FAT MAN DON’T PLAY: Art With Drive

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Define the mission of Fat Man Don’t Play.

I would say that my mission is to create music and art that drives me and gives me a sense of relief. I use music creation as a coping mechanism to deal with emotion, and worldly troubles in general.

Tell me about the creative process that informed your recent EP “Vilomah”.

I am constantly creating and coming up with ideas. These 4 songs seemed to fit together, maybe more because of lyrics, than some of the other songs in process. Lyrically, the EP is quite depressive, touching upon feelings associated with trauma, self isolation, and the destruction of ego.

How did you document the music while it was being formulated?

I typically record as I write, and work on arrangements intermittently. Final arrangements happen after much deliberation and experimenting. I have found that this process works best for me, because I do everything myself.

Is the dynamic flow of the pieces carefully architected?

Not necessarily. I have experimented with looping segues and such in the past, but I am not focused upon that currently. Within the confines of a single song, absolutely.

Describe the approach to recording the EP.

I have a small studio in my house, and I write and record there. The benefit of doing this is that I can operate in my own time frame. Any song mostly starts with ideas, whether it be guitar, keys, rhythms, melody, vocal lines, etc, and I branch out on the song from there. After writing/recording the “demo” versions, I typically re record everything with finalized settings (amps, etc), and then on to mixing and mastering.

Which bands or artists influenced your work on “Vilomah”?

There are MANY influences upon me in music. I am obviously influenced by heavier styles, but also influenced by classical, choral, and electronic music. As far as particular artists, I can list some of my top influences:

Extol
Meshuggah
Zao
Amorphis
Cattle Decapitation

What is your view on technology in music?

I embrace and utilize it. I am not a fan of AI based writing, however.

Do you see your music as serving a purpose beyond music?

Possibly. I like to think that lyrically my songs can be somewhat abstract, so in some regard it may lead to further contemplation. I would also hope that my music can make people feel. For me personally, it absolutely serves a higher purpose, in that I can put all my emotion at the time into what I am creating.

What are your plans for the future?

As I stated previously, I am constantly creating, and I am currently working on a full length. I hope to release it in the Fall/Winter of 2023.

Vilomah is out now; check it out on Bandcamp.

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