S Y Z Y G Y X interview: ‘The rawness of a punk performance is something that comes very naturally to us’
S Y Z Y G Y X
S Y Z Y G Y X has been active for several years now. The American project, driven and inspired by Luna Blanc, originally started as a duo but has been entirely guided by Luna in recent years. Last year, she released her fourth full-length album on Cold Transmission Music. “Sinner” picks up the thread of the previous work, yet undoubtedly stands out as the most personal—and most fully realized—opus to date. Deeply human themes form the guiding principle of a sound that once again positions itself between Electro / Pop-Wave and EBM. While there are clear references to the sound of the 80s, Luna Blanc gives them her own distinct twist and interpretation. Following this release, I spoke with S Y Z Y G Y X about the creative process, the album’s thematic focus, and the way sound is used as a means to explore mental and emotional landscapes. (Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)
S Y Z Y G Y X interview
Q: S Y Z Y G Y X has been your solo project for several years now. I imagine this gives you the freedom to bring even more of your own ideas into the music, but how was the transition from a duo to a solo project for you? What were the advantages and challenges, and how have you developed further as a solo artist?
Luna: When S Y Z Y G Y X was a duo, I never felt like my creativity was limited. Thankfully, Josh always allowed me to input as much as I wanted to in the music; especially since he had already experienced making music and touring when he was younger. His main interest in S Y Z Y G Y X was to mentor me and help create music (he was a musical genius!). Therefore, the transition was pretty smooth, aside from the creative ‘bounce’ that you experience when you are collaborating with another artist: having someone to help you get inspired can be very beneficial to a creative project, and I miss that sometimes; however, I have a lot of fun experimenting by myself and seeing what I can do.
Q: Your latest album, “Sinner,” was released last year, and it’s clear that you’ve been working on it for several years. Could you tell us how the album came to life and describe the different phases you went through to complete it?
Luna: The initial phase of the album is unintentional. It started with the music being my emotional outlet to many things that were going on in my life during the time. I felt every song in my bones, and would compose them depending on how or what I felt. At some point I realized I had enough songs for an album, so I went back to each one of them to polish them or finish them. In the end, it became my favorite album of S Y Z Y G Y X.
Q: “Sinner” is, of course, a broad and evocative title. Can you tell us more about the themes behind it, which clearly touch on deeply human and introspective issues? And who, in your view, are the ‘sinners’ in this context?
Luna: I believe, in a way, we can all be sinners: which is not a bad thing, because it’s part of the human experience. Did you ever hurt anyone in order to find your own happiness? Did you let your parents down? Do you love (or are you) someone that society or religion has told you you shouldn’t (be)? Have you had all you need but still feel like something is missing, therefore, seeming ungrateful? Being imperfect is part of being human, it’s okay. If these imperfections make us all sinners, then the party in hell will be fun!
Q: What were you aiming to achieve musically and production-wise on the new S Y Z Y G Y X full lenth “Sinner,” and how do you view the result today, especially in relation to your earlier work?
Luna: As I progress as a musician, I strive for perfection (ironically). I like to experiment with the movement of sound and crispiness of sound frequencies. My goal is to be the best producer I can be, while having fun with it. I definitely feel like I’ve learned a lot and grown significantly as a producer compared to when I started.
Q: You completed a significant S Y Z Y G Y X European tour last year. How do you look back on that experience, and what were some of the personal highlights for you?
Luna: I love Europe and its people every time I go, it’s always fun. My biggest takeaway though, are definitely the friends I make along the way. That’s something that I cherish immensely, and keep closely to my heart.
Q: How important are the live aspect and the visual identity of S Y Z Y G Y X for you? What are you trying to express through your stage presence and imagery?
Luna: I might be the simplest act around at the moment. We don’t really travel with visuals or lighting. I greatly admire those who do, I love a good visual performance. However, Corey (my husband and stage partner) and I grew up on Punk music. The rawness of a Punk performance is something that comes very naturally to us. We feel the music and the moment, we like to intimately connect with the crowd. So it usually is just us dancing and jumping on and off stage, so we can make the performance about everybody in the room coming together as one.
Q: In a world where leaders are increasingly restricting artistic freedom, how do you see yourself evolving as an artist, and what artistic aspirations do you hold for the future?
Luna: S Y Z Y G Y X is a project for dreamers, and that will never change. Art exists to express your thoughts and feelings, whatever they might be. Therefore, I would never allow anything to restrict my creativity. Art will always fight for its expression, and I’ll forever be behind it to do so.
I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.
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