Review Fix Exclusive: Bleeding Raven’s Dean Mason Talks ‘Darkness Consumed’ And More

Review Fix chats with Bleeding Raven’s Dean Mason, who discusses the project and why it’s a special one for him.

Review Fix: How did the project start?

Dean Mason: PERFECT! It’s the first time a journalist/zine has asked the question using the word “project.” Thank you. That’s what it is for me. I am not a ‘band’ nor am I a hi-fi mega star. I do music as a hobby…and I refer to the ventures as projects. This latest ‘project’ is Bleeding Raven’ and it’s more or less aggrotech or dark industrial or total shit…hahahahahaha  But seriously, in my younger days when I was a teenager, I messed around and popped out a single called “Dark Hallway/Golgotha” and it was released merely as “Dean Mason” and it was released on the Virgin sub-label “The Lonely Ghost Productions”. Hahahahaha. Ok, not true about it being a Virgin sub-label or subsidiary label to be more ‘correct’. Pushing things ahead …in 2012 I decided to take up the hobby of recording electronic music and released “St. Basil’s Asylum” as “Gnostic Gorilla” in 2018 on Cleopatra Records eventually. (originally released on LGP ONE in 2015)  In May of 2019, after a few years of putting out all sorts of experimental tracks of a more Goth/Darkwave/Industrial nature I decided I wanted to pursue a more abrasive and all out creepy and haunting album with a new project…”Bleeding Raven”. So, “Darkness Consumed” was the Bleeding Raven debut album and, as it turns out…the only album. 

Review Fix: What’s your creative process like?

Mason: I usually come to the ‘studio’ with a vague notion of what I want to do. No titles or lyrics …just a vague idea of the kind of track I want to do. I start with either some beats/drum loops or bass sounds or synth riffs…it depends. Sometimes, it’s actually a long atmospheric intro that sets the mood and I go from there. I allow the process to unfold as naturally as possible. It’s sort of like a First Nations wood carver. They start with a log or a huge piece of timber and they just start to chisel away and allow the “wood to speak to them”. It’s sort of like that but in a sonic way. Once I have a ‘demo’ track…that is, a basic song (unmixed) I then begin the lyric writing process. Then I record the vocals. I don’t usually choose the name of the song until after I wrote the lyrics and then the title is usually taken from the lyrical content. Then I do the final mix (and I have no clue what I’m doing half the time but I’m not an engineer genius like Ade Fenton or Zardonic…as I said…it’s a HOBBY) and often I add more instruments or FX and sometimes atmosphere. I am quite A.D.D so, whenever there is some sort of boring gap…however brief…it drives me nuts. It’s like the musician who is taking a sip of beer and forgetting to play for a minute. There has to ALWAYS be some purpose to every sound. (Not sure I make sense) Then after recording the song I go and feed the squirrels and eat dark chocolate and do snow angels while listening to “White Rabbit”. hahahahahahahaha

Review Fix: What’s your standout song? How was it written?

Mason: Ok, so, you do realize that I have hundreds of standout songs right? … Wait. You didn’t know?! What the fudge buttons man! Hahahahaha Ok. Seriously, (I will try anyway…LOL) I think from this album “Darkness Consumed” my so called ‘standout’ track would be “The Cry of Simeon” and the two remixes included on the album. 

Review Fix: What are your goals for 2020?

Mason: Sadly, the only ‘goal’ I have for 2020 is to promote what I have now and that’s it. In October of this year I had what is called Sudden Hearing Loss and it’s permanent. I’m not talking just ‘reduced’ hearing but COMPLETE and TOTAL hearing loss in the left ear. And the right ear is compromised as well. It requires a hearing device. My hearing is total shit now. I haven’t even been able to listen to music since this happened. Even watching TV, I often can’t make out what the fuck they’re saying and that makes it difficult to even stay interested. Anyway, so that’s it for music. FINI! But, I hope to publish, if I can, a book of my poetry and lyrics in the Summer/Fall of 2020. Cleopatra Records is also going to release a Box Set of all my music. Hahahahahahaha. (Just kidding) OH…I nearly forgot…Cleopatra IS going to release my final Gnostic Gorilla album in the new year. This album was done in 2017 but not released. ALSO…I’ve released, with a pal of mine, Marcel Lecker of “Battlemoose”… a Black Metal Ambient ‘style’ EP using the project name “Luna Melancholia”. The EP is called Das Probleme des Bösen.

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

Mason: Most people have to undergo intense psychotherapy after listening to my stuff. Hahahahahaha. But for real, I don’t know how to answer that. People either like it or not. I’ve had some friends, who after first listening to my music said, “wow, that’s pretty dark there buddy”…LOL. I think that sometimes ‘dark’ can invite people to pay attention…to invite them into a certain mood…a certain introspection. Maybe that’s what my music does, other than make one release Hershey squirts. hahahahahaha

Review Fix: What’s next?

Mason: Is that a trick question? Hahahahahahaha More or less, and sadly, not a whole lot. But I do appreciate this interview. It was very therapeutic. Thanks again.