Introducing Distant Emperor, an ambitious studio project from Brisbane that combines heavy rock, progressive metal, and an unmistakable dash of 80s nostalgia. Founded by Marc Di Camillo, a musician deeply influenced by both the iconic sounds of bands like Iron Maiden and the futuristic synths of Jean-Michel Jarre, Distant Emperor crafts music that invites listeners to reflect on thought-provoking themes, ranging from personal introspection to societal critiques.
Their debut album, Generation Salvation, offered a a wide range of sounds, accompanied by lyrics exploring philosophical and political motifs. Following up with the EP Number 2, Distant Emperor delves into darker themes such as media manipulation and Orwellian dystopia, yet balances the intensity with lighter, uplifting tracks like “Why Can’t We?”, a song celebrating shared humanity. With meticulously crafted music videos, a unique blend of synth and riff-driven melodies, and a commitment to releasing new material annually, Distant Emperor is carving a niche that bridges classic influences with modern-day relevance.
In this interview, we explore the inspiration behind the music, the philosophical underpinnings of their lyrics, and their approach to blending humor with serious themes.
Prog Sphere: Distant Emperor’s music is described as delivering thought-provoking observations on our place in the world. What are some of the key messages or themes that you aim to communicate through your music?
Marc Di Camillo: Distant Emperor’s lyrical themes are generally philosophical observations and questions about the world around us layered over heavy rock with progressive elements.
I would like music to evoke an emotion and listeners interpret the lyrics in their own way.
Your sound is influenced by a blend of 80s rock, classic metal, and symphonic elements, with a unique twist. How do you incorporate these influences while still maintaining a modern edge for the 2020s?
If you take bands like Iron Maiden, every song is riff based and self-contained. The Distant Emperor approach is similar, and I personally prefer writing songs that have a beginning, middle and an end. Having heavily listened to legends like Jean-Michel Jarre and Vangelis it is impossible to not incorporate synth as a sonic embellishment. The vocals are powerful and have that retro 80’s metal vibe. The unique twist comes from incorporating past influence with fresh ideas into the writing melting pot.
Generation Salvation was your debut album in 2023, followed by the creatively titled Number 2 EP. What was the inspiration behind the title, and how does the EP differ from your first album in terms of sound and message?
The new EP Number 2 has4 songs, two of which are darker themed. The EP cover is made up from the art prepared for each song.
Fourth Pillar is about the corruption of the mainstream media and Room 101 is centered around George Orwell’s 1984, Room 101 itself and the Ministries of Love, Peace and Truth. I didn’t want to add another verse so left out the Ministry of Plenty! Room 101 song comes out in a couple of months.
As this is the second collection of songs by Distant Emperor and it touches on themes where people are treated as a “number” I thought it would be an appropriate title.
Number 2 continues where Generation Salvation left off, with a diverse pallet of sounds, themes and moods. To lighten the mood, the next single Why Can’t We is way more upbeat, positive and on the fun side. It is about embracing our differences and relating to our shared humanity.
You’ve mentioned that Distant Emperor’s music has a pro-Western values focus. Can you elaborate on how these values are reflected in your songwriting and the messages you convey?
I put that front and center in the bio for the band. Song themes vary about all sorts of things, many about inner reflections and facing difficulty which we are all confronted with in our lives. Positive messages coupled with questions and warnings. There is also a song about the life of sub-atomic particles which might appeal to a prog audience, or maybe not!
Lyrics are deliberately written with ambiguity as I want the listener to infer their own meaning, especially when the music generate a vibe that accompany the words. That is the transformative power of music.
Obvious western themes are presented in songs such as Rubicon, which is about Julius Caesar. The cover art of Generation Salvation has Michelangelo’s David in the trash casually tossed away, a metaphor for throwing out what is good and works with little or no regard of what replaces it.
Distant Emperor is a studio project. How does the creative process differ for you when recording in the studio compared to a traditional band setting, and what are the advantages and challenges of this approach?
The studio process is very different to my experience in writing in a band setting.
In the studio the process starts by making an instrumental demo. The aim is to capture ideas and rough them into a song, usually starting with guitar riffs. You build the song one part at a time, layer upon layer. I enjoy this process and how the song evolves as each layer is added. It is very sensory and can go in a different direction to what I originally had in mind.
The advantages are also disadvantages. I have to think of every little detail, which can be exhausting at times, but it also means you can get something exactly how you want it. It is very isolating, not having others to bounce off and you end up having to trust decisions you make.
With a clear nod to the 80s and classic rock influences, what is it about that era that resonates with you, and how do you merge those sounds with the more modern and unique elements of Distant Emperor?
I began discovering my musical identity in 1984. I still remember like it was yesterday starting to explore bands, listen to albums and then the entire back catalogue, discover another band and repeat. It was a real musical enlightenment. Bands like Talking Heads and The Cure dominated my initial pallet, but the watershed moment was when I saw Iron Maiden perform Aces High on TV for the first time – mind officially blown! That was like nothing else I heard or saw before.
The mention of Chuck Norris as an influence adds an interesting twist to your music. How do you incorporate this element of action-hero energy into your compositions and performances?
As a kid growing up in the 80’s I was obsessed by action heroes like Chuck Norris and Sylvester Stallone. Mentioning Chuck was more about reflecting on the pop culture of the time as 80’s musical influence is intrinsic in the music I write. This obsession doesn’t manifest in the band’s sound or songwriting themes. Hmm, maybe there is an angle there for future songs? Hold that thought!
Generation Salvation takes listeners on a dramatic and uplifting journey. Can you walk us through the concept behind the album and how the music and lyrics came together to form this journey?
Generation Salvation is a collection of quite diverse songs that give the listener a feel for what Distant Emperor is all about. I guess you could say that was the theme! It started with around 10 demo instrumentals which were reduced to 7 that worked well together.
As I use a working title for the demo, I was inspired to write lyrics around those titles. Binary, Strange, Living Our Way and Save Our Souls were all penned in that way. This technique provided a theme to write about.
I was fortunate enough to get in touch with a singer who could deliver a powerful performance to bring the vocal ideas to life. Aliz AJ is a great guy and we worked together remotely. I then do the pre-production getting the songs close to how I want them. I use Mike Trubetskov of EOL Studios to do the final mix and mastering. He is fantastic at what he does and is the nicest bloke.
I turned my mind to video editing and made official music videos for each song (on YouTube) to provide a visual to go with the music. Overall, I am very pleased with the result.
Distant Emperor is described as not being stuck in the past, yet heavily influenced by it. How do you strike a balance between nostalgia for older sounds and innovation for the future of rock?
I think influences are embedded in your subconsciousness and manifest in the music you make. I have my own vibe going but I am sure others can hear influences here and there. Today the focus is on what serves the song and the goal is making a composition that I personally want to listen to.
The new EP Number 2 is filled with powerful soundscapes and the occasional scream. How did the creative process for this EP unfold, and what can fans expect from this new release compared to your debut album?
After releasing the debut album I wanted to maintain a roster of releasing at least 4 songs a year.
This got me to focus on song concepts, writing lyrics, organizing vocals and planning production elements for 4 demos I had prepared.
Fourth Pillar is already out and Why Can’t We? is out 8th November. The other two tracks are a little different to what I have done before. You will just have to wait and see!
As a Brisbane-based project, how does the local music scene influence your work, and what’s your perspective on the progressive rock and metal scene in Australia?
I don’t have a lot to do with the local scene. I am more plugged into other similar artists and people over the net. This is the digital age and there isn’t enough time in the day to fit everything in.
Looking ahead, how do you envision Distant Emperor evolving in the future? Are there any new sounds, collaborations, or directions you’re excited to explore?
Definitely! I am looking into collaborating on the next batch of songs with a friend of mine who is a great guitar player and writes incredible music. This may lead to an augmentation of the sound going forward.
There are also some songs already written, in demo form, that are more synth based which I want to bring into the mix. I think a prog audience can handle that!
The plan is to maintain a release timetable of an EP of at least four songs every year. I have to fit music in with other life priorities and can manage this.
What role does humor and satire play in your music, especially with lighthearted elements like your quirky description of Number 2? How do you balance that with more serious, thought-provoking themes?
I would say that the songs themselves are not humorous, however, I have chosen to characterize some of them with humor in the music video, which I make myself. Take the songs Strange and Binary. Each of those music videos have satirical elements in them to help tell a story, particularly in the characterization of us normal people in contrast to the ruling class.
For example, Strange uses a chimpanzee to symbolize the ruling class and skulls for us normal folk.
Finally, for someone new to Distant Emperor’s music, how would you recommend they approach listening to your albums and EPs? Is there a specific mindset or message you hope they take away?
As this is a prog rock audience and listening to albums is the norm, my recommendation is to listen to Generation Salvation from start to finish. The album opens with the most “proggy” of the songs, Return To Freedom, warming you up for the variety to come and closes with Save Our Souls which has a symphonic finally and introspective message.
If Generation Salvation piqued your interest then proceed on to Number 2!
There is no intent to force a particular message down people’s throats, just create entertainment. All I can hope for as a take away is that listeners enjoyed the experience.
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