"All About The Album - 15 Questions" - a brand new section at the RockUnited site where recording artists with an recently released CD is confronted with 'album'  questions (15 of them, duh!). If you'd like to have your material up, email:  urban "at" rockunited.com (simply replace "at" with your standard @ )

CHASING KARMA: "Cosmocracy"

CHASING KARMA is the spanking new project of vocalist/guitarist Mark Allen Lanoue (Dean Fasano, Arcara, Biloxi, etc). Find out everything and more about the album "Cosmocracy", the band and their influences, here's Mark Lanoue!!!

How has the reaction to your latest CD been?

The Reaction has been Great! The CD is somewhat diverse. So there are some expected reactions to the CD. Some people like songs like “Tell Me” and “Say Goodbye”; while others like “Destiny” and “Fight For Me”. Since the CD follows the last BILOXI CD “In the Wake of the Storm”. It is expected that some people will be looking for the same BILOXI sound. Although the opening track “Destiny” is the closest to BILOXI III; the rest of the CD is definitely a change in direction. 

How long did this CD take to make from start to finish, recording-wise?

Since the members of this band have businesses, jobs, and families to attend to; the CD took about 2 years to complete. This covered recording, mixing, artwork, and mastering.

What kind of 'sound', production wise, did you have in the back of your mind, prior to entering the studio?

We bounced back and forth. We wanted to have a clean product that did not use any corrections. We did not use any tuning or music correction software of processing. All of the background vocals, other than a few, are that of my band. We wanted the CD to sound close to what we would sound like live.

What kind of input did the producer have during the process?

This CD was completely produced by the band.

And are you pleased with the final outcome? (sound - production wise)

Yes. We are very pleased with the final outcome. We don’t have a multi million dollar Studio with ProTools, etc. The sound that we had for a final product sounds great to us..

Did the producer (you) use any (weird) experimental miking and/or recording techniques?

We used 2 Alesis HD24 recorders, several drum mics, and an audiotechnica 4040 vocal mic. The guitars and bass were recorded via digitec and line 6 pre amps and speaker emulators; while the drums and guitar solos were recorded live. Nothing weird here.. OLD SCHOOL.. 

How did you go on about capturing your 'live sound' in the studio, or perhaps you didn't

We simply captured the talent of the band. We don’t use corrective methods during recording and production. No vocal tuning or higher processing to correct flaws. What you Hear is what you get... !

Please inform us about your favourite songs and lyrical highlights and why?

My favourite tunes are : Destiny, What You See Is What You Get, Tell Me, Brand New Start, and Say Goodbye. I like the diversity across these tracks and my band did a great job with the background vocals. My buddies Bruce Foster and Shane Keister did a great job on the keyboards on Tell Me and Say Goodbye. I really dig my guitar solos on Destiny and Brand New Start. James Gillies plays the solo on What You See and We play a harmony solo together on Tell Me. 

Any overall theme of mood that you're trying to capture while writing songs?

We just try to write Good Tunes that tell a story. The idea is to hopefully touch the hearts of the listeners and pull them away from reality of a little while. 

Does your vision for coming up with music get affected at all by time?

No. I am actually getting better over time. I don’t worry so much about formula anymore. I just want to write quality tunes together with what I find is a great chemistry with the other members of the band.

Did the record company interfere with anything on your "sound" and songs?

We are now indie for now. With BILOXI, we were on MTM International and Retrospect records.  I have been on tracks that were on Escape Music, Ltd and several other labels. Right now, we have interest. However, we are trying to focus on the live show right now. The rest will come in time.

How would you describe the sound of your new CD to any potential new fan?

ROCKIN’ and Diverse. We tried to capture a mix of moods, while trying to stay cohesive. Melody, Harmony, power, and subtlety in one package. 

Who are your influences and heroes? (music-wise)

My (Mark Lanoue) personal influences are wide and many. However, I really like Styx, Journey, Queensryche, Stevie Wonder, and Dean Fasano. My Drummer (Rob Gronkoski) is a big Rush fan. It is hard to list all of the influences. We just love music. 

If there's anything you'd like to add, say, please do:

We are lovers of music and we thrive to produce material that we hope touches the ears, hearts, and souls of the listener. We are very grateful to have had such awesome fans, while we were BILOXI and we hope to continue gathering fans through our transition into CHASING KARMA. We have a presence on facebook, Reverbnation, Twitter, Myspace, and on the web at www.chasing-karma.com . 
Mark Lanoue

Interview by: Urban "Wally" Wallstrom,
Photos from the band's website www.chasing-karma.com  
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