Commerce, Michigan based musician David Rossi has spent more than a decade crafting vibrant soundscapes full of colorful textures and lush atmospheric tones and recently released a brilliant new album titled (ie).
I sat down with David to talk about their early musical experiences, how they started playing instruments and the making of the new record which you can get here.
CMM – What was the first music that really made an impact on you growing up and what artists and bands did you all enjoy the most?
David – I grew up listening to hip hop and hard rock. Dr. Dre, Limp Bizkit, Biggie, A Tribe Called Quest, Gangstarr, all the way to bands like The Deftones, Incubus, Chevelle, Linkin Park, I’d have to say The Deftones are my favorite band of all time. I think their sound design is amazing. As far as producing goes. XXYYXX was the first kind of Electronic I ever really was blown away by. Then came Clams Casino. The first time I ever heard him I was blown away. Favorite artist of all time, easily.
CMM-When did you first start playing instruments and making your own music and when did you start recording as Soft Static?
David-I started playing bass when I was 14. My girlfriend at the time had a bass guitar and I picked it up one day and really enjoyed the tones. Then eventually I got a drum set, then a guitar. I’ve always been making and playing music. But I started producing Instrumentals in highschool in 9th grade. Then in 2013 I believe, I started a project under the name “Dwdy”. It was all chill electronic instrumentals. I worked on that project for about 10 years. Just recently within the last 2 years I switched over to the name “Soft Static” and began to work on alternative rock sounds, alongside my other projects.
CMM-You recently released a really beautiful record called “(ie)”. What was the recording process like? Any notable pieces of gear that you used throughout the sessions?
David-Well, my soulmate/ love of my life passed away in January. I had just started recording some new material when it happened. I decided to continue recording and dedicate the entire album to her. It was really hard at times to work on it. But I really enjoyed the outcome. I put many hours and tons of thought into the titles, listing order, and overall tone for the album. I mixed and mastered the album in FL Studio. Recorded everything through a midi interface. I used an Alesis electronic drum kit, Ibanez guitar, bass, and Akai MPK keyboard.
CMM-If you could collaborate on an album with another band or musician who would it be and what direction do you think the music would go in?
David-I would love to work with Clams Casino. I think I understand his music very well and given all of the instruments I can bring to the table I think it would be great. His irreplicable sampling mixed with my guitar/drums. A hybrid kind of idea where Electronic meets rock.
CMM-What do you have coming up next? Any new recordings/shows?
David– I am currently working on a project with a talented R&B artist that goes by “Dyna Edyne”. I’m hoping to have a few different mixes drawn up soon. Every now and then I might release some singles throughout the summer. I personally don’t do live shows at the moment. I feel a little weird standing on a stage and pressing play to play my electronic stuff because there’s not many ways to play my stuff live. I would also need a band of some sort in order to play my alternative rock material. But maybe in the future. The sky’s the limit.
