Sci-fi synth artist/producer Computer Magic (aka Danz) was bringing spine-tingling pop to New York, Japan, and beyond way before Billie Eilish came on the scene. Whether it’s club bangers like “Fuzz” or dreamy tracks like “Dimensions”, her music is otherworldly — transporting you from earth into a greater, more beautiful atmosphere. In anticipation of her headlining our show tonight with DIY Magazine, Danz shared some of her favorite things with us from tech to music to vintage.
1. Synthesizer pioneers
Lately I’ve become pretty obsessed with synthesizer pioneers. I don’t think modern music would be where it is today without them. Wendy Carlos, what an idol. She made the soundtracks for A Clockwork Orange, The Shining, and Tron. She released “Switched on Bach” in 1968- which was an album done on all Moog synthesizers. Before that record, synthesizers weren’t really taken seriously as an instrument. Suzanne Ciani is another pioneer who really brought synthesizers to the spotlight. Robert Moog is a well known legend, along with Dave Smith, Don Buchla and Ikutaro Kakehashi. These are some of my favorite people that I’m very happy came into the world.
2. Favorite Records
The music I listen to is consistently changing. I’m always going through a phase. One month I’ll listen New Wave, the next Bossa Nova, the next Space Disco and Krautrock. Some records that have impacted me throughout my life are:
Stereolab – Dots and Loops
Gary Numan and the Tubeway Army – Replicas
Radiohead – Ok Computer
Giorgio Moroder – From Here to Eternity
The Beatles – Abbey Road
Herbie Hancock – Headhunters
Talking Heads – Remain in Light
Belle & Sebastian – Tigermilk
Isao Tomita – Kosmos
Depeche Mode – S/T
João Gilberto and Stan Getz – Getz/Gilberto
I could go on for a while.. I have a Spotify playlist where I put my favorite stuff- it’s called Outerspace Vol I. I’m working on Vol II now but it takes a while because I add roughly 300 songs to these.
3. Hayden Planetarium
Speaking of space, I dropped out of college but I think if I stayed in school (and never discovered I could make music) I probably would have wanted a career that was space-related. The Frontier Lectures at the Hayden Planetarium here in NYC are pretty cheap and you can learn a lot from physics professors. A college degree in astrophysics is almost $300k, so if you can’t afford that, at least you can go to these lectures for $15! I went to one on demystifying black holes, the constellations in the southern hemisphere, the Mars 2020 mission, etc. They’re pretty fun (yes, this is my idea of fun.. LOL).
4. The Alien Franchise (specifically Alien and Aliens)
Ok, ok. I’m a nerd and there’s no sense in hiding it. I’m one of those people who will see every Star Wars movie, even if it has gotten a terrible Rotten Tomatoes score, because I need to know the storyline (you might hate me but.. the prequels, they needed to happen, for the story I tell you!). I’ve seen all the movies in the Alien franchise and what I will say is this: nothing beats the original. The pacing in Alien is perfect (come on, even the trailer is awesome). The cinematography, Sigourney Weaver, John Hurt, Harry Dean Stanton, the growing ominous feeling of being isolated in space, where no one can hear you scream.. the Xenomorph! So ahead of it’s time.
I’d like to also point out that Dan O’ Bannon wrote the screenplay- he also worked on Heavy Metal, Dark Star and Total Recall. Three other movies that I love.
5. Magazines from the 1970’s
I’ve been going through a phase of collecting magazines from the 1970’s, namely Heavy Metal and Keyboard Magazine. There is just something about having something tangible from that period. It kind of feels like you go back in time. Besides the art and articles, which are both beautiful and insightful, what’s interesting is seeing the adverts.
6. Xenoblade Chronicles 2
I spend hours upon hours each day writing and working on music. It’s my entire life and I feel lucky that somehow I’ve managed to turn it into a job (just barely, rent is expensive as hell in New York!) When I find some downtime or just need to rest my brain and ears, I turn on my Switch and play this game. You’re gonna think I’m crazy (or maybe not) but I think I’ve invested a total of 180+ hours on it. The characters wear some pretty ridiculous clothing though, and it took some time for me to get used to that (google Dahlia and Mythra).
7. Giallo movie soundtracks
I remember seeing the original 1977 Suspiria years ago and being entranced. Not only was the movie, directed by Dario Argento, beautifully shot, but the soundtrack by Italian progressive rock band Goblin is amazing. It added so much suspense to the film.
After that I really got into Giallo movie soundtracks. If you’re not familiar, the term Giallo is used to describe Italian horror movies from the 1960s and 1970s. The soundtracks for these movies are incredible. Goblin were pretty famous for doing a lot of them. Legendary composer Ennio Morricone did a bunch too! You might recognize Morricone’s name from his work on Spaghetti westerns. He worked on the Dollars Trilogy, and his score for Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in the West is one of the five best selling instrumental film scores in the world. Going on a tangent here, but some of my favorite Giallo movie soundtracks are for La Dama Rossa, Suspiria and Profondo Rosso.
8. The filmographies of John Carpenter, Stanley Kubrick, Wes Anderson, Coen Brothers
I can’t just pick one of these directors to be my favorite because I love them all for different reasons. One thing I’ll say about these filmmakers: what they make is exceptional art.
Whether you witness the cinematography and perfectionism in a Kubrick film, laugh at the dark humor in a Coen Brothers film, hear the eerie synthesizers in a John Carpenter film, or hear an Iggy Pop song combined the warm saturation and tone of a Wes Anderson film, you know it’s theirs right off the bat. Their movies are not convoluted or formulaic. Their movies feel like an extension of themselves. I see a lot of similarities with making a record and making a movie. Either you can make something original that will be timeless and have artistic integrity, or you can make something commercialized that will make a quick buck. These directors are idols of mine for being unique and making some of my favorite films.
9. Sci-Fi films from the late 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s
I know I mentioned Alien and Aliens, but there are some other sci-fi movies I wanted to recommend. Since I started making music, I’ve always been influenced by retro sci-fi films for my general aesthetic.
Logan’s Run
2001: A Space Odyssey
Barbarella
Total Recall
The Terminator (I’m a big Arnold fan and love Commando- it’s not sci-fi but I wanted to list it so you can go watch it)
Dark Star
Outland
Flash Gordon
Alien & Aliens
The Man Who Fell to Earth (features David Bowie, I love this movie)
Escape From New York
10. Ramen
Absolutely my favorite food on the planet earth. Also, go watch Tampopo
Keep up with Computer Magic on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and catch her headlining The Broadway TONIGHT @ 11
