venue, from myunderstanding, paid for us to
(24:38):
stay at a hostel up the street.
Now, I did not know what ahostel was at the time.
Speaker 3 (24:47):
Good, good.
Speaker 2 (24:49):
I like where this story's going, you thought that
was like Polish for hotel.
That's actually exactly what Ithought.
Oh my God.
Speaker 3 (24:56):
He's like oh, that's actually really close to the
English name.
That's crazy.
I can speak Polish.
Speaker 4 (25:02):
I was like dude.
I got to bed tonight.
My bunk is as big as me, so Igot to bed.
Right, yeah, this is a win,right yeah.
Oh me.
So I, I gotta, I gotta bet,right, yeah, this is a win,
right yeah?
Oh no, it was not.
So we get to the place and, um,we, we get inside, we get
situated, um, I'm walking to theroom and it is at this moment
(25:28):
when I realize, oh okay, I seewhat this, I see what's
happening, right.
Speaker 3 (25:34):
Yep.
For our viewers that don't know, please describe.
Speaker 4 (25:38):
Oh yeah, I will, I will, okay, okay.
So a hostel is like a hotel,but you just get paired up with
random people and you just haveto sleep with them, and that's
just how it works.
It's like a dorm room almost,yeah, yeah, and you just have to
sleep with them and that's justhow it works.
It's like a dorm room almost.
Yeah yeah.
So the majority of the band andthe crew all managed to get in
the same room.
I was by myself.
(26:00):
Oh no, I opened the door.
I know our time, but this isreally funny.
Speaker 3 (26:08):
You're good, You're good.
Don't even worry about that.
Go, go go.
Speaker 4 (26:17):
We walk in the door, we me, I walk in the door, he
myself and I walk in the door.
To be clear, I walk in the doorand there's a, there's, there's
a, this okay, it's.
It's like pretty early in themorning at this point, right
yeah there's a bunk on the left,there's a bunk on the right,
there's one guy sleeping on theright bunk, one guy sleeping on
the left bunk, there's a windowand there's one guy sleeping on
the right bunk, one guy sleepingon the left bunk, there's a
window and there's a small, likewhat I can only describe as a
school desk, sitting in thecorner.
(26:37):
Okay, so I walk in the room andthat's the moment I realize
what this is and I'm like well,I'm not going to sleep tonight,
so I'm just going to sit down inthis desk and play my Nintendo
Switch.
Because why not going to sleeptonight?
So I'm just going to sit downin this desk and play my
Nintendo Switch.
Because why not?
Right, yeah, sure.
And then I hear this hey, you,Okay, oh, boy.
(26:58):
Turn around.
Hey, how's it going?
You sitting there?
I mean, does it look like I'msitting?
Speaker 3 (27:09):
there Am I sitting here.
Speaker 4 (27:10):
Yeah, is that a problem?
He's like well, I just want youto know that if you're going to
be sitting there and you'regoing to be making not a lot of
noise I just got out of thehospital I'm having a really
hard time breathing and sleepingright now.
So if you're going to keepmaking noise like that, we're
going to have some problems.
Speaker 3 (27:26):
Oh, boy, you're like, I don't have a bed.
Speaker 4 (27:30):
I'm like I got eight other guys I came with here.
If this is going to be an issue, I'm like I can leave right.
And he's like no, no, no, no,it's fine, it's fine, it's fine.
Goes back to sleep.
Okay, I texted the group andI'm like F this.
This sucks.
Speaker 3 (27:48):
Help.
I need an.
Speaker 4 (27:55):
Nah, I'm going to build some XP tonight.
I'm going to do this.
As soon as I send that message,I hear the door open and I'm
like, oh great, what clown'scoming through the door?
Now Someone walks in.
It's a young lady.
First thing she does is dartsit to the window and opens up
the window.
It's 33 degrees outside.
(28:16):
I'm like what are you doing?
First off, hi.
Speaker 3 (28:20):
Nice to meet you hey how's it going?
Speaker 4 (28:22):
Sets her stuff down on the windowsill to go do
something else, all her stufffalls down on the ground.
Oh my God, the guy behind methat was just peed off at me
wakes up.
I'm like, oh my God, I wasgoing to help this lady pick her
stuff up, but I figured if Idid he probably would think that
I dropped it and he was goingto like beat me up and I again
(28:43):
no, I mean, his problem isbreathing.
He's only going to get like onegood swing and then you're good.
Yeah, I just got to find a wayout of there, right, exactly
Right.
I don't, I don't know, and bythis point it's like 3 30 AM.
We have to be up at six my godand I'm like you know, whatever.
I go to the bathroom and I'mwalking down the hall and
(29:03):
there's this guy that all I cansay is that for his age, was
walking at a very uncanny speedtowards me on the way to the
bathroom, follows me into thebathroom.
Thank god he did not use thestall next to me because it was
like closer to this table away,like what?
(29:24):
What a time, you know.
We wake up and I find out thatthe other room apparently had
someone like try to break intothe room like a, like a really
drunk guy was like thrown up inthe hall like oh my god, it, god
, it was a whole thing.
And I don't know where the look, I don't know where the vehicle
came from.
I don't know what happened.
(29:45):
I don't know how we got toGermany.
We got to Germany.
Speaker 3 (29:50):
I don't know, thank God.
Speaker 4 (29:52):
I'm just in like such a daze at this point because
like I haven't slept.
Speaker 3 (29:56):
You're sleep deprived and everything I'm dealing with
this.
Speaker 4 (29:58):
I'm just like following everyone else.
You know, I'm just like thankGod I don't have to worry about.
Like if I had to worry aboutfiguring out how to get to
Germany at that point, I justwould not, I wouldn't, I'm
sitting down.
Speaker 3 (30:11):
I'm like Brett, what are you doing?
You're like I'm sitting downand I'm not doing anything until
this is resolved, Like I justI'm done, that's it.
I've hit my limit, like.
I'm not doing anything untilthis is fixed.
Speaker 4 (30:23):
Exactly, and then I'll make a long story short.
On the way home, an alarm wentoff in the airport and everyone
who was not through security hadto go back outside, and our
bass player had to go backoutside and he missed the flight
.
So he got put on a differentflight back home and we had to
(30:43):
go pick him up separately at adifferent airport.
Speaker 2 (30:45):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 4 (30:46):
You say like back to America, yes, oh my.
God.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
I do have to ask when you got to Berlin, when you got
to the venue, did you take anap in the green room?
Dude, I don't remember.
Speaker 4 (30:55):
It's literally all a blur, remember I?
I don't know all about thatwould have been me.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
I would be like give me, give me to the venue.
I'm gonna sleep in that greenroom like you're right.
You need to unlock the doorsright now wake me up in five
minutes before I'll be.
Speaker 4 (31:05):
I'll be dressed and ready like I, I tried to sleep
on the way there.
I could not.
I do remember not being able tosleep until about 10 minutes
before we got to the germanborder and I was awakened
because, um, in case they neededto see like passports or
whatever.
The driver was like, hey, likeyou know, this is happening.
So they wake me up and I'm like, great, I just fell asleep.
(31:25):
Well, they didn't need me atall anyway.
So thank god they woke you up.
Yeah, thank, thankfully theywoke me up.
Oh, my god, and I could notfall back asleep after that.
So, yeah, I mean, it was.
It was very tiring, but likethat makes it sound like my trip
in Europe was not a good time.
I will say it was a great time.
That was part of one day out ofthree weeks we were there.
Speaker 3 (31:47):
Yeah, but it kind of sucked when you were going
through it.
But it's so funny to tell it,oh yeah.
Speaker 4 (31:52):
Well, that's why I stayed in the room.
I was like I'm going to have astory to tell if I stay here
tonight and live.
That's the big caveat.
Speaker 3 (32:02):
He's like breaks Nintendo Switch, takes a piece
of the glass and screens it.
He's like I've got to shiv,I've got to shiv old guy, I make
it harder to breathe.
Speaker 4 (32:10):
Everyone else that I've told this story to has been
like oh yeah, you've seen themovie Hostel and I'm like I have
not seen the movie Hostel.
Speaker 3 (32:18):
You don't want to watch the movie Hostel now?
Speaker 2 (32:19):
I'm going to tell you that, yeah, it's been a long
time since I watched that movieyeah.
Well, I mean, I guess we'rekind of running out of time here
, but thank you so much.
Before we let you run, is thereanything else you want to shout
out, plug or got any otherexciting projects coming?
Speaker 4 (32:32):
up, so I mean I will say I play drums for Monument of
a Memory.
They are based out of NewJersey, though.
Speaker 2 (32:40):
So fourth project.
Yeah, I mean three bands.
Who's counting Four projects.
Speaker 3 (32:47):
Who cares?
Speaker 4 (32:49):
And they're coming out with something soon
Ultraviolence dropping the EPsoon.
Galactic Empire just announceda tour in April.
I think the closest to here isBaltimore, okay.
Speaker 3 (33:02):
Is that at Ram Stage or whatever it is Ram's Head?
Speaker 4 (33:05):
I don't even know, I don't know where it is exactly.
Speaker 3 (33:09):
He's like I don't know I hop on the bus.
Speaker 4 (33:10):
They tell me where to go and I show up.
Speaker 3 (33:13):
I have my guitar Speaking of, though too real
quick before we end it, becauseI have three quick things I want
to hit.
Yeah do it.
You just recently got yourfirst guitar endorsement,
correct?
Yes, I just want to saycongratulations on record.
Speaker 2 (33:26):
for that, thank you.
Speaker 3 (33:26):
Congratulations.
Who's the brand with Legator?
Speaker 4 (33:29):
So you want to give them a shout out?
Yes, legator Guitars.
They are pretty incredibleinstruments to use on the road.
They sent me a headless to usebecause the guitar I was using
previously was really heavy andthat paired with a costume was
just and me being small, wasjust not a great combination at
(33:50):
all.
So I was like I need somethingreally light and I need
something I can use.
Speaker 3 (33:53):
It's a gorgeous guitar.
I remember when you posted thepicture.
Speaker 4 (33:55):
It's beautiful.
Speaker 3 (33:56):
I was like, oh my God , I don't even like headless
guitars, but I was like that'sbeautiful.
Speaker 4 (34:00):
It's very beautiful, it's very beautiful.
Speaker 3 (34:02):
The other thing that I want to ask, because I know
there's fans out here that theywant to know does Disney know
who you are?
Speaker 4 (34:11):
Yes, okay, they do know who we are.
They do know who you are.
Speaker 3 (34:14):
Obviously, if you're paying John Williams, if he's
getting checks and stuff likethat, yeah, they know.
Speaker 2 (34:20):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (34:21):
But just for clarification with fans, disney
does know who you are and theyare aware of your presence.
Speaker 4 (34:26):
Yes, I will leave it at that.
Okay, perfect, wonderful, Iwill say that.
Speaker 3 (34:30):
The only other question I have.
Sure, we obviously have a veryspecial music scene here in
Central PA.
Speaker 4 (34:35):
Yes, we do.
Speaker 3 (34:40):
It's central pa.
Yes, we do.
Um, it's kind of different fromother places.
Uh, what's your take on that?
Like?
Why do you think that is?
Do you have any thoughts tothat?
How do you feel being part ofthat scene?
Speaker 4 (34:45):
um, yeah, I mean, I mean hell.
The fact that this podcastexists right like the fact that
you can consistently get newpeople in on the show that are
talented at what they do, thefact that we can have a big
award ceremony based around justthis location yeah and you're
(35:08):
consistently having new peoplebeing nominated every year you
know, it's not just the samepeople that you're seeing every
year and it's just some kind oflike oh, you know, we're just
gonna do this for the samepeople every year because we can
.
No, it's because there's a highvolume of talent in the area and
you really need to showcase it.
And you know, I've been a lotof places, I've played a lot of
(35:31):
shows around the country, I'veplayed overseas and I don't see
stuff like this.
That's awesome.
I don't see stuff like thisthat's awesome.
I mean not that I've seen in away that reminds me of what this
is in that sense.
Yeah, or even just thinking ofthe area you know, I can rattle
off, you know, like BreakingBand, august Burns, red
(35:54):
Hailstorm, you know, motionlessin White Fuel Live, so many good
bands just from this area, yep,and I could just rattle them
off like that Just is somethingyou know.
There's something to be saidthere.
Speaker 3 (36:07):
Absolutely.
Speaker 4 (36:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (36:08):
Well, thank you, man.
I just got to say one lastthing.
I remember seeing you when youwere younger.
I played with you when you wereyounger.
Your drive was just, it wasalways there, man.
Hunger.
Your drive was just, it wasalways there, man.
And I just got to say, like,sitting down with you here years
later, I'm proud of you, man,like you're doing exactly what
you set out to do.
Speaker 4 (36:23):
I appreciate that, of course, man so much.
That means a lot Coming fromyou as well, you know get out of
here, thank you.
So yeah, you guys were alwaysincredible to play with and it
means a lot to be here.
Speaker 3 (36:40):
So, so you're gonna make me blush on camera.
Speaker 2 (36:40):
Nobody makes me blush my own blood, thank you so much
for taking the time to sit downand talk with us man.
Speaker 3 (36:43):
Yes, look forward to seeing you again, whether it's
galactic empire, ultra violentmonument of memory, or your solo
, or your, if you're doing it.
Speaker 4 (36:49):
Yeah, we'll see, I'll see you at one of them, man for
sure, awesome, I appreciate it.
Thanks again thank you.
Speaker 3 (36:55):
I gotta say that was some pretty interesting stories
from bre, especially on tour.
Man, yeah, yeah, definitely.
But I mean, now we got our nextguest.
We got Carson Slovak coming up.
Stay tuned and we are sittingdown with Carson Slovak.
Carson, thank you so much fortaking the time to come out and
sit down with us, man.
Speaker 5 (37:11):
Dude really appreciate it.
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 3 (37:13):
Absolutely so.
I mean, I gotta be honest, wekind of talked a little bit off
camera.
I'm kind of a huge fan, um, uh,when I was doing my research,
like I've always known who youwere, I've known the name, but I
never really put like all thebreadcrumbs together and when I
was looking at your completedlike resume, like who all you've
worked with, I actuallyquestioned if I was a huge fan
of the bands or if I was justactually a fan of your
(37:35):
production, because I'm like afan of all of the ones you've
worked with.
Speaker 5 (37:39):
So wow, yeah, so uh, thank you, I appreciate that.
That means a lot.
Speaker 3 (37:43):
Of course, man dude, like I'm happy that you get to
sit down with us, but let's getinto it.
I mean Carson, slovak, who?
Who is Carson?
Like, how did you get startedin music production?
Where did your journey start?
Who is Carson?
Who is we're?
Speaker 5 (37:56):
going to do some super deep dots right now okay,
let's get, let's get deep.
Um, it's actually not, not, notvery deep.
I've just been around for awhile, you know, I've been
around the block man for aminute, so I guess I got into
music production probably around2002, okay, 2003, when I was
just uh, you know, like uh, a20-year-old in a band basically
(38:22):
trying to write demos for ourband Been there.
Yeah, that's what sparked theinterest and then since then
it's just kind of grown into.
You know, I've been in multiplebands, toured a whole bunch,
and always in between any ofthat activity was music
production and I started to getinto recording other people's
bands probably around 2004 or 5,okay.
(38:44):
so yeah, in that regard it'sactually been about 20 years
that I've been recordingpeople's music that is quite an
accomplishment yeah, it makes mefeel very old, you know, but
I've gotten to do a lot ofreally cool things and work with
a lot of really cool artists inthat period of time, so I'm
very thankful for that.
Speaker 3 (39:01):
Absolutely, man.
I mean when you're talkingabout like you've been recording
other artists for 20 years, Imean we're talking about I mean
I'm going to look at my noteshere for this one just because
it's pretty long.
But I mean everybody knows,like August Burns Red, and
you've worked with themextensively, you've produced a
lot of.
Speaker 5 (39:15):
Actually, august Burns Red is kind of the one
band that I can kind of thankfor my career really, because
they were a local Lancaster bandwhen I met them and I had I
think they were the third bandthat I recorded OK, when I was,
when I didn't know anythingabout recording and I was just
kind of getting into it andlearning the ropes.
(39:36):
You know, and like you know, Ihad my computer set up and
everything and it was like in my, where I lived, and uh, it
wasn't much of a studio morethan just kind of a home studio
setup, but uh, we had a big roomand uh, um, you know they they
got in touch with me, um, and uhcame in and did some demos.
That was right after their epon ci records came out, so their
(40:00):
very first ep, and then all thesongs that they wrote after
that I demoed with them,probably in like four or five
separate sessions, okay, andthose were all the songs that
ended up being like all thesongs on their first album when
they got signed.
So I essentially did all thepre-production for that first
record and then they got signedand they went off and did that
(40:21):
record with Adam D, who's theguitar player of Killswitch
Engage, who huge influence on meas a producer, especially at
that time, you know he was kindof like the go-to guy for that
like early 2000s metal sound,yeah.
And they kind of like it wasawesome for me that they got to
work with him, because they cameback and told me all this info.
Speaker 3 (40:43):
Oh, so they kind of were like hey, dude, here's some
cool insider info Exactly.
Speaker 5 (40:48):
So they basically got a bunch of really useful
production workflow informationfor me and it really kind of
opened my eyes to a lot ofthings that you could do, that I
didn't even know you could do.
Speaker 3 (41:02):
I'm not going to lie man.
Like music production, like Isee what you guys do, Like I've
seen it when I record it andI've seen like all the things
and I don't know how you guys doit because it is so
overwhelming to someone like me.
I'm like there are so manydetails that you have to be
aware of.
I'm just grateful for peoplelike you that make the good
(41:24):
music so I don't have to be theone doing it.
Speaker 5 (41:25):
Yeah, there could be a lot.
I mean, it can be kind ofoverwhelming, especially if
you're new to it.
But it becomes one of thosethings where you realize that
there's just like a million waysto do any one thing yeah um, so
it's.
You can get caught in like youroption paralysis of like what
to use on this or how to do thator how to track this but if you
get good at kind of justcommitting to those decisions,
(41:45):
then it becomes pretty easy andyou just kind of like listen to
like what the song needs andthen make decisions based on
that that's awesome.
Speaker 3 (41:53):
So I mean and I just want to list the rest of your, a
couple other names for peoplethat might not know but I mean,
so august burns red, obviously.
Polaris, hollow front rivers ofnile, last 10 seconds of life,
I mean just to name a few.
Right like that is justincredible, man, because I love
all those bands, so it's, it'sreally cool.
Uh, and with you talking aboutlearning, like the insider info,
(42:15):
essentially later on, ifeverything that you have now, if
you could go back like if youwere starting out today, how
would you approach learningmusic production?
Speaker 5 (42:24):
honestly, um, if I were starting out from from zero
, you know I I would I mean,youtube was still a thing back
when I got trying to probablynot as much information was
there as it is now, but I wouldhave utilized that more, because
I feel like I spent a lot oftime as a you know, audio
engineer, producer, kind ofreinventing the wheel on a lot
(42:46):
of things and like figuring outthe hard way how to do very
simple things.
Okay, and so if I could changeanything, I think it would be
that, like, just do a little bitmore research, listen to a
little bit more information thatother people who do it
professionally can give you.
So that's like why that exampleof, like ABR going and
recording with Adam D was veryvaluable to me, cause, like I
(43:07):
got all this information that Iwas totally unaware of.
Speaker 3 (43:11):
It's like a real life cheat code for you.
Yeah, it was totally a cheatcode so.
Speaker 5 (43:15):
but I mean, the big picture is like I think if
you're a recording engineer, theway you most effectively learn
is by just kind of seeing howother people do their process
and then picking from that, youknow, and incorporating that
into your own workflow, you know.
So I've gotten like really cooltips from like lots of
different people whose work Ilike and I'm like oh, how did
(43:38):
you get that sound?
Uh, you know, how did?
How do you do your process forthis?
And you can just collect allthese little bites of
information and kind of collectit all and see how it can work
for you.
Speaker 3 (43:50):
Absolutely.
I mean that makes sense.
I mean a little moredetail-oriented than I probably
could be is what it sounds like,but I'm sure there's some kind
of pattern and rhythm that youget in the rhythm of when you're
doing this yeah, and I I didn'tgo to school for for audio
either, so I dropped out of filmschool.
So you know I I don't have anyformal uh training in this, but
(44:13):
everything I've learned I'veI've learned from seeing how
other people do it I mean,that's kind of like a success
story in its own right, though,because it's's like you didn't
go like the normal, traditionalroute, you didn't go to like
Berkeley, you didn't go to likeany of these, like full sale,
any of these big name.
Speaker 5 (44:26):
Sometimes I wish I did because, again, like I think
, I spent a lot of time early onlike figuring things out the
hard way.
Where?
I could have, just like you know, done more research or
consulted with people more,consulted with people more, um,
but yeah, I mean, uh, you know,I think there's a good
application for everything, likepeople who go to school for
this can learn a lot very fast.
Absolutely, it's just a.
(44:47):
I think if you're doing itevery day professionally, the
way that you get good at it isto just do the job and not, you
know, read about doing the job.
Speaker 3 (44:56):
That makes sense, I mean, since talking about doing
the job, like one of the mainquestions I wanted to ask is,
like what's the most importantaspect of a song for you when it
comes to like producing it?
Speaker 5 (45:06):
just is it memorable?
You know, does it?
Does it hit that spot where itgives you goosebumps?
You know that kind of thinglike yeah does it work, your?
Brain intuitively knows it'slike okay, this is good.
Speaker 3 (45:17):
You don't have to think about whether or not it's
good, your brain just tells youit's good, you're not wrong and
you can usually I mean at leastfor me on some songs, like I can
know within, like the first,like five seconds, like, however
, you how, if you introduce thesong the right way yeah I'm just
like oh, you got me enough thatI want to hear the rest of the
song now already, like if it'sthe first time that I'm hearing
it so I do agree with you, likeI, about that.
(45:38):
But yeah, you do kind of likeintuitively know, like is this
song hitting or is it missing?
Speaker 5 (45:43):
Yeah, does it hit the spot or?
Speaker 3 (45:44):
not.
That's a really good answer,man.
Yeah, so I also want to bringup I mean, we mentioned some of
the other bands that you haveproduced on and everything, but
there's also a really bigproject.
Had Brett on earlier and dudesuch a nice guy I love Brett so
(46:05):
talented.
Speaker 5 (46:06):
Incredibly talented.
Speaker 3 (46:07):
But you're one of the founding fathers of Galactic
Empire, correct?
Speaker 5 (46:10):
Yeah, yeah, grant and I started the band and we still
run it and everything, and Imean it's wild.
We always say that it's justkind of like a kind of a joke
that went way too far, um likedo we pull the rug out now, guys
?
no, no, let's see how far we cankeep pushing it.
Yeah, yeah, well, I mean it'sbeen fun.
I mean it's been a thing since,uh, 2016.
(46:32):
Um, you know, we've gotten totour a lot, um, and do some
really cool things and travel alot um, and, uh, you know, we've
done a bunch of music videosand we've been having fun with
it absolutely.
Speaker 3 (46:43):
I mean I can only imagine.
I mean that was honestly like agenius concept, man.
It's like you take nerds andmetal heads and you're like I
made something for you, enjoy it.
And they're like oh my god,this is.
I didn't know, I needed this,but I do need it now yeah and it
dude it.
Congratulations on all of thatsuccess.
Thank that man.
Thank you, Of course.
So I also asked Brett this.
(47:04):
I want to ask you just for thefans because I know there are
people that are still wonderingdoes Disney know who you are?
Speaker 5 (47:12):
I believe that they do.
I mean, we've never gotten anyofficial correspondence from
them thankfully, yeah right.
Yeah, and it's been eight years, so I think we're good on that
front but um I do know thatthere are people at work at
lucasfilm who who are aware ofus and are fans of the band, so
that's very cool.
Speaker 3 (47:28):
You know, that's so cool man yeah, like I mean, I
would just be like watching likea star wars movie, looking at
the credits and like, man, Iwonder which one of them, I
wonder which one of them is afan of something I created.
Like yeah, you never know, dude, that's so awesome man.
So we've talked about a lot ofthe things you've produced and a
lot of things you've worked on.
What project stands out to youas your favorite if you had to
(47:49):
pick one?
Speaker 5 (47:50):
Man, that is a very loaded question.
Just because we've, you know,in 20 years, we've worked on so
many albums that are special tous, Absolutely it.
In 20 years, we've worked on somany albums that are, like you
know, special to us, absolutely,uh it's.
Speaker 3 (48:02):
it's very hard to pick a favorite um if you just
had to, like hip shot pick justoff the, off the, off the top of
the head man I, you don't haveto answer a hard question it's
okay, that's a hard one.
Speaker 5 (48:17):
I don't want to answer wrong, but I, I think,
man, you know, I would say justin terms of, like you know,
grant and me working togetherand, uh, the band that we have
together.
I think that first galacticrecord, yeah, is definitely
special to me because it kind ofrepresents, like you know, a
time where, um, you know, grantand I were working together, I
(48:42):
think officially since 2012.
But I think we were working onprojects together before that,
but it's always been a thing,we've always been great, we're
best friends and it's just areally cool, creative thing that
we got to do together and taketo a point that we never thought
we would.
Speaker 3 (49:00):
So that record is definitely special for me, for
sure can imagine it, for for amultitude of reasons as to why
I'm not saying it's like thebest record we've ever recorded
no, but it has sentimentalvalues oh, I can believe that
100.
Speaker 2 (49:13):
That would be like I don't know, like I produced
something for star wars or Imean, that's how it was uh,
power rangers or something likeright, that would be.
Speaker 3 (49:19):
It just hits home.
It's something personal, Ibelieve that.
So with that, I'm going tofollow up with.
Is there an artist that youwould love to work with but
haven't had the chance yet?
Speaker 5 (49:30):
So many man, so many, I mean.
For me, my favorite band isNine Inch Nails.
Speaker 3 (49:37):
Oh, okay, all right.
Speaker 5 (49:38):
There's no reality in which Trent Reznor would ever
need to work with me and Grant.
Speaker 3 (49:44):
I don't know man, your name carries some pretty
heavy weight, at least I wouldsay specifically in the genre,
maybe not that much weight.
You're not wrong.
Speaker 5 (49:54):
I mean in terms of me being a fan or like Rage
Against the Machine, it's allthe 90s bands because I was a
teenager in the 90s soabsolutely that's always stuck
with me.
That's my 90s alternative music.
You know it's kind of my thingI've heard a rumor though too.
Uh, dream collaboration,possibly wu-tang clan I mean
bring it, bring it on, man.
I saw wu-tang with nas just uhlike last year, and it was
(50:17):
amazing that I mean busterrhymes too.
Speaker 3 (50:19):
Like I said, man, you guys's names are out there.
I mean you guys have a lot ofcredibility to you, so I mean I
wouldn't, I wouldn't put it toofar off, if I'm being honest,
man well, I mean, we did do acollaboration with uh daryl
mcdaniels from run dmc yeah,that's right, yeah over there at
um, uh, oh man, I'm drawing ablank right now.
Speaker 5 (50:37):
Well, he played with us at mickey Black Box, but he
has a song that I don't believeis out yet, but it's Galactic
Empire did the music for thesong.
It's him rapping over it, Dude.
That's cool.
I believe that will be out atsome point soon.
That's awesome.
It's going to be great.
It's a banger.
Speaker 3 (50:56):
Dude, you've gotten to do some pretty awesome things
.
I want to follow back here.
So I mean, what would you?
Because you, like I said,you've not been formally trained
, you never went to a formalschool.
You have built quite successfor yourself.
You have quite the resumebehind you Yours and Grant's
names and Galactica.
You have things that truly holdvalue and you get to do it with
(51:20):
your best friend friend.
You literally get to do whatyou love with your best friend,
yeah, every day.
What's one piece of advice thatyou would give to someone that
kind of wants to go down thesame road that you did?
Speaker 5 (51:30):
just don't worry about like thinking about what
to do and what not to do.
Just you know, just do it.
You know you just got to go.
If you get zeroed in on onething, you just got to focus on
that and go straight at it.
You know, you just got to go.
If you get zeroed in on onething, you just got to focus on
that and go straight at it.
Speaker 3 (51:43):
You know, this episode is brought to you by
nike.
Yeah, just do it.
Speaker 5 (51:47):
I mean, that's I love it, though, in lieu of sounding
like a motivational speaker oranything, it's like I just feel
like, uh, if you just figure outwhat you like, yeah, and go
full force at it, I mean, thenthe only person that can stop
you is yourself.
Speaker 3 (52:02):
You're not wrong, man .
I mean we've sat down withquite a bit of people here and
all of you guys have alwaysgiven us such good information
for maybe some of the potentialyounger musicians, the younger
artists, the younger musicproducers, and I really value
every guest that's come on here,especially yourself, carson.
I mean as a fan, mean as a fanman.
Speaker 5 (52:25):
Thank you so much for taking the time to sit down
with us, Really appreciate it.
That means a lot to me andthank you for having me here.
It's an honor to be here.
Speaker 3 (52:32):
Dude, absolutely, we will be in touch with you for
the future.
I think we might have to take astop down at your guys' studio
and check that out, please do.
Speaker 5 (52:39):
Yeah, come by anytime .
Speaker 3 (52:40):
Absolutely man.
Well, with that, this was theepisode.
Have a great night, guys.
Speaker 2 (52:44):
Thank you as always.
Thanks for tuning in foranother great episode.
Until next time, you.
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