“I never go out of my way to be weird, but I definitely have a non-stop sense of dark absurdity.”
Last week, we featured a fun track called “Eye in the Sky” by Vampire Disco Club. It’s a rocking, electro-tinged little song that will make you want to dance-fight a mob of ninja robots. Or is it just us?
Needless to say, we couldn’t resist the urge to feature Vampire Disco Club again. Volume III of our playlist includes “Glory,” the big single from this quirky project. We’re also happy that we got the chance to speak with the guy behind VDC. This is a musician who’s as friendly as can be. “I love interacting with artists and supporters,” he told us. “If someone has a great recommendation for a movie or record, I’m all ears and eyes!”
Scroll to learn more about Vampire Disco Club. You know you want to.
DARKNESS CALLING: We love your sound and aesthetic. The band name might also be the best band name of all time. [Laughs] Also can't go wrong with the Blade Runner-esque font you’ve used at times, and the cyberpunk cover art. Can you tell us a bit about your influences and the evolution of this project?
VAMPIRE DISCO CLUB: Thanks! [Laughs] I started this project in February after doing a few other experimental records that weren't getting traction. I was burned out on what I had been doing the last few years, so I packed up and left L.A. to live in Pittsburgh.
I had a few initial demos that didn't fit with my other stuff, but I really liked them. Initially, it was about writing a love letter to my favorite artists like Iggy Pop, David Bowie, Talking Heads, Wu Tang Clan, LCD SoundSystem, Sisters of Mercy… Basically, a band where I could make any style of music and not care if it fit together. Since then, it's evolved into writing concept records with certain musical throughlines.
DARKNESS CALLING: The best thing about your music is that it is dark while also maintaining this kind of fun/sassy vibe. With a name like "Vampire Disco Club," I'm sure that was intentional. Was the tongue-in-cheek vibe planned from the get-go, or did it just come out naturally from your personality?
VAMPIRE DISCO CLUB: The sassy thing is just me. A lot of times when I write, I have the whole idea all at once, and it comes from me having a really bizarre phrase pop into my head. I'll randomly say the phrase out loud for a few days in a voice and then realize it's a song. I never go out of my way to be weird, but I definitely have a non-stop sense of dark absurdity.
“The whole EP was really about surviving the chaos, but I wanted to use paranoia to communicate what I was seeing.”
DARKNESS CALLING: We featured "Eye in the Sky" on last weekend's playlist. Are there any fun anecdotes about this song in particular?
VAMPIRE DISCO CLUB: That song was written during the lockdown. I was on Twitter and noticed all these right-wing people were super paranoid about Bill Gates killing everyone, and I got pretty into surveillance conspiracies and started watching The Americans and reading Neuromancer for the fifth time. [Laughs] The whole EP was really about surviving the chaos, but I wanted to use paranoia to communicate what I was seeing.
DARKNESS CALLING: What was it like producing this EP? I noticed that your first songs came out around March, right when the pandemic kicked into high-gear and many began quarantining. Was it difficult launching such an ambitious project right when the shit hit the fan?
VAMPIRE DISCO CLUB: I had moved from L.A. to Pittsburgh in the Winter. I put out my first VDC demo in late February, then my single "Ruby Veins" got picked up by Kerrang! Friday, March 9th, and I kinda was blown away. Two days later when the feature hit, lockdown was announced, and all my shows were instantly cancelled. I wrote "Glory” in April, and by May, I knew this wasn't going to end. I started producing non-stop to kinda cope with the stress.
As far as production, I had a few rules. My first demo EP was all record sample breakbeats, and I played live instruments on all the tracks. For this one, I did the opposite and used only synths and drum machines. "Eye in the Sky" is the only track that had samples, but it was mostly because I had it done before I made the rule. [Laughs]
DARKNESS CALLING: Do you have any plans for music videos or additional music to be released in the near future?
VAMPIRE DISCO CLUB: I have plans to do a shirt to tie-in with the EP. I like the idea of thematically relevant merch. I nerd out pretty hard on lore, so having artistic tie-ins is important. I'm in the process of doing my first full-length — new rules, new concept, new sound. As far as videos, I'd love to, but it will be awhile before I can find someone to work with during COVID. A lot of people are scared, so I don't want to put anyone in an uncomfortable place.
Actually, I work non-stop, so the LP will have a vinyl, and I have a concept for the follow-up after it. [Laughs] Expect a lot of music.
DARKNESS CALLING: Thanks for doing this! I wish you success and hope that Vampire Disco Club is able to take over the world in time.
VAMPIRE DISCO CLUB: Thank you!
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