Black Orchid Empire: The Real Lifeblood Of Existence

Song writing can be one of the strongest forms of storytelling and creative expression. It gives you the power to produce an immersive experience which others can share with you. When writing their new release Semaphore, BLACK ORCHID EMPIRE wanted to do something different, this album was going to have a theme that connected all the tracks and gave them a sense of atmosphere. The concept for the release was sci-fi, and all the things that go along with it.

We spoke to Paul Visser, the vocalist/guitarist for the band and he said having a theme for the album, “…allows for so much extra poetic freedom lyrically to operate within a completely fictional world.” Being all fans of Sci-fi, this idea was a fun one to delve into, and this sense of enjoyment really comes through in the quality of the songs. Visser spoke of how he would write a unique short story for each of the tracks and found it very enjoyable and empowering, and spoke of how this creative freedom allowed all members of the band to get involved with the idea process.  When asked to describe the band’s sound in five words, he answered with, “Melodic Tech Singalong Riff Bops”, and that is a pretty accurate description of this exciting record.

Having released two albums previously, Archetype in 2016 and Yugen in 2018, BLACK ORCHID EMPIRE feel they have pushed themselves to create something with this new album, that really expresses who they are. Visser said that this release differs to the others as it is heavier and more technical. This album is definitely one to listen to, with its hard hitting melodies and immersive lyrics; you can see why the band had so much fun creating it. “We’ve never had so much fun coming up with ideas for songs before!” Visser went on to say that generating this album was “…the hardest we’ve ever gone in pursuing the discovery of what defines us as a band.” There was definitely a clear vision for this album, and it represents the band in a very good light.

The music videos for the singles from this album are all very imaginative pieces which stick to the sci-fi theme. The visuals only add to the listening experience, and emphasise the underlying meanings of the songs. It feels as if you’re watching something straight out of a science fiction movie, and really do the songs justice. Alina Gordienko was in charge of creating the narrative sequences for the music videos which were shot in Odessa in the Ukraine, and they really hit the mark! Visser said his favourite music video was, “probably the video for Natural Selection – we had no idea how insane it would be. They spent eight hours with a top movie prosthetic makeup artist creating the alien. It’s nuts!” Talk about dedication.

BLACK ORCHID EMPIRE clearly loves to create music, and it is not surprising when you hear they have all “been into music almost from birth.” Visser spoke of his upbringing and how music influenced it when he went on to say. “My dad is a jazz saxophonist, sound designer and university researcher specialising in augmented reality and merged reality audio. We built a recording studio in our house when I was 10. Dave and Billy also grew up with music, we’ve all been obsessed since before we can remember.” From hearing how nicely mixed the new release was, it makes sense to hear that the band actually runs their own commercial studio, The Recording Studio London, where they write and record all their songs. When a band lives and breathes music, it shows through in the what they produce, which is why their passion is so clear in Semaphore. “Music hasn’t really changed our lives so much as it’s moulded and completely defined it – music is at the centre of every decision we’ve made and every experience we’ve had.”

The album artwork for the release was designed by Visser himself, drawing it all using a digital tablet, and bassist/vocalist Dave Ferguson worked on the layout. As well as the main album art, all the singles have artwork that hint at their meanings but in a subtle way. “The Semaphore cover is about distilling what we do as creative people. We have ideas, package them up in some medium or another and send them into the ether in the hope they’ll resonate with someone else’s existence. It’s the closest thing humans have to telepathic communication…” The band wanted to convey that all creative forms can emote the same feeling or thought to anyone who sees it, creating this almost bond that connects everyone. “Two people can listen to the same piece of music or read the same words in a novel completely independently, at different points in space and time, and have the exact same reaction. That’s what the artwork represents. It’s also what is talked about in the intro track Emissaries, which Billy [Freedom, drums] narrated.”

Paul Visser went on to answer some more questions about the band and their new release, Semaphore.

When writing this album, which bands or artists were the biggest influences for you all and in what ways?

Paul: We all love different things but definitely have tons of shared favourites that come through in the writing. DEFTONES, TOOL, BLACK PEAKS, KARNIVOOL, TESSERACT and PERIPHERY are all massive for us.

If you could choose, which song would you have loved to have written and why?

Paul: We’re all very jealous of KARNIVOOL’s Sound Awake. Any song on there! It’s such a great record.

What are some techniques you haven’t used on your current albums that you would love to experiment with in future releases?

Paul: Interesting question – we consistently experiment and push ourselves so who knows! We are very conscious though of staying within a format that can be re-created by a three-piece band live. We never use backing tracks, so that does put restrictions on things a little. An actual keys player with synth sounds could be cool, you never know.

You have played some really cool shows previously, what is one of your favourite things about playing live and touring with other bands?

Paul: Touring is the reward for the hard work in a lot of ways. Playing the shows in 2019 with SKUNK ANASIE gave us some of the most special moments we’ve ever had so far – they’re heroes for us. Playing live is a direct feedback loop with other humans experiencing music with you in real time – it’s impossible to get that feeling any other way. I think that fact is even more poignant in the context of the current lockdown, within which Semaphore will be released. Human contact, sharing art, combining experience: that is the real lifeblood of existence.

Semaphore is out now via Long Branch Records.

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