One might think that electronic music genres like techno and EDM would leave little room for personal exploration, but Canada-via-Ukraine producer and DJ Rezz would argue otherwise. Her fifth album As the Pendulum Swings may serve as her most musically mature set of songs to date, yet behind the industrial clamor lies a sense of morbid intrigue fueled by the artist’s childhood years of mischief.
Alongside the record’s release today, Rezz shares with us how several formative experiences from her early days may have had a hand in shaping these songs, ranging from the dark aura of her older brother’s basement bedroom to premature experiences with psychedelic drugs and certain cult films that achieved their status at least in part due to their gruesome nature. Yet as Pendulum proves, it wasn’t just the negative effects of these experiences that shaped the music she creates—there’s a sense of titillation to these songs comparable only to feelings of fear during early development, while its colorful textures bring to mind films like those of Gaspar Noe.
Stream the record below, and read on for Rezz’s full set of non-musical influences. Also, I hope this goes without saying, but kids: experimenting with psychedelics and disturbing movies will not make you Rezz!
Trippy films like Requiem for a Dream and Enter the Void
Both of these movies carried a very specific feel for me upon discovering them at a young age. Not only the color schemes, but also the editing, visuals, unique angles, and storylines. They both carry a very dark tone throughout, and in my own mind, I’m able to hear and make music that I feel could suit many of the scenes, both in a “high-speed alleyway” type of vibe, but also in a slow, psychedelic way. The drug scenes—although I haven’t experienced addiction in the ways showcased in Requiem, just through watching—the feelings are palpable to a point where I could imagine what they were feeling while feeling it. Through that darkness and pain, I’m able to source inspiration.
My brother’s basement bedroom
My brother lived in my parents’ basement, and at the time—when I was four—he had the walls red, plus many decorations that were also red, creepy, and overall had a generally dark aesthetic. There were old busted-up action figures, swords on the walls, comic books, and custom art pieces he would create. Being a young child, I would always ask, “Can I come downstairs?”—which he probably found annoying, but ever since then my favorite color was red and I had a deep love for horror/creepy aesthetics. The aura of the room still inspires me to this day.
Psychedelics at an early age
I wasn't sure how to talk about this, but I'd be lying to understate the significance of these experiences. At just 15, I was experimenting with psychedelics (specifically mushrooms, but others, too) and honestly, that experience changed my life as a young teenage girl. At the time it felt like a massive shift in me, spiritually. I’m not even super spiritual by any means, but something about the experience made me a kinder, more self-aware, creative person. I got what I needed from it, and actually haven’t had interest in them since my teenage years. It inspired me visually, in a major way. I recall seeing plenty of eyeballs and mouths, while tripping. In general, there were many visuals accompanying a mushroom trip, as I’m sure many know—and there were many moments of me feeling hypnotized by the visuals. And, well, you can see that in my art often!
Visual art
Visuals, in general, play a massive role in my inspiration, whether it be a deck of cards, dice, eyeballs, marionettes, yin-yang symbols, creepy dolls, hands, optical illusions, the color red, or, of course, the spiral. When I view these images, it immediately inspires me. I’m very drawn to those pieces and incorporate them as much as I can in my work. It’s tough for me to pinpoint why—I guess it’s like trying to answer why you like a certain color, where you just like it! It feels like a major part of me, the visual content which I associate so heavily with.
Self-induced fear
When I was a kid, me and my friends would purposely induce fear into ourselves because we simply thought it was fun. We’d go to abandoned buildings, graveyards, and places we weren’t supposed to visit. We even played with Ouija boards. We all got a kick out of it, and would mess with each other thinking the Ouija board was moving when really it was just one of us. We’d go to creepy locations like under a bridge and even make up storylines of what may have happened there—we’d get so spooked out that we’d run away in genuine fear at our own stories. This experience showed me that I loved to feel creeped out. The feeling that horror gives me is exciting—it doesn’t genuinely scare me the way real-life things do, but the imagery and storylines excite me and it really takes me out of my own head and into an imaginary type of world, which is a major source of inspiration to me.
