Ali Saneei Interview
Q: Can you talk about your musical history?
A: I started learning guitar when I was 12, and after some classes, I decided to stop and go on the self-taught route. This kept going for years and in the meantime, I would improvise songs for myself (by playing guitar and sometimes singing) and then record them. A few years ago, I went to singing classes too to learn more and improve, but I again became self-taught after a while mainly due to the demands of studying full-time at college. August 2024 was when things changed forever, as I finally found my artistic vision and started releasing my music on a consistent basis. About a year ago, I also started learning about electronic music and FL Studio, and this recent concept album is the first big product of that.
Q: What are some of the themes and concepts on your album The Perfect Product of Neuroticism?
A: The record is a concept album that if you listen to the tracks in order, tells a story about a descent into the dark parts of the mind, where mental illnesses live and rule. It mainly deals with OCD as the core conflict, and how it can lead to other related problems as it gets worse. In the end, it comes from a place of survival, but I intentionally wanted it to not have a traditional “happy ending.” I wanted it to be just like life, with things not being fully resolved at the end. In fact, if you listen carefully, you’ll hear that it has a cyclical structure to it as well.
I’d like to think of it as a story I needed to perform as a storyteller, as opposed to seeing it as my private diary becoming public (even though it may feel like that at first). I definitely did “perform” all the songs, and it being a concept album, it needed some theatrical elements too. Though I understand that it might feel “too real” to listeners, which I take as a compliment, haha. As much as it was drawn from the dark parts of my own lived experience, I see many universal themes in it too. Much like a quiet scream from a hidden part of the collective unconscious. A story that in the end, is less about me as an individual, and more a modern and forbidden commentary on the human condition.
Q: Can you talk about your creative process?
A: Oh, my creative process… This is where it gets weird, haha. When it comes to music, I have two main approaches: composing / recording beforehand (like a normal musician) and recording in stream-of-consciousness. This recent concept album is technically my first official collection of songs where they were all constructed and prepared beforehand. But normally, my main creative process in music is recording in stream-of-consciousness, where I grab my acoustic guitar and press record. I embrace whatever happens during this process and usually try to unleash and express my thoughts and feelings as they come. I’ve done a lot of practice in this, and so sometimes they turn into powerful songs. Then, I take those good ones and do a little post-production / polish on them (but not too much) with a focus on making them better. After this, the song gets released (though there’s many more steps here as well such as creating the cover art, but this is the core of it). It's also worth noting that I have done a lot of video game soundtracks too, which also follow the more conventional prepared path.
Q: Can you talk about your musical history?
A: I started learning guitar when I was 12, and after some classes, I decided to stop and go on the self-taught route. This kept going for years and in the meantime, I would improvise songs for myself (by playing guitar and sometimes singing) and then record them. A few years ago, I went to singing classes too to learn more and improve, but I again became self-taught after a while mainly due to the demands of studying full-time at college. August 2024 was when things changed forever, as I finally found my artistic vision and started releasing my music on a consistent basis. About a year ago, I also started learning about electronic music and FL Studio, and this recent concept album is the first big product of that.
Q: What are some of the themes and concepts on your album The Perfect Product of Neuroticism?
A: The record is a concept album that if you listen to the tracks in order, tells a story about a descent into the dark parts of the mind, where mental illnesses live and rule. It mainly deals with OCD as the core conflict, and how it can lead to other related problems as it gets worse. In the end, it comes from a place of survival, but I intentionally wanted it to not have a traditional “happy ending.” I wanted it to be just like life, with things not being fully resolved at the end. In fact, if you listen carefully, you’ll hear that it has a cyclical structure to it as well.
I’d like to think of it as a story I needed to perform as a storyteller, as opposed to seeing it as my private diary becoming public (even though it may feel like that at first). I definitely did “perform” all the songs, and it being a concept album, it needed some theatrical elements too. Though I understand that it might feel “too real” to listeners, which I take as a compliment, haha. As much as it was drawn from the dark parts of my own lived experience, I see many universal themes in it too. Much like a quiet scream from a hidden part of the collective unconscious. A story that in the end, is less about me as an individual, and more a modern and forbidden commentary on the human condition.
Q: Can you talk about your creative process?
A: Oh, my creative process… This is where it gets weird, haha. When it comes to music, I have two main approaches: composing / recording beforehand (like a normal musician) and recording in stream-of-consciousness. This recent concept album is technically my first official collection of songs where they were all constructed and prepared beforehand. But normally, my main creative process in music is recording in stream-of-consciousness, where I grab my acoustic guitar and press record. I embrace whatever happens during this process and usually try to unleash and express my thoughts and feelings as they come. I’ve done a lot of practice in this, and so sometimes they turn into powerful songs. Then, I take those good ones and do a little post-production / polish on them (but not too much) with a focus on making them better. After this, the song gets released (though there’s many more steps here as well such as creating the cover art, but this is the core of it). It's also worth noting that I have done a lot of video game soundtracks too, which also follow the more conventional prepared path.
Q: What influences you to make music?
A: For me, the main motivator and influence is my need for self-expression. After years and years of silencing myself, I realized that I can’t do this forever. All these stories and things I create, I must release them because that’s what gives me meaning and joy (though I still do choose what to release and what not to). Regardless of how scary it is. I certainly will feel very happy if someone else finds joy or meaning in them too, but my main motivation is coming from inside, and I try to keep it independent from the external ones.
For years, my focus had been solely on making small arthouse indie games. But recently, I’ve found music and poetry to be the best art mediums for me, as they allow me to focus on self expression and storytelling while worrying less about other things. Nevertheless, I actively continue creating things and experimenting in other art disciplines too.
Q: Is there anything you hope people take with them when they listen to your music?
A: I hope they see that music and art in general are not limited to the conventional, repetitive, and sometimes fake products they always see. I don’t have any inherent problems with mainstream music and in fact, many of my own favorite songs are kind of mainstream. But I want them to see that real art and creativity are often found in the hidden parts of existence and daily life, not just in more love songs.
Q: What other things should we know about the music? Any live shows we should know about?
A: I follow a fairly consistent schedule for releasing my music, where I release at least 1 single track a month and 1 album (or EP) a year. I actively try not to repeat myself and keep experimenting and exploring, but I also want to create a memorable and distinct musical style at the same time. In terms of live shows, it’s weird to say but I still don’t think I’m ready for it, due to many reasons. It’s something that I started to think about a lot recently, but a few things need to happen first. Nevertheless, I am thinking of and considering doing some small open mic performances in Toronto. But we’ll see what happens in the future. I just encourage anyone who is interested in my work to follow me on social media platforms, where I actively announce all the news related to my art.
A: For me, the main motivator and influence is my need for self-expression. After years and years of silencing myself, I realized that I can’t do this forever. All these stories and things I create, I must release them because that’s what gives me meaning and joy (though I still do choose what to release and what not to). Regardless of how scary it is. I certainly will feel very happy if someone else finds joy or meaning in them too, but my main motivation is coming from inside, and I try to keep it independent from the external ones.
For years, my focus had been solely on making small arthouse indie games. But recently, I’ve found music and poetry to be the best art mediums for me, as they allow me to focus on self expression and storytelling while worrying less about other things. Nevertheless, I actively continue creating things and experimenting in other art disciplines too.
Q: Is there anything you hope people take with them when they listen to your music?
A: I hope they see that music and art in general are not limited to the conventional, repetitive, and sometimes fake products they always see. I don’t have any inherent problems with mainstream music and in fact, many of my own favorite songs are kind of mainstream. But I want them to see that real art and creativity are often found in the hidden parts of existence and daily life, not just in more love songs.
Q: What other things should we know about the music? Any live shows we should know about?
A: I follow a fairly consistent schedule for releasing my music, where I release at least 1 single track a month and 1 album (or EP) a year. I actively try not to repeat myself and keep experimenting and exploring, but I also want to create a memorable and distinct musical style at the same time. In terms of live shows, it’s weird to say but I still don’t think I’m ready for it, due to many reasons. It’s something that I started to think about a lot recently, but a few things need to happen first. Nevertheless, I am thinking of and considering doing some small open mic performances in Toronto. But we’ll see what happens in the future. I just encourage anyone who is interested in my work to follow me on social media platforms, where I actively announce all the news related to my art.