Mark Nicholas, the sole member of the band Cosmicity, shocked many a fan when he announced in the summer of 2002 that his next album, to be entitled Escape Pod For Two, would be his last album. He had started his musical career in 1994 with two self-released albums and a single, and went on to be one of the most prolific acts in the synthpop underground of the mid to late 1990s. When EP42 came out in late 2003, the question burning on most fans' lips was "Is he really calling it quits?" The answer came in March of 2004, when Mark announced he would continue to record under his own name. This month we had the opportunity to talk to Mark about retirement, synthpop, and.... bed-wetting? Just keep reading...
AeschTunes: What made you decide to abandon the Cosmicity name in favor of recording under your own name?
Mark Nicholas: It was part of 12 step program I'm in. Step 7: abandon any band names that have blatant references to psychedelic mushrooms. Most people going through the program get to skip over step 7, but unfortunately, it's been a bit tricker for me.
No, actually, the truth is that I just felt it was time for a change, and I thought changing my name would be a strong way to signify to the outside world that I was really trying to step away from the patterns of the synthpop scene and look at electronic music in a more expansive way. Plus, I just kinda wanted to put my real name on my work. I'm proud of it, so why hide behind a "band" name instead of just saying "hey, this is me"?
AT: Did you originally use a band name as a way of "hiding"?
MN: Yeah, I did. Plus, I just thought the name sounded cool. But the fact was that, when I started out in college, I couldn't get any shows just being some student named Mark Nicholas. But as soon as I came up with Cosmicity, people assumed it was a band and more doors opened. So, yes. At first, being a dirty liar came in rather handy.
AT: Did you originally intend to return to music under a different name, or was your original intent to drop out of recording entirely?
MN: I actually thought I'd be able to stop making music entirely for a while. You know, just disappear and do some writing and stuff. I'm an idiot. After just a couple of months I realized that I must not know myself AT ALL because I am completely unable to stop making music. I love doing it. As much as I may dislike the details, I have an insatiable passion for writing new songs.
AT: Has the decision to abandon the Cosmicity name changed your approach to your music? What kind of things are you doing differently?
MN: Well, when I started working on this album, I set out to create a "new sound". It turns out that this is an extremely bizarre thing to attempt. On the one hand, I've learned that there are certain things about the sound of Cosmicity that I probably won't be able to shake. My voice is still my voice. I write lyrics the way I do, and that's not gonna change too drastically. I compose songs with a certain structure that's probably not going away. And on top of all of that, if the music is going to remain all electronic (which it is), well, now suddenly it doesn't seem like I can make a drastic change to my sound, you know? If I'd picked up an acoustic guitar, well, then everyone would be like, "oh, yeah, that's NOTHING like Cosmicity." But I didn't.
What I have done is a great deal of expanding, taking influence from all corners of Electronic music, and I believe people will hear a marked change in the tone of my music, in the kinds of sounds I'm using, and even the subjects I'm singing about. I'm working hard to write lyrics that are unfiltered. I'm pushing myself to use synthesizers and drums that have a lot of power and grit in them. I believe that's really how the line will be drawn between Mark Nicholas and Cosmicity. Of course, songs under either name are still me, and there are bound to be folks who say "this is still Cosmicity and he shouldn't have changed his name." And that'll be fine, too. They can keep calling me Cosmicity if they like... but it can be awkward in conversation. "Hey there, Cosmicity, how's it hangin' today?" I'm betting most people will find calling me "Mark" is actually more natural than the Cosmicity label was.
AT: The Cosmicity "Best Of" CD that was originally to be released by A Different Drum is now scheduled to be released by Kiss My Asterix Records. Are you planning on also taking your future releases as Mark Nicholas to a label other than A Different Drum?
MN: Yes. I will go to another record label for my next album. And that's nothing against A Different Drum at all. As I've said in recent press releases, A Different Drum will continue to be a strong partner, they're gonna continue to sell past Cosmicity releases, etc. But what became clear after the whole "Best-Of/DVD" disagreement is that I really shouldn't be releasing new material on that label. I've got things I want to say that simply won't get through the religious, or "moral values" filter. Whatever you want to call it. I'm actually afraid of how to even phrase this stuff. I've been attacked for saying that the censorship A.D.D. wanted to invoke was religious. Okay... But I disagree with the notion that somehow A Different Drum has moral values and I don't, you know? I have DIFFERENT moral values. I believe it is his (the owner's) specific religion that has drawn these strict lines, and he is a member of that religion. I respect his right to his beliefs, and his right to only release things that meet with those beliefs. But I still see that as a religious thing and it confuses me when I'm told I've done something wrong by announcing that A Different Drum has passed on the release due to religious reasons. To me, that's what it was. I dunno.
Anyway, the bottom line is that I am definitely singing about things on this new record that A Different Drum would not want associated with their label. Just based on the lyrics I've written at this point: I use the "f" word in one very sexually-charged song. I have a song or two about the hypocrisy of the religious right. This stuff simply wouldn't fly.
AT: Do you feel that changing the name you record under has made it easier to change record labels?
MN: No. I don't think it'll have any effect. The labels I'll be trying to contact won't have heard of Cosmicity OR Mark Nicholas, so either way I have the same slim chances of getting their attention. And the truth is, for the other labels out their that might have heard of Cosmicity, changing my name is more likely to put them off than get them interested. Labels like to build on a pre-existing audience, and name-changes can hurt those numbers. But I don't care. I really needed the change, if for no other reason than to just be out there as the completely real me. I feel that it's time.
AT: You speak on your websites about how there was a disagreement with A Different Drum over some of the content in the DVD "2 Camcorders And An iMac" that is set to accompany the "Best of" CD. I also recall that there was a disagreement with them over your early single, "Syn". Would a change of labels indicate a desire to push some of these boundaries that you were previously restricted from?
MN: I think I sort of answered this question up above. Whoops. Reformat however ya want. :-)
AT: I've seen some of your comments that your new material has been influenced by the Prodigy, Miss Kittin, and other electro acts that
are not traditionally thought of as being synthpop - the genre that you're best known for with Cosmicity. What differentiates synthpop
from other forms of "Electronica" (I use the term loosely and grudgingly)?
MN: That's a good question. The short answer is: nothing. Nothing differentiates Prodigy and Miss Kitten from Synthpop. If you use
synthesizers and it's pop music, you can probably get away with calling it Synthpop. But the thing is, the "synthpop scene" does have
specific hang-ups in the hearts and minds of many people. It's long been a problem that when people hear the term "synthpop", they
automatically think "light and fluffy". And there's this existing Synthpop scene where so many of the bands have fallen into a certain
groove. Not a bad groove, but it makes it all start to sound the same. I don't mean any offense to the bands. There's really nothing
wrong with writing music that fits within the boundaries of a certain style. In fact, that may end up being a very good thing for all of
them. If one band hits the mainstream, they'll all easily follow in those footsteps. But for me, the music I've been hearing that I think is really outstanding is outside of this small scene. And that's the kind of music I want to make now.
So, will the upcoming Mark Nicholas album be Synthpop? Yeah. But for the sake of distinction, I won't be calling it that. I'll be using
the term Electro. Easier to say than Electronica, and still broad enough to encompass pretty much all styles of electronic music. And
yes, I'm aware of the fact that certain elite DJs believe "Electro" is a sacred sub-genre of electronic... and they think I shouldn't use the term in an all-encompassing way. But I disagree. I'm using it. In fact, I've already purchased the URL pure-electro.com to point to my site.
Bottom line: I don't think Synthpop fans will be put-off by the new material. It's not a million miles from there. But I also believe
(hope) that non-Synthpop fans will find it much more appealing than my previous work. Ideally, it'll be music that will appeal to all
electronic music fans and beyond.
AT: Do you consider your new material to still be synthpop?
MN: Mmmm... I have to say yes. It's still all synthesziers, and it's still pop music. But again, I personally won't be using the term. If people say things like, "hey, you... synthpop guy..." well, I'm gonna whip around, tears in my eyes, and frantically scream "SHUT UP! Just, SHUT UP!" Then I'll stomp up and down and cry for a while. Eventually, my voice cracking under the strain of my madness, I'll
mumble "I don't do that anymore. I stopped wetting my bed LAST YEAR." Wait...
AT: Your wife, DJ Ginger Snapp, collaborated with you on a track on Ninthwave Records' "Electricity 2" compilation under the name of Turd Ferguson. Will there ever be a full-length album from Turd Ferguson, as hinted in the liner notes for the compilation?
MN: For whatever reason, we've had trouble getting motivated to make follow-up tracks. We think of ideas all the time, but we never put them in motion. So, the bottom line on that is that, yes, we'd both love to do it. But no, we haven't found the time yet. I'm still hopeful that we will someday, though. We have lyrics for a song about Paul Rudd that'll blow your mind. (We compare him to a Milk Dud. Tell me that's not freakin' brilliant.)
AT: When you announced your retirement from music in 2002, you mentioned you were going to be trying your hand at writing a book, based off of a serious of columns you had posted at synthpop.net. What's the status of the book project?
MN: I finished it. Of course, it was easy, 'cause it's pretty much a straight-up collection of those old columns with a few added bits.
But it's compiled and updated and ready to be published. I believe A Different Drum is planning a very special "History of Synthpop" special package for next year, and they've stated that they'd like to publish the book for inclusion in that package. So, hopefully that will happen. It's tough going through life with something like my "Synth Wars" column just hiding away on my hard drive. It needs to be available to the synth-loving masses, who will read it and collectively wonder, "why did I used to think this crap was funny?"
AT: A "free" question - what would you like to tell the readers of this newsletter, about the band, yourself, life in general...?
MN: An open apology to Cosmicity fans: I'm sorry for pretending to be a band when I was only one guy. I saw Trent Reznor (originally the only person in the "band" Nine Inch Nails) doing it in the 90's and I thought it was really cool. But I now know that such deceptions are a cruel practice. I am ashamed of my actions and I now throw myself at your mercy.
However, unlike Trent, I promise not to hire a live drummer. Or a guitarist. Or even a bass player. I will not dispose of the synthesizers I love so dearly. Instead I will push my synths to their limits and deliver to you an album of redemption. A 10-14 song collection of based on honesty, clarity, and truth.
No wait, scratch that last line. It should read "A 10-14 song collection documenting the impending nervous breakdown of a 30-something geek on the edge of sanity." ;-)