Editor’s Note: Industrial pop act Aesthetic Perfection is currently embarking on a European tour with Priest and Amelia Arsenic and they dropped everything that they were doing to talk to Madness To Creation about working with Richard of Rammstein and Jinxx of Black Veil Brides, and touring in Europe. After listening and understanding Aesthetic Perfection, I came to realize that Daniel Graves of Aesthetic Perfection has big dreams and is humble in his craft. I first learned about Aesthetic Perfection with their poignant cover of “Bye Bye Bye” by N’Sync. Fans can find Aesthetic Perfection at the following locations:
www.facebook.com/aestheticperfection
www.instagram.com/iamdanielgraves
Madness To Creation: You worked with the legendary Richard Z Kruspe of Rammstein on the track “Gods & Gold”. Take us into that song and what was your biggest takeaway working with Richard?
Daniel: Gods & Gold was written by myself and Mick of Anaal Nathrakh. Afterwards, I brought in my friend Jinxx from Black Veil Brides to play the “final” guitar parts. We had the song finished, mastered and ready to go until my drummer Joe Letz, who is also a member of Emigrate (Richard’s sideproject) reached out to him and asked if he’d be interested in playing on the track. Unbelievably, he agreed, and at the 11th hour delivered some of the most fantastic guitar work I’ve ever heard. This was so late in the game I wasn’t sure I’d meet my delivery deadline, but after a lot of mixing work and sleepless nights I made it happen. I think the track is proof enough that it was worth it.
Daniel:
Madness To Creation: You are currently touring in support of Into The Black with Priest. How has the tour been going so far, what is your favorite place to play in Europe?
Daniel: I know why interviewers ask the question “what’s your favorite city to play”, but, truthfully, there is no answer. The more I do this, the more I travel the globe and perform music for people from different places with different cultures and beliefs and customs, I realize we’re all the same. Music transcends borders and touches all of us at our core. People love music everywhere, and I love playing music for people. I don’t care where I am.
Madness To Creation: What is one place that you haven’t played yet that you are dying to play?
Daniel: I’d love to break into markets bands like mine never get to break into: India, China, Africa etc… there are so many people there who just never get the opportunity to experience music like ours and I’d love the opportunity to share it with them.
Madness To Creation: Take us into the writing process of Into The Black, most challenging and rewarding aspect of writing the album?
Daniel: Writing music is easy. Finishing music is hard. When inspiration strikes, writing a new melody or chord progression can be effortless. The difficult part comes when you have to extrapolate ideas into complete, coherent 4 minute songs. Knowing what works and what doesn’t. What fits in the context of the mix and what doesn’t. It’s a joyless and laborious process. But I think that’s what really separates the amateurs from the pros. Into the Black was no different. I had 20+ ideas that I had to turn into coherent pieces of music, and that was very, very, challenging. However, I was able to finish 14 of them and chose the best 10 for the final tracklist. I planned for that process to take 4 weeks… it took four months. However, when all was said and done, I was left with what I feel is my strongest work ever, and that is truly rewarding.
Madness to Creation: What’s one area that you have grown the most in as a musician from Ebb and Flow to Into The Black?
Daniel: I forgot how difficult it is to finish an album. I was arrogant. I believed that at this stage in my career it was something that I could do with little to no sacrifice. How wrong I was! It was definitely a teaching moment. I had to accept that this never will come easy, and if I want to make something great, I will have to suffer for it. I’ve taken that learning experience into everything else I do, and recognize that nothing comes easy.
Madness To Creation: What have you learned from with Jinxx of Black Veil Brides?
Daniel: Jinxx is one of the kindest and most talented people I know. He just FEELS music and if flows through him in a way that is inspiring. Sitting in a room with him you never find yourself debating if an idea works, he just knows. He’s a classically trained musician, which means he can solve musical problems using theory, which was a HUGE help for me when it came to making sure melodies and progressions fit together. I really learned a lot.
Madness To Creation: Best moment of 2019?
Daniel: So far, my favorite moment in 2019 was on stage in London with Joe and Elliott. There was this moment where everything clicked. All of a sudden we weren’t just 3 guys onstage playing music, we were a real BAND. I’d never had that feeling before, and it was truly transformative.
Madness To Creation: What else would you like to add in regards to Aesthetic Perfection?
Daniel: I’ve been doing Aesthetic Perfection since I was 17. I’m 36 now. I’ve never stopped learning. Never stopped growing. Never stopped trying to be the absolute best I can be.
And there you have it! Check out the remaining European gig dates below:
Wed. 4/23- Subkultur in Hannover, Germany
Thu. 4/24- X-tra in Zurich, Switzerland
Fri. 4/25- Backstage in Munich, Germany
Sat. 4/26- Escape Metalcorner in Vienna, Austria
Sun. 4/27- Reithalle Strasse E in Dresden, Germany
Mon. 4/28- Rock Cafe in Prague, Czech Republic
Wed. 4/30- Progresja in Warsaw, Poland
