Subversive -

Benjamin Murray; aka Arcane Synthetic

Mayfly Records continues to shine a well-deserved spotlight on its roster and those associated with it, in some form or another, in WordPress form. *cough*

This is the Big Time… writ very, very small.

Today’s interview is with New Zealand’s own, the enigmatic multipotentialite, Benjamin Murray. Better known as the time traveling reporter on the human condition, Arcane Synthetic.

It has been said that a good gimmick can travel miles. But a good gimmick with talent and brains behind it can travel the entirety of the world. The more Benjamin Murray does with this character, the more interesting it gets for the listener.

And what a treat it is.

Q: Tell us a little about yourself.

What are some of the things that have shaped you – as a person and as an artist?

What are some of the things you are most proud of?

AS: My loves and fears.

I’m most proud of getting engaged to my fiancée, Nora and in turn creating a baby boy together, Félix.

Who are some of your favorite artists?

In no particular order – Tool, David Bowie, Nine Inch Nails, Atrium Carceri, Mr. Bungle, Chelsea Wolfe, Michael Jackson, A Perfect Circle, Puscifer, Faith No More, Tomahawk, Fantômas, Killing Joke, Drab Majesty, Sisters Of Mercy, The Cure, Melvins, Meshuggah, Kammarheit, The Doors, Pink Floyd, Tom Waits, Radiohead, N E U R O S H O C K, Lost Cause Industry, Plains Desperate Symphony, Bärkər, Entropy In Motion, The Primary Phase Principle, Rojinski, Ghost Orange, Embracing Discomfort… Too many! I could list so many more…

What is your favorite book?

I’m a very slow reader so I tend to not read too many books – lately Audible’s helped change that. For the sake of this question, I’ll go with ‘Hamlet’.

Is happiness the primary gauge in Life? And if not, what is?

No. Stillness is the primary gauge in life.

When was it that you decided that music and/or sound design was a passion?

Is it a passion?

Why?

Hmm… I’ve always been surrounded by music. It’s had an enormous impact on me. However I think I realised it was and always has been a passion of mine the moment I created my first track as Arcane Synthetic, ‘Quieten’ during one of the many COVID lockdowns in 2021.

Acting was a passion I was always aware of and took immediate action on ever since I can remember anything at all. I think I didn’t feel I possessed any real musical talent until the past few years having first introduced Arcane to the world.

Can you explain the time traveling persona to those that might be unfamiliar with it?

Arcane Synthetic has been sent by his superiors to travel time and report on the human condition. He’s basically a better version of myself in my imagination.

What is it that you are trying to get across to the listeners you manage to snare?

What have been your artistic highlights?

I want them to think. Challenge their beliefs. Continually work towards bettering themselves. I most of all want them to participate as artists alongside me expressing their consciousness simultaneously through interpretations of my art.

Any single time my audience receives something, anything at all, that’s meaningful from my work.

Many claim that we do this for ourselves – but if that were truly the case, we’d all pull an Emily Dickinson.

From where have you gained the confidence to put yourself out there (musically or otherwise)?

I’m neurodivergent, queer, basically in more ways than one, “different” – not someone who naturally fits in with the regular. Like many “odd” people growing up in the 90’s I was severely bullied. I’d be lucky not to have the living shit kicked out of me more than once a week throughout the majority of my school years. That’s just the physical aspect, never mind the emotional/verbal bullying that brought it all together quite nicely…

My point is that having endured that level of abuse in my formative years really destroys one’s confidence. It started a knock on effect of codependency and everything that comes with that flavour of vulnerability. It’s been a journey of self actualisation for me. I guess the moment you begin to accept yourself for who you are then you can kind of do anything you want.

Our societies have become a sports rivalry Writ Large: My Team vs. Your Team; in politics, in theatre, and even in polite conversation. Who or what do you inevitably cheer for? Who or what do you inevitably hiss?

I cheer on kindness. I hiss cruelty.

This is a question inspired by Deb LeMotta’s interviews: If you could go back and give your younger self a piece of much needed advice, what would it be?

“Trust yourself”. To this day I still struggle to remember that.

Thank you for reading this peek behind the persona that is Arcane Synthetic. As the wise person ages, a foolish poet once wrote, the more they shrug off, “the slings and the arrows from those that must narrow our happinesses one step at a time”. Having said that, our younger selves are justified in enacting revenge on those that have harmed us. Not necessarily with violence, mind you – but through accomplishment.

Benjamin Murray has far surpassed the bullies and the tormenters of his youth. He has found his happiness, he has his muse to chase, and he creates like a motherfucker*. The bullies will have been found to have created nothing, other than blank and spiraling self-worths.

moth*er*fuck*er | ˈməT͟Hərˌfəkər | 

noun North American English vulgar slang 

1 a despicable or very unpleasant person or thing. 

2 ...one that is formidable, remarkable, or impressive in some way

Power to the Imagination.

Tom Parsons; aka Arwr Neb

In the next few days, Mayfly Records will be pointing a well deserved spotlight on its roster’s esteemed talents. In WordPress form. *cough*

We start with an interview conducted with Tom Parsons, who has gone under the guise of Arwr Neb these past few years. The last year of it has seen a remarkable output of subversive materials by the artist. Not in quantity, mind you – but in sheer quality.

He is an artist that not only encourages the listener to laugh out loud, but also to pause and think. It’s challenging enough to find a genuinely good person, but when they’re also a talented sound designer with a purposeful vision, it’s an irresistible combination.

Tom Parsons is that good person.

Q: Tell us a little about yourself.

AN: I grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the youngest of three kids. I think I was always struggling between acceptance as part of the crowd and shining a light on my own uniqueness.

What are some of the things that have shaped you?

I started playing music at a fairly young age – starting with piano lessons at the age of six and continuing them throughout my youth until my final year of high school. I also played trumpet in the grade school band and played the bagpipes, competing in solo and band competitions throughout North America.

I also believe I’ve been shaped by my experiences of living abroad in Asia and in Europe. Getting out of Minneapolis to go to college in Upstate New York really broadened my horizons and gave me a lot of confidence in establishing myself in the world.

What are some of the things that you are most proud of?

I’m probably most proud of the friendships I’ve cultivated, the knowledge of language and culture that I’ve explored, and the knowledge that has helped me broaden my horizons.

Who are some of your favorite artists?

I have a pretty broad taste in music. From a young age, I was very taken with classical music, particularly Beethoven and Mozart. That interest blossomed into broader and deeper tastes in the Romantic and Modernist composers, namely Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky, and Saint-Saëns.

As a teenager, I followed mostly pop groups that were mainstream until a friend of mine in eight grade introduced me to such wonders as Devo, Iggy Pop, Talking Heads, The Cure, James Chance (and his various permutations) Kraftwerk (which really stuck with me when I started doing electronic music) and ska bands, such as The Specials and Madness. That’s when the subversiveness in my musical tastes really took root. I’ve been exploring the weird, wacky, wonderful stuff since then.

These days, some of my favorite artists are Four Tet, Super Furry Animals, Datblygu, and Gwenno, and many too many others to name. I just can’t box myself into who is my favorite.

What is your favorite book?

My favorite book is Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. He is hands down my favorite author.

Is happiness the main gauge of Life?

Happiness is a spectrum as far as I’m concerned. It’s not the be all and end all of satisfaction with life, but a pretty good gauge of how well you’re enjoying it. That said, I think it’s important to know what makes you happy in life and not rely on what others tell you it should be, namely a good job, status, etc. When I’m listening to and playing music, I’m at my happiest.

When was it that you decided that music and/or sound design was a passion?

Initially, it was just a way of me working on music without the need to play in a band. I then started working with Ableton and needed some more formal training. I took a few classes and really enjoyed it.

Is it a passion?

Yes, very much so!

Why?

After realizing what sounds I could create, I became enchanted with synthesis and sound design. A whole new world opened up to me and I feel like I can’t go back to the rigidity of pop music.

What is it that you are trying to get across to the listeners you manage to snare?

Initially, my focus was to promote the Welsh language in electronic music, and I still aim to do that, but now I’m trying to create sound environments that shake people out of their reliance on traditional formulas of how music is experienced. Whether that makes them uncomfortable or not, but ultimately to make them think about sound in a new way.

What have been your artistic highlights?

I thought creating my first EP was quite a highlight, but after working on collaborations with such inspiration and talented artists like Bärkər, Subtlety, and Feminoise that has been the greatest highlight so far in my short electronic musical career.

Many claim that we do this for ourselves – but if that were truly the case, we’d all pull an Emily Dickinson and keep the work to ourselves:

From where have you gained the confidence to put yourself out there (musically or otherwise)?

I have developed a close-knit group of supporters, both old friends and new, who have really shown great support to my strange musical endeavors. I never expected to have this much support and am truly grateful for those that have shown an interest in my rantings via sound design.

This is a question inspired by Deb LeMotta’s interviews: If you could go back and give your younger self a piece of needed advice, what would it be?

I would absolutely tell my younger self to express myself with more passion and less fear of being accepted by polite society. The interesting people are the ones that really matter in this existence.

Thank you for reading. You can also find the works of Arwr Neb on the Mayfly Records Bandcamp page. There you can find the various collaborative efforts that he has enriched – Uned Drydan’s C3: C4: Energy, Bärkər & Arwr Neb’s Subversions, and the Mayfly Radio compilation.

Power to the Imagination.

Category: Subversive

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