Emerging from Kazakhstan, Invader 303 unveils BROKEN ARCS Pt. 2, a symphony of brooding, saturated synth arpeggios and hauntingly detuned soundscapes, evoking the essence of a dystopian dream. Read our discussion below!
Describe your sound in 3 words
Echoes of fading signals
Tell us a few things about BROKEN ARCS. What is the main idea behind it?
The main idea behind BROKEN ARCS lies in the cyclicity of everything that happens. It’s like a circle, a spiral, or an arc with a fictional beginning and end. It’s an attempt to escape from this infinite loop. Through metropolises, digital highways, and forests ravaged by technology, we search for a backdoor—a place where we can decipher this riddle and break free. But beyond this cyclic existence, perhaps only complete, silent emptiness awaits.
Artists and people that have influenced you?
Among the artists who have influenced my creativity, I can highlight Lorn, Ital-Tek, Forest Swords, LudoWic, and Robot Koch. In my earlier artistic journey, I drew inspiration from NIN and Archive as well. Additionally, my close friends and family, along with the artists and video game developers I collaborate with, have had a significant impact on me and my work.
Are we on a slippery slope towards dystopia?
With the development and integration of technologies into our lives, we might find ourselves on a very slippery path of ‘High Tech – Low Life.’ However, if we strive to preserve our humanity, we can avoid the wrong path.
You mention that the tracks were unified into a single story with the help of your MicroFreak. Can you elaborate on how this influenced the album’s sound and your overall music production process?
MicroFreak is one of my favorite devices in my small studio. It’s an incredibly cinematic, flexible, and experimental hybrid synthesizer. Using its MPE keyboard, I could convey additional emotions through dystopian, resonant pads or more piercing leads. It inspired me throughout the time I worked on the musical part of the album. I believe that it was the sound and versatility of MicroFreak that I needed to complete all the tracks. It’s like a mini sound laboratory where you can discover something new every time.
With “Broken Arcs Part 2” being described as a reboot of your sound and approach to music creation, how do you see this influencing your future projects? What new directions or themes do you plan to explore next?
I believe that first and foremost, the approach to working with tracks will change. Both from a technical and musical perspective. During the album production process, I discovered many new ways to create textured sounds. I found some absolutely insane and flexible reverberators that completely transformed the depth of my tracks. Again, speaking of MicroFreak, I created several ready-made presets for quick idea capture.
As for the theme of exploration, recently I read Stanisław Lem’s book ‘The Invincible.’ The concept of the work and the environment of the planet where the events take place greatly inspired me. All that desolation, otherworldliness, barrenness, and illusory lifelessness. It would be interesting to create a few soundscapes around this theme and explore them.
If the music of Invader 303 was a film, which film would that be?
It would definitely be a film shot on Fujifilm 3513 or Kodak 2383 film stock. Grainy, analog visuals would set the tone. I imagine many lingering moments featuring desolate, vast natural landscapes—perhaps an enormous industrial or technological structure at the center of the frame. Or perhaps it would evoke a retro-futuristic vibe reminiscent of Simon Stålenhag’s work. The plot itself would be dark and somber, perhaps with a sad ending.
How do you relate to the music scene of Kazakhstan?
In recent times, the electronic and experimental music scene in Kazakhstan has been gaining momentum. Major cities host various events, festivals, and audiovisual exhibitions. The scene is evolving and growing, which is great.
As for rock, pop music, and other genres, we’ve never had any issues. In my city, there was a peak of rock movement at some point (from metal to pop-punk). I myself played in a band with my friends from 2014 to 2018. We performed electronic music in the style of NIN and Archive.
Thank you!
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