Third Realm

First of all, thank you for taking your time to agree to be interviewed. It is a cold and miserable October morning. How are you?
- "You're welcome. October has been known for this type of behaviour, but such is to be expected, especially here in Buffalo, New York! It's actually a very pleasant time of year considering we are about to get buried in snow in a month or so. I'm doing well, thank you."

For those who don't really know Third Realm, the project has been considered an amalgamation of Darkwave, Dark Electro, and (Proto) Goth. I guess you can loosely throw Rock into the formula now as well. What do you consider yourself to be?
- "Genre labelling helps record stores keep their albums organized. It's also effective in sparking debates about why bands such as Bauhaus are Goth, or why Combichrist is not truly industrial. I think you can sense my sarcasm there, I feel boxing yourself into a certain genre or even a few is very shallow and limiting. I don't consider Third Realm to be restricted to any specific genre. I've been called Darkwave, Aggrotech, Dark Alternative, EBM, Synthpop, Gothic; the list goes on and on. Admittedly so, my music has elements of all those genres, so I think it would be safe to say that I generally produce tracks that adhere to the subculture of dark music."

Historically, you released a debut EP entitled 'Renfield's Syndrome' in 2005. This has an exclusive and rather gorgeous track on it named 'The Ghost of Eva Braun'. I've spoken to at least one fan of yours who petitions that this be re-issued. What's the official stance?
- "It's definitely a possibility, several people enjoy that track; it's honestly one of my personal favourites. It will most likely be re-mastered and then re-issued eventually."

You managed to do the unthinkable and release two full length albums in 2011, neither of which were weak or felt rushed. I can't honestly see you bringing a 3rd album out anytime soon. Is it wind-down time?
- "Firstly, thank you for mentioning that they did not seem rushed or lacking in quality, because they were not produced under any pressure, it just happened that way. However, I don't feel 8 months apart is an amazing feat, or highly unusual. I think mainstream artists slightly influence that expectation, but their main concern is what is going to make them the most money. I was highly inspired, that is where true creation comes from, not from marketing schemes or following some type of norm. I definitely won't be releasing another album for at least another 6 months or longer, but I certainly have started created new tracks, some of which I am currently only revealing at live shows."

I'm gonna throw this out there and talk about two tracks in particular: First of all I'd like to bring your attention to a track on 'Romantic Death' - "Her Rosary". This track is unanimously revered by followers of Third Realm, with good reason, if I may say so. It's my personal favourite, and it's got everything from the melancholic sounds to the haunting vocals. I've even seen it pushed as a single on promonetics.com'Promonetics. What's the idea / history behind the track?
- "I'm happy to hear that you enjoy that track! "Her Rosary" combines everything I love about the underground scene. There is a romantic message, a dark embrace of words, and a musical reflection of some of my primary influences. Think Peter Murphy, The Sisters of Mercy and even Evil's Toy. Sometimes it just clicks, I feel I effectively expressed what I was feeling at the time, and was really happy with the way the song came out as a whole, musically, lyrically and with the mixing techniques. It can generally be called a love story, in its own mysterious way. I would like to leave it somewhat undefined so my listeners can attach their own personal meaning to the song."

Secondly, the latest CD 'New World Order' has a cover of the classic 'Cry Little Sister' from the Lost Boys OST. It's the 4th cover I've heard of it, and it seems to suit your style far more than the others. It's a strong candidate for 'Cover song of the year'. It also further cements the bond between your sound and the Goth scene. Why did you choose to cover it?
- "Thank you very much; I've always loved the original. There wasn't too much of a predetermined reason for covering it, it kind of just came to me. I was always pretty hesitant about doing a cover song, but it felt right at the time, when I began to think of what to cover, it instantly came to my mind, I just went with my intuitive feeling. I'm sure there are bands out there that choose covers songs based on what is going to make them look cool or enhance their relevance somehow, but for me, it was just a simple dedication towards a song I've always enjoyed."

It's wise we don't overlook your first two albums: 2007's 'Under the Black Light' and 2009's 'Love is the Devil'. The former of the two I can't say I'm familiar with; the latter of the two contains the most punishing final three tracks since 'Closer' by Joy Division. Ending on 'Suicide Note', the CD just strangles the listener in bleakness. What you do, you do well. Tell us about the history behind the releases. One criticism I will have is that some of your tracks don't seem to flow together perfectly the album order. This is a tough trick to pull together for any artist, but with the sound you convey, it would carry you to the next dimension. Is this something that interests you?
- "I feel my music has always been somewhat experimental. From a song writing standpoint, there is structural order, but when creating a full album, I allow myself to openly create. I take it as a compliment, because in my opinion, it takes more thought and talent to create songs that may have the listener question, "is that even the same singer on this track?" or "Is this track featuring another band or artist?" I personally get bored of hearing albums that are predictable and/or stay painfully limited to one theme or sound structure. My album 'Romantic Death' is probably the only album of mine that flows together like the traditional expectation. It's not always a welcome reaction from fans, and personally I prefer creating albums like 'Love is the Devil' or 'New World Order' which display my diverse ability to create across many different genres effectively."

You seem particularly popular here in the UK and Sweden. Is there a message you'd like to give to your followers over here in Europe?
- "I don't like to alienate any of my fans or pick favourites because I appreciate everyone that listens to my music. However, I have been treated with extreme open arms from my European listeners which makes me feel like I have a lot of friends out there, rather than just "fans". My message would be thank you very much, and definitely be on the lookout for shows in your area, because life is too short, I certainly would like to meet all of you and in the meantime, put on a few great shows!"

'New World Order' will always raise eyebrows. Are you a conspiracist or believer in any of the theories out there, or was the title something more innocent?
- "I think the title should be taken a bit more metaphorically than literal. I'm not highly suspicious of any of the current theories out there, but I do believe that we are already under the grips of global control. The mainstream media subconsciously dictates how the common person is going to live their life. It takes silence and separation from the constant noise of the world to pick and choose your own path. Too many people are concerned with how others will react to their ideas or lifestyle choices, but when it really comes down to it, we all die one day, and that should not be responded to with morbid reactions, but with inspired motivation to break away from the sheep and take complete control of your life."

I thank you for sitting down and talking with us at Brutal Resonance. If I have missed any of your releases, or there is anything you want to use this platform to discuss, then the answer to this question is yours to shout from.
- "You're very welcome, I appreciate you conducting this interview, and I am an avid visitor of the Brutal Resonance website, so it's been a pleasure. Third Realm is currently doing a bunch of live shows in the Buffalo, New York area but is looking to join an upcoming tour or event. Any promoters or bands out there looking for spots to fill, definitely get in touch with us! Lastly, I recently completed a remix of the track "Human:Right?" by FearWork, be sure to check it out on YouTube or our Facebook page!"

This interview is now concluded. End it in a typical Nathan Reiner fashion.
- "Thank you again to you and to everyone out there for your continued support and kind words."