Last year Antimatter released the brooding, intense and heavy album Fear of a Unique Identity. It was one of Gilbert's favourites for the year and he was keen to speak to Mick Moss, the guy behind this one-man project. Like most artists, there's a limit to how many times Mick wanted to answer the same questions over and over so we gave him a bit of breathing space and explored some different avenues, and we think the wait has paid off.
(((o))): What's the most beautiful sound you've ever heard?
Mick: After some long, serious thought, Id say the first cries of both of my children after being born.
(((o))): I seem to be reviewing more and more projects driven by or indeed consisting of one person, not only writing and performing, but producing the recordings. In your case is this because you find it gives you the freedom to truly recreate what's in your mind?
Mick: I find it un-natural working with other people because they have their own style and their own agendas. For me the creation of music is high in my list of priorities in life, and I’ve found that through the years the majority of people I’ve worked with aren’t as dedicated as I am to the same cause. Some people are more interested in the fallacious and romantic ‘idea’ of being involved in music rather than the actual reality, others are more interested in (shudder) fame and fortune, or the achievement of quick and easy adoration through the fan/artist exchange without being too interested in putting any work in to achieve that aim. Others simply seek an ego boost, or ego justification. Most would stab you in the back at the first sight of what they consider to be the next rung in the ladder. I tend to rot away most of my time by working extremely hard at something I am passionate and involved in, for the right reasons, and it would infuriate me to be saddled with any of the above mindsets, especially as they would most certainly lie back and let me do the majority of the work, or at best, get in the way of my work.
(((o))): What part does making music play in your life? Why do you do it?
Mick: If I didn’t have music in my life I have no idea how I would cope. I’m sure I would be creative in some way, so with that in mind I guess I have the need to be creative and music is my chosen medium, probably due to the impact that music had on me as a child, and continues to have on my throughout my adult life. When I’m not being creative my mind goes into a passive mode, which quickly gives way to a torrent of almost uncontrollable thinking. This, for the most part, tends to turn negative and becomes toxic.
(((o))): Fear of a Unique Identity is your first studio record for a few years. In 2007 you sang that we had “figured out what it's all about”, and it was a stark and gloomy picture. Has anything changed? Is it all still as hopeless as you told us it was back then?Mick: The first Antimatter albums had a sense of hopelessness but I think Fear of a Unique Identity at least constructively offers an insight as to why a certain problem is in place, and the album certainly ends with a positive spoken message, albeit played backwards. I wonder how many people have bothered to decipher it?
(((o))): The Butthole Surfers showed arrogant disdain for the “bug-eyed, bow-legged normal man”. How do you feel about those who hide in sameness?
Mick: Some are scared, some think it’s the right thing to do, and others probably don’t even know they’re doing it. People have a right to live whatever way they choose as long as their ideology is respectful to other human beings. Fear of a Unique Identity pokes not so much at the mediocrity of the masses but more at the cult of conforming to an ideology that is distinctly wrong, disrespectful, even dangerous.
(((o))): What about those who create and benefit from the spiritual and ideological entities that the masses attach themselves to?
Mick: Well, without going too far into it, that’s what is explored in the closing section of the album. We move thematically from urban life to social conformity to organized conformity on a mass level.
(((o))): Do you fear not standing out? Is your music your way of ensuring your own unique identity?
Mick: I'm not bothered either way, I don’t want to stand out or be inconspicuous, in daily life anyway. Obviously with my music I wouldn’t like to be inconspicuous, but again, I have no control over that nor would I try.
(((o))): One of the things I enjoyed in your lyrics is the flow between the metaphor and the literal. When did you start writing creatively?
Mick: My approach to writing lyrics is evolving a lot these days. I had realized that I had a certain style for the first four albums that I desperately wanted to break away from, so I made a conscious effort on the last album not to fall into old, safe patterns of writing and to really challenge myself. This year I’m recording an album with a side project named Sleeping Pulse, where I was in charge of all of the lyrics. Again, I pushed myself into new territory and there’s some stuff on there that I’m really proud of, some really great metaphoric work.
(((o))): Does writing lyrics come from the same place inside you as writing music? Is it simply another line or is there some kind of interface or translation that brings words and music together?
Mick: Writing music is a spontaneous, creative and positive experience. Lyrics are more calculated, and from a much darker place.
(((o))): Have you ever written a happy song?
Mick: No, but I’ve helped out on other peoples more positive songs. When I was 20 and I first started writing music I was being as free and open as possible in order to find myself musically, and I did this by fraternizing with different sets people. I had my own solo project (a direct forefather to Antimatter) going, which was my priority, but I also worked with three other sets of guys on their projects too. One group I was working with were very into the Britpop scene and were writing music akin to that, and I was helping out with them and contributing with writing and ideas. I found my contribution to be very banal, although creatively it was rewarding as we managed to structure songs and learn about arrangements and melody, for the first time in our lives. Ultimately though the overtly positive nature of this music caused a counter-culture type response in my own music, which became much more twisted and dark, and real, in my opinion. I guess it’s around this time that Duncan heard my stuff and suggested we work together.
(((o))): Your record is released through Prophecy Productions - how does an association with someone like Stefan Belda help someone like you?
Mick: I’ve a good working relationship with Stefan, which is justified after ten years together. Its good to work with Prophecy as I also get to have a little bit of independence – I’m getting the chance this year to release a single, ‘Too Late’ on my own label, Music In Stone. The track is one I have had for many years, and was memorable to the people around me when I first wrote and recorded it. Album after album has come and gone with the song seemingly at odds with either the album's concept or soundscape, meaning it has gone unreleased for so long. If it were to have gone on any past Antimatter release it should have been 'Planetary Confinement', as I actually used the frame, instrumentation and arrangement of 'Too Late' as a reference point for my songs from that album. Unfortunately that opportunity came and went almost ten years ago, and the song has continued to dwell in my archive. I have given up trying to shoehorn it onto an album and have decided instead that a standalone, single release suits the track perfectly. I'm working on the demo right now, updating it to suit my present tastes, and hope to record it in late August, to be mixed and mastered by Daniel Cardoso. It will be an independent release, so, unlike some people who claim loudly to be independent whilst simultaneously begging on the internet for free money (i.e. dependency), I will actually fund the recording myself. 'Too Late' should provide an extra dimension to the ever expanding Antimatter back catalogue, and serve as a great middle-course in between 'Fear Of A Unique Identity' and 'The Judas Table'.
(((o))): You are in the early stages of the 'Fear of Europe' tour. How's it going so far? What can people expect to experience?
Mick: Myself and Vic Anselmo are working very well together. We have some great moments on stage where we are hitting the same highs at the same time. I tend to get a strong vibe now and then, and when I do I’ll look over to Vic … she’ll be deep in concentration but I can tell from her expression that she’s riding the same wave. It’s good to connect with other musicians that way.
(((o))): What's the most memorable thing someone has said to you about your music?
Mick: I dunno! The last good thing I remember was after a gig some guy came up and said ’"That was like standing in front of pleasure for 90 minutes’’. He was sincere. I thought that was nice. People say a lot of nice things. Others have said how the music and the lyrics were the only things that helped them through the black days/weeks/months and I think this is important, and something that stands out for me, as I know what those times are like. The music is born from those times and its good to know that I can go on to help others in that way.
(((o))): What's your guilty pleasure?
Mick: Unhealthy food. I replaced a lot of other bad things in my life many years ago with unhealthy food, not on purpose, but by eliminating certain pleasure formats inevitably they were just replaced by others.
