Band Bonding: A Review of Hypnogaja’s album Truth Decay and an Interview with Hypnogaja

Hypnogaja is a modern rock band from Los Angeles,  California.  They have a sound that fits in very well with the likes of some of the bands they’ve toured with, like Shinedown and Saliva.  I had the pleasure of conducting an email interview with the band recently, but before we get to that let’s talk a little about their latest record: Truth Decay.

Truth Decay is the band’s fifth studio album to date.  The first single off the new record was the song “The March”  which is a rocking anthem about not giving up and doing whatever it takes to soldier on.  The band gets a lot of support especially for the latest record through the use of their twitter and facebook pages.  This album is definitley in my belief the their best record to date.  The band has made amazing music in the past and this record just feels like the next natural step in the band’s evolution.

As always, I have a favorite song off the record. It was tough to choose just one, but when pressed I would definitley say “Static”.  The tempo in this song is almost hypnotic.  The lyric I favor most from the song would have to be “I search for signs, Of another who can bring me back to life, I hear the sound, Of static.”

If you like modern rock and Nu-Metal then you’ll love Truth Decay.  It’s a brilliant record from start to finish and will definitley keep you rocking through the day.  This band is definitley the life blood of what I personally think rock music should be.  The instrumentation and fantastic writing this band puts on display is what the world of rock should take notice of.

Now, as promised, the interview with the band.  I want to thank all of Hypnogaja for taking time to answer these questions for me and their other fans as well.  I would also like to especially thank their keyboard player Mark Donikian, with whom I’ve been in constant email contact with. This would not have been possible without his help.

*Crash Chords:   What band or musician most influenced your sound as a band?

Hypnogaja:  We are influenced by so much music – and so many different types of artists- that this question is literally impossible to answer. Our iPods are all over the map, with music from different decades and genres. On any given day in the van, you might hear songs by Pink Floyd, Portishead, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Prince, Gnarls Barkley, Metallica, Alice In Chains, Donna Summer, Massive Attack, Eurythmics, Fleetwood Mac, KISS, Nirvana, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, The Beastie Boys, Blondie, Stone Temple Pilots, Bernard Herrmann, Marvin Gaye and more, more, more. We can’t get enough music into our ears.

*Crash Chords:   How did you come up with your band name?*

Hypnogaja:  It’s derived from “hypnagogia” – a term that ShyBoy (our vocalist) first heard in psych class. Basically, it’s a lucid dream – the state your mind falls into as you drift into sleep. This transitional state has been long regarded by scientists, philosophers and artists to be a highly creative moment for the human mind.

*Crash Chords:   How did the band get together?*

Hypnogaja:  Most of us migrated to Los Angeles for one reason or another. One of us is a native to SoCal. We all found ourselves in this band because we share a love for writing and performing music. Hypnogaja started out more as a studio project, with heavy electronic leanings. As people have come in to the group, our sound has evolved and gone in different directions with each album – not because of a lack of musical identity but because of our thirst for creative exploration.

*Crash Chords:   Where do you seek inspiration from when writing new music?*

Hypnogaja:  From everywhere. Writing is so intangible. You can sit in front of your notepad, keyboard, computer, with your guitar, etc. one day and nothing comes out – and then on a different day, some great new idea flows from seemingly nowhere. It’s all about tapping into the stream at the right time, when you’re in the right frame of mind.

*Crash Chords:   What interests do you have outside of music?*

Hypnogaja:  We all have very different personalities, which I think makes for a really interesting collaboration. Our collective interests run the gamut from films, books, record collecting, comic books, live concerts/theater to various sports (especially hockey and baseball), travel and, of course, amusement parks of any kind.

*Crash Chords:   What is your favorite food?*

Hypnogaja:  Several of us have gotten hooked on the Food Network, and we’ve been enjoying shows like Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives – where the host goes around and eats at the best diners in America. I think we all enjoy a good steak, there’s some avid sushi fans and there’s always room for home-baked desserts. On tour, our best meals are the ones that are home-cooked by fans, friends and family. You can only eat at so many gas stations and truck stops before you start needing some real nutrition.

*Reader Questions*

*Mary asks*
What made you write music for the Looking Glass Wars?*

Hypnogaja:  “Looking Glass” and “Lullaby” were both songs that already existed in our catalog when our publisher sent them to Frank Beddor, author of the Looking Glass Wars. When Frank and his team heard the songs, they thought they were a great fit with the book and they included the tracks on the book’s soundtrack, as well as the audio version of the book released by Scholastic.

*Veronica asks*
Where do you see yourselves, say, 10 years from now?*

Hypnogaja:  Our dream is to make music forever, for as long as we can. We hope that we’ll still be making records and touring. We see ourselves doing this for a long, long time.

*Bob asks*
Why do you rock so much?*

Hypnogaja:  Please tell Bob that HE rocks. We just work here. Many thanks to him and all of our fans. We couldn’t do this without the support!

For more information on Hypnogaja check them out here.