Welcome to BuzzMusic, Traumatone! We love the emotional and sonic journey within your latest EP, Judgement. What does this project mean to you? What inspired you to create it?
Thank you for having me! I am always happy to hear a positive response to the music! I've been saying lately that Judgement is my favorite work to date. I'm very proud of the music on this release. It would initially be a bigger project with more songs, but narrowing it down to a handful of songs that I felt were solid was the better way to go. But I'm usually not one to be intentional about a new release. It just so happens that as time goes on and more music comes out of me, I'll start thinking about gathering songs if I feel excited about them. With Judgement, I felt that the music was good but also slightly different in specific ways that would be healthy evolving to take the next step forward in the catalog. I think it stands out.
Traumatone is often referred to as 'The Soundtrack To The Broken World.' Would you say the songs on Judgement contribute to that narrative? How do they play into that theme?
I would say that there are a couple of tracks that do play into that narrative. Moonlight is meant to be a metaphor for the dark parts of life in this world with its broken inhabitants, as opposed to daylight, where everything is good, correct, and safe. The song is about venturing out into all of that to find people who are hurting and help them out of that and into the light, so to speak. The Warning is more a straight-up commentary that corrupt behaviors and the terrible things people do will have consequences.
What was your creative process when formulating such dynamic instrumentals and production for Judgement? Did you collaborate with anyone to make your vision come to life?
The creative process continuously varies for me. Sometimes, it's a guitar riff that starts the process. Sometimes, it's a drum beat or something on the synth, or sometimes, it can even be a melody that just appears in my head, and I have to work it out instrumentally. For instance, one that comes to mind is the melody of the melody in Moonlight, which just popped into my head. The last thing you hear at the end of that song is that melody played on the synth. That was the very first thing I recorded. Then, I just built the rest of the song around that. But very often, as any musician will tell you, feelings and emotions drive the melodies. I can translate a feeling into a sound, and that's where it all comes from. I did not collaborate with anyone. It's all just parts of me in audio form.
We were fascinated by the dynamic nature of Judgement's outro track, "The Warning." Why did you place this song as the big finish, and how did you want it to impact listeners?
The Warning is an interesting one. It has a unique sound and is definitely a callback to early Traumatone when some songs had a bit of an almost industrial touch. In fact, the entire instrumental of that song was written long before even the very first Traumatone EP. I placed it last because the song's lyrical content is the main tie-in to the EP's title of, Judgement. That's why there are multiple references to "the judge" in the lyrics. It's loud and heavy and carries an important message that I wanted to be the last thing you're left with. A thought. The thought that (though some don't believe the same) we will all face judgment when it's all said and done. I believe that is something that everyone should wrestle with. I also feel it's something to take comfort in. There is a general sense of uneasiness among people who feel the world is quickly going more and more downhill. But in the end, justice will be served, and it will all be dealt with one way or another. It sounds counterintuitive, but I hope facing the thought of judgment will help motivate people to change their path and live a more loving, giving life and do good to others.
Which of all five tracks on Judgement is your favorite, and why? What makes that song stand out to you?
Each song is unique in its own way, and I love them all, so it's hard to narrow it down. But if I had to pick one, I'd say I'm most proud of Death of Me. It's not the lead single, and I already suspect it won't be the favorite of many longtime listeners, but this one stands out to me because it's something I've never done before. This is the only acoustically driven song in the entire Traumatone catalog. It's also one of the few tracks that allow me to push my vocals into a higher range, which I don't often do. Aside from all of that, I feel that the lyrics and story of the song actually match the haunting vibe of the music perfectly. I love it!