Saxophone player and musician Peter Assing chatted about his music and songwriting inspirations, and being a part of the digital age.
Assing is with the Mountain Castle Band, where he plays the saxophone, and his producer is Mikio Sankey.
Music and songwriting inspirations
On his music and songwriting inspirations, Assing said, “Thinking about the afterlife or life after this physical world and life, engaging my world , life and thoughts with the nature and rhythm as a supreme being in a Judeo/Christian sense or in a Buddhist notion of the afterlife, faith and philosophy.
“Nature is also an inspiration for me to write music, I love nature and the beauty of nature is a source of inspiration for me and also World politics and events such as the war in Ukraine are a source of intellectual stimulation to write music and songs raising thoughts in my imagination that we may see a nuclear war before the end of our days,” he said.
The digital age
On being a musician in the digital age, Assing said, “Truthfully i feel i am part of a new religion created by modern technology that was influenced by the musical writing of Jimmy Hendrix.
“I believe that technology is helping to integrate the world as one, breaking down old social traditions so the common man can discuss modern worlds problems with presidents and kings when is necessary to create social results that can be enjoyed by the entire world and influence the planet earth to live respecting the values of freedom and democracy,” he elaborated.
Latest projects
He works with The Mountain Castle Band and producer and guitarist Mikio, founder of Hiroshima. “Playing with the band has really been an incredible and enlightening experience,” he said.
“Also, recording with Paul Ill and Ronnie Ciago on bass and drums has been a supernatural experience,” he said.
Assing is a part of a project with Mike Albert in a rock fusion project similar to Carlos Santana Supernatural, where the sounds will be a result of combining blues, Latin Rock, fusion and rap.
He noted that he has been invited to a major role as an actor in an animated feature that utilizes the most advanced holographic technology in the world. “I will put my mind, heart and soul in the highly heroic role that has been offered to me in this world-class feature film,” he said.
Advice for hopefuls in music
For young and aspiring singer-songwriters, he said, “Try to find that ultimate truth you are seeking as a creator far away from drugs and alcohol, seek clean and fruitful personal relations.”
Future plans
On his future plans, he said, “I now work with a music company known as Blank Canvas and producer David Harris, his company is a subsidiary of Death Row Records.”
“I hope to contribute that our record label will diversify its content and can hopefully become the number one music company in the World. I also want to become a Film Director,” he said.
Career-defining moments
On his career-defining moments, Assing shared, “I was in a coma for two months after a car accident and went through full clinical death.”
“I came back and started working with The Mountain Castle Band and made eight records with the group, 10 music videos and three singles with lots of discipline and music practice plus seeking a supernatural source for inspiration have defined my character, career and life,” he added.
Success
On his definition of success, he said, “In a musical sense, it means to search for a new sound unheard by any human being alive.”
He continued, “To go beyond the established rules of music to create music beyond human imagination and reasoning with the purpose of changing the evils of life and mankind and recreating society into a more civilized and tolerant place for us to live.”
“Achieving the peace of mind of a Buddhist priest and the bank accounts of a Rockefeller from profits from music creation,” he added.
Closing thoughts on the music
Assing remarked, “I hope to be able to direct feature films and create the soundtrack at the same time and use the combination as my trademark as a film auteur to express and share to leave the negative in a distant past.”
“Also, to combine the mighty powers of technology with the supernatural forces of the Universe to leave confusion and evil in the past to rebuild a new garden of Eden or Paradise all over our world Planet earth,” he concluded.
To learn more about the Mountain Castle Band, visit their official website.
