We recently caught up with James Ruehlmann, aka, Mutrix to talk about his career, Chicago and his experiences as an artist.
Interview by McKenzie Hughes.
1. James began his career in music with being apart of At the Throne of Judgment through playing guitar. This experience gave James not only the chance to see the Country but also tour with outstanding bands. Although, Mutrix is a different sound compared to his past work, how has creating music as Mutrix been different?
Well it’s interesting because I tell people dubstep and metal are so similar… Rhythmically, melodically there are just so many parallels. I love heavy, aggressive music but there has to be a solid sense of melody and structure to hold it all together. Obviously with doing electro and dubstep there is no band practice or anything, but the process of writing and producing electronic music is extremely tedious. Although there aren’t really live instruments to record, there is so much detail involved.
2. Were there any challenges you faced or was this experience a positive learning curve for you as an artist?
Oh yeah, there’s always challenges, but challenges are always positive. I think the biggest challenge for me has been building my mixing and engineering skills. As an electronic producer you’re expected to mix your own stuff, so you can’t depend on an outside engineer. I’ll feel great about a song and it I’ll be stoked on it, then I’ll go test a mix in my car and put it next to a similar song to compare and just get super depressed. But it’s something every engineer deals with. Every song gets better and every few weeks you look back and think your last mix sounds like crap, you’re never satisfied.
3. From transitioning from working in a studio producing music for other artists while working in Atlanta and now being able to produce your own music, has this been the break you were anticipating?
Definitely. I really hate working on stuff that I’m not 100% stoked on. So if you have a crappy singer or someone who wants to do something I don’t really dig, it’s just…. I don’t feel like devoting my energy to stuff like that. I like having full creative control.
4. Through learning further in Chicago how to model and engineer synth, did it help you obtain the proper tools to move forward with planning to release your debut EP this year?
Absolutely, I spent months just learning how to use Massive and Sylenth and watching tutorials online and building my own sounds. In this genre having your own sounds is key and I feel like I really have some unique stuff going on that will make me identifiably on my new material.
5. Is there anything that fans should know or be expecting with this release?
Melodicness. Heaviness… and aliens.
6. Aside from an upcoming release, are there any additional plans for 2012?
I’ve got some things in the works. There are a lot of good things developing right now! (Wink, wink)
7. What has been the “Highlight(ing)” moment you have experienced thus far as Mutrix?
Doing a remix for the lead singer of Dream Theater. As a metal guitarist I obviously went through a Dream Theater phase when I was in high school where I thought they were Gods. They are legendary and Grammy nominated and when I got a request to remix James Labrie’s material I was blown away. I finished it and sent it off and James Labrie listened to it and said, “This is what I’m f*ckin talkin’ about. Mutrix is the man.” THAT ruled.
