An interview with Modern Cinema Master

Together, you perform in the rock/alternative band Modern Cinema. What inspired you to form the group?

MCM: After graduating, I returned to my hometown and began playing guitar and writing songs again. Before that, I had already played drums in two different bands. When I got back home, I felt ready to start something new, so I posted online looking for musicians to join me. That’s how I found the other two members. At first, we didn’t know each other well, but we came together and began building the band from there.

What inspired all of you to pursue music as a career?

MCM: About three years ago, we realized we wanted to dedicate more of our lives to music. We wanted to tour, create new albums, and spend more time developing the band seriously. Eventually, that meant leaving our jobs so we could fully focus on making music.

Your sound is heavily influenced by independent rock from the 1990s, blending sharp noise, post-punk energy, and lo-fi elements. What draws you to combining those styles?

MCM:We really love lo-fi sound and that overall style of music. Bands like Radiohead, New Order, and Pavement have had a strong influence on how we understand music. Those artists helped shape our musical language.

We also love noise itself. Noise rock has something unpredictable about it — you can’t fully control it, and that creates a certain kind of power. We like taking that raw, uncontrolled energy and combining it with groovy drums and bass to create our own sound.

The band has released two EPs, three singles, and two double-CD albums, totaling more than forty original songs. What does your songwriting process usually look like?

MCM: Most of our songs begin with jam sessions. We love working in our practice room because it gives us freedom — there’s no pressure to follow rules or standards. We simply follow the organic energy that comes naturally in the moment.

After each jam, we collect ideas and build what feels like a small musical library. Later, when we begin developing new material, we return to those ideas, review them together, and brainstorm what direction we want to take.

A big part of the process is identifying exactly what kind of song we want to create at that moment. That’s usually when the song truly starts to take shape.

 Your music feels both raw and refined, pairing poetic lyrics with powerful sonic textures and fierce melodies. Why is that balance important to you?

MCM: To be honest, we don’t always consciously try to create that balance. Most of the time, we build the music first — focusing on sound that feels full of energy, growth, and intensity.

Then we trust our vocalist, because he usually writes the lyrics on his own. We trust him to bring words that fit naturally with the music, and that combination happens very organically.

 How would you describe your performance style during live shows?

MCM: Full of energy — direct, rough, and intense, but sometimes with moments of gentleness too.

 Finally, what does performing at South by Southwest mean to you?

MCM: It means a great deal to us. Performing at South by Southwest has given us the chance to share our music with new audiences, and even though the language and culture may be different, we still feel a strong connection through the energy and feedback we receive.

It’s not only an incredible experience, but it also expands our imagination about what might be possible for us on a global stage in the future. It has been very meaningful for the band.