Syzygy

Opening:

America’s Progression Magazine gave your 2^nd release 16 out of 16 stars in their review and The Missing Piece in Sweden called your 3^rd release a “masterpiece” and talked about Gentle Giant, Kansas, Yes, Jethro Tull and Dream Theatre to try to get people to understand how good you are according to them. What has this done to your musical confidence?

A. We are humbled to receive such reviews. It’s not so much the confidence, but rather the joy we feel knowing that we have connected so viscerally with fans and critics alike. With each successive release, the compliments have been similar; they’re now just more abundant as people have begun to discover us around the world. It’s very flattering to be mentioned in the same breath with these luminaries. Early on, we aspired to the heights of these artists, dreaming of being considered as contemporaries. And now, in this mid-season of our lives, we aspire to expand the possibilities of our art to leave our own mark.

PRE:

What did you guys listen to growing up? Have any of the aforementioned bands been influential whilst writing your own materiel and what about the great composers of classical music any favorites amongst them?

A. Each of the guys in the group brings separate influences to the table which has helped us develop a unique musical voice (which is only just starting to be revealed). These influences span progressive, rock, jazz, classical, popular, blues - all of which are either directly represented in our music or part of the musical attitude we bring to the table. Certainly the great progressive artists of the 60’s and 70’s were hugely impactful: Gentle Giant, Yes, Jethro Tull, Genesis, King Crimson, ELP, The Beatles…to name a few. The other part of the Syzygy equation (sometimes overlooked) is the “rock band” aesthetic we have - which you definitely see live. We definitely rock and were influenced by the musical gravitas of not only bands like The Who, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, etc. but also by some of the great classical composers who had a rock sensibility Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, etc.

We don’t write with these artist/composers in mind (as we did when we were learning how to write), but certain “feels” emerge and as we are arranging parts we’ll wind up saying “OK, the Gentle Giant part goes into the UK part and then goes into the Crimson part…” It’s sort of funny how we name the sections sometimes. Rich Wilson (the author of a great biography on Dream Theatre) once said something to the effect that Syzygy sounds like a super group (without any super stars!) but with a sound completely their own. I thought that was both ironic and cool.

There is not much available information about your first band in the late 70’s and early 80’s called Abraxas. You mentioned that it was largely a cover band; what bands were you covering?

A. That’s probably where we developed our rock sensibility and our performance/entertainment chops. We did four things in that band: the contemporary popular music of the day (pretty awful work); music from the beloved rock bands of our era (Purple, Who, Zep, etc.); our first original compositions; and versions of the awful contemporary tunes where we’d slip in improvisations and other bits much to the chagrin of club owners. Other times we’d do note-for-note renditions of live “Dazed and Confused” that people would say we were playing along with the vinyl! Hilarious. Still other times we’d try to get our own original pieces into the set by saying, “Here is a new one from Styx [or insert name here]…” That didn’t work real well…people would be standing around wanting to dance and we are doing this crazy stuff we wrote!

Any memorable gigs, highlights or recordings worth mentioning?

A. That was a hard working band doing lots of gigs. We had a pretty dedicated following and could draw a couple of thousand people on a good night. However, we didn’t do much commercial recording. We did release a single (“Pretty Poison” and “Paradise Rising”). It got some radio play, but never got much out of the mid-western United States.

What did you do in between Abraxas and the next band Witsend? How did Witsend come about?

A. During that time, Sam Giunta (my co-collaborator/composer) and I studied at a private conservatory of music under a master teacher of composition and harmony. We were immersed in that wonderful world of discovery for several years. Witsend was, in effect, the laboratory for our compositional clinical trials which evolved from our studies. It started out as a loose group of musicians and eventually became a band and produced the Cosmos and Chaos album (1993). It was also during this time that we were focused on raising and supporting our families.

What were the great moments while named Witsend? What did it do for you musically regarding attention both in the USA and also other continents?

A. Witsend represented a period where we learned how to put our ideas into a reasonably coherent flow. That was hard for us because we always had more ideas than we knew what to do with. It also marked the entrance of Paul Mihacevich, our incredible drummer. Although the band only officially released one album (Cosmos and Chaos) under the Witsend name, many of the compositions from Syzygy’s first release (The Allegory of Light) were from the productive Witsend period. From a fans perspective, they love Circadian Rhythm, MOTH, Journey of Myrrdin which are all from that era. Cosmos and Chaos was released in 1993 – which was slightly ahead of the second-wave resurgence of Prog. At the time, the album was a cult favorite of the sleeping prog population around the world.

How do you regard the album today? Looking back, what are the strong points or things you would have changed? Any stand out track?

A. Looking back, Cosmos and Chaos was an honest collection of musical utterances of short and medium length. A mixture of classical and progressive influences. I think it still has a lot of charm to it. We play several cuts from it in our live set (e.g. Mount Ethereal, Strange Loop II and Circadian Rhythm) with the only change being we have been able to add vocals to a couple of the pieces that were originally recorded as instrumentals because we didn’t really have a lead vocalist at the time. With the vocals being there on the live set, I have a real sense of fulfillment with that period of work and don’t feel any sense of “I wish I would have done….” One day we may add the piece “Closure” to the live set – it too was recorded as an instrumental but was meant to be a vocal piece. That would be fun to do. Personally, I have a real fondness for Etude No. 2 which I wrote for my late instructor, Dante Picciotti just after he died. I remember playing it for his widow and how she cried because of how proud he would have been.

What is the essence of that album, the goal so to speak?

A. The essence was the broad vocabulary and dichotomy of the ideas, hence the title: Cosmos and Chaos. The goal was to finally put something out to have other people hear what we were cooking up!

Legally you were in trouble with that name Witsend and changed it. Who came up with the new name and please explain the meaning of it for us?

A. I came up with the name Syzygy because we hadn’t protected the rights to the name Witsend. The back story revolves around the fact that we were a trio at the time (Sam, Paul and I). A “syzygy” is sort of archaic term describing the alignment of three celestial bodies: typically the sun, the moon and the earth. Farmers would use a syzygy event to time crop rotations. Also, during a syzygy event, the gravitational pull between the bodies is very powerful, producing tidal waves, etc.. So the name had some nice imagery for a musical trio. Of course, we no sooner name the band Syzygy, then we invite our old friend from Abraxas, Al Rolik, to join us on bass after Allegory of Light - that made us a quartet. Further complicating the story is that we now play live as a quintet (with a lead vocalist)! So much for the “trio” marketing vision! No one can pronounce the word either! Steve Hackett, of Genesis, said we should change our name to something easy, like “Fred”! I love that (that’s my father’s name)!

Syzygy releases:

The Allegory of Light (2003) and Realms of Eternity (2009) also saw a lot of years pass between them – why do you so rarely release albums?

A. The time lapses were owing to family priorities. We are entering a period which should see more frequent releases as our children are growing up.

What are the likeness and differences with these two albums?

A. That’s an interesting comparison. To me the differences are easier to spot than the similarities. The Allegory of Light largely consisted of older compositions and previously recorded tracks which were revitalized through the emergence of computer-based digital recording/editing methods. We were able to salvage the old tapes and rework the compositions to our liking. So for Allegory, a lot of the writing for the album was more “re-writing” and developing older elements. It was more like working on archive material – which was necessary to do to clear the slate for the future. The future began to be revealed with Realms of Eternity, which was largely composed contemporaneously to that project (with the exception of Echoes Remain). So I’d sum it up by saying the differences are really in the “looking back” during The Allegory of Light period and being “in the moment” during the Realms of Eternity period (from a composer’s perspective).

One thing is for sure, as a composer (and guitar player), I can say that I was light years ahead on Realms of Eternity. I’m sure the other members of the band would have similar feelings about themselves as well. I think the vocals on Realms (assisted greatly by the presence of the incomparable Mark Boals) really gave the band another vector to reach people from.

As far as similarities are concerned, the musicians, engineer (Chris Keffer) and cover artist (Dan Stermole) were the same, but beyond that I can’t put my arms around much!

What are your ambitions and goals for the band besides creating music?

A. Besides creating music, there isn’t much more I want to do other than to just do it better. Creating music is what we do. We are composers that play our instruments in support of the compositions. It’s all about the compositions, at least for me. Playing the material live is also an important part of it, but the compositions create the legacy, and that’s the goal.

Tell me about the great attention you have received over the past two years, also being compared to Echolyn, Transatlantic, Flower Kings and Porcupine Tree to mention a few…

A. Realms of Eternity received such great notice that it piqued interest into the band and our humble back catalogue. This gave rise to new reviews of our old material which amplified the awareness of our new album. In addition, we have played live in support of Realms of Eternity and the band received rave reviews for the live concerts. I can’t overlook the impact social networking has had. It has taken hold and word of mouth has really spread. We’ve been “discovered” by some great luminaries in the rock and classical fields who have come out with wonderful statements about the band which has helped to make the last two years really amazing for us. Again, the comparisons to great artist both contemporary and from the past are always warmly received by us.

A full page add in Classic Rock – you mean business, did you get the response you hoped for, besides getting me all fired up, although I had one album already?

A. I’m glad to know that people actually read these periodicals! As I said, over the last two years we have enjoyed lots of print and internet reviews, features and chatter. We supplemented that dialogue with ads to promote Realms of Eternity and the back catalogue. Many people, who had one album, bought the others. So the combination of everything has boosted our awareness and has brought us many new fans and friends. As I said, several legendary artists have reached out to us (Steve Hackett, Patrick Moraz, etc.) to tell us what a masterpiece Realms was. That’s awesome! The features, reviews, internet and ads have helped us rise above the clutter. We’ve been blessed.

How do you fund your releases, any company running the business or are you working all yourselves?

A. It’s all self-funded. Sales, downloads, live shows and merchandise –that’s the sole source of funding. Without the fan support, it would be next to impossible to push forward.

Progarchives gives you a good rating as well and reference bands like Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple - trying to get people to understand you – how do you react to such comparisons, what elements are creating similarities between you and them?

A. I think the rock comparisons are picked up by those who have had their ears tuned to that frequency during their life. They then pick up those heavier vibes which are definitely in our music. The same way that the classical guys and the proggers hear what they’re tuned into from their perspective. That’s part of the Syzygy experience. Pretty broad appeal. We have no problem at all with those kinds of comparisons - those are great, great bands! We often do encores of classic rock covers at the end of our prog shows; including Zeppelin and Purple. In fact, we have a clip up on You Tube of us doing “Burn” by Deep Purple (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=st2YY_Fi43o syzygymusic1). What a great piece of music and that particular performance really captures us using our rock and roll dialect.

How does it feel to be compared with all these bands instead of maybe just being rated and commented on directly about your own originality and musical achievements?

A. That’s really fine by us. People are just trying to express how excited they are by us. It’s actually a really good sign for Syzygy. It’s part of the evolution of an original artist developing a legacy. Part of the need to “reference” others comes from the fact that we have only released three albums over a long period of time and the other part stems from the fact that we are impossible to nail down musically. People perceive similarities in an effort to bring order to information. By using similarities, it helps them to retrieve the information and, more importantly, express it to others. So it’s not anything we mind. In the case of Syzygy, if you add up all the bands that people say we sound like its dozens and dozens of artists with no singular consistent reference. You yourself have already cited probably a dozen groups during the course of this interview. That’s great! That’s a sign that we are drawing from a deep creative well. My prediction is that by the time our fifth album is out, people will be saying someone else sounds like Syzygy! That’s when we’ll know we have taken the next step!

Genesis and Syzygy, similarities and what sets you apart?

A. They’re a legend and we’re barely a footnote.

Prog in general and 2011 and beyond

What can we expect from Syzygy in 2011, any releases, shows or new recordings planned?

A. I am so excited about 2011 and the future!! For the first time in my life, we are more focused on composing than ever before. All the circumstances are such that we can now write in an uninterrupted and consistent fashion.

The first thing you will see from us in 2011 is our first live CD/DVD entitled “A Glorious Disturbance”. It consists of a CD and a bonus 5.1 surround sound DVD from two performances we did at Three-Rivers Progressive Rock events: the 2009’s 3RP Festival and 2010’s Day of Prog. It’s interesting to see the band do two different performances from two different years in the same city (Pittsburg, Pennsylvania – U.S.A.). The band performs a large amount of material from all three of its albums: Cosmos and Chaos (1993); The Allegory of Light (2003) and Realms of Eternity (2009). The audio is phenomenal in both the stereo CD and the bonus 5.1 surround DVD. The bonus DVD will include the video of the two performances plus interviews and an in depth look at Realms of Eternity and in particular the making of the Dialectic from Realms of Eternity.

Also during 2011, we are proud to have been selected to participate in CPR Volume IV (Christian Progressive Rock) this spring. Our piece, Dialectic, will be included and we are delighted to join this wonderful compilation.

During the year we will also be revamping our website (www.syzygymusic.com) unveiling a new look and content. It should be beautiful (and long overdue).

But most importantly, we are plowing ahead composing new material and it is simply stunning! It will further confound those trying to figure out who we sound like – but so be it…that’s what Syzygy is! We plan to write two full albums worth of material before we break to record or play live. We are well on our way already and by summer we should have this accomplished. We are fixated on writing memorable and beautiful music. We want to make you think, feel and move. We are exalting the space between the notes as much as the notes themselves. We are in a very rich and wonderful creative period of our careers. It’s time to make a lasting musical statement which expands the empire of sound. No pressure at all!

How do you define progressive music and what are the leading bands in 2011 according to you guys, apart from Syzygy in USA and Europe.

A. For me, progressive means “growing” and “expanding”. I don’t care for the “genre box” concept that the boundaries are fixed. If you are truly progressive, you are communicating new ideas not reheating old ones. Therefore my favorite “progressive” artists come from all over the place: classical, jazz, blues, country, etc. Since it’s a subjective experience, I am not qualified to rank order “leaders”.

Who created the genre back in late 60’s early 70’s would you say?

A. Art reflects culture, and artists emerge as the voice of these tectonic cultural shifts. No more so than the 60’s and 70’s. Edward Macan’s book, “Rockin the Classics” addresses this question far better than I could.

What do you think will happen with the progressive movement in the next 5 years?

A. I don’t know what will happen tomorrow, let alone five years from now! I can tell you that I hope it will continue to find a larger audience as part of a hoped-for revolt against “time compression” that is pressuring people’s lives. As it stands now, progressive music (extended forms especially) is at complete odds with today’s “instant gratification” society. I’m hopeful that emerging economies around the world will develop a taste for classical and progressive forms like the US and Western Europe did driving a resurgence of interest more broadly. One thing is for sure, we need to continue to develop “new music”. That’s my hope and prayer for Syzygy and for other artists.