Interview: Nathan Reiner (Third Realm)

   Third Realm is an incredibly awesome darkwave project from Buffalo, New York and it is the brainchild of Nathan Reiner, a guy we can all learn a lot from. Today he answered some questions of mine!


pdn: Hi Nathan! Please tell me how did you come up with this name for your project?

Nathan: Hello! I chose the name Third Realm quite spontaneously. It felt very intuitive at the time, and stuck ever since. For me, it represents the dimension that we currently live in. I believe that when we die, some of us travel to the fourth realm, a spiritually advanced dimension. Third Realm is not to be confused with the Third Reich, which was related to the Nazi rule in Germany.

pdn: Third Realm is your solo project. Isn’t it difficult to be alone behind all of it, doing everything yourself? Or do you get help from anyone in the process? Either way, the final product is simply amazing!
Nathan: Thank you! I actually find it quite liberating. I continue to create everything on my own; it’s always been a very personal process for me. I’ve learned so many things regarding production, mixing and mastering along the way as well. I recently added a few members for my live shows, but in the studio, it’s just me and my thoughts.


pdn: How did you get the idea for this one-man-band?
Nathan: I think it spawned from the idea, if you want something done right, do it yourself. I didn’t initially plan for it to be just me, but I realized early on that music was a form of therapy for me, so collaborating with others would taint my main inspiration to keep creating.

pdn: At what age did you decide you would like to be a musician?
Nathan: Probably around 15, I was fascinated with all kinds of instruments and computers, it felt destined to be.


pdn: What and/or who is your main inspiration?
Nathan: Life, death, emotions, art, thoughts. We are living on a planet of uncertainty; we don’t know exactly how we got here or what our main purpose as humans is. Still, certain things make us feel good inside, freedom of expression is important. Free will inspires me. Musically, artists such as Bauhaus, Nine Inch Nails, Diary of Dreams & Front Line Assembly inspire my creations.

pdn: There is a multitude of different sounds combined in your songs, creating diversity not only between the songs, but within them as well, which makes your sounds unique. One of the songs that first caught my attention in this matter was Manic Panic, what can you tell me about that particular song?
Nathan: Thank you for pointing that out, I pride myself on creating songs that cannot always be placed under one genre. Manic Panic is quite the experimental track, merging drum & bass elements with harsh industrial vocal approaches. It would be safe to say that lyrically, it’s based on an array of inner thoughts and emotions. In fact, ‘Love is the Devil’, the album that track appears on, is all extremely personal. I’m sure the individual who influenced the entire theme knows who they are!

pdn: One of the main subjects is clearly romance and different approaches of it. Is the general message your music transmits based on personal experiences?
Nathan: Absolutely, some of my songs are certainly fantasy based, but for the most part, most of my songs are influenced by some type of emotion, consciously and/or subconsciously.

pdn: How do you usually like to spend your free time, when you are not working or creating music?
Nathan: Anything that sparks my interest really, but you can often find me playing video games, singing karaoke or occasionally hanging out with some good friends at various clubs or concerts.

pdn: What is your motto in life?
Nathan: Remember the past, but live for today. Life is too short, don’t take things too seriously. Not to say don’t be responsible, but don’t get caught up in minor details that can frustrate you or make your life complicated for no good reason. Go with the flow, express yourself, and appreciate your friends and family.

pdn: Thank you so much for the answers! Any words you would like to add for your fans? :)
Nathan: You’re very welcome, thank you for having me! I would like to extend a sincere thank you to everyone who has listened and continues to listen to my music. I appreciate it more than I can express. I enjoy hearing from you, and I still to this day do my best to personally write back everyone that writes me an email, message or comment. So keep them coming! For those of you who may not have heard, a new Third Realm album entitled ‘New World Order’ was released back in August, it features a cover of ‘Cry Little Sister’ from The Lost Boys soundtrack. Fans of my albums ‘Under the Black Light’ & ‘Love is the Devil’ will find familiar comfort in these new tracks. Thank you again for listening!

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