We caught up with Ted Phelps of Imperative Reaction and dived into new album Mirror.
Hi Ted, how are you?
I am doing pretty well. A bit overwhelmed with all the things that go with a new release but ultimately, I am enjoying it.
To say it’s been a while since IR released an album is an understatement however new album Mirror was announced five years ago now, how does it feel for it to be out in the wild?
It is still setting in. It is very different from it used to be when I was releasing albums regularly but it feels good to be back. The feedback has really been good and the fans have been very supportive.
Were there any struggles and tribulations writing a new album with IR?
While no record is without some setbacks and issues I am happy to say this one was the easiest one to write and record. Life can get in the way sometimes and it did this time but overall, the experience was good.
“Touring is definitely something I miss but I do see this as an opportunity to get creative…”
Is there a chronology of when the tracks were written and can you hear how you progressed during the writing process?
I think it is easier to hear the progression in the demos rather than the finished album. I think Ignite and Alter Ego are the oldest songs on the album while the later ones included Like Swine and The Scales. I did a lot of arrangement and production much closer to the end so, hopefully, the album sounds cohesive regardless of the age of the songs.
Due to the political map at the moment touring is going to be a lot more hassle than it’s worth. Do you have anything special planned to get Mirror out there?
Once we are finished getting everything complete for the pre-order we did I am going to have a call with the band and see what we can come up with. Touring is definitely something I miss but I do see this as an opportunity to get creative so, we shall see.
“I went on kind of a nostalgic trip…”
Technical question but, has your kit changed much since the recording of the previous album?
It has a fair amount for a couple of reasons. I wrote, recorded, produced and mastered it on a laptop. I realize that is not as strange as it once was, but it was the first time I got to do it this way. I have always wanted to as it enables me to change my environment when I feel it is needed. There are no live instruments on Mirror whereas there are guitars on the last one. I did not do that on purpose per se, I just did not feel guitar was needed this time. Also, the last album features a lot of production work by Krischan Wesenberg so he used his synths in his studio to help bring that album to life. This one is all me.
Final question; what albums/artists have you been listening to in Lockdown?
I went on kind of a nostalgic trip at the beginning of the lockdown and listened to a lot of Depeche Mode and Nine Inch Nails. Then I went through and listened to a lot of Pantera. As far as newer music, I have been listening to Aesthetic Perfection and Horskh a lot.
