Cryptacize
The Singing Lamb: What was your concept when putting together Mythomania?
Nedelle Torrisi: Mythomania is when a person tells lie upon lie until it becomes difficult to sustain their false reality. This became the model for our album because we noticed it growing and ideas unfolding without our control exactly – one leading to the next, but never in a way that we could predict. Also, going into it I knew that I wanted our album to be both more earnest and more melodramatic than our last one. As for production, we wanted Mythomania to be recorded less in ‘real time’ whereas the first album was just us playing live in a room with a few overdubs.
You recently reviewed quite the glowing review from the NY Times; do you read many of your reviews or do you block it all out? Why?
We read a lot of our reviews because our publicist sends them to us and we’re too curious to tell her not to! But we try to keep in mind that every review is one person’s opinion. Music criticism… cringe… I don’t want to get into it, but basically I don’t trust or value anyone’s opinion but my own and a couple of close friends. What did Oscar Wilde say? Something like, “when the critics are at odds the artist is at peace with himself.”
When I listen to “Blue Tears”, it reminds me of a rockabilly western medieval vocal music mix. Your songs in Mythomania seem to have a mix of genres to it, what genre of work do you consider your music to be?
I can’t really say. It’s funny because people will describe our songs in so many awesome ways, like you just did! But a lot of them don’t touch on the music that we actually listen to. It just goes to show how everyone has their own reference points due to different tastes, exposure, etc.
Cryptacize seems to contain many talented people who have come together, how did this happen? What’s the history behind the band? It says on your MySpace that you have a new bassist; would you like to explain that?
Why thank you! Chris and I decided to write songs together after I played in his band “The Curtains.” We found Michael on youtube, playing solo cowbell. I met Aaron, our new bassist, in the SF State music program a few years back. He’s a shredder on guitar but was gracious enough to play bass with us.
What are your influences when composing music?
They change a lot, it can be anything. I’m definitely influenced by other music, because I want to make people feel something close to what I feel when I listen to music I enjoy. Really, anything can leave an impression and influence a song. I listen to a lot of jazz, classical, and soul music. Everyone in the band listens to really different things.
You’re from California, a place that probably garners quite a lot of myths and stereotypes. What are your favourites? Ones that you are most sick of? Any interesting ones of Toronto and/or Canada that you can think of?
I’m not sure I have favorites, but I guess a positive one is that we care about the environment. I mean, that can’t be a bad thing! It’s definitely not true that everyone from California has a new-age mentality. I’m don’t, at least not compared to most of my friends! I think it’s because my parents weren’t hippies. But I am totally down to hear all about new age ideas and I am open to any of it. Is that new age of me?
Who are you guys listening to right now?
Well we’ve been gone for about 5 weeks, touring in Europe. So right now I can only say we’ve been listening to all the bands we’ve been playing with. I’m so excited to just chillax and listen to music again after the US tour.
And finally, if you were a singing animal, what would you be?
A dolphin for sure!
For more Cryptacize,
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/cryptacize
Catch Cryptacize this Wednesday at the Boat with Mantler, opening for Casiotone For the Painfully Alone! $10.00 at the door!
Interview By Katherine Mark
