Massa Nera
By Sean Maldjian, Contributor
Photo provided by, Vanessa Valadez
Meet Mark of Massa Nera
We've got an exclusive interview with Mark of Massa Nera, the New Jersey-based band known for their hardcore/screamo sound, and they've got a lot to share! In this interview, Mark opens up about everything from his artistic influences to his grocery list, as well as the inspiration behind their latest album 'Derramar | Querer | Borrar'. He also talks about their plans for the future and shares his thoughts on what makes a performance truly successful. And, if you're wondering whether he'd rather have a pet dinosaur or a pet unicorn, you'll find out the answer to that too!
A self-portrait by, Mark of Massa Nera
Let it be known that I (Mark) am the world's worst illustrator. If you know the band Respire, feel free to ask Egin about my drawing skills. Truly fucking abysmal. I shouldn't be allowed to open MS Paint.
Would You Rather…
have a pet dinosaur or a pet unicorn?
MASSA NERA: Hmm...probably a pet dinosaur, assuming I could pick the species. I wanted to be a paleontologist when I was really young, thanks to a steady diet of Jurassic Park and old Godzilla films.
Some Questions with Mark of Massa Nera
First of all, hello welcome to the blog. Can you introduce yourselves and tell us a little more about Massa Nera?
We're a band from New Jersey! I guess we're hardcore / screamo ("real screamo"), but truthfully we try not to think about genre when we write. Over the years, we've come up with about 100 joke songs that will never see the light of day, far outstripping our actual output.
We are about half a year out from the release of your 2022 album 'Derramar | Querer | Borrar'. How do you feel about the reception to the release so far?
MASSA NERA: We've been blown away by the response! It's been validating and gratifying. Hopefully we have a chance to introduce the album to some more people over the next few months.
What would you do if you owned a blimp?
If I owned a blimp? Damn, I'd probably try to do a lot. Host shows, broadcast leftist propaganda, turn it into a somewhat liveable space (or a practice space), and maybe tour in it depending on how practical that is. Obviously, I don't know anything about blimps haha.
There is a heavy amount of cohesion between the music you create and the design choices made across your album art and merch. Do you have any notable artistic influences that led you to this aesthetic?
Thank you! We made a conscious decision to have our newer merch designs reflect the aesthetic direction of the record, so I'm really happy you feel like there is indeed cohesion between the two. I think a lot of that comes down to Fulgencio P. Bermejo III, the absolutely incredible artist who designed much of the artwork for Derramar | Querer | Borrar (the booklet, center labels, CD + Cassette covers, etc.) as well as most of our recent merch. We have had a long-running dialogue with him about our goals with respect to the artwork, which has helped us figure out what we actually want to achieve.
As far as influences are concerned, we were very much immersed in the world of hauntology while making DQB (musicians such as The Caretaker and The Focus Group, visual artists like Neo Rauch, the written works of Mark Fisher, etc.), as well as UK electronic music from the '90s, dubstep (specifically Burial and other Hyperdub-affiliated artists), Brutalism, "analog horror," video games like Paratopic, and even stuff like cloud rap. We watched a lot of Drain Gang music videos haha. We wanted to avoid Imagery (and even fonts) that, in our opinion, verge on cliché, at least as far as screamo is concerned.
What is on your grocery list?
Nothing exciting. Lots of fruits and vegetables since I'm vegan. Some herbs, especially basil, and parsley. A good amount of plant-based chorizo (and a decent amount of plant-based chicken). Super firm tofu. Pasta. Spices galore, especially from one of the local Indian grocery stores. A shitload of bread. Not as many bagels as I'd like since the bagel options near me are just decent (though admittedly still great by most standards). In a perfect world, I'd supplement all of this with an unholy amount of chocolate, but alas, I'm trying to be somewhat healthy.
What makes a performance a success to you?
I'd say a truly successful performance encompasses 4 things: 1) We don't fuck up at all (or if we do, the fuck-ups are minimal and don't take us out of the music). 2) We're in sync with each other. 3) The energy feels good and consistently escalates (this is most important). 4) People actually respond to us. Fortunately, it seems like most of our recent performances have been great by those standards, though we've been lucky to play with amazing artists on a consistent basis!
If you could rename the state of New Jersey what would you call it? Why?
Shit, I have no idea. My first instinct is to search for some witty Sopranos reference, but I like to think I wouldn't follow through on that impulse. I actually hate naming things. It's the worst. Maybe just the Garden State. The Senses Fail song can be the state anthem (or "Turnpike Divides," if we wanted something less on-the-nose).
Do you have anything in the works that you are excited about?
We do! Lots of stuff. I don't want to get into specifics, but we're very stoked about our current projects. We don't want to go three years between releases (and five years between LPs) ever again.
What are your top three used emojis? Do you have any?
🐻🦖🔥
Any final comments? (This is your electronic soapbox for one last answer.)
Let's see:
If you're reading this and you aren't yet immersed in screamo, we encourage you to check out labels such as Zegema Beach Records, Middle-Man Records, No Funeral Records, i.Corrupt, Utarid Distro, etc. There's an ocean of incredible music being made that only a few people have heard, so the opportunity for discovery is ripe.
If you have the time and the means, make it to ZBR Fest, New Friends Fest, Break Free Fest, or any such event that really caters to weirdo music. There's really nothing like it.
If you've listened to us, seen us play, or helped/supported us in any way, thank you! It truly means the world. Hopefully, we get the chance to hang out at a show in the near future.