I had the pleasure to sit down and talk to American pop-rock/alternative rock artist Dex Rocket via Zoom recently. We talked about his extensive musical history, influence, and the release of one of his latest singles “Shocktane”. How does this fictitious word relate to our daily lives in the current world? Continue to read on to find out. Also, check out the song and the amazing music video down below!
Who is Dez Rocket?
Dez Rocket is a Pop Rock / Alternative Rock musician from Missouri, United States. He became a professional musician in the late 80s. The artist played with various bands such as Pavlov’s Dog, Zeeno, Slash Rhino, and the Gale Rose Band. He also lived in Los Angeles for a couple of decades, involved with many entertainment venues like music, TV, and movies. Interestingly enough, the artist was first a keyboardist at first, especially in the 80s as a synth freak. “I was all about keyboards.” But then in the 90s, he moved on to guitar, which he writes most of his songs with currently.
At an early age, Dez Rocket was influenced by 60s music like Mamas & Papas, The Monkees, and Jackson 5. And when he got older, he was listening to 50s music in the 70s. He caught up with the then-current music trends when he discovered MTV. He was into 80s rock musical genres like punk, English bands, and new wave. But, with all the music he has listened to, Dez Rocket’s music isn’t really inspired by them musically, just emotionally. “My music isn’t like those that I listen to.”
Behind the Scenes of “Shocktane”
“Shocktane” is about being numb to the desensitization of life, everything is getting more crazy and more insane that you just become numb to it. It is a metaphor about being desensitization and mind control. So, when he was coming up with the concept of the music video, Dez Rocket thought about what could physically represent the concept of “shocktane”. That is when he got the idea of it being a drink. It is a fictitious, made-up word but a metaphor for something in our daily lives.
The plot is about a guy who sees a commercial about a product. The character thinks that this product will set his life free from the craziness of the world, the media, and other things. But, the “shocktane” is combined with mind control and the character loses it.
When the artist writes music, he tries to approach it like meditation and hut his mind off. “I try not to think when I write because it gets in the way. When I pick up the guitar, the music comes from my hands and not my mind”. The first thing that came up for “Shoctane” was the riff. Then the song developed from there, singing along to the guitar.
He played every instrument in the song except the drums. Yet, his idea of a simple techno beat in the tempo made it into the final production. Interestingly, there is a crowd singing along to the song. That is Dez Rocket’s vocals multiple many times to make it sound like a crowd.
The music was directed and shot by a young video production team in St. Louis who wasn’t well known but were super talented. They weren’t Dez Rocket’s first choice as he had well-known directors ready to shoot for the video in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. But, because the pandemic closed down most air travel, the artist decided to stay locally. That is how he found this talented team. They did an AMAZING job!
What do you think of the video? Do you enjoy the concept, the music, and/or the storyline? How about the song? You can check out the music video below and let me know what you think!
Future Plans
Dez Rocket has since released two more singles, entitled “Fooled You” and “You Caught Me”:
On October 8, the artist will release a new album that hopes will take the listeners on a journey. He also hinted that the album will feature a variety of sounds and genres: rock, pop, pop-rock, fun, goofy, mellow, and so much more. Taking the listeners on a musical ride. It is a fun album that you have to check out! Stay tuned to ai love music to listen to Dez Rocket’s newest album.
