In this interview, delve into the captivating world of Realma, a half-Serbian, half-Chinese artist, as she unveils her unique audiovisual universe, Realmaverse.
1. The title of your latest single, "Down the Railway Spine," is intriguing. The term 'railway spine' has historical significance related to early forms of PTSD. Can you share the inspiration behind the title and its connection to the song's theme of trauma and PTSD? How does this historical context influence the narrative of your ongoing journey confronting mental health symptoms, and why did you choose it as the title?
I wrote this song battling trauma and PTSD
myself, after a police mishandling in 2020 during the start of the lockdown. I
just felt a bit more at ease while researching about the condition I was going
through, including its history. As such, the title of the song stems from the
nineteenth-century term 'railway spine', when doctors encountered unexplainable
symptoms experienced by passengers involved in railroad accidents - unaware it
was an early form of PTSD. While some dismissed it as hysteria, other doctors
claimed its cause was a physical whiplash from the impact of trains crashing.
It took a whole cycle of terms like soldier’s heart, irritable heart, shell
shock, battle fatigue, combat stress reaction, anxiety reaction and more,
before doctors finally reached the diagnosis in 1980 - known today as
“post-traumatic stress disorder”. Despite all other terms I've encountered, the
feeling of going down this 'railway spine' was something that really resonated
with me, since dealing with PTSD felt like going down a giant roller coaster of
mental health symptoms - often opposing and clashing - ranging from depression
to anxiety and emotional numbness to irritable panic attacks. And so 'Down the
Railway Spine' stuck as the song title, since it best represented my own
ongoing journey with the condition.
2. The song features a unique blend of
synth-pop and game-style orchestral soundtrack music. How did you arrive at
this distinctive sound, and what role does it play in conveying the emotions
tied to your personal struggle with PTSD?
Yes, as you've highlighted, the original,
cinematic version of the song features a unique combination of action-packed
orchestration, experimental pop vocals and synth runs. This unique blend and
its resulting intense sonic experience are really a musical expression of those
emotionally opposing symptoms I've felt dealing with PTSD. Or in other words,
the distinctive sound of the track is really just a musical translation of my
journey confronting trauma. So, it's no surprise then those different moments
of the track recall filmic boss battles. We've taken this idea a step further
in our 3D animated music video, where the protagonist encounters three
different monsters. But perhaps, an even darker musical translation than the
original is the gritty live session version of the release, filled with stormy
guitar riffs and solos and a few screams in the vocal. As you'll see in the
video, the track has been transformed into a hardcore/gothic-rock power anthem,
featuring notable Serbian female performers such as Aleksandra Stamenković (the
frontwoman & guitarist of the speed/thrash metal band, Jenner), Marija
Uzunovska (bassist of Nevreme & Noćni putnici), as well as Monika
Pajazitović (pop/r’n’b artist, better known as La Monnique) and Tanja Marković
(rap artist and DJ, better known as Cookbeat).
3. The 7/8 rhythm in the song adds an
experimental edge. What motivated the choice of this rhythm, and how does it
contribute to the overall narrative of the track?
I actually wrote the basic outline and
lyrics of the song at my piano, almost in a single breath, following an episode
of a panic attack. I started playing the song's basic chord progression in the
standard 4/4, however, it really wasn't describing that almost shaking, panicky
and breathless sensation I wanted to emphasize. Since I love playing around
with irregular time signatures in my instrumental compositions, I then switched
gears and wanted to see how that would work with a vocal track. So, after further
experimentation, the 7/8 time signature seemed to really offer that exact
sentiment I was looking for in the song - its pulsations were just perfect for
the kind of neurotic narrative of combating trauma. Plus, 7/8 rhythms are often
used in Balkan, which is a nice little nod to my cultural heritage.
4. Your lyrics and music describe dark
moments of internal struggle with PTSD. How do you balance expressing
vulnerability with maintaining a heroic undertone in the song?
So, 'Down the Railway Spine' definitely
delves deep into some of my innermost dystopian moments. The lyrics and the
music both describe those dark times when I'd been fighting a whirlpool of
emotions in episodes of mental deterioration. Yet, as you mention, there is
also a heroic undertone to the track, something undefeated, where I address
those pieces of us that remain courageous and continue to defy even the eyes of
the worst downward spirals. I think that this contrast between the dark and
heroic parts stems from the chords themselves. Rather than playing
straightforward A minor progressions throughout the track, the darkest bits
delve into the Phrygian mode, which brings a lot of tension and calamity
through its lowered 2nd degree, in this case the unexpected Bb in those
'whoa-oh' sections. Conversely, the brighter choruses in natural A
minor/Aeolian mode offer a slight brightness in the 7ths, which contain a bit
of an illusion towards C major. Though, perhaps the ending is the most
interesting in this respect. Instead of the song ending on a more positive
chorus, it ends with a coda of that darker 'whoa-oh' section. Ironically, I
think the heroic undertone is displayed here the most, because it's like -
whatever you throw at me next - even if it's more dark thoughts and dystopia -
I don't care, I'm ready to take it and fight against it.
5. The 3D animated music video is a
collaboration with animator Mihajlo Dragaš. How did the visual concept evolve,
and what story are you trying to convey through the interstellar racer and the
contrasting planets?
As someone who has synesthesia, for every
song, I usually have some sort of a visual image in my head that comes alive
while I compose. For 'Down the Railway Spine', since the beginning, whenever I
played the basic chord progression, I saw this contrasting blue/red neon color
palette in my head and the characters of a brother and sister surrounded by
different monsters. The same as for our other animations, I'd then write a
short concept document with a mood board and some story suggestions, which I
would send to Mihajlo as an outline of my preliminary inspirations and how I
envision the track. From there, he would reference the material and dream up
his own interpretation of the song, coming up with really innovative ways to
make it all alive through his own visual style, all in much better ways than
I'd think are possible. I think he adds magic not only to the brilliant
character designs, but also to the song narrative itself, elevating it with
visuals that have a true emotional impact, as evident in the music video
itself. As for the story we're trying to convey here, I believe it would be
really too simplistic to say it's only about an interstellar racer fighting
against three celestial monsters to save his younger sibling. Just like the
track itself, in a way, it's about finding your inner hero and finding strength
to stand up and fight against the impossible. And maybe even inspiring others
to do so. Along these lines, there's this really beautiful scene near the end
about sacrifice, which I think is the most poignant scene in the animation. It
really touched me and I hope it will touch the audience as well.
6. The animation pays homage to films
like Tron and Blade Runner. How did these classics influence the visual
identity of your music video, and what challenges did you face in bringing your
vision to life?
I've asked my animator, Mihajlo, to answer
this question, since he is the main architect of the music video's visual
identity:
“Both Tron and Bladerunner were
groundbreaking in terms of visual effects and they both had a strong visual
identity that shaped the sci-fi image not only in film, but also in video games
and comics. The always present neon glow and endless, often empty landscapes
were a must-have in order to pay homage to these classics. One of the
challenges I faced was creating a feeling of large spaces that surround the
main character, dwarfing him and emphasizing the scale of his struggle to save
his sister. So, it was not only a technical thing to achieve all this in a 3D
software, but to also create an emotional impact for the viewer. Also, our main
character travels through three different planets: one with large mountains,
one with endless oceans, and one with fire and lava. All of them required a lot
of attention to detail and variety of textures and effects, and finally unique
monsters that try to stop him. It was a challenging video to create, but I
think the final result holds all of these elements together, balancing the
visual excitement with the emotional story.”
Finally, I’ll add that there is a bit of a
visual Easter Egg with labyrinth/maze motives we added, alluding to the myth of
Ariadne, Theseus and Minotaur (Ariadna is my real name).
7. The live session video transforms
"Down the Railway Spine" into a hardcore/gothic-rock anthem. What
inspired this reimagining, and how did the collaboration with notable Serbian
female performers come about?
So, first of all, I love re-interpreting my
own songs. If you look at my catalog, a lot of my songs have alternate versions
that are quite different than the original. For example, the live version for
'A Hint of Pink' was shot at the UNESCO site, Felix Romuliana, which brought
about the idea for me to arrange it in the site-specific manner, with the
string quartet and davul drum sounding like ancient instruments. For 'Down the
Railway Spine', I could sense that it would work really well in the
hardcore/gothic style, since the Phrygian ostinatos in the 'whoa-oh' section
sound like they could be great guitar riffs. At the time though, I didn't
really know any musicians that play in this genre, as my previous songs were
softer and the live sessions were more in the indie style.
However, I was selected to be a mentor in
this project called 'Rock Camp for Girls' by the wonderful Femix organization,
which works to help empower and affirm female artists in Serbia. While I was
the mentor for music production for young girls aged 11-14, I had an amazing
opportunity to meet other incredible mentors, who were notable female
performers in bass, guitar, etc. I approached them about this live session and
was over the moon with how they interpreted the song. Aleksandra Stamenković
(the frontwoman & guitarist of the speed/thrash metal band, Jenner), for
example, infused the song with these flaming guitar riffs and solos that gave
the song even more edge, as well as intensifying the Balkan flavor of certain
sections through her creative use of Phrygian musical motifs. Meanwhile, the
low-end bass runs by Marija Uzunovska (bassist of Nevreme & Noćni putnici)
helped glue and solidify all the instruments together. I also have to thank the
backing vocals, Monika Pajazitović (pop/r’n’b artist, better known as La
Monnique) and Tanja Marković (rap artist and DJ, better known as Cookbeat), who
did a wonderful job on harmonies and vocal chops. It was really an honour to
work together with all these amazing female performers and I'm glad that this
version in particular will come out on 8th March, the Internation Women's Day -
girl power! Ha ha.
8. Your music has been described as
sitting between the witchy edges of Kate Bush and the ethereal faun form of
artists like Goldfrapp. How do these comparisons resonate with your musical
identity, and who are your primary musical influences?
Interestingly, because my music has quite
divergent themes with a considerable array of distinct musical genres, I felt
like there needed to be an element that was going to fuse all the works and
audiovisual realms together. Since each song is set in a different 'realm', I
ended up creating this punny witchy figure to unite my works - 'Realma'. As you
mention, I was inspired by the alter egos of David Bowie and St Vincent, as
well as the ethereal faun forms of artists like Goldfrapp, Kate Bush, Mitski and
Bjork, so that ‘Realma’ ended up being this omnipresent witchy persona with the
power to peek into these different storyworlds of my songs. Not unlike a
sorceress gazing towards different dimensions reflected in her crystals.
However, it's really hard to pinpoint any primary musical influences, since I
often get told that my music sounds nothing like what is out there. Rather,
there are more song-specific influences... For example, the instrumental of my
film-noir single 'Wandering' is inspired by classic film scores by Bernard
Herrmann, as well as more pop-y noir tracks by Portishead and Hooverphonics.
Meanwhile, my third single 'Ashgrey Butterfly' is closer to Disney musical
numbers in its dense orchestration and the coming-of-age vibe. On the other
hand, my newest single 'Down the Railway Spine' is set in an action style more
akin to video game soundtracks like League of Legends, though much more
experimental with the unusual 7/8 rhythm pulsating throughout. However, while I
can't really say there are general primary influences across all my songs, I
will say the Gorillaz really helped me embrace the idea of utilizing animation
and music video characters to start crafting my own audiovisual universe.
9. Your artistic approach is described
as not conforming to the rules of traditional contemporary music. Can you
elaborate on how you navigate this non-conformity and what it means for your
creative process?
I would say more than anything, it's just
who I am. I am simply eclectic, experimental, nomadic and eccentric in my
artistic approach, because it's also a part of my identity. First of all, I
grew up in two distinct cultural environments – China and Serbia, where I
soaked in various folkloric/ethnic influences. At the same time, my parents
always loved listening to popular music, jazz, country, rock and many more
genres at home. My mum is also an avid theatre lover, so she took me to all
sorts of concerts, theatre, opera and ballet shows. And growing up, I took
classes in everything from classical painting, stone carving, scuba diving,
martial arts, dance, circus, etc. - you name it! Later, I studied film &
drama at uni in the UK, where I took further workshops in physical theatre,
mime, musical theatre, Laban, Checkov and similar. So, naturally, I have my
family upbringing to thank for, in terms of this instinctive appreciation of
all arts and music genres. In a way, it would be very hard if this didn't translate
in my creative output as well - I simply don't see myself ever writing typical
music. It's probably due to this strong experimental and multi-genre edge I
mentioned I carry as an artist and person. Nonetheless, I do think there are
certain elements that I consider very classical in my approach to writing
songs/compositions, so it's almost like my music sits on this weird,
paradoxical border between neo-classicism and nonconformity. All in all, this
unique approach definitely makes my music niche and not for everyone. But if
you're a lost soul like me, who enjoys daydreaming through the journey
different artworks can bring, I'm certain you'll find something in my music or
music videos/live sessions to like.
10. Your animated music videos have been
featured in international film festivals. How does the visual component
complement your music, and what role does it play in enhancing the overall
experience for your audience?
I would say the visual component is very
integral to my music. There is an underlying thread in my artistic process,
which is the synesthesia I've mentioned. I can’t ever only listen to music. I
experience it alongside colours, shapes, smell, and various other physical
sensations, which always end up as main driving forces that push me to write
and produce my works. For example, when I started playing the F minor chord
progression of my first single, ‘A Hint of Pink’, it sounded like this
drenching, subtle pink color and I was surrounded by this foggy and cold
sensation, seeing a white wolf staring at its own reflection. For my theatrical
follow-up ‘Wandering’, the basic melody I had in F# minor sounded like red and
in combination with the dissonant noir-jazz chords, I felt smoke around me,
seeing a femme-fatale-like lady in red, smoking and contemplating about
revenge. If you’ve seen the animated music videos, you’ll definitely recognise
these scenes. Likewise for my newest song 'Down the Railway Spine', I've
already mentioned how whenever I played the A minor progressions, I've had this
colour palette of neon red & blue surrounding the main characters in my
head. In fact, my songs are so intertwined with their storyworlds, that I
really can't hear them without seeing these images first. That's why I'm so
grateful that I started collaborating with the wonderful artist and animator
that Mihajlo Dragaš is, because he not only manages to understand the different
sensibilities of each song, but also manages to build upon them and elevate
them further through his own visual style and narration. Overall, I really
recommend people to watch these animations, because the music and the visuals
both complement one another and provide unique layers for analysis and questions
to ponder upon.
11. Your performances have received
positive reviews at festivals like Femix and BeFem. How do you approach live
performances, and what do you aim to convey to your audience through your stage
presence?
I really want my live performances to be
immersive audiovisual experiences that surround the audience and draws them
deeper into the different stories and meanings that my songs bring. Though it's
tough, because to push that idea to the maximum certainly entails financial
backing that is outside of the scopes I can personally provide at the moment.
For example, my ideal show would involve a live orchestra too, but one can
always dream, right? For now, I really enjoy writing arrangements for smaller
ensembles and thinking of ways to bring innovative things for performers to do
even in these more compact performances. As of now, we're performing with the
animations, which the audience really seems to like. There are also scant
opportunities to perform as of yet and that's why I try to make every performance
count and give it my all. Hopefully with time, we'll slowly reach a larger
audience and more frequent performances. But you have to start somewhere,
right?
12. Your music has entered the Top 3
semifinals in the MArte Live European art & music competition. How do you
perceive recognition and awards in the music industry, and what impact do they
have on your artistic journey?
I think it's amazing and I'm really glad
the jury of MArte Live recognized the artistic flare in my music and our music
videos. I'm truly grateful for that. However, while it's nice to be recognized,
it's not the reason why I create. I mean, of course, all artists dream of prestigious
awards, but I'm more focused on the capacity to make music that allows me to
question, explore and critique different social phenomena, circumstances, etc.
Because of how much music personally helped me make a spiritual and psychological
recovery, even through my darkest times and the loss of my identity, I believe
it has the potential to be an empowering & transformative force in anyone’s
life. This is what I aspire to and want my musical output to reflect - not a
desire for recognition, but a desire to help someone, to be a social or
spiritual vehicle in someone's life. I think that's the most important thing,
because awards, after all, much like streams and views, are external things and
validations that just come and go. Music is something that stays with us at the
end of the day, it lies within us.
13. You're building a multi-genre
audiovisual universe called Realmaverse. Can you share your vision for this
project and how you plan to extend it into different mediums like comics,
tabletop RPG, and video games?
Yeah, so I’m currently working on the
exciting possibilities of expanding each realm of my audiovisual universe into
a powerful franchise and brand – that is, I see a true potential in expanding
these animated stories into larger comic and table top/video game mediums. Not
unlike Marvel or Disney, just more experimental and alternative, I guess, ha
ha. I love worldbuilding, so I really enjoy it. At the moment, it's more of a
research/writing phase. For example, I'm currently learning different
worldbuilding and writing methods and I enrolled in a video game design course.
I'll also launch a webstore at some point, which I’m really excited about. I’m
currently collaborating with some amazing graphic designers to create artistic
merch, not unlike the creative packaging used by BTS in their inventive lyric
booklets and DPR in their album packaging. So yeah, lots of stuff happening,
stay tuned!
14. As an artist with a diverse
background, combining Serbian and Chinese influences, how does your cultural
heritage contribute to the unique blend of themes and styles in your music?
So yeah, I'm half-Serbian and half-Chinese.
I grew up in both countries and was lucky enough to have an amazing family that
allowed me to cultivate my artistic skills and passions from early on. From
music, oil painting and classical drawing to acting and dance classes, I was
able to really delve into arts and creativity in both places. Though it's not
something that comes up directly, certain cultural elements do pop up here and
there in my creative output - like the 7/8 rhythm in 'Down the Railway Spine' or
the ethnical/nomadic influences heard in the vocals of 'A Hint of Pink'. It's
very, very subtle and I definitely don't try to force these elements of my
cultural heritage, but I welcome them whenever they arise instinctively, often
in unusual ways. And though seemingly elusive, they are an important part of my
art and an integral part of who I am both as an artist and a person. I'm super
grateful for that.
Realma - Down the Railway Spine (Official Animated Music Video) (youtube.com)
Musique | Realma (bandcamp.com)
Realma (@realma_music) • Photos et vidéos Instagram
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