In a scene where bands seem chained to their specific genre, Stardusk Encounter is a consistently shape-shifting entity, yet the unique mixture of styles isn’t there as a hollow grab for every possible audience. This is a band of well-schooled multi-instrumentalists, writing and performing on their own terms with a canyon-wide palette of slinky, ominous sounds. Get into it!
In this interview spotlight, I chat with Stardusk Encounter about the music, the challenges, the tech and more.
Full Q&A along with links and music below.
Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.)
We hail from the Southeast Side of Chicago. Everyone in the band listens to all different kinds of styles/genres of music. So, when we come together to create our own music it basically turns into a melting pot of sound. If you have to sum up our style of music in a few words, Indie Psychedelic Rock would probably be the best way to describe it.
What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to keep going?
Music, for us, is a way in which we can express ourselves and try to convey our everyday experiences. There are many different sources that influence our creative output…art, literature, movies, music, television, technology, relationships, and most importantly…life. However, it can also act as a way for us to blow off steam as we continually battle various levels of stress. Some of us have been making and playing music for more than half of our lives. At this point the main thing that motivates us to keep going is the love for the music itself.
How is this new release different than previous ones? Were you trying to accomplish anything specific?
Well, that’s the thing. All of our records are slightly different from each other. As a band, we are constantly looking for different ways to do things.
Whether it be in regards to how we approach the writing process or even with the production techniques which we incorporate. If you listen to our discography in sequence, you can hear the songwriting and production grow with each release. So, if there is at least one thing we’re specifically trying to accomplish it is to push the envelope and never settle on a “formula” for writing and recording music. We are definitely trying to avoid making the same record over again. With that being said, there is one factor that differentiates this release from the others…last November we unexpectedly lost our brother/bandmate, John John. This is the last record we had the pleasure of recording with him.
Name one or two challenges you face as an indie musician in this over saturated, digital music age? How has technology helped you (since we know it does help)?
It’s just so hard to find an audience with the right people in the industry. Nowadays, it is very easy for a band/artist to record and release their music themselves. As awesome as this may be, it’s also a double-edged sword. These days the market is flooded with self-released music…a lot of which is less than stellar. There is a lot of great music that gets lost amongst the mass sea of product out there. It’s not like forty years ago when a band had to have talent or hone their craft until it was good enough to be recognized by an A&R rep who would then sign them to a label. So back then when a band recorded and released a record it had some kind of merit because you knew they were good enough to be picked up. If anything, living in this technological, digital music age has helped by making it easier for bands to discover each other and reach out to network.
What was the last song you listened to?
“Manuel’s Story” by Chicano Batman. Can’t get that song out of my head.
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
Vinyl is preferred for its physicality. There’s something really cool and satisfying in having something tangible to hold. The large album sleeve is also very appealing to the eye…especially if the artwork is really cool. CDs are cool because that format is not compressed like an MP3 file so it will almost always sound the same coming from any source. With MP3s it just comes down to a matter of convenience.
How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
Don’t really have a preference. I guess if I did have to choose one it would be Bandcamp. Only because it’s easier to open without an application on a mobile device.
Where is the best place to connect with you online and discover more music?
You can find us on any of your major music streaming services. Or just visit www.starduskencounter.com
Anything else before we sign off?
Yes. If you check out our music and enjoy it, please share it with your friends and help spread the word…sharing is caring. And most importantly, let’s love and take care of each other.
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