In an era where music often finds its soul in collaboration, the emergence of solo projects has become a testament to individual creativity and vision. Another Abyss, a one-man post-punk endeavor from Ludwigsburg, Germany, stands as a prime example of this phenomenon. In our interview Fabio speaks about his musical roots, the essence of working solo, the intricacies of his songwriting process, and what lies ahead for Another Abyss. Join us as we explore the depths of artistic autonomy of this unique post-punk / goth artist.
Tell us about yourself. Where do you come from musically and what led you to Another Abyss?
I was born at the end of the 80s, which means I was only marginally involved in music in the 90s and only really started listening to music towards the end - I'm definitely a child of the Grunge era, that was the first genre that really influenced me back then. Like so many people my age, the Tony Haws Pro Skater games also played a not insignificant part in introducing me to new music and bands in those genres.
Around this time, I also started playing guitar myself and this opened up many new bands and genres for me that I simply couldn't connect with before. Shortly afterwards, I started looking around locally for my first own band and quickly found people who were on my level. From that moment on, there was almost no time when I wasn't part of a group.
Over the years I've added guitar, bass, drums and vocals to various bands, which has given me the perfect foundation for Another Abyss. Stylistically, the bands were all more of the heavier genres, so some of my songs and demos just wouldn't have fit.
After my last band broke up around 2021, it was the moment for me to go back to all those unreleased demos and start realizing my own vision with Another Abyss.
You describe yourself as a "one man post punk project". What is it like for you to work alone? Is that intentional or more out of necessity?
You could say both. Most of the bands I played in before Another Abyss had the problem that the members' ideas of what they wanted to achieve with the band were very far apart. Of course, this also affected the motivation and the atmosphere, which often led to frustration and problems between the members. If not everyone pulls together, the band is only as good as the person who is least motivated.
That's exactly the problem I wanted to avoid by taking matters into my own hands.
After we were all forced to spend a lot of time at home a few years ago, that was the moment when I just wanted to give it a go. I had nothing to lose but time and I had plenty of it. I dug out some of the demos I'd written over the years, tried to polish things up and produced my first EP "Once More Without Feeling". That moment showed me that I was capable and had learned enough over the years to fill all the necessary roles.
Another reason why I appreciate working alone - I can work on songs how and when I want. I'm an absolute night owl, it's not uncommon for me to come out of the studio at 3am with a new demo. That's not to say that I don't enjoy working with other artists, just that it's much easier for my workflow and I can get to the goal in my head faster and closer. I've done features in the past and will continue to work with other artists in the future when the opportunity arises.
Your new single "Death Unites Us" is the fourth after your last album from 2023. What is the song about? How do your songs come about and how do you usually work?
Death Unites Us is about the painful realization of how quickly our time here comes to an end and how we waste most of our lives living next to each other and not with each other. In the end, everyone goes it alone and yet that's what connects us all, no matter what came before.
In terms of songwriting, I'm very emotionally driven. Trying out new sounds often sparks a melody that goes through my head, or at least sets a mood that I want to work with. With Death Unites Us in particular, the sound of the main synth quickly showed where the journey should go. It's important for me not to force songs, but to follow the feeling when writing - because the best songs are the ones where the melody and the structure fall into your lap.
In the first step, I choose a tempo that feels right for the idea and the first track is always a simple drumbeat to roughly mark things out. Then it's a matter of trying out variations of the melodic idea that carry the motif and adding extensions based on the feel of the other parts of the song. When I've reached a point here that I'm reasonably happy with, I pick up the bass and start improvising. Synths, effects, vocals and the final drums always come at the very end.
At any moment in the process described above, the song can still change a lot. If I realize during the recording process that I'm drawn in a different direction, I try to explore that possibility too and in the end weigh up what's right for the song.
As for the lyrics, a lot of them are passages from old poems that I've written over the years and that fit the mood thematically and in terms of content. I try to incorporate them whenever possible, but I don't want to force it here either - if it would make things bumpy, I go back to the beginning until the passage sounds smooth enough.
You could say that songwriting is a huge puzzle for me, where there is no right or wrong - only the feeling at the end when you hear the product.
Will you continue to release singles in this rhythm, what can we expect next?
Releasing individual songs and then bringing them together to form a big whole has worked well for me over the last few months and years.
That's why I'm going to continue on this path for now and also combine the 4 singles I've released since my last album into one album in the near future.
This way gives me the opportunity to react flexibly during the album cycle and close the chapter when I see fit. As far as that goes, I plan from song to song.
Also - albums unfortunately don't get the attention they did 10 years ago, which I think is a real shame. Very few people take or have the time to listen to an LP as a whole. As a result, good songs often fall by the wayside because they reach far too few ears. By releasing the songs individually, I avoid this problem and can give each song the attention it deserves.
Do you also play concerts or are you planning any in the near future?
Another Abyss was actually planned from the beginning as a studio-only project, where I could work on the songs and lyrics that didn't fit anywhere else.
I didn't expect to receive such positive feedback from all over the world. Of course, that gives you the incentive to do more.
I'm not playing any live shows at the moment, but I'm working on making that possible in the future!
Discover "Death Unites Us" by schneid and other favorites on our curated Spotify playlist, "New Dark Wave | Goth | Post Punk," regularly refreshed with fresh tracks from fellow artists and bands within the scene.