Interview with Joshua A. Pfeiffer (Steamaholic)

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The ever so busy Joshua A. Pfeiffer a.k.a. Vernian Process took some time out, between game testing and gigs, to talk with (or should that be e-mail with) the Emporium.

Hi Joshua, can you please introduce yourself?

Hello, my name is Joshua A. Pfeiffer and I'm a Steamaholic...

But seriously... I'm Josh, and I reside in San Francisco Ca. home of Emperor Joshua A. Norton the 1st (1819-1880). I was raised in Los Angeles, and moved to S.F. about 10 years ago.

How did the name ‘ Vernian Process’ originate?

I came up with the name Vernian Process about two years prior to ever creating any music. It spurred from the idea of making music that was themed around the epic worlds of Jules Verne and his peers such as H.G. Welles. Vernian was just a perfect term for my vision, and Process should be self explanatory. It is the process of creating vernian adventures through an aural medium.

When did you first become aware of the Steampunk genre?

I believe the very first time would be around the age of 3 or 4 when my father used to watch the old Wild Wild West series when it was being aired in syndication in the late 70's / early 80's. Of course at that time Steampunk wasn't even a term used by anyone (since Cyperpunk, which it is derived from was in it's infancy). The first time that I can vividly recall seeing something that was Steampunk however was the debut of The Adventure's of Brisco County Jr. when I was in Middle School (around the age of 12 or 13). I followed that series every Friday evening, until FOX decided to yank it and break my poor impressionable young heart. Shortly after that when I was in H.S. I discovered a whole world of Steampunk in the form of literature, movies, and comics. But there was nothing that fit the description in the realm of music (not that I was aware of at least).

How long have you been creating music?

3 Years. I started off just messing around with a little program called Reason 2.0, and soon upgraded to 2.5. My first album Discovery was recorded with that program, and when I listen to those recordings now, I get embarrassed at how flat and poorly produced they sound to me. It wasn't until I released my second E.P. "Revolution", that I started using mastering tools to create a much beefier and more established sound.

What are your main influences?

Well as a DJ, I have many, many influences, but the biggest ones (and one's I often cite in press releases and interviews) are: In the Nursery, Clan of Xymox, Massive Attack, The Chameleons, Gary Numan, Joy Division, Click-Click, A Split Second, and The Protagonist. However I am inspired by music from all kinds of genres, and not just dark ethereal/neo-classical/goth/industrial/post-punk/new wave either.

How important do you find narrative in your music?

Well, while most of my music is instrumental, I try to invoke a certain mood, or a range of moods with each piece. The narrative is usually entirely up to the individual listener, and often I will hear people give me a wide variety of interpretations to each piece (which I find simply fascinating). I certainly have a particular story in my mind that goes along with every piece of music I record, and with my recent dabbling in creating music video's, I'm starting to be able to show the exact visual ideas I have for many of my compositions.

How would you describe your latest album?

The Forgotten Age is a journey (just as my first album Discovery was). I started with Rust (Part 1) which kind of established the world you would be travelling through (a predominantly Victorian science-fiction/fantasy world), and as the album progressed, I brought in many different themes and worlds which when listened to sequentially could be quite interesting. Even individual tracks played separately could create a total ambience and help make the listener feel far removed from this mundane modern world. My upcoming LP "Behold the Machine", is going to take a slightly different approach. While retaining the concept album theme.

Can you describe your creative process when starting on a new composition?

That really depends on the song. But I usually start with either a rhythmic, or melodic phrase. Sometimes I will simply start with some atmospheric textures and build it out from there (I guess that's kind of the opposite approach most ethereal music takes). Depending on the theme, I will pick the instruments that would suit what I'm going for thematically. For instance, when I started on Queen of the Delta, I knew the theme was a New Orleans Bayou with a kind of creepy santerian overtone. So I pulled out the harmonica, and banjo right off the bat, because I knew I wanted those two instruments to play a major role in the composition. And so it varies from project to project. with most of the Steampunk tracks, I load up my machinery samples right away. With the more angelic/ethereal tracks I load up the choir, high pitched strings, chimes, etc...

What has been the highlight of your musical adventures thus far?

Well I don't really know. But I get to open for Attrition this winter at their SF and Sacramento shows. Which will be pretty awesome. I think collaborating with Colin on our track Where Are the Young Men? was certainly a highlight. Also actually getting feedback from some of the original composers on what they thought of my cover versions of their songs was pretty awesome.

What are your musical ambitions?

I really, really want to get into doing film/game/advertisement/etc. scoring. I would like to be able to stage a full tour at some time in the future. I would love to start officially remixing more artists music, and I want to have a full compliment of music videos ready for my live shows.

What do you do outside of music, pump iron, paint, climb mountains that kind of thing?

I used to be a concept designer, and novice animator, but music really pulled most of my attention away from those pursuits. I test video games as a career at this time (10 years almost) and DJ fairly regularly around the city. As far as my online pursuits. I have three total music projects, and I run a database for the history of post-punk and related music genres.

Can you please give us your definition of Steampunk, what is it to you?

Well I love how so many people have been passionately arguing about what Steampunk is and isn't recently. It's interesting to hear all of their opinions, but for me personally. Steampunk simply embodies a time and a place. The time... the late 19th century. The place... a steam powered world, where air travel by fantastical dirigibles is as common as travelling by train or boat (or submarine). A place where national interests are vastly different than our own version of history. A place where the elegant and refined are as likely to get pulled into a grand adventure, as the workers, ruffians, and lower classes. A place where the idea of space travel is not so far fetched. A place where lost civilizations are found and lost again. A place where anything is possible, and science can be twisted to meet ones own ends. That to me is the essence of Steampunk. It can have political overtones and commentary, or it can be straight escapist fiction. Either way, if it meets these criteria. It is Steampunk.

I also agree with the perception that Steampunk should really only be classified if the setting is roughly between 1860 - 1919. To me when you hit the 1920's, it's more cabaret or pulp than Steampunk. Yet WW1 can have a certain Steampunk feel. Any earlier than 1860 and your treading into Elizabethan territory, which would be yet another era altogether.

Find out more about Vernian Process at his homepage and at Myspace. If you wish to hear samples of his latest music visit here .