Interviews: FRACTAL CYPHER

In this new occassion we have had the opportunity to interview the Progressive Metal band FRACTAL CYPHER from Canada. Check out the interview and this band on their FACEBOOK PAGE.

1.Where did you get the idea for the band name, you planned it or came out just like that? 

The band name « Fractal Cypher » is originally an idea from Simon, the singer and Ludovick the keyboard player and composer. For those who probably don’t know, « Fractal » is a term employed most of the time to describe a geometric shape or a design. It’s a geometric form or object that constantly evolves from its initial shape. « Cypher » means a secret method of writing, to transmit a message or a code. We thought it would be cool to put the two concepts together, which means a repeating secret code that constantly changes its pattern, so it’s basically a message that can never be found. We thought that this band name was really appropriate for a progressive metal band and it reflects in some sort a part of what our music is.

2.Why did you want to play this genre? 

The main reason is probably because our musical influences are very large and diversified. Everyone in the band has a different musical background that touches a lot of different styles. We see « progressive metal » as a style with no barrier, we can do whatever we want, switch from a style to another, have a  jazzy song  and a really heavy/djenty song within the same album and everything have its place. We like it when an album offers a « roller coaster effect », something that is nonlinear and interesting to listen to. This is why we decided to tag our music as « progressive ».

3. Did you know each other before the band was formed? 

Vincent (Guitars) and Ludovick (Keys) met back in the days at college, they were in the same music program and they were sharing the same musical interest. Few years later, Vincent met Simon (Vocals) at a band contest (Canadian final Envol & Macadam contest) in Quebec City. At that time, Ludovick had already written a few songs and was looking to form a band.  Vincent contacted Simon and asked him if he would be down to be part of it. After listening to the tracks we had at the time, he didn’t hesitate to join us. A few weeks later, old friends of us Steven Cope on drums and Tommy Fradette on bass joined as well. That’s how Fractal Cypher was born.

4. Each band member favourite band? 

Vincent : Scar Symmetry

Simon : Nightwish

Tommy : Periphery

Steven : Periphery

Ludovick : Dream Theater

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs? 

The inspiration comes from so many places ! But, to be honest, before we write any riff, any note or even having any concrete idea, it just starts with a feeling, an ambiance we know we want to create. You know, music is everywhere. From movies to video games, from adds and TV to radio stations, and of course, from the amazing amount of prog, death, power, black, rock (...) bands that actually exists, it is hard to tell exactly where we take our inspiration from. But we absolutely love to mix and blend different genres and style, and to us, this where you need to go if you want to create something new and refreshing these days.

6. Where was your last gig? 

It was at foufounes électriques in Montreal (Canada), we were opening for Angra, that was a hell of a night !

7. Where would you like to act? 

We would really love for the band to perform at Wacken Open Air in Germany, one of the greatest metal festival around the world. Top notch artists that we love since childhood have played there. Too many to name all of them. To follow in their footsteps would be a great accomplishment for the band as a team and for everyone in the band on a personal basis.

8. Whom would you like to feature with? 

We already had the pleasure to share the stage with a few incredible artists that we admire such as Hammerfall from Sweden and Angra from Brazil, and we would without hesitation play alongside those guys again. Of course, it would be awesome to open for big guns such as Nightwish and Symphony X or for the incredible band Myrathwhich is a band that’s having a great and deserved success right now.

9. Whom not? 

There is no artist we wouldn’t play with. We only consider choosing the best opportunities and see what’s in it for us. If the music is good, every artist is worth a listen. 

10. Any of you has ever suffered from stage fright? Any tip for beginners on how to beat that? 

It’s normal to have stage fright at a certain point in your career. Every time you play a bigger size venue, in front of more people than you’re used to, it’s always a rollercoaster of emotions, strong emotions moreover. But that’s mainly the fuel that keeps us pushing. You need to channel this emotion into something constructive that empowers you to go forward instead of pulling you back from doing what you love the most. After all, you’re the one on the stage with all eyes on you, watching you give your best shot. Enjoy every second of it and keep telling yourself that you belong.  

11. What bands have inspired you the most? 

As mentioned before, our musical influences are very large, but there are obviously some bands that really had an impact on our sound, playing and writing method. We think about Scar Symmetry, for combining heaviness and catchy melodies. Dream Theater has been a huge influence as well; it can be heard especially in our « power ballads ». Periphery is also a band we like a lot, that’s why there’s a djenty vibe in some of our songs.

12. What's the weirdest thing a fan has ever asked you for? 

Nothing too bad really comes to mind so far, except maybe one time a drunk girl asked us if it would be possible to add more solos into our songs, when there’s a least 3-4 solos in every single song already...

13. What do you think of your fans? 

We play a genre where the fans are really dedicated and we absolutely love to interact with them. You know in today’s industry, it’s hard to even have some fans that still buy your album or even come to your shows. We have the chance to have these fans who still buy some CD’s (most of them prefer the physical CD’s than stream) and come to our show, more than once. We are really grateful for that and we can’t wish for better fans.

14. What do you think of our site?

It is a great and interesting site that covers a lot of different metal genres from all around the world and offers a « spotlight » to the underground bands to make their music heard. The « promoter » section is also a great way to help bands get in touch with the promoters out there in the industry. Definitely a great tool for any metal band !

15. Something add?

Thank you so much for reading ! Make sure to visit our facebook page www.facebook.com/fractalcypher to remain up to date about our upcoming release «Prelude To An Impending Outcome » available on November 8th ! You can subscribe to our youtube channel fractalcyphermusic and follow us on  instagram as well, username fractalcypherofficial !