HARSH doesn’t want human emotions connection to go out like tears in rain. Check him out and stay cyber!
Bio: HARSH is the solo project of the keyboardist for DEOS, an extreme Roman metal band. The music of HARSH evolved into a cyberpunk universe, composed mainly of virtual instruments, except for voice and some guitar. HARSH’s style sounds close to metalcore and djent, but with futuristic and ambient sounds with deep, dark electronic music mixed with modern metal. HARSH officially began at the end of 2019, with his first track, “Jü,” featuring Eric Castiglia in 2019. In 2020, HARSH collaborated with Nathan Hakoune, and recorded “Altered.” He also made a cover of “Citizen’s Mask,” based on MESHUGGAH’s “BLEED” vocal track.
First off, what’s the story behind the name?
I have always believed that our society hardens more and more in its relationships. In the digital age, people have never been so far apart. “Harsh” is a bit like a tiny part of the definition of future noir. I grew up at the same time as the Internet was developing and while I thought that it would bring people closer, in reality, it only kept alive wars of ego and rivalries. I know that this vision is very pessimistic, but even if there are still people with reason, digital technologies are accelerating the pursuit of image and individualism. Harsh is part of a futuristic society, as it’s perfectly described by Blade Runner or Ghost in the Shell: The world is harsh, being measured is a concept that is fading in favor of the extremes, I try to compose my vision of tomorrow.
Tell us about your musical past, would you tell us about your early years?
I started playing keyboard at around 14, cover up metal bands like: Rhapsody, Nightwish, Sonata Arctica, Heavenly, I really liked the orchestration and the “new wave” these groups brought to their beginnings. I thought it was really powerful! I also listened to a lot of “true” black metal (Peste Noire, Carpathian Forest, Immortal). Then, I gave up; I found symphonic bands were repetitive and the “way” they chose moved me away from these styles. After a few years playing in my corner, I decided to launch a musical project called “Tragedy Wave,” because at this time, I listened to Dark electro, EBM, futurepop, aggrotech, etc. It was a kind of dark electro music with some metal nuances. I just started with DAWs so it was a pretty innocent mix and my synths sounded like retrowave! This album can still be found on streaming platforms. However, one style never left me: Blues, you can’t imagine how rich the rhythms and the melodies are. I know you can’t feel that the first time you listen to me but its really a part of my musical past.
Later a friend (Fabio BATISTELLA) asked me to come to their band: DEOS. That was my real first band and still, they are. It’s a bunch of cool guys and they are very involved in the progression and the future of the band, we are actually working on the 3rd album which will be as a friend said: the maturity album. This is completely different from my project, Harsh, but it’s very interesting because its not only classical orchestration, it’s closer to arrangement and ambiance. They trust in my vision of a keyboard player and I really appreciate being more and more “free,” to purpose sounds from classical music like violin, cello, strings, but also mixed with modern sound design. I am not looking to sound like epic orchestration as you can hear everywhere, in my opinion: “it’s too much.”
How would you describe your sound?
I constantly try to have a balance between aggressive riffs and electro sounds. I love huge metal sounds, and so, Metalcore, djent, or similar style corresponds for me and perfectly describes the sound of the future. Djent is a rigorous genre and I like to give it an anarchist side with synths that mirror it in the dark tones and give great atmospheres.
Carpenter Brut is a good example even if the synthwave side is much more pronounced, and sound are definitely 80s. I don’t want to compare myself to a genius like Vangelis but I think that if he had to bring modern guitar, he could do something like that.
Which artists have the biggest influence on your sound?
Wow! Since I was younger I listen to a LOT of music, as I said, I’ve listened to blues for years but I am also crazy about dream pop, classic, all kinds of rock, American folk, lo-fi, chill, dubstep, and of course, metal. There are too many bands I’d like to mention, but here is the shortlist with a large range: Julien Baker, Beach Bunny, Monuments, Northlane, Junior Kimbrough, Dr. Ross, Purple sky, Fazerdaze, Fit for rivals, Kavinsky, Nickelback, Paramore, Meshuggah, Linkin Park, Jimmy eat world, Tristania, Vita and the wolf, Kenji Kawai, Mozart, Wagner.
I mean, it’s not only for the interview, I really listen to them daily, I have the chance at work to be able to play my (plex ;]) “random” playlist with all these great artists. They all influenced me, I love music like a retard and there are talents in industrial quantity in all styles.
What’s the last song you listened to?
Let me alt+tab. Well, it’s “Archie, marry me,” from Alvvays.
What’s your source for hearing new music?
I take a look at YouTube recommendations but my main source is the channel Audiotree on YT. There are great indie musicians from different styles and I found great ones like Julien Baker. I have a friend who recommends me some cool bands too. He is also desperate because I like to listen to Avril Lavigne :D.
If you could write one more song, what would it be about?
Well, to be honest, I don’t know. When I write songs, I need to be in my room, in quiet. The calm before the storm lol. There are a lot of subjects to write, its just a question of feeling when you are composing. I can’t project myself because I need to be behind my keyboards.
What’s the one story you want to tell the world through song that you haven’t yet?
I would like to tell it through several titles, the difference between belief and knowledge because in the internet age, most of the population is focused on pseudo influencers who can not argue and read articles based on feelings and I’m not even talking about fake news. I’m not saying that science can explain everything, but more nonsense is given credit than real information. Everyone wants to make their buzz and everyone wants to influence their neighbor to flatter their ego and reassure themselves by thinking that they are speaking the truth.
Everyone can defend their point of view, but social networks convey more stupidity than intelligent speech.
If you could collaborate with anyone, who would it be?
If it would be someone famous, definitely: John Browne, I like this guy, he’s a great musician, he’s very technical but overall, he has a great feeling in his compositions. He fascinates me.
Otherwise, everyone is welcome! I would enjoy every collaboration, exploring different influences.
What led you to music, and what motivates you to keep making it?
It’s orgasmic. Just some waves can bring you different landscapes in your imagination, and that’s why I think music is incredible. I really enjoy to “hack,” create, reshape. It’s like a videogame for me. Today with computers, you can make anything you want, you have so many VSTs, for example, I am working on a song with a traditional “Tsugaru” – Japanese instrument. One more motivation is vocal; there’s a great tool called “acapella extractor,” which works very well. So I have a lot of plans to build a song with acapella singers like Hayley Williams, Liv Kristin, Oliver Sykes, or Kellin Quinn Bostwick. No limits!
The music is a business too, and I don’t want to be “famous;” I just wish to have a small fanbase who likes the same universe. And it’s a personal objective: produce my own album, then we will see. I think like every artist, I am a dreamer.
Tell us about the songwriting process. How does it all come together?
As I said, it depends on a lot of settings. Sometimes I am empty for 2 or 3 weeks; then I can write 2-3 songs in 3 days. However, a common point with Björk: I am really productive outside; I mean when I ride my bike through the mountains, I have a lot of inspiration. It’s strange because I am “connected” with nature, not with a dystopic world, and I need it to refill my batteries. And so, inside my “cyber room,” it’s perpetual research of sound and cool rhythms! I feel good inside.
How do you connect with your audience? What is the easiest way for them to connect with you?
I really enjoy Instagram, I know that’s paradoxical because I’ve been really critical about social networks. But I really appreciate my followers and those I follow, Instagram is such a great place for visual art/cover and Artists from a different domain. And I get cool feedback from people all over the world; in comparison, my FB page is dead. Then I try to get more views on YouTube because I have only 23 subscribers, and this is the second place to purpose your art, so I am working hard on it!
Where do you record your tracks? Who mixes them?
Everything is recorded in my cyber room, and I mix them, including the vocal from outside singers or guitar players.
You’ve collaborated with Eric Castiglia. Would you tell us how this collaboration came to be? How did you find Eric? What was his role in the song? Did he write the lyrics, or did he just do the vocals?
Well, I went to “burn” my first official track. At the beginning of my research, I was a bit naïve, because I sent an email to a famous singer (I won’t quote them :D) and of course I get no reply. I specified I had a budget to pay them. Then I contacted more or less known YouTubers but I was really disappointed: some were very expensive like 300€ for 2 minutes of vocals (seriously its indecent) and some say “YES OF COURSE,” and some had ZERO investment/feedback (my mailbox still overheat to send them PLEASE FOR LOVE OF MUSIC REPLY ME). I have a rant: when you have some audience and you say “music is all your life” and you are being contacted by someone serious and you’re not involved maybe you probably better shut your mouth up because it’s totally hypocritical. But hey, isn’t that their image?
So I heard a platform called “Fiverr” which can help you contact pro or talented people (graphic, music, business). I scrolled through the page and I found Eric. “Holy fuck, this guys is really kickin’ ass!” I said when I heard his demos. More than a voice, Eric is a great pro, he perfectly understands the melodies you wrote even if you don’t know anything in music like me! Moreover, he is a nice guy and he really enjoyed my track “Jü.” I am currently working on a “ballad” to push his voice to the maximum on my project, something really strong, really emotional.
His role was to sing and to compose the harmony (if it’s the correct word for). I sent him the lyrics and a bad recording of my voice, what I wanted in the song: he totally translated and arranged the melodies. Seems to be easy for him; it was like he was in my head!
What does Jü mean? What’s the song about? Which line in the song is your favorite, and what does that line mean to you?
Jü is just the name I have invented for my 3D character; you can watch her on the video or Instagram. She represents an android, like a Nexus (Blade Runner). I think, “We were just asking for the right to live,” is my favorite. When I wrote the lyrics, I was thinking of black slaves in the USA. I mean, just because they were considered to be different, they’ve been treated like nothing, as said the scientist “Etienne Klein,” I cannot understand why Humanity can be so cruel. In the future, I am sure we will build androids who can think for themselves. Considering this point, do we treat them like people? Like someone made of flesh? I don’t think so. We build them to serve us and when they will wake up (consciousness), we will consider them exactly like we made with black people or everywhere in the world, the population looks different. Some people around me don’t understand my vision and are always asking, “what do I find in machines?” I can reply for long hours on “why,” but when I ask, “Tell me, why a machine cannot live? Math and physics are not in nature maybe? In reality?” I have no clear answer to that.
“Altered” features Nathan Hakoune. How did this collaboration come to be? Did he write the guitar parts, or did you compose it on the keyboard and tell him what to play?
Same way, found this guy on Fiverr, and he is French like me! So that was definitely our destiny! I wrote the whole song, then he learned his guitar part and played the guitar killer, as he is. This guy is also a monster, he plays the guitar, drums, and he can scream! So I asked him to scream on “Altered.” I will release the song in a few days. It was a great experience too and I hope we could work again together, I will plan a drum playthrough.
Tell us a bit about the virtual instruments you use. How do you find the right MIDI instrument for the piece?
Oh, I have a secret ;). But I can say I am using the awesome plugin ODIN 2 from Solemn Tones for the guitar and Superior Drummer 3 for the drums. Then I use a lot of different VSTs for my synth. I am not an expert in mixing but I try to give the best quality I can offer. I always stay tuned to the latest software available; that’s my geeky side. From now, I am looking for the awesome bass plugin Djinnbass which is coupled with the Dark Glass plugin of Neural DSP. I can lose my self in the billion sounds and effect I have; this is why I love MIDI instruments!
You used a lot of cool effects on your music videos. Who edits them? Who came up with the idea for the videos?
The effects come from a premade template you can buy for Adobe Premiere video or After Effects on a specialized website. You just have to apply them and modify as you want if you have some notion with Premiere Pro. To be honest, I have absolutely no plan when I start to construct the videos. I just drop videos on the timeline and I try to do something “beautiful and cool,” that’s all. I really hate spending time on Premiere but, when I watch the final result, I am finally happy ah ah! It’s quite better to show music on videos for the audience; it’s attractive.
What’s next for you?
Another collab with Eric and Nathan, then a friend who is actually recording a vocal part that should be in the next song to be released “Like Tears in rain,” you get it ;)? Moreover, as I said, I have so many ideas for the next songs, so stay tuned?!
Finally, a great Instagram designer is actually making my art cover for the album, you can check her at @marthchrom
Anything else you’d like to add or let us know about?
Thx for the interview. Stay Cyber!
-Harsh
