Band: Xehanort
Genre: Technical Deathcore / Death Metal
Q: Where did your band name "Xehanort" originate from?
From my favorite video game series, Kingdom Hearts! Xehanort is the name of the main villain in the series so far.
Q: Why did you start Xehanort, when you already produce music for Oscillator?
Well, my good friend Brett Ruch is the one who writes music for Oscillator. I just write lyrics, do vocals, and mix/master stuff. So I started Xehanort to write my own music!
Q: What was the majority feedback of your first EP Birth (2012)? Positive or negative?
Well, there generally wasn't a large response. But what I did see was almost all positive.
Q: One particular band that inspired you to start producing music, instead of pursuing the normal type of career?
Well, I am pursuing a normal career as well. I'll be studying Psychology soon in college! But no, no particular bands. The closest thing to an inspiration to start producing music would, I guess, be all my favorite bands. Between the Buried and Me, Periphery, The Contortionist, etc.
Q: Why is the video game series Kingdom Hearts an influence for you? Why not other similar video games, like Final Fantasy?
Well, I haven't done too much yet with Xehanort. I plan to include lots of other influences as well. Shinigami, for example, was kind of a reference to an anime called Death Note. And my upcoming LP, Awaken in a Different Dimension, features a story that was majorly inspired by the video game Shadow of the Colossus! I'm definitely going to be covering some Final Fantasy ground before too long, as well! Kingdom Hearts is the predominant theme, though, because it's my favorite game! It definitely had a big part of my adolescence and its themes are really apparent in how I express myself creatively, I think.
Q: Will there be any major differences between your 2012 release Birth and your upcoming album Secret Reports?
Well, I wouldn't really call Secret Reports an LP. I guess that's what I posted it as though, haha! Secret Reports will be an ongoing album containing miscellaneous songs that I write separately from LPs and EPs. As such, I'd like to think that songs will be "unlocked" as time progresses--it sort of reminds me of the way a video game works, haha. So far, I have two tracks written for Secret Reports. I definitely want to do more songs with Kingdom Hearts orchestrations infused, so some of the songs from Secret Reports will be like Birth, and others will not!
Q: Do you ever plan on doing a split album (or EP) for both of your bands, Xehanort and Oscillator?
No plans, but that's a cool idea!
Q: Any plans on doing a live show, or a music video?
God, I hope so. As of right now, playing live or filming a music video are both a bit impractical [since I'm alone in the "band"] but it would be really fun to do so!
Q: For your upcoming album Secret Reports, do you plan on having any guest vocals? If you have any in mind, who would that be?
I may have guest vocalists on those songs, but since all the songs will be written and released as time progresses, it's hard to make plans. As for Awaken in a Different Dimension, I did have a few in mind. I wanted to get Dan Thompkins for at least one track, because that guy has an incredible voice and seems very open to collaboration! Other than that, maybe the Volumes and/or Vildhjarta vocalists or Jonathan from The Contortionist. I doubt any of that'll happen though, but I will definitely be contacting these people about it when the time comes, haha.
Q: Any shout outs you would like to give?
Yeah, I'd like to thank Josh Oxendine and Brett Ruch. They're my guitarist friends who record my music for me! I really wouldn't be doing any of this without them, since I don't play guitar, haha! Also, to my new best friend Bayleaf, "hai d00d!"
From my favorite video game series, Kingdom Hearts! Xehanort is the name of the main villain in the series so far.
Q: Why did you start Xehanort, when you already produce music for Oscillator?
Well, my good friend Brett Ruch is the one who writes music for Oscillator. I just write lyrics, do vocals, and mix/master stuff. So I started Xehanort to write my own music!
Q: What was the majority feedback of your first EP Birth (2012)? Positive or negative?
Well, there generally wasn't a large response. But what I did see was almost all positive.
Q: One particular band that inspired you to start producing music, instead of pursuing the normal type of career?
Well, I am pursuing a normal career as well. I'll be studying Psychology soon in college! But no, no particular bands. The closest thing to an inspiration to start producing music would, I guess, be all my favorite bands. Between the Buried and Me, Periphery, The Contortionist, etc.
Q: Why is the video game series Kingdom Hearts an influence for you? Why not other similar video games, like Final Fantasy?
Well, I haven't done too much yet with Xehanort. I plan to include lots of other influences as well. Shinigami, for example, was kind of a reference to an anime called Death Note. And my upcoming LP, Awaken in a Different Dimension, features a story that was majorly inspired by the video game Shadow of the Colossus! I'm definitely going to be covering some Final Fantasy ground before too long, as well! Kingdom Hearts is the predominant theme, though, because it's my favorite game! It definitely had a big part of my adolescence and its themes are really apparent in how I express myself creatively, I think.
Q: Will there be any major differences between your 2012 release Birth and your upcoming album Secret Reports?
Well, I wouldn't really call Secret Reports an LP. I guess that's what I posted it as though, haha! Secret Reports will be an ongoing album containing miscellaneous songs that I write separately from LPs and EPs. As such, I'd like to think that songs will be "unlocked" as time progresses--it sort of reminds me of the way a video game works, haha. So far, I have two tracks written for Secret Reports. I definitely want to do more songs with Kingdom Hearts orchestrations infused, so some of the songs from Secret Reports will be like Birth, and others will not!
Q: Do you ever plan on doing a split album (or EP) for both of your bands, Xehanort and Oscillator?
No plans, but that's a cool idea!
Q: Any plans on doing a live show, or a music video?
God, I hope so. As of right now, playing live or filming a music video are both a bit impractical [since I'm alone in the "band"] but it would be really fun to do so!
Q: For your upcoming album Secret Reports, do you plan on having any guest vocals? If you have any in mind, who would that be?
I may have guest vocalists on those songs, but since all the songs will be written and released as time progresses, it's hard to make plans. As for Awaken in a Different Dimension, I did have a few in mind. I wanted to get Dan Thompkins for at least one track, because that guy has an incredible voice and seems very open to collaboration! Other than that, maybe the Volumes and/or Vildhjarta vocalists or Jonathan from The Contortionist. I doubt any of that'll happen though, but I will definitely be contacting these people about it when the time comes, haha.
Q: Any shout outs you would like to give?
Yeah, I'd like to thank Josh Oxendine and Brett Ruch. They're my guitarist friends who record my music for me! I really wouldn't be doing any of this without them, since I don't play guitar, haha! Also, to my new best friend Bayleaf, "hai d00d!"
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