HEYOKA’S MIRROR: Stories About Life

By Prog Sphere on March 2, 2020

Premiere: HEYOKA'S MIRROR Welcome You to "Asylum" with Epic Video

Canadian progressive metal act Heyoka’s Mirror are set to launch their full-length debut album in the coming months. Singer and keyboardist Andrew Balboa and guitarist Omar Sultan talk about it with Prog Sphere.

Describe the musical frameworks Heyoka’s Mirror’s upcoming album explores.

Andrew: This album is a mixture of all the music we love. We will take you through an exciting journey of sounds. From epic orchestral overtures, obscure metal punishments, to fun blues rock horror theme cartoons. You’ll have a good time!

Tell me about the ideas that inform the album.

Andrew: Our upcoming album will touch the subjects of child trauma, mental illness, the supernatural, and the meaning of life.

Omar: Throw a couple cartoon characters in there too.

How do the diverse, complex rhythmic and global musical influences serve the storylines of the record?

Andrew: Well, our music is always based around stories. Stories that might not always be personal, but very real nevertheless. Stories about life, and life is sometimes very complex. It is very important to be able to speak the language of music fluently to be able to express these emotions.

What are the biggest challenges you’ve faced and lessons learned during the creative process?

Andrew: Challenges? I can’t really think of any. To me, it has always been really easy to create music with Omar. Our creative process resonates in the same frequency. As for lessons, something I thought I already knew, but now it’s very clear is that music is all about transmitting emotions. There are times when you want to write something very technical and complicated for the sake of sounding “cool” …and that’s cool too, but if your music doesn’t transmit emotion, if music doesn’t make you see the world in a different way, then what’s the point? Is it just another drug? Is it there just to numb your existence?

Omar: Exactly what Balboa said. For us, we love to create stories, write music for it and make it meaningful. We always have fun doing it. Our writing sessions are great!

Have you managed to make any new discoveries as the time passed during the creative process? Do you think that at some point of that process your writing approach changed drastically?

Andrew: I don’t think my approach to writing has changed drastically, but it has evolved for sure. I’m hungry for knowledge and I love finding new ways to create music. For example, we are currently at the studio finishing recording the album. We’re recording songs that we wrote more than two years ago and I have been having a lot of fun adding or rewriting sections with new techniques that I have learnt in the past two years. This album is sounding superb and I can’t wait to see what we write next!

Omar: We all get better at things as we do them more and more, but for me, I have always understood that there is more to learn and there is ALWAYS room for improvement.

What types of change do you feel this music can initiate?

Andrew: I hope our music is able to change the perspective that people have on the world. I hope our music can initiate an awakening.

Omar: Just the simple idea of moving a person from one place to another and to make them question. Not just question but also understand the importance of questioning the things that seem completely normal.

Do you tend to follow any pre-defined patterns when composing a piece?

Andrew: Yes, we tend to. We always write a story first. Once the story is complete, then we start writing the music according to the events in the tale.

What non-musical entities and ideas have an impact on your music?

Andrew: For me… Akira Toriyama and Masashi Kishimoto; the creators of Dragon Ball and Naruto. My whole life is pretty much the result of their creations and ideas.

Omar: Life and it’s events, the feelings and emotions we all go through everyday, funny cartoons and sports(NHL & PGA).

What advice or philosophy might you impart to other musicians, be it in forms of creativity, technical stuff, the business side of it, or anything else?

Andrew: Listen to your heart and keep your eyes open for the signs you’ve left behind.

Omar: Look for and listen to the details in the music you love as it will help you grow your ear. Keep the music meaningful for yourself.

Heyoka’s Mirror new single “Asylum” is available now from Bandcamp. Like the band on Facebook.