Interview with Mauricio Velasco and Dalton Castro of Ignited (Brazil)


By Mick Michaels



COSMICK VIEW: Hello, Mauricio and Dalton! Welcome to The Cosmick View. Thank you for taking some time out of your day to chat with me, it's greatly appreciated.
 Mauricio Velasco: We thank you for the space provided to talk a little about Ignited's work.

Dalton Castro: It is always a pleasure to be answering these kind of questions.

CV: Given so many major changes over the last decade, do you believe the music industry is a practicable and stable enough environment for new artists to even consider making it a valid career choice? Can a level of sustainable success really be achieved in your opinion?
 MV: I believe so, but not in the way that social media and streaming platforms handle material today. I do not agree with the form of remuneration for the artist. Human material is very much undervalued, the content creator receives very little for his work. Regarding the level of success, I believe that it is possible to reach this level. But in my view, success is when the band is sustained only by their work.

CV: What do you see as the biggest change in the music industry since you first started out?
 MV: I consider social networks, certainly. When I started playing, the bands only appeared on MTV and another source of information was magazines, fanzines and nothing else. You were waiting for 30 days to get the new edition of the magazine to know the news, send material, know about a festival.... We received invitations to play festivals by letter, it took a long time to receive or send the information. Today everything is instantaneous, all the time we are bombarded with information; we no longer need to chase the news.

CV: How do you see your music separating itself from your peers and avoiding just being another cog in the wheel?  |
 DC: So, yeah, that is a great question indeed! I believe we are already up and running forward and we need to keep investing a serious amount of time in order to improve our senses of creativity. We have something in mind that makes us walk in the line of creating an authentic and legit music that translates our inner thoughts and of course we need to play the way we have joy and fun without trying to follow any recipe. In the end of the day, music...I mean heavy music is about expressing yourself and shouting it out loud about the things that pisses you off in a particular manner. I think that is the beginning of not being another cog in the wheel.



CV: Has the industry’s many changes affected how you write music? Has it influenced your songwriting style in any drastic form?
MV: Technology has affected a lot in our way of composition. Ignited's first songs were composed remotely, we lived in different states of the country and technology was our ally in this process. We used programmed drums, I would mount a beat and forward it to Dalton, or Dalton would create a riff and send it to me. Thus, came the first ideas of our music.

DC: We have been helped by all of the new software stuff regarding the compositions, nowadays with the pandemic, we have been looking for a service that fits for our online rehearsals. After that, I guess we will boost our second album’s songs which still are in a ‘draft’ sort of stage.

CV: Has digital technology led the way for almost anyone to be a musical artist in your opinion?
 MV: Yes, practically everything is available on Youtube. How to learn to play, compose, record, set up a studio, learn to dance, sing. Digital technology has democratized art. There are a lot of good people doing everything from home and with quality.


CV: Has music in general been broken into too many sub-genres? Why do think there are so many classifications of music types? Can this be confusing for an artist who is looking to build a brand? As well, can it be confusing for the fans?
MV: I think sub-genres were being created by the industry, with the aim of labeling bands to sell them. Separate into groups, you know. It confuses the whole market…because it got huge…it confuses me, you and especially the fans.

CV: How would you define “iconic” when it comes to being an artist or musician? What do you think makes an artist iconic?
 MV: Difficult, but I'll try to summarize this. I think that an artist becomes an icon when he becomes a reference in his art. When it comes to drums, for example, Alex Van Halen is an icon because the sound of his snare drum is so characteristic that it became a reference. Kiss is an icon, because it has become a reference for rock bands, show business and still shows today. I don't know if I answered well, but it is my point of view. Hahaha!

CV: Who would you consider to be a modern day “rock star?” And is being a “rock star” something to aspire to?
 MV: I think Myles Kennedy is a modern rock star. Without a doubt, being a rock star is something to aspire to.

CV: Does music need to have a message to convey to the world for it to be worth listening to in your opinion?
 MV: As I am a drummer, I believe that good music is the music that makes you stomp your foot, with the contagious rhythm and melody. It is not mandatory to have a message or to be conceptual. But of course, the more elements there are in the music, the more it catches the listener's attention.


CV: What's next for you? What can fans expect to see coming?
 MV: Well, we are preparing a live album that we recorded at a 2019 show where we played with the band Noturnall; Edu Falaschi and the iconic drummer Mike Portnoy. We are in the final stages of preparing this material that we will release in high quality video and audio. Due to the pandemic, we are preparing some homemade materials in our home studio. Stay tuned as Ignited will release a lot of material later this year.

CV: Thank you again Mauricio and Dalton for spending some time talking and sharing with our readers. It was a pleasure. I wish you all the best and continued success.
 MV: Thanks again for the space and I ask readers to follow us on our social networks and get to know about Ignited. Hugs from Brazil!

DC: We hope to see each other on the road next year, somewhere…it might be around the world!

Check out Ignited at:
Official: www.ignitedmetal.com  


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My name is Mick Michaels...I'm an artist, music fan, songwriter, producer, show host, dreamer and guitarist for the traditional Heavy Metal band Corners of Sanctuary. Writing has always been a creative outlet for me; what I couldn't say in speech, I was able to do with the written word.  Writing has given me a voice and a way for me to create on a multitude of platforms including music and song, articles, independent screenplays, books and now, artist interviews. The Cosmick View is an opportunity to raise the bar and showcase artists in a positive and inspirational light. For me, it's another out-of-this-world adventure.




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