Robex Lundgren virkblogg.

What´s the name of your band? The name's SUPERMASSIVE QUAzAR 

What made you call the band "Supermassive Quazar"? I'm fascinated with astronomy, and most space-related things. So when I discovered the existence of Quasars, I was extremely intrigued. It's a perfect example of extreme beauty and, at the same time, is the most destructive force in the universe - known to man, as of today. Then came the sad realization that a funk band already had that name. So I took the concept of black holes/supermassive black holes, and applied it to Quazar, figuring it's only a matter of time until we discover their existence as well. Hopefully. Otherwise I'll look like an ass. 

How was the band formed? Mostly out of the need to create music, and also the need to be free of any of the ties to any specific genre of music, although originally rooted in pop-rock. With Supermassive Quazar, if I want to do a polka song, I'm gonna do a polka song. That's why there is Supermassive Quazar the band (mostly melodic hard-pop-rock), and Supermassive Quazar the brand (anything goes, literally). So I formed the SUPERMASSIVE QUAzAR project to be free, musically. 

What can you tell about your band? It officially started as a pop-rock band in 2008, and quickly realized there was way too much material, in way too many styles, to contain it all under a single band name. It's a solo project where people from around the world sometimes contribute. 

Where are all band members from?/Who does what in the band? I'm from Montreal, Quebec. I do basically everything in the project, from composing to playing instruments to lyrics, but I also like to collaborate and work with artists from around the globe, sometimes. Per example, my song "Sex Machine" from the album Quietus is nice, but Paula de Olivira and Hernan Tiquitera, from Argentina, made it MUCH better. And, ultimately, isn't it what we aim for? To make the best possible music we can? 

What was the ambitions of the band when you started? Making the best pop-rock music possible. I wasn't supposed to sing, I was looking for an awesome female singer like Midori Longo, Kaitee Page, or Marion Raven that I could build something with, take it from the ground all the way up. I never could find the right singer I wanted for the project, so I took the reigns. 

Could you explain your music to someone that haven't heard you? I can't. I mean, I'm rooted in pop-rock, but now it's completely something else. It's almost become something of a side joke, where I come up with something totally unexpected and outrageous, musically. I really enjoy surprising my fans. And my own self at the same time. 

Where was your first gig? It was a small house gig a while back. Like most guys losing their virginity, it was fast and messy. The whole thing went down to hell when someone destroyed a wall and another one the ceiling lamp. I also learned to pack up my equipment very fast that day. 

Where was the latest gig? A place called "Troy's" 

Who writes your songs?/Who writes the music who writes lyrics? Me, on 99% of the songs. I also mostly play or do it all myself, which can be a problem when you want to play live. Some people contribute sometimes, musically, lyrically. I like to mix other point of views with my own music vision, as long as it's good and benefits the song(s), but it doesn't happen that much. 

Why did you pick that particular style?/What are your songs about? A lot of my songs are about loss, in various shapes and forms. I've had many, like most people, so it's, in a way, easy to relate with. As for my style, I guess that'd be that I'm unpredictable, versatile, and, most of the time, heavily melody-driven. My main influences are EXTREMELY versatile and melody-driven, and I guess I always enjoyed and was attracted to that from an early age. 

Do you write your own material or mainly covers? Mostly all originals. I just love creating music. I don't really dig covers that much, generally. I did a few, though. I like to re-do corny pop songs from the 80's. 

Have you made any albums?/If yes what are they? "PULzE" (2008), "Qui e tus" (2011), and this year (2014), I'm coming out with a sad acoustic album "Karmic Debt". When I'm not making albums, nowadays, I mostly work on soundtracks and songs for various artists. 

Do you have any clips on YouTube? Not many, as I enjoy staying in the shadows. A big part of my Youtube is oriented towards my online instrumental folio. The link is : http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLztyfD4gn4OYYZNNYxd2ArNSdc5LgbDom 

What got you started in music? I started playing after I saw the Nirvana Unplugged in 1994, after Kurt Cobain's death. I never touched a guitar before that. I bought an old, busted St-Laurent from a friend, someone else wrote me 5-6 different chords on a piece of paper, and I've been on my own ever since. 

Which band is the best you´ve seen? That's tough, but I think I'm gonna have to go with Opeth. Being one of my favorite band, I was not disappointed. Such a perfect mixture of beauty and brutality. My best live experience, though, has to be seeing Nobuo Uematsu and an orchestra at Distant Worlds, Montreal. It was a very emotional night, and seeing one of my biggest music influence in the flesh was incredibly satisfying. 

What are the plans for the rest of the year? A LOT, actually. For Supermassive Quazar the band, 2014 is the year for a new album. A sad, melancholic stripped down acoustic album name "Karmic Debt". I'm also working on numerous other projects for "Supermassive Quazar the brand", including an awesome and very personal project I'm doing with an artist and Level Designer friend. I believe the soundtrack for this project will be the very best I ever did so far. I also will write songs for various artists in need of new material, and hopefully, I can get gigs as a music composer for films/video games/other projects. 

What are your goals with your music? Make a decent living out of making it. The rest is icing on a cake for me. I'd LOVE to be a full-time music composer for films, video games and  tv shows. Making music for video games is absolutely the dream for me, as they tend to be MUCH more tolerant with composers exploring freely musically. 

When did you decide to go all in for the music? 

On the brink of 2002, I lost all interest in making movies after making one. So I decided to do music only. And by 2003 I had my first music contract. 

Is it easier to get your inspiration from older bands or from bands more modern? Either one is fine. What counts is the music, not when or where or for what purpose it was created. 

What are your sources of inspiration?/What's the first step when making a new song? You know, I've done SO MANY songs, that I think I've pretty much done it all. From guitar (or piano, or whatever instrument) to melody and song, from instrumental to song with lyrics, from simple texts/lyrics to actual songs, from a lonely sung melody to an actual full song, or a plainly improvised/building it as I go song. I don't have a routine, and inspiration comes from anything and I like to try everything. Recently, I like to see where a song can lead me, starting from scratch, and at the same time I record other songs that are already completely done and just waits until I have time to record them properly. But ultimately, I'd say the first step is getting inspired. Inspired to communicate a melody, inspired to share a message, a story, a though. 

How do you feel about the downloading of music instead of buying albums? Downloading in itself is great. People can connect with your music in a single click, anywhere in the world, at any time. I don't have the resources to have my albums physically in every Target of the world, every record stores in, say, Australia, Europe or Japan. Plus physical cds are on the way out, there's no denying this. You have to adapt to an ever-changing industry, where practicality mostly goes over any form of nostalgia or passion. Also, there's a big line between downloading and downloading illegally. I pay for gas, I pay for shoes, food, so I also pay for art. Make it available, and I will buy it. When I see restrictions in buying an online product, I just feel like some people are pushing for others to download illegally. 

What would be your dreams for the band? I just want to be able to live from my music. Making music for films, video games and tv shows, writing songs for artists I like, those are my main core dreams when I think about my music. 

Besides your own music, what genres and bands do you listen to? I listen to plenty, and most of the time it's just considered "weird" so I tend to keep it to myself. I'm extremely drawn to instrumentals, and especially instrumentals from video games. 2 of my biggest influences are from there : Akira Yamaoka (Silent Hill) and Nobuo Uematsu (Final Fantasy). I also like discovering new bands. Some of my favorite artists/bands, most people have never heard of. Like sElf, Poe, Lunic or Second Person. Other than that, I tend to be drawn to melodies way before I'm drawn to actual music styles. But I've always been a sucker for great pop melodies. I do have a weak spot for rock music, as well (Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Queens of the Stone Age). And amazing female voices (Sharon del Aden, Nina Gordon). 

What would be your greatest fears for the future? Losing the ability to create music in any way. 

When you are on stage, what do you fear most then? Flying beer bottles. 

What songs and what years were they released? I honestly recorded more than 400 songs as of today (I spend 95% of my free time in studio and have virtually no social skills or life), so even if I would I probably couldn't list them all here. 

Have you been part of any other projects? I helped various artists with various recordings more than being a part of actual projects, as far as I remember. 

Have you been in any other bands? Yes. I was in a band called Happier Than You first, which auto-destructed spectacularly in any way, shape or form in 2005. When I started Supermassive Quazar in 2008, I also started another band called Tears Of Hel, which also auto-destroyed. What can I say, I deal poorly with fake artists, haha! Now I try to choose who I want to work with, mostly. 

What do you work with outside of the band and the music? A music store. 

What would you do if there was no music? I'd probably do cinema/movies, since that was my first love and what I studied in. Although movies without music would be kind of sad, so I'd probably write books. 

How important are your fans? Extremely. And I try to be as close as them as possible, and spoil them rotten. I did a cover of a Morrissey cover song because a fan asked me, just for him. I also have more than 15 free mp3s lying around my site for every new member. I try to giveaway as much as possible to them. 

Name 2 of your own songs you like at the moment? I always enjoy the ones I did lately (so that would mean "Abandoned" and also "The Tears Have Dried"), but some that, after months, I still enjoy a lot would be "Guilt" and "You Know That I Know" at the moment. 

What drives a band that isn't all that famous and renowned to try to make a living on their music and to keep playing? Could me many reasons. As far as I'm concerned, I just believe in my music. Corny, but true.  

Do you have any webpages?

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/supermassive.quazar

Reverbnation : http://www.reverbnation.com/supermassivequazar

Bandcamp : http://supermassivequazar.bandcamp.com/ 

Soundcloud : https://soundcloud.com/supermassive-quazar

Or my little corner of hell : http://www.supermassivequazar.ca/

Any pearls of wisdom for all other bands out there? "Fuck you, I'm coming after YOU!" That's all I could think of, sorry. 

How do you view the music industry of today? Kind of messy, and complicated, as far as I'm concerned. Labels want something new, but not something very different at all. A tough balance. They also love to put you in the tiniest box possible when they refer to you musically, and that's also something tough for someone like me, who enjoys exploring and exploring some more musically. Pop music and music exploration don't go that well together, I've been told. Also, most managers I came across want to work the least possible, so they'd rather go with a lesser artist but with a more advanced packaging, rather than truly build something from the ground up. Mix this with a changing music industry, where just about anyone can improvise themselves "artists", and it can become a pretty complicated and messy environment. 

What advice would you like to give other bands? Get out of my way. Seriously, though, I'm not the kind to give advice. If I had it figured out myself I wouldn't feel so confused all the time about the industry. Just believe in what you do, because it takes a long time for people to do it with you. 

What are the biggest obstacles for a band? Themselves, most of the time. At least as far as I'm concerned. 

What is best/worst with playing the clubs? There's plenty of good and bad. An acoustic gig in a club is often an open highway to hell, most of the time. Playing in clubs is also one of the fastest way to make a bit of money for most bands, as well as getting new people to discover your craft. 

Tell us about upcomming gigs and why we should be at them? I don't intend to play a live gig anytime soon, because I have a specific idea for a concept that'd be intimate, unique, and fun, and I'm dirt poor right now. But gimme a decent Mac laptop and mix board or a soundman and I'll create an awesome live show. 

What is your favorite crappy instrument? Oh, man... most of my instruments are sort of crappy. I don't like to pay 3000$ for a guitar. I've been doing very fine with what I have so far, wether it's an old 300$ Peavey, a 40$ Ukulele. You know what, my 40$ Ukulele is awesome. 

What was one of the most quarrelsome times for you in the band? There are no quarrels in this band. All the shit I've seen with my earlier bands led me to this. I just try to stay away from fake/poseur people and cocky so-called "artists" who care more about how many notes they can cram in a second of music rather than actually trying to make a song better. 

Whats your Pre-show ritual? I usually try to play a bit of bass and some guitar for a while. Warming up on a bass helps when you go back to a smaller guitar neck. Otherwise than that, I don't really have any. 

Do you have anything to add? Thanks for contacting me for an interview. Means a lot to me.