Introduction and background:

Hello, I'm Adrian Kreature and I'm originally from the East Bay area, in the suburb of Concord. I grew up in Avondale, Arizona, just outside Phoenix. I'm currently based in Phoenix, Arizona. Growing up, I was surrounded by music as my dad played trumpet and had been a middle school and high school music teacher. My mom picked up the acoustic guitar when I was a kid and a couple of my uncles played the guitar and drums and play in bands. I grew up with a keyboard that I would just mess around with, but it wasn't until I got MTV Music Generator for the Playstation One that I discovered the thrill of writing music and putting different sounds together to make a melody. I was in middle school and recall covering Nine Inch Nails' Closer! It wasn't long after that I actually picked up my mom's guitar and started plucking away on it as it lay on my lap. Seeing my interest in the guitar, my dad got me guitar lessons. He wanted me to be "properly trained," so I learned how to read sheet music and play classical guitar. Eventually, I moved on to the electric guitar and joined an alt-rock band with some other friends in high school. A highlight at that time was playing a battle of the bands at the Mason Jar in Phoenix, which housed many great acts, and we covered Billy Idol's Rebel Yell. A full circle moment was returning to that venue, which is now called Rebel Lounge, and performing there as Rare Kreature.

Musical identity:

Prior to Rare Kreature, I was in punk and hardcore bands. My tastes in music have always been all over the place, listening to 90's hip-hop and R&B until I discovered alternative rock and new wave in middle school, where I began listening to bands like The Cure, Depeche Mode, New Order and Nine Inch Nails. Once I left playing heavy distorted music I began playing darkwave and post-punk styles. In 2013, I moved to San Diego, where I struggled to find a band to play outside of jamming with some folks. At that time, I felt like I was in a real rut with writing music, but once I started watching the first season of Stranger Things back in 2016, something clicked for me. The nostalgia I felt from the 1980's aesthetic lit a fire under me. Around that time, I had also acquired a midi keyboard from my job at the YMCA where they were getting rid of all this old equipment. With a midi in hand, and music inspiration, I began my initial new wave project called Super Control. I spent a good year writing and recording demos as Supercontrol and exploring synth sounds. While on vacation in Las Vegas, I was watching a nature show on endangered species, and the term "rare creature" was used at the end of the episode to describe the fragility of species that were nearing extinction. That term left an impression on me, and my music was taking a darker tone from synth pop to post punk, so it felt fitting. Shortly after, I moved back to Phoenix, Arizona, and connected with some other musicians through Craigslist. We had seemed to kick it off, but life got in the way, and we parted ways. Rare Kreature continued as a solo project, releasing a few albums starting in 2020; however, we reconnected and performed many shows as RK until that group transformed into my other band called Nitemal.

My occupational background is in social work, so I naturally found a lot of inspiration from social issues and social justice. At the same time, themes of horror would find their way into my lyrics, and I often used horror as an analogy to social issues and internal observations. Since the inception of Rare Kreature, my style has fluctuated from post-punk to darkwave to deathrock and indie rock. Through my work, I've gained a heightened sense of self-awareness, and I find that it makes its way into my lyrics with observations and reflections. I also like to straddle the line of cool and hypnotic to aggressive and intense songs, which is a strong reflection of how I can be. I typically have a calm demeanor, but I love to be dramatic in a theatrical way. I often wish I had pursued acting, as I like to get into characters and get lost in someone else's mind. Writing music is just another way of losing myself and the world around me. The creative process is one that is often a mystery. I say that because it typically feels like a blur when I look back to how I wrote something once it's done. In some cases, though, either a tune comes into my head at a random time or I create something by accident from just fiddling on my guitar. I find that happy accidents or brain tunes are the best way for me to write music. Most times, I don't think about what I want it to sound like or aspire to be like any song I know. I just go into another state of mind where it happens organically. That said, there have been times when I've been inspired by artists who help me in the process. One example was when I was listening to Kate Bush a lot and it helped me to give my vocals more energy and depth. The true intention is the feeling I'm trying to convey, which tends to guide the direction of the song.

Current work:

My latest release is an EP called Noises Beyond. This was intentionally meant to be a Halloween EP like AFI's All Hallows. Halloween is my favorite time of year, and I have always wanted an album written with the spooky season in mind. Funny enough, I initially planned to make it a 3-4 song EP. Through my own insanity, it turned into a 7-song EP featuring three guest vocalists. This put more pressure on me to get the songs completed by my October 1st deadline, and I was able to put it out in time. What was most fulfilling was completely redoing the song, Invite Your Friends, which I wrote in 2016. I was never fully satisfied with the demo, but I felt the potential that it had; however, I never had the motivation to try to rework the song until this EP came along. What was initially a synth-heavy song transformed into a guitar-driven post-punk sound, maintaining nearly all the original lyrics with a colder, robotic voice. In the spirit of Halloween, where we become something else, I treated the vocals in the same way, giving them a colder, dead, robotic feel. I love the feeling of becoming something else and immersing myself in another creature. Hence the skull mask that I wear throughout the music videos for this EP and for most of the visuals.

Beyond music:

Aside from writing music, I love videography and making music videos. With RK being a solo act at this point, I don't have a desire to play live unless I have more members, which I have done in the past. This can be limiting with getting exposure, so I like to focus my efforts on making music videos that I hope can better engage listeners. I also find it helpful to pitch my music to various music curators who can share and promote through their channels and playlists. It's especially exciting to see my music featured in different countries and articles in different languages, which speaks to the power of music transcending language and cultures. Most recently, I've had the pleasure of working with the PR agency, Sinistra. When Noises Beyond came out, I was approached by a few PR agencies, but it wasn't until I found Sinistra that I felt most comfortable working with someone. To put it frankly, with her background and focus in darkwave, post-punk, etc., I felt that she would truly understand my music and audience and be someone who would approach my music in ways that felt natural for me and not forced or like it was not me. I can't promote myself in a way that is not me, even if it's what is trending or could get more views. We all want to get as much exposure for our art, but I'm happiest when I am doing things that I truly believe in. Lastly, I would like to share that I have a couple of music videos in addition to Otra Muerte that are from Noises Beyond. Be sure to check out NVRMRE, which was recorded all on an old Sony camcorder, and Invite Your Friends. Both videos feature the same Halloween party hosted by Bats in the Attic but from different perspectives. Thank you so much!