Following in the wake of their newest EP, Player One, we had a chance to chat with Sudo from The Mad Game to find out what’s what.
HY: Do you have any controversial music opinions?
How can one even have a controversial musical opinion? There are times that music videos have been called controversial because of what they depict, even some lyrics that are claimed to incite violence, but that doesn’t make sense to us. It’s artistic expression. No one started a war with music or killed the ocean with a music spill. Those who find controversy in music really should just learn to use the off switch or skip button. Real controversy lies elsewhere, in areas of society that have massive, real-world impacts on everyone’s lives.
HY: What is your current album/song of the year?
We don’t have one. We really don’t spend much time listening to music. After all, we spend a lot of time making it and silence can be rather golden. We search do search for any particularly interesting tracks and songs that have been released, but don’t classify them in order of preference. There’s wide variety of good music out there.
HY: What’s the most irritating song you’ve heard released this year?
We don’t really have one of those either. Who gets irritated by a song? There is enough drama in the world without creating more because of a song.
HY: Do you have any music-based guilty pleasures?
As long as you are hurting no one else, there is no guilt in pleasure.
HY: If you could feature any artist on your next single who would it be and why?
We have not thought about this much but there are quite a few that would be fun for various reasons. Taylor Swift, for instance, would be an interesting contrast to experience, and she just seems like a super nice person. Some of the living legends like Aerosmith would be truly interesting. Sidiki Diabete; the Kora is a magical instrument. Jupiter (Jupiter & Okwess) from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Any good Kumi-daiko groups, Taikos are just awesomely powerful. Avici, if he were still with us, because he had such good energy. We would love to do a video clip featuring Stanley Tucci but we certainly can’t afford him. If he were to offer, though…
HY: Can you tell us how the band was formed?
To make a long story short, we found each other by accident when our paths collided. Sonya and Sudo met in Crimea and then they met Karla in Kyiv. We each recognized our complimentary qualities, skills and stories, and so decided to work together. Not to mention that we have English as a common language which is fundamental to our communication. It is a long and convoluted story that we will reveal little by little as we gather our thoughts and lay them out, but there are more storms close on the horizon so we will wait for slightly calmer waters before we really begin to discuss our stories.
HY: How did you decide on the animated element of the band?
There are a couple of reasons why we decided to use animated characters to represent ourselves. The first is that it allows us creative opportunities that we would not have as ourselves; it gives greater licence for artistic expression. Secondly, while we are not hiding, we wanted to draw a firm line in the sand between the project and our private lives. We are not trying to become celebrities. The focus should be on the project and its content. There are also real security issues to consider and not just for ourselves.
HY: What are the next plans for The Mad Game?
We are writing more music and slowly bringing the story together. We have all sorts of ideas in development for creative content based on our collective histories. The next step is to bring more of the world into The Mad Game.
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