In December 2004 I had the chance to interview Rob and Jeremy of the American band OPAQ FACE.
Here are the questions:

Where do Opaq Face come from and where did you meet?
Jeremy:
When I was in college in Chapel Hill, NC, I played in several bands that left me very unsatisfied. I felt frustrated due to the lack of creativity I was allowed to contribute. I realized forming my own band was the only way I could express my own voice. Four years ago, I began writing original compositions - some of which appear on 'Close Enough.' I met Rob when I moved to Atlanta, GA, in 2001.
Rob:
I graduated from Emory University in Atlanta in 2001 with a degree in biology and spent the next two years working in a research laboratory at Emory. During that time, I met Jeremy, who was also conducting research in the lab. I think our first real connection came when I played Depeche Mode's 'Violator' on the laboratory's CD player. He came over and asked if the CD was mine. We found out we were both huge Depeche Mode fans and alternative music fans. Our friendship grew from that point and led us to forming Opaq Face.

Making music isn't your main job. What 'full-time' jobs do you have?
Rob:
When I'm not working on music, I'm earning my medical doctorate at Emory University. Given that the days are long as a medical student, listening to music and playing guitar are my primary stress relievers. Music is a pleasure that provides balance to my life and an outlet for personal expression.
Jeremy:
Like Rob, I'm also earning my graduate degree at Emory University

What's the meaning of your band name "Opaq Face"?
Jeremy:
Pronounced 'opaque face', we dropped the 'ue' in order to give the name some character and symmetry. Choosing a name for the band was excruciatingly difficult. For months, neither of us was satisfied with a name. Eventually, we agreed on the word 'opaque', which has its own meaning for each of us.
Rob:
I think all of us have a side of our personality that we hide from others. Creating music in Opaq Face allows me to release some of the bits and pieces from the darker side of my character that, otherwise, I may have never revealed.

'Close Enough' is your debut album. Tell me how this album came into existence?
Jeremy:
I'd been struggling for about two years learning how to write and record songs with professional results. After several pitfalls and computer crashes in my home studio, I took a break from recording for a couple of months. Then Rob approached me about a song he had written.
Rob:
Jeremy and I had known each other for a little less than a year when I had finished composing an acoustic song, 'Phone Call from Boston'. I was looking to record it in his studio and have him add some keyboard tracks to it.
Jeremy:
When Rob approached me about recording 'Phone Call', I was really thrilled. I hadn't worked on any music in several months, and I was desperate to attempt something new and different. Rob came to the studio and laid down his vocals and guitar tracks, and I spent two weeks adding keyboard lines and producing the song. I had never recorded and produced guitar instruments before, so that was an exciting challenge.
Rob:
The outcome was amazing. Jeremy and I come from very different musical backgrounds, yet the combination of the two on 'Phone Call' was so inspiring that that single experience fuelled both of us to write new material and work together. We had our own expectations as to what 'Phone Call' would sound like, but our efforts surpassed what each of us had originally envisioned. At that point, we decided to focus our efforts on recording an album as a band.

What are your reasons for producing SynthPoP music instead of rock or pop?
Jeremy:
I've always been moved by synthpop music. From the first time I heard 'Enjoy the Silence' when I was 10, I knew there was something special, something deeper, that came across in that style of music. Synthesizers in general are such inspiring instruments. Take 'Enjoy the Silence' for example. Where else can you carry the chords of a song as 'choir shimmers'? And show me an acoustic drummer who can play a beat that infectious.
Rob:
Almost all rock and pop music out there today sounds exactly the same to me. I hate listening to the radio. Any new music I listen to is usually recommended to me by friends, as opposed to what's on the top 50 charts. It was an easy decision for me to form Opaq Face with Jeremy because the sound is completely unique. I had no desire to be in a band that was just another worn-out clone of what already exists. For me, the synthpop genre was that perfect opportunity.

You present dark electronic music based on minimalist sound-structures in combination with acoustic guitar playing.
What role does the acoustic guitar play in your songs?
Jeremy:
Rob's guitar plays several key roles in our sound. First, the rhythmic element of the guitar provides an anchor point from which the other sounds are choreographed. When recording 'Close Enough', the vocals and guitars were tracked first. All of the other synthesizer tracks were programmed around these two elements in order to maintain the focus of the song on the vocal melodies and the rhythm of the guitar. Secondly, the acoustic guitar provides a much-needed organic, human element to an otherwise cold electronic sound. But most importantly, I think the guitar conveys an honesty and humbleness that aren't there in the arrangement of synthesized bleeps and saw waves.
Rob:
I think the acoustic guitar is an essential part of what makes 'Close Enough' so great. Without it, the band loses much of its flavor and individuality. I think the presence of the guitar in our songs makes the music instantly recognizable and distinguishes it from other synthpop bands.

I wrote in my review of 'Close Enough' that your music reminds me of the New Order album 'Technique'.
Who really inspires your music?
Jeremy:
More traditional mainstream bands like New Order, Depeche Mode and the Cure fuelled my interest for music when I was in my teens, but for the most part these weren't the bands that directly inspired 'Close Enough'. Wolfsheim's 'Dreaming Apes' and 'Spectators' were the two most influential albums for my contribution to 'Close Enough'. The idea of the combination of synthesizers and acoustic guitar came from the Care Company album 'In the Flow', which is a highly underrated record. Many of the most popular bands in the genre today reference bands such as Joy Division, Kraftwerk and Depeche Mode as major influences, whereas new, younger bands such as ourselves are gaining inspiration from artists like VNV Nation, Wolfsheim and Informatik.
Rob:
I love listening to - get ready for a shocker - bands or individuals whose music is predominantly acoustic guitar. Ben Harper, David Grey, Elliott Smith, Jack Johnson and Damien Rice are all amazing musicians. They are geniuses at expressing themselves in a simplistic manner using only their lyrics and acoustic guitar. Much of their style of guitar playing can be heard in our music. On the flipside, my favorite band, hands down, is Nine Inch Nails. I've always found a deep connection to Trent Reznor's music and have immeasurable respect for his talent.

What are the sources for your lyrics - own experiences, disaffection with existing situations or are they pure fiction?
Rob:
My lyrics stem from my own experiences. I write about events and individuals who have had an emotional impact on my life. Relationships have been a neverending source of material for me. I've always tried to harness all of the happiness, sadness and anger of a personal experience into words that communicate how I feel. I always feel relieved after writing a new song, as if a giant weight has been lifted off my chest.
Jeremy:
I've always found it extremely difficult to compose lyrics regarding a personal experience. The words never come out the way I think they should. So, the majority of my lyrics are based on situations in my environment that either directly or indirectly affect me. But it may take me months of reflection on a particular subject before I'm capable of translating it into words. For example, the song 'And I' holds strong reference to the events that took place in the United States on September 11th, 2001. Yet, I wasn't able to translate my thoughts and emotions into lyrics until the spring of 2002.

The album track "Walk With God" is still my favourite.
What kind of music do you prefer - songs with a danceable beat and heavy synths or sensitive ballads?
Rob:
I really enjoy both types of songs. There are those moments when you want to make everyone move with a dance beat and fill the room with energy. There's no better feeling than watching people dance to your music. Other times, it may be more effective to communicate with people through the serenity of a ballad.
Jeremy:
I love a great dance song. Often, I feel as if there's more of a focus on the lyrics of a song if it's slow, whereas, the focus of a dance song is predominantly on the beat and rhythm. But in my opinion, the most moving and memorable dance tracks have an infectious groove and inspiring lyrics.

Your music sounds dark and creates a very melancholy mood.
What kind of audience do you want to reach?
Rob:
People connect with music when they really enjoy the sound of a track, and more importantly, when they can relate to the words being expressed. My hope is that our music will reach people who haven't thought about exploring different kinds of music. I hope that my guitar will move people who prefer more guitar-driven music to explore the realm of synthpop. On the other side, I'd love to inspire synthpop fans to explore artists who rely more on organic elements. In some ways, our music is an experiment to bridge the gap between two distinct styles of music.
Jeremy:
Our style of synthpop is quite different from many of the bands coming on the scene. I hope that fans within the genre will continue to keep an open mind with respect to a new band's interpretation of synthpop music. Whether the sound is more trance-influenced, EBM, futurepop or retro style, there is a niche for each.

'Close Enough' was produced and released by Opaq Face only.
How did the world-wide SynthPoP scene respond to your debut?
Rob:
So far, the response has been overwhelmingly positive. We've received a large amount of e-mail from fans that have purchased the album. People from countries around the world are listening to and enjoying our music. I think that 'Close Enough' has carved itself a solid place in the worldwide synthpop community.
Jeremy:
We have received some outstanding reviews of 'Close Enough' from many of the indie electronic music Webzines and hardcore fan sites. Rob and I have always felt that reviews and encouragement from these sources are the highest valued press and important for the success of an album.

Now, the debut is out. Are you going to have some live gigs (locations, dates)?
Rob:
Performing live is an essential part of our music and something I really enjoy. We'll be performing several live concerts beginning in 2005. Right now, we're rehearsing and focusing on how to present our songs in a live setting.
Jeremy:
I think communicating with an audience in a live setting is an awesome challenge. Producing music in a studio can be a very sterile, calculated process which we don't have an interest in recapitulating on stage. We're planning on keeping our audio backing tracks to a minimum and playing as much as possible live. Each song has been reworked and stripped down to the basic elements in order to present a more raw, spontaneous version than what appears on 'Close Enough'.

Your debut unfortunately includes only seven tracks.
Are you already working for a successor?
Rob:
I think we're still trying to absorb 'Close Enough'. Jeremy and I have talked about new song ideas we'd like to work on. In the meantime, we're continuing to promote 'Close Enough' and preparing for live shows. I'll be really excited to work on new material. I'm confident that the music we produce is only going to get better as we continue to evolve.
Jeremy:
Although there were only seven tracks on 'Close Enough', the entire experience of writing and recording the album was unlike anything either of us has ever undertaken. We poured so much emotion and energy into its production and release.

Are you looking for a label, like A Different Drum, which supports you with your future production?
We don't have a huge desire to jump on a label. We're pretty happy with where we are.
Jeremy:
Like us, many of the other bands in the scene such as VNV Nation, Iris and Droom are self-releasing their albums or forming their own record labels. It seems that this approach grants the artist total creative freedom and control over their product, which is an appealing scenario. But fledgling bands like us wouldn't stand a chance of success without Internet music stores like A Different Drum, Kinetic Response Music and Intrapop keeping an eye out for worthy independent band releases.

Rob:
I would really like to thank SynthPoP For The Masses for this interview and opportunity to introduce ourselves to the synthpop community.
Jeremy:
Thank you SynthPoP For The Masses for your continued support.

Rob and Jeremy, thanks a lot for the great and substantial response to my interview questions.
Keep on that good work!

Now enjoy some clips of their great debut album 'Close Enough'.

• Walk With God
• And I
• Alone

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