GOTH » brutalresonance » Interview: Isserley - Interview November 2017
Posted date: 2017-11-07 14:57:44
Hello Roxxi! I found it kind of shocking that the last interview I've had with you was back in 2015 when you still produced under the Girlflesh moniker. Anyway, how has everything been since then? You've seem to have built up quite a decent reputation with Isserley.
Roxxi: 2015!? Wow, it definitely seemed more recent to me. Things have been as good and sad as always, just making music, gaming and finding new horror movies to watch. Isserley as a project seems to be going quite well, I’m really excited about it, and I hope I can take it further.
You always blend your personal brand of humor into your work – the title of 'S A D P O S T I N G' is enough to put that point forward. Has your blend of sarcasm, Daddy-fetish exploitation, and horror influences ever gotten the project any hate? Or do you find the vast majority of people who find Isserley love it?
Roxxi: Definitely never any hate, maybe some misunderstanding though. I get a lot of messages asking if I really believe aliens wouldn’t eat chocolate cake. I think the serious tone and nature of my music is kind of disarming, especially when you can’t tell which songs I’m taking seriously, which are metaphors, and which are just deliberately nonsensical. It’s a lot of fun.Your music is best described as Downtempo Trap with Witch House and Industrial Influences mixed within. That being said, where do you draw influences from when creating music? Do you look to other musicians, friends, personal life, or something completely different?
Roxxi: I tend to write how I feel about the media I consume, which isn’t exactly groundbreaking, but my interests are generally bizarre enough that people get too confused to realize I’m really unoriginal, or they embrace that it’s just good ol’ fashioned expression.To help promote the album you released three separate videos. I'd like to mention each one specifically. Starting off with 'Aliens Don't Eat Chocolate Cake'. The video has a gritty and glitchy vibe with over saturation. Did you take part in the art direction for the video, or did you let the creator, Harry “HC” Carbo, do whatever he wished.
Roxxi: That was entirely Harry! I got a message one day, from a complete stranger, asking for a few details about the song in regards to a video. A week or so later, he’d created a whole video for that song. He nailed the aesthetic without any direction from me at all. It’s a really fun and wacky video, but it still has an edge to it.'Death Is My Gift' got a very creepy black and white video lasting only thirty-six seconds. I loved the subliminal violence in it. However, the song itself on the album runs for three minutes and eighteen seconds. Why was the video so short? Was it meant to serve as a teaser?
Roxxi: Yeah, definitely a teaser. I just wanted to try my hand at some editing, and that was the result. Rather than just pasting my song over the top of something, I went directly into the stems and tailored the audio to the editing. It isn’t an impressive video by anyone’s standards, it was just a bit of fun. To summarise, I made a short music video involving the violent decapitation of a man, for fun.The last video – and perhaps my favorite – would be the one for 'Deep Throat'. Directed, edited, and starring Nawadar, the video begins off with what would appear to be a dimly lit webcam session. However, the dark music and VHS-styled filter represented something was off. The blood that appears on Nawadar's face, the self-abuse, and continued dance routine was something of nightmares. Did the video reflect the meaning or theme of the song in any sense? Or was this just a spooky, creative exercise?
Roxxi: There’s definitely more than one interpretation, and me and Nawadar have really enjoyed hearing what people think it all symbolises. Some of it is obvious, like the subversion of the male gaze in the obviously gratuitous “camgirl” format, or the overt self-destruction and mania, but there’s also a lot of commentary about the use of technology, the deep web, voyeurism and the psychological states that come with seeking validation from the internet, at any cost.How has your sound matured since your last released 'Messes'? If anything, I can easily hear better production values throughout the album.
Roxxi: At the time, I thought my production on Messes was so professional, and so well thought out. It wasn’t. Cell Zero, who provided additional production, essentially took my hollow songs and filled them out. Sadposting is 100% self-produced, so in some ways it’s like another debut album. Throughout the entire production, I kept thinking “This isn’t cohesive, none of this makes sense, these songs don’t work,” but when I finally got to the end of it all and listened to it as an album, rather than as individual songs, it felt right to me. This is easily the happiest I’ve ever been with something I’ve created, but I guess that’s the producer thing to say every time you release something new.You also have Japanese script in the title of the album and on your logo currently. Are you going to be promoting this as an image for Isserley here on out? Or is this just a theme for the current album?
Roxxi: The kanji translates to “Sad posting.” I like the concept of S A D P O S T I N G a lot, so maybe it will be a recurring thing, kind of like a brand or label of sorts, but for now it’s just a cute way of writing the album name.And what else do you have in store for the future? And EPs, remixes, or further collaborations coming along?
Roxxi: After S A D P O S T I N G has had a little while to get out there, I’ll be releasing a remix companion which has some incredible acts on board, such as SNUFF, Psy’aviah, Mismerizer, and a bunch of others. The remixes so far have been insane. After all of that is done, I’ll probably start work on something new, but I never really know what that will be. There’ll be new music eventually though, 100%.Lastly, I'd like to thank you for your time. I leave the space below for you to insert any final messages you may have!
Roxxi: Thank you Brutal Resonance, the people who supported S A D P O S T I N G, and anyone who does in the future!