After extensive experience working with other artists, arranging, co-writing, and mixing, Minutes To Midnight has decided to tell a very personal story of his in the medium of a concept album.
After 1989 – A Trip To Freedom is the debut solo album. A thoroughly crafted concept, it’s the result of a personal journey through a painful family legacy during World War II, and the tumultuous decades that followed.
It was mid-eighties summers season when Minutes to Midnight‘s grandfather shared a story from his past. It was a story about being captured and shipped to a concentration camp during WWII. His life spared thanks to his shoe making abilities, grandfather managed to escape the camp with another inmate. They trekked across Europe and found their way back home.
In the words of Simone (of Minutes To Midnight),
I grew up during the Cold War, obsessed by a shared feeling of impending doom. My very first trip was to Prague and Berlin, a few months after the collapse of the Wall. I watched a divided city as it still was, but didn’t dare to visit the camp. Many years later, I was able to put my resolve to the test.
Present day. Once again, I’m back in Berlin, this time to finally see the Konzentrationslager. I’m on the S-Bahn train to Oranienburg. At each station, my mind goes back in time, to the tumultuous decades that preceded the 9th of November 1989, when people were able to cross the Wall. I’m thinking about the connection between my grandfather’s story and the convoluted menacing world order that came out of it.
When I finally cross the steel gate of Sachsenhausen, I realise how this whole story is about being a prisoner. Whether in a concentration camp, behind a wall, caught within propaganda or fearing a nuclear holocaust.
As a person who is a big fan of concept albums and music with depth, After 1989: A Trip To Freedom is more than just an album. It’s a sonic novel, each song a chapter. Each lyric fueled by history, passion and alt-rockin’ sound bed that is packed with sweet guitar tones, highly emotive melodies, and a level of song crafting that is well above average.
In this interview spotlight, I chat with Simone of Minutes To Midnight about the latest release, technology, challenges and more.
Full Q&A along with links and music below.
Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.)
Originally from Italy, I’ve been living in the UK for the last ten years. My own music is currently in the realm of rock or alternative rock, though in the past I worked with many diverse genres. My next album will likely be more oriented towards a sophisticated (but not too much) pop-electronica.
What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to keep going?
Passion. I graduated in the early 1990s as a bass player, studying theory and arrangement in music school. Later, I worked as a sound designer and composer for video games, which is an industry I’m keen to go back to. I’m also a producer and a mixer, which is something that I love very much and grew with me in later years. I graduated as a master engineer at Berklee recently, which ironically helped my career as a mixer.
What motivates me is the passion itself, and the way I can express my ideas and communicate with sounds and words. I find fascinating how often people can relate to songs more than to real life conversations.
How is this new release different than previous ones? Were you trying to accomplish anything specific?
Yes, I wanted to tell a real-life personal story, hence why I chose the concept album as my preferred medium to convey the tale.
Name one or two challenges you face as an indie musician in this oversaturated, digital music age? How has technology helped you (since we know it does help)?
I’m sure this is a common one: finding my ideal audience. I know the kind of person I aim to, but it’s coincidentally one of the less digital-savvy out there — therefore harder to reach. Luckily, I discovered that more people than I thought, beyond my “ideal persona”, have managed to find my story fascinating.
Technology made possible to reach a vast amount of listeners, that I would not have been capable to find elsewhere. I think this is one of the best moment in time for independent artists, musicians in particular. My manager Christopher keeps saying that a “mindset change” is required in order to cope with the modern music business. I’m noticing in real life how this as a powerful truth. I’m not saying it’s all great, far from it, but there is so much available that wasn’t there when I started. The will to find ways to achieve your goals is paramount.
What was the last song you listened to?
“Million Dollar Man” by Lana Del Rey.
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
I don’t really care. I still have CDs but I ripped them in digital formats anyway. I now see CDs as an accessory, useful for credits, lyrics and photographs. It’s not a medium I really use to consume music anymore. I’d like to have vinyl again, but I’m not nostalgic. Once you get used to something more practical it makes no sense to change your habits, does it?
How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
I’ve been using Bandcamp for a long time but it’s getting harder and harder for me to find something I really enjoy there. I like to listen to music (old or new) that mostly isn’t on Bandcamp, so I really dislike the idea of restricting myself to a single digital platform. I tried Apple Music for 6 months and ditched it for Spotify premium. I now understand why the majority of people are subscribing to the latter. The user experience factor is massively in their favour. I really don’t know what Apple engineers and designer are thinking.
Also, I’ve been finding way more interesting independent artists on Spotify than on any other place, which admittedly surprised me. I still dislike the streaming business model they have in place for paying the artists, but I see the value of the platform, from a user perspective. I sincerely hope that the future will be more artist-friendly, business-wise, although I don’t have too many expectations from these big companies.
Where is the best place to connect with you online and discover more music?
I would say Instagram and Twitter. I’m also active on Reddit, Facebook and LinkedIn.
Anything else before we sign off?
Thank you for the opportunity to answer these questions, I hope some of you would find my album “After 1989” interesting and would push a few people to connect with me. DMs are open!
