It is fair to say that most albums come complete with a clear message, theme and set of emotions laying at their core. But this is not the case with Voyeurs In The Dark. A brand new project dropped by Toronto-based artist Barzin, we are set to be treated to a sonic journey with the 11-track project that boasts stellar drops such as “It’s Never Too Late to Lose Your Life”. With this new release, we are set to indulge in subjective sounds and grand cinematic production propelled by Barzin’s time spent crafting movie scores, culminating in a musical experience unlike any other.
When discussing the project, the artist explained, “One of the things I tried to set out with this album was not to understand what I was trying to say. Up to this point in my career, I have tried to be clear about what I wanted to say in each song, and to try and capture the point I wanted to make as clearly as possible. But with this album, I wanted to aim for the opposite. When writing the songs for this album, if I felt I was starting to understand what I was saying, I would try and change the direction. This album is not about illumination and clarity. I wanted to stay in the murky waters of the unconscious. ”
Ahead of the release of his upcoming album, the artist sat down with Wonderland to discuss the free-spirited and ambiguous nature of his new project and the thing he would like his fans to know about him. Head below to enjoy our interview with Barzin…
Hey Barzin! How are you doing today? How has the past year been for you?
I am doing well. Thank you. Thank you for taking the time to chat with me. This past year has been filled with lots of different projects. I wrapped up my latest album, which is coming out this week on Monotreme Records. I’ve also been busy producing an album for the artist Set Feux, which is nearing its completion. Other than that, I’ve been busy learning the dark art of psychoanalysis.
Let’s start at the very beginning! How did you first get into music, would you say it was a natural calling?
I started playing music in my early teens, mostly playing drums in various bands. But it was in university that I got the songwriting bug. I kind of became obsessed with it. I would say that drumming always felt natural to me. Songwriting has always felt like work. The way I write songs is similar to how a sculptor works: chipping away at it until the song starts to reveal itself. It’s a painfully slow process. I don’t recommend it.
Who would you say inspires you most?
Well, that depends. Lyrically I’ve looked to people like Dylan, Cohen, Springsteen and Scott Walker as sources of inspiration. Musically, it’s much more difficult to narrow down my inspirations, because within each genre of music there are so many great bands and artists that I can point to.
And you have announced your upcoming album, Voyeurs In The Dark! Congrats! What was your mindset going into it?
I wanted to experiment a bit on this album and lean a little more into my love of jazz and the ambient genre. Also, over the past few years, I’ve been scoring music for films, so I wanted to bring into this album some of the textural sounds I’ve been playing around with.
What do you hope people will take away from it?
I feel a bit stumped by this question. If I were to take a guess, maybe there is an underlying wish for people to find a part of themselves reflected in this album.
And you’ve just released “It’s Never Too Late to Lose Your Life”! Can you explain your personal interpretation of the track?
To be honest, one of the things I tried to set out with this album was not to understand what I was trying to say. Up to this point in my career, I have tried to be clear about what I wanted to say in each song, and to try and capture the point I wanted to make as clearly as possible. But with this album, I wanted to aim for the opposite. When writing the songs for this album, if I felt I was starting to understand what I was saying, I would try and change the direction. This album is not about illumination and clarity. I wanted to stay in the murky waters of the unconscious.
How did you come up with the concept for its music video?
I was trying to incorporate a few themes into this song. I was interested in the unconscious, the male psyche and how the sense of masculinity and desire is shaped culturally and through reinforcement of images one is bombarded with through media. I was also interested in how the female body becomes fetishized and turns into an object of desire, and how it shapes and influences the male psyche. And lastly, I was interested in how as individuals we negotiate this desire in ourselves by embracing it or suppressing it. If we do reject it, then what are all the ways it can show up in disguised forms. So, I was trying to figure out how to put all of this into a video. I decided that the best way to do it was to make the video fragmentary and comprised of fast-moving images, the same way I imagine the unconscious to be. I felt the video should have a stream of conscious feel to it.
What’s next for you? Are you working on/planning anything exciting?
Hopefully, I’ll be able to tour this album in the Fall. My first attempt at playing shows fell through because of the pandemic. So, here is hoping that I’ll be successful in my second attempt. And after that, I hope to just enjoy the summer and get out of the house. Two years of being inside has been enough for me.
And finally, what’s one thing you want your fans to know about you?
I am secretly a bad ass Bocce player.