Creating A Universe

On this episode I am joined once again by the enigmatic Mr. Ben Sebastian, extreme metal musician, reviewer & the newly found father of Face Ripper Records!

It's such a pleasure to have Ben as the first ever return guest on the podcast and my has he been busy since we last spoke on episode 9, with his passion and drive for providing a platform to support up and coming metal bands evolving all the way from a podcast into a record label.

Face Ripper Records has barely been alive a month at the time of recording and what Ben has managed to achieve in this time is truly extraordinary, with the label already boasting 17 artists on it's roster, momentum is well and truly on their side.

Ben's community centered ethos is the driving force behind the initiative, which operates more as a not-for-profit hub to support artists than it does a traditional record label. Artist's retain 100% ownership of their work and revenue and may come and go as they please.

It's been such an honor to be even just on the periphery of this, helping Ben build out his Face Ripper Records website/funnel ecosystem on our Love Anarchy Entrepreneur marketing platform. He's done phenomenally well with it in such a short amount of time, so naturally I encourage you to check out the website and sign up to get your free label sampler at faceripperrecords.com 🤘

In the meantime, check out the episode! We delved deep into the role of record labels in this day and age, but also, naturally a lot about the underlying philosophy and ethos of it all. Hopefully a lot there for you to find value in. Enjoy!

WJR ❤️

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Check out Face Ripper Records, sign up and get you free sampler here

For all other Love Anarchy links including socials, music, blog, etc - go here

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Timestamps:

00:33 - Introduction & Synopsis

01:10 - Overview of Ben & Face Ripper Records

07:40 - Mental Health & Community In Music

20:10 - Music Industry, Record Labels & Creating Community

57:50 - Ben's Marketing Strategy & Experience With Our LAE Software Service

01:11:55 - Ben's Solo Music

01:15:48 - Closing Sentiments

On this episode I am joined by multi-faceted metal maestro Mr. Tom De Wit - frontman of the Progressive Metal band Dreamwalkers Inc, head of the not-for-profit Record Label Layered Reality Productions, and a prolific solo artist under the moniker of TDW.

Tom joins us from his home studio in the Netherlands to delve deep into all manner of topics, not only in relation to his work, but throughout the music industry and beyond.

It's an exciting time to catch him, fresh off the back of the release of the brand new Dreamwalkers Inc album 'The First Tragedy of Klahera' - a huge double disc concept album with immense scale & phenomenal execution.

As such, I got to go deep with Tom about one of my favourite topics - musical storytelling - in which he really gave an absolute masterclass about how to approach it. Not only did he break down his frameworks for writing & producing such a record, he also spoke in great depth about how to collaborate with others, with a special focus on doing so remotely.

This was followed by fantastic discussions on music production, record labels, and of course Tom's musical journey. We finished off with a very moving section about self-reflection, mental health, lessons & philosophy.

An epic episode for sure, I personally got a lot of takeaways from this one, and I hope that you do too. Enjoy!

WJR ❤️

You can check out Tom's solo work here the band here & the label here 

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You can check out Ramage Inc's links here

For all other Love Anarchy links including socials, music, blog, etc - go here

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Timestamps:

00:33 - Introduction & Synopsis

05:22 - Overview of Tom & His Projects

09:51 - Tom's Musical Style

16:02 - The Creative Vision of Dreamwalkers Inc

23:12 - Musical Storytelling & The Concept of Klahera

34:11 - Remote Collaboration Masterclass

56:21 - Writing/Production Process & Discussion

1:04:53 - Mixing & Mastering Discussion

1:23:20 - Layered Reality Productions (Tom's Label)

1:40:00 - Tom's Musical Journey

1:48:03 - Relationship to Playing Live

1:53:52 - Self Reflection, Lessons & Philosophy

On this episode I am joined by the multi-talented Scottish musician Bryan Ramage, of the Progressive Metal band Ramage Inc 🤘

Bryan describes himself first and foremost as a producer, working out of his purpose built studio, recording, mixing & mastering everything himself. As well as being phenomenally skilled in this department, Bryan is also an exceptional vocalist, guitarist & songwriter.

The band, Ramage Inc, initially began as a solo project - releasing the debut album 'Universe' all the way back in 2004. After picking up some traction online, Bryan decided to form a proper line-up for the band, which has been definitive ever since - journeying through many albums, tours & notable appearances at the likes of ProgPower & Bloodstock Festival.

The latest addition to this immense catalogue is none other than the brand new studio album 'Humanity Has Failed' - in which the band have seriously kicked things up to a whole other level of dark, sophisticated & epic. Absolutely not to be missed by fans of Devin Townsend - who's pronounced influence blends with tones of alt-rock, as well as influences such as Soundgarden & Gojira. It's quite the sonic cocktail indeed!

Dealing with themes of Misanthropy, fueled by the cathartic purging of dark energy during the pandemic, Humanity Has Failed is a hard hitting record that will take you to the depths. But it is not without hope, & the duality makes for a truly special listening experience.

Check it out, alongside this podcast of course, and let us know what you think :)

WJR ❤️

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You can check out Ramage Inc's links here

For all other Love Anarchy links including socials, music, blog, etc - go here

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Timestamps:

00:33 - Introduction & Synopsis

01:02 - Overview of Bryan & Ramage Inc

02:00 - The Bands Sound & Influences

08:15 - The History of Ramage Inc

20:32 - Lyrical Themes & Musical Expression

31:23 - Bryan's Writing & Production Process

44:17 - Bryan's Studio, Mixing & Drums With Dimmu Borgir's Kit

01:00:20 - Producing An Album & Massive Vocal Arrangements

01:07:01 - Bryan's Approach to Producing Other Bands

01:11:16 - Bryan's Musical Journey

01:26:54 - Music Chat, Devin Townsend, Lady Gaga, Metal & Beyond

01:37:42 - What's Next for Bryan & Ramage Inc

01:38:33 - Bryan's Kraken Guitar Tone & Navigating a Dense Mix

01:46:35 - Bryan's Advice to Other Musicians

01:47:49 - Closing Sentiments

On this episode I am joined by guitarist & songwriter of the Symphonic Metalcore band Crown Solace, Valentyn Tkach 🤘❤️

Val is a fantastic musician based up in Aberdeen, Scotland and the driving force behind the band which he founded during lock down in 2020, pioneering a unique modern metal approach to the traditional Symphonic Metal sound.

The band are on a hot streak, having just released their debut EP 'Animus' on August 3rd - an incredible 5 track record you simply cannot miss! Of course featuring fellow band members Callum Hutchinson on Bass, Menzies Johnson on Drums, and sensational sopranist Pete Rawcliffe on vocals.

We also got to chat about Val's musical journey, all the way from playing the balalaika as a child for a UK Russian folk orchestra to his teenage years playing in Metalcore bands. There are certainly some unique aspects to his story that were fun to delve into!

Val is also a really switched on guy that runs his own businesses, having also studied business & economics at university. This lead to a really great chat about many aspects of the music business, with a lot of valuable takeaways for people looking to get into the industry.

Overall it was a lot fun chatting with Val and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did :)

On this episode I am joined by sullen alternative metallers Chase & Ben of The Lucidia Project, a highly emotive new metal band hailing from Fargo, North Dakota in the USA.

The title of this episode "Shining a Light on Darkness" reflects the bands key theme of duality, as they delve into the depths of the human condition, creating music as a therapeutic form of catharsis for both themselves and their listeners.

The heavy emotional topics largely center around dealing with trauma, in which the ultimate purpose of the music is healing - letting the listener know that it is okay to feel and process that emotion. This is music for the people that feel like nobody hears them, the outcasts and the misunderstood.

Musically this is reflected by a bittersweet sound, piano driven melodic metal blending Dark Metal influences such as Evanescence, Katatonia & Paradise Lost with 90's Singer-Songwriters such as Tori Amos. Alternative Rock & Metal has it's place in the mix too and both Chase & Ben interestingly come from Classical music backgrounds.

I loved getting to delve into these topics with the guys, alongside the usual bits about their writing & production process, musical journey's, and life in Fargo, North Dakota. All in all it made for a great episode and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

WJR ❤️

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Check out The Lucidia Project's links here

For all other Love Anarchy links including socials, music, blog, etc - go here

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Timestamps:

00:33 - Introduction & Synopsis

01:20 - Overview of The Lucidia Project

03:30 - The Duality of the Bands Sound & Themes

05:20 - The Bands Writing Process

14:20 - How The Lucidia Project Came Together

19:07 - The Bands Production Process

22:04 - The Bands Development & Fighting Perfectionism

30:25 - Musical Influences

37:16 - Heavy Emotional Topics / Chase's Artistic Mission

44:20 - Chase's Musical Journey

57:46 - Ben's Musical Journey

01:07:09 - Chase's Life Outside of Music

01:11:13 - Ben's Life Outside of Music

01:14:45 - Fargo, North Dakota

01:17:23 - The Bands Plans Moving Forward

01:20:57 - Final Thoughts & Closing Sentiments

Welcome back to a very special episode of Creating A Universe - a rare solo episode designed to help the musicians, artists & creative entrepreneurs among us to revolutionise our creative careers!

This short, solo episode offers something of a crash course, teaching you the 5 key pillars you need to build & monetize a fan base online. And we're not just talking about the usual stuff either... I've really looked to go straight for the jugular here and focus on the most impactful aspect that no one is talking about:

Creating a marketing funnel which will nurture a highly targeted audience, introducing them to your work with a unique and personalised experience, then converting them into a paying customer and a loyal fan.

All on auto-pilot, no less!

This is the most cost effective, measurable & scalable approach out there - yet the majority of us creators seem to be missing a trick. So I put this together to share with you the most impactful strategy, alongside an overview of each of the most important aspects of your business.

Naturally I also couldn't help myself but get a little philosophical about the duality of Creative Entrepreneurship, and why I believe it represents the balance we all need in order to find success...

And of course the episode tops off with 2 major announcements!

1) The Free Course which goes into much more depth on this topic. I spent months working on this and really feel it's the best free resource out there!

2) The unveiling of our brand new branch: Love Anarchy Entrepreneur. A digital marketing agency offering a bespoke software service for musicians, artists & creative entrepreneurs. Providing all the tools, knowledge & support you need to succeed in your creative career.

You can check out both of these things by going to e.loveanarchy.co - or checking out the link in our bio. Be sure to check out the podcast for more info! Enjoy :)

WJR ❤️

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Check out Love Anarchy Entrepreneur & The Free Course here

For all other Love Anarchy links including socials, music, blog, etc - go here

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Timestamps:

00:33 - Introduction & Synopsis

03:16 - First Announcement: The Free Course

05:35 - Second Announcement: Love Anarchy Entrepreneur

07:57 - The Philosophy of Creative Entrepreneurship

12:40 - The 5 Pillars of Your Online Creative Business:

12:50 - Pillar 1: Why You Need a Website

14:22 - Pillar 2: Why You Need a Shop

15:35 - Pillar 3: Briefly Touching on Social Media

16:13 - Pillar 4: The Revolution of Digital Advertising

20:42 - Pillar 5: Funnels & Automation - The Ultimate Secret Weapon

30:39 - Summary & Closing Sentiments

On this episode I am joined by holistic guitar virtuoso Mr. Chris Johnson, instrumental guitarist under The Tiger Loves Jazz & host of the Toned and Toneful Podcast ❤️

Chris is a wonderful musician and all around human being hailing from sunny California. I must say that I'm personally a huge fan of his podcast Toned and Toneful, and as such this episode feels like a long time coming!

Chris has largely established himself in the world of boutique guitars, working for brands such as Mayones & Anderson, most prominently performing as an artist rep at a lot of the NAMM shows.

His solo music has been a long time coming, but for a taste of what Chris can do, I hugely encourage you to check out Silver Skin by Oceans In Silhouette - the video on YouTube is an especially wonderful showcase of the incredible musicality of Chris & his good friend Ben McSherry.

As well as being a top tier dynamic, emotive & passionate guitar player - Chris is an all round student of life, taking a special interest in topics such as health, spirituality & even body building!

His Toned and Toneful podcast provides a series of topical meditations covering holistic topics geared specifically towards musicians and creatives. From the likes of dealing with perfectionism to finding your tribe, telling your story to finding content and happiness in life.

I'm a huge fan of the show and have personally found it to be an immensely valuable & insightful resource. Chris' positive energy and community ethos is something infinitely inspiring to me and so it was such a pleasure to get to have him on the show. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did :)

01:04 - Overview of what Chris does

02:22 - Chris' approach to playing guitar

08:15 - Chris' musical/guitar journey

18:58 - Chris' musical style

22:41 - Recording & production process

27:43 - Authenticity & being yourself as a musician

33:12 - Music as a means of communication / connecting with your tribe

46:24 - Channeling music & the death of ego

57:01 - Letting go of the need to control / communication & ego continued

01:07:34 - The Toned and Toneful Podcast / holistic discussion

01:39:29 - Diet, health, being content with life

01:46:50 - Chris' routine / day to day life

02:05:23 - The upcoming EP & closing sentiments

On this episode I am joined by both Scarlette & Stanstle of the US Alternative Progressive Metal Band TimeScar 🤘

The dual fronted band hailing from Colorado boast a uniquely heavy & melodic sound, one which feels somewhat rooted in Alternative Metal, but with lots of Progressive elements - most notably the frequent use of odd time signatures.

There are also shades of Metalcore & Melodic Death Metal in there, reminiscent of bands like In Flames, sprinkled with a touch of the Gothic/Symphonic sensibility of Within Temptation & Lacuna Coil.

Overall it makes for a very compelling and interesting sound that they have made very much their own over an excellent handful of singles released so far - not to mention their fantastic green screen music videos which they make themselves!

What's most admirable to me from getting to chat with these guys is the absolutely wonderful sense of teamwork & comradery they have with each other. It's really like a family :)

Even outside of rehearsing 3 or 4 times a week, they're going to gigs together, or hitting the gym. These guys are seriously dedicated and the chemistry between them is so inspiring to see!

TimeScar are really championing a DIY approach and each member wears a lot of hats. I think there's a lot we can all take from these guys about how to approach being in a band, and it was such a pleasure to uncover some of that chatting with them in this episode. I hope you enjoy!

WJR ❤️

You can check out TimeScar's Links here

For all Love Anarchy links including socials, music, blog & services - go here

Timestamps:

00:33 - Introduction & Synopsis

01:07 - Overview of Stanstle, Scarlette & TimeScar

03:05 - TimeScar's Sound & Influences

31:40 - Writing & Production Process

45:00 - Making DIY Music Videos with CG

52:39 - How TimeScar Got Together & The Band Dynamic

01:07:48 - Managing The Challenge of Odd Time

01:12:34 - Scarlette's Bass Journey

01:21:01 - Stanstle's Approach to Music

01:28:00 - Stanstle's Musical Journey

01:35:30 - Scarlette's Musical Journey

01:44:40 - Playing Live

01:49:00 - Interests Outside of Music

01:50:24 - Final Thoughts & Closing Sentiments

On this episode I am joined by the multi-faceted Canadian metalhead, Mr. Tom McKay - a vocalist multi-instrumentalist and host of The Metal Robot Podcast & Reviews.

Tom is a lively character and a natural comedian, such an entertaining guy to listen to and a master of cartoon worthy voices. It's no surprise that he has a career in Radio, which bleeds in lovingly to his bombastic production for both The Metal Robot Podcast & Reviews.

I've been following Tom for a while and absolutely love the work he does with The Metal Robot. He's also got to chat to a fair few of our guests from this show also, cut together with some really awesome segments, skits & radio style effects and jingles. It's awesome!

But as well as being a fantastic content creator and supporter of the metal community, Tom is an incredible vocalist and musician himself, most prominently releasing his solo EP 'Call to the Dæmon Sultan' in 2022.

The record features the likes of Nathan Gross & Lindsay Schoolcraft and is a sort of Blackened Symphonic Death Metal kind of sound with melodic sensibility - hugely recommended for fans of Opeth!

Tom has also featured on other projects, most prominently those of my friend & collaborator Guilherme Adriano, such as  @homoiousios  &  @TheGeeJ  - in which he has contributed some seriously awesome guttural vocals 🤘

We got to chat about all this and lots more, from the crossover of metal music & video games, to the darkness of living with ADHD. All in all it made for a fascinating episode and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

WJR ❤️

You can check out Tom's Links here

For all Love Anarchy links including socials, music, blog & services - go here

Timestamps:

00:33 - Introduction & Synopsis

01:11 - Overview of Tom & his projects

03:55 - Tom's Solo Project / Musical Style

12:15 - How Tom became a metalhead

19:52 - Avenged Sevenfold / Metal & Video Games

33:58 - How Tom got into creating his own music

37:45 - The Metal Robot & Content Creation (Gaming/Reaction Channels, YouTubers, Ethics, Fair Use, Content Consumers & more).

58:54 - Expanding into a Podcast / How to Manage the Workload

1:10:55 - Tom's Radio Career & How it Inspires His Content

1:29:49 - Tom's Harsh Vocals

1:32:36 - Call to the Dæmon Sultan (EP) & The Darkness of ADHD

1:50:06 - The Future, Wrapping Up & Closing Sentiments

On this episode I am joined by both Charlotte and Matt of the US Symphonic Metal Band Terminal Dusk.

The band hail from Portland, Oregon and recently released their debut EP 'Marionette' following their first few singles released in 2022 - and with this effort have well and truly established themselves on the scene.

Terminal Dusk have a wonderfully accessible Symphonic Metal sound and a tight package. I wasn't surprised to find that the two primary co-creators here like to draw from both metal and pop.

Getting to sit down with both Charlotte and Matt was a wonderful experience, it's not often I speak to two people at once and it ended up making for quite a unique and interesting episode!

I loved seeing the stark contrast in some ways between the two of them, almost like the sun and the moon 😄

Matt taught me some very interesting things about music production and the tools out there on the market right now, we got to nerd out a bit there and he also shared his great love for the outdoors.

Charlotte on the other hand loves geek culture, preferring to stay in with anime & video games. She prefers a non-technical creative approach where she let's the lyrics and melody's flow.

Charlotte also shared with us a very unique musical journey that had her singing professionally from the age of 6!

Lot's of cool stuff to check out here. I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I did chatting with these guys :)

WJR ❤️

Check out Terminal Dusk's Website here

For all Love Anarchy links including socials, music, blog & services - go here

Timestamps:

00:33 - Introduction & Synopsis

01:14 - Matt Gives An Overview Of Terminal Dusk

04:12 - Charlotte On How She Came To Join The Band

07:42 - The Sound & Influences Of Terminal Dusk

11:44 - Matt's Part of the Process / Discussion on VST's & AI

21:51 - Charlotte's Part of the Process

25:27 - How Matt & Charlotte Collaborate & The Bands Overall Process

35:46 - What's Next For The Band

37:19 - Charlotte's Musical Journey

45:44 - Matt's Musical Journey

58:33 - Creating Marionette & The Video

01:02:20 - Charlotte's Interests Outside The Band / Discussing Anime

01:08:32 - Matt's Interests Outside The Band

01:15:53 - Closing Thoughts & Final Sentiment