Photos by Shae Detar. Styled by Amanda Sherriffs.
Danz CM is one of those musicians that just radiates talent. Whilst many artists attribute their success to luck or circumstance, Danz CM did not wait on the will of the universe to have her back. She had to make her own luck.
Whilst doing enough to get by as an artist in both New York and Los Angeles, Danz created her own unique world within the walls of her own apartment. Epic soundscapes were developed using analog synthesizers, helping to create a sound which has since been described as “cosmic pop”.
It’s certainly cosmic. The music Danz CM created has sent her across the globe, most notably places such as Japan, where her popularity has soared over the last decade. With this new single, however, there’s a definite feeling she’s going to be jettisoned even further.
Whilst the last two albums had that charming self-made feel to them, “Idea of You” instead feels far more accomplished. Swirling synths bite alongside deep based kick drums, the production is beautifully pristine, making each moment feel glossy and detailed enough to keep coming back to. The lavish video, set in the sprawling Death Valley and directed by her partner Matthew James Reilly, also gives the feeling that something bigger is on the horizon.
I had the opportunity to ask Danz CM about this new direction. We also talk about her synth-lines, game soundtracks and the reason why this new record is set to be her magnum-opus.
How have you been doing this year? What has kept you preoccupied during lock-down?
I’ve been well. I’ve been sitting on my upcoming record The Absurdity of Human Existence since this time last year. I was planning to release it in the Spring of 2020, but then Covid happened. It was kind of a blessing for the record, because it gave me more time to think about videos, think about the release schedule, design the vinyl art, etc. Since I’m also running the label it’s coming out with (Channel 9 Records), there’s a lot to do as far as prep goes. I have a habit of releasing music impulsively, so the time allowed me to plan this release more cohesively.
What else… I started an Instagram account for fun last year — Synth History — which I attempted to grow into a brand during Covid. I’d just cold email musicians and ask if they would be down for an interview. I bought a domain name, designed a site, and put the interviews up. I also created a podcast for Synth History which took so much time, but it was worth it ’cause I’m really proud of it. Besides that I’m streaming video games. Or composing. I just scored a short film by Gary Hustwit called The Map. I recently made the original music for a Thinx ad that’ll be out soon, and a short film that I can’t say much about at this point.
In your last album Danz you talk about wanting to travel, to see the world and not live an ordinary life. You went full Simpsons with the foreshadowing on that one. Touring in general is so integral to being an artist, not just for income but for inspiration, but none of us can do it right now. Has it been hard not being able to travel? Have you found inspirations in other places you might not have expected?
Yeah, not being able to travel is a major bummer. When I start to feel bad about it I realize everyone is in the same boat and I kind of shake it off. New York City isn’t the best place to be during a pandemic — i.e. trapped in a tiny apartment without a car. Going crazy, I finally got a Zipcar membership to get out into nature. My partner and I went to Death Valley to shoot my upcoming video for “Idea of You”. Of course we were clad in multiple layers of protection for travel. That was awesome, to be out in the middle of the desert. I wanted to stay there forever. I miss performing live, interacting with fans and traveling, but I’m trying to be optimistic about it. There are people that have it way worse off, so complaining about not touring doesn’t seem right. My ability to tour will come back after the pandemic, but what about the venues? I hope they are able to survive this.
What has inspired me the most during the pandemic has been developing more of an appreciation for the natural world. Also, the way in which I experience things. I’m only going to live one life as far as I know, so I’m attempting to make the best out of everything despite the current situation. I never want to grow old and regret anything – including how I spent this pandemic.
Talking of inspiration, I wanna ask about your synths. During an AMA on Reddit, I saw you cited “On The Run” by Pink Floyd as your inspiration when you first started sequencing synths. What is it about that synth-line that resonated for you, and how important is finding the right synth-line for a track? How important is the right synth to perfecting a song?
Yeah, Dark Side of The Moon is a big inspiration for me. For this new record I strictly used analog gear. I think it sounds better, warmer and more unique. I borrowed an original Roland 808 from my friend’s studio which is on a lot of the tracks. I used the Prophet 6, Minitaur, and Mother-32 for almost everything.
Usually I don’t have a synth sound in my head beforehand. I have a melody in my head for sure. Then I try to find the right sound that fits that melody and both have to fit the overall vibe of the song. I have my favorite go-to sounds for specific things (pads, bass, which reverb I’ll use, etc) to expedite the process – but sometimes the go-tos don’t fit the vibe. Every song is different. It’s just about playing around until something sticks.
You’ve revealed Giorgio Moroder and Daft Punk as other influences. One of my favorite albums, if not my favorite album, is Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories. Mostly because of the relationship it forms between analog and digital sounds. Is a relationship like that something you would want to develop upon too? If you had the same kind of studio and equipment that Daft Punk had for that album, do you think you would come out with a similar creation?
That album is fantastic, I really admire their music. Obviously I would love to have access to Daft Punk’s gear. That would be incredible. If I had the same studio equipment I’m sure I’d think of something to make.
Your first Instagram post is a vinyl playing of the Skyrim soundtrack, and you’ve also mentioned your childhood fondness for Pokemon Blue and Red. Would you ever be tempted to score a video game if you were asked?
That was the first post until I deleted most of my Instagram. Now I’m essentially using it to promote the new record, but there was a blue Skyrim vinyl that I had there. I got it at Comic Con two years ago. I grew up on Pokemon Red and Blue. I still get the songs stuck in my head. I’d bring my green gameboy pocket everywhere.
I would absolutely love to score a video game. That’s definitely one of my dream goals. I love how lost you can get in those worlds and supplying the music would both be a challenge and extremely fun for me.
Moving on to the new single, needless to say it’s awesome. There’s such a lavish soundscape, and it fits so well with the cinematography of the video. What’s the relationship between a place like Death Valley and the track “Idea Of You”?
The artwork for the album was shot in Death Valley over a year ago by Shae Detar. I really wanted the first video to match the artwork and the aesthetic. The song “Idea of You” is about falling for the idea of somebody and realizing slowly that they’re not who they say they are. They’re just stringing you along, putting you on a pedestal only to take it away, making you feel uneasy. You want to break free, but you can’t because you’re so unsure. You want to fall in love, but not with an idea. You want it to be real even though subconsciously you know it’s not. I knew I wanted the video to be shot in Death Valley, but the director of the video, Matthew James Reilly, came up with the idea for it. Leaving this cold, isolated house in the middle of nowhere and walking out into the desert and going mad kind of symbolizes what the song is about. It helps that he is my boyfriend. It was just the two of us on the shoot. We were able to capture this real intimate experience.
There’s a new record on the horizon, and it feels like it’s gonna be big. Is this the sort of album you’ve been working towards, do you feel? The last two albums were incredible in their own right, but do you feel like you’ve racked things up a gear?
One hundred percent yes. My goal with this record was to make the best group of songs I have ever made in my entire life. My magnum opus. It was the hardest thing I ever did — emotionally and work ethic-wise. In the past I only ever skimmed the surface of what I was capable of. I’m sure this sounds crazy to people that enjoy my back catalog. I’m not saying this to diminish the quality of my other music — just in a factual way.
When I approached this record, I thought about it like school – had I truly applied myself completely, perhaps I would have gotten further academically. So I wanted to apply myself completely. I wanted to see what would happen. To go as deep as I possibly could inside my own head and get out what was in there. What happened was, I realized there were a lot of things I never dealt with, all the way back to childhood. Why am I always so unsure of myself? Why do I always feel guilty for things that aren’t my fault? Why do I always fall for people who don’t respect me? Why do I sell myself short? It was like a light bulb went off. I realized that all this time I was writing about the tip of the iceberg. It was the first time I considered there was more.
I had just experienced a relationship with a narcissist, which compounded all these feelings of self-doubt and brought other issues to light. I went through an extreme low after that. I felt like I was about to break. I dissociated with myself. I contemplated human existence. I wrote about all of it. Some of the songs were so emotional it was hard to go back and work on them afterward. Then, after getting those emotions out I felt triumphant, and I wrote about that too. There are songs of sadness, songs about falling in love, songs about death, songs about wanting something more out of life. This record was like therapy for me. I went through an existential crisis and the result is this record. Hence the title. It was diving both the deepest I could go emotionally meanwhile perfecting every sound – listening repeatedly to every second, making sure it was perfect and pushing myself. Because I had to do those feelings justice, it had to sound the best it possibly could.
You’re a self made and self dependent artist, but with Joe Laporta and Claudius Mittendorfer credited in the mastering and mixing, it seems you’ve done some branching out recently. Could we expect some collaborations in the future? Is there anyone else, producer or artist, that you would love to work with?
I wrote, produced and recorded Absurdity, but I knew for mixing I wanted Claudius on board. I really respect his mixing work and he really understands what I want – he also mixed Davos. I know I’m good at producing and song-writing, but I’m lacking in certain skills, for instance in EQing and making sure every instrument is heard correctly. I knew from the get-go I wanted it mixed by him in order to do the record justice. To me, mixing and mastering are like polishing a precious metal. As long as the substance is there, it will only maximize the record’s potential to be great. This was my first time working with Joe, Claudius recommended him for mastering. He’s worked with Bowie, the Foo Fighters, The Weeknd, and more and I was honored he was willing to work with us on this.
As far as collaborations go, I definitely want to write more songs for other artists besides myself in the future, co-writes. As for my own personal music, I’ll probably always want to produce and write my own songs. Although I’m open to collaborations depending on what it is. I used to think of collaborations as compromising your own vision, but over the past few years I’ve realized their benefit. There are certain things someone else can bring to the table that you can’t. I’m just too stubborn and too purest to realize that sometimes.
Speaking of the future, lets fast forward a year. It’s 12th December 2021. Where are you? What’s the world like? What are you doing? How are you feeling?
My record is a success. People are reading this interview like… wow, I can’t believe how much she blew up. Covid is gone. I’m in a movie theater eating popcorn and headed to karaoke afterwards.
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