Interview with Rhys Fulber of Delerium with Judy Lyon / Torched Magazine
Canadian music producer and electronic musician, Rhys Fulber (Front Line Assembly, Delerium, Conjure One), recently interviewed with Torched on the making of Delerium’s new album ‘Signs’, released on Metropolis Records. ‘Signs’ takes us all on a cerebral journey through exquisite soundscapes, amplified with an array of different vocal contributions. Our interview covers details on the making of the new album, talented vocal additions and what it took to bring it together, as well as his creative inspirations.. and more! Signs is available for purchase via Metropolis Records, Bandcamp and other usual streaming platforms.
“Delerium has explored any number of aspects of electronic music, ceaselessly evolving and exploring, seemingly traversing genres in search of the exquisite. Signs is a masterwork of hypnotic rhythms and enveloping ambience, with stunning vocal contributions from Mimi Page, Phildel, Inna Walters, and KANGA. Each singer’s unique voice elevates Signs, adding levels of aching beauty and romanticism.” – (Delerium)
TM – Can you go into a few of the production details during the recording of Delerium’s new album “Signs”. What would a typical workday look like for you?
RF – When I have a defined album project I treat it very much like a job; go into the studio every morning and work office hours, sometimes longer. Not everyday brings gold, but something gets accomplished everyday. For “Signs” I came up with several tracks, then sent them to Bill for his comments. Then Bill joined me later after I had a bunch of material amassed to sort the best ones and add some keyboard ideas on top. Later, we sent songs out to the different vocalists. The tracks with Mimi Page were a bit different, she sent us some pretty well-formed demos and then I added some Delerium type parts and various connecting part or two to give it more of our sound.
TM – Delerium’s Bill Leeb recently said, “I think “Signs” reflects the full-circle arc of Delerium, from its inception as an experimental project to where we are today.” Would you agree with this statement? What are some of the differences between past Delerium releases and ‘Signs’?
RF – I don’t think about that too much, I just roll with it. I do revisit some of the synth styles of our older records which usually gives it some connections to the past, but honestly I hardly recall the production of the “Stone Tower” era albums.
TM – Delerium brought the exquisite female vocals of Mimi Page, KANGA, Emily Haines, Phildel, and Inna Walters, just to name a few, with each delivering a unique touch to the track. Can you go into some of the dynamics of working with these female artists? What was your process in choosing these artists? Did they bring some unique qualities to the overall project?
RF- Well, we worked remotely on this record so you don’t get much of that connection like you would when you are in the same studio. All you get is a couple emails and the tracks they send, which all brought their own unique ideas. Most of it was people we had worked with except Inna which came through a writer I work with in London named Peter Wright who I had done Conjure One songs with. It was more of a well produced songwriter demo that we liked and kept. I wish I knew more about it actually. I do think that in a way working remotely you get more of what the singer actually wants rather than when you produce them.
TM – What was your inspiration behind the song and video for “In The Deep (feat. KANGA)”?
RF – That’s a hard one for me to answer. It’s more for Kanga to go into depth about.
TM – Who or what are some of your creative inspirations? Do you have a routine that helps bring about your creative process?
RF – Nature walks always help when the well runs dry.
TM – What are some of your hobbies outside of music? Do you find musical inspiration in your daily life when you’re not working in the studio?
RF – I’m really passionate about photography and that takes up a lot of my creative time outside of music. I’m not sure if they feed each other but I enjoy it.
TM – Outside of Delerium, you’ve been involved in several different projects including Front Line Assembly and Conjure One. What are some of the differences between the three?
RF – It’s usually defined before you work on it and at this stage I just know what sounds like what. The song “Streetcar” was actually slated for Conjure One but ended up fitting more with the “Signs” album material rather than the Conjure One album “Innovation Zero” but that’s a rare exception of cross pollination.
TM – Are there any plans for a Delerium tour in support of the new release?
RF – That’s usually a significant undertaking, so there are no plans yet unless there were some good offers to make it happen.
TM – Is there anything that you’d like to share that I may have missed? Thank you so much for taking the time for Torched!
RF – I think we covered the basis of it ! Thanks for taking the time to ask.
All images Delerium / Front Line Assembly by Bobby Talamine
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