March 19th, 2009 at 6:06am by Stephanie Stevens
Do I want to let music fans know about the Chicago based band JANUS? NO!!! The reason is because I adore them and their sophomore record RED RIGHT RETURN so much that I don’t want to share. But when the music is this enticing and beautiful then at some point you got to be the bigger person and share the goods!!! So welcome to JANUS a dynamic mystical dark alluring band that brings out the most delicate but powerful sound. The band supports a lot of genre of music into their songs, from the sentiments of Rock, Metal, and Electronica, The songs engage you with beauty, intrigue and brilliant arrangements that place you on a comforting journey through the soundscape of sound.
As I wait patiently for the band to get their butts over to the New England area to put this amazing sound into a live performance I had the chance to check in with Guitarist/Programmer Mike Tyranski and find out what the artwork means, how it feels to be respected in the hometown scene and what’s new in video land for them!!!
LET’S START OFF BY THE CONCEPT OF THE VISUAL ASPECT OF THE BAND. YOUR ART WORK SEEMS TO BE THE INTRODUCTION TO THE MUSIC. WHAT DOES THE VISUAL APPEAL MEAN TO YOU AS A BAND AND WHO DOES IT?
When we first sat down to talk about the artwork for the record, it was really important that it tie to the meaning behind “Red Right Return”. “Red Right Returning” is a nautical term that ships use to guide them back into port when at sea. The title “Red Right Return” is all about our struggle with our identity as a band and returning to what it’s really all about for us which is making great music. Our singer David approached the band with the idea of using this 1920′s Russian constructivist style artwork to visually strengthen that message. We all liked the idea, so David sat down and began drawing what you now see as the album cover. He actually does all the visual creative work for the band. It’s really a gift to have someone in the band that can do these things and do them so well.
RED RIGHT RETURN HAS BEEN OUT SINCE NOVEMBER 08 IS THERE ANY NEW MUSIC STARTING TO COME TO THE SURFACE AND WHERE ARE YOU TRYING TO TAKE THE NEW STUFF MUSICALLY?
We have lots of ideas floating around right now. I have a little digital handheld recorder I keep around for recording quick sketches of riffs or even whole song ideas. But most of these ideas are in pieces right now. As we jam on them more and more, they’ll eventually form into songs. Right now it’s hard to put a finger on where any of those ideas are headed. Some of the stuff is very reminiscent of the songs on “Red Right Return”. Other ideas are heavier and more abrasive. And other ideas go the complete opposite direction from that. Ultimately I think we will end up with a mixture of all of those.
THE SONG EYESORE IS PROBABLY THE STAND OUT FOR ME ON THE ALBUM, HOW DID THIS SONG COME ABOUT AND DID THE SONG KIND OF INFLUENCE THE REST OF THE RECORD?
I originally had written that chorus riff on the acoustic and showed it to the guys. Everyone seemed to like something about those parts, so I went home that night and kept working those parts until I had what we consider the basic bones of the song down. From there, I started messing around with some orchestral instrumentation which really seemed to give the song this epic feel. Everyone really liked where the music was headed, so we started hammering on the arrangement from there and David started writing lyrics and vocal melodies. I don’t think Eyesore influenced other songs, but I think it quickly breathed some life to the writing process. Up until this point, we were in a bit of a rut and this pulled us out of that.
YOUR SOUND IS SO DYNAMIC AND SO MUCH MORE THEN JUST YOU’RE BASIC ROCK ALBUM. IN THE RECORDING SESSION FOR THE ALBUM WHAT ELEMENTS DID YOU USE TO GET A SOUND SO BOLD, ALLURING AND DIFFERENT?
The songs all start with the very basics of a 4 piece rock band. As we start to mold the music and the arrangement, we begin to layer in other ideas with keyboards and other synth sounds as well as different effects to use. The recording process was actually very short, but we spent a tremendous amount of time in pre-production tracking demos with all of our ideas in them. When it came time to do the final tracks, 99% of all the creative decisions had already been made.
DO YOU FEEL JANUS IS A BAND THAT INSPIRES FOR THE FUTURE OR TAKES A LOT FROM THE PAST TO CREATE MUSIC THAT IS UNIQUE BUT STILL CURRENT?
Both! We can’t help be influenced by our past experiences, but we’re not trying to mimic anyone in particular. We prefer to learn from our influences and build on them. Eventually you discover what works best for you and the band and how to turn that into something exciting.
AS A GUITAR PLAYER AND A PROGRAMMER WHAT GOT YOU INTO BOTH AND WITH YOUR EXPERIENCE IN BOTH WHAT DO YOU FEEL BRINGS MORE STRENGTH INTO THE BAND?
I’ve always loved the sound of a really loud guitar. But in working with synths, I’ve found a whole new world of possibilities which is great because these sounds have really inspired my guitar playing and vice versa. I’m not sure which adds more strength. I think they both depend on each other to form a unified sound. They’re almost like one instrument to me. To have one without the other would be incomplete.
A LOT OF CHICAGO BANDS HAS MENTIONED JANUS WHEN TALKING ABOUT GREAT TALENT AND AMAZING LIVE SHOWS. HOW DOES BEING A ROLE MODEL AND RESPECTED IN THE MUSIC SCENE MAKE THE BAND FEEL AND DOES THAT PUT PRESSURE ON THE BAND?
It actually gives you a lot of strength. It’s an enabler to have a great performance. You don’t feel like your trying to fill the shoes of people’s expectations, you feel like you already fit in them.
LYRICALLY YOU GUYS GO FROM AN INWARD AND OUTWARD APSECT TO GET THE BEST STORY FOR A SONG. ON THIS ALBUM WAS THERE ANY STORY LINE THAT WAS HARDER TO WORK ON?
The stories themselves aren’t linear and bits of each song evolved at different times the real challenge was developing strong melodies that the entire band could agree upon. In some cases 10 vocal parts or more would be written, reviewed and voted on before anything final was chosen. This is the first time we wanted everyone on board with vocal melodies so it was more challenging but ultimately led to a stronger record.
THE ATTENTION FOR YOUR BAND IS GROWING DAY BY DAY. WHAT IS IT LIKE KNOWING THAT YOU ARE GAINING MOMENTUM AND IS THERE ANY SET PLANS FOR THE REST OF 2009 YOU CAN LET FANS KNOW ABOUT?
It’s exciting to hear when you’ve put so much work into something. There is no room for complacency though. We’re always thinking about new ways to get our name out there and pushing this record. We have many things planned for 2009 at this point, but what I can tell you now is that we will be making a video for “Eyesore” in the very near future. We’re all very excited about that prospect and are hashing out the concept for the video right now.
ARE YOU SETTING UP FOR A TOUR?
Touring right now is going to be regional. We’re still building right now, which means we need to be getting back to the same places we play at within a few months. Otherwise, you loose the people you gained the last time you were out.
LAST COMMENTS?
Thank you for the opportunity to talk with you today. I hope your readers will be able to take something away from this and apply it to their own passions
http://www.myspace.com/janusband
