Interview with producer Kevin Taylor.
 

How did come up with the name Schmange?

It goes back to when I bought my first computer. I was getting all my friends to say something into the microphone so I could use them as alert sounds and the one my brother did was "Schmange". A few years later I was signing up for my first BBS and every time I tried to come up with a user name, somebody else had already taken it.. and my computer kept going "Schmange". So I said to heck with it and picked "Schmange" as my online name. I've kept it ever since.

How do you record all the instruments on your albums?

It's basically from years of practice. Ever since I was a kid I used to pretend I was recording all the instruments on things like Beatles albums, so I learned how to play drums, bass and keyboards at a very early age. It took years of waiting until technology caught up to the point where I could actually afford to buy my own studio. Back in the 80's and 90's, a multitrack studio would have cost $100,000 or more. Now you can get a whole studio in a computer.

Why do you enjoy playing techno music combined with guitar?

It's something new. I really love using synths and sequencers but I also love playing guitar. I started off doing the usual types of rock tunes on my first CD but after a few months I found it kinda tedious reproducing the same sounds I'd played for years. After I got into using virtual instruments it opened up a whole new world of sound for me. I also found it hard to put my music into a specific category. In fact, whenever I try to classify my music on the net, there's never a choice that says "techno/rock", so I usually end up either calling it Alternative or Techno... neither of which really describes what I'm after.

How do you play your music live?

I've gotten together with some exceptional musicians who take what I've done on CD and duplicate it so that it can be played live. We've tried to make things as theatrical as possible so you're guaranteed an amazing light show and a few surprises not normally seen in rock shows.

There are 31 songs on the PhaseIV Chronicles album. Why so many?

The songs actually tell a story from beginning to end. It's a concept album and with any of the songs missing, the story doesn't make sense anymore. Think of it llike a movie put to music.

Why are there so few vocals on PhaseIV Chronicles?

Again, it goes back to the concept idea behind the album. That, plus the fact that I greatly prefer instrumentals to songs with vocals. One of the main reasons I included so many instrumental versions on my first CD, "The Dark" was so that people could listen to the album without being influenced by the lyrics.

What are your plans for the future with Schmange?

I'm writing songs for a new album and currently doing a limited European tour with the band. I'm also extremely busy creating guitar lessons for the Guitar Tricks website (http://www.guitartricks.com) which takes up a lot of my time.

I have about a dozen new songs written and it's just a matter of finding the time to start recording again. I'm hoping to get the new album out by the end of the summer.

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