Interview: Sharkorama Talks About His Latest Album "Wicked Machine"
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“This is a ‘city of neighborhoods,’ each with its own character and flaws, but still undeniably Chicago. I like to compile projects with that mindset...”
Congratulations on the completion and release of your new album "Wicked Machine"; describe for us your creative process for its development and how long it took for you to finish.
Hey, thanks! I recorded about 90% of the album in a string of all-nighters between Christmas and New Year's Day. I had a few dozen ideas -- chords, hooks, lyrical phrases -- recorded in some form of crude demo and needed about a week to sink my teeth into them and develop them into, you know, actual songs. I think squeezing my creative output into a tight window like that lends a sense of urgency to the sound. From there, it took me a few months' worth of sporadic bouts of attention from there to revisit a few takes, get the mix right, and make it the thing I wanted it to be.
Were there songs that you recorded that did not make the final track list? If so, why did they not make the cut?
Yeah, just a few. The two instrumental tracks were actually attached to larger songs. I just didn't get the feel I wanted from them.
They wound up being a bit too serious and didn't match the playful nature of the rest of the album, though I thought the guitar parts contributed nicely to the pacing of the project.
Maybe they'll reappear in a future project. I was also tinkering with some more sample and synth-based tracks, largely composed on my OP-1, but I think I'll be spinning those off into a separate project.
Tell us about the Sharkorama name's origin, and why you decided to release music under that moniker.
Sharky was the name of my family dog growing up, and, naturally, 'Sharkorama' was one of the various nicknames I bestowed upon him.
In the late '00s I started a blog and hosted it at sharkorama.com, a domain that was strangely available for purchase. I mainly used that as a vehicle to release songs for a spell. So when I was ready to properly release an album, Sharkorama was the obvious choice to carry my voice and pay homage to Sharky (RIP buddy).
Would you say that your hometown of Chicago inspires the music that you make from a songwriting perspective?
Almost certainly, though I'm having a hard time articulating how, exactly. Assuredly the personalities, architecture, geography, and general aura shape my rough-around-the-edges-but-well-meaning sound. Most importantly, this city is a continual reminder that things don't have to be homogenous to fit into a collective whole.
This is a 'city of neighborhoods,' each with its own character and flaws, but still undeniably Chicago. I like to compile projects with that mindset; each track has its own voice and perspective but with a distinctive sound and spirit that makes it all fit together.
With the "Wicked Machine" album now released, what are some of your goals musically for the rest of 2021?
I have some music videos in the works! Keep your eyes peeled for those very soon. I also have a few new Sharkorama tracks that should see the light of day over the summer. It's been quite some time since I've had the opportunity to play a show, and with things opening up again, that may soon become a possibility, even if it's just at the local record shop. But I'm most looking forward to spending a week (or more) back in the basement, working on the next LP.