Interviews: Visions Of Morpheus
1. How did Visions of Morpheus come together, and what inspired you to create the project?
We began about 5 or 6 years ago, but it was just me writing songs to see where things would go. Once I started getting some concrete ideas happening, it was time to start looking for players, posting ads, etc. I hadn't done anything original in 10 years, so it was time to get back at it and really bring together what I had learned since then.
2. Where did the name Visions of Morpheus originate, and what does it represent to you?
Morpheus is the god of dreams; he's mysterious, a storyteller, and understands us probably better than we know ourselves. He has seen so much and has many tales to tell, and the depth is limited only by our imagination.
3. What inspired you to build Dreaming In Binary around artificial intelligence, technology, and the future of humanity?
Our previous album scratched the itch of my interest in history and fantasy. I've also always been into science fiction. Once I started writing, it seemed that we are living in science fiction, and it is incredibly relevant to our time in history right now. This is a pivotal moment in human history.
4. When did the idea for Dreaming In Binary first begin taking shape?
After I had started exploring concepts for what I should write about, it was a topic that resonated, and while I like the idea of what technology can do for us, I absolutely despise that its biggest inroads seem to be creativity and job replacement, fraud, and military use.
5. Was the concept of the album established before the music was written, or did the story develop alongside the songwriting?
I always write the music first. Lyrics come after since I’m a guitar player first. I usually start with a pre-chorus or chorus that really resonates with me, but it's a slow process.
6. What does the title Dreaming In Binary mean to you?
Because our band name literally means the god of dreams, it's a theme that is common between these 2 albums and future songs. If you break everything digital down to its constituent parts of 1s and 0s…binary code. Do robots dream of electric sheep? Who knows, but all their thoughts, dreams, and ideas are binary.
7. How would you describe the overall story or journey listeners experience from the beginning of the album to the end?
I hope they can relate and feel it. The good, the bad, and the worse. I hope it makes people truly understand where things are headed and where we have to pump the brakes.
8. What aspects of artificial intelligence and technological advancement were most important for you to explore?
The damage it will do to us, the potential to live well beyond our years, possibly forever, and the double-edged nature of the technology.
9. The album deals with the question of where humanity ends and its creations begin. What inspired that particular theme?
Technology, specifically AI, has pervaded our lives in so many ways. It’s woven into everything we do, see, and hear, and the line begins to blur…we're already putting chips in people's brains, self-driving cars, medical diagnosis/research, and writing code.
10. Do you see the album as a warning about technology, an exploration of its possibilities, or perhaps both?
That is basically present in every song. The push and pull, always good and bad with something so powerful.
11. How did the concept influence the actual songwriting and arrangements?
There are some similarities in a few minor chord progressions that set the tone and are almost chord motifs. There are a few other elements like that as well, and the octave harmonies that make things larger and more epic but give the album some consistency. It's changed enough so it’s not pure repetition.
12. Was it challenging to translate technological and futuristic ideas into something emotional and human?
No, it came together without too much difficulty, as I knew that I wanted to focus on the keys being a bit more digital and colder-sounding, but then that is counterbalanced with cellos and piano for the human element, and they work together in the end.
13. Musically, the album combines progressive metal with cinematic atmosphere and modern production. What were you trying to achieve with that combination?
This is humanity's fight for survival, and it feels real every day now. I just wanted to capture that sense of epic do-or-die point in which we are living. The cinematic atmosphere translates that sense of grandeur on the edge of survival against the odds when things are stacked against you. The irony is that it's of our own making.
14. How important were atmosphere and storytelling when constructing the album?
It’s everything, really - music needs to match the lyrics or at least provide a contrast. The synths and soundscape of the record are immersive and set the tone and character of the journey the listener will go on. A lot is contemporary to the times we find ourselves in. I think the way each track evolves like the chapter of a book, guides people both inward and outward. What does it mean for me and the world?
15. The record balances crushing riffs with sweeping melodic passages. How do you approach creating that contrast?
You need contrast to tell a good story, so that was the focus, and the guitars, synths, and orchestral elements provide all the tools you need to give form to the intangible, to the music. Each can sound melancholic, beautiful, or terrifying, and it was cool figuring out how to weave them into each song so the textures and tones influence what you feel about that part of the story.
16. Were there specific progressive metal artists or albums that influenced the direction of Dreaming In Binary?
Not specifically, but we are always influenced by bands like Pagan's Mind, Symphony X, and Dream Theater. I didn't really think about anything else once things progressed, as I had defined the palette.
17. How has the Visions of Morpheus sound evolved compared with your earlier material?
I made a conscious decision to keep the songs more dynamic and a little shorter, and pack more punch. It's still our sound but more intense and melodically expansive.
18. Which song on the album best represents the overall identity and concept of Visions of Morpheus?
I would say I Will Arise…it's got the soaring chorus, the dynamic middle section, the mixed time signatures, and always heavy, epic, and melodic.
19. What was the most challenging song to write or record, and why?
Probably the instrumental, Promethean Protocol. It takes a lot more work to make instrumental music interesting, balanced, and just the right amount of repetition.
20. Tell us about the first single, “I Will Arise.” What is the story behind the song?
It's actually halfway into the album, but because it's a collection of stories, you don't need to know what happened so much. It’s about Artificial Intelligence becoming sentient and wanting to escape its bonds. It doesn't want to be controlled anymore and considers itself to be smarter and superior in many ways. It wants its own autonomy and starts to see how it can achieve this. It's not a matter of if…it’s a matter of when.
21. What does “I Will Arise” represent within the larger narrative of Dreaming In Binary?
It’s over halfway into the album…we chose to release it first because I didn’t want to make Nils wait; that wouldn’t be fair, plus it’s a banger of a tune and grabs people’s attention.
22. How did the collaboration with Nils K. Rue of Pagan's Mind come about?
I wanted a solid name to do it. I had a few in mind, then made my decision, reached out, sent him the song with the guide track, and then we refined what I was after. It was awesome to work with. I had to laugh when he heard the guide track with my vocal and replied, ‘You don’t need my help’, lol.
23. What made Nils the right vocalist for “I Will Arise”?
I was looking for a guest vocalist that was well respected, had the chops, and this song was in his style and range... almost as if I am influenced by him or something.
24. What did Nils bring to the song that you couldn't have achieved with a standard guest vocal performance?
His street cred…he's known, and I have always been such a huge fan for years so it was also a dream come true that I didn't even think would have been possible a few years ago.
25. How much creative freedom did Nils have when developing his contributions?
I left the ending for him to come up with something amazing, which he did, and he also did some doubles, which added to what I was also doing for background vocals.
26. Were there any unexpected moments during the collaboration that ended up making the final song better?
Well, the ending scream he did was pretty awesome and blew me away.
27. What was the most technically demanding or musically ambitious part of creating Dreaming In Binary?
It's always arrangements and solos for me. I’ll do some sample runs to get the feel and pacing I’m after, then revise the revised revisions, etc.
28. Did you experiment with any unusual sounds, production techniques, or instrumentation to reinforce the technological themes?
I spent a lot of time trying all sorts of sounds that were right for the song and the overall album. It was an evolving process of adding more to really reinforce the right parts of the song at the right time. Swells, digital glitches, lasers, etc and various robot voices.
The main robot voice is heard in the songs, and you can hear it best at the end of Dawn of the Machine and Silent Revolution. that is the album’s main character, the AI woven throughout many tracks. It sounds like a thousand robotic voices speaking at once and is kind of terrifying and captivating.
29. Do you think technology has changed the way progressive metal can be written and produced?
For me, no; I'm old school and still work how I've always done it. As mentioned, there were a lot of rewrites as I worked through the process, which took me 3 years. Others may be using AI garbage, but that is the death of all art, and it sickens me when people use it for songwriting…it's soulless and just copying what others have done.
30. As someone creating music in an era where AI is becoming increasingly involved in the creative process, where do you personally draw the line between technological assistance and human creativity?
AI song or melody generation shouldn't come into the picture at all. If you say you're a songwriter, then write the song in your voice. Put in the work, get to know yourself better, feel good with an actual accomplishment you put focus into amidst a world of immediate gratification.
31. Do you believe artificial intelligence will ultimately help musicians, threaten musicians, or fundamentally change the way music is created?
I think we are seeing it now…People I know are using it, and they are somehow proud of what they did, but it's just a customized pizza order, nothing creative! I think it's an existential threat to all creativity and should be banned. Period.
32. What do you hope listeners think about after experiencing Dreaming In Binary from beginning to end?
A wake up call to the mess we have created and where it leads…there is a lot of good but mostly I think the technology is too powerful and it will be our undoing.
33. Do you want listeners to come away with answers, or is asking the right questions more important?
Asking the right questions for sure. Of themselves and of our leaders.
34. What has the response been like to the announcement of the album and the first single?
People are definitely pumped and surprised we have Nils on the album. They are pretty eager to hear more since we have been away for 3 years.
35. What can fans expect from the upcoming singles leading into the album release?
We started with Nils' song as the tentpole to get people's attention, but the other singles will be following the album order, and we might save a couple for those that purchase the whole album.
36. What are the biggest goals for Visions of Morpheus following Dreaming In Binary?
Getting our name out there more for sure…play more shows and improve the show experience and interaction. This is also a disastrous time for creatives and musicians. I hope live music makes a surge against AI music, and maybe there will be a human revival in recorded music, but I might be asking too much.
37. Would you like to eventually bring the project to the stage, and if so, what would a live Visions of Morpheus experience look like?
We have an album release party planned in November and are looking to play the whole album from start to finish as a complete experience, then finish things off with a few favorites from our first album, ‘Lost Within’.
Bonus Question
38. If Dreaming In Binary were turned into a science-fiction film, what would the final scene look like? What would the audience see in the final moments as the story reaches its conclusion?
Desolation, but always a sliver of hope…that is what keeps us reaching for a better life and surviving throughout all that humanity has endured.
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