"There is a lot of talk about 'the scene is dying' or 'musicians are losing out' with regards to file sharing, streaming services etc. I am much more excited about these times than 20 years ago. Back then I would never have had the opportunity as an independent artist to reach fans all over the world as I can now."
Name of Band: nTTx
Year Formed: 2015
Location: Toronto, Canada
nTTx is the new solo project of
Gord Clement who was the former singer/songwriter for the band
Atomzero (AnalogueTrash Records). His new sound is described as 'EBM
with synthpop and disco influences'. The songs feature a strong vocal
delivery of intelligent lyrics.
A single 'Falls
Beautiful' with a b-side (Depeche Mode cover) was released in May
2015.
It is available as a
FREE download via nttx.bandcamp.com. It is also available on iTunes,
Amazon, Spotify, and most other streaming services.
This song is from his
upcoming début EP to be released in the fall of 2015.
Live shows with custom
programmed lighting will begin with the EP release.
Intravenous Magazine: Who are you and how did
the band/project come to be formed?
nTTx is just myself, Gord Clement (occasionally my cat helps). Up until a few months ago I was the lead singer and song writing partner in the band Atomzero. My original intention with nTTx was to be a side project and do some fun cover songs and a few originals as an outlet for my own creativity aside from my main focus which was Atomzero. However, my partner and I had some unresolvable issues so I made the difficult decision to leave. nTTx then became my full time project.
nTTx is just myself, Gord Clement (occasionally my cat helps). Up until a few months ago I was the lead singer and song writing partner in the band Atomzero. My original intention with nTTx was to be a side project and do some fun cover songs and a few originals as an outlet for my own creativity aside from my main focus which was Atomzero. However, my partner and I had some unresolvable issues so I made the difficult decision to leave. nTTx then became my full time project.
IVM: How would you describe your sound/style, and how did you arrive at it?
This project is going to be more of an EBM theme
with a little bit of synthpop and even disco elements! I don't like
to pigeon-hole myself into one sound, so some songs may be more
synthpop whereas others may be more aggressive EBM type stuff.
My vocals will also vary, as I like to do both soft/emotional runs
along with some harder stuff. I really enjoy listening to albums that
vary in style. I don't like when every song sounds the same. I'm also
making a return to a more basic form of writing and production as I
did back in the '80 when I wrote electronic music in my bedroom
(because there were limits with gear back then). Recently, technology
has allowed us to compose with unlimited tracks and effects, I've
made the decision to keep nTTx as simple as possible, returning to
the way I did things years ago. It's a more stripped back way of
writing than what I've been doing in the last several years.
IVM: Who and what are your primary influences both musical and non-musical?
The first time I heard Kraftwerk (a glow in the
dark 12" of The Model, Trans Europe Express and Neonlights) I
knew that this was my calling. My friends in the auto-industry blue
collar town I was raised in would make fun of me for always talking
about "synthesizers" when they talked about Camaros and
dirtbikes and beer. I eventually was pulled into the punk scene as a
drummer, but always retained my true robotic soul underneath it all.
When I heard Der Mussolini and Alle Gegen Alle by DAF, I knew the
future path I needed to take. Song writing inspiration strikes in so
many different ways. Sometimes it's an update to any one of the many
bits of software I use, learning a new feature... sometimes it's a
bit of random chaos as I happen upon by absolute user error.
Generally I let all things flow through and onto a recording and then
later figure out how they need to sit together. Almost like
channelling an unknown force that writes through me.
IVM: Do you perform live and if so where can we see you perform in the near future?
Performing live is what I look forward to the
most. It's a major reason why I do this. I come from a family of
performers and it's in my DNA (I have photos as a toddler performing
in front of my family). I have my line-up set: keyboards will be
Lance (The Grey Disorder) and Mike (previous live drummer for
Atomzero). We are starting rehearsals soon and will start playing
when the EP comes out this fall. I always put everything into my live
shows and strive to give a stadium worthy show even if it's in a
small club. I have my own lighting rigs which I've programmed to flow
with the music.
IVM: What is your current release and where is it available from?
The first single 'Falls Beautiful' from my début EP is out now and available as a free download from nttx.bandcamp.com. It also includes a b-side cover of 'New Dress' by Depeche Mode. I've modernized the lyrics to reflect the current times. It's also available on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify and all the usual streaming services.
IVM: What have been the highlights of your career so far?
The highlights of my career so far have been playing Edgefest in Toronto (large outdoor music festival) with my previous band 'Riddle Me This'. It was a more alternative rock outfit in the mid '90s. Also, last year after releasing our debut album 'Symbiosis', Atomzero was signed within 3 months to Analogue Trash records out of the UK. We put a lot of work into that album and spent a lot of time doing promotion for it. It was nice to get the recognition for our work.
IVM: What are your plans for the future?
I'm presently finishing up the final tweaks and
mixes for the upcoming debut EP which should be out this fall. I'm
also doing some remix work for other artists which should be out soon
as well.
IVM: Finally, is there anything that
you would like to add?
There is a lot of talk about 'the scene is dying' or 'musicians are losing out' with regards to file sharing, streaming services etc. I am much more excited about these times than 20 years ago. Back then I would never have had the opportunity as an independent artist to reach fans all over the world as I can now. It's been very rewarding to get the feedback that someone in a far off place is enjoying my music. Unless you were a big name band back then, that wouldn't have happened. This is a great era we are in now, being able to reach a global audience on our own.
There is a lot of talk about 'the scene is dying' or 'musicians are losing out' with regards to file sharing, streaming services etc. I am much more excited about these times than 20 years ago. Back then I would never have had the opportunity as an independent artist to reach fans all over the world as I can now. It's been very rewarding to get the feedback that someone in a far off place is enjoying my music. Unless you were a big name band back then, that wouldn't have happened. This is a great era we are in now, being able to reach a global audience on our own.
Links:
Website: nttxmusic.com
Bandcamp: nttx.bandcamp.com
Facebook: facebook.com/nttxmusic
Twitter: twitter.com/nttxmusic
Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/nttxmusic
Youtube: youtube.com/c/nttxmusic