Review Fix Exclusive: Computer Magic Talks ‘DANZ’

Review Fix chats with Computer Magic, aka producer/songwriter Danielle “Danz” Johnson, who discusses her February 23 album, DANZ, via her own Channel 9 Records.

Review Fix: How did you get started in music?

Danielle Johnson: I started completely on accident. I didn’t know I could make music until I sat down and tried. I was always an obsessive fan – I started collecting vinyls at 14, and became a DJ in New York City at 18. I always had an appreciation for music, of all kinds, but didn’t know I could make my own. When I uploaded something I made and people responded, that’s when I knew it was something I was at least halfway decent at.

Review Fix: What’s your creative process like?

Johnson: My creative process varies from day to day. Sometimes I’ll be inspired sitting on the train gazing outside, other times it’s during a movie or reading a book, thinking a certain character’s perspective would be really interesting to write about. If I’m home I’ll then go into my studio and try and get the melody I thought of down. If I’m not home sometimes I’ll use my voice memo like a weirdo so I remember what melody I’m thinking of before it leaves my head forever. I have a lot of unused voice memos. I usually bring my laptop and headphones everywhere so I can start writing from any location. A lot of the songs on Danz I started writing on tour last winter in the van.

Review Fix: What’s your standout song on the current album? How was it written?

Johnson: There are a couple that are pretty personal to me. Drift Away is about my step-brother, Eric, who passed away when I was pretty young. I never really dealt with it or talk about it, so did to a certain extent with this song. Space and Time / Pale Blue Dot is also pretty personal, about leaving your body for a minute and floating through space around the earth. Pretty existential-dreamy stuff.

Review Fix: What did you learn from this last album? How did it affect your future?

Johnson: I learned that it’s OK to write something different than usual. I have a hard time ignoring the possibility of what people will think of a slight change. At first I was going to change my moniker, but since I see Computer Magic and Danz as interchangeable, I just titled the record Danz instead. I just wanted to experiment a bit,  take myself a little more seriously, really get into sequencing and polish my production skills a bit. Although there are upbeat songs on this record, like Perfect Game, the subject matter is a little deeper than usual, for me at least.

Review Fix: How do video games play a role in your creativity and musical choices?

Johnson: I grew up playing Super Nintendo and Nintendo 64 and know I’m at least subconsciously influenced by the music in the games I played. There are a few I could reference, like “BGM 3” in Mario Paint; the “Stickerbrush Symphony” in Donkey Kong: Diddy’s Kong Quest; the “Intro Theme” from Top Gear; Koji Kondo – “Dire, Dire Docks” From Super Mario 64. All that stuff is just so easy to listen to.

Review Fix: What’s your console of choice?

Johnson: Right now I have the Switch and PS4. The game I’m playing most these days is Breath of the Wild; however if I had to pick my favorite console ever, I would have to say N64, that was my childhood.

Review Fix: What are your goals for 2018?

Johnson: I just want to get this record out and I hope that people will like it. I don’t really set too many goals for myself, oddly enough, but if I had to set one this year it would be to get more people to know about CM- my lifetime goal!

Review Fix: How would you describe your sound to someone who’s never heard you?

Johnson: Hmmm.. this is always a hard one! I would say my music ranges from Synthpop, to Synthwave at times, to Indie Rock at others. It depends on the song to be honest. The chorus on Gone For The Weekend on my last EP was super Indie Rock, Amnesia and Data on Danz sounds experimental to me, whereas Perfect Game sounds like it could potentially have been in the movie Drive, so Synthwave-esque (from people that have heard it, anyway, haha!).

Review Fix: How do you want your music to affect people?

Johnson: I hope people can relate to it, I hope it makes someone’s day better.

Review Fix: Why is this new album special?

Johnson: I know it’s my most personal record, I got a lot of stuff off my chest with this one. I moved away from the city and that changed a lot for me. At first, I was pretty happy to be paying cheaper rent, then felt like I had a total identity crisis, like I’m back in upstate New York, am I going backwards in my life!? (That’s where I’m originally from).  At points during this record, I felt like I was losing my mind. Amnesia and Data deal with that.  Davos was very Pop-sounding to me, I definitely tried to make some catchy tunes on purpose, to break through. With Danz, I had no Pop intentions, although some of the songs came out pretty darn catchy. Danz is definitely my favorite record and is the truest to myself.

Review Fix: What’s next?

Johnson: Promoting this record, figuring out a record release show (which I believe is on March 3rd at The Knitting Factory), going to the UPS store to send out a broken hard drive to get fixed!

Review Fix: Anything else you’d like to add?

Johnson: Go buy my record on vinyl! It sounds better that way! Also, thank you for the interview!