First takes, delusions, and the beautiful energy of negativity

Simple, yet intricate: that’s how some have described the music of The Ringmaster, otherwise known as Francis Lorenzo of the band Sleepwalk Circus. It’s an assessment he doesn’t disagree with. “Delusion of Reference” is the title of the upcoming first solo album, slated for release this May — 10 tracks in which the Ringmaster persona runs rampant in a little but lush world of his own devising.

YOUNG STAR: Tell us about how these songs came together: from initial inspiration, to refining, to recording.

FRANCIS LORENZO: The album was completed over the course of two years, and finalized about a year ago. It took me longer to prepare the miscellaneous non-music stuff than to create the actual album.

There really is no one process to the songs’ creation. There were a few songs pre-cooked way back during the Sleepwalk Circus era, a.k.a. college. The rest were most probably written when I was in a certain negative reinforced state. The ones I got attached to, I kept, and the others I either kept for SC or used for work.

For a few songs I did try the “use the first take” thing. Playing the mini-game of whatever structure or notes first used, that would be it. No changing allowed. The advantage of this is I don’t fall into the over-tinkering trap.

As for collaborations — I would like to mention the artworks (used) for the album are amazing. So good that I had to change and remove some songs so they would revolve around them instead of them revolving around the songs.

What dominant themes and recurring subjects can be found in the Ringmaster’s music?

The majority of it is very negative driven. Oh, the beautiful energy of arrogance, lust, elitism, et cetera. (I know that) almost sounds emo cringe-worthy. Wording emotions has never been a strong trait of mine, hence my turning them into music. A friend said it was like I painted a beautiful sunset landscape around a dead body. I don’t know if that helps explain things, but I like that description. It’s an album of expression. I suppose I’m just fueled and motivated more via negative reinforcement.

What can you do — musically and otherwise — as the Ringmaster that you could not (or would rather not) do in the context of your band?

The band will probably not like my answer here, but sometimes, when something I write comes out exactly how it is in my head, the addition of external ideas ruins it for me. One could use the “It sounds better when x added something” defense, but either way, it loses a deep personal meaning or vision I had for said song if I’m attached to it. There are always things that one wants to experience and express alone.

What artists are your all-time favorites (and, possibly, deepest influences)?

All-time fave — Smashing Pumpkins’ “Adore” I think is what I have deemed a perfect album. No matter what music I somehow end up doing in the future, the influence of this album has already been ingrained in me. Other really deep influences are Bjork (specifically “Vespertine”), Rob Dougan’s “Furious Angels,” Damien Rice, Olafur Arnalds (this guy showed how powerful a single note could be using sheer tone), Jonsi’/Sigur Ros, Tommy Walters’ early AP stuff, Mew, Reverie Sound Revue, MBV and everything Halloween Alaska.

What is the most rewarding aspect of making music? The most frustrating?

Hmm. Well, one of the most rewarding would be when completely random people, people that have never heard you or people that by all accounts don’t like something about you — genre, personality, cooking, et cetera — say they truly find something of your creation to be beautiful. They didn’t follow a trend, they didn’t need to talk to you, they didn’t need anything either so the sincerity of their positive response is like the Peking duck of “thank you”s.

The most frustrating would be over-tinkering and making drums and beats! Why is it so hard? You see people like Caliph8 and Pasta Groove spewing out these crazy beats just like that. I could spend months trying to do the same thing and it wouldn’t even come close. So if at first I don’t succeed, don’t even bother. I’ll take the good ol’ inefficient slow route.

What have you learned from embarking on a solo project?

There’s something therapeutic about it and I really recommend it, especially for songwriters out there who do not really write as a group. You create this setting where you have complete control of everything, and at the same time (it’s still) a learning experience. You have this opportunity to get some tiny satisfaction out of finding yourself musically.

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See www.facebook.com/ringmastermusic for more.