ALIAS hits hard with second album entitled EMBRACE CHAOS which was released on April 19 via Simone Records . A new music video for the track that closes the album, “COCKTAILS AND DREAMS,” was also unveiled.
On the 12 tracks that make up EMBRACE CHAOS , determined to defy expectations and never go through the same river twice, ALIAS completely swaps guitars for synths (Mini-Moog, Prophet 5) and organ, manipulated through series of effects in order to blur the lines while increasing their presence.
Pivoting towards dance-punk , motorik rock and the sounds of the post-punk revival of the 2000s, he breaks his framework by returning to spoken word , putting three fuzzes in series on his bass and phaser on the organ, by doubling the drums and inviting new voices including Virginie B , Meggie Lennon , Kroy and Cadence Weapon featuring.
A cornerstone of the album’s theme, “COCKTAILS AND DREAMS” is about screwing things up, going out and taking control – and it’s also the first song to be composed for the album. Touching on the sonic characteristics of the other pieces in a more moderate version, it closes the work with an 80s- flavored dance finale which seems to free the album from its burdens.
FIRST OFF CARE TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO OUR READERS?
Hey, I’m Emmanuel Alias, a producer based in Montreal and the lead singer (and composer) of ALIAS. If there’s something you should know about me is that I like to cheat when I play games and I really hate coriander.
TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR RECENT RELEASE.
My last album is called “EMBRACE CHAOS”. I started the whole process of this album 1 year ago. An inner chaos we all have inside of us, that needs to be out, a relief. I think there’s positivity in chaos, that’s why this album is quite joyful and dark.
HOW DO YOU TYPICALLY GO ABOUT THE SONGWRITING PROCESS? DO YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC METHOD OR CREATIVE ROUTINE THAT YOU FOLLOW?
I don’t have a specific method, I just decide to follow my instincts. But for this one, most of the songs were created from weird noises and glitches.
LOOKING AHEAD, WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR SUPPORTING THIS NEW RELEASE? ARE THERE ANY UPCOMING TOURS, MUSIC VIDEOS, OR ADDITIONAL CONTENT THAT FANS CAN LOOK FORWARD TO IN CONNECTION WITH THIS PROJECT?
We just released the album on April, 19th with the focus track “COCKTAILS AND DREAMS” accompanied by a music video. There’s gonna be more surprises during the year (new clips and new featuring). I’m currently touring in Europe with the band, playing in France, Switzerland, Belgium, and the UK. I look forward to being back in Canada to perform a special show with all the artists that I collaborated with on this album.
LOOKING BACK ON YOUR MUSICAL CAREER, IS THERE A PARTICULAR MOMENT OR ACCOMPLISHMENT THAT YOU CONSIDER A TURNING POINT OR A HIGHLIGHT?
I worked for more than 7 years as a composer for movies and TV shows… I realized that something was missing in my life so that’s why I decided to start my own project (ALIAS) in 2020.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST, IT’S TIME TO PAY IT FORWARD, WHAT UPCOMING BAND OR ARTIST WOULD YOU RECOMMEND YOUR FANS CHECK OUT?
Water from Your Eyes – an experimental pop band from NYC that inspires me a lot
Hot Garbage – post-punk from Toronto, I really like their shows
Semiwestern – band from Texas I like to play when I feel “moody”