147 // Blade Runner Goes Metal: Interviewing Matt Motto from Dissona

Shoulder of Orion: The Blade Runner Podcast

The Blade Runner universe inspires art of all sorts: visual media, poetry, cosplay, you name it. But the form of media most touched by Blade Runner's influence might just be music. Vangelis' legendary score (complemented beautifully by Wallfisch and Zimmer decades later) conjures an atmosphere that many musicians have sought to reconnect with over the years.

But this often translates to aesthetic choices. Synth-heavy, reverb-laden, soaked with the atmosphere of dark streets and wet neon.

When we heard Dissona, a progressive metal band out of Chicago, was working on a Blade Runner-inspired EP called Dreadfully Distinct, we knew we HAD to speak with them.

More than just attempting to capture the "sound" of Blade Runner—although there's some of that here too—Dissona took a more philosophical approach to the material. The result is three tracks that focus on characters from the films, charting their internal emotional journeys while taking the listener on fantastical journeys through the world of Blade Runner and Blade Runner 2049.

We highly recommend you listen to the tracks "Prodigal Son" and "Skinjob" before listening to the episode—and make sure you watch their videos as well. You'll hear much of them in the episode itself, but it'll be useful to give everything a listen/viewing before diving in. You can listen to the tracks on streaming services and here, on Bandcamp. The videos are available on YouTube.

The full EP premieres on November 10, so be sure to add it wherever you listen to music!

For more on Dissona, visit dissonaband.com and give them a follow on Facebook!

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