Credit: Chris Montgomery
Brooklyn-based post-punk trio Cuneiform areleased their debut album, Reverse
The 10-track album, Reverse opaquely traverses themes of numbing detachment and related alienation through mangled, manipulated instruments and patches. Creating Reverse proved a perfectionist and at-times tortuous journey for Cuneiform. The meaningfully-paced collection of songs channels Tyndall’s instinctive sensibility for sonic adventure and intelligent pop through his enduring passion for Nine Inch Nails, Berlin-era Bowie, and early Love and Rockets.
What do you want your music to communicate?
This album Reverse is about regret, lyrically anyway. The sound is also backwards looking, kind of a panopticon of the history of dark music.
Who is an artist that you look up to more than others today?
David Bowie is not only the greatest musician of all time but one of the greatest artists in any medium. He is one of the most celebrated in history but as long people just think of him as Ziggy Stardust he remains underrated.
What’s the record or artist that made you realize you wanted to be an artist?
The Downward Spiral
Tell us about your latest release and how it came about
With difficulty. We made it for next to no money so we did most everything ourselves as best we could. Thankfully the album we are working on now will have more resources brought to bear.
What inspires your sound?
I usually start by trying to create timbres I haven’t heard before or use techniques I have tried before. Once I find something I feel like the songs write themselves after that- so it inspires itself.
What’s your favorite tune of yours?
I like the instrumental “Reflect” on this record the most. I am very proud of it.
Where are some things you really want to accomplish as an artist?
I want to record a 4+ hour-long score for R Scott Bakker’s Prince of Nothing.
Was there ever a moment when you felt like giving up?
Every minute of every day. I try to give up but I’m addicted to this shit and I can’t stop.
What is the best advice you’ve ever gotten?
A producer I worked with years ago told me about an extremely well known album he worked on- a favorite of mine, and something that sounded utterly unique to me. He told me that they were just trying to make Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Tusk’ and this is where they ended up. The takeaway is that you can try your best to replicate something great, but your own skills and instincts will inevitably lead you somewhere new.
Where do you think the next game changer will be in the music industry and entertainment scene?
The game changer is the act of recording songs being retired in favor of general brand building- crafting the image rather than the music. If you can’t make money from the selling of actual music then the budgets to make those will continue to shrink and the budget for photos and PR will increase. You may have noticed the top artists are getting by with a very meager amount of releases. An industry in which the listening public believes that unlimited access to every song ever recorded is worth $9 a month has no future.
