Aptøsrs is a brand new artist on the scene, having just released his debut album, Elders. The track Rust Mountain really caught my attention, sounding expertly crafted, despite being the very first song this artist has ever released! The good news is that the rest of the tracks on the record are as amazing as Rust Mountain, so give it a whirl if you can!
By Jane Howkins
You’ve just released a new album, titled Elders. What can you tell us about the record?
It’s the debut album from my new instrumental music project called Aptøsrs – pronounced like the ‘apatosaurus’ dinosaur. I’ve always wanted to make a record like this, so it’s exciting to finally have it out in the wild. Although I’ve written a lot of soundtracks, and singer-songwriter albums under my Cellarscape moniker, making an album of instrumental songs that combine lots of different elements that I love – including synthwave and post-rock – is brand new territory for me. And being an instrumental album means the storytelling of the songs can be very experimental, because they don’t have a lyrical narrative leading the way.
We reviewed your single Rust Mountain back in February. What can you tell us about the song and why did you choose that song for a single?
Once I’d written and recorded the whole album, opening track Rust Mountain felt like the perfect introduction to this new project. I like how the song has a lot of different chapters and vibes, so it operates like a ‘welcome to the world of Aptøsrs.’ I knew that, if people connected with Rust Mountain then they’d be ready for the soundscapes and songs on the Elders album. I’m thrilled with how music sites and listeners have been responding to Rust Mountain.
Where can your music be purchased and streamed? Do you have any special merch on sale?
Elders can be streamed worldwide on all music platforms. It can also be bought on Bandcamp where it comes with an exclusive digital booklet, for those who still love reading liner notes, like me. And I’ve designed a whole range of Aptøsrs merchandise to celebrate this brand new project too. You can check those out on PaulTerryProjects.com – I think dinosaur fans will especially like the designs.
Do you have any more singles planned for the near future?
Not from Elders, no. Rust Mountain was released as the single to give everyone a taster of the album. Now I just want everyone to hear the whole record as a piece. The songs have a relationship with one another, and there’s this push and pull of dynamics as you move through Elders. It’s definitely an album with a specifically planned track order, rather than just a collection of individual songs.
Your music has a cinematic, electronic vibe, but it’s very unique. Who/what are you most influenced by as an artist?
Honestly, me being influenced by something, be it musical or otherwise, is really simple. If it moves me in some way, or does that ‘hairs stand up on the back of your neck’ thing, then it’s clearly affected me and is worth logging for future creative reference. Whether that’s reminding me of something deeply personal, or thrilling me – like an amazing moment in a Godzilla film – it doesn’t matter. Zoning in on music artists specifically, that’s why an influence could come from an incredibly fragile and haunting song like Fall by Lisa Hannigan, or a devastating song like Everything Is Fine! by Periphery. The genre or style doesn’t matter to me. I love both of those songs equally, and they could not be further apart in terms of the imagery they conjure or the feelings they evoke.
On that note, the fourth track on Elders is called Graveyard Syndrome, and it has some of the album’s heaviest moments. Talk about making that song. I love that you’ve brought up that song, as I love how those intense bursts in Graveyard Syndrome turned out. Adam Noble, who is probably best known for his brilliant mixing and producing work with Biffy Clyro, did incredible work on Elders. And he absolutely nailed those heavy, sucker-punch dynamics. The album’s previous track, A Peaceful Way To Defy Them All, has this euphoric chaos for its finale, before a brief exhale at the very end. And that made me want to start Graveyard Syndrome with this dark drums-and-bass-guitar-led groove. As it builds through some angular moments, the chorus section is pretty bright, and a counterpoint to where you feel the song is heading. Which is why having these heavy punctuations follow the chorus felt really effective and surprising. In turn, the song’s intensity made me want the next/fifth track, Nothing But Recall, to be the brightest song on the album. It’s like sunshine breaking through clouds.
Could you ever see yourself adding vocals to an Aptøsrs record in the future?
Probably not. But I do love it when instrumental bands like Night Verses incorporate spoken word. It adds a seasoning of ‘a vocal’ but in a non-melodic way that shifts the vibe of the music. So that’s something I might consider if an Aptøsrs song feels like it’s asking for that.
You’re based in LA. What is the local music scene like?
It’s incredibly varied. Everything from guitar-and-drums, two-piece punk-pop to electronic bands. What I especially love about LA is the way indie radio stations like SoCal 88.5FM really supports local artists. It’s not uncommon to hear independent or ‘unsigned’ artists on an LA station followed by a huge artist like Foo Fighters. It’s something every city and town should do. Because, if it’s a good song, then why not air it? Radio stations striving to be taste makers, rather than following the crowd, is far more interesting and valuable to the music industry.
Do you have anything else exciting coming up over the next few months?
Sometimes multiple projects end up being finished and released all in the same year, and this is definitely one of those busy years!
I’ve got my first novella coming out this month called Kolchak: The Night Stalker – Haunted & Hunted, published by Moonstone Books. It’s an anthology of five original short stories, each penned by me, based on the 1970s TV series/character created by Jeff Rice and played by Darren McGavin. I loved watching re-runs of Kolchak: The Night Stalker on BBC2 growing up in the 1990s, so this book is a dream come true. I’m really proud of these five spooky tales and I hope Kolchak fans get a kick out of them. Kolchak was also a huge inspiration for The X-Files, which is appropriate because my second X-Files is coming out in October. It’s called The X-Files: The Official Archives Volume II: Extraterrestrial Activity and the Syndicate, and it’s an in-world book covering the entire mythology of the show’s 11 seasons. It’s been a epic task – even more so than Volume I – but I’m thrilled how it’s coming together.
One more book, Marvel Studios: The Art of Ryan Meinerding, co-authored with Tara Bennett, is also out in October. It’s a celebration of the studio’s genius head of visual development and is chock-full of his amazing concept art and personal stories.
On the film scoring side, I’ve got a horror-thriller called Kilter to compose the music for. I’ve worked with the film’s director Bartley Taylor before on Hidden Valley Place, so I can’t wait to dig into Kilter. And I’m currently composing the theme music for a very cool podcast… to be revealed soon.
Do you have any tour dates lined up for the UK?
No concert plans for Aptøsrs at the moment. But that’s not to say I haven’t thought about what it would be like to play the Elders album live. That would be a fantastic plan to put together.
Any last words for the fans?
Thank you for supporting Aptøsrs, the Elders album, and any of my other creative projects that might sound appealing to you. I deeply appreciate it. Take a stroll around PaulTerryProjects.com or SBRecords.co.uk – maybe there’ll be something you like the sound or look of. Now, I’m off to Universal Studios Hollywood to hang out with velociraptors to celebrate the album release!