Formula Indie Sessions – Interview with “The Room Went Dark”

“The Room Went Dark” is a solo music project from Augsburg/ Germany. Representative works are “Shinrin-Yoku” and “Osore”.

What is your earliest memory connected to music?
I think that was back in 2008 when my dad showed me “Numb” by Linkin Park. LP was my first-ever favorite artist. Until then, I liked listening to the radio, and there were a few songs I enjoyed, but nothing too special for me. Linkin Park changed that completely for me.

How did your passion for creating music begin?
That was when I discovered the program “GarageBand” by Apple in 2011. If you have an Apple device, you can download it for free. It has a lot of built-in sounds, like different synthesizers and even drum and guitar emulations. You can also plug in your own real guitar via an interface device to record.

What’s the story behind your current music project?
Over the years, I developed a more electronically driven sound in my GarageBand compositions, since I wasn’t satisfied with how the guitar emulations—and even recordings of real guitars—sounded. In December of 2019, I started uploading tracks on SoundCloud and YouTube under the name “Concentric Circles.” That project led to what now is “The Room Went Dark,” when I switched from GarageBand to Logic Pro, a real professional recording program with lots of new possibilities. The name “The Room Went Dark” is a line from the song “In Over My Head” by Grandson. I don’t know why, but it really stuck with me. “The Room Went Dark” was also the name of my last EP with “Concentric Circles.”

How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before?
All in all, I would say it’s a blend of alternative rock, indie, electronic, and modern metal. On the major streaming services, I have only released two tracks so far, but you can find the older stuff (“Concentric Circles” and early “The Room Went Dark”) on my YouTube channel “219OST”.

What is one thing you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music?
Writing lyrics! My song “Shinrin-Yoku” was the first track for which I wanted to write and record my own lyrics, since it’s a deeply personal song. All my original stuff until then was just instrumental.

What tools, instruments, or software are essential in your creative process?
I use different guitars (6-string, 7-string and baritone) for recording. In terms of drums, I use the plug-in “One Kit Wonder – Metal” from Getgood Drums and “The Nolly Bass Library” from the same company for bass. The rest is mostly built-in stock plug-ins from Logic Pro.

Which indie artist or song are you loving right now?
I’d say “Glass Tongue” by Allure. They’re a metal band from Karlsruhe — a really young group (I believe the oldest member is 21 and the youngest just 17) — yet they have an impressively professional approach to songwriting, sound, and stage performance. Over the past few months, they’ve been playing bigger and bigger shows, and it’s well deserved. Big shoutout to the guys!

How have your personal experiences influenced your music and artistic vision?
Mostly in the way that I have started writing lyrics. So far, all lyrics revolve around things I have experienced and that have shaped me in some way. I have found that writing completely fictional stuff is really hard for me, so (for now) I really need this personal component within my music.

What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work?
Since I don’t explain the specific topics of my work, I hope that my music leaves enough room for interpretation, so that maybe a song can have a different meaning for a listener than it has for me.

What’s the most important lesson music has taught you so far?
You have to be happy with the music you’re making. Of course, it’s cool when people tell you that they enjoy your music, but that’s all worthless if you don’t like it. And if the production of a song takes years, so be it. I almost completely scrapped the first version of lyrics for “Shinrin-Yoku” because I wasn’t happy. After that, the final version of the lyrics almost took a whole year to complete until I was satisfied. That’s ok!

What is a dream venue or festival you would love to perform at?
The “Backstage” in Munich. No other venue have I visited as often (I’ve lost count by now). I went to my first metal concerts there, and it’s still my favorite concert location of all time. I love the atmosphere, and it’s also super easy to reach from my hometown, Augsburg — whether by car or train. Speaking of festivals, it would be the greatest honor to play at “Rock am Ring / Rock im Park” one day.

If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?
I think that would be Gabi Rose of “Bilmuri”. Her saxophone playing is just awesome! I have often thought about adding a saxophone solo to my songs, but none of the saxophone plug-ins I have found so far have reached my expectations — they just didn’t sound the way I wanted. Therefore, a real, organic saxophone would be amazing.

Where can our listeners follow and support your music? (Website, Spotify, IG, links)
You can find my songs on all major streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music under “The Room Went Dark.” Older songs as well as cover versions can be found on my YouTube channel “219OST.” Feel free to follow my Instagram @the.room.went.dark too.

Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the next chapter of your musical journey?
The next couple of songs are finished and are currently in the mixing/mastering stage. I am really looking forward to releasing them, since they follow a slightly different direction than my last two songs, “Shinrin-Yoku” and “Osore.” Looking ahead, I hope to keep improving the quality of my work — expanding my vocal range, refining my songwriting, and incorporating even more musical styles into my music.

What do you hope listeners will discover about you along the way?
That even if my roots are in heavy music, I also enjoy making “softer” music and that the music you make doesn’t have to be heavy just because you are a metal fan. If I want to be heavy with my songs, I’ll do it, but if I think it doesn’t fit the song, it’s totally ok for me to make a song maybe even without any guitars.

Here you can find my latest single “Osore”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcMlvpxiWe8